Hall of Famer Steve "Mongo" McMichael, a stalwart member of the dominant Chicago Bears famed "46 defense" of the 1980s who ranks second in franchise history with 92.5 sacks, has died at the age of 67, the NFL announced Wednesday.

McMichael was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2021.

He played one season for the New England Patriots and one with the Green Bay Packers, but it was the 13 seasons in between with the Bears where he made his mark, including playing in a team-record 191 consecutive games. In total, McMichael played in 207 games between 1981-94.

The NFL is heartbroken to hear of the passing of Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer Steve McMichael after a brave battle with ALS.

Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/ENXTqfoqQk

NFL (@NFL) April 23, 2025

The defensive tackle won a Super Bowl (1985) and was twice selected first-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl. He had at least seven sacks in seven straight seasons (1983 to 1989), second only among Bears players to Richard Dent's 10-year streak.

"It is with deep sadness that I can confirm that my good friend and client Steve McMichael has passed away," his longtime publicist, Betsy Shepherd, told ESPN. "There will never be a stronger fighter we will ever know. He was also the sweetest guy I have ever known."

On Aug. 3, 2023, some 344 miles west of Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio, McMichael was officially enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Surrounded by his wife, daughter and members of the Bears' famed 1985 defense, McMichael's Hall of Fame bust was unveiled inside of his home in Homer Glen, Illinois. McMichael laid in his bed in his gold jacket while his sister, Kathy, delivered the defensive tackle's enshrinement speech in a pre-recorded video.

On hand to celebrate McMichael's enshrinement were former teammates Richard Dent, Ron Rivera, Mike Singletary, Jimbo Covert, Gary Fencik, Jim Osborne and Marcus Keyes.

"Steve, we're here with all your world champion brothers," Dent said. "Back in Canton, we have 378 brothers that are looking for you. You're on a team that you can never be cut from, you never can be released from. When you die on this team, you will still be on it."

Live video from McMichael's bedside was streamed to the crowd in Canton while ESPN's Chris Berman, who served as the Hall of Fame's master of ceremonies, relayed the message he received from the defensive tackle about his career impact.

"I do not want ALS to be my legacy," the message said. "What I did on the field, that's my legacy. Pushing myself to the limit ... farther than anybody else could."

Ultimately picked by the Hall of Fame's senior committee, McMichael had previously been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and 2015 and made it past the first cut of candidates twice before coming up short of a selection.

McMichael's wife, Misty, actively campaigned for her husband's enshrinement as his battle with ALS wore on and took away his ability to move or speak, which left him bedridden during the last years of his life.

McMichael had signed a "do not resuscitate" form in 2023 before his condition began to worsen. Upon learning he was one of the senior semifinalists last August, McMichael informed his wife that he wanted to rip up the DNR and continue his fight against ALS as he awaited word on his selection.

"I am proud of all we accomplished together, especially the National Pro Football Hall of Fame," Shepherd told ESPN on Wednesday. "It was the last thing he could say to me before he lost his ability to speak. I asked him what else I could do for him and he whispered, 'Hall of Fame.' Thanks to the fans, we did it! He loved you endlessly."

McMichael chipped in with eight sacks during the 1985 regular season -- and added another in the Super Bowl XX win over the New England Patriots -- and was a first-team All-Pro selection as he started every game that season. He controlled the interior of the line for a defense that ranked No. 1 in fewest points allowed, fewest yards allowed and takeaways that season -- in addition to allowing just 10 points in three playoff wins -- and is considered by many to be the best ever after leading Chicago to an 18-1 record.

McMichael, who finished with 95 career sacks, also had 847 career tackles, 13 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions and 3 recorded safeties in 213 career games. His 92.5 sacks with the Bears ranks second in team history to Dent.

While McMichael was often overshadowed by Hall of Famers Singletary and Dent, he was instrumental to the Bears' success. Bears head coach Mike Ditka said McMichael was the toughest player that he ever coached.

McMichael finished his career with the rival Packers in 1994, but he liked to tell people in retirement that the only reason he signed with the Bears' bitter rival was to "steal their money and whup their ass again!"

McMichael was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 1980 NFL draft out of Texas, where the Houston native was a unanimous first-team All-America selection for a notoriously stingy defense and left as the Longhorns' all-time leader in career tackles (369) and sacks (30).

He received recruiting letters for football from about 75 schools. Bear Bryant wanted to use him as a tight end at Alabama, while Darrell Royal recruited him to Texas as a defensive end.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

The World Just Lost The Incredible Steve "Mongo" McMichael! He Was My Best Friend Through It All! An Amazing Athlete And Human Being! I Have The Fondest Memories Working With Him, And This Is An Extremely Heartbreaking Loss For Me! I Love You Mongo! You Fought One Hell Of A... pic.twitter.com/yq2YHfWKmf

Ric Flair (@RicFlairNatrBoy) April 23, 2025

After football, "Mongo" had a career resurgence as a professional wrestler with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he won the United States Heavyweight Championship as a member of the famed "Four Horsemen" group led by Ric Flair.

In April 1995, he was in Lawrence Taylor's corner at WrestleMania. Later that year, he started with WCW as a commentator. He began his in-ring career in 1996, feuding with Flair over then-wife Debra McMichael, then a wrestling valet. He remained with the company through 1999.

Whether he was terrorizing opponents or discussing the Bears on sports talk radio, the man known as "Ming The Merciless" and "Mongo" -- after the character in "Blazing Saddles" who knocked out a horse -- remained a prominent presence in Chicago long after his playing days ended.

Born in Houston, McMichael's parents separated when he was about 2. His mom, Betty, married an oil company executive named E.V. McMichael, and the younger McMichael considered him his dad and took on his surname.

The family moved to Freer, Texas, and McMichael went on to letter in football, basketball, baseball, track, tennis and golf as a senior. A catcher, he preferred baseball. The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals showed interest, but his parents wanted him to go to college.

"Steve McMichael told everyone he would fight ALS with the same tenacity he showed for 15 seasons in the National Football League," Pro Football Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter said in a statement. "And he did just that.

"Everyone who played with or against Steve shares the same opinion: No one battled longer or harder from the snap until the whistle than Steve the player. ... And the love his teammates showed him throughout this difficult journey says everything about Steve the man."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum missed the first playoff game of his career Wednesday night, sitting out with a bone bruise in his right wrist as Boston hosted the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

The six-time All-Star was declared out about an hour before tipoff. He had been listed as doubtful with the injury, which he suffered in the Celtics' 103-86 Game 1 victory Sunday.

Tatum was not on the court for the pregame shooting that he usually does alongside teammate Jaylen Brown. During the game, he sat on the end of the Celtics' bench in street clothes with a protective wrap on his wrist. Veteran Al Horford started in his place.

Tatum had played in all 114 possible playoff games during his eight seasons in Boston. He played in 72 games during the regular season, leading the Celtics in points, assists and rebounds per game.

The Celtics were 53-19 with Tatum in the lineup and 8-2 without him, according to ESPN Research. Both of those losses were to the Magic, but Boston rested all its starters in the final meeting at Orlando on April 9.

During his media availability about two hours before the game, coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum had been able to do some on-court work Wednesday.

"I know he's doing everything he can to put himself in position to play," Mazzulla said. "He'll be day to day."

Tatum was injured when he collided with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr. midair while driving for a two-handed dunk in the fourth quarter Sunday. He landed hard on his right wrist on the play, for which Caldwell-Pope was called for a flagrant foul, but remained in the game.

He finished with 17 points on 8-of-22 shooting to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds but was seen favoring his wrist.

Tatum said afterward that an initial throbbing pain went away. A postgame X-ray came back clean.

He participated in parts of Boston's practice session Tuesday. An MRI that day revealed the bone bruise.

Horford took exception to the play, reiterating his belief that the Magic stepped over the line with their physicality on Tatum.

"Yeah, there was something extra," Horford said Tuesday. "There was a lot. It was the second or third time that -- especially [Caldwell-Pope] -- went at him in that way."

The best-of-seven series shifts to Orlando for Game 3 on Friday.

Information from ESPN's Baxter Holmes and The Associated Press was used in this report.

After arriving in New York three years ago, Knicks star Jalen Brunson has become the face of the franchise.

On Wednesday, he became the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year.

"I think some people are born into it," Brunson told TNT's "Inside the NBA" on Wednesday night about being clutch. "I think I had to learn back in high school, and I've gotten better and better at each stage, and here we are."

Brunson has established himself as one of the most consistent clutch players in the league. New York was fifth in the league with a 61% win rate in clutch games this season, while Brunson shot 51% in clutch time this season and led the league with 5.6 points per game that met the league's criteria for the "clutch" designation.

"Just finding a way to win," Brunson said. "That's the most important thing. You can make clutch plays but they don't mean anything if you don't win. The winning part is most important to me."

Brunson finished with 70 of 100 first-place votes, landing on 98 of 100 total ballots. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was a clear second with 26 first-place votes, while Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was third in balloting.

Brunson's prowess in late and close games was on display for all to see Saturday in Game 1 of New York's first-round series against the Detroit Pistons. Brunson led the Knicks on a 21-0 fourth-quarter run to claim victory.

With the best-of-7 series tied at 1, Brunson said the key is "just starting fast" in Game 3 on Thursday night.

"I think they've gotten the better of us starting the game in Games 1 and 2, and we have had to climb back in both games," Brunson said. "We got to start off well. They are playing way too well for us to start off slow."

The Clutch Player of the Year award, named after Jerry West, has been awarded three times, with De'Aaron Fox (2023) and Stephen Curry (2024) also having won.

It is the second of the league's seven major individual awards to be handed out, with Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard winning the Sixth Man of the Year award Tuesday night.

The Defensive Player of the Year award will be given out Thursday, followed by the Hustle Award on Friday. The rest of the major honors -- Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year and the All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams -- will be announced over the next few weeks.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a teenager who accused two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant of punching him during a pickup game at the home of the Memphis Grizzlies guard's parents in 2022.

Shelby County Circuit Judge Carol Chumney issued an order Monday dismissing the lawsuit, saying in her ruling that Morant acted in self-defense and was immune from civil liability in the suit filed by Joshua Holloway, who plays basketball for Samford University and just completed his sophomore season.

Holloway was 17 and in high school when he was invited to play pickup basketball with other people at the home of Morant's parents in July 2022. The daylong series of games ended when Morant punched Holloway once in the face. Holloway then sued Morant, alleging the NBA player had assaulted him.

Morant claimed he acted in self-defense after Holloway aggressively threw the basketball at him with a one-handed, baseball-style pass that hit him in the face during a check-ball situation. A "check" is a common practice in pickup games in which two opposing players pass the ball to each other to see if their teammates are ready, often before starting a game or after a foul.

Morant testified during a December 2023 hearing that he was worried about getting hurt after the teen hit him in the face with the ball, bumped him in the chest, balled his fists and got into a fighting stance before Morant punched Holloway.

Chumney ruled in April 2024 that Morant "enjoys a presumption of civil immunity" from liability under Tennessee law.

The NBA player's lawyers had argued Morant was protected under Tennessee's "stand your ground" law, allowing people who feel threatened at their homes to act with force in certain situations. The law is used in criminal cases, but the judge cleared the way for Morant's lawyers to apply it in this civil case.

After the April 2024 presumption of immunity ruling, it was Holloway's turn to prove that Morant was not free from liability under the self-defense claim. Holloway testified during a hearing in January that Morant was actually the aggressor and used disproportionate force by punching Holloway.

In her Monday ruling, Chumney said Holloway's testimony about the incident was not credible and contradicts testimony from other witnesses. Among those was former NBA player Mike Miller, who was at the house when the fight occurred. Miller testified that Holloway hitting Morant "in the face with a basketball 'kind of started everything,'" the judge wrote in her April 2024 ruling.

Chumney also noted in Monday's ruling that both Morant and Holloway hold roles as leaders in the respective basketball arenas, "and in the limelight, each have unique opportunities to inspire youth and demonstrate mature leadership."

"This Court sincerely hopes that moving forward they each will be able to spend more of their time on the 'court' and less at the 'courthouse,'" the judge wrote.

NEW YORK -- Edwin Diaz left the New York Mets' 4-3, extra-innings win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday with left hip discomfort, splashing a bit of cold water on an otherwise festive conclusion to the club's three-game sweep of its division rival and a perfect 7-0 homestand at Citi Field.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Diaz was dealing with a cramp and, as of postgame Wednesday, the closer wasn't scheduled for further testing. The Mets are off Thursday before beginning a four-game series against the Washington Nationals on Friday.

Diaz said he underwent strength tests with a doctor Wednesday and "everything was good."

"As of right now, let's see how I feel tomorrow," Diaz said when asked whether he would be available to pitch Friday. "I feel strong. ...We did some work on my hip and it was feeling better after. Let's see how it feels on Friday."

The Mets' bullpen emerged Wednesday with a 2.34 ERA, the lowest in the majors. Diaz, however, has been a weak link in the young season with a 4.91 ERA in 11 innings across appearances.

On Wednesday, the two-time All-Star entered to record a clean ninth inning before he was summoned to pitch the 10th, marking the first time he was tasked to take down more than one inning this season.

He said the discomfort surfaced upon throwing a first-pitch fastball to J.T. Realmuto after giving up a go-ahead RBI single to Nick Castellanos. Diaz said he couldn't lift his left leg when he came set in his delivery, which prompted him to step off to attempt to loosen up. He then stepped off two more times to surpass the mound disengagement limitation -- pitchers are allowed to disengage twice and only a third time if it results in picking off a runner -- and was called for a balk to move Castellanos to second base. With that, he signaled to the dugout and was pulled from the game.

"I was feeling great," Diaz said. "I was throwing the ball really good today. I was commanding my pitches the way I want to."

His exit pushed the umpires, citing injury, to reverse the balk ruling, which drew the ire of Phillies manager Rob Thomson. Ultimately, the Phillies stranded the bases loaded against Max Kranick, setting the stage for the Mets to score two runs and win the game on Starling Marte's walk-off single.

WASHINGTON -- Baltimore Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who has been rehabbing from elbow inflammation, has a strained lat muscle and is a "couple of weeks" from resuming his throwing program, manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday.

Rodriguez started the season on the injured list because of the elbow issue, and a bullpen session scheduled for last week was canceled when he developed a sore shoulder. A second medical opinion sought after an MRI revealed the mild lat strain, Hyde said.

It's a familiar injury for the 25-year-old Rodriguez. In 2022 while in the minors, Rodriguez missed three months with a lat strain, which delayed his major league debut until April 2023. In 2024, he was placed on the IL with a lat strain in August, finishing with 20 starts. He has made only 43 starts in two seasons, going 20-8 with a 4.11 ERA.

"I'm trying to stay optimistic about it," Hyde said. "He's had a tough time staying healthy the last few years with lat strains. We were hoping that he starts throwing in a couple of weeks and (in) his progression that he stays healthy."

Right-hander Zach Eflin, the O's opening day starter, also has been dealing with a lat strain. Eflin, who hasn't pitched since April 7, has been cleared to return to the mound and will throw a side session Friday or Saturday, Hyde said.

Coming off consecutive postseason appearances, Baltimore has had numerous injuries to starting pitchers: Kyle Braddish (Tommy John surgery) and Tyler Wells (UCL repair surgery) also started the season on the injured list and were joined by Albert Suarez (right shoulder).

CHICAGO -- Los Angeles Dodgers starter Blake Snell will back off his throwing program as he continues to recover from left shoulder inflammation, according to manager Dave Roberts.

"As he was playing catch, he just didn't feel great," Roberts said Wednesday afternoon before the Dodgers played the Chicago Cubs. "Right now, we're going to slow play the throwing. Will probably get it looked at again when we get back home."

Snell, 32, has been on the injured list since early April after making just two starts for the Dodgers. He signed a five-year, $182 million contract this past offseason.

Snell, who was set to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, felt discomfort in the shoulder while playing catch Tuesday. Roberts was asked how concerning the latest setback was.

"I wouldn't say concerning because part of the messaging from us to Blake is, it's about later on in the season and if there's any type of discomfort, let's not try to fight through it," Roberts responded.

Snell is one of several Dodgers pitchers on the mend, including left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who pitched three innings in a minor league start Tuesday, his second rehab outing this spring.

"Velocity was good," Roberts said. "Got into the fourth inning. He'll make a start next week. Really positive stuff."

The Dodgers also received positive news about right-hander Tyler Glasnow after he left his last start with leg cramps. His latest bullpen session went well, according to Roberts.

Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani is throwing again after missing time on the paternity list. He'll have another bullpen session Saturday as he recovers from elbow surgery, though the team still doesn't have a timetable for his return to major league action.

The team was also without catcher Will Smith on Wednesday after he injured his wrist on a play at the plate in Tuesday's loss to the Cubs.

"As he made the tag, his [left] wrist turned in and so there's some residual soreness," Roberts said.

Smith could get imaging done when the team returns to Los Angeles, but Roberts wasn't overly concerned about the injury.

During her Miami run, Raducanu spoke regularly about showing "resilience" to win matches and needed to demonstrate that quality again in her first clay-court match in a year.

Lamens, ranked 73rd in the world, is a combative player who has improved sharply over the past year and is more than comfortable on the surface.

Earlier this month, she beat British number one Katie Boulter in the Billie Jean King Cup tie that Raducanu missed to "rest" her body after a packed start to the season.

Raducanu was often unable to cope with Lamens' thumping forehand in the opening set but recovered from a break down - and saved three more break points in the ninth game - to drag her opponent into a tie-break.

Another measure of the 2021 US Open champion's improved mentality has been her impressive recent record in these situations - and showed it again.

Petchey was sat in her box alongside Raducanu's long-time ally Jane O'Donoghue, regularly offering praise and encouragement at crucial junctures.

Raducanu played more aggressively in the second set but also had to dig deep as Lamens tried to pin her back behind the baseline.

There were flashes of brilliance from the Briton, too, after she had adjusted to the fast clay conditions created by Madrid's altitude.

A running forehand down the line and another thunderous winner piled on the pressure as Lamens failed to hold serve in a lengthy seventh game.

However, it was not a straightforward path to victory. Raducanu shakily lost serve for 4-4 before a frustrated Lamens wobbled again and allowed the Briton to secure another confidence-boosting victory.

"I needed to fight and pull through some really difficult moments," Raducanu added.

"When your opponent is hitting great shots it is easy to get frustrated and think 'oh my God, they've hit the line so many times'.

"But I had to reset and accept that she's good, here for a reason and playing amazing tennis."

With Youngs amassing a record amount of England caps over 13 years, Tigers boss Cheika spent a lot of time analysing the scrum-half's game as an opposition coach while at the helm of both Australia and Argentina.

It was against Cheika's Argentina in 2023 that Youngs ended his international career, as England beat the Pumas in the third-place World Cup play-off in Paris.

The Australian coach could not help but laugh when asked what instructions he would give his players when trying to contain Youngs.

"Get him, bash him up, rip his head off and all those things," Cheika chuckled when listing what sort of tactics it would take to try to nullify Youngs.

"You have to be alert because he can hurt you with his pass, he could hurt you with his running and hurt you with his kick. And he can still do that."

Cheika described having one-club man Youngs on his side for the past 10 months as "a pleasure", with the playmaker a valued figure in the dressing room as well as out on the pitch.

"He gives that bit of advice that he feels from around the group," Cheika said.

"He has been great for us whenever he has either started or come off the bench. He has been super competitive, which has been great.

"I have a lot of respect for him as a player and now as a person after I've got to know him. And I hope we can keep that friendship into the future."

Baxter said Ikitau was one of the "top centres" in world rugby.

"He's playing very well, he's very keen to experience something else," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon.

"He's talked a lot with the Australians who have been here at Exeter, they've all said that if he gets over here and throws himself into it, then he'll have a great time, and that's very much what we want him to experience next season."

Ikitau is set to make the move to Devon over the summer following the conclusion of the Super Rugby season and the British and Irish Lions' series against Australia - where he will be likely to play for the Wallabies.

He also comes in to fill a gap in Exeter's midfield with Wales centre Joe Hawkins joining Scarlets when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Ikitau is the third Australian international to sign for the Chiefs for next season, following hooker Julian Heaven and back row Tom Hooper.

Baxter said he believed Ikitau could be a "special" player for the club.

"I'm very positive about the impact he can have, and our job is to create a team and an environment that lets all the individuals shine and what they're good at," Baxter said.

"And if we can do that with Len, we could see something very special."