Andy Murray showed more positive signs in his injury comeback as he pushed Italy's Fabio Fognini close before going down in a tetchy three-set battle in the Shanghai Masters second round.

Britain's Murray, 32, matched Fognini in a long opening set decided by a tie-break, overpowering him in the second.

A tight decider saw an angry Murray tell the world number 12 to "shut up" and fail to serve out for victory.

Fognini kept cool to dominate a tie-break and win 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (7-2).

Meanwhile, Swiss second seed Roger Federer eased past Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas in his opening match.

Federer, 38, dominated the first set against the world number 46 before a tighter second saw the 20-time Grand Slam champion secure victory by claiming the final three points of a tie-break to win 6-2 7-6 (7-5).

Cameron Norrie's chances of becoming the new British number one are over after losing 6-3 6-1 against US Open finalist Daniil Medvedev in his second-round match.

Dan Evans, 29, will climb above Kyle Edmund in the rankings next week and becoming Britain's leading male player for the first time - confirmed after former world number one Murray lost his second-round match.

British pair Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski moved into the second round of the men's doubles with a 6-3 6-4 win over China's Xin Gao and Zhe Li.

Murray pushes one of the world's best all the way

Former world number one Murray is playing his sixth singles tournament since having a hip resurfacing operation - a metal cap inserted over the femur head - in late January and continues to impress as he builds up towards a potential return to Grand Slam singles at the Australian Open in January.

Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, tearfully said in a Melbourne Park news conference at this year's tournament that he was expecting to retire in 2019 because of the pain he was experiencing in his hip.

No player has previously made a singles comeback after a hip resurfacing operation.

While the Australian Open organisers' claim earlier on Tuesday that the Scot had confirmed to play in Melbourne was somewhat premature, with Murray yet to formally enter, he is continuing to show signs that a return to the upper echelons of the game is possible.

The manner in which he pushed Fognini all the way in a thrilling battle was another major statement.

Fognini, 32, has enjoyed a productive season which has seen him break into the world's top 10 for the first time and win the Monte Carlo Masters in April.

Murray had two chances to serve out for the biggest win of his comeback - at 5-4 and 6-5 in the decider - but was unable to take either opportunity.

The second attempt came after an explosive row between the players at the changeover, with Murray accusing the Italian of trying to put him off by shouting as he put away a net volley.

Murray remonstrated with umpire Fergus Murphy about his opponent's behaviour, with Fognini laughing during the exchange before being told by the official not to shout during play.

Fognini broke back to level when Murray spooned a backhand wide and then ran away with the tie-break before the pair exchanged a brief, but cordial, handshake at the net after a match that lasted three hours and nine minutes.

Riots force event to look at new dates in 2020
By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor

The Hong Kong Open has been postponed because of security fears brought on by the current unrest in the Chinese territory.

Weeks of anti-government protests have seen violence escalate to the point of police firing live ammunition into crowds on Sunday, inuring two people.

After riots yesterday outside government buildings, police responded with water cannon, tear gas and truncheons. Protestors are ignoring orders banning them from wearing masks.

Demonstrators claim that democratic rights are being eroded in the semi-autonomous territory now under Chinese rule following the transfer of sovereignty from the UK in July 1997.

A statement from Hong Kong Squash said: “In view of the current situation, we have decided, after careful consideration and extensive discussions with our key stakeholders, to postpone the 2019 Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong Squash Open which was due to be played at the Hong Kong Squash Center (December 2-6) and the West Kowloon Cultural District (December 7-8) to next year.

“Hong Kong Squash and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) are in active discussion on identifying a best schedule for the hosting of the eent in 2020.

“A further announcement will be made in due course.”

The Professional Squash Association and Hong Kong Squash are in active discussions on identifying the best timing to schedule the event in 2020. A further announcement will be made on the event official website (www.hksquashopen.com) in due course.

Cancellation of Hong Kong Squash Open. pic.twitter.com/bALfAw5RYi

— Tong Tsz Wing (@ettongttw) October 8, 2019

In a statement released today, the PSA added: “Hong Kong Squash has sincerely apologised for any inconvenience caused to the players, fans, partners and supporters. They are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the Hong Kong Squash Open in 2020.”

Mohamed ElShorbagy and Joelle King had lifted the titles in Hong Kong in 2018, with the Kiwi winning the first PSA World Tour Platinum event of her career.

Meanwhile, the World No.2 took the fourth Hong Kong Open title of his career, having previously won the event in 2014, 2015 and 2017 prior to last year’s tournament.

The Hong Kong Open is one of the longest-standing major events on the PSA World Tour calendar, enjoying a long-running sponsorship arrangement with the Cathay Pacific airline.

Picture courtesy of PSA

DENVER, N.C. – Filipe Albuquerque will have a new roll with Action Express Racing next season.

Albuquerque, who has raced full-time in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R for Action Express the last two seasons, will shift to the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R for the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Michelin Endurance Cup events.

The role is a familiar one for Albuquerque, who joined Action Express Racing’s Mustang Sampling Racing effort for the 2017 Michelin Endurance Cup season before moving to a full-time role with the team in 2018.

“It has been a great opportunity to drive with Joao (Barbosa) and Christian (Fittipaldi) and to represent Mustang Sampling for these last few years,” said Albuquerque. “I understand that the commercial situation for the team has changed so we all are adjusting for the new plans. It will be different for me to just be racing in the endurance events again, but the team is already working hard to bring back the No. 5 car to the full season. In the meantime I am focused on what I know to do best, which now is to win all the four big ones.”

Comprised of the four marquee endurance events on the IMSA WeatherTech Championship schedule, the Michelin Endurance Cup covers 52 hours of racing at Daytona Int’l Speedway, Sebring Int’l Raceway, Watkins Glen Int’l and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The Michelin Endurance Cup title is determined by not only where the teams finish the race, but also where they are scored at segments during each of the four long-distance events.

Action Express Racing has won five-straight Michelin Endurance Cup titles, and is in position to do so once again in 2019, with one race remaining at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta next Saturday.

Albuquerque will make his first appearance in the Whelen Engineering Racing machine at the Roar Before the 24 along with full season No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R drivers Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani.

Chicago Fire midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has announced his retirement from professional football.

In a statement released on social media Schweinsteiger announced his decision and thanked his former teams as well as his wife, former tennis player Ana Ivanovic.

"Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel a little nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me soon," he said. "I will remain faithful to football. Many, many thanks for the time we spent together, I will always have a place for you in my heart."

Schweinsteiger and Ivanovic welcomed their first child in March 2018 and had a second boy this August.

- Stream MLS games LIVE on ESPN+
- MLS Cup playoffs 2019: All you need to know

Schweinsteiger, 35, was best known for his time with Bayern Munich and Germany but also spent a brief spell at Manchester United between 2015 and 2017.

He won eight Bundesliga titles and seven German cups with Bayern as well as the 2013 Champions League.

With Germany, Schweinsteiger won the 2014 World Cup and finished third in 2006 and 2010. He made 121 appearances for Die Mannschaft, making him fourth on their list of most capped players and scored 24 goals.

Germany coach Joachim Low called Schweinsteiger "one of the greatest German players ever."

He added: "A big player, a huge personality. Always honest, always emphatic."

After leaving United in 2017, Schweinsteiger moved to Major League Soccer with the Chicago Fire.

During his first campaign he helped the Fire to reach the playoffs for the first time in five years but in his second and third years at the club they failed to qualify.

In total, Schweinsteiger played 85 MLS games and scored eight goals with 15 assists.

His final appearance was in Sunday's 5-2 win over Orlando City.

Decision Day has come and gone, leaving Major League Soccer's 14 playoff sides with nearly two weeks to contemplate their paths to MLS Cup glory. In the regular season's afterglow, postseason hopes will never be higher for many of these clubs, which is why we've detailed precisely why each team can win MLS Cup ... and, similarly, why each can't.

Western Conference

1. LAFC

Next playoff match: 10:30 p.m. ET Oct. 24 vs. Minnesota or LA Galaxy (watch live on ESPN)

Why they will win MLS Cup: The league's best player, Carlos Vela, makes sure there is no letdown and leads the league's best team to the title.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: The lack of a second striker and an opponent savvy enough to cut off the Eduard Atuesta-Vela connection lead to a nightmare scenario for Bob Bradley's men.

2. Seattle Sounders

Next playoff match: 3:30 p.m. ET Oct. 19 vs. FC Dallas

Why they will win MLS Cup: Seattle is well versed in the postseason panorama and has the firepower in Raul Ruidiaz, Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro to do something special.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: A team that has been plagued by defensive issues, poor road form and inconsistency simply can't last.

3. Real Salt Lake

Next playoff match: 10 p.m. ET Oct. 19 vs. Portland (watch live on ESPNEWS)

Why they will win MLS Cup: The attacking trident of Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak and Damir Kreilach get on a roll, and Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando turn back the clock to 2009.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: RSL's inconsistency rears its head at the wrong time to end a season overshadowed by off-the-field controversy.

4. Minnesota United

Next playoff match: 8:30 p.m. ET Oct. 20 vs. LA Galaxy (watch live on ESPN)

Why they will win MLS Cup: Their "us against the world" mentality, on top of a solid defense, takes Adrian Heath's men on a surprising Cup run.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: Ten road losses this season suggest that winning back-to-back away from home in the biggest games of the season is too big an ask.

5. LA Galaxy

Next playoff match: 8:30 p.m. ET Oct. 20 at Minnesota (watch live on ESPN)

Why they will win MLS Cup: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede is a threat to score anytime he has the ball, and with Cristian Pavon in the mix, the Galaxy have the offensive weapons to take down anyone.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: A poor record away from home and a tendency to switch off and commit errors in defense make it only a matter of time before the Galaxy get sent packing.

6. Portland Timbers

Next playoff match: 10 p.m. ET Oct. 19 at Salt Lake (watch live on ESPNEWS)

Why they will win MLS Cup: Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco. The Argentine playmakers are as formidable as any in the league, and Blanco in particular has turned it up a notch the past month. Plus midfield warrior Diego Chara and the experience of coach Giovanni Savarese give Timbers fans every reason to believe.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: Valeri's contract status is looming uncomfortably over the team, and Savarese has yet to figure out how to shake his team's inconsistent form in 2019.

7. FC Dallas

Next playoff match: 3:30 p.m. ET Oct. 19 at Seattle

Why they will win MLS Cup: Luchi Gonzalez's young pups will be playing with no fear and have nothing to lose in this postseason. It's just the type of attitude that can wreak havoc on opponents.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: Their lack of experience can also work against them in a hostile environment, such as trying to hang on to a result in the last 15 minutes in a full house on the West Coast.

Eastern Conference

1. New York City FC

Next playoff match: 7 p.m. ET Oct. 23 vs. Toronto or D.C.

Why they will win MLS Cup: No team is cooler when pressured by opponents, thanks to one of the league's best midfields, which lays the groundwork for a title run.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: Jozy Altidore and Toronto FC have a habit of making life difficult for NYCFC and could prove to be the roadblock even before a date with high-powered LAFC.

-- Stream MLS games LIVE on ESPN+
-- MLS Cup playoffs 2019: All you need to know
-- Marshall: Vela's goals record lives up to the hype of a prodigy

2. Atlanta United

Next playoff match: 3 p.m. ET Oct. 19 vs. New England

Why they will win MLS Cup: They know how to get the job done, and with a healthy and hungry Josef Martinez, a second straight crown is theirs for the taking.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: The mental lapses have been there too often this season, and in a single-game elimination format, that proves costly.

3. Philadelphia Union

Next playoff match: 3 p.m. ET Oct. 20 vs. New York Red Bulls

Why they will win MLS Cup: Their balance from back to front is a big asset, and Kacper Przybylko has become the goal scorer this team desperately needed.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: Teams will look to take Przybylko out of the equation, and the lack of a second scorer will limit the Union.

4. Toronto FC

Next playoff match: Noon ET Oct. 19 vs. D.C.

Why they will win MLS Cup: One of the hottest teams in the East boasts the experience to win MLS Cup and has the firepower up front with Jozy Altidore and Alejandro Pozuelo.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: A spotty road record all season means that this 4-seed can't string together the wins away from home to lift the trophy.

5. D.C. United

Next playoff match: Noon ET Oct. 19 at Toronto

Why they will win MLS Cup: On his way out the door, Wayne Rooney will deliver his best soccer since arriving in the nation's capital and replicate countryman David Beckham's feat of leaving MLS as a champion.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: Ben Olsen's reluctance to start Luciano Acosta and the resurfacing of late summer defensive woes rear their heads in the postseason.

6. New York Red Bulls

Next playoff match: 3 p.m. ET Oct. 20 at Philadelphia

Why they will win MLS Cup: With postseason expectations lower than in previous seasons, the Red Bulls ride a pressure-free playoffs all the way to the promised land.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: A defense that gave up a lot of goals to the league's top teams can't maintain a high enough level through four matches.

7. New England Revolution

Next playoff match: 3 p.m. ET Oct. 19 at Atlanta

Why they will win MLS Cup: Led by five-time MLS Cup-winning coach Bruce Arena, the Revs ride the playmaking of Carles Gil and the scoring boots of Gustavo Bou to a stunning title run.

Why they won't win MLS Cup: A team that still struggles to put together a consistent 90 minutes will see its postseason end fairly quickly.

What is the Pune pitch, deep down?

In first-class cricket, it's one of the flattest in the country. Thirty-six Indian grounds have hosted at least 10 first-class games since the start of the 2011-12 season, when the MCA Stadium made its debut. Of those 36 grounds, only two have a higher runs-per-wickets figure than Pune's 35.82.

In 26 first-class games here, there have been ten individual scores of 150 or more, two triple-hundreds and three other doubles. Thirteen of the 26 games have ended in draws.

ODIs here have largely been high-scoring too, with three out of four matches producing first-innings totals of above 280.

"When the covers came off, it wasn't a straightforward task to distinguish the pitch from the square surrounding it. It was green, and uniformly so. But soon enough, the groundstaff began taking grass off"

When a ground hosts a Test match, however, it can change character dramatically. Pune's debut Test, in 2017, ended in less than three days, with India scoring 105 and 107 and the pitch ending up with a "poor" rating.

Two days before Pune's second Test, therefore, everyone wanted to talk to Pandurang Salgaoncar, the curator. But Salgaoncar wouldn't talk to anyone.

Salgaoncar has endured a difficult couple of years. There was the "poor" rating for the Test against Australia, to start with, and later that year even greater controversy arising from his getting trapped in a sting operation, which led to his being suspended for six months by both his home association and the ICC.

Two days from the start of India's second Test against South Africa, Salgaoncar's primary worries were to do with the weather. Rain has lashed Pune incessantly in the weeks leading up to the game, and this has, no doubt, complicated preparations for the game.

Tuesday afternoon was dry, though, and the heat oppressive. Out in the middle, the groundstaff were hard at work under Salgaoncar's supervision, with India coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun keeping a close eye.

It wasn't clear whether Shastri and Arun were merely watching the preparations or also passing on instructions. Arun, only half an hour earlier, had said this at his press conference:

"We don't ask for the kind of wickets that we get. To us, to be a good No. 1 team in the world, any conditions that come your way, you've got to accept and say these are home conditions. Even when we go abroad, we hardly take a look at the wicket. Yes, in the last minute we tend to assess the wicket by looking at it, but we say that we are going to look at this as home conditions, and the wicket is the same for both the teams, so we are going to work on our bowling, rather than looking at the wickets."

When the covers came off, it wasn't a straightforward task to distinguish the pitch from the square surrounding it. It was green, and uniformly so. But soon enough, the groundstaff began taking grass off the pitch, with the means of stiff brushes and then a mower.

It remains to be seen how much of the grass survives by the time Test starts on Thursday. But given how the weather has been in the run-up to the game, the pitch is unlikely to be as dry as the one in 2017, which became what it became thanks partly to the 37-degree weather that had preceded the Test match, and partly to the reduced watering it was deliberately subject to.

Riyaz Bagwan, the secretary of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, refused to get into any detail over the effect of the weather on pitch preparations, but he was confident that the ground's drainage would help reduce the length of any rain interruptions. He estimated that the sand-based outfield would take less than half-an-hour to be ready to play on again.

In the weeks leading up to the game, Bagwan said Maharashtra's players had played a few practice one-day matches at the venue, and that these had begun on time - "9.30 sharp" - even if there had been overnight rain.

Much like the pitch, the weather in Pune can change dramatically in the space of a day. The blazing afternoon quickly gave way to dark clouds, and a short, sharp shower arrived at around 4pm. Rain was forecast for all five days of the first Test in Visakhapatnam, but it kept away for all but one session of play. With a similar forecast for Pune as well, here's hoping for similar cooperation from upstairs.

Big Picture

Yes, even the first-string Sri Lanka had lost their four most-recent T20I series, and sure Pakistan topped the rankings, but there are no two sides that revel quite as much in chaos as these two, so in some ways, a comfortable series victory to the underdogs is not a huge surprise.

The two matches so far have followed a remarkably similar script. Sri Lanka have got a half-century and a big partnership from their top three, then a strong finish. Their quicks have then struck early blows, and despite the occasional good partnership from Pakistan, Sri Lanka have managed to keep the required rate climbing through the middle overs. In the first match, Pakistan's last seven wickets fell for 33. In the second, their last five went down for 20.

The two players catching the most heat so far have been Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad, who have produced four awful innings between them. Akmal's successive golden ducks have basically been an invitation for a punchline. Shehzad has arguably been even worse, chewing up 25 Powerplay deliveries for his 17 runs across the two games. Babar Azam's rare failures haven't helped either, nor has the fitful form of the rest of the middle order.

A whitewash will be a coup for Sri Lanka, and a significant early obstacle for the new lord commander of Pakistan cricket, Misbah-ul-Haq. Of the issues the hosts must sort, the top-order problems seem the most pressing.

Form guide

Pakistan LLLWL (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWLL

In the spotlight

Part of Pakistan's good T20I form in 2018 had been down to the bowlers, and Mohammad Amir had as good a year as anyone, going at 6.57 in nine appearances last year, taking 14 wickets at 15.50. He had not gone wicketless in eight previous T20Is before this series but has now failed to take a wicket through the first two matches in Lahore. With a confident opposition top three to contend with, Pakistan need their quicks to fire in the last match.

In all four of Sri Lanka's innings on tour, Dasun Shanaka has played good knocks befitting the situation, finding late boundaries when Sri Lanka are looking to finish fast, and rebuilding when they have lost early wickets. He had been disappointed to miss out on a World Cup spot but has perhaps now done enough to firm up a place in the first-choice XI in both limited-overs formats.

Team news

Iftikhar Ahmed may come in for the run-less Akmal. Perhaps Pakistan will also consider Haris Sohail instead of Shehzad.

Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Ahmed Shehza, 4 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Mohammad Hasnain

Although ordinarily a team might be tempted to trial inexperienced players once a series has been sewn up, a whitewash will mean a lot to this Sri Lanka team, and they are unlikely to change their side.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Shehan Jayasuriya, 5 Minod Bhanuka (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Nuwan Pradeep

Pitch and conditions

There has been a little dew around in Lahore, but not so much that it has had a substantial effect on the game. The pitch is expected to be decent for batting again.

Stats and trivia

• Amir's 0 for 40 on Monday were his worst figures since the 2016 T20 World Cup.

• Seven members of Sri Lanka's XI had played fewer than ten T20s at the start of the series.

• Sri Lanka have never won a T20I series 3-0.

• Pakistan have never been whitewashed 3-0 in T20Is either.

Russell Westbrook tallied 13 points in 21 minutes in his first game action as a member of the Houston Rockets, a 134-129 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Tokyo.

"It wasn't bad," said Westbrook, the longtime Oklahoma City star and former MVP now in his first season with Houston. "Unfortunately, we didn't win. That's the main goal. But it was good to get on the floor for the first time, get up and down, try to find a rhythm. We've got a lot of work to do."

Westbrook has reunited with former Thunder teammate James Harden, who poured in 34 points in 27 minutes.

Harden made his first six shots and finished 11-for-14 from the field. His final points were a pair of free throws with 3:40 left in the third quarter that put Houston up 104-87. He checked out shortly afterward, and Toronto outscored Houston 47-25 the rest of the way to rally for the win.

"It was amazing," Harden said of the Tokyo crowd. "They got an opportunity to see what NBA basketball is about, what Rockets basketball is about. They brought the energy tonight. They were excited from the beginning of the game. They made us want to go out there and put on a show, so hopefully it can be that same kind of atmosphere on Thursday."

The exhibition game at the Saitama Super Arena, a site for basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was the NBA's first in Japan since 2003. The Rockets and Raptors return there to conclude the two-game series Thursday.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he liked the arena and felt energy from the Japanese fans.

"We get 'Let's go Raptors' in a lot of cities," Nurse said. "It's nice to see it in Tokyo as well. Lot of Raptors fans around the world. It's great."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

IT WAS SUPPOSED to be a quiet summer night for Anthony Davis.

With the rumor mill churning, he sought refuge with Keanu Reeves -- just another anonymous moviegoer watching bad guys get pistol-whipped in "John Wick: Chapter 3 -- Parabellum."

As the film came to an end, Davis closed out his check. (It was one of those luxury cinemas where orders are brought right to your seat.) In the dark of the theater, he slid his credit card back into his wallet and his wallet back into his bag.

The next morning, Davis left his home near Thousand Oaks, California, and stopped at a gas station. Standing at the pump to pay, he felt like he'd just taken a John Wick roundhouse kick to the stomach: He didn't have his wallet.

"It must be at the movies," Davis thought. So he called the theater and asked to speak to the manager.

"No, no, your wallet's not here," he was told.

Undeterred, Davis and a couple of friends drove to the theater, trying to retrace his steps. Again, they asked if a wallet had turned up. It had not.

They searched the theater, in and around his seat. No dice.

He called the next day. No wallet.

He called the day after that. Still no wallet.

Another day passed, and Davis returned to the theater, this time to see the Seth Rogen-Charlize Theron comedy "Long Shot." He wasn't optimistic but asked about the wallet one last time. They didn't have it.

Gone were both his Illinois state ID and driver's license. He arranged for a new medical insurance card and contacted credit card companies to issue new sets of plastic. And then came the issue of the actual wallet itself. Davis figured he'd never see the black and blue Goyard wallet again. In its place, he picked up an all-black Louis Vuitton pocket-sized valise to complete the swap.

This was not what Davis had in mind when he went to the theater for a reprieve. Then again, things hadn't exactly gone according to plan since a January trade request went public and submarined his season.

IN MID-APRIL, when the New Orleans Pelicans retooled their front office, hiring former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin as their executive vice president of basketball operations, Griffin inherited a quandary: whether to honor a preexisting trade request by Davis or attempt to mend fences as a fresh voice and risk the next season devolving into a high-stakes standoff.

The rub was two-fold: One obstacle, sources told ESPN, was Pelicans owner Gayle Benson's sour feelings toward L.A. -- a lingering disdain over how Davis' final season with the franchise had been compromised by AD's initial request.

"Clearly the process began at the trade deadline," Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka says. "But I think it's no mystery that there wasn't engagement in them wanting to do a trade at that time. I think that's just sort of fact."

The second problem? Despite all of that, the Lakers were their most viable -- if not their only -- option.

"When I took over, there was some latent discontent, maybe with the way things had been handled," Griffin says. "We just talked about the fact that, look, in all likelihood the best package is going to come from this team, because it's the only team that AD's willing to stay at."

Acting on behalf of his client, Rich Paul had all but made the decision for the Pelicans. He signaled to any other interested trade partners -- i.e. the Boston Celtics, who sources say coveted the big man for years -- that Davis would walk as a free agent in the summer of 2020 if they dealt for him.

"The last thing you want to do is put a GM in a situation where he trades away an asset and then the guy walks out the door," Paul says. "Like, you can't do business that way. So, it's not really a hard conversation to have.

"And I don't think it stopped Danny Ainge from trying. It's just that maybe he didn't have the deal [he wanted]. He wasn't willing to give up the young players, which I don't blame him. I wouldn't give them up either, if the guy is not going to re-sign back."

Griffin, who acknowledges his preexisting relationship with Paul was likely a benefit when he was selected to replace Dell Demps, couldn't help but admire the agent's moxie.

"Rich had done such an effective job of smoking out all of the competition for the Lakers, that we were left with the sense that the best deal is going to very likely come from them. And if we can get X-Y-Z, we have to execute the deal," Griffin recalls.

But if the Pelicans were going to part with AD, it wouldn't be for just X-Y-Z. They wanted the whole alphabet.

And on May 14, they'd get their chance.

The results of the Draft Lottery helped grease the wheels for renewed trade conversations, league sources told ESPN. The Lakers walked away with the No. 4 pick, despite having just a 9.4% chance of doing so; the Pelicans, bucking mere 6% odds, landed the No. 1 pick and first dibs at Duke's Zion Williamson.

"[Davis] wanted to go to two places: New York or L.A," Paul reflects. "After the Draft [Lottery], I was able to see where everything lies. The fact that [the Pelicans] were going to get the first pick caused me to understand, it softened the blow of losing Anthony Davis because the organization could still have some momentum.

"Now, where he would go was up to who was going to step up and give the best offer."

"Major NBA trades live on the edge of a dime. I think, maybe the everyday fan doesn't know how the fulcrum is so razor thin."

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka

The Lakers parted with the No. 4 pick, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart as well as a 2021 first-rounder protected Nos. 9-30 (which becomes unprotected in 2022), first-round swap rights in 2023 and a 2024 first-round pick with the option to defer to 2025.

"Throughout the whole time we were trying to gauge the value of the fourth pick," Griffin says.

Many pundits viewed a steep drop off following the top three prospects in Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett. Unless there was a team that viewed another player worthy of that group, the fourth pick really wasn't all that more valuable than, say, the 10th pick -- only more expensive because of the cascading rookie salaries structure.

Playing out the hypothetical trade opportunities that could exist if the Pelicans did the deal with the Lakers, Griffin eventually found interest from the Atlanta Hawks, who ended up sending New Orleans the No. 8, No. 17 and No. 35 picks in the 2019 draft and a heavily protected 2020 first rounder for No. 4 so the Hawks could take De'Andre Hunter out of Virginia.

"Major NBA trades live on the edge of a dime. I think, maybe the everyday fan doesn't know how the fulcrum is so razor thin, and something's close to being done and then it's far from being done and then you think you have it done and you start over," Pelinka says.

"The day that it was completed, I remember there were a number of hurdles that seemed insurmountable that came up where we thought this just is never going to happen."

Griffin, who had parted ways with the Cavs just days before Kyrie Irving requested a trade out of Cleveland, had ruminated for some time on how he would have handled that situation. Now that he was in the driver's seat with Davis, he was intent on leveraging a killer deal.

"Literally the day that the trade happened," Pelinka says, "there were a couple points I was convinced that there would be no further conversations."

But the Lakers were too invested to walk away. They owed it, Pelinka thought, to LeBron James.

"When a player of LeBron's stature puts his trust in the organization," Pelinka says, "I think there's an implicit bilateral trust going back saying: 'We're going to do everything we can to put you in a position to win more championships, because that's what you're about.'"

BACK IN 2015, NBA journeyman center Kendrick Perkins had landed in New Orleans, where he would play one season alongside Davis on the Pelicans. On the road, the two would frequently break bread together, and their dinner conversations would often turn toward James, whom Perkins had played with on the AAU circuit as teenagers. They were also teammates in Cleveland during James' second stint with the Cavs. During those dinners, Perkins would gush about the four-time MVP's focus and preparation.

"I used to brag about 'Bron a lot with him," Perkins says. "He really didn't have to ask me [about James]. I was doing more of the talking."

In the summer of 2018, when word got out that Davis could be looking for a new agent, it was Perkins who introduced Davis to Klutch Sports.

"I thought it was the best thing for AD," Perkins says. "I thought he needed to be around that type of greatness."

Paul saw the star beneath Davis' signature synophrys and knew there was much more for the power forward to accomplish in the league beyond one second-round postseason appearance.

"He's just as talented as anyone who's ever played this game," Paul says. "Six-11, makes 3s, blocks shots. I think he's one of the better passing big men in our game. In my opinion, this is what makes him different from Giannis [Antetokounmpo].

"Like, if you put Anthony Davis on that Bucks team last year, they'd be playing in the Finals. He knows how to make guys better. That's not a knock to Giannis, but that's just what [I think]."

After that fateful meeting manifested the three-team trade to form a new superstar duo, James and Davis shared a new dream of parlaying their duo into a trio. As free agency opened in July, Kawhi Leonard was indisputably the biggest free agent on the market.

The King and the Brow set their eyes on The Claw.

Davis says he spoke to Leonard over the phone once in the first five days of free agency. Hardly a fervent flirtation, but as much as he felt comfortable engaging in.

"I don't really know Kawhi like that -- I don't think no one really knows Kawhi like that. But obviously we were hopeful," Davis says. "I definitely thought that it was a possibility that we could get him. ... I'm not going to be a haggling guy. Especially when he came and said he didn't really like the media [attention] and people pressuring him.

"But I think there was a time where all of us felt like we were really, really close to getting Kawhi."

So close that Davis and James started envisioning what the Lakers would look like with arguably the biggest Big Three of all time roaming the court.

"I think it [has] always been about the Big Three," Davis says. "We were talking like, 'Man, we get Kawhi, man, this is what we can do. We can do it like this, this, this, this. ...'"

On July 6, though, Leonard made his announcement: The reigning Finals MVP would forsake the Toronto Raptors not for the Lakers, but for their Staples Center cohabitants, the LA Clippers. And Davis immediately flipped his mental switch.

"[I was] like, 'Wait, hold on,'" Davis recalls. "'We [still] got LeBron and Anthony Davis. Let's do it.'"

FROM THE MOMENT that Davis signed on with the Lakers, he found himself almost constantly engaged in player personnel decisions by his new GM. For Davis, who says he was consulted on major moves in New Orleans but never the minutiae, it took some getting used to.

"We were doing constant calls about, 'What do you think of this or this player?" he says. "Rob was almost like a stalking girlfriend. He was an agent, so he's played both sides. He knows that in order for stuff to work the players have to be involved. And he tried to make sure that LeBron and I were involved as much as possible. During free agency, every decision I got a text or a call, even just two minutes, 'Look, this is going on. ... How do you feel? OK, cool.'

"Every single decision. I [have] never been involved so much. No matter who the player was, he wanted to make sure. It was on everything. And it was like, 'Wow.' To the point where I was like, 'All right, Rob, stop calling me.'"

Pelinka, who says that treating "superstars like partners" is a mentality that front offices must adopt in the era of player empowerment, fully acknowledges that this is his approach. He estimates hundreds of three-way calls with James and Davis since the trade.

Such collaboration is enticing in the moment, but also a plausible avenue for escape later. Case in point: Magic Johnson was blamed as the architect of the Lakers' ill-conceived roster last season -- one that prioritized playmakers over shooters -- despite undoubted discussions at various points with others in the organization, including James, about the construction.

Still, being scrutinized is just part of the Laker experience, as Davis sees it. In fact, he says he relishes it.

"I think a lot of stuff that I did in New Orleans, people saw and heard about. But then again, people said, 'Well, it was New Orleans.' I think the big question is, 'All right, let's see what he can do on a big stage.' Obviously the playoffs are the playoffs, but, 'Let's see what he does on 35 [national] TV games now," Davis says.

"Nobody was really waking up [for a game] in New Orleans. Every game now is like, 'All right, if we beat the Lakers [we accomplished something].' [With the Pelicans] we could lose games and people were like, 'OK, well no one expected them to win this game,' or whatever. Now, every night you have to show up. If not, the next day, here comes your name through the tabloids."

It's a pressure the low-key Davis -- who admits that James already rides him for not watching enough game film on his downtime when he prefers to unwind with playing Madden -- says he embraces.

"I think having that for the first time is going to be fun," he says. "I'm looking forward to it. Just to show the world, like, 'All right, it wasn't a fluke for seven years in New Orleans.'"

WITH A WALL full of green cardboard pizza boxes folded up behind him and a vegetarian pie smothered in sheep cheese resting on the paper placemat in front of him, James basked in the warmth emanating from the open kitchen floor plan at Jon & Vinny's.

James had become a regular at the Brentwood, California, outpost of the trendy Italian restaurant. In fact, he ate at the spot so often the chef concocted the off-menu sheep cheese pizza to align with his dietary restrictions. With no entrée costing more than $26 and brown paper napkins complementing the white paper placemats on the tables, it was easy to feel comfortable.

But as low key as the setting might have been, it was a special occasion.

Seated with him at the wooden booth on this clear summer night was Davis, the latest in the Lakers' long line of star big men and perhaps the key piece to James enjoying success in the latter stages of his basketball career.

"It was the end of the dinner," Davis says. "He pulled out a card. He was like, 'My wife wanted me to give you this.' I was like, 'Why is Savannah giving me a card?'"

Davis tore open the envelope and began to read the inscription.

"'Welcome to L.A.' such and such and such, 'bro,'" Davis says, remembering the note. "I stopped reading. I said, 'Wait, Savannah doesn't even call me 'bro.'"

He scanned to the bottom of the card for the signature: King James #6.

"Then he pulls the jersey out."

From inside the to-go bag the waiter had brought over, James whipped out a gold Lakers jersey with No. 23 stitched on in purple numerals.

"He was like, 'This is yours.'"

Davis figured the gift to be one of James' own jerseys. That was until he turned the jersey around: across the shoulders, stitched just above the No. 23, was the name "Davis."

"He was like, 'I know you wanted 23,'" says Davis, who wore the number at both the University of Kentucky and all seven seasons in New Orleans. "For him to, in an instant, just say, 'Here. Here's 23. You can have it.' ... It was a cool moment."

It ended up being the ultimate "it's the thought that counts" gift. While league sources confirm the NBA would have bent the rules to allow for James to swap his jersey number without meeting the deadline to file the paperwork a year ahead of time, Nike intervened. The official uniform supplier for the league -- and a company that James and Davis both represent -- cited tens of millions of dollars in potentially wasted inventory of James No. 23 gear, according to sources.

The moment was ironic -- in a what-a-difference-a-decade-makes sort of way. Davis had first met James nine years prior and some 2,300 miles away as a camper at the LeBron James Skills Academy.

"For him to, in an instant, just say, 'Here. Here's 23. You can have it.' ... It was a cool moment."

Anthony Davis, on LeBron James offering his jersey number

Long before he would ascend to the No. 1 pick in the draft, Davis had folded a growing and near 7-foot frame into a Greyhound Bus for an 11-hour trek from Chicago to Akron. There at the camp the 17-year-old Davis watched "The Decision" TV special before James arrived at the gym later that week.

Davis donned a random camp-issued No. 44 jersey with "LeBron James" printed across the chest -- just another kid trying to stand out in a crowd of phenoms. When James arrived after announcing his intentions for South Beach, Davis was happy to just get a glimpse of him, dap him up, snap a photo. "It was just like, 'Man, this is LeBron,'" Davis recalls.

Now it was no longer Davis, the camper, hoping to meet James, the superstar. It was James, one of the greatest of all-time, hoping to impress Davis, the superstar. It was no longer James shifting the balance of power in the league by going from Cleveland to Miami. It was Davis turning the Lakers back into contenders by going from New Orleans to L.A.

"It was like," Davis says before trailing off. "It speaks about who he is and how bad he wanted me to be here."

A FEW WEEKS after the trade was consummated, Davis settled back into L.A. life. Wielding his new, fully stocked wallet, he returned to the same theater to see another film: the raunchy, laugh-out-loud "Good Boys." As the screen flickered with images, an attendant approached his seat.

"I'm like, 'Excuse me, may I help you?'" Davis says. "They were like, 'Our manager told us to let you know that we have your wallet.'"

He couldn't believe it. "I said, 'What?!' It just had to be because I'm a Laker now. I mean, they had my wallet the entire time."

The manager apologized profusely and tried to make it up to him. "She gave me a whole bunch of vouchers -- like 25 movies I can go see," Davis says.

He doubts he'll ever cash in on the free flicks, though. Now a part of the Lakers, Davis has moved 30 miles west of Thousand Oaks into a mansion in Bel Air.

He found his old wallet. He found his new team. He hopes to find the Larry O'Brien trophy in his hands in June.

"I really feel like we can win it."