Report: Bryant wins NBA MVP award

Kobe Bryant has won the NBA's MVP award for the first time, the Los Angeles Times reported on its website last night, citing anonymous sources. The report said commissioner David Stern will be in Los Angeles next week to present the trophy to Bryant. "We have not been told anything by the league," Lakers spokesman John Black told the Associated Press . . . West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins signed a contract that will keep him at his alma mater through at least age 65. The contract will pay Huggins, 54, $1.5 million per year, plus incentives. The contract includes a $4 million buyout . . . University of Washington center Jessica McCormack said she's transferring to the University of Connecticut and accepted a scholarship offer. "I am obviously very excited about this," the 6-foot-5-inch freshman said in an e-mail to the AP. She will have to sit out the 2008-09 season . . . The Memphis Grizzlies said coach Marc Iavaroni will return next season after the team won only 22 games this season.

Roger Clemens's lawyer says he will talk with his client about whether to press ahead with a defamation suit following a wave of unpleasant publicity in the wake of reports linking the pitcher to numerous women. "He's getting pummeled," attorney Rusty Hardin said. The Daily News reported Monday that Clemens had a decade-long relationship with country star Mindy McCready that began when she was a 15-year-old aspiring singer and the pitcher was with the Red Sox. In subsequent days, the newspaper has linked Clemens, a married father of four, to former Manhattan bartender Angela Moyer and Paulette Dean Daly, a former wife of champion golfer John Daly . . . Former All-Star closer Derrick Turnbow was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers. Turnbow was 0-1 with a 15.63 ERA in eight games this season and gave up six runs in two-thirds of an inning at Chicago Wednesday. Also, Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo tore a ligament in his right knee trying to avoid a collision near first base Thursday, and might need surgery . . . Manager Bobby Cox said John Smoltz is likely to return as the Braves' closer when he comes off the disabled list (biceps, right rotator cuff).

Carl Edwards briefly explored free agency before deciding to stay with Roush Fenway Racing for the next several years. Edwards said he signed a multiple-year contract extension to continue driving the No. 99 Ford, a decision that takes NASCAR's most sought-after free agent off the market. "For me, the No. 1 thing is looking into the future and saying, 'Where can I win the most races and have the most success?' I just feel like for me, personally, this is where I want to be for the near future," Edwards said . . . Denny Hamlin posted the fastest lap of 126.198 miles per hour to give him his sixth career pole and second at Richmond (Va.) International Speedway for tonight's Sprint Cup race. Later in the day, Hamlin used a late pit stop for tires to win the Lipton Tea 250 Nationwide Series race at Richmond.

LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux was kicked off the defending national championship team after a career marked by legal and disciplinary problems. Perrilloux "didn't fulfill his obligation as an LSU student-athlete," coach Les Miles said. "Ryan was given every opportunity to be a part of this football team." . . . The NCAA ruled quarterback Ryan Mallett must sit out a year before playing for Arkansas. Mallett transferred from Michigan after coach Lloyd Carr retired and was replaced by Rich Rodriguez . . . The Minnesota Vikings placed defensive end Kenechi Udeze (leukemia) on the reserve-non-football-illness list, coach Brad Childress said, making him ineligible to play in 2008, but guaranteeing him his $807,500 salary.

Bruins netminder Tim Thomas (24 saves) pitched a shutout, Dustin Brown had a goal and an assist, Patrick Kane added two assists and one goal, and Patrick O'Sullivan and Zach Parise also scored as the United States powered past Latvia, 4-0, in the opening preliminary round game of the world hockey championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In other action, Dany Heatley had three goals and an assist to help defending champion Canada beat Slovenia, 5-1 . . . Seven elite athletes who were once trained by Trevor Graham, including Olympic gold medalist Antonio Pettigrew, are scheduled to testify their former coach set them up with banned performance-enhancing drugs, according to government court documents filed in San Francisco.