Bula, Ma’lelei, Talofa and Welcome to Season 05 Episode 76 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news on a bright, sunny and warm Monday morning 19 June 2023.

Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

In rugby: Congratulations Emoni Narawa 23 years old of the Chiefs, named by the All Blacks selectors in their first All Blacks squad for 2023 made up of 36 players, including 20 x forwards and 16 backs with four other rookies: Dallas McLeod 24, a Crusaders midfielder, Hurricanes halfback Cam Roigard 22, Chiefs loose forward and cousin, Samipeni Finau 24 and Tamaiti Williams 22, the big Crusaders prop.
Unavailable for selection to the All Blacks due to injury: Angus Ta’avao, Ethan Blackadder, Cullen Grace, David Havili, Joe Moody, George Bower, Patrick Tuipulotu, Quinn Tupaea, Sevu Reece and TJ Perenara.

In rugby league: Wayne Bennett has got his man, so expect an announcement pretty soon: Bulldogs centre Jake Averillo is Dolphins-bound to bolster their outside back stocks.

It’s another good pick-up for the Dolphins, as they have already landed standout Brisbane outside back Herbie Farnsworth to add some extra pace and flair to their backline next season.

Meanwhile, Cowboys Head Coach Todd Payten has hosed down suggestions the Club is interested in Luke Brooks to replace Chad Townsend.

Townsend has been linked to the Super League despite being contracted to the Cowboys until the end of 2024.

Meanwhile, Brooks knocked back Wests Tigers’ extension offer to test his value on the open market — which fuelled rumours that he could sign with the Cowboys.

But Payten told reporters on Thursday that the rumours were simply not true.

In the NBA: In 1992, the first superstar-laden US Men’s Olympic basketball team — which became known as the “Dream Team” — went to Barcelona and dominated their way to a gold medal.

That dazzling display would echo through the decades to inspire a generation of hoops hopefuls, and not just Americans.

At the time, Dirk Nowitzki in Germany was 14 years old, Pau Gasol in Spain was 12, and Tony Parker in France was 11.

The three Europeans went on to cumulatively appear in 20 All-Star games and win seven NBA Championships. This year, all three will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Tony Parker, a young boy growing up in France, probably otherwise would’ve gone on to play professional soccer,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum says. “But because he saw Michael Jordan play basketball, that inspired him, and he decided to bounce a ball instead of kick it.”

This season’s MVP is from Cameroon, the Finals MVP is from Serbia, and the can’t-miss, once-in-a-generation talent set to be selected first overall in Thursday’s NBA Draft is from France.

The NBA is enjoying its biggest international moment since the process of conquering the world began in earnest that summer in 1992.

When that Dream Team was making history, 21 international players from 18 countries were on NBA rosters. By opening night this season, there were a record 120 players from 41 countries.

Staying with the NBA in SportsBiz: Michael Jordan’s majority ownership of the Charlotte Hornets is coming to an end, with the sale of the Hornets in the process of being finalised at a reported US$3Billion valuation.

Jordan has owned the franchise in North Carolina, the state where he grew up, for 13 years, and will remain a minority owner.

He bought his original stake in the franchise for a reported US$384Million, and so will sell for about ten times that figure, despite the Hornets not getting out of the first round of the playoffs in the entire term of his ownership.

And in boxing: TMZ is reporting that a woman is suing the NBA, the Miami Heat and Conor McGregor, claiming the UFC superstar sexually assaulted her in a Men’s bathroom at the NBA Game 4 finals in Florida.

According to her lawyers, the victim was separated from her friend by Heat and NBA security, after she was forced into a bathroom inside the arena where the incident took place.

Conor McGregor has branded the allegation as a “shakedown” and claims a security camera video will clear his name.

I dunno, there seems to be a pattern emerging with the Irishman, same as Jaryd Hayne and one day the sh*t is gonna stick.

For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites.

Mahalo, vina’a and tank you all too mass for all your love and support.

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