Sprewell Sues His Agent for Not Protecting Contract

Golden State guard Latrell Sprewell, who was suspended by the NBA for 68 games for choking his coach, sued his agent Monday for failing to negotiate a salary protection clause in his contract with the Warriors.

Sprewell claimed in the Los Angeles Superior Court suit that, because agent Arn Tellem did not negotiate a personal conduct salary protection clause, he lost pay for the games he was suspended.

Sprewell’s three-year, $24-million contract was terminated by the Warriors after he choked Coach P.J. Carlesimo during practice Dec. 1.

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The opposing sides in the NBA lockout met for much of the day at New York and finally started talking in detail about a compromise, making it the most productive negotiating session they’ve had to date.

“There’s hope,” said Dikembe Mutombo of the Atlanta Hawks.

One participant said the league backed off somewhat on its demand for a hard salary cap, meaning the sides have to be closer, at least in principle, to coming to an agreement on the main economic issues.

“The best thing is we have some sort of an agreement on basic principles,” said Orlando center Danny Schayes, a member of the union’s executive committee.

About 20 people from the union and 10 from the league worked through the afternoon and into the night at a luxury Manhattan hotel. Most participants left after about 7 1/2 hours, but a few members from each side continued talking into the night.

Baseball

The Angels, as expected, did not exercise Gregg Jefferies’ 1999 option for $5 million, but they did inform the agent for the outfielder/first baseman that they would be interested in re-signing Jefferies as a free agent.

Jefferies would take significantly less to remain in Anaheim, and that is his first priority, but he wants to be an everyday player.

Pitcher Jack McDowell, who overcame elbow problems to win four of seven starts for the Angels in August and September, is throwing every other day in hopes of returning in 1999. McDowell, who recently filed for free agency, said in August that he would take 1999 off and likely retire.

American League batting champion Bernie Williams filed for free agency five days after helping the New York Yankees win the World Series for the second time in three years.

Williams’ teammate, Tim Raines, also filed for free agency as did three players from the San Diego Padres: pitcher Kevin Brown and outfielders Steve Finley and John Vander Wal.

Also among the 28 players filing were Baltimore second baseman Roberto Alomar and Oakland outfielder Rickey Henderson.

Colorado declined a $2.15-million option year on Kirt Manwaring.

Philadelphia exercised a $3-million option on pitcher Mark Leiter. San Francisco exercised the option of first baseman J.T. Snow but will not exercise the option for pitcher Osvaldo Fernandez.

Jurisprudence

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson faces a Dec. 1 trial on misdemeanor assault charges after an Aug. 31 traffic accident in the Washington suburb of Gaithersburg, Md. Tyson has denied the charges.

Louisville forward Nate Johnson has been suspended for the first two games of the college basketball season after his arrest for drunkenness and disorderly conduct outside a Louisville night spot over the weekend.

Miscellany

Hurdler Greg Foster, distance runner Francie Larrieu-Smith, high jumper Dwight Stones and discus thrower Jay Silvester were elected to the Track and Field Hall of Fame.

The eight schools leaving the Western Athletic Conference have named their new NCAA Division I-A league the Mountain West Conference. The schools are Colorado State, Air Force, BYU, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming.

Mark O’Meara, the Masters and British Open winner, easily won the award for PGA of America player of the year. O’Meara had 130 points, 42 more than David Duval, a four-time winner this year who leads the money list with a record $2,470,498.