Charitable Charles scores big in Tahoe

Charles Barkley's golf game is not very hot, but his popularity rages around Lake Tahoe.

The NBA Hall of Famer has stolen the headlines leading up to the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament July 17 to 19 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

But it's for his philanthropy, certainly not his golf swing.

For the second straight year, Barkley has made a sizable contribution to help victims of the 2007 Angora Fire in the area. His donation of $90,000 backed up the $100,000 he gave a year ago.

While the contributions endeared Chuckles to the community, he remains a long -- and likely sliced -- shot to win the 54-hole tournament.

Barkley was recently featured on the Golf Channel with noted coach Hank Haney, who counts Tiger Woods among his students. Haney was able to improve the odds of Barkley winning the event.

A year ago, Barkley was a 500-1 pick at Harrah's sports book, and this year his odds have improved to 499-1.

Former pitcher Rich Rhoden, a seven-time winner of the charity event featuring current and former athletes, is again favored to win.

• "LITTLE DEATH" -- Alberto Jimenez, 35, competed as a midget wrestler under the moniker "Little Death." He wasn't expecting a wild night of partying to make that nickname permanent.

The popular grappler on the Mexican circuit and his twin brother and tag-team partner, Alejandro Jimenez, were found dead in a low-rent hotel last week near the Arena Mexico wrestling mecca in Mexico City. Police officials say they were drugged and robbed by two women, believed to be prostitutes, the twins had picked up in a hotel bar.

Prosecutor Miguel Angel Mancera said gangs of female robbers are experienced at using drugs to knock out men and rob them, but they might have used too strong a dose on the 4-foot-1-inch duo.

Tearful mini-wrestlers donned their costumes to form an honor guard at the funeral.

• NIKE REJECTS DUNK -- It's rare when anyone dunks on LeBron James, especially a college sophomore. And during the LeBron James Skills Academy.

If it happened -- as it apparently did Monday -- we might never see definitive proof because a Nike official allegedly confiscated two videotapes.

CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish reports that Xavier's Jordan Crawford jammed a two-handed dunk over the NBA Most Valuable Player during a pickup game in Akron, Ohio.

"I went around somebody else and he was under the rim waiting for me," Crawford, a 6-4 guard, told Cincinnati.com. "I don't think (James) said anything. I really didn't do anything, either, just went back on defense. I really didn't realize what I did until later on when everyone was talking about it."

Freelance photographer Ryan Miller was among the cameramen shooting the game. He told Parrish that Nike basketball senior director Lynn Merritt stepped in and said, "We have to take your tape."

Another cameraman's tape also was confiscated, Miller said.

COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL.