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■BASKETBALL

Pierce handcuffed by police

Las Vegas police briefly handcuffed and detained reigning NBA finals MVP Paul Pierce during a traffic stop in Las Vegas, US media reported on Monday. Police spokesman Bill Cassell said the Boston Celtics star Pierce was initially hostile toward the police when pulled over while driving the Las Vegas strip on Sunday. Police said Pierce was stopped in the early morning hours near the MGM Grand Hotel and given a drink driving test, which he passed. But Cassell said Pierce decided not to drive his car after being stopped.



■OLYMPICS

Big stretcher on standby

The world’s tallest basketball players like Yao Ming and LeBron James have special needs and that includes extra big stretchers and clinical beds in case they get injured. With that in mind, Olympic organizers said yesterday they have ordered a 2.4m stretcher for the Wukesong Stadium where the Olympic basketball competition will be held. They have also brought in an extra long spine board and a clinical bed. The orange stretcher, painted with “Beijing 2008, Beijing First-Aid Center” in Chinese, has six pairs of belt loops to fix the patient, twice the number for an average 1.8m stretcher.



■OLYMPICS

Cardiologist urges calm

A top cardiologist has warned television viewers in the United Arab Emirates to try to stay calm during the Olympics because they were particularly vulnerable to suffering heart attacks while watching sports. Klaus Kallmayer, head of cardiology at City Hospital in Dubai and the German Heart Center in Bremen, said cardiovascular incidents increase during sporting events as spectators get caught up in the moment. “Watching a stressful sports game involving the national team can more than double the risk of an acute cardiovascular event. And the UAE’s poor cardiovascular record means spectators here can be even more at risk,” Kallmayer said in a statement.



■SOCCER

Striker quits Dutch team

Netherlands striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has retired from international soccer. Van Nistelrooy, 32, informed coach Bert van Marwijk that he wanted to concentrate fully on his role at Real Madrid. “Given the physical effort you need to perform at this level, I had to make a choice,” he said in a statement released by the Netherlands’ Royal Soccer Association on Monday. “The combination of Real Madrid’s competition, cup and Champions League games on the one hand and the Netherlands team on the other, would be too heavy a burden for me.” He said he had weighed the decision carefully.



■BASKETBALL

Pistons sign Kwame Brown

The Detroit Pistons have signed free agent center Kwame Brown, the overall No. 1 pick in the 2001 NBA draft. The team announced the signing on Monday. Team president for basketball operations Joe Dumars said last week that Brown will be paid US$4 million next season. The 26-year-old Brown has career averages of 7.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 23.7 minutes in 404 NBA games. He averaged a career-high 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds during the 2003-2004 season as a member of the Washington Wizards, who drafted him No. 1 overall out of high school. Brown also has played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies.


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