By Compiled from Times wires
Published July 16, 2003
MIAMI - WBA heavyweight champ Roy Jones Jr. could fight either Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis this year but has not agreed to a deal, his adviser said Tuesday.
Brad Jacobs, Jones' adviser, denied reports Jones will fight Nov. 8 near Nairobi, Kenya, with Tyson as the probable opponent.
"We have been talking directly with Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis for prospective opponents for Roy's next fight," Jacobs said. "But as of yet, nothing is in stone."
Jones (48-1) became the first in more than 100 years to go from middleweight champ to heavyweight champ when he beat John Ruiz this year for the WBA crown.
LACY WINS: St. Petersburg's Jeff Lacy won a unanimous decision over Richard Grant (14-10) in a super middleweight bout at the Playboy Mansion in Hollywood, Calif. Lacy (15-0, 12 KOs) knocked down Grant in the first and 11th rounds to defend his WBC-USBA Continental Americas title and win the vacant NABA super middleweight title.
BASKETBALL: Magic denied relief
The NBA denied the Magic salary-cap relief for Grant Hill.
The Magic confirmed the news less than a day before teams can start signing free agents. The medical exemption would've been worth about $4.9-million, about one-third of the $13.3-million due this season to the injured Hill.
Orlando still has the $4.9-million mid-level exemption and is expected to use it to sign free-agent forward Juwan Howard.
SPURS GET NESTEROVIC: Free-agent center Rasho Nesterovic agreed to a six-year, $42-million deal with the Spurs, spurning an offer to stay with the Timberwolves. He likely will replace retired David Robinson in the starting lineup.
WEBBER'S FATHER CLEARED: Prosecutors in Detroit dropped their case against Kings star Chris Webber's father, Mayce Webber, who was accused of lying to a grand jury investigating a former Michigan booster.
BLAZERS HIRE NASH: John Nash will be the general manager of the Trail Blazers. Team spokesman Mike Hanson said Nash, the former Philadelphia, Washington and New Jersey GM, will be introduced at a news conference today.
SALARY CAP SET: The NBA salary cap for next season will be $43.8-million, up 8.9 percent, allowing more spending than expected.
MORE BASKETBALL: The Bulls signed guard Kirk Hinrich, their first-round pick in last month's draft. ... Forward Kenny Thomas will sign a multiyear deal to remain with the 76ers, the Associated Press reported. ... Free-agent point guard Kevin Ollie, who played last season with the Bucks, will sign with the Cavaliers. ... Lisa Leslie was placed on injured reserve by the Los Angeles Sparks because of a knee injury sustained in the WNBA All-Star Game and will miss at least three games. ... Dee Brown, a guard from Illinois, scored 47 to lead the United States 87-84 over Lithuania at the World Junior Basketball Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. ... Former University of Florida player Brett Nelson signed a one-year contract with Plannja in Sweden. Nelson was not picked in the draft.
OLYMPICS: Big Apple makes it official
The U.S. Olympic Committee formally nominated New York as the nation's candidate to host the 2012 Summer Games. Tuesday was the deadline for submissions. The IOC picks a host in 2005.
A CLEANUP? Two U.S. senators, Arizona's John McCain and Alaska's Ted Stevens, introduced a bill to reduce the size of the U.S. Olympic Committee board and return focus to training to win medals.
ET CETERA
GOLF: Palm Coast's Joe Gutterman shot par 71 in the final round for 135 at the North Florida PGA Club Professional Championship to beat Tom Garner (66) by a shot at World Woods in Brooksville.
TRACK: Australia's Olympic 400-meter champion Cathy Freeman is retiring, her coach, Keith Connor, said. The 30-year-old was the first Aboriginal Australian to win an individual gold medal.
