A crowd "estimated at 500 people filed into the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception" in Denver yesterday to "remember" late Broncos Owner PAT BOWLEN. The service, which "lasted less than 90 minutes and was closed to the media, featured comments by all seven of Bowlen’s children." Bowlen’s widow, ANNABEL, was also in attendance. Among the NFL owners who attended were Giants' JOHN MARA, Cowboys' JERRY JONES, Falcons' ARTHUR BLANK, Colts' JIM IRSAY, Steelers' ART ROONEY II and Rams' STAN KROENKE. A post-funeral reception was "held at Cherry Hills Country Club" (DENVER POST, 6/25).
Basketball courts in N.Y., Philadelphia, Cleveland were unlocked as part of the Go Hoop Day festivitiesCHRIS PAUL
GAME ON: Participants ranging from 6-12 "flocked around" Rockets G CHRIS PAUL during his Go Hoop Day youth basketball clinic at a South L.A. school on Sunday. Basketball courts in N.Y., Philadelphia, Cleveland and other cities around the nation were "unlocked on Sunday with sponsors" such as Spalding, the NBPA and Jordan Brand as part of the Go Hoop Day festivities. Wizards F TREVOR ARIZA and WNBA Las Vegas Aces F TAMERA YOUNG "joined Paul on the court at the clinic, helping participants with their shooting and taking pictures on the sides" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/23). Paul co-founded Go Hoop Day with Game Seven Marketing co-Founder & CEO JUSTIN LEONARD as a "global basketball holiday with more than 40 events" similar to Paul's in L.A. (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/24).
LEGAL MATTERS: Former NBA Kings exec JEFF DAVID yesterday was sentenced to seven years in prison for siphoning off $13.4M from team sponsors to “purchase lavish beachfront homes in Southern California" (SACBEE.com, 6/24)....TIGER WOODS has been “removed from a wrongful death lawsuit” filed last month by the estate of a man who died in a December car crash. An amended complaint filed Friday by the parents of NICHOLAS IMMESBERGER “still lists The Woods Jupiter restaurant and ERICA HERMAN, Woods’ girlfriend who is general manager of the restaurant, as defendants” (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 6/24).
NAMES: Michigan State men's basketball coach TOM IZZO and his wife, LUPE, are donating $1.1M to the school for recently approved renovations to Munn Ice Arena (FREEP.com, 6/24)....Maple Leafs D MORGAN RIELLY and GM KYLE DUBAS marched in Toronto’s Pride parade on Sunday with You Can Play, and organization “working to promote inclusivity in all sports” (THEATHLETIC.com, 6/23)....A source said that ALEX RODRIGUEZ “won’t be back as a celebrity guest on ‘SHARK TANK’ -- after signing a deal to star on a ‘very similar’ show on NBC." It is being labeled a “business reality show” (NYPOST.com, 6/24)....DIRK NOWITZKI celebrated his 41st birthday in Las Vegas on Friday. He saw “ABSINTHE” at Caesars Palace with former NBAer MICHAEL FINLEY before meeting up with more ex-teammates and coaches including RICK CARLISLE, TYSON CHANDLER, BRIAN CARDINAL and DEVIN HARRIS at the Cosmopolitan’s Beauty & Essex (LASVEGASSUN.com, 6/24).
