Newsmakers
Requested Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki wants sole custody of his former girlfriend’s unborn child if genetic tests prove he is the father, according to a court filing in Dallas. Nowitzki wants custody of the child due to be born to Crystal Taylor, who was arrested at the player’s Dallas home May 6 and is being held at the Jefferson County jail in Beaumont, Texas.
Sidelined Minnesota Lynx star Seimone Augustus will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. Augustus was the Lynx’s leading scorer with 21 points per game, third best in the WNBA. The two-time All-Star, who played on the U.S. Olympic team last summer, was hurt in the second quarter of Wednesday’s 104-80 loss at Phoenix. She immediately grabbed her knee and screamed, and coach Jennifer Gillom said she feared the worst. Augustus had an MRI on Thursday, which revealed the tear in her ACL.
Returning Savvy forward Keith Tkachuk, who helped lead the St. Louis Blues to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, will be back for another year. Terms were not disclosed. Tkachuk, 37, is a five-time All-Star who has spent eight of his 17 National Hockey League seasons with the Blues, though he was traded to Atlanta for 18 games at the end of the 2006-07 season before re-signing with St. Louis.
Filed Former NFL and Miami Hurricanes star quarterback Bernie Kosar has filed for bankruptcy protection in Miami. Kosar’s Chapter 11 filing lists assets between $1 million and $10 million and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million. Kosar owes almost $1.5 million in “unsecured debt” to the Cleveland Browns, whom he played for from 1985 to 1993.
•Jimmy Williams filed a lawsuit Thursday against Tubby Smith, requesting damages in excess of $50,000 from the Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball coach personally. Williams already has a “negligent misrepresentation” lawsuit pending against the University of Minnesota over his claims of an aborted hiring in 2007.
Responded Cyclist Tom Boonen plans to take Tour de France organizers to court over their refusal to let him compete because of a second positive test for cocaine in less than a year. The Belgian rider is expected to file suit Monday inin Paris.