On Saturday, Minnesota United will open its brand-new home at Allianz Field in Saint Paul. If the 19,400 in attendance are lucky, they will celebrate a victory vs. New York City FC (watch LIVE on ESPN2, 5 p.m. ET) by belting out Oasis' 1995 hit "Wonderwall," with help from the club's players. How far the club has come...

At the turn of the decade, nobody in the Twin Cities was serenading this club with Britpop anthems. Indeed, not many were singing about the club in any genre. In those days, it was more common to wonder if there would continue to be a club at all.

The preeminent soccer team in Minnesota since the early 1990s underwent four rebrands between 2008 and 2012. Its name changed three times. There were four different ownership groups. There was a bankruptcy filing.

Amid that chaos -- with the team then known as the Minnesota Stars, owned by the NASL and looking for a new investor to take over -- the threadbare front office began filming its players everywhere (in the dressing room, in training, on the bench) in hopes of injecting the organization with character and in turn attracting a benefactor.

It succeeded: Dr. Bill McGuire bought the club in 2012 and began the process of creating the Minnesota United outfit that is in its third Major League Soccer season. But the front office also captured a moment that would become one of the league's most famous fan traditions: the singing of "Wonderwall."

Cue Wonderwall pic.twitter.com/oPLtI8yOA0

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) July 19, 2018

"I suppose in the lyrics: winding roads, shining lights and all that kind of stuff -- basically the struggle," former manager Carl Craig told ESPN FC about the significance of the single that made Oasis famous around the world.

"The club back then, compared to where it is now, we were really struggling. Most of us were broke, financially. The club was run on a shoestring budget. We were making next to nothing; most of us were coaching youth football someplace or another to try to make ends meet. But the spirit was tremendous."

Craig is the man who started it all. He spent seven years with the club, six of them as an assistant and three of those in precarious financial circumstances prior to McGuire's ownership. He was known as a motivator, the coaching staff's emotional conduit to the players.

"He loved to sing," said center-back Brent Kallman, who played under Craig for four seasons before moving up with the club to MLS. "And not just after the wins, either. Sometimes he would come into the [dressing] room singing all kinds of stuff."

Sometimes Craig could be heard humming or singing for no reason but other times, the former punk rocker from Newcastle, England, did so as positive reinforcement, reminding players of how sweet victory tasted. It was his way of instilling a winning mentality, and "Wonderwall" became his song of choice.

"The message I wanted to convey to the players and to the fans is, 'You mean something to me,'" Craig said. "And I guess it's sort of a masculine way -- for want of a better term -- when you have a group of men and women who you really appreciate what they do and they mean a lot, maybe in that context not feeling comfortable saying that, so you utilize someone else's words in the song to convey that message."

The players bought in. The videographers, tasked with showcasing the club for potential new owners, witnessed the players singing "Wonderwall" with every ounce of passion they had following a win in the club's NASL title-winning season of 2011 and the fans took notice.

"The next game was a home win, and some of the fans in the stands just jumped on it," said Bruce McGuire (no relation to the team's owner), a founding member of The Dark Clouds, the largest independent soccer supporters group in Minnesota.

"You could see the players turn their heads, and they raced over toward the supporters. Pretty soon, everyone was signing it together. And from that point on, it just built and built and built, week after week."

That was more than seven years ago. It started with a handful of Dark Clouds and, by the end of the Loons' days in the NASL, 9,000 people were driving the half-hour north of Minneapolis to the National Sports Center in Blaine, in hopes of doing their best Liam Gallagher impression. Some 25,000 regularly sung the song at the club's temporary home, Minneapolis' TCF Bank Stadium, over the past two seasons too.

"It's a really good reminder that there were people who came before, who kind of carried the torch before this club became an MLS club," Kallman said. "For some people who are newer to the club, it might not be as important, and that's OK. But for the people who have been around and have seen [the club] grow to what it is, I think it's a really nice reminder of where we've been and where we're going."

It's a sentiment shared by Craig and Bruce McGuire. That growth has ensured the club's financial stability, but it has come at the expense of the close-knit community that saw those fans and players both embrace a tradition together nearly a decade ago.

"With people grasping onto a tradition like singing 'Wonderwall' -- and maybe I should say, I really don't like that song, I never have ... I can't stand Oasis -- it's incredible," said Bruce McGuire. "So, to have [those traditions] come along, when you change the name, when you change the whole organization, when you change leagues, when you move to a new stadium, to have those things come along with you, is what makes it feel incredible. It's what makes you know it's real."

Craig was dismissed as Loons manager ahead of their inaugural season in MLS, making way for Adrian Heath, but has stuck around the Twin Cities as high-performance director for Salvo SC, a youth-development organization based in suburban Eagan. And while he laments his split from the club, he takes pride in having helped create the prevailing tradition in the sport's community.

"It doesn't matter where I am or who's with me, [when 'Wonderwall' comes on] I get a little nudge and they'll say, 'There's your song!'" Craig said. "It's pretty special; it really is, actually."

Durham 224 and 31 for 1 lead Sussex 202 (Wells 98*, Rushworth 4-41) by 53 runs

Sussex have unhappy memories of Chester-le-Street. It is where their promotion challenge came to grief last September as they were thumped by 186 runs and Chris Rushworth, Heritage Cricketer, took 12 wickets in the match.

Once again they travelled north in trepidation. They slumped to 67 for 7 in response to Durham's 224 and once again the sun glinted menacingly on Rushworth's shaven forehead, the pattern vaguely resembling the edge of the newly-discovered black hole into which their innings looked certain to disappear.

Run through Sussex's batting line-up and there are not too many batsmen who relish the most exacting conditions. Phil Salt set an inappropriate tone with a slap-happy 2 which was over by the end of the first over. Within 16 overs, half the side had fallen. Durham's slips were full of expectation.

But Luke Wells is made of different stuff. Few batsmen will be more deserving of a century this Championship summer than Wells but he had to settle for 98 not out as he organised Sussex's resistance for all but one over of their innings. He already has four Champonship hundreds against Durham so can probably manage without this one.

Unlike some of his more entertaining colleagues, the tougher the challenge, the more Wells likes it. Never mind a bit of swing and seam, he would take guard with determination on the shingle and pebbles of Pevensey Beach where William the Conqueror landed back in 1066. Wells does not have the air of a conqueror. He would be the one organising near-hopeless resistance while others did not show as much heart for the fray.

His first boundary was inadvertent, a squirt square of the wicket against Matt Salisbury which probably left him a little guilty as it crossed the ropes. Five batsmen had departed by the time Salisbury tempted him into another attacking shot with a wide half-volley. Durham knew it would be hard to break this heart of stone. How Ben Raine must have rued a lost run-out opportunity when he missed from 10 yards.

Three competent slip catches set Durham on their way, two of them to the skipper, Cameron Bancroft at second slip, his 33 from 159 balls on the first day looking more valuable by the minute. James Weighell had one of those three wickets and then added Laurie Evans, who dragged on an extravagant pull, and Ben Brown, lbw.

Matters did not improve after lunch as Rushworth bowled Mark Burgess through a large gate and struck David Wiese's stumps in the following over. At seven down for 67, Sussex were still notionally in danger of following on. But finally Wells found support - Chris Jordan, Ollie Robinson and Mir Hamza helping to add 135 for the last three wickets.

Wells' determination not to be dislodged was not entirely helpful to Jordan, who was run out by Raine from mid-off, a throw to the striker's end after Jordan had drilled Gareth Harte down the ground and Wells had remained embedded in his crease.

With nine wickets down, tea was delayed to no avail and he finished with a series of lofted drives against the seamers, Mirza holding out for almost an hour until Rushworth struck the stumps for a third time to bring the innings to a close. This is a closely-fought contest but Wells will need more support second time around if Sussex, already caught napping by Leicestershire in their opening match, are not to begin the season with two defeats.

Northamptonshire 234 for 0 (Vasconcelos 126*, Newton 85*) trail Glamorgan 570 for 8 dec (Root 126, Labuschagne 121, Carlson 111)

After Glamorgan's run-fest on the opening day, it was their own bowlers' turn to toil on the second, as the Sophia Gardens pitch continued to offer little, if any, assistance.

By the close, Northamptonshire's openers, Ricardo Vasconcelos (126*) and Rob Newton (85*) had shared an unbroken partnership of 234. They still required a further 187 runs to avoid the follow on, but on the evidence so far, there is little prospect of a positive outcome on such an unresponsive strip.

When play resumed, Glamorgan added 137 runs in the morning session, before declaring during the lunch break. They lost Billy Root to the fourth ball of the morning, when the debutant left-hander struck a low catch to backward point. Root and Kiran Carlson had added 172 for the fifth wicket, before Carlson, who added a further 10 runs to his overnight 101, was taken at first slip.

Graham Wagg and Marchant De Lange quickly followed, but Chris Cooke then accelerated to strike a rapid undefeated 70 from 87 balls with a six and ten fours before calling a halt to the innings.

Needing 421 to avoid the follow-on, Northants' openers set off confidently. Vasconcelos - a 21-year-old from Johannesburg who has a Portuguese passport - struck two boundaries in Michael Hogan's second over, and was the dominant partner against the five-man Glamorgan pace attack.

After scoring 56 and 79 here last summer, Vasconcelos was dropped at second slip after scoring 21, and was uneasy at times against the legspin of Marnus Labuschagne, but he deserved his fourth first-class century which included 15 boundaries from 189 balls.

Newton was no less effective, as the pair went past the 150-run stand, with Glamorgan, like Northants, resorting to seven bowlers. The most effective was Labuschagne, who was treated with respect and ended his opening spell with the commendable figures of 11-1-29-0.

With the pitch as true as it was when the first ball was bowled on Thursday morning, Northants could look to bat on to an imposing total, or declare if and when they reach maximum batting points.

The latter would be a popular decision with the spectators, especially if they witness a run-chase on the final day, otherwise there will be little to interest them if the game meanders to a draw.

Leicestershire 180 for 4 (Cosgrove 67) trail Worcestershire 553 for 6 dec (Rutherford 123, Mitchell 114, Cox 100*) by 373 runs

Acting captain Ben Cox became the third centurion of the innings as Worcestershire built a formidable first-innings score before declaring on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground.

The visitors then picked up four wickets, including the vital one of Mark Cosgrove, leaving the Foxes still needing another 224 runs to avoid the follow-on with six wickets in hand at the close of play.

Resuming on 348 for 4, the visitors quickly lost Hamish Rutherford, the New Zealander adding only seven runs to his overnight score of 116 before driving at a delivery from Tom Taylor and edging a catch to wicketkeeper Lewis Hill.

Taylor, who had two chances dropped off his bowling on the first day, saw another spilled when Will Davis could not hold a Ross Whitely drive chest-high in the covers.

Whitely, on 18 at the time, went on to 49 before an in-swinging yorker from Ben Mike both knocked the left-hander off his feet and dismissed him leg before wicket, but Cox, in company with Ed Barnard, took full toll of a tiring Leicestershire attack.

The pair added 145 for the seventh wicket, with Cox reaching his hundred off 133 balls to join Rutherford and Daryl Mitchell in going to three figures before declaring.

The last time Worcestershire had three centurions in an innings was in 2007, against Surrey at New Road.

Leicestershire suffered an early double blow when captain Paul Horton was caught at second slip driving loosely at Josh Tongue, and Hassan Azad fell leg before to Charlie Morris to leave them struggling on 24 for 2.

They were grateful to Cosgrove, whose belligerent counter-attack saw him hit eight boundaries in the space of nine deliveries from Wayne Parnell.

At the other end Javid was dropped twice by Tom Fell at third slip, on 1 off the bowling of Tongue and on 22 off Ed Barnard, and he and Cosgrove went on to add 111 for the third wicket before Cosgrove drove loosely at Barnard, failed to keep the ball down, and saw Brett D'Oliveira take a fine low catch at cover.

Tongue then bowled Colin Ackermann off the inside edge to ensure Worcestershire finished the day in a strong position to enforce an innings victory.

Lancashire 267 for 4 (Hameed 117, Jones 55, Jennings 52) lead Middlesex 265 (Eskinazi 75, Gubbins 55; Bailey 5-67, Anderson 3-41) by two runs

Form might be temporary but its departure can cause permanent infection. A host of cricketers have lost the ability to score runs or take wickets and taken refuge in the assurances of colleagues that this was merely a brief dip in their careers. Before long, though, they have stopped believing the comforting slogans and have consequently made it less likely they would ever again hear tunes of glory. In time they are found playing tennis and appearing in "Whatever Happened to…" features.

Last season Haseeb Hameed made 165 runs in 17 championship innings. Over the winter coaches he trusts in India told him his game was in good order. Very pleasant, of course, but no one could know whether he would ever again score serious runs against high-quality pace attacks containing, say, four international bowlers.

Well, we know now. For on a bright afternoon at Lord's, with the catkins still on the alders, Hameed rediscovered the composure and assurance that had amazed former Test cricketers in Manchester and Mohali some three seasons and a few lifetimes ago. His first century since August 2016 was more than a return to form; it was reclamation of treasured territory and the firmest of reminders that the talent which brought his colleagues onto the balcony at Rajkot was still in good order.

By the time he was dismissed for 117, caught and bowled by Dawid Malan when trying to pull a shortish ball, Hameed had hit 17 fours and had reached his century with a six which he smacked into the Grandstand off Toby Roland-Jones. Ed Smith, the national selector, had watched the innings and will surely have been impressed. Yet someone in the ECB should now sound a warning klaxon that it is far too soon to talk about Hameed returning to the England side. This is one century. It is still April and it is still the springtime of Hameed's career. He is, lest we forget, 22 years old.

But it still true that the Boltonian opener had looked good from the first delivery he faced. Rather than retreating into the meek quiescence which is so often the prelude to any batsman's dismissal, he sought to get forward and score runs. In Murtagh's fourth over there was a cover drive that recalled his enchanted summer of 2016; three balls later there was an even better stroke though midwicket off the front foot.

Throughout these early stages of Hameed's innings he was looking to play the ball rather than merely have it bowled to him. There was a scampered single, something rarely seen three years ago. There was more intent and a will to impose himself on the play. He was pro-active rather than pre-emptive, adjectives which may make him sound like a yoghurt as distinct from a nuclear attack, but are still valid when applied to his smooth movement onto the front foot. His 47 pre-prandial runs included nine fours and none of them had come off thin edges.

In the early afternoon he was roughed up a little by Steven Finn, who seemed to offer a few observations on his technique. But Hameed knew rather better than anyone else the shape his game was in. The cover drives, the creams through midwicket, the Fort Knox forward defensive and, just as importantly, the balls he left alone had given him all the evidence he needed. Only when Finn dug it in, and only a couple of times even then, did he look discomfited.

Yes, of course he had assistance from his colleagues. Most notably, this came from his opening partner, Keaton Jennings, who made 52 and put on 123 for the first wicket before he was tempted to poke at one outside the off stump from James Harris and nicked a catch to John Simpson. Brooke Guest, pressed into service as a No.3, made 17 before he was bowled through a gate of Brandenburgish dimensions by Tim Murtagh. The same bowler then tempted Glenn Maxwell into a booming drive and castled him off the inside edge.

Presumably troubled by these dismissals but clearly not disturbed by them, Hameed batted on, scoring only 34 runs between lunch and tea. Four overs after the resumption he drove Roland-Jones straight to the Nursery End boundary; the next ball was short and Hameed pulled it over the rope. His progress to a century was the first time he had rushed anywhere in 253 minutes; he had faced 167 balls and made maybe half a dozen errors.

In the evening session Rob Jones also batted well, reaching his own fifty and helping Dane Vilas establish what may turn out to be a very useful first-innings lead. But Jones knows whose name will be on the lips of most cricket lovers in pubs around Lord's this evening.

Of course, there may be those who believe that bringing the troubled state of Hameed's career to his attention inspired him to this day's triumph. That is surely a fine example of the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. One thing, though, was made very clear by this innings: Hameed is, as his former colleague, Ashwell Prince, once said, born to bat.

He is, one might even say, a proper cricketer to his very fingertips.

Zimbabwe 185 for 4 (Chakabva 78*, Moor 45*) beat UAE 169 for 9 (Anwar 72, Shabber 56; Jarvis 4-17) by four runs on DLS Method

Kyle Jarvis picked four wickets, but Zimbabwe also had Regis Chakabva to thank for going 2-0 up in the four-match ODI series against UAE.

Chakabva put together an unbroken 93-run stand with Peter Moor, who made 45 off 33 balls, as Zimbabwe secured a four-run win via the DLS method in Harare. Chakabva, who opened the batting, finished with an unbeaten 78, his highest ODI score as well as his maiden ODI fifty.

After rain had shaved more than two hours of play during the first innings, Zimbabwe were set a revised target of 210 in 35 overs. They were struggling at 92 for 4 in the 20th after legspinner Imran Haider had Sikandar Raza caught on the boundary for 11.

This came on the back of two early wickets courtesy Rohan Mustafa's offspin and a catch in the deep by Mustafa off Zahoor Khan in the Powerplay. But stand-in captain Moor rallied Zimbabwe back into the match after entering at No. 6 with a bold counter-attack even as Chakabva played the anchor role.

The equation was climbing towards 10 per over at the end of the 27th when Zimbabwe 76 needed off 48 balls. Moor then climbed into Haider, clubbing him for four and six during a 15-run over to initiate a big momentum swing. Moor then hit Qadeer Ahmed for 12 runs in the 29th to bring the equation to a very manageable 49 off 36.

Chakabva needed medical treatment while cramping up at the end of the 31st over. This chewed up more time, and only one more over was possible. With Zimbabwe needing 25 off 18, umpires called off play due to bad light at which point Zimbabwe were fractionally ahead of the par score on the DLS calculations.

UAE had climbed out of an even bigger hole in the first innings, falling to 12 for 3 in the seventh over after Jarvis claimed three wickets in his six-over spell with the new ball.

Unlike Wednesday when the visitors struggled to post a competitive total, UAE fought back valiantly behind a 131-run partnership between Ghulam Shabber and Shaiman Anwar. The pair were cruising with Shaiman smashing Brandon Mavuta for six to bring up a 61-ball half-century in the 29th over, but two balls later play was halted with the score 122 for 3 due to persistent rains.

When play finally resumed, UAE only had six more overs left to bat. The stand was finally broken 13 balls after the restart when Donald Tiripano claimed Shabber for 56 and Shaiman fell six balls later to Tendai Chatara for 72.

Still, UAE were in an excellent position at 165 for 5 after captain Mohammad Naveed hit the first ball of the 34th over by Tiripano for six. But UAE managed just four runs off the final 11 deliveries of the innings. Tiripano claimed two more wickets in the ensuing sequence before Jarvis returned in the 35th to claim Chirag Suri and Zahoor Khan was runout trying to steal a bye off the final ball as UAE ended on 169 for 9.

The stumble at the finish cost UAE badly. Even with the 41-run adjusted target, they could not keep Moor and Chakabva from edging past them.

The teams square off in the third ODI on Sunday.

An attorney for Robert Kraft argued Friday that the public release of video evidence in the prostitution solicitation case against the New England Patriots owner would invade his privacy, while a state attorney acknowledged there was no evidence of human trafficking at the spa Kraft visited.

William Burck told a Palm Beach County judge that releasing the video would only satisfy a "prurient interest" during a hearing held in part to determine whether media outlets -- including ESPN -- could offer arguments in the case.

Investigators initially said they were targeting human traffickers, but Assistant State Attorney Greg Kridos told the judge that there was no evidence of human trafficking at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida -- claims Kraft was never linked to.

Burck said the previously highly publicized allegations of human trafficking by both police and State Attorney Dave Aronberg had amounted to "politicking" and that they added to potential harm to Kraft's privacy in releasing video evidence while also jeopardizing his right to a fair trial on two counts of solicitation.

Jupiter police obtained a search warrant to secretly record at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa. Police say those cameras captured Kraft twice paying to have sex with spa employees in January. Kraft was one of about 300 male customers charged in a multicounty investigation that also resulted in 10 massage parlors being closed and their owners charged with felony prostitution.

Attorneys for media outlets say redacted versions of the video evidence should be released on public interest grounds, and Judge Leonard Hanser said Friday that he would grant their motion to intervene in the case.

He gave parties a deadline of Tuesday to submit additional documents.

Kraft's attorneys say the videos are an illegal invasion of privacy and are not necessary to be released publicly because the affidavits describe the acts that took place. They are seeking a motion to suppress the videos, arguing they also would mar chances for a fair trial.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It was a practice swing unlike any other.

Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, stepped to the tee box on the 13th hole at the tail end of Amen Corner during Friday's second round.

Johnson teed up his ball, squared up his stance and took a practice swing. What came next might be a staple of every weekend hacker's repertoire but is something rarely seen on the PGA Tour, especially at fabled Augusta National Golf Club.

Johnson inadvertently hit the ball on his practice swing, sending it caroming off the tee marker on the right. The ball ended up about 3 or 4 yards in front of Johnson, who scooped it up and re-teed.

"Shoot, they got that?" Johnson said after the round when told video of the swing existed. "Yeah, that was a good one there. That's a first. I thought I'd done it all, but now I know I've done it all."

Under United States Golf Association rules, a ball isn't considered to be "in play" until it's actually hit from the tee area. Because Johnson didn't have the intention of hitting the ball, he was allowed to re-tee and hit again.

"Zach's eyes were as big as I've ever seen them. His jaw dropped and we had a good chuckle knowing that wasn't a penalty, but a not-so-top-10 moment." Matt Kuchar on Zach Johnson

The exact scenario is actually covered under Rule 18-2 in the USGA rulebook, "Ball at Rest Moved." If the mishap had happened on his second shot from the middle of the fairway, after he'd already hit his tee shot, he would have had to replace his ball in its original position and incur a one-stroke penalty.

The good news for Johnson: He hit his actual drive 285 yards down the middle of the fairway, knocked his second shot to 30 feet and two-putted for birdie on the 510-yard, par-5 hole.

"I can't think of a time I've done it -- not on purpose," Johnson said of hitting the ball during a practice swing. "Maybe I've tried to do it, but I don't think I could do it again even if I tried."

Johnson, whose round of 73 left him 3 over for the tournament, said he knew there wasn't a penalty involved because "it all comes down to intent."

"That's something we're going to laugh about for a long time," said Matt Kuchar, who was playing with Johnson and Ian Poulter. "I know there's supposedly footage of every shot hit here at Augusta this year, and I'm hoping to see that footage at some point.

"I didn't see it, but I heard it. Zach's eyes were as big as I've ever seen them. His jaw dropped and we had a good chuckle knowing that wasn't a penalty, but a not-so-top-10 moment."

Kevin Kisner, who was playing in the group in front of Johnson, said he'd never done it in a competitive round.

"Only if I've been drinking," Kisner said.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mitch Kupchak says the Charlotte Hornets plan to do everything they can to keep three-time All-Star Kemba Walker.

The Hornets' first-year general manager knows it has become a two-sided equation, given that Walker is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July and able to choose his next team. Walker, 28, was an All-Star starter this season and averaged a career-high 25.6 points per game, so he's expected to be hot commodity when the free-agent market opens in July.

"I think this is a place that he wants to be, and we'll do everything that we can to bring him back here," Kupchak said Friday. "But he is half of the equation."

For Walker to stay, Kupchak might have to find productive quality pieces to put around him -- and quickly.

They've struggled to do that in the past, with players like Nicolas Batum -- who received a five-year, $120 million contract three years ago -- failing to live up to expectations.

Walker has said in the past that he wants to continue playing for the Hornets and "create something special here" because he loves living in Charlotte. But the 6-foot-1 point guard appeared to slightly back off those statements in recent days, saying repeatedly, "I want to win."

Charlotte has failed to reach the playoffs the past three seasons.

Walker, who led UConn to an NCAA title in 2011, has been to the postseason only twice in his eight NBA seasons and has never gotten out of the first round.

Kupchak said he knows Walker is frustrated with losing. He wants to put talent around his star player that would make the Hornets a consistent playoff contender, but he knows that won't be easy.

The Hornets don't have the money to sign a difference-maker in free agency, so Kupchak said the best option is to acquire talent through a trade.

Jeremy Lamb, the team's second-leading scorer, is an unrestricted free agent, and backup center Frank Kaminsky is a restricted free agent. Kupchak said the Hornets "financially are not as flexible as I would like us to be, so there could be some challenges going forward with our free agents."

Whether anything Kupchak does is enough to convince Walker to re-sign with Charlotte remains to be seen.

But in the meantime, Kupchak went out of his way to make sure Walker knows he's appreciated -- and wanted -- by the Hornets.

"There has not been a player with this franchise like Kemba Walker," Kupchack said of the Hornets' all-time leading scorer. "He is a once-in-a-generation kind of a player and he is fun to watch. He is competitive, he is a good teammate.

"Those are all qualities that I like to see and I know that people in the organization and our fans like to see in players."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George is officially listed as "day-to-day" with right shoulder soreness, and head coach Billy Donovan is unwilling to speculate on George's availability for Game 1 on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers. But George indicated Friday that regardless of pain, he will be playing.

"It's playoff time, so it's more than this, it's about being out there with my guys," George said. "As much as I can get it a hundred as possible, or close to it, you can expect me out there Sunday."

George sat out the Thunder's regular-season finale on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks after going through a pregame workout and determining the pain was too much to play through. The Thunder practiced Friday, though it was more of a "mental" practice, Donovan said, without much contact for any player.

George has been dealing with soreness in both shoulders for some time now. The original right shoulder soreness began after he took a hit against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 26. He sat the Thunder's next three games, then returned but took contact on his left side in a game and experienced similar soreness. He was listed as questionable because of left shoulder soreness on March 29 against the Nuggets, but decided to play. He's been keeping heat on his left shoulder during timeouts during games and receiving treatment for both sides.

"Making progress," George said of his right shoulder. "Every day try and get it better and better. And we'll see where we're at come Sunday."

George said recently that the shoulder issues are about taking contact in the wrong spot and it aggravates the injury.

"I'm good," George said after the game on March 29. "Throughout the game, all it takes is one hit and it gets sore, but if I don't get hit in that spot then we're good."

George played through a series of injuries during the postseason last year, having offseason surgery on his left knee and 18-20 ounces of blood drained from his right elbow due to bursitis.