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For Lopez and his three brothers, reading has been an important part of their lives since childhood. Their maternal grandmother had a vast collection of rare, first-edition books at her home, including the Wizard of Oz series. The Lopez boys would spend hours thumbing through the pages. Their mother would read to them at night. "There was a huge emphasis on literature and all that kind of stuff—just being creative," said Chris Lopez, who lives with his brother in New Jersey. "That's how it all started." Wall Street Journal

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

Brook was studying creative writing at Stanford when he left for the NBA in 2008, after his sophomore season. At some point, comic books became more than a hobby. He hopes to parlay his interest into a second career. "I want to try my hand at everything," he said, whether that means writing, drawing, designing—whatever. So Comic Con set up as a giant networking opportunity, albeit one that was staged at a dreamlike amusement park. Lopez's favorite word of the day? "Awesome." His favorite expression? "So awesome." Wall Street Journal

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

Most people know by now that Brook Lopez is a comic book fiend. During the Brooklyn Nets’ media day, he noted that he’s coming to Brooklyn all the time, mostly to check out Bergen Street Comics. But Brook is more than just a reader — he’s a writer, too. “My twin brother (Robin) and I, we’re always writing, creating stuff,” Lopez said after practice today. “A lot of it’s action & adventure, but it takes from a lot of different genres.” He’s also hopeful about getting things published. “We have lots of finished ideas, we need to work on getting them published now. We’ve been in a lot of meetings with a lot of different companies. It takes time, and in this offseason a lot was going on.” netsarescorching.com

Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez 

If you tuned into ESPN’s First Take earlier this week you heard Stephen A. Smith touting Howard over Bynum. Smith’s foil, Skip Bayless, maintains, as he did when Bynum was in Los Angeles, that Bynum is the better center. Shaquille, who seems to be fighting the angst that some athletes deal with (rather poorly) when the sun has set on his career, suggested that not only was Bynum better (debatable), but that Brook Lopez is also better (absurd) than Howard. The Sixers I’ve talked to are firmly in their teammate’s camp. This includes Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Dorell Wright and Jason Richardson (who has played with Howard). One of them even went as far to say that Bynum, who will be their first option rather than the third, as he was in Los Angeles, could average 25 points this season. The good thing about this is that, as far as the Sixers are concerned, what’s being said by others outside of their locker room hasn’t altered their opinion about their teammate, which should help them this season. Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner, Jason Richardson, Dorell Wright, Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday, Skip Bayless 

The former Los Angeles Lakers coach didn't exactly pick sides in the recent dust-up between centers Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard, but said "there is a lot to what (O'Neal) says" when he characterized Howard as a "pick-and-roll" player with a more limited offensive game than more traditional back-to-the- basket centers Andrew Bynum and Brook Lopez. Jackson described Howard as a better all-around player and complemented him on the improvements he's made to his offensive game in recent years, but noted Howard is still "learning the post game." "Brook and Andrew are guys who have good touches. They're good scoring players and they have good offensive games," Jackson said on the "Waddle and Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Friday. "Dwight is a guy that has that amazing athletic ability but the overall game -- rebounding, defending, blocking shots, running the court -- this is a guy that runs with the wolves, so to speak. He can get up and down that court as quick as any of the guards and forwards because of his athletic ability. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Andrew Bynum, Phil Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez 

Whether that will be an issue for the Nets this year depends on whether Lopez manages to stay on the court. After playing every game in his first three seasons in the league, that was something he couldn’t do last season, when he missed all but five games with a pair of injuries to his right foot. “I haven’t been thinking about it when I’m playing,” Lopez said last week. “I feel great, and I’m so excited to get back out on the floor.” New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

Jokester Kevin Love has been known to take some hilarious Twitter pictures. Like the time he tweeted an awkward picture of Team USA sleeping this summer. Or the time he tweeted a picture of himself looking 12 years old after shaving. The above photo might be his best work yet. Love tweeted, "Just chillin' with Brook and Robin Lopez" with a photo of himself posing next to two cavemen in a museum. USA Today

Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez 

Alyonka Larionov is the host of Barclays Center TV, the in-house channel that will be featured on the 700 HDTV monitors that are everywhere around the Brooklyn arena. But she's more than that. She will also be the face of the Nets social media offerings, particularly Social Cam, the mobile-friendly video app that the team is using to push out short pieces on the team and arena. Tuesday, she was in Fort Greene for Brook Lopez's ceremonial shearing and has posted short videos from the "back stage" at the YES Network's photo shoot and the opening of the Nets Shop. And for her Russian viewers, there was a tour of Brighton Beach. NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Media, Brook Lopez, Alyonka Larionov 

The Nets tried hard in July to send Lopez to Orlando in an effort to land Dwight Howard. The Atlanta Hawks pushed hard to obtain Brooks in the deal that sent Joe Johnson to Brooklyn. But the Howard deal never materialized, and the Hawks finally relented, allowing Brook and Brooks to become key players for Brooklyn’s first N.B.A. team — and available to open the new Nets Shop by Adidas inside Barclays Center. “I did everything I could to control my future,” said Lopez, the starting center, who stayed with the Nets on a four-year, $60.8 million contract. “I made it clear that I wanted to be here. I worked towards that, and I was confident that things would work out in the best way possible.” New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

There has been plenty of debate about whether Brook Lopez is worthy of the four-year maximum contract he signed with the Nets as a restricted free agent this summer following an injury-plagued season. But now that Lopez has fully recovered from the pair of foot injuries that limited him to just five games last season, he’s ready for this season to get underway and for the chance to prove his doubters wrong. “I just can’t wait,” Lopez said yesterday at the opening of the Nets team shop at Barclays Center. “I’m glad that it was just talk and it has passed. For this moment, and for the foreseeable future, I’m here, and I’m excited to go out there with my comrades and play on the floor.” New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

Any comic stuff on the side? I know you're a big fan. Brook Lopez: Yeah, definitely. The most recent thing is I actually got to go to a Simpsons script reading. It was very cool to see all the voice actors do their parts and everything. Actually Marge and Lisa weren't there, and they were calling it over the phone. So it was very interesting to see all the actors doing their voices and then have Marge and Lisa doing their part over the phone. Q: Would you ever want to do that? Brook Lopez: Oh, definitely. It would be fun. I'd enjoy it, no question. ESPN.com

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

The big man likes what Brooklyn did in the offseason, particularly its re-signing of center Brook Lopez. "Brooklyn got better," he said. O'Neal also thinks the Knicks-Nets rivalry will heat up now that Mikhail Prokhorov's team is in Brooklyn. "The good thing about (New Yorkers) is that they're always excited, they're very competitive," said O'Neal, who attended the Yankees-Tampa Bay Rays game Friday night in the Bronx. "(So) I'm looking for the Nets-Knicks rivalry to amp up a little bit more this year." ESPN.com

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Shaquille O'Neal, Brook Lopez 

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez, who was in town last weekend for the NBA 3X event, said he believes that the newly relocated franchise has the tools to win the Larry O’Brien trophy in the upcoming season. Lopez is part of the Nets’ “Core Fore” of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace. “Obviously our main goal is no question the NBA championship. I think it is realistic for us. We're already a good playoff team so with the addition of other pieces, we can target the ring,” said Lopez, who was recently re-signed by the Nets to a four-year deal. philstar.com

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

The Nets are not the only team to make power moves in the crazy off-season, and Lopez is fully aware of the transactions happening around the NBA. “I think it’s going to be a different landscape in the NBA next season. It’s going to be interesting with all the moves,” said Lopez with the LA Lakers, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics retooling aggressively in the free agency period. “The Lakers and the Thunder are definitely two of the top teams in the West; the Thunder are such a fantastic team, building through the draft and ground up, while the Lakers will be dangerous with Dwight and Steve (Nash),” said Lopez. “The Miami Heat are the defending champs and you can never count Boston out in the Eastern Conference,” he Lopez. philstar.com

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

Lopez, the Lady Cats, Charlotte's dance team, and the Magic's mascot, "Stuff",are in the Philippines to promote the NBA's 3x3 competition. He told Filipino fans "I'm doing great. My foot's well and I'm ready for the season to start already. I'm ready to go." Later, he explained, “I’m probably around 90-percent okay but I’m pretty sure I’ll be back in full shape entering the NBA season.” NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Injuries, Brook Lopez 

In Harkless, the 15th pick in the June draft by Philadelphia, the Magic see a young player with serious potential to be their small forward of the future. In Vucevic, they see a versatile, smart big man entering the second year of his rookie contract who was a spot starter and improving player for the Sixers last season. Altogether, the chance to obtain young players who fit their vision while also netting the three first-round picks and two second-rounders appealed most to the Magic. Sources with knowledge of the talks said that wasn't the case with Brooklyn's most recent proposal. Before Brook Lopez's re-signing on July 11 ended the talks with the Nets because he could no longer be included in the deal, the Magic -- who had a chance to get four first-round picks (with Nets guard MarShon Brooks being traded to the Clippers, or some other third team, in exchange for one of the picks) -- had been against the idea of saddling their payroll with Lopez on a maximum contract (four years, $61 million) or, to a much lesser degree, power forward Kris Humphries on a deal that would guarantee him about $10 million next season. Most, if not all, of those picks would likely have all been late first- rounders based on any reasonable projections of the Nets' future (and that of the Clippers, if they had signed off on that deal). SI.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Draft, Trade, Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez, Marshon Brooks 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Final Nets offer Orlando rejected in July: Lopez, Humphries (1 year, $9.6M), Brooks, 4 unprotected No. 1's for Howard, JRich, Duhon, Clark. Twitter

Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Final Nets offer Orlando rejected in July: Lopez, Humphries (1 year, $9.6M), Brooks, 4 unprotected No. 1's for Howard, JRich, Duhon, Clark. Twitter

Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Trade, Jason Richardson, Chris Duhon, Dwight Howard, Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez, Earl Clark 

Brooklyn Nets' Brook Lopez will attend NBA 3X Philippines 2012 presented by Sprite at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall and the SM by the Bay in Manila from August 17-19, 2012, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Sprite announced today. philstar.com

Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez 

It's unclear whether Magic officials still believe there's a legitimate chance they can convince Howard to remain long-term. Perhaps the team's brain trust thinks the potential reward outweighs the possible risk. At the bare minimum, the Brooklyn Nets still would trade for Howard once Brook Lopez becomes trade-eligible again Jan. 15. Orlando Sentinel

Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Trade, Brook Lopez