Rape Charges for Stevenson

Utah Jazz rookie DeShawn Stevenson has been charged with statutory rape for having sex with a 14-year-old girl, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Stevenson, a 6-foot-5 guard who went from high school directly to the NBA last year, was charged last week in Fresno Superior Court, chief deputy district attorney Liz Mitchell said.

The 20-year-old Stevenson, a Fresno native, faces up to three years in state prison if convicted. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Department said a warrant had been issued Monday for Stevenson’s arrest, but his whereabouts Tuesday were not known.

Stevenson is accused of having sex with the girl during a visit to Fresno in the past six weeks, Mitchell said. She didn’t have any other details.

The Vancouver Grizzlies are moving their basketball operations to Memphis, Tenn., even though the NBA has yet to approve the team’s relocation. . . . Dallas Maverick all-star guard Michael Finley has decided to exercise the option in his contract to become a free agent July 1. . . . Philadelphia 76er guard Eric Snow underwent surgery for a right-ankle fracture sustained during the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Snow’s rehabilitation is expected to last about three months. . . . The Indiana Pacers have signed 7-1 center Primoz Brezec of Slovenia, their No. 1 draft pick from last year, to a multiyear contract. . . . Minnesota Timberwolf Coach Flip Saunders has agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $20 million, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and WCCO Radio. . . . As expected, the Cleveland Cavaliers hired John Lucas to be their coach. Contract terms were not disclosed but several reports indicated it was for three years and worth between $8 million and $9 million.

Tennis

Lindsay Davenport played her first match since March and defeated France’s Anne-Gaelle Sidot of France, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals at Eastbourne, England. . . . Britain’s Greg Rusedski tuned up for Wimbledon with a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (1) victory over Jan-Michael Gambill in the first round of the Samsung Open at Nottingham, England. . . . Patrick Rafter’s bid for a fourth consecutive Heineken Trophy title ended with a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Peter Wessels of the Netherlands in the first round at Den Bosch, Netherlands.

Top-seeded Pete Sampras will play the opening match of Wimbledon on Centre Court for the eighth time Monday when he faces Francisco Clavet of Spain.

Martina Hingis’ stalker, “humiliated” that a prosecutor who helped send him to jail is now courting the tennis star, plans to appeal his conviction. Frank Abrams, a lawyer for Dubravko Rajcevic, said his client is “incredulous, humiliated and embarrassed” after learning that assistant state attorney Chris Calkin has a personal relationship with Hingis.

Miscellany

The sale of the Montreal Canadiens to a Colorado businessman was unanimously approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors. George Gillett Jr., bought an 80% controlling interest in the Canadiens and 100% of the Molson Centre for $178.3 million. A condition of the sale to Gillett was that the team would not leave Montreal. . . . Right wing Tony Granato will not be re-signed by the San Jose Sharks. General Manager Dean Lombardi said if Granato retires, the team is interested in keeping him in the organization. . . . The New England Patriots have withheld a $1-million payment on Terry Glenn’s signing bonus while waiting for a final decision concerning a recent arrest. Glenn, a six-year veteran, was arrested for assaulting the mother of his 5-year-old son during an argument last month at his Walpole home.

NASCAR Busch Series crew chief Dave Fuge was fined $30,000 and suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for rule violations discovered in an inspection after Saturday night’s Outback Steakhouse 300. . . . Glenn Smith, the first sophomore to be selected MVP of the Sugar Bowl when he led Louisiana State to victory in 1968, died Monday after a long illness. He was 53. . . . Josh Maravich will play basketball for Louisiana State, where his father, Pete, was one of the most dazzling players in the history of the college game. Maravich will join the team as a freshman walk-on. . . . The Trans America Athletic Conference has changed its name to the Atlantic Sun Conference. . . . The family of Daniel Lawson, an Oklahoma State basketball player killed Jan. 27 in a plane crash in Colorado, has accused the school of negligence in a recently filed tort claim.