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Friday, September 18

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The NBA formally notified the union representing its 57 active referees Friday that it was imposing a lockout, saying the rejection of its latest contract offer left "no choice but to begin using replacement referees." CBSSports.com

Lamell McMorris, lead negotiator for the referees, told CBSSports.com that he received formal notice of the lockout from the league shortly after 3 p.m. ET. He declined to comment further until he had time to review the league's memo. Replacement refs will convene next week for the annual training camp for officials, although the timing of the camp is undecided based on the logistical challenges of convening replacements. CBSSports.com

The league has lined up various officials from the D-League to start doing preseason games Oct. 1. The regular season doesn't begin until Oct. 27. "We can still get a deal done. The door isn't closed yet, but it has reached the critical stage. We've hit a wall, and we have to figure out how to knock that wall down,'' said Lamell McMorris, the union's chief negotiator on Friday. "Realistically, we've got about a week or less now (and replacements).'' FanHouse.com

O'Neal said Friday that he was surprised and disappointed the league was asking the officials to make significant concessions and take reductions in their pension benefits. O'Neal knows first hand what can happen during a lockout when the league turns to replacement officials. People get hurt. FanHouse.com

"The refs have been vital to this league for a long time. They should be treated accordingly,'' O'Neal told FanHouse Friday morning. "We need perfection out there. We don't need second best (replacements). The league needs to get this done.'' O'Neal was back home in Orlando, preparing to play golf in his favorite charity event -- his mother's fundraiser that provides nursing scholarships at several colleges in Florida and New Jersey -- when he was asked Friday about the officials. "I feel for them. They work hard out there, just like we do,'' he said. "When you look at all that's going on with the league. This is a big year. We need them out there.'' FanHouse.com

The Lakers will add even more international flavor to its roster with the signing of swingman Mickael Gelabale, who will be the second French player in franchise history after Ronny Turiaf. The former Sonic will join the team for training camp on a make-good contract. Gelabale, whose career has been recently derailed by injury problems, is understandably excited about the prospect of playing for the NBA champions. “It’s a dream come true for me,” Gelabale said. “It’s a legendary team, with guys like Magic, Worthy, Kobe… I was a fan of the team as a kid.” HoopsHype.com

“It’s a dream come true for me,” Gelabale said. “It’s a legendary team, with guys like Magic, Kareem, Kobe… I was a fan of the team as a kid.” HoopsHype.com

Gelabale’s second season with the Sonics, where he averaged 4.5 ppg and 2.1, was cut short due to to an ACL injury. He’s been trying to recover from it for the last year and a half, even making an appearance in the D-League last season with the L.A. D-Fenders, the Lakers’ affiliate. The French swingman claims he’s fully recovered now. “The knees are very good. It’s 100 per cent,” Gelabale said. “We had some tests in Los Angeles and both of my knees are very, very strong. I’ve been working out a lot and now I’m even able to do things I couldn’t do before.” HoopsHype.com

“I had other options in the NBA. Other teams invited me, but I chose the Lakers because I think I can make the team. I can bring my defense to the Lakers. I remember there have been times when I played against Kobe that he would congratulate after the game for being such a good defender. I know it’s going to be hard to make the team, but you have to start somewhere.” HoopsHype.com

Mark Bartelstein, the agent for free-agent guard Dan Dickau, said his client will decide by the end of the weekend whether to accept a training camp invitation from the Celtics. Dickau played 19 games with the Celtics in 2005-06 before training his Achilles tendon and missing the remainder of the season. Dickau would be in heavy competition for the third point guard spot with players such as Lester Hudson. Boston Globe

This, apparently, is where the market has gone, just as Riley forecast, when he said: "As far as spots 14 and 15, if any of those veterans want to come in on a non-guaranteed contract, then I'll take them, for the reason that if I want to keep that player for 10 days, I know what my costs are going to be versus $845,000 or whatever it is. I know what my costs are going to be on the tax. Then, I might be able to move somebody else to keep that guy, and knowing I'll keep him for the rest of the year. "And that's how I approached it. I'm not just going to give a veteran a guaranteed contract and maybe I don't want to keep the guy." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"This is a great opportunity," Belinelli said during a media opportunity that followed a workout at ACC. "I come into a nice city like Toronto. This is a good team, (a) European team. It's a really great opportunity for me." Raptors.com

"I can shoot. I can create for my teammates," said Belinelli. "I can be a great defender. I can do everything, you know." Belinelli said he reveled in the presence of fellow Italians Andrea Bargnani and assistant GM Mauricio Gherardini and predicted big things ahead. "I talked with (Bryan) Colangelo and he told me this is a good spot for me and I can have a lot of opportunity to play. Now is my time to see what I can do. I want to be ready for that." Raptors.com

Andre Iguodala: Workouts were on point today! Coach thought I was outta shape, I was like C'mon son! Twitter.com

Ender Arslan missed a potential game-winning shot as time expired, and Greece hung on for a 76-74 overtime victory against Turkey to advance to the European basketball championship semifinals on Friday. Greece will play Spain on Saturday. The other semifinal will match Serbia against Slovenia or Croatia, who played in Friday's other quarterfinal. Vasileios Spanoulis led Greece with 23 points, but also committed seven turnovers. Hedo Turkoglu scored all of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to pace Turkey. "We are very happy today, and I am very proud of my players," Greece coach Jonas Kazlauskas said. "I think the key to the game was the excellent defense of our players, and for sure the individual game that Spanoulis showed today." ESPN.com

Nate Robinson and his longtime girlfriend, Sheena Felitz, celebrated on Thursday the birth of the couple's third child. After two boys, the couple had a girl. (I have two girls, myself, and I recommended to Nate a moat, tower and a fire-breathing dragon. It's never too soon to start planning your defense, Daddy). Newsday

Nate Robinson: I wanna say thanks to donnie walsh and the new york knicks for send my daughter some flowers and love, greatly appreciated go knicks! Twitter.com

Cavaliers guard Delonte West was arrested Thursday night near his offseason home in Maryland for weapons possession. West was pulled over by police on his 2009 Can-Am Spyder motorcycle in Brandywine, Md., at 10 p.m. Thursday night for excessive speed and making an unsafe lane change. A Prince George's County police spokesman said West had two handguns and a shotgun in his possession and he cooperated with police as he was placed under arrest. He has been released on his own recognizance. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Delonte West, a guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, was driving a three-wheeled motorcycle north on Interstate 95 near Route 214 in the Largo area when he cut off a Prince George's County police officer, authorities said. The officer pulled him over, and West told the officer that he was carrying a handgun in his waistband. Washington Post

Brian Windhorst: Also, apparently he was pulled over after cutting off a police cruiser on the highway. All guns were loaded. Twitter.com

Sources said the Nuggets early this month made a minimum contract offer of $1.1 million to free-agent guard Ronald "Flip'' Murray. However, Murray, perhaps hoping to get a deal worth the biannual exception of $1.99 million, has still yet to accept it. FanHouse.com

Those close to the situation say Murray really could help the Nuggets during the seven games Smith is out and throughout the season could provide bench scoring lost when free-agent forward Linas Kleiza bolted to Greece during the summer. But some believe free-agent swingman Keith Bogans could end up being a better fit for the Nuggets due to providing a season-long defensive presence. After a season in which they stepped up their defense and advanced to the Western Conference finals, the Nuggets also lost defensive ace Dahntay Jones, the starting shooting guard who signed with Indiana as a free agent. FanHouse.com

Sources said Bogans wants to sign with the Nuggets, and he could be their backup choice if Murray doesn't take their offer. It's not believed Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, whose team is in line to be about $5.5 million over the luxury-tax line, wants to use the biannual exception. FanHouse.com

President of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed the team will begin contract negotiations with Rondo, who has one year remaining on his contract and is seeking an extension, and agent Bill Duffy. “We’ll have an opportunity to sit down with Rajon and get something done,’’ Ainge said. “Those conversations won’t take a long time, I don’t think. Rajon is in a situation where we certainly want him and consider him a big part of our future. This time of year, it’s one of those circumstances where we would want a deal that’s good for us and gives us security, and he wants a deal that’s good for him. I think we’ll know after a few conversations if we are close and whether we can get a deal done or not. I haven’t had a conversation with him. I don’t think they know where I stand and I don’t know where they stand, so at some point we’ll get together and have that discussion.’’ Boston Globe

Felton is playing in these pick-up games, with his contract situation unresolved. That’s classically Raymond, one of the reasons coach Larry Brown respects him so much. Reminds me of when then-coach Bernie Bickerstaff reluctantly let Felton play summer league because if he didn’t, Felton would go find some gym somewhere to get some game. Charlotte Observer

Rashad McCants was playing Thursday, looking for a camp invitation. He got rebounding position inside Diop once to tap back in his own miss, pretty strong for a shooting guard. Obviously the guy can score, but are there any real minutes in the backcourt beyond Felton, Bell, D.J. Augustin and rookie Gerald Henderson? Charlotte Observer

Brandt Andersen to Stephon Marbury: the people have spoken, they want you in a Utah Flash uniform. I'll meet you in LA in a few days to work out the details. Twitter.com

NBA sources told FOX 26 Sports Thursday guard Brent Barry will not be back with the Houston Rockets for the upcoming season. Barry will either be traded or he will retire with the Rockets expected in that case to buy out his contract which had one year remaining. MyFoxHouston.com

There were some new - but familiar - faces on the Toyota Center practice court today. One might stick around. Stromile Swift, Lorenzen Wright and Jelani McCoy joined the workouts, hoping for an invite to training camp and a chance to make the team as a backup big man. Houston Chronicle

There were some good moments at the workout. It is interesting how Garrett Temple and Will Conroy lead each sprint, looking like guys that have been working all summer and are trying to make the team. Don't sleep on these guys. The likelihood of Temple or Conroy making the team is every bit as strong as Von Wafer's was at this time last year. Of the non-guaranteed guys - Conroy, Temple, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and James White - one will make the team. Another might if Daryl Morey can carve out a spot, somehow. Houston Chronicle

And the Ronald Dupree camp believes the 6-foot-7, 209-pound athlete has a chance of earning a roster spot on the NBA team that plays just up the road from where the former Utah Flash standout spent part of last year's D-League season. "We haven't signed anything official yet," agent Mark Bartelstein said, "but that's the plan is for him to come to camp ... and try to make the team." Deseret Morning News

The Minnesota Timberwolves have added size on the perimeter by signing 6-foot-7 shooting guard Sasha Pavlovic to a one-year deal. Pavlovic agreed to a buyout with the Phoenix Suns earlier this week. The Cavaliers traded him to Phoenix as part of the deal that brought Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland. ESPN.com

Sam Amick: Regarding Desmond Mason signing: the one-year deal worth $1.18 million isn't guaranteed at all until Jan. 10 when it goes full. Twitter.com

He missed the second half of last season after hyperextending his right knee on Jan. 28 and undergoing arthroscopic surgery. And while he cleared the physicals and was given a clean bill of health, the Kings did not hold a workout for him and will draw more of their own conclusions once the real work begins on Sept. 29. Among the looming questions that I couldn't get answers to because I never heard back from Mason was this: why did he wind up here instead of Denver when it clearly wasn't as if the Kings outbid the Nuggets (who may not have bid at all)? "If he has recovered from the injury, he could help anybody (in the NBA)," Westphal said. "He had surgery, has rehabbed and recovered. Swelling's not a problem anymore. He's been working out hard and passing all the physicals and everything. Two-a-days and training camp is the next step for anybody coming back from an injury, but there are no particular yellow lights about it. He said he's good to go, and the doctors seem to think he's good to go, so we'll be glad to get him out there and give him a chance." Sacramento Bee

Asked if this was a move made mostly because of Mason's basketball talent or his personal qualities as a known leader and good character guy in the locker room, Westphal said the role could be both. "I think he can bring all those things depending on how healthy he is," he said. "The biggest question is, 'Are we going to see the Desmond Mason of three years ago, or are we going to see somebody who really can't play anymore? There's only one way to find out. "He is acknowledged pretty much universally by anyone who has coached him or played with him or been around him to be a solid person. He has good leadership ability and never creates any problems. It's always a positive to add a quality person to your team." Sacramento Bee

Sam Amick: Also, Jon Brockman's deal was one-year fully guaranteed for $457K - surprisingly, no team option for second season (or a player option). Twitter.com

The Pacers signed Head, a former University of Illinois standout, to a one-year, partially guaranteed contract Thursday. "It was too hard to pass up," Bird said. "I've been after Luther for two years. I think he's a player that can come in and get something done for us." Indianapolis Star

Head was waived by the Rockets in late February. He signed with the Miami Heat, but a broken bone in his right hand limited him to 10 games. "Last year was a rough year for him," Head's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. "But he's shown in the past what he can do. He averaged double figures on a playoff team. We think going to Indiana and playing in the system (coach) Jim (O'Brien) runs fits Luther's style perfectly." Indianapolis Star

Ben Golliver: Juwan Howard said today Charlotte, Cleveland and Atlanta also expressed interest in his services this summer. Twitter.com

A week after one point guard went down with injury, Unicaja has signed Eugene "Pooh" Jeter to fill that role at least temporarily. Jeter (179, 25) arrives from another Spanish club, ViveMenorca, where he averaged 16.3 points, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 32 games last season. Euroleague.net

So what's the word from Nuggets guard J.R. Smith on his seven-game suspension to start the season? Well, actually there isn't one yet. "The team said I'm not allowed to speak to nobody yet,'' Smith said Thursday, saying team officials have told him not to talk to the press until media day Sept. 25. FanHouse.com

Smith was asked, though, if he at least wanted to make a comment on whether the suspension, handed down Aug. 28, was fair. "You're trying to get me fined,'' Smith said. FanHouse.com

Then again, Nene believes Smith could be as valuable to Denver as Jackson is to Golden State. "[Smith] can be one of the top players in the league,'' Nene said. "He's so talented. He can shoot. He can dunk. He can jump. He can do whatever he wants.'' FanHouse.com

We all know Gil's been a pretty elusive guy all summer, really since the 2008 playoffs. Without giving away any "secrets," how exactly were you able to get him to talk to you so you could write this story? Mike Jones: I'd love to tell you that I had a secret to getting him to talk, but it's nothing profound. It all goes back to a lesson my first editor told me back when I was at a small-town paper back in Virginia 10 years ago: You have to build a relationship with your sources, and work to earn their trust and then it will pay off. I've tried to do that with all the Wizards, but especially Gil. We talk about non-Wizards stuff -- video games, movies, music, tattoos, politics, football, whatever. I feel like we've developed a good rapport. But... a lot of dealing with him is luck. You have to catch him at the right time. I've had times in the past where I'll ask for a comment, and he'll say he's not talking, and then later that afternoon find out that he walked right out the door and changed his mind and talked to the next reporter he ran into. I was fortunate this summer. I tried to keep a steady flow of contact with him, and this time it worked because eventually when he was ready, we went ahead and began on-the-record work for the story. BulletsForever.com

Gil said the Wizards didn’t want him lifting weights because he might chip a bone. Is that true, or was that hyperbole? What did the doctors specifically tell him to do and how much did he follow their plan? Mike Jones: From what I was able to observe and from what Gil told me in the past, this was true. (Ernie Grunfeld doesn't let the trainers speak publicly for interviews, else I would have loved to get their take on this). But yes, I was told that they first wanted him to get stronger through other training methods and THEN start with the weightlifting. Grover said "they had a different way" of doing things, but that since Gil started training in Chicago, he and the Wizards' trainers had been speaking often and working on learning new methods of rehab from Grover and his team. BulletsForever.com

By all accounts, he seems like the same guy to Doc Rivers. “He’s normal again,” the Celtics head coach said of Kevin Garnett. Well, there is one change. “He’s happy, he’s talking more, which I didn’t think was possible,” Rivers told WEEI.com following the USI Shamrock Classic at the Nashawtuc Country Club. “He’s got his quickness back and he just looks normal again.” WEEI.com

“His presence has been felt. He has been talking more, but you don’t know when he starts playing, maybe he’ll talk less,” Brian Scalabrine said with a laugh. “But he has been leading us in a very instructional kind of way. Before he was like that but now, like he pulled me aside the other day. He was like, ‘You know, you have to play the game within the game. If you’re trying to get something done later, you want to set it up with something early.’ WEEI.com

Contrary to what was widely assumed in the postseason, Allen said the extra minutes he and Paul Pierce logged during the first round series against the Bulls weren’t a major problem. “I wasn’t beat up,” Allen said. “I was ready to go another series. I think people wanted to assume that we were beat up. They wanted to assume that me and Paul were beat up because we played so many minutes throughout the year, but he and I, we felt great.” Boston Herald

“I cherish having Marquis as a part of the squad because the one thing that Paul and I talked about was our inability to get the rest during the game,” Allen said. “We love to play and we want to be on the floor every moment we can if that were the case. But, for the most part, it’s greater for us as a team for us to get more rest, especially playing a long season.” Boston Herald

Allen Iverson: 2moro I get a day off. Then off to Poland, where I expect to see a new teammate, Marc Gasol. Looking forward to that. Twitter.com

Nelson reached out to Randolph's parents, Anthony Sr. and Crystal, in early July to try to gain some more insight into their son, the one that Nelson couldn't seem to get through to early in the season. The three of them spent an evening together, having dinner, talking about Randolph and getting to know one another. "I've always been ready to play for Nellie," Randolph said on Thursday, after taking part in an NBA program to deliver computers to schools. "He came out to Dallas, met my parents and stuff like that. Me and Nellie have a great relationship right now. "I wasn't there, but my mom and dad said they had a good time. I wish I would have been there. We talked after the season and (Nelson) just expressed to me he wanted to meet my family. I thought it was a good thing." FanHouse.com

It's also a good thing for the Warriors that Randolph said he has "pretty much been in the weight room every day." When the principal of Urban Promise Academy middle school introduced Randolph to students, he described him as a "6-foot-10, 210-pound forward." Off to the side, Randolph quietly said to an observer: "Actually, 7-foot, 222 pounds." Whatever the dimensions, Randolph seems to represent one of the few areas of promise for the Warriors, who have missed the playoffs two consecutive years. Further, they haven't tinkered very much with last year's 29-win team. FanHouse.com

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We haven't watched any of the workouts in the last few weeks, so we're basing this assertion on the opinions of three or four witnesses who know what they're talking about. Terrence Williams -- for reasons that elude logic -- looks like their best player two weeks before camp opens. Nobody wants to say this aloud for print, but they'll go this far: "He's playing really well - a freak of nature athletically," Keyon Dooling said yesterday. "In the moments I've watched, he's really unique. What you don't see from the great athletes is a high basketball IQ. But he has a nice floor game - a really nice floor game." Newark Star-Ledger

Then there's this from Mr. Reticence: "He's really good. I worked with him some, watched him some, and I'm very impressed," L-Frank said. Both sounded as though they were looking over their shoulders, waiting for someone to jam a towel down their throats. Nobody wants to christen any rookie as The Next Big Thing, but everyone else we spoke to claims that T-Will the Thrill has absolutely torn up the gym. Newark Star-Ledger

I’d been hearing how hard veteran center Nazr Mohammed worked this summer. It shows. Naz is obviously in great shape and, at least from what I witnessed Thursday, deserves a chance to play. Charlotte Observer

Jonathan Abrams: Shaun Livingston says he's 99.5 percent. If he returns all the way from his injury one day, it'll be one of the better nba stories. Twitter.com

Roger Mason: My Dad passed away when I was 11, and I know how much it had to mean to S.McNair's kids to have Vince Young at their school for a Dad's day. Twitter.com

Yes, that was Uncle Cliffy you saw observing gym activity in some of those photos on the team's web site. He's going to stick around for a while. "I asked him if he had some time to help us out," L-Frank said. "He can lend some invaluable knowledge to our guys, but especially Yi and Brook and Sean and Josh. So he'll be here through camp." Newark Star-Ledger

The developer Bruce C. Ratner, who received final state approval Thursday to build an $800 million arena in Brooklyn for the Nets, is inching closer to selling a majority stake in the team to a Russian billionaire, according to two executives briefed on the negotiations. Ratner, who bought the team for $300 million in 2004 with plans to move it to a new home in Brooklyn, has acknowledged in recent weeks that he is talking to potential investors. The arena, which would be known as Barclays Center, is the centerpiece of a planned 22-acre residential and commercial development project. New York Times

With less than two weeks to go before the start of training camps, it is increasingly likely that the NBA will begin the preseason, and perhaps the regular season, with replacement referees -- a prospect called "inevitable" by the referee union's attorney -- after the latest talks between the league and the officials on a new contract broke down again Thursday. No new talks between the two sides are scheduled. The brief hope that flared Wednesday and into Thursday when the two sides continued negotiations with one another after a week off was snuffed out Thursday afternoon, when the league rejected the union's latest counterproposal that addressed some of the non-economic sticking points keeping them apart. At the heart of the current dispute are retirement and savings issues, with the league looking to control costs of both going forward by asking to cut one significant retirement benefit from the officials' plan and modifying another. Another major issue is the league's desire, for the first time, to use Development League and WNBA officials in regular season games. NBA.com

"The NBA and the referees' union had discussions today," said Rick Buchanan, the NBA's Executive Vice President and General Counsel. "We didn't reach an agreeement. It's unfortunate and disappointing that we haven't been able to conclude this. We have three significant issues that are separating us -- two of which, along the way in the negotiations, the union actually agreed to and then turned around and reneged on the agreements." NBA.com

"We remain open to continuing the dialogue and trying to come to a resolution with the league," McMorris said. "It's not like we're not willing to negotiate. It's just that the talks ended today. The NBA concluded there was nothing more to talk about if we weren't willing to budge on this specific systemic change they want to make with regard to retirement benefits...we felt like we've given a lot back. In the last 24 hours we've given an additional $1 million in concessions to the league. We're hung up on one item, and it has to do with a longstanding retirement benefit that the league is trying to take away, and we want to keep." NBA.com

Two sources with knowledge of owner finances say that the league collectively lost hundreds of millions of dollars last season, with the prospect of even more red ink this coming season. Renewal orders for season tickets for fans and corporations went out in the spring for most teams, and although several clubs have instituted more generous payment terms and conditions, most teams are expecting the worst. NBA.com

As a reminder, the union sent out an informational memo Thursday detailing the numerous fines and suspensions handed out by the league during the period when replacement officials were used in regular season games. According to the memo, the NBA issued more than $200,000 in fines and suspended players for a total of 26 games for fights in November of that year, compared to $147,000 in fines and 22 games in suspensions for all of the 1994-95 season. In addition, the memo detailed injuries to Chris Webber and Shaquille O'Neal that the anonymous author claims may have been prevented if the regular referees had been on the court to keep physical play from escalating. The memo also quoted prominent players, including Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who decried the job the replacement officials were doing and welcomed back the veteran referees once they agreed to a new deal on Dec. 7. NBA.com

The Heat announced Thursday that Hardaway will become the second of its players to have his number retired, with his No. 10 to join Mourning's No. 33 above the team's home court in a ceremony prior to the Oct. 28 regular-season opener against the Knicks. "Words can't describe what I'm feeling right now, just to be acknowledged as one of the best players in Heat history and getting your number retired," Hardaway said. "When they told me, I had a smile on my face like the Joker. "This solidifies my career here." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"I'm trying to make amends with everything, trying to make everything right," he said Thursday. "If that's what people perceive of me, I can't change their thinking. The only thing I can do is try to do better, try to make amends for it, keep going." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Ben Coleman, the former Gopher and NBA player who plans to operate an American Basketball Association franchise in the Twin Cities next year, said Thursday that he would welcome having former Timberwolf J.R. Rider on his team. Rider, 38, a former Wolves first-round draft pick with a problem past, is rumored to be considering a comeback in the ABA. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Brian Scalabrine understands the importance of a strong campaign. Over the last few years fans have lobbied on Facebook to vote the Celtics forward to the NBA All-Star Team. Although Scalabrine never won the vote, he thinks he has a good eye for a deserving candidate. On Thursday Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca announced his candidacy in the special election for the late Senator Ted Kennedy’s vacant seat, and Scalabrine is already on-board. “I back him one hundred percent,” Scalabrine told WEEI.com following the USI Shamrock Classic at the Nashawtuc Country Club. “I feel like he’s the kind of guy that’s going to go out there and get things done. From a position in the state of Massachusetts right now, that’s what you’re going to want – people that are going to get things done.” WEEI.com

Insiders tell E! News exclusively that Khloé Kardashian and her NBA star boyfriend Lamar Odom are already planning to tie the knot. Odom, a forward for the L.A. Lakers, and Khloé recently have been "talking about rings," says a source close to the couple. Members of the Kardashian family are neither confirming nor denying the wedding plans or a date. A rep for both stars have declined to comment. E! Online

A judge in California has ruled that Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant's former housekeeper can continue her wrongful discharge case but can't sue for emotional distress. Orange County Superior Court Judge Kirk Nakamura also ruled Thursday that Bryant and his wife Vanessa can pursue their countersuit against Maria Jimenez for violating a confidentiality agreement by talking to reporters about the family. ESPN.com

Celebrities, sports figures and government leaders are expected to attend today's funeral for Mel Simon. Former Vice President Al Gore and NBA Commissioner David Stern are among the guests expected at the funeral for Simon, the shopping mall developer and co-owner of the Indiana Pacers. Indianapolis Star

Others expected to attend are Pacers President Larry Bird; former players Quinn Buckner, Mel Daniels and Reggie Miller; current player Danny Granger; U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh; Gov. Mitch Daniels; Mayor Greg Ballard; and former Mayor Bart Peterson, according to a Simon spokesman. Indianapolis Star

If you missed it, Joe Thorn died Sunday. Rod Thorn's 94-year-old father was a giant in and around Princeton, WV, and he had a fascinating story. Blessed with a rocket right arm, he sacrificed his chance at a pro pitching career with the St. Louis Cardinals (he reached Triple-A, or whatever they called it in the pre-war period) because he served his country in the Pacific. At Iwo Jima, he took a bullet in his hand. So he went home to Princeton -- a few miles from the Virginia border -- became its police chief, and even started the local little leagues for baseball and basketball. The main road on the east side of the railroad tracks still bears his name. Of course, he also raised a son who became the greatest student-athlete the small town ever produced. And somehow, the father didn't quibble much when the son chose to follow Jerry West at West Virginia rather than study medicine at Duke - the route Joe had mapped out for his son when more than 50 schools came calling. Newark Star-Ledger

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