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Giannis Antetokounmpo hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy less than a month ago, but the NBA calendar stops for nobody as we gear up for the 2021–22 season. The draft is in the rearview mirror. Summer League will conclude Tuesday. As for free agency, the dust has largely settled, with a number of moves made over the last month nearly guaranteed to make an impact on the playoff race next spring. So who made major upgrades this offseason and who took a step back? Check out The Crossover’s post-free-agency power rankings as we assess the league’s landscape ahead of next season.

Sha'Carri Richardson is preparing for her return to racing on the public stage, and she's not letting the critics get in her way. The sprinter, 21, is set to compete at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday in Eugene, Oregon, but before she hits the track, she's shutting out any negative energy. "I wish the people that talk mess about me was cute at least," the athlete wrote on Twitter Thursday. In an earlier tweet the same day, Richardson replied to a fan who called out the "obsession" with trying to "break" the athlete's confidence. "The love y'all show me, I'll never let the hate overshadow that. Positivity is sooo much greater than negativity," Richardson wrote in response. "That's why God always win and the devil fails."

In return, the Hornets would get an intriguing prospect in Nah’Shon Hyland. His draft stock skyrocketed during the combine and ended up being a first-round selection of the Nuggets. Despite receiving a long-term contract extension, things can change in the NBA. If the Charlotte Hornets receive a surprisingly strong performance from James Bouknight then moving on from Rozier and his hefty contract would be the best long-term answer.

Fans all over the world awaited Richardson’s return to the field after her one-month suspension. She tested positive for marijuana and was banned from the Tokyo Olympics. Many believed that Richardson had a chance to take home an Olympic medal after winning the women’s 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in June. However, Richardson didn’t live up to expectations at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic.

Alia Atkinson, 32, Rosehampton, Jamaica The Tokyo Olympics in 2021 will be Atkinson’sfifth appearance at the Olympics, and at 32 years of age, she will be one of the most experienced swimmers in the competition. She holds the world record in the SCM sprint breaststroke, and at her latest appearance at the SOFLO Last Chance OLY Trials Qualifier in Florida, she clocked 1:08.76 in the 100-meter breaststroke. This was four seconds faster than her rivals in the event. She has a lifetime best time in the 100-meters

James BestSat, August 21, 2021, 7:53 AM·2 min readPrefontaine Classic: Richardson faces Thompson-Herah in 100m originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington The Tokyo Olympics answered the question of who the fastest woman in the world is. Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica took home three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay and broke Florence Griffith Joyner’s 100m Olympic record in the process. But the one feat she didn’t accomplish in Tokyo was beating American Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson returns to the track Saturday for the first time since the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. The 21-year-old sprinter was left off the U.S. Olympic roster after she tested positive for marijuana and was handed a 30-day suspension by the U.S. Anti Doping Agency. Richardson will race against the three Jamaican women who completed a podium sweep in the 100m event in Tokyo: Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. Richardson will also run in the 200m alongside Allyson Felix, Gabby Thomas and Jenna Prandini. 2016 200m Olympic gold medalist Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain will return to the event after she was forced to withdraw from the 200m final in Tokyo due to an injury. Athing Mu will run in the women’s 800m event after taking home gold in Tokyo, while Noah Lyles will race against his brother Josephus, 200m silver medalist Kenny Bednarek and 400m hurdles silver medalist Rai Benjamin in the 200m.

As anticipated based off his prior allusions, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton confirmed Friday evening that Jameis Winston will start at quarterback against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the team’s second preseason game. It’s good to have that confirmation from Payton, but it’s something he previously suggested would happen based off his approach at quarterback throughout the summer — giving Taysom Hill the first shot before rotating Winston in with the starting lineup.

It is Stephen A’s world and Max Kellerman soon won’t be part of it. Kellerman is expected to be removed from ESPN’s “First Take,” the show in which he and Stephen A. Smith verbally battle each other for hot-take supremacy, sources confirmed. This is not the end of Kellerman at ESPN, as he is likely headed for the network’s morning national radio show to be teamed with Keyshawn Johnson, according to sources. Under the scenario, Kellerman would replace Zubin Mehenti. It is unclear if Jay Williams will remain on the program as it is a bit onerous with his NBA role. If everything is signed, the changes are expected to go through next month.

Sha’Carri Richardson shows off fresh new platinum blonde and blue hair ahead of raceJACQUELINE LAUREAN YATESFri, August 20, 2021, 11:04 AM·1 min readSha'Carri Richardson snagged attention this summer after she won the women's 100-meter final during the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in fierce style. Now, the track star is back with a bright brand new platinum blonde hairstyle that was revealed on Instagram this week. In a video, Richardson is seen initally sitting in a salon chair with her natural deep brown hair. Then she's seen with long platinum blonde and blue ombre wavy strands. She also switched into a blue Nike tank and matching briefs. "August 21 and I’m not playing nice," she captioned the clip.

Once you get over the sticker shock, Scary Terry’s four-year deal to stay buzzing in Charlotte makes a lot of sense, given the dearth of talent hitting the market next season

A positive drug test cost Sha’Carri Richardson the chance to run for Olympic gold in Tokyo, but the star American sprinter will face the all-Jamaican trio of 100-meter medalists next week at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon. After finishing first at that distance at the U.S. Olympic trials in June, the 21-year-old Richardson was suspended for a month by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for marijuana, costing her a spot on the U.S. track and field squad. Jamaican sprinters Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson finished in the top three spots, respectively, in the 100 meters in Tokyo – with Thompson-Herah setting an Olympic record with a time of 10.61 seconds.

The Los Angeles Lakers are by far the oldest team in the NBA. The average age of the new Big Three, in Lebron James (36), Russell Westbrook (32), and Anthony Davis (28), is 32 years old. When combined with their current roster, and the two most recent free agent signees in Kendrick Nunn (26) and Malik Monk (23), the roster truly is old. The age of the NBA veterans the Lakers signed throughout free agency brings the team’s average age to 31.8 years. This easily makes them the oldest team in the NBA by far. The closest team to Los Angeles in terms of average roster age is the Utah Jazz, whose team average age is 28.9 years. Does this make the Lakers too old to win, much less contend for an NBA Championship? Lakers Trade for Westbrook The Los Angeles Lakers decided to completely reimagine their roster once deciding to trade for Westbrook, acquiring him from the Washington Wizards. The Lakers believe that his dynamic playmaking ability, despite his age and poor perimeter shooting, will be a great addition to the oldest team in the league. Westbrook is famously known for his ability to average triple-doubles to fans who wait until the NBA Playoffs begin to pay closer attention to the NBA. Lakers fans know Westbrook is an extremely high competitor.

The NFL and NFLPA have issued Covid-19 guidelines for players ahead of the 2021 season, and life will be very, very different for players who decide not to get vaccinated, from those who do. A joint agreement between the league and the union, sent out to teams this week details how players are allowed to operate if they receive the vaccine compared to those who don’t. Here is the full list of restrictions players will adopt this season.

In this week’s edition of your Bulls hot takes, we feature takes on Lonzo Ball being an all-star, keeping Lauri Markkanen, what happens if the Bulls miss the playoffs, and are the 2017 Bulls better than this years’ team?

LiAngelo Ball is getting a co-sign from one of the NBA's top talents ... with Jayson Tatum telling TMZ Sports the Summer League standout is long overdue to have a spot in the league!! The 22-year-old showed out during his time playing in Vegas over the past week -- scoring 9.6 points in 17 minutes per game ... with several incredible highlight plays. We caught up with the Boston Celtics star outside Avra in Beverly Hills about Gelo's string of performances ... and he thinks Ball did enough to get him on an active roster for 2021. "I think so," Tatum tells us. "It's only right, he's put in the work. I'm sure he’ll find his way on a team."

Shields is fast more agile hard to hit and much more explosive

This year should have hurt a little extra for LiAngelo Ball. His younger brother LaMelo was just named NBA Rookie of the Year, his older brother Lonzo landed a big contract to be the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls — and he was languishing without an NBA contract. Sure, there’s no doubt he was happy for his brothers, but the sting of being the middle child struggling where your brothers succeed is a lot to deal with. Now, being thrown a lifeline by the Charlotte Hornets, LiAngelo Ball is making the most of his shot during Las Vegas Summer League. The story of the Ball family’s path to the NBA might not be the big “three Lakers” dream father La’Var once envisioned when his sons began entering the league, but a touch of hyperbolic success we were once promised may be starting to come to fruition. Lonzo moved past the early jitters of star expectancy to carve out his place as a solid starting guard in the NBA. LaMelo entered the league with equal parts hype and doubt, but he quickly silenced his critics and proved to be a star in the making while turning the Hornets into must-watch team. Meanwhile, LiAngelo was functionally out of the game. A short G League stint with the Thunder affiliate, then a Summer League invite with the Pistons that never materialized into a contract appeared to end his NBA dreams. The 6’5” guard didn’t boast Lonzo’s passing gift or LaMelo’s creativity, leaving him in the perfect middle child no man’s land. How LiAngelo Ball ended up on the Hornets’ Summer League team LiAngelo finally caught a break with the help of his famous younger brother. A bubble-like Hornets practice atmosphere led to each player being allowed to invite one person into training to work out with them. LaMelo picked his older brother. Watching LiAngelo work out and practice, Hornets brass quickly realized the league may have given up too soon on the other member of the Ball family. LiAngelo was offered a Summer League spot, and little was expected of him from fans. On the outside looking in it seemed like nepotism. Keep the star rookie happy entering his second year, let his brother in. No harm, no foul. However, all that changed on Sunday night when LiAngelo made his debut for the Hornets against the Blazers and exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. To be clear, it’s not like he lit the world on fire and dropped 30 on Portland or anything like that, but LiAngelo proved he could offer a niche Charlotte was lacking.

This year should have hurt a little extra for LiAngelo Ball. His younger brother LaMelo was just named NBA Rookie of the Year, his older brother Lonzo landed a big contract to be the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls — and he was languishing without an NBA contract. Sure, there’s no doubt he was happy for his brothers, but the sting of being the middle child struggling where your brothers succeed is a lot to deal with. Now, being thrown a lifeline by the Charlotte Hornets, LiAngelo Ball is making the most of his shot during Las Vegas Summer League. The story of the Ball family’s path to the NBA might not be the big “three Lakers” dream father La’Var once envisioned when his sons began entering the league, but a touch of hyperbolic success we were once promised may be starting to come to fruition. Lonzo moved past the early jitters of star expectancy to carve out his place as a solid starting guard in the NBA. LaMelo entered the league with equal parts hype and doubt, but he quickly silenced his critics and proved to be a star in the making while turning the Hornets into must-watch team. Meanwhile, LiAngelo was functionally out of the game. A short G League stint with the Thunder affiliate, then a Summer League invite with the Pistons that never materialized into a contract appeared to end his NBA dreams. The 6’5” guard didn’t boast Lonzo’s passing gift or LaMelo’s creativity, leaving him in the perfect middle child no man’s land. How LiAngelo Ball ended up on the Hornets’ Summer League team LiAngelo finally caught a break with the help of his famous younger brother. A bubble-like Hornets practice atmosphere led to each player being allowed to invite one person into training to work out with them. LaMelo picked his older brother. Watching LiAngelo work out and practice, Hornets brass quickly realized the league may have given up too soon on the other member of the Ball family. LiAngelo was offered a Summer League spot, and little was expected of him from fans. On the outside looking in it seemed like nepotism. Keep the star rookie happy entering his second year, let his brother in. No harm, no foul. However, all that changed on Sunday night when LiAngelo made his debut for the Hornets against the Blazers and exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. To be clear, it’s not like he lit the world on fire and dropped 30 on Portland or anything like that, but LiAngelo proved he could offer a niche Charlotte was lacking.

October 27th, 2021 The Gwoat Claressa Shields "I would definitely beat Savannah Marshall" don't miss her second MMA Claressa Shields

Will the Charolette Hornets sign Gelo Ball