From Beacon Journal wire services

Sacramento Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim retired Monday because of a persistent right knee injury.

Abdur-Rahim, 31, played 12 NBA seasons for four teams, beginning his career in 1996 when the Vancouver Grizzlies made him the third overall draft pick. The 2002 All-Star averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his career, but the power forward reached the playoffs just once, with the Kings in 2006.

He appeared in just six games last season before getting season-ending surgery in December on his long-injured right knee. The former California star had two surgeries on his knee in six months last year to clean out the joint, but the pace of his recovery was very slow.

Abdur-Rahim also played for Atlanta and Portland before joining the Kings in 2005. He averaged at least 18.7 points in each of his first 71/2 NBA seasons while becoming the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to score 10,000 points, but knee problems plagued his three years with the Kings.

More basketball: Wizards keeping Eddie Jordan

• The Washington Wizards of the NBA picked up a one-year option for coach Eddie Jordan on Monday, keeping him under contract through the 2009-10 season. The Wizards signed free-agent forwards DerMarr Johnson, Linton Johnson and Taj McCullough, bringing the team's training camp roster to 17.

• General Manager Linda Hargrove of the WNBA's Washington Mystics was fired after a 10-24 season that ended with a nine-game losing streak. The Mystics missed the playoffs the past two years.

• After building an Olympic gold medal-winning team, Jerry Colangelo might make a run at another championship with USA Basketball. ''I'm kind of leaning toward continuing, but we still have some things that we're talking through just in terms of organization,'' Colangelo said. Colangelo, the former Phoenix Suns owner, took over as USA Basketball's managing director in 2005. He appointed Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to lead the team and, in a change of policy, required players to make a three-year commitment.

Other: Curlin ready to run for record

• Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year, put in his final workout Monday before attempting to become the first American racehorse to break the $10 million mark in Saturday's $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park in New York. Curlin, 4 years old, enters the 11/4-mile Gold Cup with earnings of $9,796,800. Two-time Horse of the Year Cigar has the record of $9,999,815, which has stood for 12 years. The winner's purse of $450,000 on Saturday would vault Curlin past Cigar with total earnings of $10,246,800

• Seventh-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany advanced to the second round of the China Open in Beijing by beating Ivan Navarro of Spain 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. In the women's event of the dual ATP-WTA tournament, seventh-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia defeated Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-3, 6-1.

• Toledo Arena Sports said it acquired an arena football franchise and the team will begin playing in the spring of 2010. The nonprofit group said that the expansion arenafootball2 team, which hasn't been named, will be part of what is now a 28-team league in 18 states. In Ohio, Youngstown also has a team. The league just completed its ninth season. It brings arena football to midsize markets and feeds players and coaches to the Arena Football League. Toledo Arena Sports was formed to own and operate the new franchise. The new team will play in the Lucas County Downtown Arena.