NBA approves stiffer penalties for tampering
The NBA’s board of governors was unanimous Friday in its approval of a plan to stiffen potential penalties for tampering with players and employees under contract with other clubs, hoping for increased compliance in existing league rules.
Fines of up to $10 million are now possible in the most egregious situations, along with forfeiture of draft picks, suspensions of executives and voiding of contracts when rule breaking is found — significant enough threats, the league hopes, to end any notion of teams entering into deals with free agents before rules allow.
“We need to ensure that we’re creating a culture of compliance in this league,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said after two days of meetings concluded in New York. “Our teams want to know that they’re competing on a level playing field and frankly don’t want to feel disadvantaged if they are adhering to our existing rules.”
• The issue of James Harden’s stepback jumper — travel or not a travel? — may soon have some clarity. The NBA is revising rule-book language regarding traveling, and specifically defining a “gather” — plus clarifying how many steps a player may take.
• Daily fantasy players and bettors will now know who is expected to play in a certain game a bit earlier than usual. Teams now must submit starting lineups 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, instead of the previous rule of 10 minutes. CARTER SIGNS WITH HAWKS FOR RECORD 22ND SEASON >> Vince Carter signed a contract Friday with the Atlanta Hawks, returning for his 22nd — and what he has said will be final — NBA season. When he plays in his first game of the new season, he will become the first NBA player to play in 22 seasons, surpassing Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Robert Parish and Kevin Willis. When he plays in the first game in the 2020 calendar year, he will be the league’s first player to play in four decades.
REPORTS: SEFOLOSHA, ROCKETS AGREE TO 1-YEAR DEAL >> The Houston Rockets and forward Thabo Sefolosha have agreed to a fully guaranteed one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, according to published reports. Sefolosha will be reunited with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
College basketball
REPORT: KANSAS BASKETBALL FACING MAJOR VIOLATIONS >> The NCAA is preparing to issue a notice of allegations that details multiple major violations in the Kansas men’s basketball program, according to a report in the Kansas City Star. The notice will come, according to the Star, after a summer of speculation following a top NCAA official saying the organization would make findings against schools involved in a pay-for-play recruiting scheme investigated by the FBI.
On June 12, Stan Wilcox, the NCAA’s vice president of regulatory affairs, said at least six schools would receive a notice of allegations for Level 1 violations this summer.
ESPN recently reported that NCAA investigators were also working on cases at Arizona, Auburn, Creighton, Louisville, LSU and USC.
Golf
WILLETT, RAHM SHARE HALFWAY LEAD IN EUROPEAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP >> A fast start by Danny Willett and a sublime finish by Jon Rahm helped them into a tie for the second-round lead at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in Virginia Water, England.
Willett (65) and Rahm (67) reached 11-under-par at the flagship event at the European Tour’s headquarters. They were two strokes clear of Justin Rose (68), Henrik Stenson (69) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (67).
AN LEADS STORM-DELAYED TOURNAMENT >> Byeong Hun An finished off a 6-under 66 in the morning and posted another 66 to end his long day atop the leader board in the storm-delayed Sanderson Farms Championship at Jackson, Mississippi. An, a former Cal golfer and U.S. Amateur champion, was at 12-under 132 and had a two-shot lead over a group that included J.T. Poston and Tom Hoge.
College football
BACHMEIER LEADS BOISE RALLY >> Hank Bachmeier threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, Robert Mahone rushed for a pair of scores in the fourth quarter, and No. 20 Boise State (4-0, 1-0 Mountain West) pulled away in the second half for a 30-19 win over Air Force (2-1, 0-1) at home. Bachmeier’s arm made up for a Broncos’ running game that was ineffective until the fourth quarter.
EX-BUCKEYES GREAT ‘HOPALONG’ CASSADY DIES >> Former Ohio State star Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, the 1955 Heisman Trophy winner, died, the school announced. He was 85. Cassady played halfback for the Buckeyes from 1952-55. Cassady earned his nickname as a freshman in 1952, when he came off the bench to score three touchdowns against Indiana. Ohio sportswriters labeled him in a reference to fictional performing cowboy Hopalong Cassidy.
Motorsports
KESELOWSKI WINS POLE FOR CUP RACE AT RICHMOND >> Brad Keselowski earned his second career pole at Richmond (Virginia) Raceway for today’s Cup series race and the 17th of his career with a lap at 127.185 miles per hour. Kevin Harvick finished second, followed by Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer.