Sports
Promise David recovers from injury to make Canada's World Cup roster
Jun 29, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Canada forward Promise David (24) makes a penalty kick during a quarterfinal match of the 2025 Gold Cup at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images Less than four months after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured hip tendon, striker Promise David was named to Canada’s roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday night.
David, 24, suffered the injury Feb. 21 while playing with Union SG of the Belgian Pro League. He was told recovery time would take six months.
“I did not think it was possible. I’m not going to lie,” David told TSN. “When I had to opt in for the decision to get the surgery … they told me, ‘We don’t see people come back from this quickly as they should.’ I kind of gave up.”
Then he got an encouraging call from Jesse Marsch, Canada’s head coach.
“He said, ‘We’re going to give you as much time as you need. You’ll be fine,'” David said. “I was like, ‘If he’s banking on me, there’s no reason I shouldn’t bank on myself.”
Another player recovering from a setback, captain Alphonso Davies, made the roster despite suffering a left hamstring injury earlier this month while playing with Bayern Munich.
“We just wanted to go through the process with Alphonso and Bayern Munich and make sure that he was set up to succeed and we weren’t putting additional pressure on him,” Marsch told TSN. “Alphonso is a big personality and a big player for us, and we wanted to make sure in all ways we were setting him up to succeed, that we were all collaborating in this return-to-play process.”
Marsch said “it’s too early to tell” when Davies will play for Canada, a co-host nation that opens Group B play June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
“Will we be 100% with every player on the roster? No, we won’t be,” Marsch said of the first match. “But we feel like we have enough guys that are playing at a high level that are in really good form … to get the result that we need.”
CANADA WORLD CUP ROSTER
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Owen Goodman, Dayne St. Clair
Defenders: Moise Bombito, Derek Cornelius, Alphonso Davies, Luc De Fougerolles, Alistair Johnston, Alfie Jones, Richie Laryea, Niko Sigur, Joel Waterman
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed, Tajon Buchanan, Mathieu Choiniere, Stephen Eustaquio, Marcelo Flores, Ismael Kone, Liam Millar, Jonathan Osorio, Nathan Saliba, Jacob Shaffelburg
Forwards: Jonathan David, Promise David, Cyle Larin, Tani Oluwaseyi
–Field Level Media
Sports
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Spurs' Victor Wembanyama ready for rare Game 7
Dec 23, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images It didn’t take long after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Western Conference Final Game 6 loss to the San Antonio Spurs for Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to start turning the page.
“Oh, I’m good. I’m ready to go,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Biggest game of my career.”
That’s bold talk for a player that has led his team to a Game 7 win in the NBA Finals last season.
But Gilgeous-Alexander is putting that kind of weight on Saturday’s Game 7 matchup with the Spurs in Oklahoma City for a berth in the NBA Finals.
It didn’t take long after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Western Conference Final Game 6 loss to the San Antonio Spurs for Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to start turning the page.
“Oh, I’m good. I’m ready to go,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Biggest game of my career.”
That’s bold talk for a player that led his team to a Game 7 win in the NBA Finals last season.
But Gilgeous-Alexander is putting that kind of weight on Saturday’s Game 7 matchup with the Spurs in Oklahoma City for a berth in the NBA Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t been efficient in the series, shooting just 37.9% from the floor,
It’s the first Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals since Golden State-Houston in 2018 and just the sixth Conference Finals Game 7 between top two seeds since the 16-team format began in 1983.
The winner will take on the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals beginning Wednesday.
Saturday’s game will be the fifth Game 7 of these playoffs, tied for the most winner-take-all games in a single postseason.
Home teams have split the previous four, with the 76ers and Cavaliers finishing off series with Game 7 wins on the road.
The Thunder will try to turn things around after San Antonio led wire-to-wire in Game 6.
“It’s a double-edged sword, right?” Oklahoma City guard Alex Caruso said. “You gotta put it behind you, clear the mind, and get ready to compete again, but also learn from what you did wrong and try to figure out how you can be better.”
During last season’s run to the NBA Championship, the Thunder won a pair of Game 7s at home, both after losing Game 6 by double figures.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said those experiences will help.
“Take the lessons from tonight that are relevant for Game 7 and be ready to go out there and throw our best punch,” Daigneault said.
While Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder have Game 7 experience, this will be the first such situation for the Spurs and star Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama is averaging 28.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game during the series.
After being somewhat passive in Game 5, Wembanyama set the tone in Game 6 and finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds. He’s shooting 48.2% from the floor in the series.
“I think that’s his biggest growth this year is not waiting to be perfect or necessarily knowing what to do all the time,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said, “but attack the moment and have the right approach and live with the results.”
Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is expected to remain throughout the rest of its playoff run despite reportedly closing in on a deal to coach Orlando, according to reports Friday.
Sweeney has been a key to the defensive improvement that has helped make San Antonio a title contender this season.
In Thursday’s Game 6 win, it was the Spurs’ defense that kickstarted the 20-0 third-quarter run that put the game away.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Cavs GM Mike Gansey to lead basketball operations for 76ers
![May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates with guard Tyrese Maxey (0) and guard Vj Edgecombe (77)] following their win over the Boston Celtics in game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images](https://dailyfacthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/28868982.jpg)
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates with guard Tyrese Maxey (0) and guard Vj Edgecombe (77)] following their win over the Boston Celtics in game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey has been named the Philadelphia 76ers’ president of basketball operations, according to multiple reports Friday.
Gansey, 43, replaces Daryl Morey, who parted ways with Philadelphia on May 12 after six seasons as the franchise’s top decision-maker for on-court matters.
A former college basketball player at West Virginia who helped the Mountaineers reach the 2005 Elite Eight, Gansey joined Cleveland’s front office during the 2011-12 season and steadily rose up the ranks to become the team’s general manager in February 2022. The Cavaliers averaged 53.8 wins during Gansey’s four full seasons at the helm and reached the Eastern Conference finals this year.
Gansey will report to Josh Harris and the Sixers’ ownership group — Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) — as well as to Bob Myers, who as GM and President of the Golden State Warriors was the architect of four NBA championship teamss (2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022). Myers was hired last October as President of Sports for HBSE.
Gansey will lead a franchise that has failed to advance past the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2001. After missing the playoffs in 2024-25 amid injuries to Joel Embiid and other key players, they rebounded to go 45-37 this season and earn the seventh seed in the East. They upset the Boston Celtics in a seven-game first-round series before the New York Knicks swept them out of the conference semis.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alexander Zverev suddenly heavy French Open favorite
Germany’s Alexander Zverev during his third round match against France’s Quentin Halys at the French Open on May 29, 2026.
Alexander Zverev is widely viewed as the best active player yet to win a Grand Slam event, but the German is suddenly favored to remove his name from that list following the early exits of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic at the French Open.
Zverev, 29, had the second-shortest odds at most sportsbooks to begin the tournament, but he was still a longshot compared to Sinner, who was the -325 pre-tournament favorite at BetMGM and -340 at DraftKings. Zverev was offered at +900 and +1100, respectively, just head of Djokovic at +1100 at both books.
However, Sinner was dispatched in the second round after struggling with the heat wave in Paris this week. Djokovic followed with a third-round loss on Friday.
Suddenly, and quite shockingly, that thrust Zverev into the heavy favorite status. The 2024 French Open finalist is being offered at +135 by BetMGM and +120 by DraftKings. The former has Casper Ruud at +550 ahead of rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar (+600) and Brazil’s Joao Fonseca (+800), who upset Djokovic.
DraftKings is offering Jodar with the second-shortest odds at +550, followed by Ruud (+600) and Fonseca (+750).
There are no players remaining in the men’s draw who have won a Grand Slam event.
The top remaining American is Frances Tiafoe, who is a +3300 longshot at BetMGM and +3500 at DraftKings.
With Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz unable to defend his title due to a wrist injury, this year’s French Open will feature the first Grand Slam champion other than Alcaraz, Sinner or Djokovic since Rafael Nadal won the 2022 French Open.
–Field Level Media
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Spurs' Victor Wembanyama ready for rare Game 7
Reports: Cavs GM Mike Gansey to lead basketball operations for 76ers
