West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who bowls part-time offspin, has been reported for a suspect bowling action after the second Test against India in Jamaica. This is the second time Brathwaite has been reported for a suspect action - the first instance occurred in August 2017, during West Indies tour of England, and Brathwaite was cleared to bowl a month later.

Brathwaite will be required to submit to further testing by September 14, although he can continue to bowl in international cricket until the results of his tests are known. In the series against India, Brathwaite bowled only nine overs - two in Jamaica - taking the wicket of Ishant Sharma. Overall, Brathwaite has 18 Test wickets, including a six-for, after having bowled in 37 innings.

West Indies' next international assignment is a tour of India in December, where they will play matches against Afghanistan and the home side. West Indies are scheduled to play three T20Is, three ODIs and a Test against Afghanistan, before taking on India in ODI and T20I series.

The agent for Antonio Brown called joining the New England Patriots an "amazing opportunity" for the star wide receiver and said his client's goal going forward is to achieve something missing from his illustrious NFL career -- a Super Bowl title.

In an interview on ESPN's SportsCenter on Saturday night, hours after Brown's tumultuous stint with the Raiders ended with his release, Drew Rosenhaus credited Oakland for how it handled the situation and said the agreed-to deal with the Patriots is the right fit now for his client.

"I'll just tell you that the Patriots are obviously a very solid, strong organization," said Rosenhaus, who also represented now-retired Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. "They do things the Patriots Way. They expect everyone to be accountable. They don't make any exceptions. I've discussed this with Antonio. And he wants to be a Patriot. He's prepared to go there, fit in, work hard, be like every other player on the team, do what's asked of him, do his job and make it work. He's honored with the opportunity and he's looking forward to taking advantage of it."

Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter that New England is giving Brown a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. It includes a $9 million signing bonus, another $1 million guaranteed and $5 million in incentives.

The Patriots have yet to announce the move.

Rosenhaus said several teams were interested in signing Brown once he became eligible at 4:01 p.m. ET Saturday, including one unnamed organization that "was really aggressive" in addition to the Patriots. He said he spoke with coach Bill Belichick and others in the New England organization before the sides agreed to the deal.

"Antonio had a robust free-agent market and certainly had a lot of options," Rosenhaus said. "But it was hard to compete with New England and that amazing opportunity, that great franchise, and play with one of the all-time greats, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick."

As for Brown's short-lived stint with Oakland -- one marked by issues with his feet and helmet and a heated confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock midweek that led to significant fines -- Rosenhaus called it unfortunate, while crediting the Raiders, and specifically coach Jon Gruden, for how they handled it.

"You know there are trades that don't pan out," he told SportsCenter. "Relationships sometimes get off to a bad start and never recover. Unfortunately, this one just didn't work. I don't want the Raiders to get any flak for this because I just think it was a combination of bad luck and just bad circumstances.

"A lot of people focus on the last couple of months of dysfunction and things with Antonio. But what people should remember is that for eight years, he was one of the most rock-solid players in the league -- on and off the field. I just don't want people to lose track of that."

Rosenhaus said Brown is 100 percent healthy after frostbite on the bottom of both his feet due to a cryotherapy mishap sidelined him at the beginning of training camp. He is not eligible to play in New England's season opener Sunday night against his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, but could return in Week 2 against the Dolphins in Miami, where Brown is from.

The seven-time Pro Bowler joins a suddenly loaded Patriots receiving group, one that includes Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon and Demaryius Thomas.

Las Vegas took notice after news of the agreement broke. Caesars Sportsbook made New England the Super Bowl favorite at 4-1, ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs (6-1).

Rosenhaus said Brown is hoping his roller-coaster start to the 2019 season ends seamlessly with a ring.

"He wants to win a Super Bowl," Rosenhaus told SportsCenter. "It's a great opportunity for him to sign with a team that has dominated the football league for the past decade. It's a dynasty. The future is now for Antonio. This is an opportunity for him to do something that he hasn't been able to do in his illustrious career, which is win a championship. That's what he's looking forward to. That's immediately the goal. That's all he's thinking about right now."

Week 2 of the college football season seemed to separate the elite teams fighting for spots in the College Football Playoff from the rest of the field.

Throughout the season, our college football writers will pick their top four teams after each week's action. And this week, only six programs received votes.

No. 1 Clemson dominated against No. 12 Texas A&M, defeating the Aggies 24-10.

Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for a touchdown and ran for another.

No. 2 Alabama rolled over New Mexico State 62-10. There was no sluggish start for the Crimson Tide in Week 2, as they took a 38-0 lead into halftime.

No. 3 Georgia had no trouble with Murray State, winning 63-17.

No. 4 Oklahoma got another big game from QB Jalen Hurts, as the Sooners breezed to a 70-14 victory over South Dakota.

Justin Fields was again the star for No. 5 Ohio State, passing for two scores and running for two more as the Buckeyes blanked Cincinnati 42-0.

And No. 6 LSU showed it could win a big game on the road, outscoring No. 9 Texas 45-38.

Joe Burrow passed for 471 yards and four touchdowns to lead LSU.

Here's how our writers see the playoff field after Week 2, not their projections about how the season will end.

Andrea Adelson: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. LSU
Edward Aschoff: 1. Clemson; 2. LSU; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Ohio State
Bill Connelly: 1. Alabama; 2. Clemson; 3. LSU; 4. Oklahoma
Heather Dinich: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. LSU; 4. Oklahoma
David M. Hale: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Georgia
Sam Khan Jr.: 1. LSU; 2. Clemson; 3. Alabama; 4. Oklahoma
Chris Low: 1. LSU; 2. Clemson; 3. Alabama; 4. Oklahoma
Ivan Maisel: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Ohio State
Ryan McGee: 1. Clemson; 2. LSU; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Alabama
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. LSU; 4. Ohio State
Alex Scarborough: 1. Clemson; 2. Oklahoma; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State
Mark Schlabach: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Georgia; 4. Oklahoma
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Ohio State

Somebody once said time was a flat circle, that everything we have done or ever will do, we will do over and over and over again, forever.

OK, that somebody was Matthew McConaughey in "True Detective." And sure, he ripped it off from Nietzsche, but it sounded better coming from him. And, in some ways, the Minister of Culture at Texas has a point. After all, you can't spend months in the desert, shirtless and slapping at bongos, without figuring out a few important universal truths.

And so here we are again. Texas, my friends, is not quite back.

But on the other hand, things do change. That flat circle gets folded in on itself. We step through a black hole and wake up in some universe we don't understand. Or, at least that's what we took from "Interstellar." Honestly, the movie was pretty confusing. The important takeaway here, however, is that LSU has an offense. Like, an honest-to-goodness, modern, effective, dangerous offense. And boy did Joe Burrow & Co. show it off on Saturday.

LSU's 45-38 win in Austin was a statement. The Tigers won a few games last year when no one was expecting it, but it always felt more like smoke and mirrors and defense. These guys, though, this offense -- Burrow completed 31 of 39 passes for 471 yards, a whopping 12 yards per pass, with four touchdowns. That hasn't happened since ... ever. Guess Texas is not DBU after all.

This was no one-off performance, either. Burrow's past six games: 72% completions, 1,915 yards, 19 touchdowns and two interceptions. There are fierce powers at work in the world, McConaughey said in "Mud." Burrow is one of them.

The last time LSU beat Alabama was a 9-6 slugfest in 2011 that was about as fun to watch as "Failure to Launch." In that game, the Tigers completed just nine passes for 91 yards. Since then, LSU is 0-8 vs. the Tide, getting shut out three times, never cracking 17 points and accounting for a grand total of four touchdown passes. Four. That's what Burrow had on Saturday against Texas.

Alabama has cruised to a 2-0 start against Duke and New Mexico State, which tells us a big fat nothing about the Tide. But LSU, well this was a performance that matters, and the Tigers look like they might just be good enough to shake up the power structure in the SEC West. To do this on the road, to do this despite Texas' ability to keep getting up off the mat, to do this with offense -- this feels like a genuine step forward for LSU, a true deviation from an offense that looked stuck in the past for far too long. Ed Orgeron was no one's choice to truly change LSU's approach, to rewrite this script that we'd seen play out for the Tigers for the better part of a decade. And yet, here we are.

For Texas, it's another setback on that seemingly endless path back to national prominence. The Longhorns showed plenty of fight, and it's hard not to envision a world where they cashed in on just one of eight plays from inside the 10 in the first half, where the outcome was different. But this is reality for Texas still. The flat circle.

There are bigger tests down the road. For LSU, dates with Florida and Auburn are on the docket before traveling to Tuscaloosa. For Texas, redemption can be found in Dallas against Oklahoma.

For now though, LSU has offered the first truly seismic shift to the playoff picture, blossoming before our eyes into a legitimate contender.

And at Texas ... well, that's what we love about the "Is Texas back?" joke. We get older, and it stays just as funny. Alright, alright, alright.

Six lessons from Week 2

Week 2 isn't exactly the point in the season when everything becomes clear. In fact, it's mostly a waste. There were 28 games this week in which an FBS team played an FCS opponent (not counting Illinois' game against UConn) and just 11 games between two Power 5 teams. Blowouts abound. Nearly two dozen teams topped 50 -- even Ball State! So, did we learn anything? It might take a slightly more discerning eye, but yes, there were lessons amid the blowouts in Week 2, and we're here to clear things up.

1. Clemson isn't going to lose an ACC game. Yeah, this isn't breaking news, but the Tigers' dominance of Texas A&M and Syracuse's nightmare against Maryland only underscored the huge gap between the Tigers and the rest of the Atlantic Division. What's more concerning for Clemson opposition after Saturday's shellacking of the Aggies is that it's hard to figure what the game plan would be to shut down this offense. In Week 1, Georgia Tech played two safeties over the top and forced Trevor Lawrence into a bad game. Travis Etienne responded with 205 yards rushing. So in Week 2, A&M decided to load up against the run, and Etienne was held to just 53 yards on 16 carries. No biggie. Lawrence threw for 268, and Lyn-J Dixon, Etienne's backup, ran for 79 and a TD. Good luck trying to crack that code.

2. We're going to need NASA to keep tabs on Jalen Hurts' numbers this year. The Oklahoma QB had another 300 yards of offense and three touchdowns and barely saw the field in the second half against South Dakota. Through two games, Hurts has completed 83% of his throws and totaled 814 yards, nine TDs and no picks. Compare that to Oklahoma's past three Heisman winners through two games:

Kyler Murray: 64% completions, 607 yards, 7 TDs, 1 INT
Baker Mayfield: 84% completions, 702 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INT
Sam Bradford: 77% completions, 581 yards, 7 TDs, 2 INTs

3. Michigan will make the playoff. Think about it: 100% of top-10 teams that narrowly escape Army in overtime at home have made the College Football Playoff. That's just good math. Of course, it'd also probably help if Michigan averaged better than 2.4 yards per carry (as it did against Army).

4. Scott Frost angered the football gods when UCF claimed a national title. That's the only explanation for the bad breaks for Frost at Nebraska. He has coached the Huskers for 14 games, and he's already lost five times by five points or fewer, including Saturday's absolute collapse against Colorado. The Huskers led 17-0 in the first half and had a 31-24 lead with less than a minute to play but fell in OT. The lesson? Don't ever take something that rightly belongs to Alabama. Nick Saban has connections.

5. Week 1 isn't a great forecaster. Sure, it's fun to overreact to the opening week's outcomes, but a lot can change between the first and second Saturdays of the season. Those teams that suffered miserable losses in the opener? They did OK in their follow-up performances. Missouri was upset by Wyoming but rebounded with a resounding win against West Virginia. Purdue was stunned by Nevada but picked off Vandy with ease on Saturday. South Carolina was an offensive mess in a loss to North Carolina, but Ryan Hilinski threw for 282 en route to 72 points vs. Charleston Southern. And even Tennessee -- oh, no. That Georgia State loss appears to have been a pretty good predictor of what's to come. Stay safe on Rocky Top, Vols fans.

6. It's going to be a long year in Tallahassee. Florida State escaped with a 45-44 overtime win vs. ULM, thanks to a missed PAT. (Note to ULM: Be sure your kickers are properly hydrated moving forward.) That's not a good look, coming one week after a brutal loss to Boise State. In the two games, FSU has been outscored 41-14 in the second half (not counting OT) and has allowed back-to-back runners to go over 100 yards (Robert Mahone, 142, and Josh Johnson, 126). And if you're counting at home, Florida State has inked 60 blue-chip recruits over the past four years. Boise State and ULM combined to sign six.

Heisman Five

1. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

We've been giving this some thought, and we've come to the conclusion that Lincoln Riley knows how to coach up QBs. Just remember, you heard it here first.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Tagovailoa has more passing yards, passing TDs and a better completion percentage through two games this year than he did last season.

3. Joe Burrow, LSU

Over their past six games, Burrow has completed a higher percentage of passes, thrown for more yards and tossed the same number of TDs as Tagovailoa.

4. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

It has not been a great start statistically, but look at some of the throws Lawrence made against Texas A&M and it's obvious a breakthrough performance is on the horizon. He's just biding his time. Perhaps next week, considering his opponent (Syracuse) just gave up 63 to Maryland.

5. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

He has rushed for 100 yards in seven straight games. The last Big Ten runner to get to eight in a row was ... Jonathan Taylor in 2017. Before that, however, none had done it since Ezekiel Elliott had 15 straight, ending in 2015.

Anderson gets a warm welcome

Blake Anderson took a leave of absence as head coach at Arkansas State on Aug. 19, just hours before his wife, Wendy, died of cancer. Although he wasn't coaching the team against UNLV on Saturday -- he plans to return full time next week against Georgia -- he visited the team in the hotel before the game, and he got an extraordinary reaction from his team.

There's no 'O' in UCLA

We're old enough to remember when Chip Kelly was an offensive genius. It was a different time. The Big East got a BCS bowl bid. Grumpy Cat clawed his way into our hearts. These days, though, Kelly's status as an offensive guru feels like a distant memory. UCLA lost to San Diego State 23-14 on Saturday, falling to 0-2 for the first time since 1943, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Both losses were to Group of Five teams. Overall, UCLA is 3-11 in Kelly's 14 games as head coach and has averaged just 23 points per game. That's worse than Kansas during that same stretch.

Take your ball and go home

Maine and Temple faced off in field hockey Saturday on Kent State's campus and were tied at zero through one overtime. So, how'd it end? It didn't.

As part of guidelines set out before the matchup, Kent State ended the match before a second OT could be played in order for the football team to kick off at 12:05 p.m.

"We regret today's game had to be stopped during overtime play per field guidelines, as previously discussed," said Dan Griffin, Kent State's director of athletics communication. "We recognize the hard work and dedication of all student-athletes. The safety of our community, including student-athletes and visitors is always our first consideration."

Maine's official Twitter account offered its frustration and a good bit of hand-wringing followed, as fans and media wondered why football came ahead of field hockey.

Mood: pic.twitter.com/fnFEB773f0

— UMaine Field Hockey (@UMaineFH) September 7, 2019

New faces, new places

It was a good week for coaches in new places. Houston's Dana Holgorsen, Utah State's Gary Andersen, ECU's Mike Houston, Georgia Tech's Geoff Collins, Louisville's Scott Satterfield, Western Kentucky's Tyson Helton and Coastal Carolina's Jamey Chadwell all won. That leaves just five still seeking win No. 1: Miami's Manny Diaz, Walt Bell at UMass, Jake Spavital at Texas State, Tom Arth at Akron and Hugh Freeze at Liberty.

Oh, so close

Maryland QB Josh Jackson had an exceptional first half in the Terrapins' thrashing of Syracuse, completing 17 of 28 for 277 yards and three touchdowns. It seemed like one of the most unlikely streaks in college football was destined to fall. Believe it or not, according to ESPN Stats & Info research, Maryland hadn't had a 300-yard passer since Oct. 12, 2013 -- back when the Terps were still part of the ACC. The only Power 5 team with a longer streak was Georgia Tech, which ran an option offense until this season. So, how'd Jackson celebrate ending that awful run? Ah, he didn't. In the second half, Jackson was 4-of-10 for just 19 yards, and he didn't throw a pass on the Terps' final three drives. For the game, he finished with 296. Sometimes, it's just not meant to be.

Twitter poll of the week

Army took Michigan to overtime in the Big House, the second straight season the Black Knights fell in an extra period to a top-10 opponent. Think Army's option offense might look appealing to some other programs that can't recruit blue-chip talent but want to compete with the big boys? Not likely. With Paul Johnson's retirement last year at Georgia Tech, there are no Power 5 programs running the option, and it doesn't seem like fans think that's apt to change anytime soon.

With Army playing well & Paul Johnson retired, question for y'all: Will we ever see another Power 5 team run the option full time?

— THE™️ David Hale (@ADavidHaleJoint) September 7, 2019

Under-the-radar win of the week

Southern Illinois hasn't had a winning season since 2013, but it has made a habit of taking FBS teams to the brink. The Salukis led Memphis at the half in 2017 and played one-possession games against FAU in 2016, Indiana in 2015, Illinois in 2013 and Marshall in 2009. What they hadn't done since 2007, however, was pull the upset over an FBS opponent. Mission accomplished on Saturday, as Southern Illinois annihilated UMass 45-20. It's the largest margin of victory by an FCS team vs. an FBS opponent since 2017, when Western Illinois beat Coastal Carolina 52-10. That was Coastal's first FBS season. This is Year 8 for UMass, which has never finished an FBS season better than 4-8.

Under-the-radar play of the week

Mercer was backed up deep in its own territory, late in the first quarter against Presbyterian, when QB Robert Riddle went deep, looking for sophomore Rob Lake. Lake caught the ball in stride and sprinted for the end zone. The result was a 98-yard TD reception, the longest offensive play in Mercer history. And oh, by the way, it was the first catch of Lake's career.

Best bets and bad beats

Lines courtesy Caesars sportsbook

• Bettors weren't exactly picking an upset when New Mexico State traveled to Alabama on Saturday. The Tide closed as a 55-point favorite. That's a huge number, but if anyone's going to get that kind of respect in Las Vegas, it's the Tide, who were also 55-point favorites against Georgia State in 2013, according to ESPN Stats & Info research. Bama, which won 62-10 on Saturday, didn't cover that one, either, winning by just 42. Alabama's biggest spread in the Nick Saban era was in 2012, when the Tide were favored by 55.5 against FCS Western Carolina and won by a mere 49 points. Overall, the 55-point spread is the highest in any FBS vs. FBS game since 2013, when Florida State was a 57-point favorite against Idaho. Of the 10 teams favored by at least 55 against an FBS opponent, only two covered the spread -- though one was the largest spread in the past 40 years, as the 1989 Houston Cougars, who were a whopping 59-point favorites against the post-"death penalty" SMU, won by 74. Saban is now 0-5 in games with 50-plus point spreads.

• Illinois closed as a 21.5-point favorite when it traveled to UConn on Saturday. How crazy is that? According to ESPN Stats & Info research, Illinois hadn't been favored by that much in any game against an FBS opponent since 2013, when Miami (Ohio) was a 26.5-point dog in Champagne, Illinois, but the Illini haven't been favored by 20 or more in a road game since at least 1991. It's easy enough to understand why. Illinois is a woeful 5-29 in true road games since 2012, losing by an average of nearly 19 points. The Illini looked just fine on Saturday but still didn't come close to a cover, ending with a 31-23 win. Still, Illinois is 2-0 to start the season for the sixth time in the past seven years. (Of note: They're 13-48 the rest of the way in those seven seasons.)

• Clemson fans got to celebrate a big win over Texas A&M, but Tigers backers got one of the worst beats of the early season. Clemson closed as a 15.5-point favorite, and it went up 24-3 with 5:50 to go in the third quarter. It looked like an easy cover until Texas A&M drove 91 yards on 16 plays on its final drive, finding the end zone with six seconds to play on a fourth-down pass from Kellen Mond. How ridiculous is that? Clemson has allowed just nine TD drives of 91 or more since Brent Venables was hired as defensive coordinator in 2012. This was the first since 2017, when Lamar Jackson led Louisville on a 95-yard drive. Venables' defenses have allowed even fewer 16-play drives -- just five since 2012. And the last time Clemson allowed a drive that included both 16 or more plays and 91 or more yards? That'd be 2007 against Maryland.

• Bettors with the under in the Colorado-Nebraska game were feeling good at the half, with the Huskers ahead 17-9 and the total set at 65. The second half, however, didn't work out quite so well. Colorado's furious second-half comeback meant regulation ended tied at 31. But this wasn't just a bad beat for the under folks, who at that point should've been counting their losses. Overtime proved to be ugly for the over bettors, too. Colorado booted a field goal to go up three, and Nebraska missed its kick for the tie. The final total: 65. A push. Over the past decade, less than 18 percent of overtime games ended with only three points being scored after regulation.

NEW YORK -- New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson made his first public appearance as the newest face of Jordan Brand on Saturday morning, when he helped unveil the upcoming Air Jordan 34 sneaker at a community event in Harlem.

The newest annual Air Jordan model will officially be released Sept. 25, with Williamson slated to headline and wear the shoe throughout the start of his rookie NBA season this fall.

On Saturday, Williamson was immediately surrounded by fans and younger prep players as he walked onto the freshly upgraded Jumpman-branded court of the Dunlevy Milbank Center.

"From the second I walked onto the court, I got nothing but love," he said.

Once the fandom died down, Williamson quickly stretched at the top of the key, then looked to take flight in a made-for-social media moment.

First, he threw down his signature windmill tomahawk from the left side. Next, with just three steps of momentum, he performed a near effortless between-the-legs dunk as the youngsters in attendance jumped in unison with his liftoff.

"The kids were hyping me up to do some cool dunks," Williamson added. "So I couldn't disappoint them."

View this post on Instagram

??"I put my feet in the footprints left to me" @jumpman23 #AJ34 ??

A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionwilliamson) on Sep 7, 2019 at 5:28pm PDT

As the Jordan Brand transitions away from Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook as the face of its annual Air Jordan shoe, with his Why Not Zer0 signature line just beginning, the company is hoping that signing the most sought-after rookie since LeBron James as an endorser will help to elevate and continue the relevance of the shoe series, even more than three decades after Michael Jordan first introduced it.

"The first thing I think everyone is going to notice [about Zion] is the explosiveness," said Gentry Humphrey, vice president of Jordan Footwear. "Michael put the air in 'Air,' but this boy gets up. I asked him, 'Hey, what do you really think your vertical is?' He said, 'Well, last test, I went off the charts, so I really don't know. I think it's about 49 or 50.'"

That explosiveness, as the company found out during the highly anticipated Duke-North Carolina game earlier this year, can at times put unparalleled force and strain on Williamson's sneakers.

The Air Jordan 34 and the brand's additional upcoming technologies presented to him during his official pitch meeting in June proved to be a key factor in wooing Williamson to sign on.

"From an innovation standpoint, his family was very keen on making sure that we were able to build a product for him," Humphrey said. "He's really proud of the fact that at 6-6 and 285, he moves like a point guard, and yet he has the ability to move like a power forward. That's somewhat of a unique combination."

Weighing in as one of the lightest Air Jordan models in the series, the Air Jordan 34 features a new "eclipse plate" for added propulsion, both heel and forefoot Zoom Air cushioning units, along with targeted support panels and lockdown elements on the upper.

"All of the innovation that we rolled out to him and that we looked at to address his needs -- it was really, really scientific," Humphrey said. "He really appreciated that angle that we came at."

While Williamson will be the headliner, the shoe launches at a time of increased aggressiveness by the brand to add even more NBA players to a roster of around 30 athletes. Re-establishing the performance of the line has been an added emphasis.

"We had the discussion about taking back the courts," designer Tate Kuerbis said. "That was number one. Let's take back the courts, and make it the best playing shoe we've ever had."

The new model also creates a unique bridge for the designer. Kuerbis penned the Air Jordan XVIII for the 2002-03 season, the final sneaker of Michael Jordan's NBA career. Now, he has designed the sneaker that Williamson will begin his pro career in.

"I'm hoping Michael didn't [retire] because of the shoe," Kuerbis said, laughing. "The idea of Zion is super exciting for us. An athlete like that will take the brand even somewhere completely different."

While their games might not share much aside from the air, Jordan Brand is hoping the electricity of Zion's personality can mirror the instant frenzy that was Jordan's rookie season and make for that same marketing magic.

"To me, that's what [Zion is] going to bring, that's a lot like Michael," Humphrey said. "He's a human highlight. In the digital world we live in today, that's how kids connect to the game and it's going to be super exciting for us and a great opportunity."

Dwyane Wade may have recently retired from his NBA playing career, but he plans to be on the court with Lakers star LeBron James at Staples Center often in the coming season.

Wade, who is now living in suburban Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times that he plans to work out with his former teammate before games, both at the Lakers' training facility in El Segundo and at Staples.

"You're definitely going to see me out there," Wade said. "I'll be there early to work out with LeBron before the game starts. I just want to stay around it and be as involved as I can."

Wade also said he has "a great relationship with all the players" and has already worked out with Ben Simmons of the Sixers and Josh Hart of the Pelicans this summer.

Wade and James played together for four seasons with the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014 and briefly with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18. Now their sons will be playing together at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, where Zaire Wade is a senior and Bronny Wade is a freshman.

And while the 37-year-old is enjoying his retirement and not looking to sign with another team at this moment, Wade would not entirely shut the door on a possible return when asked if watching the younger generation could inspire him to team up with LeBron for another NBA season.

"I'm done, but my trainer is going to keep me in shape just in case something happens," Wade said while smiling, according to the Times. "I'm going to stay in shape because you never know. Never say never."

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout was held out of the starting lineup Saturday night against the Chicago White Sox with discomfort in his right toe.

Trout pinch hit in the ninth inning with two outs and a runner on first and was intentionally walked before being removed for a runner. The Angels won 8-7.

Trout left in the fifth inning of Friday's game after experiencing soreness in the toe. He said afterward that he would try to play Saturday, but manager Brad Ausmus decided to give his star center fielder another day to recover.

"He was a little sore today," Ausmus told reporters before Saturday's game. "It didn't recover like it normally does, so we're gonna give him the day and hopefully he's fine tomorrow."

Trout has been playing with the foot issue for a few weeks. He was given a day off Aug. 28 against the Texas Rangers after complaining of soreness in the foot.

"We're not really sure what makes it flare up, but when it flares up, it tends to get worse," Ausmus said.

Trout is batting .291/.438/.645 and entered the day tied for the major league lead with 45 home runs.

Brian Goodwin, who hit a game-tying, two-run homer after replacing Trout on Friday, got the start in center field on Saturday and went 1-for-5 with two runs scored.

After making his comeback from Tommy John surgery and a career-threatening broken humerus, Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Aaron Barrett was consoled by manager Dave Martinez as he wept in the dugout following his first major league appearance in four years on Saturday.

Barrett faced four batters in a scoreless fifth against the Atlanta Braves, walking the leadoff batter before retiring the next three in order.

He was visibly crying in the dugout as Martinez brought him a towel and put his hand on Barrett's shoulder.

Barrett had missed two full seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015 and fracturing his right arm in 2016. He got back to the majors Wednesday when Washington purchased his contract from Double-A Harrisburg.

The Braves won 5-4 Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MILWAUKEE -- As if the Chicago Cubs didn't have enough to contend with -- including a scorching-hot Arizona Diamondbacks team nipping at their heels in the National League's wild-card race -- now they likely have to finish the regular season without last year's runner-up to the MVP, Javier Baez. A hairline fracture in Baez's thumb has thrust former All-Star Addison Russell into the spotlight.

Russell takes over for Baez in the Cubs' infield but is far from the player Baez is -- or even the player Russell once was. Russell undermined his once-promising career with his own problems away from the field, which led to an MLB suspension for domestic abuse. But now his team must count on Russell in a big way if it has any chance of making it to the postseason.

Despite hitting a home run, Russell failed in his first test as the regular shortstop. His throwing error in the ninth inning of a 2-2 game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday led to the winning run for yet another crushing defeat for the Cubs on the road.

"Even though the ball was struck pretty well, I tried to take my time," Russell said after the game. "I just sailed it. In that situation, you have to be on point, especially where we're at during the season."

It was Russell's third throwing error from shortstop in three games, which suggests the Cubs might end up missing Baez in the field as much as they do at the plate. Russell and his manager say he just has to get used to the throwing angles from shortstop again.

Russell had better do it fast, as time is running out on the Cubs, who continue to plug leaky holes in their game. At some point, they might just drown -- likely leading to massive offseason changes that will turn over the 2016 World Series champions.

"It's a huge blow, what happened to Javy," Russell said. "I'm happy to step up and take on that role. I have a lot of confidence in myself and my ability."

Russell might have more confidence in himself than anyone watching in Chicago. Russell isn't exactly a fan favorite after his 40-game suspension for domestic abuse issues, which was completed at the beginning of the season. The Cubs stuck their necks out for him, hoping first and foremost he would rehabilitate himself -- and then he could help them on the field again. From a baseball perspective, they couldn't afford to get rid of Russell, as he was their only viable backup to Baez at shortstop in case the worst happened this season.

Well, the worst just did happen. And now Russell will have to step up his game, both at the plate and in the field. According to ESPN Stats & Information, when Baez is in the lineup this season, the Cubs' defense has a 73% out rate on ground balls to the left or up the middle. When Baez doesn't start, that rate drops to 65%. That percentage took yet another dip after Russell's latest miscue.

"Just working on arm angles," Russell said. "The feet are fine. The glove is fine."

And we haven't even discussed the mental mistakes Russell has made this season, including admitting to not being "familiar" with the signs. A lot is riding on Russell's shoulders, just as it was when the Cubs won the World Series. It seems like forever ago, but Russell was the starting shortstop in 2016 and made his only All-Star team that year.

"I believe if I just get to work and fully commit into that, I can go back to being the ballplayer I know how to be," Russell said.

Teammate Jon Lester offered his take.

"Addy is fine. He's a strong kid," Lester said. "We have the utmost confidence he can play shortstop for us. He did it for us before.

"It's not like we're calling up a kid that can't handle the situation."

Lester and the Cubs probably have more faith in Russell than most Cubs fans -- or perhaps they know they have to back him, by default. Manager Joe Maddon has no other options and doesn't want to put all the pressure on the 25-year-old infielder.

"We definitely have a lot of other good names," Maddon said. "It's not like we're just a one-man band. Other guys have to take care of their component of the game."

That's true. But none of them plays the most important position on the diamond and none of them is filling in for the energetic and spiritual leader of the team that Baez is. Baez has an energy that can't be replaced -- though the Cubs are just looking for few more solid throws to first. Three bad ones in three days is the stuff of Little League.

"Whatever reason, it's fading on him," Maddon explained. "We can fix that."

They had better. Time is running out, so it better be a quick fix. A division title seems further away than it has ever been, and now a playoff spot could be in jeopardy. The Cubs can't take on any more than they've brought on to themselves already. They showed faith in Russell, and now he needs to return the favor or the season won't end well.

"I believe it's pretty close," Russell said. "I just have to get in some work here and there and I'll feel good. My arm feels fine. I feel like I'm strong. Just have to get in a little extra work over there."

Sheila Chepkirui and Dorcas Jepchumba both break 30 minutes, Geoffrey Koech becomes fourth-fastest ever and international half-marathon series gets green light in Czech capital

History was made during an eventful day in Prague thanks to a series of blistering 10km performances at the Birell Grand Prix and the launch of a new half-marathon series which will begin in 2020.

The Saturday evening races in the Czech capital saw two women running under 30 minutes for the first time ever in the same contest – and what a contest it was! Kenyan duo Sheila Chepkirui and Dorcas Jepchumba both clocked 29:57 as they crossed the finish line, but it was Chepkirui who just managed to break the tape first. Only Joyciline Jepkosgei has ever gone faster – when she clocked 29:43 to set the world record at the same event in 2017. Steeplechaser Norah Jeruto was third in 30:07.

“It didn’t seem to me as fast as the results are, but the second half of the race was really much harder,” said Chepkirui. “I believe that I can run even faster in the future and I believe it can be in Prague next year.”

The men’s race was very quick, too, with the top eight finishers breaking the 28-minute mark. Kenya dominated again as Geoffrey Koech joined Haile Gebrselassie with the fourth-fastest 10km time in history of 27:02 to take victory. Mathew Kimeli was five seconds behind, with teenager Bravin Kiptoo setting a world under-20 best in third place with 27:12.

“There is a lot of space for improvement but still I am very happy with my result,” said Koech.

These performances followed shortly after news broke of the launch of the new SuperHalfs international series – the announcement being made during the European Running Business Conference, organised by European Athletics, which has also been taking place in Prague.

The five established half marathons in Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen, Cardiff and Valencia are to come under one banner from next year, with the inaugural SuperHalfs series getting off and running in the Portuguese capital on March 22. The aim is to promote running, tourism and environmental sustainability at each of the events.

Participants will be given access to a number of benefits and, following completion of the first race, will receive a virtual SuperPassport, upon which will appear an e-stamp following each subsequent race. There is a 36-month window to complete the full series and, much in the same way as happens for those who run all of the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, there will be a special medal for those who run the whole set.