LeBron James to stay with Lakers; USMNT gets thrilling win; Ilia Topuria becomes lightweight champ

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THE USMNT …

It may not be a high bar, but the USMNT just picked up arguably its most important win under Mauricio Pochettino, defeating Costa Rica, 2-2 (4-3 penalties), to advance to the Gold Cup semifinal.

Diego Luna and Max Arfsten scored, Malik Tillman impressed again, Matt Freese was solid in the shootout, and we’re finally starting to see some youngsters step up, Pardeep Cattry writes.

I’ve been plenty vocal criticizing the USMNT. There were some really bad moments entering the Gold Cup. But this was undoubtedly a huge step in the right direction, not just because of the result but because of the effort and the mindset. Arfsten, for example, was an absolute rollercoaster with a pair of defensive mistakes that led to goals, but he also assisted the Luna goal and scored one of his own on a composed finish.

It’s not always going to be pretty, given how many starters aren’t playing. But if the goal is to see who can push for a role — or even just a spot — on the 2026 World Cup team, there’s finally progress being made.

Next up for the USMNT is Guatemala, which upset Canada in penalty kicks.

… AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO ILIA TOPURIA

Ilia Topuria continues to rise as he makes opponents fall. The 28-year-old knocked out former champ Charles Oliveira just 2:27 into the first round of the UFC 317 main event to claim the vacant lightweight division title.

Topuria (17-0-0) was the hottest fighter in the game after a tremendous 2024 in which he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski for the flyweight title and knocked out Max Holloway to defend it. He showed no issues in his new weight class, slumping Oliveira with a vicious short right. Shakiel Majouri says Topuria’s last three fights “might be the most impressive run ever.”

Whether his next fight is a title defense against Paddy Pimblett or Arman Tsarukyan or a dream matchup against welterweight champ Israel Makhachev, Topuria has proved he is an absolute force and perhaps the face of UFC.

Elsewhere around the combat sports world …

😃 Honorable mentions

🏀 And not such a good morning for …

MALIK BEASLEY

Federal authorities are investigating Malik Beasley on allegations of gambling related to the NBA and prop bets. Beasley, 28, is currently a free agent after spending last season with the Pistons.

• The allegations stem from the 2023-24 season, which Beasley spent with the Bucks.
• At least one prominent sportsbook detected unusual betting activity on Beasley in early 2024, with heavy action on the “Under” of his rebounding total for a Jan. 31 game.
• Beasley played a major role in the Pistons’ breakthrough 2024-25, averaging 16.3 points, making a career-high 319 3-pointers — one shy of Anthony Edwards for the NBA lead — and finishing second in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
• Detroit and Beasley were in serious talks regarding a three-year, $42 million deal. Those talks have subsided. 

“An investigation is not a charge,” Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, said. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”

Earlier this year, Terry Rozier was under investigation as part of a wider probe into sports gambling. In 2024, Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA due to his involvement in a gambling scandal.

😕 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 LeBron James opts in, Bulls trade Lonzo Ball to Cavaliers

This was the first weekend without an NBA game in a long, long time, but that just meant the action off the court heated up. With free agency beginning tonight — here’s Brad Botkin’s top 50 — plenty of deals got done regarding player options, starting with LeBron James picking up his $52.6 million option with the Lakers.

James staying in Los Angeles was always the likely outcome, with the only curiosity being the deal he would take to do so. With James taking the $52.6 million, the Lakers have less financial flexibility than they would have had he taken a pay cut. And James wants to win now, so the Lakers have an important next few days upcoming.

On the other hand, perhaps this coming year is James’ one in Los Angeles, as Sam notes, and that sets up a ton of cap room next offseason for the Lakers to build around Luka Dončić. So could James even end up back in Cleveland if he’s not pleased with how the Lakers do this offseason?

Speaking of Cleveland, the Cavaliers acquired Lonzo Ball from the Bulls for Isaac Okoro. This was a massive win for Cleveland, per Sam’s trade grades.

• Quinn: “Cavaliers: A- |There’s really only one reason this isn’t an ‘A’ trade for Cleveland, and it’s Ball’s medical history. … Cleveland gets two important things with Ball that it lacked in Ty Jerome. The first is stellar all-around defense. The second, and more important for Cleveland’s sake, is transition brilliance. The Cavaliers ranked 10th in pace last season, but 19th in fast-break points and 28th in passes per game.”

Chicago, meanwhile, predictably got flamed for yet another questionable-at-best move, and Jasmyn Wimbish earnestly wonders what the Bulls are thinking … again.

Here’s more:

Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Parker dies at 74

Dave Parker, the longtime Pirates rightfielder who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next month, died Saturday at 74.

• Parker spent 11 of his 19 MLB seasons in Pittsburgh, winning MVP in 1977 and the World Series in 1979. He also won a World Series in 1989 with the Athletics.
• The individual accolades also include seven All-Star Games, three Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, two batting titles, a Home Run Derby title and an All-Star Game MVP.
• Parker finished his career with 2,712 hits and 339 home runs. He had five top-five MVP finishes — three with the Pirates and two with the Reds. He was nicknamed “Cobra” in part because of his strong arm in right field.
• Parker was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in his post-playing days. The Classic Baseball Committee elected him into the Hall of Fame in December 2024.

Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas dies at 89

D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall-of-Fame horse trainer who had 15 Triple Crown victories, died Saturday at 89.

• Lukas was hospitalized — and entered hospice last week — after a severe MRSA blood infection that damaged his heart digestive system, and exacerbated preexisting health issues.
• Lukas won the Kentucky Derby four times, the Preakness Stakes seven times and the Belmont Stakes four times.
• At one point, he won those races six straight times: the 1994 Preakness and Belmont Stakes, all three races in 1995 and the 1996 Kentucky Derby.

⚾ MLB Power Rankings, weekend recap: Mets struggling

The Dodgers are No. 1 in Matt Snyder’s MLB Power Rankings again, and he says they might be there for a while with the rotation finally back on track. Here’s the top five:

1. Dodgers (previous: 2)
2. Tigers (1)
3. Astros (6)
4. Phillies (3)
5. Cubs (4)

In less pleasant news, the Mets held a players-only meeting Saturday … only to lose to the Pirates 12-1. The Mets, who were swept by Pittsburgh and outscored 30-4, have lost 13 of 16.

Here’s more:

📺 What we’re watching Monday

⚾ Padres at Phillies, 6:35 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Giants at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m. on FS1

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