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Saturday, November 7

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The Allen Iverson saga has taken another turn as the veteran guard asked for and was granted permission to leave the Grizzlies to deal with a personal matter, according to an NBA source. Iverson, 34, met with Griz owner Michael Heisley Friday night following the team’s 114-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The pair met again this morning, and Iverson was expected to depart for Atlanta this afternoon. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Marc J. Spears: nba source strongly says it has nothing to do with AIs recent frustration over coming off bench and lack of minutes. Twitter.com

Eli Savoie: CA reporting he left to deal with personal matter. According to my sources he met with Heisley last night after game. Twitter.com

Chad Ford: Wonder if they're the same "personal reasons" he left Detroit last season. Lots of folks in the league think he won't be back. Twitter.com

Chris Vernon: Iverson on Lionel Hollins- "We've never even talked to each other." Absolutely amazing. If true, Hollins is totally incompetent. Twitter.com

The Grizzlies still are in "serious negotiations" with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to help coach their centers, according to team owner Michael Heisley. Abdul-Jabbar visited Memphis on Oct. 25 to attend a practice and meet with Griz players and management. Heisley said both sides are trying to iron out a working arrangement. Memphis Commercial Appeal

"He wants to come and we want him to come," Heisley said. "It's really a question of whether he's got commitments that will keep him away from the team more than we'd like." Memphis Commercial Appeal

LeBron James dropped a bit of a bomb on the entire NBA when he spoke his final sentence Friday night before leaving Madison Square Garden, a statement that should leave everyone in Cleveland, New York and elsewhere -- especially in Miami -- wondering exactly what the King meant by those parting words. "As a kid I visualized playing for almost every team in the NBA," James said. "Right now, I visualize playing with a lot of guys in the NBA. There are a lot of great individual basketball players that I would love to be alongside of and try to contend for an NBA championship. "I think at the end of the day, a max deal or anything like that doesn't really matter to me at the end of the day. It's all about winning for me. So I've put myself in a position that when that day comes next summer, I want to win, and if I feel like the team is capable of winning, I'll make my decision like that." ESPN.com

Asked what he'll remember most fondly about the night, he replied: "The atmosphere, just that the atmosphere was great," James said. "There were a lot of stars in the building, and it's humbling to have guys like the Yankees come out and Jay-Z. It's really, really humbling to see some of the [football] Giants out, John Legend, I saw Chris Rock. You almost feel like you're a performer sitting on a stage, and they're watching you perform." "Humbling" is a phrase you really wouldn't expect to come out of James' mouth, because humblers do not usually describe themselves as humbled. ESPN.com

You've always talked about how much you enjoy playing in The Garden. Do you wonder what this building would be like if the home team were good? LeBron James: It would be great. I stated it last night when I was asked about it. The NBA is missing out on the fact that the Knicks haven't been great in a few years now. We all know the history of the Knicks. We all know what has happened in this building, what the Knicks franchise has done for this league. As a fan, it would be great someday, or one day, when this franchise can be particularly good. I'm not saying they aren't good now. They have a good team, a young team, and coach (Mike) D'Antoni is a great coach. But we all know the teams they had in the '90s and early 2000s. Sporting News

Alan Hahn: Gallo said LeBron told him to "keep working hard" and complimented his game. Also made a point to tell him to take care of his back. Hmmmm. Twitter.com

“I would be surprised if he doesn’t come,” Sabathia said. “This is where you want to play and there’s nothing like winning here. He knows what that means and we’ll see what happens.” New York Times

The desire to play in a market bigger than Phoenix, where his skills may be more appreciated, could encourage Stoudemire to opt out. While he spent this summer telling folks in Washington and New York that he would love to relocate to those cities, he adores Phoenix. “I really have man,’’ he said, when asked if he’s enjoyed his time in Phoenix. “Ever since I have been a rookie, I have been blessed with great teammates. The city as well has embraced me. I enjoy the city of Phoenix but you never know what the future holds.’’ Boston Globe

Until it’s over, whenever that is, Stoudemire will relish his days in Phoenix. Kerr shipped O’Neal to Phoenix to clear more cap space to perhaps retain Stoudemire and attract another quality free agent. If Stoudemire decides to stay, the future could be fruitful, but that won’t be decided until the broiling Phoenix summer. “It’s a matter of staying professional and focusing on who we have here at hand,’’ Stoudemire said. “That keeps me focused on basketball. My teammates have been great, phenomenal. I love playing with these guys. So I try to enjoy my time again with them and play every game as hard as I can and try to win and see how it works.’’ Boston Globe

Szczerbiak is in New York rehabbing from knee surgery, one that has left his future as a player in doubt. After his contract with the Cavs expired in June, he spoke to several teams but also ended up talking to his several doctors. During the Cavs' playoff run, his troublesome left knee started flaring up. He hoped rest would help, and he even was negotiating with several teams about a free-agent contract. "When I started to amp it up for the season, it was bugging me, so I had to do something about it," Szczerbiak said. "I've had a lot of wear on that knee, and that is something that comes with four years of college and 10 years in the NBA." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Health is first and foremost, especially in life after basketball, and I don't want to be crippled at age 40," said Szczerbiak, who is 32 and an avid golfer. "I've been fortunate to make a ton of money, the game has been so generous. I've been smart with my money, and I'm set for life, so that is nice to know. But from a competitive side, I felt I had good last year, and I still think I might be able to help a good team." Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Cavs still have Szczerbiak's so-called "Bird rights," meaning they could use him in an exotic sign-and-trade scenario that has been seen in the NBA in the past. It would be a way to acquire a player without giving one up. "I've thought about that, and it is really up to them," Szczerbiak said. "I won't be filing my retirement papers and they still have my rights." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Even the Phoenix swingman, who has enjoyed a late-career renaissance as a Sun, seemed a little unsure of the machinations prior to his team’s 110-103 win against the Celtics at the Garden last night. “Man, there was a lot going on at the time,” he said. “I was trying to gather a lot of information, trying to sort out all of the teams I was looking at. I was certainly very interested, and it was very flattering to have their interest. “I can tell you that I have a lot of respect for (general manager) Danny Ainge, (coach) Doc Rivers and (owner) Steve Pagliuca, who’s a fellow Dukie, of course,” Hill said. “But (Phoenix) was just the right place. Boston has put together a great team, and they have great guys, but (Phoenix) just felt like home to me.” Boston Herald

“We were very close,” Rivers said. “He changed his mind and decided to stay put. He just knew who they were - it was that simple. But I think at the end of the day it came down to him not being ready to come off the bench. He wanted to play a lot of minutes.” Boston Herald

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Alan Hahn: Also in the Fix: Donnie Walsh admits the Knicks missed on Brandon Jennings: "I didn't have a feel for his game." Twitter.com

Depending on who you ask, Grant Hill either nearly became a Celtic last summer or knew all along that he was going to remain a Sun. Even the Phoenix swingman, who has enjoyed a late-career renaissance as a Sun, seemed a little unsure of the machinations prior to tonight’s game against the Celtics. “Man, there was a lot going on at the time,” he said. “I was trying to gather a lot of information, trying to sort out all of the teams I was looking at. I was certainly very interested, and it was very flattering to have their interest. “I can tell you that I have a lot of respect for Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers and (Celtics owner) Steve Pagliuca, who’s a fellow Dukie, of course,” said Hill. “But (Phoenix) was just the right place. Boston has put together a great team, and they have great guys, but (Phoenix) just felt like home to me.” Boston Herald

After TNT aired a taped interview with Artest on Thursday night celebrating his budding rap career and his involvement in the community via Twitter, Barkley questioned whether the mercurial forward was focused enough on basketball. Artest took great offense to the timing of Barkley's comments, lashing out at him the following afternoon in a 15-tweet rant on twitter and then elaborating on those comments with reporters before Friday's game. "He tried to turn the whole story around," Artest said. "TNT was trying to make me look good, but Charles was trying to make me look bad. They were pointing out a lot of good things I was doing, and Charles totally took my spotlight. He could have picked another time to do that." Riverside Press-Enterprise

Artest was hurt by Barkley’s comments and his attempt to take away his “shine” and posted 14 tweets on Twitter. “Everybody can’t be Tiger,Bird,Stockton,Duncan etc.. Some people turn out to be Rodman , Maxwell and Artest! What’s so bad about that?!!!!.??” “He wants me to be something I’m not,” Artest said. Orange County Register

An incensed Artest spoke directly to his fans via twitter on Friday, noting that he's one of the last players to leave the practice court every day, that he doesn't shoot commercials during the playoffs like other guys and that he nearly led the shorthanded Rockets to the NBA Finals last year. He also referenced Barkley's DUI arrest from last year, adding "What's worse; rapping or driving drunk?" Riverside Press-Enterprise

Asked whether he thought it might have been more prudent to let Barkley's latest comments pass without response, Artest said, "I think it's important for me to speak because he took my shine away." "It was such a great piece," Artest said. "After all these years of negativity, it was great and then Barkley just brings all the negativity back into it." Riverside Press-Enterprise

Blatche was probably spooked by the Wrath of Tawn. Antawn Jamison isn't expected to be back in uniform for another week or so because of his sprained right shoulder, but that doesn't mean that he isn't passionate about the direction of his team. So, after watching his teammates lose their third in a row -- an embarrassing blowout to a struggling team that entered the game with just one win -- he couldn't sit back and let them leave Indianapolis without giving them a piece of his mind. Trust me, the audio could never be replayed in front of children. Washington Post

In a loud, profanity-laced tirade, Jamison lit into his teammates, cursing them for what he considered a lethargic effort. No one was spared, and when reporters were allowed to enter the locker room, it was obvious that nothing, not even the fruit tray, was spared. It had been tossed into a corner, shattered to pieces, with fruit and candy scattered everywhere. Washington Post

"They just outworked us today," Arenas said. "We're not getting five guys to play hard out there. You got the whole team playing hard, they can beat anybody no matter what kind of talent they have on that team. We just couldn't get it together." Washington Post

"If his name was something other than Allen Iverson, and I could depend on him getting 14-15 points off the bench, hell yeah I'd sign that guy," a Western Conference executive said. "It's everything else. He has to be the man. You're not the guy on your team anymore, AI." ESPN.com

"Listen, enough is enough," he said when asked about it again Friday night, before the Grizzlies played the Los Angeles Lakers. "There's got to be something else to talk about when it comes to the Memphis Grizzlies, beside Allen Iverson. "I'm tired of it, man. I'm done with it. I said what I had to say about it, people are going to take it however they're going to take it. The Allen Iverson people that love Allen Iverson take it one way, and the anti-Allen Iverson people take it another way, and it's a big debate about something that doesn't mean anything. I would rather talk about us as a team, rather than just Allen Iverson, Allen Iverson. Talk about the Memphis Grizzlies. ESPN.com

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley joined the team on this West Coast road trip and plans to discuss Iverson's role with him. He approached Iverson in the locker room to make an appointment. "Whenever you want," Iverson said. "Whenever YOU want," Heisley said. At least there's some sense of collaboration there. Coach Lionel Hollins already got so flustered he declared a moratorium on Iverson questions. "To begin with, I was the guy who had as much to do as anybody to bring him here," Heisley said. "We're going to be going over some of the things that appear to be problems and so on, like I would with any other player … Obviously there's all kinds of different issues, and that's why I'm here." ESPN.com

His heart made him special to fans, like his new teammate O.J. Mayo, who grew up idolizing Iverson and is now thrilled to play alongside him "He really represented, like, the hip-hop world, the inner city, the brazen tattoos," Mayo said before Friday's game. "The guy was from the inner city, but he wasn't rapping or selling drugs, he was putting the basketball in the cup, giving guys 40. Not the biggest guy or the strongest guy, but he seemed like the toughest guy. Los Angeles Times

Your coach said he was embarrassed by this game. Are you embarrassed? Monta Ellis: We all should be embarrassed. This is a terrible game, terrible performance. We looked like we didn’t know what we were doing out there. We looked like a high school team. We didn’t do nothing. San Jose Mercury News

Where do you go from here? Stephen Jackson: Hopefully it doesn’t get worse than that. Let’s see what happens in practice. See what they’ve got to say, what they want us to work on. San Jose Mercury News

Not necessarily you, but does it come to a point where this team just has to make major changes? Stephen Jackson: I leave that up to the people who make the changes. I mean, everybody sees how we’re playing. Everybody sees the team. I’m not the one to make the decisions. Everybody knows how I feel. I’m just going to go out there and do my job, try to be as positive as I can. As I can. And right now I think I’m doing a good job. I don’t have any techs… yet. San Jose Mercury News

Marcus Thompson: Monta is screaming at Randolph on the court. He was pointing Randolph on where to go. Randolph was getting it wrong. Twitter.com

CJ Watson: just realized my life has taken a 360 spiral downward lol dont wat i did but man not looking so good lol bak to the drawing board. Twitter.com

Phoenix's Amar'e Stoudemire was asked about Perkins' maturity in his sixth NBA season. The Suns forward was quite candid. "He''s a solid player out there, he loves to get physical. He's aggressive," Stoudemire said. "He keeps a lot of confrontation going. We try to play smart basketball from our standpoint. We try to stay out of the confrontation, really and just execute our plays offensively and defensively. But seeing sometimes he wants to keep it up, always mean, always mad. He don't even have fun out there. He needs to learn to have fun on the basketball court and enjoy his life, enjoy the game." Boston Globe

"Definitely, STAT is a great teammate because he talks to me a lot and gives me pointers and tells me the bad things that I'm doing out there," Clark adulated. "To go against him in practice, it really helps my game a lot, too. He's real strong and quick off his feet and we do a lot of the same things - he's making me better every day by going hard against me every day." HoopsWorld

"I definitely see this as an opportunity," says Frye, who is averaging a career-high 14.6 points and shooting 51% from the field. "I'm trying to put everything into every game and know I have to get used to it being a long season. There will be a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but I think I've been pretty good at just trying to give 110% every night. I have to figure out how people are going to play me, how I'm going to play other people, the way the refs call the games and all of those things. The team has done a great job of giving me confidence." HoopsWorld

Ben Golliver: on wednesday brandon roy told me he needed to get back to being a "playmaker" down the stretch. that's making a play. Twitter.com

"I've been here for five years and I think everybody knows me," said Calderon, who had 16 points and eight assists. "I played four bad games and there was too many things going on. I signed with the Raptors because I want to be here and that's all. I just want to play good. I'm just working and if we win, we're happy, we don't have to talk about anything else." Toronto Star

"That was just Jose, I thought his energy level was excellent," said coach Jay Triano. "He hasn't been playing well and he knows it, but it's not like we're going to bench him. He's a guy who's going to be a big part of our team. "He doesn't like a lot of the things that have been written about him ... he takes it to heart and I thought he came out and did an excellent job." Toronto Star

By the middle of the season, whispers were circulating the NBA that Skiles didn’t like Alexander’s game. According to some NBA officials, Skiles, a stickler for details, was annoyed by Alexander’s lack of understanding of the pro game and his supposed inability to follow assignments. In the weeks leading up to the trading deadline in February, rumors spread the Bucks had already soured on Alexander and were attempting to trade him, with Memphis being a prominently-mentioned destination. Racine Journal-Times

"They have to earn their way onto the floor like everybody else and be productive when they are on the floor.’’ Skiles also defends the Bucks’ selection of Alexander, insisting it wasn’t a mistake. "I would never say that,’’ Skiles said. Racine Journal-Times

Wallace, 35, is one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of this young season. In the first five games, he has averaged 10 rebounds in 31 minutes while also playing the kind of hard-nosed interior defense that once helped him anchor Detroit's NBA championship team in 2004. "I just thought he'd be great for the young guys to be around, an undrafted guy who worked his way up without any shortcuts. Just for the young guys to see him every day. That's why I got him,'' Dumars said Friday before the Pistons played in Orlando. "But he's been better than I ever imagined. It's like an added bonus.'' FanHouse

Wallace, now in his 14th NBA season, once made more than $12 million annually after signing as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls in 2006, which also was the start of his decline. He is now playing for the league's veteran minimum of $1.2 million, but he is playing with an energy he hasn't had since he left Detroit. "I'm just healthy again. I haven't felt this good in years,'' he said. "I had no expectations when I came back here. But I also knew if I was healthy again, I was still capable of playing at a high level. I will tell you, basketball is no fun when you're not healthy. It's nothing but frustration.'' FanHouse

Redick may have come into the league as one of the most celebrated college basketball players in recent history, but it has taken a complete remaking of his game and his attitude to finally carve his niche. "I've been thinking about it recently, and maybe I wasn't ready to do this last year, or my second year, and certainly not as a rookie,'' Redick said Friday night after helping the Orlando Magic hold off the Detroit Pistons 110-103. "I could not have stepped in and played well like this, but I've learned how to be a pro. And that wasn't easy.'' FanHouse

Charlie Villanueva: I hate losing, we are showing growth, I promise we will get this right, we are a very good team, great effort tonight. Twitter.com

Chris Douglas-Roberts: Carlos Boozer, Rashard Lewis, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Mehmet Okur...they counted all of them out too. I'm just the next one. Watch! Twitter.com

LeBron James had everything he wanted Friday night: A star-studded packed house at his favorite arena, handshakes with his favorite Yankees after the game, and a win. What he could've done without was an injury to his shooting hand. James, who scored 33 points -- 19 in the first quarter -- as the Cavs beat the Knicks 100-91, had his right hand in a bucket of ice in the Cavs' locker room afterward. He appeared to be in some pain, and a member of the Knicks' training staff examined him. After his postgame news conference in a crowded interview room, James walked to the Knicks' training room for a precautionary X-ray, which was negative, according to a source. It was a huge sigh of relief to the Cavs, as James appeared to be in some pain after the game and spent his entire postgame news conference clutching the injured hand. He didn't know how he hurt it. CBSSports.com

Spurs point guard Tony Parker says the sprained ankle that knocked him from Friday night’s 96-84 loss against the Trail Blazers isn’t as severe as others he’s suffered in his career. Parker missed nine games early last season after spraining the same ankle, and missed a month with the French national team during the summer with a similar injury to his right ankle. “This one is not even close,” Parker said late Friday night. “It will be a week, maybe.” San Antonio Express-News

Maybe the only bad news for the Lakers is that it's very possible they won't have either Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum again on Sunday against New Orleans. Gasol said his strained right hamstring hasn't flared up since testing it in practice on Thursday and in individual workouts on Friday, but he still think it's "pretty doubtful" he'll be ready by Sunday. "It's taking me longer to heal than I'd like," Gasol said. Riverside Press-Enterprise

Michael Lee: Antawn Jamison on his progress: "I feel good. I'm going hard. Whenever they allow me to do [contact drills], I think it's a go." Twitter.com

Tyrus Thomas' week from hell took a dramatic turn for the worse on Friday when the enigmatic Bulls power forward suffered a fractured radius of the left forearm during a weightlifting session at the Berto Center. Thomas, who was sent home two days earlier in the week because of the flu, was scheduled to undergo surgery today and is expected to be sidelined from four to six weeks. Chicago Sun-Times

Magic power forward Ryan Anderson walked out of the Magic locker room, sullenly, on crutches, his right foot lifted from the ground. "I'm getting an MRI in the morning," Anderson said as he left. His ankle and part of his foot were wrapped. Anderson sprained his right ankle in the third quarter of the Magic's 110-103 win over the Detroit Pistons. He didn't return to the game. Orlando Sentinel

Eddy Curry might rejoin practice next week, after spending more than a month losing weight and recovering from a leg injury. “There’s a chance,” Donnie Walsh said. “He’s very close.” Curry reported to camp at about 317 pounds, having shed 40 pounds in the summer. He has since made another significant drop, Walsh said. “When you see him, he looks totally different,” he said. “I was encouraged yesterday by what I saw.” New York Times

There is speculation Frank won't end up being long for New Jersey. But he said he can't be worried about his job security. "I can't control (that),'' said Frank, who calls it a "challenge'' to press on with all the injuries but won't use them as an excuse. "This organization has been great to me. I just have got to continue to do the best job that we can and can't worry about the things I can't control.'' FanHouse

Count Nets forward Trenton Hassell as a player who is standing behind his embattled coach. "He's a good coach,'' Hassell said. "You can't really worry about that as a player. You've got to keep on trusting what he is doing and believe in him because he is the leader of this team.'' FanHouse

The general manger of the Nuggets then was Kiki Vandeweghe. The general manager of the Nets now is Vandeweghe, although he doesn't have the same say he did then due to New Jersey president Rod Thorn. "It's sort of a similar situation,'' said Vandeweghe, comparing those Nuggets with these Nets. "Players are getting a little bit older, great players with longer-term deals, and we weren't winning. So we had to try to figure out a way how you're going to win. What's the best way to go? FanHouse

The Lakers announced they will rename their scorer's table for John Radcliffe, who died of heart failure in September after keeping the team's official book for 48 seasons. Radcliffe's wife and daughter received his 2009 championship ring at mid-court on Friday between the first and second quarter. Riverside Press-Enterprise

Lakers television color commentator Stu Lantz suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and will have surgery on Monday. When asked how long he'll be out after the surgery, Lantz responded: "I'll be back Thursday. I'm old-school. I play hurt." Lantz laughed. He won't miss any games. Los Angeles Times

Russ Bengston: MSG internet in the upper press box is even worse than the team that plays here. Sorry, no updates from me during this one. Twitter.com

On his highly-publicized comments about playing in the NFL, Davis told a group of reporters that they were grossly overplayed. Yes, he likes football. And yes, he could probably have played in the NFL had he chosen football instead of basketball. But he's not about to take Benjamin Watson's job. Boston Globe

Glen Davis wants to make one thing very, very clear. He has no intention of playing in the NFL. “No football for me,” the injured power forward said, while leaving the Garden wearing a Cincinnati Reds baseball cap. “Put that on the record.” WEEI

The country's eyes were on Fort Hood this week, after 13 soldiers were killed and 30 others wounded by a single guman at a military processing center. Wali Jones's eyes were too. So, at first, he didn't really believe his ears. "I was surprised," Jones said Friday from the gym on the Army base. "I didn't think we were still going to do all of this." Jones, a former NBA player who worked for the Miami Heat for 19 seasons until the team let him go last offseason, had been scheduled to run Saturday sessions as part of his Champions 4 Champions program. He assumed the visit would be canceled. He was told to board his flight. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Friday, he was preparing for his Wali Wonders segment for a Sports Inside and Out radio show that is broadcast to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. As Jones spoke, the bouncing of basketballs could be heard behind him. "It's not on lockdown anymore," Jones said. "Soldiers are in here playing ball. You see soldiers at the hotel we are staying in. I mean, it's interesting. We have to support our troops. These young men are dying for us to be free, and to have this happen here is just horrific. I didn't mind coming at all. It is a privilege for me to be here. It really is." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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