NBA
Nuggets executive joins the Kings’ court in Sacramento
The Sacramento Kings hired Denver executive Pete D’Alessandro as their new general manager Saturday.
D’Alessandro will replace the departing Geoff Petrie, a team official confirmed on condition of anonymity because there has not been a formal announcement yet.
New owner Vivek Ranadive already has hired Mike Malone as the team’s new coach and was looking to replace Petrie, who ran the basketball operations for the Kings since 1994. Petrie’s contract expires at the end of the month and he is helping the new regime prepare for the draft.
D’Alessandro was executive vice president of basketball operations in Denver. The Nuggets already lost general manager Masai Ujiri to Toronto this offseason and coach George Karl also was let go despite leading the team to a franchise-record 57 wins this season before a first-round playoff loss to Golden State.
Auto Racing
Danny Hamlin changes paint scheme to honor Jason Leffler
BROOKLYN, Mich. – Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota changed its paint scheme for Sunday’s race at Michigan to the one that was used when Jason Leffler drove the car in 2005.
The tribute paint scheme was Hamlin’s idea and approved by Joe Gibbs Racing and sponsor FedEx following Leffler’s death Wednesday in an accident at a dirt track in New Jersey. He was 37.
“He was the reason FedEx came into the sport and it just made sense,” Hamlin said. “We asked the sponsor if it was good, and Joe Gibbs Racing found someone Saturday evening to get somebody here and get it done.”
Hamlin finished 30th Sunday.
Leffler drove 19 Sprint Cup Series in 2005 with JGR as it launched the No. 11 as its third team.
NHL
Hockey’s MVP says broken left foot is healing well
WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin said his broken left foot is healing well after playing almost three full games on it last month.
The Washington Capitals’ captain, who won his third Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP, sustained a hairline fracture in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the New York Rangers. He did not miss any time, playing in Game 7 the next night and then at the world championship days later.
Ovechkin did not have an MRI until after playing for Russia in Stockholm.
NFL
Putin denies stealing Kraft’s Super Bowl ring in 2005
LONDON – Russian President Vladimir Putin is denying insinuations that he stole New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl ring that’s on display in the Kremlin but said he’s ready to buy Kraft another ring as a gift.
Putin was reacting Sunday through a spokesman to a New York Post story quoting remarks made by Kraft at an awards gala at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel last Thursday.
“I took out the ring and showed it to (Putin). And he put it on and he goes, ‘I can kill someone with this ring,’” Kraft said, as quoted by the Post. “I put my hand out, and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out.”
The diamond-encrusted Super Bowl ring worth about $25,000.
Cycling
By 21 seconds, Rui Costa sprints to Tour de Suisse title
FLUMSERBERG, Switzerland – Rui Costa of Portugal kept his Tour de Suisse title Sunday after winning the final stage by 21 seconds.
The Movistar rider finished the 16.7-mile time trial in 51 minutes, 56 seconds, holding off Tanel Kangert of Spain and the Netherlands’ Bauke Mollema. Costa finished 1:02 ahead of Mollema overall.
Switzerland’s Mathias Frank began the final stage in the lead but finished fifth after coming 19th in the stage.
Associated Press
