Former NBA Star Rasual Butler and His Wife Dead Following Car Crash

Rasual Butler and his wife, Leah LaBelle, died on Wednesday in a single-vehicle car accident in Studio City, California. Butler was 38, LaBelle was 31.

According to CBS Sports, the former NBA star was driving and lost control of his Range Rover around 2:30 a.m. with LaBelle in the car. Butler struck three parking meters and slammed into a wall, which caused the vehicle to flip. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, the outlet reports.

"The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Rasual Butler and his wife, Leah LaBelle," the National Basketball Association tweeted on Wednesday. "A pro's pro, Rasual enjoyed a long, successful career and was widely respected by his peers and coaches. We grieve with their loved ones during this difficult time."

Butler was selected by the Miami Heat with the 53rd pick of the 2002 NBA draft. Over his 14-year career with the professional league, he also played for the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs. Additionally, Butler was close friends with his former Heat teammate, Lamar Odom, and even appeared on a few seasons of Khloe & Lamar.
Butler's wife was an R&B singer, who was signed to Epic Records/So So Def Recordings and appeared on the third season of American Idol. She placed 12th in the competition.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Rasual Butler and his wife, Leah LaBelle," a tweet from the Miami Heat read. "Our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to the family and many friends of Rasual and Leah. They will be missed."

Following the tragic news, friends, fans and former teammates of Butler took to Twitter and Instagram to send their condolences. See their reactions below:

@dwyanewade : Rasual and i my rookie year in Miami. This was my first public appearance and i was nervous to go along—So Sual joined to make it easier on me. That’s who he was—A great individual that was always there for people when they needed him. Today is a sad day—Sual’s family, his wife’s family and his NBA family mourn the lost of a great man. R.I.P philly boy Rasual Butler!

Rip to the homie Rasual Butler & his wife!! Condolences to the butler family & friends. Damn Bro. Matt Barnes
@Matt_Barnes22

Very sad day for the #NBAFamily. My deepest condolences to Rasual and his wife’s families in such a painful moment.
#RIPRasualButler. Pau Gasol
@paugasol

So sad this morning to here about my friend and teammate RIP Rasual Butler appreciate the people around u because u never kno. Paul Pierce
@paulpierce34

R.I.P to Rasual Butler man, he was good to me and kept it G with me during our time in Minnesota! We lost a good one!! Kris Dunn
@KrisDunn3

Incredibly sad news to hear about Rasual Butler and his wife Leah. Prayers to both of their families through this tough time. Kevin Love
@kevinlove

I will always remember the time we shared together as teammates, you were the big brother. I appreciate the advice you shared, not just about basketball but life. Sending my deepest condolences to the families of Rasual and Leah. May you both rest in peace. John Wall
@JohnWall

Very sad day for me, Rasual was not only a great teammate but great guy in this league. My prayers and condolences go out to their families.
RIP. Eric Gordon
@TheofficialEG10

Devastated to hear the news about the passing of my former teammate, Rasual, & his wife. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families during this difficult time. Rasual was an amazing teammate and an even better person. He will truly be missed! Lamarcus Aldridge
@aldridge_12

There is no way to process the sorrow at hearing of the passing of @RasualButler45 and his wife Leah LaBelle in a car accident early Wednesday. Rasual was one of the legit nicest guys I’ve ever dealt with, over many years & many teams. My sincere condolences to his family. RIP.

Man United set to begin talks with star player that will make him Old Trafford highest earner

Premier League giants, Manchester United, have begun talks with star goalkeeper David de Gea

- United are limning up an improved five year deal for the Spaniard

- It is believed that the new deal will keep Real Madrid off the trail of the defender

Premier League giants, Manchester United, have begun talks with star goalkeeper David de Gea over a new long-term contract for the Spaniard, that is hope to keep off Real Madrid.

The 27-year-old will be out of contract with the Red Devils at the end of next season although there is an option to extend that deal by a further 12 months.

Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, is confident that the Old Trafford hierarchy will secure De Gea’s long-term future in the club.

The Old Traffoed giants have open talks with De Gea’s representatives about a fortnight ago on the option in De Gea’s existing £200,000-a-week deal and how to offer an improvement, especially if Real Madrid renew their long-standing interest in the Spaniard.

Real Madrid have previously tried to sign De Gea back in 2015, when a £29m bid that involved Keylor Navas moving to the opposite direction collapsed in the final hours of the transfer window amid much acrimony.

De Gea subsequently signed a new four-year contract with United, that included the option of an extra year, but Real have maintained their interest since.

The United manager has no intention of letting De Gea leave now and spelt out his desire to keep the goalkeeper last Friday. “It’s obvious that we’re not going to let the option [in De Gea’s contract] disappear,” said Mourinho. “A goalkeeper like he is, and obviously a club that wants to be better and better and better, we are not going to let that year option go away.

“But obviously we are going to try to give him a contract that keeps him here for much longer than that option that, of course, we are going to execute.

“I don’t discuss numbers and contracts. I just say what is obvious. Anyone of you would say the same – David is to keep.”

De Gea is represented by Jorge Mendes, who is also Mourinho’s agent, and Mendes was in Manchester on Wednesday, January 17, as he went through the final details of his client's contract with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

£35m Man Utd transfer hours away as player arrives in Manchester

Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United could just be hours away now

One of the biggest transfer stories of the season is close to completion

Reports suggest United will pay Arsenal £35million for Sanchez

Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez looks just hours away from finalising his transfer to Manchester United for a reported £35million fee, according to latest reports.
Gianluca Di Marzio provides an update on the deal and on Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s move to Arsenal in the opposite direction, suggesting it’s all nearly done.

The report claims Sanchez is now in Manchester, with attorneys at work over the final details of the move, while Mkhitaryan is in London for the same reasons.

The Sun have claimed United will meet Arsenal’s £35million asking price for Sanchez, which seems a decent fee for a player in the final six months of his contract.

Mkhitaryan heading to the Emirates Stadium is also certainly a big sweetener for the deal, with Arsenal picking up a potentially world class playmaker in the process.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexis Sanchez swap transfer edging closer
The Armenia international was superb for former club Borussia Dortmund, and looks a good fit for Arsene Wenger’s side despite not always looking at his best in his time in England so far.

Mkhitaryan, in fairness, has been in and out of the United team under Jose Mourinho, and would perhaps be more likely to be first choice at Arsenal.

His arrival could also be ideal if Mesut Ozil ends up leaving the club at the end of the season, as he is yet to sign a new contract as he approaches being a free agent in the summer.

For United, the imminent signing of Sanchez is a big statement for their ambitions in the second half of the season, with the Chilean able to play in the Champions League and help them close an admittedly big gap on league leaders Manchester City.

FA Cup: Morata, Pedro see red as Blues survive Norwich scare

Chelsea have squeezed through into the Fourth Round of this year's  FA Cup after they managed to beat Norwich City 5-3 on penalties on Wednesday night.

After playing out a barren draw in the original fixture at Carrow Road, many expected that the Blues will take the Canaries to the cleaners in the forced replay at Stamford Bridge.

However, that was not the case as the Championship side put a resolute display.

A second-half goal from Michy Batshuayi was initially looking good enough to see Chelsea move on to the fourth round but a last-ditch effort saw Norwich City equalize and take the game into extra time.

Despite the drama that ensued in extra time in which two Chelsea players, Pedro and awful Morata saw red, the game still could not be decided.

In the resultant penalty shoot-outs, Chelsea outsmarted their foes to progress to the Fourth Round where they will be up against Newcastle United/

Legends Pay Classy Tributes To Retired Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho was the kind of footballer you couldn't not love because he both played with a smile on his face and brought a smile to ours. And in Iker Casillas that was even the case when he was tormenting you.

The day was always going to come when Ronaldinho finally officially retired from the game although in fairness he's been semi-retired for the last couple of years, never actually having a team to call his own for very long.

Finally on Tuesday night, aged 37, the Brazilian confirmed that he was calling it a day, having won two La Ligas, a Champions League, Serie A title, World Cup and twice been FIFA's World Player of the Year:

During his career the former PSG forward wowed everyone who had the pleasure of watching him, perhaps most notably when he destroyed Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and left the home supporters with no choice but to give him a standing ovation.

You'd have thought the man who he inflicted most pain on that night, keeper Iker Casillas, would be glad his old foe had retired but the Spaniard sent a wonderfully classy message saying, " I was forced to suffer at your hands but as a football lover, I also enjoyed watching you. "

But it wasn't just a former rival who paid a brilliant tribute to him but also the 'kid' he mentored at the Camp Nou, Lionel Messi.
The Argentine came through the ranks at Barca and made his debut when Ronaldinho was still the main man in the team before Pep Guardiola let him go to AC Milan, fearing his partying ways could affect the younger man.
Sure Messi's good but he's no Emile Heskey:
Clearly thoug

Clearly though Messi never forgot the impact the Brazilian had on his career saying, "As I always said, I learned a lot by your side. I will always be grateful to you for how easy it was that you did everything to me when I got to the dressing room.

" I was lucky to share many things with you and I am very happy because, in addition to a phenomenon with the ball, you are a very great person and that is the most important thing. Even if you decide to leave, football will never forget your smile. All the best, Ronnie."

Such a legend he had love from both sides of the Clasico!

Copa Del Rey: Messi misses penalty as Barcelona suffers first defeat of the season against Espanyol

Spanish giants, Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season on Wednesday night in the first leg of Copa del Rey quarter final between city rivals, Espanyol.

The Catalan club were beaten 1-0 by Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium.

Lionel Messi was on the starting first eleven in an otherwise much changed Barcelona side, while Luis Suarez came off the bench.

The LaLiga leaders got a penalty after an hour when Esteban Granero tripped Sergi Roberto in the area.

Messi, however, missed his spot kick, with goalkeeper Diego Lopez plunging to his left to keep out the effort.

In the dying minutes, substitute Oscar Melendo swept home the winner after a superb Espanyol team move.

Espanyol had never beaten Barca in their new stadium before; the last time they won a home game against them was in 2007 when current Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde was their manager

UEFA: Manchester United overtake Real Madrid, Barcelona as Europe’s biggest earners

The European Football Association (UEFA) on Tuesday named Manchester United ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona as the biggest revenue earner for last year, 2017.

According to the annual report, United enjoyed the top position by beating all European clubs in the last financial year after a 32 percent increase propelled them above the Los Blancos and the Catalan club.

The report said: “revenues among Europe’s 700-odd top-flight clubs totalled 18.5 billion euros (£16.5 billion) for 2016.

“This is in comparison to 16.9 billion the year before and 2.8 billion in 1996. However, the report acknowledged that nearly half that amount — 9.1 million euros — was generated by 30 clubs.”

“The financial gap between the elite ones and the rest was increasing. English Premier League television revenues were now such that mid-table Bournemouth earned the same as three-times European champions Inter Milan. Manchester United’s revenue for 2016 was 689 million euros, compared to 521 million euros in 2015,” the report said.

The Red Devils were followed by FC Barcelona and Real Madrid (both 620 million), Bayern Munich (592 million), Paris St Germain (542 million) and Manchester City (533 million).

United operating profit of 232 million euros was also the highest followed by Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Manchester City.

The English giants were also burdened with the highest net debt of 561 million euros, ahead of Benfica, Inter Milan, Juventus and Liverpool.

The report also confirmed that the English Premier League enjoys by far the highest revenues in Europe, averaging 244.4 million euros per club.

Next was Germany’s Bundesliga with 149.6 million per club followed by Spain (126.3 million) and Italy (100.2 million) Revenues fell dramatically elsewhere, even in traditional football nations such as the Netherlands (26.7 million) and Portugal (20.3 million).

UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin said, “As the guardians of the game, UEFA must ensure that football remains competitive even as financial gaps are augmented by globalisation and technological change.”

Super Eagles striker Iheanacho makes football history

Kelechi Iheanacho  scored the first goal given by VAR in English football during Leicester’s FA Cup clash against Fleetwood.

The Foxes forward was initially deemed offside when latching onto Riyad Mahrez’s pass

Iheanacho went onto score only to see the linesman raise his flag to signal for offside.

But ref Jon Moss went to video assistant ref Mike Jones who ruled Iheanacho was actually onside – the goal being awarded one minute and 44 seconds after the ball hit the back of the net.

Fleetwood Town’s official Twitter account took a swipe at how long it took for the decision to be made.

The 77th-minute goal was Iheanacho’s second of the night after he opened the scoring in the 43rd minute.

Pundit Kevin Kilbane said: “It’s happened! It was onside, it’s the right decision

Ryan Giggs' Father Ashamed Of him After He Allegedly Slept With Younger Brother's Wife. Wilson Giggs is unhappy his son Ryan has been appointed the new manager of Wales

The footballer's father has still not forgiven his son for his affair with his brother Rhodri's wife

The 62-year-old claimed Giggs was "not fit for the job" and claims his family are not his friends

Wilson, the father of former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs, has admitted he is ashamed his son was appointed Wales boss.

Giggs was confirmed as Chris Coleman's replacement on Monday, January 15, taking his first full-time job in management.
Giggs said he was honoured to take the role but Wilson says his son is "not fit for the job" following his affair with his brother Rhodri's wife, Natasha

"I should be the proudest dad in the world, as happy as a lark by what he's achieved - but I am ashamed of him. I can't even bring myself to use his name - I refer to him as the ex-footballer," Wilson told the Sun.

"He's put himself first and all he cares about is his TV punditry and opening swanky hotels in Manchester. Now when I see him on TV I switch off, all the family do.

"He is my son and it brings me close to tears to say that my family don't respect him and look up to him. As the eldest he should have been watching his brother's back - not stabbing him in it. He cheated in the worst possible way and is not man enough to apologise for it," Wilson said.

Wilson went on to threaten to confront Giggs upon his unveiling and blasted him for leaving his brother with nothing.

Last year, Wilson claimed Giggs abandoned his brother and showing no remorse and adding that Rhodri was homeless.

Natasha claimed she aborted Ryan's baby just weeks after marrying his brother.

The former winger is believed to have continued his affair with Rhodri's wife Natasha, while wife Stacey was pregnant.
Giggs divorced his ex-wife earlier this year with the pair settling over a £40m fortune, and has routinely been the target of stick from fans.

Messi closes in on Ronaldo’s record

The Argentine netted his side’s fourth goal in their 4-2 comeback win over Real Sociedad on Sunday.

In so doing, Messi broke Muller’s record for the most goals for a single European club across the top five leagues, which the German set up in 1979.

Muller famously scored 365 goals for Bayern Munich, but Messi has now gone one above the legendary Germany striker.
In addition, Messi also closed in on Ronaldo’s European record for the most league goals among Europe’s top five leagues.

The Portuguese, who once again failed to hit the back of the net in Real Madrid’s 1- defeat to Villarreal on Saturday, currently sits on 373 league goals – 84 for Manchester United and 289 since joining Los Blancos.

Transfer news: Mourinho gives update on Alexis Sanchez’s deal after Stoke game

Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has hinted that they are close to signing Alexis Sanchez.

The Red Devils have been given a free run at the player, after rivals Manchester City pulled out of the race to sign him.

Although Chelsea have made a late bid to sign the Chilean attacker, United remain confident they have sealed a £35million deal for the Arsenal forward, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan likely to go the other way.

Speaking after their 3-0 win over Stoke City on Monday, Mourinho, however, chose to remain non-committal on the transfer.

“I’m not confident but I’m also not unconfident. Just relaxed.

“We have the feeling he’s an Arsenal player. He can stay there, but also a feeling he can move and, if he moves, I think we have a chance.

“But most probably, a player like him has other big clubs interested, so who knows?

“I think him, Mr Wenger, Mr Gazidis, they’re the ones who know what’s going to happen.

“If Sanchez stays, it’s great for Arsenal, if he comes to us, great for us, if he goes to another club, great for them,” Mourinho said.