Bitter Balkan Feuds, Lakers' New Coach, and NHL Heartbreak

The summary covers recent sports events including the resurgence of Balkan conflicts in Euro 2024, the Lakers appointing JJ Redick as their new head coach, Canada's extended Stanley Cup drought, Olympic trials updates, and doping testimonies ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Bitter Balkan feuds spill into Euros once again

An Albanian player leads fans in chants against North Macedonia. Rival supporters unite to chant "Kill the Serbs". A journalist from Kosovo receives death threats for an eagle gesture. The bitter and often bewildering world of Balkan conflicts - stretching back to the breakup of Yugoslavia, World War Two and centuries beyond - has yet again spilled into the otherwise happy football fest of Euro 2024.

Lakers introduce JJ Redick as first-time head coach

JJ Redick took the reins of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday claiming to know the stakes of stepping into a pressure cooker as a first-time head coach with championship expectations. General manager Rob Pelinka said Redick was always in the franchise's "Plan A pool" of candidates. He declined to elaborate on the coaching search that involved UConn's Dan Hurley, beyond stating the Lakers were transparent with their new coach. Redick first met the Lakers' brass in Chicago in mid-May, and he said he heard directly from Pelinka when news of Hurley's candidacy broke.

NHL-Oilers' heartbreak extends Canada's Stanley Cup drought to 31 years

Canadians woke up on Tuesday scratching their heads in disbelief as the Edmonton Oilers' 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in a winner-take-all game extended the hockey-obsessed nation's Stanley Cup drought to 31 years. For this year's Stanley Cup Final, NHL fans across Canada put aside historical club rivalries in favour of supporting an Edmonton team that featured 24 Canadian-born players on their 34-man roster, including human highlight reel Connor McDavid.

Athletics-Mu falls at US Olympic trials, Norman qualifies for Paris

Athing Mu lost the chance to defend her Olympic 800m title in Paris after crashing to the ground and trailing home last at the U.S. trials on Monday, while Quincy Hall upstaged Michael Norman to win the men's 400m in Eugene, Oregon. The trials had largely gone to script on the first three days but Mu's calamity stunned the crowd at Hayward Field.

Panthers avert collapse, edge Oilers in Game 7 to take Cup

When the final buzzer sounded and the Florida Panthers hoisted the Stanley Cup, all of the frustrations of needing a fourth chance to close the final series were washed away. Thanks to their 2-1 Game 7 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, the Panthers earned the last victory needed in a best-of-seven series they led 3-0 before losing three consecutive clashes en route to the deciding affair in Sunrise, Fla.

US swimming stars testify on anti-doping measures ahead of Olympics

Moira Warburton and Allende Miglietta WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters)-U.S. swimming greats Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt will testify on Tuesday to a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee probing a doping case involving Chinese swimmers ahead of this summer's Paris Olympics.

Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis to have surgery, miss Olympics

Kristaps Porzingis plans to undergo surgery on his left leg and return to the Boston Celtics next season, but the operation recovery time rules him out for Latvia in the 2024 Summer Olympics. "We anticipate surgery will be soon," Celtics president Brad Stevens said Tuesday. "We'll have more of an update for timeline and recovery after surgery."

Athletics-Snoop Dogg lights up U.S. trials in sprint, commentary stint

Turns out Snoop Dogg is not just fast on the microphone -- he is no slouch on the track either. The American rapper and actor made a cameo appearance at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Sunday, clocking 34.44 seconds in an exhibition 200 metres race and saying his performance "ain't too bad for a 52-year-old".

MLB roundup: Phillies post triple play in rout of Tigers

The Phillies pulled off the first triple play in the majors this season, Bryce Harper drove in five runs and Philadelphia cruised past the host Detroit Tigers, 8-1, on Monday night. The third-inning triple play was also the first by the Phillies since 2017 and the first 1-3-5 triple play in the majors since 1929.

Reports: Lakers prep pitch, 3-year max deal for LeBron James

LeBron James can take his talents elsewhere by declining a $51.4 million option in his contract for the 2024-25 season before Sunday's deadline, but the Lakers are looking to reroute the 39-year-old back to Los Angeles with a new three-year max offer, according to ESPN. James can be offered no more than a three-year deal under the NBA's rule limiting the length of contracts teams can offer players over age 38.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)