Spanish Basketball League (ACB) club Bilbao Basket player SHAWN JAMES "did not travel to France with his teammates" because of a "personal decision." His club will play French team JSF Nanterre on Tuesday. Bilbao coach SITO ALONSO said, "James is not traveling because of a personal decision respected by the club. We would like him to be there, but we can't take responsibility for arriving there and not having security" (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 11/16). ... After 17 years as the announcer of Olympique de Lyon, DOMINIQUE GRÉGOIRE “will no longer be the voice of the Grand Stade.” The 64-year-old was the “best speaker of the league” in Ligue 1 for the ’13-14 season. Grégoire will be replaced by JOFFREY DASSONVILLE, whose first match as the club’s announcer will be on Jan. 9 against Troyes (L’ÉQUIPE, 11/16). ... In September, Barcelona player NEYMAR had €42M ($44.9M) worth of assets frozen in Brazil for "tax evasion." His appeal of that decision "has now been rejected." The Brazilian tax authorities claim that Neymar failed to declare roughly €14M in tax between '11 and '13. That figure was "tripled in line with Brazilian law on asset seizures in such instances." Following "this setback, Neymar and his family are likely to take the matter to Brazil's Superior Court of Justice (STJ)" (MARCA, 11/16). ... NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises announced that it has secured the services of football announcer ANDRÉS CANTOR through the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The multi-year extension ensures that Cantor will serve as lead broadcaster and play-by-play announcer for Telemundo and NBC Universo, including the upcoming Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup (NBC). ... Former Dutch football player JOHAN CRUYFF "is to stop working as an advisor" to Dutch Eredivisie side Ajax Amsterdam "as a power struggle over the approach to the game continues to rumble at the club." Cruyff said that his vision to improve Ajax's youth structure "is no longer being implemented and wants his name and any connection removed from a playing and development philosophy he has led for years." It follows last week's removal of former Dutch int'l WIM JONK "as head of youth development at Ajax" (REUTERS, 11/16). ... Signed football boots designed for the final games of STEVEN GERRARD's Liverpool career "have sold on eBay" for more than £40,000 ($60,800). There were a total of 185 bids for the boots, which were provided by podcast "The Anfield Wrap" to raise money for the British Red Cross European Refugee Crisis Appeal. The winning bid stood at £40,200 ($61,100) (London MIRROR, 11/16).
