Sports People

In Boston, the 450-seat funeral home was overflowing for Cleveland State University Jamal Jackson’s 1-hour funeral service. About 1,400 mourners had viewed the former East Boston High School basketball star’s body, which was clad in a green-and-yellow jersey. Jackson, 22, was fatally stabbed Friday in his girlfriend’s apartment.

Bill “Chunky” Thatcher, who says basketball is “80 percent heart,” was named as head boys basketball coach at Class A Butte Central. Thatcher, 38, has coached in the city’s junior high system for 14 years.

Mobsters reportedly tried to kill Vinnie Vecchione, manager of heavyweight boxer Peter McNeeley, 10 years ago over alleged debts of $100,000 or more.

Vecchione’s car was forced off a road by another car after he left his home in Brockton, May 3, 1985, the Boston Herald reported.

Another source put the debt between $100,000 and $500,000.

World champion Wilson Kipketer captured the 1,000-meter run at the Copenhagen Games on Wednesday, 4 seconds off the world record set by Sebastian Coe 14 years ago.

Kipketer, a 22-year-old Kenyan competing for Denmark, was timed in 2 minutes, 16.29 seconds… . Mauro Panaggio, the CBA’s all-time winningest coach, was hired by the as yet unnamed San Diego franchise.