U.S. wallops S. Korea in final worlds tuneup
Seoul, South Korea – LeBron James scored 23 points Tuesday to lead the Americans to a 116-63 win over South Korea in their final tuneup for the world championships.
The U.S. squad went 5-0 in exhibitions leading up to the worlds, which begin Saturday in Japan.
“We were a little sluggish at first and I was able to pick up my energy level and the guys followed,” James said. “We got better as the game went on and took care of business.”
Dwyane Wade and Elton Brand scored 16 points each against South Korea, and the United States also got 13 points from Carmelo Anthony. After a visit to a U.S. military base today, the team, which still must cut one of its players, will head to Sapporo, Japan, for its opener of the championships against Puerto Rico.
CYCLING
Landis’ former team to cease operations
Disgraced Tour de France winner Floyd Landis’ former team Phonak, unable to find a buyer since the American was busted for doping, will shut down at season’s end.
“I’ve had to do something I’ve never done in my whole life,” Phonak owner Andy Rihs said. “Give up.”
Phonak’s image already had been badly damaged by 10 other doping cases since the Swiss-based team was launched seven seasons ago.
The team’s title sponsor, a Swiss hearing-aid firm, already had decided to pull its sponsorship over doping issues. American company iShares, a subsidiary of Barclays Bank, was to replace Phonak in 2007, but the deal was called off after Landis’ positive doping tests.
Landis, 30, tested positive for a testosterone spike after a tough alpine stage July 20, when he made a remarkable comeback and went on to win the Tour de France. Both his “A” and “B” samples tested positive, and a separate test detected that some of the testosterone in his body was synthetic.
Rihs said the Landis doping scandal led to his team’s demise.
“I am deeply disappointed because what he did was what led to this decision,” Rihs said. “I would never say this is a bad person because he played bad. I regret what he has done for him, too.”
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Huskers coach gets Maric to return
A personal visit in Australia over the weekend from new Nebraska coach Doc Sadler persuaded 6-foot-11 center Aleks Maric to return to the team for his junior season.
On Aug. 7, Maric, the team’s top returning scorer (10.9) and rebounder (8.1), said he planned to leave the Huskers after the departure of Barry Collier, who quit as Cornhuskers coach to take the athletic director job at Butler University. Maric asked Nebraska for a release from his scholarship. After meeting with Sadler, Maric said he was impressed with the new Huskers coach’s honesty.
Maric – an honorable mention all-Big 12 pick last season – said he plans to be in Lincoln on Friday and in class when the new semester starts Monday.
Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson was reprimanded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches over recruiting violations during his tenure at Oklahoma, becoming the first person to be punished by the group.
Sampson’s membership was placed on probation for three years. During that time, Sampson – a former member of the group’s board of directors – is prohibited from serving in an official capacity with the organization, the Kansas City, Mo.-based NABC announced. He is also ineligible for district and national coach of the year awards and will lose his Final Four ticket privileges. The decision comes nearly three months after the NCAA banned Sampson from calling recruits or making off-campus visits until next May because of excessive phone calls to recruits. The NCAA ruled Sampson and his assistants at Oklahoma made 577 extra phone calls to 17 recruits from 2000-04.
FOOTNOTES
Bobcats re-sign backup center Voskuhl
The Charlotte Bobcats re-signed center Jake Voskuhl to a two-year, $4 million deal that includes a player option after the first year. Voskuhl averaged 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds last season as a backup to Primoz Brezec.
Forward Chris Wilcox and the Seattle SuperSonics reached agreement on a three-year, $24 million deal.
The Sacramento Kings signed center Loren Woods, who spent the past two seasons with the Toronto Raptors.
Sweden’s former 400-meter hurdler Sven Nylander, one of five people involved in a drug bust at a party during the European Athletics Championships, said he used cocaine. The admission comes a day after former high jump world-record holder Patrik Sjoberg said he used cocaine at the party last weekend in Goteborg, Sweden.
Defenseman Sean Hill, who spent last season with the Florida Panthers, received a one-year deal worth $600,000 from the New York Islanders.
New England Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey was suspended two games and fined $1,000 for violent conduct in the Revolution’s 0-0 tie with the Kansas City Wizards a week ago. On Aug. 9, Dempsey and Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad jumped for a head ball in midfield, and Dempsey’s elbow struck Conrad in the face.
