Curry wins 2nd All-Star Game MVP

The final pregame introduction belonged to none other than Stephen Curry. The big MVP trophy at the end, Curry heaved that up into the air, too, in a fitting finish to his All-Star Game at home. His arena. His fans. His shining moment — the latest one on the list, that is. Curry, who turns 37 next month, earned all this well-deserved fanfare in what has been a remarkable run from Oakland to San Francisco for the Warriors star. “This is just a special weekend,” Curry said. “This is very symbolic of the entire journey. I hope we (still) have a lot to accomplish. But again for me and from my vantage point having played here for 16 years and this is the only place that I’ve played, it’s just a great celebration of basketball in this area.” Curry scored the first points of the final on a 3 and later connected from half-court, running down the other way to chest-bump rapper Mistah Fab along one baseline. He helped Shaq’s OGs beat Chuck’s Global Stars 41-25 on Sunday, scoring 12 points on four 3s. Fans at Chase Center chanted “MVP! MVP!” as he received the trophy for the second time in his career.

Trout to RF with eyes on his health

Angels oft-injured star Mike Trout is moving from center to right field in hopes of better preserving his health. The three-time AL MVP played in 82 or fewer games in three of the last four seasons while dealing with injuries. That doesn’t include the 53 games he played in 2020 because that season was shortened to 60 games because of the pandemic. Trout, 33, approached the club about the position switch. “I threw everything on the table as in what’s best for me bodywise to keep me on the field,” he said Monday. “I came to the conclusion that I’m going to go to right field.” Trout said there could be situations where he plays center field, but his focus will be on learning his new spot. “I just want to be on the field,” said Trout, who also could see time at DH and maybe get more off days. Trout played just 29 games last season because of surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He missed all but 36 games of the 2021 season with a strained calf, and Trout was out for several weeks in 2022 with a back injury. Trout then broke a bone in his hand in 2023, missing all but one game after July 3.

Tiger: Golf will ‘heal’ when deal done

Tiger Woods expects the fractured landscape of golf to “heal quickly” when the PGA Tour and the Saudi backers of rival LIV Golf reach an agreement that appears to be imminent. Woods is the only player on the PGA Tour board without term limits and has been active in negotiations between PGA Tour Enterprises and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. He was scheduled to join Commissioner Jay Monahan and Adam Scott for a Feb. 4 meeting with Presidents Donald Trump. Woods flew home to Florida when his mother died unexpectedly. “I think that things are going to heal quickly,” Woods said Sunday in the CBS booth at the Genesis Invitational, where he’s the tournament host. “We’re going to get this game going in the right direction. It’s been heading in the wrong direction for a number of years and the fans want all of us to play together, ... and we’re going to make that happen.” He described the negotiations as being in a “very positive place right now.” He also said another meeting was scheduled, though he did not say with whom. —Associated Press