Skip navigation
Site powered by
Latest news:
msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines: Singing superstar Whitney Houston dies at 48

Jimmy Connors arrested at college hoops game

Tennis great didn't comply with cops at UNC-UC Santa Barbara matchup

Image: Jimmy ConnorsNBAE / Getty Images file
Jimmy Connors, shown here in June, was taken into custody Friday night after refusing to comply with an order to leave an area near the entrance an arena.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Tennis great Jimmy Connors was arrested outside the campus arena where UC Santa Barbara and top-ranked North Carolina were playing a basketball game.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion was taken into custody Friday night after refusing to comply with an order to leave an area near the entrance of the Thunderdome following a confrontation, police Sgt. Dan Massey said in a statement.

A police dispatcher said Connors was arrested at the beginning of the game.

A Santa Barbara County jail employee said Connors was booked and released but did not have details.

Connors could not immediately be reached for comment early Saturday.

Connors lives in the Santa Barbara area and attends a handful of the Gauchos’ games each season.

Connors was ranked No. 1 for five consecutive years in the 1970s, and had a fiery temperament on the court. Earlier this year, he resigned as Andy Roddick’s coach after working together for nearly two years.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement
Slideshow
  Scenes from Down Under
Check out the best images from the 2012 Australian Open.

NBCSports.com

Slideshows
2011 US Open - Day 8
Getty Images
  Celebrity tennis fans
Take a look at some well-known fans in the world of tennis.
Andre Agassi
Getty Images
  Grand Slam champs
Roger Federer and Andre Agassi are among the legendary players with singles titles at all four Slams.
French Open - Day Eleven
Getty Images
  Federer vs. Nadal
Relive the head-to-head battles between two of the top players in men's tennis.
17th Annual ESPY Awards - Backstage And Audience
Getty Images for ESPY
  Stylin' sisters
Check out the fashion choices Venus and Serena Williams have made on and off the court.
Slideshow
Image: Snee, 8, son of New York Giants player Chris Snee and head coach Coughlin's grandson plays in the confetti after the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis
  The Week in Sports Pictures
The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more.

more photos