SPORTS CHINA DAILY THURSDAY MARCH 8, 2007 23

TOPSHOT

Spurs star guard Parker Shaq still able to be ‘the baddest’ doubtful for road swing SAN ANTONIO, Texas: French guard Tony Parker is doubtful for the remainder of the San Antonio ’s hopes for 2007 season Spurs’ road trip because of linger- ing pain for a left hip fl exor strain rest on charismatic 35-year-old center he suffered last week. Parker missed Tuesday’s game at MIAMI: Shaquille O’Neal, carrying plateau. Portland and is expected to be out of the injury-riddled Miami Heat’s title Internationally, O’Neal helped the Thursday’s game at Sacramento be- repeat hopes on his massive shoul- US capture the 1994 world title and cause of the injury suffered during ders, celebrated his 35th birthday 1996 Olympic crown. a victory last Friday over Orlando, on Tuesday having backed up his O’Neal, who sports a Superman the San Antonio Express-News claim to be “the baddest” man in logo tattoo and a fi st-in-palm tattoo reported on Tuesday. . claiming “The World Is Mine”, has “When he’s ready, he’ll be ready,” “Shaq” missed more than two gone beyond the court to make a Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. months of the National Basketball legacy for himself. “I don’t even think about it. When Association (NBA) season with an He has released rap albums, most they tell me he’s ready, then he’s injured left knee but the superstar notably talking about how his father ready.” center who has played on four NBA turned his back on the family, and Parker, who skipped a practice ses- championship clubs has been improv- starred in such fi lms as “Blue Chips” sion, is not someone the Spurs wish ing since his January return. as a basketball player, “Kazaam” to have return too fast for fear he O’Neal scored a season-high 31 as a genie and “Steel” as an iconic might make the injury worse. points and added 15 rebounds in an superhero. 85-82 victory last week over Eastern Later this year, O’Neal is set to Kapono adds to Miami Heat’s Conference leader Detroit and his 14 star in a reality television show injury woes points and nine rebounds on Monday about his larger-than-life life. The MIAMI: The Miami Heat’s NBA helped the Heat down Atlanta 88-81. six-episode series reportedly will title defence suffered another After 14 NBA seasons, O’Neal can deal with his efforts to combat blow when forward still back up tough talk, taking ad- childhood obesity. was sidelined indefi nitely with a vantage when teams fail to put two Last September, O’Neal launched a sprained ankle, the NBA team said defenders upon his massive 7-foot US real estate fi rm with nationwide on Tuesday. frame. plans. The O’Neal Group has such With all-star guard “I take it personal when people projects as a three-tower complex out indefinitely due to a dislocat- don’t double me,” O’Neal said. in downtown Miami with 1,100 ed shoulder, Kapono had his an- At 30-29, the Heat’s record ranks condominiums, a hotel, office and kle placed in cast yesterday and sixth in the East and second in the entertainment area. will be re-assessed in 10 days. Southeast division, 3 1/2 games be- O’Neal was made a police offi cer Kapono, who won the three-point hind Washington. in December of 2005, three months shootout at NBA All-Star week- “We just want to win as many after helping offi cers capture a man end, sustained the injury during games as possible and hope the accused of a hate crime, and has the third quarter of Miami’s win teams ahead of us continue to slide,” been involved with law-enforcement over Atlanta on Monday when fell O’Neal said. on several occassions. awkwardly on team mate James But the Heat have struggled to stay In January, O’Neal helped police Posey. healthy. Dwayne Wade, the star guard apprehend a hit-and-run driver who In 58 games this season, Ka- who was the 2006 NBA Finals Most struck the superstar’s new car. pono has averaged 11.1 points, Valuable Player, is out with a dislo- Last September, O’Neal was part 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 26.4 cated shoulder and Jason Kapono of a botched police raid in Virginia, minutes. sprained his left ankle in the victory where he is also a reserve deputy. Po- over Atlanta. lice burst into the home of a suspected Bears deal top rusher Thomas Older than his glory days with pornographer only to learn they had Jones to Jets the and titles the wrong address. CHICAGO: Thomas Jones, who ran from 2000-2002, O’Neal nonetheless In an era when such stars as Allen for 1,210 yards on 296 carries last combined with Wade to make a state- Iverson and Shaq’s former Lakers year and helped the Chicago Bears ment about his value last season and teammate Kobe Bryant have had reach the Super Bowl, was traded to is turning back the clock with top notable run-ins with the law, O’Neal the New York Jets on Tuesday in a form lately. is the law and enjoys working with National Football League deal. “He’s got to decide what the number children and community projects. The teams swapped second-round one factor is in his life right now?” So what worlds remain to conquer selections in next month’s NFL Heat coach said. “Obviously, as Shaq nears the end of his glorious Draft, the Bears now picking 37th it’s got to be basketball. career? overall and the Jets now owning the “It’s about his legacy. It’s about how O’Neal has hinted he might like 63rd choice. he carries this team now, what he to follow retired superstar Michael Jones, 28, shared time in the Bears’ does as a leader and how he plays.” Jordan into the NBA management backfi eld with Cedric Benson, who Last week, O’Neal scored 20 and ownership ranks, saying at last ran for 647 yards and matched points in a 99-93 loss to New York month’s All-Star Game that he would Jones with six touchdowns, as to surpass 25,000 career points and love to run a franchise in party-town the duo powered Chicago into the become the top scorer among active . Super Bowl for the fi rst time in 21 NBA players. “If this town ever gets a team, I years. O’Neal is only the seventh player want to be GM, president and part- The Bears lost to Indianapolis in last in NBA history to have 25,000 points owner.” month’s championship game and and 10,000 rebounds and was the will now rely on Benson while Jones 14th in history to reach the 25,000 AFP Shaquille O’Neal Reuters becomes the featured rusher the Jets had sought. Jones has rushed for 5,384 yards and 34 touchdowns in 100 career NFL games. Raptors’ surprise turnaround given int’l fl avor ONTV

BASKETBALL Nesterovic and Uros Slokar. Washington whipped Toronto 129- 22.8 points a game, but Bargnani need some time to become a team,” STAR SPORTS ASIA Mitchell’s team may lead the 109 on Tuesday but the plans hatched (11.1 points), Garbajosa (8.5 points) said Bargnani, who led Benetton to 10:00 Italian Serie A: Cagliari Vs WASHINGTON: Despite coaching a league in languages spoken in the by Mitchell and General Manager and Calderon (5.1 assists) are making Italy’s Lega A Championship a year Atalanta youthful team packed locker room but that has not affected to stockpile inter- signifi cant contributions. ago. “We just have to learn to play 12:00 Extreme Programming with international players, Sam Mitch- their results. national talent have been a success. “From the fi rst day of practice all together. Basketball is basketball. It Sports Max ell knows the time to win is now. “It’s the same as coaching a guy “It’s never been an issue for us,” he cared about was winning,” said doesn’t matter where you’re from.” 13:00 Golf Golf Focus “As a coach I can’t afford to think if he was from Mississippi, Alabama, Mitchell said. “Bryan and I never Garbajosa, a 29-year-old first-year Mitchell said he has had no prob- 13:30 The Top Corner it will take years to build a winner,” Georgia, New York, Wisconsin,” thought about that when we put this Raptor who played seven seasons in lem communicating with the inter- 14:00 Table Tennis Mitchell told reporters. “If it’s going Mitchell told reporters. “It’s no dif- team together. We never thought about the Spanish pro leagues and four in national players and if they failed 14:30 Golf Asian Tour Clariden to take years, it will be for somebody ferent. They’re basketball players.” where people were from. We thought, Italy. “He didn’t care if you were from to understand him in practice it was Leu Singapore Masters Day One else. I’ll be gone.” The Raptors’ turnaround is all-the- ‘Could they help our basketball team?’ Spain, Italy or wherever. He said it’s probably his own doing. 17:30 Soccer The Football Quiz The Raptors are one of the biggest more remarkable considering only four “We wanted to know what kind of all about winning.” “Their English is fine. If I said Carlsberg Kickoff surprises of the season, leading the players were with the club a year ago. man they were. Are they going to fi t Bargnani, a 21-year-old seven- something they didn’t get it was 18:00 Wrestling Atlantic Division with a roster fea- Toronto (32-29) is mired in a modest in with what we do, the fabric of our footer, said despite differences be- because I’m from the South and my 19:00 Equestrian World turing Spaniards three-game losing streak but consider- team? Those are the questions.” tween the NBA and European game English isn’t that good,” he said. 19:30 Golf Asian Tour Weekly and Jose Calderon, Italian Andrea ing they were 27-55 last season, Raptors All-Star forward is the they were all just basketball players. 20:00 Nokia Football Crazy Bargnani, and Slovenians Rasho fans have little to complain about. undisputed team leader, averaging “We have nine new players so we Agencies 21:00 UEFA Champions League 2006/07 23:00 Tennis Australian Open Highlights ESPN China Hamilton ready to become leader of F1’s Brit Pack 10:30 Winter X-Games 12:00 Soccer Goals! MOTOR SPORTS bean driver, his debut is probably team at the right place at the right quoted by the Autosport website 12:30 Tiger FC Locker Room the most eagerly-awaited of any in time. His only obstacle may be the two (www.autosport.com) this week as 13:00 UEFA Champions League LONDON: Lewis Hamilton will be recent years. Ferraris and his teammate. saying they were already planning a 2006/07 the youngest and least experienced Honda’s Button, 27, took his fi rst “I watched him in the GP2 race (at big upgrade for the second round of 17:00 Sports Center of four Britons on the Formula One win last season in Hungary after 113 Silverstone) last year and you would the season in Malaysia. 17:01 UEFA Champions League starting grid this season but the most starts without success but his team certainly be daft to discount him as “At the moment we are ahead of Red 2006/07 likely to win. have been off the pace in testing. a grand prix winner.” Bull and Toyota but behind the rest,” 19:00 Tiger FC Locker Room So says Damon Hill, Britain’s last Red Bull’s David Coulthard, now McLaren, without a win last year he said. “It will be a massive strug- 19:30 Sport News world champion with Williams in the oldest driver on the grid at the for the fi rst time in a decade, and gle to get into Q3 (the third session 20:00 Nokia Football Crazy 1996 and now president of the Brit- age of 35, won 13 races with Wil- Ferrari have been the big guns in of qualifying).” 21:00 Tiger FC Locker Room ish Racing Drivers’ Club. liams and McLaren but his chances the ‘phoney war’ before the fi rst race If Honda appear to be struggling, 21:30 Soccer Goals! “Lewis is almost certainly going of adding to that tally look increas- and are expected to be the main con- then so too do Coulthard’s Red Bull 22:00 Sports Center to win a grand prix this year,” he ingly remote. tenders in the title battle. with championship-winning designer 22:30 Soccer UEFA Champions told reporters at a Silverstone ‘Back Briton Anthony Davidson, 27, is em- Hamilton is unlikely to win any Adrian Newey’s fi rst car for the team League 2006/07 the Brits’ briefi ng on Tuesday ahead barking on his fi rst full season with straight fi ght with his teammate but failing to produce instant magic. of the Australian season-opener on last year’s tail-enders Super Aguri af- there could well be occasions where Davidson’s Super Aguri failed to CCTV 5 March 18. ter failing to fi nish his three previous the Spaniard is sidelined and the score a point last season and their 09:35 CBA Playoffs “There’s a pattern that develops race starts with now-defunct Minardi youngster can take advantage. new car, although yet to be unveiled, 11:00 Asian Champions League in grand prix racing and after a few and Honda in 2002 and 2005. is already contentious with rivals 12:00 Sports News years you recognise it and I think Honda gloom muttering about it resembling too 12:30 World Snooker Champion- it has to be Lewis Hamilton at the Right place Button, ecstatic last August to have closely the Honda that Button drove ships moment who fi ts that template,” he No other country has more driv- secured his breakthrough win at last, to victory in Hungary. 14:05 Spanish football league added when asked who was the most ers, although Germany also has four, had high hopes before Honda’s new “We know we won’t have the fastest highlights likely of the quartet to follow in his and Britain has not had so many at Lewis Hamilton car hit the track but they have been car out there but it should be a bit of an 16:00 Libertadores Cup 5th footsteps. a season’s start since 2002 when thoroughly dampened by the testing improvement,” Davidson told report- round highlights “But I know Jenson (Button) is not Coulthard and Button were joined by He has been on the pace from day times. ers in London last week. 18:00 Sports News going to take that lying down.” Allan McNish and Eddie Irvine. one and is well-groomed by team boss “It may well be a case that we look “Hopefully we’ll be in a position 18:35 Olympic City Tour Hamilton, 22, will be making his But it is Hamilton, impressive win- Ron Dennis to handle the intense me- back at Jenson’s career and say it was where we might be able to score a 19:30 European Champion fi rst grand prix appearance in Mel- ner of the GP2 support series last year dia pressure he faces in Australia. screwed up at the beginning because point or two. That would be fantastic League bourne as teammate to double cham- and a long-term McLaren protege who “Jenson we know can win grands of being wrongly advised or with the for everybody and that’s really got to 21:30 Sports World pion Fernando Alonso at McLaren. has been successful at every level so prix now and Honda are always wrong team,” said Hill. be the ultimate goal.” 22:06 My Olympics Variously described as Formula far, who is really getting the fans knocking on the door,” said Hill. Honda’s senior technical di- 22:15 Football Night One’s first black or Anglo-Carib- excited. “But I think Lewis is in the right rector Shuhei Nakamoto was Agencies 23:50 Sports Lottery