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Wednesday, March 3

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Last update: 9:11 pm ET

Harris said yes, he’d love to play with LeBron James, who could be a free agent this summer and whom the Nets certainly would be interested in signing. But Harris said he doesn’t think the average NBA player is spending much time wondering where LeBron will end up. “It’s just speculation right now,’’ Harris said. “There’s only one person who knows what he’s going to do and that’s LeBron. So I don’t think players are too much worried about it until June 1st, when he becomes -- if he chooses to opt out -- becomes a free agent. So, right now, people are trying to figure out how to beat them in the playoffs, rather than worry about where he’s going next year.’’ Newark Star-Ledger

The common thinking around the NBA is that if James is smart, he'll sign a three-year deal, whether he remains with the Cavs or bolts to another team. At age 25, he has plenty of career left to be a free agent a few times over if he likes. New York Post

Brian Windhorst: You can bet LeBron & Shaq, who truly has become friends with Z, were among the players to reach out since Z became a free agent. Twitter.com

George Thomas: According to source with knowledge: Parker and Varejao visited z in Soho. Twitter.com

The Cavs play at New Jersey on Wednesday, and they reached out to the big man affectionately known as "Z." "They told him they want him to come back," said agent Herb Rudoy. "[Cavaliers general manager] Danny Ferry flew in the other day and met with him, too." CBSSports.com

"He's got a big emotional investment in Cleveland, in the city and the team," Rudoy said. "On the other hand, he was not happy to be used as a pawn in the trade." CBSSports.com

There are other players who have been waived or bought out in recent weeks — Houston forward Brian Cook, Minnesota center Mark Blount, Washington guard Mike James and New York guard Larry Hughes — but the Lakers are leaning against adding a player. "We've already discussed it," General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. "It's unlikely that we would sign a player that has recently been waived, although we'll continue to monitor the team's needs." Los Angeles Times

Eddie Jordan insists he wasn't calling any specific player out with his remarks after Monday's listless 21-point home loss to the Magic. Jordan lamented the Sixers' lack of leadership, missing toughness and claimed he addressed what he saw as bad on-court body language. "I didn’t call anyone (out) in particular," Jordan said. "When I talked about leadership, it went beyond leadership. I said we needed someone to bring some definitive spirit. It’s not easy … But when you’re getting your butt kicked, you’ve got to bring some sort of fight and we didn’t do it." phillyburbs.com

Sam Amick: Garrett Temple has signed his 10-day contract with the Kings, his agent John Hamilton tells The Bee. Twitter.com

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team will sign guard Othyus Jeffers (pronounced oh-THEE- us) of the NBA Development League’s Iowa Energy to a 10-day contract, pending the outcome of a successful physical. Jeffers becomes the 18th D-League Call-Up to the NBA this season, and second by the Jazz (Sundiata Gaines). Following the transaction, the Jazz roster now stands at 13 players. NBA.com

The Chicago Bulls announced today that they have signed forward Chris Richard for the remainder of the season. Richard, 25, appeared in five games with Chicago earlier this year and averaged 2.2 rpg, 4.6 rpg and 1.0 apg in 14.4 mpg, before he was waived on Feb. 18. The 6-9, 256 pound forward returns to the Bulls by way of the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. In 12 games (all starts) with Tulsa, he averaged 8.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.17 spg, 1.0 apg and 29.1 mpg. He shot .568 from the field and .577 from the line with the 66ers. Bulls.com

Hunter, 39, the NBA’s oldest player, was released by the Bulls Tuesday to make room for power forward Chris Richard. Richard, who was with the Bulls out of the D-League and training camp until the trading deadline deals, will help with the rebounding with Joakim Noah out with plantar fasciitis. Luol Deng is expected back for Thursday’s game with Memphis. Deng, Noah, Derrick Rose, Brad Miller and Kirk Hinrich all sat out practice Tuesday (why bother?) with injuries and the effects of the long season. It’s a pivotal stretch for the Bulls, given the high quality opponents the next three weeks and the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, which has the Bulls among five teams effectively competing for four spots with Toronto, Miami, Milwaukee and Charlotte. Bulls.com

Scott Schroeder: Warriors scout was in attendance at D-League game last night. They can't possibly still be scouting D-League guys, right? Thabeet? Twitter.com

Thabeet’s high draft selection earned him a $4.5 million salary for his rookie season, and he admits to feeling immense pressure to succeed immediately. His contributions, however, were much more modest: Before being sent to Dakota, he was averaging 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and two fouls in 10.3 minutes per game. He’s struggled to adjust to the quicker pace of the NBA and his offensive skills still need considerable refining. “People are expecting a lot from you,” Thabeet said. “Your teammates back from high school and college. Your college coaches, everyone that knows you. They’re all expecting a lot from me. That’s a lot of pressure. But now I have to look at it as motivation to work even harder. They sent me out here. I got to show them, ‘OK, this is not where I belong.’ I just have to keep working hard and my time will come. Yahoo! Sports

Reggie Evans picked up a rather dubious honour Tuesday. In an informal poll of 173 of the NBA's almost 450 players conducted by Sports Illustrated, the Raptors power forward was named "the dirtiest player" by 21 per cent of the respondents. Evans hadn't played a game this season when the poll was conducted because of injury but still beat out Ron Artest of the L.A. Lakers, who was second at 13 per cent. Sacramento's Andres Nocioni was third, Cleveland's Anderson Varejao fourth and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers rounded out the top five. Toronto Star

Artest scurried about the locker room after the game Tuesday night to get in a rushed reservation at Katsuya, the Asian fusion restaurant with the great sushi. When asked before he spoke to reporters if he'd be ready to head over in 10 minutes, Artest said five ... as if there was any chance the loquacious Artest could really be that brief. It was closing in on 15 minutes before Artest yanked his cell off its charger in his locker stall, remembered his San Diego Padres cap and grabbed a magazine with "OUT OF THIS WORLD SEX" on the back cover. It's hard to imagine Artest's eccentricities will ever cease to amaze, but his defense is certainly starting to. Orange County Register

Dan Steinberg: Gilbert tells PETA he's never owned a fur. Remember that time when Nick Young and Dominic McGuire borrowed his furs? Twitter.com

Tania Ganguli: Dwight howard, asked by a tv guy if jj redick is the strongest guy on team pound 4 pound, "I can't believe you just asked me that" Twitter.com

Don’t be surprised if the Orlando Magic’s newest Twitterer tones down his language on the micro-blogging site. Matt Barnes posted the following Tweet this afternoon. The tweet: “I’ve ben [told] by the higher powers that I cuss 2 much on twitter 4 those I have offended I apologize.” He followed up with: “Wit that said I was bothered when they told me that, cause I thought u were suppose 2 b urself on twitter. Wata yall think??” Orlando Sentinel

Brian Windhorst: Also, despite 8-week term set by team, Shaq has been telling people he expects to be back in 4-6 weeks.We'll see, team will be conservative. Twitter.com

The Bulls announced today that center Joakim Noah -- who has missed a total of 10 games so far with plantar fasciitis of the left foot -- will be shut down for at least the next three weeks. "We'll sit him down for a few weeks and see how he feels," coach Vinny Del Negro said of Noah. "That's what [the medical staff is] saying, that's the plan right now. That's where it's at, three weeks and we'll go from there. "He has to come back and fight through the pain. We'll give a few weeks and, hopefully, he reacts better to that. That's the plan right now." Chicago Sun-Times

Ben Golliver: Kevin Pritchard to Jim Rome on an Oden return this year: "I don't want to rule it out because I don't want to take that carrot away" Twitter.com

For the first time, Spurs guard Tony Parker is acknowledging publicly what he's been saying privately: There is a chance -- and possibly a good one -- that he does not play for France in the FIBA World Championships this summer. A season-long bout with a laundry list of injuries -- from sprained ankles to plantar fasciitis to a strained hip muscle -- has Parker re-thinking his committment to the upcoming international competition. He admits the wear and tear of participating in Eurobasket last summer might have contributed to his injury-filled NBA campaign. "I think it's finally catching up with me a little bit," Parker said before Wednesday's practice. "What it tells me is I'm going to have to make decisions about my priorities. At the end of the season, I'm definitely going to sit down and look at what happened this year, and make sure it doesn't happen again." San Antonio Express-News

Parker has not completely ruled out playing for France this summer, but he admits he will have to think long and hard before committing to another grueling basketball summer. He will be heading into the final year of his contract, and says he is serious about returning his game to an All-Star level next season. "I still want to play, because I still want to go to the Olympics (in 2012)," said Parker, who turns 28 in May. "But after (age) 30, it gets tough. I think what happened this year is going to affect my decision." San Antonio Express-News

Brooks grew up 45 miles south of Sacramento, in Lathrop, Calif. His mother and siblings still live there. To coach the Kings, an NBA team so close to home, would have been a dream job. “At that time, it was a disappointment,” Brooks said. “I got a great opportunity from Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs (brothers who own the franchise). They put me on the map, giving me a great experience. I’d never interviewed for a job. It was a dream job for a coach.” Oklahoman

“I’m thankful I’m here,” Brooks said. “It’s a great place to be. Sam (Presti, general manager) and Clay Bennett and the ownership group gave me a chance.” Oklahoman

LeBron James will never play another game at Izod Center and soon the Nets won't, either. The team announced Wednesday that it will hold a news conference Friday at the Prudential Center to announce their relocation to the Newark arena beginning next season. Newark mayor Cory Booker and Devils chairman and managing partner Jeff Vanderbeek, along with officials from the Nets, the NBA, and the Newark Regional Business Partnership, will attend. Newark Star-Ledger

The Kiss Cam happened fairly early in the Lakers' 122-99 victory Tuesday over the Indiana Pacers, but it was largely welcomed, particularly with how uninspiring the game started out. The segment eventually locked in on Sophia Vergara and Ty Burrell, who were filming an episode of ABC's "Modern Family." The awkwardness between Burrell and Vergara wasn't the case of the Kiss Cam locking in on either two people who don't know each other or who don't like each other. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will also be part of the episode, as the crew filmed his cameo appearance after the game. And according to Bryant, let's just say he's not obsessing over his lines like he does over his game. Los Angeles Times

It's a boy for Keyshia Cole and her fiancée, NBA star Daniel Gibson. The 28-year-old singer gave birth to the couple's first baby late Tuesday night, her rep confirmed to Us Weekly. Son Daniel Hiram Gibson Jr. was born at 11:54 p.m. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. "The proud couple would like to thank everyone for giving them privacy during this special time," the R&B star's rep said in a statement. "Keyshia would also like to give a special thank you to her fans that have been with her since the beginning sharing in her growth as a woman and an artist." AmericanSuperstarMag.com

Last update: 7:53 am ET

A Celtics source confirmed yesterday the primary target is veteran swingman Michael Finley, who was bought out of his contract by San Antonio on Monday. Finley is expected to clear waivers tonight. The team also is interested, to a lesser degree, in free agent guard Larry Hughes. Boston Herald

The source added the Celtics also have lingering interest in Hughes, though they would have to wait for the former Knick’s broken finger to heal. According to a published report, Hughes’ negotiations with Charlotte broke down this week over the team’s concerns about his readiness. Boston Herald

“Every team has some holes, and shooting is something we can’t have enough of,” Doc Rivers said after yesterday morning’s shootaround. “You look at some of these other teams, their shooting was ridiculous.” Boston Herald

James makes one final trip to the area tonight, facing the Nets at the Meadowlands. "A lot of teams would love to have him and the Knicks are one of them," Harrington told The Post in the visiting locker room at Quicken Loans Arena Monday night. "But if he's as loyal as he says, I would think it's very hard for him to leave, especially because he's home. "If it was a different city, maybe not as much a connection, but at the end of the day, he generates every single thing for this whole state. It would be tough for him to make that decision to leave." New York Post

McGrady, who considers James a friend, said Monday, "I don't know what that kid is thinking. His own circle doesn't know." New York Post

Douglas-Roberts, who is represented by the same agent as James, Leon Rose, said he has an idea where the reigning MVP is going and he probably won’t try to recruit him to New Jersey. "I can’t do that," Douglas-Roberts said after the Nets prepared for tonight’s game against James and the Cavaliers. "It’s a bigger picture. It’s a bigger picture than me. It’s bigger than that. "Leon, LeBron, everybody’s together. Every relationship we have, that’s what it is. For example if they’re not happy somewhere or they’re not happy with something it’s all in the family, no one’s happy." Bergen Record

James recently filed papers with the league to change his uniform number from 23 to 6 next season. He would have to do that only if he remains with his current team. You could make the argument James did it just in case he stays. Speculation has been he could leave for the Nets, Knicks or Heat. "They don’t know," Douglas-Roberts said. "But there’s an understanding. I can’t just say I know what he’s going to do. Everybody in our camp has a good feeling for what might happen — what might happen. We don’t know for sure. Things could change." Bergen Record

Team sources indicated D'Antoni would be very pleased to add overshadowed free agent Joe Johnson as a fallback. D'Antoni thinks Johnson is a great piece to build around. New York Post

According to league sources, shortly after Ilgauskas cleared waivers and became a free agent Monday afternoon, the team swung into action. After not speaking with him since he was traded Feb. 17, Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry flew to New York after being with Shaquille O'Neal for his thumb surgery in Baltimore on Monday morning. Sources said Ferry met with Ilgauskas, who has been working out for the past week in New York, where he maintains an off-season home. It is believed Ferry made Ilgauskas an offer to re-sign with the team at that time. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Then on Tuesday, sources said, several of Ilgauskas' former and perhaps soon-to-be reunited teammates came to see him after the team flew into town for Wednesday's game against the New Jersey Nets. There are some indications Ilgauskas could make his decision known very soon, perhaps as early as today. Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Celtics already have checked into free agent Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and formed the conclusion that he is returning to the Cavs. Boston Herald

Don’t be surprised to see Warriors swingman Raja Bell as one of the Heat’s low-budget additions this offseason, possibly as part of an Florida International University reunion with Arroyo. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Heat President Pat Riley said the team plans to leave its 15th and final roster spot empty, but said he is "exploring our options" amid the recent wave of buyouts that now has the likes of Mike James, Larry Hughes and Kenny Thomas on the market. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

According to Morey’s evaluations, Martin has been one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers in the last 30 years. He’s the only player who has shot 40 percent from the beyond 3-point line and averaged eight free-throw attempts a game in the course of an entire season. And he has done it in two of his six NBA seasons. When Morey went looking for a wing replacement for Tracy McGrady, Martin was prominent on his radar screen from the beginning. He let the Kings know early and often he was ready to deal if they were. Houston Chronicle

On a side note, the Rockets very nearly traded for Amar’e Stoudemire in the final frantic minutes before the deadline. They’d removed Stoudemire from their list because he wouldn’t commit beyond the end of this season. Also, there are parts of his game that didn’t fit with what the Rockets want to do, and renting him for a few months would contradict every move Morey has made since learning Yao Ming wouldn’t play this season. Houston Chronicle

Sources say the Sixers pushed for the split between the two, something Yahoo! Sports reported on Feb. 22 was in motion when Iverson first left the team prior to a West Coast trip. Philadelphia will pay Iverson the rest of his veteran’s minimum contract this season. For now, he has not been cut. Yahoo! Sports

The current market appears to have produced less than the Celtics anticipated. According to the source, the team anticipated buyouts for New Jersey’s Tony Battie - a former Celtic - and Bobby Simmons. But both remained Nets. Boston Herald

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Their younger players have a variety of options, but nothing committed. In discussing deals prior to the deadline, the Pacers weren't willing to sacrifice that long-term flexibility for short-term gain. "We were very active during the deadline period, having lots of discussions with teams," explains Morway. "That's our jobs, (team president) Larry Bird's and mine. Our job is to get better, and if we can get better by making a trade that will help us both short-term and long-term, then we're going to look at it. We looked at a number of different things, but it's a combination of our long-term plan of developing our young players and also getting to a point of cap flexibility. At the same time, we're trying to take a very hard look at how we can improve this team as quickly as possible, and at the end of the day we weren't able to get comfortable with a trade that would do that for us. That's why we ended up not making a move. Larry and I have said publicly that we're going to take a very disciplined approach to this because having gone through the pain of the last two seasons, we want to make sure that the end result is going to be a quality basketball team that will be able to challenge in the NBA." HoopsWorld

Hasheem Thabeet grabbed his sneakers and began wandering around the visitors locker room last Friday at Tulio Arena in Erie, Pa. He had just made his debut with the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League, but he was still finding his way. Where was the equipment bag for his sneakers? “Hasheem, this is the D-League,” Wizards coach Rory White told him. “And in the D-League, you carry your own sneakers.” Memphis Commercial Appeal

Some geography: Bismarck, the state capitol, is about two and a half hours from “anywhere,” Carlson said. Fargo and Grand Forks, home to the state’s larger universities, are more than 200 miles to the east. Carlson relocated to Bismarck from Grand Forks, where he attended law school at the University of North Dakota, and he said it was culture shock even for him. So he has a hard time imagining what Thabeet must be thinking. “It’s almost like an assignment to the moon for these guys,” Carlson said. “It’s ranch country. It’s politicians and a lot of ranchers.” Memphis Commercial Appeal

I got a text message from a good friend back in Indy saying that Mark Boyle and Slick Leonard were very critical of T.J. Ford's nonchalant play. They didn't like how Ford was dogging it down court after missing a lay up and they didn't care for him laughing with Lakers guard Jordan Farmar on the court when the Pacers were getting blown out. The two referred to Ford as being "unprofessional" and that he should be benched. Indianapolis Star

Douglas-Roberts hates losing and likes speaking his mind, which has proven to be a bad combination. But he has tried to be quiet lately. He admitted he’s let outside things affect him and his play. He was benched because of an "internal matter," and doesn’t feel the need to talk to interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe about that or his diminished role. "We have what’s called an exit meeting when the season’s over," Douglas-Roberts said. "Mine will be the longest, I’m sure." Bergen Record

Gregg Popovich knows this, one reason he vigorously defends Jefferson from suggestions his struggles account for the Spurs' current spot in the Western playoff structure. “I think the biggest struggle he has is you (media) guys, who try to make it a bigger deal than it is,” Popovich said. “And the fact that we haven't already won 50 games, you try to make it all Richard's fault because we traded for Richard. “Winning or losing takes a team. He's new, along with some other new guys. We've had some returning players who didn't start the season out very well. We've had some injuries and, altogether, it's been hard to put everything together on a consistent basis. We've been a little bit discombobulated for all those reasons, but to just always ask about Richard, or his struggles, I think is way overblown.” San Antonio Express-News

Jefferson appreciates Popovich's support but knows a struggle when he sees it from the inside, out. “It's not hard to hear, because it's true,” he says. “I am struggling.” San Antonio Express-News

Ron Artest stuck so close to Danny Granger defensively that he could tell you what kind of soap he uses and what he ate during pregame. Artest locked Granger up so good that the Pacers forward didn't even want to talk about the Lakers were doing to him defensively after the game. Granger had nine points on 2-of-9 shooting and five assists but he failed to grab a rebound in 30 minutes. "That's why he's here, because he puts guys in a straight jacket," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said. "Really good players, that's his responsibility." Indianapolis Star

Marc Berman: In regards to Cavs giddy behavior, caught them on their way down the tunnel into locker room after buzzer. Every one of them laughing. Twitter.com

Howard Beck: Nets offering reversible jerseys to ticket-buyers for game vs. Cavs. One side is LeBron. The other Jarvis Hayes. Twitter.com

Gary Washburn: "How's your relationship with Nate?" a heckler to Doc Rivers. "Pretty good so far," Rivers turns around and says to Detroit heckler. Twitter.com

Warren was thought to be a surefire lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, after deciding to come back to school following a banner freshman season in which OU advanced to the Elite Eight. But after his team struggled with him on the floor this season, many draft gurus dropped him on their boards. Warren has not publicly announced whether he will declare for the draft, or return for his junior season. Oklahoman

“What’s fair is fair doesn’t really matter, because we’re going to go ahead and do our jobs best we can and knowing where we’re going, and it’s up to me to get us there,” D’Antoni said. “And we’re not there obviously yet.” Yahoo! Sports

“New York has been lacking a winner in terms of the Knicks for some time, so people are hungry and anxious, but Mike D’Antoni will always do his share to make his team competitive, exciting and the players will play for him,” said USA Basketball chairman and former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, who has hired D’Antoni twice. “So I think he just needs time.” Yahoo! Sports

“I know he’s a good coach,” Walsh said. “I go to practice every day, I talk to him every day and I know that if he had the players that could fit into his style that he’d be successful.” Yahoo! Sports

“I don’t see Mike as being any different coach than he was when we were winning 62 here. It’s beyond me how all of a sudden a guy changes,” said Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry, who still talks regularly with his old boss. “You know Doc Rivers lost his last 18 games, if I’m not mistaken, or he lost 18 out of 19. Then he got Kevin Garnett(notes) and all of a sudden now he’s a great coach. Mike is no different than when he was winning games here. You take the personnel that you have, you try to put them in a situation to win and sometimes that doesn’t work out. That doesn’t mean Mike is any less of a coach than he was here.” Yahoo! Sports

Now that Jordan has assumed the role of principal owner of the Charlotte Bobcats after purchasing a stake in the team estimated at $250 million, he'll be sitting in Reinsdorf's chair and Jackson says he thinks Jordan is just the man for the job. "I think it's a great opportunity for him," Jackson said before the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. "I think it's also an opportunity for Charlotte to get to kind of embrace basketball again. This was a team that led the NBA in attendance for maybe 10 years. They had a big arena, they fell in love with their Hornets team back in the late '80s and '90s and they had some great draft picks and they had some wonderful runs with their team." ESPN.com

"I don't think there's any discussion about knowing talent," Jackson said. "He sees talent and knows talent pretty well. I think he understands that concept. I think a lot of key players see those ingredients in other players that can match that [like] Jerry West kind of picking up on Kobe Bryant being that kind of a player when he was a high school guy." ESPN.com

A failed three-year effort to redevelop the Cal Expo state fairground and build a new Kings arena on the site erupted this week with finger-pointing between state officials and National Basketball Association representatives. In a letter Friday to NBA representative John Moag, Cal Expo officials accused him of violating the scope and spirit of a gentlemen's agreement between the two entities. The agreement, called a letter of understanding, stipulated that neither side would engage in talks with a third party or take actions that could be disruptive to the proposed arena and redevelopment plan. Sacramento Bee

Cal Expo officials wrote Friday that they were surprised to learn Moag had been meeting separately last year with local developer Gerry Kamilos, who was formulating his own arena proposal. Moag on Monday responded in a letter saying he is "mystified" by Cal Expo's assertions, pointing out that he briefed them about the Kamilos plan last year, and Cal Expo officials themselves met with Kamilos. He further accused Cal Expo officials of violating the agreement by negotiating a horse-racing deal that conflicted with the arena plan the two sides had been working on. Sacramento Bee

Reports came out last week that Detroit Pistons' strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander banned the Nike Hyperize sneaker, claiming the shoe's lightweight technology provides insufficient ankle support and was to blame for a series of ankle and leg injuries. Kevin Durant -- who is sponsored by Nike and no stranger to ankle injuries -- disagrees. Though the league's No. 2 scorer rocks his own signature Nike, he came to the defense of his sponsor to divert the blame from the Hyperize. "Ankle injuries can come from stepping on a guy's foot or coming down on somebody. Rarely does it happen when you're just running around on the court," said Durant. "And sometimes it doesn't matter what shoe you have on, so I don't think that's the issue. It just happens when you're playing." FanHouse

Andrew Bogut: South Park. Man that show is so harsh and depicts celebs terribly. Some of the jokes are very insensitive and uncalled for. My kind of show! Twitter.com

Michael Lee: Arenas says he isn't nervous about March 26 sentencing: "If the judge goes off ... the actual real story, then I have no problems with it." Twitter.com

Hank Rosenstein, who played in what is considered the National Basketball Association’s first game, in 1946, as an original member of the New York Knicks, died on Saturday in Boca Raton, Fla., where he lived. He was 89. New York Times

The N.B.A., tracing its roots to those two earlier leagues, today considers the Toronto contest its inaugural game. New York won the game, 68-66. In an era when professional and amateur teams reflected the ethnic immigrant populations of their respective cities, Rosenstein suited up for the game with seven other Jewish teammates. They were Oscar Schectman, Leo Gottlieb, Stan Stutz, Jake Weber and Ralph Kaplowitz (who made up the original starting five) as well as Sidney Hertzberg and Nat Militzok. The coach was Neil Cohalan, formerly of Manhattan College. Of those, only Schectman survives. New York Times

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