Former world boxing champion Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho has died at the hospital in Puerto Rico where he has been unconscious since he was shot in the face in an attack in his hometown. Camacho went into cardiac arrest and was then taken off life support. He died shortly after, confirmed Doctor Ernesto Torres, the director of the Centro Medico trauma center in San Juan. Camacho’s mother, Maria Matias, said on Friday night that she had authorized removing him from life support after his three sons had arrived from the United States mainland and had a chance to see their father for the last time. ‘They managed to visit him before he died,’ said former pro boxer Victor ‘Luvi’ Callejas, a longtime friend who has been acting as a family spokesman in recent days. ‘The family are destroyed,’ Callejas said outside the hospital. Doctors had declared Camacho brain dead on Thursday. Matias had said she decided it was time for doctors to disconnect life support over the objections of the boxer’s eldest son, Hector Jr, because there was no chance of recovery. ‘I lost my son three days ago. He’s alive only because of a machine,’ she said on Friday night. ‘My son is not alive. My son is only alive for the people who love him.’ Camacho was shot as he sat in a car with a friend, 49-year-old Adrian Mojica Moreno, who was killed in the attack.

After a 1-4 start to the season, the Los Angeles Lakers have fired coach Mike Brown. ESPN reported the dismissal early Friday afternoon of Brown, who was in his second season with the team. Sources had said in previous reports that Brown’s job could be in jeopardy but such a move didn’t appear immiment. The Lakers begin a six-game homestand Friday night against Golden State. The team had maintained public support for Brown despite the team having the worst record in the Western Conference, but privately there were rumblings about a team with an $100 million payroll off to such a poor start, according to ESPN. Injuries have been a problem for the Lakers. Center Andrew Bogut and reserve Brandon Rush won’t play Friday night. Key offseason acquisitions Steve Nash and Dwight Howard have seen limited playing time because of leg and back ailments. Star guard Kobe Bryant has been nursing a foot injury. As of Thursday, Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss had expressed confidence in Brown. “I have no problems with Mike Brown at all,” Buss then told ESPN. “He just works too hard and he’s too knowledgeable for this to be happening. “So either the (offensive) system is flawed or something’s going on.” How bad would it have to get before Buss made a change? “I don’t know if there’s an actual game total that would make me impatient,” Buss told ESPN. “I know if we’re 1-15, I don’t think that would be very good. I’m sure that would be a panic button.” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak echoed Buss’s comments in an interview Thursday with the Los Angeles Times. “I think it’s fair to say after five games we didn’t think we’d be 1-4,” Kupchak said, “but we have a lot of new players, we have some injured players and we’re introducing some new concepts. All these things get factored in. We’ll continue to monitor the team and we understand expectations.” In the second season with the Lakers, Brown has endured criticism for the rough start and a second-round exit from the playoffs last season. His son even received a death threat this week on Twitter. But Brown said it’s important for the players and coaches to believe in each other “especially while we’re trying to find our way.” Brown’s brief run ended with a 42-29 record.