Sports

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Lindsey Vonn, Naomi Osaka among several sports stars to wish Chris Paul a fond farewell after his retirement

After 21 seasons and 12 All-Star selections,Chris Paul called it a career on Friday. It didn't take long for the well wishes to start flooding in.

Between his tenures with seven different teams, his leadership role with the NBPA and his famous Banana Boat friendships, few players in the history of the NBA have been connected across the league like Paul. Here's a sample of the comments that came in onhis Instagram post making the announcement:

  • LeBron James: "HELLUVA CAREER CHAMP! CONGRATULATIONS 🙏🏾✊🏾"

  • Dwyane Wade: "An honor to compete against you my brother. A Legendary Career"

  • Klay Thompson: "Point god ! It was a pleasure being your teammate. Congrats on a legendary run my man !"

  • Tyrese Maxey: "LOVE OG!! Respect"

  • Trae Young: "Set the Blueprint 🫡 Legend !"

  • Bradley Beal: "Happy for you and the fam! Congrats on a great career bro! LEGEND"

  • Kyle Lowry: "Amazing career my brother!! Love brother!!"

  • Naomi Osaka: "❤️❤️❤️"

  • Donovan Mitchell: "Point God🤞🏾🫡"

  • Matt Barnes: "One of the Greatest PG's the games ever seen. Love you bro"

  • Chiney Ogwumike: "LEGEND! ✊🏿✨"

  • Al Horford: "Congrats CP!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏"

  • Muggsy Bogues: "One hell of a ride young fella- You did it your way🎩👊🏾"

  • Trayce Jackson-Davis: "It was an honor cp! 🙏🏾"

  • Mike Conley: "👏🏾👏🏾 Congrats!!"

  • Richard Jefferson: "Point God🤞🏾The best is yet to come"

  • Nina Westbrook (wife of Russell Westbrook): "👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 congratulations on an incredible career!"

Lindsey Vonn even got in there from her hospital bed, writing "❤️💪🏻 legend!!!" And, of course, State Farm chimed in with "From assists on the court to assists in life - you've always been a good neighbor. Respect the legacy, CP3 👏"

Stephen Curry, who has been both friend and foe for Paul in their careers, released a video message praising the future Hall of Famer:

Congrats on an incredible 21-year career,@CP3🫡pic.twitter.com/faZZnlmlkT

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors)February 13, 2026

One interesting note is that of Paul's seven teams played for, six of them posted a farewell note on X soon after the announcement:the New Orleans Pelicans,Houston Rockets,Oklahoma City Thunder,Golden State WarriorsandSan Antonio Spurs.

FILE - Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul drives to the basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

The one holdout was the Los Angeles Clippers, where Paul arguably enjoyed the best years of his career. They ended up posting a tribute video at 9:43 p.m. PT.

Thank you, CP3 ♥️pic.twitter.com/CUM8HyxXLO

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers)February 14, 2026

It was unclear if the Clippers would even acknowledge the news during the day given how awkward the situation was. Paul reunited with the team for a farewell season only to be permanently sidelined in early December andeventually traded to the Toronto Raptors, who waived him Friday.

It was an ugly divorce,as there were reports of Paul clashing with team leadership.The Clippers announced they were sending him home in the dead of night, and that wound up being the finale of his career.

byDaniel Coleman
in
February 14, 2026

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Lindsey Vonn, Naomi Osaka among several sports stars to wish Chris Paul a fond farewell after his retirement

After 21 seasons and 12 All-Star selections,Chris Paul called it a career on Friday. It didn't take long for the well...
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Baylor's Tyce Armstrong becomes 2nd college baseball player with 3 grand slams in the same game

WACO, Texas (AP) — Tyce Armstronghit three grand slamsin his Baylor debut Friday night in the Bears' 15-2 season-opening victory over New Mexico State, just the second college baseball player to ever accomplish that feat.

Associated Press

"I'm speechless," Armstrong said. "It's the coolest thing I've ever been a part of."

He joins Louisville's Jim LaFountain as the only players with that distinction. LaFountain hit two of his three grand slams in the same inning on March 24, 1976, in the second game of a doubleheader against Western Kentucky. He also hit a two-run home run in the 26-4 victory that was called in the fifth inning.

No Major League Baseball player has ever hit three grand slams in one game. Thirteen players have had two in a game.

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Armstrong, a senior first baseman, transferred from Texas-Arlington, where he had 17 homers and 87 RBIs over three seasons.

Against New Mexico State, he went 3 or 4 with 12 RBIs.

Armstrong hit all three homers to left field — a 401-foot shot in the third inning, a 407-foot blast in the fourth and a 386-foot homer in the seventh.

AP college sports:https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

byDaniel Coleman
in
February 14, 2026

Baylor's Tyce Armstrong becomes 2nd college baseball player with 3 grand slams in the same game

WACO, Texas (AP) — Tyce Armstronghit three grand slamsin his Baylor debut Friday night in the Bears' 15-2 season-open...
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Braves' Chris Sale has no intention of using ABS system: 'I'm not an umpire. That's their job.'

Chris Sale of theAtlanta Bravessaid he will do his job when it comes to being a starting pitcher and will allow umpires to do their jobs when it comes to calling balls and strikes with the theAutomated Ball Strike Challenge Systembeing instituted in MLB this season.

Yahoo Sports

Every team will have two challenges to begin each game. Only batters, catchers and pitchers will be allowed to challenge ball or strike calls and they must signal their intent by tapping their heads immediately after the pitch to initiate the challenge.

The 36-year-old Sale has thrown over 30,000 pitches in his 15-year career with the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. What he won't do for the remainder of his time on the mound is challenge any called ball he believes is a strike.

"I will never challenge a pitch. I will never do it. I won't do it,"Sale told reporters on Friday. "I'm not an umpire. That's their job. I'm a starting pitcher. I've never called balls and strikes in my life. Plus, I'm greedy, and I know that. I think they're all strikes."

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Sale added that catchers, like teammates Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin, are so good at framing pitches that a lot more pitches appear to be strikes than they used to, especially ones on the corner of the plate. The nine-time All-Star and 2024 pitching Triple Crown and Cy Young Award winner said he'll trust the umpire's call so as to not risk a challenge that could be used later in the game during an important at-bat.

"I've dealt with it before, across all games in my entire career there's been balls called strikes and strikes called balls and you just deal with it," Sale said.

If Murphy or Baldwin disagree, however, that's a different story.

"If my catcher has something to say about it, I'll leave that to him," Sale said. "I've dealt with both sides and I'm fine to keep dealing with it."

byDaniel Coleman
in
February 14, 2026

Braves' Chris Sale has no intention of using ABS system: 'I’m not an umpire. That’s their job.'

Chris Sale of theAtlanta Bravessaid he will do his job when it comes to being a starting pitcher and will allow umpires t...
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Iranian regime change 'would be the best thing,' Trump says

President Donald Trumpbackedregime changeas the bestoption in Iran, as the U.S. continues to move military assets into the Middle East.

USA TODAY

"Seems like that would be the best thing that could happen," the president said Feb. 13, when he was asked if he wants regime change in Iran. Trump was speaking after a military event at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

<p style=Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.

The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue."

See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026. People tear down an Iranian flag after it was taken down in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on January 8, 2026. Date when the video was filmed could not be confirmed. An overturned car and multiple fires burn as protesters chant outside a police station, during Iran's biggest demonstrations in three years over economic hardship, in Azna, Lorestan Province, Iran, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on January 1, 2026. Protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified. People gather on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. The date of the videos could not be verified. Witnesses in Tehran told Reuters that protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8. People gather on the streets during a protest in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on January 8, 2026. The date could not be verified but multiple videos verified to Mashhad were posted online on January 8. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi speaks during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, January 9, 2026. Burning debris lies in the middle of a street during unrest in Hamedan, Iran on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years. A person uses a lighter to set fire to a banner during demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years. Burning debris lies next to an overturned dumpster in the middle of a street during unrest amid demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years. Rocks, tree branches, and a toppled charity box remain on a street during unrest amid demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years. A protester flashes victory signs as traffic slows during demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. The demonstrations erupted after shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest the sharp fall of Iran's currency and worsening economic conditions, with clashes reported in several provinces and Iranian media and rights groups saying multiple people were killed in the violence, marking the largest protests to hit the Islamic Republic in three years. Security forces detain protesters outside a commercial building on Ahmadabad Street in Mashhad, Iran on January 3, 2026. Iran has experienced recurrent waves of protests in recent years driven by political repression, economic hardship, rising living costs, and restrictions on civil and social freedoms, including women's rights. Demonstrations have frequently been met with arrests, heavy security deployments, internet disruptions, and, according to activists and rights groups, the killing of protesters, as authorities move to suppress dissent. People walk down the street, chanting in Farsi, Demonstrators attempt to force a gate open to gain access to a building during a protest in Fasa, Iran, in this still image obtained from a social media video released on December 31, 2025.

See Iran's anti-government protests, huge crowds, unrest in photos

Anti-government protests in Iranappeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders.

The uptick in unrest also comes as PresidentDonald Trumpwarned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, sayingWashington "will come to their rescue."See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified.

"For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking," Trump said. "In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We've been going on for a long time."

Earlier in the day, Trump also commented on a U.S. aircraft carrier currently being moved to the region, to join other military military assets that have been moved there in recent weeks.

"In case we don't make a deal, we'll need it," Trump said. "If we need it, we'll have it ready."

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, January 17, 2026.

It's not the first time the president has suggested that the removal ofAyatollah Ali Khameneias leader of Iran may be what he prefers. He made a similar comment in aJune 22 post on Truth Social.

"It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???" the president posted.

Trump's latest remarks come as U.S. officials areseeking to make a deal with Iranover its nuclear program, and just weeks after the Iranian government responded to protests on its streets with a brutal crackdown,killing thousands.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump backs regime change as 'best thing' in Iran

byDaniel Coleman
in
February 14, 2026

Iranian regime change 'would be the best thing,' Trump says

President Donald Trumpbackedregime changeas the bestoption in Iran, as the U.S. continues to move military assets into th...
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How Jeffrey Epstein used the glamour of the Nobel Peace Prize to entice his global network of elites

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly played up his ties to the former head of the Nobel Peace Prize committee in invitations to and chats with elites like Richard Branson, Larry Summers, Bill Gates and Steve Bannon, a top ally of President Donald Trump,the Epstein files show.

Associated Press

Thorbjørn Jagland, who headed the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015, turns up hundreds of times in the millions ofdocuments about the former U.S. financierand convicted sex offender that were released by the U.S. Justice Department last month.

Since the release, Jagland, 75, has been charged in Norway for "aggravated corruption" in connection with an investigation prompted by information in the files, the economic crime unit of Norwegian police Økokrim said.

Økokrim has said it would investigate whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with Jagland's position. Its teams searched his Oslo residence on Thursday, plus two other properties in Risør, a coastal town to the south, and in Rauland to the west.

His attorneys at Elden law firm in Norway said Jagland denies the charges, and was questioned by the police unit on Thursday.

While there is no evidence in the documents seen so far of any outright lobbying for the Nobel Peace Prize, Epstein repeatedly played up hosting Jagland at his properties in New York and Paris in the 2010s.

From an 'interesting' guest to subject of banter with Bannon

In September 2018, during Trump's first term and in an apparent allusion to his interest in the peace prize, Epstein had a varied text-message exchange with Bannon, at one point writing — in one of many messages with untidy grammar: "donalds head would explode if he knew you were now buds with the guy who on monday will decide the nobel peace prize."

"I told him next year it should be you when we settle china," he added, without elaborating.

In one email from 2013, mixing in investment tips and praise for PR tips, Epstein told British entrepreneur and magnate Richard Branson that Jagland would be staying with Epstein in September that year, adding: "if you are there, you might find him interesting."

A year after she left a job as White House counsel to President Barack Obama, in 2015,Kathy Ruemmlergot an email from Epstein saying: "head of nobel peace prize coming to visit, want to join?"

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In 2012, Epstein wrote former Treasury Secretary and Harvard University president Larry Summers about Jagland, saying "head of the nobel peace prize staying with me, if you have any interest."

In that exchange, Epstein referred to Jagland — also a former Norwegian prime minister and former head of the Council of Europe, a human rights body — as "not bright" but someone who offered a "unique perspective."

The financier wrote Bill Gates in 2014, saying that Jagland had been reelected as head of the Council of Europe.

"That is good," theMicrosoftco-founder and the world's former richest man, wrote. "I guess his peace prize committee job is also up in the air?"

During Jagland's tenure as chair of the committee, it gave the peace prize to Obama, in 2009, and the European Union in 2012.

Jagland was brought into Epstein's orbit by Terje Rød Larsen, a Norwegian diplomat who helped broker the Oslo Peace Accords between Israel and Palestinians. Larsen and wife are also facing corruption charges in Norway due to their association with Epstein.

Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

The AP is reviewing the documents released by the Justice Department in collaboration with journalists from CBS, NBC, MS NOW and CNBC. Journalists from each newsroom are working together to examine the files and share information about what is in them. Each outlet is responsible for its own independent news coverage of the documents.

byDaniel Coleman
in
February 14, 2026

How Jeffrey Epstein used the glamour of the Nobel Peace Prize to entice his global network of elites

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly played up his ties to the former head of the Nobel Peace Prize commit...
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