LeBron James injury update: Lakers star managing foot, elbow injuries

TheLos Angeles Lakerswill be without LeBron James for a second consecutive night.

James, who had been listed as a game-time decision after missing the second night of a back-to-back on Friday against theIndiana Pacers,has been ruled outof Sunday's matchup against theNew York Knickswith left elbow discomfort and left foot arthritis.

After surpassingyet another absurd NBA record, James took a hard fall in the fourth quarter of Thursday's loss to theDenver Nuggetsand landed on his left elbow.ESPN's Dave McMenaminlater reported that head coach J.J. Redick said James "was icing his left elbow after the game and that he was experiencing enough discomfort that it caused him to be unable to finish the game."

LeBron James, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, entered the NBA straight out of high school as the number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Take a look back at the four-time NBA champ's career from high school to the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, back to Cleveland, and most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> May 30, 2021: LeBron James (23) dunks for a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half in game four of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Dec. 15, 2021: LeBron James (6) celebrates the win over the Dallas Mavericks during overtime at the American Airlines Center.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Feb. 7, 2023: LeBron James celebrates with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after breaking the record for all-time scoring in the NBA against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oct. 22, 2024: LeBron James #23 and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers on defense during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> April 4, 2025: LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shake hands against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend

LeBron James, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, entered the NBA straight out of high school as the number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Take a look back at the four-time NBA champ's career from high school to the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, back to Cleveland, and most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James injury update

During the ESPN pregame show on Sunday, Malika Andrews reported that James sitting is "more the foot than the elbow," and that it'll be a day-to-day situation for him going forward.

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James has had to battle through a few different injuries throughout his 23rd NBA season. His season debut was delayed until Nov. 18 due to sciatica, and his streak of 21 straight All-NBA selections officially ended in February after he missed his 18th game of the season, making him ineligible under the league's 65 games played requirement.

Luka Doncic stepped up in James' absence -- and Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber -- on Friday, leading a shorthanded Lakers squad with 44 points to a 128-117 over the tanking Pacers. The Lakers will likely need a similar performance from Doncic again on Sunday to get past the Knicks, the East's No. 3 seed.

Kleber is available to play against the Knicks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:LeBron James injury update: Lakers star ruled out vs. Knicks

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March 08, 2026

LeBron James injury update: Lakers star managing foot, elbow injuries

TheLos Angeles Lakerswill be without LeBron James for a second consecutive night. James, who had bee...

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US military kills 6 in strike on alleged drug boat in the Eastern Pacific

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said it killed six men Sunday in a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean as part of theTrump administration's campaignagainst alleged traffickers.

Sunday's attack brought the death toll to at least 157 people since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in small vessels in early September.

As with most of the military's statements on the more than 40 known strikes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. It posted a video on X that showed a small boat being blown up as it floated on the water.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and hasjustified the attacksas a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing "narcoterrorists."

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In ameeting with Latin American leaderson Saturday, Trump encouraged them to join the U.S. in taking military action against drug-trafficking cartels and transnational gangs, which he said pose an "unacceptable threat" to the region's national security.

To that end, Ecuador and the United States conducted military operations this past week against organized crime groups in the South American country.

With Saturday's gathering, Trump aimed to demonstrate that he remains committed to focusing U.S. foreign policy on the Western Hemisphere, even whilewaging a waron Iran that has had repercussions across the Middle East.

Criticshave questioned the overall legalityof the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S.over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The boat strikes alsodrew intense criticismfollowing the revelation that the military killed survivors of the very first boat attack with a follow-up strike. The Trump administration and many Republican lawmakers said it was legal and necessary, while Democratic lawmakers andlegal experts saidthe killings were murder, if not a war crime.

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March 08, 2026

US military kills 6 in strike on alleged drug boat in the Eastern Pacific

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said it killed six men Sunday in a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the ...

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US service member dies from injuries sustained in Iranian attack in Saudi Arabia, US military says

The U.S. military announced Sunday that a service member has now died of injuries they sustained during an Iranian attack on American troops stationed in Saudi Arabia last weekend.

U.S. Central Command said the identity of the person will be witheld until 24 hours after next of kin has been notified. They are the seventh U.S. service member to die since the U.S. and Israel began launching attacks on Iran.

The announcement comes a day after President Donald Trumpattended a dignified transferto pay respects to six other U.S. soldiers killed in the war with Iran. Trump was joined by first lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and several other administration officials.

The service members were killed on March 1 in a drone strike at a U.S. military installation in Kuwait. They were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa.

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The war with Iran is now in its second week, with no sign of ending anytime soon. On Saturday, Trump said Iran will be hit "very hard," noting the country is under "serious consideration for complete destruction for certain death."

"We knocked out their air force, we knocked out their communications and all telecommunications is gone," Trump said in a speech at a summit in Miami Saturday morning. "I don't know how they communicate but I guess they will figure something out. It's not working out too well and they're bad people."

RELATED STORY |Trump warns Iran of 'complete destruction'

Iran's foreign minister responded to Trump with a defiant statement of his own.

"If Mr. Trump seeks escalation, it is precisely what our Powerful Armed Forces have long been prepared for, and what he will get," Abbas Araghchi said.

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March 08, 2026

US service member dies from injuries sustained in Iranian attack in Saudi Arabia, US military says

The U.S. military announced Sunday that a service member has now died of injuries they sustained during an Iranian attack...

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Iran names Khamenei's hardline son Mojtaba as new supreme leader, oil surges

By Parisa Hafezi and Maayan Lubell

Smoke rises after a reported strike on Shahran fuel tanks, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran

DUBAI/JERUSALEM, March 9 (Reuters) - Iran on Monday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.

Mojtaba, a cleric with influence inside Iran's security forces and vast business networks under ‌his father, had been viewed as a frontrunner in the lead-up to Sunday's vote by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics tasked with choosing Ali Khamenei's ‌successor.

"By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts, appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Assembly said in a statement issued just after midnight Tehran time.

The position ​gives Mojtaba the final say in all matters of state in the Islamic Republic.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the announcement of Iran's new supreme leader.

Mojtaba's appointment will likely draw the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, who said on Sunday that Washington should have a say in the selection. "If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long," he told ABC News. Israel, ahead of the announcement, threatened to target whoever was chosen.

Mojtaba's father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed in one of the first strikes launched against Iran more than a week ago.

The U.S. military ‌on Sunday reported a seventh American has died from wounds sustained ⁠during Iran's initial counter-attack a week ago, a day after Trump presided over the return to the United States of the remains of the six others killed.

The U.S.-Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands, according to Iran's U.N. ambassador.

OIL OVER $100 A BARREL

The expanding war has severely impacted the ⁠oil trade and surging prices sparked a fall in share futures in Asia on Monday, amid fears of rising living costs.

U.S. crude futures rose more than 20% in early trade on Monday, hitting their highest since July 2022, amid fears of tighter supply and prolonged disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent jumped 17% to $108.73 a barrel, having already soared 28% last week.

On Wall Street, S&P 500 futures ESc1 shed 1.6%, ​while ​Nasdaq futures NQc1 dived 1.7%.

Trump, in a social media post, said oil prices "will drop rapidly when the destruction of ​the Iran nuclear threat is over," and said the price hike was "a very ‌small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace."

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DEFIANCE FROM TEHRAN

Iranian state media said the leadership of Iran's armed forces had pledged allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement they are ready to follow the new supreme leader.

The Assembly of Experts met on Sunday to elect a new supreme leader despite threats that the body would be targeted, Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, said on state TV after the announcement.

Mojtaba Khamenei could lead the country under the current sensitive conditions, Larijani said, calling for unity around the new leader.

The announcement came after Tehran signaled defiance, despite Trump's call for an "unconditional surrender." Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker, said earlier that Tehran was not seeking a ceasefire to the war and would punish aggressors.

Israel continued to target ‌senior Iranian figures, including Abolqasem Babaian, the recently appointed head of the military office of the supreme leader, saying ​he was killed in a Saturday strike.

As fighting escalated on Sunday, day nine of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, thick ​black smoke hung over Tehran, residents said, after strikes on oil storage facilities had lit ​up the night sky with plumes of orange flame.

'DANGEROUS NEW PHASE'

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the large-scale attack marked a "dangerous new phase" of the ‌conflict and amounted to a war crime.

"By targeting fuel depots, the aggressors are ​releasing hazardous materials and toxic substances into the air," ​he wrote on X.

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters the depots were used to fuel Iran's war effort, including producing or storing propellant for ballistic missiles. "They are a legal military target," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would press on with the assault and strike Iran's rulers "without mercy".

"We have an organised plan with many surprises ​to destabilise the regime and enable change," he said in a video ‌statement.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he was not seeking negotiations to end the conflict, which has driven up global energy prices, disrupted business and snarled ​air travel.

"At some point, I don't think there will be anybody left maybe to say, 'We surrender'," he said.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Crispian Balmer, Charlie Devereux, Steve ​Holland and Simon Lewis; Editing by William Mallard, Alex Richardson, Ros Russell, Sergio Non and Diane Craft)

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March 08, 2026

Iran names Khamenei's hardline son Mojtaba as new supreme leader, oil surges

By Parisa Hafezi and Maayan Lubell Smoke rises after a reported strike on Shahran fuel tanks, amid the...

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Tommy Novak scores in OT to lift the Penguins past the Bruins, 5-4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Novak scored 17 seconds into overtime to complete a wild comeback in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

Bruins Penguins Hockey

Anthony Mantha scored two third-period goals to help Pittsburgh — playing without franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin — snap a three-game losing streak. Second in the Metropolitan Division, Pittsburgh has points in 16 of its last 19 games.

Crosby is out a minimum of four weeks because of a lower-body injury and Malkin served the second of a five-game suspension for slashing Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin in the head.

Egor Chinakhov added a power-play goal, Connor Dewar also scored and Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots. Chinakhov has 14 goals this season and 11 goals in 25 games with Pittsburgh.

Pavel Zacha had his second career hat trick, and David Pastrnak also scored for Boston. The Bruins have lost five of their last eight. They have a three-point lead for the final wild-card spot in the East.

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Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves for the Bruins.

Pittsburgh had its second three-goal comeback this season. The last time the Penguins had a three-goal comeback without Crosby and Malkin was February 10, 2001, against New Jersey.

Mantha became the first Pittsburgh player to score multiple game-tying goals in a third period since Alex Kovalev on March 23, 2002, against Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh trailed 3-1 in the third period, but Dewar and Mantha scored 33 seconds apart to tie it.

Zacha completed his hat trick at 8:34 of the third period, but Mantha tied it again for Pittsburgh with 8:42 to go when he tapped in a rebound from the left post.

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Bruins: Host Los Angeles on Tuesday night.Penguins: Begin a five-game trip at Carolina on Tuesday night.___AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Bruins: Host Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

Penguins: Begin a five-game trip at Carolina on Tuesday night.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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March 08, 2026

Tommy Novak scores in OT to lift the Penguins past the Bruins, 5-4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Novak scored 17 seconds into overtime to complete a wild comeback in the Pittsburgh Penguins'...

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