Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs talisman who retired on Monday after 19 seasons and five NBA titles, thanked fans and team-mates Wednesday in a letter posted on the Spurs website.

The National Hockey League’s newest expansion franchise may not have a nickname or a logo just yet but they do have general manager.

Four NBA stars issued a plea for an end to the violence in America on Wednesday with LeBron James calling on athletes in all sports to use their influence make their cities safer.

German Olympic sailors, one of whom was infected last year by a flesh-eating bacteria after a test run in Rio de Janeiro’s sewage-tainted Guanabara Bay, said this week they are less worried about health risks than racing effectively in shifty winds and wild currents while avoiding floating debris.

Ladies European Tour (LET) chief executive Ivan Khodabakhsh has dismissed the idea that golf will be excluded from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a British bookmaker offered odds of 10-1 on the prospect.

Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne says he has to be racing in Formula One next season and has options if McLaren do not hand him Jenson Button’s seat.

World number one Lydia Ko says she’s too excited about playing golf at the Olympic Games to worry about the Zika virus — and most other women on tour feel the same.

Jesse Parahi’s decision to ditch rugby league and return to sevens paid dividends yesterday when the forward was named in Australia’s squad for next month’s Rio Olympics.

All Blacks flanker Ardie Savea has signed a two-year contract extension until 2018 with his Super Rugby side the Wellington Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby (NZR).

The New South Wales Waratahs face the ultimate dilemma in their final Super Rugby clash of the regular season against the Auckland Blues at Eden Park, knowing they not only need to win, but win well to ensure themselves of advancing to the playoffs.

When Pakistan’s Mohamed Amir takes to the field at Lord’s today, the bowler can expect overwhelming support from his homeland as he faces a potentially prickly reception from the English crowd.

England batting mainstay Joe Root has dismissed “trash talk” by Pakistan paceman Wahab Riaz who claimed he has got the batsman’s number going into the first Test at Lord’s starting today.