Celtics reach out to Reggie Miller

The Boston Celtics have spoken with likely future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller about coming out of retirement to help the once-proud franchise in its push for an unprecedented 17th NBA title.

"I'm always flattered when my name is mentioned as someone who can still help an NBA team win a championship," Miller said Wednesday in a statement relayed to The Associated Press by the TNT network. "I've had limited discussions with Celtics management about their roster and a potential role for me. At this time, I'm enjoying my role as an analyst with TNT."

ESPN.com was the first to report the talks. But both sides confirmed the possibility that Miller, who turns 42 this month, would consider returning for the chance at a championship he never won during an 18-year career, all with the Indiana Pacers.

BECKHAM PRACTICES David Beckham dribbled, juggled and passed the ball during a Los Angeles Galaxy practice at RFK Stadium, offering at least some hope he will play today against D.C. United.

"It's looking up," said Beckham, whose tender left ankle will have the last word. "I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and, hopefully, I'll get out there playing soon."

WAKE FOREST HIRES GAUDIO Wake Forest chose Dino Gaudio to take the late Skip Prosser's place as men's basketball coach in the cutthroat Atlantic Coast Conference.

Gaudio, 50, signed a five-year contract.

BOOKER DIES Former Florida A&M basketball coach Willie Booker, who just had started a new job as athletic director at Palm Beach Community College, has died. He was 65.

DAVYDENKO BACK ON COURT Nikolay Davydenko was relieved to be back on a tennis court after spending most of the week stuck in the court of public opinion.

Davydenko, whose loss at an event Aug. 2 in Poland is under investigation because of suspicious betting patterns, beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

WILLIAMS IS OUT Venus Williams withdrew Tuesday from the Rogers Cup, an event still trying to recover from a rash of withdrawals last year.

DOPING ACCUSATIONS Another Kazakh rider from the Astana cycling team has tested positive for blood doping.

Andrej Kashechkin tested positive for a banned blood transfusion during an unannounced check Aug. 1 in Belek, Turkey, the team said.

In other cycling news:

• In Rome, Italian cyclist Cristian Moreni, who tested positive for testosterone at the Tour de France, was questioned by Italian Olympic Committee anti- doping prosecutors.

At the end of the 30-minute hearing, Moreni's lawyer said he did not believe the rider would face further questioning.

• Tour champion Alberto Contador was not welcome to enter the Pro-Tour's Cyclassics event Aug. 19 in Hamburg, Germany.

The chief organizer said the race doesn't want Contador because he has been mentioned in connection with the Spanish blood-doping scandal known as Operation Puerto.

GROSS DIES Elmer Gross, who coached Penn State to the 1954 men's Final Four and reached the NCAA Tournament as a player and coach, has died. He was 90.