Lorenzen Wright’s ex-wife fights extradition process

The ex-wife of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright is fighting authorities’ attempt to extradite her from California to Tennessee, where she’s charged with killing him in 2010.

Sherra Wright made a very brief appearance Wednesday in Riverside County Superior Court. A judge explained that the only issue in her extradition is whether or not she’s the person named in the arrest warrant out of Memphis.

She was told to return for a hearing Jan. 8.

Her attorney told the Desert Sun newspaper after the hearing that Wright is simply “exercising a right to go through the process.”

Sherra Wright was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Lorenzen Wright, who played for five teams over 13 seasons as a forward and center in the NBA.

NFL

TURKISH GOVERNMENT SEEKS PRISON SENTENCE FOR KANTER» Turkey’s state-run news agency says prosecutors are seeking more than four years in prison for NBA player Enes Kanter on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Anadolu Agency says an indictment prepared by the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office accuses the New York Knicks player of insulting the president in a series of tweets he posted in May and June 2016.

Kanter said he wasn’t concerned and continued his criticisms of Erdogan, saying, “That dude is a maniac.”

“That stuff really don’t bother me because I’m used to it,” Kanter said after the Knicks practiced Wednesday in New York.

“I think it’s just nothing to me, man. I’m in America. I’m good and my focus right now is just going out there, playing basketball, have fun with my teammates and just winning and just thinking about playoffs.”

Kanter cannot return to Turkey because his passport has been canceled. He would be tried in absentia.

The player is a vocal supporter of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric blamed by Turkey for last year’s failed military coup.

Kanter was detained in Romania on May 20. He said he was able to return to the United States after American officials intervened.

He said his family remains in Turkey and he is concerned for them he said his father at one point was jailed for a week but he downplayed the situation otherwise.

“I was like, that’s it, only four years? All the trash I’ve been talking?” Kanter said. “I promise you guys, it doesn’t really bother me even bother me a little bit, because my thing is just going out there and playing basketball.”

Soccer

NEWTON DEFENDS PANTHERS OWNER » Quarterback Cam Newton said Monday embattled Panthers owner Jerry Richardson should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

Richardson is under investigation by the NFL for sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace and announced Sunday that he’s selling the team just hours after a Sports Illustrated report detailed his alleged misconduct.

The NFL has not commented on the ongoing investigation.

Newton said Richardson met with him and other team captains at Bank of America Stadium Sunday night hours after Carolina’s 31-24 win over the Green Bay Packers to inform them he would be putting the team up for sale after the season.