Ex-Kansas players sent home from NBA event

Former Kansas stars Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur were sent home Wednesday from the NBA’s mandatory rookie transition program for violating unspecified league rules.

The Miami Heat, which drafted Chalmers, and the player’s agent confirmed to the Associated Press that the guard had left the program. Neither would say why Chalmers, who made the overtime-forcing jump shot in the Jayhawks’ win over Memphis in the national championship game five months ago, was asked to depart early from the resort in southern Westchester County, N.Y., north of Manhattan.

“The players were sent home for violating program rules,” an NBA spokesman said. “They will be appropriately sanctioned and will have to repeat the program next year.”

Arthur, a 6-foot-9 forward selected late in the first round by New Orleans, was traded three times on draft night and signed with Memphis in early July.

The Grizzlies acknowledged Arthur was sent home but declined to give details.

In addition to returning to the symposium in 2009, the former Jayhawks may be facing a fine and suspension from the NBA.

Chalmers is expected to compete for the starting point guard spot with the Heat when training camp begins this month. He was drafted early in the second round by Minnesota and quickly traded to the Heat.

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San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili had arthroscopic surgery in Los Angeles for a ligament injury in his left ankle and the team said he will be in a splint and on crutches for three weeks. The injury hobbled Ginobili during the NBA playoffs and the Olympics.

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Oklahoma City’s new NBA franchise will be called the Thunder and team Chairman Clay Bennett said the team colors will be blue, red and orange -- blue to coincide with the main color of Oklahoma’s state flag and red and orange to reflect the colors of the sunset.

BOXING

Mayweather Sr. to train Hatton

Light-welterweight champion Ricky Hatton will be trained for his next bout by Floyd Mayweather Sr., the father of the man he fought for a welterweight title last year.

Mayweather, who also trains Oscar De La Hoya, will prepare Hatton for his fight against International Boxing Federation 140-pound champion Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas on Nov. 22.

Mayweather Sr., 55, is the estranged father of Floyd Mayweather Jr., who stopped Hatton (44-1, 31 knockouts) in the 10th round of a World Boxing Council title bout in December 2007.

Mayweather Sr. steps in for Billy Graham, who parted with Hatton last month after 11 years as his trainer.

Hatton is 44-1 with 31 knockouts. Malignaggi is 25-1 with five knockouts.

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Antonio Tarver (27-4), the IBF and International Boxing Organization light-heavyweight champion, and Chad Dawson (26-0) attended a news conference in Los Angeles to announce their Oct. 11 title bout at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The bout will be televised on Showtime in conjunction with the WBC heavyweight fight from Germany between champion Sam Peter and former champion Vitali Klitschko.

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A private detective said that Mayweather Jr. is posting a $100,000 reward for information about the theft of more than $7.2 million in jewelry from his Las Vegas home Aug. 17.

MISCELLANY

NHL’s Bruins sign center Yelle

The Boston Bruins signed center Stephane Yelle, who spent the last five seasons with Calgary after seven seasons with Colorado. He has 85 goals and 239 points in 844 games.

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The Women’s Professional Soccer league said it has reached an agreement with a San Francisco-area investment group to operate a team for the debut season in 2009.

The league will have teams in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, New Jersey-New York, St. Louis and Washington.

The league plans to expand to Atlanta and Philadelphia in 2010.

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Fred led D.C. United to the U.S. Open Cup title and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League, scoring in the 50th minute to help the Major League Soccer team beat the Charleston Battery, 2-1, at Washington.

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UCLA announced that it will induct into its Athletics Hall of Fame Traci Arkenberg (women’s soccer), Peter Dalis (administration), Leah Homma (women’s gymnastics), Kurt Krumpholz (men’s swimming and water polo), Robert Seaman (men’s track and field), Jackie Tobian-Steinmann (women’s golf), Eric Turner (football) and Todd Zeile (baseball).

The induction ceremony is Oct. 3.