Live TV idea for LeBron's decision came from fan

NEW YORK • Nearly 10 years after LeBron James announced his decision to play for the Miami Heat on a live show on ESPN titled The Decision, the network revealed on Saturday that the idea for it actually came from a fan.

This confirms a long-standing rumour, as a person identified only as "Drew" from Columbus, Ohio, proposed the show in a mailbag column published by then-ESPN writer Bill Simmons. It ran on Nov 26, 2009 - more than seventh months before The Decision aired on July 8, 2010.

For a story published on Saturday, ESPN managed to reach Drew - 38-year-old Drew Wagner, who is actually a Detroit Pistons fan - and he confirmed the idea was his.

REUTERS

Shuttler Chau has mixed feelings about retirement

BEIJING • Asian badminton champion Chau Hoi Wah told the Badminton World Federation that she had mixed feelings on her decision to retire from the sport.

The 34-year-old handed in her retirement plan form on June 5, which was also her birthday.

Chau and her partner Lee Chun Hei became the first pair from Hong Kong to win the mixed doubles gold at the Asia Championships in 2014, before getting their career-high world ranking of No. 6 that year.

The duo also won bronze at the World Championships in Glasgow in 2017.

XINHUA