On July 16, Beijing time, Warriors star Stephen Curry spoke out once more to recruit LeBron James to join the team. However, according to reporter Spears, the Warriors currently consider themselves merely dark horses, and many believe James will likely choose a team from the Eastern Conference.

On the afternoon of July 16, at Pleiku Stadium in Gia Lai, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), together with the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other relevant units, held the opening ceremony for the U17 National Football Championship Finals – Red Dragon Cup 2026.

After Casemiro's departure, Manchester United's top priority this summer is to strengthen the midfield. Following the signings of André Santos and Youri Tielemans, the club is still searching for another midfielder. With multiple fronts to compete on next season and Ugarte suffering a serious injury, the defensive midfield position still lacks depth.

Zhao Jiaren has been traded to the Shanxi team. During the regular season last year, he averaged 19.4 minutes, 6.5 points, and 2.4 rebounds per game; in this year's playoffs, he averaged 21.1 minutes, 4.8 points, and 1.8 rebounds. Lin Bingsheng has directly left the CBA. In the regular season last year, he averaged 16.6 minutes, 5.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game; in this year's playoffs, he averaged 18.7 minutes, 4.6 points, 2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals.

According to a report from French broadcaster RMC on the evening of July 16, French fans have launched an online petition demanding a rematch of the World Cup semifinal between France and Spain, citing a suspected handball by Yamal before he won a penalty. Nearly 50,000 people have signed the petition. In the first semifinal of the World Cup, which ended yesterday, Spain was awarded a penalty in the 20th minute, which Oyarzabal converted to give them the lead.

On July 16, Beijing time, UK Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey confirmed he had written to Infantino, calling for the suspension of Argentine players who displayed a "Falklands" banner after the World Cup semifinal. Davey angrily wrote on social media: "After the 2024 European Cup final in August, two Spanish players, Rodri and Morata, were banned for one match for singing 'Gibraltar is Spanish,' which was justified.

Every NBA draft seems to leave a few hidden gems behind. On July 16, renowned U.S. media outlet Bleacher Report released its list of the top 10 undrafted players, based on career longevity, individual honors (All-Star, All-NBA, etc.), contributions to winning (championships, playoff performances), and cultural impact.

On the afternoon of July 16, at Pleiku Stadium, the Vietnam Football Federation in collaboration with the Gia Lai Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held the opening ceremony of the National U17 Football Championship Finals - Red Dragon Cup 2026.

Coach Kim Sang Sik continues to face squad disruptions as the Vietnam national team sequentially loses two key players, Đỗ Duy Mạnh and Khuất Văn Khang, due to injuries.

Lithuanian powerhouse club Zalgiris officially announced: signed a two-year contract with Valančiūnas; according to BasketNews sources, Valančiūnas signed a two-year deal worth $5.5 million. Last summer, Valančiūnas was traded by the Kings to Denver, but he already didn't want to stay in the NBA and intended to return to Europe to play. However, the Nuggets insisted on keeping him, and he ultimately chose to play for the team in the 25-26 season, primarily serving as Jokić's top backup.