Mavericks Make Offer to Tarpley

The Dallas Mavericks have made forward Roy Tarpley an offer to return to the team if he wins reinstatement to the NBA, a team official said Saturday.

Maverick General Manager Norm Sonju said the team has made Tarpley a “substantial” multiyear offer contingent upon his winning approval to return to the NBA. Sonju said a decision from the NBA isn’t expected until the end of August.

Tarpley, banned from the NBA in October of 1991 for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, has played the past two seasons in Greece for Olympiakos.

Sonju declined to reveal the Mavericks’ offer, but it reportedly is close to Tarpley’s $3-million-per-year asking price. The Olympiakos’ offer is believed to be less than $2 million for the season.

Gymnastics

Kerri Strug, a 1992 Olympic gymnast, was in fair condition Saturday night with a back sprain she suffered in a fall off the parallel bars Friday night during a meet in Palm Springs. She landed on her chest and chin.

Strug, 17, of Tucson, Ariz., was expected to be released from Desert Hospital today, said Kathy Kelly, women’s program director for U.S. Gymnastics. “The fall did look bad, but she’s a very strong, very flexible girl and was able to withstand that with minor damage,” Kelly said.

“She was walking around and laughing (Saturday). Her coaches are still optimistic that this is a minor injury and that she’ll be able to train at the end of the week.”

Colleges

Arizona State has lost its leading wide receiver after Johnny Thomas was declared academically ineligible for the season.

Mississippi State basketball signee Marcus Bullard is spending the weekend in jail after pleading guilty to cocaine possession, but the lesser charge could allow him to play with the Bulldogs. Bullard was indicted last October on a charge of selling crack cocaine to an undercover officer.

Tennis

Unseeded Fabrice Santoro of France upset second-seeded Thomas Muster of Austria, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4), in the semifinals of the $410,000 EA Generali tennis tournament at Kitzbuehel, Austria. Top-seeded Goran Ivanisevic defeated Tomas Carbonell of Spain, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0, in 74 minutes.

Sergi Bruguera of Spain and Andrei Medvedev of the Ukraine breezed to semifinals victories in the Skoda Czech Open at Prague, Czech Republic, both winning, 6-1, 6-3. Bruguera defeated fellow Spaniard Alberto Costa and Medvedev, seeded No. 2, defeated third-seeded Slava Dosedel.

Miscellany

Nigerian-born sprinter Aham Okeke was dropped from the Norwegian team for this week’s European Championships because he tested positive for a banned substance, Norwegian officials said.

Romario, the star of Brazil’s World Cup champion team, was punched in the face and booed during an exhibition about 300 miles from Rio de Janeiro, the O Globo newspaper reported. The incidents occurred Thursday night.