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Bob Lanier, the left-handed big man who muscled up beside the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as one of the NBA’s top players of the 1970s, died Tuesday. He was 73.The NBA said Lanier died after a short illness. The Hall of Famer had worked for the league as a global ambassador. The Athletic reported in 2019 that Lanier was being treated for bladder cancer.AdvertisementLanier played 14 seasons for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks and averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds for his career. He is third on the Pistons career list in both points and rebounds. They drafted Lanier with the No. 1 pick in 1970 after he led St. Bonaventure to the Final Four.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Lanier was among the most talented centers in league history and added that his accomplishments went far beyond what he did on the court.Advertisement“For more than 30 years, Bob served as our global ambassador and as a special assistant to David Stern and then me, traveling the world to teach the game’s values and make a positive impact on young people everywhere,” Silver said in a statement. “It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around.”Lanier went into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. But his boat-size shoes got there ahead of him with a display of his bronzed sneakers in the shrine.He was known for wearing size 22 shoes, although that was disputed in 1989 by a Converse representative, who told the Atlanta Constitution that Lanier wore size 18½.“The 22 he was reputed to wear was a Korean size,” shoe rep Gary Stoken said.Not contested was the abundantly clear fact that his feet were big.“A lot of people can put both feet into one of my shoes,” Lanier told Hoop magazine.Bucks center Bob Lanier (16) moves to the basket as the 76ers’ Darryl Dawkins defends during an NBA playoff game April 13, 1981, in Milwaukee. (Steve Pyle/AP)Born Sept. 10, 1948, in Buffalo, N.Y., Lanier starred in college at St. Bonaventure, where he averaged 27.6 points and 15.7 rebounds in three seasons. The Bonnies made it all the way to the Final Four in 1970, but Lanier had injured his knee in the regional final and St. Bonaventure lost in the national semifinals to Artis Gilmore and Jacksonville.Lanier overcame a litany of orthopedic injuries, dealing with shoulder, back, elbow, hand and toe problems during his career. But that didn’t prevent him from earning his place among the top NBA centers of his era. After being named to the all-rookie team in 1971, he averaged at least 21 points and 11 rebounds for each of the next seven seasons. He was an eight-time All-Star and the MVP of the 1974 All-Star Game.AdvertisementLanier could beat opponents from the inside and outside while ruling the boards. Although Abdul-Jabbar had a more famous hook shot, the sky hook, Lanier’s was very much a weapon.“Guys didn’t change teams as much, so when you were facing the Bulls or the Bucks or New York, you had all these rivalries,” Lanier told NBA.com in 2018. “Lanier against Jabbar! Jabbar against Willis Reed! And then (Wilt) Chamberlain and Artis Gilmore and Bill Walton! You had all these great big men and the game was played from inside out.”As exceptional as Lanier was, the Pistons won only one playoff series with him. He played 64 games or fewer in each of his last four full seasons in Detroit. In February 1980, he was traded to the Bucks.Lanier averaged fewer minutes with the Bucks but was part of Milwaukee teams that reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1983 and 1984, the final two seasons of his career.He also served as president of the players union during the final years of his career, with Silver saying Lanier played “a key role in the negotiation of a game-changing collective bargaining agreement.”Bulls center Joakim Noah receives the NBA Cares Community Assist award from NBA legend Bob Lanier on March 18, 2015, at the United Center. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)Lanier was the Pistons career leader in points and rebounds before he was passed by Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer in those categories, and his single-game franchise record of 33 rebounds was topped by Dennis Rodman.AdvertisementIn 1995, Lanier was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, then took over as coach on an interim basis after Don Nelson resigned. Lanier went 12-25, and the Warriors found another coach after the season.Lanier won the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for the 1977-78 season for outstanding community service. After his playing career, he helped start the NBA’s Stay in School campaign and participated in other outreach for the league.“There’s so much need out here,” Lanier said. “When you’re traveling around to different cities and different countries, you see there are so many people in dire straits that the NBA can only do so much. We make a vast, vast difference, but there’s always so much more to do.”

Dear Amy: Fifty-five years ago, when I was young and stupid, I had a child out of wedlock and placed the baby up for adoption.Fast-forward to now. I am married to a different man and have a 48-year-old daughter and a 38-year-old son.AdvertisementI have two grandchildren. My husband knows about my indiscretion, but it never comes up in discussion.Sometimes I struggle with the question: Do my adult children have the right to know that they have a half-brother somewhere? My gut tells me no: “Let a sleeping dog lie.” “Why open up a can of worms?”AdvertisementI know my husband would definitely be against telling our kids about this. We are elderly people and just want to live peaceful lives.Did I just answer my own question? I’m wondering what you think.– WonderingDear Wondering: As long as you see this long-ago pregnancy only as a mistake, an indiscretion, or something that resulted from your own stupidity, you won’t have any motivation to tell the story.And as long as you see this truth as a “sleeping dog” or a “can of worms,” rather than a story about actual human beings, then yes, you will keep a tight lid on it.I see this as an important and very rich part of your own personal history.Alas, I cannot answer your question for you. Yes, I do believe your children have the right to know about a sibling. Not knowing anything about you – or them – I’d like to think that your children might be shocked but would ultimately be very understanding about this long-ago choice.The child you gave birth to might also be searching for his own biological relatives.AdvertisementYes, you have the legal right to deny him this knowledge, but – should you?I do know this: The ubiquity of household DNA testing kits is forcing a lot of stories like yours out into the open. A simple dab of spit can reveal all.You can either try to control the narrative now or deal with family members down the road who would be shocked by the story, and also dismayed by your silence.Like that long-ago choice you made, this one won’t be easy – but maybe you’ll choose a brave uncertainty over peace and quiet. It really is up to you.A counselor would help you to sort out your thinking, and also find the right words to say.Dear Amy: My brother is a widower and a single dad. His wife died two years ago due to cancer and he is raising his nine-year-old daughter.AdvertisementHe is now starting to date again, and met a nice girl on a trip to another country. Even though they don’t live in the same place he is very invested in the relationship with his girlfriend. Whenever he is not working, he talks with her over the phone and video calls.I’m very happy for him but now due to this, my niece is complaining that my brother is not given her any time. She says he spends day and night on the phone and is not spending time with her.I have shared some time with them over the weekends and sadly my niece is not exaggerating.I really don’t want to get involved, but I would like my brother to realize that my niece is missing their father-daughter time with him.I would also like for her to understand that is nice for him to be in a relationship.How can I help them? Do you have any suggestions?Advertisement- Concerned AuntieDear Concerned: You should talk to your brother about this. Ask him to be more aware of the amount of time he is devoting to this new relationship. Given that they are conducting the relationship remotely, hours spent on the phone would be very alienating to his daughter. He needs to be present for his daughter – physically, mentally, and emotionally.You should also offer to spend as much time as possible with your niece. Yes, you can explain to her that it’s a positive thing for her father to embark on another relationship, but no grieving nine-year-old is going to embrace this concept.Ask AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.Dear Amy: “Nervous”[CQ] wrote about how his mother-in-law interferes with their parenting – over FaceTime!The woman isn’t even in the room with them and they allow her to control them!- Scratching my HeadAdvertisementDear Scratching: An overwhelming person doesn’t need to be physically present to make themselves heard. I hope these new parents draw some very firm boundaries.Got a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.©2021 Amy Dickinson.

The Chicago White Sox were ready to turn the page soon after Monday’s “brutal” loss to the Cleveland Guardians.“Once it was over, it was over,” shortstop Tim Anderson said before Tuesday’s game at Guaranteed Rate Field.AdvertisementThe Sox bounced back, beating the Guardians 4-1 in front of 16,025.“Last night was a heartbreaker,” Sox starter Lucas Giolito said. “It was tough, but we’re in a spot where we can self-evaluate very well. We didn’t have to say anything, we didn’t have to have a meeting. We didn’t have to have anything after that game.Advertisement“We knew coming in today what we needed to improve, what we needed to do: Be ready to play hard for nine innings, and that’s what we did.”White Sox designated hitter Gavin Sheets rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Anderson had three hits and two RBIs, Gavin Sheets hit a two-run home run and Giolito pitched seven strong innings as the Sox won for the seventh time in eight games.The only loss during the stretch came Monday, when the Guardians scored six runs in the ninth to tie the game on the way to a stunning 12-9 victory in 11 innings. Afterward manager Tony La Russa described the defeat as “brutal.”Tuesday represented a new day and a different result.“A lot of guys were hurt when it was over (Monday),” La Russa said. “Coaches, manager, everybody. But you’ve got to wipe it clean. That saying is true, you know: The worst you can do is lose today because you’re still moping about yesterday.“So clean the slate and guys were ready to play. The clubhouse was really good before the game. It was a very tight game. We just found a way to break through.”After committing four errors Monday, the Sox didn’t have any Tuesday.“I tip the cap to all the guys behind me today,” Giolito said. “Defense was spectacular.”AdvertisementThe sharp defense included a quick-thinking 6-4-3 double play in the fourth. Owen Miller was on second with one out when Franmil Reyes hit a grounder to Anderson. He tossed the ball to second baseman Josh Harrison, who tagged Miller before he made it back to the base. Harrison then fired to first to complete the double play.“I saw him kind of leak toward my way and I knew I had a shot to get him,” Anderson said. “It was just a matter of if the throw was good, and it was good and (Harrison) did the rest.”Giolito called the double play “cool.”“I had never seen anything like that before,” he said.White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson drives in a run with a single in the fifth inning Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Harrison and Anderson teamed up for the game’s first run in the fifth. Harrison doubled with two outs against Guardians starter Cal Quantrill. Anderson followed with an RBI single.“The biggest thing is really stay inside the baseball and it found a hole,” Anderson said.AdvertisementSheets homered for the second straight game, as his two-run blast in the sixth extended the lead to 3-0.“The last week or so I’ve been in between pitches, missing a lot of fastballs I usually do damage on,” Sheets said. “Missing a couple of hanging sliders. I feel like I’ve kind of calmed down at the plate, gotten smoother a little bit, softened out and was able to catch a couple of breaking balls out in front and was under control.“That’s the biggest thing. Feeling calm at the plate and not rushing, not feeling jerky, and so it’s good two nights.”Josh Naylor, Monday’s hero for the Guardians, hit a solo home run against Giolito in the seventh. It was his third homer of the series after his game-tying grand slam in the ninth and his go-ahead three-run homer in the 11th Monday.Naylor went 2 for 4 Tuesday, but overall Giolito limited the damage. He allowed one run on six hits with five strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.“I could tell early I didn’t have the super zippy fastball,” Giolito said. “It wasn’t like my A-A stuff. It was important to sequence well. (Catcher Yasmani Grandal) did a fantastic job of making adjustments back there and kind of reading what the hitters are trying to do.Advertisement“A lot of quick innings, attacked with the heater and we were able to play my breaking balls and changeups off of it. It ended up being good, getting a lot of contact and weak contact and getting outs and getting through innings.”There was drama in the ninth as the Guardians brought the tying run to the plate with two outs. Andrés Giménez hit a grounder to first and initially was ruled safe as he tried to beat José Abreu to the bag. The call was reversed after a review, giving the Sox their first victory over the Guardians this season (1-4).“A bit nerve-wracking but I think the right call was made there,” Giolito said. “It’s a good win for us.”

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Angels rookie Reid Detmers pitched the majors’ second no-hitter this season, cruising after he benefitted from a borderline error call in the seventh inning as Los Angeles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 12-0 Tuesday night.The 22-year-old left hander threw a career-high 108 pitches in his 11th big league start, striking out two and walking one. He completed the 12th no-hitter in franchise history when Yandy Diaz grounded out shortstop Andrew Velazquez to end the game.Advertisement“I just blacked out,” Detmers said. “I don’t know.”He got a crucial assist from the official scorer in the seventh.AdvertisementBrett Phillips reached with one out when first baseman Jared Walsh ranged to his right and bobbled Phillips’ grounder. The crowd of 39,313 at Angel Stadium cheered and Walsh clapped moments later when the videoboard showed the play was ruled an error.Angels pitcher Reid Detmers (c.) tosses baseball’s second no-hitter of the season. (Ashley Landis/AP)Otherwise, Detmers hardly had any close calls. He retired his first 15 hitters before Taylor Walls drew a lead-off walk in the sixth. Third baseman Anthony Rendon then made a nice leap to snag Vidal Bruján’s line drive, and Kevin Kiermaier ground into a double play to end the inning.Detmers made a nice defensive play in the fifth when he quickly snagged a grounder up the middle by Randy Arozarena.The son of a former minor league pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, Detmers was the 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of the University of Louisville and made his big-league debut last year.He came into the game with a 2-4 career mark and a 6.33 ERA. He was 1-1 with a 5.32 ERA in his first five starts this season.It was the first time Detmers had gone even seven innings in a game. His previous career best was six last season against Houston. He’d never thrown more than 97 pitches in a big league game, either.The last Angels’ no-hitter was on July 12, 2019, when Taylor Cole and Félix Peña combined for one against the Seattle Mariners in the team’s first home game following the death of starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs.Five New York Mets’ pitchers combined for this year’s first no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 29.AdvertisementThere were a record nine no-hitters across the majors last season. The last by a rookie was Arizona’s Tyler Gilbert against San Diego on Aug. 14, 2021. It was Gilbert’s first start.Mike Trout had two home runs for his 22nd multi-homer game of the season and drove in three. Anthony Rendon homered in his first major league at-bat as a left-handed hitter in the eighth when Phillips, usually an outfielder, took the mound in the blowout. Chad Wallach also homered, and the Angels won their third straight.

White Sox reliever Kendall Graveman, left, and first baseman José Abreu (79) have a laugh after a call was reversed on the final play of the game, giving the Sox a 4-1 victory over the Guardians on May 10, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

The PGA Tour is denying releases to golfers who asked to play in the first of a series of Saudi-funded tournaments next month in England, a bold move by Commissioner Jay Monahan in trying to quash Greg Norman’s latest bid to start a lucrative rival league.The first LIV Golf Invitational is scheduled for June 9-11 at Centurion Golf Club outside of London, with a 48-man field competing for a $20 million purse over 54 holes. The winner gets $4 million — to date the richest prize in golf — and last place gets $120,000.AdvertisementThe tour informed the players who are seeking releases late Tuesday afternoon, then notified all players of the decision in a short memo, which was obtained by The Associated Press.“We have notified those who have applied that their request has been declined in accordance with the PGA Tour Tournament Regulations,” the memo said. “As such, Tour members are not authorized to participate in the Saudi Golf League’s London event under our regulations.Advertisement“As a membership organization, we believe this decision is in the best interest of the PGA Tour and its players.”While the names of players who have signed up have not been released, Phil Mickelson said through his agent he asked for a conflicting event release to the London event. Lee Westwood confirmed last week he asked the PGA Tour and European tour for a release.The Daily Telegraph reported that Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer and Ian Poulter also were among those who sought releases.Norman is the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, funded primarily by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. He told Sky Sport earlier Tuesday he would have six of the top 50 players in the world at the London event and 19 of the top 100.Now that Monahan has staked his position, it’s up to the players to decide if they still want to go and risk losing PGA Tour membership.“Sadly, the PGA Tour seems intent on denying professional golfers their right to play golf, unless it’s exclusively in a PGA Tour tournament,” Norman said in a statement, calling the decision “anti-golfer, anti-fan and anti-competitive.”He also said “no matter what obstacles the PGA Tour puts in our way, we will not be stopped” and will “continue to give players options.”When asked the tour’s next step, Monahan said, “I can tell you what we’re going to do — keep hosting the best events with the best players, with the world’s greatest fans and partners.”AdvertisementThe first LIV event, one week before the U.S. Open, is scheduled for the same week as the RBC Canadian Open, the fourth-oldest national open in golf. Norman won it twice.PGA Tour guidelines typically allow for players to get three releases to play in tournaments around the world.Monahan granted releases to about two dozen players for the Saudi International on Feb. 3-6 — the same week as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am — with the caveat that players going to the event would be required to play Pebble Beach as many as two times over the next three years.But his decision Tuesday painted the LIV Golf Invitational in a different light as the first of eight such events with $20 million purses, along with a $5 million prize fund for a team component.Norman has postponed the league concept of 12 four-man teams for a few years after the top players said they were not interested.He has presented the LIV Golf Invitational series this year as separate tournaments in which players could compete as often as they liked.AdvertisementFive of the tournaments are scheduled for the United States, a direct challenge to the PGA Tour because its regulations do not allow for any releases for tournaments held in North America. The first is scheduled for July 1-3 near Portland, Oregon. Others are in suburban Chicago and suburban Boston, as well as two courses owned by former President Donald Trump in New Jersey and Miami.The U.S. events, particularly the Portland one, were seen as the first real test of the PGA Tour stating where its players could compete.Instead, Monahan fired the first shot in denying releases to London. The next step is whether players will challenge him by playing the LIV Golf Invitational anyway. Monahan has said that would lead to players being disbarred.The move was not entirely surprising. Monahan had said in late February that he told players the PGA Tour was moving on “and anyone on the fence needs to make a decision.”The tour denied the releases on the same day Norman announced an additional $2 billion investment to expand the LIV Golf series to 10 tournaments next year and a full season of 14 tournaments in 2024 and 2025. He said details of those additional tournaments would be disclosed later.“We have a long-term vision and we’re here to stay,” said Norman, who tried to start a World Golf Tour in 1994.AdvertisementThe latest effort suffered a big hit in February when the top 10 players in the world all said they were sticking with the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy, a staunch opponent to the Saudi league, referred to it as a “pre-Champions tour,” noting that most of those interested were in the twilight of their careers.

SAN DIEGO — Injuries are piling up for the Chicago Cubs.The Cubs put second baseman Nick Madrigal (lower back tightness) and outfielder Michael Hermosillo (left quadriceps strain) on the 10-day injured list before Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Padres, and Seiya Suzuki (right ankle soreness) was scratched from the lineup about 75 minutes before first pitch.AdvertisementLeft-hander Wade Miley was activated from the IL to start Tuesday’s game in his Cubs debut, and infielder Ildemaro Vargas was selected from Triple-A Iowa. Right-hander Adrian Sampson, optioned Monday and still in San Diego on the taxi squad, was designated for assignment.The Cubs now have 12 players on the IL.AdvertisementMadrigal experienced tightness during Monday’s 6-0 win and didn’t bounce back well Tuesday, prompting the move. His time on the IL also could provide a mental break amid his struggles through the first month of the season. Madrigal has a .203 average, .250 on-base percentage and 43 OPS+ in 23 games.Hermosillo’s injury will require more than the minimum stint. He isn’t expected to resume baseball activities for a few weeks. Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The quadriceps issue popped up a couple of days ago, but it initially didn’t bother him too much and he tried to play through it. However, the four-hour flight to San Diego on Sunday night caused swelling in the area, which prompted Hermosillo to get examined. It turned out to be a more serious injury than the Cubs thought.The injury is part of a tough start to the season for the 27-year-old Hermosillo. He is 2-for-28 (.071) with a .257 on-base percentage in 17 games, including nine starts.“It’s part of this game, trying to get out there consistently, find your rhythm in the at-bats,” manager David Ross said. “The good thing about this is, if we want to take a positive from a negative situation, just to reset mentally, get healthy, go back, get your timing in your rehab assignment — that usually kind of catapults guys forward a little bit — (and) get back up here ready to contribute.”Suzuki was initially in Tuesday’s lineup as the designated hitter after coming out of Monday’s game, but he was scratched because of lingering soreness. He was available off the bench.Suzuki left in the sixth inning Monday after awkwardly hitting first base when running out a double-play ball in the fifth. Yan Gomes replaced him as the DH on Tuesday.Suzuki tested his ankle with agility drills in the outfield 4½ hours before Tuesday’s game under the watch of Cubs training staff. Ross felt comfortable playing him if he felt OK. Suzuki participated in batting practice and went through his normal routine, but his ankle apparently did not respond well to the activity.Advertisement“He’s starting to feel really good at the plate, feels good with his swing and just wants to continue that timing,” Ross said before Suzuki was removed from the lineup. “And we’ve got an off day coming up in two days (on Thursday), so that also factored in. And as long as he felt good, I was going to play him.”

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