(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Brooklyn 117, Cleveland 112
Charlotte 109, Washington 103
Atlanta 113, Oklahoma City 101
Boston 108, Houston 90
Indiana 109, Chicago 77
Milwaukee 123, Orlando 92
Minnesota 110, New Orleans 96
Phoenix 115, San Antonio 111
Memphis 119, Utah 118
Philadelphia 102, Sacramento 94
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Columbus 7, Buffalo 4
St. Louis 5, Vegas 2
Nashville 3, Anaheim 2
Pittsburgh 3, Winnipeg 1
Colorado 7, Ottawa 5
San Jose 2, Carolina 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 30, NY Giants 10
TOP 25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UCLA 75, Bellarmine 62
Duke 107, The Citadel 81
Kentucky 86, Albany 61
Houston 70, Butler 52
Arkansas 72, Kansas St. 64
Cincinnati 71, Illinois 51
Ohio St. 79, Seton Hall 76
Florida 80, California 60
Gonzaga 107, Central Michigan 54
Southern Cal 98, Dixie St. 71
(NEW YORK) — Legendary basketball player Len Bias is being inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, 35 years after his death, but his family and fans are still grieving over the fact they never saw him live his dream.
“To see so many people just broken. I mean, I can talk to men and women now and they have tears in their eyes about what happened 35 years ago in the death of this beautiful athlete, this beautiful man,” Bias’ mother, Dr. Lonise Bias, told ABC News in an exclusive interview.
Bias was drafted No. 2 overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA draft, but two days later he died from a drug overdose. The athlete was doing cocaine with a few of his fellow teammates at his dorm at the University of Maryland, when he collapsed, had a seizure and went into cardiac arrhythmia. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. He was 22 years old.
Bias’ mother dreamed of death before his overdose
Still in mourning so many years later, Bias’ mother said that, in a way, she saw his death coming.
“Eighteen months before Len’s death, I began to have these strange dreams, you know? And it would always be around someone dying, close to me in the family,” she recalled. “And as we progressed into the whole draft situation and the hype about Len being the No. 1 or the No. 2 pick of the draft, I was excited, but it just seemed like it wasn’t going … I won’t say it wasn’t going to happen. It was almost like I would believe it when I saw it.”
She said she didn’t feel like she could share her dark thoughts with anyone else in the family, so she would “just start weeping.” She said, “I couldn’t stop.”
“So when Len died June 19, 1986, the cries stopped,” she said. “And it was like, it’s over. It’s over even though he is gone. I have lost my son. All of the emotional trauma that I was going through, it was like it ended. That part ended but then you had to pick up and deal with the rest of the story, the grief, the ‘whys,’ the ‘how comes,’ and all of that.”
Bias’ memory lives on
Now, 35 years later, fans are still honoring Bias’ legacy.
“What I saw was my son … Len Bias, but it wasn’t until he died that I understood the magnitude of who this man was,” his mother said. “I saw him as my son, but other people saw the beauty of his game.”
This Sunday, the late athlete is being honored for his accomplishments during his career. Among many things, he was a first-team All-American, led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring his junior year of college, was twice named the ACC’s Player of the Year and even outscored Michael Jordan in a game head to head.
Bias’ mother said the whole family would be there to celebrate his induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday and remember his talents.
“One grandson has on his calf, he has a tattooed Len dunking the ball, my oldest grandson, and the Lord’s Prayer on there and then my next grandson — they were all athletes — has on his muscle ‘Bias strong.’ So, they know who their uncle was and we still carry that spirit and we still talk about it,” Bias’ mother said.
Bias’ death caused waves of change
After Bias’ death, the topic of drug abuse became top of mind in Congress, and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, known as the “Len Bias Law,” was signed by President Ronald Reagan in October of that year. The law provided a mandatory minimum prison term of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison, along with a fine of up to $2 million, for anyone convicted for a drug distribution case that led to a death or serious physical injury.
Bias’ mother, who lost another son, Jay Bias, in a drive-by shooting just 48 months after Bias’ death, has since dedicated her life to helping young people in trouble and advocating against drug use and gun violence.
“Because of Len and Jay I have so many children now. I am a mother of many. Two sons left but I have multitudes of children yet to speak to,” she said. “Just pouring into them wisdom and strength to keep pressing and to keep pushing.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final L.A. Clippers 97 Dallas 91
Final L.A. Lakers 121 Detroit 116
Final Phoenix 126 Denver 97
Final Chicago 109 New York 103
Final Golden State 119 Toronto 104
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Tampa Bay, 5 Minnesota 4 (SO)
NY Rangers 5, Buffalo 4
Calgary 4, Boston 0
Toronto ,3 NY Islanders 0
Chicago 1, Vancouver 0
Seattle 5, Washington 2
Arizona 2 Los Angeles 1 (OT)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Baltimore 16, Chicago 13
Final Cleveland 13 Detroit 10
Houston 22, Tennessee 13
Indianapolis 41, Buffalo 15
Miami 24, NY Jets 17
Minnesota 34, Green Bay 31
Philadelphia 40, New Orleans 29
San Francisco 30, Jacksonville 10
Washington 27, Carolina 21
Cincinnati 32, Las Vegas 13
Arizona 23, Seattle 13
Kansas City 19, Dallas 9
LA Chargers 41, Pittsburgh 37
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Arizona 80, Michigan 62
Purdue 80,Villanova 74
Tennessee 89, North Carolina 72
St. Bonaventure 70, Marquette 54
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
New York City, FC 2 Atlanta 0
Portland 3, Minnesota 1
(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) — Once considered underdogs, the football team at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside has defied the odds with an undefeated season that has electrified and inspired spectators in California and beyond.
The Cubs Varsity football team was 11 and 0 this season and now has won the division championship game, which is a first in the school’s 68-year history.
“It’s inspiring for the deaf community quite honestly. 11 and 0 we’ve never experienced this being this far in playoffs,” coach Keith Adams told ABC News. “The community is so excited, the morale has been uplifted, the self-esteem of our players — you can see a major difference.”
Wide receiver Jory Valencia told ABC News that the notion that they’ve never had a successful season only “fired us up” and inspired them to push harder each game.
“Now we’re just destroying every game. We’re showing the world we can play. We’re not losing anymore,” he said.
The players and coaches rely on American Sign Language to communicate and spoke with ABC News through an ASL translator.
Running back Enos Zornoza said that their success this season is due to their perseverance and hard work during each practice.
He said that they’ve had their eyes on the championship from the beginning, but they took it “one game at a time, one practice at a time.”
“Other players like to fool around, they’re like, come on, guys. Stay committed. Stay on task. So I think that it just takes teamwork,” wide receiver and quarterback Phillip Castaneda told ABC News, reflecting on the historic season.
Castaneda added that he and his teammates have “amazing chemistry,” which gives them the energy they need to win on the field.
Adams said his players are so talented that they have made coaching “easy” for him.
“They’re great kids,” he said.
“I knew we were going to have a good team, but they have just amazed me — exceeded my expectations.”
Asked what he hopes the Cubs’ story of triumph will teach others, Zornoza said he hopes the attention they are getting nationwide will inspire other deaf kids and give them hope.
“We can do anything. Deaf people can do anything,” he said. “We’re not this stereotype that’s out there.”
“We’re breaking news that we can do it right. And not just our school here but other schools for the deaf can do it as well.”
Now the team is getting ready to head to state. “We are not done, one more game, we are looking for that ring. One more game,” Adams said.
(LONDON) — International concern is mounting for tennis star Peng Shuai, who disappeared from the public eye after accusing a retired top Chinese Communist Party official of sexual assault earlier this month.
The United Nations called for an investigation into her allegations and whereabouts on Friday. Some of the biggest names in the international tennis world — from Naomi Osaka to Serena Williams — have also lent their voice to the global search for the former Grand Slam doubles champion, using the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
Purported evidence emanating from Chinese state-run news outlets that attempts to confirm her safety — and backtrack sexual assault claims — seem to have only resulted in more global skepticism about her whereabouts, and put the Chinese government’s internet and media censorship policies under renewed international criticism.
Here is what we know and don’t know about the mysterious public retreat of the 35-year-old Chinese tennis star, amid growing international calls for her proof-of-life.
Who is Peng Shuai?
Peng gained international acclaim in the tennis world after winning titles at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. She was formerly ranked No. 1 globally in women’s doubles.
In a lengthy post on her verified account on Weibo, a popular Chinese social media platform, Peng accused Zhang Gaoli, the former vice premier of the Chinese Communist Party, of sexual assault and said she had a yearslong affair with him.
The post disappeared within minutes of being shared on Nov. 2, but screenshots of it have been circulating online in the weeks since.
“I have no evidence, and it is impossible to leave evidence at all. … You are always afraid of what recorder I bring, leaving evidence or something,” Peng wrote. “But even if I become like an egg hitting against a rock and like moths extinguished in the flame, I will tell the truth about you.”
When was she last heard from publicly?
Peng’s account apparently disappeared from Weibo shortly after her post, and she hasn’t been heard from publicly since until an email, allegedly written by her, was shared by Chinese state-run media.
On Wednesday, as international concerns mounted, China’s state-run media claimed that Peng sent the global Women’s Tennis Association an email back-tracking her sexual assault allegations. CGTN Europe, an English-language arm of the state-owned China Global Television Network, tweeted a screenshot of the email Peng allegedly sent to WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon.
The screenshot of the purported email opens with, “Hello everyone this is Peng Shuai,” and says that the allegation of sexual assault is not true. “I’m not missing, nor am I unsafe. I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine,” the text of the note, posted by CGTN Europe, states.
ABC News cannot independently confirm that Peng penned the email broadcast by the state-run news outlet, and the WTA’s Simon said he has a “hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email.”
“The statement released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts,” Simon said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday. “I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her.”
“Peng Shuai displayed incredible courage in describing an allegation of sexual assault against a former top official in the Chinese government. The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe,” Simon added. “I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail.”
Simon called for Peng to be allowed to speak freely and for her allegation of sexual assault to be investigated with “full transparency and without censorship.”
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian dismissed questions about Peng’s whereabouts at a briefing, saying, “This is not a foreign affairs matter. And I am not aware of the relevant situation you mentioned.”
On Friday, after the email screenshot seemed to raise more questions than answers, a journalist affiliated with state-run CGTN tweeted three photos he said were posted by Peng Shuai to her private WeChat account and claimed they were shared by the tennis star’s friend.
Rather than address the concerns about her safety and well-being, the tweet said Peng only included the caption “Happy weekend” and a smiley emoji. While the state-media tweet said the photos were “just posted,” it is impossible to confirm when the photos were taken.
How is the international community responding?
The United Nations on Friday called for an investigation into Peng’s allegations of sexual assault.
“As you know, according to available information, Peng, the former world double No. 1, hasn’t been heard from publicly since she alleged on social media that she had been sexually assaulted,” Liz Throssell, the spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters. “We would stress that it is important to know where she is and you know, her state, know about her well-being.”
“We are calling for an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault,” Throssell added. “And I think we would say that that should be the case into all allegations of sexual assault. It is really important to ensure accountability, to ensure justice for the victims.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday called on China to provide “verifiable proof” of Peng’s whereabouts.
Earlier this week, as the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai trended on social media, Amnesty International called on China to prove Peng is safe.
“The Chinese government has systematically silenced the country’s #MeToo movement. Given that it also has a zero-tolerance approach to criticism, it is deeply concerning that Peng Shuai appears to be missing after accusing a high-ranking former government official of sexual assault,” Amnesty International’s China Researcher Doriane Lau said in a statement.
“Peng’s recent so-called statement that ‘everything is fine’ should not be taken at face value as China’s state media has a track record of forcing statements out of individuals under duress, or else simply fabricating them,” Lau added. “These concerns will not go away unless Peng’s safety and whereabouts are confirmed.”
ABC News’ Kirit Radia, Karson Yiu and Somayeh Malekian contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Miami 112, Washington 97
Golden State 104, Cleveland 89
Memphis 120, LA Clippers 108
Minnesota 115, San Antonio 90
Philadelphia 103, Denver 89
Utah 119, Toronto 103
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Pittsburgh 6, Montreal 0
Calgary 5, Buffalo 0
Toronto 2, NY Rangers 1
Florida 4, New Jersey 1
Tampa Bay 4, Philadelphia 3 (SO)
St. Louis 4, San Jose 1
Minnesota 7, Dallas 2
Columbus 5, Arizona 4 (SO)
Edmonton 2, Winnipeg 1 (SO)
Vegas 5, Detroit 2
Carolina 2, Anaheim 1
Nashville at Ottawa (Postponed)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
New England 25, Atlanta 0
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas 88, Stony Brook 59
Xavier 71, Ohio St. 65
St. Bonaventure 67, Boise St. 61
Florida 81, Milwaukee 45
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Charlotte 97, Washington 87
Detroit 97, Indiana 89
Atlanta 110, Boston 99
Brooklyn 109, Cleveland 99
Orlando 104, New York 98
Milwaukee 109, LA Lakers 102
Miami 113, New Orleans 98
Oklahoma City 101, Houston 89
Minnesota 107, Sacramento 97
Phoenix 105, Dallas 98
Portland 112, Chicago 107
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Colorado 4, Vancouver 2
Chicago 4, Seattle 2
Washington 2 Los Angeles 0
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UCLA 98, North Florida 63
Texas 62, N. Colorado 49
Baylor 92, Cent. Arkansas 47
Arkansas 93, N. Iowa 80
George Mason 71, Maryland 66
UConn 93, LIU 40
(NEW YORK) — Fears are growing about the safety and whereabouts of a Chinese tennis star, who has remained unheard from since she accused a former Chinese official of sexual assault.
Peng Shuai, 35, a former No. 1 globally ranked tennis player, wrote in her verified Weibo microblog about what she decribed as the years-long affair she had with former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, and how she had been allegedly sexually assaulted by him. The alleged incident occured just before their relationship began.
The post disappeared from her blog a few minutes after it was posted. Searches for either names, Peng Shuai or Zhang Gaoli, on Chinese main portals come back empty. However, the screenshot of Shuai’s post has kept circulating on the internet.
“I have no evidence, and it is impossible to leave evidence at all… You are always afraid of what recorder I bring, leaving evidence or something,” Shuai wrote in her note.
“But even if I become like an egg hitting against a rocks and like moths extinguished in the flame, I will tell the truth about you,” she added.
Shuai’s act of speaking up drew admiration and at the same time raised concern about her safety by tennis champions around the world.
“I am in shock,” tweeted Naomi Osaka, Japanese professional tennis player and former world’s No 1 tennis star, expressing her worry about Peng’s safety.
“Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok,” she wrote.
Chinese officials have not shown any move indicating their intention of doing an investigation of the matter.
Asked to respond to the mounting questions, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: “I have not heard of the issue you raised. This is not a diplomatic question,” as Agence France-Press reported.
“We commend Peng Shuai for her remarkable courage and strength in coming forward,” reads a statement published by the Women’s Tennis Association on Nov. 14.
The WTA Tour wrote it expects the issue to be handled “properly, meaning the allegations must be investigated fully, fairly, transparently and without censorship.”
Steve Simon, the chief executive of the WTA Tour, told the New York Times, the Tour has received information from several sources, including the Chinese Tennis Association, that she is “safe and not under any physical threat.”
However, Simon added that no one associated with the WTA Tour, including officials and active players, have so far been able to reach her directly to confirm her status.
On Tuesday a New York Times report included a tweeted image from the account of a Chinese state-affiliated media outlet. The image is of a letter purported to be from Shuai to Simon and claims that her “allegation of sexual assault, is not true” and that “I’m not missing, nor am I unsafe.” The letter’s origin has so far, been unverified.
“The statement released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts,” Simon said in a statement Tuesday. “I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her. Peng Shuai displayed incredible courage in describing an allegation of sexual assault against a former top official in the Chinese government. The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe. I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail. Peng Shuai must be allowed to speak freely, without coercion or intimidation from any source. Her allegation of sexual assault must be respected, investigated with full transparency and without censorship. The voices of women need to be heard and respected, not censored nor dictated to,” his statement continued.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Golden State 117, Brooklyn 99
Utah 120, Philadelphia 85
LA Clippers 106, San Antonio 92
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Florida 6, NY Islanders 1
NY Rangers, 3 Montreal 2
Buffalo 2, Pittsburgh 1
Toronto 3, Nashville 0
Philadelphia 2, Calgary 1 (OT)
San Jose 4, Minnesota 1
Arizona 3, St. Louis 2
Winnipeg 5, Edmonton 2
Dallas 5, Detroit 2
Carolina 4, Vegas 2
Anaheim 3, Washington 2 (OT)
Ottawa at New Jersey (Postponed)
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Seton Hall 67, Michigan 65
Villanova 100, Howard 81
Purdue 96, Wright St. 52
Duke 92 Gardner-Webb 52
Memphis 90, Saint Louis 74
BYU 81, Oregon 49
Kentucky 80, Mount St. Mary’s 55
Alabama 73, South Alabama 68
Houston 67, Virginia 47
North Carolina 94, Coll. of Charleston 83
Southern Cal 78, Florida Gulf Coast 61
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Sacramento 129, Detroit 107
Boston 98, Cleveland 92
Washington 105, New Orleans 100
New York 92, Indiana 84
Atlanta 129, Orlando 111
Memphis 136, Houston 102
Miami 103, Oklahoma City 90
Dallas 111, Denver 101
Phoenix 99, Minnesota 96
Portland 118, Toronto 113
Chicago 121, L.A. Lakers 103
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Columbus 5, Detroit 3
Tampa Bay 4, NY Islanders 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
San Francisco 31, LA Rams 10
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Gonzaga 84, Alcorn St. 57
UCLA 100, Long Beach St. 79
Baylor 89, Nicholls 60
Marquette 67, Illinois 66
Ohio St. 89, Bowling Green 58
