Hakeem

HOUSTON -- The playgrounds of America have suffered a terrible setback.College and high school basketball may take years to recover from this blow.Blame the Houston Rockets, who won the NBA championship last night and did it with something that disappeared with canvas shoes: dignity.Starting today, you're going to hear playground-game talk like, "Yo mama is a lovely and intelligent woman."Out: Trash talk, dirty play, crybabying, showboating and players who can't be bothered to show up for games or keep their shoes on.In: Hakeemball -- creative, honest, clutch and clean.

A Baltimore Circuit Court jury has awarded $5 million to a girl whose retardation, speech disorder and seizures were blamed in a lawsuit on the obstetrician who fractured her skull with a pair of forceps in the delivery nearly five years ago.The nine-member jury deliberated three hours over testimony presented in the three-week trial before deciding in favor of Hanifa Tashay Abdul-Hakeem who, with her mother, Wanda Abdul-Hakeem, had sued Dr. Sally Sondergaard...

Football Patterson Mill @ Havre de Grace WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m. OUTLOOK: Havre de Grace has just about locked up the regional title, which would give the Warriors home-field advantage until a possible appearance in the state title game. RB Hakeem Hines has been spectacular all year, sparking an offense that's rolling up points with little trouble. A win here could wrap up a 10-0 season. But Patterson Mill has been playing much better in the past few weeks, winning twice with a number of talented underclassmen in an offense that can throw and run very well.

Voting results for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award as selected by a nationwide panel of the media on a 10-7-5-3-1 basis (first-place votes in parentheses):Player .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. VotesCharles Barkley, Phoenix (59) .. .. .. .. 835Hakeem Olajuwon, Hou. (22) .. .. .. .. .. 647Michael Jordan, Chicago (13) .. .. .. .. 565Patrick Ewing, New York (4) .. .. .. .. .359Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta .. .. .. .. .. .54David Robinson, San Antonio .. .. .. .. .. 33Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando.

NBA games lost yesterday: 8.Total games missed: 258.Earliest estimated date season can start: Jan. 15.Projected player salary losses (through Jan. 15): $430 million.Negotiations: Nothing scheduled. Union director Billy Hunter told agents during a conference call that he expects some of the season will be salvaged. Commissioner David Stern has refused to set a date after which all games will be canceled. Asked Tuesday, whether the season could begin in mid-February, he said, "No, I don't think so, but I am going to leave that to the Board of Governors."

On December 18, 2004 ROBERTHACATHERINE CARROLL-YARBEROUGH, beloved wife of Gregory, mother of Akeem, Hashim, Akei and Aisheem, grandmother of Timya, Hakeem, Isaiah and Aishia. Robertha is also survived by three sisters, Brenda, Joan and Patricia, one brother Kevin and a host of loving relatives and friends. Friends may call at the family owned and operated Howell Funeral Home, 4600 Liberty Heights Avenue, on Monday from 3 to 7 P.M. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday at Greater Paradise Christian Center, 300 Cathedral St., wake beginning at 6:30, funeral service to follow at 7 P.M. Interment, on Wednesday, 10 A.M. at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery

Opponent: Houston RocketsSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7:30TV/Radio: HTS/WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: This will be the teams' second and final meeting of the season. The Rockets beat the Bullets, 93-85, on Dec. 13 in Houston. The defending NBA champions have a new look, having added Clyde Drexler this week from the Portland Trail Blazers for Otis Thorpe. Drexler played his first game for the Rockets last night in Houston's 105-89 win in Charlotte. C Hakeem Olajuwon was second in the league in scoring (28.2 ppg)

Trail Blazers: Guard Rod Strickland was ordered to attend a program for batterers after pleading guilty Monday to hitting his former girlfriend. He was arrested in New York in November on charges of assault, menacing and harassment for allegedly hitting the mother of his 5-year-old son.Top scorers: Michael Jordan leads the NBA in scoring with a 30.8 average. Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon is second at 26.9, followed by Utah's Karl Malone (26.0) and San Antonio's David Robinson (25.2).Quotable: "I've been a bad boy. I'm sorry.

BASKETBALLNational Basketball Association* Boston Celtics -- Waived Kevin Pritchard, guard.* Chicago Bulls -- Waived Rory Sparrow, guard. Activated Scott Williams, forward, from the injured list.* Denver Nuggets -- Activated Anthony Cook, forward, from the injured list. Waived Jerome Lane, forward.* Houston Rockets -- Placed Hakeem Olajuwon, center, on the injured list.* Los Angeles Clippers -- Waived Elliott Perry, guard. Signed David Rivers, guard.FOOTBALLNational Football League* Denver Broncos -- Waived Darrell Hamilton, offensive tackle.

The top individual scoring, rebounding and assist performances in the 1991 NBA playoffs (through May 27):PointsPlayer .. .. .. Opponents .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Date .. .. .. PointsMichael Jordan .. Chicago at Philadelphia .. .. May 10 .. .. .. . 46Magic Johnson .. .L.A Lakers vs. Golden State ..May 8 .. .. .. .. 44Chris Mullin .. ..Golfen State at L.A. Lakers ..May 8 .. .. .. .. 41Karl Malone .. .. Utah at Portland. .. .. .. .. May 9 .. .. .. .. 40Clyde Drexler .. .Portland vs. Seattle .. .. .. April 26 .. .. .. 39Chuck Person .. ..Indiana at Boston .. .. .. .. April 28 .. .. .. 39Willie Anderson ..San Antonio vs. Golden State.