Jul 1, 2022 3 min read

Griner trial begins

American basketball star Brittney Griner went on trial Friday, 4 1/2 months after her arrest on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for a Russian team, in a case that has unfolded amid tense relations between Moscow and Washington.

The initial session of the trial, which was adjourned until July 7, offered the most extensive public interaction between Griner and reporters since the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist was arrested in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport.

Griner, 31, was escorted into the courtroom in the capital’s suburb of Khimki while handcuffed, carrying a water bottle and what appeared to be a magazine, and wearing a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt.

Police have said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil when detained at the airport. She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.

Two witnesses were questioned by the prosecution: an airport customs official, who spoke in open court, and an unidentified witness in a closed session. according to the state news agency RIA-Novosti. The trial was then adjourned, it said, when two other witnesses did not show up.

In the NBA

The Utah Jazz have agreed to trade Rudy Gobert – a three-time defensive player of the year – to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package of players and draft picks, according to a person with knowledge of the blockbuster deal.

Utah will receive four first-round picks between 2023 and 2029, a first-round pick from this year’s draft in Walker Kessler, along with Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley.

n Free agent point guard Ricky Rubio has agreed to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a multiyear contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press on Friday.

Rubio, who was instrumental in Cleveland’s turnaround last season before injuring his left knee, agreed to a three-year, $18.4 million deal.

n The Boston Celtics acquired combo guard Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers for five players, all backup forwards, and a 2023 first-round pick, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press.

n Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has been charged with felony domestic violence stemming from an incident earlier this week, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Friday.

The LAPD posted on Twitter that Bridges was arrested for “intimate partner violence with injury,” a felony.

Penn State to play in Gavitt Games

Coming off a Final Four appearance, Villanova and new coach Kyle Neptune will face Tom Izzo’s Michigan State in one of the major attractions of the seventh Gavitt Tipoff Games.

The Big East and Big Ten Conferences announced the eight men’s basketball contests Friday. The series will run from Nov. 14-18.

The Gavitt Tipoff Games begin on Nov. 14, with Butler at Penn State and DePaul at Minnesota. The following day features Marquette at Purdue and Northwestern at Georgetown.

In the NHL

The Boston Bruins have hired Jim Montgomery as their new coach, giving the hockey lifer another chance at an NHL head-coaching job less than three years since he lost his first one.

Recently extended general manager Don Sweeney announced the hire Friday, filling one of the league’s final high-profile coaching vacancies hours after the San Jose Sharks created another by firing their staff. Montgomery replaces Bruce Cassidy, who was fired after the team’s loss in the first round of the playoffs.