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NBA • Efforts to bring the NBA back to Seattle took a giant step forward in a revised arena deal announced Tuesday, with investor Chris Hansen agreeing to kick in more money for transportation improvements near a proposed new arena, personally guaranteeing the city's debt — and offering to buy everyone a beer. The plan for the $490 million arena, which could also host an NHL team, represents the best shot at bringing the NBA back to Seattle. The SuperSonics skipped town in 2008 for Oklahoma City, where they became the Thunder.
Though formal votes are still required, Tuesday's announcement effectively gave Hansen, a San Francisco hedge-fund manager, and his fellow investors the green light to begin shopping for an NBA team. Hansen offered to buy a celebratory beer for anyone who shows up on Thursday evening at FX McRory's, a bar near the planned site of the arena.
Kiraly takes reins of U.S. women's team
volleyball • Karch Kiraly, one of the most decorated volleyball players of all time, has been chosen as head coach of the U.S. women's national volleyball team in preparation for the 2016 Rio Games.
Kiraly, the only athlete to win Olympic gold medals in both indoor and beach volleyball, takes over for Hugh McCutcheon, a former BYU player and assistant coach who led the women's team to a silver-medal finish at the London Olympics. McCutcheon has taken over as head women's coach at Minnesota. Kiraly was McCutcheon's assistant for the quadrennial leading up to London.
Harvard co-captain to leave school
college basketball • Harvard co-captain Kyle Casey plans to withdraw from school amid a cheating scandal that also may involve other athletes, according to several reports. Sports Illustrated and the Harvard Crimson reported Tuesday that Casey, a senior, would take a leave of absence from school in an attempt to preserve a year of eligibility once the issue is resolved.
The school is looking into whether at least 125 undergraduates in what has been reported to be an Introduction to Congress class of about 280 students cheated by working together on a take-home final exam in the spring.
The Associated Press