Pros Will Continue International Play

Get ready for Dream Team III in Sydney.

The United States will continue to field a team of NBA stars for the 1998 World Championships and 2000 Sydney Olympics.

While some critics have called for a return to a team made up solely of U.S. college players, NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik said the national team will continue to be dominated by pros.

“For the 1998 championships in Greece, I can assure you the USA team will consist of at least 10 NBA players, who will be named sometime next fall,” Granik said. “We will wait until the spring for the two other spots.”

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John Starks of the New York Knicks won the NBA’s sixth-man award.

The guard received 84 of a possible 115 first-place votes from media members in the United States and Canada. Toni Kukoc of the Chicago Bulls, last year’s winner, was second with seven first-place votes and Chris Gatling of the New Jersey Nets finished third with six.

Starks, who lost his starting job when the Knicks signed free agent Allan Houston last summer, averaged 13.8 points and 2.8 assists.

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Dennis Rodman won’t dominate the boards at the start of the playoffs, Chicago Bull teammate Scottie Pippen predicted.

“Dennis has been pretty much limited. He’s not very active on the court,” Pippen said after the Bulls practiced in preparation for Friday’s postseason opener against the Washington Bullets.

“You shouldn’t expect him to be the same Dennis after being out for the last month. I don’t expect to see Dennis go out Friday and get 20 rebounds.”

Rodman, the NBA’s top rebounder six years running, missed the defending champions’ final 13 regular-season games because of a sprained knee ligament. He is supposed to wear a brace at the start of the playoffs.

Kukoc, who sat out 22 of the last 26 games because of a foot injury, “is starting to come around,” Pippen said.

But Pippen, the only Chicago player or coach to speak candidly about the team’s health, said of both Kukoc and Rodman: “They’re not ready.”

Kukoc said he felt better than he has in a long time: “I think I’ll be very effective.”

Rodman didn’t comment.

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Charlotte Hornet Coach Dave Cowens looked around at practice and saw something unusual: 12 players. They weren’t all healthy, but at least everyone showed up for a change.

Point guard Muggsy Bogues pulled up lame at the end of Tuesday’s practice, bothered by a recurring hamstring injury. Shooting guard Dell Curry was slowed because of a calf strain. And center-forward Matt Geiger didn’t even practice because of back spasms.

All three took part in the final two-hour workout before tonight’s playoff opener against the New York Knicks.

Meanwhile, forward Anthony Mason had little to say about the prospect of facing his former team.

“Hello and goodbye. Write what you want to write,” Mason said before speeding away.

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Detroit Piston star forward Grant Hill returned to practice after suffering food poisoning.

Hill, who missed Tuesday’s workout and received intravenous fluids, is expected to start Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.

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San Antonio Spur General Manager Gregg Popovich will keep his job as coach next season despite the worst record in franchise history.

Popovich fired Bob Hill as coach on Dec. 10 and, with management backing, appointed himself coach. He oversaw a season filled with player injuries and one that ended with a 20-62 record. The Spurs were 17-47 under Popovich.