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Team USA raves about Cooper Flagg: 'Unbelievable'

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Team USA raves about Cooper Flagg: 'Unbelievable'

LAS VEGAS — Cooper Flagg is leaving Las Vegas as the talk of the now-concluded Team USA training camp.

Flagg, 17, an incoming freshman at Duke and an early favorite as the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, is not on the team headed for Paris and a possible fifth Olympic gold medal. But he was the best player on the select team and one of the most consistent players on the court during three scrimmages over the last three days against the national team of stars.

“Cooper Flagg was unbelievable,” said Jim Boylen, assistant coach for both the select team and the Indiana Pacers. “He’s not scared.”

“He showed no fear,” said Jalen Duren, center for the Detroit Pistons and the select team. “He came and worked hard every day. You would think he’s already here, you know what I mean?”

Added Jaime Jaquez Jr., a select team player who also plays for the Miami Heat: “Coop was playing out of his mind.”

“He wants it, you see how bad he wants it,” said Devin Booker of the U.S. national team.

That was just a sampling.

A final points tally for Flagg was not immediately available, but U.S. coaches and executives estimated Flagg scored between 14 and 17 points in a narrow 74-73 loss to Team USA on Monday. And in the portion of the scrimmage open to the media, Flagg drained a corner 3 and then executed an audacious putback over the American defense to put the select team ahead 69-68 with less than 2 minutes left. Flagg missed the ensuing free throw.

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Team USA won thanks to consecutive 3s by Booker and then Jrue Holiday (who was tasked with guarding Flagg — a compliment to the Duke freshman because Holiday is one of the best defenders in the NBA). Anthony Davis swatted away Brandin Podziemski’s potential game-winning shot at the buzzer.

One of Flagg’s 3s came against Davis, which Jaquez said was retribution from a block Davis registered on Flagg in Sunday’s scrimmage.

“Today, he came right back and hit it in his face,” Jaquez said. “Right after that he got the and-1 putback, so those few plays, and he got a steal in there. He was incredible today.”

Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, is the first college player to participate in a Team USA training camp since Marcus Smart and Doug McDermott in 2013. He is not the first select team player to disrupt a USA training camp by shining as brightly as the team of stars. For instance, last year Cade Cunningham drew similar reviews.

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But Cunningham had already been in the NBA for two seasons, and part of why his select team stint drew such praise was because he was coming off a knee injury that had cost him most of his second season in Detroit.

Flagg is, well, not old enough to vote. But his competitiveness belies his youth.

“I just think that he’s got a competitive fire, and he’s not afraid of anyone and he’s gonna go at you,” said Trayce Jackson-Davis, the 24-year-old Golden State Warriors big man who is coming off of his rookie season. “You need that as a player. And when you’re already like that, and you’re 17, the sky’s the limit.”

The select team was dismissed after Monday’s practice, as the national team will have a walk-through on Tuesday and play Canada in an exhibition game on Wednesday night in Las Vegas before flying to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Duke coach Jon Scheyer and two of his assistants were in Las Vegas to watch Flagg, as were Flagg’s parents.

Flagg was a member of the USA under-17 team that won gold at the World Cup in 2022. This past season, as a senior at Montverde Academy in Florida, he was the Gatorade and the Naismith Boys’ National Player of the Year in high school.

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All are lofty accolades, but not quite the same as holding his own against NBA champions, Olympic gold medalists and all-time leading scorers.

“Once the ball goes up, I’m just trying to win at all times,” Flagg said, explaining why he was not awestruck by his surroundings in Las Vegas despite his age. “I’m just a competitor, and that’s what it boils down to. It’s a little bit of an adjustment, being on the court with them, but at the same time I’m just playing basketball and trying to learn.”

In numerous interviews, USA staff and select team players gushed over Flagg’s skills and size. But also his mental capacity.

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“He’s got that confidence about himself that he’s not afraid of moments, and I think that’s big for young kids, especially someone his age,” said select team and Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley.

Langston Galloway, a former NBA player and longtime USA Basketball player who serves as a practice player for the national team, became an instant fan of Flagg’s game.

“I’m not even impressed about the scoring and all that; I’m more impressed about his poise,” Galloway said. “He’s not out there trying to force it like, ‘It’s my turn now. Let me try to get a shot up.’ He’s trying to make plays. You can see he understands the game. Get in the paint, everybody collapses, making the right reads. So that’s the most impressive part of it, for a 17-year-old to be able to understand the game.”

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Boylen, a former head coach in the NBA and also a past coach of USA teams, said Flagg would make an excellent player on the international stage. After this summer, the men’s national team won’t be in action again until the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

By the time the next Olympics roll around, Flagg will likely have three years of NBA service under his belt.

“He has versatility, he has position size, he’s a smart player and he embraces contact,” Boylen said.

Flagg confirmed he is interested in a World Cup appearance in three years if his game continues to develop.

“That’s something I’m striving for, just trying to be the best I can and, if I can achieve that and then join the World Cup team in two years, I mean, that’s another goal on my list,” Flagg said. “I’m just working and trying to get better every day.”

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Galloway left the Flagg experience understanding why experts say Flagg will go first in the next NBA Draft.

“I think today was a solidifier (showing) where he’ll be at next year,” Galloway said. “This year he’ll be at Duke. But next year, you see where he’ll be at.”

Required reading

(Photo of LeBron James and Cooper Flagg: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

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Sherrone Moore’s alleged mistress rips sentence that kept former Michigan coach out of jail

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Sherrone Moore’s alleged mistress rips sentence that kept former Michigan coach out of jail

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The former Michigan staffer with whom Sherrone Moore allegedly had an inappropriate relationship that led to his firing and subsequent arrest is not thrilled that Moore seemingly got off easy.

Moore was fired for his relationship with Paige Shiver on Dec. 10. Soon after the firing, he was jailed after allegedly breaking into her house and threatening to kill himself.

Moore was sentenced to 18 months probation and ordered to pay just over $1,000 in fines, which was not enough for Shiver.

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Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium Nov. 22, 2025, in College Park, Md. (Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images)

“December 10th was the most terrifying day of my life,” Shiver said in a statement after Moore’s sentencing Tuesday, via the New York Post. 

“The criminal acts he committed were extremely frightening and violent. He broke into my apartment, crying, yelling, enraged and came at me with knives. I was threatened, and I feared for my life.

“Today’s sentence does not reflect the harm done to me or the objective evidence in this case.”

An Action Injury Law Group statement obtained by Fox News Channel last month claimed Shiver endured “years of manipulation, harassment and exploitation by a man who held enormous power over her professional life as the head football coach of one of the nation’s most prominent college football programs.”

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Shiver’s attorneys questioned Michigan’s entire athletic program after the incident, adding their client believes “she may not be the only person who experienced inappropriate, coercive or predatory behavior from this individual.”

Former University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore is sworn in with his attorney, Ellen Michaels, before he takes a plea in front of Judge J. Cedric Simpson at the 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor March 6, 2026. (Mandi Wright/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

MICHIGAN PLAYERS FEEL ‘VERY BETRAYED’ BY SHERRONE MOORE SCANDAL, INTERIM COACH REVEALS

Moore and the alleged victim had an “intimate relationship for a number of years,” a prosecutor said during an initial hearing shortly after his arrest.

In an Ann Arbor courtroom, Moore thanked his wife, Kelli, for her support while saying he took the process “very seriously.” The judge in the case told Moore that he “take[s] her for granted.”

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Prosecutors accused Moore of contacting the staffer via phone calls and texts after the breakup, prompting the woman to contact the University of Michigan and cooperate in its investigation. Moore was subsequently fired from his position as head football coach, which prosecutors said prompted him to show up at her home.

Moore then allegedly “barged” his way into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of kitchen scissors and began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore allegedly told the staffer, “My blood is on your hands” and “You ruined my life.”

Moore pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors to resolve the felony criminal case.

Moore went 16-8 as Michigan’s head coach — 8-5 in his first season and 7-3 last season. He missed a pair of games due to a suspension from a sign-stealing investigation.

Former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore listens to attorney Ellen K. Michaels during an appearance in front of Judge J. Cedric Simpson at a probable cause hearing at 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor Jan. 22, 2026 (Eric Seals/USA Today Network)

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Moore replaced Jim Harbaugh after the team completed a 15-0 season en route to a national championship. Moore was the offensive coordinator of that squad.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson, Paulina Dedaj, and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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Deandre Ayton knows the Lakers need him to be his best in the playoffs

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Deandre Ayton knows the Lakers need him to be his best in the playoffs

The last time Deandre Ayton appeared in the playoffs was in 2023, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns and viewed in NBA circles as having the potential to be a force as a center in the league.

A lot has changed since then.

He’s on his second team since those days in Phoenix, playing two years for the Portland Trail Blazers and now the Lakers. He has been viewed by many as an inconsistent player who hasn’t reached his full potential.

Ayton has a chance to prove his worth, to show his critics he has the ability to be elite in the postseason when the Lakers open the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs Saturday against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena.

“I love playing this game and I take great passion of playing on both ends of the floor,,” Ayton said after practice Wednesday. “I still believe just being a two-way player in this league, that’s truly my second nature, and that’s how I want to be noted as in this league. It’s just being an all-around, two-way superstar. Just taking passion on both ends of the floor.

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“I can play hard on offense. I can play hard on defense. So, that’s just really my goal — running the floor always and closing out possessions with rebounds and protecting the rim. So, just trying to enhance everything I can coming into the playoffs.”

Ayton averaged career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (8.0) and minutes (27.2) this season. But he did play a career-high 72 games and shot a career-best 67.1% from the field.

In the three seasons Ayton reached the playoffs with the Suns, he was a double-double machine, averaging 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in 45 postseason games.

The Lakers will need that version of Ayton, especially with star guards Luka Doncic (hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain) out indefinitely.

“I’ve shown it,” Ayton said. “So, it’s just me accepting the role I’m in and playing hard as hell in that role. That’s about it. Every night.”

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In seven seasons before he arrived in Los Angeles, Ayton averaged a double-double. When the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $16-million deal with a player option, they hoped to get that Ayton.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton deflects a shot by Nets guard Nolan Traore last month at Crypto.com Arena.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“The whole season for him has been about finding consistency,” coach JJ Redick said. “When he’s at his best, we’re an elite basketball team. That’s just the reality. He raises our ceiling so much — and it’s on both sides of the ball. It’s not him being able to score 24 points, although when he scores and shoots, we typically win. … He’s just a really good basketball player and we’re very happy with where he’s at.”

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Ayton was asked to evaluate his season.

“I was challenged a lot this season and I feel like I embraced everything that was thrown at me,” he said. “It took some time, but I eventually got control of everything. And I think I got a hang of it and I like it. I got the guys on the team that helped me embrace everything that’s going on.

“And just things we have going, with the dilemmas and the injuries, I feel like we’ve been through this the whole year. Just guys going out and guys having big games. And we’re the team where you don’t know who’s gonna have the 30 points, or this or that. We’re just going to play hard and just play together.”

Ayton will have his hands full with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds.

“It’s the postseason, you know?” Ayton said. “It’s called mano y mano and it’s not always Xs, and O’s. You got to stop the man and guard your yard.”

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When the Suns reached the 2021 Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, there were times when Ayton was considered the second-best player on his team. Over six games he averaged 14.7 points and 12 rebounds and shot 53.1% from the field.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series for the Lakers is on the horizon, and Ayton is excited to show what he has to offer now that he’s back in the playoffs.

“Almost speechless, especially being on this side of town now, you know, playing in L.A. when I was on the other side,” he said. “This place can get pretty loud. And I’m still trying to just go home and embrace everything. I know we haven’t ramped up yet, but coming out of these practices, JJ gives you so much. And you have to dissect it sometimes, and you’re thinking about the environment, you think about the fans, thinking about the first game as a Laker in the playoffs.

“So, I just try to find some time to catch myself and gather and just just relax. I’ve been here before, but I am truly excited. I want to do backflips. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”

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FIFA to implement tailgating ban at several major US World Cup venues: reports

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FIFA to implement tailgating ban at several major US World Cup venues: reports

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In just over two months, soccer fans will descend on stadiums across North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But those thousands of fans won’t get to take part in a long-running pregame tradition — at least at the venues located in the U.S.

FIFA is set to ban pregame tailgating at U.S. stadiums during the tournament, according to multiple reports Tuesday. NFL venues such as Arrowhead Stadium, Gillette Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field, among others, were listed as host sites where fans will not be allowed to tailgate this summer.

It was not immediately clear what led to the decision or why it is being introduced.

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A general view shows the empty parking lot at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sept. 14, 2020, as no fans were allowed at the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. (Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports)

The governing body and tournament organizer may be aiming to prevent crowd-control issues similar to those that surfaced when Copa América was held in Miami. Large gatherings outside stadium entry gates fueled logistical hurdles.

Tailgating has long been synonymous with American sports culture, giving fans a budget-friendly way to enjoy the game-day atmosphere.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PRICES HIT ABSURD LEVELS FOR WORLD CUP GAMES: REPORT

But with that option gone, fans may encounter a very different pregame scene this summer. While FIFA will oversee venues during the tournament, the atmosphere outside them could ultimately prove more challenging to manage.

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Real Madrid fans tailgate outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match against Paris Saint-Germain on July 9, 2025. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The move to outlaw tailgating comes as several host cities adjust transportation plans to ease traffic flow around World Cup venues. Fans attending matches at MetLife Stadium in the New York area will not be able to park in the stadium’s usual gameday lots.

Fans of Real Madrid tailgate in a parking lot outside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match against FC Red Bull Salzburg on June 26, 2025. (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images)

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Public transportation is expected to be the primary alternative, though travelers may face higher fares to cross state lines. New Jersey Transit could charge more than $100 for round-trip service to MetLife Stadium during games, The Athletic reported.

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On a typical day, the 18-mile commute commands a fare of less than $13.

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