De La Hoya says he's calling it quits

Oscar De La Hoya called it quits in the ring Tuesday, ending a career in which he won 10 world titles in six divisions and became boxing's most popular fighter. He announced his decision at an outdoor plaza across the street from Los Angeles' Staples Center, where a statue of the 36-year-old Golden Boy stands.

"It's over inside the ring for me," the East Los Angeles native said before hundreds of fans, including comedian George Lopez and actor and former fighter Mickey Rourke.

De La Hoya retires four months after he was thoroughly beaten by Manny Pacquiao, his fourth loss in his past seven fights. De La Hoya finished 8-6 in his final 14 fights. His finest victory during that period was an 11th-round TKO of Fernando Vargas in 2002, a triumph sweetened by Vargas' pre-fight taunts of De La Hoya and the loser's post-fight positive test for steroids.

He has not beaten a formidable opponent since Fernando Vargas in 2002, and has lost in recent years to Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

He won his last title in May 2006, beating Ricardo Mayorga for the WBC 154-pound belt. He finished 39-6, with 30 knockouts.

"Boxing is my passion, boxing is what I was born to do," De La Hoya said. "When I can't do it anymore, when I can't compete at the highest level, it's not fair. It's not fair to me, it's not fair to the fans, it's not fair to nobody."

UConn's Thabeet to enter draft Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet has decided to give up his final year of college eligibility and enter the NBA draft. Huskies coach Jim Calhoun called the 7-3 center "one of the most dominant defensive players in the history of college basketball." Thabeet, the Big East co-Player of the Year with Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, averaged 13.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots per game in helping the Huskies to a 31-5 record and a Final Four berth.

• Guard Jonny Flynn, Syracuse's leading scorer and Big East tournament MVP, might reconsider last week's decision to jump to the NBA, coach Jim Boeheim said. Boeheim said Flynn's status is "kind of up in the air."

• Top assistant Chris Mack will succeed Sean Miller as Xavier's basketball coach, a university spokesman said. Miller left last week to become Arizona's coach. Mack played for Xavier and was a two-time captain before graduating in 1992.

• Mike Anderson officially signed a seven-year deal to remain Missouri's coach. His annual base salary will be $1.35 million, a $500,000 raise.

• Connecticut's Geno Auriemma is set to become coach of the U.S. women's basketball team through the 2012 Olympics, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

• Wisconsin men's basketball coach Bo Ryan was named as coach the U.S. team for the World University Games July 2-12 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Djokovic, Murray move on Third-seeded Novak Djokovic and No. 4 Andy Murray each won in straight sets to reach the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters. Djokovic cruised 6-1, 6-2 against Oscar Hernandez, while Murray began slowly before easing past Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-3, 6-2.

Marat Safin beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-4, 7-5 in a match between former top-ranked players.

Erving watches daughter play for first time

Julius Erving watched his daughter Alexandra Stevenson play tennis for the first time Tuesday. Stevenson lost on clay to Akul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan 6-2, 6-4 in the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C.

"We were never in a bad place, I just didn't know him," Stevenson said. "So it's good now. I mean, obviously, it's still odd because you're getting to know somebody. But it's nice that I know him, and he's supporting me out here."

Auto racing: Jim France, son of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., will step down June 1 as head of International Speedway Corp., the largest operator of NASCAR tracks. Lesa France Kennedy, older sister of NASCAR chairman Brian France, will move from president to CEO.

Horse racing: Old Fashioned, at one time a Kentucky Derby favorite, will be retired after surgery Tuesday to repair a slab fracture in his front right knee, owner Rick Porter said. The injury was detected after Old Fashioned finished second in Saturday's Arkansas Derby.

ASSOCIATED PRESS