dominated by a seismic NBA ownership story — the Buss family’s 47-year reign over the Los Angeles Lakers is ending as siblings vote to sell their remaining 17.8% stake to incoming majority owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner (record $12.5B deal), though governor Jeanie Buss is now contesting the move, creating a public family rift. Elsewhere, it’s a transition week across sports: the WNBA and MLB are deep in playoff-positioning battles, NFL and NCAAF teams are grinding through final preseason/fall-camp preparations ahead of kickoff, the Premier League’s 2026-27 season is one preseason match away from starting, and the ATP/WTA tour is mid-tournament at the Cincinnati Open with several top seeds (Sinner, Alcaraz) sidelined by injury. Formula 1 returns this week from its summer break for the Dutch Grand Prix’s farewell race at Zandvoort, while MotoGP, NASCAR, and college football are all building toward their own seasonal peaks.
NBA
- Buss family voted to sell its remaining 17.8% Lakers stake to Bob Iger/Josh Kushner, ending nearly 50 years of family ownership; deal values the team at a record $12.5B.
- Governor Jeanie Buss is now challenging the sale through her attorney, while the other five siblings support it — a public rift has broken out.
- Sale still requires NBA Board of Governors approval.
- Offseason/summer league news continues; regular season is months away.
WNBA
- Deep in the playoff push with the FIBA Women’s World Cup break approaching in early September.
- Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, and Golden State Valkyries have all clinched playoff berths.
- Seattle Storm and Connecticut Sun have been eliminated from postseason contention.
- A’ja Wilson leads the league in scoring; Napheesa Collier’s return has boosted Minnesota’s title case.
NFL / NCAAF
- Preseason Week 3 in full swing; teams finalizing roster battles ahead of final cuts.
- Notable camp storylines: Vikings lost S Jamal Adams for the season; Commanders reportedly cutting their struggling kicker; various QB competitions ongoing (Titans, Steelers).
- College football season opens in about two weeks; Big 12 and other conferences finalizing preseason rankings (Texas Tech, BYU among higher-ranked Big 12 teams).
MLB
- Milwaukee Brewers hold MLB’s best record (77-48), narrowly ahead of the Dodgers (75-51) and Braves (74-51) atop their divisions.
- AL races: Rays lead the East, White Sox the Central, Astros the West; Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles hold AL wild-card spots.
- NL wild card: Cubs, Phillies, Padres.
- Dodgers are struggling in August (5-10 stretch) despite remaining World Series favorites behind Ohtani, Skubal, and Yamamoto.
EPL / Soccer
- The 2026-27 Premier League season kicks off August 21 (defending champion: Arsenal); clubs are wrapping up preseason friendlies this week.
- MLS, Liga MX, and other global leagues continue regular-season play.
Tennis (ATP/WTA)
- Cincinnati Open (Aug 13-23) underway as the last big hard-court tune-up before the US Open.
- Top seeds Jannik Sinner (knee) and Carlos Alcaraz (wrist) have withdrawn; Jasmine Paolini and Emma Raducanu also out injured.
- Novak Djokovic suffered an upset third-round loss to Thiago Agustín Tirante.
- Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev remain in contention.
F1 / Motorsports
- F1 returns from its summer break this weekend (Aug 21-23) for the final-ever Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, a sprint-format weekend.
- Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ championship by 50 points over Lewis Hamilton, with George Russell third.
- NASCAR Cup Series: Joey Logano won at Richmond over Chase Briscoe as the playoff “Chase” picture tightens; Connor Zilisch will join Hendrick Motorsports in 2027, replacing the retiring Alex Bowman.
- MotoGP is racing at the British Grand Prix this week.
Other Notables
- Combat sports, golf majors, and cycling calendars remain relatively quiet this exact week, with bigger events (UFC 330, further Vuelta a España cycling action) coming later in August.
- Women’s basketball Hall of Fame class (Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne) induction festivities are ongoing alongside the WNBA season.
