Third time was the charm for James Harden.

The Houston Rockets star was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player after twice being runner-up Byron Maxwell Color Rush Jersey , beating out four-time winner LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Pelicans at the NBA Awards.

Harden joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 20 points, eight assists, five rebounds and 1.7 steals in a season.

He led the league in scoring, 3-pointers and 50-point games with four while helping the Rockets to an NBA-leading 65 wins.

James didn’t attend the show in Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport amid frenzied speculation about his future. He has until Friday to tell the Cavaliers if he will pick up his $35.6 million option for next season or opt for free agency.

Harden, who is from Los Angeles, led his mother on stage before he accepted the trophy from Commissioner Adam Silver.

Dwane Casey won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award for his work with his former team, the Toronto Raptors. He was fired last month and has since become coach of the Detroit Pistons.

Casey led the Raptors to the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. Toronto won a team-record 59 games. Casey coached the East in the All-Star Game for the first time.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) – Oscar Robertson commends the off-court activism of today’s NBA players, although the Hall of Famer wonders why more white athletes aren’t speaking out, too.

Robertson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from presenters Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the NBA Awards.

Robertson is the career leader in triple-doubles and was the first player to average one for a season. His antitrust case against the NBA also ushered in free agency for players, which Robertson said was his most important assist.

The 79-year-old former guard who starred at Crispus Attucks High in Indianapolis and in college at Cincinnati before going to the NBA said it’s time for players to speak out about politics and education, among other issues.

”But the only thing that really bothers me is where are the white athletes when this is happening?” he said backstage. ”This is not a black athlete problem. You see injustice in the world. It’s all around you.”

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OMAHA Patriots Authentic Jerseys , Neb. (AP) – Game 1 of the College World Series finals between Arkansas and Oregon State was postponed until Tuesday night because of rain – just the latest in a line of delays caused by the weather this year.

”In my 16 years of being involved with this championship, this has been the most challenging College World Series as it relates to inclement weather,” NCAA director of championships and alliances Randy Buhr said.

Rain fell most of the day, and officials announced late in the afternoon that the game would be delayed. The decision to postpone came 90 minutes after the scheduled first pitch.

Arkansas (47-19) will start Blaine Knight (13-0) against Luke Heimlich (16-2) of Oregon State (53-11-1) on Tuesday.

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CHICAGO (AP) – A federal appeals court has backed an NCAA rule requiring most football players who transfer schools to sit out a year.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago upheld a lower-court finding that NCAA transfer rules don’t violate U.S. antitrust laws.

Monday’s decision was in a lawsuit brought by a former punter for Northern Illinois University, Peter Deppe. The ruling focuses on a requirement that most Division I football players who transfer to another school must sit out a year.

Deppe’s lawyers argued the Indianapolis-based NCAA enforces the rule primarily to ensure transfers don’t hurt the quality of the football and thereby cut into lucrative revenues. They say that makes it an unreasonable restraint on trade.

But the 7th Circuit rejected that. Its unanimous opinion accepted the NCAA’s concern that easy player transfers would undermine ”the amateur character of college athletics.”

A statement from the NCAA welcomed the ruling, saying it was consistent with prior court rulings that recognize ”the NCAA’s ability to preserve college sports.”

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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – UConn President Susan Herbst told Kevin Ollie she was upholding his firing because the former men’s basketball coach had a pattern of breaking NCAA rules and committed serious violations, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The school released the June 19 letter from Herbst to Ollie on Monday in response to open records requests from the AP and other news organizations.

Ollie has asserted that the violations which led to his firing in March were minimal and isolated.

Herbst denies that idea in the letter, writing that ”eventually even a series of `isolated’ or `de mimimis’ violations can become a pattern of non-compliance, which is what occurred in the Men’s Basketball program under your leadership.”

TENNIS

LONDON (AP) – Rafael Nadal is back at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, retaking the top spot from Roger Federer after just one week.

Monday’s new order is the sixth change of the year at No. 1, the most since there were eight in 1999.

The record is 10 switches at No. 1 in 1983.

Federer still is expected to be seeded No. 1 for Wimbledon Jimmy Garoppolo Jersey , where he won his record eighth championship a year ago. The grass-court Grand Slam tournament’s seedings are scheduled to be announced Wednesday. Play begins next week.

Nadal holds a 50-point edge over Federer in the rankings and will hold onto No. 1 for at least the next three weeks.

Mayfield threw two touchdowns in two-plus quarters and Barkley ripped off a dazzling 39-yard run on the opening play from scrimmage as the Browns beat the Giants 20-10 on Thursday night.

"I'm aware that it was the first game and in that respect, it's not so bad," Mayfield said after showing why the Browns made him the top pick.

Replacing starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor late in the first quarter, Mayfield hit 11 of 20 passes for 212 yards, didn't turn the ball over and converted two fourth-down plays with his feet.

"I thought he did some good things out there," Cleveland coach Hue Jackson said. "I'm honestly not surprised by anything Baker does. This was his first opportunity and he'll grow from it."

The Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma found tight end David Njoku on a 10-yard TD pass to cap a 14-play, 72-yard drive on his second series. He finished his debut with a completion on a 54-yard slant and run to fellow rookie Antonio Callaway .

Taylor, expected to be coach Jackson's starter as Mayfield learns this season, hit all five of his passes in two series, including a 36-yard touchdown pass to Njoku , a New Jersey native.

Barkley electrified the fans at MetLife Stadium Antonio Senzatela Colorado Rockies Jersey , taking a handoff from Eli Manning on his first NFL touch and turning on the jets on a 39-yard jaunt down the sideline in front of the Giants' bench. It set up a 42-yard field goal by Aldrick Rosas.

"I loved his first run," Giants coach Pat Shurmur said of the Penn State halfback. "If only they all could be like that. You could see, it wasn't too big for him."

Barkley scoffed at the idea he made something out of nothing on the play. There was a hole, he said.

"Everybody talks about the speed difference in the NFL, but to see you still have that burst and you can get to that line of scrimmage like that and create space; I just have to find a way to gain even more yards than that," said Barkley, who finished with 43 yards on five carries.

Jalen Simmons scored on 5-yard third-quarter run for the Giants' other score. It came three plays after C.J. Board fumbled a punt return and Zak DeOssie recovered at the Browns 16.

Manning played two series and hit 4 of 7 passes for 26 yards. Star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., returning from major ankle surgery, dressed but was held out by Pat Shurmur, who is trying to rebuild the Giants after a 3-13 season.

The Browns went 0-16 last season after winning their four preseason games.

CALLAWAY: The troubled fourth-round pick played despite being cited for marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license. Police also found bullets and a gun part in his car this week. He had three catches for 87 yards, including a diving 24-yarder that the Browns successfully challenged after it was ruled incomplete on the field.

NATIONAL ANTHEM: There were no demonstrations. Giants DE Olivier Vernon and S Michael Thomas, who both knelt during the anthem last season Josh Gordon Jersey Elite , each stood.

DEZ BRYANT: 鈥?The Browns have had interest in free agent receiver Dez Bryant, and the former Cowboy tweeted during the game he was coming to visit GM John Dorsey. The Browns may not need him. Free agent signee Jarvis Landry had two catches for 36 yards in very limited action. Callaway added 87 yards and third-year pro Rashard Higgins looked good with four receptions for 66 yards.

GIANTS WOES: This looked a lot like the Giants of last year. Except for the opening play, the offensive line struggled, particularly protecting the quarterbacks, although the run game generated 134 yards on 23 carries. ... The new 3-4 defense stopped the run but gave up too many big passing plays. ... Second-string QB Davis Webb struggled, going 9 of 22 for 70 yards. "He was a little too amped," Shurmur said.

NEXT UP:

Browns: Host Buffalo Bills on Aug. 16.

Giants: At Detroit Lions on Aug. 16.

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