Royal wedding guess list: Who gets a nod from Harry, Meghan?

Forget the World Cup kicking off in Russia in June. The real competition right now is who's going to be invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May.

FILE - In this file photo dated Monday Nov. 27, 2017, Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, following the announcement of their engagement. Speculation is mounting over who will be invited to the May 19, 2018, royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with pundits guessing about the wedding guest list. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, FILE)

Everyone who is anyone in Britain is angling for an embossed royal ticket.

British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, who is seeking to add two more world championships to the three he already owns, says he would be happy to interrupt his high-level training for a trip to Windsor Castle on May 19. The ebullient Joshua has not been shy, tweeting a picture of himself and Harry with the question "Need a best man?"

"I'm single," the 28-year-old told the BBC, expressing an interest in seeing if the elegant, raven-haired Markle's "got any sisters."

(For the record Anthony, she has a half sister, 53-year-old Samantha Grant, a divorced mother of three who has called Markle "a social climber.")

The actual guest list is a closely guarded secret — and details about it may not be released until the event is underway. But that hasn't stopped speculation about who's in or who's out from becoming a national parlor game and the subject of wagers in Britain's legal betting shops.

Any bride and groom run into parental interference in their guest list, whether it's adding random cousins or forgotten neighbors. Yet Harry and Markle are enduring this phenomenon at a cosmic level due to the royal expectations that come along with being a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II.

FILE - In this file photo dated Monday Nov. 27, 2017, Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, following the announcement of their engagement. Prince Harry and his fiancee, American actress Meghan Markle, have released more details about their May 19 wedding, revealing that the event will include a carriage ride through Windsor so they can share the big day with the public. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

At least Harry and Markle won't face the 3,500 guests that his parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, welcomed to their 1981 "wedding of the century" in St. Paul's Cathedral in London. They also avoided the warehouse-sized Westminster Abbey, where Harry's brother Prince William and Kate Middleton packed in 1,900 guests for a 2011 royal wedding extravaganza televised around the world.

Their wedding venue, St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, holds a mere 800 guests. Even so, it's going to be tough to cut that list.

The British royals' close relatives alone number over 50 — and this time Princess Eugenie gets to bring a plus-one, fiance Jack Brooksbank. Harry also won't forget non-royals like Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton, her husband James Mathews, and brother James Middleton.

At William's wedding, 45 foreign royals from 20 countries were invited from nations as diverse as Spain, Norway, Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. William also invited governor generals from Commonwealth countries (23 seats); foreign dignitaries (27); U.K. politicians (42); religious figures (31); senior military officers (14) and 80 workers from charities that he backs. Oh — and don't forget the ambassadors from countries with ties to Britain.

William barely could squeeze in A-listers like David Beckham and TV adventure host Ben Fogle — who may return for Harry's nuptials.

Britain's governing elite — Prime Minister Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond — would normally expect a Windsor invite. But with turmoil over Brexit roiling the ruling Conservative Party, perhaps the bride and groom should just wait until a week before the wedding, then invite whoever is still left standing.

The juiciest debate has been over invites for rival U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Harry and Obama have obvious chemistry and have worked together promoting Harry's Invictus Games competition for wounded soldiers. Some British officials, however, fear that an invite to Obama would anger Trump.

FILE - In this file photo dated Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau arrive at the Ninos Heroes monument in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park.  (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, FILE)

The royals could note that Obama, the U.S. president in 2011, was not invited to William's wedding. And they have a bit more leeway because Harry's wedding is not considered a state event. Markle, meanwhile, is a Hillary Clinton fan.

"We've changed our minds on this. We think Harry is in a position that he does not have to worry about the political implications of an invite," said Rupert Adams, a spokesman for the betting agency William Hill PLC. "We feel strongly that the Obamas will get an invite."

As for Trump?

"We'd be very surprised to see him on the guest list," Adams said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a trifecta of ties to the bride and groom: He's the head of a Commonwealth country, host of Harry's latest Invictus Games and leader of the nation where Markle had been living.

On the celebrity front, Elton John, who turned his song "Candle in the Wind" into an anthem for the late Princess Diana, is considered a 1-50 lock for an invite (98 percent chance) and singer James Blunt comes in at 1-4. Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran is also reportedly close to Harry's royal cousins and his U.K. tour doesn't start until a few days later.

The betting for wedding performer includes John, Sheeran, Coldplay, Joss Stone and Adele.

Violet von Westenholz who introduced the couple will get a nod, along with Harry's buddies Thomas and Charlie van Straubenzee, Thomas Inskip and Arthur Landon.

FILE - In this file photo dated Sunday, March 12, 2017, British singer Ed Sheeran performs during the Italian State RAI TV program "Che Tempo che Fa", in Milan, Italy. Sheeran is reported to be friends with some of the younger royals and may be asked to perform during the May 19, 2018, royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, FILE)

Yet A-listers could find themselves outnumbered by British military members and charity workers. Look for dress uniforms from both the Blues and Royals regiment and the Army Air Corps, because Harry served as a former Apache helicopter co-pilot in Afghanistan.

"You create significant bonds in a war zone," noted Adams.

Among the 10 guests that Markle is allowed to pick (just kidding) will be her mom Doria Ragland, dad Thomas, half brother Thomas Jr. and possibly Grant. Markle's friends include tennis star Serena Williams, stylist Jessica Mulroney, "Suits" star Patrick J. Adams and former "Made in Chelsea" cast member Millie Macintosh.

Markle's ex-husband, producer Trevor Engelson, is not expected to receive an invitation.

But William Hill spokesman Adams admits that British bookies don't really have a clue about who the 36-year-old American will invite.

FILE- In this file photo dated Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, U.S. President Barack Obama, right, and Britain's Prince Harry, shake hands in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, as Prince Harry is working on preparations for the upcoming Invictus Games.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, FILE)

"The simple reality is ... we have been focusing on Harry over here," Adams said.

Tyrese Maxey was sixth in the Most Improved Player voting two years ago, a tribute to the jump he made between his first and second seasons in the NBA.

Voters thought the jump he made from his third year to his fourth was even more impressive.

Philadelphia's All-Star guard on Tuesday night was named the league’s most improved this season. Maxey’s scoring rose for the third consecutive year, and he finished the regular season averaging 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game — all career bests.

It’s not uncommon for players to see their numbers soar when given a new role, but that wasn’t the case with Maxey. Consider: two years ago, he averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 0.7 steals in 35.3 minutes per game. This year, he topped all those numbers and averaged only 2.2 more minutes per contest.

“It feels great,” Maxey said on the TNT broadcast where the award was announced. “Somebody like myself, who prides myself on putting in a lot of work and outworking people and finding ways to get 1% better every single time I step in the gym, it feels good for that to come to light, honestly.”

Maxey edged Chicago's Coby White in the voting. Houston's Alperen Sengun was third. White averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game — all career highs. Sengun averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.5 minutes per game — also all career highs.

Maxey got just over half of the first-place votes and that pushed him just past White. Players got five points for a first-place vote, three for second and one for third. Maxey finished with 319 points to White’s 305, but White appeared on 91 ballots compared with 79 ballot appearances for Maxey.

Sengun finished with 92 points for third.

The awards were selected by a panel of 99 reporters and broadcasters who cover the league. Their ballots were due last week before the start of the play-in tournament. NBA awards take only the regular season into consideration.

Utah’s Lauri Markkanen won the MIP award last season. The other finalists from a year ago — Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and New York’s Jalen Brunson — were MVP candidates this season, and both got MIP votes this year as well.

The rest of the voting: Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams was fourth, Brunson was fifth, Washington’s Deni Avdija sixth, Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas seventh, Orlando’s Jalen Suggs eighth, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton ninth, Phoenix’s Grayson Allen and Miami’s Duncan Robinson tied for 10th, San Antonio’s Devin Vassell and Gilgeous-Alexander tied for 12th, and Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith was 14th.

The MIP award was the first of seven individual trophies that will be handed out in the coming weeks, along with All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams.

The Sixth Man gets announced Wednesday (Sacramento’s Malik Monk, Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis or Minnesota’s Naz Reid); Clutch Player on Thursday (Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan or Gilgeous-Alexander); and Coach of the Year on Sunday (Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, Minnesota’s Chris Finch or Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley).

All those announcements will be made on TNT’s pregame shows that night.

The schedule for the other awards has yet to be released by the league. There’s Rookie of the Year (San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren or Charlotte’s Brandon Miller); Defensive Player of the Year (Wembanyama, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert or Miami’s Bam Adebayo); and Most Valuable Player (Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Dallas’ Luka Doncic or Gilgeous-Alexander).

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Fans reach out to Chicago Bulls guard Coby White after the Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks 131-116 in an NBA basketball play-in tournament game in Chicago, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey (0) gestures after making a 3-point basket during the second half of Game 2 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)