Investigators for the Sacramento Kings and the NBA determined that, based on available evidence, there was "not a sufficient basis to support" the sexual assault allegations made against Kings head coach Luke Walton.

According to a Friday statement from the Kings and the NBA, Kelli Tennant, who alleged that Walton sexually assaulted her in 2014, did not participate in their investigation.

Tennant, a former host on Spectrum SportsNet LA, the Lakers' regional sports network, filed a civil lawsuit against Walton in April. During a news conference, Tennant said that Walton assaulted her in a Santa Monica, California, hotel room. Walton was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors at the time.

"Out of nowhere, he got on top of me and pinned me down to the bed and held my arms down with all of his weight while he kissed my neck and my face and my chest," Tennant said at an April news conference, adding that when she asked him to get off, "he laughed at me."

Walton said in a statement Friday that he is "100% focused on coaching the Sacramento Kings, and energized to work with this incredible group of players and coaches as we start the preseason. I will have no further comment."

Walton said in a court brief filed back in July that the allegations against him are not backed up by facts and are designed to attract media attention. Walton's court filing claims that Tennant filed a lawsuit nearly five years after the alleged assault, which the brief calls a "pleasant encounter," after she quit two jobs and needed money.

The Kings and the NBA launched a joint investigation into the allegations in April. The investigatory team was led by Sue Ann Van Dermyden, from the Sacramento law firm Van Dermyden Maddux, and Elizabeth Maringer, senior vice president and assistant general counsel of the NBA.

The Kings on Friday released a separate statement about Walton, saying he "is our head coach, and we support him and his team as they continue to prepare for the upcoming season."

The investigation is considered closed unless new evidence becomes available, the Kings and the NBA said.

Middle-distance man puts teaching career on hold to focus on World Champs and Olympics

Jamie Webb is ranked No.1 in one of the most competitive events at this weekend’s Müller British Championships in Birmingham – the men’s 800m. The 25-year-old faces arguably the strongest field for years in the event and he knows there is no room for error if he wants to qualify for the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

“It’s going to be an incredible domestic showdown,” he says. “Realistically you could end up with the whole final who are able to make the team.”

In the quest for excellence, Webb recently put his teaching career on hold in order to focus on training 100% in the run-up to Doha and the Tokyo Olympics next year. His last day as a teacher was one month ago and he wasted no time in setting a PB of 1:44.52 the following day at the Müller Anniversary Games in London.

However, in Birmingham this weekend he will face another sub-1:45 man this year in the shape of Kyle Langford, together with Elliot Giles, who finished top Brit at last weekend’s Diamond League in Birmingham, plus Guy Learmonth, Andrew Osagie, Thomas Staines, Spencer Thomas and UK junior record-holder Max Burgin, among others.

“I’m feeling good,” says Webb. “Birmingham last weekend was a funny one for me (Webb placed fourth, one position behind Giles in a race won by Ireland’s Mark English). I got a bit caught up with the race at 500m and got a bit too aggressive and it came back to bite me in the home straight with the wind and the lactic.”

It was a reminder for Webb that this weekend won’t be easy. “If I want to compete with the best in Doha and be in the final then I have to be one of the top three in Britain,” he says. “There is not much room for manoeuvre this weekend. I have to produce my best or I won’t be going to Doha.”

Webb was a bit of a late starter in athletics. He says he “messed around” in other sports as a teenager and didn’t begin running seriously until he was in his late teens. His dad, Adrian, began coaching him at Liverpool Harriers but more recently he has also benefited from the advice and experience of Matt Yates – the 1992 European indoor 1500m gold medallist.

“My dad and Matt will both be there this weekend,” Webb says, explaining the coaching partnership. “We also have three people competing this weekend so we’ll be there as a team. We’re all working on a common goal and the way we work together has become more fluent over time.”

Such is Webb’s progress, he has beaten Yates’ PB of 1:45.05 and also the Liverpool Harriers club record of 1:44.92 which was held by Curtis Robb – a world and Olympic 800m finalist in the 1990s.

With Burgin breaking age-group records and GB juniors Oliver Dustin, Ben Pattison and Fin Mclear sweeping the medals at the European Under-20 Championships, too, some are describing the current 800m crop as the strongest since the 1980s and the days of Seb Coe, Steve Cram, Steve Ovett and Peter Elliott.

“It’d be amazing to lift the sport to that level of popularity again,” says Webb, who won European indoor silver earlier this year in Glasgow (pictured below). “I don’t think any target is out of reach but I see myself as improving by about one second a year, which I’ve done a good job of so far.”

His current “sabbatical”, as he calls it, from teaching cannot be harming his athletics but is he feeling the benefits yet? “It’s a bit too early to tell,” he says, “as I usually have summer off anyway. It’s not really kicked in yet that I’m full time. I’ll probably feel the benefits more in winter when I have a bigger volume of training.

“But if I want to do well at the Olympics then the work I need to put into that isn’t sustainable alongside a full-time job,” he adds.

Webb says he is 3kg heavier than last year and is lifting more in the weights room but is doing one less weights session per week, which is making his legs fresher for running sessions. He says he has always been aerobically strong but it now also one second quicker over 200m than he was previously. Weights aside, this might be linked to him shortening the length of his hill reps in recent months.

He plans to add more to his routine, too, as he explains: “I’ve got the chance to restructure my whole life and improve my nutrition, do a bit more yoga, focus more on recovery and quality sleep, etc. From now on I hope to have some spare time after running rather than trying to do running in my spare time.

“Now is the perfect time for me to do it full-time. A lot of people do it before university and don’t know what to do with themselves but I’m 25 and I didn’t really start training until I was 18.”

The International Ice Hockey Federation suspended Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov for four years after testing positive for cocaine at the 2019 IIHF World Championships on May 26.

The IIHF announced the suspension on Friday, and said Kuznetsov "didn't require the analysis of his B-sample and was provisionally suspended on 13th June 2019." He will be eligible to return on June 12, 2023.

Kuznetsov, 27, is under contract through the Capitals until 2024-25 and competes internationally for Russia.

In May, Kuznetsov appeared in a now-deleted video that surfaced on social media sitting in a hotel room near lines of a white, powdery substance. Kuznetsov denied ever taking drugs. The NHL launched an investigation into the incident, which it swiftly closed.

"While we certainly do not condone or endorse some of the decisions he made on the night in question, Mr. Kuznetsov's account of the events that transpired aligns with other information we have been able to gather, and we have found no basis to question his representations with respect to what did - and did not - occur," deputy commissioner Bill Daly's statement read in part.

The NHL tests its players for drugs of abuse, such as cocaine and marijuana. However according to the NHL and NHLPA's joint Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) Program, players are not suspended for positive tests. Rather, if the program administrators flag "abnormally high levels" of any substance, the veil of anonymity is lifted and doctors can recommend treatment.

If the player chooses to enter the SABH, the NHL and NHLPA doctors have the power to levy fines, suspensions or other penalties if conditions are breached. However, the player is not required to enter the program if he doesn't want to.

Brazilian-born striker Elkeson has changed his name as he prepares to help China qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

The 30-year-old, who has played in the Chinese Super League since 2013, became a naturalised citizen earlier in August and was named on Wednesday in China's squad for their opening 2022 World Cup qualifier at The Maldives on Sept. 10.

- World Cup 2022 qualifying: All you need to know
- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!

Now known in China as Ai Kesen, the former Botafogo star told fans on social media that he is now one of them.

"In addition to winning many championships and honours on the football field, I have been very happy in China in recent years," Elkeson said. "Now I want to say that I am Chinese and I love this country. I want to return all the love and care you have for me over the years. I hope to get your support as always."

The top scorer of the Chinese Super League in 2013 and 2014 has downloaded his new national anthem on to his phone and, according to reports in China, is preparing to sing it against the Maldives should he be named in the starting lineup by head coach Marcello Lippi.

Lippi, who led Italy to the 2006 World Cup, was hired by China for a second spell in May as the country looks to make a second appearance at the World Cup following their 2002 debut. Elkeson is a major part of those plans.

"Football is booming in China, and the Chinese team has no reason not to enter the World Cup," Elkeson added. "Football is as important to China as it is to countries in Europe and South America."

The Brazilian is the first player of non-Chinese heritage to be called up by the national team and follows the debut of Nico Yennaris in June.

The English-born midfielder has a Chinese mother and was signed by Beijing Guoan from Championship club Brentford in January.

Yennaris, now known as Li Ke in China, took Chinese citizenship and has also been called-up by Lippi to face The Maldives in the opening game of the second round of qualification.

China have to finish first in Group A, which also contains Syria, The Philippines and Guam, to be sure of progressing to the next stage.

Keylor Navas has asked to leave Real Madrid before the summer transfer window shuts, sources have told ESPN FC, although coach Zinedine Zidane has said he wants him to stay.

Navas considered leaving Madrid earlier in the summer having been told by Zidane that Thibaut Courtois would be first choice goalkeeper for 2019-20, but then decided to stay having not received an attractive enough offer.

However, the situation has changed again, with sources telling ESPN FC Navas is upset with his conversations with Zidane over the summer. Agent Jorge Mendes has been tasked with working out a move for the 32-year-old to Paris Saint-Germain.

Madrid were initially against losing Navas so close to the transfer window closing on Sept. 2, but have reluctantly agreed to accept his demand to leave and are scouring the market for an experienced back-up for Courtois.

Sources have told ESPN FC that PSG are keen on Navas as well as AC Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma. They also enquired about Courtois' availability earlier in the summer.

Asked about Navas' situation at a news conference Friday morning Zidane said: "Keylor is a Real Madrid player, an important player.

"We are not thinking about replacing him or about him leaving. Keylor is here with us, wants to be here with us. He can show that he is a very good player, and has been doing that in training. He has always been professional. The situation has not changed for me. We will have many games, and I will count on him."

Sources said that Madrid's potential interest in signing Neymar from PSG this summer was not connected to Navas going the other way.

"We have a game tomorrow, I am just thinking about that. That's the only thing we should think of, players, coach, staff, nothing else," Zidane said.

"Until Sept. 2 anything can happen, players can come and go. But the players who are here want to be here, and they are under contract. I want Sept. 2 to come as soon as possible. So these questions will end."

Zidane also confirmed that Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez will remain at the club, despite both looking likely to leave earlier in the summer.

"We know we need to improve, to achieve important things. The important thing is the player wants to stay, and we will count on him," Zidane said.

"He has shown before that he is a big player, and he must show that again. James is the same. He has returned from his time in Germany. We are happy to have him here, he is a good player, and he is happy to be here. What counts is what happens from here. There are many games and I will count on all the players."

Barcelona will return with a third offer for Neymar and are weighing up including Ousmane Dembele as a makeweight in an attempt to convince Paris Saint-Germain to sell, sources have told ESPN FC.

Barca have already seen two bids turned down for Neymar, who left the club for France in a world record €222 million transfer in 2017.

PSG rejected a first offer which included Philippe Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic and €80m and then dismissed their request to take him on loan this season ahead of a permanent move next summer in a deal which would have been worth around €190m.

With less than two weeks to go before the transfer window closes on Sept. 2, Barca are against the clock to come up with an offer which suits PSG.

The French champions could set a deadline for any potential deal, too, as they want to have their squad finalised as soon as possible.

Barca's next offer, therefore, could be their last. The club's hierarchy are not in complete agreement over a move for Neymar but are working on a formula which they hope will finally secure Neymar's Camp Nou return.

Barca have insisted this summer that Dembele would not be used in a potential deal but sources inside the club have told ESPN FC that stance has softened.

Despite Dembele's agent, Moussa Sissoko, saying earlier this week that the France international will remain in Catalonia, they are now thinking about offering him in a player-plus-cash deal.

Coutinho's agent also suggested he would remain at Camp Nou days before his move to Bayern Munich last week, which meant he was not included in Barca's bid to re-sign Neymar.

There is disappointment about how Dembele, who was ruled out for over a month earlier this week, has handled his latest injury. He didn't tell the club's medical staff about the full extent of the problem after last Friday's loss to Athletic Bilbao and it wasn't until the Monday that the club realised the severity of the damage to his hamstring.

Sources have told ESPN FC that PSG coach Thomas Tuchel, who worked with Dembele at Dortmund, would love to be reunited with the forward but the club's sporting director, Leonardo, has doubts.

He is concerned about the number of Barca games he has missed through injury -- the latest of which means he won't be available for action until October.

There's also interest in Neymar from Real Madrid and Juventus, although neither club has yet to make an official bid. Despite that, Barca believe that every outcome remains possible and are not ruling anything out.

Neymar has told PSG that he wants to leave this summer and the Ligue 1 side want recoup a majority of the fee they paid two years ago.

Sources say they believe they are in a strong position to negotiate because it was never their intention to sell a player who is under contract until the summer of 2022.

If no satisfactory offer arrives, they will look to reintegrate Neymar into the first team. He has not played since injuring his ankle in Brazil's Copa America warmup against Qatar at the start of June.

ESPN FC's Julien Laurens contributed to this report.

Haseeb Hameed has been released by Lancashire, less than three years after making two fifties in six innings for England in India as a 19-year-old.

Hameed made 31 and 82 on his Test debut in Rajkot in 2016, and immediately looked like the long-awaited replacement to Andrew Strauss at the top of the England order. He added an unbeaten 59 with a broken finger at Mohali, but his form fell away dramatically in county cricket. He averaged 26.10 in the 2017 season, and just 9.44 last year.

An impressive 117 in an early season Championship game at Lord's this year - having also scored 218 against Loughborough MCCU - looked as though it was the start of a return to form, but Hameed has only managed 341 runs overall, passing 50 just once since that innings.

At the end of the 2018 season, Lancashire director of cricket Paul Allott said that Hameed's struggles with the bat were a "complete and utter mystery".

"Haseeb Hameed is a dilemma for us - we gave him more opportunity, probably, than he deserved," Allott said. "Far too many games, probably, but having said that I've not seen a more talented young opening batsman in my 40-odd years in the game.

"The way he played here for us two years ago and then went to India and opened the batting for England - he was everybody's choice as the next Alastair Cook basically. Where his form and function have gone and disappeared to is a complete and utter mystery to us."

The main theories behind his loss of form are that he lost his judgement outside off stump after being picked to play 50-over cricket, and that his father - who has been his main batting coach despite limited experience - has not necessarily been a positive influence on his game.

At the start of the 2019 season, Allott told Wisden Cricket Monthly that Hameed was "hanging on by his fingertips" at the club.

"He's got six months left on a contract, and he's not scored a run for two years," he said. "Not only is he a million miles away from England, he's hanging on by his fingertips at Lancashire."

A Lancashire statement read: "The club met with Haseeb on Friday and explained its decision, and the 22-year-old is now free to discuss opportunities with other counties. The club would like to thank Haseeb for all of his commitment and efforts since he made his first-class debut in the 2015 season, having come through the Academy."

Having fallen behind in the race to be in the middle order of the Test team, Karun Nair served a timely reminder of his ability to dig in and make it count, and in the process be in sight of his first first-class century since December 2017. His 92 not out for India Red, a carefully constructed knock full of restraint and self-discipline, left India Blue wondering if they had misread the surface. On a day in which only 68 overs were possible, India Red put up 163 for 2, Nair putting together an unbroken 120-run stand with Ankit Kalsi, who ended the day unbeaten on 48.

The make up of the Duleep Trophy is such that the focus is largely on individuals rather than teams - made up of fringe players and domestic performers - and the platform was Nair's to do what he could with after his side lost openers Priyank Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran - both in the frame to be India's third opener - inside the first hour. Abhimanyu was out in the day's first over, lbw to a full-inswinging delivery from left-arm pacer Aniket Choudhary. Panchal fought through the first hour and then fell shortly after drinks when he wafted at one from Diwesh Pathania that left him.

From there on, Nair reconstructed the innings with a stoic display, going through long periods where he left the ball repeatedly even as the bowlers asked questions of him. The restraint also involved leaving alone full deliveries around the fifth stump, despite cover left open. He wasn't in the mood to oblige invitations to drive.

Against left-arm seamers, after being troubled early on by late inswing, he resorted to shuffling from outside leg, and found his groove immediately with a delightful on-drive to get going. The only lofted hit through the day was the chip over mid-off to bring up his half-century off left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar, off the 101st delivery he had faced. It was a shot that drew applause from his father, who for most parts of his knock was unmoved from his vantage point up in the grass banks.

His temperament and approach stood out in his 189-ball knock. Nair didn't play a single shot in anger and completely shelved the cut and sweep. Yet, he found ways to make up for the lost scoring opportunities. As the afternoon progressed and the field spread, he milked the singles without much hassle, and offered words of encouragement to his younger batting partner, who made 511 runs in seven Ranji Trophy innings last season.

"I had time to go away and think about my cricket and where I'm at. I thought about the mistakes and worked towards rectifying it." Karun Nair

"I had to grind my way early on, it wasn't easy," Nair said afterwards. "The ball was moving around early, and we needed stability at that stage. As a batsman, you have to first play to the situation. I was happy to have been able to fight my way through. It's not as if I made a conscious effort to cut down on some of the shots, but when you show discipline and it pays off at the end of the day on the scoreboard, it feels nice.

"This has come about because of my hard work. I've realised you can't keep throwing away starts, so I wanted to focus that much more. Starting the season well was important."

The last one year or so has been a testing one for Nair, who was dropped from the Test side after the England tour without being given an opportunity. Then he saw his replacement Hanuma Vihari make the XI and score a fighting half-century on debut. Then a string of low scores led to him being left out of the India A squad, of which he was captain until November 2018. Then an underwhelming Ranji Trophy season - 224 runs in ten innings - even led to the coaching staff contemplating resting the Test triple centurion. On to the IPL, where he was signed by Kings XI Punjab for INR 5.6 crore in 2018, he was largely forced to carry drinks. These led him to introspection, before he finally decided it was time to look ahead to the future "without any baggage".

This could have dented the confidence of most. It most certainly hurt Nair, something he made apparent in a rare blow-over of inner thoughts, which he likes to keep to himself at the best of times. He stated firmly that no one from the team management or the selection committee had spoken to him - an India A captain, a domestic regular for Karnataka. For Nair, recently engaged and in a phase he describes as "very happy", it's all in the past. The focus is on a reboot.

"I needed the break [after the IPL] mentally," he said. "I had time to go away and think about my cricket and where I'm at. I thought about the mistakes and worked towards rectifying it. I realised that I needed to just keep batting, even if it meant doing double sessions at times. The time lost can't come back. The best way to overcome confidence issues is if you can keep batting and spend long periods. So the last two months gave me that time and chance to work on my game and improve. Hoping it will pay off."

How does Trent Boult maintain a near-blinding standard over so many years, and across so many formats? Before rain washed out two further sessions of play in Colombo on Friday, Boult became the third New Zealand bowler to 250 Test wickets during a double-wicket maiden that perhaps swung the match in New Zealand's favour. This milestone comes in a year in which he averages less than 22 in Tests, following two full calendar years in which he averaged 23.90 (2018) and 24.77 (2017).

On English tracks, in a completely different format, Boult had also had a good World Cup, having taken 17 wickets to sit eighth on the tournament table. Bowling coach Shane Jurgensen thinks the key to Boult's consistency has been his fitness and his "simple" action.

"Today's a special day for Trent - becoming the third New Zealand bowler to 250 wickets," Jurgensen said. "I think he has a very efficient bowling action. Overall, it's quite simple. I think that allows him to do what he does. Being accurate is really important in all parts of the world. He's got an advantage being left-handed, and that creates variation for our bowling group.

"He's one of the best bowlers in the world and he's proved that for a long time. He's got that skill to expose any type of conditions that are available to him. I also think he can bowl across all different periods of the game. That's really important. He's one of the leaders of being able to do that - the ability to adjust to all periods.

"He's also got great passion and energy which he brings to our team. He's our energiser bunny in the warm-ups. He loves his soccer. I think the skill and execution and the way he's contributed to the team has been amazing. He's a fantastic team man as well. And he does a lot of hard work off the field. He doesn't stop working on his fitness or his resilience. Those factors have contributed to the success he's had."

Also delivering a double-wicket maiden on Friday was Boult's longtime partner-in-crime Tim Southee, who removed Dimuth Karunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella in quick succession. Southee is also only three wickets away from hitting the 250 mark. He is slightly slower to the milestone, however - Boult achieving it in his 63rd Test, while Southee is playing his 67th. On Friday, the pair combined to produce four wickets for just 32 runs.

"Tim and Trent have been doing it for a while," Jurgensen said. "Today there might have been a little bit of swing with the overhead conditions, and it just seemed to be doing a little bit. They both work really hard on their fitness, and that's a big factor in their resilience.

"They're always giving each other a bit of a hard time [because they are so close to each other in terms of career wickets]. That's what's great for the team - they keep things lighthearted. They support each other a lot too - they back each other up on the field and off the field."

European champion is hoping to secure success in both the 100m and 200m at the British Championships in Birmingham

Should all go to plan for Zharnel Hughes this weekend, he’ll become the first athlete to complete a British men’s 100m and 200m title double since Marlon Devonish, who achieved the feat in both 2006 and 2007.

The European 100m champion leads the UK rankings for that event thanks to his 9.95 run at last month’s Müller Anniversary Games in London, while this weekend’s Müller British Athletics Championships will offer his first official 200m of the season, after the 20.00 he clocked on a straight track at the adidas Boost Boston Games street athletics event in June.

“This is me ramping things up now as the world championships is right around the corner,” said the Glen Mills-coached 24-year-old, who secured silver in the 100m at last year’s British Championships before going on to win his European title in Berlin.

“My coach and I made a decision that we want to try the double and this weekend will be my first 200m of the season.

“I’m looking forward to competing, hopefully getting the job done and securing my spot for Doha.”

As well as booking his place on the GB team for the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Hughes – who is ranked joint second on the UK 100m all-time list with his PB of 9.91 – also has his eye on the British record of 9.87 held by Linford Christie, who, like Hughes when he is not in Jamaica, is based at Brunel University.

“I’d love to get it,” said Hughes. “I ran 9.96 in London in the heats which was quite easy and I shut down from far out.

“I believe I can run 9.8, possibly a 9.7, but we’ll see.

“I’m not predicting for it to be this weekend because I don’t know what the weather might look like and you have to take into consideration the way you execute.

“Sometimes the wind can fluctuate at the Alexander Stadium. It all depends on how well I complete my race but I’m in good shape and looking forward to it.”

The British 200m record is officially John Regis’ 19.94, although the Olympic and world medallist has a 19.87 PB set at altitude that was never ratified. On whether breaking those marks is also an aim, Hughes added: “For me, this is my first 200m of the season, so I’m not putting any targets in my back. I want to see where I’m at during the rounds.

“When it comes to world championships, we’ll see what happens there.”

Among Hughes’s main challengers in Birmingham are set to be Adam Gemili in the 100m, with Reece Prescod missing through injury, and Miguel Francis in the 200m.

READ MORE: Miguel Francis aims for more after making his mark

Asked about Gemili and Prescod, Hughes said: “Those guys are really good, you know. They show up when it matters, they are great competitors. Aside from us being very competitive against each other at trials, we are quite cool. We have the same determination. We’re quite ambitious to make it on to the podium so I’m looking forward to racing them.”

Like Hughes, UK 200m leader Francis is also guided by Mills, coach of sprints great Usain Bolt, in Jamaica as part of the Racers Track Club.

“Miguel is a great competitor,” said Hughes. “He trains really well. We train together in Jamaica and we’ve done a few sessions here.

“I’m sure he’ll be one of the ones to challenge in the 200m on Sunday.”

Looking ahead to the weekend, he added: “This is just one major stepping-stone towards Doha, because if it doesn’t go my way, it doesn’t say I can’t still win Doha.

“At trials last year, I finished second but at the European Championships, I was able to put myself together and I got the win.”