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Friday, September 11

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The long wait is finally over for Ramon Sessions. Bucks general manager John Hammond confirmed today he will not match the four-year, $16.4 million offer sheet tendered by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Bucks were facing a 4 p.m. deadline to match the offer or relinquish the rights to the 6-foot-3 point guard. Now the 23-year-old Sessions will join the Timberwolves and could become the team’s starting shooting guard in a tandem with rookie point guard Jonny Flynn. "We are not going to match the Ramon Sessions offer sheet," Hammond said today. "As always we will be diligent in looking to improve our roster. We wish Ramon the very best." Racine Journal-Sentinel

Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond made the expected official Friday, confirming that the team will not be matching the four-year, $16.4 million offer sheet restricted free agent Ramon Sessions received earlier this month from the Minnesota Timberwolves. "We are not going to match the Ramon Sessions offer sheet," Hammond told ESPN.com. "As always we will be diligent in looking to improve our roster. We wish Ramon the very best." ESPN.com

Alan Hahn: Hearing the Knicks plan to bring in former Celtic Gabe Pruitt for a non-guaranteed training camp invite. Twitter.com

The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that the team has re-signed restricted free agent forward Steve Novak. Per team policy terms of the deal were not announced. Clippers.com

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that forward Warren Carter has been signed as a free agent. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Knicks.com

Andre Iguodala: As I'm watchin this game, howard eisley would be perfect for us...he was an underrated nice! Sounds like dre miller huh? Twitter.com

Kevin Durant: Headed to the gym, do u guys remember where u were on 9-11-01..i was in 8th grade, and i culd see the smoke from the pentagon by my house! Twitter.com

NBA star Steve Nash made it clear again yesterday that the chances of his playing once more for Canada on the world stage are slim and none. But here is a little advice to national team head coach Leo Rautins and Canada Basketball CEO Wayne Parrish. If you want Nash to play for Canada at next year's world championship in Turkey, sell him on the idea that the tournament would make a great setting for a documentary -- with a possible angle of Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu playing in front of his adoring fans and exotic Istanbul as the backdrop. London Free Press

Still, Nash, who played inspired basketball for Canada at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, didn't completely close the door on the idea, adding that he was "very, very proud" of the young national team that surprised almost everyone last week in Puerto Rico by qualifying for the 2010 world championships. "I'm sure Leo will call me," he said. "In fact, I expect him to." London Free Press

But Anthony has gotten some bragging rights. James doesn't have a building named after him. Anthony does. The Denver Nuggets star forward is scheduled to be on hand Sept. 24 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony Center. "Everyone's going to just call it the Melo Center," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said Friday in an interview with FanHouse. Anthony, who led the Orangemen to the 2003 NCAA title, donated $3 million for construction of the $20 million facility, which will serve as the headquarters for the Syracuse men's and women's basketball teams. It includes two practice courts, a training room and locker rooms in addition to office space. FanHouse.com

Defending champion Russia defeated Croatia 62-59 Friday in the second round of the European basketball championship. Center Timofey Mozgov led Russia with 18 points and eight rebounds. Tied at 55 with a minute to play, Russia made seven of 10 free throws down the stretch. Russia next plays Macedonia on Sunday, and Croatia takes on Germany. AP

Even without Gordon and the injured Luol Deng, GB made a good impression in Warsaw, narrowly losing to reigning world champions Spain in one of the tournament's best games to date, competing well with Slovenia and only really being outclassed by a highly physical Serbian team. "It would be great if they give us the nod because if you look at our roster, you see that could potentially have two NBA All-Stars and another NBA player in myself," says Pops Mensah Bonsu as he returned to America to start training with the Houston Rockets. "Then you have four or five other guys that play in mainland Europe and you think maybe that's strong enough for them to give us a nod." Telegraph.co.uk

Prominent Charlotte businessman Skipper Beck was killed in a Rock Hill plane crash early Friday. William “Skipper” Beck Jr., 49, was piloting the Cirrus SR-22 that crashed just after takeoff from the Rock Hill/York County Airport at about 7:15 a.m. Witnesses said the plane took off and the pilot must have had trouble because he was turning back toward the airport when the plane suddenly went down. Officials said the plane caught fire after the crash. Pieces of the wreckage are small and widespread. WSOCTV

Beck was part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. He played in the 2007 Wachovia Championship pro-am with fellow owner Michael Jordan and golf legend Tiger Woods. The Bobcats released a statement from majority owner Robert Johnson on Friday. It said, "The entire Bobcats Sports & Entertainment family mourns the loss of our partner and great friend, Skipper Beck. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues and friends. Not only has BSE lost an energetic business champion, but so has the Charlotte business community. Skipper loved basketball and was instrumental in bringing the Bobcats to Charlotte, and as an owner, he was without question the Bobcats greatest fan. We will miss him at courtside." WSOCTV

His Airness has spoken: Stop looking for the next Michael Jordan. "Don't be too in a rush to try to find the next Michael Jordan," he said Friday morning, before his official enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "There's not gonna be another one." CBSSports.com

He has never looked comfortable in retirement. But finally Friday, Jordan seemed to accept the notion that his time has passed and that it will never be duplicated. "Times are different, the game is different, experiences are different," Jordan said. "The desire we have as players is different. You guys want us to be constantly trying to find the next Michael Jordan, and you won't. First of all, you didn't find me. I just happened to come along. You didn't have to find me, and you won't have to find that next person. It's gonna happen. You guys will recognize it. If you haven't already, in due time you will." CBSSports.com

But he did circle back to his 63 points against the Celtics in the 1986 playoffs, a performance that inspired Larry Bird to proclaim, "I think it's just God disguised as Michael Jordan." That expression of appreciation and acceptance from one of his contemporaries, Jordan said, propelled him. "Up to that point, there were so many media guys saying, 'Yeah, he's good, but he's not in the same class as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird,'" Jordan said. "And here in that game, I earned Larry Bird's respect. And to me, that said I was on the right track to becoming a better basketball player. ... He gave me the type of confidence that I needed at that level from a player. That to me was the biggest compliment I had at that particular time. CBSSports.com

Jordan did make sure to remind everyone that there are four other worthy people joining him in the Class of '09 -- Fellow Dream Teamers John Stockton and David Robinson, venerable Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and women's basketball coaching icon C. Vivian Stringer -- and yet also spoke with an awareness of the magnatude of his arrival in Springfield. "People say I was the greatest ever to play the game," he said. "I cringe a little bit. I receive it as an opinion. But for me, personally, I never played against Jerry West . . . Elgin Baylor . . . Wilt Chamberlain . . . I would never give myself that type of accolade because I never competed against everybody in this Hall of Fame." Newsday

Jordan says, of players today: "I try not to watch so much because I'm so critical of how the game's being played. ... I think they're overlooking a lot of things. ... [we] can see a lot of flaws." ESPN.com

He says that he retired in 1993 because basketball "was very commercialized for me in 1993. You know I was on every Wheaties box and Gatorade bottle and things of that nature but my passion for the game was kind of lost." (Can you imagine this? In a manner ... the people who packaged and sold Jordan almost cost the sport its best player.) ESPN.com

He says his best Olympic experience by far was not the Dream Team, but 1984, when he was able to stay in the Olympic village, and had fewer commercial concerns. ESPN.com

Anyhow, the night was going very well. Speeches were moderately short, the MC—an excellent Ernie Johnson—kept things rolling, Jordan and his gang made their waves. At approximately 8:20 pm, Doug Collins, also inducted as a media member, offered up an absolutely wonderful speech, crying as he asked his wife and children to stand. And then, Vecsey took the stage. He seemed to have no notes. No thoughts. No … nothing. He began not by expressing his appreciation, but by rattling off all the shunned players he believed belonged in the Hall. From there, he just … babbled. About this. About that. He seemed to be drunk, but I don’t think he was. The man was just, well, lost. He used language one doesn’t use in a Hall speech. He called out people’s names (”Calvin Murphy! Tiny Archibald!”), and you could literally see the men squirming in their seats. I was sitting about 10 feet from David Stern, who—throughout the ceaseless banter—dismissively shook his head while checking his Blackberry. Jordan, the star of the weekend, walked out. Just left, and never returned. jeffpearlman.com

The best part came, oh, 30 minutes in, when Vecsey took a breather between points. As if on cue, the entire room started to applaud—a very clear, very audible get-the-f^%$-off-the-stage command. Suddenly, music piped in from above—yet another get-the-f^%$-off-the-stage command. Oddly, Vecsey really paid it no mind. It was as if he had a booger dangling from his nose, and everyone in the room was acutely aware of its existence—save for Peter Vecsey. He kept talking until, I believe, his mic was turned off (either that, or he got the clue). jeffpearlman.com

Former Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause said he is not at Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday because the Hall has not inducted Tex Winter. "Michael's the greatest player who ever played a team sport," Krause said in a phone interview. "He's given me and my family and everyone who has been associated with the Bulls, everything. We all benefited from Michael being there, and I'm happy for him and his special day. "But the Hall of Fame thing is personal with me. I'm not walking back in there until Tex Winter is acknowledged." ESPN.com

"After Michael's fourth year, we put in the triangle offense," Krause said. "That allowed players within that offense to post up and get isolations. "Michael didn't have a post-up move at the time, so that summer he worked his butt off to learn how to post up a player. He worked so hard that he became an unstoppable offensive force and also a better defensive player, because he didn't have to use as much energy on offense to score." ESPN.com

Stockton was asked about the stability in Utah, with he and Karl Malone playing together for 18 seasons and Jerry Sloan about to begin his 22nd season as the head coach of the Jazz. He credited Jazz owner Larry Miller, who passed away this February, with being the source of that stability. "He allowed Jerry to coach and allowed us to play," Stockton said. "From a personal standpoint, I've never seen it any way, so I don't have anything to compare it to. He made it comfortable and allowed you to be all that you can be." NBA.com

One of the things overlooked about Robinson is that he took two years to fulfill his service agreement with the Navy before coming to the NBA in 1989. Despite the layoff, he still made a big impact in his rookie season, taking the Spurs from 21 wins to 56. "I definitely didn't know whether I'd be one of the best players in the league," Robinson said. "I was at a submarine base in Georgia for those two years after I graduated from school, and I don't think there was anyone over 6-1 on that whole base. So I spent a lot of time by myself running in that gym." He also played in the 1988 Olympics to help keep him sharp. NBA.com

The Celtics have offered former guard Dan Dickau a training camp invitation, according to agent Mark Bartelstein. Dickau, who turns 31 Sept. 16, played last season in Germany, averaging 17.6 points in just five games for the Brose Baskets. Boston Globe

The Celtics also are considering adding a third point guard. Possible candidates include second-round draft pick Lester Hudson and free agents Tyronn Lue, Dan Dickau and Mike Taylor, who worked out at the team’s facility on Thursday. Yahoo! Sports

Knick fans who are counting on LeBron James to join the hapless team after his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers expires next year had better have a Plan B. The hoops star's mother, Gloria, told Page Six it's not happening. "He's a hometown boy," she said. LeBron grew up in Akron, Ohio, but his home now is Cleveland. New York Post

Contract negotiations between the Trail Blazers and star forward LaMarcus Aldridge continue daily as the Oct. 31 deadline nears, but general manager Kevin Pritchard said it could take time and is a "complicated" process. The biggest problem is neither side knows what the figure for maximum contracts will be because the league doesn't release that information until July 2010, when the league sets its salary cap and reveals the figure for basketball-related income (BRI). Oregonian

"We both understand LaMarcus' value," Pritchard said of the team and Arn Tellem, Aldridge's agent. "But getting that to correlate to the BRI is very complicated." Because of the weak economy it is possible that the BRI will decrease next season. Pritchard said the daily talks have been amicable and that the two sides "are in the same ballpark." The main holdup is basing negotiations on an unknown number like next year's BRI. "But we are continuing to work at it," Pritchard said. Oregonian

I was told the New York Knicks came awfully close to landing Sessions. Said Wells: "Yeah, I thought we were really close with the Knicks on a couple of occasions.'' Racine Journal-Times

Wells acknowledged he was still in talks with the L.A. Clippers when Minnesota made its last-minute, successful pitch for Sessions. Racine Journal-Times

Wells said two other teams had contacted him last week about Sessions, although neither one put an offer on the table. Racine Journal-Times

There has been some speculation the Bucks might trade Kurt Thomas, the veteran forward they obtained from San Antonio in the Jefferson trade, before training camp. But that's unlikely as Thomas recently bought a house in Milwaukee and plans to arrive there next week. Racine Journal-Times

Mark Termini, the agent for former Bucks guard Damon Jones, said he's been in discussions "with a number of teams'' about his client. Racine Journal-Times

The Blazers continue to hold auditions for free agent big men, as power forward Melvin Ely and center Greg Ostertag took part in scrimmages this week at the team's practice facility in Tualatin. Pritchard said center Jarron Collins and former University of Iowa center Kurt Looby will soon be in. He said he is working on bringing in two other NBA free agents next week. Oregonian

Have you suggested Bonzi to Pat Riley? He'll make a decent signing, J.O. Holla back at me, im bored. Jermaine O'Neal: yes i have and i hope that they do sign him because he really could help us! Twitter.com

Jermaine O'Neal: he is in great shape! he has been working out with me all summer and he looks really good! (no homo). Twitter.com

The Miami Heat's will-work-for-food portion of its personnel process included tryouts recently by two players vying for a spot in the team's power rotation. Former Arkansas center Steven Hill, who appeared in one game last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and center Paul Davis, who spent the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, are the latest to receive auditions. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Whoever is added for camp, Riley said it likely would on a non-guaranteed contract. "Do I have the right to ask them to do that? I feel very comfortable with some of these players and telling their agents that," he said. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Courtney Sims is now comfirmed as yet another training camp invitee for the Hawks. I’m hearing the total group will number at least 18 and possibly as many as 23 or 24. That sounds a bit on the high end to me. This is a team that already has so many roster spots set, there’s little need to add a ton of extra bodies to the training camp mix. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bellingham Slam forward Tyler Amaya has been invited to a workout with the NBA's Houston Rockets. Amaya is in Houston this week training with several of the Rockets' coaches and players, including Yao Ming and former Pac-10 stars Aaron Brooks and Chase Budinger. Bellingham Herald

Marc Stein: Deal contains unspecified incentives that the Grizz have to salary-cap room to pay if Iverson hits them, so that helps explain why. Twitter.com

Most teams ignored the free agency of Allen Iverson, one of the N.B.A.’s most prolific scorers. A couple offered flimsy feelers. Finally, just before the opening of training camp, the Memphis Grizzlies signed the 34-year-old Iverson, creating a pairing that is both fitting and puzzling. “I’m not down,” Iverson said in a conference call to announce his incentive-laden deal with a one-year base salary of about $3 million. “I’m not the player I was at 24. At 24, the gas tank was overflowing. Now, it’s just full.” New York Times

The thought of Iverson as the centerpiece in the franchise’s marketing scheme and not the playbook has crossed his mind. By Thursday afternoon, the homepage of the Grizzlies’ Web site flashed a large picture of a smiling Iverson and a promotion for a season ticket coupled with an Iverson replica jersey. “I know that they sold me being committed to winning,” Iverson said. “If they were to get me to come here and sell tickets, I wouldn’t know. I thought about that as well, coming in here. The flip side of that is at least we’ll have some people to play in front of.” New York Times

“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t frustrating,” Iverson said. “It was a real frustrating time. I’ve become numb to it personally. But it obviously bothered me when I couldn’t figure out where my kids were going to be going to school, where my wife was going to be living.” New York Times

“Yes, it does matter,” Iverson said of starting. “I care about coming to training camp and fighting for a position. I was never given anything as a player. If I get beat out and the position goes to that player, then that’s the right thing to do. “It’s not something that I want to do. But if it’s something that will help people win basketball games, that’s something that I’m going to do.” New York Times

Iverson did not like the suggestion that perhaps he needs to become a role player in the twilight of his career. "I would never look at me as a role player,'' said Iverson, who said he's not sure how many more years he wants to play, but that, when he starts "embarrassing myself, then obviously I'll shut it down.'' FanHouse.com

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Marc J. Spears: Iverson got 1-year, $3,099,729 plus incentives deal with Memphis, Y! Sports has learned. Warriors re-signed Watson for 1-year, $1,000,497. Twitter.com

The next half-hour had to be seen to be believed. Iverson saluted the fans, touching his hand to his Grizzlies brim. The fans screamed and laughed and swooned. And if there is reason to be skeptical about how this might turn out, there is no reason to diminish the happiness of the day. People are thrilled. They are absolutely pumped. Asked what moved her to give up her morning to come to a press conference, Debbie Sigler -- a Grizzlies fan from Cordova -- seemed almost perplexed by the question. "Are you kidding?" she said. "It's A.I.!" What more explanation would anyone need, honestly? Look up there, at the lectern. It's A.I.! Memphis Commercial Appeal

NBA commissioner David Stern has often said Grizzlies fans struggling with the team's string of losing seasons just need some luck. "I think they got lucky," Stern said Thursday, reacting to the arrival of 10-time All-Star Allen Iverson in Memphis. "A bona-fide star and future Hall of Famer who still has lots of game left is going to prove to be a significant and helpful addition to the Grizzlies." Memphis Commercial Appeal

What do you want fans to know about you, and what do you want NBA teams to know about you? Rashad McCants: I'm definitely not a goody-two-shoes type of guy. I do have a persona about me that I want to uphold, that I'm a hard worker and I am a trash-talker, I do have confidence. But I'm not a bad a guy. Charlotte Observer

What do you think is the perception of you, among NBA teams? Rashad McCants: It's kind of a reoccurring conversation of people saying I'm moody and have a bad attitude. Q: Did your “moody” reputation from UNC follow you to the NBA? Rashad McCants: I think it probably did. And I think “moody” is a word you can use about anyone. ... You don't wake up and feel the same every day. When I was in college, I was very young, and ambitious and talented, and I wanted to do a lot of things. And it started off where people thought me and Matt Doherty had issues – where my first year, I played pretty good. I could have done better, but once the scoop became a public dispute where I was supposedly getting him fired and all this stuff, it kind of tore down my innocent wall of being just a regular Carolina player, to one with an attitude, to uncoachable. Charlotte Observer

And so, like his fast-moving Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash is in transition. "What I'm doing off the court is definitely with a transition in mind, knowing that I may or may not play after this contract [which runs through 2012], but I definitely want to take the opportunity now," he says, talking with his hands. "Whether it's soccer or filmmaking or my foundation, I want these things to have legs well beyond my basketball career. "And I think it would be foolish of me to just pick those things up when I'm not playing, and try to pick up the phone and have someone be interested in a film I want to make when I'm not playing. Because the truth is people probably won't care quite as much." National Post

"I do have a lot on my plate," Nash says. "I think how it basically happens is I can't help it. I don't play golf. In Phoenix, I rarely leave the house. I go to the gym, I come back, I'm at home, I pick up my [five-year-old twin] girls from school, we play in the yard, we jump in the pool, and I'm dad. "And all the rest of the time - I don't spend a ton of time watching TV or doing other things. Sometimes, yeah, it can be overwhelming, and I do take on a lot. But I think if you learn that gift of time-management in college, you can make it all work." National Post

Phoenix Suns guard Jason Richardson was back in town today working out with his teammates for the first time this summer. He addressed his two-game suspension and the 24 hours he spent in jail as a result of pleading guilty to driving under the influence just 9 days after being traded to the Suns from Charlotte. "When you get in trouble you deserve to get punished. Even though it hurts me and it's going to hurt the team a little bit in those two games I'm not there, I hope we come out with two victories," Jason went on to describe his time in jail as "tough". "That's what comes with the consequences of what I done. After these two these two games after I put this behind me, learn from my mistakes and move on with my life and my career," Richardson told Sports 620 KTAR's Craig Grialou today at the Suns practice facility. Bright Side of the Sun

He feels that he will be more aggressive on both ends of the floor in his first full-season with the Suns. He talked about his difficultly adjusting after the trade, "Getting traded mid-season, it had never happened to me before and it was tough. You have to get adjusted to a new city. Get adjusted to new teammates. Everything is on the fly, moving your family and getting adjusted to where you live at so it definitely was a big adjustment. So I think coming in already settled, going to camp, knowing the team, knowing the coach is going to benefit me a lot." Bright Side of the Sun

Lamar Odom: How's everyone feeling? I'm sore from boxing! Lol. The training is intense. Watch out for my right hand now. Twitter.com

Charlie Villanueva: Hey guys, in downtown nyc now doing some shopping before I make moves to MoTown. About to go meet accountant next, then to the NBA Store. Twitter.com

Charlie Bell: Where the heck is Mnkato, MN? That's where we play our first preseason game. Twitter.com

Kevin Garnett continues to make progress in his recovery from knee surgery, and the Boston Celtics hope their All-Star forward will be cleared for full-court scrimmaging by the start of training camp. Garnett began working out at the Celtics’ practice facility on Monday. For now, he is limited to participating in court drills that include shooting and running. He could be cleared for contact as early as the week before camp. Yahoo! Sports

“We’re looking for him to be there at the end of the season, not just the start of the season,” Ainge said. “We’re getting him ready for training camp and looking forward to him being healthy in the playoffs. He looks good. Really good.” Yahoo! Sports

Patrick Mills is expected to return to Portland within the next ten days to be evaluated by the Blazers and finish up some rehab on his injured right foot according to David Patrick, an assistant coach for the Australian National team and at St. Mary’s College. “He’s meeting with a specialist for the last time Monday [in Australia], and then he’s supposed to get back on the court and do a little bit of running,” Coach Patrick said by phone while in Las Vegas on a recruiting trip for the Gaels. “He’s on track but with a foot you never want to push it. He’s back home training at the Australian Olympic Institute where he lifts about four hours a day as part of his rehab, doing conditioning in the pool and riding a bike. They are training to keep his weight and everything in tact before he gets back on the court.” Beyond The Beat

Coach Patrick went on to say that Aaron Goodwin – who represents Mills for Goodwin Sports Management – said Portland wants to evaluate Mills and his foot before they make a decision about Mills’ future with the team. “Patty has had a lot of opportunities to go to Europe and people want to sign him regardless of the injury for big money, but that’s not what he wants to do. He’s always wanted to make the NBA. He wants to play for the Blazers or play in the NBA this year. That’s what he wants to do. But at this point, he’s just going to come back to Portland and see what happens – see if they place him overseas, keep him or let him go. You never know how it’s going to go – it’s tricky.” Beyond The Beat

Chris Mannix: Interesting factoid that didn't make mag: Rubio's people cobbled together more than $2 million in endorsement cash if he signed with Minny. Twitter.com

Canadian men's coach Leo Rautins said former Raptors forward Matt Bonner almost certainly will have his paperwork completed in time to play for Canada at the 2010 worlds in Turkey. Bonner, who started 67 games for the San Antonio Spurs last season, has taken the necessary steps to acquire Canadian citizenship. He married a Toronto girl and spends much off the off-season in Canada. Rautins said that almost immediately after the Canadian team qualified for the 2010 worlds last week in Puerto Rico, team officials began receiving text messages from Bonner. "He's jacked. He's completely pumped and waiting to play," Rautins said. "It's going to happen, and we're anxious to have Matt. He's a high- character guy, who's committed to the game. And for the international game, he is multi-faceted. He can play at the three, four and five spots." Toronto Sun

Rautins added that Toronto native Jamaal Magloire, a centre with the Miami Heat, is also on board to play at the worlds. Magloire has been criticized in the past for not playing for the national side during his time in the NBA. "He's a physical beast," Rautins said. "He has an edge to him and he has no problem cracking you on the side of the head if that needs to be done." Toronto Sun

The N.B.A. will start the 2009-2010 season without the N.B.A. referees after the league ended negotiations this week. The impending lockout is based on the referees’ refusal to concede to all of the N.B.A.’s demands for significant cutbacks to the referees’ budget. After months of negotiations, the N.B.A. continues to insist on cutting 10 percent from the referees’ budget for the 2009-2010 season. The National Basketball Referees Association’s (N.B.R.A.) most recent proposal, which the N.B.A. rejected, offered to cut more than $2.5 million from last season’s budget. This includes cutting travel costs by 15 percent and per diem by 7 percent. The referees have also agreed to freeze their salaries for the 2009-2010 season. This represents a 10 percent savings to the N.B.A. from the salaries it paid during the 2008-2009 season. While demanding cutbacks, the league also says it is necessary to add two new N.B.A. Developmental League referees to the staff, even though the referees have agreed to take on the additional workload. New York Times

“We understand that everyone in the country is facing tough times, but the N.B.A. is continuing to make money, sign large marketing and television contracts, and expand their business internationally,” said Lamell McMorris, the spokesman for the N.B.R.A. “We have attempted to negotiate in good faith and give substantial cuts to get the referees back to work.” New York Times

Dick Bavetta: McMorris has our backs. Twitter.com

To continue the Hall of Fame theme -- just arrived here in Springfield -- we wanted to share with you some great quotes from former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy about Michael Jordan, delivered through an ESPN forum. "Mentioning his name still turns my stomach, because some great Knick teams were denied winning championships because we could never scale Mt. Jordan."' Van Gundy and the Knicks faced Jordan six times in the playoffs between 1989-96. He was an assistant for most of those experiences but was the final meeting, a five-game defeat in 1996. The only time the Knicks beat the Bulls in that span was, of course, in 1994, when Jordan was on his short-lived minor league baseball hiatus. Newsday

"[He was a] ruthless competitor with exceptional basketball IQ, with an unmatched skill set and an ability to play his best when his best was needed," Van Gundy said. Jordan also seemed to love to punish the Knicks more than any other team. "He kicked our butt every time it was all on the line," Van Gundy said, "and then talked crap about us." Newsday

Speaking on WQAM from Springfield, Mass., where he is attending the Basketball Hall of Fame inductions, Riley said he not only has no regrets about retiring Michael Jordan's No. 23 at AmericanAirlines Arena, but believes it is something other teams should emulate. "His jersey hangs in AmericanAirlines Arena out of respect to him and what he's meant to this game," Riley said, with Jordan to be inducted tonight, "and we feel great about doing that." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame officially presented the family of the late Johnny "Red" Kerr with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement award Thursday night. Kerr succumbed to prostate cancer Feb. 26, 16 days after the Bulls moved up a ceremony to honor the organizational fixture and first present him with the honor. "My thoughts are he shouldn't be getting an award; he should be in the Hall of Fame," Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. "But Red always joked that if they elect [him] posthumously, [he's] not going to show up." Chicago Tribune

The proposed Atlantic Yards arena could be a money loser for the city to the tune of $40 million, a new report has found. The city will sink $169 million in subsidies into developer Bruce Ratner's new Nets arena over 30 years, and get back only $130 million in increased tax revenue, according to the report by the Independent Budget Office. It's a reversal from a 2005 report by the budget office that found the city would make $25 million more in tax revenues than it would spend on the arena. That's because the city's contribution to the arena has gone up, said office Deputy Director George Sweeting. New York Daily News

Olajuwon moved to the Middle East shortly after, having visited the region throughout his 18-year career. Now settled in Jordan – a country he says offers a "balanced, neutral society" – his children Rahmah and Aisha attend one of its many international schools, he visits the mosque as often as possible, and he and wife Dalia practise Arabic in a conducive environment. He seems content. He sounds comfortable. Despite being close to midnight, he has just returned from his local mosque when he speaks to Emirates Business by phone from his family home in Amman. It is Ramadan and he is fasting, just as he did when he was playing. "It is not difficult because it is something you look forward to," he says. "Fasting is really a training programme for your willpower. The concept of Ramadan is to control yourself – to restrain. Emirates Business 24/7

"Whether people around you are fasting or not doesn't make any difference. If people are eating and drinking in front of you, the willpower of the Muslim should be stronger. That's what the training is for. "It's like somebody who swims in a pool or somebody who is swimming in the ocean. The ocean is stronger so makes a better swimmer. "I find in the Arab World that when they are fasting, they say they are weaker and they don't work as hard. But it should be the opposite." Emirates Business 24/7

But this was the 1990s; Muslims in North American sports were not commonplace. Nowadays there are players such as Toronto Raptors' Hedo Türkoglu and, if rumours are to be believed, Shaquille O'Neal who have found faith in Islam. "At the beginning of my career, when my team-mates heard I was fasting during the season they thought it would affect my game and were concerned," explains the 12-time All-Star. "But when they saw that it actually made me better there was a lot of admiration and intrigue: 'How can you play at this level without drinking water, when you must need water and must be thirsty' they would ask." Emirates Business 24/7

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