It’s Not Official, but Jordan Says He Won’t Play for Bulls

Michael Jordan all but said he was retiring Thursday while reiterating that he wouldn’t play for any coach other than Phil Jackson, who left the Chicago Bulls last month.

Jordan said he wouldn’t make an official announcement about his status with the Bulls until after the NBA’s lockout ends.

“I’ll wait until the situation [lockout] gets settled, making sure in my mind,” said Jordan, who talked to reporters after playing in a pro-am golf tournament at Long Grove, Ill.

“I feel that way right now. Ask me in two or three months and I may change. I don’t think I will. I’m pretty sure that’s my decision.”

He also said he wouldn’t play for a college coach or a young coach like Iowa State’s Tim Floyd, who is the leading candidate to replace Jackson.

“I’ve always stuck to my guns. I always said I would not play without Phil Jackson. I haven’t changed that,” Jordan said. “I just haven’t made an official announcement. I won’t make that until the time comes.”

Golf

It took six birdies and an eagle for Penny Hammel to steal the spotlight from Se Ri Pak and Nancy Lopez.

Hammel had a seven-under-par 64 to take a three-shot lead over five others after the first round of the JAL Big Apple Classic at New Rochelle, N.Y.

The bulk of the attention went to Pak, the rookie looking for her third tournament victory in as many weeks, and Lopez, who is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her rookie season.

They were grouped together and Lopez shot a 68, while Pak struggled with her putting and finished with a one-over 72.

Curt Byrum birdied his first two holes on the way to a seven-under 65 and the first-round lead in the Deposit Guaranty Classic at Madison, Miss. He had a one-stroke lead over Brian Henninger, Paul Goydos, Doug Tewell and Chris Smith.

Tennis

Jennifer Capriati, who has dropped to 133rd in the world rankings, earned a quarterfinal berth at the Palermo Grand Prix in Sicily by defeating fifth-seeded Rita Grande of Italy, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. . . . Top-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain defeated Kvetoslava Hrdlickova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, in the second round of the Warsaw Cup. . . . Defending champion Tina Karawsky of Glendale defeated Gerda Pressing of Germany, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the 40 division of the USTA National Senior Women’s grass-court championships at New York.

Hockey

Detroit Red Wing Coach Scotty Bowman, who has said he won’t return next season to the Stanley Cup champions unless he is healthy enough, underwent a procedure to clear a blocked heart artery.

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed free-agent left wing Wendel Clark to a one-year, $1.5-million contract.

Miscellany

Sprint specialist Mario Cipollini of Italy won the fifth stage of the Tour de France, a 142-mile leg from Cholet to Chatearoux. Stuart O’Grady of Australia kept his overall lead.

Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco narrowly missed his second world record in a week, coming up .21 seconds short of the mile record in the Nikaia Grand Prix meet at Nice, France.

El Guerrouj, who set the 1,500-meter record Tuesday in Rome, was timed in 3:44.60, just shy of Noureddine Morceli’s five-year-old record of 3:44.39.

A federal appeals court in New York reinstated a $4.4-million award that a jury decided boxer Mike Tyson owes former trainer Kevin Rooney for unjustly firing him.

The newest bowl game is the Jeep Oahu Bowl, which will be played after the Aloha Bowl on Christmas night in Honolulu. It will pit the fifth-place team from the Pacific 10 against the runner-up from the Western Athletic Conference.