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JFK’s grandson says there is ‘nothing heroic’ about Trump’s declassification order

President Donald Trump’s executive order to declassify the JFK files left one of the 35th president’s descendants unimpressed. Jack Schlossberg, former President John F. Kennedy’s grandson, made his stance on the order clear in a post on X, saying that there was ‘nothing heroic’ about Trump’s latest move.

‘Declassification is using JFK as a political prop, when he’s not here to punch back,’ Schlossberg wrote. ‘There’s nothing heroic about it.’

After signing the order, which included the declassification of files on the assassinations of JFK, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., Trump told reporters that ‘everything will be revealed.’

RFK Jr., son of the late senator and Trump’s HHS nominee, told press that the order was a ‘great move’ on the president’s part. He believes that the move will bring ‘more transparency’ and it shows that Trump is ‘keeping his promise to have the government tell the truth to the American people about everything.’ Kennedy has called for answers on his father and uncle’s assassinations.

‘I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue,’ Trump’s order reads.

The order gives officials just over two weeks (15 days) to give Trump a plan for ‘the full and complete release of records’ on the JFK assassination. Additionally, officials have 45 days to present a plan on files relating to RFK and MLK Jr.’s assassinations.

King’s family reacted to the order in a statement, saying that they ‘hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release.’

While Trump promised to release the JFK files during his first administration, there is still an undisclosed amount of material that remains under wraps more than 60 years later.

Trump ultimately agreed to block the release of the files after pleas from the CIA and FBI. At the time, he said that the threat of making the documents public were of ‘significant gravity’ that they outweighed ‘public interest.’ In a recent appearance on ‘Hannity,’ Trump said that then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked him not to release the documents, though he did not say if Pompeo explained why the files should remain classified.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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Anthony Davis, Lakers make statement vs. Celtics. Any trades coming?

This story was updated with more information

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers had a successful outing Thursday night in a 117-96 victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena.

The victory could be viewed as a statement win to start the second half of the season after the Lakers finished the first half of the season with a 23-18 record.

The Lakers’ defensive effort managed to hold the Celtics to their second-lowest point total of the season.

Anthony Davis scored a game-high 24 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers while LeBron James added 20 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. Austin Reaves produced 23 points and six assists in the victory.

All things Lakers: Latest Los Angeles Lakers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

“Hopefully we can use the things we learned from the first 41 (games) in the next 41 and get better,” James said after the victory. “We will see.”

Davis told ESPN’s Shams Charania in an interview that aired before the game that the team should add another big for the back half of the schedule with the trade deadline approaching on Feb. 6.

“I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the (power forward) and having a big out there,” Davis said.

Charania reported Wednesday that Davis and James have a growing concern about the team’s ability to make a significant roster upgrade to make a strong push toward the playoffs. The Lakers have a pair of tradeable first-round picks.

Lakers coach JJ Redick wasn’t alarmed by Davis’ comments when asked about them during his postgame press conference.

“The reality is that isn’t a new report,” Redick said. “I got the job six months ago so I know that. I’ve followed this team since I’ve retired. Just put a date next to it and that’s the new report. It’s not a big deal. Those guys want to win. We want to win.”

The Lakers acquired Dorian Finney-Smith in a trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in late December. He’s come off the bench to play in the last nine games for Los Angeles. Finney Smith averaged seven points and two rebounds with the Lakers before Thursday’s game.

‘It’s a challenging environment to just go out and make trades,’ Redick added. ‘We feel very fortunate that we were able to execute and get someone like (Finney-Smith) on our team. We will continue to look over the next several weeks.’

The Lakers had multiple true centers on the roster (Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee) when Los Angeles won the NBA championship in the bubble in 2020.

The Lakers will play their next six games on the road, starting with a trip to Golden State on Saturday.

With the loss the Celtics have lost five of their last 10 games and will travel to Dallas for a 2024 NBA Finals rematch with the Mavericks.

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Semi winner chides crowd after Djokovic booed for retiring with injury

Alexander Zverev will play in the Australian Open final after counterpart Novak Djokovic was forced to retire from their semifinal match due to injury.

Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, received a mixed reception from the crowd as he walked off the court after pulling out following the first set, won 7-6 by Zverev via a tiebreaker (7-5).

Zverev, who is seeking his first Grand Slam title, admonished the crowd a bit for the reaction during his on-court interview.

‘Please, guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury,’ Zverev said, to cheers. ‘I know that everybody paid for tickets and everybody wants to see, hopefully, a great five-set match and everything, but you got to understand: Novak Djokovic is somebody that has given the sport for the past 20 years absolutely everything of his life.’

‘He has won this tournament with an abdominal tear, he has won this tournament with a hamstring tear … if he cannot continue a tennis match, it really means that he cannot continue a tennis match,’ Zverev added. ‘So please, be respectful and really show some love for Novak as well.’

Zverev will face either No. 1 Jannik Sinner or American Ben Shelton in the final.

Djokovic told reporters in his post-match press conference that he was dealing with a muscle tear that really started to impact him in the latter stages of the first set.

‘I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had,’ Djokovic said. He said medications, physio work and a strap he wore on his leg ‘helped to some extent today. But, towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain and it was too much I guess to handle for me in the moment.

‘Unfortunate ending, but I tried.’

This story has been updated with new information.

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NFL championship game picks: Who winds up reaching Super Bowl 59?

The NFL’s version of the Final Four is just about set for kickoff Sunday, both berths in Super Bowl 59, which will be staged in New Orleans, on the line.

The action starts with the NFC championship game, the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, after splitting their season series, in the biggest matchup of their storied history. Philly is aiming for its third conference title in eight seasons, while Washington is on the verge of its first in 33 years.

In the AFC, sort of the same old story, the two-time-defending champion Kansas City Chiefs meeting the Buffalo Bills for the fourth time in the past five postseasons. But will it be the same old story? K.C., two wins from the first-ever Super Bowl threepeat, is 3-0 against Buffalo during that stretch but has arguably never had more at stake.

Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ panel of experts see championship weekend going down:

Expert NFL playoff picks: Unique data and betting insights only at USA TODAY

(Odds provided by BetMGM)

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Hall of Famer lauds Jets’ hire of former pupil for new head coach

Parcells can hardly contain his excitement that Glenn, a former cornerback who played for the Hall of Fame coach with the Jets and Dallas Cowboys, landed his first head coaching job this week.

“I’m so excited for him,” Parcells told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday, a day after the former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator finalized his return to the Jets. “He’s really a great young man. And I’ll tell you what: Don’t let his size fool you. He’s a tiger now. They’re going to have somebody…you’re going to know he’s in charge.”

The 5-foot-9 Glenn, drafted in the first round by the Jets in 1994 (12th overall), was one of the team’s top players when Parcells arrived as coach in 1997. It didn’t take long for Parcells, aka “The Tuna,” to realize that Glenn fit the profile of a potential coach because of the serious approach that he demonstrated as a player.

“He was always looking to find out stuff,” Parcells recalled. “I can remember just standing there with him and talking with him about techniques – how to force the run, how to get out of trouble when guys are trying to block him. I can remember talking several times to him specifically about things. And the good thing about him, when you taught him something, he could take it right to the field. Not every player can do that. You explain it to him, ‘Here’s how you go about doing it,’ and he would come pretty close to doing it correctly right away.”

All things Jets: Latest New York Jets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Glenn and Parcells have remained in contact over the years. Parcells predicted that Glenn won’t be fazed while scrutinized in the nation’s largest market. After all, the coach has been well-prepared for the New York scene. Glenn played the first eight seasons of his 15-year NFL career with the Jets.

“He played there. He’s been there. He knows,” said Parcells, who guided the New York Giants to two Super Bowl crowns. “I grew up in that area. I knew what was going on. And he knows it. He’s experienced it. But even with that, there’s always something different coming up.”

Parcells reunited with Glenn in 2005, two years after the coach came out of retirement to coach the Cowboys.

Speaking of the Cowboys, was Parcells surprised Jerry Jones didn’t pursue Glenn for Dallas’ vacant job?

“I don’t have any idea about it,” Parcells replied. “I don’t mean that to be sarcastic. I don’t have any idea of what’s going on.”

There’s healthy debate about the attractiveness of the Cowboys job, which includes the factor of Jones’ presence as a hands-on, high-profile owner and general manager. Parcells, though, won’t engage in the debate. He still has a favorable impression.

“I can only tell from my experience,” Parcells said. “I really enjoyed being there. I have a high regard for Jerry Jones. I like him. His word is good. That goes a long way with me.”

Parcells was reminded of how he described the Cowboys’ stage when he joined forces with Jones. He said he came back “only for the big room.”

“That remains that way,” Parcells said. “I hope they find someone who’s suitable for them.”

Glenn, meanwhile, is in the middle of another big room with the Jets. And he has quite the persona to command that room.

“He definitely does have that,” Parcells said. “I’m going to tell you: They’ve got a tiger by the tail.”

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Trump’s latest hires and fires rankle Iran hawks as new president suggests nuclear deal

If President Donald Trump’s personnel moves are any tell, he may come out of the gate toward Iran with a tone that is more diplomatic than combative. 

And Trump on Thursday evening suggested he was open to a nuclear deal with Iran.

Asked if he would support Israel striking Iran’s nuclear facilities, Trump told reporters, ‘We’ll have to see. I’m going to be meeting with various people over the next couple of days. We’ll see, but hopefully that could be worked out without having to worry about it.’

‘Iran hopefully will make a deal. I mean, they don’t make a deal, I guess that’s OK, too.’

Iran, at least, is hoping for just that. The Tehran Times, a regime-linked English language newspaper, questioned in a recent article whether the firing of Brian Hook, the architect of the ‘maximum pressure’ policy on Iran during Trump’s first term, could ‘signal a change in [Trump’s] Iran policy.’

In November, news outlets reported that Hook was running the transition at the State Department. But Hook was relieved from the transition team shortly after in December, sources familiar with the move confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

This week, Trump knocked Hook back a step further by posting on social media that he’d be removed from his position at a U.S. government-owned think tank.

‘Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars… YOU’RE FIRED!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

And after taking office, Trump removed the government-sponsored security details of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton told CNN his detail was also pulled, as was Hook’s.

‘You can’t have [protection] for the rest of your life. Do you want to have a large deal of people guarding people for the rest of their lives? I mean, there’s risks to everything,’ Trump said.

Trump recently put his Middle East envoy, Steven Witkoff, in charge of addressing U.S. concerns about Iran, according to a Financial Times report.

Witkoff most recently helped seal negotiations on a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, suggesting he may test Iran’s willingness to engage at the negotiating table on nuclear issues before ramping up pressure, sources told the Financial Times. 

Experts warn that Iran is enriching hundreds of pounds of uranium to the 60% purity threshold, shy of the 90% purity levels needed to develop a nuclear bomb.

At the same time, the president hired Michael Dimino as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, a foreign policy expert who has said the Middle East doesn’t ‘really matter’ to U.S. interests any longer. 

Dimino is cut from the same cloth as undersecretary of defense for policy Elbridge Colby, who has argued for the U.S. to focus military resources on countering China and devote fewer resources to other regions. 

Dimino, a former expert at the Koch-funded restraint advocacy think tank Defense Priorities, has strongly advocated for pulling U.S. resources out of the Middle East.

‘The core question is: Does the Middle East still matter?’ Dimino said during a panel last February. ‘The answer is: not really, not really for U.S. interests. What I would say is that vital or existential U.S. interests in the Middle East are best characterized as minimal to non-existent.’

‘We are really there to counter Iran and that is really at the behest of the Israelis and Saudis,’ he added.

‘Iranian power remains both exaggerated and misunderstood. Its economy continues to underperform, and its conventional military is antiquated and untested. Tehran simply doesn’t have the financial capital or hard power capabilities to dominate the Middle East or directly threaten core U.S. interests,’ he wrote in a 2023 article.

Dimino has also argued the U.S. does not need to focus resources on an offensive campaign against the Houthis amid attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea. 

‘Put simply, there are no existential or vital U.S. national interests at stake in Yemen and very little is at stake for the U.S. economically in the Red Sea.’

Instead, he argued in a 2023 op-ed that working to increase aid into Gaza would rid the Houthis of their stated reason for their attacks in the Red Sea, which they’ve said are a means of fighting on behalf of Gaza.

‘Working to increase aid shipments to Gaza would not just help to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there but would deprive the Houthis of their claimed justification for attacks in the Red Sea and provide the group with an off-ramp for de-escalation that would also serve to prevent indefinite U.S. participation in a broader regional war.’

Others in Trump’s foreign policy orbit historically have struck a more hawkish tone toward Iran, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Israel Ambassador Mike Huckabee. 

Rubio has already said he will work to bring back the snapback sanctions that were suspended in the 2015 Iran deal, as indicated by written responses he provided to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. 

‘A policy of maximum pressure must be reinstated, and it must be reinstated with the help of the rest of the globe, and that includes standing with the Iranian people and their aspirations for democracy,’ Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy to Russia and Ukraine, recently said. 

The Dimino hiring – along with other recent personnel moves – has caused rumblings from prominent Iran hawks. 

Mark Levin, a radio host who has the ear of Trump, has posted on X multiple times in opposition to Dimino: ‘How’d this creep get a top DoD position?’ he asked in one post. 

‘While Dimino and Witkoff are very different issues, Witkoff is Trump’s best friend, [it] seems difficult to detangle, very concerning,’ said one Iran expert. ‘Dimino is a mystery and does not align with Hegseth or Trump values on Iran or Israel.’

‘There is an ongoing coordinated effort by Iran’s regime and its lobby network in the West to cause divisions in President Trump’s administration over policy towards Tehran,’ Kasra Aarabi, director of research on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard at the group United Against a Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital. 

‘Having spent the past four years trying – and failing – to assassinate President Trump, the ayatollah has now instructed his propagandists to cause fissures between President Trump and his advisors so as to weaken the new administration’s policy towards [the] Islamist regime.’

Aarabi warned, ‘In the past 48 hours, Ayatollah Khamenei-run entities in Iran’s regime – such as the ‘Islamic Propaganda Organization’ – have been celebrating certain appointments across the broader administration in the same way as they praised some of former president Biden’s appointments.’

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Trump’s pick for UN ambassador hailed by Israeli minister as ‘warrior against antisemitism’

TEL AVIV – The Trump administration will do more than its predecessor to combat the tidal wave of Jew-hatred unleashed by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli told Fox News Digital. 

Chikli noted that, when confirmed, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, former Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will enter into one of the epicenters of the global assault on the Jewish people and their state.

‘We saw Stefanik at the hearing on campus antisemitism in Congress,’ he said, noting that once confirmed as a senior member of the Trump administration she will be ‘stationed in one of the most hostile arenas: the U.N.’ Chikli added that she’s ‘A warrior against antisemitism, we are very happy with her appointment.’

In December 2023, Stefanik was widely praised during a congressional hearing on the explosion of antisemitism at American universities. She asked the presidents of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology if calling for genocide against Jews violated their codes of conduct.

A year later, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled the U.S. House of Representatives Staff Report on Antisemitism, compiled by six congressional committees.

Chikli told Fox News Digital four actionable measures to curb the phenomenon: ‘Enforcing strict compliance with Title VI to prohibit discrimination and address antisemitism on campus; withholding federal funding to institutions that boycott Israel or tolerate antisemitic behavior; requiring universities to disclose foreign contributions and tightening government oversight; and revoking funding and tax exemptions for groups and universities that propagate antisemitism or support terror-related activities.’

‘This report from the speaker of the House shows that this [Trump] administration is highly committed to countering antisemitism,’ Chikli said.

In her new role, Stefanik has also promised to fight Jew-hatred at Turtle Bay, which she described as a ‘den of antisemitism.’

‘Even before the barbaric terrorist attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, the U.N. has continuously betrayed Israel and betrayed America, acting as an apologist for Iran and their terrorist proxies,’ Stefanik said in November after her nomination.

During her Senate confirmation on Tuesday, she said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a conduit for international aid to the Palestinians, should be ‘at the bottom of the list’ of organizations to receive American funding.

In January 2024, then-President Joe Biden halted funding to UNRWA after Israel released evidence that the agency’s staff participated in the Oct. 7 massacre. 

According to Chikli, UNRWA effectively serves as Hamas’s educational system, which in turn makes it the engine fueling antisemitism throughout Gaza and Palestinian-administered territories in the West Bank, known by Israelis as Judea and Samaria.

‘It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a village to raise a terrorist. And if you put a child in UNRWA schools, you can be sure that he will graduate with the mindset of a terrorist,’ Chikli told Fox News Digital.

‘[Palestinian children] will learn to admire suicide bombers, Hamas Nukhba terrorists who butchered innocent people. They go to schools named after terrorists, with textbooks that include math problems about how many Israeli soldiers were attacked or how many stones were thrown at them,’ he continued.

‘That is why it is critical to make sure UNRWA is shut down,’ he added. 

In October, the Israeli parliament banned UNRWA from operating in the Jewish state. The law takes effect on Jan. 30.

A spokesperson for Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid told Fox News Digital that ‘the government and the international community has had 90 days to find alternatives to UNRWA.’

He declined to say whether Lapid was in contact with the Trump administration to discuss ‘day after’ plans once UNRWA ceases operations. 

In August, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini confirmed the probable involvement of at least 19 UNRWA employees in the Oct.7 massacre, saying that ‘the evidence – if authenticated and corroborated – could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks.’

He later confirmed that at least nine UNRWA staffers were fired after an internal probe.

UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma told Fox News Digital that ‘we are committed to staying and delivering [aid] in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, until we cannot.’

‘UNRWA has the most robust systems in place in comparison to other United Nations agencies when it comes to the adherence to the principle of neutrality with regards to our programs that we do and our staff,’ she said. 

Asked whether the organization has put together a plan for ongoing operations once the Israeli ban kicks in, she said, ‘We have not.’

Ayelet Samerano’s son, Yonatan, was kidnapped by a terrorist who also reportedly worked for UNRWA on Oct. 7, 2023. A video of the terrorist dragging Yonatan’s lifeless body into a car went viral. 

‘I will not let it go. I am pressuring the government very hard for the law, which passed in the Knesset, to be implemented,’ Samerano told Fox News Digital. ‘I didn’t know UNRWA before, but then I investigated and found many documents that prove it’s involved in terror. That they were involved in taking hostages on Oct. 7 and holding kidnapped Israelis in their homes and buildings means there is no reason for this organization to continue to exist.’

‘We must ensure that UNRWA will be replaced by another organization that will help the Gazans and make sure terror does not infiltrate them,’ she continued. ‘People outside of Gaza and interested in real peace must teach a new curriculum that will create opportunities for Gazans, not terror.’

Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that Stefanik is ‘a staunch ally of Israel and of the Jewish people.’

‘She leads with moral clarity and a strong commitment to justice and truth,’ he said. ‘I am looking forward to working with her at the U.N., where the demonization and distortions about Israel are out of control.’

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NBA All-Star Game: East and West starters announced

LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers’ four-time MVP, was named an NBA All-Star starter for a record 21st consecutive time. Three-time Denver Nuggets MVP Nikola Jokic earned another All-Star start, two-time Milwaukee Bucks MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is a starter for the ninth consecutive season, one-time MVP Kevin Durant becomes the seventh player to earn at least 15 All-Star selections, and two-time MVP Steph Curry is an All-Star for the 11th time.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is an All-Star starter for the fifth consecutive season and is an All-Star for the sixth time in his eight seasons.

And perhaps the NBA’s next MVP, Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is an All-Star starter for the second consecutive season.

The starters, who are selected by a weighted vote from fans, players and media, were announced Thursday on TNT. The 14 reserves, who are selected by NBA coaches, will be announced Jan. 30 on TNT.

Here are the 2025 NBA All-Star starters for the Feb. 16 game in San Francisco at Golden State’s Chase Center:

2025 NBA Western Conference All-Star starters

Backcourt

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

2024-25 statistics: 32 ppg, 6.1 apg, 5.4 rpg, 2.1 spg, 1.1 bpg, 53% FG, 34.8% 3PT, 90.2% FT

Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors

2024-25 statistics: 22.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.9 rpg, 1.1 spg, 44.9% FG, 40.7% 3PT, 94% FT

Frontcourt

Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns

2024-25 statistics: 27.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.4 bpg, 52.3% FG, 38.4% 3PT, 82.9% FT

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

2024-25 statistics: 23.7 ppg, 9.0 apg, 7.5 rpg, 51.3% FG, 39.8% 3PT, 76.3% FT

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

2024-25 statistics: 30.1 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 9.9 apg, 1.9 spg, 56.3% FG, 47.5% 3PT, 81% FT

2025 NBA Eastern Conference All-Star starters

Backcourt

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

2024-25 statistics: 26 ppg, 7.3 apg, 3.0 rpg, 48.6% FG, 39.1% 3PT, 81.7% FT

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

2024-25 statistics: 23.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg 4.5 apg, 1.4 spg, 44.3% FG, 39.6 3PT, 83.2% FT

Frontcourt

Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

2024-25 statistics: 25.1 ppg, 13.9 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 54.5% FG, 43.3% 3PT, 83.6% FT

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

2024-25 statistics: 31.5 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.4 bpg, 60.5% FG, 58.7% FT

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

2024-25 statistics: 27.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 45.7% FG, 35.5% 3PT, 79.8% FT

NBA All-Star Game snubs: Who had a case to be a starter?

As always, there are players who made strong cases to start the game, or at least deserved very serious consideration. Still, with only five starting spots per conference, the margins between starting and appearing as a reserve are exceptionally thin. 

How are All-Star starters chosen?

Starting in 2017, NBA All-Star starters have been selected by a weighted vote from fans (50%), NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%). From each conference, there are two backcourt starters and three frontcourt starters. If there’s a tie, the fan vote is the tiebreaker.

Per the NBA, ‘the formula to determine a player’s score is (Fan Rank * 2 + Player Rank + Media Rank)/4.’ For example, if Player A is second in fan voting, third in player voting and third in media voting, his weighted score is 2.5.

Last year, Damian Lillard and Jalen Brunson were tied for second with a weighted score of 3.75, but because Lillard was No. 3 in fan voting and Brunson No. 5, Lillard got the starting nod.

Jeff Zillgitt’s All-Star starters

Eastern Conference

Backcourt

Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, New York’s Jalen Brunson

Frontcourt

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns

Western Conference

Backcourt

Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards

Frontcourt

Denver’s Nikola Jokic, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis

Lorenzo Reyes’ All-Star starters

Eastern Conference

Backcourt

Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, New York’s Jalen Brunson

Frontcourt

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns

Western Conference

Backcourt

Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards

Frontcourt

Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis

(This story was updated with new information.)

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Ovechkin goal tracker: All of his stats as he chases Gretzky’s record

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is back from his fractured left fibula and resuming his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal record.

Ovechkin, 39, had missed 16 games after absorbing a leg-on-leg collision during a Nov. 18 game against the Utah Hockey Club. He returned on Dec. 28 and scored goals in six of his first 11 games back.

Ovechkin entered this season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Washington captain has 22 goals this season, with 34 games left.

This season, he moved into second place with 20 consecutive 20-goal seasons and set a record for the number of goalies he has scored against in his career.

If he doesn’t reach the record this season, he has one more season left on his contract.

Here’s where Ovechkin stands in his chase of Gretzky’s goal record:

How many career goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has 875 career goals.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to pass Wayne Gretzky?

Ovechkin needs 20 goals to break Gretzky’s record.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have this season?

Ovechkin has 22 goals and 12 assists in 32 games. Factoring in the 16 games he missed, that is a 45-goal pace, putting him on pace to break the record this season.

What did Alex Ovechkin do in his last game?

Ovechkin scored an empty-net goal in Washington’s 3-0 win against Seattle.

When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game?

The Capitals play Saturday, Jan. 25 at Vancouver. Ovechkin has 16 goals in 27 regular-season games against the Canucks.

Alex Ovechkin goals in 2024-25

Oct. 19: 1 vs. New Jersey
Oct. 23: 1 vs. Philadelphia
Oct. 29: 2 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Oct. 31: 1 vs. Montreal
Nov. 2: 1 vs. Columbus
Nov. 3: 1 vs. Carolina
Nov. 6: 1 vs. Nashville
Nov. 9: 2 vs. St. Louis
Nov. 17: 3 vs. Vegas
Nov. 18: 2 vs. Utah
Dec. 28: 1 vs. Toronto
Dec. 29: 1 vs. Detroit
Jan. 2: 1 vs. Minnesota
Jan. 4: 1 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Jan. 11: 1 vs. Nashville
Jan. 16: 1 vs. Ottawa
Jan. 23: vs. Seattle

Alex Ovechkin career goal breakdown

Even strength: 552, third overall

Power play: 317, a record

Short-handed: 5

Empty net: 62, a record

Game winners: 134, second overall, one behind Jaromir Jagr’s record

Overtime goals: 27, a record

Multi-goal games: 177, second overall

Goalies scored against: 179, a record

Hat tricks: 31, sixth overall

20-goal seasons: 20, tied for second

30-goal seasons: 18, a record

40-goal seasons: 13, a record

Alex Ovechkin empty-net goals

Ovechkin has a record 62 empty-net goals, but Gretzky is up there, too, with 56. Ovechkin passed Gretzky in that category last season.

Alex Ovechkin goals per season

Season: Goals, career total

2005-06: 52, 52
2006-07: 46, 98
2007-08: 65*, 163
2008-09: 56*, 219
2009-10: 50, 269
2010-11: 32, 301
2011-12: 38, 339
2012-13: 32*, 371
2013-14: 51*, 422
2014-15: 53*, 475
2015-16: 50*, 525
2016-17: 33, 558
2017-18: 49*, 607
2018-19: 51*, 658
2019-20: 48*, 706
2020-21: 24, 730
2021-22: 50, 780
2022-23: 42, 822
2023-24: 31, 853
2024-25: 22, 875

*-led league in goals that season

NHL’s top goal scorers all-time

The top 21 NHL all-time goal scorers all have 600 or more goals. All of the players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Jagr, who are still playing.

1. Wayne Gretzky, 894 goals in 1,487 games

2. Alex Ovechkin, 875 goals in 1,458 games

3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games

4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games

5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games

6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games

7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games

8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games

9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games

10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games

11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games

12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games

13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games

14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games

15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games

16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games

17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games

18. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games

19. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games

20. Sidney Crosby, 605 goals in 1,322 games

21. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Sports

Lakers star LeBron James extends NBA All-Star Game streak

This story has been updated with new information

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James continues to extend records in his 22nd NBA season after he was named to another All-Star Game.

The three-time All-Star Game MVP surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot last year when he was named to his 20th All-Star selection.

Here’s what you need to know.

All things Lakers: Latest Los Angeles Lakers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Why was LeBron James named an All-Star?

James, along with the other nine starters, were selected by a weighted vote from fans (50%), players (25%) and select media (25%). Each team’s lineup consists of two backcourt players and three frontcourt players.

“In the history of the NBA, there are a lot of popular players at the end of certain seasons with the way the fan vote works for a long time they get an all-star nod and they were playing good but LeBron is still playing at an elite level,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics. “He’s very deserving of this All-Star nomination. I’ll be sure to congratulate him but again just another accolade and accomplishments to add to what seems like a list of 1,000s.’

He’s averaged 23.7 points, nine assists and 7.5 rebounds per game this season. James has dealt with a left foot injury that’s kept him listed on the injury report in recent days.

How has LeBron James done in the All-Star Game during his career?

LeBron James has produced 434 points, 114 rebounds and 113 assists in 20 All-Star Game appearances. He’s also recorded 22 steals and made 41 of 138 (.297) of his third-point attempts.

This file has been updated with new information.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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