The Shanghai Administration of Sports prior to Friday’s Lakers-Warriors game at the Mercedes-Benz Arena recognized NBA Commissioner DAVID STERN with the Shanghai Sports Honorary Award. The award is given to individuals who have contributed to the development of sports in Shanghai. Stern, the first non-Chinese citizen to receive the award, was honored for his contributions to basketball development and his vision for bringing NBA games to the city (THE DAILY).
SMART WATER: Virginia Commonwealth Univ. men's basketball coach SHAKA SMART signed a new contract that will keep him at the school through '28 "should he choose to stay in his current job." Smart’s new contract with VCU, signed Oct. 11, "keeps his base salary at $450,000 per season." But his supplemental income "increases in the first year to $950,000, up from $800,000 in his previous contract." Smart’s supplemental income increases to $1M "in the second year of the new contract." His contract "is for 10 years," from '13 through '23. But in the "first five years of the deal, the contract automatically extends by one year, taking it to 2028" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 10/18).
NAMES: Bills Owner RALPH WILSON turned 95 on Thursday and celebrated in his suburban Detroit home with Bills President & CEO RUSS BRANDON (BUFFALONEWS.com, 10/17)....Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT and girlfriend RICKI LANDER attended a benefit this week in N.Y. for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/18). Kraft also "prepared lunch" Thursday at the Women's Lunch Place Shelter in Boston (BOSTON HERALD, 10/18)....The Univ. of Maryland's Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism named ESPN News Editor CLAIRE SMITH the inaugural winner of the Sam Lacy-Wendell Smith Award for making significant contributions to racial and gender equality in sports (UMD)....Twins C JOE MAUER on Thursday attended the "culmination of the Gallons for Good program, which will provide school supplies to 4,000 children in need in Minnesota and Wisconsin through a donation to the Kids in Need Foundation" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 10/17).
