Around the Betting Planet: Another record for LeBron

US

Lakers take lead as LeBron sets NBA record

The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a 2-1 series lead after defeating the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference semi-finals. Both sides battled to put more than six points between each other throughout the contest, but the Lakers brought it home to conclude with a final score of 112-102.

The game added another record to LeBron James’ list of achievements. The win over Houston marked LeBron’s 162nd postseason victory, trumping former Lakers player Derek Fisher’s previous record of 161. James said he was humbled to better that tally, while Lakers coach Frank Vogel said: “Nobody impacts winning more than LeBron James.” 

The two teams will play again in Game 4 on Friday, September 11.

UK

Aston Villa break transfer record for Watkins

Ollie Watkins has signed a five-year deal with Premier League side Aston Villa, where he will link up with Dean Smith once more. Smith originally signed Watkins to Brentford in 2017 when he was still the head coach of the London club.

The transfer deal is a record high for Aston Villa, as it’s reported that the club will pay £28m for Watkins. The fee has the potential to go as high as £33m with add-ons. The agreement exceeds the £22m spent on Wesley in 2019.

Africa

AFCON trophy goes missing in Egypt

An original African Cup of Nations trophy has disappeared from the Egyptian FA’s Cairo headquarters. The Pharaohs were awarded the cup in 2010 after they’d emerged victorious in three consecutive tournaments. It was initially thought that a former captain or coach had it, but it was kept in HQ storage.

The African Cup of Nations trophy is the most notable of a few that are missing. The EFA discovered the disappearance when they were renovating to set up a small museum at their headquarters.

Authorities believe that the various awards and cups were stolen in 2013 when angry fans attacked and burned parts of the facility.

Europe

100 international goals for Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his 100th goal for Portugal, finding the back of the net during their game against Sweden. He scored twice for his team, with the landmark coming from a free-kick. The second strike was from the penalty area.

Ronaldo’s next aim is to break the record currently held by Ali Daei from Iran, who has 109 international goals. He might even reach that mark by the end of the ongoing UEFA Nations League season, where Portugal have four matches still to play.

New Zealand

Bewley crashes out of Tour de France

Sam Bewley was forced to withdraw from the Tour de France after a terrible crash in the 10th stage. The cyclist took a fall and fractured his wrist with 96km to go.