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Letters to Sports: Drafting Bronny won't hurt Lakers as much as LeBron's contract will

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Letters to Sports: Drafting Bronny won't hurt Lakers as much as LeBron's contract will

Way too much is being written about the Lakers’ decision to draft Bronny James with the 55th pick. But slow down people and let’s keep things in perspective. How many players drafted late in the second round make any significant contributions to their team, at least in the first few years? There were only three players selected after Bronny was picked, and I doubt that any of those three were high on any team’s radar. So if there was a player out there that the Lakers had an interest in, there was a good chance they could be signed after the draft ended. It was a historic pick! Father and son getting the chance to play together. There was little sacrifice made to give LeBron James the gift of seeing his son drafted and to get to fulfill a dream of playing together.

Steve Kaye
Oro Valley, Ariz.

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Can everybody just take a breath?

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First, I am not a big LeBron James fan, but I’ve learned to accept the inevitable. LeBron, by virtue of 20 seasons of greatness, has put himself in the position he’s in, and he runs the Lakers. The great Dr. Buss is long gone. So let’s take in a good thing on a human level. Is Bronny a superstar? Of course not. But he is a good kid. Zero bad press or drama, despite growing up in the fish bowl he was put in. Not his choice, but he’s handled it with maturity and composure. Oh yeah, he had heart problems too. Let’s just let this father/son thing play out, because we will never see it again.

Jeff Heister
Chatsworth

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Regarding the overwhelmingly intense scrutiny awaiting Lakers rookie Bronny James, columnist Bill Plaschke claims that “he didn’t ask for any of this.” This mystifying statement begs the question: Who, in fact, decided that the time was now for this relatively unheralded USC freshman to enter the 2024 NBA draft, if not James Jr. himself?

Rob Fleishman
Placentia

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The Dallas Mavericks should sign Mychal Thompson to a one-day contract, then have him and Klay start the opening game of the 2024-25 NBA season so they could be the first father and son to play together in the NBA.

Paul Kawaguchi
Rosemead

Rich get richer, Lakers get poorer

Thank goodness LeBron was able to get another $104 million from his newest contract. Would hate to think that some of that money could have been used for the Lakers to get quality depth to surround him and Anthony Davis. I guess a true title pursuit (taking a Tom Brady-like discount) takes second stage when comparing paychecks with other NBA stars. One would think a billionaire would be open to such an idea. Can’t wait to hear about the Lakers shopping at the discount rack for the rest of the summer.

Matt Kingsbury
Simi Valley

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Unfortunately Bill Plaschke’s “Get ready for another era of team futility” prediction for the Lakers seems quite accurate. The comparison between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in the twilight of their careers and the rosters around them (although glad to see that Dalton Knecht fell to the Lakers) is rather appropriate.

Moreover, the Western Conference should be even tougher next season. While painful to say, it appears the 18-time champion Boston Celtics are much closer to their next championship than the Lakers.

Ken Feldman
Tarzana

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I imagine it will be rough on LeBron James to live on $52 million a year over the next two years. But more importantly, in an era when superstar players in all sports are taking reductions or deferrals in salary to help team management build a better team, James signs a maximum money deal while cutting the Lakers’ ability to do so. I think that says all we need to know about LeBron. Instead of his name on the back of his jersey, he should just print “Me First.”

Jack Nelson
Los Angeles
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We’ve all heard the definition of insanity. … Lakers, let’s stop giving contracts worth $50 million a year and having no team.

Kelly Mark Ritchie
Calabasas

Redick Lakers’ assist leader

Boy, I see a lot of doubt about new Lakers coach JJ Redick, but no congrats to him for negotiating the largest “assistant” coaching contract in sports history. He’s obviously smarter than you think.

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Gary Koerner
Covina

Let’s be Frank about Clips’ GM

I understand why there is so much attention to Rob Pelinka, but why has The Times ignored the perpetually bad job Lawrence Frank has done with the Clippers? This team is unlikely to make the play-in for the next five years with a washed-up Kawhi Leonard and a lot of cast-offs. But at least they will have great draft picks … oh no, he traded them all in the Paul George trade. Proof in this delusion is Frank, when asked, said he would do the trade again!

David Bialis
San Diego

The good, the bad …

You gotta love the Dodgers. I enjoyed reading “Dodgers turn rejects into relievers” by Mike DiGiovanna. Banda, Ramirez, Phillips, Brasier, Almonte, Kolarek, Morrow, Petersen and Bruihl all benefited by coming to the Dodgers. This is such a feel-good story that it needs to be turned into a movie, or at least a “30 for 30” episode, especially if the Dodgers end up winning the World Series.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

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I’d like to remind manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers that there is something called the “intentional walk.” Losing two straight series to sub-.500 teams while giving up 23 runs in the last three games does not bode well for the boys in blue’s playoff hopes.

Mike Schaller
Temple City

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Yes, the Dodgers have a big payroll and three of the biggest names in the game, but in looking at this team it is hard to see a playoff contender. I realize the pitching staff has been hit with injuries, but there is no excuse for all the walks, especially to leadoff batters, and the big innings allowed after the first two batters are retired. With so many hitters flirting with a .200 average, big offensive innings are hard to come by. I keep waiting for things to change, hopefully not in vain.

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Alan Abajian
Alta Loma

Ending this way just for kicks

Soccer plays 11 on 11 for 90 to 120 minutes. If still tied, they play a completely different game of one on one to decide the winner. Can you imagine if other major sports settled ties like soccer? NFL: longest field goal. MLB: home run derby. NBA: a game of H-O-R-S-E. NASCAR: parallel parking.

Dave Eng
Thousand Oaks

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

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Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History

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Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History

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The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win.

It certainly is in the eye of the beholder.

So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer.

We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

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10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022)

After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner.

9. Foyt survives chaos (1967)

How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win.

8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012)

This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag.

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UCLA softball pummels South Carolina to advance to NCAA super regional

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UCLA softball pummels South Carolina to advance to NCAA super regional

No. 8 UCLA stuck with right-hander Taylor Tinsley throughout the Los Angeles Regional and that faith in the senior paid off.

During the Bruins’ NCAA tournament opener at Easton Stadium, Tinsley gave up 10 runs before her teammates rallied for a walk-off win. She returned less than 24 hours to pitch against South Carolina, giving up two earned runs in a victory. Tinsley was back in the circle Sunday afternoon, yielding one run in UCLA’s 15-1 victory over the Gamecocks to advance to the super regionals.

“I am proud of Taylor’s resiliency, the ability to do whatever she can to help this team,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “She got stronger through the weekend. I am proud of that.”

Tinsley and her teammates will host Central Florida in a super regional that begins Friday.

“I feel good,” Tinsley said after pitching three key games in three days. “I could have gone more innings if needed.”

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South Carolina right-hander Jori Heard gave up only one hit through two innings, keeping UCLA’s potent bats relatively quiet. The Gamecocks had runners on first and second with two outs in the second, but Tinsley escaped the inning with a pop-up to left field.

The Bruins got on the board first with a two-run home run from left fielder Rylee Slimp in the third inning. The Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.

Grant cooked up a grand slam to make it 6-0. She has 40 home runs, extending her hold on the NCAA single-season home run record. Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells trails Grant with 37 homers.

“Its just incredible because I am blessed to be able to say the number 40,” Grant said.

South Carolina broke through on an RBI single from left fielder Quincee Lilio to cut UCLA’s lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning after being held to just one hit since the first inning. The Gamecocks couldn’t cash in the rest of the way.

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The Bruins resumed scoring in the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and Grant at bat again. Fans at Easton Stadium anticipated another grand slam, holding up their cellphones hoping to catch some magic. Grant served up a two-run RBI single to expand the lead 8-1.

Jordan Woolery added to the scoring with a two-run RBI double down the left-field line, and Kaniya Bragg hit a home run to left-center field. Soo-jin Berry put a bow on the win with one more home run.

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Pro wrestling star learns what ‘land of opportunity’ means in US as he details journey from Italy to America

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Pro wrestling star learns what ‘land of opportunity’ means in US as he details journey from Italy to America

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Cristiano Argento has been tearing up opponents in the ring for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as he worked his way up the ladder to get a few shots at some gold.

But the path to get to one of the most prestigious pro wrestling companies in the U.S. was long and a path that not many wrestlers have taken.

Argento was born and raised in Osimo, Italy – a town of about 35,000 people located on the east side of the country closer to the Adriatic Sea. He told Fox News Digital he started training in a ring at a boxing gym before he got started on the independent scene in Italy. He wrestled in Germany, Sweden, France and Denmark before he came to the realization that, to become a professional wrestler, he needed to make his way to the United States.

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Cristiano Argento performs in the National Wrestling Alliance (Instagram)

He first worked his way to Canada to get trained by pro wrestling legend Lance Storm. He moved to Canada, leaving most of his friends and family behind and without a firm grasp on the English language.

“At the time, my English was horrible. I didn’t speak any English at all,” he said. “But I was with my friend, Stefano, he came with me and he translated everything for me. I probably missed 50% of the knowledge that Lance Storm was giving to us because I was unable to understand. I was only given a recap and everything I was able to see. I’m sure if I was doing it now with a proper knowledge of English, it would have been a different scenario.

“Eventually, I moved back to Italy after the training and I said, OK, now, I want to go to the U.S. So, I studied English more properly, and eventually I got my first work visa that was in Texas. I was in Houston for a short period of time. I trained with Booker T at Reality of Wrestling. I got on his show, which was my debut in the U.S. That was awesome. I eventually got a new work visa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I currently live since 2017. Since then, my wrestling career, thankfully, kept growing, growing, growing and growing until now wrestling for the NWA. One of the bigger promotions in the U.S.”

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Argento said that his family thought he was “nuts” for chasing his pro wrestling dream.

He said they were more concerned about his well-being given that he was half-way around the world without anyone he knew by his side in case something went sideways.

“My family, friends, everybody was like why do you want to move to the opposite side of the world not knowing the language, not knowing anybody, by yourself, to try to become a professional wrestler? And I was like, well, we have one life, I love, and that’s what I’m gonna do,” he told Fox News Digital. “Eventually, my family was really supportive. But when I first said, ‘Hey, mom and dad, I want to do that.’ They looked at me like, ‘Are you nuts? Are you drunk or something? What are you talking about?’ And I said, no that’s what I want to do. And they knew I loved this sport because in Italy I was traveling around Europe, spending time in Canada training, so they started to understand slowly that’s what I want to do with my life. They were proud of me.

Cristiano Argento works out in the gym. (Instagram)

“They’re still proud of me. I think more like the fact that you’re gonna try that, that it’s hard than more like you’re gonna leave us. The fact like, oh, my son is gonna go on the opposite side of the world for a six-hour time difference and we’re gonna see him maybe, when, like, I don’t know. Not often. I think it was more that. And for me too, it was really hard. It was heartbreaking not being able to see my family every day or every month. Like once a year if I’m lucky. I think that was the biggest part for them because of concern or that I was here by myself and if I have any issue or any problem, I didn’t have nobody. So they were scared. Like, you get sick, if you have a problem, anything, and they’re not being able to be here next to me. But they were really supportive since day one.”

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Argento is living out his dream in the U.S. He suggested that the moniker of the U.S. being the “land of opportunity” wasn’t far from what is preached in movies and literature – it was the real thing.

“I was inspired by people who came to the U.S. and made it big,” Argento told Fox News Digital. “The U.S. was always like the land of opportunity. That’s how they sell it to us and this is what it is. I feel like, in myself, that was true because anything I tried to do so far I was able to reach a lot more than if I wasn’t here. I’m not yet where I’d like to be but I see like there’s so many opportunities in this country. Not just in wrestling but like in any business to reach the goal. I’m really happy of the choices I did here.

National Wrestling Alliance star Cristiano Argento poses in Times Square in New York. (Instagram)

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“But my big inspirations were big-time actors who moved to the country, who didn’t know English, with no money, no support system. I had one dream, I have to go right there to make it happen and I’m gonna go and do it and I’m gonna make it happen. So those people were always the biggest inspiration even if it wasn’t in wrestling, just how they handled their passion, how they pursued their dream without being scared of anything, how far you are, how alone by yourself … You don’t know the language, you’re like, let’s go, let’s do it.”

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Outside of the NWA, Argento has performed for the International Wrestling Cartel, Enjoy Wrestling and Exodus Pro Wrestling this year.

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