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Monday night in Las Vegas, thousands are expected to turn out for an NBA Championship game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trailblazers. Hundreds of thousands more, at least, are expected to tune in to ESPN for live coverage.

Wait, you say, it’s the middle of July — a time for baseball, beach and barbecue. But men’s pro basketball? Normally way off sports fans’ radar screens this time of year.

But there’s been nothing normal about NBA Summer League 2017.

Monday’s Lakers vs. Blazers Summer League championship will be missing L.A. star guard Lonzo Ball. He’s out with a mild strain in his calf. Still the game will provide the exclamation point to an event the NBA, local organizers and ESPN programmers say has been a raging success.

“Our ESPN and ESPN 2 [summer league] ratings are up 50 percent over last year’s” says Ashley O’Connor, the sports network’s senior manager for NBA programming and acquisitions.

Those ratings have included a July 7 Lakers game against the Los Angeles Clippersthat drew 879,000 viewers and an L.A. game against Boston a day later that attracted 1.1 million.

Yes, Las Vegas is a “Lakers town” because of the proximity of L.A. But what really drew all those eyes, and the Summer League’s first ever sellout, in advance of the Boston game, was Lonzo Ball.

The second pick in this year’s NBA draft is considered a potential once-in-a-generation player. And if you don’t believe the basketball experts and pundits, Lonzo’s dad, LaVar, is there to trumpet his son’s abilities. Indeed, if the loquacious LaVar were a fish, he would definitely be of the largemouth variety. He even explained that his son switched up his shoe brand during the games out of spite — he wasn’t able to score a deal with any of the major shoe companies.

For the win

LaVar Ball showed up at Summer League in Las Vegas for a few days and that helped drive the hype. His son Lonzo’s absence Monday is bound to dampen enthusiasm for the final game. But the Summer League has been a success beyond the Balls.

“I really understand now why people are drawn to it,” says Mark Anderson, with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Anderson is a veteran sports reporter but this has been the first time he’s covered the Summer League nearly full time.

“For kids it’s $20; $30 for adults,” he says. “And that’s for the whole day. You have your choice of 8 games [in the summer league’s early stages] at two different arenas. So it’s an affordable, fun event where you can see some of the stars of tomorrow.”

Players such as Ball, De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Dennis Smith Jr. were part of a particularly deep and talented NBA draft in late June. And Las Vegas Summer League has given fans a chance to see these players in their first professional games.

Still, despite the handful of future possible stars, Summer League, in reality, is a mecca for hoops vagabonds.

“Half these guys aren’t going to get on the floor [during a regular season NBA game] and the other half are going to be in Belgium,” says Portland Trailblazers General Manager Neil Olshey. In an ESPN interview during a Summer League game Sunday, Olshey provided a reality check to temper Summer League hyperbole. What hyperbole? How about San Antonio’s Bryn Forbes was the Summer League Steph Curry.

A lot of the top players in June’s draft, says Olshey, “went four months without playing basketball. They got coddled by their agents doing beauty contest workouts [for different teams], they travelled a little bit, they didn’t lift [weights], they don’t have the nutrition, they were in and out of airports. They practice three days [before Summer League] and then we expect these guys to come out and be in peak condition. It’s not going to happen!”

While Summer League play was inconsistent and sloppy, especially in the early part, some teams have gelled over the 11-day Las Vegas event. Tonight’s finalists for example, L.A. and Portland, were low seeded teams when the Summer League tournament started, based on their early Summer League play. But both have discovered a chemistry and are playing well heading into the championship game.

For ESPN, this year’s Summer League success validates the network’s decision to make a year-round commitment to the NBA. You can go back to last summer, when Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors and all the talk and coverage that generated. Then the regular season, the playoffs, which ended in June. After that the draft, and now the Summer League.

But after Monday night, things will go quiet for a bit. If people truly crave basketball, there’s still great WNBA action during the summer and into early fall. For those NBA-only fans though, it’ll finally be time for some baseball, beach and barbecue. Until September, when NBA training camps open and the circuit starts all over again.

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With Roger Federer at the top of his game — and his opponent, Marin Cilic, hobbled by a foot injury — the Swiss superstar seized his record eighth Wimbledon singles title on Sunday, winning in straight sets yet again.

For Federer, 35, the win breaks a tie he had held with Pete Sampras and William Renshaw. It also adds to his record for most Grand Slam singles championships, giving him 19. Federer’s first win in Wimbledon came in 2003 — and after Sunday’s victory, he said he’d like to come back next year.

“The tournament I played — not dropping a set and holding the trophy — it’s magical. It’s too much really,” Federer said after the match. “I can’t believe it yet.”

Federer used one of his six aces to put the match away and spark a celebration in London. The final tally — 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 — hints at Cilic’s struggles in the middle of this match, when a foot injury hindered his range and his ability to get to the net.

Moments after it was all over, Cilic said he wouldn’t let himself give up after being hurt, saying, “I gave my best, and that’s all I could do.”

Of his opponent, Federer said, “it is cruel sometimes, but he fought well.”

As for how Federer got here, NPR’s Tom Goldman reports:

“Federer roared through the draw without losing a set, while his closest and younger rivals — Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic — have fallen prey to injuries and upsets. Federer says his decision to skip this year’s clay court season has helped save his body for Wimbledon. After losing to Federer in the semifinals, Tomas Berdych said, quote, ‘I don’t see anything that would indicate Roger is getting older.’ “

Federer broke through in the first set, taking a 3-2 lead after Cilic was unable to fend off a third breakpoint. Federer followed that up immediately with a brisk service game that gave him a 4-2 edge. He later broke Cilic again to take the first set, 6-3.

Midway through the first set, Cilic was sent sprawling as he lunged to deal with the angle and spin of Federer’s shots — and despite Cilic reaching the ball in one long exchange, the Swiss was able to lift it cleanly back over the net for a winner.

From there, frustration seemed to build in Cilic — after the first set, he smacked his bag with his racket.

An unusual scene unfolded during the second set, after Federer raced to a 3-0 lead. That’s when Cilic asked for medical attention, and looked to be weeping on the bench, where he sat for a number of minutes speaking to the medical staff. It didn’t seem that Cilic received any treatment other than taking a couple of pills — presumably for either pain or inflammation.

When Cilic finally stood, grabbed his racket and walked back toward the baseline, the crowd rewarded him with loud applause. He then held serve to make it 3-1.

Federer won the second set, 6-1 — and in the changeover that followed, Cilic again summoned the doctor. This time, he took off his left shoe and had the physician look at his foot. As Federer sat snacking nearby, the doctor then wound tape around the ball of Cilic’s foot.

Cilic seemed to adjust both his movements on the court and his strategy, and he found some success by staying back at the baseline and rarely venturing to the center of the net. With the third set even at 1-1, Cilic fended off Federer’s threat to break his serve again.

In the games that followed, Cilic could be seen hopping and tapping his feet on his side of the court, trying to get life into his legs and give himself a chance against one of the game’s legendary players. But it wouldn’t be enough.

After the match, it was Federer’s turn to weep on the bench, sobbing openly as he struggled to process what he’d accomplished, using a towel to wipe his face as his wife and four children watched from the stands.

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Almost a year after U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint during the Rio Games, a Brazilian court has dismissed a criminal case against the 12-time Olympic medalist.

Lochte had been charged with filing a false robbery, a claim he made to NBC’s Matt Lauer, as the Two-Way Blog reported.

According to the Associated Press, the court this week tossed the case after “determining that Lochte’s robbery claim did not constitute the filing of a fake report.”

In a statement emailed to NPR, Lochte’s lawyer, Jeff Ostrow said:

“We are pleased that the Court has finally dismissed the criminal prosecution against Mr. Lochte, while also acknowledging that he committed no crime while in Brazil. We are hopeful that the prosecution accepts the Court’s decision so that this story can finally be put to rest.”

As NPR’s Greg Myre reported during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Lochte told NBC that he and three other U.S. swimmers, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen were robbed while in a taxi on their return to the Olympic Village from a party on Aug. 15:

“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge — no lights, no nothing, just a police badge — and they pulled us over,” Lochte told NBC. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like, we didn’t do anything wrong, so — I’m not getting down on the ground.”

Days later, however, Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Chief Fernando Veloso said, “There was no robbery.”

His announcement came after video from surveillance cameras emerged that showed the swimmers during their stop at a gas station in Barra da Tijuca, where they got into a confrontation with security guards — on their way back to Olympic Village.

As NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro reported then:

“Referring to that video, Veloso says multiple witnesses have described a scene in which the swimmers vandalized the bathroom, were asked to pay for it, and got testy. He added that the video supports that version of events.

“The police did confirm one element that’s common to all versions of the events that transpired around 6 a.m. local time this past Sunday: that the group of U.S. swimmers had a gun pointed at them. But instead of a robbery, it seems that the guns were wielded by security guards who kept the swimmers from leaving.

“Contrary to some earlier reports, the police say there was no physical violence between the swimmers and workers at the gas station who reportedly wouldn’t let the Americans leave without paying for damages.”

Lochte later said he was drunk and that this led to the confrontation. He apologized for his behavior, which resulted in a 10-month suspension from the U.S. national swim team. His suspension ended June 30.

A day later he tweeted, “It’s been a long suspension but it’s over, I’ve learned and became a better man from it…. now let’s go.”

Lochte was scheduled to return to competition last Friday but according to Flo Swimming, he decided to forgo the Los Angeles Invitational, citing:

“I’m scratching from the meet this weekend because I have not been able to train the way I feel I need to train because of Caiden being born. My family, Kayla, and Caiden is my first priority and my goal is to be at an elite level by Pan Pacs next year. Thank you all for your support.”

Had the charges held, under Brazilian law, the penalty for filing a false crime report is a maximum of 18 months in prison.

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Venus Williams is facing off with Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the Wimbledon Final on Saturday.

If Williams, 37, takes home the championship, she’ll become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era — surpassing her sister Serena Williams for the honor.

Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Roger Federer will meet Marin Cilic of Croatia. If Federer, 35, wins, he’ll be the oldest Wimbledon champ (though not the oldest Grand Slam champ) of the era.

The Williams sisters and Federer, along with Rafael Nadal, have changed the face of tennis in a way that is “almost unheard of,” as FiveThirtyEight reported in January. Instead of fading away, they’re remaining dominant as the years tick by — raising the overall age of tennis champions as they go.

Venus Williams’ impressive performance comes after a battle with an auto-immune disease. And, as Reuters notes, she’s heading into the final “an almost unthinkable 17 years after her first” Wimbledon title.

NPR’s Bill Chappell offered a preview of Williams’ competition:

“Williams will face Garbiñe Muguruza, 23, who had little trouble dispatching Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1, 6-1, on the strength of a reliable first serve and profitable ventures to the net: Muguruza won 18 of the 24 points in which she approached the net.”

Williams is playing for her 6th Wimbledon title and 8th Grand Slam title. Muguruza has one title to her name, the 2016 French Open.

The Associated Press had this to say about Federer’s face-off with Cilic on Sunday:

“This is Federer’s second major final of 2017. After losing in the Wimbledon semifinals last year, he took the rest of 2016 off to let his surgically repaired left knee heal. He came back fit and refreshed and won the Australian Open in January for his record-extending 18th Grand Slam title and first anywhere in 4½ years. …

“[Cilic and Federer] met in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year, when Cilic took the opening two sets and even held a match point before Federer came all the way back to win, improving to 6-1 head-to-head. …

” ‘I still know that it’s a big mountain to climb,’ Cilic said. ‘Roger is playing maybe (some) of his best tennis of his career at the moment.’ “

Federer has 18 Grand Slam titles, including seven at Wimbledon. Silic has one, the 2014 U.S. Open.

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It’s been eight years since Venus Williams won a Wimbledon singles title, but she’s now eyeing her sixth, after advancing to Saturday’s final. Williams, 37, beat hard-serving Johanna Konta, the world’s No. 7 player, on Thursday.

Konta had seven aces in the semifinal match with Williams, but she also served up four double faults — including one that cost her a crucial game early in the second set. Williams won, 6-4, 6-2, despite hitting only one ace.

“I had a lot of issues,” Williams said afterwards. “This year’s been amazing, in terms of my play — and playing well into the big events.”

In addition to her resilient play this season, Williams has been in headlines because of her involvement in a Florida traffic accident in early June that later resulted in a man’s death. Earlier at the Wimbledon tournament, Williams left a news conference after growing emotional when discussing the incident.

After Thursday’s win, Williams said she had also been thinking about her sister, Serena, who skipped this year’s Wimbledon because she’s in the final trimester of her pregnancy.

“I miss her so much,” Venus said. “And I tried to take the same courage on the court that she would’ve. I did think of that, and I tried to do the things she would do — I don’t know that I play exactly the same way she does, but I really tried to be inspired by it.”

This is the second Grand Slam final for Williams this year. In January, she lost to Serena in the finals of the Australian Open.

In the Wimbledon final, Williams will face Garbiñe Muguruza, 23, who had little trouble dispatching Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1, 6-1, on the strength of a reliable first serve and profitable ventures to the net: Muguruza won 18 of the 24 points in which she approached the net.

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A plea deal could mean a doctor at the heart of a sexual abuse scandal involving more than 100 girls and women, including top American gymnasts, won’t face federal criminal charges in those cases.

Dr. Larry Nassar, a former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, signed the agreement June 23. He’s scheduled to change his plea from not guilty to guilty on Tuesday morning in a Grand Rapids, Mich., federal court.

According to the agreement, Nassar will plead guilty to three counts relating to child pornography. The document states that between 2003 and 2016, Nassar knowingly possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography.

He could get up to 20 years in prison on each pornography count.

In return for his guilty plea, federal authorities agree not to further prosecute Nassar “for sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of children.” That relates to allegations that Nassar molested two minors in his swimming pool in 2015. And he won’t be prosecuted for “interstate/international travel with intent and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places.” This relates to a period between 2006 and 2013, when Nassar is alleged to have abused some elite U.S. gymnasts competing overseas.

“This affects any federal charge involving [alleged] abuse overseas or at the Karolyi ranch,” says John Manly, a lawyer for many of the plaintiffs. Famed gymnastics coaches Bela and Martha Karolyi have a ranch in Texas that serves as a training site for top U.S. female gymnasts.

Manly says the plea deal would affect about 10 percent of the estimated 119 women who’ve alleged sexual abuse by Nassar — but that would include some of the most prominent plaintiffs, including gymnasts who competed in the Olympics and other major sports competitions.

According to Manly, his clients’ reactions range from sadness to anger.

“The message the federal government is sending, and the U.S. Attorney’s office is sending [with the plea bargain],” Manly says, “is either it didn’t happen or it doesn’t matter. In my view that’s a breach of faith with our athletes.”

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Grand Rapids did not respond to two requests to talk about the Nassar plea deal. NPR also was unable to reach Nassar’s lawyer.

Manly says the plea deal does not affect Michigan state charges of sexual abuse, and a number of cases against Nassar still are moving forward. If Nassar is convicted in those cases, he reportedly could receive a life sentence.

Nassar worked with female gymnasts in Michigan as far back as the late 1970s. In 1986 he became a member of the USA Gymnastics medical staff, a role in which he attended several Olympic games. In 1993 he earned an osteopathic medical degree from Michigan State University, where he worked from 1997 until last September, when the school fired Nassar amid the emerging allegations of longtime sexual abuse.

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