■ Basketball
Knicks sign Jeffries
The New York Knicks made it official on Tuesday, announcing the signing of Jared Jeffries a day after the Washington Wizards declined to match the Knicks' offer to the versatile forward. New York used their mid-level exception on Jeffries, making the first year of the deal worth US$5.2 million and the total package worth about US$30 million. Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld had seven days to match the offer for the restricted free agent. "Jared's representative made it crystal clear that he preferred being in New York," Grunfeld said Monday. Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas long has coveted Jeffries. Like Thomas, Jeffries starred at Indiana University.
■ Soccer
Toni staying at Fiorentina
Luca Toni is staying at Serie A club Fiorentina, the Italy striker said on Tuesday. Toni, who scored 31 goals for the club last season making him Europe's top scorer, had been a target for Inter Milan after Fiorentina were punished for their part in a match-fixing scandal. The club were originally relegated to Serie B before an appeal handed them back their place in the top flight, albeit with a 19-point penalty and stripped of their place in the Champions League. "I want to play and score some goals," said Toni. "Any player would have been tempted by the prospect of the Champions League and a big contract," said Toni. "But my colleagues convinced me they wanted me to stay with them."
■ Athletics
Graham to reverse ban
Justin Gatlin's coach will pursue "all legal avenues" to reverse a US Olympic Committee (USOC) ban barring him from its training centers and training sites, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Joe Zeszotarski called on the USOC to lift the ban on Trevor Graham. In a six-page statement, Zeszotarski said Graham has passed a lie-detector test in which he denied ever providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes. Gatlin, who trains with Graham, faces a lifetime ban after failing a drug test in April following a track meet in Lawrence, Kansas. "Trevor has stepped forward and provided affirmative evidence -- this polygraph result -- that he is telling the truth," Zeszotarski wrote in the statement.
■ Swimming
Synchro men banned
A men's synchronized swim team was barred from a meet at Stanford University, reinforcing an International Olympics Committee decision designating the sport as women-only. The San Francisco Tsunami Swim Club's team was set to perform an exhibition at the world masters championships but FINA scuttled the plans. The synchro team, in its fourth season, has competed at national competitions, the Gay Games and the International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics Championships. San Francisco Tsunami describes itself on its Web site as a gay and lesbian aquatics team that is open to all. More than 7,000 swimmers and divers from 70 countries are scheduled to compete in the meet at Stanford this week.
Shaquille O’Neal is staying with TNT Sports on a new contract worth more than US$15 million per year, Front Office Sports reported on Friday. The news means the cast of Inside the NBA is staying together even as TNT is set to license out the show to ESPN starting next season. TNT was the odd network out in the NBA’s recent TV rights negotiations, as NBC and Amazon joined previous rightsholder ESPN in inking deals for basketball games. That left TNT without a need for pregame and postgame NBA shows. In a trade with ESPN, TNT is licensing Inside the NBA to the
Juventus on Sunday stopped Inter from replacing SSC Napoli at the top of Serie A by beating their fierce rivals 1-0 and moving into the UEFA Champions League positions. Francisco Conceicao made sure that Napoli would stay two points ahead of reigning champions Inter by classily tucking home the winning goal 16 minutes before the end of an entertaining contest in Turin. Portugal attacker Conceicao netted his fourth goal of the season in all competitions after brilliant work from Randal Kolo Muani to give Juve a third straight league win. Juve are in fourth place on 46 points, ahead on goal-difference from SS
Eugenie Bouchard already has her own signature pickleball paddle. She is No. 17 in the pickleball rankings and constantly appears on the main court at events because she is always a big draw. However, just to be absolutely clear, she is not retired from tennis. The 2014 Wimbledon finalist still practices on the tennis court, still competes at tennis events and still has a Women’s Tennis Association ranking (No. 1,288). The Canadian standout just has a new sport that has caught her attention. Bouchard is one of several familiar tennis names — like Jack Sock and Donald Young — crossing over to
Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum on Sunday combined for 27 points as Shaquille O’Neal’s “Team Shaq” cruised to victory in the new-look NBA All-Star game in San Francisco. Curry, playing on his home court at Golden State’s Chase Center, reeled off a string of trademark three-pointers to help his star-studded lineup coast to a 41-25 victory over Charles Barkley’s “Team Chuck.” Boston Celtics star Tatum finished with 15 points after delivering a dominant performance in a starting lineup that also included Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and James Harden. Team Shaq’s preparations for the game had been dealt a blow shortly before tip-off when