BOSTON — Shaquille O'Neal had more than 28,000 points and almost 4 million Twitter followers. He appeared in six NBA finals, three times as the MVP, and seven feature films, twice in a starring role.

A 15-time All-Star, four-time champion and the 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player, the 39-year-old O'Neal announced his retirement on Twitter.

MIAMI — Commissioner David Stern felt there was progress. Union executive director Billy Hunter said he is “hopeful.”So a month before a potential lockout, there was some reason for optimism about the NBA's labor situation.Representatives of the league's owners and players met for about four hours and will get together twice next week in Dallas.

LOS ANGELES — The director of the Swiss anti-doping laboratory informed federal authorities last fall that Lance Armstrong's test results from the 2001 Tour de Suisse were “suspicious” and “consistent with EPO use,” The Associated Press has learned.Martial Saugy made the statement in September, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the case.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Colin Campbell is done serving as the NHL's chief disciplinarian, handing off one of the most thankless tasks in hockey to Brendan Shanahan.For the past 13 years, the former New York Rangers coach has handed out the league's supplemental discipline — mostly suspensions and fines for dangerous play

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao has settled a defamation lawsuit against other boxing world figures who intimated he used performance-enhancing drugs, a lawyer for the boxer said.Terms of Pacquiao's settlement with fellow boxer Oscar de La Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions were confidential, attorney Daniel Petrocelli said.