IN BRIEF
BASKETBALL
Talk of James leaving upsets Cavaliers owner
LeBron James might wear a New York Yankees hat everywhere from his hometown of Akron, Ohio, to Beijing, but Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert thinks rampant speculation that the superstar will leave Cleveland in two years is "an insult to the city."
Gilbert said James has given him no indication that he plans to leave for New York -- a city he has taken a liking to -- after his contract expires in 2010. He called the talk of his departure nothing more than conjecture from bored sports reporters.
"It's kind of an insult to the city of Cleveland, in my opinion -- an insult to the Midwest," Gilbert said Thursday.
James has two years left on a contract extension he signed with the Cavaliers in July 2006. He has said that he can't see himself playing anywhere else right now and has declined to address what will happen in two years.
Also: Allan Houston has signed with the New York Knicks and will attempt another comeback with his former team.
Houston is fourth on the Knicks' career scoring list. He signed a free-agent contract and will be in training camp next week with the team he led to the 1999 NBA Finals.
Forced to retire in 2005 because of knee pain, Houston briefly tried a comeback last year with the Knicks.
The Rockets matched the Charlotte Bobcats' three-year, $9 million offer sheet for restricted free-agent Carl Landry, keeping the 6-foot-9-inch forward in Houston.
The Rockets took less than 24 hours to make the move, leaving Charlotte still searching for frontcourt depth before the start of training camp.
Swingman Francisco Garcia agreed in principle to a multiyear contract extension with the Sacramento Kings.
Th 6-7 Garcia averaged 12.3 points and 2.9 rebounds last season as a key part of coach Reggie Theus' rotation, mostly as a reserve.
Lakers rookie Sun Yue has mononucleosis and is expected to miss the opening of Los Angeles' training camp next week.
Sun, who arrived from China on Sunday, was taken to the hospital Wednesday night after becoming ill, and he tested positive for mononucleosis. The Lakers said he's out indefinitely.
A point guard taken by the Lakers with the 40th pick in the NBA Draft, Sun has played three seasons for the Beijing Aoshen Olympians in the American Basketball Association.
Lisa Leslie had 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists to lead the host Los Angeles Sparks to an 85-70 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars in Game 1 of the WNBA's Western Conference finals.
The Sparks took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series, which resumes Saturday in San Antonio.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt had offseason shoulder surgery, not for a sports injury but because of a tussle with a raccoon.
The winningest basketball coach in NCAA history had problems with her right shoulder after dislocating it while chasing a raccoon poised to attack her Labrador retriever. The attack came near her home on March 5, days before the Southeastern Conference tournament.
A month later, Summitt guided the Lady Vols to their eighth NCAA title.
The contract of Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon was extended three seasons through 2015-16, a deal that came two years after his last extension.
Dixon will receive a raise from his $1.3 million salary of last season, when he was the university's highest-paid employee.
MISCELLANEOUS
Chinese gymnast says she misspoke her age
One of the Chinese gymnasts whose age has been called into question is blaming the discrepancy on a slip of the tongue.
International gymnastics officials have expanded their investigation into the eligibility of the Chinese women's team at the Beijing Olympics to include members of the 2000 squad, the bronze medalists in Sydney.
Yang Yun said in a June 2007 interview that aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 at the Sydney Games. But Yang, who won a bronze on uneven bars in Sydney, said that was a mistake.
Gymnasts must be 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible to compete.
"Everyone has misspoken before. On television shows, there are always slips of the tongue," Yang told The Associated Press, declining to comment further.
Also: Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has bought the operating rights for the Los Angeles Marathon and will switch the race from Sunday to Monday next year.
McCourt's newly formed company, Going the Distance, purchased the rights from Chicago-based Devine Racing Management. The City Council unanimously approved the transfer.
Next year's marathon, the 24th running of the event, will be moved from March 1 to Feb. 16, the Presidents Day holiday.
Devine Racing owns and operates the annual Las Vegas Marathon.
Brazilian Vitor Meira, the Indy Racing League's most experienced nonwinner, will drive for A.J. Foyt Racing in the 2009 IndyCar Series.
The 31-year-old Meira, who has a series-record 93 career starts without a victory, drove the past three years for Panther Racing, which this week hired former Indianapolis 500 and IRL champion Dan Wheldon.
Former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson won't face charges for two alcohol-related arrests this year, Texas officials said.
Two Dallas-area grand juries declined to indict Benson on charges of boating while intoxicated, resisting arrest and driving while intoxicated.
UCLA fullback Trevor Theriot will have surgery for a torn ligament in his right knee and miss the rest of the season.
An MRI exam revealed the injury. Theriot, a redshirt junior, hurt the knee in practice Wednesday.
The UNLV volleyball team posted its third consecutive victory, defeating Texas Christian 21-25, 25-20, 25-22, 26-24 at Cox Pavilion.
Jessica Walters led the Rebels (8-6, 2-0 Mountain West Conference) with 19 kills, Melody Nua logged 43 assists and Camille Cunningham had 21 digs.
The Horned Frogs (12-3, 1-1) have lost the last seven meetings.
The UNLV women's soccer team (8-2-1) scored three goals in a 13-minute span of the second half in a 3-1 victory over Northern Colorado (5-6) at Peter Johann Memorial Field.
Ashleigh Shoughro, Niki Connolly and Brianna Moore scored for the Rebels.
