Tony Bennett shocked many in 2024 when he abruptly retired as the University of Virginia’s men’s basketball coach just days before the season started, but it turns out he wasn’t done with basketball. Bennett will serve as a “draft advisor” for the Los Angeles Lakers and general manager Rob Pelinka, the team announced Wednesday.
The team confirmed the move in a release, with Pelinka saying the team was “thrilled and honored” to bring Bennett on board.
In a statement, Bennett said he was excited about “the chance to help out such a storied organization.” The Lakers did not announce Bennett’s exact responsibilities as part of the team’s release.
Advertisement
Prior to his surprising 2024 retirement, Bennett spent 15 seasons coaching Virginia. He put up a 364-136 record with the team, winning the 2019 NCAA championship and two AP Coach of the Year awards.
Before that, Bennett spent three years at Washington State, where he compiled a .676 winning percentage.
Over his college career, Bennett helped develop 11 different players — including Malcolm Brogdon, De’Andre Hunter and Klay Thompson — who went on to be selected in the NBA Draft.
At the time of his 2024 retirement, Bennett cited the rise of NIL and the changing college basketball landscape as some of the reasons he chose to walk away from the game. Neither issue will be prevalent in the NBA, which may have played a role in Bennett’s decision to return to basketball.
Advertisement
While Bennett has never held a coaching or front-office job in the NBA, he did spend three seasons in the league as a player. Bennett was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the 1922 NBA Draft. He appeared in 152 games over his playing career, averaging 3.5 points per game.
Bennett’s hiring comes a day after new Lakers business president Lon Rosen said the team will retain Pelinka as its general manager. In early February, Pelinka hinted that the team was looking to expand its front office. It made good on that promise on Wednesday with the addition of Bennett.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made one of the more impactful moves at the NBA trade deadline, acquiring 11-time All-Star James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden’s time in Cleveland, however, has already hit a snag, as the guard suffered a fractured right thumb during the team’s win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
The injury was discovered after Tuesday’s 109-94 win over the Knicks. The team’s medical staff did an initial examination on Harden before sending him for X-rays Monday, which revealed the extent of the injury.
Advertisement
Harden is undergoing further evaluation and is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the team announced.
The news comes a day after Harden scored 20 points and played 32 minutes during the contest. It’s unclear when he sustained the injury.
Harden has seen a slight decline in his numbers since joining the Cavaliers, and is averaging 18.9 points with his new team. While he hasn’t been the same scoring threat in Cleveland just yet, the team has played well since bringing him on board. The Cavaliers have gone 6-1 since the trade, and are tied for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Advertisement
It’s unclear how much time Harden will miss due to the injury. The fact that the team listed him as questionable for Wednesday’s game provides hope Harden might be able to return to action quickly, though that’s not a guarantee. The team may eventually downgrade Harden to “out” for the contest after further evaluation.
Kylian Mbappé will miss the second leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League playoff against Benfica on Wednesday with a knee injury. According to ESPN, the forward has felt discomfort in the knee recently. The injury caused him to miss their La Liga match on Feb. 14 and the issue arose again during training on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Juventus has work to do as they face Galatasaray down 5-2 after the first leg. In a battle of Ligue 1 rivals, PSG are up 3-2 on Monaco.
Earlier, Atalanta erased a 2-0 deficit after the first leg against Borussia Dortmund to go up 3-2 after 57 minutes. Karim Adeyemi’s 75th-minute strike equalized the tie, but then Ramy Bensebaini’s foul, which resulted in a second yellow card, led to Lazar Samardžić’s 98th-minute penalty kick goal to send the Italian side to the Round of 16 where they will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich.
USMNT players involved in Wednesday’s Champions League action include Weston McKennie (Juventus) and Folarin Balogun (Monaco), who scored both goals in the first leg against PSG.
Advertisement
Follow along with Yahoo Sports during Wednesday’s Champions League action:
Live15 updates
Sean Leahy
Manuel Locatelli’s 37th minute penalty gives Juventus hope as they seek two more goals.
Sean Leahy
The birthday boy nearly gave Real Madrid a two-goal advantage in the tie.
Sean Leahy
What an answer from Real Madrid, who allowed Rafa Silva’s equalizer two minutes before Tchouaméni’s first goal of the season.
Sean Leahy
Sean Leahy
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was provisionally suspended by UEFA ahead of Wednesday’s match following accusations of Prestianni directing a slur at Real Madrid Vinícius Júnior in the first leg.
UEFA initially opened an investigation into the situation after Prestianni was accused of directing racist language toward Vinícius Jr. during a match Tuesday. The contest — which Real Madrid won 1-0 — was delayed for 10 minutes following that allegation, as officials instituted UEFA’s anti-racism protocol.
Atalanta were down 2-0, went up 3-2, gave up a 75th minute equalizer, and went ahead one final time thanks to a Lazar Samardzic penalty in the 98th minute.
Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini earned a second yellow card for a foul in the box, giving the hosts a late opportunity to win the tie.
Atalanta will move on to face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.
Sean Leahy
Sean Leahy
After blowing a 2-0 lead coming into the second leg, Karim Adeyemi’s 75th minute goal has Borussia Dortmund level late in the second half with Atalanta.
Sean Leahy
Down 2-0 entering Wednesday’s second leg, Atalanta needed a big performance at home. So far, they’ve done that and more. First half goals from Gianluca Scamacca and Davide Zappacosta erased the German side’s lead.
In the 57th minute, Mario Pasalic put Atalanta up 3-2 with an eye on advancing to the Round of 16.
Juventus (4-3-3): Mattia Perin, Lloyd Kelly, Federico Gatti, Weston McKennie, Pierre Kalulu, Manuel Locatelli, Khéphren Thuram, Teun Koopmeiners, Jonathan David, Kenan Yildiz, Francisco Conceição
Galatasaray (4-2-3-1): Ugurcan Çakir, Abdülkerim Bardakci, Davinson Sánchez, Ismail Jakobs, Roland Sallai, Gabriel Sara, Mario Lemina, Lucas Torreira, Victor Osimhen, Noa Lang, Baris Alper Yilmaz
Sean Leahy
Real Madrid (4-4-2): Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rüdiger, Raúl Asencio, Álvaro Carreras, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Vinícius Júnior, Gonzalo García
Benfica (4-2-3-1): Anatoliy Trubin, Tomás Araújo, Nicolás Otamendi, Samuel Dahl, Amar Dedic, Rafa Silva, Richard Ríos, Leandro Barreiro, Vangelis Pavlidis, Andreas Schjelderup, Fredrik Aursnes
Sean Leahy
The draw for the Champions League Round of 16 will take place Friday at 6 a.m. ET. It will be streamed online via UEFA’s website, YouTube channel and the Champions League app.
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City are the top eight sides and will be drawn against the winners of the eight playoff matches over Tuesday and Wednesday.
Winners to face Arsenal or Bayern Munich Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta Bayer Leverkusen
Winners to face Liverpool or Tottenham Galatasaray vs. Juventus Atlético Madrid
Winners to face Barcelona or Chelsea Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain Newcastle United
Winners to face Sporting or Manchester City Benfica vs. Real Madrid Bodø/Glimt
Sean Leahy
2025-26 Champions League playoff draw
The draw for the Champions League Round of 16 will take place Friday at 6 a.m. ET. It will be streamed online via UEFA’s website, YouTube channel and the Champions League app.
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City are the top eight sides and will be drawn against the winners of the eight playoff matches over Tuesday and Wednesday.
Winners to face Arsenal or Bayern Munich Atalanta Bayer Leverkusen
Winners to face Liverpool or Tottenham Galatasaray vs. Juventus Atlético Madrid
Advertisement
Winners to face Barcelona or Chelsea Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain Newcastle United
Winners to face Sporting or Manchester City Benfica vs. Real Madrid Bodø/Glimt
On today’s Kevin O’Connor show, we’ve got a trade-deadline special! Kevin O’Connor is joined by Tom Haberstroh to dissect any and all movement in the league before the 3 PM ET buzzer, going through the biggest winners and losers in what may be the weirdest trade deadline in NBA history.
First, the pair discuss the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to retain Giannis Antetokounmpo, and what that means for the landscape of the NBA–and for the future outlook of the Golden State Warriors, especially after the anticlimactic end of the Jonathan Kuminga saga. Were the Warriors the biggest losers of the trade deadline? Will another team arise in the summer to win the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes?
Advertisement
Next, they discuss the James Harden trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and if this move can bring the city of Cleveland to the Finals once again.
Then, they muse on what exactly made this deadline so weird: multiple All-Stars being traded to bad NBA teams. They ask: why are bad teams trading for good players? Why are the Utah Jazz putting their top-8 protected first round pick in jeopardy? Why such a paltry return for Anthony Davis, who was traded for Luka Doncic just last year?
Plus, they cover all the bases with the more local trades made, from the Chicago Bulls picking up 9 second round picks to the Boston Celtics acquiring their long-coveted big man in Nikola Vucevic. Plus more questions: why didn’t the Sacramento Kings trade for Ja Morant? Why did the Philadelphia 76ers let go of Jared McCain? All that and much, much more on today’s KOC Show!
(0:16) Trade deadline instant reactions (4:33) Giannis not traded by Bucks (10:39) Warriors trade Kuminga to Hawks (25:49) Cavs get James Harden (43:34) Wizards acquire Anthony Davis (48:22) Clippers trade Zubac to Pacers (55:57) Jazz trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. (1:02:18) Ja Morant stays in Memphis (1:07:45) Timberwolves trade recap (1:10:18) What are the Chicago Bulls up to? (1:13:05) Celtics trade Simons for Vucevic (1:19:04) 76ers trade Jared McCain to OKC
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) brings the ball up the court against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Nate Tice, Matt Harmon & Charles McDonald are LIVE from San Francisco to give their final thoughts and predictions for Super LX as they find the strengths and weaknesses of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
Advertisement
The trio kick things off with the latest non-Super Bowl news from around the NFL, including Jay Glazer hinting at a potential Maxx Crosby departure on Yahoo Sports Daily and Philadelphia Eagles offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland departing, leaving Philly with major shoes to fill.
Next, the three hosts dive into the Super LX matchup, previewing each side of the ball’s top matchups to watch, key injuries, predictions for the game and more.
Later, Prime Vision’s Sam Schwartzstein joins the group to give his analytical insights on the game before Nate, Matt, Charles and Sam give their final Hail Mary bold predictions for the game.
The show wraps up with conversations with Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels & Bijan Robinson.
Kevin O’Connor is joined by Dane Moore to talk Timberwolves on today’s Kevin O’Connor Show. What’s behind the meltdown in Minnesota?
Advertisement
Next, KOC is joined by Boston Celtics play-by-play announcer Drew Carter to talk all things Celtics—particularly what needs to be done to right the ship after trading for Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline.
Then, KOC mulls over the question: is this year’s Charlotte Hornets team the new Indiana Pacers? What is the key to their newfound success?
Plus, KOC is joined by Swish Theory’s Matt Powers to chat Draft Class—which draft prospect has improved most in the new year? How does AJ Dybantsa bring BYU out of a 4-game losing streak? That and more on today’s show!
(0:14) Dane Moore talks Timberwolves (30:40) Drew Carter on Celtics (1:07:20) Are the Hornets this year’s Pacers? (1:13:21) Matt Powers joins KOC’s Draft Class
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 24: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves talks with Julius Randle #30 against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on May 24, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Can Seattle make another run at a Super Bowl? Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano talks about that possibility with former Seahawks RB and Super Bowl champion Robert Turbin on today’s episode. Later, Ben Fawkes joins the show to break down the big game from the New England Patriots’ side of the ball before closing the show out with their “One More Thing”.
Advertisement
(1:30) – Robert Turbin on the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX victory
(22:45) – Super Bowl LX reactions: What’s next for Patriots?
We have an action-packed episode of The Big Number for you! First, Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine discuss the controversial way the Utah Jazz are utilizing Jaren Jackson Jr.
Advertisement
Next, the duo dives into the league-wide tanking concerns and why it is a significant issue in light of the NBA gambling indictments. What solutions can the league establish? Later, Dan and Tom discuss the small numbers, including James Harden’s role in the Cavaliers’ success and why Donovan Mitchell is thriving with Harden.
Also, they break down how many teams will have salary cap space this summer, the number of trades the Bulls have made and whether the Bulls are a hopeless organization.
Plus, they discuss the suspensions following the Detroit Pistons-Charlotte Hornets fight earlier this week. What are the implications of the suspensions for the race in the East? Can the Pistons maintain their top spot?
All that and more on The Big Number! The Big
Advertisement
Number: 00:00:28 The Little Numbers: 00:26:19 Pistons and Hornets Suspensions: 00:41:46
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during the pre-game press conference. Photo: Soeren Stache/dpa (Photo by Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images)
(Photo by Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Tottenham have parted ways with Thomas Frank, and the big question is: was he really the problem? The boys dig into what’s actually happening at Spurs, whether the issues run deeper than the head coach, and which managers could realistically step in to fix things. Is this about tactics, recruitment, ownership — or something bigger?
Advertisement
Then Austin FC striker Brandon Vazquez joins the show for an honest and revealing conversation. He opens up about recovering from his ACL injury, doing “quick maths” in his head about the World Cup timeline the moment he got hurt, and what it will take to fight his way back into the U.S. Men’s National Team picture. Vazquez also shares what it was really like playing in Liga MX — from nonstop media attention to the intensity of fan culture — and how it compares to MLS. Plus, we get the full origin story of his “Superman” goal celebration (yes, including the capes).
To close it out, the boys react to the 2026 MLS kit reveal and give their unfiltered best and worst picks. Which clubs nailed it? Which designs should’ve stayed in the concept phase? We’re handing out praise, roasting questionable choices, and ranking the fits you’ll be seeing all season long.
Timestamps:
(11:00) – Thomas Frank sacked! What is the issue at Tottenham?
Advertisement
(20:00) – Discussing possible replacement for Tottenham
We have an action-packed episode of ‘The Dunker Spot’ coming your way!
Steve Jones and Nekias Duncan give you the latest news and updates surrounding the 2026 All-Star Weekend. They dive into their predictions for Team USA vs. World, who will come out victorious in the skills competitions and what to expect with the new format.
Advertisement
Next, they dive into the news of the NBA fining the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers hefty amounts for tanking. Does the league have a tanking problem? What are possible solutions?
Plus, Angel Reese is back in Unrivaled! They give their takeaways, recap the 1v1 tournament and preview the latest matchups.
All that and more!
1:03 Rising Stars showcase preview 9:29 3-point contest preview 14:35 Shooting Stars competition preview 18:07 Dunk contest preview 22:14 New format expectations 27:26 All-Star replacements 32:16 Lineup predictions 35:26 Key players to watch 38:25 Team USA vs. World predictions 39:02 Jazz & Pacers fined 47:40 Unrivaled takeaways & thoughts
Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the 2025 KIA Skills Challenge as part of the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night at Chase Center on February 15, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
