Albert Is Considered for Job With the Heat

Marv Albert, exiled from sports broadcasting after pleading guilty to assault charges in a sex case, could resurface as the Miami Heat’s television play-by-play announcer, his agent said Wednesday.

Agent Evan Bell confirmed that the longtime NBC and New York Knicks announcer was talking to Heat officials.

“He is interested in talking to them,” Bell said in Miami. “There have been discussions.”

Bell said WYHS-TV, which recently acquired over-the-air rights to Heat games, approached Albert during the playoffs about becoming the team’s new TV voice.

The final decision lies with the Heat, which hires and pays the announcers. Club officials have indicated reluctance to replace TV broadcaster Eric Reid, whose contract expired at the end of the season.

Albert was fired by NBC and resigned from Madison Square Garden network in September after pleading guilty to biting a woman and forcing her to perform oral sex.

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The George Karl era in Seattle probably is over.

It’s not official yet, but the coach with the best regular-season winning percentage in the SuperSonics’ history is expected to be fired by team owner Barry Ackerley following the team’s second-round playoff exit.

“I’m scared of the phone ringing,” said Karl, who has a 384-150 regular-season record in 6 1/2 seasons in Seattle.

“We need to sit down and talk about where we are,” team President and General Manager Wally Walker said.

Former Phoenix coach Paul Westphal has already been mentioned as a possible successor.

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Former Dallas Maverick star Roy Tarpley was in the Denton County Jail in Texas, charged with aggravated assault and failure to appear in court.

The charges stem from a March 1997 case involving an attack on a woman. Tarpley was arrested Friday in Dallas County on a warrant charging him with failure to appear for an April 24 court hearing on the misdemeanor assault charge. Bail was set at $10,000.