Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe was Team Vince’s first pick of the draft that decided the NBA Rising Stars rosters. He wound up making Vince Carter look wise.
With a game-winning shot in the first game and the clinching free throws in the second, Edgecombe led Team Vince to the win in the first night of the NBA’s All-Star festivities at Intuit Dome. Naturally, that earned him MVP honors.
Like last year, the Rising Stars Challenge was played as a four-team bracket with three teams composed of young players from around the NBA and a fourth team of top G Leaguers. The first games were played as a first-to-40, while the final was first to 25.
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In total, Edgecombe posted 23 of Team Vince’s 55 points Friday, leading the team in both games. He had 17 in the first game, including the game-winner against a Team T-Mac squad led by Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel, who was taken one spot behind Edgecombe in the 2025 NBA Draft.
It was a stepback jumper over Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer that did it.
Team Vince and Team Melo were neck-and-neck throughout the final, with San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper leading Carmelo Anthony’s team in scoring at eight points plus five rebounds. The game was ultimately decided when Edgecombe drew a foul from Portland Trail Blazers big man Donovan Clingan.
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Carter appeared to try preventing the game from being decided by anti-climactic free throws, approaching Anthony and implying the play wasn’t a foul, but Team Melo was out of timeouts and couldn’t challenge the play.
Some air was taken out of the Rising Stars Challenge with the absences of Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg and Washington Wizards big man Alex Sarr. Flagg was the first overall pick in the draft for Team Melo, but the 19-year-old had to pull out with a foot sprain.
Edgecombe’s heroics continue a strong first season for the Sixers guard, who ranks third among rookies in both points and assists per game.
INGLEWOOD, CA — With both arms outstretched as he walked away triumphantly, it was only fitting that 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe — after exploding for 17 out of a possible 40 points for Team Carter in the semis of the Rising Stars Challenge— sealed Friday night’s All-Star festivities at the free-throw line in the final versus Team Melo.
“There was no pressure,” Edgecombe said after being named tournament MVP following the 25-24 win. “Free throws, man. I just try to be dialed in, try to be focused at the line. Free throws are precious. Obviously tonight, we needed them to win the game. I just focused and made them.”
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With 23 points across both Rising Star games, Edgecombe’s efficient performance was a timely reminder of the 20-year-old’s value as a scorer in Philadelphia this season.
Team Vince guard VJ Edgecombe celebrates after defeating Team Melo during an NBA All Star Rising Stars championship game at Intuit Dome. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS)
There are some natural efficiency roadblocks that he’ll need to iron out — his 105.5 points per 100 shot attempts place him in the 34th percentile among combo guards, and his .212 points per touch wedge him between Boston’s Hugo Gonzalez and Sacramento’s Nique Clifford — but his potential is through the roof. Edgecombe leads all rookies in touches per game, according to Second Spectrum, all while taking care of the ball (70th percentile in turnover rate). Statistically, the 76ers’ offense is better with him on the floor, a testament to his in-season development and the presence of All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey as a backcourt partner.
Overall, Edgecombe’s value as a rookie can’t be understated, even on a team ripe with veterans. Through 50 games, Edgecombe is averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. According to Stathead, there are 21 players this season posting those numbers with at least 2.5 win shares; Edgecombe and Cooper Flagg are the only rookies that comprise that list.
Friday night, despite the negative discourse that has surrounded All-Star weekend in recent years, was also a reminder that although much of the rookie conversations have been centered around Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Edgecombe is much more than a suitable consolation prize. From a sheer effort standpoint, it was clear the Philly guard wanted to compete at both ends of the floor, whether it was being in attack mode or being defensively engaged at the other end.
As a whole, the Rising Stars participants seemed to take the games seriously, a refreshing deviation from the norm. Spurs players Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, members of Team Melo, were actively discussing the in-game events shortly after the final buzzer, almost as if this was a key regular-season game.
“We wanted to compete,” Team Vince’s Jaylen Wells of the Grizzlies told Yahoo Sports. “Set the tone for the weekend, and a lot of guys on the team wanted to win. And the last one is money! We get paid!”
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“I hate losing,” Edgecombe added. “I really hate losing. It’s really a credit to my teammates. We all bought in.”
Heading into the break, the 76ers (30-24) find themselves in a comfortable tier in the Eastern Conference, sixth place and just 3.5 games out of the top four. However, with Paul George in the midst of a 25-game suspension for a banned substance and superstar center Joel Embiid currently out with right knee management (he’ll be re-evaluated after the break), Edgecombe’s true value will surface. It’s rare for rookies to be depended on for pivotal stretch runs like Philadelphia is about to embark on, but outside of Maxey, Edgecombe is one of the few players on the roster who can create his shot and score from all three levels, in addition to creating plays for others.
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“It feels great to win the MVP of the Rising Stars game,” Edgecombe said. “But I’m focused. My next focus is the push after the All-Star break. After the break, we’ve just got to make a push. We’re still in the hunt for that playoff spot. Just got to stay together, keep hooping and trusting each other. I feel like we’re a dangerous team if we’re healthy. I stand on that.”
Between his tenures with seven different teams, his leadership role with the NBPA and his famous Banana Boat friendships, few players in the history of the NBA have been connected across the league like Paul. Here’s a sample of the comments that came in on his Instagram post making the announcement:
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LeBron James: “HELLUVA CAREER CHAMP! CONGRATULATIONS 🙏🏾✊🏾”
Dwyane Wade: “An honor to compete against you my brother. A Legendary Career”
Klay Thompson: “Point god ! It was a pleasure being your teammate. Congrats on a legendary run my man !”
Tyrese Maxey: “LOVE OG!! Respect”
Trae Young: “Set the Blueprint 🫡 Legend !”
Bradley Beal: “Happy for you and the fam! Congrats on a great career bro! LEGEND”
Kyle Lowry: “Amazing career my brother!! Love brother!!”
Naomi Osaka: “❤️❤️❤️”
Donovan Mitchell: “Point God🤞🏾🫡”
Matt Barnes: “One of the Greatest PG’s the games ever seen. Love you bro”
Chiney Ogwumike: “LEGEND! ✊🏿✨”
Al Horford: “Congrats CP!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏”
Muggsy Bogues: “One hell of a ride young fella- You did it your way🎩👊🏾”
Trayce Jackson-Davis: “It was an honor cp! 🙏🏾”
Mike Conley: “👏🏾👏🏾 Congrats!!”
Richard Jefferson: “Point God🤞🏾The best is yet to come”
Nina Westbrook (wife of Russell Westbrook): “👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 congratulations on an incredible career!”
Lindsey Vonn even got in there from her hospital bed, writing “❤️💪🏻 legend!!!” And, of course, State Farm chimed in with “From assists on the court to assists in life – you’ve always been a good neighbor. Respect the legacy, CP3 👏”
Stephen Curry, who has been both friend and foe for Paul in their careers, released a video message praising the future Hall of Famer:
FILE – Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul drives to the basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The one holdout was the Los Angeles Clippers, where Paul arguably enjoyed the best years of his career. They ended up posting a tribute video at 9:43 p.m. PT.
It was unclear if the Clippers would even acknowledge the news during the day given how awkward the situation was. Paul reunited with the team for a farewell season only to be permanently sidelined in early December and eventually traded to the Toronto Raptors, who waived him Friday.
Baylor first baseman Tyce Armstrong knows how to make a first impression.
Facing New Mexico State in the Bears’ 2026 season opener, the redshirt senior tied an NCAA record with three grand slams in a single game in his Baylor debut. The only other player to accomplish the feat is Louisville’s Jim LaFountain on March 24, 1976.
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Armstrong was playing his first game in a Baylor uniform after transferring from UT Arlington.
For perspective, MLB.com’s Sarah Langs notes only one team in MLB history has hit three grand slams in a game (the New York Yankees on Aug. 25, 2011), let alone a single player. There are 13 MLB players with two grand slams in a game.
Batting in the leadoff position, Armstrong’s first homer came on a low curveball in the third inning.
Then came another on an inside fastball in the fourth inning.
And finally, there was a high fastball in the seventh inning to end the game as a 15-2 Baylor win by mercy rule. All three homers landed in left field.
Armstrong is now hitting .750 and slugging 3.000 through one game with Baylor, with 12 RBI. And a hit-by-pitch. It seems to have been a big moment for him, via the Associated Press:
“I’m speechless,” Armstrong said. “It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
The Bears landed Armstrong after he slashed .319/.415/.556 with 12 homers and 46 RBI in his final season at UT-Arlington, where he earned second-team All-WAC honors.
The Winter Games have begun in Italy. From the rink to the slopes, a new generation of stars has emerged to chase gold. We’ll keep you connected to all of the thrilling moments and top stories as we track the medal race each day of the Games.
Team USA didn’t add a medal to its count of 14 on Friday, but it’s hoping there will be lots of love to go around on Valentine’s Day when the Americans will take their latest shot at the podium.
1. Team USA men’s hockey takes on Denmark as group play continues
The Americans’ 5-1 victory over Latvia in the teams’ opening match of group play was far closer than the score suggests — at least initially. It was 1-1 midway through the second period, and then Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson lit the lamp and took off the lid, jumpstarting a string of goals that put the Latvian’s successful first-period challenges in the rear-view mirror. Nelson starred on the U.S.’ fourth line. He finished with two goals and could have two more, had one not been disallowed because of goalie interference and had another of his shots not ringed off the pipe. Next up in Group C for Team USA is a Denmark squad that dropped its group-play opener to Germany 3-1. Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, who made his NHL debut with the Seattle Kraken earlier this season, scored the Danes’ lone goal in that matchup. Without current NHL blueliners, the Danish are in for a tall task defending a loaded American offense.
2. Jordan Stolz seeks another speedskating gold medal, this time in the 500 meters
Jordan Stolz is the future of U.S. speedskating. He’s also the man of the moment. The 21-year-old Kewaskum, Wisconsin, native won gold in the first of his four events at this year’s Games, taking first place in the 1,000 meters with a time of 1:06.28 that broke a 24-year-old Olympic record. Now he’ll be taking part in the 500 meters. He’s once again the favorite, but he’s not necessarily a lock for gold. While he’s responsible for five track records in the distance around the world, and came within less than a tenth of a second of the event’s world-record time (33.61) in 2024, he’ll face stiff competition from the Netherlands’ Jenning de Boo and Poland’s Damian Żurek, the latter of whom beat Stolz in the 500 in Germany during a World Cup event in late January. If Stolz wins gold Saturday, his Olympic journey, inspired by Apolo Anton Ohno, will continue to be compared to that of another Wisconsinite, Eric Heiden, who piled up five gold medals at the Lake Placid Olympics in 1980.
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3. Cory Thiesse, U.S. women’s curling riding high after monumental win over Canada
U.S. curling had something to celebrate on Friday, as the American women defeated Canada for the first time since women’s curling was introduced to the Olympics in 1998. Team USA is now 2-1 in round-robin competition, with its lone loss coming against Sweden. Cory Thiesse is enjoying quite the Olympics. She’s part of the women’s team and already has a silver medal from mixed doubles competition. She and her teammates will face off against 0-2 Japan on Saturday.
While the American men had beaten Canada before — notably in the 2018 Olympic final — they dropped to 1-2 in this year’s round-robin action with a loss to the Canadians on Friday. The U.S. men’s team consists of four 20-somethings and alternate Rich Ruohonen, a 54-year-old personal injury lawyer. After subbing in during Team USA’s loss to Switzerland on Thursday, Ruohonen became the oldest American to ever compete at a Winter Olympics. He and his crew will take on 2-1 Germany on Saturday.
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By the way, have you been wondering how those Olympic curling stones are made? Here’s the answer.
4. Dual moguls makes Olympic debut, where Team USA went silver-bronze
Dual moguls has arrived at the Olympics. Skiers go head-to-head on parallel moguls courses and, as usual, will be judged on their form, air and time. Australia’s Jakara Anthony beat American Jaelin Kauf in a tight final to claim gold. Kauf settled for silver, while fellow American and gold medalist in the individual event Elizabeth Lemley took bronze.
5. Slovenia’s Domen Prevc could win another ski jumping gold
This year’s Olympics began with more controversy surrounding ski jumping, a sport that has a track record of cheating. Ski jumpers were alleged to have injected their penises with hyaluronic acid in an attempt to create more surface area on their suits that would help increase the length of their jumps, and World Anti-Doping Agency president Witold Bańka said he’d investigate. That sparked conversation about a slew of events that are decided by the smallest of measurements. One of those events is the men’s large hill, and its final is on tap. While Norway has won the most gold medals in Olympic ski jumping history, a Slovenian could finish first on Saturday. Domen Prevc is the favorite to win gold despite placing sixth in the individual normal hill event. But he and his sister, Nika, helped Slovenia earn a title in mixed team normal hill earlier this week. Domen will go for gold again on Saturday, this time with hopes of attaining the honor in an individual event.
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Olympics schedule for Saturday, Feb. 14 (Day 8)
Alpine Skiing
Giant slalom
4 a.m.: Men’s run 1 (USA Network)
7:20 a.m.: Men’s run 2 (NBC coverage begins at 7:30 a.m.)🏅
Biathlon
7.5 kilometer sprint
8:45 a.m.: Women’s final (NBC)🏅
Cross-Country Skiing
Relay
6 a.m.: Women’s final (USA Network)🏅
Curling
Women’s round-robin
3:05 a.m.: Great Britain vs. Canada (airs at 7:30 a.m. on USA Network), Italy vs. China (airs at 8:30 a.m. on CNBC), Switzerland vs. Japan
1:05 p.m.: Canada vs. Switzerland, Japan vs. USA (airs at 5:30 p.m. on CNBC), South Korea vs. Denmark, Italy vs. Sweden (airs at 8 p.m. on CNBC)
Men’s round-robin
8:05 a.m.: Czechia-Great Britain, Sweden-China, Switzerland-Canada, Germany-USA (airs at 1 p.m. on USA Network)
The NHL is back at the Olympics for the first time since 2014 and the United States men’s team is a strong contender for its first gold medal since the “Miracle on Ice.”
As part of a joint agreement between the NHL, NHL Players Association, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee announced last February, the league’s biggest stars will take part in the 2026 Milan Cortina Games over the next two weeks.
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Since the “Miracle” gold at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, the U.S. men have reached the gold medal game twice — 2002, 2010 — but lost both times to Canada. Outside of those two silver medals, they have not placed better than fourth in the tournament. The quarterfinals is where the U.S. has seen their Olympic dreams come to an end in the past two Olympics, both without NHL players.
Now that the Olympic tournament is back to being best-on-best, the American men are looking to build off years of international development and secure gold.
Who is on Team USA?
The U.S. men’s Olympic hockey roster was revealed in early January and there were few changes from the team that lost to Canada in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off final. Tage Thompson, Clayton Keller and Seth Jones replace Chris Kreider and Adam Fox on the team in Milan
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U.S. general manager Bill Guerin told reports after the roster announcement that chemistry was a big factor in the decision made to run back mostly the same team from the 4 Nations Face-Off. There were criticisms about the absences of Jason Robertson, Cole Caufield and Alex DeBrincat, three of the NHL’s top-eight goal scorers, but there was also a desire to include certain players with specific skillsets to fill roles to make it less of an All-Star team and more of a complete team.
“I liked the way we played. Everybody was together, everybody played the right way,” Guerin said. “The biggest thing for me was the chemistry, and I think the chemistry allowed the guys to play the way that they did.”
Team USA roster
Forwards
Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs J.T. Miller, New York Rangers Brock Nelson, Colorado Avalanche Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
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Defensemen
Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim Ducks (replacing Seth Jones) Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Goaltenders
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
Head coach: Mike Sullivan, New York Rangers Assistant coaches: John Hynes (Minnesota Wild), David Quinn (New York Rangers), John Tortorella
The U.S. men’s team has reached two Olympic gold medal games since the NHL began sending players in 1998. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Gregory Shamus via Getty Images)
Milan storylines
Best American roster yet? Canada has dominated Olympic men’s hockey since the NHL begin sending players in 1998. The U.S. has lost both times they were close to gold, both times to Canada. But there’s a belief that this is the best American team that’s been put together, and despite falling at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off in overtime, the expectation of gold is not a far-fetched idea.
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Strength between the pipes. Goaltending will again be the biggest strength for the U.S. Connor Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the league’s best goalie and was the Hart Trophy winner as league MVP last season. He posted a 1.59 goals against average and a .932 save percentage at 4 Nations and could very well end up having to outduel Jordan Binnington in a final. Binnington wasn’t a solid as Hellebuyck, but he did enough to help Canada win the tournament.
No injury concerns. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who broke his jaw earlier this season, was wearing extra protection for his face after getting an elbow to the face from Sandis Vilmanis of the Florida Panthers last week. There was no further damage, only soreness. There is also no concern about the status of Jack Hughes. The New Jersey Devils forward sat out the team’s final three games before the Olympic break with a lower-body injury. He was a full participant in Team USA’s first practice on Sunday and said he feels good.
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Beating Canada. Since the NHL started participating at the Olympics 28 years ago, the U.S. and their northern neighbors have met five times. Four of those meetings have ended in defeat for the Americans, including twice in gold-medal games. Canada’s dominance over the U.S. has also been on display with two wins in two games at the World Cup of Hockey and the win in the 4 Nations Face-off Final. The U.S. will likely see Canada again if their time in Milan is to end with a gold medal.
U.S. men’s Olympic schedule
Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy Group C: U.S., Germany, Latvia, Denmark
Ever since Eileen Gu decided to compete under the flag of China, and not the United States where she was born, her citizenship has been the subject of scrutiny and controversy.
Born in San Francisco, she said her decision to switch allegiance back in 2019 had everything to do with “inspiring” children from the country of her mother at the Olympics in her home country. That would be the 2022 Beijing Games, where Gu won two golds and a silver for China in freestyle skiing.
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She’s since become a millionaire many times over, mainly due to her online presence and endorsements, not her skiing. She was the fourth-highest earning female athlete in 2025, earning upwards of $23 million. According to Sportico, all but $20,000 of that $23 million came from endorsements.
Now, she’s back in the Olympics, still competing for China and, reportedly, being paid handsomely to do so.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Gu and Zhu Yi, a fellow American-born figure skater who now competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.” In all, the two were reportedly paid nearly $14 million over the past three years.
The payments were revealed when the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau budget was posted online with the names of Gu and Zhu. Their names have since been scrubbed from the public report.
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Gu already has a silver in slopestyle in Italy, while Zhu — born Beverly Zhu in Los Angeles — is not competing in the 2026 Games.
“Sometimes it feels like I’m carrying the weight of two countries on my shoulders,” Gu said after winning silver in slopestyle. “Just being able to ski through all of that, you know. To still show my best and still be so deeply in love with the sport.
“That’s really what I care about and I’m so happy to represent that today.”
The subject of Gu’s citizenship remains shrouded in mystery. China does not allow dual citizenship, meaning Gu ostensibly had to give up her U.S. passport.
Gu will compete in two more events — women’s halfpipe and big air.
Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves said he will do his job when it comes to being a starting pitcher and will allow umpires to do their jobs when it comes to calling balls and strikes with the the Automated Ball Strike Challenge System being instituted in MLB this season.
Every team will have two challenges to begin each game. Only batters, catchers and pitchers will be allowed to challenge ball or strike calls and they must signal their intent by tapping their heads immediately after the pitch to initiate the challenge.
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The 36-year-old Sale has thrown over 30,000 pitches in his 15-year career with the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. What he won’t do for the remainder of his time on the mound is challenge any called ball he believes is a strike.
“I will never challenge a pitch. I will never do it. I won’t do it,” Sale told reporters on Friday. “I’m not an umpire. That’s their job. I’m a starting pitcher. I’ve never called balls and strikes in my life. Plus, I’m greedy, and I know that. I think they’re all strikes.”
Sale added that catchers, like teammates Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin, are so good at framing pitches that a lot more pitches appear to be strikes than they used to, especially ones on the corner of the plate. The nine-time All-Star and 2024 pitching Triple Crown and Cy Young Award winner said he’ll trust the umpire’s call so as to not risk a challenge that could be used later in the game during an important at-bat.
“I’ve dealt with it before, across all games in my entire career there’s been balls called strikes and strikes called balls and you just deal with it,” Sale said.
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If Murphy or Baldwin disagree, however, that’s a different story.
“If my catcher has something to say about it, I’ll leave that to him,” Sale said. “I’ve dealt with both sides and I’m fine to keep dealing with it.”
Seton Hall outfielder Justin Ford was forced to leave the game after he hit a home run in the fifth inning of his team’s loss to Boston College on Friday night.
Ford suffered a gruesome lower left ankle injury after he rounded first base and was celebrating his home run. As he faced his dugout, his left ankle rolled outward with his foot on the ground and he fell to the dirt.
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(Warning: the video below shows Ford’s injury.)
Ford’s injury was so serious that a stretcher was brought out on the field. A pinch runner was allowed to replace him and score Ford’s run from the homer.
Friday was college baseball’s first day of the season and the two teams were playing in the Puerto Rico Challenge. A junior in 2026, Ford appeared in 17 games as a sophomore with 12 starts. He had a .171 average and his home run against the Eagles was the third of his career.
Boston College won the game 6-4 and will play Houston on Saturday while Seton Hall takes on Manhattan.
The 25-year-old Pinheiro Braathen, who is ranked second in the world in slalom and giant slalom, recorded a combined time of 2:25.00, 0.58 better than 2022 gold medalist Marco Odermatt to win the event.
“I just wanted to share this with everyone watching in Brazil, following me, cheering for me,” Pinheiro Braathen told TV Globo. “This can be a point of inspiration for the next generation of children, showing them that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. What matters is what’s inside. What the heart does. I bring Brazilian strength today to bring this flag to the podium. This is Brazil’s.”
Born to a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother, Pinheiro Braathen began his career representing Norway where he won five World Cup slalom and giant slalom races, while making 12 podiums. He competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics in the slalom and giant slalom, but did not finish either event.
Brazil’s gold medalist Lucas Pinheiro Braathen leaps onto the podium flanked by Switzerland’s silver medalist Marco Odermatt, and Switzerland’s bronze medalist Loic Meillard during the podium of the men’s giant slalom alpine skiing event during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
(FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images)
After abruptly retiring in October 2023, Pinheiro Braathen returned to competition five months later representing Brazil. He has one World Cup victory and now made 11 podiums since switching to Brazil ahead of the Milan Cortina Olympics.
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Following his parents’ divorce when he was 3 years old, Pinheiro Braathen lived with his mother in Brazil before moving to Norway to live with his father when he got older.
“I was introduced to sports in the streets of São Paulo, playing with my neighbors, my family, my friends. I fell in love with sports over there,” Pinheiro Braathen said in 2024. “To be able to come full circle and to be able to represent [Brazil] in a World Cup of a sport, it truly means a lot. To be able to bring the dance to the snow is what I’m seeking to do.”
Pinheiro Braathen, who was one of Brazil’s flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony, is now an Olympic history maker and joins previous athletes from his country such as Isadora Williams, who became the first Brazilian and South American in the women’s figure skating final at the 2018 Olympics; five-time Olympic cross-country skier Jaqueline Mourão; and bobsledder Eric Maleson.
