NBA Lockout Costs Tel Aviv an Exhibition

The NBA, for the first time, called off a game because of a labor dispute Thursday.

The Oct. 12 exhibition between the Miami Heat and Israel’s No. 1 team, Maccabi Elite, at Tel Aviv was called off because of the lockout imposed by the owners.

“We are disappointed that our labor dispute has resulted in a cancellation of what could have been an exciting international competition,” Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik said.

He added that there has been no progress in negotiations.

Until now, the NBA had been the only major sport never to have lost a game, exhibition or regular-season, because of a labor dispute.

The league said the game would be rescheduled for October 1999.

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Free agent Christian Laettner ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in a pickup basketball game at Duke and could be facing nine months of rehabilitation.

The NBA star underwent surgery at Duke University Medical Center and is recovering at his Atlanta home.

The Atlanta Hawks, Laettner’s team last season, were unaware of his condition because the NBA’s labor impasse prevents them from contacting him, spokesman Arthur Triche said. Laettner played out his contract with the Hawks last season.

Laettner missed playing time last season because of injuries and lost his starting position in the final 33 games of the season.

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Jury selection began at Chicago in a multimillion-dollar breach-of-contract lawsuit against Michael Jordan.

The suit accuses Jordan of backing out of the Chicago-made film, “Heaven is a Playground” after signing a 1988 contract guaranteeing him $350,000 plus 5% of the film’s profits.

Jordan was paid $50,000 up front but returned the money and filed a counterclaim, alleging that the producers lied when they told him they had obtained financing in the summer of 1989, when filming was supposed to have begun.

The lawsuit seeks $16 million to $20 million in damages, or roughly what the producers think amounts to lost earnings.

Jordan was to have portrayed a playground basketball star who loses, then regains, his love of the game.

The film ultimately was made with former Loyola Marymount player Bo Kimble.

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Andrew Gooden, a highly sought prep star from El Cerrito, Calif., confirmed that he will play at Kansas.

Gooden averaged 17 points and 13 rebounds a game last season at El Cerrito High.

Track and Field

Donovan Bailey’s career as a world-class sprinter might be in jeopardy.

The 100-meter world-record holder and Olympic champion rupted an Achilles’ tendon Wednesday night while playing basketball with friends, the Toronto Sun reported Thursday.

Bailey’s agent said the sprinter faced further tests today to determine the extent of the injury and help decide the course of medical action.

Hockey

The agent for unsigned King defenseman Rob Blake has given the team two contract proposals that he hopes will bring the NHL’s Norris Trophy winner into training camp when it begins Sunday.

Ron Salcer telephoned proposals for three-year and five-year contracts to General Manager Dave Taylor.

The Kings have offered Blake a five-year deal worth $25 million, the richest contract in NHL history for a defenseman. Blake is believed asking for about $6 million a season on the shorter proposal, more for the longer-term deal.

The three-year deal would take Blake to the threshold of unrestricted free-agent status, after the 2001 season. The other would be much more expensive to the Kings because it would cost Blake his first two unrestricted years and would reach into an unknown market for future salaries.

“I’ve said all along that we want Rob Blake to retire as a King,” Taylor said.

Goalie Arturs Irbe signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. Irbe, 31, spent last season with Vancouver, going 14-11-6 with a 2.23 goals-against average.

Center Denis Pederson and defenseman Sheldon Souray reached contract agreements with the New Jersey Devils, a day after the team threatened to bar any unsigned restricted Group 2 free agents from training camp.

Soccer

Jorge Rodriguez scored with two seconds remaining, lifting the Dallas Burn to a 3-2 Major League Soccer victory over the Chicago Fire before a crowd of 9,745 at Dallas.

Dallas goalkeeper Mark Dodd passed upfield to midfielder Leonel Alvarez, who looped a long pass toward the Fire goal. Rodriguez beat the defense to chip a shot over goalkeeper Zach Thornton.

Auto Racing

Andy Santerre turned a fast lap at 123.604 mph to easily win the pole for tonight’s Autolite Platinum 250 Busch Grand National race at Richmond, Va. Series points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the second-fastest qualifier at 122.861 mph.

Jack Sprague passed Ernie Irvan for the lead with 22 laps to go to win the Virginia Is For Lovers 200 at Richmond and take over the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series points lead.

Sprague, 26 points behind Ron Hornaday in the battle for the series lead coming in, moved 57 points ahead with seven races to go.

Names in the News

Freestyle skier Jonny Moseley, Olympic moguls gold medalist, received the Beck International Award, given annually by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Assn. to the outstanding competitor of the previous season. . . . Sam Henson won the gold medal in the 120-pound class at the World Wrestling Championships at Tehran. Henson defeated Namik Abdullavev of Azerbaijan, 3-1, in the championship match.