Dominique Wilkins Joins Magic, His Brother

Dominique Wilkins will be back in the NBA this season, joining the Orlando Magic.

Terms were not disclosed Thursday, but the Magic was believed to be using its $1 million exception to sign Wilkins, 39.

The Magic would not confirm the deal, but Wilkins’ agent, Steve Kauffman, said the NBA’s eighth-leading career scorer will sign with Orlando today and could be in uniform for the season opener tonight against the New York Knicks.

Wilkins last played in the NBA during the 1996-97 season, averaging 18.2 points for the San Antonio Spurs. He spent part of last year in Italy after scoring 26,534 points--an average of 25.3 per game--in 14 NBA seasons.

The Charlotte Hornets also were pursuing the nine-time all-star. But Wilkins’ desire to play with younger brother, Gerald, swayed him to the Magic.

“Gerald was pretty excited about it,” Wilkins said. “In fact, he’s given me No. 21. He’s going to wear No. 9 this year.”

Wilkins’ deal also includes a $250,000 guarantee for the 1999-2000 season.

The longtime Atlanta Hawk star probably will back up Bo Outlaw at small forward.

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Nine months after it was revealed in Sports Illustrated that he has fathered seven children with six women, Cleveland Cavalier star Shawn Kemp has said he was wrong.

“A lot of it was true and some of it wasn’t,” Kemp said of the article on Jim Rome’s nationally syndicated talk show.

Though vague about the specifics of his personal life, Kemp told Rome that he was stung by the story.

“When the story first came out it hurt a little bit,” he said. “The only thing I want to get out there is that I’m always going to handle my responsibilities. That’s it. I said that since day one. I’m not a perfect person. I’ve made some mistakes, but I’ve always tried to go back and do the right thing regardless of what I’ve done.”

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Miami Heat shooting guard Voshon Lenard will start the season on the injured list as he considers the recommendation of team doctors and Coach Pat Riley to undergo surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left leg.

Surgery probably would sideline him for eight to 10 weeks. Dan Majerle will replace Lenard.

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One day after signing a four-year, $40-million contract, guard Rod Strickland participated in the Washington Wizards’ entire 2 1/2-hour practice and probably will play in tonight’s opener at Indiana.

Meanwhile, the Wizards learned veteran center Lorenzo Williams will sit out the season because of stress fractures in both feet.

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The Utah Jazz acquired center Todd Fuller from the Golden State Warriors for a draft pick. . . . The Cleveland Cavaliers signed free-agent forward Roy Rogers, 25, three days after he was waived by the Chicago Bulls.