Just when you think you’ve seen it all in the sporting landscape, another moment comes along.
On Wednesday that latest moment arrived thanks to American baseball star for the Pittsburgh Pirates Rodolfo Castro.
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The Pirates infielder was left-faced during the middle of his team’s contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks as he slid into third base during the fourth inning.
Castro raced toward third base as a throw from the outfield came in, as he hit the ground and slid towards the base – the impact of his move launched his phone out of his back pocket and into the dirt.
Third-base umpire Adam Hamari immediately spotted the mobile phone that was resting against the base.
Castro, 23, immediately picked it up and handed it to Pirates third-base coach Mike Rebelo who looked bemused by what was being given to him.
Professional sports tend to have strict codes surrounding electronic devices and mobile phones. Major League Baseball doesn’t allow players or coaches to have their mobile phones on them while they’re in the dugout.
An embarrassed Castro spoke about the incident to the media after the game which the Pirates lost 6-4.
“I don’t think there’s any professional ballplayer that would ever go out there with any intentions of taking a cellphone,” Castro told media members through an interpreter. “It’s horrible it happened to me. Obviously, it was very unintentional.”
Castro explained his sliding glove is generally placed in his back pocket and he believed this was all he had on him.
“My first day back, if I was to be the center of attention, I would want it to be helping the team win, but never in this way,” Castro said. “This is definitely something that was an accident, a mistake, something I’m going to learn from. But definitely something I didn’t mean to happen.”
The never before seen moment sent social media into a spin with Castro trending on Twitter as the footage circulated.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalist Mike Persak wrote: “I straight up can’t believe this happened what the hell.”
Bay Area radio producer Kyle Madson wrote: “Given this sport’s problems with cheating via electronics over the last decade or so this seems like the kind of thing that shouldn’t be allowed.”
Castro’s phone may be lighting up on Wednesday if the MLB opts to investigate and hand down a penalty.
A Macca’s customer has been left less than impressed after she ordered six chicken nuggets – only to open the box and find something very different inside.
The Canberra woman took to Facebook to share a photo of what was supposed to be a box of nuggets after going through a McDonald’s drive-through.
Instead, the container was filled with raw sliced onion, Yahoo News Australia reported.
When contacted for comment, Macca’s said that if any customer ever had an issue, their meal could be replaced.
“At McDonald’s, we are committed to giving our customers a great experience every time they visit one of our restaurants,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.
“Of course, if a customer receives an incorrect order, we will happily replace this for them.
“We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage the customer to contact our Customer Service team so we can look into it in more detail.”
It comes after another Macca’s customer claims she found an unexpected item in her McChicken Sandwich.
The Irish woman was recorded by her boyfriend expressing her shock after she took a bite of her burger and pulled out what appeared to resemble a dandelion.
“There’s a flower in my McChicken Sandwich,” she said in the video, holding the mayo-covered piece of greenery.
“Is this actually for real?”
She then placed the green item on the top of the burger box, showing it was an entire stem complete with yellowing buds.
The video of the unimpressed woman – captioned, “Flowers in chicken legend meal looks lovely so it does” – has clocked up over two million views since it was shared on TikTok on Sunday.
But while many people sympathized with the woman’s plight – others were suspicious.
“I work at McDonald’s. No you didn’t,” one commenter wrote.
“Yeah nah Maccies worker here, that’s not possible,” another agreed.
While another said: “I work in McDonald’s and I can assure you that everything is checked, so I feel like this has been planted in.”
Former South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, labeled the ‘slow finger of death’ by the media, has died in a car accident, a family member told AFP on Tuesday.
He was 73.
“Rudi suffered fatal injuries after an accident near Stilbaai between Cape Town and Gqeberha,” said the family spokesperson, who requested anonymity.
“My father went to a golf tournament with some friends and they were expected to come back on Monday, but it seems they decided to play another round of golf,” his son Rudi told a Gqeberha radio station.
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The South African team will wear black armbands on Wednesday in honor of Koertzen when they face England at Lord’s in London in a Test match.
Koertzen first umpired in 1981, handled his maiden international assignment 11 years later, and retired in 2010 after a Test between Australia and Pakistan in Leeds, England.
Rudi Koertzen and Ricky Ponting in 2009.Source: AFP
He became known as the ‘slow finger of death’ because he very slowly raising his finger whenever indicating a batsman was out.
“Every umpire has their trademark and that was mine. The media labeled it the ‘slow finger of death’ and I found that pretty interesting. There is a story behind it,” Koertzen said in an interview.
“When my umpiring career first began, I used to hold my hands in front of me and every time there was an appeal, I would fold them against my ribs,” said Koertzen.
“The someone told me ‘Rudi, you cannot do that. Every time you raise your hands to fold them, the bowler thinks you are going to give him a wicket’.
“So I started clasping my wrists at the back. The finger comes out slowly because it takes time for me to release my grasp at the back.”
Elon Musk’s father has back-pedaled on his comments about his billionaire son after he said he wasn’t proud of his famous offspring.
During the latest episode of Piers Morgan Uncensoredavailable to stream on Flash, Errol Musk, 76, addressed the stunning remark and said he was misquoted.
“I never said anything like that,” he said on the show.
“I have been proud of him since the day he was born.
“A person doesn’t suddenly become proud of your child. That’s ridiculous.
“As far as saying, I don’t like him. I mean, that’s crazy. I love him.”
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The elder Musk made headlines last week after he took a savage dig at the Tesla CEO.
In an interview with KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie Othe South African engineer dismissed his son’s success.
“Your offspring is a genius. He’s worth so much money and has created so many things, you can’t take that away from him. Are you proud? Jackie O asked.
“Nope. You know, we are a family that have been doing a lot of things for a long time, it’s not as if we suddenly started doing something,” Errol replied.
The 76-year-old also took a swipe at his son’s physical appearance while discussing recent shirtless photos of Elon on a yacht in Greece.
“Elon is very well-built and he is very, very strongly built, but he’s been eating badly,” he said.
Errol said he had recommended his son take a weight loss supplement called garcinia cambogia, which he claimed has helped him shed the kilos.
Elon is Errol’s eldest son with his ex-wife, model Maye Musk. The former couple also share are Kimbal and daughter Tosca.
The latest episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored will air tonight at 9pm AEST on Sky News. Watch on Foxtel, Stream on Flash.
Actor Sean Bean has hit out at the presence of intimacy coordinators on movie and TV productions.
the game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings star, 63, said in a profile interview with The Times UK intimacy coordinators “spoil the spontaneity” of sex scenes.
“It would inhibit me more because it’s drawing attention to things. Somebody saying, ‘Do this, put your hands there, while you touch his thing… I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise,” Bean said.
But acting is generally considered a technical exercise in which an actor is directed by somebody who tells them what to say and do.
Intimacy coordinators are increasingly common on sets to ensure that actors are comfortable with the physical movements required in a sex scene. The inclusion of intimacy coordinators has been supercharged in the wake of the MeToo movement.
Intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien explained to news.com.au in 2020 what her job entailed. She said: “We have an understanding of physicality, body movements and anatomy, and of an actor’s process and how they can serve the script.
“We want to know what’s not suitable for you as a person, and we can work creatively with an actor with your agreement and consent and help the production. When we work from a clear ‘yes’ from the actors, it’ll be a way better sex scene.
“Then once you get in front of the camera, your actors can be free because they know they can trust where they’re going to be touched and where they’re touching their fellow actor.”
Bean made the comments in the context of Lady Chatterleya 1993 TV movie with him and Joely Richardson.
He said of his experience: “Lady Chatterley was spontaneous. It was joy. We had a good chemistry between us and we knew what we were doing was unusual because she was married, I was married.
“But we were following the story. We were trying to portray the truth of what DH Lawrence wrote.”
Bean also told The Times UK of a scene from his current series Snowpiercer which featured him and another actor – later revealed to be co-star Lena Hall – in the nude and involving a mango.
“I think they cut a bit out actually,” he said. “Often the best work you do – where you’re trying to push the boundaries and the very nature of it is experimental – gets censored when TV companies or advertisers say it’s too much. It’s a nice scene, quite surreal, dream-like and abstract. And mango-esque.”
when The Times UK reporter pointed out to Bean that intimacy coordinators are often there to protect actors, Bean responded by saying it depended on the actor and that Hall “had a musical cabaret background so she was up for anything”.
Hall later responded on Twitter by saying that she felt completely comfortable with Bean in that scene but she still saw the value of intimacy coordinators.
She wrote: “If I feel comfortable with my scene partner and with others in the room then I won’t need an intimacy coordinator. But if there is any part of me that is feeling weird, gross, over-exposed etc, I will either challenge the necessity of the scene or I’ll want an (intimacy coordinator).
“I do feel intimacy coordinators are a welcome addition to the set and think they could also help with the trauma experienced in other scenes. Sometimes you need them and sometimes you don’t but every single person and scene and experience is different.”
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Hall also clarified that her professional background is in theater and not cabaret, although she occasionally performs cabaret, but that “does not mean that I am up for anything”.
Other actors have also come out in defense of intimacy coordinators, including West Side Story breakout Rachel Zegler.
She wrote on Twitter: “Intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors. I was extremely grateful for the one we had on (West Side Story) – they showed grace to a newcomer like myself + educated those around me who’ve had years of experience. Spontaneity in intimate scenes can be unsafe. Wake up.”
An infamous incident of an unsafe set environment is the experience of actor Maria Schneider, who as a 19-year-old filmed a rape scene in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1972 film Last Tango in Paris.
She said the scene, which involved penetration with a stick of butter, wasn’t in the original shooting script and she was only told of it in the moments before filming. Bertolucci has said that he had n’t told her about the scene because he wanted her performance by her to be real and rageful.
Later recalling the order, Schneider said: “I was so angry. I felt humiliated and to be honest, I felt a little raped, by both Marlon (Brando) and by Bertolucci.”
Anne Heche is fighting for life after her horror car crash.
The US actress’ representative told foxnewsthat she is “in an extreme critical condition” following the fiery collision on Friday, local time.
“She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” the rep said.
“She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”
thenew york postreported that the Los Angeles Police Department had received a warrant to test the vanished actress’ blood to determine whether she was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the accident.
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Officers believe Heche, 53, may have been intoxicated when she ploughed her blue Mini Cooper into an LA home, igniting a massive fire that torched her and her car.
“The info we received this morning was a warrant that was obtained the same day as the traffic collision, which was August 5. The warrant was to draw blood, and an investigation is ongoing pending the blood test results,” a rep for the LAPD said.
“If found intoxicated, [Heche] could be charged with misdemeanor DUI hit and run. No arrests have been made so far.”
A red-capped bottle could be seen in Heche’s car’s cupholder in a photo TMZ reports was taken before the accident.
According to eyewitnesses, the actress first crashed into the garage of a nearby apartment complex but backed up and sped off before residents could help her.
Officials with the LAPD West Traffic Division have confirmed she hit another vehicle before slamming into the house that went up in flames.
Photos from the scene captured Heche being put on a stretcher and showed serious injuries to her back, while aerial shots documented smoke billowing out of the house into which she drove as well as numerous fire trucks surrounding the area.
Heche, also known for a high-profile romance with Ellen DeGeneres in the 1990s, has been open about her struggles with substance abuse.
“I drink. I smoked. I did drugs. I had sex with people. I did anything I could to get the shame out of my life, ”she told ABC News in 2020, explaining that she spent much of her childhood getting sexually abused by her father.
“I’m not crazy,” the Six Days Seven Nights star said at the time.
“But it’s a crazy life. I was raised in a crazy family. And it took 31 years to get the crazy out of me.”
This article originally appeared on The New York Post and was reproduced with permission
Director Kevin Smith has slammed Warner Bros for its decision to ax the upcoming comic book film Batgirl.
The cult filmmaker criticized the cancellation during the latest episode of his YouTube series, Hollywood Babble-On.
“It’s an incredibly bad look to cancel the Latina batgirl movie,” the 52-year-old said.
“I don’t give a sh*t if the movie was absolute f***ing dogs**t. I guarantee you that it wasn’t.
“The two directors [Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi] who directed that movie did a couple of episodes of mrs marveland it was a wonderful f***ing show.
“They had more money to do batgirl than they had to do an episode of mrs marvel and stuff.”
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Initial reports suggested the film’s quality was so bad that it had been declared “irredeemable”.
Some reports also stated that since the film was a made-for-TV movie it looked “too cheap” upon release in theaters.
But the Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back star said he was skeptical of the rumour.
They said batgirl it looked too cheap because it was a $90 million movie,” he said.
“How do you make a cheap-looking $90 million movie?
“If it looked slightly better than an episode of Arrow then why couldn’t we see that?”
Smith went on to call the decision “baffling”, while he and co-host Ralph Garman questioned why the studio was still going ahead with Flashwhich stars controversial actor Ezra Miller.
the Fantastic Beasts star has been embroiled in multiple scandals in the past few months.
The 29-year-old, who uses they/them pronouns, was most recently charged with felony burglary in Vermont, US, over an incident at a residence on May 1 where bottles of alcohol were allegedly stolen while the homeowners weren’t home. The actor is due for arraignment on September 26.
In June, Miller was also accused by the parents of an 18-year-old of allegedly grooming their child with “cult-like” and “psychologically manipulative” behaviors, though the teen denied the accusations against the actor.
On top of that, Miller was arrested multiple times in Hawaii – first for disorderly conduct and harassment and then for second-degree assault – in March and April, respectively.
Miller also landed in hot water in 2020 after a video surfaced that appeared to show them choking a fan at a bar in Reykjavik, Iceland.
“That’s the baffling thing,” Smith said.
“I don’t give a sh*t how bad the batgirl movie is, nobody in that movie is complicated or has anything in their real life you have to market around.
“In Flash movie, we all know there’s a big problem! Flash is the Reverse-Flash in real life.”
Last week, a Hollywood insider disclosed that the batgirl cast were blindsided by Warner Bros’ decision to cancel the movie.
“They had no idea the movie was being shelved,” a film industry source told the new york post.
“That’s a giant problem.”
The insider added that the actors had told their teams that the situation had been “humiliating” and “disappointing” as they found out about the news in the media alongside fans.
The Brooklyn Nets absolutely deserve this no-ring circus, and every absurd sideshow that defines it.
They deserve to be universally mocked after Kevin Durant followed up his trade demand with a vicious put-back dunk — one call for the firing of the general manager who hired him, and another for the head coach he got hired.
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In May, Sean Marks and Steve Nash announced in a news conference that it was time to dump their culture of superstar appeasement in favor of the old one, under deposed coach Kenny Atkinson, of player development and organic team-centric growth.
Over the weekend, The Athletic reported, Durant announced in a London meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai that it was time to dump Marks and Nash in favor of replacements capable of driving a championship-level roster to a more desirable postseason location than a first- round sweep.
Durant has reportedly made these terminations the terms of his re-engagement, his only road back to Brooklyn, and on a certain level Tsai might feel tempted — despite tweeting out his support for the front office and coaching staff — to give him what he wants .
Kevin Durant looks headed for a messy exit from the Brooklyn Nets. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
MORE COVERAGE
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After all, KD is better at his job than Marks and Nash are at theirs, and in a cold, cold business, a question needs to be asked: Who gives you a better chance to finally win a championship, Durant with a new head coach and GM, or Marks/Nash with whatever assets the Nets acquire in a KD deal?
They call the NBA a players league for a reason.
Basketball has fewer players in the arena than football, baseball, and hockey, adding more value to the individual juggernaut who can control the ball on nearly every possession.
Durant will go down among the top dozen or so all-time NBA greats, and even with his injury history at an opening-night age of 34, there really is no replacing him.
On the other hand, Durant has proven to be a less effective GM than Marks and one who shouldn’t be making personnel decisions.
As we’ve written before, KD executed one of the worst trades in league history when he exchanged Steph Curry and Golden State’s winning DNA for Kyrie Irving and a whole lot of problems to be named later.
Things haven’t gone to plan in Brooklyn for Durant. Michelle Farsi/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Had Durant stayed with Curry and the Warriors, he ultimately would’ve won more rings than LeBron James’ four and climbed another step or three on the legacy ladder.
But Durant wanted to prove he could build his own winner, with Irving by his side, and what a colossal miscalculation it’s been.
Nobody blames the Nets for doing what they had to do to beat the Knicks and others in the free-agent race for Durant and Irving in the summer of 2019.
Smart people do blame them for taking on DeAndre Jordan at $40 million, for axing Atkinson, and for shipping out nearly their entire development system for 13 high-maintenance months of James Harden as part of the price of doing business with KD and Kyrie.
“The Nets should be fined by the league if they ever use the word ‘culture’ again,” said one prominent NBA source.
Of course, the Nets had already exposed their soulless core when they caved in on their initial COVID stance with the unvaccinated Irving, all in pursuit of on-court victories that wouldn’t come.
Tsai and Marks have found out the hard way that once you turn over your business to the talent, there’s no getting it back.
Durant hadn’t even started playing on his four-year extension worth nearly $200 million before he told the Nets he wanted to be somewhere else.
Right after Irving opted in, Durant opted out.
Durant reportedly wants Steve Nash gone as head coach. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Though he pushed for his buddy Nash, a man with no coaching experience, to get the Nets job two years ago, KD now believes Nash has little idea what he’s doing. Beautiful.
After the Celtics swept his team in April, Durant was asked if he believed Nash was still “the right guy to lead this group.”
With a dose of incredulity he responded, “I mean, come on man. Like, yeah, Steve has been dealt a crazy hand the last two years, when he’s had to deal with so much stuff as a head coach, a first-time coach. He trades, injuries, COVID, just a lot of stuff he had to deal with, and I’m proud of how he just focused on his passion for us. And we’ll all continue to keep developing over the summer and see what happens.”
We all know what happened since that response.
The Warriors won another championship, beating the same team in the Finals that had embarrassed the Nets, and Durant decided to lash out.
He realized that Brooklyn was a million miles away from legitimate title contention — in large part because of deals and hires he notarized — and he wanted to get to a team that could cut off Golden State’s advance on more rings.
No, I needed to get to a team that could cut off Golden State’s advance on more rings.
Durant eventually realized the Nets’ asking price in a trade is so high, any team that lands him will be too depleted to win it all.
So in a brutally hot summer, he turned up the heat on Tsai by telling him he’d return if the owner makes Marks and Nash disappear. Durant is trying to will a trade into existence.
In the process, he has left the Nets looking like the kind of league-wide joke they often were in the bad ol’ days in Jersey.
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been reposted with permission
Barcelona have reportedly threatened legal action over Frenkie de Jong’s contract, after the Spanish giants claimed to have found evidence of criminality on “the parties who signed” the upgraded deal.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Catalan club is hoping to either sell the Dutch star or revert the deal back to what it was before to help solve their financial woes.
De Jong has been heavily linked with a transfer to Manchester United, although Chelsea recently emerged as a potential suitor for his services.
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Meanwhile, striker Timo Werner is close to finalizing his death with RB Leipzig after arriving in Germany for his medical.
The 26-year-old rose to footballing stardom during his first stint with the club, and became one of the biggest names on the transfer market before being snatched up by Chelsea two years ago.
While Chelsea may lose Werner, the Blues are heavily linked with another emerging star who they could sign on a world record fee.
Here’s all the news and gossip in the latest edition of our Rumor Mill!
BARCA THREATEN LEGAL ACTION
Barcelona’s financial woes are in dire need of a solution recruit after La Liga rejected their attempt to register new players, including star Robert Lewandowski.
Frenkie de Jong has been linked with two of the biggest clubs in England, with a transfer shaping up as a potential solution to their money drama.
But the de Jong saga at Barcelona has reached a dramatic new twist with the club reportedly threatening legal action over the stars renewed deal.
Barcelona’s Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong reacts during the 57th Joan Gamper Trophy friendly football match between FC Barcelona and Club Universidad Nacional Pumas at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on August 7, 2022. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)Source: AFP
De Jong signed a two-year contract extension with the club on October 20, 2020, which kept him at the club for longer but reduced his salary in the short-term.
It’s believed the Netherlands international is owed €18 million ($26m AUD) in deferred wages, which the club is hoping to annul.
David Ornstein has reported that the deal presented by the club’s previous board involved alleged “criminality” and provides “grounds for legal action against those involved”.
Previously, Barcelona president Joan Laporta had insisted that he wants de Jong to remain at the club.
“Frenkie’s our player and we want him to stay at Barcelona, he wants to stay too,” Laporta said.
“With him and his teammates, we have a very powerful midfield. He has offers, but we want him to stay.”
RED DEVILS TO SIGN FRENCH MIDFIELDER
Manchester United had identified midfielder Fabian Ruiz as a possible alternative to de Jong and it appears the deal is progressing, as Erik ten Hag looks to complete his fourth signing.
Ten Hag booed after United’s horror loss | 01:18
Guardian revealed an agreement has been reached between Juventus and Manchester United for £15 million ($26 million AUD).
Rabiot has had a decorated playing career so far, having won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain on five occasions, and he’s also a Serie A winner.
WERNER TO COMPLETE MOVE
Chelsea striker Timo Werner is on the cusp of returning to RB Leipzig, after arriving in Germany for his medical.
Tim Werner.Source: AFP
Werner had an underwhelming spell at the Blues, but is set to return to the club where he really made his name in world football.
The 26-year-old scored 90 goals and had 40 assists in his 156 games for RB Leipzig, before leaving in 2020.
CHELSEA BIG SPEND CONTINUES
Leicester defender Wesley Fofana could be wearing another navy jersey this season, as Chelsea prepare to launch a world record bid this week.
Football Londonunderstand that the Blues will attempt to sign their second center back of the English summer, after announcing Kalidou Koulibaly.
It’s believed that Fofana is pushing for a move away from the Foxes, even though coach Brendan Rodgers has insisted that he’s not for sale. According to the report, Chelsea are preparing a bid that would smash the world record for the highest fee paid for a defender — currently the 87 million euros ($A127m) Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019.
ONE OR THE OTHER
Barcelona will not sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Memphis Depay, as both players continued to be linked with transfers away from the Camp Nou.
Football insider Fabrizio Romano has said that no discussions have been held between Chelsea and Barcelona over Aubameyang, although he is on their “list”.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 07: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring his team’s fifth goal during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Pumas UNAM at Spotify Camp Nou on August 07, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The former Arsenal captain could be set for a sensational return to England with London rivals Chelsea, although he’s happy in Spain.
Meanwhile, Depay is reportedly negotiating a free agency with Juventus interested in acquiring his services.
BOLOGNA MAKE IT CLEAR
Bologna director Marco di Vaio has made it quite clear that the Italian club want to retain striker Marko Arnautovic, amid rumors of an offer from Manchester United.
The Red Devils reportedly had a bid for the 33-year-old striker rejected.
“Man United on Arnautovic? We’re proud of Man United’s interest for Marko bur we are not planning to sell him,” di Vaio said.
“We want to keep him at Bologna as president said, he’s a key part of our project – there’s not even a price tag.”
NBA megastar Kevin Durant has reportedly given Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai a bombshell ultimatum, demanding coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks are fired — or he is traded.
Durant requested a trade in June but any move will require a massive package in return, none of which have eventuated, The New York Post reported.
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The Athletic reported Durant had a face-to-face meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai in London over the weekend in which he issued an ultimatum: Trade me or fire them.
According to the report, the Nets have “direct knowledge” concerning why the 12-time All-Star has asked to be moved on a year after he signed a four-year, $198 million extension. Also according to the report, Durant “does not have faith” in the direction of the team.
A source close to the Nets organization indicated Durant is not the only Nets star unhappy with the team’s leadership.
“Kyrie Irving hates these guys,” the source said. “He feels that Nash is terrible and Marks is bad.”
“KD came to the same conclusion,” the source added.
The two-time NBA champion and 2014 MVP’s discontent reportedly stems from the fact the Nets were swept by Boston in the playoffs, after struggling to a 44-38 record last year, despite having the likes of Durant and Irving, while James Harden also played on the side for most of the year.
But the demands have fallen on deaf ears as Tsai tweeted on Tuesday: “Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.”
Nash, a 48-year-old Canadian and two-time NBA MVP as a guard, got his first coaching job with the Nets in 2020 and has gone 92-62 in two seasons guiding Brooklyn.
Marks, 46, was the first player from New Zealand in the NBA and won two league titles, one as a forward with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 and the other as an assistant coach with the Spurs in 2014.
He spent most of the next two seasons as the Spurs’ assistant general manager before being hired to oversee the rebuilding Nets.
The Nets have yet to find a trade offer that would prompt them to deal Durant, and according to the report, Tsai and the Nets have made it known they would take “every last asset from a team that trades for Durant.”
In stating the lofty hope for the trade return, perhaps the Nets believe Durant would be less motivated to leave and more likely to report to September’s training camp.
But as the ultimatum becomes publicly known, it is difficult to imagine an avenue toward Durant playing again with the Nets or showing up to pre-season action with a team put together by Marks and coached by Nash — unless Tsai chooses the player over the organization’s leaders.
The Nets are seeking a young All-Star and a collection of draft picks for Durant, but finding equal value for a 33-year-old prodigious talent signed through 2025-26 is challenging.
This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.
