sporlab
By Daniel Johnson-Kim
Didn't have time to catch a match this week? Missed that story about LeBron's future with the Lakers?
Don't worry, we got you.
Here are two top stories in sports, so you know what you're talking about this weekend.
Bryan Berlin / WikiPortraits via Wikimedia Commons
1. Mbappé sent France into the World Cup semifinals
Kylian Mbappé kept doing Kylian Mbappé things at the World Cup in France's latest match against Morocco.
Thanks to a goal from Mbappé and another from Ousmane Dembélé, the 2018 champions beat Morocco 2-0 on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The victory makes France the first team into semifinals in the expanded 48 team tournament. France beat the same Moroccan side by the same score on the way to the final in the 2022 tourney in Qatar.
Mbappé has now reached the final four in all three of his World Cup appearances. The kind of stat that will probably end up carved on a statue someday.
France now knows who it faces. Spain beat Belgium 2-1 on Friday in Los Angeles to grab the other semifinal spot, setting up a France vs. Spain meeting in Dallas on July 14. The bracket fills in the rest on Saturday, with Norway vs. England at 5 p.m. ET in Miami and Argentina vs. Switzerland at 9 p.m. ET in Kansas City.
The semifinals are set for July 14 in Dallas and July 15 in Atlanta, with the third-place match July 18 in Miami and the final July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. You can track the full schedule and live scores all weekend.
LeBron James' future seems to not be in Los Angeles after a story dropped this week. (All-Pro Reels via Wikimedia Commons)
2. LeBron James told the Lakers he is moving on
The biggest name in basketball just changed everything again.
LeBron James has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he intends to leave in free agency, his agent Rich Paul told ESPN.
On a podcast this week he floated the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics as possible landing spots, enough to send three fan bases spiraling into trade machine math.
The news lands in the middle of a chaotic NBA summer.
The Knicks won the 2026 title, and the confetti had barely settled before the league turned upside down. Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat, Ja Morant was sent to Portland, LaMelo Ball landed in Minnesota and Jaylen Brown was dealt to the 76ers for Paul George. A separate deal that would send Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is on hold while the NBA investigates alleged improper benefits tied to his Clippers deal.
For James, the move raises questions that go beyond basketball.
He has spent recent seasons in Los Angeles, where he shared the floor with his son Bronny in the first father and son pairing in NBA history.
Where he goes next, and whether that partnership continues, is one of the biggest questions of the summer.