CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have enlisted a law firm to investigate the circumstances leading to star LeBron James signing this summer with the Miami Heat, according to Yahoo Sports.
Yahoo reported Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Midwestern law firm to investigate suspicions that the Heat broke NBA tampering rules while pursuing James, who left Cleveland to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami.
• Atlanta Hawks star Joe Johnson will be sidelined four to six weeks with an injured right elbow that will require surgery.
• Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer at 27.3 points a game, is day to day with a sprained left knee.
• The Sacramento Kings are suing three companies in federal court over an exercise ball they say burst and injured one of their players. Roger Dreyer, a lawyer representing the team, said swingman Francisco Garcia broke his right wrist in October 2009 after the ball — known as the Gymnic “Burst Resistant” Plus Stability Ball — actually did burst while Garcia was laying on it lifting weights. The lawsuit seeks $4 million — the amount the team said it paid Garcia during games he missed because of the injury.
Miami search shifts from Gruden
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The University of Miami’s search for a new football coach shifted away from ESPN analyst Jon Gruden and toward Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and other candidates following athletic director Kirby Hocutt‘s meeting with Gruden.
ESPN announces baseball crew
NEW YORK — Orel Hershiser, Bobby Valentine and Dan Shulman will form the announcing team for ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball.”
The network said last month that Jon Miller and Joe Morgan would not return for a 22nd season.
• The Boston Red Sox met with Carl Crawford and are targeting the outfielder as the centerpiece of their offseason shopping.
• Left-hander Jamie Moyer underwent Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow and said he plans to attempt a comeback in 2012 at age 49.
Footnotes.
The Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., will be decided in an 18-hole championship Sunday match rather than the present 36-hole format. The change remains subject to TV approval.
• Las Vegas physician Thomas Hess, who found the body of professional golfer Erica Blasberg on May 9 after she committed suicide, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction and was sentenced to one year probation and 40 hours of community service.
• Police records show Christy Martin‘s husband attacked the former women’s boxing champion Nov. 23 after she told him she was leaving him for a woman. James Martin was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a weapon Tuesday after being on the lam for almost a week.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs remained No. 1, at $505 million, while the Avalanche was 15th, down 4 percent from a year ago at $198 million, in Forbes magazine’s annual NHL team values.
Denver Post wire services
