HoopsHype.com Rumors

Sunday, October 11

Visit the HoopsHype.com Forums to discuss the latest news and rumors in the NBA / You also can check out rumors from back in the day in the Rumors Archive

The Golden State Warriors suspended disgruntled forward Stephen Jackson on Saturday for two games after he cursed at coach Don Nelson during a preseason game the previous night, two NBA sources said. The Warriors announced the suspension prior to Saturday’s preseason game against the Phoenix Suns in Indian Wells, Calif., and said in a statement that Jackson was being punished for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Yahoo! Sports

Jackson’s confrontation with Nelson came after he committed five fouls and a technical in less than 10 minutes of the Warriors’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. In addition to yelling at an official, Jackson also became agitated after exchanging words with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, a source said. After Jackson left the game with 2:40 left in the first quarter, his meltdown culminated on the sideline when he barked at Nelson, a scene one source described as “very ugly.” Nelson responded by sending Jackson to the locker room for the remainder of the game. Yahoo! Sports

Adrian Wojnarowski: One league assistant coach just texted: "They should suspend Nellie for 'conduct detrimental" for assembling that dream team.'" Twitter.com

Cleveland is where Jackson wants to go, and interestingly, his new agent, Mark Stevens, is closely aligned with Shaq in a major business effort. Together, Shaq and Stevens launched an entertainment company, Deja 34 Enterprises. (website: javascript:newwind('http://www.deja34.com/about.htm.) Probably not a coincidence. San Jose Mercury News

The Warriors have received some interest for Jackson, but nothing they consider fair value, the source said. One reported proposal had Golden State talking with the Cleveland Cavaliers about center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but the source downplayed the chances of the deal actually happening now, calling it “remote.” Yahoo! Sports

NELLIE: “I will say that in my 30, whatever it is I’ve been coaching, 30 some-odd years, I have never suspended a player before,” Nelson said. “Maybe I should have a couple of times, but I never have. I try to stay away from doing anything that will cost the players a lot of money. I hate to take big money from guys.” My man Geoff Lepper, and his diligent research, discovered Nelson was at least mistaken when he said he’s never suspended a player. I asked Riley if this situation forced him to ramp up the efforts to move Jackson. RILEY: “I’m not going to comment on that.” Contra Costa Times

I haven’t done an exhaustive search of Nellie’s coaching record, but I’ve already found one instance: Nelson hit Latrell Sprewell, who was in the midst of missing practices in the wake of the Chris Webber fire sale, with a one-game suspension in January 1995. Reading from the San Francisco Examiner’s account of the day: Sprewell met with coach Don Nelson Thursday morning and the suspension was announced following that discussion. In a brief press release, the Warriors announced that Sprewell would be suspended without pay for Thursday night’s game against Milwaukee but is expected to rejoin the team at practice Friday. The cost to Sprewell will be $9,756, 1 / 82nd of his $800,000 salary. The suspension “is in accordance with team rules which were distributed to all players at the start of training camp in October and were reiterated during a team meeting led by Don Nelson on Tuesday,” the team explained in its press release. 48minutes.net

Q: You told Marc Stein that Jackson was still your captain… Is he definitely the captain? -NELSON: Yeah, sure. Doesn’t have anything to do with being a captain or not. A guy that wants to be traded. He’s my captain. Still a leader on the team. -Q: Even if he wants to go? -NELSON: Well, yeah, it has no bearing. He’s a leader. He’s a leader either way. If he’s here, he’s going to try the best he can, to do what we want, and to win games. It’s not going to affect his performance, as far as I’m concerned. San Jose Mercury News

Q: Would having a disgruntled veteran mess up that process? -NELSON: I don’t think Jack will affect anything. You know, Jack’s a competitor. He’s going to compete. He’s going to be Jack. And I can deal with Jack. I can coach Jack. (And here’s Rowell, on media day, speaking to the Associated Press…)/ “We stick by Jack. Jack is Jack. … What that means is expect the unexpected. We have a lot of respect for him and his game. Sports is emotional. I’d rather have people who speak their mind than people who don’t.” San Jose Mercury News

Derrick Rose showed up at Saturday's preseason game in Green Bay wearing a walking boot, which he acquired after arriving home from London a couple days ago. He's not playing against the Bucks, but it's starting to seem likely that Rose's sore right ankle will take at least another week or two to heal. "It's going to take a while, but I'm being patient with it and just hoping and praying I can do something to make it better," Rose said before Saturday's contest. "It's a tendon that runs behind the bone in my ankle. There's fluid in my ankle, so I'm just waiting for that to leave." Arlington Heights Daily Herald

The NBA's Deputy Commissioner says London is the focus for the League's growth plans. The following is from a very interesting article in today's Independent. Though [Adam] Silver is trying to grow the brand around the globe, visiting Beijing and Taipei in August for example, it is the UK that will be the focus. "London is the business capital of Europe," he says. "Ultimately, we want to plant a flag in Europe." By 2012, the NBA aims to have regular season games in Britain - more important ones than cosy friendlies. The details are under discussion, but it seems at least one team could be based in London for a few games. Basketball 24/7

Biedrins has heard his name in packages that would bring Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire to the Warriors, but the 23-year-old center is still here. Still, stoically producing. "It doesn't bug me at all," Biedrins said. "It will always be like that. You're always going to hear rumors about trades, but you can't think about it every time that your name is mentioned. "You can't get mad." San Francisco Chronicle

Having previously shot down a report that claimed he expected to be dealt this season to the Knicks or Heat, former Heat point guard Rafer Alston said he is content, for now, to be biding his time in the Nets' rotation behind Devin Harris and alongside Keyon Dooling. "I'm a team guy," Alston said. "We have an All-Star point guard here, and whatever minutes Keyon and I are given, we'll play the best we can with those minutes. I'm pretty sure Coach will handle it best he can. It won't be easy." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Lakers aren't planning on offering Jordan Farmar a contract extension this season, which in many ways leaves his future uncertain. Farmar, in his fourth season, in which he'll earn $1.947 million, saw the team pick up the options for his third and fourth seasons. But he's aware that if the Lakers don't offer him a deal by the deadline of Oct. 31, he'll become a restricted free agent next summer and the Lakers can match any offer Farmar receives from another team. Los Angeles Times

Farmar said after practice Saturday he's not feeling increased pressure because this is a contract year. "There's always going to be pressure playing in the NBA for the Lakers," Farmar said. "That's just part of the job. I don't think it's more than any other year. This is my first time up for a renewal, so that's a little different aspect to it. I just try to stay mentally tough and continue to work hard." Los Angeles Times

Farmar contends that he's not "necessarily" nervous because this is a contract year. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Farmar said. "I'm a member of the Lakers. We're world champions. We're going after this season trying to defend our title. So those are things I'm focusing on. The other stuff will take care of itself. I play basketball because I love the game. "We all know it's a business side to it. When that comes, we'll have to address it. This is the best organization in the business, in my opinion. It's special here. I would love to be here as long as I can." Los Angeles Times

The Cavs have until the end of the month to pick up an option worth $1.5 million in forward J.J. Hickson’s contract for next season. At the moment this seems like a no brainer — Hickson is having an excellent preseason and seems to be fully recovered from a back injury. Several teams who have the same options on recent first-rounders and have picked them up, including the Bobcats with guard D.J. Augustin and the Hawks with forward Al Horford. But don’t be surprised if the Cavs wait just to protect themselves. The Warriors appeared to be set to pick up an option for forward Brendan Wright before he suffered a torn labrum. He is now out for the season. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Fotis Katsikaris is doing his best to find the players that the roster of Aris is missing and the Greek team is rumored to be interested in scoring swingman Rashad McCants(1.93-SG/SF). According to sport.gr, McCants is one of the players that Aris are interested in but his case seems to be very difficult. Although he is coming from an abdominal injury which cost him his contract with the Houston Rockets McCants is still quite pricey for the money that the Greek team can afford. The article says that there are other cases that Fotis Katsikaris is interested in and the final cuts of the NBA rosters will probably be a deciding factor. The Hoop

Heat president Pat Riley, who watched Saturday’s practice while sitting beside owner Micky Arison, had said he would only bring in another point guard if it were absolutely necessary. Riley cited restraint because the team is already nearly $3 million over the league’s punitive luxury tax on excessive payrolls above $69.9 million. Several veteran point guards remain available on the free agent market, including Bobby Jackson, Jamaal Tinsley, Ty Lue and Stephon Marbury. Miami would more likely pursue a trade for point guard help to avoid taking on more player salary. Miami Herald

Michael Sweetney has caught Rivers’ eye. The wide, 6-foot-8 free agent who lost his place in the league because of conditioning issues had two points and two boards in five minutes. “He’s an NBA player,” Rivers said. “There’s no doubt about it. I mean, he has to get in better shape. We’ll see how that goes. He’s working at it.” Stay-on-the-Celtic-roster skills? “There’s a place for everybody - whoever earns it,” Rivers said before the C’s second exhibition game. “I mean, we would obviously have to do something to keep him, but that’s up to him to make us want to do that.” Boston Herald / October 9

With the impending ownership of Russian Mikhail Prokhorov, perhaps a $20 million-plus player on the way, a potential move to Brooklyn, and the uncertain future of coach Lawrence Frank, the Nets are in significant transition. “It’s a push-pull situation, because you want to win but you want to win at the highest level,’’ Vandeweghe said. “I think we recognized we weren’t going to get there as constructed. “We traded away our bigger contracts and accumulated assets, that was the plan. And we accumulated [money] for what’s viewed as a very good free agent year. We currently have the most cap space available of any team.’’ Boston Herald

The Lakers cut Michael Fey (UCLA), Mickael Gelabale and David Monds today, trimming their roster to 15 players. Free agents Tony Gaffney and Thomas Kelati remained with the team for now. Neither is expected to make the squad, however. Los Angeles Daily News

Jason Williams wanted to pick up where he left off; the Heat didn't. So, instead, Williams went home to Orlando and signed with the Magic. Argue the merits of the Heat's current tenuous situation at point guard, if you will, but then consider that Williams is more than content to open the season as the Magic's third-string point guard. In other words, he wasn't asking for much this summer. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Of course, Williams' primary residence long has been in Orlando. He is thrilled to be with the Magic, even if it means often sitting and watching, as he did all night from the bench when the Heat visited for Wednesday's exhibition at Amway Arena. "Don't get more wrong, I'm ecstatic where I am now," he said. "I couldn't be more happy where I'm at." When Williams does play, the possibilities will include Dwight Howard streaking for rim, Vince Carter on the wing, Rashard Lewis for a kick out in the corner. "When I went to play with Shaq and Dwyane, my job was so easy there," he said of his Heat tenure. "I swear, it may be easier here with the guys that I have." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

When Ioannis Bourousis took the AT&T Center floor Friday for Greek basketball power Olympiacos Piraeus, he envisioned returning someday. Bourousis, a 6-foot-11 center, turned down a contract offer from the Spurs this summer, telling coach Gregg Popovich he didn't feel he was ready for the NBA. But playing for the Spurs remains his dream. “I'm anxious to play, not only against Tim Duncan, but also against the whole team,” Bourousis, 25, said before tipoff. “I had two or three offers from other (NBA) teams, but if I decide to play in the NBA, it will be in this facility.” San Antonio Express-News

“I would like to play two more years in Euroleague, and then to come (to San Antonio),” he said. “In the future, if they still want me, and it is the right expenses, probably I will come.” San Antonio Express-News

Asked about the Suns' pre-draft trade talks with Golden State, Warriors coach Don Nelson said, "I can't talk about trades." Arizona Republic

Second-round pick Pat Beverley, who was sent to Greece for seasoning with the Heat retaining his rights, has made the cut with European powerhouse Olympiakos. The option for Beverley or Olympiakos to terminate the deal recently passed without a move by either party. Beverley finds himself flanked on the roster by NBA veterans Josh Childress, Linas Kleiza and Von Wafer. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Former Nugget Nikoloz Tskitishvili has signed with Panionios of Greece. Marca.com

Argentine guard Carlos Delfino of the Milwaukee Bucks and American Austin Daye, a Detroit Pistons forward, were each suspended one game on Saturday by the National Basketball Association. The bans, which will force each man to the bench in the first regular-season game of the 2009-2010 campaign in which he is healthy and on the roster, came due to an altercation between them in a pre-season game Wednesday night. AFP

For Miller, the unexpected competition is only one of a handful of issues that have made it challenging for him to get settled with his new team. “If I was told right out when I had my meetings that I would be a backup, then I wouldn’t have come here,” Miller told Yahoo! Sports this week. Yahoo! Sports

McMillan has said he told Miller during their summer meeting in Las Vegas that he very well might make him a reserve. Miller doesn’t remember the meeting quite the same way. What is clear is that Miller wasn’t Portland’s first choice on the free-agent market. The Blazers initially thought they had a deal with forward Hedo Turkoglu only to see Turkoglu leave for Toronto. They then signed forward Paul Millsap to an offer sheet the Utah Jazz matched. Yahoo! Sports

“I feel like I have to continue to prove myself,” Miller said. “I don’t think I’m respected as a player. I have no idea [why]. “There are only so many point guards you can talk about and their accomplishments and stuff like that. I have a pretty good, solid resume, but I don’t think it’s respected. Head up, I think I’m just as good as any point guard in this league, defensively and offensively.” Yahoo! Sports

Miller admitted he didn’t pass the test – which required running baseline to baseline and back 10 times within a minute – by eight seconds, but he also said he wasn’t the only player that failed. While the paper reported Miller was punished with a week of extra conditioning with the strength and conditioning coach, Miller said he actually chose to do the work. Miller said he weighs 213 pounds now, hopes to be in the 203-206 range during the season and is in the same shape that he’s always in this time of the year. He also points to the fact that he’s missed only three games his entire career as evidence that his conditioning has never been an issue. “I know I didn’t make it,” Miller said. “And if I didn’t make it, there were probably two to four other guys that didn’t make it. And afterward, those guys came to me and told me that their times were fixed.” Yahoo! Sports

When a caller to a Portland radio station said Miller didn’t sign an autograph for his son at a mall, that sparked further questions about his affability. “I just come get the work done, go hoop and go home,” said Miller, who, at 33, is much older than most of his teammates. “There are a couple other players probably quieter than me. Nicolas Batum don’t say nothing. “I’m sitting on the baseline and I’m hearing fans in the audience say, ‘Sit with the team.’ I just got here. [The fan] said, ‘Sit with the team. Stop acting like that.’ “I was like, ‘Damn.’ They wouldn’t have said that if [the media] didn’t give a false impression. I never have had any problems with any fans. I socialize with fans at appearances and in public.” Yahoo! Sports

To appreciate life as a Shaquille O'Neal teammate is to appreciate how, upon his arrival with the Heat in 2004, he cited Michael Doleac as the best backup he ever had, and then, a season later, upon Alonzo Mourning's arrival, how he acted as if Doleac never existed. Now flash forward to last week, when, in discussing his embrace of the Cavaliers, O'Neal noted, "It's probably the best team I've ever played on, on paper anyway. I've always been on management to get me the power forward I've needed." And yet, through it all, Udonis Haslem retains an abiding affection for O'Neal, even as that 2006 Finals handling of Dirk Nowitzki is marginalized by his former teammate. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Speaking of those 2006 Finals, while Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, to this day, believes his team should have won that series against the Heat, he now is singing the praises of a roster reloaded with Shawn Marion in the offseason. "Every guy here that was a part of that Finals run thinks we have a much better team," Cuban told a Dallas radio station. "It's not even close. If you compare rosters, we're a far better team than that Finals team. We're deeper, more athletic. Defensively and offensively we have more flexibility." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Reggie Miller's response to Anthony Morrow's 3-point contest challenge: "Time, place and how much? . . . I'll be your huckleberry." Twitter.com

“I think it’s going to be a very different kind of year, man,” Pierce said. “You obviously have your teams at the top, your teams in the middle. But the difference this year is that the teams at the top got better, and the teams at the bottom didn’t get any better. “I think that will be a concern -- that things get lopsided for teams at the top -- especially going into a new collective bargaining agreement. They’re going to have to try to see how they can balance out this league, especially with the small-(market) teams that can’t get the big time players in free agency.” Boston Herald

According to Pierce, this climate will ultimately hurt the players -- especially those in the rank and file. “It’s changed a lot, man,” he said. “You have to factor in the economy, factor in rule changes, changes as far as players going to different places, players not getting guaranteed deals - it’s changing with the times, man. “There are guys right now who you think, ’Man, they should be on someone’s roster with a guaranteed deal,’ but teams are cutting their rosters down to 13 guys, saving their money for a big free agent prize that’s coming up. “It’s all moving with the times.” Boston Herald

Staying in front of an offensive player is fundamental, but requires solid and nimble footwork. Doc had reported that it wasn’t always there, especially at the end of the year. Glen Davis: I’m conscious of that. I’m trying to get better every day. Making sure that I deliver on the defensive side. It’s a process, you know. It’s a process. Making sure that I stay focused on the defensive side. Making sure that I know what I’m doing out there. Connecticut Post

Asked the difference between small forward and power forward, he said, “Besides everything? The situation is what it is. There are guys better than me in the rotation. My responsibility is to remain ready, because a guy could go down with a sprained ankle and I may need to play seven minutes at [small forward] or 10 minutes at [power forward]. “I’m not playing for playing time. I’m playing to do my job.’’ Boston Globe

Wyc Grousbeck revealed in a video interview on Media Day with Gary Tanguay, that Kevin Garnett told Rasheed Wallace that this team could be one of the greatest ever with him coming (and if things break right). That was then. Friday night Rasheed Wallace -”I think we can get that Bulls record.” Connecticut News

The Spurs hit the road for the first time Saturday, flying to South Florida seeking an answer to one of the major questions of the preseason: With Bruce Bowen gone, who fills the defensive stopper role against a premier scorer such as the Heat's Dwyane Wade? Richard Jefferson, the wing man the Spurs acquired in the trade that sent Bowen off the roster, has an easy answer. “That's unrealistic,” he said. “That's like asking someone to fill David Robinson's role, or Tim Duncan's role. (Bruce) was one of the best perimeter defenders in the history of this league.” San Antonio Express-News

It’s interesting to note that Perkins’ game has expanded as his weight has decreased 15 pounds. “Being in better shape makes him a better player,” Rivers said. “He can run up and down the floor more. Last year if a game started quick, three minutes into the game Perk got tired. That led to fouls; that led to substitutions. “A lot of (the improvement) is because he was able to condition. Last year with the shoulder he couldn’t run, because it affected his shoulder. This summer he had a chance to play basketball, he had a chance to run and condition - and I think that made the biggest difference with him.” Boston Herald

Marc Stein: Heard all week in Phoenix that I'd be surprised by Channing Frye's range and how he fits w/Suns. He's 1-for-1 in terms of living up to that. Twitter.com

K.C Johnson: Hinrich and Deng both came over to shake hands with Skiles and assistant Jim Boylan just before tipoff. Class move. Twitter.com

Rashad McCants: Im next to win the nobel peace prize!! Twitter.com

You knew the news would be bad, and it certainly was. Kings swingman Francisco Garcia will miss at least four months of action after breaking the right radius in his forearm. Per the team's release... "Sacramento Kings' swingman Francisco Garcia underwent successful surgery this morning at the UC Davis Medical Center to repair a broken right radius in his forearm and ligament damage to his wrist. Dr. Mark Lee performed the three-hour procedure. Garcia will spend eight weeks immobilized in a cast. He is expected to miss a minimum of four months of action." Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings swingman Francisco Garcia will miss at least four months after undergoing surgery on his injured forearm and wrist. Garcia had surgery Saturday at UC Davis Medical Center to repair a broken bone in his right forearm and ligament damage to his wrist. The team says he will be in a cast for eight weeks and will miss at least four months. ESPN.com

Wade also dealt with a muscle injury near his ribs during the 2004-05 season, when he missed two regular season games and was limited by a rib contusion during the playoffs. Wade said his current ailment has not reached the point where it has been hard for him to breath. He said he would play through the pain if it were the regular season, which opens Oct. 28 at home against New York. “It’s never ideal to have anyone hurt and out, especially when you need all your guys,” Wade said. “If I have to deal with it now instead of later, I’d rather deal with it now. We’ve got five preseason games left.” Miami Herald

How excited is Canada coach Leo Rautins about possibly getting a commitment from Heat center Jamaal Magloire for next summer's World Championships? "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." Magloire said he is leaning toward playing in Turkey, although another round of free agency could impact the commitment. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

David Kahn's swift, summertime Timberwolves makeover has generated many pertinent preseason questions, not the least of which is this: Might the Wolves' notable new coaching staff be tougher than the team? "Well," forward Al Jefferson said with a pregnant pause, "they think they are." Minneapolis Star Tribune

"If the players ask about situations, these guys have actually, physically gone through it," Rambis said. "They've lived through losing environments, they've lived through winning environments. With all our years in the league, we've probably experienced everything and anything that all of these players are going to go through. "That experience is going to be invaluable." Minneapolis Star Tribune

One of the approximately 65 locked-out NBA referees al leges the below issue to be the deal breaker in negotiations between the league and the striped shirts' union/association that broke off two weeks ago after an agreement seemingly had been reached but was subsequently vetoed by its membership. "The NBA proposed the use of Development League officials during the regular season working between 50-100 assignments, whenever and wherever it saw fit," discloses the whistle blower, who shall remain anonymous for the time being though I can't recall him (that eliminates Violent Palmer) requesting it Friday during our half-hour phone conversation. New York Post

"We understand the benefits of giving young referees on-the-job training alongside experienced professionals. The stalemate is the NBA's inflexible position barring these refs from joining our association. Both sides evidently view this as a deal breaker." Not unexpectedly, the league's perspective, presented by someone in the know, is a whiter shade of pale: "The D-League assignments we agreed on with their union allowed for 50 appearances. They rejected the entire deal and did not come back on any specific issue." New York Post

I have yet to verify or invalidate that assertion. However, sources on both sides of the table confirm each replacement ref earns the fixed amount of $1,100 per exhibition game. Their wages will go unchanged once the regular season gets underway. Upper echelon refs like Joe Crawford, Steve Javie, Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore and Dan Crawford, working an 82-game schedule, get paid anywhere from $5,000 to 7,000 per appointment. New York Post

Olesiak purportedly was told by superior Bernie Fryer, "You're just not getting up and down the floor like you used to." No argument there. The 62-year-old was forced to sit out the 2007-08 season due to thyroid cancer and its consequential radiation and chemotherapy. So, yeah, Olesiak, a Vietnam vet, Hall of Fame slow- and fast-pitch softball player and habitually perfect specimen, hadn't quite made a full recovery from cancer in '08-09. Not that players or coaches noticed. Not that co-workers felt compelled to cover for him. Not that it distantly made him an incompetent referee. New York Post

Nevertheless, Olesiak, an NBA tweeter for 21 seasons, was notified by a league official in early July to "retire or be fired." The commissioner has the right to get rid of any ref within two weeks after the season, for whatever reason. So, with no recourse, Olesiak retired. But, wait, it gets worse, bad enough to be ejected by your second family, the one that professes to care. Topping those irreconcilable feelings, I've got to believe, is seeing son Ron Jr. working as a replacement official during the lockout. New York Post

Even Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal, who publicly expressed his support for the locked-out officials and expressed concern about the replacements being able to control the games, has softened his tone. "They are out there working hard. I don't want to call them replacement officials because they are in the same program," O'Neal said after his first preseason game. But don't expect it to last. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Ric Bucher: Phil Jackson, master of making his point w/out getting fined. Asked about the replacement refs: "They're interesting to look at." Twitter.com

One thing that has become apparent is the officials are calling lots and lots of fouls. Preseason games are dragging because of it and complaints are mounting. Just wait until players are playing regular minutes and stars are being forced to the bench. Though they have been issued memos warning not to speak about the officials to the news media, coaches are complaining amongst themselves that they aren't able to have a give and take with officials. They aren't able to have effective conversations or get calls explained because some of the officials aren't comfortable dealing with them. Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Trail Blazers have featured four coaches, orchestrated 39 trades and endured one NBA lockout since Brian Wheeler's smooth, soothing voice started belting "Boom-chaka-lakas" out of Portland radios. But during that time, one thing has never occurred -- Wheeler has never missed a game. The longtime play-by-play broadcaster called his 1,000th consecutive game on Friday, when the Blazers lost to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. This is Wheeler's 12th season behind the microphone for the Blazers, and not a scratchy voice, illness nor any other hindrance has forced him to miss an exhibition, regular-season or postseason game along the way. Oregonian

He could not hold food down throughout the day and the discomfort lingered into the evening when he went to work. "There was a moment when I was talking and I thought to myself, 'I'm actually going to throw up into this microphone,'" Wheeler recalled, chuckling. "It was that bad and I said 'Don't do it. Don't do it. Find a way to avoid it.' And I did, fortunately." Oregonian

The Lakers are planning to play an exhibition game in England next year, The Times has learned. The Lakers probably will split time between London and Barcelona, spending three or four days in each city and playing one game in each location against teams to be determined. Plans have not been finalized, but the Lakers haven't played outside of North America since two exhibition games in France in 1991. Los Angeles Times

Suns co-owner Dick Heckmann, a local resident, said he anticipates a third annual NBA outdoor game next year involving the Suns with more of a community hook. A high school game held at the tennis arena last week drew 3,000 fans to raise money for the schools. "Even in this crappy (economic) year, it has been very successful," Heckmann said in a Palm Springs area that admittedly has been Lakers territory. "We got how much of a community event this can be. In five years, this whole community will be Suns crazy. You root for the team you know." Arizona Republic

As long as the NBA has a balanced schedule - - with every team playing every team from the opposite conference twice - - I have no idea how they would incorporate Western Conference teams and European expansion. There’s also questions about the quality of facilities in Europe. The O2 Arena could house an NBA team right now, but it also was built by the same company (AEG) as Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Palacio de Deportes in Madrid held 15,000 but was a community sports facility. If you walked around, you could look in on teenagers in gym class. The building had few, if any, of the amenities that have come to dominate most NBA arenas. Salt Lake Tribune

Tim Kawakami: I know a few high-powered NBA people who have offered some words of support for some of the things Rowell has done--the way the arena is set up, the lively game-night experience, the fiscal moves of a few years ago... things like that. But there is no support for him as a franchise-runner and everybody knows he's not good at handling people, despite the handful of loyalists who remain in the Warriors employ, There's definitely zero respect for the public front-office chicanery/zaniness of the last year or so. Golden State of Mind

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced a comprehensive multi-year collaboration to foster coaching development in China here on Sunday. The NBA is investing in the development of Chinese coaches through this partnership by providing extensive development tools and training. "NBA coaches will visit China together with strength and conditioning trainers and nutritionists to meet with and counsel coaches, important coaches at elite levels as well as important coaches at the grassroots levels" said David Stern, NBA commissioner, "so that all levels of basketball were taken care of to further the development of coaching in China." Xinhua

Seen at Celtics practice last week was former Durfee and Boston College guard Chris Herren, ex-Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo, ex-UConn standout Scott Burrell, and former Georgia coach Dennis Felton. Boston Globe

Whether trash-talking with "little brother" Tiger Woods or bonding with twentysomethings he did not know, Jordan has become a significant presence at Harding Park, a public course where this Ryder Cup knockoff concludes Sunday. "I'm around Michael maybe 280 days a year," said George Koehler, a Chicago guy who gave the star rookie a ride from O'Hare in 1984 and has been Jordan's sidekick since. "And I can tell you, he's having a ball. I don't know who's having more fun, him being with the golfers, or them with him." Chicago Tribune

According to Jordan, "The biggest thing I thought I would have a conflict with (was) the Olympic thing, but that wasn't really a conflict." Indeed, on Oct. 2, when Ryan's Distress got the news in Copenhagen, Michael was traveling to the Bay Area. Correctly, Jordan reasons, what difference could he have made? Instead of 18 votes for Chicago, maybe 19 or 20? MJ was the point man in leading Couples to a surprise 50th birthday party here, after which Jordan met the 12 Americans, as if he needed an introduction. He is a fixture on the practice range, in a cart bouncing from match to match, or in the team room, impressing players by seeming so normal. "I was sitting with (wife) Jackie the other night," Sean O'Hair recalled. "There's Tiger over there, and there's flipping Michael Jordan over there and I'm saying to her, 'How cool is this? ... How did this happen to us?' " Chicago Tribune

Mahan's caddie, John Wood, made space in the team room for a blow-up poster of John Starks dunking over Jordan during a bygone playoff. MJ roared. On Wednesday, Jordan and girlfriend Yvette Prieto prepared to attend the opening ceremony, only to discover they weren't actually invited. Jordan was so shaken that he popped next door to play the storied Olympic Club. American caddies were so furious that they wore "23" inscriptions on their caps Thursday to protest the slight. PGA Tour wonks apologized for the snafu, but MJ knows some follies are best avoided, like Copenhagen. Chicago Tribune

In a Sept. 4 article on FanHouse.com, sportswriter Tim Potvak chronicled Vaughn's fall from professional basketball player to living on the streets of Orlando last year after being laid off from his job as a furniture delivery man. The details of the story were excruciating. Jordan wanted to help. So on Oct. 31 in Nashville, (Earl) Jordan is hosting a fundraising event for Vaughn and his family with the hope that a little financial assistance will go a long way toward getting his life back on track. "I'm just trying to get a good job again and keep the family together," Vaughn said in a phone interview Friday. "Hopefully piece by piece, we'll put the puzzle back together." Memphis Commercial Appeal

As a result of the article, the NBA Retired Players Association recently reached out to Vaughn, bringing him to Atlanta in late September for seminars geared toward former players who have struggled with life after basketball. Vaughn has also spoken with U of M officials about possibly returning to school through the Larry Finch Scholarship Fund so that he can finish his degree. Last weekend, Memphis invited Vaughn to be a guest on the sidelines during the Tigers' football game at UCF in his current home of Orlando. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Former Michigan hero Rumeal Robinson made news last week for scamming his own adopted mother out her house. Not cool, dude. A Miami newspaper decided to dig deeper and find out how he became such a heartless (and penniless) jerk. Here's a hint: Strippers. And cars and motorcycles and houses and guns and terribly ill-conceived real estate deals. Basically, any way that you can imagine a middling NBA player squandering his entire fortune, Robinson did it. He also managed to piss away hundreds of thousands of dollars in money that didn't earn, thanks to a shady bank officer who floated him and his friends over a million dollars in illegal loans. So where did it all go? Deadspin

Fishman, an original owner of the Bucks and a man who helped bring professional basketball back to Milwaukee in the late 1960s, died Friday at the age of 84. With the backing of Wesley Pavalon, Fishman raised $2 million and their group, Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, was awarded an expansion franchise by the National Basketball Association on Jan. 22, 1968. Fishman once recalled how he bought a copy of every New York and out-of-town newspaper he could find the day after the franchise was awarded to look for "Milwaukee" in the headlines. Pavalon became the team's chairman of the board with Fishman the vice chairman of the board. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Wayne Embry, a consultant for the Toronto Raptors, was the captain of the first Bucks team and was a team vice president in the 1980s. "He was a terrific person," Embry said. "It was fun (in the early days of the organization). I maintained that those were the best years of the Bucks . . . the first five, six, seven years." Foley said, "One thing that I remember about Marvin is that he was such a fan of the city of Milwaukee. Anything to do with upgrading the image of Milwaukee, Marvin was all for it whether it be the arts or music and equally so with sports." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Any rumor missing? E-mail us at hoopshype@hoopshype.com.