Sports briefs 7/18/06

Basketball

• Alonzo Mourning waited 13 years to win his first NBA championship. Now, the Miami Heat center wants to see what defending a title is like.

Mourning said late Saturday that he intends to return to the Heat next season, which would be his 14th -- not including a year he missed because of kidney disease that necessitated a transplant in December 2003.

Mourning, 36, averaged 7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.66 blocks in an average of 20 minutes last season.

Hockey

n Serving as his own agent, Eric Lindros signed with the Dallas Stars on Monday, taking a $1.55 million base salary with incentives that could hike the deal by another million.

Lindros, 33, played only 33 games last season because of a wrist problem. He has been an All-Star in six of his 12 seasons, winning the MVP award in 1995 .

In 711 NHL games, Lindros tallied 367 goals and 472 assists.

-- The Associated Press