The year in sports

Lakers center Dwight Howard at midcourt during the national anthem before a game against the Clippers at Staples Center. He was acquired before the season in a three-team trade that sent center Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Misty May-Treanor, left, and Kerri Walsh celebrate seconds after winning the gold medal in the London 2012 Olympics beach volleyball final. It was their third consecutive gold medal in the event, and they retired after winning the gold.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers’ Dwight Howard tries to get around Maverick defenders Vince Carter and Eddy Curry.   (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Kings players celebrate winning the Stanley Cup after defeating the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center. It was the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Angels’ newest signing, outfielder Josh Hamilton, takes a photo with fans after a news conference to introduce him. Hamilton, considered the best hitter in the free-agent pool, signed a five-year, $125-million deal with the Angels.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Reporter Jack Dolan hitches a ride with veteran flyer Fred Ballard over Sylmar. As the average age of hang glider pilots soars into the 60s and 70s, their sport, which was born in Southern California, teeters on the brink of extinction. Replacing them, a younger breed of pilots who favor a soft wing -- a steerable parachute, really -- pioneered by French alpineists looking for something compact they could stuff in a back pack that would offer suitably stylish descents from rugged peaks. To a layman, they’re all gravity-defying daredevils but hang gliders and paragliders often regard each other with surprising contempt.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon sits alone in the dugout minutes after the Dodgers were eliminated from a possible playoff berth with a 4-3 loss to the Giants at Dodger Stadium.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

USC receiver Robert Woods can’t make the catch but Stanford’s Terrence Brown is called for a pass interference penalty. After starting the season ranked No. 1, the Trojans tumbled out of the top 25 and finished the regular season with a 7-5 record.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Kings player Alec Martinez cleans up before taking the Stanley Cup to a Dallas night club. Tradition is that each player on the Stanley Cup winning team gets to spend a day with the Cup.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

New Dodgers owners -- the Guggenheim Baseball Management group, led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, center -- pose for photos during a news conference at Dodger Stadium. Left to right are Bobby Patton, Stan Kasten, Mark Walter, Johnson, Peter Guber and Todd Boehly. They bought the team from Frank McCourt for $1.6 billion.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt celebrates winning the gold in the 400-meter relay at the 2012 London Olympics. Bolt also won gold in the men’s 100- and 200-meter races.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Kings’ Mike Richards gets checked into the boards by New Jersey’s Bryce Salvador in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center. The Kings won the Stanley Cup Finals in six games.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Daniel Rares Chintoan of Romania is cooled by a towel-waving coach on the sideline during a wrestling match at the London Olympics.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Kings center Anze Kopitar delivers the Stanley Cup to the gravesite of his grandmother, Fanci Kopitar, at the Church of St. Micheal in Dovje, Slovenia. Fanci was a big supporter of Anze, often skating with him on his homemade rink in the backyard of his home in Hrusica.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

North Korea’s Kyong Yang and Uzbekistan’s Dilshod Mansurov battle during the quarterfinals in a wrestling match at the 2012 London Olympics.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

An emotional Morgan Unceny of the U.S. walks off the track after tripping on the last lap of the women’s 1,500 meters at the 2012 London Olympics. Uceny did not finish the race. Asli Cakir of Turkey won the event.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

David Clarkson of the New Jersey Devils falls onto the back of Kings goalie Jonathan Quick in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center. Quick was named MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Kings went on to win the cup.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Carmelita Jeter of the U.S. emotes while winning the gold in the 400-meter relay at the London Olympics. The U.S. set a world record in the race. Jeter won three medals in London.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Abby Wambach celebrates with teammate Shannon Boxx after the United States beat Japan, 2-1, to win the gold medal in women’s soccer at the London Olympics.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

An Angels fan wearing an Albert Pujols jersey cheers during pregame festivities as the Angels get set to play the Kansas City Royals in the season opener at Angel Stadium. The Angels finished out of playoff contention despite signing Pujols, considered by many to be the best player in baseball, before the 2012 season.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Aries Merritt of the U.S. crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the London Olympics.   (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )

USC’s Silas Redd gets flipped after being hit by Cal’s Steve Williams in the fourth quarter at the Coliseum. Redd transfered to USC from Penn State before the season started.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Kenya’s Ezekiel Kemboi prays after winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the London Olympics.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Gold medal winner Gabrielle Douglas of the U.S. competes on the balance beam in the women’s individual all-around gymnastics event at the London Olympics.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

High waves rolling into west-facing Southern California beaches gave surfers some great afternoon rides at Huntington Beach in February.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte race side by side in the men’s 200-meter individual medley semifinal at the London 2012 Olympics Aquatics Center. Phelps won this event and three others, along with four other medals to give him a record-setting 18 gold medals and 22 overall medals in his Olympic career.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

USC receiver Marquise Lee is consoled by Arizona’s Jonathan McKnight after failing to make a reception on a “hail Mary” pass at the end of their game in Tucson. Lee was one of the few bright spots for USC, finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius takes off from the starting blocks in the first round of the men’s 400-meter race at the London Olympics. Pistorius became the first double-leg amputee to ever compete in the Olympics.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Rice Owls receiver Jordan Taylor hauls in a one-handed catch for a long gain against UCLA cornerback Sheldon Price in the first quarter at Rice Stadium. UCLA hired a new coach, Jim Mora, before the season, and the Bruins responded with one of their best seasons in years.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Divers practice on the 3-meter springboard at the London Olympics.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Kings Coach Darryl Sutter and his son, Chris, pose for a photo with the Stanley Cup at his family farm.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Ervin Santana of the Angels delivers a pitch during a game against the Dodgers earlier this year. Santana was traded to the Kansas City Royals after the season ended.  (Patrick T. Fallon / Los Angeles Times)

From left, Scott Gault, Charlie Cole, Henrik Rummel and Glenn Ochal won the bronze medal in Men’s Four rowing at the London Olympics. Here they are practicing at Otay Lake at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)