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DARLINGTON, S. Los Angeles Lakers Pro Shop .C. -- Jeff Gordon had long planned to be at Darlington Raceway this weekend, largely to greet fans and answer questions about his career as a four-time Sprint Cup champion.Gordon now has a more important role this weekend as fill-in driver for injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- gain a victory in the Southern 500 that could lead the Hendrick Motorsports team into NASCARs championship chase.And there may be no better place for the 45-year-old Gordons experience to shine through than Darlington, where hes third all-time with seven victories.Its a track that Im comfortable on and that I like, Gordon said this week. I hope I can put that with a result that this team deserves.It has been a whirlwind summer for Gordon, who was fully vested into his post-Sprint Cup life after making the final four Chase contenders before losing the title to Kyle Busch last November.Gordon enjoyed his role as NASCAR Xfinity broadcaster earlier this season, played a leadership role as an equity partner in Hendrick Motorsports and had some quality time with wife Ingrid Vandebosch and their two children, 9-year-old Ella and 6-year-old Leo.It was balancing out really nicely, all going according to plan, he said.Thats when owner, business partner and friend, Rick Hendrick, asked Gordon to return to the car once more to help an Earnhardt team in crisis. Earnhardt, NASCARs most popular driver from 2002 through last year, was diagnosed with concussion symptoms from a hard crash at Michigan in June and was told by doctors he needed time out of the car to recover.Gordon first drove the No. 88 Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 in July, finishing 13th. Gordon raced the next three events ending at Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago where he was 11th, his best relief showing.After missing last weeks summer race at Michigan -- he had a previous commitment and felt it wasnt fair to the team not to devote his full attention to racing -- Gordon is back at the Lady in Black, an egg-shaped oval only David Pearson (10 wins) and the late Dale Earnhardt (nine victories) have tamed any better.Gordon said unlike before In his limited Sprint Cup engagement, he feels like he has solid strategies and notes to offer crew chief Greg Ives and the team from his 16th-place finish in 2015 -- what was supposed to be his final ride around Darlington.First time all year I have some valuable notes about the package and what the car should be like, he said. Im hoping that can help me get up to speed and help the team.Gordon took to NASCARs oldest superspeedway almost from the get go. His first win here came in 1995, just two years after he first drove a Sprint Cup car here. He swept both events in 1996, including the Southern 500 to join Bill Elliott as the only racers to capture the Winston Million bonus for winning three of the sports crown jewel events in the same season.Gordons last victory in 2007 may have been the most memorable. He was worried about overheating the last few laps and didnt think hed make to the end. After taking the checkered flag, Gordons radiator blew up in victory lane.There was steam everywhere, he said with a laugh.Gordon has stayed sharp at Darlington with five top-10 finishes in the past seven races there. He believes hes got another strong run in him.Youve got to be willing to really put yourself out there and take that risk at Darlington, Gordon said. You cant be intimidated and you have to respect it.Gordon figured Earnhardt would have returned to the drivers seat by now. He said his former teammate continues making progress, although Hendrick Motorsports has not announced plans for the No. 88 beyond Darlington. Alex Bowman has also sat in for two races that Earnhardts missed.Gordon said the surprise racing stint has not whetted his appetite for more and hell happily head back to his post-racing life on the sidelines once Earnhardt is cleared to return.This weekend, though, Gordon is focused on what hes done so well in his career -- succeeding at Darlington. Lakers Jerseys 2019 . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Stitched Lakers Jerseys .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. https://www.lakersjerseycheap.com/ . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. PHILADELPHIA -- Joel Embiid yanked the rim with such force on a two-handed dunk that he managed a quick pull-up before he let go and snapped it back into position.Hes going to break the rim, right there, a 76ers employee said, laughing.The rim was sturdy during a pregame drill.So now, is Embiid.Embiid has teased the Sixers since he was picked third overall in the 2014 draft with the expectation he would become the cornerstone center that would lift the Sixers to -- well, lets start with 20 wins.What he became instead was a flawed symbol of a so-called Process that saw a losses-into-lottery methodology leave the organization as the worst in the NBA. The Liberty Bell crack would seemingly heal quicker than the broken bones in Embiids right foot. He had surgeries in consecutive years that cost him his first two seasons and relegated his double-doubles to snappy Snapchat and Instagram posts.The wait for Embiid is over.He is not only healthy enough to have his minutes bumped to a preseason-high 20 on Saturday night against Detroit, the Sixers have considered backing off their plan of holding him out one game of back-to-back sets. The Sixers first set of consecutive games is Nov. 1 and 2 and they have 17 this season.We would have guessed that back-to-backs would have been off the table, that they wouldnt have happened, coach Brett Brown said. I feel like where we now are at watching him, its stuff we are completely considering. To say it will happen, I cant say that.Embiid caused a scare when he landed awkwardly on his right foot in the first half Saturday, but he played in the second half for the first time in six preseason games and wowed the crowd by faking a spin before a left-handed layup and emphatic first pump for part of his 15 points.I like the pressure, I like the responsibility, Embiid said.Brown, in his fourth season, said he would take a cautious approach with Embiids minutes.There are some times just with normal aches and the other parts of his body that you pay attention. Its still a 275-pound, 7-foot-2 man going up and down the court, he said. How about his motor, when he puts his mind to it? How about hiss lateral quickness, when he puts his mind to it? To get that stuff, just harder, longer, makes you think we have to take this course. Lakers Jerseys China. OK, so Embiid is back for the 10-win Sixers.But who will join him in the frontcourt?Once thought to have a logjam in the paint, the Sixers instead have more mystery. Big men, big questions: Who is ready for the 76ers?Jahlil Okafor led the Sixers with 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in his rookie year before he was shut down in March for surgery on a torn right meniscus in his right knee. The Sixers said he was expected to resume basketball activities in about six weeks.Six weeks has stretched into seven months. Okafor, the 6-foot-11 center out of Duke, has yet to play in the preseason and the Sixers are hopeful he can play in the Oct. 26 opener against Oklahoma City.The movement at times produces some things that make us feel like we dont want to push it forward too much, Brown said. There is some biting, there is a little bit of pain. We just pull him back.Nerlens Noel, another key cog in the rebuilding process, hasnt played since the first preseason game because of a strained left groin. Noel complained about the glut of big men (I dont see a way of it working) as he entered training camp.Oh, and theres the little matter of No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons sidelined indefinitely with a broken bone in his right foot.Robert Covington started at power forward against Detroit and Dario Saric, another `14 draft pick yet to play a regular season game for the 76ers, was at small forward. And, yes, its preseason, but the Sixers were still crushed 97-76 by the Pistons, and another lousy season is on tap in Philly.Embiid could make it a smidge brighter. He was 5 of 8 from the floor with five rebounds and an ugly seven turnovers before a crowd that cheered his every move. Nothing fancy, but spotting Embiids name on a stat sheet instead of an injury report is a rare reprieve from the gloom that dooms the 76ers.We all see how good we think he can be, Brown said. ' ' '