Malone Reportedly Has Mvp Edge

Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone will be named the National Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player, according to a published report.

The Deseret News of Salt Lake City contacted 112 of the 115 voters and learned that Malone will unseat Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan for the league’s top honor, which will officially be announced later this month.

Of the 107 respondents who revealed their selections to the newspaper, 65 said Malone was their top choice. Jordan received 42 votes and will become the first player in 17 years of media voting to get more than 40 votes and not win, the paper said.

Iverson testifies

One day after grabbing the NBA’s Rookie of the Year honor - an award for which he publicly thanked his mother - Allen Iverson was in Hampton, Va., Circuit Court testifying on behalf of the man he calls “dad.”

But Iverson’s testimony Friday was not enough to clear three-time felon Michael Andre Freeman, 40, of a fourth conviction: possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Circuit Court Judge Walter J. Ford found Freeman guilty after a trial that had Iverson as the star witness.

Freeman helped raise Iverson during his childhood in Hampton. “In Allen’s mind, he was the man who took care of him growing up,” said Larry Woodward, one of Freeman’s attorneys.

Dunleavy may replace Carlesimo

Two NBA coaches say they’ve heard the Portland Trail Blazers have decided to replace coach P.J. Carlesimo and that former Milwaukee coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy will be the new coach, The Oregonian sports columnist Dwight Jaynes reported.

The Blazers’ season ended Friday night with a 95-91 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jaynes said Dunleavy acknowledged being contacted about NBA coaching jobs but would not be specific.

Phil Jackson, who is coaching the Chicago Bulls toward what could be their fifth NBA championship in the past seven years, knows Pat Croce and the Philadelphia 76ers are interested in him to fill their coaching vacancy.

“I will confirm that we do have the right to talk with other teams while the playoffs are going on,” Todd Musberger, Jackson’s lawyer, said Friday. “And I know the team in your town holds Phil in high regard.

Larry Bird denies reports that, for the past seven weeks, he has been sitting on an offer from Celtics owner Paul Gaston to assume both the head coaching job and the top basketball operations post.