2019 was a year of mixed emotions for Oumar Ballo.
The center began the year by committing to Gonzaga University before leading Mali to the final of the FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece in July.
They were runners-up to the USA, but still secured the best finish by an

Shaquille O'NEAL

Oumar 'Baby Shaq' Ballo THUMB

Oumar 'Baby Shaq' Ballo on NBA dreams and the "darkest moment" of his career

United States of America

Simone

Simone Biles - Olympics.com

Sweden

Armand

Armand Duplantis - Olympics.com

Mikaela

Mikaela SHIFFRIN

Ilia

Ilia Malinin - Olympics.com

Shaquille

One of the greatest honours a basketball player in the NBA can receive is to have the number on their jersey retired by their team.
Retirement recognises that no other player from that franchise may wear the number again as a tribute to the greatness of the figure that once

Paris 2024 | Olympic Games

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 07: Jerseys of former Los Angeles Lakers Pau Gasol #16 before his jersey retirement ceremony taking place at halftime in the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on March 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Pau Gasol has his number 16 jersey retired

All-time list of retired numbers in the NBA

While for many, the holiday season is about taking time away from the rush of everyday life to spend with family and loved ones, the world of professional sports does anything but slow down.
The NBA, English Premier League and NFL are just some of the leagues that continue to

30 Jan 2002: Close up of center Shaquille O''Neal (L) #34 of the Los Angeles Lakers and his teammate, guard Kobe Bryant (R). The picture was taken during the NBA game against the Orlando Magic at the TD Waterhouse in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers defeated the Magic 111-93.

LA Lakers: Shaq and Kobe, 2002

A look back at some of the best holiday sporting moments of all time 

Gauthier Mvumbi was the unlikely star of the 2021 World Men’s Handball Championship in Egypt.
At 1.95m and 137kg (6'5", 301lbs), opposition defences found the DR Congo pivot (or line player as the position is also known) simply too big to handle with him earning the nickname of the 'Shaquille

Handball | Olympic Qualifier | Men's World Championship 

Handball - 2021 IHF Handball World Championship - Preliminary Round Group D - Bahrain v D.R. Congo - Cairo Stadium Hall 1, Cairo, Egypt - January 19, 2021 D.R. Congo's Gauthier Mvumbi Thierry  with the Player of the Match award after the match Pool via REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Gauthier Mvumbi receives his Player of the Match award after DR Congo's defeat to Bahrain at the 2021 World Championship

What happened next to 2021 Worlds star Gauthier Mvumbi, handball's Shaquille O'Neal?

There's been plenty of drama and shocks at the Egypt 2021 Men's World Championships of handball already, with last-minute withdrawals, Covid quarantines, and surprise results:
Tokyo 2020 hosts Japan drawing 29-29 with Euro 2020 runners-up Croatia for example, or rising nation Brazil tying at the exact same score on the

GettyImages-1230600180

Viral handball sensation Mvumbi scores 4 against Olympic champs, gets shout-out from Shaq

Friendship, excellence, and respect are the three core Olympic values, and we have been touched by the way the sports world has responded to these challenging times.
And not just Olympians either.
The Olympic family as a whole, and that's all of us, has come up with brilliant ways to

Tokyo 2020 | Olympic Games

Osaka training crop

Naomi Osaka's message, Katie Taylor juggling, and Greg Rutherford's kids steal the show: Quarantine updates

On Sunday, January 26, the sporting universe and the world at large received the shocking news that NBA legend Kobe Bryant, along with eight others, perished in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Among those nine was his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, the eldest of Kobe Bryant’s four girls with wife

Kobe Bryant tribute thumb

Kobe Bryant tributes pour in from Indian Olympic athletes

They can perform on the biggest sporting stages in the world. But how do their music capabilities compare?
After the Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast were lit up by the vocal stylings of long jumper Jazmin Sawyers, it got us thinking.
Which other Olympians can hold a tune?
The

Shaquille O'NEAL

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Oumar 'Baby Shaq' Ballo on NBA dreams and the "darkest moment" of his career

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