Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. LeBron's Lakers favored to repeat, Durant set for Nets debut

The NBA will take another step toward normalcy with the launch of its 2020-21 campaign with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, bolstered by a flurry of offseason moves, favored to repeat as champions. This season also marks four-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant's long-awaited Brooklyn Nets debut and Stephen Curry's return the Golden State Warriors lineup after missing all but five games last season with a broken left hand. LeBron looks to lead Lakers to another title, strengthen GOAT case

LeBron James can strengthen his case to be called basketball's greatest player of all time as he looks to win back-to-back championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, though even a fifth NBA title would not be enough to match Michael Jordan's tally. Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant are names often floated in the debate over who is the GOAT but in recent years it is Jordan and James who have dominated the conversation. Global talent set to shine in new season

More than a dozen international players picked up in the National Basketball Association's (NBA) draft this year will be eager to make an instant impact as they join an existing cast of formidable global talent. Leading the pack is "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokounmpo, the back-to-back reigning NBA MVP who earlier this week signed a five-year contract extension to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, in a reported $228 million "supermax" deal that broke league records. NBA approves Utah Jazz sale to group led by Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith

The sale of the Utah Jazz to an ownership group led by Qualtrics founder and executive chairman Ryan Smith was unanimously approved by the NBA Board of Governors, the league said on Friday. The Jazz were owned by the Miller family for 35 years before Gail Miller, the owner and chair of the Larry H Miller Group, said in October that they were selling a majority interest to Smith and his wife Ashley. Golf: LPGA unveils record prize money for 2021 season

The LPGA will distribute a record $76.45 million in official prize money in 2021, the tour announced on Friday, with 34 events scheduled across three continents next year. The tour is looking to bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic hit its 2020 schedule, forcing the cancellation of several events including the Evian Championship, one of the five women's golf majors. Five storylines for the 2020-2021 NBA season

Five storylines to track during the 2020-2021 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, which kicks off on Dec. 22. COVID-19 IMPACT

Atlanta name Argentine Heinze as head coach Atlanta United have appointed former Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze as head coach on a two-year deal, the Major League Soccer (MLS) club announced on Friday. Heinze, who played for Paris St Germain, Manchester United and Real Madrid, began his coaching career in 2015 in Argentina and last managed Velez Sarsfield, where he spent two seasons befre stepping down at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

NHL's Canada-based teams could head to U.S. Talks continue between the NHL and health authorities in five Canadian provinces about playing the upcoming season in the country, but the possibility of the nation's seven teams moving south to the United States looms. The NHL is prepared to realign divisions for the 2020-21 season, putting the Canada-based clubs in one division. The potential realignment is influenced by the Canada-USA border being closed to non-essential travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ravens favored to claim final AFC spot ahead of Dolphins When Justin Herbert nosed the edge of the football across the goal line to secure the Los Angeles Chargers' overtime victory on Thursday night, he also put a dagger in the Las Vegas Raiders' playoff hopes. The Raiders entered the night a game behind the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens in the battle for the final wild-card spot in the AFC. While 81 percent of the bettors at DraftKings were backing Las Vegas at +440 to make the playoffs, 59 percent of the total money was backing the Raiders at -625 to miss the postseason.

Russia relieved after Olympic doping ban shortened The Kremlin said on Friday it regretted Russia was unable to avoid doping sanctions but some officials declared a small victory after sport's highest court halved a ban on athletes competing at the Olympics under the Russian flag to two years. The decision, announced by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday, softened sanctions issued by global anti-doping authorities in response to Moscow intentionally providing it with doctored laboratory data that could have identified drug cheats, something it denies.