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Friday, October 16

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The Suns, understandably, want to see how Stoudemire plays, where his mind and the direction of the team is before opening contract talks, but are definitely open to the conversation if the comeback goes well. "Honestly, I don't think about it as much as I used to this past offseason," Stoudemire said. "I'm more focused, really, on just trying to get back into shape and trying to enjoy my teammates. I've been gone from these guys for so long. But I really think I'll be back here all season. The organization has been very supportive, my teammates and coaching staff are very supportive. It's just a matter of winning now." NBA.com

"Not sure," Stoudemire said. "Not sure. That's a grey area. We're not totally sure about the situation from that standpoint, but I do know that as a team and what I can help control is the fact of us winning ballgames and getting better out there on the basketball court." NBA.com

Multiple sources confirmed former executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin had the makings of a deal in place to send Jackson to the Eastern Conference, as Yahoo Sports reported Thursday. One of the sources said there were talks that included Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince. But the deal was nixed by team president Robert Rowell's extension talks with Jackson. Contra Costa Times

Pierce said two things of note during the conversation. “I definitely want to retire as a Celtic. As far as my option goes, I haven’t really given it any thought.” And: “I want to do what’s best for the team. If that means doing whatever to keep guys here and make this team strong for the next three or four years, I’m willing to do it.” That’s pretty consistent with what Pierce has said at other times during camp. But CSN’s Gary Tanguay wrote on his Twitter page: “Pierce told CSN he will re-work his contract to keep players in Boston,” which then made the rumors page on Hoops Hype, which brought it to the attention of True Hoop, which had an item by ESPN’s Marc Stein outlining the scenarios by which “doing whatever” became Pierce opting out and/or signing an extension, which could spread out the cash and free up some cap space, which got play on Celtics Blog and Celtics Hub Thursday night, to name two. WEEI

The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard Patrick Mills to a contract, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Portland selected Mills (6-0, 185) with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft after playing two seasons at St. Mary's (CA) College. Mills, who fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during an NBA Summer League practice session on July 9, underwent successful surgery on July 13 and is continuing his rehabilitation on schedule. Oregonian

The Portland Trail Blazers exercised their fourth-year option on center Greg Oden and third-year options on the contracts of guard/forward Rudy Fernandez, forward Nicolas Batum and guard Jerryd Bayless. The moves, announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard, keep all four players under contract through the 2010-11 season. Oregonian

In an odd confluence, neither party was eager to talk about the other, although Millsap expressed gratitude for the Blazers' courtship, which ultimately made him a multimillionaire. "I'm really appreciative for the offer from them," Millsap said. "But everything worked out that I came back to Utah and that's where I'm at. What happened was something that happened in the summer. You can't really look back on that and say what could have or what would have been. You just have to move on and continue to play basketball." The Blazers signed Millsap to a "toxic" front-loaded $32 million contract on July 10. But the Jazz elected to match the offer to their restricted free agent even though it pushed the franchise past the NBA's luxury tax threshold. Millsap said he never met with Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard or coach Nate McMillan and did not visit Portland. Oregonian

Skiles, as long as we're counting, is the fifth coach Redd has played for in Milwaukee. His first was George Karl, who contributed this preseason moment at a game in Minot, N.D., in October 2000: Late in the fourth quarter, with the ball about to be inbounded, at an otherwise quiet, small-townish gym, Karl's voice boomed across the court at a rookie. "Michael Redd! What the [expletive] are you doing?'' There was nervous laughter in the stands near the end of a meaningless game. Meaningless to most, though not to Redd and obviously not to Karl. "You remember that, huh?'' Redd said, chuckling the other night. "He helped me, though. He helped me.'' NBA.com

"It's tough,'' Redd said. "You've got to continue to be professional, which KG was. He never complained. He never didn't play hard. He did his job and obviously the Wolves respected him enough to send him someplace he could win a championship. And voila, he won a championship.'' Redd said he committed to the Bucks, mentally, physically and financially, when he signed his big deal, which has an $18 million player option for 2010-11. He also believes that, when healthy, he has done everything he can to improve the team's record. "I'm not complaining here. I love our team,'' he said. "Obviously it's tough to continue playing with new guys every year. But good things happen to good people, man. Continue to work hard and I'll win either here or somewhere else.'' NBA.com

After being prodded into speaking by the Wizards media relations staff on Friday, a surly Arenas explained why he has decided to muzzle himself and focus on basketball rather than the show. "The fans, I just think they just want to see me play again. I think they can live without me rambling on about stupid stuff in my life," Arenas said, during a 10-minute conversation that was far more cordial than the 95-second exchange with reporters in Detroit on Tuesday, the same night the league fined him and the Wizards $25,000 each. Washington Post

Arenas again declined to make any predictions about the team. When told that Jamison and Butler both are talking championship, Arenas said, "That's their predictions. I don't do those anymore. When you only win 19 games I don't think there's any pressure. I haven't heard the expectations, but after 19 wins, it can only go up." "We don't know until we step on the floor for game one," he said. "With or without him we still have to play the game." Washington Post

Arenas was asked if he had any regrets about opening himself up to the world with his once-popular blog on NBA.com. "The blog was entertainment. I never actually gave you guys good quotes. You just took it off my blog and went from there." When asked if he can find a happy medium between being focused and talking, Arenas said, "The happy medium is you guys stop asking me questions, so I don't have to get fined. But you guys are not, so this is what you're going to get all year." He said he expected to hear criticism about his $111 million contract, but said many of the shots taken against him the past two seasons were unfair and hurtful. "If it's right, then okay. If it's not, then yeah of course it hurts," he said. "I just call you guys [reporters] lazy, that's all. Instead of doing research and finding out the truth, you just write what you hear. That's the difference. I work out six hours a day on my craft. You guys hear something and write it instead of finding out the truth. Laziness. Last two years." Washington Post

As one of the biggest names on the planet, have you ever met anyone who made you feel starstruck? LeBron James: The first time I met Michael Jordan. I was a sophomore in high school, and it was an unbelievable experience for me. It didn't even feel like he was on the face of the Earth. This guy was more like an angel, like an alien or something. Maxim

Now, Artest needs to show an aggressive behavior on the court. Phil Jackson said the swingman isn’t as involved as he could like him to be. In three exhibition games, Artest has made just 8 of 24 shots. “He still looks like he’s standing around watching the other guys play at times,” Jackson said. “I think he’s got to find his way in the post and do some things that asserts himself and put pressure on his teammates to get him the ball in the right spots. “He’s trying to be the right guy and try to fit in and not try to crowd his way in there, but he’s got to do that. I’m going to have to force him to do it.” Orange County Register

The official box score apparently attributed a missed shot to Sasha Vujacic that he actually didn't attempt, and Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblen was ribbing the ultra-competitive reserve guard about it after the game. "Says here you went 4-for-5," Hamblen said with a smile as Vujacic came out of the shower. Responded a genuinely perturbed towel-clad Sasha, "I'm telling you, I did not miss a shot." Riverside Press-Enterprise

Douglas-Roberts is playing coy. He probably doesn’t know for sure, but he's confident and probably believes he should start. He hasn’t done anything for coach Lawrence Frank to take him out of the lineup, throughout practices and preseason games. Would it be different if Jarvis Hayes was healthy? Maybe. Because I believe he was the frontrunner to start heading into camp, but he has been hampered and hasn't been the Hayes of last season to thus far. Douglas-Roberts said Frank told him to work on being a small forward over the summer. Douglas-Roberts gained about 10 pounds and can’t wait for opening night the results of his offseason work and the confidence he gained. Bergen Record

Shawn Marion sat in front of his locker after a recent preseason game and pointed to his finger. His ring finger. He didn't need to say any more, but he did. "I want me a ring," the Dallas Mavericks' versatile swingman said. "I want me a championship. That's the goal. And once I get that, nobody's gonna be saying ___. It's just that simple. Once somebody wins a ring, they don't say anything about them anymore. So that's my ultimate goal." CBSSports.com

"It's easy to play with Shawn," said Kidd, noting that Marion was 11 for 15 with five rebounds and three steals on a night when the Mavs probably ran two plays for him. "That's the kind of player I knew Shawn would be -- getting loose balls, tip-ins, keeping the ball alive, getting out on the transition, finishing above the rim. So far, I've seen everything as if it was his second year in the league." Marion, who could never get past being a complementary player on Mike D'Antoni's teams in Phoenix, seems willing to embrace a secondary role with the Mavs. "We've got a very dynamic group of guys here that can do a lot of things out on the floor," he said. CBSSports.com

The words are spoken slowly and with a sincerity that leaves no question James White believes them resolutely. He is discussing his days as a sprinter at the University of Cincinnati and his thoughts on Jamaican blur Usain Bolt, the undisputed fastest man on earth. "I feel … to be honest … Usain Bolt is a special guy – special, special guy," White begins. "But I feel as though – and people think I’m crazy – with the proper training, I’m as fast, if not faster, than Usain Bolt in the 200." Nuggets.com

Unable to secure an NBA contract, White turned his focus to the NBA Development League, where he averaged 25.9 points for the Anaheim Arsenal and earned a contract with the Houston Rockets. White played in only four games after his March promotion and welcomed the Sept. 22 trade that brought him to the Nuggets (Denver gave up the draft rights to Axel Hervelle). "I feel like I’m past the D-league and overseas. I think I’m definitely an NBA player," White said. "It’s just about finding the opportunity. I don’t think I’ve been given a chance anywhere I’ve been. This is probably the best chance I’ve had, from training camp on, to show I can play." Nuggets.com

And the ad is pretty dang funny. And when I say "pretty dang funny," I mean it for an entirely different reason than the commercial that D-Will had to shoot for the Jazz on Tuesday night at the open scrimmage with "BUYTIX" written across his forehead. We'll have to wait for that promo spot to play, but check out the one that will play on TNT: Deseret News

The Cavaliers are on the mend. The team is nearing full strength after the flu bug that hit this week appears to have mostly run its course. LeBron James took part in shootaround this morning at AT&T Center and will probably play against the Spurs tonight. In fact all the Cavs with the flu are better, including J.J. Hickson and Andre Barrett, both of whom might join the team tomorrow in Dallas. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Wizards forward Antawn Jamison will miss the rest of the team's exhibition games with a right shoulder injury. Jamison will be re-evaluated next week, after the swelling goes down. He had an MRI exam Thursday, a day after getting hurt while trying to block a shot by Zydrunas Ilgauskas in Washington's 109-104 preseason victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. AP

The Wizards are sort of in a holding pattern until they know something concrete about Antawn Jamison, who will miss the remainder of the preseason with a subluxation of his right shoulder and will be reevaluated next week. A league source said that Jamison plans to soon meet with a shoulder specialist to determine the prognosis. Washington Post

Derrick Rose will miss his fifth straight game with an inflamed tendon behind his right ankle, but Del Negro said he continues to improve. During shootaround Friday morning, Rose ran, rode a stationary bike and shot. The team remains hopeful he will be ready for Monday’s exhibition matchup at home against Orlando. But Del Negro said the team won’t rush it, while labeling it a “long shot” that Rose would miss the team’s regular season opener against San Antonio in Chicago on Oct. 29. Bulls.com

The Lakers’ frontcourt could be a bit decimated Saturday when they face the Charlotte Bobcats in the second game of the Staples Center Shootout. The Clippers square off against Utah in the first game. Lamar Odom, who suffered a contusion on his lower right leg in Thursday’s game against Sacramento, began practice Friday but didn’t make it through to the end. Pau Gasol (hamstring) and Luke Walton (back) continue to nurse sore spots. “(Lamar) went through the initial warmup drills and I just pulled him out,” Phil Jackson said. “I think he could play if it’s a regular season game, but as a precaution, we held him out.” Riverside Press-Enterprise

Marion isn't sure whether he'll play in either of the Mavericks' two preseason games next week. He is confident, however, that he'll be ready for the Oct. 27 opener against the Washington Wizards. "That's my biggest goal," Marion said. "Preseason is the preseason, but when the season starts, I'm going to be there." AP

The Orlando Magic and coach Stan Van Gundy have been fined $35,000 each for his criticism of referees earlier in the week. The fines were announced Friday, a day after Van Gundy's comments about the replacement officials were published. SI.com

Josh Robbins just talked with the league office, which confirmed it was for these comments SVG made Thursday and posted Thursday on the Magic Basketblog: "There’s no problem with them. These are guys the NBA in large part has identified. They’re good, young officials on the way up and one day they’ll be ready. It would be like us having to play with an entire d-league roster. A lot of those guys will be ready to play in three years. if you put one of those guys on an NBA crew they’d probably be all right, but they’re all out there together. It’s like me taking a d-league team and going all right, let’s go play the Hornets. It’s not going to look too good. "There’s no fault of those guys. As much as we get on our own officials, as coaches, those are the best 60 guys in the world. You’re comparing the replacement guys to them. Well, those are the best 60 guys. I don’t care what profession. When you’re getting compared to the best 60 guys." Orlando Sentinel

ESPN 710 host and Lakers broadcaster John Ireland said yesterday that “people close to the team” told him that it “isn’t in the cards” for the Kings to stay in Sacramento and that the team eventually is “going to be forced to move” by the NBA. Ireland made his comments on the Mason and Ireland Show before he broadcast the Kings-Lakers game in Vegas last night. Sports by Brooks

This is a matter of "who do you trust?" Artestify! shared a SbB post in the FanShots. Here are the relevant quotes, which come from John Ireland, who is a sportscaster in Los Angeles. "The people I have talked to in the NBA have told me that the Kings are going to be forced to move. They are not, especially in that political climate, going to get a new arena. No matter what the mayor says, no matter what the Maloofs say. Most of the people close to the team have told me they will try everything humanly possible to stay in Sacramento but that it’s not in the cards. I don’t know if Anaheim would happen, that would put three teams within 50 miles of each other, highly unlikely. But Kansas City has a new Anschutz (managed) arena, that’s a very likely possibility ... and Seattle would like to get the Sonics back. You’re looking at maybe 3-5 more seasons in Sacramento and then after they’re going to have to find a place to play." Sactown Royalty

Ever sit on our couch and scream at the TV about the call a referee just missed? Now, thanks to a new feature called “Video Rulebook” on NBA.com (link found here), you can get a breakdown of some of the more misunderstood rules of the NBA game. (Where was this after LeBron’s infamous “crab dribble” last year?) The site features dozens of clips ranging from block/charge calls to free throw violations and most everything in between. NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson said the site has been in the works for over a year and the plan is to update it to account for controversial calls during the season. In an AP story, Jackson said the rulebook would be “a place of reference for everyone with respect to how our games are officiated.” Boston Herald

The site, which Jackson said was about 1½ years in the making and thought was the first of its kind, offers fans some of the same training officials get. Jackson said many of the approximately 150 plays included were previously used in referee development. "It's very difficult unless you've played the game at a very high level, or better yet officiated the game at a very high level, to understand the complexity of our rules strictly by reading them," Jackson said during a conference call. "By adding a written explanation as well as video examples, it just gives the person time to gain more knowledge about the rules or context, and hopefully a little bit more data and therefore education." AP

A U.S. congressman is asking NBA commissioner David Stern why the league participated in games with a visiting Greek team that has allegedly breached contracts with former NBA players. Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican, noted that the Greek club Olympiakos has outstanding U.S. federal court judgments against it. Former NBA player Chris Morris won a judgment against the Greek club, as did his agent, Tom McLaughlin. AP

He may be the son of the most famous basketball player in history, but Marcus Jordan has done everything he possibly can to blend in smoothly -- to be just one of the guys -- with his new teammates at the University of Central Florida. Everything except change his shoes. Jordan, a freshman who will begin practicing Thursday with the UCF Knights, will stick with Nike -- which Michael Jordan made famous -- despite the school's lucrative contract with adidas that requires all intercollegiate athletes and coaches to wear its brand. Michael Jordan, an icon who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last month, has made millions of dollars from -- and for -- Nike over the last 25 years. They even created his own signature Michael Jordan brand, which will pay him for many years into the future. FanHouse

Spanish sports journalist Andres Montes was found dead at his home in Madrid. He was 53 years old. Marca.com

Miami Beach police are investigating a claim that Rodman assaulted a female at Club LIV on South Beach early Wednesday morning, not long before he was a part of a breast cancer awareness fashion show. According to the police report, Rodman approached the woman at the bar and whispered something in her ear before putting his hand between her legs and walking away. The woman went to security and said she was "upset, embarrassed and angry." The report said there were no witnesses to the incident. NBC Miami

A woman accused former NBA star Dennis Rodman of touching her inappropriately at a nightclub in Miami Beach early Friday, Miami Beach police said. According to an incident report, the woman said she was at LIV nightclub with a group a friends when Rodman walked up to her, whispered something in her ear, and then put his hand between her legs and grabbed her crotch area. The woman called security and Miami Beach police responded. Miami Herald

A ruling by a New Jersey judge Friday set the stage for a second manslaughter trial for former NBA star Jayson Williams, whose lawyers argued that a racial slur and other misconduct by the prosecutor's office should result in dismissal. State Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman upheld Williams' convictions for covering up the shooting death of a hired driver and rejected attempts to dismiss a retrial early next year on the manslaughter charge. Defense attorneys' latest attempts to clear Williams centered on a racial slur an investigator in the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office used to describe the basketball star, who is black. The comment came in the months after the 2002 shooting of Costas "Gus" Christofi at Williams' central New Jersey estate. AP

A judge says former Los Angeles Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor must provide the Clippers with documents that supports his discrimination lawsuit against the team. A Los Angeles judge on Friday gave Baylor's attorneys two weeks to hand over the information. The 75-year-old Hall of Famer was general manager of the Clippers for 22 years before leaving last fall. The team said he resigned, but Baylor, who's black, claimed he was forced out by age and racial discrimination. AP

Unless there is significant progress in negotiations, it appears the Grizzlies and forward Rudy Gay will not agree to a long-term contract extension before the Oct. 31 deadline. Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said Thursday that the discussions, while amicable, are about where they've been since the summer. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Wallace has negotiated with Gay's agent, Jeff Austin, since July 1. They have met in Las Vegas, Memphis and briefly in Richmond, Va., where the Griz played a preseason game against the Washington Wizards. Wallace would not characterize their most recent talks, and it is not known where each side stands with regard to total compensation. "We've had our discussions. We'll have more with two weeks left to see if there is any common ground," Wallace said. "I don't want to put any measurement on it. We've had periodic discussions through the summer. But you either have a deal or you don't. "Things can break at any time. Take Allen Iverson. Early in the summer it wasn't very likely we'd sign him and we eventually did. Every negotiation, whether it's small or large in nature, sort of takes a course of its own." Memphis Commercial Appeal

Gay has often said he doesn't think about his contract situation. The 6-9 forward insists he's focused on basketball. "I'm just letting them handle it," Gay said. "I'm further and further away from worrying about it. Whether or not it happens, I'm still going to play to the best of my ability this season." Memphis Commercial Appeal

Although he says he's not ready to announce his retirement, Stephon Marbury said yesterday he has "shut everything down," taking the season off to work on his businesses and claims he will return to the NBA next season. New York Post

"I'm resting, doing what Michael Jordan did, enjoy life, do things I haven't done in 16 years, keep building my empire," Marbury said. "I wasn't going to Boston for that money. It was a prudent business decision to take off this year." New York Post

"LeBron isn't coming to a rebuilding team," Marbury said. "Why would he come to a rebuilding team? It makes no sense. Is this franchise built to win a championship or to make money?" New York Post

Even with such a wing-heavy roster, Thorn does not foresee making any changes with the opener 12 days away. “I don’t see anything at the present, but that’s subject to change,” he said. “If we’re all healthy, then I feel reasonably comfortable with starting the season” with this group. “But we need to be healthy.” Newark Star-Ledger

Guard Arron Afflalo hasn't heard yet if the Nuggets will pick up the option on his contract for the 2010-11 season. The Nuggets have until Oct. 31 to decide. Denver Post

Finances and the available pool will affect the Suns' decision on adding a big man. An addition would have to be an everyday player, likely one who is released this month. Arizona Republic

Joe Freeman: Nate on Paul Millsap, who almost became a Blazer over the summer: "That's a done deal. I haven't thought about that (since the summer)." Twitter.com

“We would have loved to have (Pops) back,” Colangelo said. “We talked to him all the way to the very end when he made the decision to go to Houston. Part of our complication was all the varied deals that were in play. With all the transactions that happened — nine new players from last year’s end-of-season roster, 12 from the start of training camp last year — I wasn’t sure how many spots I was going to have left to give another guaranteed deal. I always presented it as it was going to be a last-minute decision. “I was very interested in bringing him back, not only because he was very much a fan favorite, but because he added that element we were looking to have last year. He was a great tonic for our roster and our situation last year. He brought energy. He brought hustle. He brought enthusiasm. He helped us down the stretch, when we won nine of 13 games.” Houston Chronicle

While overflowing with positive vibes, Collins insisted he harbors "no hard feelings" that the Jazz didn't bring him back after his contract expired last season. He's "humbled" the partnership lasted so long. "I consider myself very fortunate that I got to spend eight years here," he said. Deseret News

Former NBA slam dunk champion J.R. Rider has signed with the American Basketball Association’s North Texas Fresh and arrived in Fort Worth on Thursday, according to owner Jay Bowdy. Rider, 38, perhaps best known for his between-the-legs jam at the 1994 contest, spent nine years in the NBA, three each with Minnesota and Portland. He played one season each with Atlanta and the LA Lakers and last played in the NBA with Denver for 10 games in 2001-02. Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“I’m not worried about what others have to say,” stated Rider. “I’m excited about being in the North Texas area and apart of the North Texas Fresh organization. I am ready to come out and play ball.” North Texas Fresh

Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey parts ways with agent Aaron Goodwin, according to sources. Stuckey up for new deal next summer. Twitter.com

Most of the Warriors' hierarchy has been quiet since the Jackson disaster began, but Nelson had previously said only that the team "would try to accommodate a trade' and "I can still coach Jack." Those comments remain, but Nelson has taken it a step further. "When you love somebody, you don't fall out of love," Nelson said. "If you have problems, you try to find a way to deal with the problems. I don't fall out of love with people. I understand that people get divorced and everything else, but, if you have affection for people, I think it lasts a lifetime. I feel that way about Jack. I really do feel that way about him. I thought I helped his life. At least that's what I tried to do. I thought we were fairly close, and he doesn't feel that way now. That's OK. He doesn't have to like me. I can like him. All he has to do is play for me, do what I tell him to do, play hard and play to win. We'll get along fine." San Francisco Chronicle

Jackson said this week that he'd listen to Nelson on the court, but the days of considering his advice off the court were over. Only two years ago, Nelson took Jackson and Baron Davis out for a night of shuffleboard and beer. "He doesn't have to do that anymore if he's uncomfortable," Nelson said. "All he has to do is play. ... I really like him on the floor, and I like him with this team. I actually hope we don't trade him, because I think he can be a big part of what we do here. "If (we do trade him), we would not just to get rid of him. He's too good a player, and I think I can coach him. We don't have to be buddies off the floor, if that's the way he wants it." San Francisco Chronicle

"We were kind of blind-sided by Jack coming out in New York and saying he wanted to be traded," Nelson said. "I certainly didn't know anything about it, so I was pretty surprised. When I called him, he said he would prefer to play for a team that had a shot at winning a title. Well, that's not us at this point. "But (a trade) is not so easy to do when a guy has a big, long-term contract, and, especially, when he's had some issues. He is a good player, and I like him a lot on this team. We would have to get a decent player in return, somebody who can step in and play. Actually, we'd be looking for a guy just like him. As funny as it sounds, he's in the right spot, I think he likes the way we play and he's had his best year for me." San Francisco Chronicle

Jackson did not talk to the media today. Not because he wasn’t willing. I was interviewing Biedrins when Jackson came off the court. Nobody stopped him. He got an unofficial day off from the media. Contra Costa Times

"I'm just talking as a fan and New Yorker who grew up loving the Knicks: why would I give you my money to watch them?" Marbury told The Post. "This is atrocious. Guys coming down court, just raising up 3-pointers from anywhere. The coaching is horrible. What kind of coaching is this? "If they shoot like that in the game, imagine how they shoot in practice. New Yorkers deserve better decisions form the front office and New York City has to deal with this mess." New York Post

He didn't have many options. Some believe he rattled the NBA establishment for hosting a 24-hour Ustream show in July during which he swallowed Vaseline because he lost his voice. "It wasn't a trick, it's a black heritage thing and I did it to help me when I lost my voice," Marbury said. "People saw I was drinking a lot of tea. They said I was crazy. But if I'm hurt, why wouldn't I do something that helps me?" New York Post

Ron Artest stood up quickly when an apparently inebriated fan tapped him on the back and tried to talk to him from behind the bench in the final minutes of the game. The fan, beer cup in hand and wearing a Lakers shirt, was whisked away by security and removed from the arena. Los Angeles Times

Quick word from Lamar Odom after Friday's 97-92 win over the Kings in Las Vegas. LO limped to the locker room at the end of the first half after getting kicked in the right shin, possibly by Sacramento's Jon Brockman, who was locked in a scrum on the floor with Ron Artest. Josh Powell started the second half, and when Odom tried to enter the game he quickly had to check out, clearly in pain. After the game, he wasn't worried. "I'm alright. It'll be alright. They were wrestling down there, Ron, the wrestler and Brockman, they were wrestling and someone down there kicked me," Odom said. "Front side. Right side on my shin. Right on the muscle there. It's a tough place to get hit. Treatment, that's it." Los Angeles Times

Arash Markazi: Ron Artest just grabbed the mic and told everyone to enjoy the game and, "remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Thanks, Ron Ron. Twitter.com

Phil Jackson likes to hand books to his players. Which book would you give to Ron Artest? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: First, this made me laugh really hard because this was a challenge to think about. But I would have to say Bill Russell’s new book, Red and Me, would be a great book for Ron Artest to read because it would give him some background on two of the great minds of the game and how they went about achieving their success. Red and Me really gives you an insight to the foundation of the Celtic dynasty of the 50’s and 60’s. For me it gave me the background of what I saw when I was a kid starting in 1960. HoopsHype.com

"I'm not going to speak badly about Las Vegas, as much as I'd like to," he said. "The activity level here, you just have that vibe where the sleep's not very good. But the hotel, the Mirage, puts me up in a great place. I just did laps in my pool. The pool's 10 feet long, but I did a lot of laps [Thursday] afternoon, laid out in the sun." Los Angeles Times

Did he hit the casino? "I've had my time in gambling and it's mostly in basketball games," he said. Wait, what? "With the players' time," Jackson said. "Do I put Jordan [Farmar] in? Do I put Shannon [Brown] in? Do I put Sasha [Vujacic] in?" Los Angeles Times

Has any of the current centers in the NBA asked you about giving them advice to do the Sky Hook? If not, who would be the ideal center to perform your legendary shot? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Hasheem Thabeet has shown some interest in working with me and I think he would be a very good student if he applied himself. I also think Dwight Howard would do very well if he could master a hook shot in his arsenal. He is such a great athlete and would be able to put it to good use. HoopsHype.com

"I felt like I wanted to defend myself,'' Durant said in an interview with FanHouse while the Thunder was in Tulsa for Wednesday's 96-91 preseason win over Miami. "I've let a lot of stuff slide. I shouldn't have done it. But when contributions to this team [are questioned], I got kind of offended because I'm passionate and emotional about all that stuff. I try to do everything to my best of my ability. Some people overlook that, and don't see how hard we work every day.'' FanHouse

So why did Durant regret expressing himself on Twitter the way he did? "I didn't think it would be out there,'' he said. "I'm not a like a Dwayne Wade or a Kobe Bryant that everything they do is out there. I just wanted to express how much I care for this team, and how hard I work for this team, and I want to see us get better. I was standing up for what I thought was right. I thought it was appropriate to share how passionate I am for this game.'' So what did Durant learn after he saw his comments get picked up by all sorts of Web sites? "I guess that's why it's called the World Wide Web,'' he said. FanHouse

After Durant's Twitter posting, Henry Abbott, the author of the original blog, came out with another blog pointing out he had been complimentary about Durant but that his plus-minus numbers can't be overlooked, Durant, who admitted he didn't read all of Abbott's original blog, didn't deny that. "It was mostly complimentary,'' said Durant, who said he had friends who altered him last weekend about Abbott's blog and then he read "just a little bit of it. But I think when he said I hurt my team, I took that to heart because I go to battle with these guys every day. They know that. That kind of hurt me. But it is was it is. That's what his stats are about. So I just got to do a better job of playing harder for my team.'' FanHouse

There are reports going around that Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas suggested he’s capable of averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds. That’s not exactly true. What happened at Thursday’s practice was a reporter asked Thomas is he envisions himself as a 20-10 player. At the same time, Derrick Rose walked past and gave Thomas a hard time for not wearing a shirt during the interview. But it did seem as though Thomas heard the question correctly. “Yeah, I feel that’s something I can do,” he answered. “I have to figure out my role on the team first as far as the offensive end, figuring out where I'm going to get my shots. On the defensive end, definitely 10.” Arlington Heights Daily Herald

Andre Miller on Blake's comment he and Miller are getting along well: That's completely right. We're working hard in practice, and, like you said, our job is to go out there and compete against each other in practice and make each other better, and the rest is up to the coaching staff and management. And we're good friends as far as competing on the court, and we're going to support each other whatever decision the coaches make. Columbian

Andre Miller on whether he still enjoys and is a fan of the game: It's pretty much still the same as when I was a little kid. But I'm just older; I'm not as playful. But I've grown and continued to get better. But I enjoy living the dream. Having friends and family or high school teammates — kids growing up that I played with that had the same dreams that didn't accomplish them. Be able to live their dreams with me. Being able to share basketball and what is it like; to be in the NBA and share those things, I get joy out of that. Columbian

Either Griffin was being his usual humble self or he hadn't been on the Internet all day because he seemed unaware of the compliment from Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich. "He's a monster," Popovich told reporters after the Clippers beat the Spurs, 93-90, on Wednesday in San Antonio. "He deserved to be picked where he was picked, that's for sure." Los Angeles Times

When Dwight Howard first came to Orlando, an 18-year-old straight out of high school, some people didn't even realize there was a professional basketball team in town. "I can remember my rookie year telling people I play for the Orlando Magic and they’re like, ‘We got a basketball team?’ I’m like ‘Are you serious?’ It went from that to now everybody everywhere I go I see Orlando magic tags. That’s one of the things me and Jameer [Nelson] wanted to accomplish by coming here is bringing the life back into Orlando." "...I think the thing that makes it special is how all of us have grown with the city. Me and Jameer especially we had to come into our own. Like I said, the city was dead. Downtown was dead. Now it’s coming alive. More and more people are migrating down here to Orlando. It feels good to see that." Orlando Sentinel

After an uneven start to his career, Beasley said he is comfortable where he is in his second season with the Heat. "I'm just living my life right now, letting everything fall into place, not trying to rush anything on or off the court, just taking it day by day," he said. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Beasley used the collegiate homecoming to stress how took a year to get grounded with the NBA lifestyle. "The lifestyle off the court is going to hit you hard if you're not ready, not prepared for it," he said. "It's going to knock you back." For Beasley, that contributed to a lengthy stay this offseason at a Houston substance-abuse facility, which Spoelstra said Thursday lasted seven weeks. "I've seen a big difference in Michael on the court, already," Spoelstra said. "It is early, but compared to where he was last year at this time, there's a big difference in him as a player, his versatility and his focus and his ability to play two positions and his stamina and conditioning." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

But Dampier, while not usually the player Mavericks fans want him to be, is not complaining. He's in the final year of his contract, and what he earns next season will be determined largely by what he shows this season. "I don't think it's a bad thing," he said Thursday. "The last couple years, I split minutes and at some point in time, your minutes are going to go down. Whenever I'm called upon, I just have to go out there and make the most of it. "I'm not really worried about it. I guess the main thing for us is to win at this point. Drew's a good player and a good person. It's been working for us. No one is unhappy. No one has said anything about it. Winning takes care of a lot of things." Dallas Morning News

There are two ways to look at the situation when you're traded and then a team lets you walk away. Some would say those teams didn't want you, but Villanueva takes a more positive approach. "I definitely have a positive outlook," Villanueva tells HOOPSWORLD. "When I got traded from Toronto to Milwaukee it was just a situation where Milwaukee needed a power forward and Toronto needed a point guard. I didn't look at it like Toronto didn't want me. They got a good player and Milwaukee got a good player, as well. Now in Detroit I've signed a five-year deal and I'm very comfortable with my future being here." HoopsWorld.com

Detroit may be the third team Villanueva has been a part of in his young NBA career, but the fifth-year forward is confident that he won't be changing teams again any time soon. Detroit already feels like home. "Absolutely," says Villanueva, beaming. "I'm very comfortable where I'm at. On the first day that free agents could sign I made it known that I wanted to be here and (GM) Joe (Dumars) made that commitment to me and told me he wanted me long-term. I'm very excited to be here, I think we have a great group of guys, and I can't wait to get the season rolling." HoopsWorld.com

The more time you spend around Ronnie Price, the more you come away with the impression that he might be one of the best teammates to have in the NBA. Talking to him after shootaround Thursday, Price revealed that he’d had undrafted rookie Wesley Matthews over to his house the night before, trying to give Matthews a little bit of a 25th birthday celebration. Salt Lake Tribune

“He’s already considered a good friend of mine,” Price said, “and I hope the best for him. I think that he’s played well and I think if he keeps working hard and keeps doing the right things on and off the court, he’ll be OK.” Price also counts Jason Hart as one of his best friends in the NBA, even though he ended up competing with Hart for backup point guard minutes in both Sacramento and Utah. He was close with Brevin Knight last season as well. As for Matthews, Price said he thought the Marquette product was “headed in the right direction.” Salt Lake Tribune

Smith has experimented with a new free throw, standing a couple steps off the line, similar to the way former Nugget Nick Van Exel shot free throws. Last season, Smith hit 75 percent from the line in the regular season but dipped to 54 percent during the playoffs. It's not clear how long Smith will continue the new technique, but Karl isn't a fan of it. "It makes no sense," Karl said. "It's like a 5-foot putt and an 8-foot putt. If you're an 80 percent putter from 5 feet, you're going to be a 72 percent putter from 8 feet." Denver Post

Guard Michael Redd couldn't be more pleased with the way he is coming back from major knee surgery. After scoring 18 points in 21 minutes in a victory at Houston last Monday, Redd requested a chance to play the next night in Chicago. He was given the green light and responded with 11 points in almost 15 minutes. "It's coming," said Redd, who is averaging 16.8 minutes in the team's five exhibition games. "Rather than talk about what I'm going to do this year, I'm just going to do it. That's my mentality. "I’m sure a lot of people are wondering how I’m going to return. I told coach that I wanted to play (in Chicago) just to see how a back-to-back goes. I obviously played limited minutes ... but I’m so happy." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"The doctor just told me that I look great," Redd said. "I’m taking the right steps. He said my knee looked great." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A source tells TNT's David Aldridge that James is not suffering from the H1N1, or Swine Flu, virus. James missed Wednesday's preseason game with Washington after coming down with flu-like symptoms, and he and fellow Cavs Darnell Jackson and Coby Karl tested positive for Influenza A this week. NBA.com

Team physician Dr. Alfred Cianflocco met with the team at Cleveland Clinic Courts to discuss preventive measures on how to stop the flu from spreading. "We feel very comfortable and confident that what we are doing is an appropriate course of action," Cavs spokesman Tad Carper said. "The key for us is to approach things proactively and from a presumptive standpoint." NBA.com

The Washington Wizards are cautiously optimistic that forward Antawn Jamison will not need surgery to repair a shoulder injury suffered in Wednesday's preseason game victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jamison suffered a subluxation--a temporary shoulder separation--when his shoulder momentarily popped out of joint when he reached in to foul Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the first quarter of Washington's 109-104 victory. An MRI taken Thursday revealed the subluxation, but his status for the regular season opener Nov. 3 against Cleveland is still up in the air. He will not play in any of the Wizards' final three preseason games. NBA.com

Through three quarters Friday night in Las Vegas, the Lakers have pounded the Kings, looking pretty good in the process. More importantly, though, Lamar Odom banged shins with a King at the tail end of the first half, and left the floor limping at the break. Josh Powell started the second half, and when Odom came in to replace him, he was still in obvious discomfort and had to quickly check out. From there, he went straight to the locker room with trainer Gary Vitti. The Lakers are calling it a contusion of his lower right leg. Obviously LO won't play any more tonight, and he's officially "day to day." Los Angeles Times

Nelson said he thinks Brandan Wright will miss the entire season after surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. San Francisco Chronicle

Eddy Curry, who has a torn right calf muscle, still is not practicing with the team. Newsday

Guard Flip Murray is out at least for the rest of the preseason games with what the team described as "early signs of a stress reaction" in his left shin. Murray suffered a stress fracture while playing college ball at Shaw and had a steel rod placed in his tibia. The Bobcats signed Murray just before training camp to add experience and depth at both guard spots. Charlotte Observer

Toronto Raptors power forward Reggie Evans is expected to miss the remainder of the NBA pre-season with a sprained left foot. Evans suffered the injury during the second quarter of Wednesday's 106-90 loss to the Boston Celtics. No timetable is set for his return, putting in doubt his status for the Raptors' season opener Oct. 28 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Toronto Globe and Mail

A former Big East Player of the Year, Harangody entered his name into the NBA Draft last summer. In what coach Mike Brey referred to as a key recruiting victory, the Andrean grad decided he would return to South Bend for his fourth and final season. "The most important thing is my teammates -- I came back to spend another year with them," Harangody said Thursday at basketball media day. "I'm never going to be around a group of individuals like this again." NWI Times

"I just want to be on that team,'' Durant said of Team USA next summer. "I'll do anything. I had thought most of [the players] were coming back. But, if not, I'll gladly take their place. I just want to be part of that team. It doesn't matter if I'm the last guy or the first guy. "It would mean a lot to represent a whole country that looks up to its players. It would mean a lot to me, to my family and to my friends. Just to go back home to a small town in Maryland [Suitland] and say I represented my whole country would mean a lot.'' FanHouse

Two of Durant's teammates, who joined him at last summer's USA Basketball camp in Las Vegas for young players, also say they want to play in Turkey next summer. Guard Russell Westbrook said, "I would love to represent my country.'' Forward Jeff Green said, "Representing my country has always been a dream of mine.'' Westbrook has a decent chance considering the Americans might need a third point guard behind Chris Paul and Deron Williams. But Green is a long shot. Both Westbrook and Green, though, don't dispute Durant is all but a lock to be on Team USA next summer. "He's done a great job [at Team USA camps], and he's got a high possibility of making the team,'' Westbrook said. FanHouse

After the championship was won in Orlando, the parade debris was swept up in downtown Los Angeles and the players concluded their exit meetings in El Segundo, Jackson was finally able to visit Tex Winter. The longtime Lakers consultant suffered a stroke in April and was recovering in Oregon when Jackson came to see him with an armful of Lakers championship gear. Los Angeles Times

Winter, 87, is expected to take a brief break from his rehabilitation and attend the Lakers' championship ring ceremony Oct. 27 against the Clippers. "It'll be nice to have him back," Jackson said. "I hope everybody understands what a difficult process he's gone through. You guys probably won't have him on radio or TV, but it'll be good for him to be in the company of the coaches and see some tape with us and do some things that we do. He has that basketball [mind-set] ingrained, and he'll diagram stuff still, but his speaking is coming back slowly, so that's the difficult part." Los Angeles Times

As FIU begins practice Saturday for the 2009-10 season, Thomas will set out to rebuild his reputation and rejuvenate a squad that went 13-20 last season. Outside the Sun Belt Conference, this was a little-known school — until Thomas was hired — that averaged 681 fans for home games last season. "My goal is to one day build a top-25 program," he says in an interview with USA TODAY. USA Today

"I like getting my hands dirty," Thomas says. "I've never taken an easy job. If you were to apply business terminology, I'm into start-ups and turnarounds. This is a program that is very young and really hasn't established itself. But it has a major opportunity." He will try to do at FIU what he failed to do as president and later coach of the Knicks: win. "My one regret about New York was they never got to see me at my best, because there was so much other stuff going on," he says. USA Today

Longtime friend Mike Krzyzewski, the Duke and U.S. Olympic coach, gave moral support. "I was getting great advice from all of them," Thomas says. "They were all saying, 'You should take the job.' They thought I would be good at it, and they thought the change in atmosphere would be good for me. They've all been right." USA Today

There's also the supposed freeze-out of Jordan at the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, in which Thomas supposedly led an effort to keep Jordan, then a rookie and an All-Star teammate, from getting shots. There was no freeze-out, Thomas says, adding that Jordan's agent, David Falk, started the rumor. "I should take that back," he says. "(Falk) sure as hell fanned it." Falk scoffs at that. "The Chicago media promoted it because it was painfully obvious," he says. Thomas says he drew ire from players' agents while president of the NBA Players' Association because he led the drive to limit agent commissions to 4% on player contracts. "I've saved Jordan more money by that one rule than Falk has ever saved him," he says. USA Today

To coach the Pacers, Thomas had to relinquish his ownership of the CBA, which he had from 1998 to 2000. The NBA ruled that dealings with both leagues would be a conflict of interest. Thomas tried to fight the NBA, but he ultimately put the CBA in a blind trust and it folded. "It just died a natural death," he says. USA Today

Former NBA guard Nick Van Exel is being hired as an assistant coach for Texas Southern University, a Houston television station reported. Van Exel retired in 2006 after 14 years in the NBA. He spent his first five years with the Los Angeles Lakers and also played for Denver, Dallas, Golden State, Portland and San Antonio. "I said I was going to retire in '06, take two years off and try to get into coaching," Van Exel told KRIV-TV. "It didn't work out as planned. Dallas Morning News

NBA players will be able to take two steps before they have to stop, pass or shoot this season. The NBA has put into writing a rule allowing players on the move to gather the ball, after driving or catching it, and then take two steps. Throughout NBA history, the rulebook said players could take one step. The new rule reads, in part "A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball." ESPN.com

Others insist allowing two steps represents an NBA strategy to aid scorers and make the league more exciting. Legendary point guard and current Knick broadcaster Walt "Clyde" Frazier says the league relaxed traveling standards some time ago to increase scoring. "They go 20 feet to the hoop without dribbling one time," Frazier said. "This is what they are getting away with nowadays. Some of them are so obvious. You'll hear me on the broadcast saying 'That's a travel! Watch the feet!' Wilt [Chamberlain] would have averaged 100 points a game if they had let him do that. "When guys couldn't put up points, about when they changed the hand-check rule, they made things easier for scorers, because these players can't shoot like we did," Frazier said. "Those few years when the Knicks were good [the early 1990s] -- that wasn't pretty basketball." ESPN.com

The N.B.A. rule book defines a second-degree flagrant foul as “unnecessary and excessive contact,” and leaves the painful details to the imagination. It is much easier to grasp after watching Shaquille O’Neal clobber Rodney Stuckey in midair. Four times. From four different angles. In slow motion. That, more or less, is the premise behind the latest feature on the league’s Web site. The video rule book (at nba.com/videorulebook), which launches Friday, brings to life more than 100 rules — from traveling to charging to illegal screens — by using video clips from N.B.A. games. New York Times

N.B.A. officials have long been frustrated by home-team television commentators who, in their zeal to defend their team, misstate the rules. Indeed, the league’s annual referee training camp includes a day dedicated to educating the news media. The seminar includes video tutorials much like the videos now posted on NBA.com. For each rule, there are several videos, along with a written explanation. The audio has been stripped from the clips, to avoid confusion. The catalog includes some of the most misunderstood and most difficult calls: block versus charge, illegal screens and a variety of traveling violations. There are several examples to show what separates a first-degree flagrant foul (defined as unnecessary) from a second-degree flagrant foul (unnecessary and excessive) from a simple hard foul. New York Times

Denver Nuggets star, Carmelo Anthony, recently launched a new official website, going the 50 Cent route with ThisIsMelo.com. However, Melo's site isn't a blog posting celebrity news, it was created to provide fans with an inside look into his life off the court. "Everybody knows the competitor and athlete that I am, but as a fan, you want to know what goes on in the day to day," he said in a video message on the site. "It's important for me to show what it takes for me to be the player that I am at the end of the day." Baller Status

Rudy Gay: I will be a judge for the dunk contest tomorrow night at memphis madness! Yo Gotti is also performing. Twitter.com

Allen Iverson: I will be one of the judges of the Slam Dunk Contest at Memphis Madness on Friday Night at the FedEx Forum. Twitter.com

Stephon Marbury: STARBURY cuts. I will be placing barber shops all over the country sooner then later. Twitter.com

Mark Madsen: Went to T-wolves game tonight.old friend and usher said what u doing now: I said "Free agency!" She said, "is that what they call it now? Twitter.com

Nate Robinson: Yo my boy wilson chandler said he will get on twitter if all my followers follow him come on yall hook him up. Twitter.com

Chalmers ‘surprised’ by KU football-basketball in-fighting: A two-day feud between members of the KU football and basketball teams that involved at least two fights and resulted in a dislocated thumb for Kansas basketball player Tyshawn Taylor came as a surprise to Chalmers, who said it was uncharacteristic for both programs. “When we went to school, we was cool with the football team,” he said Thursday. “There might have been a little bickering back and forth, but nothing like that.” Lawrence Journal-World

Former Chicago Bulls point guard B.J. Armstrong has listed for sale his five bedroom, 6.5 bath at 1550 Hawthorne St. in Highland Park for the asking price of $2.374 million. BlockShopper.com

Three current Olympiacos coaches were teammates during that span, provoking various stories. One remembered a Olympiacos teammate of theirs (Stavros Elliniadis; national team manager, as well as coach for Maroussi) telling Berry he looked like Sidney Poitier. "Thank you, my friend," Berry responded. "And you know what, you look like Danny DeVito." New York Post

One man who forgets nothing is Shaquille O'Neal, regardless of how slight the perceived snub, written insult, whatever, or how modest the consideration. When the Cavaliers' newest/oldest starting center discovered before the game Berry was in Quicken Loans Arena he signaled him to come to courtside. "MY HERO!" Shaq shouted, giving Berry a big hug before inviting him into the locker room. Turns out when Berry was playing for the Spurs from '86-to-'88, his two best years (averaged 17.5 in 129 games), Shaq was going to high school in San Antonio and he was nice to him. Twenty one years later, Shaq told Berry and showed him how much that meant to him. New York Post

Chris Douglas-Roberts: This girl had developed an illusion that I actually LOVED her.That I was CHEATING on her.Shii was crazy.But the FBI took care of it. It pretty much died down.But they couldn't arrest her b/c it wasn't enough.However,I STILL don't know the girl or why she was so obsessed! Twitter.com

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