The family of Ronnie Hillman announced that the former NFL running back passed away on Dec. 21 due to complications from kidney cancer. He was 31.

“We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman,” the Broncos, his longtime team, said in a statement. “A key contributor during the winningest four-year period in franchise history, Ronnie was part of two Super Bowl teams and led the Broncos in rushing during our Super Bowl 50 championship season. Soft-spoken with a warm smile and quiet intensity, Ronnie was drafted by the Broncos in 2012 and grew into a dynamic player and well-respected teammate. Ronnie will be fondly remembered by our organization, which extends its heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the Hillman family during this difficult time.”

After two seasons at San Diego State, during which he ran for 3,243 yards and 38 total touchdowns, Hillman declared for the 2012 NFL Draft. He was selected by the Broncos in the third round and went on to play four seasons with the team.

As a member of the Broncos, Hillman eventually earned a role as a key contributor on one of the league’s best offenses. In 2015, his final season with the team, he rushed for 863 yards and seven touchdowns. Denver went on to defeat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

Hillman signed a contract with Denver for the following season but was eventually released. He appeared in games for the Vikings and Chargers in 2016 before retiring.

The former Bronco was first diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer, in August 2022, and subsequent attempts to treat it were unsuccessful. He died Wednesday, Dec. 21.

“Ronnie quietly and peacefully transitioned today in the company of his family and close friends. We as the family, appreciate the prayers and kind words that have already been expressed,” an Instagram post on Hillman’s page said.

Legendary Los Angeles Dodger broadcaster and announcer Vin Scully passed away on Tuesday night according to the team. The man which had captivated and entertained fans for over 67 years passed away in his home Tuesday night.

In a statement, Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten lamented the loss of the Hall of Famer. “We have lost an icon,” he said. “Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster but as a humanitarian. He loved people. He loved life. He loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family. His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever. I know he was looking forward to joining the love of his life, Sandi. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time. Vin will be truly missed.”

Scully had been a stalwart in the Dodgers organization even in their Brooklyn days, being the longest-tenured broadcaster with a single team in pro-sports history. He had seen Dodgers legends in the past from Jackie Robinson in the 1950s and Sandy Koufax in the 1960s to future Dodgers legends such as Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig.

Kershaw paid homage to the late Scully after Tuesday night’s matchup against the Giants. “He was the best there ever was,” Kershaw said. “Just when you think about the Dodgers, there’s a lot of history here and a lot of people that have come through. It’s just a storied franchise all the way around. But it almost starts with Vin, honestly. Just such a special man. I’m grateful and thankful I got to know him as well as I did.”

Scully’s last game was in October 2016 when he was honored after a 9-6 Dodgers victory over the San Fransisco Giants. “God has been so good to me to allow me to do what I’m doing,” Scully said before retiring. “A childhood dream that came to pass and then giving me 67 years to enjoy every minute of it. That’s a pretty large Thanksgiving Day for me.”

“I just want to be remembered as a good man, an honest man, and one who lived up to his own beliefs,” he said.

Eleven-time NBA champion Bill Russell died Sunday at age 88. After 14 seasons as a player for the Boston Celtics, Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. In 2021, he was inducted again, becoming just the fifth individual to enter the Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in NBA history.

Born in Monroe, Louisiana, in 1934, Russell grew up in an era of strict segregation in the Deep South, where his family was a frequent target of racial persecution. When he was eight, the family moved to Oakland, California, in search of a new home. As his father, Charles Russell, bounced between multiple jobs, including a truck driver during World War II, Bill spent the majority of his childhood in different housing projects. His mother, Katie Russell, died when he was 12, which had a massive impact on the family. Before she died, she made her husband promise to send her sons to college.

For a young boy that would go on to become an NBA legend, one might suspect that basketball always came easily for Russell. But though he had raw athletic ability and increasingly formidable size, the game didn’t come easily to him and he was cut from his junior high school team. He was nearly cut from the team in his first year at McClymonds High School in Oakland as well but gradually began to learn how to use his physical attributes to his advantage.

Without any initial interest from colleges in his senior year, Russell eagerly accepted when the University of San Francisco finally offered him a scholarship. Recruiters at the school noted his subpar skills on offense but took him on the basis of his instincts and potential.

Though his offensive prowess never improved in his college career, Russell firmly established himself as the most dominant defender in college basketball at that time. Because of his devastating shot-blocking ability and tendency to smother opponents down low, the NCAA had to rewrite the rules to widen the lane and ban basket interference. Nothing could stop Russell, however, as San Francisco went on to win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. In 2006, Russell became one of the founding inductees into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

In the 1956 NBA Draft, the St. Louis Hawks selected Russell with the second overall pick, but Celtics head coach Red Auerbach quickly began to arrange a trade. Though Russell’s offensive output was still considered poor, Auerbach was interested in his defensive play and offered St. Louis premier player Ed Macauley and forward Cliff Hagan. The Hawks accepted, sending Russell to Boston. He never left.

In 13 seasons in Boston from 1956 to 1969, Russell and the Celtics won the NBA Championship 11 times, including eight straight between 1959 and 1966. It remains the most dominant stretch by any franchise in the history of the sport, and Russell was the team’s defensive star throughout, earning All-Star honors in every season following his rookie year. In 1966, he also began his tenure as the team’s coach, and Boston won titles in 1968 and 1969. In doing so, he also became the first black coach in NBA history.

In the midst of his playing days, Russell never hesitated to use his voice in support of social issues. In 1963, he marched in Washington D.C. for civil rights and later became a staunch defender of boxer Muhammad Ali during his stand against serving in Vietnam.

After a short stint as a commentator for ABC, Russell accepted a position as the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics, leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1973. He left the team in 1977 with a 162-166 record. A single season coaching for the Sacramento Kings in 1987 proved unsuccessful when the team compiled a 24-58 record.

Over the years, Russell has consistently been named one of the greatest players in NBA history, alongside players like Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. Due to his work in the civil rights movement over the span of six decades, Russell has also been recognized as a staunch defender of human rights. At the 2019 ESPYs, Bryant delivered a touching address when Russell received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which honors figures in sports advocating for others in need.

Following his death, countless sports figures came forward to honor Russell, including fellow Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In a message on Twitter, Abdul-Jabbar, who considered Russell a friend and mentor, remembered him as “the quintessential big man, not because of his height but because of the size of his heart.”

“In basketball, he showed us how to play with grace and passion. In life, he showed us how to live with compassion and joy,” Abdul-Jabbar said.

As Abdul-Jabbar noted, Russell earned a reputation for insatiable passion in everything he did. His efforts on the basketball court were no less determined than his battles in real life, and in gaining a platform as an all-time athlete, he also gained the opportunity to use that platform for good, to rectify some of the wrongs done to him, his family and entire communities in the United States over the years. If anything, that can be considered Russell’s lasting legacy, both on and off the court. He made the most of his opportunities and the world is better for it.

Former college basketball star Caleb Swanigan has died at the age of 25. Swanigan was a standout basketball player at Purdue University after overcoming a rough childhood and playing in the NBA for a few seasons before his death.

The Allen County’s coroners’ office has said that Swanigan died of natural causes. Swanigan grew up homeless, at times living under a bridge in Utah before he was adopted. He and three of his five siblings had faced trouble with the law growing up, and Swanigan was the only one of his siblings to graduate high school. Swanigan went to high school at Homestead High School and had one of the most dominating careers in Indiana high school history. He won the Indiana Mr. Basketball Award after leading Homestead to a state title in 2015.

He was a highly sought-after, a five-star recruit and the number-one ranked player out of Indiana. He initially committed to Michigan State but later switched his commitment to Purdue. Swanigan’s dominance didn’t stop at the high school level. At Purdue, he quickly cemented himself as one of the best big men in the Big Ten. He averaged 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds his sophomore season with the Boilermakers and was named a Consensus All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year.

Swanigan was drafted with the 26th pick by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2017 NBA Draft. He has a subpar tenure with the Trailblazers before being traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2019. After a season and a half with the Kings, he was traded back to Trailblazers where he opted out of playing in the NBA Bubble in 2020. That was the last time he played NBA basketball. He was arrested in 2021 for possession of marijuana.

Many are devastated by the news of Swanigan’s loss, with Purdue’s associate communications director saying, “You think about what he overcame to get here. That’s the thing that hurts the most.”

Ravens outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson has died at 26, the team announced on Wednesday morning. According to reports, Baltimore Police officers responded to Ferguson’s home where he was found unresponsive and being treated by medics on the scene. He never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead. 

Jaylon Ferguson Cause Of Death

Ferguson was one of the young stars on a stellar Baltimore defensive group. He had participated in all of the offseason practices this spring and was apparently in the best shape of his career. The Ravens released a statement on Twitter saying, “We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson. He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and an infectious personality. We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon’s family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon.”

Ferguson was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and committed to Louisiana Tech. He had a stellar career in his four years with the Bulldogs, racking up 187 total tackles, 67.5 tackles for loss, and 45 career sacks, which is an all-time FBS record to this day. His dominance at the collegiate level earned him the nickname “Sack Daddy” coming out of L.A. Tech. The Bulldogs tweeted out a statement saying, “The L.A. Tech Family mourns this morning’s tragic news of the sudden death of former Bulldog great, Jaylon Ferguson,” the Louisiana Tech football team tweeted. “We will remember his God-given talents on the field and his infectious personality off of it. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.” 

He was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Ravens. In his NFL career, he recorded 67 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. 

Baltimore Police say there were no signs of foul play or trauma suspected. A cause of death is currently being determined by the medical examiner’s office, however, investigators are not ruling out an overdose as a potential cause of death. 

Ferguson’s agent, Safarrah Lawson said in a statement, “He was a wonderful young man full of love and life. He will be remembered not just as a football player, but as a great father, son, brother and friend. The family asks for your continued prayers.”

In a nationally televised South African boxing match, Simiso Buthelezi collapsed in the corner of the ring. A few days later, the boxer was dead. The fight was between Buthelezi and Siphesihle Mnutungwa on June 3. Buthelezi died two days later after slipping into a coma.

The flight was a difficult one, getting all the way to the tenth round before officials ended the fight prematurely. Prior to this, Buthelezi had become disoriented during the fight. After knocking Mntungwa to the ropes, the official separated the fighters. However, when the boxers were prepared to box again, Buthelezi turned away from Mntungwa and started throwing punches in the air before slumping against the ropes, by then the official had stopped the fight. Buthelezi was rushed to the hospital where he died on Tuesday due to bleeding in the brain.

The bout between the two was for the WBF African lightweight title, which Mnutngwa would subsequently take. Since then, Mntungwa has said he’s received backlash from fans and neighbors alike, the backlash that has led him to suicidal thoughts, “I came into heavy criticism and received insults on social media platforms when Simiso was hospitalised; it has taken another level now that he has passed away,” Mntungwa told reporters, “All I wanted was to win the title, which maybe was going to help change my life and that of my family. I am the only one working at home, where I stay with my young brother, my aunt, and her children.”

The events of that title fight were brought up during a match between Alexis Angulo and Edgar Berlanga, broadcasted on ESPN. During the fight, ESPN broadcaster Tim Bradley referenced the now-viral video of Buthelezi boxing the air saying, “I’ve seen worse. There’s a video circulating right now where a guy actually knocked another guy out of the ring. He got back in the ring and the other guy actually started boxing a ghost in the corner.”

Bradley later apologized for the comments, saying he was unaware that Buthelezi had passed away, “I want to take the time out right now and apologize for that last statement that I made about that guy that was actually punching someone in the corner. He actually passed away a few days ago. I had no clue that he passed away, and I just want to give my utmost apologies to his family and to his loved ones.”

Boxing South Africa is currently conducting an independent medical review of the incident.

Tragic news out of Frisco, Texas as former Dallas Cowboy’s running back Marion Barber III was found dead in his apartment on Wednesday morning. Dallas police stated that they went to Barber’s apartment to conduct a welfare check and were investigating an unattended death there. Police also say that there seem to be no signs of foul play.

Marion Barber Cause Of Death

The Dallas Cowboys expressed their grief in a statement, “We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Marion Barber III. Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down. He had a passion for the game and a love for his coaches and teammates. Our hearts go out to Marion’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Barber was a standout player at the University of Minnesota, where his father and two younger brothers also played. Barber played four seasons with the Golden Gophers, rushing for over 3200 yards and 35 touchdowns, good for third all-time in program history. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

He spent six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, rushing for 47 touchdowns which are fourth all-time in Cowboys’ history. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2007 after rushing for a career-high 975 yards and recording twelve touchdowns. He put up these numbers despite not being the lead back In Dallas. His hard-nosed style quickly made Barber a fan favorite and he earned the nickname “Marion the Barbarian.”

Following his release from the Cowboys, Barber also played one season with the Chicago Bears, who also released a statement regarding his death, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Bears RB Marion Barber III,” the Bears said. “Our hearts go out to his family & friends.”

Barber had been in the news before, once in 2014 when he was detained by police and given a mental health evaluation, and once in 2019 when he was arrested on misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief that occurred in 2018. Allegedly, Barber damaged two cars while he was running. Barber has also been hospitalized multiple times due to mental health evaluations. Former teammate Dev Bryant had tweeted out a statement on Barber about a year ago, expressing his concern for the former running back’s mental health.

Barber would have turned 39 on June 10.

Devastating news coming out of Dallas on Monday after Jeff Gladney, cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals was involved in a fatal car crash that took two lives including Gladney’s. According to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, the vehicle containing Gladney and his girlfriend was speeding and clipped another car causing Glandey’s vehicle to lose control and hit a freeway pier beam, killing both individuals inside.

No one in the second vehicle was injured, however. Gladney was a standout prospect leading up to his time in the NFL. A three-star prospect in high school, Gladney was recruited heavily by programs such as Tulsa, TCU, North Texas and Arkansas. Ultimately choosing TCU, Gladney starred on the field during his four-year tenure with the Horned Frogs, amassing 146 tackles, five interceptions and 37 passes defended and being selected to the All-Big 12 team twice. In his senior season, Gladney led the Big 12 in passes defended with 14. This success and his physical style led him to be selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the Minnesota Vikings’ 31st pick. He was released by the Vikings in 2021 following his indictment for domestic violence following a dispute with a woman he was in a relationship. Gladney was charged with 3rd-degree felony family violence assault. Gladney was later found not guilty of the charges, and the Arizona Cardinals signed him to a multi-year contract in March 2022. Gladney was currently training with the team during offseason OTA’s and had expressed his excitement to be playing NFL football again.

The Cardinals tweeted out a statement offering condolences to Gladney’s family and friends.

His teammate at TCU and current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor tweeted out a statement following the news of his death.

Gladney’s agent has not provided further comment nor have more details regarding the manner of his death been released.

There are new details surrounding the death of tragic of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins. According to a toxicology report released by the Broward County Medical Examiner, Haskins’ blood-alcohol content was well over the Florida legal limit when he was struck by a vehicle on the I-595 on the morning of April 9. The two separate samples taken from Haskins’ body had alcohol levels of .20 and .24, which are above the legal limit of .08. He also tested positive for ketamine and norketamine, both drugs that are used as anesthetics by medical professionals.
A Steelers team official told reporters that Haskins had gone out for dinner with a friend whose name was “Joey” the night before his death. He added that the pair had drunk heavily and had separated after an altercation between them at a nightclub.

Initial reports had said the former Ohio State quarterback was struck by a vehicle after being stranded on the interstate while searching for a gas station. Haskins had reportedly called his wife Kalabrya Haskins informing her of his plans to leave the vehicle to find gas and planning to call her once he had returned. In a 911 audio released in April, she called authorities to check on her husband when she didn’t hear back from him. The dispatcher informed her that there was an accident on the I-595, but could not confirm if it was indeed Haskins. A female companion, whose relationship with Haskins is unknown, was in his car when he was tragically killed. She told the Florida Highway Patrol that he had left the vehicle in pursuit of gas.

The reports also stated that Haskins was improperly on the highway and the driver of the dump truck that struck him was not found to be at fault. Haskins had inadvertently entered the travel lanes of the interstate putting him in the path of the truck.

Haskins was a standout player at the Ohio State University, breaking multiple records during his time with the Buckeyes and acquiring numerous accolades including First Team All-Big Ten and 2019 Rose Bowl MVP. He was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the then-Washington Redskins. Following a disappointing tenure with Washington, Haskins was released during the 2020 season. He was signed as a free agent to the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2021. Haskins signed his restricted tender in March and was thought to be a viable candidate for the Steelers’ quarterback battle this upcoming season. He was in Florida training with current Steelers teammates and was a guest of fellow Pittsburgh QB Mitch Trubisky.

Former Notre Dame, Bills and Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica died Thursday at age 80.

His son, Brandon, says that the former signal-caller died in his sleep and added that no cause of death has been revealed.

In 12 seasons with the Bills and Raiders, “The Mad Bomber” finished 66-16-6 with 19,154 yards, 164 touchdowns (not including 14 by foot), and 138 interceptions.

He earned AFL MVP honors with the Raiders in 1967 (including an AFL title that season) and 1969, and he won two AFL titles with the Bills (1964, 1965).

After playing for the Golden Domers, he was chosen by the Bills in the 24th round of the 1963 AFL draft, as well as by the Packers in the 12th round of the NFL draft that same year; he chose Buffalo and was eventually traded to the Raiders in 1967.

Former Dallas Cowboy and Pro Football Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright died on Thursday at n76, according to his wife, Di Wright.

The six-time Pro Bowler who played in 188 career games and won two Super Bowls while spending his entire 13-year career (1967-1979) in Dallas had been in the hospital for days prior after suffering a seizure.

Wright was selected to the NFL’s 1970’s All-Decade Team and earned enshrinement in the Hall of Fame in 2006.

“In the 1970s, he [Wright] was the standard,” his former teammate RB Calvin Hill said. “When you thought about offensive linemen, he was the guy that you automatically thought of.”

Jim Porter, president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, released a statement sharing the impact that Wright had on the lives of others:

Over the past few weeks, it has become abundantly clear the love that so many Hall of Famers and others around the NFL felt toward Rayfield [Wright], his wife, Di, and the extended Wright family.

His gentle nature away from the game belied his commanding presence on the field. All fans, especially those of the Cowboys, will remember fondly his dominance on the offensive line in the 1970s and how he took protecting Dallas quarterbacks as his personal mission. We will guard his legacy in Canton with equal tenacity.

WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall—better known as Cuban villain Razor Ramon—died Monday.

A pivotal figure in the pro wrestling explosion of the ‘80s and ‘90s, the 63-year-old Hall was on life support in the hospital. The WWE did not list a cause of death but did refer to him as “a hugely influential superstar” in a statement.

Hall/Ramon was in the middle of a revolt in the mid-90s that saw him and other big-name talent leave Vince McMahon’s WWE (then WWF) in favor of WCW, which was a big deal. The WWE eventually took control of the WCW, owned by Ted Turner, but the move paved the way for wrestlers to become famous outside of the ring.

Kevin Nash left a touching tribute to his former tag-team partner.

“My life was enriched with his take on life,” Nash wrote on Instagram. “He wasn’t perfect but as he always said ‘The last perfect person to walk the planet they nailed to a cross.’”

Other wrestlers have added their tributes, too:

Jeremy Giambi, former MLB outfielder and first baseman and a key player on those dangerous Oakland A’s teams of the early 2000s, not to mention brother of Jason Giambi, died at his parents’ home on Wednesday, his agent Joel Wolfe said at 47.

Officers responding around 11:30 a.m. local time to reports of a medical emergency found the former slugger dead at his parents’ Claremont home near L.A. The cause of death was suicide by a gunshot wound.

The family requests “that we all respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

Giambi played six seasons in the majors, including with the aforementioned Jason on the A’s in 2000 and 2001.

Perhaps the “highlight” of his career came during the 2001 postseason when he was tagged out at home plate on the business end of Derek Jeter’s legendary Flip Play during Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Yankees.

Giambi was a highly productive member of that A’s team, which won 102 regular-season games, batting .283/.391/.450 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs.

“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of a member of our Green and Gold family, Jeremy Giambi,” the A’s said in a statement. “We offer our condolences to Jeanne, Jason, and his family and friends.”

Giambi was also a member of the 2002 team whose season was chronicled in the 2003 book and later motion picture Moneyball. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in May of that year for utilityman John Mabry. He finished the 2002 season with 20 home runs.

Giambi was born in San Jose, attended South Hills High in West Covina, and starred on the Cal State Fullerton team that won the 1995 College World Series. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Kansas City Royals the next year.

“We stand with the baseball world in mourning the loss of Jeremy Giambi,” the Royals said. “Our condolences go to his family and everyone who loved him.”

Through parts of six seasons from 1998 to 2003, Giambi batted .263 with 52 home runs and 209 RBIs while playing for the Royals, A’s, Phils and Boston Red Sox.

Two years after his career ended, in March 2005, Giambi told newspapers that he knowingly used steroids during his time in MLB, becoming one of the first notable players to make such an admission. Jason was also embroiled in a steroids scandal of his own.

The Queen is dead!

Lusia Harris, the only woman to be officially drafted by an NBA team and the subject of the 2021 film The Queen of Basketball, died Tuesday.

Harris, who scored the first points in women’s basketball history at the Olympics, was 66.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news that our angel, matriarch, sister, mother, grandmother, Olympic medalist, The Queen of Basketball, Lusia Harris has passed away unexpectedly today in Mississippi,” her family said in a statement. “The recent months brought Ms. Harris great joy, including the news of the upcoming wedding of her youngest son and the outpouring of recognition received by a recent documentary that brought worldwide attention to her story.”

Harris was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz in the seventh round in 1977 but was pregnant at the time and didn’t try out. The San Francisco Warriors had tried to draft Denise Long in 1969, but the league blocked it because she didn’t meet the criteria, partly because of her gender.

Harris led Delta State University to three straight national titles in the 1970s and earned a silver medal for the U.S. at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.

She averaged 25.9 points and 14.4 rebounds at Delta State with a 109-6 record. She remains the school’s all-time scoring (2,981 points) and rebounding (1,662) leader. Harris was named to the U.S. women’s team in 1975; the following year, women’s basketball made its Olympic debut and she scored the first points in the first game.

She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992—the first black woman to earn that honor—and later enshrined into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

“She will be remembered for her charity, for her achievements both on and off the court, and the light she brought to her community, the state of Mississippi, her country as the first woman ever to score a basket in the Olympics, and to women who play basketball around the world,” the statement said.