Digest

BASKETBALL

Grant lashes out at MJ over Last Dance 'lies'

Horace Grant, who won three NBA championship rings with the Chicago Bulls, wasn't pleased with the way he was portrayed by former teammate Michael Jordan in ESPN's The Last Dance documentary.

The 10-episode series, which focused on the 1990s Bulls in general and Jordan in particular, concluded its run on Sunday night on ESPN.

In the documentary, Jordan alleged that Grant was the source of Sam Smith's book The Jordan Rules, which painted Jordan in an unflattering light.

Grant responded on Tuesday in an interview with Chicago's ESPN 1000 radio: "Lie, lie, lie.... If MJ had a grudge with me, let's settle this like men. Let's talk about it. Or we can settle it another way. But yet and still, he goes out and puts this lie out that I was the source behind (the book).

"Sam and I have always been great friends. We're still great friends. But the sanctity of that locker room, I would never put anything personal out there. The mere fact that Sam Smith was an investigative reporter. That he had to have two sources, two, to write a book, I guess. Why would MJ just point me out?"

WNBA teams given deadline to cut rosters

WNBA teams will have to get their rosters down to 12 by May 26 so players can get paid starting on June 1, a source familiar with the situation told Associated Press.

The source spoke to AP on condition of anonymity on Tuesday night because the roster deadline had not been officially announced.

The league and the players' union are still working out many details of how often players will get paid and how much. Those negotiations largely depend on the length and start date of the season.

Players who are waived over the next week won't get paid, but they will receive benefits through June 30, the source told AP. The WNBA offered rookies health benefits starting May 1. Veteran players receive year-round benefits. Teams usually have to cut their rosters down to 12 before the regular season begins, which would have been this past weekend.

SOCCER

Six EPL players test positive for COVID-19

The English Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that six players and club staff have tested positive for coronavirus, including players from Watford and Burnley.

Later, Burnley revealed that their assistant manager Ian Woan, who is asymptomatic, had tested positive.

The Premier League said that a total of 748 players and club staff were tested on Sunday and Monday.

"Of these, six have tested positive from three clubs," an EPL statement read. "Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days. The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and oversight."

The Premier League clubs have been given the green light to start small-group training from Tuesday.

TENNIS

Italian ace criticizes player relief fund

Matteo Berrettini thinks tennis players should not be put in a position where they have to provide financial aid to fellow professionals and it should be the responsibility of those governing the sport, the Italian world No 8 has said.

World No 1 Novak Djokovic had urged players to contribute to a fund set up by the sport's governing bodies to help the lower-ranked professionals affected by the tennis shutdown which began in March and will continue at least until end of July.

"I took a moment to reflect on my priorities, not because I don't respect the other players, because I believe that no player－in any kind of sports－should be put in the position of helping another player financially," Berrettini told Eurosport Italy's Call-azione show.

"I think that this responsibility belongs to the federations, ITF, ATP, WTA... they are the ones who make tournaments happen, and us, the players, pay them back with our performances.

"They have to take care of us. The real problem is deeper."

The governing bodies recently raised over $6 million to help the lower-level players, who depend solely on tournament winnings to earn their living, during the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The International Tennis Federation, which operates the second-tier men's and women's tours, is working on additional measures, including a new relief fund, to help players ranked between 501 and 700, and are not covered by other relief programs.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

NFL pair plead not guilty in robbery case

New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar pleaded not guilty to all charges against them stemming from last week's alleged armed robbery in Miramar, Florida.

Bradford Cohen, Baker's attorney, filed the written pleas to Broward County Circuit Court on Monday, a day after Baker was released from jail on $200,000 bond. Baker requested a trial by jury, although it was reported that no court dates were set.

Dunbar's attorney, Michael Grieco, told the Seattle Times that he filed not-guilty pleas on Tuesday on behalf of his client.

Baker, 22, faces four charges of armed robbery and four charges of aggravated assault. Dunbar, 27, is charged with four counts of armed robbery. He also was released Sunday morning, on $100,000 bond.

Witnesses told police that the pair stole money and watches while armed with a semi-automatic gun at a house in Miramar last week. Both men turned themselves in on Saturday. The attorneys for both men have said their clients are innocent, citing affidavits signed by witnesses.

Xinhua - Agencies