FOOTBALL

UNC players suspended over sneaker sales — Thirteen North Carolina football players will be suspended by the university for selling school-issued sneakers, according to a press release by the school. Quarterback Chazz Surratt is one of them. Players will miss from one to four games. The NCAA approved a request to stagger certain suspensions, according to the press release. In January, 15 players on North Carolina’s football team sold school-issued sneakers in exchange for as much $2,500 in cash, according to emails obtained by The News & Observer in a public records request. The university required all players to return the shoes. UNC self-reported the allegations to the NCAA. They have been deemed a secondary violation.

Former NFL executive Heckert dies at 51 — Tom Heckert, a former personnel executive for the Denver Broncos who also served stints as general manager for the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles, has died following a long illness, the Broncos said. He was 51. Heckert stepped away from the Broncos after last season after being diagnosed in recent years with amyloidosis, a rare disease that causes a buildup of amyloid proteins in the heart, kidney, liver and other organs. He died Sunday night. Heckert spent 27 years in the NFL, including the last five in the Broncos’ personnel department. Before coming to Denver, Heckert was the general manager for the Browns (2010-12) and the Eagles (2006-09). “We are saddened to learn of Tom Heckert’s passing,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “Tom gave everything he had to this organization for nine seasons and played a major role in the construction and success of our team during that time. In addition to being a talented evaluator and respected voice, he was a mentor and friend to so many within our organization and around the league. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with him and our hearts go out to his family during this difficult time.”

BASKETBALL

James behind documentary announced by Showtime — LeBron James has yet to play a minute for the Los Angeles Lakers, yet the NBA superstar is already busy in Hollywood. James is behind the three-part documentary series, “Shut Up and Dribble,” announced Monday by Showtime. Set to debut in October, the series looks at the changing role of athletes in the current political and cultural climate against the backdrop of the NBA. Its title comes from a comment Fox News host Laura Ingraham made to James in February when she sought to rebuke him for talking politics during an interview. James is the executive producer of the series along with his business partner Maverick Carter and his agent Rich Paul. The series traces the modern history of the league and its players starting with the 1976 merger of the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association, and how the top players have expanded their notoriety off the court. James has another show, “The Shop” debuting Aug. 28 on HBO in which he leads conversation and debate among his guests in barbershops around the country.

UCLA announces signing of Shaquille O’Neal’s son — UCLA announced on Monday that it had signed Shareef O’Neal as part of its freshman class after the power forward from Santa Monica, California, Crossroads School cleared eligibility hurdles, allowing him to enroll in college summer school this month. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound O’Neal, the son of former Los Angeles Lakers great and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, is the final member of a six-man freshman class that also includes wing players Jules Bernard and David Singleton, point guard Tyger Campbell and centers Moses Brown and Kenneth Nwuba. 247Sports has rated UCLA’s freshman class as the sixth best in the nation. Shareef O’Neal averaged 27 points per game as a high school senior, leading Crossroads to its first state championship since 1997. “Shareef has made great strides throughout his high school career,” UCLA coach Steve Alford said in a statement released by the school. “He’s an outstanding addition to our incoming class and brings a terrific combination of size, skill and athleticism.”

— From wire reports