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Even Dennis Rodman laughs at the idea. "Kind of funny, huh?" he said. It's true, though. One of basketball's most outrageous personalities has written a book for kids. The Hall of Famer's book, "Dennis The Wild Bull," came out Wednesday and fans will immediately recognize Rodman's influence. The large red bull on the cover has flowing red hair, two nose rings, a tattoo and red stubble under his chin. SI.com

Dennis Rodman, Hall of Fame 

"They'll see me, literally see me. They'll say, `Wow, this is just like him,"' Rodman said in a phone interview. And he deals with the same issues. Rodman, known as much for his wacky looks and lifestyle off the court as his considerable success on it, said the purpose of the book is simple. "More than anything, I just want little kids today just to understand, ain't no matter what you do in life, be different, rich or poor man, guess what, it's OK to be who you are pretty much and you'll be accepted," Rodman said. SI.com

Dennis Rodman, Hall of Fame 

Chris Bosh will head to Massachusetts for Sunday's game at Boston. One day, he expects to return to the state for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bosh always has had plenty of confidence. Now, he's talking about how he will be enshrined in Springfield, Mass. "Hell, yeah, of course. I've been a Hall of Famer like four years ago," the Miami Heat center told FOX Sports Florida after Friday's 110-88 win over Detroit. "And I say that very serious, though. I've talked about it before with my friends." FOXSports Florida

Miami Heat, Chris Bosh, Hall of Fame 

Marc J. Spears: Good to hear that late NBA writer Phil Jasner has made it to the Big 5 Hall of Fame. Twitter @SpearsNBAYahoo

Media, Hall of Fame, Phil Jasner 

Bryant responded to a fan who wanted to know what Bryant did with the shoes he wore in that game. "@4yearsenior I sent them to the hall of fame," Bryant replied on Twitter and @nikebasketball Tweeted, "Here is the proof @kobebryant @4yearsenior #countonkobe" with a photo of the shoes in the Hall of Fame. When I talked to Bryant, I wanted to know why he didn't watch it, just to see if he had a chance at 100 points. ""If I did watch it, it would only (upset me) if I saw I really could have had 100," Bryant said. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Twitter, Hall of Fame 

So Carter will be eligible for the Hall of Fame around the start of the next decade. Will he join Artis Gilmore and David Robinson, who was born in Key West before moving as a child, as just the third Florida native to make it? “That’s a tough call,’’ said Dallas center Chris Kaman. “I lean toward yes, but then again, you never know. … The cons are he never won a ring, but the pros are he had some great seasons where he really played well, went to All-Star Games, and with the amount of points he’s scored.’’ FOXSports Florida

Dallas Mavericks, Vince Carter, Chris Kaman, Hall of Fame 

“It will probably be tough for him to get in on the first ballot because you just got to be head and shoulders above (other candidates),’’ said Heat forward Chris Bosh, who played with Carter in Toronto in 2003-04 and the first part of the next season and said he would give the nod to Carter if he ever had a vote. “It could go (by the voters), ‘Yeah, you’re an individual player’ … but he put the Toronto Raptors on the map. If he hadn’t been there, people wouldn’t know who the Toronto Raptors were.’’ FOXSports Florida

Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, Hall of Fame 

The Glove belongs in The Hall. And it could happen. The list of nominees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame were released on Monday and Payton is among them for the first time. So was Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, as well as returning guys like Bernard King who should be in. Of course, it’s never that simple with the Hall of Fame, which is an international hall of which the NBA is only part. Everybody on the nominee list goes before a nine-person panel and if they get seven yes votes move on to the finalist stage (who makes the cut is announced All-Star Weekend in Houston). A group of 24 writers makes the final votes later, the list of guys getting in comes out in April. NBCSports.com

Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Jerry Reinsdorf, Hall of Fame, Bernard King 

Payton already knows who his Hall of Famer presenters will be whenever he might be enshrined. “I would name two of them, John Stockton and George Gervin,’’ Payton said in a phone interview with FOX Sports Florida. "John Stockton is someone that I respect and was the toughest basketball player I played (against). George Gervin, because I admired him ever since I was (growing up). Those are guys that I respect a lot.’’ FOXSports Florida

Gary Payton, Hall of Fame 

The Lakers end up finding a permanent replacement, among the names most commonly floated is former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Folks around the Jazz were skeptical that the Hall of Famer would end up with the Lakers. "I doubt it happens," forward Paul Millsap said, "but it sounds good. It would be good to look over and see Coach Sloan over on the bench, but I doubt it's in L.A." Salt Lake Tribune

Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Jerry Sloan, Paul Millsap, Hall of Fame 

Cuban, who considered Kidd a close friend and made it clear that the future Hall of Fame point guard could always have a position with his franchise, felt betrayed. But time heals many wounds, so maybe Cuban isn't so mad four months later. "I was never pissed off, just disappointed," Cuban said. "But I'm done talking about it." ESPN.com

Hall of Fame 

Slater Martin, the defensive-minded Hall of Fame guard who won four NBA titles with the Minneapolis Lakers and one with the St. Louis Hawks, died Thursday. He was 86. Martin died Thursday at a skilled nursing facility in Houston after a sudden illness, daughter-in-law Becky Martin said. She said he was admitted to the nursing home on Monday. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Hall of Fame, Slater Martin 

Martin was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. He went into the University of Texas' Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1962, entered the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1964, and the school retired his No. 15 in 2009. "I think he's the best defensive guard that ever lived. That includes all the ones right now," said Sid Hartman, the 92-year-old sports columnist for the Star Tribune of Minneapolis who served as the de-facto general manager of the Lakers. Hartman recalled Martin's battles against Boston's Bob Cousy, marveling at how Martin was able to keep Cousy under wraps. "He drove Cousy crazy," Hartman said Thursday night. "He was quick as a cat. He wasn't a great shooter or a great scorer, but he was a fantastic point guard." ESPN.com

Hall of Fame, Slater Martin 

Jonathan Feigen: So sorry to hear about passing of Slater Martin, legendary Hall of Famer from Jeff Davis HS, UT. A great defensive player, won 5 NBA titles. Twitter @Jonathan_Feigen

Hall of Fame, Slater Martin 

As a coach in both college and the NBA, as someone who drew a paycheck from the Boston Celtics before Red Auerbach ever did, as a lifelong teacher and role model for players across eight decades, Bach has checked most of the boxes and drawn a few more at the bottom of any eligibility sheet for the hoops Hall. Donald "Taps" Gallagher was hoping that he and Bach would be there too, as the happy outcome of Gallagher's nomination of the veteran coach last year. Gallagher -- an attorney in the Chicago area and a co-author of the book "Stolen Glory: The U.S., the Soviet Union and the Olympic Basketball Game That Never Ended" -- got to know Bach while doing research for the story of the 1972 U.S. men's team that got thwarted in their quest of gold medals in Munich that summer. Bach was an assistant on coach Hank Iba's staff, alongside Don Haskins. "He's been a head coach in college [Fordham 1949-1968, Penn State 1969-1978], a head coach in the NBA [Golden State, 1979-1980, 1983-1986]," said Gallagher. "He played in the league, he was an assistant when the Bulls won their first three championships. He deserves the credit for their 'Doberman defense.' He's the one who really architected zone defense in basketball -- there are not many people who could say they were on the same page as him with zone defense. "If the HOF is based on your contributions to basketball, he's contributed his whole life to basketball. How did Tex Winter get in?" NBA.com

Coaching, Hall of Fame, Johnny Bach 

Stephen Curry: Congrats to coach Nelly on his induction to the HOF tonight. Glad we got him the record my rookie year. Tried stuff nobody tried before! Twitter

Golden State Warriors, Don Nelson, Stephen Curry, Hall of Fame 

Marc Stein: Charles Barkley tells @matt_winer that idea of night on the town w/Don Nelson scares him: "I'm afraid to hang out w/Nellie. He enjoys life" Twitter

Golden State Warriors, Charles Barkley, Don Nelson, Hall of Fame 

“Hopefully, this will be the last tuxedo I’ll be wearing. “There is life after basketball. Come out and have a cup of coffee with me in Maui.” —Don Nelson, the legendary Celtics player and the winningest coach NBA history, during his induction into the Hall of Fame speech Friday. NBCSports.com

Coaching, Don Nelson, Hall of Fame 

Arash Markazi: Biggest regret for Jamaal Wilkes after waiting 27 years for this day is that Wooden and his dad aren't around to see it. Twitter

Hall of Fame, Jamaal Wilkes 

Reggie Miller "confessed" that he got away with a foul during the most famous sequence of his career but justified his action with the unimpeachable, "But Michael Jordan did it all the time!" defense. The confession/explanation sequence was the clear highlight of the 2012 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Springfield, Mass., on Friday. During the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, Miller famously scored eight points in nine seconds to push his Indiana Pacers to a shocking victory. After nailing a 3-pointer over John Starks, Miller stole the ensuing inbounds pass, knocking down Knicks guard Greg Anthony in the process, before stepping back to hit another 3-pointer to tie the game at 105. Watch video of the play below. CBSSports.com

Indiana Pacers, Hall of Fame, Reggie Miller