Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder, the team announced Wednesday.

The surgery to address "right shoulder instability" is scheduled for Jan. 7.

In October, the team announced Bufkin had partially dislocated his right shoulder for the second time. He had missed summer league due to a similar injury.

His first professional season after a promising Michigan career was also interrupted by injuries including a thumb fracture and a big toe sprain that kept him out of all but 17 games.

Bufkin, 20, was the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. He averaged 5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 10 games (zero starts) this season.

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has agreed to a lifetime contract extension with Adidas, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

As Lillard's deal with Adidas expired during last offseason, his representative, Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management, has been negotiating a new deal with company officials.

Lillard starred alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo to help lead the Bucks to the NBA Cup championship on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Lillard is averaging 25.7 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game this season.

Lillard joins LeBron James and Kevin Durant (Nike) and Stephen Curry (Under Armour/Curry Brand) as active NBA players with lifetime shoe endorsement contracts. Goodwin also negotiated the initial Nike deals for James and Durant.

The 34-year-old now will exceed $600 million in career salaries from his on-court and shoe contracts.

A member of the NBA's Top 75 greatest list and an eight-time All-Star, Lillard has been a member of Adidas from the moment he entered the league in 2012. Lillard, who played his first 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers, has cemented himself as a staple in the Portland community, and through Adidas has many initiatives in his second home.

Adidas announced this year that it named the gymnasium court at the company's headquarters after Lillard.

The NBA All-Star Game's new format has been greeted with skepticism from some of the league's biggest stars -- most notably Kevin Durant.

"I hate it; I absolutely hate it," Durant said Tuesday, minutes after the league announced the changes to its midseason showcase.

This season's format is a four-team, three-game, one-night tournament that will feature three teams of eight All-Stars each, with the fourth team being the winner of the Rising Stars challenge for first- and second-year players. The winning team in all games will be the first to score 40 points.

The All-Star Game will take place Feb. 16 at the home of the Golden State Warriors. The Rising Stars event is there Feb. 14, headlining All-Star Friday.

"Terrible -- All-Star Game format changing, all the formats -- terrible in my opinion," Durant said. "We should just go back to East-West. Just play a game."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has wanted a more competitive All-Star event for some time, and this change comes after the teams combined to score a record 397 points -- 211-186 was the final -- in last season's game at Indianapolis.

The teams combined to take 289 shots in that game, 94% of those being either inside the paint or beyond the 3-point line.

"I think we've been trying to bring that flare back somehow with All-Star Weekend, I think we just keep the tradition," Durant said. "We'll see how this one works. You never know, I might be wrong, I'm just another guy with an opinion, but we'll see how it works."

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander offered a more optimistic take Tuesday, acknowledging the "elephant in the room" of player effort during the All-Star Game.

"At the end of the day, it's going to come down to whether the players want to go at it, and I would love to see that," he said. "Love to be a part of that, for sure, and hopefully it happens."

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, however, seemed to agree with Durant when asked Wednesday about the new format.

"Same thing KD said," Morant said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW YORK -- Max Fried may have commanded the richest contract for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history, but the New York Yankees believe there is room for improvement for the two-time All-Star.

"He's had a lot of success, but there's a level of improvability going forward, just with how the arsenal can be crafted and pulled apart, and there's some room to evolve with us," Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said Wednesday. "We like that."

Fried was formally introduced at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday after agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million deal last week. He highlighted the organization's advancements in analytics and history with developing pitchers as a selling point in his decision to sign with New York.

"They've got a lot of success stories of making guys a lot better," Fried said. "And I think that just being able to take in the information and make some adjustments, as far as my pitch shapes and things to that extent, I think there's still a little bit in there for me to hopefully do better."

Fried, 30, gives the Yankees another front-line starter to pair with Gerrit Cole, another Southern California native, atop a rotation that was a team strength en route to the franchise's first World Series appearance since 2009.

And the Yankees might not be done adding top-tier starting pitching.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said club officials are scheduled to meet with Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki "soon" in California. Sasaki, 23, is expected to draw interest from most, if not all, clubs because he will be forced to sign at a steep discount.

Sasaki would certainly have commanded a nine-figure contract on the open market, but he is considered an international amateur free agent, a designation that suppresses his earning potential, because he is under the age of 25 and didn't play six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball before posting.

As a result, Sasaki will be limited to signing a minor-league deal within a club's capped international bonus pool budget. Top bonus pools are around $7.5 million, though teams can trade for an additional 60% of its pool money.

Sasaki was posted by his Japanese club, Chiba Lotte, earlier this month, opening a 45-day window to sign with a team. He must wait to sign after the next international free agent signing period begins on Jan. 15 but can meet with teams before then. He has until Jan. 23 to sign with a team. If a deal is not reached, he would return to Chiba Lotte.

"He's extremely talented, no doubt about it, and he has a chance to be one of the world's greatest pitchers," Cashman said. "It'd be nice to be able to have Yankee Stadium be his home."

Fried chose the Yankees after posting a 3.07 ERA over parts of eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves to begin his major league career. He finished second in the NL Cy Young Award race in 2022 and won three Gold Glove Awards. He has pitched in the postseason in each of the past seven years despite various injuries limiting him to two seasons with at least 174 innings pitched.

He entered the offseason as one of the three top starting pitchers on the free agent market, alongside Blake Snell and Corbin Burnes. but he did not expect the Yankees to show genuine interest.

That changed during a Zoom call with team officials last month. A connection was forged over the easygoing 90-minute session. Questions and answers flowed between the two sides. The Yankees got the sense that Fried thirsted to play in New York, and Fried became convinced that the organization was a fit.

"You just kind of get a feel for, like, all right, his guard's down," Cashman said. "He's comfortable. He's sharing. He's not nervous. It was a good give-and-take. He was asking us questions about what makes us tick, how we go about our business. The takeaway was just that it was somebody easy to engage with, period, end of story. End of the day: good, genuine, authentic, honest individual who can really pitch."

But there was a caveat to the Yankees' pitch: They would only move forward with Fried if Juan Soto chose to sign elsewhere. Once Soto decided to join the New York Mets, the Yankees quickly pivoted to Fried, their No. 2 target in free agency.

"We're just trying to chase down a championship and we feel like we've added a championship piece," manager Aaron Boone said.

Fried was the first of three players added by the Yankees over the past week. The club also acquired reliever Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday and first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Boone on Wednesday confirmed Williams will be the team's closer next season. As for Bellinger, Cashman said that will depend on how the rest of the offseason plays out. For now, Bellinger -- who can play first base, center field and left field -- gives the Yankees flexibility in free agency and on the trade market as they seek to continue bolstering the roster after Soto's departure.

"We've done some heavy lifting with Max, with Devin Williams, with Bellinger," Cashman said. "But there's more lifting to do."

The Browns are hosting the world's most famous "footballer."

Lionel Messi, who was named MVP of MLS in his first season with Inter Miami CF, is expected to play in Cleveland on April 19 against the Columbus Crew in the Browns' 67,000-seat stadium, Huntington Bank Field.

Carlo Ancelotti became the most decorated coach in Real Madrid's history on Wednesday, after the team's 3-0 victory over Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final made it 15 trophies won with the club.

In two spells in charge at Madrid -- between 2013 and 2015, and from 2021 -- Ancelotti has lifted three Champions League trophies, two LaLiga titles, two Copa del Reys, two Spanish Supercopas, three UEFA Super Cups, two Club World Cups, and now the Intercontinental Cup.

The previous record was held by the legendary Madrid coach Miguel Muñoz, who spent 14 years in charge between 1960 and 1974, winning two European Cups, nine league titles, two Copas del Rey and one Intercontinental Cup.

"I'm very happy ... It's a success," Ancelotti said of the win over Pachuca on Wednesday. "We took control little by little, and ended the game well. We have those differences of quality always, but we also have to show the right attitude. Today, in the end, I liked that. In the end, up front, we made the difference ... In attack we did well. We have a lot of quality, Kylian [Mbappé] played a good game, and Rodrygo scored. We're happy."

Ancelotti drew level with Muñoz in August, when Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup, beating Atalanta 2-0.

He will next have the chance to add to his trophy haul in January, when Madrid will take part in the Spanish Supercopa in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

They will play Mallorca in the semifinal on Jan. 9 before a possible final against either Barcelona or Athletic Club three days later.

Ancelotti first joined Madrid in June 2013, winning the Champions League in his first season, before being fired in May 2015 after a less successful second campaign.

He made a surprise return to the club in June 2021 and has since won two LaLiga and Champions League doubles, in 2022 and 2024.

The veteran Italian holds a string of records after a near-30 year coaching career.

He is the only coach to have won the league title in Europe's 'big five leagues' -- in Spain with Real Madrid, in Italy with AC Milan, in Germany with Bayern Munich, in England with Chelsea and in France with Paris Saint-Germain.

Ancelotti is also the only manager to have won five Champions Leagues, having twice won the competition as AC Milan coach in 2003 and 2007.

VERNON, Conn. -- A 40-year-old man arrested for stalking UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers pleaded guilty Wednesday to a second-degree charge at Rockville Superior Court.

Robert Cole Parmalee of Grants Pass, Oregon, received a one-year suspended sentence and three years' probation. According to the plea agreement, Parmalee must abide by the protective order that has been in effect since Sept. 16 and will remain in place until Jan. 4, 2064, and comply with treatment recommendations for his mental health.

He is barred from the state of Connecticut during his three-year probation.

In addition, Parmalee is barred from arenas, hotels and practice facilities where the UConn women's basketball team is present. The State's Attorney also added that the WNBA has barred him from all arenas and practice facilities.

Parmalee apologized in court to the state of Connecticut, its residents and to UConn. According to his attorney, Parmalee is booked on a Wednesday evening flight to Washington.

Bueckers and UConn coach Geno Auriemma declined to comment through a spokesperson.

"My client had requested that [Parmalee] return home, get the evaluation and treatment that he needs, and that she be left alone," said attorney Robert Britt, who represented Bueckers at Wednesday's hearing. "We're very happy with that."

Parmalee was arrested by Connecticut State Police on Aug. 27 while he was walking along a highway near Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. According to UConn Police, Parmalee told state police that he was going to see Bueckers. Prior to his arrest, Parmalee posted on social media that he was traveling to Connecticut to propose to Bueckers and to get her expelled from UConn.

He had been held on $100,000 bond since his arrest.

UConn police re-arrested Parmalee on Sept. 13 and charged him with breach of peace, electronic stalking and harassment. Parmalee is also referred to as "Parmelee" on various social media accounts.

According to UConn police, officials in UConn's communications department received messages from Parmalee in June that police described as "rambling." His social media activity contained dozens of references to Bueckers, including a post with a fake wedding invitation and multiple photos of Parmalee with what appears to be an engagement ring.

According to an affidavit on the application for an arrest warrant, Parmalee began sending videos via social media to Bueckers, identified in court documents as Victim 1, in February. According to the affidavit, Bueckers never responded, but began worrying for the safety of her friends and family in September, leading her to give a statement to UConn police.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Another week, another starting quarterback for the New York Giants, who plan to go back to Drew Lock on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Lock will square off against a Falcons team quarterbacked by rookie Michael Penix Jr., who was named as Atlanta's starter Tuesday night over veteran Kirk Cousins.

Lock did not play in last week's blowout loss to the Ravens because of a heel injury. He was also dealing with a left elbow problem.

"Drew should be OK," Daboll said before Lock went out Wednesday and practiced for the first time since ditching the boot on his foot.

The Giants (2-12) haven't been able to settle on a starter since benching Daniel Jones last month. New York surprisingly turned to Tommy DeVito, the team's third-stringer all season up to that point, for their Nov. 24 blowout loss to the Buccaneers. Jones was released prior to that game and eventually signed with the Vikings.

But DeVito injured his forearm against the Bucs and missed a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys, opening the door for Lock to start two games before the heel injury forced New York to turn back to DeVito last Sunday against the Ravens.

DeVito was knocked out of the game after going 10-of-13 passing for 68 yards in the first half behind a tattered offensive line. He was ruled out with a concussion, but was back on the field Wednesday with the likelihood that he will be Lock's backup Sunday if he progresses without any setbacks.

"He's moving through the protocol," Daboll said. "He's doing something today. He'll have a chance to be No. 2 [against the Falcons]."

Veteran Tim Boyle finished Sunday's loss to the Ravens, throwing the Giants' first touchdown pass since Jones on Nov. 3. Boyle went 12-of-24 passing for 123 yards with a touchdown and interception in the second half against Baltimore.

"It's all a little different with each guy," Daboll said. "Certainly you'd like one guy in there the whole time, but that's not the reality."

The Giants currently ride a nine-game skid into Sunday's matchup against Penix and the Falcons. Coincidentally, Penix's first start will come against one of the teams that passed on him in this year's draft.

New York decided against selecting a quarterback and instead used the sixth overall draft pick on wide receiver Malik Nabers, who is within 100 yards of reaching 1,000 yards receiving.

Penix surprisingly went eighth overall to the Falcons, even after they signed Cousins to a four-year deal worth up to $180 million this past offseason.

The Giants, meanwhile, are currently in position to draft first overall in 2025. The expectation is they will address the quarterback position with Jones gone and Lock set to become a free agent.

Colorado has signed Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

The Buffaloes are bringing in one of the most accomplished dual-threat quarterbacks in college football to compete for the chance to be Shedeur Sanders' successor in 2025. Salter started 29 games for the Flames and earned Conference USA MVP honors in 2023 while leading the program to a 13-1 season.

Salter has one remaining season of eligibility. He will compete with five-star freshman Julian Lewis, the second overall recruit in the 2025 ESPN 300, for the starting role as Colorado looks to replace Sanders, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and potential first overall draft pick.

Salter has accounted for 6,438 total yards of offense and 66 touchdowns during his two seasons in Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell's spread option system. He has rushed for 1,676 yards since 2023, second among FBS quarterbacks behind Army's Bryson Daily (2,433).

In 2023, Salter led the first perfect regular season in Liberty history while throwing a school-record 32 touchdown passes. The Flames won the Conference USA title in their first season in the league and earned a New Year's Six bowl bid in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon. Liberty finished No. 25 in the final AP poll following a 45-6 loss to the Ducks.

Salter threw for 1,886 yards, rushed for 587 yards and scored 22 total touchdowns for the Flames during an 8-3 run this season. The Cedar Hill, Texas, native announced Dec. 2 that he planned to transfer and visited Syracuse before deciding to play for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes.

After a breakthrough 9-3 season and a No. 23 finish in the College Football Playoff rankings, Colorado is looking to reload its roster via the transfer portal as Sanders and Heisman Trophy-winning two-way star Travis Hunter depart for the NFL.

The Buffaloes landed former Alabama defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis, the No. 1 defensive player in ESPN's transfer rankings, earlier this week and have also secured commitments from tight end Zach Atkins (Northwest Missouri State), offensive lineman Carter Miller (UL Monroe), linebacker Reginald Hughes (Jacksonville State) and kicker Buck Buchanan (Louisiana Tech).

The Buffaloes will face No. 17 BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28. The Big 12 opponents did not meet during the regular season and were part of a four-way tie for first place in the league standings.

Rugby Football Union bosses Bill Sweeney and Tom Ilube could face a seismic vote of no confidence early next year, with a motion calling for their dismissal gathering support among grassroots clubs.

If the motion reaches the threshold of 100 signatories from clubs throughout England, a special general meeting must be held within 45 days a timeline that would decide Sweeney and Ilube's future by the end of February.

A two-thirds majority would then be required to oust Ilube and press RFU directors to remove Sweeney from his post, in the wake of outcry over his compensation package.

Sweeney was paid a basic salary of 742,000 in the year up to June 2024, up from the 430,000 he was paid when he was first appointed in 2019.

However his pay was also supplemented by a bonus of 358,000, as part of a scheme signed off by Ilube and intended to recognise the salary sacrificed by senior leaders during the Covid pandemic - and linked to various parts of the organisation's performance.

The RFU announced record 37.9m operating losses last month, only a few weeks after announcing plans to lay off more than 40 staff in the latest round of redundancies.

The RFU also shed jobs in 2018 and 2020.

BBC Sport has spoken to a number of RFU employees who have described staff anger at the level of pay awarded to senior staff, while two former bosses - Graeme Cattermole and Francis Baron - have called on Sweeney and Ilube to resign, external over the issue.