February Sports Highlights
LeBron James Becomes All-Time NBA Scoring Leader
James entered his 20th NBA season with a shot to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time scoring leader in NBA history. He did just that by scoring 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 7. James hit the mark due to his incredible consistency for two decades. He has averaged at least 25 points per game every season since his rookie year. Set initially by Joe Fulks and then George Mikan, the NBA scoring record was also held by Dolph Schayes, Bob Petit, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jabbar.
Kansas City Chiefs Win Super Bowl LVII
Super Bowl LVII featured two teams that went 14-3 during the regular season. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs battled in an exceptionally evenly matched game. Philadelphia led 24-14 at the half. Still, adjustments by Chiefs' coach Andy Reid, heady play by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and a holding penalty by Philadelphia's James Bradbury with under two minutes left led to the game-winning field goal by Harrison Butker. The 38-35 win was the second in four years for the Chiefs. The Eagles' 35 points were the most ever in a Super Bowl by the losing team. Mahomes won MVP, and Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts accounted for 374 total yards and four touchdowns in the loss.
Padres Extend Manny Machado for 11 Seasons
Padres star third baseman Manny Machado was planning on opting out of the final five years of his contract after talks with his agent the team hit a snag. However, talks continued, and the Padres and Machado are finalizing a deal worth $350 million over 11 years. Machado led the Padres to the NLCS last season before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies. Machado hit 32 home runs with 102 RBI last season. The 30-year-old is a six-time All-Star who has six seasons with at least 30 home runs and has 283 home runs and 853 RBI over an 11-year MLB career.
MLB Rules Changes Begin in Spring Training Action
Toward the end of last season, the MLB competition committee voted to implement rule changes for the 2023 season. The changes include the shift, pitch clock, base size, and pickoffs. With the change, all four infielders must be on the infield dirt, with two on each side of the second base. The pitch clock limits the pitcher to 15 seconds from when he gets the ball, and the batter must be ready at the eight-second mark. A game already ended this spring when a batter wasn't prepared in time, and strike three was called against him. Pickoff attempts are now limited to two per batter, while bases have increased in size in attempts to increase stolen base attempts. It remains to be seen how these changes will impact games this season.