LEICESTER, England (AP) — Jamie Vardy marked his 500th and final match for Leicester with a farewell goal — his 200th for the club he has represented for exactly 13 years.
The 38-year-old striker scored in the 28th minute to put Leicester ahead against Ipswich at King Power Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.
Vardy ran to the corner flag, pulled it out and raised it aloft before being mobbed by his fellow Leicester players.
He was substituted in the 80th minute of a match Leicester won 2-0 and was given a guard of honor by his teammates as he walked off the field. Fans waved flags with the words “Thank You Vards” on them.
Grabbing a landmark goal is a fitting way to go out for Vardy, a player Leicester has described as its “greatest ever” after he famously helped the team to win the Premier League title in 2016 at preseason odds of 5,000-1. Many of Vardy's teammates from that season, like Wes Morgan and Shinji Okazaki, were present Sunday to watch his final Leicester game.
In that title-winning campaign, Vardy netted in a record 11 straight games to inspire one of the great underdog stories in sporting history. Vardy is still going strong, scoring nine times in this campaign to back up his assertion that he can still play at the highest level. It hasn't been announced where he will play next.
Leicester still has another league game left after that — at Bournemouth on May 25 in the Premier League's final round — but Vardy’s last appearance for the team will be against Ipswich.
Vardy joined Leicester from non-league team Fleetwood Town for 1 million pounds (now $1.33 million) in May 2012 — exactly 13 years ago.
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Leicester City's Jamie Vardy during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Ipswich Town at King Power Stadium, Leicester, England, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
Leicester City's Jamie Vardy celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Ipswich Town at King Power Stadium, Leicester, England, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.
Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.
Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.
James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.
Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.
Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.
Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.
Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.
Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
