Jury Awards Muster $2.5 Million

A Florida jury on Wednesday awarded Austrian tennis player Thomas Muster $2.5 million for a knee injury he suffered in 1989 when a car hit him at the Lipton International Players Championships.

The six-member circuit court jury in Miami reached its verdict after 6 1/2 hours of deliberation.

Muster, 26, contended that the torn ligaments he suffered in his left knee damaged both his career and earning ability.

The accident occurred March 31, 1989, hours after Muster had won his semifinal match at the Lipton event. He was ranked as high as No. 6 in the weeks after the 1989 Lipton, but then dropped out of the top 10.

He is currently ranked No. 7.

Pro Basketball

NBA Commissioner David Stern says the entry of the Toronto as an expansion franchise is conditional on not having betting on NBA games in Ontario.

Stern said the league does not want a confrontation over the issue and added that he is confident the Toronto ownership group can resolve the problem of sports betting in the province.

In Ontario, the government runs a weekly lottery featuring games in the NBA, NHL, NFL, CFL and major league baseball.

Stern was not specific about what action the league might take if the betting issue is not settled.

Toronto was accepted as the 28th NBA franchise in a unanimous vote of the Board of Governors last week. The team is to begin play in the 1995-96 season.

Chris Dudley, who broke his left ankle Tuesday night in a game against the Lakers, will miss at least six weeks of action, the Portland Trail Blazers said.

Baseball

The Dodgers have talked with the agents of free agent second basemen Harold Reynolds and Robby Thompson, but are only in the exploratory stage, according to Fred Claire, the club’s executive vice president. Since talks stalled more than two weeks ago with second baseman Jody Reed, Thompson is the top choice of the Dodgers, who do not have a player in their system to step in.

Reed and the Dodgers agreed to a three-year term but Reed wants nearly $11 million and the Dodgers have offered about $8 million.

Miscellany

Fulton Allem, a two-time tournament winner this year, will replace John Daly in the field for the Shark Shootout Nov. 16-21 at Sherwood Country Club.

Daly was suspended from PGA Tour events last week after he picked up his ball and failed to complete a hole during a tournament.

UCLA will unveil its basketball team tonight in an intrasquad scrimmage at Pauley Pavilion at 7:30 with freshman Charles O’Bannon playing on a team with his brother Ed, a junior, for the first time since the two were at Artesia High. There is no admission charge.