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Saturday, February 27

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In the early hours of Saturday morning, Bobcats majority owner Bob Johnson announced he’s selling control of the team to Jordan, the Hall of Fame player who has overseen the Bobcats’ basketball operation the past few years. Jordan beat out former Houston Rockets president George Postolos, who led an investor group looking to buy the team. Johnson contacted Postolos late Friday to inform him that Jordan would be buying the team. Charlotte Observer

It was not immediately clear who will be in Jordan’s ownership group. Sources said he was still recruiting investors in the past few days through various intermediaries. Jordan had a deal with Johnson to be an equity partner and oversee the basketball operation. Included in that agreement was a right of first refusal to buy control if Johnson chose to sell. Johnson has lost tens of millions on the Bobcats and it appears unlikely he would recoup his original investment of a $300 million expansion fee, plus $30 million in working capital. Charlotte Observer

Statement from former Houston Rockets president George Postolos on Bob Johnson choosing to sell the Charlotte Bobcats to Michael Jordan: "I remain committed to becoming an NBA owner, and I’m glad that Michael will continue to bring his talent to the sport and the league.'' Charlotte Observer

A cynic might suggest Iverson could be waived by Monday's deadline, the last date for a player to be let go and be eligible for the playoffs with another team. That way, should Messiah get better and with the 76ers far out of playoff contention, Iverson would be eligible to eventually join another team for the postseason. "That hasn't crossed our mind,'' Jordan said of the March 1 deadline. "There hasn't been a discussion.'' As far as Jordan is concerned, the entire issue is the health of Iverson's daughter. That's how his teammates also are viewing it. "We're not sure,'' Green said of whether Iverson will be back this season. "Family comes first. If I were in his position, I'd be doing the same thing.'' FanHouse

According to a report from WKNR’s afternoon-drive host and former voice of the Cavs, former center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will be the team’s future center when he’s eligible to do so. The Washington Wizards bought Ilgauskas out of his coutract with them Thursday. The Cavs traded the 12-year veteran in a three- team deal that brought forward Antawn Jamison to the Cavaliers. But Ilgauskas’ agent, Herb Rudoy, vehemently disputes the report saying there is no truth to it. Ilgauskas won’t be making up his mind until well into next week, Rudoy said. Akron Beacon Journal

Meanwhile, an NBA source said the Celtics are one of the teams interested in former Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was bought out by the Wizards and will clear waivers this weekend. Ilgauskas, 34, is 7 feet 3 inches, possesses an above-average jumper, and had been a backup in Cleveland since Shaquille O’Neal’s arrival. Boston Globe

Cleveland on Feb. 17 had sent Ilgauskas to Washington in a three-team deal, landing Jamison, a two-time All-Star. It now looks as if the Cavaliers will be getting Ilgauskas back after the NBA-required 30-day waiting period, which would place his return around March 20. "It's something that's going to have to be addressed in the next (collective bargaining agreement),'' Jackson said of the rule in its current form. "It's a sham of sorts to make that kind of trade. You're not really trading a player. You're just trading a money situation. It's a sham, and I think it's a disrespect for the league and the players to be involved in this type of a thing.'' FanHouse

I suggested to Jackson that perhaps a new rule could be that a player traded in a situation such as Ilgauskas' could return to the team in the current timeframe but wouldn't be eligible for the playoffs. "That's one way of doing it,'' Jackson said. "That's a possibility.'' FanHouse

The Bulls planned to increase Joakim Noah's minutes in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday nights. If Noah can't overcome the plantar fasciitis in his left foot, they still could add a big man. Chris Richard, waived at the trade deadline Feb. 18, is the most likely candidate. But the Bulls have held internal discussions about others. Chicago Tribune

The Bulls would have to waive somebody if a big man is signed. The candidates range from Lindsey Hunter and Jerome James to, less likely, Devin Brown, Law or Alexander. Chicago Tribune

The team signed guard Shaun Livingston to a 10-day contract. Livingston is trying to come back from a devastating knee injury suffered on Feb. 26, 2007, when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers. Livingston, the No. 4 overall selection by the Clippers in 2004, tore three ligaments and the lateral meniscus in his knee and missed all of the 2007-08 season. Last season he appeared in 12 games with Miami and Oklahoma City. "He's a guy if he can get healthy again -- he doesn't have to get 100 -- he's got unbelievable basketball instincts, high IQ and can really pass the ball," Saunders said. Washington Post

Iverson had missed five games early in February and the NBA All-Star Game to tend to his daughter, who has been in hospitals in Atlanta and Philadelphia as doctors seek to determine her condition. Then, after returning for three games, he has missed the past three games, and it's unknown if he'll even be back this season. "His body was in one place but his mind was still with his family,'' guard Willie Green, one of just four players remaining with Philadelphia from Iverson's initial 1996-2006 stint with the team, said before Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. "So he took some more time off.'' FanHouse

"We're getting through this trip, and then we'll understand more when we get home,'' said Jordan, whose team concluded a four- game trip Friday and next plays Tuesday at home against Orlando. "It's been a mystery about what ails (Messiah). That's why (Iverson) has been in and out. So there aren't any new answers yet... We would know in the next week or so (whether Iverson might miss the rest of the season).'' FanHouse

Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Woodson drew an unusual technical foul with 1:37 remaining in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks. Down 97-95, Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd noticed Woodson standing on the court and drove into him, causing the contact and foul. Woodson and Kidd argued after the play, and both had to be restrained from one another. ESPN.com

The play shed light on one of the major pet peeves of Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson -- coaches who think they are sixth defenders. "I've been talking about coaches being on the court for the last five years," said Jackson before the Lakers played the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. "I brought it up at our coaches association meeting. Coaches have a box, that's where they're supposed to be, and they're not supposed to be on the floor. They're not players. We have a number of coaches who do that and actually defend from that position. They actually try to harass the opposing team. That's not what the game's about." ESPN.com

Jackson rarely stands during games and said that's the way it was when he was a kid and the way it should be now. "From my standpoint, when I grew up coaches didn't get up except to maybe be seen to call a play, and then they sat back down," Jackson said. "This is a new advent of the past 20 to 25 years of coaches pacing the sideline and being active. It just wasn't part of the game." ESPN.com

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Ron Artest felt slow and sluggish, very much unlike the defender he used to be. "I'm trying to get my defense back to what it was a couple of years ago," the Lakers forward said Wednesday. "I think I'm on the path. The second half of this season and then next year, I should be one of the best defenders." Los Angeles Times

"I think the running has helped me shed a lot of weight," he said. "That was the key, a 45-minute run. A 30-minute run wasn't doing it. "I'm moving quick. I think the last four games I've played good defense. It started with [Corey] Maggette in the fourth quarter then it went to [Paul] Pierce and then to Rudy [Gay], when I held him below his average. I held Shawn [Marion] a point below his average, although he's not a big scorer." Los Angeles Times

And while Westphal and Hawes didn't break the Kings' five-game losing streak on their own Friday night at Arco Arena, this 103-99 win over a top-tier Utah team belonged to both. It started with the most comical of pregame exchanges that symbolized a conflict resolved. The 59-year-old coach and 21-year-old player exchanged a silly sequence that was plotted beforehand: a low-five, high-five and chest bump that nearly took Westphal's suit jacket off as they collided with arms raised to the rafters. Sacramento Bee

Hawes was one of three Kings quoted in Tuesday's Bee criticizing Wespthal's inconsistent rotations. Yet while Evans and Sean May played on, Hawes was benched that night against Detroit. Hawes said a Thursday meeting was key in fixing the frustrations. "(The meeting) wasn't about focusing on what happened," he said. "It was about moving on and how we can make things better. I think it helped out. We probably talked for 20 or 30 minutes in his office after practice." Sacramento Bee

It ended with similar smiles, Hawes grabbing a rebound with 2.9 seconds left that made the Jazz's fourth loss in 22 tries official and Westphal crossing the floor in search of a hug from the 7-footer who felt big again. In between, Hawes (15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists) and the Kings played their best game in nearly two months. "I'm so happy for Spencer, I can't even really talk straight about it," Westphal said. "That's exactly the kind of performance he's capable of. It's hard to bring that every night, but he's one of the key reasons we were able to get the win tonight." Sacramento Bee

Craig Stouffer: Flip said JaVale McGee was late for #wizards shootaround, Singleton starting in his place. Twitter.com

Sloan weighed in on the apology small forward C.J. Miles made on Twitter this week regarding his struggles this season. "He's got a lot of talent, and he's just got to continue to work at it," Sloan said. "I've always said you don't have to talk about it, just go do it." After getting grief on his Twitter account following a 1-for-10 outing, Miles tweeted that he feels bad about his struggles this season. He called it the "hardest year of (probably) my life mentally" because he worked so hard in the offseason only to have his season first derailed by a thumb injury that required surgery and then being unable to get into a consistent groove upon his return. Deseret News

In December, Milicic told The Post he could "practice like bleeping Michael Jordan'' and it wouldn't have mattered. D'Antoni cracked this morning, "Yeah he was. What is Michael? About 59?.'' D'Antoni added, "It's an easy concept. You play really well, you play. If you're saying you have a lot practices where you dominate and I don't play you, I find that hard to believe.'' New York Post

Royal Ivey: I apologized to the young kid that I accidentally kick trying to save the ball. ESPN didn't have to show that. Twitter.com

Eric Smith: Written on Jose Calderon's game shoes -- stitched in (not hand-written) -- "humility" on the left shoe ... "sacrifice" on the right shoe. Twitter.com

Chris Douglas-Roberts: I don't care.Jason Kidd is still my top PG in this league.He makes all the right plays & has incredible will to win. 19pts, 16rbs, 17assts. Twitter.com

Mike Trudell: Bryant said that his ankle feels "100%," & that while he could have attacked more, but he wanted to expose L.A.s mismatches inside. Twitter.com

Old School in the NBA meant the School of Hard Knocks. Even then, however, there were unwritten rules. "When I played, you wouldn't go after a guy on purpose," said Cavaliers television analyst Austin Carr, who played from 1971 to '81. All but one of those seasons was with the Cavs. Carr said Boston's Glen "Big Baby" Davis bent the unwritten rules the same way he tried to twist Shaquille O'Neal's already-injured thumb Thursday night in Boston. "I thought what 'Big Baby' did showed the kind of character, or lack of it, that he has," Carr said. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Was it the crème brulée again? Spurs point guard Tony Parker did not suit up for Friday's game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center after complaining about a stomach problem later diagnosed as food poisoning. Team officials weren't sure what caused the problems for Parker, but were relatively certain it wasn't crème brulée. Parker famously missed Game 6 of the Spurs' 2003 Western Conference Finals series against the Dallas Mavericks after getting food poisoning attributed to eating the French dessert delicacy the night before the game. San Antonio Express-News

As the season winds to an end, the Nuggets may be forced to consider how they will handle Kenyon Martin's playing time down the stretch in hopes of avoiding injury. The Nuggets forward missed Friday night's game against the Pistons with a bruised left knee, but it's not the first time this season that Martin's left knee has given him problems. This season, the big man has played under increasing pain in that knee, which caused him to miss two games prior to the all-star break with tendinitis. Asked how the Nuggets would handle Martin in the final two months of the season, Nuggets coach George Karl wasn't overly concerned. Denver Post

According to Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown, center Tyson Chandler got as encouraging a report from a New York foot specialist as he or the team could hope. The doctor, who operated on Chandler last spring, said he didn't see a need for further surgery or for Chandler to sit out an extended period of time. Chandler has played just three games since Christmas, due to various left foot and ankle ailments. Charlotte Observer

The end result is that the Nets, who’ve endured potentially the worst season in NBA history simply for the chance to sign a major free agent, now will have to get in line behind other teams that have more to offer. “What New York and Chicago did,” one rival executive said, “didn’t help the Nets at all.” And if the Nets don’t wind up with the No. 1 pick (a.k.a. John Wall)? “They’re screwed,” the executive said. CBSSports.com

Michigan State's Tom Izzo even conjured up a legend when asked about the Buckeye. "He does make other people better and I think that's his biggest strength,'' he said. "The other thing is he rebounds pretty well on the defensive end. When he gets it, he goes with it like a Magic Johnson used to.'' Such praise embarrasses Turner. "I remember back when nobody even knew my name,'' he said. "Nobody even cared. It's cool now.' ' Turner says he loves college and isn't really considering jumping to the NBA a year early. He's a celebrity as he walks around campus, and is almost a lock to be the Big Ten's player of the year. And he dates Samantha Prahalis, perhaps the favorite to be the women's player of the year in the conference. SI.com

After the season, Weber and Davis will decide the best route to get Davis ahead again. One option is for Davis to test the NBA Draft waters, trains with some high-level prospects and pull his name out of the draft to return to Illinois for his senior season. "For one, I will never hold anyone back from it," Weber said. "It can be good where you have guys in the gym pushing him. It also can be a negative and be a blow to a players' confidence if they don't do well and fail." ESPN.com

Which brings me to my annual obsession with how players select agents. It's getting to that time of year, when there is a lot of chatter about which agent is honing in on this or that lottery pick. I don't know what this or that runner, or this or that agent, has been promising to this or that pick. (I can get you drafted in the lottery! I can get you to the Knicks! I can get you $30 million from Nike!) But I have heard some stories. And I know they're just that, stories, because NBA teams do not know, in February, whom they will draft in June. They just don't. Some teams don't know on the afternoon of draft day. Think about the NBA's "green room" invites every year. They have some good connections in putting that list together, and still manage to make major errors frequently. Anyone who claims to know now what will happen then is lying. An honest agent will promise to try. An honest agent will show you what they have done in the past. But an honest agent will not promise ideal results, because that's impossible. ESPN.com

In an interview earlier this week with FanHouse, the Detroit Pistons forward was asked how it came to be he was one of just three 2008 Olympic holdovers not selected earlier this month for the 27-man pool to determine players who will represent Team USA in this summer's World Championships and the 2012 Olympics. Among the other two, Dallas guard Jason Kidd has retired from international competition and Milwaukee guard Michael Redd is out for the season due to a serious knee injury. "Their decision,'' Prince said of USA Basketball officials. "They didn't tell me nothing. They didn't call me.'' Prince missed about two months early in the season due to ruptured disk in his back, although he had played in 16 straight games entering Friday. While Prince said he doesn't consider himself healthy enough to be available this summer, he said he deserved a call before the roster was announced. "I sure would have liked a call before the situation went down,'' Prince said. "I saw on ESPN the list of guys.'' FanHouse

However, USA Basketball chief media/communications officer Craig Miller, after reaching out to chairman Jerry Colangelo and men's national team director Sean Ford, said Prince was contacted "a few days'' before the list was announced Feb. 10. Miller said there initially were some difficulties in locating Prince's proper cell phone number, but that Ford reached out to Prince and heard back that he was preparing for a game and would get back to Ford. After USA Basketball officials didn't hear from Prince, the list was put out without his name on it. Miller said the understanding was Prince wouldn't be available this summer due to his health, something Colangelo touched upon Feb. 10 and something Prince doesn't dispute. FanHouse

Regardless, Prince said he is open to one day returning to Team USA. "I look at it this way,'' said Prince, who averaged 4.3 points and 11.1 minutes while getting into all eight 2008 Olympic games. "They know what I can do. If they decide they want me down the road or what not, I'd be willing to take the call or what not. But I think they just assumed what happened to me during the course of the season, my ruptured disk in my back, I would take this summer off, and they're probably 100 percent right. We'll see what happens.'' FanHouse

Miller, after talking with Colangelo, said Team USA would put Prince back in the player pool if he has interest. "It's wide open,'' Miller said of the door for Prince. "Jerry has said the roster is fluid. He would be welcome.'' FanHouse

In the last CBA game, former NBA player Stephon Marbury flirted with a quadruple double, finishing the game with 26 points, 13rebounds and 12 assists in the win of his Shanxi 104-99 against Lianoning. Marbury, in 9 games in CBA, is averaging 21.3ppg, 10.0apg, 6.2rpg, 2.8spg, 47%FG, 38% 3PT, 84% FT. Sportando

Warriors assistant Scott Roth has again been offered the job as coach of the Dominican Republic's national team, according to NBA coaching sources. After two successful qualifying campaigns coaching the DR -- which counts Atlanta's Al Horford, Detroit's Charlie Villanueva and Sacramento's Francisco Garcia among its eligible players -- Roth could not reach terms on a new contract last summer and left the post. But sources say the Dominican federation is now trying to bring Roth back, after the DR -- even with its three NBA stars -- failed to qualify for this summer's FIBA World Championships in Turkey under Puerto Rican coach Julio Toro. ESPN.com

But when I asked a high-level NBA official last month about the Pistons leaving Detroit, his response was almost laughter. He basically said he would have a hard time seeing the Pistons leaving for two reasons – the Palace and the fact that it’s already paid for. Just think about the reasons franchises have left cities in recent times. There was usually an issue where cities refused to publicly finance arenas – not going along with the common shakedown, er, I mean practice. Detroit Free Press

A member of the Maloof family, owners of the Sacramento Kings, confirmed Friday that they sat down with creditors to renegotiate a major loan for their hotel and casino in Las Vegas. George Maloof declined to comment, however, on an online report that the family had breached contract covenants on a $380 million loan for the Palms, their Las Vegas hotel and casino, or that the owners of Harrah's may be zeroing in for a takeover. Sacramento Bee

Maloof characterized the debt restructuring as a typical move during tough times afflicting many in the gambling business. "As far as our financing, every casino company over the past year has gone through amendments on their loan agreements or is going through amendments," Maloof said. "We're no different." Las Vegas gambling consultant Bill Lerner of Union Gaming corroborated Maloof's comment about the struggles of Vegas casinos. Sacramento Bee

Millionaire athletes can get into car accidents in the snow, just like anybody else, as the Nets’ Keyon Dooling found out on Thursday. Dooling was fortunate not to be injured when his Infinity SUV slid up a curb, crashed into a stop sign and blew a tire on his way home from practice Thursday. Dooling was able to joke about his misadventure Friday, after the Nets sent an intern in an SUV to drive him to practice. He said he would probably get his car fixed when he returns to New Jersey – the Nets left after practice Friday for Saturday afternoon’s game in Boston against the Celtics – though he said afterward he would “probably get rid of’’ the car eventually. “It didn’t handle well,’’ he said of the vehicle. “It didn’t do well when I needed it to.’’ Newark Star-Ledger

He continued to the facility, got some treatment for his aches and pains, then made the return trip to his Closter home. He made a stop at the grocery store, he said, to get dinner and things like candles and batteries for the flashlights at home, just in case his home lost power. He was driving on his street when he lost control of the vehicle. “I don’t know, there was some ice that I couldn’t see, and the next thing I know, there was a curb, and a stop sign,’’ he said. Newark Star-Ledger

Mike James: My dogs killed a cat last nite. It was frozen this am I had to pick it up. Twitter.com

Lt. Timothy Green, a member of the Grizzlies' traveling security team, was one of three Memphis police officers charged Friday with extortion, bribery and conspiracy in connection with taking payoffs from a Ridgeway area nightclub. Green, 45, no longer works for the Grizzlies, though none of the charges involve his security detail with the team. "Per the City of Memphis, he has been terminated as a commissioned officer. Pursuant to the City of Memphis secondary employment policy, non-commissioned officers are not eligible for employment as security officers, resulting in his immediate relief of duties from Hoops L.P.," Griz president of business operations Greg Campbell said in a statement. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Miami Heat point guard Carlos Arroyo was arrested Friday in Coral Gables and is facing charges for a traffic violation and resisting arrest. According to the arrest report, Arroyo was spotted at 8:41 a.m. driving slow enough along the 7100 block of Old Cutler Road to the point that he was said to be impeding traffic. Miami Herald

Arroyo apparently was on his way to the Heat's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. He did not attend the workout in advance of Saturday's game against Milwaukee. ``We are aware of the traffic stop involving Carlos Arroyo this morning, and while we fully support our players, this is a pending legal matter and we will have no comment at this time,'' Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. Miami Herald

Authorities have busted up a sex-trafficking ring accused of forcing a 14-year-old girl to have sex with men throughout San Antonio and Corpus Christi. Linked to the ring is former Spurs guard and four-time NBA All-Star Alvin Robertson. Seven people allegedly are tied to the ring, including an R&B performer and a man charged with bribing an official at Kelly USA, a business park at the former air base. San Antonio Express-News

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