Bulls’ Krause Resigns

Jerry Krause, the man blamed for breaking up the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty and driving Michael Jordan out of Chicago, resigned Monday as general manager, stepping down for health reasons with only a week left in the season.

“Physically, he wasn’t feeling that great. He’s had a lot of stress on him,” said Bull Coach Bill Cartwright, the center on Chicago’s first three championship teams.

Chicago (27-50) will finish with a losing record for the fifth consecutive season and won’t be in the playoffs again. The Bulls have won only three road games.

Krause, 64, didn’t elaborate on his health problems. But he has been bothered by a variety of ailments in recent years and has had a bad back this season.

“The rigors and stress of the job have caused me some minor physical problems in the past few years,” he said in statement. “Those problems can be eliminated if I lessen my load for a while and concentrate on overcoming them.”

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Detroit Piston forward Ben Wallace could be sidelined for two weeks after an MRI exam showed he has a sprained ligament in his left knee.

Wallace, who leads the NBA in rebounding and blocked shots, was injured against San Antonio on Sunday, when teammate Tayshaun Prince fell backward into him.

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Portland Trail Blazer forward Ruben Patterson has a broken left eye socket, a result of being punched by teammate Zach Randolph last week, and did not accompany the team on its three-game trip starting tonight in Houston.

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Houston forward Eddie Griffin was arrested Sunday night and charged with marijuana possession after the car he was driving was stopped by police for speeding. He was released from jail Monday after posting $500 bond.

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AOL Time Warner Inc., seeking to reduce its debt, agreed to sell the Atlanta Hawks and the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers to David McDavid, a former part-owner of the Dallas Mavericks, ESPN reported on its Web site, citing people it didn’t identify.

McDavid, who made his fortune with car dealerships in Texas, also agreed in principle to buy AOL Time Warner’s 19,000-seat arena in downtown Atlanta, where the Hawks and Thrashers play, ESPN said.

Greg Hughes, a spokesman for AOL Time Warner’s Turner Sports unit, denied that any agreement was reached, and said the company was talking to a “number of interested parties.”