On July 17, Beijing time, LeBron James had previously informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would opt out of his contract and move to another team as a free agent. Today, he made his first public appearance since the announcement of his departure, recording a podcast at the fashion sports event Vandus Carnival, but did not reveal his next team on the spot.

On July 17, Beijing time, Giannis Antetokounmpo officially appeared as a member of the Miami Heat. During a press conference with Miami media, he did not dwell much on the Milwaukee Bucks, stating that one of his goals in joining the Heat is to win multiple championships. However, after the trade that sent him to the South Beach team, he still offered warm words for his former club. This included his decision to switch from his iconic Bucks No. 34 jersey to the Heat's No. 7.

On July 17, Beijing time, an NBA spokesperson told ESPN reporter Shams that the league is investigating a four-year, $64 million contract between Gary Trent Jr. and the Milwaukee Bucks, checking whether the deal circumvents the salary cap. The new contract, officially announced on Thursday morning local time, has been submitted for league review.

On July 17, Beijing time, the latest data from Polymarket's prediction market shows a dramatic shift in the odds for LeBron James' next team. The Golden State Warriors have risen to first place with a 34.5% probability, while the Cleveland Cavaliers have dropped to second at 34.3%. Currently, the two teams are nearly tied, making them the two hottest candidates. The Miami Heat are at 16.

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.