🏀 Happy days | Sports Daily Newsletter

In the spirit of not harping on last night’s World Cup round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium, we’re going to lead with all the good things Jaylen Brown said about being in Philadelphia, now that his trade to the Sixers became official yesterday …

… and then we’ll get into the U.S. game.

However, Brown is excited to be part of a “hungry, competitive” Sixers group that he says is “committed to winning.” He says he’s ready to go “chasing something special together” with this team, making this one of the more highly anticipated starts to a Sixers season in quite some time. Inquirer writer Gina Mizell takes a look at Brown and what he’s bringing to the table now that he’s official.

You’re looking at a high chance of rain today, with temperatures approaching the 80s.

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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The United States had one of the better runs to the knockout rounds in recent memory, but mistakes and a Belgian side that played like a world top 10 ended with the Americans on the disappointing end of a 4-1 final.

Background noise aside, the U.S. came out intending to make it a match, leveling the match with another Malik Tillman free kick, but that was the only highlight in an otherwise systematic dismantling of the U.S., as Inquirer writer Jonathan reports from a rough night in Seattle.

And were you wondering what emotions were like at not one, but two fan festivals during the match last night? We captured it.

👏 Applauding: Whitemarsh Boat Club’s rowing program for breast cancer survivors will participate in the Henley Masters Regatta this weekend.

💪🏽 Sharing: AEW is returning to the 2300 Arena in Pennsport.

💡 Learning: La Salle named Jarett Gerald as its new athletic director after Ash Puri departed for the same job at St. Joseph’s.

📖 Reading: Telford native David de Garavilla is making his third straight appearance the USGA Adaptive Open, which teed off on Monday.

🤔 Wondering: Is Eli Stowers ready to take on the role as a top choice for the Eagles at tight end?

The stars will be on display a week from today when Citizens Bank Park hosts the 96th All-Star Game. From five Phillies to Millville’s Mike Trout to Kevin McGonigle, a Delco kid who has quickly emerged as a star with the Tigers, there are plenty of local storylines in the Midsummer Classic.

Here’s what you need to know about every player selected to play on the All-Star stage in South Philly.

After being selected as an All-Star on Saturday, Cristopher Sánchez had two more starts to close his case to start the Midsummer Classic. The first one didn’t go so well.

Kyle Schwarber is an All-Star for the fourth time, but he’s not sure if he’s going to compete in the Home Run Derby.

Next: The Phillies open a three-game series tonight in Cincinnati (7:10 p.m., NBCSP). Zack Wheeler (8-1, 2.36 ERA) is scheduled to face Reds lefty Andrew Abbott (5-4, 3.88).

A former strength coach at Bucknell University was charged Monday with criminal hazing in the 2024 death of Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr., an 18-year-old freshman football player with a known medical condition who collapsed after being required to perform drills until he passed out, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.

Mark Kulbis, 34, who worked for Bucknell at the time, surrendered to authorities late Monday morning and was arraigned on the charges, Sunday said. Bail for Kulbis was set at $10,000 unsecured.

But the sticking point in this inquiry is that it’s alleged Kulbis “subjected Dickey to the hazing, even after being made aware of Dickey’s medical condition and receiving training from the university on sickle cell trait and state law and NCAA standards regarding hazing,” Sunday’s office said. Inquirer writer Robert Moran takes a look at the case and its implications.

July 7, 1912: Pennsylvania native Jim Thorpe wins the gold medal in the Pentathlon at the Summer Games in Stockholm, Sweden.

What could LeBron James accomplish in Denver, Golden State, or Boston? All have won championships within the last decade led by stars who’ve spent their entire careers with the organizations. Each has a significant edge over Philly if James’ goal is basketball nirvana. Playing alongside Steph Curry, Nikola Jokić, or Jayson Tatum would be a lot of fun, and any of the three could offer James a better chance at winning a title. But none of them offer him a chance to prove something one last time. — Murphy has a few good reasons the Sixers would favor James.

With all of this talk of whether Bryce Harper will play in the MLB Home Run Derby, this raises the question of who was the last Phillies player to win one?

A) Mike Schmidt

B) Kyle Schwarber

C) Ryan Howard

D) Bobby Abreu

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Robert Moran, Jeff Neiburg, Gina Mizell, Jonathan Tannenwald, Owen Hewitt, Scott Lauber, Conor Smith, Isabella DiAmore, Ariel Simpson, Lauren Jones, John Roberts, and David Murphy.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading along! Bella will be back with more Philly sports stories tomorrow. — Kerith