Chinese 7-footers closer to joining NBA
Beijing After two years of hesitation and negotiations, China has decided to let one of its top basketball players 7-foot-1 tall Wang Zhizhi join the NBA. Speculation is mounting that 7-5 Yao Ming won't be far behind.
Wang will be the first to go. For the moment, his army-run team, the Bayi Rockets, needs the 23-year-old center for another championship run in China's six-season-old professional league.
The Rockets' best-of-five finals against Yao's Shanghai Sharks conclude by March 25 at latest. After that, the Rockets and the Chinese Basketball Association have decided that Wang can join the Dallas Mavericks for the rest of the NBA season, association spokesman Xu Minfeng said.
The Rockets previously had refused to release Wang after the Mavericks drafted him in 1999. Whether Wang remains in Dallas next season or returns to China still has to be negotiated, but "this is the first step," said Xia Song, an agent and TV basketball commentator involved in the talks.
Karl fined $50,000 for criticizing Sonics
New York Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl, fired by Seattle after the 1997-98 season, was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for his criticism of the SuperSonics and general manager Wally Walker.
"Sixty wins wasn't enough for the people in Seattle," Karl said recently.
He also was fined $25,000 in March 1999 for disparaging remarks about his former employers.
Seattle plays at Milwaukee tonight.
Orlando's McGrady, four Kings suspended
Cleveland Orlando's Tracy McGrady was suspended for two games without pay and fined $10,000 Wednesday by the NBA for hitting Sacramento's Bobby Jackson in the face with a ball and fighting with the Kings guard.
Jackson was suspended for one game and fined $7,500. Sacramento's Vlade Divac, Scot Pollard and Art Long were also suspended one game for leaving the Kings' bench during the altercation. They sat out Wednesday night's game in Miami.
McGrady began serving his suspension Wednesday night when the Magic played the Cavaliers.
Brand leaves game with leg injury
Chicago Elton Brand left Chicago's game against the Philadelphia 76ers with an injured left leg Wednesday night, further depleting the Bulls.
Brand came down limping after colliding with Dikembe Mutombo as the two chased a rebound with 2:55 left in the first quarter. He went to the bench first, then headed to the locker room when the quarter ended.
Though his injury was initially announced as left knee tendinitis, Brand said it's a strained tendon in his quadriceps muscle. That's the same injury that caused him to miss a few games earlier this season.
Asked if he'd be ready to play Friday when the Bulls play Seattle, Brand shook his head.
The injury was more bad news for the Bulls, who already were without starters Ron Artest and Bryce Drew. Artest has inflammation in his right knee and Drew had a sore right hamstring.
Sonics plane damaged, lands without problem
Everett, Wash. The Seattle SuperSonics' private Boeing 737-200 was grounded in Milwaukee on Wednesday after something was sucked into one of its engines on takeoff.
The plane did not stop after taking off from Everett, flying safely to Milwaukee and landing without incident. The extent of the damage was not immediately known, and it was not clear what had entered the engine during takeoff, a team spokeswoman said.
While the team plane was being repaired, the Sonics were to use a replacement plane provided by the NBA charter program. The Sonics play in Milwaukee tonight, Chicago on Friday and Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, before returning home for a game against Philadelphia on Monday.
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