Rumors

The first we know of: I'm told that some prominent NBA players will be sporting U.S. men's national team shirts this weekend on their catwalk entrances to various arenas to help hype up the Americans’ forthcoming World Cup campaign before the lads’ first Group B game Monday against Wales. Chicago's Alex Caruso, Portland's Josh Hart, Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday, New Orleans' Larry Nance Jr., San Antonio's Josh Richardson and Orlando's Jalen Suggs are among the players expected to participate. And word is there should be several more to emerge after arranging to receive #USMNT gear from U.S. Soccer.

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England and Scotland formally signed Sunday in London that will formalise their merger into a single British basketball organisation, despite the objections of the Welsh, ensuring that there will be a Great Britain team beyond these Olympic Games.

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The Welsh, he said, will not be allowed to derail the move. And, in a stinging rebuke, he has ordered Basketball Wales to go back to the table and re-consider their intransigence. “By covering about 95% of the basketball family in this country, and while we have to respect the decision of the board of Basketball Wales, it’s unstoppable,” he said. “You have this almost unanimity to want to maintain a British programme and go and be successful. I think that we will be able to persuade Wales to join this party. “You want basketball in this country to be like Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. I think that if this is the case, it should be logical to move to a British system. Every stakeholder who is giving up something should put on the table what it wants. Keeping independent just for the sake of playing Division C in Europe? I’m sorry, that’s probably not the right argument. It’s not even supported by the Welsh Government.

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