SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And I can't wait to say and now it's time for sports.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: World Cup knockout round. And where in the world will LeBron wind up? Sports reporter Michele Steele joins us. Michele, thanks for being with us.
MICHELE STEELE: You bet, Scott. Happy Fourth of July to you.
SIMON: And happy Fourth to you. Argentina v. Cape Verde last night, one of the great World Cup matches of all time, huh? Argentina won 3-2, but only after overtime. The team ranked 67th in the world battled the reigning World Cup winner to a draw in regulation. What stands out for you?
STEELE: Scott, it's got to be the heart of this Cape Verde team, tiny island country. It's about the size of Louisville, Kentucky, taking a world powerhouse, Argentina, to the brink, you know, regulation ending 1-1. Then the teams traded goals in extra time until Cape Verde lost on an own goal. in the 111th minute, a real David v. Goliath matchup. They almost prevailed against Lionel Messi. You know, they say there are no moral victories in sports, but boy, is this one close.
SIMON: It reminded me why we love sports. It was just such a great game.
STEELE: Oh, yeah.
SIMON: Egypt put Australia down under, if you please, 4- 2 on penalty kicks, and they advanced. Colombia defeated Ghana 1-0. What upcoming matches interest you the most?
STEELE: Well, Canada's one of the host countries, and they take on Morocco today. They've had an absolutely phenomenal tournament so far, both of them, but Canada has had the best tournament of their history so far. Mexico-England on Sunday is the one that soccer fans are going to be circling. And, of course, how could we forget USA-Belgium on Monday? And remember, this is the knockout round, so whoever wins advances, loses, goes home.
SIMON: NBA free agency officially started this week. LeBron James back in play. Where will LeBron go? Golden State, Miami? Look, I just want to say, (singing) Cleveland rocks. Cleveland rocks.
STEELE: We're all singing Cleveland rocks. I'm singing Cleveland rocks. I would love to see him go home, of sorts, to Akron, Ohio, to Cleveland Cavaliers and see that homecoming. But we know that, per his agent, 27 teams have reached out. That actually sounds low to me, but those teams include the Knicks, the Celtics, the Sixers. A lot of people talking about him going to Golden State with Steph Curry. San Antonio would be intriguing. Imagine pairing him with Wemby.
SIMON: Yep.
STEELE: And even NHL and NFL teams have been jokingly tweeting their offers.
SIMON: I'm not sure they're joking. We've offered him something here, as a matter of fact.
STEELE: Le NPR, Le WEEKEND EDITION. That'd be great.
SIMON: Le WEEKEND EDITION.
STEELE: Yeah.
SIMON: I like that sound.
SIMON: Some tragic news this week. Chris Johnson, former star running back for the Titans, the Jets and the Cardinals, revealed that he has been diagnosed with ALS. He is just 40 years old.
STEELE: It is absolutely devastating. I remember covering him in his prime, Scott. I remember he - rushing for over 2,000 yards in 2009 when he was playing for the Titans. To see someone who, epitomized - right? - peak physical condition, diagnosed with ALS, just 40 years old, is a profound shock. He told ABC that, ALS has changed what my body can do, of course, but it has not changed who he is. He uses an eye-gaze speech device now. but I have to say - someone who covers football for a living - it was very difficult to watch.
SIMON: And I have to ask - you do cover football for a living - if we can just mark this story without noting that famous research out of Boston University, funded by the ALS Association, shows there's a link between playing football and ALS diagnosis.
STEELE: Yeah. We should note Johnson's doctors have categorized this as a sporadic case with no family history, but studies like the one that you mentioned have shown former NFL players are diagnosed with ALS at rates much higher than the general public. Johnson's former teammate on the Titans, Tim Shaw, he was diagnosed with ALS back in 2014. It's two teammates in the same locker room. It feels really personal, right? Johnson said he chose to go public - he's very courageous to - because he wants to drive funding for treatments and early detection. I personally would love to see the league - the NFL - put the weight not just of their money, but their ability to capture the attention of millions of Americans behind the effort to end this disease and alleviate suffering for so many, Scott.
SIMON: Michele Steele. Thanks so much.
STEELE: Talk to you next time. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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