Pippen faces questions after Malibu fight
Basketball: Former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen was questioned Monday about his weekend fight with an autograph-seeker that left the man hospitalized with a head injury.
Pippen came in voluntarily to a Los Angeles County sheriff’s substation after he was named as a suspect in the altercation outside Nobu restaurant, a celebrity hangout on the beach in Malibu. He spoke to police for about an hour and was released pending further investigation.
Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitemore said Pippen was being cooperative.
The unidentified victim was inside the restaurant taking photos as Pippen dined with his family Sunday evening, sheriff’s Capt. Patrick Davoren said. When Pippen went outside to the parking lot, the man continued taking pictures and sought the Hall of Famer’s autograph, Davoren said.
An argument ensued that led to the violence, investigators said. The man was taken to a hospital with a head injury and was treated and released.
Investigators were interviewing several witnesses to determine whether Pippen should be charged with assault with intent to commit great bodily harm.
The 47-year-old Pippen won six NBA titles with Michael Jordan and the Bulls and in 1996 was named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and currently serves as a special adviser to the Bulls’ president and chief operating officer.
• Nuggets tap Shaw for head coaching job: Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw has agreed to succeed George Karl as coach of the Denver Nuggets.
The Denver Post first announced the agreement with Shaw, and the former Phil Jackson pupil told the newspaper he’s been “prepared by the best of the best” for his first NBA head coaching job.
Shaw is a former NBA guard and longtime assistant NBA coach who has interviewed about a dozen times for head coaching positions but kept coming up short until Monday.
Tippett opts to stay as Coyotes coach
Hockey: Dave Tippett took a risk signing with the Phoenix Coyotes, a franchise with a murky future after being cast into bankruptcy protection.
Four years later, he has taken another leap into uncertainty, agreeing on a long-term contract to continue coaching the Coyotes despite an ownership situation that still hasn’t been resolved.
Tippett likely would have been a hot commodity when his contract expires, both for teams that have coaching vacancies and even some that don’t.
Instead, he decided to stick it out with the Coyotes, a team he’s led to the playoffs three of his four years in the desert.
• Wild re-sign Backstrom: The Minnesota Wild have re-signed goaltender Niklas Backstrom to a three-year contract, keeping the veteran from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
The 35-year-old Backstrom went 24-15-3 with a 2.48 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and two shutouts in 42 games last season for the Wild. He was hurt during warm-ups before the first-round playoff series began against the Chicago Blackhawks and unable to play in any of the games.
• Chu makes fourth Olympics team: Julie Chu has made the roster for the U.S. women’s hockey team that will train for the Sochi Olympics. It would be her fourth Olympics.
The 25-player roster announced after a selection camp in Lake Placid includes 12 Olympic veterans. The roster will be trimmed to 18 in December. Harvard’s Katey Stone is the coach.
Chu was the one of the youngest members of the team that won the silver medal in Salt Lake City. She won bronze in Turin and, after finishing at Harvard, won silver in Vancouver.
U.S. ties France in Under-20 World Cup
Soccer: The United States drew 1-1 with France at the Under-20 World Cup in Istanbul on a goal in the 85th minute by substitute Daniel Cuevas.
France appeared set to win and advance to the knockout stage after Yaya Sanogo scored his second goal of the tournament. His penalty kick in the 48th minute came after Dimitri Foulquier was sideswiped by America’s Javan Torre in the penalty area.
But the Americans grew more confident toward the end and it paid off when Cuevas pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area.
• Italy’s Balotelli sent home: Mario Balotelli has been sent home from the Confederations Cup due to a strained thigh, leaving Italy without its top striker for both the semifinal vs. Spain and the final or third-place match.
Having already been ruled out of the semifinal a day earlier, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli decided to send Balotelli home after consulting with team physician Enrico Castellacci.
Kelly won’t need chemo, radiation
Football: Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly says he has been told by doctors that he won’t need to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment after having surgery to remove cancerous cells in his jaw.
The former Buffalo Bills star made the announcement at his football camp in Buffalo and his comments were posted on the Bills’ website.
He says he had the left side of his jaw and the teeth on that side of his mouth removed in surgery on June 7. Kelly is scheduled for a follow-up with doctors in two months to see if the cancer stays away.