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Deadspin | Scoot Henderson stars as Victor Wembanyama ails; Blazers tie Spurs 1-1 Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (0) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ first round Western Conference playoff series. The Trail Blazers evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Portland. The contest and perhaps even the series changed complexions at the 8:57 mark of the second period with the Trail Blazers up 34-32. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the floor during a drive to the basket, leaving him dazed enough to struggle getting to his feet before jogging off the floor to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with concussion protocol. ESPN later reported that Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion, leaving his status in question for Game 3. He is scheduled for further testing Wednesday. The Spurs carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left. Robert Williams III skied for a putback dunk that pushed Portland’s lead to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. Devin Vassell hit two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to draw to within a point before Toumani Camara answered with a pair from the charity stripe with 5.4 seconds to play. Vassell had a chance to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2 seconds left but the shot went in and out before falling to the floor, allowing the Trail Blazers to steal home court advantage in the series. Holiday finished with 16 points for Portland, with Deni Avdija adding 14, Williams hitting for 11, Camara tallying 10 and Donovan Clingan taking 11 rebounds. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox had 17, Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet scored 10 each. Castle’s eight straight points fueled a 13-2 run that netted the Spurs a 28-27 advantage at the end of the first period. Portland took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence to build a 40-34 lead with 6:45 to play in the second quarter. The Spurs responded with another surge, scoring 13 of the ensuing 15 points to go up 47-42. A three-point play and then a pair of free throws by Avdija allowed the Trail Blazers to tie the score 57-all at the break. Henderson led all scorers with 19 points before halftime with Avdija adding a dozen for Portland. Castle’s 12 points paced the Spurs in the first half. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Scoot #Henderson #stars #Victor #Wembanyama #ails #Blazers #tie #Spurs

Deadspin | Scoot Henderson stars as Victor Wembanyama ails; Blazers tie Spurs 1-1
Deadspin | Scoot Henderson stars as Victor Wembanyama ails; Blazers tie Spurs 1-1 Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (0) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ first round Western Conference playoff series. The Trail Blazers evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Portland. The contest and perhaps even the series changed complexions at the 8:57 mark of the second period with the Trail Blazers up 34-32. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the floor during a drive to the basket, leaving him dazed enough to struggle getting to his feet before jogging off the floor to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with concussion protocol. ESPN later reported that Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion, leaving his status in question for Game 3. He is scheduled for further testing Wednesday. The Spurs carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left. Robert Williams III skied for a putback dunk that pushed Portland’s lead to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. Devin Vassell hit two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to draw to within a point before Toumani Camara answered with a pair from the charity stripe with 5.4 seconds to play. Vassell had a chance to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2 seconds left but the shot went in and out before falling to the floor, allowing the Trail Blazers to steal home court advantage in the series. Holiday finished with 16 points for Portland, with Deni Avdija adding 14, Williams hitting for 11, Camara tallying 10 and Donovan Clingan taking 11 rebounds. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox had 17, Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet scored 10 each. Castle’s eight straight points fueled a 13-2 run that netted the Spurs a 28-27 advantage at the end of the first period. Portland took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence to build a 40-34 lead with 6:45 to play in the second quarter. The Spurs responded with another surge, scoring 13 of the ensuing 15 points to go up 47-42. A three-point play and then a pair of free throws by Avdija allowed the Trail Blazers to tie the score 57-all at the break. Henderson led all scorers with 19 points before halftime with Avdija adding a dozen for Portland. Castle’s 12 points paced the Spurs in the first half. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Scoot #Henderson #stars #Victor #Wembanyama #ails #Blazers #tie #SpursApr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (0) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ first round Western Conference playoff series.

The Trail Blazers evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Portland.

The contest and perhaps even the series changed complexions at the 8:57 mark of the second period with the Trail Blazers up 34-32. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the floor during a drive to the basket, leaving him dazed enough to struggle getting to his feet before jogging off the floor to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with concussion protocol.

ESPN later reported that Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion, leaving his status in question for Game 3. He is scheduled for further testing Wednesday.

The Spurs carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left.

Robert Williams III skied for a putback dunk that pushed Portland’s lead to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. Devin Vassell hit two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to draw to within a point before Toumani Camara answered with a pair from the charity stripe with 5.4 seconds to play.


Vassell had a chance to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2 seconds left but the shot went in and out before falling to the floor, allowing the Trail Blazers to steal home court advantage in the series.

Holiday finished with 16 points for Portland, with Deni Avdija adding 14, Williams hitting for 11, Camara tallying 10 and Donovan Clingan taking 11 rebounds.

Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox had 17, Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet scored 10 each.

Castle’s eight straight points fueled a 13-2 run that netted the Spurs a 28-27 advantage at the end of the first period.

Portland took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence to build a 40-34 lead with 6:45 to play in the second quarter. The Spurs responded with another surge, scoring 13 of the ensuing 15 points to go up 47-42. A three-point play and then a pair of free throws by Avdija allowed the Trail Blazers to tie the score 57-all at the break.

Henderson led all scorers with 19 points before halftime with Avdija adding a dozen for Portland. Castle’s 12 points paced the Spurs in the first half.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Scoot #Henderson #stars #Victor #Wembanyama #ails #Blazers #tie #Spurs

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Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (0) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ first round Western Conference playoff series.

The Trail Blazers evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Portland.

The contest and perhaps even the series changed complexions at the 8:57 mark of the second period with the Trail Blazers up 34-32. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the floor during a drive to the basket, leaving him dazed enough to struggle getting to his feet before jogging off the floor to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with concussion protocol.

ESPN later reported that Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion, leaving his status in question for Game 3. He is scheduled for further testing Wednesday.

The Spurs carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left.

Robert Williams III skied for a putback dunk that pushed Portland’s lead to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. Devin Vassell hit two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to draw to within a point before Toumani Camara answered with a pair from the charity stripe with 5.4 seconds to play.

Vassell had a chance to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2 seconds left but the shot went in and out before falling to the floor, allowing the Trail Blazers to steal home court advantage in the series.

Holiday finished with 16 points for Portland, with Deni Avdija adding 14, Williams hitting for 11, Camara tallying 10 and Donovan Clingan taking 11 rebounds.

Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox had 17, Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet scored 10 each.

Castle’s eight straight points fueled a 13-2 run that netted the Spurs a 28-27 advantage at the end of the first period.

Portland took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence to build a 40-34 lead with 6:45 to play in the second quarter. The Spurs responded with another surge, scoring 13 of the ensuing 15 points to go up 47-42. A three-point play and then a pair of free throws by Avdija allowed the Trail Blazers to tie the score 57-all at the break.

Henderson led all scorers with 19 points before halftime with Avdija adding a dozen for Portland. Castle’s 12 points paced the Spurs in the first half.

–Field Level Media

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Chelsea loses 0-3 to Brighton to continue poor form under Rosenior in Premier League <div id="content-body-70891434" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Brighton & Hove Albion’s Ferdi Kadioglu netted an early opener and Jack Hinshelwood ​and Danny Welbeck scored in the second half to pile ‌more misery on Chelsea, beating the floundering ​Londoners 3-0 in the Premier League on ⁠Tuesday.</p><p>The result sees Brighton climb above its visitor to sixth in the table on 50 points, two ahead of ‌Chelsea, which has won one of its last nine league games and is in ‌danger of missing out on European football next ‌season ⁠if it cannot find a way out ⁠of its slump.</p><p>Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior shuffled both his players and his tactics during the game, but it had no response ​to going in ‌a goal down at the break, and his team limped to another embarrassing defeat.</p><p>Brighton’s Kadioglu side-footed home from a corner that was flicked on to ‌break the deadlock in the third minute, ​and the host should have doubled its lead in the 18th minute when Chelsea ⁠’keeper Robert Sanchez mishit a pass that went straight to Carlos Baleba in the visitor’s penalty area.</p><p>Baleba squared the ‌ball to Hinshelwood, but his tame effort was cleared by Trevoh Chalobah.</p><p>After failing to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, half-time substitute Alejandro Garnacho gave Chelsea’s attack a much-needed shot in the arm, and he immediately ‌created a chance for Romeo Lavia, who blazed over.</p><p>Chelsea’s resurgence ​ended almost as quickly as it began, and in the 56th minute Hinshelwood redeemed his ⁠earlier miss by firing home a pass from Georginio ⁠Rutter to complete a counterattack.</p><p>With Chelsea still struggling to create any goal-scoring opportunities, Welbeck came ‌off the bench and added a late third to condemn the Blues to a fifth league ​defeat in a row without scoring.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 22, 2026</p></div> #Chelsea #loses #Brighton #continue #poor #form #Rosenior #Premier #League

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Deadspin | Alejandro Alvarado goal helps San Diego edge Dallas Jul 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC midfield Alejandro Alvarado (70) scores a goal during the second half against the FC Dallas at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images Alejandro Alvarado scored his first MLS goal in the 50th minute and San Diego FC made it hold up for a 1-0 victory over visiting FC Dallas on Saturday night. CJ dos Santos was called on to make just one save while recording his first shutout of the season for San Diego FC (5-7-5, 20 points). Jonathan Sirois made four saves for Dallas (7-5-5, 26 points) after replacing injured starter Daniel, who had three stops. San Diego FC held possession nearly 70% of the match to improve to 3-0-1 against FC Dallas in their two-season history. Alvarado had the ball from beyond the box early in the second half and unleashed a long right-footed shot into the right corner of the net to break a scoreless tie. Two minutes later, FC Dallas put its only shot on target but Petar Musa’s close-range header was saved by dos Santos. Omni Valakari had a solid chance for San Diego in the 59th minute, but his left-footed shot caromed off the right goalpost. Anderson Julio of Dallas broke in toward the net in hopes of receiving the ball in the 72th minute and dos Santos came out to break up the play. That left Santiago Moreno with an open net to shoot at, but he chipped his right-footed attempt over the net. San Diego almost gifted FC Dallas the tying goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. Manu Duah made an errant pass back into the midfield and gave Dallas’ Logan Farrington a chance to dash in toward dos Santos. But Duah sprinted back toward the San Diego net and he was able to get his foot in and block Farrington’s right-footed shot to thwart the opportunity. One minute later, the match was called. San Diego outshot Dallas 19-7 and held an 8-1 edge in shots on target. Dallas lost Daniel after he made a point-black save in the 16th minute on Valakari. Daniel’s right leg bent awkwardly as he stretched to stymie Valakari and he remained down in pain. Trainers eventually helped him walk off the field and Sirois entered as the new goalie in the 19th minute. San Diego outshot Dallas 13-2 in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net. Marcus Ingvartsen had a big opportunity in the 32nd minute, but his close-range right-footed shot was stopped by Sirois. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Alejandro #Alvarado #goal #helps #San #Diego #edge #DallasJul 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC midfield Alejandro Alvarado (70) scores a goal during the second half against the FC Dallas at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

Alejandro Alvarado scored his first MLS goal in the 50th minute and San Diego FC made it hold up for a 1-0 victory over visiting FC Dallas on Saturday night.

CJ dos Santos was called on to make just one save while recording his first shutout of the season for San Diego FC (5-7-5, 20 points).

Jonathan Sirois made four saves for Dallas (7-5-5, 26 points) after replacing injured starter Daniel, who had three stops.

San Diego FC held possession nearly 70% of the match to improve to 3-0-1 against FC Dallas in their two-season history.

Alvarado had the ball from beyond the box early in the second half and unleashed a long right-footed shot into the right corner of the net to break a scoreless tie.

Two minutes later, FC Dallas put its only shot on target but Petar Musa’s close-range header was saved by dos Santos.

Omni Valakari had a solid chance for San Diego in the 59th minute, but his left-footed shot caromed off the right goalpost.

Anderson Julio of Dallas broke in toward the net in hopes of receiving the ball in the 72th minute and dos Santos came out to break up the play. That left Santiago Moreno with an open net to shoot at, but he chipped his right-footed attempt over the net.


San Diego almost gifted FC Dallas the tying goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

Manu Duah made an errant pass back into the midfield and gave Dallas’ Logan Farrington a chance to dash in toward dos Santos. But Duah sprinted back toward the San Diego net and he was able to get his foot in and block Farrington’s right-footed shot to thwart the opportunity.

One minute later, the match was called.

San Diego outshot Dallas 19-7 and held an 8-1 edge in shots on target.

Dallas lost Daniel after he made a point-black save in the 16th minute on Valakari.

Daniel’s right leg bent awkwardly as he stretched to stymie Valakari and he remained down in pain. Trainers eventually helped him walk off the field and Sirois entered as the new goalie in the 19th minute.

San Diego outshot Dallas 13-2 in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Marcus Ingvartsen had a big opportunity in the 32nd minute, but his close-range right-footed shot was stopped by Sirois.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Alejandro #Alvarado #goal #helps #San #Diego #edge #Dallas">Deadspin | Alejandro Alvarado goal helps San Diego edge Dallas Jul 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC midfield Alejandro Alvarado (70) scores a goal during the second half against the FC Dallas at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images Alejandro Alvarado scored his first MLS goal in the 50th minute and San Diego FC made it hold up for a 1-0 victory over visiting FC Dallas on Saturday night. CJ dos Santos was called on to make just one save while recording his first shutout of the season for San Diego FC (5-7-5, 20 points). Jonathan Sirois made four saves for Dallas (7-5-5, 26 points) after replacing injured starter Daniel, who had three stops. San Diego FC held possession nearly 70% of the match to improve to 3-0-1 against FC Dallas in their two-season history. Alvarado had the ball from beyond the box early in the second half and unleashed a long right-footed shot into the right corner of the net to break a scoreless tie. Two minutes later, FC Dallas put its only shot on target but Petar Musa’s close-range header was saved by dos Santos. Omni Valakari had a solid chance for San Diego in the 59th minute, but his left-footed shot caromed off the right goalpost. Anderson Julio of Dallas broke in toward the net in hopes of receiving the ball in the 72th minute and dos Santos came out to break up the play. That left Santiago Moreno with an open net to shoot at, but he chipped his right-footed attempt over the net. San Diego almost gifted FC Dallas the tying goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. Manu Duah made an errant pass back into the midfield and gave Dallas’ Logan Farrington a chance to dash in toward dos Santos. But Duah sprinted back toward the San Diego net and he was able to get his foot in and block Farrington’s right-footed shot to thwart the opportunity. One minute later, the match was called. San Diego outshot Dallas 19-7 and held an 8-1 edge in shots on target. Dallas lost Daniel after he made a point-black save in the 16th minute on Valakari. Daniel’s right leg bent awkwardly as he stretched to stymie Valakari and he remained down in pain. Trainers eventually helped him walk off the field and Sirois entered as the new goalie in the 19th minute. San Diego outshot Dallas 13-2 in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net. Marcus Ingvartsen had a big opportunity in the 32nd minute, but his close-range right-footed shot was stopped by Sirois. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Alejandro #Alvarado #goal #helps #San #Diego #edge #Dallas

LeBron James wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t care about money when assessing his options in NBA free agency. Any team in the league could have landed James for essentially the veteran’s minimum if they could make the case that they gave him the best chance to win a fifth championship.

In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers won the LeBron sweepstakes. James is joining a lineup that already includes Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. The bench is pretty strong too with Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, and Ariel Hukporti. I predicted the Sixers were the favorites to sign James last weekend, but it’s still hard to believe it actually happened.

The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have to be heartbroken over James’ decision. The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves must be kicking themselves that they couldn’t make a couple more moves to woo LeBron. Do the Boston Celtics suddenly regret the shocking Jaylen Brown to Philly trade that set LeBron’s decision into motion?

I released by way-too-early NBA power rankings two weeks ago, and now they’re already irrelevant after LeBron’s decision. With the Oklahoma City Thunder also trading Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal, it feels appropriate to refresh the rankings. Here’s our latest power rankings for the 2026-2027 NBA season. One note: this is based on championship chances, not regular season performance. We’ll have more notes on the changes after the table.

Rank

Team

Change

1Oklahoma City Thunder—
2San Antonio Spurs—
3New York Knicks—
4Minnesota Timberwolves—
5Philadelphia 76ersUp 7
6Boston CelticsDown 1
7Los Angeles LakersDown 1
8Denver NuggetsDown 1
9Detroit PistonsDown 1
10Toronto RaptorsDown 1
11Houston RocketsUp 2
12Cleveland CavaliersDown 2
13Indiana PacersDown 2
14Atlanta HawksUp 3
15Miami HeatDown 1
16Orlando MagicDown 1
17Portland Trail BlazersDown 1
18Utah Jazz—
19Phoenix Suns—
20Dallas Mavericks—
21Charlotte Hornets—
22Memphis Grizzlies—
23Golden State Warriors—
24New Orleans Pelicans—
25Brooklyn Nets—
26Los Angeles Clippers—
27Washington Wizards—
28Chicago Bulls—
29Milwaukee Bucks—
30Sacramento Kings—

Let’s dive into some changes from the last edition of power rankings.

The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort trade

The Thunder traded Lu Dort to save on their tax bill, and even Sam Presti admitted as much. I thought Dort was borderline unplayable late in the playoffs last year with a shaky handle, poor passing vision, and an inconsistent three-point stroke, but his defense was still impactful to opponents who feared his physicality. Losing Dort means more minutes for Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain, which should be a very good thing for OKC. It also means some of the young guns need to step up behind them, and the pressure is now on Nikola Topic and Bennett Stirtz, as well as Aday Mara and Thomas Sorber, to turn into decent rotation pieces.

I thought about moving OKC off the No. 1 spot with this update. The Spurs whooped them all season, right? The Knicks deserve the benefit of the doubt after a championship run, don’t they? The thing that keeps bringing me back to OKC is that we didn’t really get to see this team fully healthy all year, not with Jalen Williams and Mitchell both suffering untimely injuries. I hate the way Chet Holmgren looks in the Spurs matchup against Victor Wembanyama, but to me he’s still a top-15 player against anyone else. At the end of the day, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the best guard in the game, and I’ll take my chances with him fully in his prime.

There is part of me that thinks losing Dort could be addition by subtraction for the Thunder. Their season will be determined by Williams’ health, Holmgren’s mindset, and Mitchell’s ability to level up again. I still think this is the strongest roster in the NBA, so they’re No. 1 entering the season to me.

The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?

I don’t love the fit with LeBron on the Sixers. Sorry. There are a lot of guys here at their best with the ball in their hands, with Philly’s five projected starters totaling 140% in usage rate. The defense is even more worrisome. Scaling down can be as hard as scaling up, and I just don’t think Jaylen Brown or Joel Embiid as it in their game to do it. Those two will need to prove me wrong for Philly to walk away from this season with a championship.

Can Brown adjust to a more off-ball role where he maximizes his three-point rate and locks in off-the-ball defensively? He only hit 33.1% on 2.5 catch-and-shoot attempts from three per game last year, and he’s always been inattentive defensively when he’s not guarding the ball. Can Embiid forgo his need for post touches and instead use most of his energy to get back to being a monster rim protector? I’m skeptical he’s interested in doing that. The Celtics shopped Brown to the entire NBA and no one wanted him enough to beat Philly’s offer. LeBron is seeing something that the nerds in rival front offices aren’t seeing, and that makes this move feel like a big bet on “Jaylen Brown, the superstar” as much as anything else.

The media is going to expect this team to be really good, but there’s quite a bit of downside here. James is going to need to have a big time shooting season after hitting just 31.7% from deep last year. He’s going to need to push himself as a leader to get Brown and Embiid to buy into their best roles. I still trust LeBron’s ability to problem-solve in the biggest moments, and this team will need it. I like Philly a lot better as a playoff team than a regular season team, but only if they’re healthy. That’s a big if with this collection.

Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decision

Don’t look now, but the Heat and Cavs might be fighting to just get out of the play-in tournament after LeBron decided against a reunion with both franchises.

The Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their depth is poor and they don’t really have any future assets left to continue building out the team. Miami is always so good at developing players on the margins, and this will be the biggest test yet of their ability to do it again. The Cavs are coming off a decidedly unconvincing run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they’ve only gotten worse this summer. Dean Wade is gone, and the only addition to the roster is second-round pick Meleek Thomas. I don’t care how great Thomas looked in summer league, this roster is in big trouble, and James choosing to go elsewhere is a huge indictment.

I’m liking the Hawks roster as much or more than the Heat and Cavs’. With New York, Philly, Boston, and Toronto (assuming they land Kawhi) all looking like better regular season teams, the pressure is on the front offices for Miami and Cleveland to pull a rabbit out of their hat at some point to up their ceiling and give their teams a real chance come playoff time.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #updated #LeBron #James #signs #76ers">NBA Power Rankings for all 30 teams updated after LeBron James signs with 76ers LeBron James wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t care about money when assessing his options in NBA free agency. Any team in the league could have landed James for essentially the veteran’s minimum if they could make the case that they gave him the best chance to win a fifth championship.In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers won the LeBron sweepstakes. James is joining a lineup that already includes Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. The bench is pretty strong too with Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, and Ariel Hukporti. I predicted the Sixers were the favorites to sign James last weekend, but it’s still hard to believe it actually happened.The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have to be heartbroken over James’ decision. The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves must be kicking themselves that they couldn’t make a couple more moves to woo LeBron. Do the Boston Celtics suddenly regret the shocking Jaylen Brown to Philly trade that set LeBron’s decision into motion?I released by way-too-early NBA power rankings two weeks ago, and now they’re already irrelevant after LeBron’s decision. With the Oklahoma City Thunder also trading Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal, it feels appropriate to refresh the rankings. Here’s our latest power rankings for the 2026-2027 NBA season. One note: this is based on championship chances, not regular season performance. We’ll have more notes on the changes after the table.RankTeamChange1Oklahoma City Thunder—2San Antonio Spurs—3New York Knicks—4Minnesota Timberwolves—5Philadelphia 76ersUp 76Boston CelticsDown 17Los Angeles LakersDown 18Denver NuggetsDown 19Detroit PistonsDown 110Toronto RaptorsDown 111Houston RocketsUp 212Cleveland CavaliersDown 213Indiana PacersDown 214Atlanta HawksUp 315Miami HeatDown 116Orlando MagicDown 117Portland Trail BlazersDown 118Utah Jazz—19Phoenix Suns—20Dallas Mavericks—21Charlotte Hornets—22Memphis Grizzlies—23Golden State Warriors—24New Orleans Pelicans—25Brooklyn Nets—26Los Angeles Clippers—27Washington Wizards—28Chicago Bulls—29Milwaukee Bucks—30Sacramento Kings—Let’s dive into some changes from the last edition of power rankings.The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort tradeThe Thunder traded Lu Dort to save on their tax bill, and even Sam Presti admitted as much. I thought Dort was borderline unplayable late in the playoffs last year with a shaky handle, poor passing vision, and an inconsistent three-point stroke, but his defense was still impactful to opponents who feared his physicality. Losing Dort means more minutes for Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain, which should be a very good thing for OKC. It also means some of the young guns need to step up behind them, and the pressure is now on Nikola Topic and Bennett Stirtz, as well as Aday Mara and Thomas Sorber, to turn into decent rotation pieces.I thought about moving OKC off the No. 1 spot with this update. The Spurs whooped them all season, right? The Knicks deserve the benefit of the doubt after a championship run, don’t they? The thing that keeps bringing me back to OKC is that we didn’t really get to see this team fully healthy all year, not with Jalen Williams and Mitchell both suffering untimely injuries. I hate the way Chet Holmgren looks in the Spurs matchup against Victor Wembanyama, but to me he’s still a top-15 player against anyone else. At the end of the day, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the best guard in the game, and I’ll take my chances with him fully in his prime.There is part of me that thinks losing Dort could be addition by subtraction for the Thunder. Their season will be determined by Williams’ health, Holmgren’s mindset, and Mitchell’s ability to level up again. I still think this is the strongest roster in the NBA, so they’re No. 1 entering the season to me.The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?I don’t love the fit with LeBron on the Sixers. Sorry. There are a lot of guys here at their best with the ball in their hands, with Philly’s five projected starters totaling 140% in usage rate. The defense is even more worrisome. Scaling down can be as hard as scaling up, and I just don’t think Jaylen Brown or Joel Embiid as it in their game to do it. Those two will need to prove me wrong for Philly to walk away from this season with a championship.Can Brown adjust to a more off-ball role where he maximizes his three-point rate and locks in off-the-ball defensively? He only hit 33.1% on 2.5 catch-and-shoot attempts from three per game last year, and he’s always been inattentive defensively when he’s not guarding the ball. Can Embiid forgo his need for post touches and instead use most of his energy to get back to being a monster rim protector? I’m skeptical he’s interested in doing that. The Celtics shopped Brown to the entire NBA and no one wanted him enough to beat Philly’s offer. LeBron is seeing something that the nerds in rival front offices aren’t seeing, and that makes this move feel like a big bet on “Jaylen Brown, the superstar” as much as anything else.The media is going to expect this team to be really good, but there’s quite a bit of downside here. James is going to need to have a big time shooting season after hitting just 31.7% from deep last year. He’s going to need to push himself as a leader to get Brown and Embiid to buy into their best roles. I still trust LeBron’s ability to problem-solve in the biggest moments, and this team will need it. I like Philly a lot better as a playoff team than a regular season team, but only if they’re healthy. That’s a big if with this collection.Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decisionDon’t look now, but the Heat and Cavs might be fighting to just get out of the play-in tournament after LeBron decided against a reunion with both franchises.The Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their depth is poor and they don’t really have any future assets left to continue building out the team. Miami is always so good at developing players on the margins, and this will be the biggest test yet of their ability to do it again. The Cavs are coming off a decidedly unconvincing run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they’ve only gotten worse this summer. Dean Wade is gone, and the only addition to the roster is second-round pick Meleek Thomas. I don’t care how great Thomas looked in summer league, this roster is in big trouble, and James choosing to go elsewhere is a huge indictment.I’m liking the Hawks roster as much or more than the Heat and Cavs’. With New York, Philly, Boston, and Toronto (assuming they land Kawhi) all looking like better regular season teams, the pressure is on the front offices for Miami and Cleveland to pull a rabbit out of their hat at some point to up their ceiling and give their teams a real chance come playoff time. #NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #updated #LeBron #James #signs #76ers

Philadelphia 76ers won the LeBron sweepstakes. James is joining a lineup that already includes Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. The bench is pretty strong too with Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, and Ariel Hukporti. I predicted the Sixers were the favorites to sign James last weekend, but it’s still hard to believe it actually happened.

The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have to be heartbroken over James’ decision. The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves must be kicking themselves that they couldn’t make a couple more moves to woo LeBron. Do the Boston Celtics suddenly regret the shocking Jaylen Brown to Philly trade that set LeBron’s decision into motion?

I released by way-too-early NBA power rankings two weeks ago, and now they’re already irrelevant after LeBron’s decision. With the Oklahoma City Thunder also trading Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal, it feels appropriate to refresh the rankings. Here’s our latest power rankings for the 2026-2027 NBA season. One note: this is based on championship chances, not regular season performance. We’ll have more notes on the changes after the table.

Rank

Team

Change

1Oklahoma City Thunder—
2San Antonio Spurs—
3New York Knicks—
4Minnesota Timberwolves—
5Philadelphia 76ersUp 7
6Boston CelticsDown 1
7Los Angeles LakersDown 1
8Denver NuggetsDown 1
9Detroit PistonsDown 1
10Toronto RaptorsDown 1
11Houston RocketsUp 2
12Cleveland CavaliersDown 2
13Indiana PacersDown 2
14Atlanta HawksUp 3
15Miami HeatDown 1
16Orlando MagicDown 1
17Portland Trail BlazersDown 1
18Utah Jazz—
19Phoenix Suns—
20Dallas Mavericks—
21Charlotte Hornets—
22Memphis Grizzlies—
23Golden State Warriors—
24New Orleans Pelicans—
25Brooklyn Nets—
26Los Angeles Clippers—
27Washington Wizards—
28Chicago Bulls—
29Milwaukee Bucks—
30Sacramento Kings—

Let’s dive into some changes from the last edition of power rankings.

The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort trade

The Thunder traded Lu Dort to save on their tax bill, and even Sam Presti admitted as much. I thought Dort was borderline unplayable late in the playoffs last year with a shaky handle, poor passing vision, and an inconsistent three-point stroke, but his defense was still impactful to opponents who feared his physicality. Losing Dort means more minutes for Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain, which should be a very good thing for OKC. It also means some of the young guns need to step up behind them, and the pressure is now on Nikola Topic and Bennett Stirtz, as well as Aday Mara and Thomas Sorber, to turn into decent rotation pieces.

I thought about moving OKC off the No. 1 spot with this update. The Spurs whooped them all season, right? The Knicks deserve the benefit of the doubt after a championship run, don’t they? The thing that keeps bringing me back to OKC is that we didn’t really get to see this team fully healthy all year, not with Jalen Williams and Mitchell both suffering untimely injuries. I hate the way Chet Holmgren looks in the Spurs matchup against Victor Wembanyama, but to me he’s still a top-15 player against anyone else. At the end of the day, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the best guard in the game, and I’ll take my chances with him fully in his prime.

There is part of me that thinks losing Dort could be addition by subtraction for the Thunder. Their season will be determined by Williams’ health, Holmgren’s mindset, and Mitchell’s ability to level up again. I still think this is the strongest roster in the NBA, so they’re No. 1 entering the season to me.

The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?

I don’t love the fit with LeBron on the Sixers. Sorry. There are a lot of guys here at their best with the ball in their hands, with Philly’s five projected starters totaling 140% in usage rate. The defense is even more worrisome. Scaling down can be as hard as scaling up, and I just don’t think Jaylen Brown or Joel Embiid as it in their game to do it. Those two will need to prove me wrong for Philly to walk away from this season with a championship.

Can Brown adjust to a more off-ball role where he maximizes his three-point rate and locks in off-the-ball defensively? He only hit 33.1% on 2.5 catch-and-shoot attempts from three per game last year, and he’s always been inattentive defensively when he’s not guarding the ball. Can Embiid forgo his need for post touches and instead use most of his energy to get back to being a monster rim protector? I’m skeptical he’s interested in doing that. The Celtics shopped Brown to the entire NBA and no one wanted him enough to beat Philly’s offer. LeBron is seeing something that the nerds in rival front offices aren’t seeing, and that makes this move feel like a big bet on “Jaylen Brown, the superstar” as much as anything else.

The media is going to expect this team to be really good, but there’s quite a bit of downside here. James is going to need to have a big time shooting season after hitting just 31.7% from deep last year. He’s going to need to push himself as a leader to get Brown and Embiid to buy into their best roles. I still trust LeBron’s ability to problem-solve in the biggest moments, and this team will need it. I like Philly a lot better as a playoff team than a regular season team, but only if they’re healthy. That’s a big if with this collection.

Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decision

Don’t look now, but the Heat and Cavs might be fighting to just get out of the play-in tournament after LeBron decided against a reunion with both franchises.

The Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their depth is poor and they don’t really have any future assets left to continue building out the team. Miami is always so good at developing players on the margins, and this will be the biggest test yet of their ability to do it again. The Cavs are coming off a decidedly unconvincing run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they’ve only gotten worse this summer. Dean Wade is gone, and the only addition to the roster is second-round pick Meleek Thomas. I don’t care how great Thomas looked in summer league, this roster is in big trouble, and James choosing to go elsewhere is a huge indictment.

I’m liking the Hawks roster as much or more than the Heat and Cavs’. With New York, Philly, Boston, and Toronto (assuming they land Kawhi) all looking like better regular season teams, the pressure is on the front offices for Miami and Cleveland to pull a rabbit out of their hat at some point to up their ceiling and give their teams a real chance come playoff time.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #updated #LeBron #James #signs #76ers">NBA Power Rankings for all 30 teams updated after LeBron James signs with 76ers

LeBron James wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t care about money when assessing his options in NBA free agency. Any team in the league could have landed James for essentially the veteran’s minimum if they could make the case that they gave him the best chance to win a fifth championship.

In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers won the LeBron sweepstakes. James is joining a lineup that already includes Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. The bench is pretty strong too with Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, and Ariel Hukporti. I predicted the Sixers were the favorites to sign James last weekend, but it’s still hard to believe it actually happened.

The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have to be heartbroken over James’ decision. The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves must be kicking themselves that they couldn’t make a couple more moves to woo LeBron. Do the Boston Celtics suddenly regret the shocking Jaylen Brown to Philly trade that set LeBron’s decision into motion?

I released by way-too-early NBA power rankings two weeks ago, and now they’re already irrelevant after LeBron’s decision. With the Oklahoma City Thunder also trading Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal, it feels appropriate to refresh the rankings. Here’s our latest power rankings for the 2026-2027 NBA season. One note: this is based on championship chances, not regular season performance. We’ll have more notes on the changes after the table.

Rank

Team

Change

1Oklahoma City Thunder—
2San Antonio Spurs—
3New York Knicks—
4Minnesota Timberwolves—
5Philadelphia 76ersUp 7
6Boston CelticsDown 1
7Los Angeles LakersDown 1
8Denver NuggetsDown 1
9Detroit PistonsDown 1
10Toronto RaptorsDown 1
11Houston RocketsUp 2
12Cleveland CavaliersDown 2
13Indiana PacersDown 2
14Atlanta HawksUp 3
15Miami HeatDown 1
16Orlando MagicDown 1
17Portland Trail BlazersDown 1
18Utah Jazz—
19Phoenix Suns—
20Dallas Mavericks—
21Charlotte Hornets—
22Memphis Grizzlies—
23Golden State Warriors—
24New Orleans Pelicans—
25Brooklyn Nets—
26Los Angeles Clippers—
27Washington Wizards—
28Chicago Bulls—
29Milwaukee Bucks—
30Sacramento Kings—

Let’s dive into some changes from the last edition of power rankings.

The Thunder have a weak grip on No. 1 after the Lu Dort trade

The Thunder traded Lu Dort to save on their tax bill, and even Sam Presti admitted as much. I thought Dort was borderline unplayable late in the playoffs last year with a shaky handle, poor passing vision, and an inconsistent three-point stroke, but his defense was still impactful to opponents who feared his physicality. Losing Dort means more minutes for Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain, which should be a very good thing for OKC. It also means some of the young guns need to step up behind them, and the pressure is now on Nikola Topic and Bennett Stirtz, as well as Aday Mara and Thomas Sorber, to turn into decent rotation pieces.

I thought about moving OKC off the No. 1 spot with this update. The Spurs whooped them all season, right? The Knicks deserve the benefit of the doubt after a championship run, don’t they? The thing that keeps bringing me back to OKC is that we didn’t really get to see this team fully healthy all year, not with Jalen Williams and Mitchell both suffering untimely injuries. I hate the way Chet Holmgren looks in the Spurs matchup against Victor Wembanyama, but to me he’s still a top-15 player against anyone else. At the end of the day, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the best guard in the game, and I’ll take my chances with him fully in his prime.

There is part of me that thinks losing Dort could be addition by subtraction for the Thunder. Their season will be determined by Williams’ health, Holmgren’s mindset, and Mitchell’s ability to level up again. I still think this is the strongest roster in the NBA, so they’re No. 1 entering the season to me.

The Sixers’ postseason ceiling is real, but can they get there?

I don’t love the fit with LeBron on the Sixers. Sorry. There are a lot of guys here at their best with the ball in their hands, with Philly’s five projected starters totaling 140% in usage rate. The defense is even more worrisome. Scaling down can be as hard as scaling up, and I just don’t think Jaylen Brown or Joel Embiid as it in their game to do it. Those two will need to prove me wrong for Philly to walk away from this season with a championship.

Can Brown adjust to a more off-ball role where he maximizes his three-point rate and locks in off-the-ball defensively? He only hit 33.1% on 2.5 catch-and-shoot attempts from three per game last year, and he’s always been inattentive defensively when he’s not guarding the ball. Can Embiid forgo his need for post touches and instead use most of his energy to get back to being a monster rim protector? I’m skeptical he’s interested in doing that. The Celtics shopped Brown to the entire NBA and no one wanted him enough to beat Philly’s offer. LeBron is seeing something that the nerds in rival front offices aren’t seeing, and that makes this move feel like a big bet on “Jaylen Brown, the superstar” as much as anything else.

The media is going to expect this team to be really good, but there’s quite a bit of downside here. James is going to need to have a big time shooting season after hitting just 31.7% from deep last year. He’s going to need to push himself as a leader to get Brown and Embiid to buy into their best roles. I still trust LeBron’s ability to problem-solve in the biggest moments, and this team will need it. I like Philly a lot better as a playoff team than a regular season team, but only if they’re healthy. That’s a big if with this collection.

Miami and Cleveland are the big losers of LeBron’s decision

Don’t look now, but the Heat and Cavs might be fighting to just get out of the play-in tournament after LeBron decided against a reunion with both franchises.

The Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their depth is poor and they don’t really have any future assets left to continue building out the team. Miami is always so good at developing players on the margins, and this will be the biggest test yet of their ability to do it again. The Cavs are coming off a decidedly unconvincing run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they’ve only gotten worse this summer. Dean Wade is gone, and the only addition to the roster is second-round pick Meleek Thomas. I don’t care how great Thomas looked in summer league, this roster is in big trouble, and James choosing to go elsewhere is a huge indictment.

I’m liking the Hawks roster as much or more than the Heat and Cavs’. With New York, Philly, Boston, and Toronto (assuming they land Kawhi) all looking like better regular season teams, the pressure is on the front offices for Miami and Cleveland to pull a rabbit out of their hat at some point to up their ceiling and give their teams a real chance come playoff time.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #updated #LeBron #James #signs #76ers

With the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to ratify the new Constitution scheduled for Sunday in New Delhi, three contentious clauses are likely to take centrestage.

These concern the composition of the Executive Committee (EC), the upper age-limit for office-bearers and how their tenures will be calculated. In a 15-member EC, the National Sports Governance Act mandates at least two Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) and two Athletes Committee (AC) representatives. But the Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal-led panel has proposed five SOM and two from the AC to make it more athlete friendly.

As against the requirement of at least four of the 15 to be women (minimum of one each from SOM and AC), Justice Mittal’s team has sought the inclusion of at least five women (one-third) so that floor-level representation is maintained even when there is a vacancy.

The Sports Act mandates an age ceiling of 70 years for EC members but in the same breath says that those between 70 and 75 “may contest” and serve a full term “if permitted by the International Charters and Statutes and the bye-laws”. The AITA believes that since the 2026 Constitution of the International Tennis Federation only prescribes a lower limit (21 years) and is silent on an upper threshold, the ceiling can be raised to 75 years.

But the administrator’s team has argued that “may” limits the scope and the word “bye-laws” “envisages that the Bye-Laws of the National Sports body may restrict the age to 70 or below”. It also said that 70 was the unanimous choice of players past and present.

With regards to tenure, the Sports Act says a person is eligible if he or she is “not more than 70 on the last date of nomination for election”. Can someone turning 70 immediately after the nomination get elected for a full four-year term?

ALSO READ: Ahead of EGM, AITA Trust returns to spotlight amid accountability questions

It is to be noted that veteran administrator Anil Khanna is 73 and interim president Chintan Parikh will turn 70 in the near future. The administrator has also proposed that no EC member can hold office simultaneously in State associations, and governing bodies of other National federations except the Indian Olympic Association.

Further, the Delhi High Court, in its interim order dated June 18, had stated that all actions at the EGM — including the scenario where the AITA does not adopt the proposals — would be subject to the final outcome of the main petition filed by players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja.

The administrator-appointed observers for the EGM will be Rakesh Munjal (senior advocate and president of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law), Raj Liberhan (bureaucrat and former secretary, International Lawn Tennis Club of India), Lorren Bamniyal (former registrar, Delhi High Court) and Illa Rawat (former district and sessions judge, Delhi).

Also, the AITA, through ITF, had sought an observer from the Asian Tennis Federation, but it is reliably learnt that the concerned person pulled out on Friday. Justice Mittal had earlier expressed her displeasure at the AITA trying to appoint Justice Ashish J. Desai (Retd.) as an observer.

Published on Jul 26, 2026

#AITA #Constitution #EGM #Age #ceiling #athlete #representation #tenure #focus">AITA Constitution EGM: Age ceiling, athlete representation and tenure in focus With the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to ratify the new Constitution scheduled for Sunday in New Delhi, three contentious clauses are likely to take centrestage.These concern the composition of the Executive Committee (EC), the upper age-limit for office-bearers and how their tenures will be calculated. In a 15-member EC, the National Sports Governance Act mandates at least two Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) and two Athletes Committee (AC) representatives. But the Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal-led panel has proposed five SOM and two from the AC to make it more athlete friendly.As against the requirement of at least four of the 15 to be women (minimum of one each from SOM and AC), Justice Mittal’s team has sought the inclusion of at least five women (one-third) so that floor-level representation is maintained even when there is a vacancy.The Sports Act mandates an age ceiling of 70 years for EC members but in the same breath says that those between 70 and 75 “may contest” and serve a full term “if permitted by the International Charters and Statutes and the bye-laws”. The AITA believes that since the 2026 Constitution of the International Tennis Federation only prescribes a lower limit (21 years) and is silent on an upper threshold, the ceiling can be raised to 75 years.But the administrator’s team has argued that “may” limits the scope and the word “bye-laws” “envisages that the Bye-Laws of the National Sports body may restrict the age to 70 or below”. It also said that 70 was the unanimous choice of players past and present.With regards to tenure, the Sports Act says a person is eligible if he or she is “not more than 70 on the last date of nomination for election”. Can someone turning 70 immediately after the nomination get elected for a full four-year term?ALSO READ: Ahead of EGM, AITA Trust returns to spotlight amid accountability questionsIt is to be noted that veteran administrator Anil Khanna is 73 and interim president Chintan Parikh will turn 70 in the near future. The administrator has also proposed that no EC member can hold office simultaneously in State associations, and governing bodies of other National federations except the Indian Olympic Association.Further, the Delhi High Court, in its interim order dated June 18, had stated that all actions at the EGM — including the scenario where the AITA does not adopt the proposals — would be subject to the final outcome of the main petition filed by players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja.The administrator-appointed observers for the EGM will be Rakesh Munjal (senior advocate and president of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law), Raj Liberhan (bureaucrat and former secretary, International Lawn Tennis Club of India), Lorren Bamniyal (former registrar, Delhi High Court) and Illa Rawat (former district and sessions judge, Delhi).Also, the AITA, through ITF, had sought an observer from the Asian Tennis Federation, but it is reliably learnt that the concerned person pulled out on Friday. Justice Mittal had earlier expressed her displeasure at the AITA trying to appoint Justice Ashish J. Desai (Retd.) as an observer.Published on Jul 26, 2026 #AITA #Constitution #EGM #Age #ceiling #athlete #representation #tenure #focus

Ahead of EGM, AITA Trust returns to spotlight amid accountability questions

It is to be noted that veteran administrator Anil Khanna is 73 and interim president Chintan Parikh will turn 70 in the near future. The administrator has also proposed that no EC member can hold office simultaneously in State associations, and governing bodies of other National federations except the Indian Olympic Association.

Further, the Delhi High Court, in its interim order dated June 18, had stated that all actions at the EGM — including the scenario where the AITA does not adopt the proposals — would be subject to the final outcome of the main petition filed by players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja.

The administrator-appointed observers for the EGM will be Rakesh Munjal (senior advocate and president of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law), Raj Liberhan (bureaucrat and former secretary, International Lawn Tennis Club of India), Lorren Bamniyal (former registrar, Delhi High Court) and Illa Rawat (former district and sessions judge, Delhi).

Also, the AITA, through ITF, had sought an observer from the Asian Tennis Federation, but it is reliably learnt that the concerned person pulled out on Friday. Justice Mittal had earlier expressed her displeasure at the AITA trying to appoint Justice Ashish J. Desai (Retd.) as an observer.

Published on Jul 26, 2026

#AITA #Constitution #EGM #Age #ceiling #athlete #representation #tenure #focus">AITA Constitution EGM: Age ceiling, athlete representation and tenure in focus

With the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to ratify the new Constitution scheduled for Sunday in New Delhi, three contentious clauses are likely to take centrestage.

These concern the composition of the Executive Committee (EC), the upper age-limit for office-bearers and how their tenures will be calculated. In a 15-member EC, the National Sports Governance Act mandates at least two Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) and two Athletes Committee (AC) representatives. But the Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal-led panel has proposed five SOM and two from the AC to make it more athlete friendly.

As against the requirement of at least four of the 15 to be women (minimum of one each from SOM and AC), Justice Mittal’s team has sought the inclusion of at least five women (one-third) so that floor-level representation is maintained even when there is a vacancy.

The Sports Act mandates an age ceiling of 70 years for EC members but in the same breath says that those between 70 and 75 “may contest” and serve a full term “if permitted by the International Charters and Statutes and the bye-laws”. The AITA believes that since the 2026 Constitution of the International Tennis Federation only prescribes a lower limit (21 years) and is silent on an upper threshold, the ceiling can be raised to 75 years.

But the administrator’s team has argued that “may” limits the scope and the word “bye-laws” “envisages that the Bye-Laws of the National Sports body may restrict the age to 70 or below”. It also said that 70 was the unanimous choice of players past and present.

With regards to tenure, the Sports Act says a person is eligible if he or she is “not more than 70 on the last date of nomination for election”. Can someone turning 70 immediately after the nomination get elected for a full four-year term?

ALSO READ: Ahead of EGM, AITA Trust returns to spotlight amid accountability questions

It is to be noted that veteran administrator Anil Khanna is 73 and interim president Chintan Parikh will turn 70 in the near future. The administrator has also proposed that no EC member can hold office simultaneously in State associations, and governing bodies of other National federations except the Indian Olympic Association.

Further, the Delhi High Court, in its interim order dated June 18, had stated that all actions at the EGM — including the scenario where the AITA does not adopt the proposals — would be subject to the final outcome of the main petition filed by players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja.

The administrator-appointed observers for the EGM will be Rakesh Munjal (senior advocate and president of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law), Raj Liberhan (bureaucrat and former secretary, International Lawn Tennis Club of India), Lorren Bamniyal (former registrar, Delhi High Court) and Illa Rawat (former district and sessions judge, Delhi).

Also, the AITA, through ITF, had sought an observer from the Asian Tennis Federation, but it is reliably learnt that the concerned person pulled out on Friday. Justice Mittal had earlier expressed her displeasure at the AITA trying to appoint Justice Ashish J. Desai (Retd.) as an observer.

Published on Jul 26, 2026

#AITA #Constitution #EGM #Age #ceiling #athlete #representation #tenure #focus

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