NBA Players’ Chief Grantham Resigns

Charles Grantham has resigned as executive director of the NBA Players Assn., citing irreconcilable differences over internal matters.

He was immediately replaced by general counsel Simon Gourdine.

In a prepared statement, Grantham and union president Buck Williams said terms were amicable and neither will have “any further comment concerning the events giving rise to Mr. Grantham’s resignation.”

Grantham held the position since Sept. 19, 1988.

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As expected, Maryland All-American Joe Smith announced Friday that he’s giving up his final two years of college eligibility and opting for the NBA draft.

“Basically, my family is not in financial straits,” Smith said at a news conference. “It’s not the money. But my mom raised seven kids and it’s time for me to give something back.”

Smith becomes the first sophomore and the fourth underclassman to declare for the draft, joining juniors Corliss Williamson of Arkansas, Arizona State’s Mario Bennett and Gary Trent of Ohio University.

Tennis

Andre Agassi pounded out a 7-5, 6-2 victory over third-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa in the Japan Open today, advancing to the final of his first tournament since he gained the world No. 1 ranking.

Second-seeded Michael Chang and No. 4 Jim Courier were scheduled to meet in the other semifinal, to determine Agassi’s opponent in Sunday’s championship match.

In the women’s singles, No. 2 Amy Frazier beat qualifier Tang Min of Hong Kong, 6-3, 6-3, and advanced to Sunday’s final against top-seeded Kimiko Date of Japan, who is seeking her fourth consecutive Japan Open title.

USC’s Brett Hansen defeated UCLA’s Robert Janecek, 6-0, 7-5, in No. 1 singles, but the Bruins (16-3) won the match, 5-2. USC is 12-6.

Fullerton’s Kevin Kim overcame a 5-2 first-set deficit to beat Michael Russell of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, and reach the final of the boys’ 18s at the Easter Bowl Junior Tennis Tournament in Palm Springs. Kim, seeded second, will play top-seeded Ryan Wolters of San Jose in the championship match. Wolters defeated fifth-seeded Brandon Kramer of Reno, 6-3, 6-3, in the other semifinal.

In the girls’ 18 semifinals, fourth-seeded Amanda Basica of Lomita defeated Erin Boisclair of Agoura Hills, 6-4, 6-2, despite double-faulting 10 times. Basica will play third-seeded Brie Rippner of Chico in today’s final.

In the girls’ 16s final, fourth-seeded Suzanne Hazlett of Grandview, Ind. took almost three hours to beat Jessica Lehnoff of Cooper City, Fla, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7). Top-seeded Dustin Friedman of Owingsmills, Md., and Sarah Taylor of Wesley Chapel, Fla. took the boys’ 14s and girls’ 14s titles, respectively.

Miscellany

Dallas Cowboy offensive lineman Erik Williams will remain free on probation despite an apparent violation of its terms in his arrest on allegations he and a companion sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl at his north Dallas home. Williams has been serving two years probation for an Oct. 24 drunken driving accident. . . . University officials have launched a probe into allegations that a University of Maryland football player bet on intercollegiate sporting events in violation of NCAA rules.

David Green used an 89.068-m.p.h. lap to win his third NASCAR Busch Grand National pole of the season at Hickory Motor Speedway for today’s Sundrop 400 in Hickory, N.C. . . . William (Skip) Miller, a former Brown University assistant track coach charged with twice raping one of his athletes, was convicted on one count and acquitted on the other in Providence, R.I. . . . Campus police are recommending that University of Florida senior wide receiver Aubrey Hill be charged with misdemeanor battery on his former girlfriend, Sha-Nia Dickerson, 20, after he allegedly struck her “in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground” during an argument. She sustained minor bruises and Hill was not arrested.