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Wednesday, March 6

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» 07:33 PM ET Update » 04:11 PM ET Update » 12:20 PM ET Update » 09:02 AM ET Update

» Update: 07:33 PM ET

The struggling Raptors appear to believe in Gay. General manager Bryan Colangelo already views him as the face of the franchise, and a source said he will likely offer a contract extension in the offseason. Toronto is in need of star power since the departure of Chris Bosh and the demise of Andrea Bargnani, the former No. 1 draft pick. Attempts will be made to move Bargnani this summer for a proven scoring post player, sources said. Yahoo! Sports

Toronto Raptors, Rudy Gay 

Rudy Gay says the Memphis Grizzlies' new ownership didn't give him a shot to prove he was worth a multi-million dollar investment before it traded him in a three-team deal to the Toronto Raptors in January. "You have to give me a chance to see if I'm worth that," Gay told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Rudy Gay 

Brian Schmitz: Former Magic F Rashard Lewis called DHoward's comments "disrespectful," especially considering "Dwight and Jameer are friends." "It's just strange. If anything he should be focused on playing for the Lakers and making the playoffs. It's disrespectful more than anything. We helped Dwight become the player he was. They built that team to make him the player he was. Not trying to be rude or disrespectful to Dwight but... I think sometimes you have to focus on what's going on now, not what happen in the past. Very disappointing. Twitter @MagicInsider

Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis 

Lewis on Howard, defending Nelson: "Everybody on that team was very close friends. Not only that, but Jameer Nelson, out of all people. We made a good run. Hell, look at those banners hanging in the stands. They don’t say Dwight Howard on them. " Twitter @MagicInsider

Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis 

On 60 Minutes, NBA commissioner David Stern scolds Dennis Rodman for visiting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Zach Harper of Eye On Basketball with the transcript. SI.com

David Stern, Dennis Rodman 
 

» Update: 04:11 PM ET

The Miami Heat considered center Greg Oden for their final roster spot before last week signing a guy who is 15 years older. But Oden will be back on the Heat’s radar this summer. FOXSports Florida

Miami Heat, Free Agency, Greg Oden 

Mike Conley Sr., the agent for Oden, said Wednesday he had discussions with Miami president Pat Riley about the spot the Heat had open between Feb. 20 and last Saturday, when they signed 40-year-old Juwan Howard to a 10-day contract. But Conley Sr. said it was decided it's best to wait until the summer before talking further about Oden, the NBA’s top draft choice in 2007 who is trying to make a comeback after not having played in the NBA since December 2009 due to knee injuries. “The Heat are interested in him, and he’s interested in them,’’ Conley Sr. said in a phone interview with FOX Sports Florida. “In Miami’s situation, it just made sense to wait until after the season.’’ FOXSports Florida

Miami Heat, Free Agency, Greg Oden 

Oden, who is continuing to rehab in Columbus, Ohio, where he had played at Ohio State, isn’t ready yet to play this season anyway. Conley Sr. had looked into the possibility of Oden signing with a team for rehab purposes, but he said no team stepped up with an offer. “I would say if I had to put money on it that he wouldn’t do anything until this summer,’’ Conley Sr. said. “It doesn’t make sense now because teams will have a better idea of where they stand financially in the summer and Greg isn’t able yet to work out with teams …. If a team stepped up with an offer that made it worthwhile (for Oden to sign later this season), that would be great. But we’ll probably hold off until the summer.’’ Among other teams in the mix for Oden, 25, are Cleveland, San Antonio and Charlotte. The agent’s son, Memphis point guard Mike Conley Jr., said Oden has mentioned those and Miami as possibilities. FOXSports Florida

Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Greg Oden 

He may opt out of the final season of his contract, but every indication is that he would do it to re-sign a long-term deal, not to leave. He may be having adjustment moments on offense, but is still a weapon who must be respected. There is little sign of blockbuster-induced uncertainty. “I’ve probably had about two or three good games, like real Andre Iguodala games, this year,” Iguodala said. “I haven’t had many. I haven’t been able to be in attack mode as much as I’ve wanted to be. But it’ll happen. I think the main thing is not to really press.” NBA.com

Denver Nuggets, Andre Iguodala 

In the grand scheme of the Blazers’ master rebuild, it seems clear a proverbial turning of the page from Babbitt to Claver is unfolding. The Blazers signed Claver to a three-year contract in July; roughly three months later, they declined to exercise a 2013-14 team option on Babbitt, guaranteeing that the No. 16 pick of the 2010 NBA draft will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. It seems clear that the Blazers are poised to let Babbitt walk after the season. “You can read into it,” Babbitt said, responding to a question about what his diminishing role says about his future with the Blazers. “I don’t read into things. I didn’t play my first two years and that wasn’t an indication (of my future). So I just go game by game. I don’t think about anything because things change very quickly in this business. I don’t really consider things too far down the line.” Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Luke Babbitt 

Q: The Sixers are being squeezed by Andrew Bynum and his time-bomb knees. He's a free agent this summer and could walk and leave Philly holding an empty bag. Even if he signs in Philly, he could be a disaster. You guys have a similar situation with Andrew Bogut, although he has another year left on his deal. First it was his ankle, now his back. After missing last season, he has only played 12 games. Fans hated the deal, too. Has this been a disaster for the Warriors? Jerry West: When we traded for Andrew we were well aware a lot of people were not for the trade. For a coach to have a good player just for bits and pieces, the way he's adjusted to patching up holes says a lot for Mark. Our front office has also done a good job giving us depth. It's amazing how we've hung in there without him. He's a good player who makes it so much easier for the other players, but the problem is he's not out there. It does hurt us. We're hopeful that somewhere along the way he'll contribute for us. SportsonEarth

Golden State Warriors, Trade, Jerry West, Andrew Bogut 

Brian Schmitz: Magic PG Jameer Nelson not pleased with Dwight Howard's comments he played with players "who nobody wanted." Nelson told the Sentinel: "At some point,on when are you (Dwight) gonna as a man, when are you going to take ownership..." Twitter @MagicInsider

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard 

Jerry West: I'll say Lebron is in another world right now. He's a player for the decade. You watch him and you can tell his teammates love him. What you can't do is judge him by the championships right now. Just his all-around play and skills. He's a superstar who's very unselfish. You don't find that too often. He could lead the league in scoring every year if he wanted. But he'd rather find any way to beat you even if it meant giving up the ball. To watch his growth as a player and person has been pretty special. I would have enjoyed having him as a teammate. SportsonEarth

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Jerry West 

A fan in Oklahoma City stole a towel right off Kobe Bryant's back on Tuesday night. As the Los Angeles Lakers star was walking into the locker room following the team's loss to the Thunder, a fan reached over and stealthily pulled off the white, terry cloth towel that was perched on his back. The fan is wearing yellow, which would suggest he was a Lakers fan looking for a souvenir and not a Thunder fan attempting sabotage, but would a true Lakers fan want Kobe's shoulders to get cold on the 20-second walk to the locker room? I think not. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant 

Chad Ford: Not an elite prospect this year. Probably Croatia's Dario Saric. Some GMs feel like he has the highest basketball IQ of anyone in the draft. He's struggling a bit on a new team in Croatia, but the basketball talent is there. Rudy Gobert and Sergey Karasev are other options. ESPN.com

Draft, Dario Saric 

Donna (Michigan) I see you've listed Gary Harris amongtht elottery picks on your game. Do you thinks he's coming out and do yousee him fitting with the Pistons? Chad Ford (1:52 PM) Don't know if he's coming out. Hear that he's leaning toward returning for another year of school. He has various injuries including a shoulder that keeps popping out that I think he'd like to address this summer. But if he declares, I think he'll be a lottery pick and a very good fit on a team like the Pistons. Think he's a more athletic version of Arron Afflalo. ESPN.com

Draft, Gary Harris 

Rob M (Ypsilanti, MI) Which MAC player has the best chance at a future in the NBA. DJ Cooper (Ohio), Zeke Marshall (Akron), or Javon McCrea (Buffalo)? Chad Ford (1:57 PM) Marshall probably has the most NBA buzz. But I have a soft spot in my heart for DJ Cooper. I think he has a chance as a NBA player. ESPN.com

Draft, Zeke Marshall 

Q: Like some, I questioned the hire of Mark Jackson, a smart guy who never served as a head or assistant coach at any level, even church league. There's precedent for that: Pat Riley, whom you recommended for the Lakers, Doc Rivers, Don Nelson all turned out well. But they're exceptions. Why did the Warriors take a shot on Jackson? Jerry West: I talked to him for an hour during the interview process. I said, 'Mark, does it concern you at all that you haven't had any experience?' I asked him would he even know how to organize a practice. And he gave me one of the best answers I ever heard. He said he learned more as an analyst talking to other coaches than if he had been an assistant somewhere. He took mental notes from the best coaches in the game. The calmness I see from him on the bench is reassuring. I might want to kill someone with all the unforced turnovers I see. Mark is almost like a grandfather, putting his arm around the kids. He has such a wonderful way with the players. That's a strength. And they play for him. SportsonEarth

Golden State Warriors, Mark Jackson, Jerry West 

Jerry West: When I played I never thought I was better than anyone. Now you have guys running down the floor, making three-point shots and then holding up three fingers. I have no idea where that comes from. It's not me. I don't like it. I don't like players who have to promote themselves. A guy running around beating himself on the chest. I don't know what that's about. If you're good enough you are promoted. I see guys sitting on the bench laughing and they're down 20. That would never happen with the Lakers. I wouldn't put up with it. Nor would anyone else on the team. Wilt wouldn't and neither would Elgin. And I wouldn't put up with it as a general manager. I would hope I'd have the support of ownership to do my job in that situation. I guess I like the Yankees, no name on the back of the uniform, the tradition that goes with that. We're all different and we all react differently to situations. I could care less about the tattoos and haircuts. That never bothered me. And I don't care that players today make more money than I did. I just wish there was better conduct and professionalism at times. SportsonEarth

Golden State Warriors, Jerry West 

Q: How would a young Jerry West, naïve but extremely talented, cope in today's NBA with all the money and fame but also the trappings? A: The social media and the press today would be very tough for me to deal with because when I was young I was so shy and backward that I probably would've said something that would've been blown out of context. As for the other stuff, well that's where being shy and backward would've helped me. I see players walking around today with bodyguards. Maybe they need them, but I would never have a bodyguard. SportsonEarth

Golden State Warriors, Jerry West 

Greivis Vasquez: Rest in peace, Hugo Chavez. My condolences to the family of this leader that made a mark in our country's history. It's hard to focus on tonight's game when something so sad and painful is happening in our country. Twitter @greivisvasquez

New Orleans Pelicans, Greivis Vasquez, Venezuela, Hugo Chavez 

Two people were stabbed during a fight near the Cox Convention Center shortly after the Oklahoma City Thunder game ended at the nearby Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday night, police said. Investigators said the incident started when a man intervened as another man was fighting with his girlfriend near Reno and Robinson avenues about 11 p.m. Tuesday. The two men started fighting and stabbed each other, police said. KOCO.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Law 
 

» Update: 12:20 PM ET

As he’ll enter free agency this summer, Jefferson made it clear he’s focused on closing out this season, locking up a playoff berth. Nevertheless, the Jazz were shown yet again on Monday that Favors and Kanter are the future big men up front, that they might not be inclined to re-sign Jefferson and Paul Millsap. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. … I know both sides, me and Utah, are going to do what’s best,” Jefferson said. “Utah is going to do what’s best for the team and I’m going to do what’s best for my family.” RealGM

Utah Jazz, Free Agency, Al Jefferson 

It seems clear that the Blazers are poised to let Babbitt walk after the season. “You can read into it,” Babbitt said, responding to a question about what his diminishing role says about his future with the Blazers. “I don’t read into things. I didn’t play my first two years and that wasn’t an indication (of my future). So I just go game by game. I don’t think about anything because things change very quickly in this business. I don’t really consider things too far down the line.” Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Luke Babbitt 

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Shelvin Mack to a 10-day contract, Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. NBA.com

Atlanta Hawks, D-League, Shelvin Mack 

Shumpert is proud and confident, driven and determined, but also stubborn and he can be defiant. He says his lateral movement "is fine" and has no doubt he'll eventually be better than before the injury. He's slowly showing signs of becoming a pest defensively again. Shumpert contends his struggles have less to do with his knee and more with being inactive for so long. "I don't feel I'm the player from last year," he said. "I just came off an ACL. I went four months with no basketball. I couldn't do anything with a basketball except really just stand-in-place stuff. So when you're trying to come back, your rhythm is all messed. Sometimes you dribble the ball. The ball doesn't come back up or it's high. There's a lot that goes into it." Newsday

New York Knicks, Injuries, Iman Shumpert 

But Shumpert is encouraged by his recent play, and believes he will help the Knicks down the stretch of the season and playoffs. Although he gets frustrated at times, Shumpert said he is thankful to be playing basketball again, and that he can get out of bed without any help and go to work. "I appreciate basketball so much," Shumpert said. "Every day. That never left. I didn't have to tear my ACL to appreciate the game." Newsday

New York Knicks, Injuries, Iman Shumpert 
 

» Update: 09:02 AM ET

Chris Kaman is one of those players. He signed a one-year deal last summer at $8 million and as far as he’s concerned, he’d like to stick around longer. But he knows now is not the time to make an issue of it. “Hopefully, I’ll have an option to come back here next year,” he said. “I like Dallas. The people here do a real good job. It’s one of the most professional organizations I’ve ever been a part of. For me, the top one. I like how they do things and maintain their professionalism throughout the whole year, whether we’re up or down.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Chris Kaman 

But it takes two to make a business proposition work. “I don’t know what my options are going to be when the year’s over,” Kaman said. “I got 23 more games to work through first. And I’ll think about that about that later. Right now, it’s not really my concern and I can’t really control it. Obviously, it’s in the back of my mind, but there’s not much I can do about it.” But Dallas is an option? “Yeah, for me,” he said, then adding with a laugh, “I don’t know about for them. That’s what’s tough with nine one-year guys. It’s not easy.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Chris Kaman 

“It’s a tough situation to be in; I’m not going to sit here and say it’s not,” said center Chris Kaman, who signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Mavericks last summer. “It’s tough to be on a one-year deal. “If things don’t go your way or if you don’t fit in to the style of basketball that the team plays, or if you’re not getting playing time, it’s tough. It’s stress and pressure, and it’s your job and you take it serious, so it’s frustrating.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Chris Kaman 

While his agent recently expressed disappointment that Blair wasn’t shipped out at the trade deadline, the man himself said after Tuesday’s practice that he’s happy to still be with the Spurs, reduced role or not. “I love being here, love being with this team,” said Blair, 23. “This is something that I’ve worked through the last couple years. Not playing in the playoffs and up and down in minutes, that’s something I never went through in my life. So it kind of caught me off-guard. Now I kind of expect it so I’ve just got to keep going.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Trade, DeJuan Blair 

J.J. Barea's confrontation with Ray Allen got him ejected from Minnesota's game against Miami on Monday night. One day later, the NBA ruled that Barea never should have been ejected. Barea was encouraged by the correction, but it came a little too late for Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman. The NBA downgraded a flagrant 2 on Barea to a flagrant 1 on Tuesday, meaning Barea will not face a fine or suspension for his foul on Allen. "The NBA did a good job looking at it," Barea said after practice Tuesday. "It wasn't that bad. It's all right." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Ray Allen, Jose Juan Barea 

Dwight on latest shoulder aggravation: "Different kind of hit, but it's in a lot of pain." It happened because ... of a collision with Metta World Peace this time, not Howard being hit as he goes up to shoot under the basket. Said Dwight about Metta: "His momentum pulled my arm all the way back this way. It's been bugging me since. I just played through it as much as I can. And I try not to worry about it." Dwight stayed in the game after a timeout and credited the Posture Shirt by Santa Ana-based company Alignmed for helping him stay on the court. Howard has been wearing the shirt under his uniform to help him with the torn labrum in his right shoulder, keeping the scapula in a neutral position and hold his muscles and joints in balance. Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Injuries 

He had back surgery last April, was traded to the Lakers in August and started his comeback by playing two exhibitions in October. He tried not to second-guess it Tuesday a few hours before his 55th regular-season game. "Looking back on it, I could have sat out the whole season until now and starting playing now, but I just felt like we had such a great opportunity," he said. "Some of these guys, their windows for winning are very small, and I just wanted to get back and try to do whatever I can to help this team, knowing that I wasn't in great shape. My body wasn't all the way there yet." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Injuries 

Any glimpses of Dwight Howard becoming Superman likely won’t happen this month. As he continues to improve his conditioning stemmed from 10-month-old back surgery, Howard believes he won’t reach his peak until the Lakers accomplish a very important benchmark. “You get to the playoffs and you get to the Finals, hopefully,” Howard said. “If not, I have the whole summer to get my body right. But right now, I’ll do as much as I can to get in shape and fight through it.” Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Injuries 

Plenty of Kobe Bryant’s recent dunks happened partly because Howard set screens to clear space for the Lakers guard to drive into the lane. Steve Nash and Howard run the pick-and-roll with more frequency. And in the Lakers’ 99-98 win Sunday over the Atlanta Hawks, Howard recalled one play where he contested a shot at the free throw line before quickly sprinting back to the basket to grab the rebound. “That was a play I wouldn’t have been able to make earlier in the season,” Howard said. “That shows my conditioning is a lot better. I have a long way to go to get where I’ve always been. But that is progress.” The next step? “I have to continue with the process and not get frustrated,” Howard said. “Sometimes it’s frustrating because I do wish I could do everything in the past. But I know it takes time.” Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Injuries 

Injured 76ers center Andrew Bynum wasn't at the Wells Fargo Center for Philadelphia's game against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night because he was visiting his longtime orthopedist, Dr. David Altchek of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, for an examination of his ailing knees. The 7-foot, 300-pound Bynum, whose right knee continued to swell more than a week after taking part in his first practice of the season on Feb. 22, is considering arthroscopic surgery and no longer confident he'll play for the Sixers this season. Bynum also visited with at least one doctor on Monday, Sixers CEO Adam Aron said in two broadcast interviews. "We're all trying to gather information and see what the best course of action is," Sixers general manager Tony DiLeo said. "I'm sure Altchek will have an opinion, our doctors will have an opinion, and Andrew, basically, will have an opinion. It's just gathering information now. And like I said before, he'll continue to rehab and see how that goes. The option of washing it out [with arthroscopic surgery], we'll see what happens there." USA Today Sports

Philadelphia 76ers, Andrew Bynum, Injuries 

Washington Wizards rookie Bradley Beal is off the crutches, moving with a slight limp but also moving closer toward making his return from his sprained left ankle. Limited to free throws, Beal didn’t participate in Tuesday’s practice and will be doubtful when the Wizards attempt to win consecutive road games for the first time this season on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. “I’m not sure,” Beal said when asked if he would be available. “Depends on how good I feel. I’m day-to-day. We’ll just have to see. I really can’t do anything mobile yet. It’ll probably be another day or so before I get back into the groove.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Injuries, Bradley Beal 

Jermaine O'Neal has told his Phoenix Suns teammates that he will miss the next three games to be with his daughter who is having open-heart surgery Wednesday, azcentral.com reported on Tuesday. Asjia O'Neal, 13, will undergo a procedure to repair a leaky heart valve in Boston, according to the website. Jermaine O'Neal's three-game absence could become more depending on his daughter's condition. ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Jermaine O'Neal 

The hardest times for Iman Shumpert were when he was lying in bed and needed to take anti-inflammatory pain medication just to get up. He felt as if he wasn't just missing basketball, but everyday life. The rest of the world was on the go, but the Knicks' swingman's routine was rehab, ice and rest, rehab, ice and rest. For a 22-year-old professional athlete who thrives on competition and doesn't like being told he can't do something, those days hurt Shumpert nearly as much as when he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus. "I was waking up and the pain was really, really, really bad early on," Shumpert said. "There was a couple of points where I was like, 'I got to take all these pills just to get out of the bed.' That was the lowest point for me -- not being able to walk. It seemed like the world was just moving, everybody was just moving, people had things to do and I couldn't really do nothing but lay in bed and ice." Newsday

New York Knicks, Iman Shumpert 

Dudley did reiterate that the lack of communication between he and the coach isn't a bad thing. "You can't even say this is Lindsey's first year -- he's been on the job for what, two months," he asked. "He's got a lot of stuff thrown at him and and I'm one of things that 'hey, I'm not worried about Jared, Jared takes care of his business. Right now I'm worried about trying to change the culture to my style of coaching.'" Arizona's Sports Page

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Jared Dudley, Lindsey Hunter 

International basketball source says we should anticipate the stream of NBA-caliber talent coming from overseas to dip in coming years because the economy has shrunk the pool of talent foreign clubs are capable of supporting. The biggest clubs -- the Real Madrids and Barcelonas and CSKA Moscows -- will continue to find and work with the best of the best, but the price of training and developing young players and the dwindling number of companies with discretionary funds to serve as sponsors is thinning the herd. Sulia

Draft, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Spain, Russia, CSKA Moscow 

Sacramento officials today stepped up their public relations campaign to keep the Kings from leaving, saying the city is a better NBA market than Seattle. Mayor Kevin Johnson's Think Big Sacramento task force unveiled a barrage of statistics to bolster its argument that the city has been more supportive of the NBA than Seattle fans when the SuperSonics were in the league. The report comes four days after investors Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle gave the NBA their bid to buy the Kings and keep the team in Sacramento. The bid is a counter-offer to the deal the Maloof family, owner of the Kings, made in January to sell controlling interest to investors from Seattle. Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Kevin Johnson, Ron Burkle, Mark Mastrov 

Think Big Sacramento, the regional initiative focusing on building a new downtown arena, released a report today detailing the strength of the capital region’s professional sports market. “Today’s report provides further proof that, pound for pound, Sacramento is one of the strongest and best performing markets in the NBA,” said Kunal Merchant, Executive Director of Think Big in a statement accompanying the “Home Court Advantage Report”. “Whether measured by fan support, corporate support, or media market reach, Sacramento has proven to be a model for what a one‐team NBA market can be, should be, and is.” Cowbell Kingdom

Sacramento Kings, Kevin Johnson, Ron Burkle, Mark Mastrov 

With the Kings' impending sale and possible relocation to Seattle, Karl finds himself torn. "I think everybody knows I'm a Seattle guy and I want basketball back in Seattle, but I don't want basketball out of Sacramento," Karl said. "It's a politically correct answer, but it's a truthful answer on how I feel." Karl coached the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1996 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Chicago Bulls. That season, the Sonics beat the Kings in four games in a first-round, best-of-five playoff series. Karl said his ears were ringing from the arena noise after the Sonics clinched the series in Sacramento. "It's a fun city to come to," Karl said. "I hope (NBA Commissioner David) Stern will consider expansion, but I don't think he will. I don't know who will make the decision. I hear the board of governors, the lawyers, the courts. I have no idea who will make the decision." Sacramento Bee

Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, George Karl, Seattle SuperSonics 

An NBA Asia executive believes the historic pre-season game between the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers that will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena this October will be a “national event.” Though the Mall of Asia Arena can only accommodate around 20,000 people, NBA Asia vice president Scott Levy is confident majority of the Philippine population will tune in to watch the game. “I think the majority of the people who will be watching this game will be watching it for free,” he said. “This is gonna be a national event, and there will absolutely be a lot of people in the arena, but 90-plus million people, that’s our goal,” Levy added. “Ninety-plus million people watching this game.” ABS-CBN News

Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Philippines 

The British Basketball Association has established an office in Manhattan and plans to start a high-level professional league in the United Kingdom with play beginning in November 2014. The league wants to have eight teams in major UK cities in its first season, and the BBA has "adapted a single entity business model similar to Major League Soccer … which will offer Investors and Franchise Partners a scalable platform to participate in the growth of the sport through equity ownership. This formula allows the BBA to implement stringent financial and operational controls necessary, while providing local ownership groups access to proven basketball, sports marketing and finance professionals," according a new release. USA Today Sports

Great Britain, New York, Manhattan 

“Once a Knick, Always a Knick” is more than just a marketing slogan stitched inside the uniforms of each player who wears orange and blue. For Ray Williams, it is a matter of life and death. The ailing former Knicks guard, who has fallen on hard times, was transported by the Knicks last week from Florida to New York to receive treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in Manhattan for an undisclosed illness. Madison Square Garden Chairman James Dolan paid for the medical plane that allowed Williams, 58, to receive world-class care and to be near his mother. New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Ray Williams 

Pedro Luis Moreira: Greivis Vasquez on the death of Hugo Chavez: "It's a tough loss. We have to stick together as a country at this moment. Whether he did right or wrong, he was a human being. We need a calm transition. We can't start fighting. I spoke with Chavez several times. He was a guy with a presence. He's the best historian I've known. Unfortunately Chavez lost a battle." Twitter

New Orleans Pelicans, Greivis Vasquez, Venezuela, Hugo Chavez 
 

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