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Column: Marques Johnson's daughter begins a new era in family basketball legacy

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Column: Marques Johnson's daughter begins a new era in family basketball legacy

Marques Johnson is a living, breathing legend who’s seen and experienced so many moments of greatness that his story could be part of a museum exhibit dedicated to telling L.A. basketball history from the 1970s into the 21st century.

From becoming the City Section player of the year at Crenshaw High in 1973 to playing on John Wooden’s final UCLA championship team in 1975 to being a five-time All-Star with the Milwaukee Bucks to screaming “Yeah, baby!” as a radio broadcaster during Tyler Edney’s miracle buzzer-beater for UCLA in the 1995 NCAA tournament, Johnson is an L.A. sports institution.

Then there’s his family. Son Kris was the City player of the year at Crenshaw in 1993 and a member of UCLA’s national championship team in 1995. Another son, Josiah, starred for Montclair Prep, then went to UCLA and became a successful TV writer and social media star. Another son, Joshua, is an actor.

John Wooden (left) and Marques Johnson, winner of John R. Wooden award, in 1977.

(Larry Bessel/Los Angeles Times)

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The Johnsons are L.A.’s first family of basketball and now there’s a new era, as the first Johnson female has made her high school debut.

Shiloh Johnson, Marques’ 15-year-old daughter who paints her fingernails white and has a ponytail, is a 6-foot freshman at Windward, and all her brothers insist she’s more advanced at her age than any of the boys before her.

Marques, 68, who’s an Emmy-winning broadcaster with the Milwaukee Bucks, said his daughter has the same passion for basketball. She gets up at 5 a.m. for lessons from Kris before school. She listens intently when he reminds her of all the great L.A. stars through the years, taking her to Crenshaw to train in the gym and look up at former coach Willie West’s 16 championship banners. Marquestook her to a park in Inglewood where the likes of Reggie Theus, Paul Pierce and Byron Scott hung out.

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“I’ve always considered myself the basketball storyteller who’s lived through 50 years of history,” Marques said. “I’ve made sure she is plugged into tradition. I want her to understand what this history of L.A. basketball greatness is all about. She’s working hard to try to hold up her end.”

Shiloh said she wasn’t serious about basketball in her youth days playing at a recreation center in Westchester while also trying tennis, golf and ballet. It was during the pandemic in 2020 when she started working out with another brother, Cyrus, and her love for basketball took over.

“I feel when I play. I have a drive to get better every single day,” she said. “Watching my father and knowing his legacy is also part of it.”

Windward freshman Shiloh Johnson poses for a photo with the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Windward freshman Shiloh Johnson (left) has been getting photos taken with the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo annually for seven years.

(Johnson family)

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Marques has taken photos of Shiloh with the Bucks’ superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, annually for the last seven years, showing her growth along the way. Shiloh said she didn’t realize early on what it meant to be around one of the NBA’s best players but now understands how fortunate she is.

“When I was younger, I didn’t realize how big it was,” she said. “It was normal, a tradition every year, go to the Milwaukee practice facility. As I got older and mainly when they won the championship in 2021, it was, ‘Wow, I have this big advantage.’ It’s really cool and beneficial to learn things and be around that. It’s cool to see my evolution.”

Freshman Shiloh Johnson of Windward (13) gets physical in a battle for the ball during a game against against Sage Hill.

Freshman Shiloh Johnson of Windward (13) gets physical in a battle for the ball during a game against Sage Hill.

(Craig Weston)

At Windward, Shiloh is one of six promising freshmen on the varsity team. Coach Rachel Shrout said her size and potential are plentiful.

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“I’m proud of her progress and her work ethic,” she said.

Shiloh said this season will be about adapting to the high school game and focusing on her strengths — hustle and rebounding. She’s someone who “locks in” during games but also is hard on herself. Kris has been helping her with the mental game. She knows about the changes going on in the women’s game and the new opportunities unfolding.

“I was around the men’s game when I was younger, but I always loved Candace Parker and followed JuJu Watkins through her high school career and seeing her in the newspaper,” she said.

Kris and Marques were sitting in the bleachers for Shiloh’s high school debut against Sage Hill last month. She started and played extensively but didn’t score. Her focus was battling for rebounds, playing defense and hustling.

The Johnson family always has good timing. Marques was 6 feet 6 and known as a swingman at a time when his size made him a defensive mismatch for guards and forwards. He got to play for Wooden’s final NCAA championship team. He was an announcer for UCLA’s last championship team under coach Jim Harrick and was there for Edney’s memorable full-court drive and basket to beat Missouri.

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And now he has his first basketball-playing daughter in high school at a time when the popularity of women’s basketball is soaring.

Marques was asked what Wooden would say if he were around to see Shiloh.

“He thought the women were a lot more fundamentally sound than the men,” Marques said. “He loved it. Coach Wooden would be tinkled pink. He loved Ann Meyers.”

One tradition Marques has is dunking each birthday. Since Shiloh says she’s still growing, could she join him one day with a father-daughter dunk?

“I hope so,” she said.

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The Johnson family will be supporting Shiloh on her basketball journey. It’s an L.A. story shared with so many over 50 years who’ve watched family members perform.

“I’m super honored,” Shiloh said. “I love my family.”

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Russell Wilson not thinking about retirement, plans to play in 2026: ‘I know what I’m capable of’

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Russell Wilson not thinking about retirement, plans to play in 2026: ‘I know what I’m capable of’

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Russell Wilson went from starting quarterback of the New York Giants to third string just a few weeks into the 2025 season, leaving many to question if the 10-time Pro Bowler decides to play next season.

Wilson, 37, doesn’t sound like he’s mulling over his decision. He wants to play in 2026.

“I’m not blinking,” Wilson said, per SNY. “I know [what] I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again, you know, and just be ready to rock and roll, and be as healthy as possible and be ready to play ball.”

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New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.  (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

Wilson signed a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the Giants this past offseason worth $10.5 million, which had tons of incentives if he were to play the entire season.

That same offseason, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss, and he proved during training camp to have NFL-ready chops under center.

GIANTS STICK WITH GM JOE SCHOEN DESPITE ANOTHER LOSING SEASON, CITING NEED FOR ‘CONTINUITY AND STABILITY’

Still, then-head coach Brian Daboll was steadfast in his decision to start Wilson despite Dart’s success. But, after just three games, where the Giants went 0-3, a change was made.

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Daboll went with Dart in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers at home, and the rookie defeated Justin Herbert and company to not only get his first career win, but cement himself as the team’s starter moving forward.

Even then, Wilson remained positive, saying in interviews after practice that he understands the direction of the team and wanted to help Dart develop and grow in his new role.

New York Giants’ Russell Wilson, left, and Jaxson Dart, right, talk on the bench in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.  (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

In his three starts for the Giants, Wilson threw for 831 yards with three touchdowns to three interceptions, though all of those touchdowns came in a Week 2 overtime heartbreaker for New York. Over half of Wilson’s passing yards also came in that game, throwing for 450 in the 40-37 loss.

Wilson also said that he tore his hamstring during that game against the Cowboys.

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“I played that game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice – the last play of practice. And I had a Grade 2 (tear). I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what,” Wilson explained.

“I actually ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility, training. And you know, just kept it quiet, just trying to get treatment on it and just knowing that I probably couldn’t run from the goal line to the 10-yard line if I wanted to, but I feel like… I got to play this game.”

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scans the field at the line against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. (Rich Barnes/Imagn Images)

It will be interesting to see if Wilson will land anywhere, and better yet, if a team is willing to try him out as a starter again.

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Can Ravens’ Tyler Loop rebound from missed kick better than Scott Norwood or Mike Vanderjagt?

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Can Ravens’ Tyler Loop rebound from missed kick better than Scott Norwood or Mike Vanderjagt?

Those who snub Father Time like to say that 50 is the new 30. A different Father — Benedictine priest Maximilian Maxwell— sprinkled holy water in the end zone before his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with the AFC North title on the line.

Fifty is the new 30 also applies to field goals. More than 70% of kicks over 50 yards are successful these days, a dramatic increase in accuracy from only five years ago. Excuse Maxwell for thinking divine intervention might be necessary should a last-second missed kick determine the outcome.

A 44-yarder is a chip shot for most NFL kickers, including Ravens rookie Tyler Loop, who had made 90% of his attempts — including eight of eight from 40-49 yards — when the ball was snapped with three seconds to play and Baltimore trailing 26-24.

Two words coined when Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard attempt that cost the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl XXV in 1991 once again were screamed on a television broadcast: “Wide right!”

Another memorable miss came from a kicker regarded as the best in the NFL 20-some years ago. Brash, outspoken Mike Vanderjagt of the Indianapolis Colts led the league in scoring in 1999 and four years later became the first kicker in history to make every kick in a full season: 83 of 83 on field goals and extra points.

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Yet he botched a boot with 21 seconds to play during a playoff game in 2006, enabling the Steelers to upset the Colts. Pittsburgh went on to win the Super Bowl and Vanderjagt was replaced by Adam Vinatieri. He never regained his form.

Here’s hoping Loop rebounds better than Vanderjagt or Norwood, who was released a year after the historic miss and never played again. Loop was All Pac-12 in 2023 at Arizona, where he holds records for longest field goal (62 yards) and success rate (83.75%). He was the Wildcats’ GOAT before becoming the Ravens’ goat.

Loop, 24, didn’t duck the media, leaving the impression that he won’t let this failure define him.

“Just want to say I’m super grateful to Baltimore, the organization and the city, just how they embraced me this year has been incredible,” he said. “Just for it to end like that, sucks, and I want to do better.

“Unfortunately, the nature of the job is you have makes, and those are awesome, and unfortunately, you have misses, and for that to happen tonight sucks.”

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The specialized nature of kickers can place them on the periphery of team bonding, but Loop’s teammates and coaches were supportive in the aftermath of the season-ending loss.

Coach John Harbaugh walked alongside Loop from the field to the locker room, with his arm around his back comforting him. Quarterback Lamar Jackson downplayed the impact, telling reporters, “He’s a rookie, you know. It’s all good. Just leave it in the past.”

Only time will tell whether Loop can do just that.

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Raiders dismiss longtime NFL head coach Pete Carroll after one season

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Raiders dismiss longtime NFL head coach Pete Carroll after one season

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Longtime NFL head coach and Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll was fired after just one season with the Las Vegas Raiders, the team announced Monday. 

The 74-year-old coach said after Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs that he “of course” would want to return for another season. But owner Mark Davis had different plans for the former Seattle Seahawks coach. 

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll jogs on the field during a timeout in the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach. We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best,” Davis said in a statement provided by the team. 

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“Moving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach. Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”

The move marks a period of instability for the Raiders organization as they begin their third straight year on the hunt for a new coach. 

Carroll, who won the Super Bowl with then-Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in 2014, was brought in with the hopes of bringing that same playoff magic to the Raiders after the team dismissed Antonio Pierce. 

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll watches his team warm up before an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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Pierce was also fired after just one season – he served as the interim head coach in 2023, after Josh McDaniels was fired midseason. 

But Carroll wasn’t able to live up to those expectations.  

The Raiders went on a 10-game losing streak, Geno Smith finished with a league-high 17 interceptions and for the second season, the Raiders finished at the bottom of the AFC West with a 3-14 record.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was played in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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Carroll was animated after the team closed out the season with a 14-12 win over the Chiefs, but was immediately met in his postgame presser with questions about wanting to come back the following season and reports of retirement. 

“Nobody’s talking to me about that,” he dismissed at the time.

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 The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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