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Updates in football transfers and basketball

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By Timothy Akintola

Stories on Ranieri, Bronny James, Gregg Popovich, Aymeric Laporte and Giannis.

Claudio Ranieri set to come out of retirement amid AS Roma links.

Veteran Italian coach Claudio Ranieri may come out of Retirement to manage struggling AS Roma for a third time. Roma’s 2024-25 Serie A campaign has been disastrous, with the club already parting ways with two managers. After dismissing club legend Daniele De Rossi in September, Roma recently sacked Ivan Jurić and are now exploring new options. Among those considered are Chelsea legend Frank Lampard and Italy’s European Championship-winning coach Roberto Mancini. However, The Athletic reports that Ranieri, the former Leicester City boss who won the Premier League, could be returning to manage Roma on an interim basis. Ranieri, 73, retired last summer after guiding Cagliari to safety in Serie A. He previously managed Roma in 2009 and again in 2019 for a short stint. Roma aims to finalize their next head coach over the international break, hoping for a fresh start against Napoli on November 24.

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The Lakers will allow Bronny James to play only home games in the G League.

After appearing in six games for the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny James has been assigned to their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. He made his debut with South Bay last week, finishing with six points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in 31 minutes. Though the stat line wasn’t stellar, his extensive playing time was seen as a positive step in his development. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that the Lakers have made a surprising decision: Bronny will only play in South Bay’s home games, effectively making him a part-time player. This restriction means he’ll miss half of the team’s games, sparking concerns that it could hinder his ability to build chemistry and rapport with his teammates. Many worry that this limited schedule may slow his progress as he adjusts to the professional game.


Gregg Popovich undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a mild stroke.

San Antonio Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2 at the Frost Bank Center, the team announced Wednesday. The 75-year-old, who has led the Spurs to five championships and is the NBA’s all-time wins leader, is in his 29th season with the franchise. While there’s no set timeline for his return, the team confirmed Popovich has started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery. “The organization is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family during this time,” the Spurs said in a statement. In Popovich’s absence, assistant coach Mitch Johnson has taken over as acting head coach. Under Johnson’s guidance, the Spurs recently achieved a 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards, with standout performances from players like Victor Wembanyama, who scored 50 points.

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Aymeric Laporte speaks on his future amid recent Real Madrid links.

Spain defender Aymeric Laporte has expressed openness to talks with Real Madrid about a potential transfer. In an interview with El Larguero ahead of Spain’s UEFA Nations League matches, Laporte addressed recent speculation about his possible move to Madrid. Reports have suggested that Laporte already has an agreement with the club and could make the switch in January. However, this claim has been dismissed, with reports stating that Al-Nassr, where Laporte currently plays, has no plans to sell him and values him highly. The Saudi Arabian club, which also features Cristiano Ronaldo, reportedly would not consider offers below $16 million. Laporte began his career with Athletic Bilbao, later moving to Manchester City in 2018, where he won multiple titles, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League. Limited playing time in the 2022/23 season led to his transfer to Al-Nassr.


Giannis wheels the Milwaukee Bucks to an overtime win over the Detroit Pistons.

The Milwaukee Bucks secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season, defeating the Detroit Pistons 127-120 in overtime on Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum. Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a stellar performance, scoring 59 points on 21 of 34 successful shots, with 20 points coming from midrange shots. He also recorded 14 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and two steals, making NBA history with this stat line. Malik Beasley contributed 26 points against his former team, while Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 35 points. This victory extended Milwaukee’s dominance over Detroit, improving their record to 22-1 against the Pistons since 2018-19 and marking their 10th consecutive win in the matchup. The Pistons played without Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jaden Ivey, and the Bucks also missed key players like Bobby Portis, Ryan Rollins, and Damian Lillard. Next, the Pistons visit Toronto on Friday, while the Bucks head to Charlotte on Saturday.

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