Basketball
USA Basketball will spend its summer in Las Vegas
COLORADO SPRINGS – The U.S. national basketball team will return this summer to Las Vegas, where it trained before winning the last two Olympic gold medals.
The Americans will hold a minicamp for about 24 players July 22-25, capped by an intrasquad exhibition game July 25 at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. The team said Wednesday the roster of players, to be announced later this month, will include “rising NBA stars” and “newly minted All-Stars.”
Cycling
Froome wins Stage 5 and takes the Dauphine lead
VALMOREL, France – Chris Froome attacked on the final climb to win the mountainous fifth stage of the Dauphine Libere race Thursday and take the overall lead.
Froome clocked 3 hours, 28 minutes, 39 seconds across the 86-mile trek from Gresy-sur-Aix to Valmorel, finishing four seconds ahead of Contador and American rider Matthew Busche.
Froome, runner-up to Bradley Wiggins at last year’s Tour de France, is 52 seconds ahead of Sky Procycling teammate Richie Porte.
Golf
Rain postpones Round 1 of the LPGA Championship
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Shanshan Feng will have to wait a day to begin defense of her LPGA Championship title.
A steady rain punctuated by heavy downpours and an occasional bolt of lightning forced the postponement of Thursday’s first round at Locust Hill Country Club. The LPGA’s second major of the year now will begin this morning, the second round will be staged Saturday, and the players will attempt to complete 36 holes Sunday.
Soccer
Brazil falls to an historic low No. 22 in FIFA rankings
ZURICH – Brazil dropped to a historic low of No. 22 in the FIFA rankings a year out from hosting the World Cup, and the United States ascended one place to No. 28.
Brazil fell three places this month as it continues to play only friendlies. They score less than competitive matches in FIFA’s calculations, which have ranked teams since 1993 across a four-year results cycle.
World and European champion Spain remained atop the rankings, while Germany, Argentina and Croatia are next.
The Netherlands rose four spots to No. 5.
England dropped two to No. 9.
Portugal (6), Colombia (7), Italy (8) and Ecuador (10) rounded out the top 10.
Sports
No. 1 ranked golfer is Forbes’ No. 1 ranked moneymaker
No. 1 ranked golfer in the world Tiger Woods is back on top of Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes.
The star golfer spent 11 consecutive years at No. 1 on the magazine’s list before falling to third in 2012. The magazine put him back in the top spot after he made $78.1 million over the last year from prize money, endorsements, appearance fees and golf course design work. Woods has enjoyed a resurgence in his play that has earned him more than $13.1 million the last 12 months – double his total from the previous year.
Tennis star Roger Federer is second at $71.5 million, while Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is third at $61.9 million.
LeBron James is fourth with $59.8 million, and Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees rounded out the top five at $51 million.
Last year’s highest-paid athlete, Floyd Mayweather, is 14th.
David Beckham was No. 8 overall and the highest-ranked soccer player at $47.2 million.
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was tops among the 27 baseball players on the list and No. 18 overall with $30.3 million.
Two women, both tennis players, made the list: Maria Sharapova ($29 million) is No. 22, and Li Na ($18.2 million) was 85th on Forbes’ list.
Associated Press
