ESPN: Last News

At 2 PM Pacific time today, LeBron James will be eligible to move on to any team in the NBA.

UPDATED with latest: Veteran ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale offered an update on his years-long battle with cancer today, and it was a tough one.

Remember when NFL fans were complaining about seeing too many shots of Taylor Swift enjoying the game? We said at the time that was kind of a BS complaint. Why? Because there’s so much downtime during games, there’s TONS of shots of the crowd. The cameras look for anything remotely interesting to fill the time. Sometimes that’s wild fanatics in facepaint, sometimes it’s wholesome shots of parents taking their kids to their first games… And oh so often it’s just random creeping on girls.

Prince Harry is set to receive a high honour at this year's Excellence in Sport Performance Yearly awards (ESPY) in the United States for his life-long service and using his influence to "change the world".

,” Kate Jackson, VP of Production at ESPN, said in a statement.“These honorees have used their platforms to change the world and make it more inclusive for marginalized and suffering communities, demonstrating incredible resilience, positivity and perseverance, and we’re thrilled to celebrate them at The 2024 ESPYS.”Harry is set to be honored for his on the Invictus Games, as well as his military experience in Afghanistan.The prince, who quit royal life in 2020, launched the Invictus Games in 2014 as multi-sport Paralympic-styled games for wounded or injured servicemen and veterans.He will be receiving the award “in honor of his tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport.”Harry — who recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Games in London — also served in the British Armed Forces for 10 years, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot and a forward air controller.The father of two has already proudly announced the news on his and wife Meghan Markle’s official website.Gleason for his part, played a total of 7 seasons with the New Orleans Saints from 2000 to 2006, before hanging up his cleats in 2008.The retired athlete was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2011.Elsewhere, University of South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley is slated to receive The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.The ESPYs will be air on July 11 at 8 p.m.

The French connection dominated the early rounds of the 2024 NBA Draft, as three of the first six picks were Frenchmen.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. With the end of the 2023-24 NBA season, let’s look forward to the next season of pro basketball. The 2024-25 season officially begins with the NBA Draft on Wednesday, June 26 and Thursday, June 27.

Disney’s efforts to have an antitrust class action from streaming subscribers dismissed has been denied one more time, but the company will now not be on the hook for any cash.

William Earl administrator Variety and Sportico have announced additional programming for the second annual co-branded Sports & Entertainment Summit presented by City National Bank on July 12 in Los Angeles. Newly added speakers include UCLA QB and two-time NIL athlete of the year Chase Griffin, 2024 Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech, UConn women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers, NCAA women’s champion Ashlyn Watkins and Jay Williams, chairman and co-founder of Improbable Media and ESPN analyst.

EXCLUSIVE: Words + Pictures, the documentary production company founded by former ESPN exec Connor Schell and backed by Peter Chernin’s The North Road Company, has promoted two of its senior leaders.

Lionel Messi knows he’s entering the final stage of his career. After spending the majority of his professional career playing in Europe, in 2023, Messi moved to the U.S., becoming a key member of Inter Miami C.F. With 36 years old, he appears to be ready to be entering a new stage of his life and career, revealing that the team might be his last one.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Dana White, chief executive of UFC, is one of the stars of the new Roku original docuseries “Fight Inc.: Inside the UFC,” touted as an “unprecedented” insider’s look at the company, marking its 30th anniversary. Earlier this month, White — a well-known supporter of Donald Trump — played a starring role in different production: Trump’s first TikTok video. Following footage of the ex-president greeting fans at UFC 302 in Newark, N.J., on June 1, the video shows White with Trump backstage at the fight.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The X Games is shifting to a team-based league structure — and it wants to be in your face over the full calendar year. The action-sports competition franchise on Thursday unveiled the X Games League: a new global, team-based format to be introduced in 2026 with year-round events. The X Games League (or “XGL”) will let athletes earn compensation beyond the $2.4 million already awarded annually through existing prize purses, according to the company.

ESPN basketball analyst and former NBA player Austin Rivers is apparently no fan of the theory of the willing suspension of disbelief.

If Sage Steele ever does drop by, it’s going to be pretty awkward the next time the former ESPN host goes to visit CAA.

Sixteen-time champion Joey Chestnut has been banned from Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in a beef over sponsorship. It seems the folks at Major League Eating, which oversees the contest, didn’t think his reported deal with Impossible Foods was kosher.

Tatiana Siegel Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele waged a high-profile battle with Disney over her right to free speech. Now, she’s going to war with CAA.

ESPN said Tuesday that it has signed a multiyear contract with Shannon Sharpe, the Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion who joined the network less than a year ago after leaving his FS1 series Undisputed.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Warner Bros. Discovery is suddenly seeing red — clay, that is — in its bid to build out its sports portfolio. A new ten-year pact for the U.S.

Boxing star Ryan Garcia, who sports a 25-1 record with 20 knockouts, was arrested Saturday night at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Beverly Hills.

As intrigue continues to swirl about its future role as an NBA broadcaster, Warner Bros Discovery‘s Turner Sports has secured U.S. rights to the French Open tennis tournament.