Fast Break
College basketball
Durant, Parker win Woodens
Kevin Durant of Texas captured the John R. Wooden Award in a runaway Saturday, becoming the first freshman to win the trophy and completing a sweep of the top six national male player of the year honors.
Candace Parker, a 6-foot-4 sophomore who led Tennessee to its seventh NCAA championship, won the women’s Wooden Award.
Durant, a 6-9 swingman, outdistanced Ohio State freshman Greg Oden in the balloting.
Previously, Durant won the Naismith Trophy, The Associated Press Player of the Year award, the Adolph Rupp Trophy, the NABC Player of the Year award and the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
“Like coach always says, it’s big-time,” Durant said. “I’m just honored to be here. I wish my teammates could be here to share this with me.”
Durant and Parker received their awards at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. They are named for the former UCLA coach who guided the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships in 12 years.
“This is a huge honor,” Parker said. “I’m a student of the game. I know who John Wooden is and what he’s done for basketball.”
MEDIA
Sharpton says Imus should go
Unimpressed by his on-air apology or corporate promises of a tighter leash, angry critics of nationally syndicated radio host Don Imus called for his dismissal over his racially charged comments about the mostly black Rutgers women’s basketball team.
“I accept his apology, just as I want his bosses to accept his resignation,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who promised to picket Imus’ New York radio home, WFAN-AM, unless the veteran of nearly 40 years of anything-goes broadcasting is gone within a week.
Sharpton was not alone in his anger over Imus’ description of the Rutgers’ women as “nappy headed hos” during a Wednesday morning segment of his show, which airs for millions of listeners on more than 70 stations and the MSNBC television network.
On Friday, after Imus delivered an on-air apology, both WFAN and MSNBC condemned his remarks. WFAN issued a statement promising to “monitor the program’s content” but Imus, a member of the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame, was not publicly disciplined.
NBA
Allen undergoes ankle surgeries
Seattle SuperSonics guard Ray Allen had surgery to remove bone spurs in both of his ankles, the team said.
The All-Star guard will be in a walking boot for 3 to 4 weeks and then begin rehabilitation, the Sonics said in a news release. The typical recovery period is 2 to 3 months, the team said.
The arthroscopic surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Ferkel in Los Angeles. Ferkel, a noted specialist on ankle injuries, operated on Allen’s right ankle in 2003.