NBA Wire Notes | Jury note indicates bad news for Knicks' Thomas

NEW YORK — A jury strongly signaled Monday that it has found coach Isiah Thomas of the New York Knicks responsible for the sexual harassment of a fired Madison Square Garden executive, but was stumped on whether Thomas should pay punitive damages.

The seven-member jury indicated it had bad news for Thomas in a note to the federal judge presiding over the case in Manhattan. The note said the jury had reached unanimous verdicts on eight of nine key questions in the sexual-harassment case filed by fired marketing official Anucha Browne Sanders, 44.

Although the jury didn't disclose details of its verdict in the note to Judge Gerard Lynch, the jurors did note they were hung by a 6-1 vote on the issue of whether they should slap Thomas with punitive damages. That particular question, legal sources close to the case said afterward, would need to be answered only if the jury had first found Thomas liable for the sexual harassment of Browne Sanders.

"We can't seem to move forward, please advise," jurors wrote Lynch in a note released Monday afternoon.

After conferring in open court with attorneys for Browne Sanders, Thomas, MSG and MSG Chairman James Dolan, Lynch called the jurors back and gently told them to go home for the night, think about their decisions and come back today for another try. One of the three male jurors nodded eagerly in agreement with Lynch.

Thomas, 46, also the team president, exited the courtroom with a smile and left the courthouse without comment, surrounded by bodyguards. Anne Vladeck, the lead attorney for Browne Sanders, wouldn't comment. An MSG spokesman also wouldn't comment.

Browne Sanders sued Thomas, MSG and Dolan on charges they subjected her to sexual harassment and fired her in retaliation for complaining about the conduct. She is seeking more than $10 million.

Notes

• Cleveland guard Eric Snow, a former Sonic, will have surgery on his left knee and will likely miss the exhibition season after getting hurt last week while working out at the Cavaliers' training facility. Snow, 34, tore cartilage in the knee and will have an operation today.

Snow will be sidelined from four to six weeks and might miss the start of the regular season. The durable Snow has played in 409 of a possible 410 games since the start of the 2002-03 season.

• The Houston Rockets signed Dikembe Mutombo to a one-year contract, extending the 41-year-old center's pro career into a 17th season.

"I'm going to enjoy every second and every minute of my last year in the NBA," he said. "I hope my farewell tour will be a nice, memorable one."

The 7-foot-2 Mutombo ended up playing a pivotal role for Houston last season, when Yao Ming broke a bone in his right leg and missed 33 games. "I'm too old to be going out there and playing 37 minutes again," Mutombo said. "I don't know what I've got left in my tanks."

• Phoenix Suns center Amare Stoudemire will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery today and is expected to be sidelined from two to three weeks.

The operation to remove a loose particle will be on the All-Star's right knee, not the left knee on which microfracture surgery was done two years ago. That operation forced him to miss virtually all of the 2005-06 season.

• At the Los Angeles Lakers' media day in El Segundo, Calif., the first time all the players and coaches had gathered since superstar Kobe Bryant made offseason headlines about wanting to be traded because the Lakers didn't have enough good players and lacked the willingness in the front office to make improvements to the team, it was all happy talk.

"I want to bring a title back to Los Angeles," Bryant said. "That's priority number one."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he doesn't think Bryant has caused irreparable damage to the team's chemistry. "That [Bryant's criticism] was said back in June," Jackson said. "Now here we are in October."

• Indiana Pacers forward Shawne Williams was ordered to perform 40 hours of community service for driving without a license after a judge suspended a possible 60-day jail sentence.

Williams, 21, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge. He was also fined $400 and ordered to pay $160 in court costs.

• Guard Darrell Armstrong, 39, was waived by the Indiana Pacers. He came to the Pacers last year in an offseason trade with Dallas.

• Greg Oden, the first player drafted this year, isn't expected to play this season because he had microfracture knee surgery last month, but some Portland Trail Blazers sound optimistic nonetheless.

Ex-Washington Huskies standout Brandon Roy, the league rookie of the year last season, said, "We think even without him, with the talent we have right now, that making the playoffs is realistic."

Compiled from McClatchy Newspapers, Gannett News Service and The Associated Press.