Florida Sentinel Bulletin

The Cavaliers started their rebuilding process last night by drafting Duke point Kyrie Irving first overall, and then using the No. 4 pick on Texas forward Tristan Thompson.

Cheered on at the Pruden-tial Center in Newark by family and friends, not far from where he starred at St. Patrick’s High School in Elizabeth, N.J., the 19-year-old Irving showed no signs of any lingering problems with a right foot injury as he walked up the stairs to shake hands with commissioner David Stern.

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest wants to change his name to Metta World Peace.

Artest’s attorney filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday seeking the change. The 31-year-old NBA star was born Ronald William Artest Jr.

In the court documents, Artest cites personal reasons for wanting to make the change.

Artest’s career has been filled with ups and downs. He helped the Lakers win the NBA championship a year ago and in April he received an award for outstanding service and dedication to the community. He has testified before Congress to support mental health legislation.

Artest wouldn’t be the first NBA player to make a change to an unusual name.

Lloyd Bernard Free, who played in the league from 1975 to 1988, had his first name legally changed to World in 1981. A friend had given him the nickname because of his 44-inch vertical leaps and 360-degree dunks.

WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams again was pushed to three sets before winning, then complained a bit about having to play on Court 2 instead of Centre Court or Court 1.

By the looks of things so far, Williams is going to face a true test every time she takes the court this year at Wimbledon, which she has won four times.

“I definitely feel like I started slow,” said Williams, who wondered aloud afterward why she and her sister Venus each had to play on Court 2, while top men like Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Andy Murray have been on one of the two principal courts for all of their matches this week.

“I got a little tight out there,” Williams added, “and I just need to relax.”

Tournament spokesman Johnny Perkins said there was no intentional snub, noting that several factors go into scheduling decisions, including TV broadcasting considerations, where players stand in the draw, and what ticket-buyers want to see.

Consider it a testament to her skill and grit that Williams is into the third round. This is only her second tournament in the last 11 months after two operations on her right foot, clots in her lungs, and surgery to remove a pool of blood that gathered under the skin of her stomach.

Her father, Richard, said he would have preferred if she would have waited another three months before coming back, just to be sure she was fully healed.

Halfway through the season, the Tampa Bay Rays have remained contenders in the American League East even though they played a month without Evan Longoria.

But decision time is approaching.

There is scuttlebutt that even as close to first place as they are, the Rays may be sellers. They do have some trinkets to offer, most notably B.J. Upton.

There already are many reasons to think B.J.’s time in the bay area is coming to an end, and he has shown no interest in doing a long-term deal.

Upton is making $4.8 million this season, a figure that through arbitration could jump to $7 million in 2012 if the Rays don’t deal him.

He could become a free agent after next season.

Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber announced earlier this year that he’s attempting an NFL comeback after a four-year absence.

Warren Sapp, an old teammate of Tiki’s twin brother Ronde Barber of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thinks that’s a bad idea.
“No, stop it,” Sapp said “Enough is enough. I didn’t think much of him when he did play.”

Sapp’s criticism of Tiki Barber stems from a propensity to fumble early in his career.  And he felt it was disrespectful of Barber to criticize his quarterback, Eli Manning as well as coach Tom Coughlin, who worked with Barber to correct his fumbling problem, which he did, becoming the all time leading rusher for the Giants.

Michael Strahan, former New York Giants defensive end and teammate of Barber agrees with Sapp. “If it comes to playing football, he can play,” Strahan said.

Strahan is skeptical of Barber finding a team this season because he believes Barber will be viewed by general managers as a liability in the locker room.

“His impact was to kind of throw some guys under the bus, including the coach who taught you how not to fumble, and a quarterback who was young and just needed to learn, and obviously a quarterback who’s quiet and not the rah-rah guy. Why would you do that?

Interestingly, Barber’s career as a broadcaster ended fairly quickly, while Strahan and Sapp have gone on to have  successful careers as NFL analysts.

DENVER – The Denver Nuggets are normally spectators on draft night. This year they made plenty of noise.

The Nuggets beefed up their frontcourt by taking forward Keith Faried with the 22nd pick and acquired the rights to forward Jordan Hamilton, point guard Andre Miller and a future second-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for guard Raymond Felton.

Denver also traded a future second-round pick for Chukwudiebere Maduabum, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 56th pick in the second round. Faried and Hamilton were both players the Nuggets coveted.

The 6-foot-8, 228-pound Faried was high on the Nuggets’ wish list after he worked out with the team June 8 in Denver. The Nuggets love his physical style and rebounding prowess, skills that will strengthen their unsettled low post situation.

DETROIT — Authorities say New York Jets receiver and former Michigan standout Braylon Edwards was involved in a minor car crash on the Detroit River island park of Belle Isle.

Officer Phillip Cook said Edwards was driving a two-seat sports car with an unidentified passenger about 3:40 a.m. Friday when he lost control, drove off the road and into a pylon. Neither he nor his passenger was injured.

Cook said there were no tickets issued and alcohol doesn’t appear to be a factor. Edwards tweeted: Got into a fender bender last night, turns out Audi’s & rain don’t mix to well. I’m good.”

Edwards faces trial in a New York DWI case stemming from a Sept. 21 police stop. He has denied the charges.

WIMBLEDON, England — Returning to Grand Slam tennis after a year out with health problems, Serena Williams opened her Wimbledon title defense Tuesday by beating Aravane Rezai in three sets — then burst into tears on Centre Court.

After serving her 13th ace to close a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory, Williams buried her face in her towel and sobbed from her courtside chair. She was still crying as she left the court, overcome with emotion after enduring a long layoff that included two foot operations and treatment for blood clots in her lungs.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ  — Tiki Barber says failures off the field after his retirement from football in 2006 led to a yearlong bout with depression.

The 36-year-old Barber, the New York Giants’ career leading rusher, acknowledged that he now needs football more than it needs him.

Barber has spent the past four months working out in an attempt to make a comeback, although his chances rest on the league and its players reaching a new collective bargaining agreement.

Barber said football represents a necessary anchor in a life turned upside down by the depressive aftermath of scandalous divorce and disintegration of his television career.