HoopsHype.com Rumors

As part of this partnership, Under Armour will be able to feature its endorsers — which include Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats, and Greivis Vasquez of the Memphis Grizzlies — in official NBA uniforms to promote its basketball footwear in promotional campaigns, brand advertising, and at retail. Additionally, Under Armour and the NBA will team up to refurbish community basketball courts throughout the US. “Partnering with the NBA allows us to showcase our innovative basketball footwear and roster of young, talented players through a platform that represents the pinnacle of the sport,” said Matt Mirchin, Senior Vice President, Global Sports Marketing, Under Armour. “We share a passion with the NBA to help young basketball players get better, and our joint court refurbishment program will create more access to functional basketball courts where the next generation can hone their skills.” HoopsWorld

Sneakers, League, Merchandising 

The NBA has put in place a concussion policy that will help determine when players return from head injuries. The league said Monday the protocols went into effect with the start of training camps. The neurologist hired to lead its concussion program will be consulted before any player returns to competition. Players will undergo baseline testing each year, which can be used later to assist in diagnosing concussions. Players, coaches and team medical personnel will take part in annual training. ESPN.com

League 

Basketball fans are very familiar with the term "hot hands", which refers to a player's ability to successfully shoot a series of hoops. But an extensive research study that analyzed the performance of 291 NBA players in the United States, shows that those who successfully shot a hoop from the three- point line will try to score an again from a similar distance; a shot which they are likely to miss. This pattern, according to the research, evidences a fault in the players' decision making process. Haaretz

League 

According to their research findings, which were published in the journal, Nature Communication, there is apparently no basis to the commonly held belief in a "winning streak". It is more likely that a player who missed from the three-point line will succeed upon his next try. The study focuses mainly on Kobe Bryant, one of the NBA's leading basketball players today. An analysis of Bryant's moves while playing with the Los Angeles Lakers shows that, after he successfully shots a basket from the three-point line, he would try to shoot 53% of his next attempts from the same distance. In contrast, he would only try that 14% of the time after failed attempts. The study also shows that most players wait less time after shooting from the three-point line after a successful attempt than after a failed one. Haaretz

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, League 

As it happens, a blog called In the Game just published a whole bunch of stats comparing different international basketball leagues, and the results contradict Player X fairly convincingly. The NBA was compared with the Euroleague, EuroCup, Greek, Spanish, German league, Israeli, Belgian, French, Adriatic, Italian, Turkish and Eastern-European leagues. One league is by far the best in the world when it comes to both free-throw percentage and 3-point field goal percentage: The NBA. Stop right there. We'll talk below about why that 3-point number may be inflated, even though -- at 23'9" -- the NBA has the longest 3-point line in the world. Consider the free throws, which is about as pure a shooting contest as there is. ESPN.com

League 

The NBA also has the fewest turnovers per possession, which would cast doubt on the idea NBA players can't handle the ball. The NBA has something of a reputation as a one-on-one league -- and yet is third out of all those leagues in terms of the percentage of possessions ending with an assist. The NBA also features the highest pace, by far, as well as far fewer free throws, per possession, than the average. ESPN.com

League 

Fueled by an offseason of high-profile player moves, the NBA will begin the 2010-11 season next month with more than $100 million in new full- season-ticket revenue, a record amount for the league, and also having sold more new full-season tickets than all of last year. Through Sept. 22, NBA teams had sold more than 50,000 new full-season tickets, a 40 percent increase from the same date last year. With the yield to the league from season-ticket sales for this year being about the same as what the league posted last year, that means revenue to the league because of the new sales is up roughly 40 percent as well. Sports Business Journal

League, Owners 

The N.B.A. has agreed to a four-year sponsorship deal worth more than $100 million with BBVA, the Spanish financial giant. BBVA will become the official bank of the league, the W.N.B.A. and the N.B.A. Development League, according to sources familiar with the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it had not been announced. The bank, which has more than 700 branches in the United States, will dovetail its marketing efforts in the United States with its sports sponsorships in Spain to take advantage of the N.B.A.’s growing popularity in Europe. New York Times

League, BBVA