Former Coach Al McGuire Reportedly Has Leukemia

Al McGuire, the former Marquette basketball coach who was hospitalized in July with an unspecified illness, has leukemia, Sports Illustrated reported.

Columnist Rick Reilly said the illness has whittled McGuire to 115 pounds. Leukemia is a cancer of blood-forming tissues.

Last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that McGuire was living in a managed care facility.

When McGuire, 72, retired from CBS as a broadcaster after calling the Wisconsin-Indiana game March 5, he said he had a form of anemia, a blood disorder.

When he entered the hospital, his wife, Pat, said he was being treated for a viral infection, apart from his blood disorder.

McGuire retired from coaching after leading Marquette to the 1977 NCAA title. He was 295-80 in 13 seasons at the school and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Pro Basketball

Joe Smith could get as much as $93 million over 10 years from the Minnesota Timberwolves under a contract arrangement being challenged by the NBA as violating the salary cap.

The secret deal guarantees Smith three one-year contracts of $1.75 million, $2.1 million and$3.6 million, the New York Times reported Thursday.

Also, owner team Glen Taylor agreed to give Smith two additional contracts before the 2001-2002 season that cumulatively would be worth between$40.6 million and $86 million over seven years.

The amount would depend on performance clauses, such as whether Smith made the All-Star team or led the Timberwolves to a championship.

The league last week claimed the deal violated the salary cap, and sent the case to arbitrator Kenneth Dam. If Dam confirms a secret deal, Commissioner David Stern could impose multimillion-dollar fines, loss of draft picks, the voiding of player contracts and suspension of team personnel.

Indiana Coach Isiah Thomas is facing an NBA-mandated Oct. 3 deadline to sell the CBA.

“I’m still in the process of trying to do that,” Thomas said. “We’re working night and day. I’ve never been asked to divest myself out of a business, and I don’t think anyone has ever been asked to divest themselves out of a business in such an environment.”

Stern and other league officials have told Thomas that having him coach the Pacers while owning the CBA would be a conflict of interest. If no buyer is found by the deadline, Thomas must place the CBA in a blind trust and put it up for auction.

Free-agent point guard Muggsy Bogues, at 5 feet 3 the shortest player in NBA history, signed a multiyear deal to remain with the Toronto Raptors. The team did not disclose terms of the deal.

College Basketball

Indiana player Jeffrey Newton will not be prosecuted for possession of marijuana if he abides by conditions set by the Scott County prosecutor at Scottsburg, Ind.

Prosecutor Roger Duvall approved a pretrial diversion agreement under which Newton will be subject to random drug tests until July 25, 2001. Commission of any crime before then would void the agreement.

Grade problems will force Texas senior guard Darren Kelly to sit out games played in the fall semester. Kelly will sit out at least four games before final exams end Dec. 19.

Soccer

U.S. captain Claudio Reyna was suspended for two World Cup qualifiers by FIFA and Coach Bruce Arena was suspended for three games for arguing after the July 23 game at Costa Rica. The suspensions mean the Americans will be missing three players for their Oct. 11 qualifier against Costa Rica at Columbus, Ohio. Midfielders Ernie Stewart and Eddie Lewis will be serving one-game suspensions for their actions in the Sept. 3 win over Guatemala.

Roberto Baggio, who once was the personification of big-time Italian soccer, signed a two-year deal with the little-known Brescia club in northern Italy.

Diego Maradona’s truck slammed into a tourist bus during a downpour at Havana, leaving the soccer star pinned inside with minor injuries.

The accident happened Wednesday night when Maradona’s brakes failed, his manager said.

Maradona, his legs stuck under the steering wheel, was helped by rescue workers. He was taken to a hospital, where it was determined he had no broken bones or other serious injuries, said his personal physician, Roberto Tejeda.

Tennis

Damir Dokic, the father of 17-year-old Australian Jelena Dokic, was banned from all WTA Tour events from Oct. 2 through March 31. The ban comes two weeks after Damir Dokic was ordered off the grounds at the National Tennis Center for abusive behavior in the U.S. Open players’ lounge.

Unseeded Juan Barcells of Spain beat top-seeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina, 6-4, 6-4, in the second round of the Gelsor Open at Bucharest, Romania.

Davide Sanguinetti of Italy upset top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, 7-5, 6-3, in the second round of the President’s Cup at Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Second-seeded Marat Safin, who became the first Russian to win the U.S. Open, won his second-round match, beating Michel Kratochvil of Switzerland, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Miscellany

Greg Puga, 29, became the youngest winner in the 20-year history of the U.S. Mid-Amateur golf tournament with a 3-and-1 victory over Wayne Raath at Hot Springs, Va. Puga is a caddie at the Bel-Air Country Club.

Former Laker guard Sedale Threatt pleaded guilty in Boston to federal charges of failing to pay child support. Sentencing is set for Dec. 6. Threatt faces up to two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and mandatory restitution of the child support obligation.

Former three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal will be the new chief of the Jaguar Racing Formula One team, the Columbus Dispatch reported.