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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

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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.

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Lawsuit accuses Mariano Rivera, wife of covering up child sexual abuse

A teenage girl is seeking compensatory and punitive damages after claiming she was sexually assaulted on multiple occasions at events connected to a church where Clara Rivera, wife of New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, is the senior pastor.

Additionally, the complainant alleges one of the assaults occurred at a church function held at the Riveras’ primary residence in Rye, New York.

A complaint filed in Westchester County Court names Refugio de Esperanza, a place of worship in New Rochelle, and 1 Brook View Rye, LLC, as defendants. The Riveras are not named as defendants but 1 Brook View Rye was the address of their primary residence, according to the complaint, and the church website says the church was founded in the Rivera home in 2009.

The suit alleges that the church failed to protect the plaintiff – who has filed a request for anonymity – from foreseeable harm and take corrective action, and that in one instance the Riveras “isolated and intimidated” the plaintiff to stay silent regarding an alleged assault.

In a statement issued to USA TODAY Sports, the Riveras’ lawyer Joseph A. Ruta called the allegations ‘completely false.’

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

‘Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind and allegations that they knew about or failed to act on reports of child abuse are completely false,’ Ruta said in the statement. The first time the couple learned of the allegations was nearly four years after the alleged incident, when they received a letter from an attorney requesting a financial settlement, Ruta said.

‘The lawsuit, which seeks financial damages for the Riveras’ alleged failure to act on alleged incidents that were never reported to them, is full of inaccurate and misleading statements which we have no doubt will not hold up in a court of law,’ Ruta said.

The suit, filed Jan. 16 and obtained by USA TODAY Sports, gives the defendants 20 days to respond to the service of the summons; the plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial, through which a monetary amount for damages would be determined. The associated LLC, and not the Riveras, is listed as a defendant in part because New York law states that landowners are responsible for actions on their property.

The lawsuit was first reported by Gainesville Public Information Services.

The suit alleges that Clara Rivera, in her role as pastor, suggested the defendant – identified as Jane A. Doe – serve a summer internship in 2018 at a Gainesville, Florida church affiliated with Refugio de Esperanza, with Refugio covering the expenses.

The complaint alleges that interns – the plaintiff was around 11 years old at the time – were required to reside at Gainesville’s Ignite Life Church without parental supervision for the duration of the internship. It was there that the plaintiff alleges she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a much older teen girl, who was still a minor at the time.

The suit claims campers were only allowed sporadic telephone contact with their parents, but during one call the alleged victim’s mother grew concerned about her daughter’s welfare.

“In response, Ms. Rivera assured MOTHER A DOE that she would investigate MOTHER A DOE’s report and respond accordingly,” the suit alleges. “Ms. Rivera and her husband, REFUGIO employee/volunteer/agent Mariano Rivera, then traveled from New York to Florida to see JANE A DOE at the Ignite Life Summer Internship. During that trip, the Riveras, in their capacity as agents for DEFENDANTS, learned or should have learned information that JANE A DOE was being sexually abused by (the older camper).

“Rather than take sufficient action to end the sexual abuse of JANE A DOE, the Riveras each separately isolated and intimated JANE A DOE to remain silent about her abuse … to avoid causing trouble for REFUGIO and the Ignite Life Summer Internship. In order to avoid the potential scandal of child sexual abuse in its programs and otherwise protect DEFENDANTS above all else, the Riveras, in their capacities as agents and/or employees of DEFENDANTS, assured MOTHER A DOE that JANE A DOE was safe and in no danger at Ignite Life Center, despite actual or constructive knowledge that JANE A DOE remained vulnerable to additional acts of sexual abuse.”

Three men have been accused and two convicted of sex crimes at Ignite Life Center, including Gabriel Giovani Hemenez, who was 29 when he pleaded no contest to two counts of lewd acts with a minor – a summer intern – between the ages of 12 and 16; Hemenez was sentenced to five years in prison and eight years probation. Another man pleaded no contest to aggravated assault and received three years probation.

The plaintiff and her family were longtime members of Refugio de Esperanza and after the alleged victim returned to New York, the family resumed worship at Refugio.

Later that summer, according to the suit, the church held a barbecue at the Rivera’s Rye, New York, residence for minors who were members of the church. “Parents, including, but not limited to MOTHER A DOE,” the suit alleges, “were not invited to attend the event.”

The suit alleges that the plaintiff was left alone with and subsequently sexually assaulted again by the same teen member of the church.

“At all times relevant,” the suit alleges, “DEFENDANTS had a superior knowledge of the risk of harm that JANE A DOE would be sexually abused in their care and failed to inform JANE A DOE and/or her parents of their superior knowledge of the risk of harm to JANE A DOE. 37.

“To the contrary, DEFENDANTS misrepresented to JANE A DOE and her parents that JANE A DOE was safe and sufficiently cared for while in the care and/or presence of DEFENDANTS.”

Approximately one month later, in August 2021, the suit alleges that the plaintiff was sexually abused by an adult youth leader at the church after the man “groomed and exhibited behaviors that signaled a risk that he would sexually abuse JANE A DOE. The grooming and ‘red flag behaviors” occurred while the two attended REFUGIO events and/or on premises owned, operated, and/or controlled by REFUGIO.”

The allegations, the suit says, would qualify as sex offenses under New York law.

The crux of the plaintiff’s complaints are similar in both alleged instances: That Refugio, “by and through its respective agents, managers, employees, and directors knew, or through the exercise of reasonable care should have known, that (the employee) had a propensity to engage in sexual misconduct with children he encountered by virtue of his leadership role in REFUGIO prior to 2021, yet they took no action to protect the minor JANE A DOE from him.”

Rivera, 55, remains the only player in major league history elected unanimously to the Hall of Fame and the sport’s all-time saves leader. He was the closer for five Yankees World Series championship teams, his career spanning 1995 through 2013, when he retired amid great fanfare.

The plaintiff, now 17, and her family relocated to Georgia in 2022

“I commend our young client for her bravery and commitment to truth,’ Adam Horowitz, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys, said in a statement. ‘We thank her for sounding the alarm on a potentially dangerous environment for kids. Our lawsuit alleges that Mariano and Clara Rivera had a duty to protect our client and missed the opportunity to save her from the harms of child sexual abuse.”

Said the Riveras’ lawyer: ‘The Riveras are known throughout New York for their charitable work and especially for their commitment to serving underprivileged children. It’s unfortunate they are being targeted by false allegations.’

Know the red flags: How to recognize and prevent abuse in youth sports 

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Jaguars coaching search updates: Bucs OC meets with Jacksonville again

One day after saying he was no longer interested in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching position, Liam Coen has seemingly had a change of heart.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator is meeting with the Jaguars again Thursday, according to multiple reports, as Jacksonville looks to fill its head coaching vacancy.

Tampa Bay was offering him a deal that’d make him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.

The Jaguars fired coach Doug Pederson earlier this month after three seasons in Jacksonville. The team had originally agreed to keep general manager Trent Baalke on board before firing him Wednesday afternoon.

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“Following several discussions with Trent Baalke this week, we both arrived at the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interests to respectfully separate, effective immediately,’ Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement. ‘Trent leaves us with my deepest appreciation for his efforts over the past five seasons.’

Khan stated that Ethan Waugh will be the interim general manager.

Thursday marks Coen’s second interview with the Jaguars. The team is also reportedly interviewing former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Coen reportedly informed Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles he was meeting with the Jaguars Thursday but did not inform the team.

Of the seven head coaching vacancies this offseason, three have been filled: Chicago, New England and the New York Jets.

Dallas, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and New Orleans still have openings to fill.

This article will be updated with more information when available.

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NFL team seemingly wins big with hotshot coach – but he’s still total unknown

In luring the hottest commodity on the NFL coaching market to the Windy City, maybe the Chicago Bears just hired the next Sean McVay.

Or perhaps they’ve secured the next Adam Gase. Time will tell. Like always.

Ben Johnson was introduced as the new Bears coach on Wednesday, fueling expectations that the man who pushed buttons for the high-powered Detroit Lions offense will inspire a similar brand of progressive football to catapult Chicago to a new era.

Suddenly, the sky is the limit for uber-talented Caleb Williams, rather than what he saw all too often in absorbing an NFL-high 68 sacks during his rookie season as the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s worst offenses.

After all, Johnson’s creative genius was on full display at Soldier Field in December, when Detroit suckered the Bears for a touchdown on a “Stumblebum” trick play. And NFL teams were falling all over themselves to hire Johnson – so hot that he pulled himself off the market last year and the year before that, too – as that coveted, young, bright offensive mind who fits the profile that so many desire.  

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Now Johnson, 38, can concoct a new plan for a franchise desperately trying to get out of its own way (again) after stumbling repeatedly in recent years when hiring coaches.

Is the fifth time the charm? Since Lovie Smith was fired after posting a 10-6 record in 2012, the Bears have cycled through Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus. Over 12 years, that quartet combined for one winning season and zero playoff wins.

But now the Bears have won the coaching sweepstakes. Or so it seems. Here’s to hope and hype, NFL style.

Check out the message Johnson expressed to his new players: “Get comfortable being uncomfortable. The bar has been set higher than it’s ever been set before.”

Sounds good enough. Yet Johnson, never a head coach on any level, needs to prove he can command the room and make that leap from star coordinator to winning coach. He knows. Nothing is automatic.

“A lot of coordinators have failed in this role,” Johnson said during a 32-minute news conference. “What I can tell you is that every step of my journey, whether it’s quality control, whether it was position coach, whether it was coordinator, I have found a way to change myself to be the best in that particular job.”

He added, “I’m a football coach. So, I will be able to change and adjust accordingly.”

Brian Billick can relate. A generation ago, Billick was that hot offensive coordinator when the Minnesota Vikings set a then-NFL record with 556 points in 1998. He spurned the Cleveland Browns and landed with the Baltimore Ravens in 1999, then won a Super Bowl in his second season. Before joining the Ravens and teaming with legendary general manager Ozzie Newsome, Billick had never been a head coach on any level.

“My experience was that you work your entire life to get the chance to be a head coach, you develop an expertise, you get the job, you sit behind that desk and think, ‘What the hell do I do now?’ ” Billick told USA TODAY Sports.

“I think Ben Johnson has been around enough coaches that he’ll craft the right structure and system. But it is a task.”

Billick realizes the challenge includes suddenly having to deal with matters that land on the coach’s desk – such as off-the-field situations for players and personnel decisions. Johnson is bullish on the talent he inherits and, while mindful that the O-line needs an upgrade, envisions being “lock step” with GM Ryan Poles. Of course, he will continue to call the offensive plays. After all, that’s his calling card.

“When you’re a coordinator, it is a 24/7, 365 days-a-year job,” Billick said. “That’s all you think about. I call it the ‘3 a.m. rule.’ When you wake up at 3 a.m., you’re thinking about coordinator stuff. What about this protection? Do I put this guy in the flat? That’s all you think about. You have to be that kind of consumed with it in order to be good.”

Now, Billick added, the Bears need to have the system in place to support Johnson to the point where, “If you wake up at 3 a.m. thinking about whether you’re going to put the fullback in the flat, then somebody had better be waking up thinking about those other things.”

In one sense, Johnson’s challenge is typical. At the start of last season, 23 of the 32 coaches were in roles that had made them first-time head coaches. That includes long-timers such as Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, but also a fair number still needing to establish themselves in an environment where opportunities can be fleeting.

No, Johnson’s challenge is only so unique when considering the reason his new job was open. Eberflus, who began in 2022, was 14-32 when he was fired in late November, a day after bungling the clock in crunch time of the Thanksgiving loss at Detroit.

And given the series of Chicago’s failed coaches, the change-the-culture mantra is apropos.

As Billick put it, “It’s kind of been the Black Hole for coaches. They go in there and just get gobbled up.”

At least Johnson has seen his challenge before. When Dan Campbell landed the Lions job in 2021, he kept Johnson from Matt Patricia’s previous staff. Johnson, who had worked with Campbell when they were on Joe Philbin’s staff with the Miami Dolphins, saw Campbell build the program from a 3-13-1 team to a Super Bowl contender. Of course, he had a key role after being promoted to coordinator in 2022.

Is he ready? A year ago, Johnson was hotly pursued by the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Commanders but pulled himself out of the running for the jobs after the Lions blew a 17-point lead and suffered a heartbreaking loss in the NFC championship game at San Francisco.

“As my emotions got the better or me at that point, I decided early on that I wanted to come back and take another shot at that in Detroit,” Johnson said.

He also used the additional year to better prepare for the next career step. This included deep reflections during the offseason.

“I was able to do a lot more thinking, and just throughout my head, my process, of what it would look like as the head coach,” he said. “I just felt a lot more comfortable, in terms of making that jump, regardless of how the season ended in Detroit.”

It ended with a thud in Detroit. Johnson’s offense put up 521 yards on Saturday night yet committed five turnovers – four from Jared Goff and an interception by Jameson Williams on an ill-advised wide receiver option pass in the fourth quarter of a 10-point game.

With Detroit riding momentum, it was a bad time for a trick play.

Johnson, though, wasted no time in making his next move. The Bears got their man before he even set foot in the team’s headquarters. He stays in the NFC North and has the key building block in place at quarterback.

And surely the Bears faithful can’t wait to see the next trick play.

Follow Jarrett Bell on X @JarrettBell.

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Why Lions will receive two draft picks for losing Aaron Glenn

With the New York Jets hiring Aaron Glenn to be their next head coach, the Detroit Lions will receive two extra draft picks, thanks to a 2020 amendment to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement as it relates to the Rooney Rule.

The Lions get third-round draft picks in the 2025 and 2026 drafts under a rule that stipulates that if a team lost a minority executive or coach to another team, that team receives compensatory picks. The 5-year-old rule was put in place to reward teams that develop minority coaches and front office personnel who go on to become head coaches or general managers. For example, when the Lions hired current general manager Brad Holmes from the Los Angeles Rams, the Rams received compensatory third-round picks in the 2021 and 2022 NFL drafts.

The Rams and San Francisco 49ers each had compensatory picks in the 2024 draft for losing Raheem Morris (current Atlanta Falcons head coach) and Ran Carthon (former Tennessee Titans GM), respectively. The Rams and 49ers will have additional compensatory picks in the 2025 draft as well.

For Glenn, the Jets job represents his first head coaching gig. Glenn, who played as a defensive back, was a first-round draft pick by the Jets in 1994. He went on to play 15 NFL seasons with six different teams and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection. Glenn, who started his NFL coaching career in 2014 as an assistant defensive backs coach, was the Lions’ defensive coordinator for the previous four seasons.

What are compensatory draft picks?

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Compensatory draft picks also are presented to teams that lose minority assistant coaches or front office personnel to head coaching or general manager positions with other teams.

The compensatory selections are placed at the bottom of Rounds 3-7 and a total of 32 selections are presented. The announcement of the compensatory picks for the 2025 NFL draft will come in March.

According to Over The Cap, the 49ers, Lions and Rams will receive compensatory picks for minority hirings in 2025, while the Minnesota Vikings (Kirk Cousins) and Miami Dolphins (Robert Hunt) are projected to receive compensatory selections for free-agent losses.

What is the Rooney Rule?

In 2003, the NFL adopted a rule that each team must interview at least one minority candidate prior to selecting a new head coach. The rule was named for late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who led the league’s diversity committee.

The Rooney Rule has evolved over time, with the aforementioned 2020 addition to reward teams for developing minority head coaching and general manager talent. In 2021, the league required every team to interview at least two external minority candidates for open head coaching and general manager positions and at least one external minority candidate for a coordinator position. The rule also was expanded to assure at least one minority and/or female candidate be interviewed for senior level front office positions.

THE NFL’s TRIPLE STANDARD: How Black NFL coaches face harsher expectations

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