In his teens, Virgil van Dijk worked part time washing dishes in a small-town restaurant. Nobody at Willem II, his mid-table Dutch club, saw much future in him. He was a well-liked but occasionally difficult kid -- "a real little rat," according to his youth coach, Robby Hendriks. Willem II wasn't even planning to offer him a professional contract.

Fast-forward to 2019, and this spring, Van Dijk, 27, is expected to win both of England's Footballer of the Year awards. One is voted for by his colleagues, the other by the Football Writers' Association. If Liverpool win their first league title in 29 years, it would be in large part thanks to him. A long, gradual rise -- a mix of planning, dedication and luck -- is reaching its crescendo. But how did Van Dijk, No.4 in the ESPN FC 100, get this good?

Van Dijk's long rise began the summer he turned 17, in 2008, when he shot up 18 centimeters (7 inches) in height. Before then, Van Dijk has admitted to the BBC, he was a slow, short right-back with an unstable knee, not a player who was good enough to dominate as a central defender. The freshly minted giant -- he's now 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds -- reminded some at Willem II of another big defender who had passed through the club in the mid-1990s, Jaap Stam, but Van Dijk still couldn't break into the first team. His club thought he had "too many limitations" -- something Edwin Hermans, then coach of the reserves, later told Dutch newspaper Trouw.

Admittedly, Willem II weren't the greatest talent-spotters; a younger kid in their academy at the time, Frenkie de Jong, never quite cracked the first team, either. De Jong joined Ajax's youth ranks aged 18, and even when he returned to Willem II on loan, he made just one 20-minute appearance. (He's now waiting to join Barcelona when the transfer window opens on July 1.)

Van Dijk might have ended up being a full-time dishwasher if it weren't for the intervention of the Koeman family. Martin Koeman -- a Dutch international and father of two Dutch internationals, Erwin and Ronald -- scouted the 18-year-old for the family's ancestral club, FC Groningen. In 2010, Van Dijk headed north on a free transfer. He cycled to reserve-team practices because he couldn't yet drive. Groningen didn't let him play matches because he was overtired after a season playing for Willem II's reserves and under-18s simultaneously.

Only Van Dijk thought he was ready for Groningen's first team. Even when others didn't rate him, he always did.

Finally, on May 29, 2011, three months before his 20th birthday and after four sub appearances, he made his first professional start against ADO Den Haag. He was at fault for ADO's goal but scored twice himself. That set a rhythm for his career: He would become a pillar of each new team almost from day one.

There would be further setbacks. Most notably, aged 20, he nearly died. After days of undiagnosed medical problems, he suddenly found himself in the emergency ward of the Groningen hospital with peritonitis and kidney poisoning. He later told Voetbal International magazine: "I remember lying in that bed. The only thing I could see was tubes. My body was broken. I couldn't do anything. For the first time in my life, soccer was a side issue.

"My mother and I prayed to God and talked about possible scenarios. At one point, I had to sign papers. It was a sort of will. If I died, some of my money would go to my mother. I looked death in the eyes, and that wasn't pleasant."

Pretty soon, though, he was back on the field.

Van Dijk's teammate and housemate at Groningen, Tim Keurntjes, said that by this point, Van Dijk had become a central defender who had everything going for him: build, height and skill. It probably worked to Van Dijk's advantage that he had been short for most of his youth. If he was caught out of position as a kid, he couldn't rely on a bone-crunching tackle or a last-ditch sprint to save the situation. He had to learn soccer the traditional Dutch way: sport as a kind of dance in space in which every player has to ask himself every second, 'Am I in the right place now?' and, 'What could happen next?'"

Groningen's coach, Robert Maaskant, noted another quality: Van Dijk listened to criticism. He learned rapidly and consistently. Almost perversely for a late-blooming defender at a small club, he still believed he could reach the top; he just needed to improve his weak points. Perhaps because the level at Groningen was too easy for him, his biggest problem was concentration. In that sense, he was made for soccer's elite level, playing for teams on which the hysteria and stress forces you to focus.

Another theme in his career emerged: Every two years, he would move up a level. By 2013, he was ready for his next step. He turned down Brighton and then big money at Krasnodar in Russia because he had decided the smart career move was to join one of the big Dutch clubs. Unfortunately, none of them were interested. They all underestimated the first-rate player with a second-rate career who'd had a terrible game for Holland under-21s against Italy.

Groningen phoned Ajax's technical director, Marc Overmars, to offer him Van Dijk, reported Voetbal International magazine, but Overmars bought another young centre-back, Mike Van der Hoorn, instead. Today Van der Hoorn plays for Swansea in the Championship, and Van Dijk is competing for the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool.

In 2013, Van Dijk joined Celtic instead, and from the start, he saw it as an intermediate step. He instantly became an unquestioned regular in an iron-tight defense, winning two straight Scottish titles and continuing to improve by the month. Still, Holland's coach Louis van Gaal didn't take him to the 2014 World Cup, instead choosing the inexperienced defenders Terence Kongolo (playing for Huddersfield, who have been relegated from the Premier League) and Bruno Martins Indi (now at second-tier Stoke).

Van Dijk doesn't blame Van Gaal. "I wasn't as far [along in my career] then as I am now," he told the Dutch Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. "The Scottish league just is below standard."

Van Gaal's scouts had shown him videos of Van Dijk letting attackers run away behind his back. Moreover, he told the Volkskrant newspaper, the young Van Dijk "didn't defend forward," meaning he didn't move into space toward the ball. The easiest thing for a big center-back is to sit back and fight out one-on-ones against a striker, but Holland's tactics (and Liverpool's now) require forward, proactive pressing. Van Dijk, who never enjoyed the luxury of top-notch youth coaching, has had to acquire that. His belated mastery of it has made him a perfect fit for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, perhaps the world leaders in proactive pressing.

In 2015, Martin Koeman's son Ronald brought him to Southampton. Soon after, aged 24, Van Dijk finally made his debut for Holland. (For comparison, his partner in the Dutch central defense, Matthijs de Ligt, debuted at 17.) Van Dijk served his standard two-year stint at Southampton and then, at 26, made his long-planned leap to the top, at Liverpool.

The transfer fee of £75 million made him the most expensive defender in history. He always says he never thinks much about the price -- not his problem, he believes. Still, it was a remarkable fee for a man who had cost Groningen exactly nothing nine years earlier and Celtic just £2.7 million in 2013.

In his debut at Anfield, he scored the winner against Everton in the Merseyside derby.

He feels as if everything since has gone almost automatically. VVD -- not his nickname in Holland, as it's already the acronym of the governing center-right political party -- is now an unquestioned star, yet he remains different from the multi-millionaires around him in the team. While most of them have been surrounded since adolescence by agents, sponsor reps and other hangers-on, Van Dijk remembers what it's like to be a modestly paid, ordinary person. He reached adulthood still able to walk unrecognized down the street anywhere except Groningen. He knows he might have stayed unrecognized forever.

Sometimes, watching Dutch TV at home in Liverpool, he sees former teammates play in the Dutch second division on minimum-wage contracts. His past has given him an awareness of others that is rare in top-class soccer: During the anthems before Holland vs. France last November, he gave his coat to a young girl mascot whom he'd noticed was freezing.

At 27, Van Dijk has reached the soccer player's zenith: an old head on young legs. His concentration seldom falters anymore, and the combination of his Dutch and British soccer education is paying off. Ronald Koeman, now Holland's manager, has made him captain.

Georginio Wijnaldum, Liverpool's other Dutch international, told the Nu.nl website: "If Virgil doesn't agree with something, you'll hear it from him. On the field, he's constantly busy with teammates, the people beside and in front of him. It's nice playing with Virgil behind me because he's always coaching. He keeps talking."

Van Dijk admits that he may talk too much, but the talking shows how he views soccer: as a test of intelligent, collective positioning. He values brain over brawn. Asked by the Algemeen Dagblad about his fellow physical-super-specimen Sergio Ramos, he replied: "I don't think Ramos is the best of this moment. Ramos is a wonderful player, but he's not my type of central defender. I try not to end up in the situations that he often gets into."

To see how Van Dijk prefers to solve problems on the pitch, watch how he single-handedly neutralized two counterattacking Tottenham players, Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-Min, by himself in last month's encounter at Anfield. That match was a must-win for Liverpool as they chase a first Premier League title, and with little time left and the score level at 1-1, Spurs had their chance to dash the Reds' dreams at Anfield.

It's a masterpiece of decision-making: Van Dijk calculated that the biggest danger would be a shot by Son, a natural striker, so he positioned himself between the two opponents and let Sissoko run all the way into the box but all the while forcing him onto his weak left foot. The Frenchman fired well over the bar. Minutes later, Liverpool got the winner. It was a moment that might end up deciding the title, and Van Dijk didn't even have to make a tackle.

"Every day, every week, I feel I'm getting better," he said.

Van Dijk now has a quiet life: train, come home to his wife and toddler daughters, rest, give everything he has in the match, and repeat. It's a demanding existence, but then, these are his peak years -- unless it turns out there's another upward step left in him. It's all a world away from the teenage part-time dishwasher, yet that person is still part of Van Dijk, too.

"I think you have to stay normal," he told the Volkskrant. "What I am, I remain, with help from my wife. I haven't started to float. I've had to work quite hard to get where I am, but I'll never forget where I came from."

Gloucestershire 235 (Dent 75, Roderick 74, Clarke 4-43) beat Surrey 88 (Smith 3-7, Liddle 3-17) by 147 runs

Chris Liddle and Tom Smith claimed three wickets each as Gloucestershire skittled Surrey for just 88 to win their opening Royal London One-Day Cup match at Bristol by 147 runs.

The home side were bowled out for 235 after winning the toss, having been 156 for one, with Chris Dent and Gareth Roderick the main contributors, while Rikki Clarke and Tom Curran shared seven wickets. It looked a below par total. But Surrey turned in a hapless batting display, Jason Roy top-scoring with 19 as they were bowled out in only 24 overs.

Liddle finished with 3 for 17 and left-arm spinner Smith 3 for 7 from two overs. Tightly as Gloucestershire bowled, it was an abject display by the visiting batting line-up.

The game was played in bright sunshine on a slow pitch. Surrey made a quick breakthrough when George Hankins chased a wide delivery from Clarke and edged through to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

The best batting of the day followed as, having taken time to assess the pace of the pitch, Dent and Roderick played with increasing freedom. Skipper Dent was first to his half-century, off 62 balls, with four fours and a pulled six off Clarke, and Roderick soon followed, off 65 deliveries, having struck seven boundaries.

The pair were making batting look easy, Roderick having lofted Liam Plunkett over midwicket for six, when they fell in quick succession. Dent skied a catch to mid-on off Clarke to end a stand of 152 in 25 overs and the next over saw Roderick miscue to mid-off to give Curran his first wicket.

The collapse that followed was a major surprise. Soon Gloucestershire were 171 for 5, with Ian Cockbain bowled off stump by Gareth Batty and Jack Taylor stumped attempting to swing Will Jacks' offspin into the leg side. Benny Howell and Ryan Higgins added 43 for the sixth wicket before falling to Clarke and Curran respectively and there was little contribution from the tail as Gloucestershire were bowled out inside 48 overs.

Surrey looked strong favourites at halfway, but never recovered from losing Mark Stoneman to the third ball of their innings, bowled by Dan Worrall with a ball that nipped back off the seam. It was the start of a sorry procession, Liddle removing three of the top five in Roy, Rory Burns and Foakes, while Jacks, on 17, dislodged his leg bail attempting to pull Worrall as Surrey slumped to 61 for 5.

There was simply no resistance as Howell had Ollie Pope caught behind down the leg side for 13, Clarke was bowled by Higgins and Smith polished off the tail by sending back Curran, Batty and Plunkett in the space of 11 balls.

The speed with which the match ended caught everyone by surprise and Surrey - three times finalists in this competition between 2015 and 2017 - were left to reflect an opening group performance that was little short of embarrassing.

The numerous match-winners in the South African ODI side - right from the openers down to the No. 11 - provides the team a great chance to clinch their maiden World Cup title, according to pace bowler Dale Steyn.

Speaking to the media ahead of his first IPL 2019 match for Royal Challengers Bangalore in Kolkata, Steyn said, "I don't think South Africa have lost an ODI series in two and a half years [they've won 11 of their last 13 ODI series] but no one gives us a chance and then somebody does.

"We're going with good expectations. If you're not going to the World Cup expecting to win, then you probably shouldn't go. But I'm not going to lie, we have some fantastic players."

Three of them - Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir and Faf du Plessis - have been in excellent form for several months, including at the IPL, and Steyn hoped with their help and a bit of fortune, the World Cup could finally be theirs.

"We're led by Faf, whose been in fantastic form lately. And in the IPL, Imran Tahir has been right up there in terms of wickets. From Quinton de Kock all the way down to No. 11, they're all match-winners. We just need to go there and hope a bit of luck - weather, a missed no-ball - goes your way, and you could win the tournament.

"You look at KG [Rabada], he's been bowling exceptionally well. Kagiso is a wunderkind. Just hope he continues that kind of form. He's come on to the scene in international cricket and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. We've seen players come in, show signs of extreme excellence and then fade away, but KG is someone we can get used to."

Steyn also stressed that ODI rankings have little value once the World Cup begins. His belief is that only those who adapt earliest to the conditions in England will win the trophy.

"You just need to go there, figure out which teams are best adapting the conditions and then the team that hits the ground running first has the best chance."

When asked which other teams were favourites entering the competition Steyn said, "I think every team going to the World Cup has a massive chance. England are playing in England, and they're playing good some white-ball cricket.

"But I think you really need to take rankings and throw it out of the window. Rankings these days don't mean anything. I don't even know what ranking West Indies have, and they just beat England. Australia were losing, and then they've started winning again."

As for Steyn's mid-season IPL stint, he said that a call from Royal Challengers coach and fellow South African Gary Kirsten brought him to India. Despite being snubbed at the IPL auction in December 2018, Steyn said he holds no grudges, and that although Royal Challengers have lost seven of their first eight games, miracles are always possible in a tournament format like the IPL.

"It happened really quickly," Steyn said. "I got a call from Gary last week. He asked me have I been playing, have I been bowling, and I said yes. I was actually prepping to play our local T20 tournament. It can sometimes be difficult coming halfway through the IPL and the World Cup coming up, but we got through it, and here I am.

"I wasn't originally picked up for the IPL, but that's totally okay. Coaches have plans and structures, and if you're not in those plans you shouldn't take it personally. It's nothing personal, it's business. But to be honest with you, I just love playing cricket. Whether I was playing T20 cricket in South Africa or came here, I'd still be doing exactly the same thing. And when I have the ball in hand, I want to win for whoever I'm playing for.

"It's sometimes nice to join halfway through a tournament, because you bring in some injection of excitement. Obviously, the season hasn't gone how RCB have planned, but that's cricket. It's like fishing. They would call fishing as 'catching' if we caught fish all the time. We don't, and that's why it's called fishing. But it's a strange game. if we win our games, and hopefully the energy I bring in pays off, then anything can happen."

South Africa face England in the World Cup's opening fixture on May 30 at The Oval. They announce their 15-man World Cup squad on Wednesday.

WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm is expected to miss the 2019 WNBA season after rupturing her right Achilles tendon while playing in Europe, she announced on Twitter on Wednesday

Stewart, 24, playing for Russia-based Dynamo Kursk, was hurt Sunday in the EuroLeague Final Four championship game in Sopron, Hungary. She had an MRI on Monday in Los Angeles after flying back from Europe, and the results weren't reviewed by a physician until Wednesday.

"First off, I just want to thank you for the tremendous amount of love and support I've received over the past few days," Stewart said in her announcement. "The situation is still a shock to me. ... This year especially has been amazing and filled with lots of success and as we all know there are highs and lows throughout a career.

"This is just another obstacle that I will overcome. I'm thankful that I have so many people in my corner to help me every step of the way. I'm feeling every emotion possible at this point but just know that the bounce back will be real and I'll be back better than ever."

pic.twitter.com/0HpgWmM8w5

— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) April 17, 2019

Stewart will undergo surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. The Storm said Stewart is expected to make a full recovery for the start of the 2020 season.

"This is a tough time for Stewie and our hearts go out to her," Storm CEO Alisha Valavanis said in a statement. "The Storm family is behind her and we will support Stewie in every way we can as she begins her journey back to the court."

Stewart led the Storm to the franchise's third WNBA title last September and then helped the United States win the gold medal in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup later the same month. She was MVP for the WNBA Finals and the World Cup, and last month was named the EuroLeague's regular-season MVP as well.

Stewart also played for United States in the 2016 Olympics and is still expected to be a key part of the 2020 Olympic team. Generally, rehabilitation for an Achilles injury lasts nine months to a year.

WNBA great Tamika Catchings injured her Achilles on Sept. 3, 2007, and played in the 2008 Olympics and in 25 of the Indiana Fever's 34 games in that 2008 season.

Like most WNBA players, Stewart also competes overseas to maximize her income. Stewart made $56,793 in base salary last season with the Storm, earning bonuses of a $15,000 for being MVP, $11,025 for winning the WNBA title, $10,000 for being All-WNBA first team and $2,500 for being in the All-Star Game.

She was slated to make $64,538 this WNBA season in base salary.

While at UConn from 2012 to '16, Stewart won four NCAA titles and was named the Women's Final Four most outstanding player each time. She was part of two undefeated seasons with the Huskies, in 2013-14 and 2015-16, and finished her college career with 2,676 points, 1,179 rebounds and 414 blocked shots.

The 6-foot-4 Stewart, a native of Syracuse, New York, was drafted No. 1 by the Storm in April 2016 and was rookie of the year that season. Last season, her third in the league, she averaged 21.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 blocked shots for the Storm during the regular season. Her scoring average went up during the playoffs, as she averaged 24.6 points. The Storm swept the Washington Mystics 3-0 in the WNBA Finals.

In her WNBA career, Stewart has averaged 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 blocks.

Stewart, who doesn't turn 25 until August, had missed only one game in her three seasons in the WNBA. She played her first two overseas seasons in China, then went to Russia for 2018-19. Stewart had a knee ligament injury while playing in China in January 2017, but it did not impact her WNBA season that year.

Stewart was hurt near the end of the first half Sunday as she went up for a jump shot and came down in considerable pain. She had to be helped off the court. Dynamo Kursk fell 91-67 to UMMC Ekaterinburg, which won its fifth EuroLeague title.

Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot led UMMC with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the winners.

UMMC Ekaterinburg and Dynamo Kursk will face each other again in a three-game series for the Russian League championship starting April 20. The WNBA season begins May 24.

The near yearlong schedule for many women's players has been a reality since the WNBA launched in 1997. Some top players, including the Mercury's Diana Taurasi and the Atlanta Dream's Angel McCoughtry, have taken a WNBA season off to rest. Generally, players are paid more overseas.

Stewart's likely absence for the 2019 season is a huge blow to the Storm, who hoped to become the first team to repeat as WNBA champion since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02. The Storm's previous titles were in 2004 and 2010; point guard Sue Bird, 38, has been part of all three Storm championship teams.

The Storm isn't the only WNBA squad that will be without a major star this season. The four-time champion Minnesota Lynx won't have 2014 MVP Maya Moore, like Stewart a UConn grad and former No. 1 draft pick (2011). Moore, 29, announced earlier this year that she was taking off the 2019 season to focus on her other interests and her family after eight seasons of playing in the WNBA and overseas.

The status of Dallas Wings center Liz Cambage is uncertain, as she has requested a trade and might not play if it doesn't happen. Cambage, an Australian who was the No. 2 pick behind Moore in 2011, returned to the WNBA last season after a four-year absence. She averaged a league-best 23.0 points per game, along with 9.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.

Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will open their 2019 regular season with a Sunday night matchup at home against Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to multiple reports.

The Patriots' schedule also features a rematch of last season's AFC championship game, as New England will host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14, according to reports.

Some other highlights on New England's schedule reportedly include a Week 8 home game against the Cleveland Browns, a Week 9 game on Sunday night in Baltimore against the Ravens, a Week 11 game in Philadelphia against the Eagles and a Week 12 game at home against the Dallas Cowboys.

The NFL will announce its entire 2019 schedule Wednesday night.

Multiple other team schedules were reported early Wednesday, including that of the New York Jets, who will host Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr. and the Browns in Week 2 on Monday Night Football.

The Jets will play their first road game of the season in Week 3, when they visit the rival Patriots.

WHEN THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS interview candidates for head coach this week, how to manage LeBron James will be a major topic. It always is.

It's a challenging, complicated, stressful, public and often embarrassing experience. It's also enriching, fulfilling and an often wonderful experience.

It can be hard to get your arms around it. It can be even harder to define. It's one of the reasons the early candidates -- Ty Lue, Monty Williams and Juwan Howard -- all have histories of coaching James. Lue and Howard in the NBA, Williams with Team USA.

So based on the past 16 years, here's the best we have. The handbook for coaching LeBron James:

Understand the art of influence without ownership

Often it seems observers of James want to classify his acts in clear-cut terms. He traded this player. He got that coach fired. He signed this other guy. It gave rise to the concept, for example, that James was the "GM" in Cleveland.

Oh, how often this is so far from the truth. In perfect irony, despite what the world assumes, sometimes James' teams wish he would be so declarative. It's that frequently he isn't willing to make clear requests that can often be a problem. Sometimes teams would love a black-and-white answer while James usually operates in a world of gray.

James has mastered the art of influencing decisions without taking ownership of them. If he were to issue a hard-and-fast edict, then the team would know he was fully willing to stand behind it and take blame, or credit, when it works or fails.

James doesn't want to do this. He has long operated where his teammates, coaches and strategies change massively from opening night to the last game of any season. He has changed entire franchises three times.

This isn't to say he has never given a strong opinion. Or said he wanted to sign or trade for a certain player. Or even led recruitment efforts and closed the deal on an acquisition. But don't ever count on him doing so; be prepared for him to take a position but not marry it.

This is a man who enjoys flexibility and whose greatness allows him to have great power along with it. He's not giving it up. And, frankly, why should he? In a player-driven league, why not have it both ways? Any coach who takes the job needs to understand this at all times.

Have his respect when you walk in the room

This is absolutely vital. Although it's possible to win James' respect, it's much harder that way than if you carry it with you from the start. If you don't have James' respect, you have no chance.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra earned it, but it was an all-encompassing multiyear battle. David Blatt, who arrived in Cleveland as one of the most respected coaches in Europe, never did. They both had limited currency when James started playing for them, and it created a much tougher task.

It was a struggle for Luke Walton, too, to say the least.

Meanwhile Ty Lue, who played against James, and Paul Silas, his first NBA coach and a legendary tough guy who had won multiple championships, were able to win over James much quicker. That doesn't mean they didn't butt heads -- James cursed Lue to his face and walked out of the locker room after an argument at halftime of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals -- but they held James' respect.

James' first summer playing for Mike Krzyzewski with Team USA was rocky, but they got through it because of James' immense respect for the Duke legend. Now James considers him a mentor.

You don't have to be a Hall of Famer to get James' respect, but for you to have a decent chance, you need to have that respect before you take the job.

Have a game plan

Over the years, perhaps the best compliment James has paid coaches is that they gave his team a good game plan. He has said it over and over after quality wins, whether it was November or June.

He has often talked about the importance of having high-IQ players, and he feels this way about his coaches, too. He knows a great deal about the game and the tendencies of opposing teams and players. If you want to impress him, teach him when you prepare him. Tell him something he doesn't know about the game he knows best.

And this isn't just for the pregame meeting and film session. This also means in the heat of the battle. When the team needs a stop or needs two points, James wants there to be a play ready on the grease board. He'd like it to be better than he could come up with himself.

It doesn't always have to work, but James has to believe in it.

Hold him accountable, and be ready for him to push back

Those who know James the best all say the same thing: He wants to be coached. He will accept being corrected. He will adapt and try to improve. He will accept blame for mistakes and genuinely promise to adjust. Sometimes.

For obvious reasons over the years, people within organizations walk on eggshells around James. Some appear to be downright afraid of him. He's such a star and can be loud, which has a way of intimidating those around him whether he means to or not.

This is because James has zero qualms about going rogue. If he doesn't like the playcall, he'll blow it off. If he doesn't like the game plan, he'll change it. If he doesn't like how you present him a coaching point, he'll come right back at you. He'll do it in front of teammates; he'll do it in front of cameras.

You might say to yourself, and plenty have: How does James want to have great coaching but also want to have the right to cast it aside without consequence?

Welcome to the exceptionalism of being one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He can do it because he delivers. He can want it all because the returns are so fabulous.

Be ready for passive-aggressive behavior

James has many admirable character traits. He's a tireless worker. His discipline is world famous. He's a caring mentor. He uses his voice and money to affect social and societal change. He's generous. He's often hilarious.

Like anyone, he has character flaws, too. His tendency to be passive-aggressive is one that can really challenge his coaches.

James' moods tend to be fluid, and when he's in a foul one, he can snipe at his coaches. Sometimes it's with body language. Sometimes it's with the mass media. Sometimes it's on social media. It happens, and it not only makes the job harder but can be personally deflating.

Being mentally prepared for it and being able to handle it -- even if that means learning to ignore it or to pretend to ignore it -- can be important for the toolbox. This isn't unusual among NBA players, all of them have things that require a certain touch to manage. But not every NBA player has nearly 50 million Instagram followers and the power to halt SportsCenter with a tweet.

To coach James is to understand all of this and not just accept it but thrive with it. If you do, you will get diamonds, money and fame. If you don't, you won't be around long. And now that he's aging, it only magnifies all of the challenges.

FOURTEEN MILLION DOLLARS. That's what Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, stars of the LA Clippers' comeback in Golden State on Monday night, are on the books for combined next season. Add Landry Shamet and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and it's $20 million total for those four core players.

That is why the Clippers have one of the most promising futures of any team in the league. Not just because of their cap space -- creating cap space isn't all that difficult if you're willing to lose -- but because of the quality players they have under contract along with that space.

Building a true team through free agency requires role players under reasonable deals and/or rookie contracts so a team doesn't have to totally clear the decks. As the people in the Clippers' front office geared toward a summer of chasing the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, they worked incrementally to put themselves in this position while not bottoming out.

While the in-town rival Lakers were celebrating landing James last year, the Clippers were getting tremendous value in keeping Harrell. When there was a frenzy at the 2018 trade deadline, they kept Williams by getting him into a favorable contract extension. The previous season, when Chris Paul approached the front office saying he planned to leave, the trade the team made with Houston landed it Williams, Harrell and a first-round pick the Clippers flopped in a deal to get Danilo Gallinari.

None of these deals seemed impactful, but together they incrementally brought the Clippers to this advantageous situation. This is what rebuilding while competing looks like, and it's harder than it looks. There's no question the Clippers need to land a bona fide star to move from a team of potential to a team of expectation.

That's usually the hardest piece to find, but they're working on it.

THE VOTES FOR Executive of the Year are in. Unlike the other major awards, it is not voted on by the media but instead by the teams themselves. Each team gets one vote, and you can't vote for yourself. It's a bit of a complicated award as often it's a product of moves over multiple seasons that typically earn peer recognition.

Milwaukee Bucks GM Jon Horst, who is in only his second season, and Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri are expected to be two of the top candidates. Both oversaw wide-ranging changes to upgrade their teams, changing coaches and core players.

Ujiri made perhaps the most gutty trade of the year, landing Leonard, and made a controversial coaching change when he fired Coach of the Year Dwane Casey and replaced him with first-time coach Nick Nurse. Horst hired Mike Budenholzer, who has a strong chance to earn Coach of the Year honors, and revamped the roster around star Giannis Antetokounmpo. They finished with the top records in the league.

Other top candidates include Brooklyn's Sean Marks, whose roster upgrades without the use of high draft picks got the team back in the playoffs; Houston's Daryl Morey, last season's winner who retrofit his roster on the fly during this season; and Denver's Tim Connelly, whose team moved from outside the playoffs to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Cameron Norrie recovered from three games down to beat Marton Fucsovics and reach the Monte Carlo Masters last 16.

British number two Norrie, 23, beat Hungary's Fucsovics 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in one hour and 46 minutes.

He will play Italian world number 96 Lorenzo Sonego in the next round.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal, who had a bye for the first round, made light work of beating fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1 6-1.

Earlier, Briton Jamie Murray and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares reached the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo, defeating Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France and Bosnian Ivan Dodig.

The third seeds won 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 10-8 and will play the winners of the tie between John Peers and Henri Kontinen, and Diego Schwartzman and Joao Sousa.

INDIANAPOLIS –  Marco Andretti has added associate partner Trion Solutions to the rostrum of sponsors on his No. 98 Dallara-Honda for four NTT IndyCar Series races this year.

The Trion logo will be featured on the side cockpit of Andretti’s entry at the IndyCar Grand Prix and 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May, as well as both races comprising the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle Park.

“All of us at Trion Solutions couldn’t be more thrilled to be associated on the same team as such a famous name in all of sports,” said Trion President and co-founder David L. Stone, Esq. “The Andretti name represents the same traits for which we strive at Trion, including integrity, passion, precision, speed, quality and winning.”

“We’re always excited to bring new partnerships into our NTT IndyCar Series program and we are thrilled to add Trion Solutions to the Andretti Autosport family of partners,” added Andretti Autosport Chief Marketing Officer Doug Bresnahan. “We strive in making our team the best both on and off the track, and with the values of Trion Solutions and Andretti Autosport strongly aligned, I have no doubt we will have a successful partnership for four of the biggest races of the season.”

Trion Solutions is an HR-administration company that works with more than 600 client companies across the United States to manage payroll and taxes, benefits administration, workers’ compensation and regulatory compliance.

“We know the No. 98 car driven by Marco Andretti will be seen by millions and the storyline of Mario’s grandson seeking to win on the 50th anniversary of his grandfather’s Indy 500 victory will be followed closely by the media and during the NBC broadcast of the race,” said Trion Chief Operating Officer Craig Vanderburg. “Trion Solutions considers many sponsorship and advertising opportunities, but we felt this one was really special.

“We jumped at the chance for Trion Solutions to be showcased on the car and we look forward to the other three races as well – especially the two Detroit Grand Prix races in our backyard.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Southwestern Trucking has teamed up with Front Row Motorsports and Matt Tifft for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Kentucky Speedway on July 12-13.

Southwestern Trucking will be featured as the primary sponsor on Tifft’s No. 36 Ford Mustang during the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart, the 19th race of the season.

Based in Griffin, Ga., Southwestern Trucking has become known for its quality and service in the specialized heavy haul industry, with a focus on the transport of paper machine rolls.

For more than 40 years, the company has been transporting heavy machinery and goods, while also providing quality service and timely delivery.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with Front Row Motorsports and Matt Tifft at Kentucky,” said Bob Hinkle, CEO of Southwestern Trucking. “NASCAR fans are passionate and loyal, which are values that we strive to uphold as a company. We’re excited to support Matt and share our message with a larger NASCAR audience.”

“I’m looking forward to our partnership with Southwestern Trucking at Kentucky Speedway,” added Tifft. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to bring on a new partner and really look forward to showcasing their company and rewarding their employees for safe driving. We couldn’t do what we do without the kind of services Southwestern provides.”

Through the first nine races of the Cup Series season, Tifft has a season-best finish of 20th, which came at Arizona’s ISM Raceway in March.

Tifft has several positive memories at Kentucky Speedway, including his first-career Xfinity Series top-five finish, a fifth-place run at the 1.5-mile Sparta facility in 2016. In all, he has three top-10 results in five Kentucky appearances.