Bulls Chair JERRY REINSDORF was "humbled and a bit surprised" by being named to the Basketball HOF. He said, "On an individual level, this would be the highest [honor]. But the important thing about being in sports is to win championships. So I’d say the World Series (with the White Sox in 2005) and six championships would be tied for number one and this would come behind it because it’s just a personal accomplishment" (CSNCHICAGO.com, 4/4). In Chicago, David Haugh writes if Reinsdorf belongs in the HOF, "so does" former Bulls GM JERRY KRAUSE. Haugh: "Reinsdorf arguably will go down as the best owner in Chicago sports history ... but I always figured Krause should beat him to the basketball hall." The amount of credit Krause received "always was obscured by his unpopularity among fans and many notable people he worked with, namely MICHAEL JORDAN and PHIL JACKSON" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/5).
COURT REPORT: Pelicans and Saints Owner TOM BENSON's former assistant RODNEY HENRY yesterday "failed to reach an agreement" after meeting with a federal judge for more than two hours in Henry's lawsuit "alleging racial discrimination and demanding backpay." Benson and his wife GAYLE, who was also named in the lawsuit, "didn't attend" (NOLA.com, 4/4).
GAME ON: EPL club Arsenal investor ALISHER USMANOV, who invested $100M in e-sports last year, is "seeing the money put to work as the company he backs, ESforce, attempts to dominate the growing sport in eastern Europe." ESforce is hosting eastern Europe’s biggest online-game tournament next month, having "lined up Western sponsors and players." It is also spending $5M to "build an e-sports arena in Moscow for local competitions and buying content rights" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/5).
NAMES: T'Wolves G ZACH LAVINE yesterday was on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new kitchen for the Metro Deaf School in St. Paul,, which "was paid for in part by the money LaVine won" for his victory in the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest (AP, 4/4)....The Dolphins yesterday hosted their first annual Cancer Challenge golf tournament at Turnberry Isle Resort in Miami, joining the team’s “years-long Cycling Challenge, held in February, and the FamilyFest, held in the fall, in the lineup of events designed to benefit” the Univ. of Miami's Sylvester Cancer Center. More than 120 golfers participated, including Pro Football HOFer DAN MARINO, Dolphins C MIKE POUNCEY, former NFLer CORNELIUS BENNETT and former NBAers SHANE BATTIER and RICHARD HAMILTON (SUNSENTINEL.com, 4/4)....K.C. Star sports reporter BLAIR KERKHOFF yesterday was inducted into the USBWA HOF (KCSTAR.com, 4/4)....Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist ED GRANEY yesterday was named USBWA President. Graney will “serve a one-year term” (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 4/4)....WWE wrestler THE BIG SHOW and PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH yesterday attended Mariners-Rangers at Globe Life Park (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 4/4).
