The Sports Report: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks to Dodgers about the importance of Jackie Robinson
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From Jack Harris: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jackie Robinson’s legacy is as important now as it has ever been.
And on Tuesday, as the guest speaker at the Dodgers’ annual celebration of Jackie Robinson Day, he made the reason he believes so abundantly clear.
“Trump wants to get rid of DEI, and I think it’s just a ruse to discriminate,” Abdul-Jabbar said to a scrum of reporters, while sitting at the base of Robinson’s statue in the center field plaza of Dodger Stadium.
“You have to take that into consideration,” he added, “when we think about what’s going on today.”
Indeed, Tuesday was no typical Jackie Robinson Day — not for the Dodgers, or the rest of the baseball world at large.
Since President Trump returned to office in January, his campaign against diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives has had direct cross-overs with Robinson’s legacy, as well as Major League Baseball’s public communications.
Patience at the plate and slick defense help Dodgers continue Jackie Robinson Day dominance
Hernández: Dodgers’ celebration of Jackie Robinson Day rings hollow in wake of White House visit
Dodgers Dugout: Celebrating Jackie Robinson Day
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CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: Tyronn Lue glided into the Clippers’ postgame interview room on Sunday afternoon and clapped and clapped and clapped and clapped and clapped again. He beamed as his head bobbed up and down.
His Clippers squad had just qualified for the Western Conference playoffs, doing so in the last regular-season game with a win over the Golden State Warriors, who were also seeking a playoff berth while playing at home in the Chase Center.
The Clippers had defied the preseason odds of being a playoff participant. Lue refused during the season to let his group think otherwise and now they will face the Denver Nuggets in the first round starting Saturday at Ball Arena.
“They counted me out. They counted us out,” Lue said. “I know they did. I know it. But we are here.”
NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS
All Times Pacific
Play-in round
Tuesday
at Orlando 120, Atlanta 95 (box score)
Orlando advances as East No. 7 seed
at Golden State 121, Memphis 116 (box score)
Golden State advances as West No. 7 seed
Today
Miami (East 10) at Chicago (East 9), 4:30 p.m., ESPN
loser is eliminated
Dallas (West 10) at Sacramento (West 9), 7 p.m., ESPN
loser is eliminated
Friday
East 9/10 winner at Atlanta, TBD, TNT
winner advances to playoffs as East No. 8 seed
West 9/10 winner at Memphis, TBD, ESPN
winner advances to playoffs as West No. 8 seed
First round
Western Conference
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota
Saturday at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Game 2 at Lakers (TBD)
Game 3 at Timberwolves (TBD)
Game 4 at Timberwolves (TBD)
Game 5 at Lakers (TBD)*
Game 6 at Timberwolves (TBD)*
Game 7 at Lakers (TBD)*
No. 4 Denver vs. No. 5 Clippers
Saturday at Nuggets, 12:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 at Nuggets (TBD)
Game 3 at Clippers (TBD)
Game 4 at Clippers (TBD)
Game 5 at Nuggets (TBD)*
Game 6 at Clippers (TBD)*
Game 7 at Nuggets (TBD)*
* if necessary
2028 L.A. OLYMPICS
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: With Dodger Stadium and Alamitos Beach joining the list Tuesday, LA28 has almost completed its full venue plan for the 2028 Olympics.
The organizing committee announced an updated venue plan Tuesday in which sites for all but two events have been revealed as the Games approach in less than three-and-a-half years. The International Olympic Committee approved the master plan last week, with about half of the events staying in Los Angeles, clustering in three major hubs.
“This plan brings the Games to all corners of our city like never before — from the Sepulveda Basin to the iconic shores of Venice Beach, our world-famous neighborhoods as well as our hidden gems will be on full display for all to experience and enjoy,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “And as we come together to prepare, we will help small businesses, create local jobs and implement lasting environmental and transportation improvements that will leave a legacy in our city for generations to come.”
In the downtown core, baseball joins boxing, which will have preliminary rounds at the Peacock Theater and finals at Crypto.com Arena. The downtown home of the Lakers and Kings will also host artistic gymnastics, a previously announced move that brought the Summer Games’ premier sport to the host city after initial plans had it slotted for the Forum in Inglewood.
UCLA FOOTBALL
From Anthony De Leon: Anyone who’s ever had to transfer to a new school knows how difficult it can be — the pressure of learning your way around, making new friends and fitting in. That pressure multiplies when competition enters the mix.
Such is the case at UCLA, which opened spring football with 19 transfers on the roster and potentially more on the way. Each player was a “somebody” before arriving in Westwood. Some are veterans parachuting in for their final stops.
All are now tasked with carving out roles in a locker room rife with turnover, but still filled with established leaders.
“The first couple of months, I just tried to sit back and observe, because obviously I’m in a foreign area for myself,” said Key Lawrence, the sixth-year transfer from Mississippi.
ANGELS
Tyler Mahle struck out nine over six sharp innings, and the Texas Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-0 win over the Angels on Tuesday night.
Mahle (3-0) limited the Angels to three singles and walked two batters before four relievers finished off the third shutout win for Texas already this year. The right-hander, who missed most of the last two seasons after Tommy John surgery in May 2023, has a 0.92 ERA in four starts.
Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (0-3) struck out six while also pitching three-hit ball over six innings. He walked two.
KINGS
Samuel Helenius scored twice, David Rittich made 28 saves and the Kings spoiled the Seattle Kraken’s home and season finale with a 6-5 victory Tuesday night.
The Kings head into their regular-season finale locked into a first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. After the Kings blew a 2-0 first-period cushion, they responded with four unanswered goals over a five-plus minute stretch of game time between the second and third periods.
Warren Foegele gave the lead back to the Kings with 3:55 to play in the second and Alex Laferriere made it 4-2 just 72 seconds later. Adrian Kempe and Helenius added third-period goals to make it 6-2.
DUCKS
The Minnesota Wild clinched a spot in the playoffs in dramatic fashion when Joel Eriksson Ek scored the tying goal with 20.9 seconds left in regulation, and Matt Boldy got the winner with 17.9 seconds remaining in overtime to beat the Ducks 3-2 on Tuesday.
With an empty net for the extra attacker, Boldy’s pass across the slot set up Eriksson Ek at the edge of the crease. Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal stopped his first try with his stick, but a second whack at the puck got it across the line for his 14th goal of the season.
Ducks rookie center Tim Washe, who was signed as a college free agent on Monday from national champion Western Michigan, made his NHL debut on the fourth line.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1939 — Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: Boston Bruins beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-1 for a 4-1 series win; first best-of-7 SC Final series.
1940 — Bob Feller of Cleveland defeats the White Sox 1-0 in Chicago in the only opening day no-hitter in the major leagues.
1949 — The Toronto Maple Leafs win 3-1 to sweep the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year in the Stanley Cup Finals.
1953 — Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 1-0 for a 4-1 series win.
1954 — The Detroit Red Wings edge the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in the seventh game to win the Stanley Cup.
1957 — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 5-1 to take the Stanley Cup in five games.
1958 — Arnold Palmer edges Doug Ford by one stroke to capture the Masters.
1961 — The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in six games with a 5-1 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings.
1978 — Cardinals’ Bob Forsch no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 5-0, in St. Louis.
1980 — Arthur Ashe retires from pro tennis.
1983 — Steve Garvey sets NL record by playing in 1,118 consecutive games.
1987 — Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls scores 61 points in a 117-114 loss to the Atlanta Hawks and becomes the second player to surpass the 3,000-point mark in a season.
1989 — Costa Rica beats US 1-0, in 3rd round of 1990 world cup soccer.
1991 — The St. Louis Blues become the eighth team in NHL playoff history to come back from a 3-1 deficit, beating the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in the seventh game.
1995 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Raymond Floyd wins by 5 strokes.
2000 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Doug Tewell wins first of 2 Champions Tour major titles.
2003 — The Mighty Ducks beat the Detroit Red Wings in a 3-2 overtime victory, making the Red Wings the first defending Stanley Cup winner in 51 years to be swept the following season in a four-game opening series.
2003 — Washington Wizards’ Michael Jordan plays his final NBA game.
2008 — Jason Kidd gets the 100th triple-double of his career with 27 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in Dallas’ 111-98 victory over New Orleans.
2013 — Two bombs explode in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 270. Earlier in the day, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia wins the 117th edition of the marathon and Rita Jeptoo of Kenya takes the women’s race.
2019 — Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson becomes the highest-paid player in NFL history with a 4-year $140m extension.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time...
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Go beyond the scoreboard
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