On this day in 1971, the Los Angeles Lakers won the first match of what would become a 33-match winning streak.

It remains the longest winning streak in NBA history and will probably remain that way.

That being said, the Oklahoma City Thunder have started this season with a squeaky-clean 7-0 winning record.

As I write this, they are playing the Los Angeles Clippers. If the Thunder win, it will mark the franchise’s best-ever start to a season.

2
The number of years that Osbourne Park Football Club have been banned from a suburban Australian football competition in Perth, following an end-of-season incident. At the team’s end-of-season celebration,  one player dressed up as renowned scientist Stephen Hawking and attached images depicting child pornography to his wheelchair. City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin told media that local council staff attended the changerooms the day after the event and were distressed when they found the chair and images. Perth Football League boss Andrew Dawe told ABC Perth: "The City of Stirling had continued issues with leaders at that club. This potentially was the straw that broke the camel's back." The club has 14 days to appeal the suspension.

"I cried when I first found out, and probably for a few months after it as well. It's been not stressful, I've not been nervous, just emotional. I get that from my mum. I think it's because of the journey, it's such a big moment for my family. It's so special."
Sir David Beckham, after he was knighted by King Charles for services to sport and charity. The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star, who also played 115 matches for England, received the recognition on Tuesday. The title means he will now be known as Sir David. Subsequently, his wife, Victoria Beckham, a former pop star turned fashion designer, will be known as Lady Beckham.

Last night, Arsenal’s Max Dowman became the youngest ever player to appear in a Champions League football match. Dowman took to the field at the age of 15 years and 308 days, eclipsing the previous record of Youssoufa Moukoko, who played for Borussia Dortmund aged 16 years and 18 days.

🎾 Aryna Sabalenka has remained unbeaten in the WTA Finals group stage after defeating American Jessica Pegula (6-4, 2-6, 6-3) in Riyadh, while Coco Gauff dominated Jasmine Paolini (6-3, 6-2) to eliminate the Italian. Sabalenka now leads the ‘Steffi Graf Group’ with two wins, while Gauff and Pegula remain in contention for the final four. In the ‘Serena Williams Group’ tonight, Elena Rybakina will take on Madison Keys, and Amanda Anisimova will face Iga Świątek. You can watch the WTA Finals on beIN SPORTS. 

🏉 The NRL is tightening its anti-tampering rules after the Lachlan Galvin transfer saga, aiming to stop clubs and agents from making or leaking comments about contracted players. From December 1, anyone found discussing a player’s future or canvassing them to rival clubs without consent could face fines or deregistration, as the league cracks down on tampering. This past season saw Galvin, who was one of Wests Tigers’ most promising young players, leave the club for Canterbury with 17 months left on his contract. The move came after Canterbury boss Phil Gould expressed his interest in Galvin via the media. Clubs are technically not allowed to speak to players from rival clubs before 1 November in the final year of their contract, and Gould’s comments were widely perceived by commentators as a way of circumventing that. 

⚽ Melbourne City recorded a memorable 2-1 win over Japan’s Machida Zelvia in the AFC Champions League Elite, with Andrew Nabbout scoring the winner in stoppage time. Fielding a young side that included nine Academy graduates, City showed strong composure to secure their second consecutive win in the Asia-wide competition. Goalkeeper Patrick Beach was named Player of the Match after several key saves, keeping City’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stages alive.

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After months of speculation from cricket fans, Australian selectors have named a 15-man Test squad ahead of the opening Ashes Test against England in Perth on 21 November. 

Here’s what to know. 

Tasmania’s Jake Weatherald headlines the selection as a potential debutant. The 31-year-old joins Marnus Labuschagne as a candidate for a new opening batsman partner for Usman Khawaja after young gun Sam Konstas was dropped following a poor Caribbean tour. 

Weatherald’s inclusion follows a standout domestic season last summer in which he scored 906 runs at an average of 50.33. Meanwhile, Labuschagne has started this summer’s domestic season with five centuries in his last eight innings for Queensland.

Selectors have also included another potential debutant in South Australian fast bowler Brendan Doggett and recalled Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster. Steve Smith will captain the side in Pat Cummins’ absence, who remains unavailable due to a back injury.

Selection chief George Bailey said: "The squad gives us good balance and, with 14 of those chosen playing the next round of Sheffield Shield, we will continue to gather information as we move closer to the start of the first Test." 

The full 15-man squad is as follows: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka will play Australian Nick Kyrgios in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match next month. 

The exhibition match will be held in Dubai, and has been arranged by both players’ talent agency. 

Kyrgios is currently ranked 652nd in the world. 

The exhibition match comes 52 years after the original ‘Battle of the Sexes’, both involving 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. 

A retired player at the time, Riggs had said he believed he could beat the top women’s players, saying: “You can see some pretty legs but it’s night and day compared to the men’s game.” 

Riggs beat Australian Margaret Court in May 1973, but was beaten by Billie Jean King in straight sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-3) that September. An estimated audience of 90 million worldwide tuned in to watch the King-Riggs match. 

Kyrgios has only played six tour-level matches since 2022, the year he reached the Wimbledon final. 

Meanwhile, Sabalenka won her fourth Grand Slam title in September at the U.S. Open and is at the top of her game. 

The court and rules are set to be adjusted for the match. 

According to The Athletic, Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9% smaller in length and width, and both players will only be given one serve for each point to limit the impact of Kyrgios’ serve.

Both players confirmed the clash on social media. 

It follows months of speculation about the possibility of the match, and commentary from both players. 

On fellow player Alexander Bublik’s podcast in September, Kyrgios said: “Our serves, women can’t return… I’m gonna try. I don’t want her to win.”

At the U.S. Open that month, Sabalenka told reporters: “I genuinely think that I'm going to win and I'll definitely go out there and I'll try my best to kick his ass.”