7/24 Sports Brief

LeBron James is heading to the Philadelphia 76ers, saying it will be his ‘last decision’

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — LeBron James is heading to the Philadelphia 76ers. James made the announcement on social media, saying it will be his “last decision” and that it comes after he strongly considered retirement. James says “I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.” James wrote he was “done” when his 23rd NBA season ended. He says “I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game.”

Former Cowboys QB Tony Romo arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence

MILWAUKEE (AP) — CBS NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has been arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence. A Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office’s arrest report says Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests after getting stopped while driving south on Interstate 43 on Thursday. Sheriff’s officials said Romo was taken into custody, booked and released. He has a court appearance set for Sept. 21. Romo went to high school about 35 miles from Milwaukee in Burlington, Wisconsin. The 46-year-old Romo has been the lead game analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage since 2017. CBS had no comment.

Patrick Mahomes cleared with no limits for the start of Chiefs training camp after knee surgery

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been cleared to start training camp after knee surgery last year. Mahomes says he met all the necessary benchmarks to report on time. The Chiefs begin practice Saturday for rookies, quarterbacks and select players recovering from injuries. Mahomes hurt his knee in December and underwent surgery immediately afterward. He spent the offseason rehabbing at the Chiefs’ facility. Coach Andy Reid says Mahomes is fully cleared but will be evaluated daily. Mahomes plans to wear a knee brace and participate in camp as usual. The Chiefs’ preseason opener is August 15. The regular season begins September 14.

Michael Kim shoots 59 at 3M Open, 15th in PGA Tour history

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Michael Kim shot the 15th 59 in PGA Tour history Friday, making a 24-foot putt for birdie on the 18th hole at the 3M Open. Kim birdied the final four holes of his bogey-free round at TPC Twin Cities to get to 14 under for the tournament and open a a three-shot lead over three players. Ben Kohles, who had a two-shot lead entering the day, shot a 69 to drop into a tie for second with Chandler Phillips (65) and Emiliano Grillo (67). Two bad swings cost Scottie Scheffler, and the world’s top-ranked player was seven shots back after 70.Jim Furyk holds the tour record with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.

LeBron James picks his final NBA challenge, and Philadelphia was his ultimate answer

Those NBA schedule-makers who have been stuck in limbo can go ahead and hit overdrive now. LeBron James might have made their work pretty simple. Opening night, go ahead and expect Philadelphia at New York. Christmas Day, go ahead and expect Philadelphia on the schedule. National television games, go ahead and give Philadelphia a ton of those, too. The 76ers got perhaps the biggest bargain in sports history on Friday, when James — the NBA’s all-time scoring king — announced he would be finishing his career in Philadelphia.

Dallas’ Azzi Fudd first rookie to win 3-point shootout at WNBA All-Star weekend

CHICAGO (AP) — Azzi Fudd of the Dallas Wings became the first rookie to win the WNBA All-Star 3-point contest, scoring 30 points in the championship round. The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft hit her first six shots in the finals to get into rhythm. She edged Bridget Carleton, from the expansion Portland Fire, who had 29 points in the opening round. Carleton got off to a slow start in the finals and couldn’t recover, finishing with 19 points. Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin and high schooler Jezelle Banks led team Washington to the Shooting Stars championship to tipoff the Friday night festivities. The trio scored 31 points to edge Seattle’s three in the finals, with Banks hitting two of the 4-point shots from just inside halfcourt to put the team over the top.

Skubal strikes out 12 in possible home finale as Tigers beat Royals 2-1

DETROIT (AP) — Tarik Skubal had a season-high 12 strikeouts and allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings in what could have been his last home start for Detroit, helping the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. The two-time defending AL Cy Young winner pitched out of a seventh-inning jam before walking off the mound to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd. Skubal, the subject of trade rumors as he approaches free agency, returned for the eighth inning with 89 pitches, but was replaced by Brenan Hanifee after retiring Carter Jensen. He left to another ovation, having given up four hits and two walks in his 61st win for the Tigers. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 12th save .

Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles surge to 100-meter wins at US championships

NEW YORK (AP) — Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles surged to 100-meter wins at the U.S. track and field championships on Friday night. The 26-year-old Richardson got off to a slow start but quickly made up time, finishing in 10.77 seconds to breeze past training partner Kayla White and win by 0.13 seconds at Icahn Stadium. Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion, was trailing early but quickly caught up to the field — and then blew right by them. He matched his personal-best time by finishing in 9.79 seconds. The 32-year-old Ronnie Baker took second and Kenny Bednarek finished third.

Ryan Blaney, Todd Gilliland ready for Brickyard 400 balancing act with $1 million prize at stake

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Blaney faces a high-stakes weekend in Indianapolis. He’s hoping to put Roger Penske back in victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he’d like to add a second crown jewel win to his resume. At the same time, he’s chasing a $1 million pay day — if he finishes ahead of Todd Gilliland in NASCAR’s second In-Season Challenge. Blaney’s solution is to simplify matters by sweeping both titles Sunday with one amazing Brickyard 400. While Blaney enters the weekend as the favorite to win the challenge, Gilliland hopes his ability to keep advancing holds up one more week — long enough to help him cash in with a big pay day.