in brief

Rockets’ Yao says he might
retire if foot doesn’t fully heal

Houston Rockets star center Yao Ming is considering quitting basketball after next season if he doesn’t fully recover from a lingering foot injury.

In comments to Chinese state media Monday, Yao sounded far from optimistic about his future. “If the foot injury does not heal next season, I might choose to call it quits,” he said.

Yao, who turns 30 in September, missed last season after foot surgery. He will return to the Rockets after deciding not to opt out of the final year of his contract.

Yao, who was in China for charity events and remains wildly popular in his country, all but ruled out playing in the 2012 London Olympics.

Also: With New Orleans Hornets star point guard Chris Paul under contract, the NBA on Tuesday sent a memo to owners and general managers reminding them of tampering restrictions and specifically warned them about illegal contact with Paul, according to a person familiar with the document.

The memo pointed out that teams interested in Paul must have approval from the Hornets before talking to him or his representatives. Any team found in violation faces up to a $5 million fine.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Jonny Flynn might miss the start of the regular season after having successful surgery on his left hip in Colorado. The typical recovery time is three to four months, the team said.

The Portland Trail Blazers hired longtime coaching veteran Bernie Bickerstaff as an assistant on coach Nate McMillan’s staff. Bickerstaff had spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Chicago Bulls.

Further testing revealed that West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins broke seven ribs — not four — in a hotel room fall Friday in Las Vegas, where he was watching high school summer league tournaments. He remains hospitalized but should be released soon, a university spokesman said.

miscellaneous

NASCAR’s Roush stable after
crashing plane during landing

NASCAR team owner Jack Roush was in serious but stable condition after walking away from a plane crash during landing at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis.

“There are injuries. Possible surgery,” Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith said in a text message to The Associated Press. “But he walked out of the plane.”

Smith confirmed that the plane belonged to Roush and he was flying it. Roush, an aviation buff, was attending the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture. A woman was on board and suffered “nonlife-threatening injuries,” according to an EAA statement.

In 2002, Roush crashed a plane into a pond in Alabama and was rescued by a former Marine who lived nearby.

Also: The New York Rangers and longtime Los Angeles Kings forward Alexander Frolov agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $3 million. The 28-year-old winger, who spent his first seven NHL seasons with Los Angeles, has scored more than 20 goals five times — including two 30-goal seasons — but is coming off a disappointing season in which he had 19 goals and 32 assists in 81 games.

The Los Angeles Kings signed left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky to a one-year contract worth $3 million. Ponikarovsky scored 21 goals last season with Toronto and Pittsburgh, and the forward from Ukraine has scored at least 20 goals in four of the past five seasons.

Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer is recovering from an ankle injury that will sideline the 3-year-old colt for the rest of the year. He is expected to return to training in 60 to 90 days and run again in 2011.