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Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic
Tennis

“If we could unite them, we would still have a super champion” : Serb’s former trainer believes that Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s skillsets can still make a quality winner

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“If we could unite them, we would still have a super champion” : Serb’s former trainer believes that Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s skillsets can still make a quality winner After the retirement of the great Roger Federer in 2022, it was down to the last two members of the ‘Big 3’ to uphold their legacy further. But looking at the grand scheme of things, it has been anything but that. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have had disappointments in the past two years, especially the Spainard, who has been battling through injuries to participate in major tournaments, just to get sidelined again after suffering a streak of prolonged injuries. As for the Serbian, he has also faced a few minor injuries here and there, but has been able to stay consistently at the top of the ATP rankings. But this year, apart from his historic gold medal win in the Paris Olympics, the 37-year-old has had tough luck in several tournaments, including the four Grand Slams. They were shared by newcomers Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner this season, making it the first time since 2002 that no member of the ‘Big 3’ has been able to clinch a single Grand Slam title. Marco Panichi believes Rafael Nadal’s performances have been hindered by injuries, while Novak Djokovic lacks the motivation to push forward In a recent interview with Tennis Italiano, the Serbian’s former trainer revealed what he thinks is happening recently with possibly the two greatest players in the sport’s history. “Rafael Nadal has a physical problem, he can’t train consistently. He’s a machine that has traveled many kilometers. Novak Djokovic is healthy, but his motivation is low. If we could unite them, we would still have a super champion.” said Panichi. Obviously the two veterans are now at the final stages of their careers, as retirement looms sooner rather than later. But Djokovic and Nadal, who believe are each other’s greatest rivals, cannot be underestimated due to the performances they have displayed for well over a decade. Panichi was not wrong with his statement as uniting the skillsets of both veterans can possibly make a formidable rival to any of the current world’s best players. The Serbian’s former trainer also commended his mentality, and revealed how he keeps himself at the top of his game even at this age, while also saying he loses the hunger in his game if a certain aspect is missing out. “In every detail Novak Djokovic wants to constantly stay one step ahead of the others. In the type of preparation, in the search for machines and techniques that can allow him to prepare and recover faster, in the care of nutrition. Off the field he is a wonderful, intelligent, funny guy. On the field the Slavic warrior in him comes out, and he needs it to “feed”. If that aspect is missing, he gets a little lost,” the Italian coach added. Tennis fans may not get to see the duo play much that often nowadays, which eventually makes their return even more special. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have a combined 46 Grand Slam titles in total, as they have cemented themselves in the greatest of all time category. Also Read: “He managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive” : Casper Ruud defends Jannik Sinner as the tennis world divides on the Italian’s doping case

Featured

“Kobe is Michael Jordan, just on steroids” : Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes a very bold claim on the ‘GOAT’ debate

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“Kobe is Michael Jordan, just on steroids” : Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes a very bold claim on the ‘GOAT’ debate In basketball, only two players can be termed as an outright ‘GOAT’ of their sport, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. But soon after those heavy-hitters, the name of a certain Black Mamba is heard more often than not. Kobe Bryant has inspired generations, not just because of his scoring techniques and the wide variety of skillsets he possessed in his bag, but the mindset with which he achieved his greatness. When people talk about Kobe Bryant, they talk about how he made them fall in love with basketball at a young age, while others comment on following his words to achieve something they never thought they would. It is clear that the name Kobe Bryant is one of the few athletes in history that have transcended sports and become a worldwide phenomenon. While he is usually considered as one of the best players of all time, calling him the outright ‘GOAT’ might be a bit blasphemous, and OKC star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has done just that. “Kobe has five rings, what’s your argument” : Shai Gilgeous-Alexander A recent clip of the Canadian reflecting his take on the ‘GOAT’ debate has gone viral in social media. In a heated debate with young fans, Shai was dead set on the Black Mamba being his pick for the greatest basketball player ever. While the young fans could not change his mind and followed with another question of who is the best all-round player, the 26-year-old still had the same answer. “Kobe Bryant is Michael Jordan, just on steroids… What’re you talking about? Kobe has five rings. What’s your argument? And I’m saying all around, Kobe Bryant,” said the Canadian. The number of rings is always a huge talking point when it comes to the ‘GOAT’ debate, and Shai’s comment on Bryant having five rings may well be the only respectable take coming from the clip. Apart from this, the only other argument one can make on behalf of Kobe would be that he has been more influential than both MJ and LeBron, but that’s about it. The Canadian’s take on Bryant being the greatest is obviously his own personal opinion. Fans on social media have already disproved this opinion, also terming it as ‘disrespectful’, just for the simple fact that MJ and LeBron James are the most complete players in basketball history. While Kobe was mainly the focal point when it came to shooting and scoring, this duo has involved themselves in every aspect of the game. Not to mention, Michael Jordan was the mentor of the Black Mamba in his initial years, the time when he decided to base his gameplay on the Chicago Bulls icon. “He used to call me, text me, 11:30 p.m., 2:30 a.m., 3:00 a.m., talking about post-up moves, footwork, the triangle (offense). At first, it was an aggravation, but then it turned into a certain passion. This kid had passion like you would never know,” Michael Jordan about the time Kobe Bryant was trying to learn his move set (via NBA.com). Over the years, Jordan has mentioned Bryant countless times, as the two became great friends in addition to the Black Mamba calling him as his elder brother. Jordan was one of the most important people in Bryant’s life, and played a huge part on Bryant becoming one of the greats in the industry. Also Read: “He will probably be the number one candidate for MVP” : Gilbert Arenas makes bold prediction about Luka Doncic ahead of the new NBA season

Lewis Hamilton
Formula 1

“Max Verstappen is probably the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1” : Gerhard Berger chooses Dutchman over Lewis Hamilton as the greatest F1 driver

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“Max Verstappen is probably the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1” : Gerhard Berger chooses Dutchman over Lewis Hamilton as the greatest F1 driver The debate around the greatest F1 driver of all time usually revolves around two drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. Both are tied with seven world championships each, with the German winning two with Benetton and a record five-in-a-row with Scuderia Ferrari from 2000-2004. Although, the Briton is usually considered higher than the German when it comes to rankings, as he also has the most wins, podium finishes, pole positions and overall Grand Prix victories. Lewis Hamilton last won the championship in 2020 with Mercedes, and came agonizingly close to break the record the next year, only to be beaten by the current best driver in the world, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. The 26-year-old has now won three world championships in a row, and is the current favourite for this year’s as well. Verstappen is 59 points ahead of his immediate competition in McLaren’s Lando Norris, and with just six Grand Prix left for the season, it seems like the Dutchman will tie Sebastien Vettel and Alian Prost at four world championships soon. “Neither Ayrton Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool” : Gerhard Berger believes Max Verstappen is the real deal Ever since the Dutchman’s uprising as the best in the business, he has been compared to Lewis Hamilton. For many, the Briton is the benchmark when it comes to F1 greats, but recently, another F1 icon Gerhard Berger, made a surprising statement on who he believes is the absolute best. “He thinks through where you can overtake and where you can’t. Neither (Ayrton) Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool. It’s just noticeable that Max is always in the right place. At the start, in the first corner, in a duel. I can’t think of anything that could be done better than him. That’s why Max Verstappen is probably the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1,” said the Austrian, speaking with Auto Motor und Sport. As true as the 65-year-old’s comments may be, it would be far fetched to say that the Dutchman is already the greatest F1 driver of all time. Obviously, he possesses the tools to become the best, but has a long way ahead to catch up with the likes of Hamilton and Schumacher; and if we look stats wise, he is currently nowhere near the best of the duo. But age can play a major factor for Verstappen to be considered the ‘GOAT’, as he is only 26 years old and already on his way of capturing his fourth world title. If he can keep up with the same consistency for the rest of his career, we may very well see the first F1 driver with double digit championships to his name. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

Mikel Arteta
Football

“I didn’t enjoy because I didn’t sleep much” : Mikel Arteta admits to have had sleepless nights prior to Arsenal’s narrow victory over Tottenham Hotspur

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“I didn’t enjoy because I didn’t sleep much” : Mikel Arteta admits to have had sleepless nights prior to Arsenal’s narrow victory over Tottenham Hotspur Club football is finally back after the two-week international break, as matchday four of the Premier League just concluded, with the North London Derby being the highlight of the weekend. The Gunners were narrowly able to beat Spurs 1-0 in a match where key players were missing. Declan Rice was exempted to play after receiving a suspension while Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori were all out after suffering injury blows during and before the international break. Kieran Tierny and Takehiro Tomiyasu were also ruled out. Although Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes’ second-half header was enough to seal the victory, it was anything but a pretty matchup. The first-half in itself saw seven yellow cards, as things got heated up between players of the two teams. Ange Postecoglou’s team was the unlucky side, as they failed to convert the many chances they had made in the 18-yard box. What Mikel Arteta had to say about the win over their rivals Even before the match started, the Spainard received issues due to the many injuries occurring in the span of 2-3 weeks in the squad, especially of their captain Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian suffered an ankle injury during the international break and will also be missing Sunday’s mega-clash against Premier League champions Manchester City. The Spainard admitted that he lost sleep preparing days before the derby. “I didn’t enjoy [the preparation] because I didn’t sleep much, I looked ahead to Spurs for four or five days and I had a super clear plan how to do it. I prepared all the meetings, the training sessions and everything. Then I get the news that we’ve lost a player, and then another player and then another player, and I had to completely change it and adapt the plan to the players that we had available. So, it was a great challenge,” the Spaniard said in the post-match press conference. “The second we started to get that news, the team got hungrier and hungrier to play that game. It’s a big compliment to everybody at the club to behave in a certain way. It’s a tough week coming and instead of finding any excuses we did the opposite. We faced the challenge, played with courage and acknowledged the qualities we had to win the game,” the 42-year-old added. Apart from lauding the team’s resilience and performance, the Gunners manager separately acknowledged the efforts put in by his Brazilian defender, and revealed how far he has come about as a person and a player. “The way he has evolved first as a person and then in his role in the club and the team has been phenomenal. It has been great to watch. This is why we are here, this is one of my passions to give players the environment, the support and coaching to grow, to prepare them for life and to get to levels they probably didn’t think [they could reach] before. Gabriel is one of the best examples of that. Why? He loves what he does, he applies himself extremely well and he wants it. When that happens, good things happen to these kinds of people,” said Arteta. The Gunners currently sit second on the table, just two points behind Pep Guardiola’s side, who have remained unbeaten so far. Their next challenge lies in the UEFA Champions League against current Europa League winners Atalanta this Friday, just two days before they have to travel away to the Etihad stadium and face their biggest competition in the Premier League.  Also Read: “This year Declan has to change that” : Yaya Toure provides key difference between Rodri and Declan Rice

Jannik Sinner
Tennis

“He is the most relaxed person I’ve ever seen beside of Roger before a Slam final” : Andy Roddick compares Jannik Sinner to Roger Federer after US Open final

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“He is the most relaxed person I’ve ever seen beside of Roger before a Slam final” : Andy Roddick compares Jannik Sinner to Roger Federer after US Open final Amidst facing criticism due to his recent doping controversy, Jannik Sinner showed the world why he is the top ranked player in tennis as he dominated his way to win the US Open. He also added another hard-court Grand Slam title to his collection this year. Amongst the array of celebrities present in the Flushing Meadows, former 2003 winner Andy Roddick also showed up in the latter stages of the tournament. The American had not met the Italian yet, and was vividly surprised to see his performance in the knockout stages. Before seeing the youngster comfortably win the final in straight sets against Taylor Fritz, Roddick had gotten the chance to meet the Italian and his team, and was left impressed by his mentality and composure pre-match, so much so that he compared Sinner to one of the members of the ‘Big 3’. “He plays and is not very stressed” : Andy Roddick analyses Jannik Sinner’s attitude which has led him to the top Speaking on his podcast ‘Served with Andy Roddick’, the American revealed how he had never seen a player more calm than the Italian was before a major final, apart from his friend and rival Roger Federer. “I had never met Jannik Sinner before in my life. I don’t know a lot of the players because I’m not at all the tournaments. I said hello quickly and then got out of the way because my biggest fear ever is being in someone’s way when they’re getting ready for a match or something,” said Roddick. “But he is the most relaxed person I’ve ever seen beside of Roger before a Slam final. It feels like he has this very quiet confidence about the way that he goes about things. Even his celebrations aren’t for anyone else, it’s like this relief like okay and you feel like he was ready to start again like an hour after the US Open, which is a problem for the rest of the earth,” the 42-year-old added. Andy Roddick also talked about the Italian’s post-match attitude just after winning the US Open, and analysed how this mindset separates him from other players who have way more experience under their belt. “After the match Jannik was talking about his shots and how he wanted to get back to work right away to improve, all this just an hour after the US Open and it’s really intimidating. He plays and is not very stressed.”  After an eventful summer, winning both the US and Cincinnati Open, all while facing heavy criticism for his doping allegations, Jannik Sinner is off to a well-deserved break. He will feature in the final ATP tournaments of the season, where he hopes to increase his lead as the world no.1 ranked player. Also Read: “He managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive” : Casper Ruud defends Jannik Sinner as the tennis world divides on the Italian’s doping case

Featured

“We’re coming to New York to play, and they’re talking about LeBron” : David Lee reveals what fueled Kobe Bryant to deliver historic 61 point game in MSG

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“We’re coming to New York to play, and they’re talking about LeBron” : David Lee reveals what fueled Kobe Bryant to deliver historic 61 point game in MSG Former New York Knicks player David Lee was recently invited to the ‘Garden Party’ podcast with Edie Falco, where they discussed many topics, including reminiscing about the 2000’s Knicks era, and the impact 9/11 had on the Madison Square Garden arena and the players. Amongst all this, David Lee also opened up about the ‘Dream Week’, where the Knicks hosted Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, LeBron James’s Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, and the reigning NBA champions Boston Celtics on Friday in the iconic MSG arena. But during this week, the NYC media caused a lot of hype around LeBron James coming to town, which sidelined the ‘Mamba’. As we already know, Kobe Bryant used to possess the biggest ego during his prime years, and this ‘insult’ obviously did not sit well with him. “I may have been wrong. He might be able to do this by himself” : David Lee reveals hilarious interaction with coach Mike D’Antoni Although the hype around LeBron James, a then well-established star who did not reach his fullest potential yet, was somewhat justified, David Lee recalls that Kobe Bryant took this matter personally. “So, Kobe hears this, and he’s like, ‘Wait a second. You mean to tell me we’re coming to New York to play, and they’re talking about LeBron? That’s what everyone’s talking about right now? We’re the best team in the West right now,’” said Lee. The American also addressed his hilarious talk with coach Mike D’Antoni about how difficult it will be to stop Bryant from wreaking havoc. “So, I go back, Mike D’Antoni’s our coach. I said, ‘Mike, man. I don’t know what’s about to happen, but it’s not gonna be good.’ Mike’s a really fun-loving guy, and he goes, ‘Well s***, David, he can’t beat us by himself.’ So I go, ‘OK.’ So, he gets the jump ball and walks right in, and makes a three. Then he makes like another driving layup. He’s got like seven points in the first few minutes. Coach calls a timeout, he goes, ‘I may have been wrong. He might be able to do this by himself,”  the 41-year-old recalled. Sure enough, with just under four minutes left on the clock, the ‘Mamba’ went on to break the MSG scoring record previously set by Bernard King, boasting a total of 61 points. The Lakers ended up winning the game by nine points, while also winning the 2009 NBA Finals that season, the first for Kobe Bryant without Shaquille O’Neal in the team. Also Read: “He will probably be the number one candidate for MVP” : Gilbert Arenas makes bold prediction about Luka Doncic ahead of the new NBA season

Tennis

“That feeling of getting it done with your friends on the team, the energy is amazing” : Taylor Fritz on his motivation to participate in the Laver Cup with teammates who are otherwise rivals

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“That feeling of getting it done with your friends on the team, the energy is amazing” : Taylor Fritz on his motivation to participate in the Laver Cup with teammates who are otherwise rivals The main part of this year’s tennis season is over, with the prestigious four Grand Slam tournaments concluded. But there a few more tournaments left till the end of the year, and the Laver Cup is one of the most watched ones. Envisioned by Roger Federer, it brings out a new and different team format compared to the rest of the tournaments, and fans are able to watch all their favorrite players in action at the same time. This year’s Laver Cup is being held in Berlin, and starts from September 20.  World no.7 Taylor Fritz will be making his fourth appearance in the Laver Cup. The American has had a wonderful year till now, climbing into the top 10 ATP rankings, after getting runners-up in the US Open, winning bronze in the men’s doubles at the Olympics, and also winning the Delray Beach Open and Eastbourne International. But despite all these huge accolades, the 26-year-old has revealed that he seems to be enjoying participating in the Laver Cup much more than other tournaments, due to him not competing individually, and that he gets to be in a team which consists of all of his friends. “Getting the chance to celebrate with the team is always my favorite” : Taylor Fritz The Laver Cup can be termed as a ‘friendly’ in other sports terms, due to its exciting yet competitive nature where the best players in the world come together as ‘Team Europe’ and ‘Team World’. Due to these factors, it also puts less pressure on the players individually. Taylor Fritz recently cited out some interesting statements as to why he personally loves participating in the tournament. “Laver Cup is one of the most fun weeks of the year, being in this team environment, playing for Team World, being on the team with all my friends, just having that team energy competing and trying to win something together — that’s something we normally don’t do in tennis,” said the American in a recent interview (via lavercup.com). “Getting the chance to celebrate with the team is always my favorite, it’s something that you don’t get to do in tennis because it’s individual, you’re only celebrating with your team, you’re not celebrating with the other players so that’s something that’s always so fun for me. I have more fun when I’m around all the guys and we’re hanging out and we’re all rooting for each other. We all want the same thing, you know?” the US Open runner-up added. Apart from having fun in the tournament, Fritz also said that the team knows its main objective – to win the Laver Cup. “We all really care about it, I think both teams always want to win, it’s been such a prestigious event. That feeling of getting it done with your friends on the team, the energy is amazing,” said the 26-year-old. Taylor Fritz will team-up with Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Francisco Cerundolo, and Alejandro Tabilo as they go up against the best in Europe led by Carlos Alcaraz this coming weekend. Also Read: “He managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive” : Casper Ruud defends Jannik Sinner as the tennis world divides on the Italian’s doping case

Formula 1

“I knew it was going to be a disastrous race as soon as this decision was made last night” : Lewis Hamilton disheartened after finishing ninth at Azerbaijan GP

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“I knew it was going to be a disastrous race as soon as this decision was made last night” : Lewis Hamilton disheartened after finishing ninth at Azerbaijan GP Ever since the F1 season resumed after the summer break, Lewis Hamilton has finished in eighth, fifth, and now in ninth position in the recently concluded Azerbaijan GP. The German team’s resurgence this season has been put on a halt as they have been unable to meet their competition. For Hamilton and co., the race seemed to already be a bust after he finished seventh in qualifying at the Baku City Circuit last Saturday. To make matters worse, the Briton had to start Sunday’s 51-lap race from pit lane after Mercedes decided to fit in a new engine, as he struggled to cover up the vast ground. If not for the crash between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez who were fighting for the third spot, the Briton would have finished outside the top 10. Throughout the race, the Briton felt let down by his car yet again, and the communication in the team radio was tensed more often than not. Hamilton also complained about certain balance issues in the car which gave him a very hard time in the circuit.  “It was the worst balance I’ve probably ever had. Basically, I had so much front end but no rears I had to turn… it’s not the way you drive. I had to yank the steering to break the traction from the front and slide the front through every corner,” said the 39-year-old (via Crash.net). “It’s the weirdest way I had to drive. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to overtake. It’s difficult to follow in the middle, but at least be close at the end. I don’t know why our pace was so bad on our side. It happens,” a disappointed Hamilton added. Addressing the media after the race, the Briton revealed that they had a great car on Friday, but after making a few tweaks coming into Saturday led them the wrong way. He also already knew it was going to be a ‘tough day’ before the race, and that the engine penalty made matters even worse. “I knew it was going to be a disastrous race as soon as this decision was made last night,” said the seven-time world champion (via Sky Sports). “That was a horror race” : Mercedes boss sympathizes with Lewis Hamilton Similarly, the Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff was not the happiest man after the race, but seeing the difficulties Hamilton had to overcome throughout the race, tried to be more comforting about the whole thing. “Lewis, good to make it to the end, that was a horror race. I can so relate to it, we can all relate to it. At least we have taken the penalty now. Let’s move forward, look forward.” said Wolff (via PlanetF1.com). In a race where the 39-year-old’s teammate George Russell finished at podium, these words were hardly comforting and were given the silent treatment. It was also revealed that Hamilton and Wolff were at odds for the power unit change, but it ultimately came down to the “team’s decision”, which the Mercedes boss tried to explain. “We knew that it was going to be a race of misery because it’s so difficult to overtake in Baku. And that’s what it was. The moment you come closer, you overheat the tyres and then you go backwards and I think this is what happened to him. But lots to learn.” said the Austrian. “There’s two different philosophies, and we discussed it at length. One, you just swallow the pill here, because starting from P7, we don’t know where that would have gone, and then doing it in Austin. But we feel that Austin is an opportunity, and so that was the decision. Right or wrong? I don’t know, it was a close call,” the 52-year-old added. The AMG Petronas won three out of four races before the summer but have failed to find the same form till now. But Toto Wolff believes the new floor in the US Grand Prix, which comes right after Singapore, will improve their performances. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

Football

Lionel Messi on verge of creating Inter Miami history

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Lionel Messi on verge of creating Inter Miami history When news first broke out last year of Lionel Messi’s shock transfer to MLS and David Beckham’s side Inter Miami, you could say that pretty much everyone knew the little magician will bring about a massive change to the Miami-based team, not just financially but also a big boost in the team’s performances. The Argentinian first showed the western world a glimpse of his greatness at the age of 36, when he carried Inter Miami to win the Leagues Cup title, their first ever trophy. In just seven games, Messi scored 10 goals and provided one assist as he was crowned the tournament’s best player and top scorer. As for the current season, although the 37-year-old has missed quite a few games due to injuries, he has still been able to rack up 24 goal contributions in just 13 games, which just goes to show his insane consistency and being able to naturally perform at his level regardless of how long he was out. Inter Miami currently sit at the top of the table courtesy of Messi and his former Blaugrana teammates, but the Argentinian is soon about to create his own piece of history, yet again. Lionel Messi is on his way to become Inter Miami’s top scorer Inter Miami’s current all-time top scorer is another Argentinian in Gonzalo Higuain, but that will not be the case for too long. ‘El Pipita’ scored 29 goals for the side in 70 games, and if it wasn’t for the arrival of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, this record could well have been up there for years. The eight-time Ballon d’or winner has currently scored 27 goals in just 30 games for the Miami side, and needs just three more to break the record. But it is really not that surprising to see the Argentinian thriving, especially since it’s the MLS, a league far less competitive than the teams and the competition he has had to face over the prime years of his career. Whether we remember the end-to-end LaLiga games against the two Madrid sides, or Champions League nights against the biggest of the teams, Lionel Messi has found a way to change the game in each and every match, be it him scoring, assisting, dribbling or the creative playmaking. Although, it is still commendable that the little man is able to take charge over games at the age of 37. Coming back two months after a devastating ankle injury in the final of the Copa America, the Argentinian did not lose a step and was able to provide three goal contributions against Philadelphia Union with ease. With six games to go, Inter Miami are comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 10-point lead, and a returning Messi would be the key for them in the MLS Playoffs. But for now, the Argentinian sets his sight on becoming the all-time top scorer for the Miami side. Also Read: “This year Declan has to change that” : Yaya Toure provides key difference between Rodri and Declan Rice

Luka Doncic
Featured

“He will probably be the number one candidate for MVP” : Gilbert Arenas makes bold prediction about Luka Doncic ahead of the new NBA season

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“He will probably be the number one candidate for MVP” : Gilbert Arenas makes bold prediction about Luka Doncic ahead of the new NBA season Ever since his arrival in the NBA from Real Madrid, Luka Doncic has easily been a top five scorer in the league, in addition to performing well in other aspects of the game. The Slovenian has now entered the prime of his career, which he has been showcasing from the past two seasons. The 25-year-old has averaged more than 32 points over the past two seasons, while being very close of averaging a triple-double. Coming off sensational season after season, the Dallas Mavericks star is also rumoured to be the chosen replacement of LeBron James, for the 17-time NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers. Had the Mavericks won over the Celtics in last season’s NBA Finals, the Slovenian would have been the sure shot MVP as well. Recently, former three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas made his choice of Luka Doncic being the MVP for next season and what the 25-year-old should be aiming for. “I’d be surprised if he don’t average a triple-double” : Gilbert Arenas On the Gils Arena Show, the 42-year-old spoke highly of the Slovenian, and believes that he would be surprised if Doncic does not average a triple-double next season, especially with the addition of Klay Thompson in the Dallas Mavericks. “I’d be surprised if he don’t average a triple-double. If you was averaging that many assists with what you had, and now you have a guy who’s a catch-and-shoot. Some of your assists will come without even any effort this time. You should average a triple-double. He will probably be the number one candidate for MVP. He’s going to do something that hasn’t been done in a few years, and that’s average a triple-double,” said the former Warriors man. Gilbert Arenas also pointed out that he does not want to put pressure on the 25-year-old, but if he was so close to averaging a triple-double with ‘what he had’, the addition of Klay Thompson in the team would make assists ‘effortless’ for him. The Warriors icon is coming off a season where he averaged 18 ppg, and would be a huge boost for Doncic and the Mavericks. The last player to average a triple-double was Russell Westbrook in 2021 with the Washington Wizards. Arenas’s statement may well be true because, seeing how the current state of the NBA is, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks’ only real competition will come from the Boston Celtics again later on in the season, and the Slovenian could very well rack up the assists and rebounds required to average a triple-double with the help of his new teammate Klay Thompson.  Also Read: “I know I can jump higher” : Mondo Duplantis on setting greater world records

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