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Report: Lakers to skip White House visit on D.C. trip due to scheduling conflicts, COVID protocols
The Los Angeles Lakers will not visit the White House to celebrate their 2020 NBA title when the team travels to Washington D.C. for a game against the Wizards later this month, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
Scheduling conflicts and COVID-19 protocols will prevent the Lakers from visiting President Joe Biden in the nation's capital. However, a future meet-and-greet has not been ruled out, McMenamin adds.
No NBA team has commemorated its championship at the White House since 2016, when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were honored by former President Barack Obama before Donald Trump was inaugurated.
While Trump was in office, the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors refused to go to the White House. After Biden beat Trump in the November election, Warriors forward Draymond Green tweeted at James, saying he could go to the White House and celebrate the Lakers' title. James responded, "YO we back up in there my G!!! I'm taking my tequila and vino too!"
The Lakers haven't been able to enjoy the typical festivities that go along with winning a championship due to the ongoing pandemic. They couldn't have a parade and haven't unveiled their championship banner due to the absence of fans at Staples Center.
With things trending in the right direction and the COVID-19 vaccine becoming more available, the Lakers should be able to celebrate at some point soon.
More must-reads:
- Lakers star Anthony Davis cleared for practice, nearing a return
- Kyle Kuzma takes shot at new teammate's former coaches
- The 'NBA players with four or more championships' quiz
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Jeff Teague Alleges LeBron James Took Steroids On The Miami Heat: 'He Had to Sit Out'
Former NBA guard Jeff Teague stirred the pot recently on Club 520, claiming that LeBron James sat out part of the season because he was “on steroids.” Teague said LeBron’s time off, cited officially as a back injury, coincided with new HGH testing protocols in the league. But while the claim is dramatic, there’s no substantiated evidence supporting it, and LeBron never tested positive. “Miami Heat Bron, he was on steroids, bro. They started testing for HGH, and he had to sit out. He said his back was hurting and he sat out 3 weeks… then came back skinny,” Teague said on Club 520. While Teague mentioned on his IG story that his claim was a "joke," many fans still took it as a literal accusation of drug use against LeBron. Teague mentions the Miami Heat, but HGH wasn't even tested in the NBA until two seasons after LeBron left. Plus, LeBron played all but five games in the 2013-14 season, essentially ruling out the possibility that he missed weeks due to drug testing. While Teague was never teammates with LeBron himself, he has frequently faced off against the NBA legend. There’s no way to verify whether Teague’s comments are somewhat accurate, exaggerated, or completely unfounded, but it's not going to stop the people from talking, and they aren't going to settle for the simple answer. For starters, what Teague is remembering here is the 2014-15 campaign, which was LeBron's first season back with the Cavaliers. At this point, LeBron was 30 years old, and it looked like his years of experience were finally starting to take their toll. To start that season, he looked slower, more aged, and just all around less efficient at the game, and his stats reflected it across the board with averages of 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game on 48.8% shooting. While things did eventually work out for James that season (NBA Finals appearance), it only came after a mysterious 8-game absence in January that resulted in the Cavaliers going 1-7. LeBron blamed the missed time on a back injury, with later reports claiming he went to receive anti-inflammatory shots to manage the pain. Alternate theories, like the one Teague suggests, claim that LeBron was actually forced to take a hiatus from action due to conflicts with the new anti-drug policy. The claim goes that LeBron began taking HGH (Human Growth Hormone) during his transition from the Heat to the Cavaliers in 2014, which contributed to his reported weight loss that off-season. It was only a few months later that the NBA announced testing for HGH, which came with brutal penalties for those who were caught in violation. Of course, the catch is that the HGH testing didn't officially begin until the following season (2015-16), meaning that the NBA either pushed back the testing dates or LeBron was genuinely getting treatment for his back, like it's been claimed. As much as LeBron's powers might seem like a cheat code, there's simply not enough evidence to call him a PED (performance-enhancing drug) user, especially when the consequences would be so severe. For a guy like LeBron James, the penalties for getting caught would have cost him everything - his career, reputation, legacy, and millions of dollars. To speak candidly, it wasn't worth the risk, especially considering he was still playing elite-level basketball at the time. Without hard proof or formal investigation, Teague’s steroid accusation is little more than speculative barbershop talk. LeBron James has never failed a drug test, never served a suspension, and remains one of the league’s most rigorously scrutinized athletes. Until legitimate evidence surfaces, it’s far more reasonable to believe what’s always been the public record: LeBron’s greatness, however freakish, has been earned, not enhanced.
Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson ‘screamed’ at Caleb Williams before kicking him off field
There is no ramp-up period for the Chicago Bears at training camp this year. Head coach Ben Johnson brought the same intensity he harbored during OTAs at the Bears’ first practice of training camp Wednesday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois. Adam Hoge of CHGO Bears said that Johnson was upset with Williams and the offense multiple times on Wednesday. He got into the face of the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft during a seven-on-seven drill. “Accountability is what I’m talking about, though, because, look, it was like a three-strike thing, let’s call three strikes, and you’re out all right,” Hoge said on the CHGO podcast. “Because we saw Ben get in Caleb’s, you know what, during seven-on-sevens about something. I don’t know what it was about, but he wasn’t happy, and he was screaming at him, alright.” Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson tried to show patience Johnson tried to show patience with the second mistake, when there was a miscommunication with the wide receivers getting lined up. He let Williams and the receivers sort the issue out before the play. But Johnson didn’t stand idly on the third pre-snap mistake; another miscommunication between Williams and the receivers. Johnson pulled the entire first-team off the field in favor of the second-team led by veteran quarterback Case Keenum. Caleb Williams is picking up where he left off in OTAs Per multiple reports, the Bears’ offense had a poor day. Mark Carman called Williams’ performance on Wednesday the worst part of practice. “Today was just bad,” Carman said. “They had to pull the offense off the field. (Williams) wasn’t getting them lined up. It might not have been his fault every single time he’s his first pass was picked off (by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds). “He rolled right on long play, Cold Kmet’s wide open right in front of him. He ended up running out of bounds. It just wasn’t a good day for the quarterback.” Williams didn’t have a great spring. He struggled with every duty from calling the play in the huddle to getting the cadence right to throwing the ball into the middle of the field or further than 10 yards. As of Day 1 at camp, all of those things are still problems. But at least the $13 million per year head coach is mad.
New Third Base Trade Options For Yankees Emerge
The Rolling Stones knew what they were talking about while belting out "You Can't Always Get What You Want." It's very possible New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will find himself humming that tune ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. The Yankees, like several contenders, are shopping for a power-hitting third baseman. Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star slugger Eugenio Suarez sits atop everyone's list. Running a distant second and third are Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and Pittsburgh Pirates Gold Glover Ke'Bryan Hayes. After that, it could be slim pickings. Should Cashman find himself scrambling to make a deal, here are a couple of new names entering the conversation. "Amed Rosario would be a good fit for Yankees," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Monday. "Played a lot of 3B this year. .802 lifetime OPS vs. lefties (.845 this year). Suarez is top target but many would qualify as upgrades." Rosario is hitting .271 with five home runs and 18 RBIs this season for the Washington Nationals. But the nine-year veteran has big-market experience, making his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 2017. The 29-year-old is making $2 million this season and will be a free agent after the World Series, according to Spotrac. But wait, there's more. "Other possible third-base trade targets include Royals All-Star Maikel Garcia — in theory, Kansas City would have interest in one of the Yankees’ outfielders to play left field for them," The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported Monday. Garcia, who made the American League roster for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, is hitting .291 this season with eight home runs and 41 RBIs. The 25-year-old is in his fourth big-league season and is making almost $775,000 this season, according to Spotrac. Garcia still has four years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so he won't come cheap. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Linked To Red-Hot Reliever Yankees Linked to Former Outfielder in Juicy Trade Rumor Yankees Could Land Infielder With World Series MVP Comparison Will Yankees Use Red-Hot Prospect As Trade Bait? Yankees One-Stop Shopping Pirates?
Mike Macdonald sounds off on release of ex-Seahawks TE Noah Fant
Even though it wasn't exactly surprising, the Seattle Seahawks made a huge move on Sunday by releasing starting tight end Noah Fant to free up nearly $9 million in cap space. Fant had been the starter since Seattle traded for him ahead of the 2022 season, but he never produced more than 500 yards receiving in a single season despite primarily being a pass-catching tight end. The tight end room has now been left to a far less-experienced-but-promising group. When speaking to the media following the Seahawks' first training camp practice on Wednesday, head coach Mike Macdonald was vague about the decision to move on from Fant. "I didn’t have any conversations with him," Macdonald said. "It’s just understood that [it’s] what we’re trying to achieve as a football team. We love Noah, wish him the best, but we also love the guys that are still here, and they know what’s at stake. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch that competition in the tight end room." Macdonald was probed once again for the reasoning behind Fant's release: “We just released him a few days ago. I’m not going to tell you exactly why; there’s multiple reasons,” the second-year Seahawks coach said. Fant's release will be oddly timed if they don't make another move at some point during training camp or extend other players. There's no reason why they couldn't have just had him play this season and then opt not to re-sign him unless they wanted that cap now or there was an underlying motivation that Macdonald isn't willing to discuss. It could've also just been that they wanted to provide opportunities to the younger players like AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo. Either way, the competition now consists of Barner, Arroyo, Eric Saubert, Brady Russell (in addition to his opportunities at fullback) and two undrafted free agents.
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