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The San Antonio Spurs have signed Quincy Pondexter, adding a forward in the same week veteran star Manu Ginobili announced his retirement.
The 6-foot-7 Pondexter spent last season with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.5 minutes in 23 games. The seven-year NBA veteran out of Washington has averaged 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 17.3 minutes over 302 total games with Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Memphis and Chicago.
Ginobili announced his decision to retire Monday. The 41-year-old helped the Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons. This season will be the first for coach Gregg Popovich without stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard.
Philips Arena in Atlanta is being renamed for State Farm after a $192.5 million renovation.
The Atlanta Hawks and the insurance company announced Wednesday they have reached a 20-year deal on the naming rights for the arena, which is currently in the final phase of its renovation. The arena is expected to reopen in October.
The Hawks had played in Philips Arena since its opening in 1999.
The new arena might be one of the smallest-capacity NBA venues with 17,600 seats. Its amenities will include a new state-of-the-art video board system, which is three times larger than the current one along with 360-degree concourse, barbershop, fantasy golf area, club lounge and premium seating areas with couches and cabanas.
The International Canoe Federation has banned 2008 Olympic champion Inna Osypenko-Radomska for four years for refusing a doping test.
The canoe body says Osypenko-Radomska, who won medals at four straight Summer Games, refused to undergo an out-of-competition drug test.
The 35-year-old sprint kayaker won medals at each Olympics from 2004 to 2012 racing for Ukraine, including gold in K-1 500 meters in Beijing.
She then switched allegiance to Azerbaijan and won a K-1 200-meter bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The ICF’s general secretary Simon Toulson says: “A four year ban sends a clear message to all our athletes that they are expected to play by the rules.”