Reuters Sports News Summary

Forty-eight NBA players test positive for COVID-19 as league gears up for new season Forty-eight NBA players tested positive for COVID-19, the league said on Wednesday, as players returned to their team's home markets for the start of the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Top 25 roundup: No. 17 Texas tops No. 14 UNC for Maui title

Matt Coleman III made the game-winning basket with one-10th of a second remaining as No. 17 Texas won the Maui Invitational for the first time, defeating No. 14 North Carolina 69-67 on Wednesday in Asheville, N.C. The title game was tightly contested down the stretch, but North Carolina missed some late free throws and the Longhorns pulled out the victory. LeBron signs two-year, $85 million extension with Lakers

LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $85 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent told multiple news outlets on Wednesday. James, who turns 36 later this month, led the Lakers to their first title in a decade and 17th overall inside the NBA bubble in Orlando in October, taking home the Finals MVP honors in the process. NBA-Rockets trade Westbrook for Wizards' Wall, first-round pick

The Houston Rockets have agreed to trade 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for five-time All Star point guard John Wall and a future first-round draft pick, both teams announced on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Westbrook, a nine-time All Star point guard who spent the bulk of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder before being traded to Houston in 2019, averaged 27.2 points and 7.9 rebounds in the most recent season. No Hamilton as F1 faces new challenge in Bahrain

Lewis Hamilton's unexpected absence will add extra spice to a Sakhir Grand Prix that represents a new challenge for the seven- times world champion's Formula One rivals in Bahrain this weekend. The Mercedes driver, who has not missed a race since his debut with McLaren in 2007, is isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. Decathlete Rafer Johnson, 'World's Greatest Athlete', dies at 86

Rafer Johnson, who was crowned the world's greatest athlete after winning the decathlon gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and later helped tackle Robert F. Kennedy's assassin, died on Wednesday at the age of 86. The LA84 Foundation, of which he was a founding member, confirmed Johnson's death, saying he passed away at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family. Schumacher's dream comes true as he takes first step on Formula One journey

Mick Schumacher, son of seven-times world champion Michael, will ascend the first step on the ladder that could one day like his father lead him to Ferrari when he makes his Formula One debut with Haas next season. The 21-year-old, who will line up alongside Russian Nikita Mazepin in an all-rookie line-up on a multi-year deal at the U.S.-owned team, is a part of Ferrari's young driver academy (FDA) that has produced the likes of Charles Leclerc and the late Jules Bianchi. Forty-eight NBA players test positive for COVID-19 as league gears up for new season

Forty-eight NBA players tested positive for COVID-19, the league said on Wednesday, as players returned to their team's home markets for the start of the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22. The NBA said it tested 546 players as part of its "initial return-to-market testing phase," which kicked off between Nov. 24 and Nov. 30. Anyone who tested positive was placed in isolation until cleared under league rules. BMW follows Audi to the Formula E exit

BMW will be following Audi out of the electric Formula E series at the end of next year after announcing its departure on Wednesday. Audi said on Monday it would withdraw as a works team to focus on the Dakar Rally and endurance racing including an eventual return to Le Mans. Top 25 roundup: No. 8 Michigan State wins at No. 6 Duke

Rocket Watts scored 20 points and No. 8 Michigan State produced a huge surge early in the second half to knock off No. 6 Duke 75-69 in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday night in Durham, N.C. The outcome gave the Spartans (3-0) their first victory in four all-time visits to Cameron Indoor Stadium, where fans weren't permitted to attend because of coronavirus protocols on Duke's campus. Athletes to be tested 'every 96-120 hours' during Games - organisers' report

Athletes will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken less than 72 hours before arriving in Japan for the Olympics and will be tested "every 96-120 hours" during the Games, according to a report published by organisers on Wednesday. During talks between the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, the Japanese government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government, further guidelines for how the Japanese capital plans to host the rearranged Games next year were discussed.

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