Sports briefs 4/13/04

Basketball

Former NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp signed Monday to play for the USBL's Oklahoma Storm, a team he partly owns. Kemp, 34, who played in the NBA for 14 seasons, was a six-time All-Star before weight problems and substance abuse derailed his career. He's expected to make his debut Friday against Cedar Rapids. Kemp bought a minority stake in the Storm this year.

Former NBA player Vernon Maxwell was being held Monday on a felony charge for failing to pay about $160,000 in child support. Maxwell, 38, of Alpharetta, Ga., was being held on several bonds totaling $126,612,

Shaquille O'Neal cursed during a live postgame television interview Sunday, the Lakers superstar's second profane outburst this season. O'Neal fought foul trouble throughout the Lakers' 102-85 loss to Sacramento, finishing with just 10 points and five rebounds. A group interview session in the Lakers' locker room was breaking up when O'Neal made a profane response to a final question, asking him to clarify an earlier statement about the Kings' play. "Not impressed, not impressed," he said. "Not (expletive) impressed, you know what I mean?" At least one TV station was showing the interview live.

The Atlanta Hawks apologized for playing a hip-hop song that contains obscenities and other graphic language. The song, "Party Up" by rapper DMX, was played over the public address system during a timeout in the second quarter of Saturday's night game against the Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. The Hawks said their regular sound person was not at the game, and the song was chosen by another member of the game operations staff.

College

Frank Haith took over as Miami's new basketball coach after three seasons as an assistant at Texas. Haith replaces Perry Clark, who was fired last month after two consecutive losing seasons. Clark went 64-55 overall in four years, but he was 25-33 the past two. Miami lost 10 straight games near the end of this season, its longest losing streak in a decade, and failed to even reach the Big East Tournament. Haith, 38, has been an assistant at Wake Forest, Texas A&M, Penn State, UNC-Wilmington and Elon, his alma mater.

DePaul basketball coach Dave Leitao isn't going anywhere. Leitao withdrew his name Monday from the search for a new St. John's coach and said he will stay at DePaul as the team's head coach, the school announced Monday.

Golf

Fresh from the green jackets of Augusta National, Tiger Woods arrived at the home of the Green Berets on Monday for a week of military training. Woods, who finished 22nd at the Masters on Sunday, came on a private jet for his visit with the Army Special Forces. The golfer was issued a camouflaged uniform with his name on it, Bragg spokesman Lt. Col. Bill Buckner said. He also received an orientation to the post, the Army and the Special Forces.

-- From wire reports