Star wheelchair rugby player for the United States Olympic team Joe Delagrave has had an unconventional path to the upcoming Tokyo games. He believes that this path, though, has built critical leadership and camaraderie-building skills that will greatly help Team USA achieve victory in their matches.

President Donald Trump called both LeBron James and CNN anchor Don Lemon dumb in a tweet on Friday night, and several prominent NBA figures have since responded.

Trump Insults LeBron James in Tweet

“LeBron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made LeBron look smart, which isn’t easy to do,” Trump wrote. “I like Mike!” the president added, referring to legend Michael Jordan. 

Trump was voicing his displeasure with an interview 33-year-old James gave Lemon on CNN last week, in which the newly-minted Los Angeles Lakers star criticized the president for using sports to “divide” the country. James — who recently opened up a public elementary school for at-risk children in his native Akron, Ohio called “I Promise” — discussed Trump’s frequent attacks of athletes like Colin Kaepernick who protested the national anthem to make statements about issues such as racial inequality and police brutality.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

James, a three-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP, is considered by many fans to be the greatest professional basketball player of all time, although several others say Jordan undoubtedly deserves this title. Given that the pair are often compared, it isn’t surprising that Trump mentioned the latter on Twitter.

Jordan, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss were all among the league members who rushed to defend James following Trump’s verbal attack. The three figures praised The King for his history of dedication to community service, although none of them mentioned Trump’s name or even explicitly criticized him.

“I support LeBron James. He’s doing an amazing job for his community,” Jordan told CNN via a spokesperson.

“LeBron James is one of the all-time greatest NBA players and one of the most accomplished athletes,” Silver wrote in a statement to USA Today Sports. “I greatly admire his intelligence and business acumen and have enormous respect and appreciation for what he does in his community.”

Buss released the following statement on behalf of the Lakers: “We could not be more proud to have LeBron James as part of our Lakers family,” the statement read. “He is an incredibly thoughtful and intelligent leader and clearly appreciates the power that sports has to unite communities and inspire the world to be a better place. Those efforts should be celebrated by all.”

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

It seems like Buss and Silver are making a greater effort than their NFL counterparts to support players who attempt to make strong sociopolitical statements.

Lemon also fired back at Trump by tweeting: “Who’s the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages? #BeBest,” referencing both the immigrant family separations controversy and First Lady Melania Trump‘s campaign against online bullying.

Trump frequently criticizes CNN, perhaps the most out of all the major networks. The president has repeatedly called them “fake news.” 

Tom Brady opened up about a series of matters related to himself in a new interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday.

Tom Brady Discusses Retirement In New Interview

One of the topics the five-time Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots quarterback — who will be 41 in August — discussed was retirement.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams!

“I think about it more now than I used to,” Brady told Winfrey on her OWN network. “I think I’m seeing that there’s definitely an end coming, sooner rather than later.”

Pressed on what age exactly he would call it quits, the reigning NFL MVP stated: “As long as I’m still loving it. As long as I’m loving the training and preparation and willing to make the commitment. But it’s also, I think, what I’ve alluded to a lot in the [“Tom vs. Time”] docuseries was there’s other things happening in my life, too.

He continued: “I do have [three] kids that I love, and I don’t want to be a dad that’s not there driving my kids to their games. I think my kids have brought a great perspective in my life, because kids just want the attention. You better be there and be available to them, or else they’re going to look back on their life and go, ‘Dad didn’t really care that much.'”

Brady also spoke about the infamous Deflate-gate controversy that arose after the AFC Championship Game victory against the Indianapolis Colts following the 2014 season. After a more than year-long investigation, the four-time Super Bowl MVP was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season.

“It taught me the people I could really count on, the people that really supported me, and it taught me a lot about life — sometimes you do the best you can do and it doesn’t work out,” Brady explained. “There were a lot of frustrations, and I tried to fight as hard as I could for what I believe in.”

He added that “too much anxiety” caused him to ultimately stop paying attention to the controversy.

Brady also explained why he doesn’t like people referring to him as the “GOAT,” or “greatest of all time.”

“I still feel like I’m in it. I still feel like I’m doing it. I still feel like there’s still more to be accomplished. … I still feel like I can be better, be a percentage better,” said the 13-time Pro Bowler. “I’ve played a long time. It’s not like you go, ‘Hey man, I’m going to become something different.’ No. I am what I am. I know my strengths. I’ve improved on some of the weaknesses. And I still think I want to go out there and compete and play with a bunch of 22-year-olds. It’s still a lot of fun.”

SLIDESHOW: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

Brady also offered his view of issues affecting the NFL more generally, like the league’s new rule that prohibits kneeling during the national anthem.

“I think there were a lot of good, healthy conversations in our locker room,” he stated. “Like I said, the great part about sports is the relationships. I’ve been with guys from all different parts of the country, of every color, race, belief, and you know what? You respect why other people are doing what they’re doing. They’re doing it for different reasons and that’s okay.”

Brady went on to describe how the Patriots chose to lock arms for their national anthem protests, and added: “Everyone comes from something different, and I think showing respect for everybody is important. In a team full of guys trying to go in the same direction, you better have that empathy for everybody. That’s what sports are about.”

After the Patriots won Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Braves with an astounding comeback overtime victory in 2016, Brady said he wanted to continue playing football until well into his 40s.

Peyton Manning may have retired from football two years ago, but he has continued to find ways to entertain himself and fans — one way is by driving the pace car for NASCAR’s season-opening Daytona 500.

Peyton Manning Daytona 500 interview news

The former MVP quarterback gave a rather hilarious interview to FOX Sports on Sunday while driving around the same track as some of the fastest stock cars in the world.

“I’ve never been sideways before,” said Manning as he drove around one of the turns.

“I didn’t realize these guys were going to be quite so close to me,” Manning said with a laugh. “What a cool environment to be a part of.”

Austin Dillon ended up winning the event at Daytona International Speedway, the first Daytona 500 victory of his career. Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin filled out the podium.

Manning has been known for his humor before: he has appeared in several quirky commercials with NationWide Insurance and Papa John’s Pizza, and recently voiced a character (a bull named Guapo!) in the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated animated film Ferdinand. 

The two-time Super Bowl champion also showed off his comedic chops by delivering a set at the Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe in 2016. Manning ripped the former brat pack and West Wing actor for falsely reporting his retirement from the NFL in a tweet in 2012.

Manning made news last week, as he is reportedly being pursued by both ESPN and FOX to be part of their coverage team for the 2018 NFL season. ESPN is hoping to fill the vacancy left by Jon Gruden, who left as a Monday Night Football analyst to become the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Fans would likely love the idea of Manning returning to the NFL scene as a commentator.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 12: Host Peyton Manning speaks onstage at The 2017 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Yolanda Holder- Racewalker by uSports

Champion endurance racewalker Yolanda Holder, who has competed in dozens of foot races, including a recent 3,100-mile trek, wants to the world to learn about her sport.

Serena Williams opened up about issues such as power and race, as well as her plan to return to tennis  shortly after the birth of her first child, in an exclusive interview with Vogue this week.

Serena Williams return to tennis news

The 35-year-old American — who is the world’s highest-paid female athlete — is expecting her first child with fiancee Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who is now eight months pregnant, said she felt many people perceived her as “tough” and “mean” simply because she is African-American. Williams said she thinks she had to work harder than other white female tennis players like Russian blonde Maria Sharapova — a five-time Grand Slam winner — who have accomplished less than her in order to gain the public’s approval.

Though he is only in his first MLB season, Aaron Judge is tied for the league lead in home runs with 14.  Nevertheless, the New York Yankees outfielder is still not immediately identifiable to many fans.

Aaron Judge Asks Yankee Fans About Himself on Tonight Show

This was never more apparent than on NBC’s Tuesday night episode of “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon. Judge, who has been hitting .316/.420/.744 overall this season after playing just 33 games, participated in a segment on the nightly comedy series in which he sat at an anchor desk by New York’s Bryant Park and asked around 20 baseball fans how familiar they are with the Yankees and with the 25-year-old rookie specifically.

The sketch revealed that most Yankee supporters still can’t quickly recognize Judge, despite the outfielder’s imposing 6-foot-7, 282-pound frame. Judge simply donned a suit and a pair of glasses for the bit, but this disguise proved enough to trick New Yorkers into thinking they were speaking to an actual sportscaster who was asking them about their favorite players on the Yankees.

“How many homers do you think he’ll finish [the season] with?” Judge asks (referring to himself) one man who cites the outfielder as his favorite player. “Forty,” replies the man. “He can’t keep up this pace, I don’t think,” the man adds after the rookie seems to doubt the fan’s prediction.

“I think he can, though” says Judge, before suggesting he could reach 70 home runs this seasons to top the fan’s prediction, which increases to 60 homers.

Another fan incorrectly called the outfielder “Adam Judge,” but the rookie played along.

A third fan laughed and joked around with Judge after realizing he had been tricked into speaking with the Yankees star the entire time. The fan compared Judge to another prominent New York sports figure, former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, for the gap between his teeth. “You’re the future, man,” says the fan with a smile and a chuckle. “We love you here.”

The last fan, an middle-aged woman, even got a hug and a photo with Judge.

The Yankees (23-13) are currently first in the AL East. They defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-1 at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday, the opener of a three-game series. The two teams face off in Kansas City again at 8:15 pm EST on Wednesday.
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 14: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a two-run homer during the fourth inning against the Houston Astros during game one of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on May 14, 2017 in New York City. Players are wearing pink to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend and support breast cancer awareness. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Former Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III was asked a very strange and morbid question at the NBA Draft Combine on Thursday: how he would like to die.

Ex-Kansas Guard Frank Mason III asked weird question at NBA Draft Combine

Prospective professional basketball players have been asked all sorts of quirky questions at the combine over the years: whether they slow down or speed up at a yellow light, if they know how many pennies are in a million dollars, and many more.

This question, however, likely takes the cake for one of the top-three most absurd ones. It even borders on inappropriate.

Mason was unsurprisingly floored by the question, and gave a very simple response: that he would like to kick the bucket in his sleep, without suffering any kind of pain, and surrounded by his family.

Sounds like a very normal and genuine answer from a seemingly healthy 23-year-old who has no reason to be thinking about death.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Austen Lane claims he was asked an even more frightening death-related question at the 2010 NFL Draft combine:

We can only wonder if next year’s NBA draft combine will see players asked even crazier questions.

KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 25: Frank Mason III #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts in the second half against the Oregon Ducks during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at Sprint Center on March 25, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Moose Weekes On Harlem Globetrotters, Basketball by uSports

“Intensity is what it’s all about!” These are some of the words Harlem Globetrotters forward Alex ‘Moose’ Weekes likes to live by, as he explained in an exclusive interview with uSports.

Derrick Lewis knocked out Travis Browne at UFC Fight Night 105 in Halifax, Canada on Sunday, and decided to rub more salt into his opponent’s wounds.

UFC’s Derrick Lewis Criticizes Ronda Rousey’s Boyfriend Travis Browne In Interview

In his post-game interview, Lewis called out Browne, UFC champion Ronda Rousey’s longtime boyfriend, for his alleged history of domestic violence, an accusation brought up by Browne’s ex-wife.

“I just knew I had a bigger heart than [Browne],” heavyweight Lewis, nicknamed “The Black Beast,” said in the Octagon right after his win. “He call himself a man, but he likes to put his hands on women. So, forget that guy. I got much more heart than he has.”

Lewis then directly stated he was vying for Rousey’s affections:

“Where’s Ronda Rousey’s fine a– at?” he said.

Lewis (18-4) finished off Browne (18-6-1) in the second round after knocking the latter to the floor, then landing punch after punch on Browne’s face. Some fans seemed to think the referee waited too long to stop the fight.

Later in his post-fight interview, Lewis answered a question about some lethal first-round kicks he took to his midsection.

“I just gotta do number two, that’s all,” he said. “It’s not really hurt from the kick. I just got a boo-boo.”

The 32-year-old fighter also said he feels he needs a break.

“All the training and all the sex I’ve been getting, my body needs some time off,” said Lewis, who has been trolling Browne and Rousey on social media recently.

Fans and MMA reporters immediately took to Twitter to express how great they believed Lewis’ interview was.

Its’ been a difficult stretch for both Browne and Rousey, who was knocked out in just 48 seconds by Amanda Nunes in her much-anticipated comeback at UFC 20 in December. The couple have been together since at least August 2015, shortly after Browne’s then-wife Jenna Webb, who was estranged, accused the fighter of domestic violence.

Browne has repeatedly denied those accusations.

LAS VEGAS, NV – DECEMBER 06: Travis Browne reacts against Brendan Schaub in their fight during the UFC 181 event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on December 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)

Larry Bird turned 60 on Wednesday, and several NBA members and fans have taken to Twitter to congratulate the legendary former Celtics forward.

Larry Bird Turns 60, Reveals Secrets From 13-Year NBA Career

Clearly, there remains no doubt that Bird is still beloved by many basketball fans and organizations.

The iconic former forward–nicknamed “Larry Legend”– and current president of the Indiana Pacers recently spoke with ESPN’s Baxter Holmes about the nuances of his shooting technique, why he never got tired in games, the relief he felt upon retirement, the challenges that come with mentoring new and younger players, and more.

When asked during the interview if he missed the game, Bird said: “It’s funny. When I retired, I thought I’d really miss it. But I really feel like there was a weight lifted off my shoulders. I couldn’t believe it.”

He also added: “I worked out so hard in the summers that once it was over, you just move on. It’s time to move on. I do get excited when we play in the playoffs in a big game.”

Bird was also asked about how he believes the old science and medicine methods to ensure players stay in shape compare to those existing today.

“The one thing I would’ve liked to have had was core strength,” he said. I remember [Robert] Parrish never touched the ball in the summer, but he did yoga. That’s a major part of it — stretching and breathing. But me, I had to run my 3 miles to warm up. I had to ride my bike 12½ miles. I had to sprint. I always felt that I had to do more, more, more. That’s why I broke down. That core strength, I think, would’ve taken care of most of that, other than the conditioning.”

Bird also briefly discussed how running and sprinting were a big part of his conditioning. When asked if he thought he would have played longer if he hadn’t done as much running as he did, Bird said: “Probably. But I couldn’t [not do all that running]. I had that thing in my body that told me to get up and go — that clock. When it’s time to run, you go run. That’s just the way I was.”

Finally, Bird explained his mentality of focusing on one game at a time, rather than looking at the ‘big picture’ like the remainder of a season, the playoffs, or the rest of his career, as some coaches like the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich suggest doing.

“One game. My thoughts were always that that night was the most important game in the world,” he said. “Everybody in the world was watching that one game. And I had to be the best player on the court and win that game that night. That was my mentality, and it stuck with me all the way through my career. But knowing that, I knew that I was going to pay for it in a hard way. That’s probably why, when I retired, after the press conference, I probably felt relief.”

SPRINGFIELD, MA – AUGUST 8: Larry Bird arrives for the 2014 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremonyat Symphony Hall on August 8, 2014 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

NFL Network’s Dan Hellie On His Football… by uSports

Dan Hellie, the NFL Network sports anchor, predicts a lot of drama in this topsy-turvy NFL season in a new video interview with uSports.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford is confident he’s doing better now than he was one week ago in the lead-up to the team’s season opener against the Tennessee Titans, which the Vikings won 25-16 on Sunday.

Sam Bradford On His Progress Since Joining Vikings: ‘I Feel Much Better Now’

Speaking to the media before practice on Wednesday, Bradford, 28, expressed his thoughts on how he thinks he’s progressed since joining Minnesota from the Philadelphia Eagles nearly two weeks ago.

“I think it gets better every day,” said Bradford. “It’s much better now than it was at this point last week. Being able to go through a week of practice, being at the game and hearing the play calls and visualizing the game it in my head, I feel much better now.”

Minnesota will next host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday for Week 2.

Though Bradford remains uncertain whether it will be him or Shaun Hill at quarterback when the Vikings take the field next Sunday, the 2010 No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma still believes he fully understands the offense.

“I felt comfortable with the game plan last week,” Bradford explained. “Obviously it’s not the same game plan this week, but there are similarities. Just hearing the language last week and being around the game planning process and understanding how it goes here, I think we can definitely have a full game plan.

“I feel good about all the checks from last week and I feel good about all of the ones we’ve put in this week thus far.”

Even if Bradford does get the start this weekend, Green Bay is still expected to sell out against the run. For the new Minnesota QB, it’s all about attempting to free up the running game as much as possible.

“Regardless of what you do in the pass game, people are going to crowd the box,” the former Oklahoma Sooner said. “The more effective you are throwing the football, it makes them at least think about unloading some of those guys.”

Hill started for the Vikings last week against the Titans. He completed 18-of-33 passes for 236 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions with a 77.3 rating– numbers that aren’t particularly impressive.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 03: Sam Bradford #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws the ball in the first half against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on January 3, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter sat down for an exclusive interview with Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy regarding his involvement in an incident from 2014 in which his former girlfriend, Nicole Holder, claims Hardy brutally assaulted her, throwing her against a bathroom wall and choking her on a bed filled with weapons, all in his apartment. Late last year, pictures showing a severely bruised and battered Holder surfaced on the website Deadspin.

In the interview, which aired Tuesday, Hardy denied ever having laid hands on her or on any other woman.

The interview has unsurprisingly caused much uproar and controversy among many people who believe Hardy is guilty of this assault, and the cries and censures only became louder after Schefter called Hardy “a changed kind of guy” on The Dan Patrick Show Tuesday.

What few people expected was for one of ESPN’s own well-known employees to condemn the interview. ESPN’s SportsNation co-host Michelle Beadle spoke out on Tuesday about her thoughts on the interview:

“I feel dirty in that this guy has no job right now, and for some reason we’ve decided as a network that we’re going to give him the stage for his redemption tour as he basically goes out and tries to find some employment,” Beadle stated. “I don’t understand why we’re doing that. If he wants to figure out a way to get his message out there — which by the way, he hasn’t said he did anything wrong, so how a man is supposed to convince anybody he’s changed and yet not admit to actually doing anything? I have no idea. But why we’re giving him the forum to go out there and tell anybody that is where I’m a little bit confused.”

Beadle’s sound and logical take on Hardy’s case and interview is certainly laudable. Her argument that ESPN shouldn’t be used as a platform that relays a message of change and contrition by upholding a player who claims he’s innocent and appears to show no remorse seems more than reasonable.

Beadle also sent out a Tweet to add to her comments:

Greg Hardy’s contract with the Dallas Cowboys expired just last month. No team has signed the controversial free agent defensive end since then, which is why Hardy had time to sit down with ESPN’s Adam Schefter for an interview on Monday.

Greg Hardy Denies Hitting Ex-Girlfriend In ESPN Interview

During the interview, Hardy denied every having hit a woman, in response to Schefter’s question regarding a 2014 domestic violence incident in Charlotte, North Carolina, involving him and his former girlfriend, Nicole Holder. At the time of the incident, Hardy was a member of the Carolina Panthers.

“I’ve never put my hand on any women … in my whole entire life, no sir,” Hardy said Monday in Oxford, Miss., where he played collegiately for the University of Mississippi. “That’s just not how we’re raised. As you can tell, like I said again, it’s the Bible belt. It’s just something that’s, I wouldn’t even say frowned upon, just something that’s nonexistent in most southern homes.”

Schefter then followed up by asking Hardy about the pictures of Holder, in which she is shown severely bruised and battered, that surfaced on the website Deadspin last November in connection with the alleged assault.

Holder accused Hardy, 27, of throwing her against a bathroom wall, and then pushing her onto a bed covered with assault rifles and subsequently choking her and threatening to kill her during an altercation at his apartment.

“I will stop you there and say that I didn’t say that I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “That situation occurred and that situation was handled but … saying that I did nothing wrong is a stretch but saying I am innocent is correct. Yes sir.”

Hardy was convicted on charges of domestic violence, specifically assaulting a female and communicating threats, in 2014 in a bench trial by judge. He appealed, seeking a jury trial, but the case was thrown out in February 2015 when Holder stopped cooperating with authorities. Hardy filed a petition last year in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, to have his domestic violence charges expunged from his record.

After a portion of the interview aired on ESPN, Hardy was called out by former Panthers teammate Steve Smith Sr. on Twitter. The wide receiver, who now plays for the Baltimore Ravens, tweeted an excerpt of Hardy’s interview and called himself an advocate against domestic violence, adding that his mother is a survivor.

A six-year NFL veteran, Hardy has compiled 40 career sacks in 75 games and was tagged by the Panthers as their franchise player after the 2013 season, when he posted a career-best 15 sacks.

Hardy was suspended four games last season and missed all but one in 2014 with the Panthers.

Former New York Knicks point guard Nate Robinson was immersed in an interview when he was interrupted by a shirtless man who hopped off his bicycle to talk trash.  

Shirtless Man Challenges Knicks Star Nate Robinson To One-On-One

The three-time dunk contest champion was doing an interview with Sport5 when the man showed up.

“Sup, Nate,” the man said. “I want to play with you one-on-one.”

The biker was later identified by the Times of Israel as Raz Nisim Cohen, a 6’2″ guard who played a single season of professional basketball in 2012.

“Now that’s an interview,” Robinson later joked. “That’s the first time ever someone’s done that. It’s sick. So cool. Fans are awesome.”

Robinson, 31, currently plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, with whom he signed just last week. He spent 10 years as a player in the NBA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZme8RnDcZM

Caption: DALLAS, TX – MARCH 13: Nate Robinson #8 of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbles the ball against J.J. Barea #5 of the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 13, 2015 in Dallas, Texas.