Chris Paul is reuniting with the Los Angeles Clippers at 40 years old, and he’s just the latest veteran free agent to arrive at their throwback party. The Clippers successfully recruited 32-year-old guard Bradley Beal last week, fresh off his buyout with the Phoenix Suns, and they began the offseason by picking up 37-year-old center Brook Lopez.

For most of NBA history, a series of signings like this would be business as usual for a win-now team built around a 34-year-old wing (Kawhi Leonard) and a primary playmaker who will turn 36 before the season starts (James Harden). Twenty-two years ago, the Los Angeles Lakers held a press conference to introduce Karl Malone and Gary Payton a week before the Hall of Famers turned 40 and 35, respectively. Four years ago, Harden played for a Brooklyn Nets team that started the season with a 36-year-old LaMarcus Aldridge, a 36-year-old Paul Millsap and a 32-year-old Blake Griffin on the roster. (Aldridge and Griffin’s previous teams had bought them out.)

The 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder had no ring chasers on the roster, though, and 33-year-old Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell was the oldest player in either conference champion’s rotation. Between the style-of-play and officiating changes that the league has seen in recent years, the NBA has never demanded more of its players in terms of movement and physicality. 

“We’re playing almost like two games compared to 10 years ago and how involved the bodies are,” Thunder GM Sam Presti said at his end-of-season press conference. 

In recent months, both Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr have said that younger players are more likely to hold up over the course of a season. In this context, the Clippers’ decision to double down on experience can be seen as a zag. The whole league is trying to catch up to Oklahoma City; can a team made up mostly of 30-somethings even stay in the race?

On Saturday, Clippers president Lawrence Frank told reporters that the front office had tried to “add the best people possible” and they just happened to be vets. “What’s age?” Frank said. “It’s just a number, right?” Big man John Collins, whom they acquired in the Norman Powell trade, is entering his ninth season, will be 28 when it begins and is the youngest player in Los Angeles’ projected rotation. Frank pointed out that Beal is “technically” younger than the 2 guard he is more or less replacing — he was born 34 days after Powell — and described Lopez as “ageless.”

“Thirty-seven is like 17,” Frank said. “Because I need Brook to be younger because that makes me younger, since I coached him when he was a rookie.”

NBA front office rankings: OKC on top, Lakers and Mavericks low on list, new team falls behind Bulls at No. 30

Sam Quinn

Maybe there’s some irony in the fact that, a year after letting Paul George walk because they didn’t want to offer the 34-year-old star a four-year contract, the Clippers have four players older than him: Harden, Lopez, Paul and forward Nicolas Batum, who turns 37 in December. Young players are important is not the only lesson to learn from the 2024-25 season, though. In a league that is increasingly valuing depth, size and optionality, the Clippers’ offseason is, with the exception of the age of their acquisitions, on trend.

It could not have been easy to see George leave, but the front office never saw it as letting him go for nothing. What Los Angeles got in exchange was flexibility. By getting under the second apron, the Clippers were able to add Batum (using the bi-annual exception), Derrick Jones Jr. (using the midlevel exception) and Kris Dunn (in a sign-and-trade) last summer, then trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic midseason. In a way, trading Powell for Collins (which wouldn’t have been possible had they been over the second apron) rather than offering Powell a hefty extension mirrors their decision with George: They effectively turned him into multiple players and preserved their future cap space. 

This is not to say that the Clippers planned in 2024 to split their 2025 MLE between Beal and Lopez. “We never thought Brad Beal would be bought out,” Frank said, but they put themselves in position to offer free agents more than the minimum, which has allowed them to build a dangerous, versatile and extremely deep team. Before the Paul signing, Frank said, accurately, that they had 10 “proven NBA rotation players” on the roster. Heading into the offseason, they wanted to give coach Tyronn Lue “different tools and different personnel to experiment with,” Frank said. They wanted to diversify the frontcourt, get bigger and add playmaking and shooting. They have done all of that.

In recent years, the Clippers have always had the personnel to play small when needed. Now, with Collins and Lopez in the mix, they can also go the other way. Between Zubac and Lopez, they have 48 minutes of rim protection, and Lue could even play them together, like the Houston Rockets did with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams (but with better spacing). Collins can set screens, initiate dribble-handoffs, operate in the dunker spot and space the floor. Lopez is the stretch 5 this team has forever been searching for. 

According to Frank, Lue wants more movement in the halfcourt, so Beal’s ability to shoot and make plays off screens will come in handy. Between him, Paul and, ideally, a healthier Leonard, there will be less of a burden on Harden in 2025-26. Because Dunn, Jones and Batum are still around, Los Angeles can continue to limit the amount of time Leonard has to spend guarding opposing stars in the regular season, too.

Clippers continue to ace offseason as Chris Paul’s homecoming rounds out roster

Brad Botkin

All things equal, the Clippers would love to be younger — Frank said as much in the aftermath of their Game 7 loss against the Denver Nuggets. Their priority in the offseason, though, was to get better. On paper at least, they’ve done that. And while there’s always risk in betting on a player in his mid-to-late 30s staying healthy, they might have mitigated it by making several such bets simultaneously. Lopez played 2,456 minutes last season, his highest total since 2011, but, unless something goes horribly wrong, they won’t need anywhere near that number from him next season. Paul played 2,292 minutes, his highest total since 2016 — same deal. 

Los Angeles fared better than anybody expected throughout Leonard’s extended absence last season, and, with the talent it has added, it is even better equipped to withstand injuries now. “We’ve addressed our needs,” Frank said. If that means they’re ancient compared to the defending champs, so be it. 

Starting July 24, youth soccer teams from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming and Utah will begin round-robin play in Summit and Wasatch counties.

Tournament director Cora Reddan said 41 fields at 13 venues will host games in Park City, Oakley and Heber. Those include local parks and fields at schools in the Park City and Wasatch County school districts. Reddan said this year teams will also play at Park City’s City Park.

Park City Soccer Executive Director Shelly Gillwald said a quarter of the games will be played within Park City limits.

“Kimball Junction, the I-80 / [U.S.] 40 and I-80 / [state Route] 224 exits are impacted, grocery stores, fast food, so the local community should probably plan ahead with their trips to the grocery store, maybe the gas station,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” July 21. “But in terms of the traffic, Cora has it really, really well spread out around the Wasatch Back, so it’s not as scary as it sounds.”

Gillwald said the round-robin part of the tournament will be played over two days starting with 64 brackets.

“The different age groups are divided into these different brackets,” she said. “Within that, they’ll have three games that they’ll play, and then that will determine their ranking, and whether they go on to semifinals or finals.”    

The semifinals and finals games are Saturday. All games are free to watch.

Park City Soccer Club’s Extreme Cup Tournament has raised almost $1.2 million through team entry fees since its inception in 2005.

Gillwald said the funds go to the club’s financial aid scholarships.

“This past year, we gave away over $170,000 in need-based financial aid to kids, enabling them to play,” she said. “That covered 117 players last year.”

The Park City Soccer Club has about 600 players spread across 38 teams from ages eight to 18. This year, Gillwald said 126 of those need financial aid.

July 16 was a big night for members of the Cloverdale Livestock Club as they gathered at the Moss Ranch for showmanship trials. This is essentially a dress rehearsal for the event for all the marbles — the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo, July 30-August 3. At the fair some hundreds of 4-H youth will compete in five categories – beef, sheep, goat, swine, and poultry.

4-H has been around for 123 years, and for 77 of those, 4-H has thrived in Sisters Country as Cloverdale Livestock Club. 4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization surpassing Scouting. The 4‑H idea is simple: help young people and their families gain the skills needed to be proactive forces in their communities and develop ideas for a more innovative economy.

Today, 4‑H serves youth in rural, urban, and suburban communities in all 50 states. 4‑H participants are tackling the nation’s top issues, from global food security, climate change, and sustainable energy to childhood obesity and food safety.

Photo by Bill Bartlett

Yesenia Ortiz’ steer is about 15 times her size – but she shows that steer who’s boss.

4‑H out-of-school programming, in-school enrichment programs, clubs and camps also offer a wide variety of STEM opportunities — from agricultural and animal sciences to rocketry, robotics, environmental protection, and computer science — to improve the nation’s ability to compete in key scientific fields and take on the leading challenges of the 21st century.

Dressed in their show attire, with their animals groomed to perfection, each of the 55 members aged 9 to 18 patiently waited their turn to enter the pen and be judged under the same rules and conditions as would be typical at the Fair. The Cloverdale club boasts eight “Cloverbuds.” They are under age 9, the starting age for 4-H.

Their animals, on the other hand, were not always so nonchalant, eyeing the lush green grass abundant at the Moss family property or otherwise eager to get the show over.

Five managed their chickens, a relatively easy task. Three were showing their goats, a still relatively manageable chore. Twenty-seven handling sheep had to use some muscle as in many cases the animal weighed twice as much as the kid. The five showing swine used brain over brawn to out-clever and wrangle them.

The 11 kids keeping their cows in line were a master class in leverage. Yesenia Ortiz let her 1,500 pound steer — about 15 times her size — know who the boss is.

Show day at the Fair is the “moment of truth.” What youth and teens have learned, how they have managed their animal, and how well they control their animal are all tested.

Showmanship contests are evaluated based on preparation of animals for show, the apparent training, and the appearance and behavior of the exhibitor. An animal’s conformation should not be considered except as it may affect the way an animal should have been fitted or shown. Basic skills and both grooming and showing should not be confused with current fads and trends.

Show rings come in many different sizes. Regardless of the shape or the size of the ring, a good showman will utilize all the space available. Animals on the move should be held towards the outer edge of the ring to provide adequate room for evaluation.

A big percentage of showmanship is how well an animal handles, cleanliness, and cooperation between the animal and the handler.

Exhibitors must pay attention to the straightness of lines when bringing their animal to a stop in side-by-side or head-to-tail alignments.

The Nugget asked Issac Vanaken (12), showing for his second year, what he valued most about the Club.

“Seeing how other people work and handle, what I can learn from them,” he answered.

In typical modest fashion, a characteristic of 4-H kids, Vanaken said “he hoped to do well at the fair, improve on last year.”

His steer Rex weighed in at 1,530 pounds. However, he was like a poodle under Vanaken’s deft steering.

Evelyn Webb (11) is a third year Club member. She let her steer Colt, also 1,530 pounds, know who was in charge as we asked her to change positions for photos when he preferred to stay right where he was.

“What’s best about 4-H is working on your project. It keeps you really busy and it’s challenging,” she said. She hopes to do well at the Fair where last year she won a blue ribbon.

The last day of the fair can be bittersweet, and for some downright heart-wrenching. Auction day is when many 4-H kids must say goodbye after a year of training, feeding, and caring for an animal.

But their parents and Club leaders have prepared them well for the eventual good-bye, and living with the outcome. 4-H kids, many from farming and ranching families, beyond demonstrating showmanship, display a sound understanding of “the circle of life.”

News and Insights

July 22, 2025

Summer is arguably the most important season for the travel industry. Full stop.

But here’s a hot take: it’s not because of school breaks, longer days, market seasonality, or a consumer expectation of higher spend.

For tourism industry professionals, summer is the season of trendcasting, budgeting, data analysis, and most importantly, of idea sharing. 

More than 2,000 – including an international delegation from FINN – gathered this year at the Destinations International Annual Convention to: dig into the current challenges facing destination marketers; celebrate the most strategic, innovative forward-looking solutions; and explore the complex interplay between tourism organizations, private sector partners, and consumers’ travel booking behaviors.

Four themes permeated the conversation:

1. Advocacy drives investment.

This topic is one of the core themes in the Destinations International landmark research DestinationNEXT Futures Study, an initiative funded by the Destination Foundation which aims to serve as essential guidance for leaders to strategically adapt and thrive.  

It comes as no surprise that during times of uncertainty and unrest, investment sources are a hot topic, and according to the Futures Study, 42% of destination organizations foresee funding risks within three years. 

The most consistent discussion across sessions reiterated the importance of destination organizations diversifying their funding sources to ensure if one source disappears, there are still others available. The Convention saw many themes within this overarching theme:

• Bolster community engagement. The input of the local community is critical, and worth the time and resources to recruit and compile. Community voices –
  spanning private sector businesses to residents – can be powerful advocates when it comes to policy-making.
  
• Curate relationships with local officials. They’re the ones making the policy decisions.
• Develop sustainably (in all senses of the word). Protect your land, and the culture of the people who live there. Level out visitation peaks and valleys with robust offerings in what is typically considered off-season to avoid overcrowding. Engage the community around decisions around environmental impact, keeping in mind that the majority of travelers are thinking about their environmental footprint. Build and market for a sustainable visitor economy that delivers long-term positive impact on the community.
• Paint a complete picture. Champion the tourism industry by showcasing economic impact and growth potential, along with community support.

2. Events matter, and Sports Tourism is here to stay.

In-market activations and events engage local communities (see #1!), and also drive overnight bookings in a big way.

According to Sports Events Tourism Association, spectator sports generated $47.1 billion in direct spending last year. This number does not include spending around amateur or youth sports, which in 2023 generated another $52.2 billion in direct spending. Meanwhile, according to the American Express 2025 Global Travel Trends Report, 60% of respondents planned to travel for events or sporting events this year.

The economic impact of sports tourism is significant. In September, the NFL will play its first-ever game in Dublin. Ireland anticipates the arrival of approximately 30,000 international visitors, generating over €60 million for the Irish economy, and an additional €20 million for the treasury.

Similarly, Expedia shared data around YoY search trends for the cities that hosted Club World Cup matches this summer. For the group play round which ran in June, host cities saw a 3.3x increase in QoQ search. There was similar lift around the quarter and semi final rounds, and a 4.3x increase for the final rounds in the NY area.

3. There is growing awareness around the importance of elevating Indigenous tourism, equitably.

An increasing number of destinations are cultivating relationships with inclusive engagement at the forefront. Meet Minneapolis’ Native American Tourism Strategy and Explore Edmonton’s mâmawokamâtowin (Walking Forward Together) initiative were exceptional case studies. There was conversation around storytelling, land-based programs, land acknowledgments with true meaning, and Indigenous art. Most significantly, multiple sessions addressed the importance of authentic partnerships rooted in learning, amplifying (not editing), and collaborative product development rooted in Indigenous values.

4. Generative AI meets authenticity.

Travel is driven by curiosity and emotional connection – to places and people. Tourism is at the crossroads here, with the potential to leverage data to create customized digital experiences that bring people closer to the places they’re passionate about. For development, management or marketing organizations without their own direct booking mechanism, it is increasingly important to deliver sophisticated interactive digital experiences that celebrate travelers’ reliance on AI in the planning process while opening the door for authentic local connections.

So, what is the red thread?

This industry brings people together all over the world, through exploration, education, and emotion, and this connection is precious. 

We’ve got our work cut out for us.

ATASCADERO — Atascadero Recreation is inviting young athletes to join the 2025 Fall Youth Pickleball program, offering kids the chance to learn one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

Pickleball blends elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, making it accessible, fun, and a great way to stay active. Students will learn fundamental skills, strategies, and game knowledge in a supportive environment.

Class Details:

• Grades: 5th/6th & 7th/8th
• Location: Colony Park Community Center Gym, 5599 Traffic Way
• Schedule: Mondays & Wednesdays, Oct. 6 – Oct. 29
   • 7th/8th grade: 5 to 6 p.m.
   • 5th/6th grade: 6 to 7 p.m.
• Cost: $64 (Residents) / $75 (Non-Residents)

Paddles are provided, but players may bring their own. Participants should wear comfortable athletic attire.

Registration closes September 26. Don’t miss out on the fun — sign up today!

Related

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe has donated $100,000 to support the Timberlake High School Field House, a project that will provide a place for youth in northern Kootenai County to stay active throughout the year.

“Timberlake High School staff, students, community members and myself want to send a sincere thank you to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe for their support of the Timberlake High School Field House Project,” Timberlake Principal Ryne Eberlin said. “The Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s $100,000 donation will positively impact the Spirit Lake, Athol, Bayview, Twin Lakes and surrounding areas for years to come.”

The donation and recognition have been a year in the making. Eberlin said when he met with Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council Chairman Chief Allan in spring 2024 to discuss the field house project, Allan understood the importance of youth staying active and the benefits to the school and community the project would provide.

“Chief and I both grew up in North Idaho and understand how important community and opportunity is for our next generation and current citizens,” Eberlin said. “Extracurricular opportunities teach so many life lessons and support academics.”

In July 2024, Timberlake’s bookkeeper called Eberlin with news that the school had received the Tribe’s donation.

So far, Eberlin said $700,000 has been raised and another $400,000 is needed to complete flooring and other phases that will make the facility optimally accessible to the community.

The facility will be a 90-by-120-foot steel structure with bathrooms and storage. It will provide space for baseball, softball, golf, track and field, soccer, basketball and other activities, with K-12 youth athletics prioritized followed by community needs.

The Timberlake High School Field House Project is funded by donations.

“The Coeur d’Alene Tribe is a huge supporter of education,” Allan told The Press. “Athletics are a vital part of a balanced and rounded educational experience, teaching kids invaluable lessons about hard work and, of course, healthy lifestyles. The field house project will go a long way to supporting athletic opportunities at Timberlake and is a great fit for the Tribe’s priorities.”

In the two years since the project was announced, Eberlin said fundraising has consumed his summer months, nights and weekends.

“I have really enjoyed meeting everyone and discussing the importance of this project for the community,” he said. “I have found everyone to be willing to listen. Although only half of the meetings resulted in success, the drive to help people has kept me going.”

He said he is ready to see this facility built, but a little more support is needed through in-kind and cash donations.

“I hope a few more folks can step up,” he said. 

All of the geotechnical work, surveying and architectural plans have been completed. The electrical and gas connections and agreements have been completed thanks to Perry Huston and Salmon Electric, Eberlin said. 

Next steps:

• Bid documents are available. The project has been posted to the architectswestplans.com as well as other plan rooms.
•  The bid is open for earthwork, steel building package and foundation.  

Assuming all goes well and funds are in place, construction is expected to begin this fall. Building will be completed as funds are raised for the interior finishes such as flooring, athletic equipment, parking and landscaping.

“I’d like to see it open by summer 2026,” Eberlin said.

Info: ryne.eberlin@lakeland272.org

    With a $100,000 donation from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, the Timberlake Field House Project — funded 100% by private donations — is getting closer to its fundraising goal.