data-mm-id=”_lcsokz49k”>Skip Bayless is on the verge of flipping on LeBron James. I'm sure of it. The man who has spent the better part of the last decade questioning every move King James makes seems ready to switch sides and start moonlighting as LeBron's hype man. He's been doing it for the last month out of nowhere, even going as far as saying he's "all-in" on LeBron and the Lakers winning the title because of his belief that LeBron is more focused than the rest of the top players. He added to his LeBron-Lakers MC duties today by saying James and teammate Anthony Davis could be the best duo since Shaq and Kobe. Let the dunking begin. "LeBron and AD have the potential to be the best duo since Shaq and Kobe, but they've done absolutely zero together. Together Shaq & Kobe won 3-straight championships and 70% of their playoff games." @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/RoPyBEDZkn— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 30, 2020First of all, Skip, if you're basing your belief that LeBron and AD aren't on the same level as Shaq and Kobe based on their lack of a championship, how are they even in the conversation of best duo since Shaq and Kobe? Quite frankly, they're not even in the same conversation as LeBron and Dwyane Wade or LeBron and Kyrie. Secondly, not getting into Kevin Durant and Steph Curry was a big mistake by Skip here. They're clearly two of the top 15-20 players of all time and instead of focusing on them, he goes with Klay Thompson and Curry, which is moronic. Thompson is a great shooter and top-flight defender. But he's not in the same conversation as Durant. Skip then starts talking about Tim Duncan and Tony Parker as being eligible for the title of best duo since Shaq and Kobe. I get that he loves the Spurs, but Tony Parker isn't a Top-50 player of all time. He was great in their system and great in the playoffs, but his limitations on defense and shooting from deep render that point moot. The answer to this debate is Durant and Curry as the best duo since Shaq and Kobe. LeBron and AD would need two titles to match them. Until that happens, let's bury this debate alongside Skip.
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After recording their lowest-ever Premier League finish last season, United looked set to be frustrated at Old Trafford on Friday until their new striker diverted a deft finish past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the 87th minute.
Introduced midway through the second half by Erik ten Hag, Zirkzee applied the crucial touch to fellow substitute Alejandro Garnacho’s teasing centre to settle the contest.
Bruno Fernandes had earlier squandered United’s best chances, with Leno in excellent form for the visitors, making two saves from the Portuguese playmaker in swift succession.
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Best odds: 6/5
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Sassuolo welcome Lazio to the Stadio Citta del Tricolore on Sunday to do battle for the points needed fairly strongly by both sides, though for different reasons, and it promises to be a fierce encounter.
Sassuolo
Having had a fine 2021/22 season, being near the top of the Serie A for a while before going back down and finishing 11th, Sassuolo are now back fighting to stay in the league. Their case is not exactly desperate at this point, given that they re 16th at the moment with 16 points, seven more than Verona in the red zone, with Spezia sitting in between. For Verona, as well as Sampdoria and Cremonese further down, things don t look too promising.
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Everton are ready to pay £12 million for Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz, according to . The report has claimed that Premier League club Everton have made a formal move for the Chile international striker, with Championship outfit Blackburn looking fo £15 million.
The report has claimed that the Toffees registered their official interest in Diaz on Wednesday. Blackburn believe that Leeds could bid for the Chilean striker as well before the summer transfer window closes.
Diaz had a loan spell at Blackburn from Nottingham Forest in 2018-19 and subsequently made the deal permanent. The striker has progressed and developed as a player at Rovers and is now considered as one of the best footballers in the Championship. The 23-year-old has scored two goals and giv…
Villarreal have signed Brazilian goalkeeper Luiz Junior from Portuguese club Famalicao, the LaLiga side announced on Tuesday.
Junior, who kept eight clean sheets in 33 Liga Portugal appearances last season, has signed a six-year deal for a reported £10.2m transfer fee.
The 23-year-old made 111 saves last year, a total only bettered by Boavista s Joao Goncalves (112) and Farense s Ricardo Velho (140).
He conceded 39 times in the league, averaging a save percentage of 73.47%, the second highest of any goalkeeper to make over 30 appearances last campaign.
Junior made 140 appearances for Famalicao, keeping 42 clean sheets and conceding 178 goals across his four-year stint with the club.
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The 30-year-old has also yet to assist a goal in his 439 minutes on the field and was substituted off shortly before the hour mark in Saturday s 2-1 league win over Crystal Palace.
However, United have scored 13 goals across the six games Weghorst has played in, winning four of those, and he has received the backing of manager Ten Hag.
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Nuno Mendes added a third after Neymar s shot had cannoned back off the post as PSG racked up 24 goals after their first six games.
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Ademola Lookman struck a brace as a youthful Everton signed off from an underwhelming Europa League campaign with a 3-0 win at Apollon Limassol on Thursday.
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The visitors clearly had an eye on Sunday s derby against Liverpool in handing starting debuts to young trio Harry Charsley, Fraser Hornby and Morgan Feeney.
Lookman took his opportunity to impress by heading in the opener in the 21st minute, before he unleashed a long-range rocket soon after to effectively sew up third spot ahead of the Cypriot champions.
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Pep Guardiola can return to Barcelona whenever he wants according to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who said he sees the Manchester City coach running the club s famous La Masia training academy.
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He s a genius and he has the doors of his house open whenever he wants, Bartomeu told The Times.
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Odds: 7/10 @
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Andrea Pirlo will be aiming to add to his UEFA Champions League triumphs claimed as a player as he takes charge of Juventus in the Round of 16 for the first time against Porto at the Estádio do Dragão.
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FC Porto
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