Sports News Roundup: Sharks re-sign F Labanc; Durant officially joins Nets

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Report: Lakers to start James at point guard

LeBron James is preparing to take on a new role with the Los Angeles Lakers this season as point guard, according to a report Monday by Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes. The 34-year-old James will take over floor general duties from Lonzo Ball, who was traded to New Orleans, and Rajon Rondo, who remains one of three other point guards on the Lakers' roster along with Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso.

U.S. men come up short in Gold Cup final as women go global

The contrast in competitiveness between the United States women and men's teams was starkly exposed on Sunday when the former won a fourth World Cup and the latter went down to Mexico in the Gold Cup final. The 1-0 loss for the men in a regional competition the U.S. had won six times before was a missed opportunity to take a big step forward under Gregg Berhalter, who was leading the team in his first tournament as coach.

NHL notebook: Sharks re-sign F Labanc

The San Jose Sharks re-signed restricted free agent forward Kevin Labanc to a one-year deal Monday. He appeared in all 82 games in 2018-19, setting career highs in his third NHL season with 17 goals and 39 assists.

MLB notebook: Verlander insists baseballs are 'juiced'

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander surrendered a MLB-high 26 home runs before the All-Star break, so it's no great surprise his opinion of the spike in offense and home runs is explicit. "It's a f---ing joke," said Verlander, an eight-time All-Star who is starting his second All-Star Game on Tuesday. "Major League Baseball's turning this game into a joke."

Durant officially joins Nets, to wear No. 7

The Brooklyn Nets officially added forward Kevin Durant on Sunday, announcing his arrival as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Golden State Warriors a week after the 10-time All-Star announced his intentions to join Brooklyn. "Kevin is a champion, perennial All-Star and one of the great players of this, or any, generation," general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. "Adding a player of Kevin's caliber to our organization elevates our ability to compete with the elite teams in this league. His tremendous abilities and dedication to his craft have made him as talented an offensive player our game has ever seen and we, as well as all of Brooklyn, are thrilled to welcome Kevin and his family to the Nets."

NBA MVP Antetokounmpo sues artist over alleged 'Greek Freak' knockoffs

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2019 National Basketball Association most valuable player, sued a Pennsylvania man on Monday for allegedly selling "Greek Freak" t-shirts and other clothing without permission. Antetokounmpo accused Jinder Bhogal, who sells clothing inspired by NBA players on his website, of trying to piggyback off his "Greek Freak" trademark, which was registered last year, and profit from the Bucks star's success.

MLB roundup: Astros top Angels; Lucroy sent to hospital

Yuli Gurriel ran his hitting streak to 11 games with a game-tying grand slam, and George Springer delivered a walk-off hit in the 10th inning as the host Houston Astros claimed a wild 11-10 victory Sunday over the Los Angeles Angels in the rubber match of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park. The Astros, who rallied from a 7-2 deficit in the fifth to tie the game at 8-8 on Gurriel's slam in the sixth, were forced to rally again in the eighth after Angels center fielder Mike Trout delivered his second home run of the game, a two-run shot, in the top of that frame to make it 10-8.

Dos Santos powers Mexico to eighth Gold Cup title

Mexico's Jonathan dos Santos scored in the 73rd minute to give his side a 1-0 win over the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Sunday. The victory over the defending champions at Chicago's Soldier Field earned Mexico a record-extending eighth title at the biennial tournament, which crowns the continental champions of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Same outcome but plenty of twists in defining women's World Cup

Although it ended in a familiar outcome with the United States retaining the trophy, the women's World Cup broke new ground in a tournament full of drama. Records were smashed, with the U.S. extending their world title haul to four, Jill Ellis becoming the first female coach to win back-to-back World Cups and Brazil great Marta becoming the highest scorer, male or female, at the finals with 17 goals.

NBA notebook: Lakers eye James as point guard

LeBron James is preparing to take on a new role with the Los Angeles Lakers this season as point guard, according to a report Monday by Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes. The 34-year-old James will take over floor general duties from Lonzo Ball, who was traded to New Orleans, and Rajon Rondo, who remains one of three other point guards on the Lakers' roster along with Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso.