Bucks Pick Up Free Agent Gilliam

The Milwaukee Bucks signed free-agent forward Armon Gilliam to a four-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.

Gilliam, who is entering his 10th season in the NBA, enjoyed his best season last year with the New Jersey Nets, averaging 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Over nine seasons, the 6-foot-9 forward has averaged 15.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

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The Vancouver Grizzlies signed Shareef Abdur-Rahim, selected third overall in the NBA draft after one season at California, to a three-year contract. Under the NBA rookie salary scale, the 6-foot-9 forward is entitled to a $6,284,500 contract, $1,821,600 this season, $2,094,800 in 1997-98 and $2,368,100 in 1998-99.

Tennis

Plagued by the same wrist injury that forced him to default at Wimbledon, Boris Becker withdrew from the Pilot Pen International at New Haven, Conn.

Pete Sampras and Jim Courier won their opening matches in the ATP Championship at Mason, Ohio, overcoming heat and humidity as well as unseeded opponents. Sampras disposed of Switzerland’s Jakob Hlasek, 6-3, 6-4, in 57 minutes. Courier needed 2 hours 12 minutes to overcome England’s Greg Rusedski, 6-7 (7-3), 6-3, 6-4.

Jennifer Capriati, in her first match since the French Open in May, beat 11th-seeded Irina Spirlea of Romania, 6-4, 6-2, in the du Maurier Open at Montreal.

Soccer

An injured right foot probably will keep Galaxy forward Jose Vasquez out for the next two games.

After his national teams made quick exits in the European Cup and the Olympics, Antonio Matarrese resigned as president of the governing body of Italian soccer, which probably will lead to the departure of Arrigo Sacchi, coach of the national team.

Hockey

Tampa Bay Lightning all-time leading scorer Brian Bradley agreed to terms on a new contract, avoiding salary arbitration. Bradley, entering his fifth season with Tampa Bay, earned $830,000 in 1995-96.

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed veteran goaltender Ken Wregget to a new contract.

Miscellany

Hord W. Hardin, chairman emeritus of Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club, died Monday in Harbor Springs, Mich., after a long battle with cancer. He was 84.

Arizona State’s Kellee Booth shot an even-par 71 to share medalist honors with Korean-born teenagers Jenny Lee and Grace Park in the 96th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Lincoln, Neb.

Nine players died from football-related injuries or heat stroke in 1995, the most fatalities in the sport since the same number died seven years ago, according to a study by the National Athletic Trainers Assn.

Rose Hamburger, who sold real estate up to the age of 100 and then found a new career as New York Post handicapper “Gamblin’ Rose,” died in New York at age 105 after a bout with pneumonia.

Mark Johnson (30-1, 23 KOs), who successfully defended his International Boxing Federation flyweight title Monday night, will make his second defense against Alejandro Montiel (32-2, 21 KOs) at the Forum on Sept. 14.