Sports briefs
In the NBA
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets might be headed toward yet another NBA All-Star Game rematch.
James is the overall leader so far in All-Star balloting, and Durant leads all Eastern Conference players in early voting returns – putting them on track to be All-Star captains for the third consecutive year.
James had 3,168,694 votes entering Thursday, topping the list of Western Conference frontcourt players. Denver’s Nikola Jokic is second (2,237,768) and the Lakers’ Anthony Davis is third (2,063,325).
Durant leads Eastern Conference frontcourt players with 3,118,545 votes. That’s just ahead of Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (2,998,327) and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (2,226,712).
In the NHL
The head of the International Ice Hockey Federation said Thursday that he would like a decision on NHL participation in the 2026 Olympics by the spring of 2024.
IIHF President Luc Tardif told reporters at the world junior championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that would give the parties involved two years to prepare for the Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Associated Press by email it’s “likely a reasonable timeline” to make that call.
In college football
A Michigan State football player facing a felony charge for a skirmish inside the Michigan Stadium tunnel after a game pleaded guilty to misdemeanors.
The felony was dropped, under a deal with prosecutors, and Khary Crump’s record will be scrubbed clean if he stays out of trouble while on probation, attorney Mike Nichols said.
Crump was one of seven Michigan State players facing charges but the only one tagged with a felony. Scuffles broke out in the tunnel after Michigan defeated the Spartans, 29-7, on Oct. 29.
Video showed Michigan State players pushing, punching and kicking Michigan’s Ja’Den McBurrows.