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Sunday, November 8

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Ric Bucher: League sources: Add Miami to the teams interested in Stephen Jackson. And, according to a Jackson source, add Miami to his preferred list. Twitter.com

Ric Bucher: Stephen Jackson add: As much as he might want out of Golden State, he'd balk at Charlotte. Akin to switching deck chairs on the Titanic. Twitter.com

I’m hearing too that Charlotte has shown interest in trading for Jackson, but there is nothing serious, not yet anyway. The Bobcats haven’t presented an offer that the Warriors really like. The Bobcats have not offered Boris Diaw, which is probably the player the Warriors would be most interested in. I know from Jackson’s camp that Charlotte is not a place Jackson wants to go. If those talks persist, don’t be surprised if Jackson tries to scare the Bobcats away from a deal before they sign on for a trade. Contra Costa Times

Despite reports, the Charlotte Bobcats may not be interested in acquiring forward Stephen Jackson after all. While it was rumored that trade talks had gotten serious between Charlotte and the Golden State Warriors, a source with knowledge of the situation tells HOOPSWORLD that a trade isn't going to happen. "There's nothing there. It's not going down," says the source. "Stephen Jackson won't be a Bobcat." HoopsWorld

What, nobody wants to trade for Stephen Jackson? No surprise that the disgruntled Warrior has not been moved. It's not just that he is a pain to deal with, but few GMs want to take on his money, at his age and with his reputation. Besides getting $7.6 million this season, he has three years left and $27.6 million on his deal. "He's 31," said one GM. "Do you really want Stephen Jackson when he's 34?" New York Daily News

There was a note the other day on Yahoo! Sports saying that an anonymous general manager in the NBA said that the 76ers called Golden State to see whether there was any interest in center Samuel Dalembert. Well, they did. Months ago. A source familiar with the Sixers' situation said there was a call made during the summer, and that the Warriors had no interest. (For what it's worth, the source also said the Sixers have no interest in acquiring unhappy Stephen Jackson.) Philadelphia Daily News

But let's be real here. The Sixers are perfectly aware of the degree of difficulty in trying to move Dalembert. The source said that, to this point, president/general manager Ed Stefanski has, over time, gone 0-for-29 around the league. Philadelphia Daily News

A number of GMs I spoke with on Saturday night said they had no interested in acquiring Iverson via trade or off the waiver wire. "I can't imagine anyone wanting him at this point," one GM said. "Struggling teams now know he's going to be a distraction. Contending teams have to live with the fact that Iverson puts himself above the team. Even the Clippers backed away from him this summer and Donald Sterling will do anything to sell tickets. I'm still not sure what the Grizzlies were thinking." ESPN.com

"Who knows? We'll see,'' Szczerbiak said. "Maybe in a couple of months, the phone will ring and I'll have that urge. But right now I'm just trying to get healthy and do my rehab. The thing with me is, it's got to fit in travel-wise. I like to be around the family. It's got to be the right scenario, the right place.'' NBA.com

The Cavs were close to pulling the trigger on Daniels, but two things happened. One, team doctors gave indications that West would be returning sooner rather than later. And second, Daniel Gibson has been shooting and defending and earning extra playing time. Neither of these were certain when Daniels was waived at the end of the preaseason. Had the Cavs signed him, he'd be on the inactive list right now. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Bryant is 31 and might have to play until he's 40-something to catch and surpass Abdul-Jabbar to be the NBA's scoring king. "The question is, do I want to play until I'm 40?" Bryant said after practice Saturday. "That's the question." Los Angeles Times

There were rumors the Cavs had some interest in Beaubois with their first-round pick. He made his first start of the season this week against New Orleans. The native of Guadeloupe, a French Indies island, scored the Mavericks' first nine points. News-Herald

One rival GM, citing a conversation with someone from the Grizzlies coaching staff, told ESPN.com that the Grizzlies and Iverson had mutually agreed to part ways. According to this source, the word is that Iverson was causing too many distractions and the team didn't want to deal with Iverson's insistence that he be put in the starting lineup. ESPN.com

Iverson, 34, met with Heisley Friday night following the team’s 114-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The pair met again Saturday morning, and Iverson participated in a walk-through at the team’s hotel. Iverson’s agent, Leon Rose, then requested the leave on Iverson’s behalf. Griz coach Lionel Hollins said he spoke to Iverson briefly before he left but wouldn’t elaborate. Memphis Commercial Appeal

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The veteran guard did not ask for a trade or request to be waived. Heisley said the team knew about Iverson’s issue before signing him to a one-year, $3.1 million contract in September. “I’m not going to get into the personal reason but it has nothing to do with the other stuff,” Heisley said, referring to Iverson’s public displeasure over his reserve role. “I’m the guy who said he could go. It’s a real family issue that I don’t think should be reported.” Memphis Commercial Appeal

“I told him to take as much time as he needed,” Heisley said. “This has nothing to do with Lionel or anything else. He’s upset about what’s going on with him personally. It’s one of those things he feels has him on edge.” Memphis Commercial Appeal

But another league source cautioned that these things often have a way of working themselves out over time. "You never say it's over until it's over," the source said. "The Grizzlies still owe Iverson a lot of money. I'm sure they're going to explore trading him but it's going to be really, really hard. If they can't, they may have to swallow $3.5 million this season. That works out to $1 million per game. They have a lot of financial problems there. I'm just not sure they are going to give up just yet." ESPN.com

The Grizzlies granted Iverson a leave of absence to allow him to return to his offseason home in Atlanta. The source said Iverson wants to clear his head and is extremely unhappy about the lack of communication with Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins over his playing time and role with the team. Yahoo! Sports

However, Heisley also said that there are still big issues to address when and if Iverson returns. “There’s no question that when he comes back we have to work some things out,” Heisley said. “He’s got a lot of work to do, but we’ve all got to get on the same page. He understands what the conditions are. And we need to be less hyper about this along with Allen.” ESPN.com

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

Marc J. Spears: another nba source tells y! iverson not expected to return to grizz due to frustration over reserve role and lack of communication w/hollins. Twitter.com

Chad Ford: Continuing to hear "this is it" from league sources on AI. However, NO word from the only sources that matter: Grizzlies, AI or his agent. Twitter.com

No one is, especially in light of recent revelations that neither GM Chris Wallace nor Hollins addressed Iverson's role as a starter or bench player before signing him. "That is, in a word, amazing," one NBA executive who explored signing Iverson this summer said. "The guy has a documented history of resisting coming off the bench. The Grizzlies had a young starting backcourt of Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo. No one thought to explore it?" ESPN.com

On Friday, General Manager Otis Smith threw up his hands and said, "What's the league going to do?" Coach Stan Van Gundy has talked like a defense attorney this season on behalf of Howard, hoping the NBA might get the message through the media. The answer? "We --- and Dwight --- have to adjust to the situation the way it is," Van Gundy said. Orlando Sentinel

"They let LeBron (James) and D-Wade (Dwyane Wade) play to their strengths. You got to let Dwight play to his," Van Gundy said. Orlando Sentinel

Van Gundy has long believed that referees allow defenses to pound on the bigger, stronger players inside while protecting perimeter players."Little bit of a double standard," he said. "The league likes perimeter play." Orlando Sentinel

Orlando has gotten off to a hot start despite Rashard Lewis having to sit out the first 10 games for testing positive for an elevated testosterone level in August. Counting today's game against the Thunder, the Magic still has four games to go without Lewis. "It's amazing that nobody is talking about it," said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. "That's a huge loss for us, a major blow. The guy is an All-Star and he led the league last year in threes. But I don't know how many people have noticed." Lewis has been practicing and going through shootarounds, as is allowed, but is not in the arena on game nights. New York Daily News

Rashard Lewis: Everybody keeps asking me about what I’m doing during games. Well, I know this might come as a surprise to some of you (kidding!!!) but I actually watch the games really closely. During the game I get a few text messages from friends, but I don’t respond until after the game. When I’m sitting there, I pay attention to what’s going on in the game. I watch every little detail, watching the rotations and I’m watching Stan with the play calls. Even when I can’t hear him, I know what he’s mad about. I guess because I’m on this team I really know every little thing going on that other people wouldn’t know even though I’m not at the arena. YardBarker.com

Rondo’s agent understands some of the concerns Celtics coach Doc Rivers and others have had with his client’s actions (for example, trash-talking New Orleans’ Chris Paul after the final buzzer last Sunday), but he sees a fine line. “You don’t want to take away any of that competitiveness that makes him the player he is,” Duffy said. “He’s a tough, aggressive kid, and you never want to risk losing that.” Boston Herald

But just as Celts general manager Danny Ainge had, as Rondo called it, a “father-son” talk with the point guard late last Sunday night, it seems there is still room for the 23-year-old to grow. “He’s young,” Duffy said. “We all grow and see things different as we get older.” Boston Herald

And if you look at the papers, the most damning comments were from Rivers, who was more than a little steamed. That didn’t make the coach any less pleased that Rondo got his big-money contract extension. The long-term benefits of his five-year, $55 million deal are fairly evident on a team with several starters on the back nine. But there is the additional relief that playing for a contract won’t be an issue in this most important of seasons. Rivers was hopeful it wouldn’t be a problem with Rondo, but looking back at his playing days with the Hawks, the coach was asked if he ever had teammates playing more for a contract than the team. Rivers smiled and said, “What do you think? “I think it’s a natural thing for some guys,” he said. “A lot of those guys are on bad teams for the most part, when you think about it. The ones who are on the good teams with a chance to win it, they either go one of two ways. Guys who figure out the smart way end up doing very well.” Boston Herald

Knicks officials maintained a stony silence but not their players, who treated it like the circus it was, had been and would continue to be. "Like on the plane," said guard Larry Hughes, James' former teammate in Cleveland, "if we have a bad meal, we'll say, 'Hey, the meal would be better if 'Bron was here.' " Los Angeles Times

Asked if he plans on chatting with Eddie Jordan about his role, Brand said, “I know what it is. We’re trying to win ballgames. There’s no need to talk about anything.” Jordan said his decision to go with a small lineup against the shorthanded Nets led to fewer minutes for Brand, who signed an $80 million contract in August 2008. phillyburbs.com

For the first time in his coaching career, McMillan allowed his point guard to call most of the plays as the Blazers defeated the Spurs 96-84 at the Rose Garden on Friday. After McMillan yelled out the first set of the game, Miller essentially took over from there. "I was a point guard who called my own plays ... so I'm OK with that," McMillan said, referring to his days as a player with the Seattle SuperSonics. "If you know the reads and you have a feel, I don't have a problem with that. There will be times when I will call some sets, but I thought 'Dre did a nice job ... observing what the defense was doing, figuring out who's on who and getting (guys) involved." Oregonian

Miller arrived in Portland with a reputation for being an astute floor leader who is as adept at reading defenses and finding mismatches as he is in being cognizant of getting all of his touches. During his NBA career, including stops at Denver and Philadelphia, Miller was at times responsible for calling sets on the fly. "I feel comfortable doing that," Miller said. "The main thing is that we don't want to get caught running sets all the time. You want to mix tempo and break with halfcourt sets. I think as the season goes on, this team can do that." Oregonian

Over the last four seasons, Dampier's best scoring average was 7.1 points in 2006-07 and his best rebounding average was 7.8 in 2005-06. Through the Mavericks' first five games, he was averaging 9.6 points and a team-best 10.4 rebounds. "He doesn't get a lot of credit. He's been unbelievable," guard Jason Terry said. "This year, he's been doing a phenomenal job, and he's going to get everything coming to him that he deserves because he should be an All-Star." Dallas Morning News

The Clippers' Al Thornton is dealing with losing his spot in the starting lineup. Accepting it, but, of course, unhappy about the demotion. "If you ask me now, the coach is doing what's best for the team," he said. "Of course, I want to start. I'd love to start. Like I said, he's doing what's best for the team. When I get out there, I just got to try to be effective." Thornton smiled, adding: "We'll see how it plays out." Los Angeles Times

Overall though the experience really benefited Jennings and he's right on track to where he wanted to be when he was a high-profile prospect coming out of Oak Hill Academy just two short years ago. "Well, going to Europe, you've got to be mentally tough. It is an adjustment because you are a long way from home, you're living in a different country, but I think it just made me stronger as a person and I think it just showed how mentally tough I was. Even though I wasn't getting a lot of playing time, that adversity that I've taken not playing as much really just humbled me a lot. Now that I'm here in the NBA a lot of the things I see now, I'm used to." HoopsWorld

"I think I learned (being mentally tough) in Europe just playing against those guys. Those guys are like 27 and 30. Over in Europe it's more physical. You can grab, you can push, you can nearly punch a guy out if you wanted to. You can do all those things. I think just coming back over here now a lot of guys can't touch and grab. Also the physicalness is nothing compared to overseas." HoopsWorld

Although Wallace envisioned a leadership role upon his return to Detroit, he didn't realize that he was going to be playing as much as he is right now. "Not at all," Wallace said when asked if he thought he'd be getting this much playing time. "I had talked to Coach Keuster before camp started and we talked about some different things, and this role wasn't one of them." HoopsWorld

The story is told and retold: Anthony has a miserable 2004 Olympics and wins bronze; he has a masterful 2008 Olympics and wins gold. But now, Colangelo is watching the next chapter of this story. "I think he's playing bigger, as far as what I've seen on television," Colangelo said. "He shows even more explosiveness than he had before, and he's playing more of an all-around game. That's my opinion." Denver Post

Evans, who doesn't lack confidence, was ready to do his part in Martin's absence. "I've been a scorer all my life," said Evans. "I can score. With Kevin out, that's going be some of my responsibility." Westphal, a former NBA star guard himself who is a veteran coach at both the NBA and college levels, wasn't surprised by Evans' big game. "He's going to have a lot of games like that," said Westphal. "He's a very special player." Deseret News

Jon Brockman: Just finished shoot around in Utah. Salt lake city is a really cool place. I am loving the crisp, clean, clear air. Twitter.com

Just seconds after Martin's opening statement, a reporter who doesn't typically cover the team asked the Kings shooting guard if he was afraid he'd gained a reputation for being soft. "If I do get that reputation, it'll be fine because I know what I can do when I'm healthy," said Martin, who will have surgery on a left wrist hairline fracture Monday and miss at least eight weeks. "It's just something you have to fight through." Sacramento Bee

Denver ultimately lost 96-88, and might have lost Kenyon Martin for a little while too. The power forward suffered a lower left leg contusion in the second quarter and did not return to the game. X-rays taken at halftime were inconclusive, and Martin will undergo an MRI today and sit out tonight's game at Atlanta, Denver coach George Karl said. "The feeling I got is, it might be a week or two weeks, but it won't be the whole year," Karl said. Denver Post

Tayshaun Prince will be out indefinitely with a small rupture of a disk in his lower back, the Detroit Pistons announced today. Booth Newspapers

Noting that he's "like Wolverine, a fast healer," Davis said he hopes to return to practice by Dec. 1. At the time of his surgery, the recovery was listed as eight weeks, which would put his on-court return closer to January. ESPN.com

Trouble came Friday when he tried to put on that watch without anyone home to help him. Among his other dressing difficulties: buttoning his dress shirts and tying his shoes -- both nearly impossible tasks. But he's too prideful to ask for much help, and Friday's empty house left him with no options. "It took me almost an hour and a half to get dressed," said Davis. "I couldn't strap my watch on. I was biting and scratching. You realize how important it is to have your thumb." ESPN.com

The Nets’ bleak medical condition actually managed to get worse Saturday. Chris Douglas-Roberts has been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, Nets president Rod Thorn revealed in a statement Saturday afternoon. The second-year wing has experienced flu-like symptoms since Thursday morning and was immediately quarantined, as per the precautionary measures mandated by the NBA. Newark Star-Ledger

I returned from Israel after spending a few days with Jeremy Tyler, and in short, things are not well with Tyler. (For all the details, here’s my story from Haifa, Israel). Tyler, according to his teammates and coaches, is immature, distracted and caught up in a web of agendas. He’s far from a bust, but with nearly two years until he’s eligible for the N.B.A. draft, things aren’t going well and need to change soon. New York Times

I spent a few days in Rome last year with Jennings and his mom, Alice Knox and little brother, Terrence Phillips. (I’m still convinced Terrence could become president some day.) Jennings was adjusting to life as a pro while there, but his struggles weren’t as intense and obvious as Tyler’s. Here are a few basic thoughts on both situations. The key difference is that Tyler went over by himself, and it’s clear he needed some structure. One of his agents, Makhtar Ndiaye, has now moved over there indefinitely to try and help Tyler better adjust. According to his teammates and coaches, Tyler isn’t in shape and doesn’t work hard. Tyler denied just about every piece of criticism about him, sounding much like a typical thin-skinned American teenager. New York Times

His coach calls him lazy and out of shape. The team captain says he is soft. His teammates say he needs to learn to shut up and show up on time. He has no friends on the team. In extensive interviews with Tyler, his teammates, coaches, his father and advisers, the consensus is that he is so naïve and immature that he has no idea how naïve and immature he is. So enamored with his vast potential, Tyler has not developed the work ethic necessary to tap it. “The question is whether he’ll take responsibility of his career,” Haifa Coach Avi Ashkenazi said. “If he thinks he’s going to be in the N.B.A. because his name is Jeremy Tyler and he was a very good high school player, he will not be.” New York Times

Discussing his problems, Tyler tended to point fingers. Asked about his immaturity, he said his teammates should treat him like a man. Asked about his reluctance to work and listen to his coaches, he said he was skeptical of their knowledge and methods. Tyler, the captain and focus of his high school’s offense, said he was still adjusting to a new role. New York Times

Two games into the season, Tyler is very much a work in progress. He’s averaging just more than seven minutes a game and has scored all of one point. He is already is beginning to confront questions about whether he should have stayed in school. “I only make history if I succeed. I didn’t come here to fail,” Tyler, sounding both frustrated and determined, said after playing a scoreless 4 1/2 minutes in a Haifa victory this week. YNetNews.com

Tyler had complained he was bored with high school competition. He now acknowledges a difficult adjustment. No longer the big man on campus, he is just another player on a professional roster, living on his own in a foreign land. There is little socializing with his teammates—grown men, many with families, all trying to carve out professional careers of their own. YNetNews.com

“My mission,” he said, “is to shake David Stern’s hand.” New York Times

Tyler still talks openly about retiring with $200 million in the bank after a 15-year N.B.A. career. He also talks about modeling, the documentary being made about him, and how he and his girlfriend, Erin Wright, the daughter of the rapper Eazy-E, will grow up to be an American power couple. But he scored just 1 point in his first two games, and his coach was baffled that a player with such great potential could arrive without basic skills like boxing out and rotating on defense. Tyler is lost, Ashkenazi said, if he cannot do what he does best: taking the ball to the rim and dunking. New York Times

For missing a workout and showing up late to an interview, Tyler was fined $1,000, the largest penalty the team had levied in three years. Tyler said he would be fined $1,000 for each subsequent violation, no matter how small, a sign the team is losing patience. “These are all men out here,” Rich said. “The way you earn respect is by keeping your mouth shut and going to work and being a professional.” New York Times

The invitations went out early in the summer. The U.S. Olympic Committee sent them to young NBA players on the rise for a training camp to select the 2012 Olympic team. Some notables got their invites -- O.J. Mayo, the dynamic young guard of the Memphis Grizzlies, Eric Gordon of the Clippers, and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder. Rodney Stuckey kept waiting for his letter -- or a phone call. Eventually, he realized he wasn't going to get one. "They made their decisions," Stuckey said in training camp last month, shrugging off the slight. But the look on his face definitely let everyone know he wasn't completely over it. Detroit News

"Oh yeah, I noticed," Stuckey said when asked if he knew who was invited -- players who haven't put up the statistics Stuckey has, nor contributed to a playoff team, like Stuckey has. "It's OK. I'll get back to that list," Stuckey said. Detroit News

If Artest is thinking of the commissioner in the heat of battle and it prevents him from doing something stupid, a la running into the stands to take on drunken and unruly fans, then that's a sign that he's matured. But just to make sure, the Lakers have brought on an Artest confidant, former Pacers executive Chuck Person, to be a special assistant. The night of the riot, Person was the one who covered Artest's head as debris rained down from the stands, and rushed him into the locker room. New York Daily News

Team president Rod Thorn said yesterday that the Nets' poor, injury-riddled start is not a reflection of Frank. "No, the team is obviously undermanned and you can only look at that," said Thorn. "Lawrence just has to keep coaching and working as he does until we get our guys back." New York Post

The NBA is hopeful that the proposed sale of the Nets to Russian magnate Mikhail Prokhorov will be wrapped up in another week or two. "But there are a lot of moving pieces involving the land and the arena, so it's still going to be very tricky," said one person familiar with the proposed deal. When he met with owners last month in New York, Prokhorov promised that once the sale is complete and he is fully ensconced as the majority owner, he plans to attend about a third of the Nets' games. New York Daily News

The sale of the Nets to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has to happen by New Year’s Day or it won’t happen, says a league source. The team has to break ground on its proposed arena in Brooklyn before the ball drops on Dec. 31, which when the construction financing expires. Without the arena, Prokhorov’s interest fades. He’s still getting an incredible deal: $200M for 80% of the team and 45% ownership of the Brooklyn complex. Nets Daily

Already one of the most innovative marketing teams in the league, the Nets have come up with an idea for using the unusually high number of players who are currently injured and unable to play. If they can't dribble and shoot, then they will at least mingle with fans. The team sent out a release a little while ago that says Nets players not in uniform for tomorrow night's home game at the Meadowlands will visit restaurants, lounges and other areas at the IZOD Center to meet and greet fans. And considering the state of the Nets right now, we're not talking about a bunch of scrubs who will be out there pressing the flesh. New York Daily News

Bird, now president of the Indiana Pacers, has become more outspoken about his Celtic days, especially in his criticism of former teammate Cedric Maxwell, whom he, ironically, lauded during a conference call with reporters last Monday. With the basketball public thirsting for more intimate tales from the ’80s, and Bird at peace with his role in the Celtics-Lakers connection, he offered his take on that remarkable period. “I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I went to Boston,’’ he said. “I got there and I knew the history somewhat and I didn’t know what extent it was going to be, fan support, and everybody on the streets knew who you were. And what it meant for them to win games and have success in the playoffs. “It was mind-boggling to me what winning meant to the people in the city. What it meant for them to win and have success in the playoffs. Boston Globe

But as with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30 years ago, Johnson’s vibrant personality and positive attitude bring out a colorful side to Bird. “Larry always is honest,’’ Johnson said. “I used to get mad at him because he could be honest and I tried to be this diplomat. I hated the guy because he could beat me. I knew how great he was. I knew he was working hard in the gym for hours to get better. The dislike for him and the Celtics was definitely there.’ Boston Globe

The nickname was bestowed on Evric Gray by his fellow members of the EnergySolutions Arena event security staff, the ones who have come to know him as "Mr. NBA" in the past year since he started working Jazz games. They might not know the full story, but they know this much for sure: The man in the maroon blazer checking bags at the arena's doors and patrolling its outdoor plazas has enjoyed as remarkable a basketball life as anybody on the court. If the name sounds familiar, that's because it probably is. Gray was a member of UNLV's 1991 Final Four team and was on the floor at the end of one of college basketball's greatest upsets, when Duke ended the 34-0 Runnin' Rebels' perfect season. Salt Lake Tribune

Gray went on to play 14 professional seasons -- everywhere from the Continental Basketball Association's Fort Wayne (Ind.) Fury to Club Atletico Quilmes in Mar del Plata, Argentina -- including a five-game stint with the New Jersey Nets in December 1996. Which makes it safe to say that Gray is the only member of arena security ever to have guarded Michael Jordan. As brief as his time was with the Nets, Gray happened to make his NBA debut against Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Salt Lake Tribune

"There weren't that many good memories because I was always looking over my shoulder," Gray said. "When you're the 12th man or 10th man, you never know. Somebody taps you on the shoulder, you could be gone." "To be honest, at one point, I was like, 'If the Clippers offered me $250,000 and the team overseas offered me $300,000, I'm going overseas,'" Gray added. "I was pissed at the NBA, the politics and all that." Gray moved to Utah a decade ago with his ex-wife, who was from the area. Their marriage ended, but the Southern California native opted to stay. With his playing career over, Gray began working at the arena about a year ago. Salt Lake Tribune

By the time he was a sophomore at Mater Dei High, he had been the subject of a Sports Illustrated feature. College stardom and an ensuing NBA career seemed like givens to many who read about him and then took a look-see. "I was two years older than him," Breuklander, a 1995 Millikan graduate, recalled. "But I knew everything about him as a player. In our eyes, he was kind of the LeBron James of our era." Today, the 31-year-old Cotton spends a lot of time on the Millikan campus, where he was recently hired to assist Breuklander with the varsity squad and coach the program's sophomore team. He also lectures at camps and works as in individual coach with younger players throughout Southern California. Long Beach Press-Telegram

"At the end of the day," said the general manager for a Western Conference NBA franchise, who, like other NBA sources contacted, didn't want to be identified by name, "to stick in the NBA you have to do a whole lot things pretty well or at least one thing very well. "Most guys, no matter how well they might have played in high school and college, don't have that." Long Beach Press-Telegram

When George Shinn was told by New Orleans doctors last week that he had prostate cancer, he reacted the way many patients do. “I was scared to death,” he says. He also was skeptical, a not uncommon response. Cancer happens to other people. Although Shinn, the owner of the New Orleans Hornets, is 68, he's a vigorous 68. He is as much a presence at New Orleans Arena as he was at Charlotte Coliseum in the late 1980s and early '90s before he succumbed to greed and his relationship with the city went bad. Charlotte Observer

After our interview, the first Shinn has done since the diagnosis, he learned the disease had not spread to the bones. When the cancer is localized, the survival dramatically improves. “I'm confident,” he says. Charlotte Observer

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