Wes Unseld, Hall of Famer and NBA champion in DC, dies at 74
Wes Unseld, the workmanlike Hall of Fame center who led Washington to its only NBA championship and was chosen one of the 50 greatest players in league history, died Tuesday after a series of health issues, most recently pneumonia. He was 74.
Unseld’s family announced his death via a statement released by the Washington Wizards, the franchise he was with throughout his entire 13-season playing career and also worked for as a coach and general manager.
“Those of us who were fortunate enough to spend time with Wes knew him as a generous and thoughtful man whose strong will was matched only by his passion and drive for uplifting others,” current Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard said. “His physical prowess, undeniable talent and on-court demeanor may have struck fear in opponents throughout the NBA, but he will be remembered best as a mentor, leader and friend.”
A five-time All-Star and, along with Wilt Chamberlain, one of only two players to win NBA Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season, Unseld instantly made the team then known as the Baltimore Bullets into a winner after he was taken with the No. 2 overall pick — behind future teammate Elvin Hayes — in the 1968 draft.
Colleges
PAC-12 TO PERFORM CORONAVIRUS TESTS ON ATHLETES » Pac-12 schools have agreed to perform COVID-19 and coronavirus antibody tests on all athletes upon their return to campuses for voluntary workouts.
“These guidelines are coming from our medical advisory committee and it’s their belief this is best practice,” Commissioner Larry Scott told The Associated Press.
Scott said athletes will continue to be tested regularly for COVID-19 as long as they are under the supervision of the schools.
“I think it’s important to keep in mind our studentathletes come from all over. All over the United States and in some cases all over the world,” Scott said. “Return to campus and return
to voluntary workouts I think factors that in.”
The Pac-12 schools are scheduled to begin allowing athletes back into their facilities for voluntary workouts starting June 15. CAL BROADCASTER LEE GROSSCUP DEAD AT 83 » Lee Grosscup, a former All-American quarterback who spent 34 years as part of the Cal football broadcast team, died on Monday at the age of 83.
Affectionately known as “The Cupper,” Grosscup joined Joe Starkey in the Golden Bears’ broadcast booth in 1986. He was Cal’s radio analyst for 18 seasons until moving to the postgame show in 2004.
Grosscup retired in 2018 but continued as a frequent contributor to the broadcast team last season.
College basketball
JUDGE DENIES WILLIAMSON BID TO NIX IMPROPER-BENEFITS INQUIRY » A Florida judge has denied NBA rookie Zion Williamson’s attempt to block his former marketing agent’s effort to have the ex-Duke star answer questions about whether he received improper benefits before
playing for the Blue Devils.
Prime Sports Marketing and company president Gina Ford filed a lawsuit last summer in a Miami Dade County, accusing Williamson and the agency now representing him of breach of contract. That came after Williamson had filed his own lawsuit a week earlier in North Carolina to terminate a five-year contract with Prime Sports after moving to Creative Artists Agency LLC.
Horse racing
ARROGATE, NORTH AMERICA’S RICHEST RACEHORSE, DIES AT 7 » Arrogate, winner of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic and the champion 3-year-old male that year on his way to becoming North America’s alltime leading money earner, has died. He was seven.
Juddmonte Farms said Arrogate was euthanized Tuesday after becoming ill. The Lexington, Kentucky, breeding farm said it was unclear what the illness was and a necropsy is planned.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Arrogate had seven wins in 11 career starts and earnings of $17,422,600, making him North America’s all-time richest thoroughbred.
Golf
PGA TOUR GOES BACK-TOBACK AT MUIRFIELD » The PGA Tour has a deal in place to play back-to-back weeks at Muirfield Village in Ohio.
According to a memo sent to players Tuesday, the tour has reached an agreement with Workday to be the title sponsor of a tournament that would be held July 9-12, one week before the Memorial.
It was not clear what role Jack Nicklaus, the tournament host of the Memorial, would have at the first event. The tour said it would be a full field of 156 players at the Workday event — without spectators — which would allow the Memorial to return to a 120-man field afforded to invitational events.
Soccer
US PLAYERS STEFFEN, ADAMS EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH FLOYD » United States internationals Zack Steffen and Tyler Adams have joined several other Bundesliga soccer players in expressing their solidarity in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Steffen issued a statement on Tuesday titled “Enough is enough” in which he said he was speaking in honor of “Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and every other African American who has been killed by police brutality.”
The 25-year-old goalkeeper spoke of his pride in wearing the U.S. national team shirt but questioned why its leaders “won’t protect its citizens who look like me?”
Steffen, who plays for Fortuna Düsseldorf, was unable to play this past weekend because of an injury but posted a statement on Twitter.
“If I’m going to wear the U.S. flag, I need to know that it stands for something worth defending,” he wrote. “I need to know that it stands for something worth defending. I need to know that my country supports black lives. That our leaders see us. That they hear us. I am proud to defend my nation. All I ask is that my nation also defends me.”