(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Miami 122, Brooklyn 115
Oklahoma City 128, Golden State 109
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Los Angeles 2, Florida 1
San Jose 5, St. Louis 1
Ottawa 5, Detroit 4 (OT)
New Jersey 5, Pittsburgh 2
Arizona 3, Columbus 2
Vegas 6, Montreal 5
Tampa Bay 4, Chicago 2
Calgary 5, Vancouver 2
Seattle 4, NY Islanders 3 (SO)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Baltimore 34, Cincinnati 20
(NEW YORK) — Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has many titles: Seven-time world champion. Entrepreneur. Activist. Philanthropist. Sir.
Hamilton holds the record for most wins in Formula One (103), most pole positions (104) and most podium finishes (107). Some say he’s the best driver to compete in the series — ever.
The 38-year-old Brit’s accomplishments extend beyond the grid. Neat Burger, his vegan fast-food chain, is expanding globally. Hamilton’s Mission 44 nonprofit helps young people from underserved communities find careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and motorsports. X44 Vida Carbon Racing, his Extreme E racing team, is breaking barriers in motorsports. The racing star has also been lauded for championing causes like LGBTQ rights, environmental protections and social justice.
Hamilton and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team are seeking their first Grand Prix win of the season on Saturday. Mercedes’ dominance in the series has been waning and the team lost the Constructors’ Championship in 2022 and 2023 to rival Red Bull.
“We were winning for such a long time, and when you win for so long, we all get complacent and take things for granted,” Hamilton told ABC News ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. “I think this has been a great time for us to really pull back, have our feet on the ground and start back up and dig deep. And I think for me, it’s just always knowing that we can be better each day.”
The conversation below has been edited for clarity:
ABC News: I am in Las Vegas with Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One world champion. How excited are you to race on the legendary Las Vegas Strip?
Lewis: I’ve watched “Casino” God knows how many times growing up. I was just driving through the streets here and seeing all the lights. [Las Vegas] has been on the plan for a while … and we are finally here. I can’t believe it. I can’t wait to get on the track.
ABC News: I heard you’re a huge car enthusiast and have quite the collection. What’s in your garage now?
Lewis: I wouldn’t describe myself as a huge car enthusiast [laughs]. I would say I’m more into art. But growing up cars have been everything for me. My dream car was a McLaren F1. That’s my jewel, my crown jewel. That’s the one I dreamed of having when I was 10 years old and the one I worked hard to have. So that’s my baby. I got a couple of Ferraris, got a couple of Mercedes, a couple of muscle cars like Shelby Cobras. And then I have a lot of motorbikes. I love motorbikes, too. So anything with an engine basically.
ABC News: How often do you get to drive these cars?
Lewis: I never do [laughs]. I don’t drive a lot, if I’m really honest. The only time I ever drive is when I’m in LA. I just got the new Mercedes-Maybach that Virgil [Abloh] did. And I was fortunate enough to know Virgil, God rest his soul. I like driving fast on the track, but I don’t get to do that on the road. So I don’t drive too often.
ABC News: You recently opened a Neat Burger location in Manhattan. Are you going to be expanding to other cities in the U.S.?
Lewis: That’s the goal, yes. It’s taken a long time for us to bring Neat Burger from the U.K. to the U.S. But it’s going really well.
I went plant-based like eight years ago. I was exposed to what was happening in the world … and I was like, OK, I’ve got to read up on this, I need to figure out how I can move in that direction. There’s more and more people who are living more conscious. [Neat Burger] has done really well in the U.K., especially through [the] pandemic. And I hope that we continue to expand it. It’s gonna take some time. Everyone loves a good burger and fries.
ABC News: It is true that Roscoe, your bulldog, is also vegan?
Lewis: It is. When I tell people that, you know, jeez, the amount of people that frown. I had two bulldogs. They were on normal dog diets. The little girl, Coco, she died at 6, had a heart attack. She died way too early. They were already struggling with breathing and skin allergies and all these things, which bulldogs are known for.
So I was like, I’m gonna take meat out and see how it goes. I put [Roscoe] on a vegetable diet basically. Lentils and vegetables. The dude is 11 years old and is running around like a pup. He has no skin allergies anymore. I never have to take him to the vet.
ABC News: That’s incredible. Have you convinced George [Russell] or Toto [Wolff] or anyone else in the Mercedes garage to permanently give up meat and dairy and embrace the vegan lifestyle?
Lewis: No, I’m not that type. I think everyone has the right to an opinion. If you want to try it, try it.
I’ve put on muscle. I’ve gained weight. I feel healthier than ever. I run farther than ever. I won six world titles since I’ve went plant-based.
I consciously feel a lot better knowing that I’m not contributing to the horrific industry that is the meat industry and the dairy industry. When I’m working with brands, I’m like, let’s not use leather straps. Let’s not use leather. Let’s not continue to buy leather for cars. How do we find new fabrics and develop new technologies from recycled materials?
ABC News: How much time have you spent in simulators preparing for Saturday’s race?
I drove the simulator last Thursday for Vegas. It’s an interesting track. The strait is so long. If you’re full gas for a long time, you’re like, geez, I might have to get my iPhone out and just like check my text messages and check my watch. Like it goes on forever.
ABC News: A lot of people are talking about the colder temperatures on Saturday. There’s also the late start, which will impact everyone’s performance. What’s the biggest factor you’re dealing with right now?
Lewis: The cold. This is definitely going to be the coldest race that we’ve done, I’ve probably done in Formula One. The cars are designed and built to perform in higher temperatures.
You’re going to see the bodywork in the cars be more closed because they’re going to be running to a minimum to keep the heat in. The tires that we have are usually running in hot climates. They’re not used to running in these climates. Maybe they’ll be fine, but we could see more pit stops than ever. But otherwise, I don’t worry about things like that. I’m excited to be here. I love being in the States. The audience here has been really, really amazing.
ABC News: If there was another Formula One race in the U.S., where do you think it should be?
Lewis: New York City.
ABC News: OK, I agree!
Lewis: Driving through all the streets … that would be epic.
ABC News: Lewis, you’ve been competing in Formula One since 2007. How have you leveraged that experience on the track? Does more experience equal more wins?
Lewis: Not necessarily. With experience comes, I think, probably also more responsibility. I think in 2007, I knew how to drive incredibly quick. But I didn’t know as much about longevity. I didn’t know about health. I didn’t know about being a team player and how to galvanize a group of people. With that experience, I feel like I’m able to be a better team player than ever before. And that leads to championships and wins.
ABC News: The last two years have been very challenging for the team. You haven’t won a Grand Prix since 2021. How do you stay positive? How do you stay motivated when you’re not winning?
Lewis: It’s a good question. Growing up, I won a lot. I always had at least one win each year.
I think the last two years have been a great experience to really be fighting with the team. We were winning for such a long time and when you win for so long, we all get complacent and take things for granted.
I think this has been a great time for us to really pull back, have our feet on the ground and start back up and dig deep. And I think for me, it’s just always knowing that we can be better each day. I know I can be fitter. I know I can do more, I can be more efficient with my work, with my time.
I have days where I’m like, I don’t want to work out, this sucks. But you just gotta keep pushing. You gotta keep getting up.
And one of the things that really keeps me motivated is Mission 44, a nonprofit organization I started. In Austin, I brought 60 young girls to the track and showed them the F1 Academy. They got to speak to the young female drivers and engineers. I hope they’re inspired now to be engineers or, you know, just push forwards.
ABC News: What’s the pressure like to win that eighth world championship?
Lewis: We’re not fighting for a world championship right this second. I think the pressure is, as you’re getting older, it gets harder to train. It’s harder to stay fit. It’s managing your time. It’s how you communicate with a team of people and keep them all focused. And, you know, I guess the pressure right now is to catch up to Red Bull, the team we’re trying to fight.
Coming back in February and getting in the car, I will know immediately whether it’s a car that we can fight with or not. That’s always a nervous experience for everybody.
ABC News: How personally involved are you with the car? Are you talking to the team every day?
Lewis: Heavily. When I was younger, that was not necessarily the case.
I’m on like a group chat with my engineers, we’ve been talking every day for the last four days, even over the weekend, about setup for this weekend. Even today, we’re talking about the temperatures, we’re talking about wing levels and ride heights and setup we’ll be having. I’m checking with the head of aerodynamics like every week: “What have you tried this year? These are things I’ve seen on other cars. Have we tried that?”
When I go back to the factory every week, I’m having meetings with people from different heads of different departments. When you see people working at their desks, you see how committed people are. They spend so much time away from their families. They’re so committed and that inspires you.
ABC News: Will we ever see a female Formula One driver?
Lewis: I personally do think so. There’s a lot of work that needs to go in the background to continue to allow access.
We got to improve the pipeline. That’s what the F1 Academy is doing, it’s showing that there are opportunities. There are over 40,000 jobs in our industry. How do we encourage more and more people to get into STEM? That’s why I had all these young girls come [to Austin]. And you know, we’re talking about a new team that’s coming in. So that’s two new seats.
ABC News: When you finally end your illustrious racing career, do you see yourself staying engaged in the sport, maybe as a team principal or owner?
Lewis: I don’t think I’d be a team principal. I would love to be a team owner. Because I do believe in like Black equity. I think diverse equity is important.
ABC News: Best of luck to you, George and the entire team on Saturday.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Sacramento 125, LA Lakers 110
Dallas 13,0 Washington 117
Boston 117, Philadelphia 107
Milwaukee 128, Toronto 112
New York 116, Atlanta 114
Orlando 96, Chicago 94
Phoenix 133, Minnesota 115
Cleveland 109, Portland 95
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Vancouver 4, NY Islanders 3 (OT)
Philadelphia 3, Carolina 1
Edmonton 4, Seattle 3 (OT)
Colorado 8, Anaheim 2
(NEW YORK) — A British professional hockey player was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter in the on-ice death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, according to South Yorkshire police.
Johnson was killed on Oct. 28 in a game between two British professional teams, the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers. Johnson, who was playing for the Panthers, suffered a fatal neck injury when he was slashed by a skate during the game.
“Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said in a statement.
The statement added, “We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist in our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation.”
South Yorkshire police said Johnson’s family was being supported through the investigation and had asked for privacy.
Johnson, 29, previously played 13 games in 2019 and 2020 for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins — mostly spending time with the team’s minor league affiliate — and also spent time in the Swedish and German hockey leagues before signing with the Panthers prior to the 2023 season.
The center was from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and played for the University of Minnesota, even scoring a game-winning overtime goal in the Frozen Four in 2017. He went undrafted and signed with the Penguins following that season.
“Adam’s death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world,” Horsfall said. “We know these communities will expect us to handle this investigation with the same professionalism, fairness and sensitivity as any other and request that members of the public refrain from comment and speculation which could hinder this process. Our thoughts remain with all affected by this devastating incident as enquiries continue.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Denver 111, LA Clippers 108
Minnesota 104 Golden State 101
LA Lakers 134, Memphis 107
Atlanta 126, Detroit 120
Miami 111, Charlotte 105
Indiana 132, Philadelphia 126
Brooklyn 124, Orlando 104
Oklahoma City 123, San Antonio 87
New Orleans 131, Dallas 110
Utah 115, Portland 99
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Florida 5, San Jose 3
Pittsburgh 5, Columbus 3
Boston 5, Buffalo 2
Calgary 2, Montreal 1
Washington 3, Vegas 0
St. Louis 5, Tampa Bay 0
Winnipeg 6, New Jersey 3
Anaheim 3, Nashville 2
Dallas 4 Arizona 3 (OT)
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UC Irvine 70, Southern Cal 60
Kansas 89, Kentucky 84
Marquette 71, Illinois 64
UConn 87, MVSU 53
Tennessee 82, Wofford 61
Creighton 92, Iowa 84
Duke 74, Michigan St. 65
FAU 100, E. Michigan 57
Gonzaga 123, E. Oregon 57
Texas A&M 79, SMU 66
Baylor 99, UMKC 61
Alabama 102, South Alabama 46
Colorado 106, Milwaukee 79
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
New York 129, Charlotte 107
Brooklyn 102, Washington 94
Memphis 105, LA Clippers 101
Philadelphia 137, Indiana 126
Miami 118, San Antonio 113
Dallas 136, New Orleans 124
Houston 107, Denver 104
Chicago 119, Detroit 108
Oklahoma City 111, Phoenix 99
Minnesota 116, Golden State 110
LA Lakers 116, Portland 110
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Florida 4, Chicago 3
Dallas 8, Minnesota 3
Vancouver 5, Montreal 2
NY Rangers 4 Columbus 3 (SO)
Anaheim 4, San Jose 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Indianapolis 10, New England 6
Cleveland 33, Baltimore 31
Houston 30, Cincinnati 27
Minnesota 27, New Orleans 19
Pittsburgh 23. Green Bay 19
San Francisco 34, Jacksonville 3
Tampa Bay 20, Tennessee 6
Arizona 25, Atlanta 23
Detroit 41, LA Chargers 38
Dallas 49, NY Giants 17
Seattle 29, Washington 26
Las Vegas 16, NY Jets 12
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
North Carolina 90, Lehigh 68
Baylor 77, Gardner-Webb 62
Weber St. 61, Saint Mary’s (Cal.) 57
(PHILADELPHIA) — Philadelphia 76ers basketball player Kelly Oubre Jr. was injured when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver Saturday night while walking near his home, according to police and team officials.
The 27-year-old Oubre was hospitalized with undisclosed injuries, according to the 76ers.
Oubre, who joined the 76ers this year after playing three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, was walking near his home in downtown Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood when he was struck at an intersection, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
The silver car that hit Oubre fled the scene, according to police. No arrests have been announced.
The hit-and-run unfolded around 7 p.m. at the intersection of Broad and Locust streets, according to police.
After getting struck by the car, Oubre managed to walk a short distance to another intersection where he flagged down paramedics, who took him to Jefferson Hospital, police told ABC station WPVI in Philadelphia. Oubre was in stable condition when he arrived at the hospital, the 76ers said in a social media post.
The 76ers president, Daryl Morey, and other team representatives rushed to the hospital to be at Oubre’s side, team officials told ESPN.
Oubre was released from the hospital late Saturday night after receiving treatment, a 76ers’ spokesperson told ESPN.
The team said Oubre is expected to miss “a significant” amount of playing time but is expected to return to the court before the end of the season. The team said Oubre will work closely with the 76ers’ medical staff on treatment and care for his injuries but did not provide specific information on his injuries.
The incident came as Oubre was having one of the best starts in his nine seasons as an NBA player, averaging 16.3 points per game and shooting 50% to help the 76ers get off to a 7-1 record. The team is scheduled to play the Indiana Pacers in Philadelphia on Sunday.
Oubre began his NBA career in 2015 when he was the 15th player selected in the NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks and was immediately traded to the Washington Wizards.
Oubre has also played for the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors. He signed a 1-year deal with the 76ers in September.
(NEW YORK) — Major League Baseball announced on Monday that a new committee of researchers and experts is working to evaluate the statistics of Negro Leagues players. The move comes three years after MLB said it was “officially elevating the Negro Leagues to ‘Major League’ status.”
The committee, which MLB says has already met several times, will be advising MLB on which stats to integrate into the Major League record books. ABC News first reported the existence of the committee last month in the “Reclaimed: The Forgotten League” podcast. When asked, MLB did not provide ABC News with a timeline for the initiative.
The statistics of the Negro League players have been gathered by third-party data researchers from Seamheads and Baseball-Reference over several decades and have been widely used to compare these players with their Major League counterparts. These comparisons have often sparked debate, as the Negro Leagues statistics were less thoroughly kept than Major League records, partially because of the Negro Leagues’ financial instability brought on by segregation.
The statistics of 3,400 players, subject to evaluation by MLB and data researchers, may now be added to MLB’s official statistical record book, held by the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Negro Leagues were formed in the era of segregation in baseball, which ended in 1947 when Jackie Robinson took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers. When MLB announced that they were “elevating” Negro Leagues to the status of Major Leagues, many family members of Negro League players were looking forward to seeing the results.
However, in the three years after the December 2020 announcement, MLB did not provide any significant updates about the progress of the initiative.
Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of Negro Leagues power-hitter Josh Gibson, said he felt like he was in “limbo.” He said the announcement by MLB came “at a time when African Americans” were “upset because it came during the George Floyd killing that same year.”
“I had several reporters ask me, did I think MLB did this as a PR move?” Gibson said on “Reclaimed: The Forgotten League” podcast, “And I said, ‘well, I can’t speak on behalf of Major League Baseball. You have to ask them that question, but I hope not.’”
As reported in the podcast, some family members of Negro Leagues players were invited to a meeting earlier this year with MLB. According to sources who attended the meeting, families asked the MLB representative to give them an update on the incorporation of the Negro Leagues statistics. The MLB representative responded, “Haven’t we already done that?”
MLB later told ABC News that this was a misunderstanding, and that the MLB rep was instead referring to the “process created to complete an agreement” for use of the Negro Leagues data.
MLB also told ABC that the waiting period between announcement and implementation was a result of treating the process with “thoroughness and thoughtfulness,” and that they “spent time coming to an agreement with experts that allows us to use the data on which the decision was based and partner with the leading researchers behind that effort.”
The host of “Reclaimed: The Forgotten League” podcast, Vanessa Ivy Rose – who is also the granddaughter of Negro Leagues legend Norman ‘Turkey’ Stearnes – posted on X that this committee announcement feels like “the same story all over again.” “This whole article” she said, referring to the MLB article announcing the committee, “can be summed up in one word: wait.”
Listen to “Reclaimed: The Forgotten League,” the third season of ABC News’ “Reclaimed” podcast series, on major listening platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon audio, and the ABC News app.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Indiana 126, Milwaukee 124
Atlanta 120, Orlando 119
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Vancouver 5, Ottawa 2
NY Rangers 4, Minnesota 1
Boston 5, NY Islanders 2
Chicago 5, Tampa Bay 3
Montreal 3, Detroit 2 (OT)
Final Dallas 5 Columbus 2
Winnipeg 6, Nashville 3
St. Louis 2, Arizona 1
Seattle 4, Colorado 3
San Jose 3, Edmonton 2
Pittsburgh 4, Los Angeles 3 (OT)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Chicago 16, Carolina 13
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Louisville 31, Virginia 24
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Michigan St. 74, S. Indiana 51
Baylor 96, John Brown 70
Southern Cal 85, CS Bakersfield 59
Saint Mary’s (Cal.) 72, New Mexico 58
