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Sunday, September 13

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The Knicks, searching for more size in the backcourt, have signed Sun Yue, a 6-foot-9 point guard, to a partly guaranteed contract, his agent, Charles Bonsignore, said. Sun spent last season as a reserve for the Los Angeles Lakers, who drafted him in the second round in 2007. New York Times

Based on how this summer has gone for the Heat, it can be safely assumed that lobbying on Twitter for a job might not be the best way to submit one's resume. Yet there is Bonzi Wells, the former Trail Blazer, Grizzly, King, Rocket and Hornet, lobbying at 140 (or less) characters at a time, as he works out in Chicago alongside Dwyane Wade and Jermaine O'Neal. "I'm trying to get on wit miami but its political," was one of his tweets. Bonzi Wells "i would love to b in miami i could help them cats fa sho," was another. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

O'Neal also has gotten into the act. He first tweeted, "i hope that they do sign him because he really could help us!" He then offered, "he is in great shape! he has been working out with me all summer and he looks really good!" There was more from each, but in language generally avoided in this space. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Rockets reached agreement on non-guaranteed contracts with guards Will Conroy and Garrett Temple, players who excelled with the Rockets summer league team and who will help round out the training camp roster, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. Both would be considered longshots to make the Rockets regular-season roster, with forward/center Pops Mensah-Bonsu the most likely of the players with non-guaranteed players to stick with the team heading into the season. The Rockets are not likely to sign either until shortly before players must report Sept. 28, though Temple has been working out with the Rockets training staff throughout the summer and Conroy joined the workouts on Friday. Houston Chronicle

Barring other changes, the Rockets would have 19 players under contract when Conroy and Temple sign. With two of their three centers – Joey Dorsey and Mensah-Bonsu – also working at power forward, the Rockets could also add a center before training camp. Houston Chronicle

Ira, why we don't go after Carlos Arroyo? He's looking for a one-year deal. I saw him in the FIBA Americas tournament and he looked great with Puerto Rico. -- Javier. A: The Heat has been lukewarm toward Carlos during the Riley area. Also, Carlos was quoted as saying he wanted a guarantee before reporting to an NBA camp, something Riley said he is not willing to do at this stage. I'd say when it comes to the Heat and the former Florida International standout, the interest is a one-way street. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Seattle Times has learned this morning that former Husky forward Jon Brockman has signed with the Sacramento Kings. Brockman was picked in the second round by the Kings in June. It's likely a make-good type of contract, meaning no guarantees like first-round picks receive, but I don't know the details at the moment. I will forward those when I can. Seattle Times

Lakers' draft pick Chinemelu Elonu has signed with Zaragoza. Diario Equipo

Allen Iverson and his teammates from Bethel High celebrated their Virginia state basketball title in 1992 by stopping at a barbecue joint in Richmond. Iverson had averaged 31.1 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as a junior that season. And over ribs and pulled pork, he began to chirp. "I think I can take Michael 1-on-1," he announced to his teammates and coaches. Memphis Commercial Appeal

They assumed he was talking about a teammate named Michael Evans. Boo Williams, one of Iverson's AAU coaches, interrupted him. " 'Allen, we all know you can take Michael,' " Williams said. "No, no," Iverson said, shaking his head. "I bet I could take Michael Jordan." Everyone looked at Iverson and waited for him to laugh or crack a smile, any sort of sign that he was joking. And then they waited some more. "That made me stop eating my hamburger," Williams recalled in a telephone interview. Memphis Commercial Appeal

"He's a survivor," said Butch Harper, one of his former youth coaches and a close friend. "He's experienced life's trials and tribulations. He's got a T-shirt and a bumper sticker, he's been there. Growing up and coming through what he did? Let's see who's heart is the biggest now." Memphis Commercial Appeal

"There are very few players that haven't had any glitches," Greenberg said. "They're human. He's human. And he doesn't make excuses. Has he done irresponsible stuff? Yeah. There was no reason for him in Philadelphia to drive a Rolls Royce and park in a handicap spot, you know? Or for him maybe not being nice to some people who are bothering him while he's eating a meal." Memphis Commercial Appeal

"He went there, and he couldn't really trust what people had told him," said Gary Moore, Iverson's business manager and grade-school football coach. "People in Detroit weren't very truthful with him." According to Moore, Iverson had been told that he would be the leader of the team when he arrived, and that was not what played out. The players were upset that the front office had traded away Chauncey Billups, Moore said. Iverson was persona non grata before he even showed up. "Allen couldn't do anything about that," Moore said. "When you lie to him, that affects him." Memphis Commercial Appeal

Moore said Iverson's meeting with Grizzlies officials in Atlanta last week was important. "They were up front with him," Moore said. "When he sat down and met with them eye-to-eye, he said, 'I was just lied to, and it almost destroyed my career. What do you guys want from me? If you want me to just come here and sell tickets, you've got the wrong guy. If I come here, I want to win.'" Memphis Commercial Appeal

Regardless of their lucrative contracts, some young players can’t escape the mental anguish and long-term effects of coming from fatherless homes or difficult childhoods. Unusual hobbies and expensive jewelry can’t camouflage depression for long. “A lot of pressure comes along with their success,’’ said agent Sam Goldfeder, who represents former Celtic Gabe Pruitt as well as No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin. “And I am not sure there’s a right answer of how to approach everyone. You have to be a grounded individual and have a support group. But there are entrepreneurs, entertainers, and other wealthy people who deal with mental health. There’s not just one factor.’’ Boston Globe

“The reality is they’re not invincible from mental-health issues,’’ said BU psychology professor Leonard Zaichkowsky, who has been a consultant for the Celtics, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the NFLPA, and the Calgary Flames. “We don’t know the causes of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia or any of the phobias. But it’s typically hushed up because pro athletes are just not supposed to get it. “But in recent years, they have been much more open to that. The frequency of mental-health issues in recent years with elite athletes is more pronounced than it was a decade ago.’’ Boston Globe

Mo Evans: The veteran shooting guard said he weighs 225 pounds but looks noticeably bigger in his upper body. “I wanted to spend my time strengthening my core, so I could prevent injuries and stay healthy. I haven’t had a history of injuries in my career, knock on wood, but I just felt like that was a great place to start for this season. “I lifted a lot of weights to build up my endurance so I can be a lot more physical when I’m guarding guys like Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant. Those guys don’t like to be touched. They’ll see the difference and notice it when we’re out there on the floor and they can’t get their way physically. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Smith was 245 pounds of solid muscle early in the summer but has shed weight since then, mostly by accident, but his summer work was as much philosophical as it was physical. “I wasn’t trying to lose it. I didn’t do it on purpose. But earlier in the summer I started working out twice a day and the weight just came off. I’m down to 230 now, and I really need to put five more pounds of muscle back on. “I wanted to work more on my decision-making than anything. I handle the ball so much on the fast break and in transition that I wanted to make sure I’m thinking the game the way I need to be. I also worked on my handles and knocking down that mid-range jumper. I’m really not worried about the 3-point ball right now. We have so many guys on this team that can make that shot. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Marvin Williams: In an effort to avoid the injuries that plagued him last season, Williams said his summer was spent healing and refurbishing skills he worked on last year. “The biggest thing for me was getting healthy. I had to heal up. I had to let my wrist heal, my back heal. Of course, I went to work on all my skills, handling the ball and my shooting, but the biggest thing for me was getting my body back healthy. “I was up at 8 every morning and in the gym by 9. I was running hills and pulling the sled, working on my explosiveness and endurance both. Then it was on the weights after that until 11:30. You’re working every day to get faster and stronger. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Jerry Krause took the high road late Friday, refusing to respond to Michael Jordan for his dig at the Bulls' former general manager during Jordan's Hall of Fame acceptance speech. "Michael's the best player ever to play the game," Krause said from his north suburban home. But Krause did clarify the comment Jordan derisively mocked, the theme of which was organizations win championships. "What I said in the original quote was players and coaches alone don't win championships," Krause said. "Somebody has to find players and those are scouts. Somebody has to put other players on the floor. Somebody has to keep them in shape and medically take care of them. Somebody has to pay them. Chicago Tribune

"What I was trying to do was to get behind-the-scenes people some credit because they were a part of our success. Obviously, we all benefited greatly from Michael and I'm happy for him on his big day." Jordan also tossed a barb about not inviting Krause. "The reason I wasn't there was because Tex Winter has been excluded from the Hall of Fame and the way the voting is set up," Krause said. "It had nothing to do with Michael." Chicago Tribune

Bryon Russell has a message for Michael Jordan: Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting in California – in my basketball shorts. “I’ll play his ass right now,” Russell told Yahoo! Sports. “This is a call-out for him to come play me. He can come out here in his private jet and come play. He’s got millions of dollars. He can pay for the jet. He can meet me at the Recreation Center in Calabasas. “We can have Mark Jackson do the commentating. We can have Mitch Richmond do the officiating. We can put it on TV and see if Michael’s still got it.” Yahoo! Sports

“…At this time I had no thoughts of coming back and playing the game of basketball,” Jordan said during his speech. “Bryon Russell came over to me and said, ‘Why’d you quit? You know I could guard you. If I ever see you in a pair of shorts…’ “When I did come back in 1995 and we played Utah in ’96, I’m at the center circle and Bryon Russell is standing next to me. I said, ‘You remember the [comments] you made in 1994 about, ‘I think I can guard you, I can shut you down, I would love to play against you? Well, you’re about to get your chance.’ ” Yahoo! Sports

Russell said Jordan’s story was accurate and that he was honored, not offended, by his words. “It was during my rookie year,” Russell said. “He turned to Karl [Malone] and said, ‘Hey Karl, is that your rookie?’ I really did say that to him. Karl was laughing and [Jordan] was laughing, too. …I guess I motivated him to come back. There had to be other reasons. You know he likes all challenges. “Out of all the people he came across, he thought about me. I’m happy to be in his Hall of Fame speech.” Yahoo! Sports

Having a stepfather on life support prevented Karl Malone from attending Friday's induction of his Utah Jazz teammate John Stockton and coach Jerry Sloan to the Basketball Hall of Fame, but Malone surprised them by flying in for Saturday night's HOF dinner. "My stepfather Ray is on life support," Malone said at the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino after flying in from his home in Louisiana. "My family and I decided to get away from that for a few hours and come here and then go right back." ESPN.com

"Stock left me messages all day today and wanted to know how things were going," Malone said. "I didn't text him back because I would've told him I was coming. We're only going to be here for three or four hours. It was just a respect thing. I came to get a hug from John and Jerry Sloan." Malone indicated that the family might have to decide on Monday whether or not to take his stepfather off life support. "We have a real tough decision to make," he said. ESPN.com

"Certainly there are plays that I remember and victories that I remember," Stockton said Friday at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on the day of his enshrinement. "But the things that are closer to my heart are the bus rides to and from games." Deseret News

Hamed Haddadi let a half-court shot fly as 100 kids looked on. It was his camp, so it would have been fitting to hit the difficult attempt. Unfortunately for the Iranian - the first ever to play in the NBA - he was just short, and the ball grazed off the front of the rim as the youngsters groaned in disappointment. Then the Lakers' Ron Artest picked up a ball and launched a nothing-but-net half-court 3-pointer. The kids went nuts. "Very nice of (Artest) to come out," said a smiling Haddadi, the Memphis Grizzlies' 7-foot-2 center who is hosting the youth basketball camp (which finishes today) at Cal State Northridge. Los Angeles Daily News

Yes, Artest took away some of Haddadi's spotlight Saturday. "I have that Lakers' patch on my back," Artest said, downplaying his new rock star status in Los Angeles. "It helps me help (Haddadi) in his camp. We just kind of help each other." Los Angeles Daily News

Ray Allen: whats up everyone..at some point tomorrow im gonna give away a pair of shoes by leaving them at a random location somewhere around hartford. Twitter.com

The centrepiece of a $48 million renovation to the decade-old facility is a startlingly-clear 50-by-30 foot high-definition outdoor screen on the west side of the building. It's part of a pedestrian plaza and new entrance to the arena and provides a gathering place for ticketless fans to watch games being played mere steps away. "We want to create a little Times Square feeling," said Bob Hunter, the executive vice-president for venues and entertainment of MLSE. Toronto Star

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