By Ethen Lieser
Dallas Mavericks forward Wang Zhizhi, the first Chinese national to play in the NBA, may not be able to return next season because of negotiations between his former team, the Bayi Rockets and the Mavericks. Wang, 23, made his NBA debut in March and averaged 4.8 points … Though Chinese basketball sensation Yao Ming, 20, couldn’t participate in the June 27 NBA Draft due to his commitments to the military and the Shanghai Sharks, look for the 7-foot-6 center to be the top pick in next year’s draft … New York Mets outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo went on the 15-day DL after he didn’t feel any improvements in his left quadricep since he strained it in pursuit of a foul ball on April 24. Shinjo said this is his first-ever muscle injury and estimated he’s running at 60 percent strength … The Montreal Expos put right-hander Hideki Irabu, 0-2 with a 4.86 ERA, on the 15-day DL because of a strained right elbow … Former French Open tennis champion Michael Chang made an appearance in London on behalf of Beijing, which is considered the frontrunner, along with Toronto, Paris and Osaka, to host the 2008 Olympics. Chang backs Beijing’s bid, saying China has changed and will change more if it wins. The International Olympic Committee will elect the host city July 13 in Moscow … Mi Hyun Kim finished eighth in the LPGA Championship at DuPont Country Club, seven shots behind tournament champion Karrie Webb … A $1.7 million mixed-team match involving Tiger Woods, David Duval, Annika Sorenstam and Webb will take place on July 30, which will air live on ABC … Eleven-year-old golfer Michelle Wie lost in the third-round of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. Wie, who will enter seventh grade in the fall, became the youngest player to qualify for a U.S. Golf Association women’s amateur event when she made the Public Links field last year … The Kansas City Royals traded right-handed reliever Mac Suzuki, 2-5 with a 5.30 ERA in 15 games, to the Colorado Rockies for catcher Brent Mayne … Ichiro Suzuki has taken over the lead in the A.L. batting race with a .352 average.
Reach Ethen Lieser at elieser@asianweek.com. |
