- Tuesday, May 3, 2011

BASKETBALL

Bulls guard Rose becomes NBA’s youngest MVP

CHICAGO | Bulls star Derrick Rose was named the NBA’s MVP on Tuesday, becoming the youngest player in league history to win the award.

He ended the two-year MVP reign of the Miami Heat’s LeBron James. Rose, 22, also supplanted Wes Unseld as the youngest MVP.

He was 23 was the rookie of the year and MVP with Baltimore Bullets for the 1968-69 season.

Rose averaged 25 points and 7.7 assists while while guiding the Bulls to a 62-20 record that earned them the top seed in the NBA playoffs.

He ranked seventh in scoring and 10th in assists, making him the only player this season in the top 10 in both categories.

The only other Bulls player to do that was Michael Jordan in 1988-89, when he led the league in scoring (32.5 points) and finished 10th in assists.

FOOTBALL

Steelers RB Mendenhall posts controversial bin Laden tweets

PITTSBURGH | Rashard Mendenhall has created a stir with comments made on his official Twitter page regarding Osama bin Laden’s death.

The Pittsburgh Steelers running back tweeted Monday: “What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side…”

Mendenhall didn’t hold back, even making a reference to the Sept. 11 attacks.

“We’ll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style.”

The Steelers felt compelled to act. On Tuesday, team president Art Rooney II released a statement.

“I have not spoken with Rashard, so it is hard to explain or even comprehend what he meant with his recent Twitter comments. The entire Steelers organization is very proud of the job our military personnel have done.”

TENNIS

Sampras, Agassi, Chang, Courier slated to play in D.C.

Four American tennis greats are headed to Washington this fall as part of the Champions Series schedule announced Tuesday.

Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Michael Chang and Jim Courier are set to play in a one-night event Sept. 23 at Verizon Center. The four will face off in one-set singles semifinals scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., with the winners playing an eight-game pro set for the championship at 9 p.m.

The D.C. stop is one of 12 on this season’s schedule, which runs from Sept. 22-Oct. 22. The top three players at the end of the schedule will split a bonus pool worth $1 million.

MEDIA

Pac-10 secures 12-year TV deal, will start its own network

SAN FRANCISCO | The Pac-10 agreed to a 12-year television contract with Fox and ESPN on Tuesday worth about $3 billion, allowing the conference to quadruple its media rights fees and start its own network.

The contract, which will begin with the 2012-13 season, will be worth about $250 million per year, guaranteeing each of the 12 schools in the conference about $21 million, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. The contract is expected to be announced at a news conference in Phoenix on Wednesday.

TENNIS

Serena Williams’ alleged stalker arrested near her home

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. | Authorities have arrested a man on charges of stalking tennis star Serena Williams after he tried to enter her gated subdivision in South Florida.

Palm Beach Gardens Police said Patenema Ouedraogo, 40, tried to walk into the subdivision Monday night. Security guards asked Ouedraogo for his driver’s license and found he had been named by Williams as a suspected stalker.

Williams’ attorney, Malcom Cunningham, said he recently filed an injunction against Ouedraogo after he tried to contact Williams three times.

From wire dispatches and staff reports

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