A Jazz fan who "received a lifetime ban from the Vivint Smart Home Arena in March is suing" the team and Rockets G RUSSELL WESTBROOK, "claiming that he was wrongly accused of shouting racist and derogatory remarks" at Westbrook. SHANE KEISEL is arguing that he "engaged only in typical crowd behavior." A video of Westbrook "shouting at Keisel" and his girlfriend was "widely circulated on social media." But Westbrook later said that he was "provoked by Keisel." Miller Sports & Entertainment Senior VP/Communications FRANK ZANG in a statement said that there is "no legal or factual basis for the lawsuit's claims against the Jazz" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 12/17).
LEGAL MATTERS: U.S. figure skating coach RICHARD CALLAGHAN had his "lifetime ban for alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor reduced to a three-year suspension" yesterday by an arbitrator following a U.S. Center for SafeSport hearing. The decision also includes 15 years of "probation and 100 hours of community service." The lifetime suspension was "reduced because the sexual misconduct dates back" to the '70s, when "laws regarding those crimes were far less stringent than they are now" (USA TODAY, 12/17).
NAMES: U.S. figure skater MAIA SHIBUTANI revealed the "'shocking' discovery of a tumor on her kidney during a recent hospital visit due to a stomach virus." Shibutani said that she "received surgery to have the tumor removed on Saturday and admitted she was in pain, but added that she was recovering in the hospital" (N.Y. POST, 12/17)....NASCAR driver DENNY HAMLIN and musician MARK BRYAN's 8th annual Pro-Am Jam event, held Oct. 20-22 in Charleston, donated $166,604 this year to a number of causes (THE DAILY)....Crain's Chicago Business ranked Blackhawks Chair ROCKY WIRTZ No. 16 among the "most powerful Chicagoans" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 12/16)....76ers F TOBIAS HARRIS "visited Bethune Elementary School in North Philadelphia" yesterday, where he "addressed black and brown educators and read to a group of students." Harris earlier this year "donated $100,000 to the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 12/17)....The Capitals announced their team-sponsored service-dog-in-training, CAPTAIN, will be "helping raise another pup" in '20 (NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.com, 12/16)....The HBO series about the '80s Showtime Lakers is "one of four new television productions that just qualified for the California Film & TV Tax Credit program's incentive to shoot in the state" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 12/17).
IN MEMORY: The Lakers are "mourning the loss" of JOANN BUSS, 86, whose death was announced by the team on social media yesterday. Buss was married to late Lakers Owner JERRY BUSS. The Buss family has "asked people to donate to the American Cancer Society in lieu of sending flowers" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/16).
