Heat Denies Tampering

A hearing before NBA Commissioner David Stern on charges of tampering against the Miami Heat by the New York Knicks has been tentatively scheduled for Aug. 3 in New York.

League spokesman Jan Hubbard said the Knicks also have accused the Heat of “interfering with Pat Riley’s contractual status,” which is related to tampering but covered in a different section of the league constitution.

According to the rules, Stern has “full, complete and final authority” to decide the case.

When announcing their intention to bring charges against the Heat, the Knicks singled out public statements by Heat executive vice president of basketball operations Dave Wohl and Heat owner Micky Arison expressing interest in Riley, who resigned as Knicks coach with a year left on his contract and thus cannot coach another team without the Knicks’ permission.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Elden Campbell was booked on suspicion of drunk driving after he rolled his Mercedes on the Simi Valley (118) Calif., Freeway early Friday, officials said.

The crash occurred at 2:23 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the freeway east of Cochran Street in Simi Valley, authorities said.

Campbell, 26, of Torrance, Calif., was in his 1994 Mercedes when he made an unsafe lane change and lost control, crossing lanes and crashing into an asphalt berm and the dirt mountain side, said California Highway Patrol officials.

Campbell refused to take the blood alcohol test.