National

Dwight Howard, who won Olympic gold with the U.S. in the 2008 Beijing Games but had to miss last summer's London Games while recovering from back surgery, said he wants to be back on the team for the next Olympiad.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was suspended for nine months and fined a whopping $900,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Thursday for failing a drug test following his loss to champion Sergio Martinez last fall in Las Vegas.

On second thought, LeBron James won't ground his pregame dunking routine after all.

Tiger Woods removed his shoes and socks to play a shot at a water hazard and it may have saved his tournament Thursday as he shot an even-par 70 in the first round of the Honda Classic.

Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was scratched from Thursday's Cactus League game against the Cleveland Indians due to muscle soreness in his left arm caused by a new tattoo.

Nationwide Series driver Jeremy Clements explained in detail Thursday exactly how he finds himself suspended indefinitely from NASCAR competition.

Steve Nash evidently does not regret his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman met North Korea's Kim Jong Un on Thursday on the third day of his improbable journey to Pyongyang, telling the leader "You have a friend for life," a delegation spokesman said.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks told reporters Thursday morning that his right wrist checked out OK with the team's medical staff, but he is going to see a wrist specialist to determine whether more tests were needed.

Chris Johnson is confident of achieving big things in the 2013 season. Not only does he expect to rush for more yards than Adrian Peterson, he also believes he can make a run at Eric Dickerson's all-time single-season rushing record.

Jermichael Finley told ESPN's Josina Anderson on Wednesday that he wouldn't be willing to accept a pay cut in order to stay with the Green Bay Packers.

Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points, J.R. Smith hit the tiebreaking shot with 1:10 left, and the New York Knicks overcame Stephen Curry's NBA season-high 54 points to beat the Golden State Warriors 109-105 on Wednesday night.

Nationwide Series driver Jeremy Clements has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for making an "intolerable and insensitive remark."

Jermaine Marshall scored 25 points and Penn State upset No. 4 Michigan 84-78 on Wednesday night for its first Big Ten win of the season.

Nearly six months after taking a line drive off the head in Oakland, Brandon McCarthy made his Cactus League debut for the Diamondbacks against Cincinnati

Petty Blue, the hue made famous by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, will once again become a fixture at Sprint Cup Series events on the No. 43 car now driven by Aric Almirola.

Terrell Suggs isn't the only one who despises the New England Patriots.

USC Trojans coach Lane Kiffin told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Wednesday that he thinks quarterback Matt Barkley has been under-appreciated by Trojans fans and predicts big things for Barkley in the NFL despite Barkley's recent slide in some mock drafts.

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert and Golden State Warriors forward David Lee have been suspended one game without pay for their respective roles in a skirmish that spilled into the stands.

The New York Giants have agreed to sign offensive tackle Will Beatty to a five-year, $38.75 million deal, according to a source familiar with the deal, taking one of the top free-agent offensive linemen off the market.