HoopsHype.com Rumors

With many of his teammates fighting through injuries and illness to play, former Bull and TNT analyst Steve Kerr said last week that Rose owed it to his team to play if he is healthy. Asked if he owes it to his teammates to be on the court, Rose said Monday: "Everybody has their own opinion. The key words that he said is, 'if I'm ready.' Right now, I'm not ready so I'm just trying to take my time and just really, really be smart." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Steve Kerr, Media, Derrick Rose, Injuries 

China’s state-owned television and Chinese users of Sina Weibo. Yesterday, China Central Television, better known as CCTV, ran a news spot tagged “An Example of Courage: Collins Openly Admits That He’s Gay,” noting that Collins had earned the support of US president Barack Obama, NBA president David Stern and Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. Quartz

Media, Jason Collins, China 

A single voter kept LeBron James from making NBA history. The Miami Heat's superstar fell one vote shy of being the league's first unanimous MVP winner when the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, a sports writer who has covered the NBA for nine years, cast his ballot in favor of the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony. The award is determined by a group of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters, and an online fan vote. "I just honestly felt that Carmelo Anthony lifted the Knicks to new heights this season – a No. 2 seed and their first division title in 19 years – with an aging roster, the team's second-best player [Amar'e Stoudemire] out most of the season and a myriad of other injuries," Washburn told Yahoo! Sports. "LeBron James is unquestionably the best player in the league, but I felt this season Anthony had more value to his team." Yahoo! Sports

Miami Heat, New York Knicks, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Media 

LeBron James won his fourth career MVP award on Sunday, after a stellar statistical season that had nearly everyone in agreement that he was the best player in the league in 2013. But NBA legend Magic Johnson had a different take when the subject came up on ESPN’s NBA Countdown halftime show on Sunday. “I’m in disbelief,” Magic said. “Chris Paul and Blake Griffin has more commercials than LeBron James. I can’t believe that. In all my 35 years, I’ve never seen an MVP, back-to-back winner … not have any endorsement deals, not have any commercials on TV? Every time I look at the TV, I never see any LeBron James commercials.” For The Win

LeBron James, Media, Magic Johnson 

Of course it was Dan Le Batard. The Miami Herald and ESPN reporter is taking credit as the only one to vote against James for the regular season MVP, instead electing to vote for the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony. And now he's paying (read: trolling everyone by retweeting every single person who tweets him incredulously) the price. Deadspin.com

Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, Media, New York, Dan Le Batard 

Marc Stein: Guessing this'll only cement my spot on @LeBatardShow banned list but quite certain my man Dan doesn't have an NBA MVP vote #hoaxinyall Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Media, Dan Le Batard 

Howard Beck: To those who care: The person publicly claiming to have voted for Carmelo Anthony for MVP did not have an MVP vote. Twitter

Media, Dan Le Batard 

Craig Sager was the sideline reporter for TNT during the Miami Heat – Milwaukee Bucks series that wrapped up on Sunday in Milwaukee. It appears that on Friday April 26th – Game 3 was Thursday – Sager was found passed out in a Milwaukee hotel lobby by @2smidget2quit and her friends. They of course crowded around the flamboyant sideline reporter and his garish sweater for some pictures. It appear that jaw-dropping sweaters are Sager’s go-to look off the court. The Big Lead

Media, Craig Sager 

Hall-of-famer, and current TNT NBA analyst Reggie Miller was known for having a quick tongue during his playing days, and it seems that the habit has followed him off of the hardwood. Philadelphia Inquirer

Media, Reggie Miller 

In response to the Warriors’ poor play and tally of turnovers in the final three minutes of the game, Miller stated: “Now the last three minutes, I don’t know where all that sh*t came from,” before being quickly corrected by Coach Jackson, and reminded that he was still on air. “Stuff, stuff, stuff! Sorry, I forgot about this locker room,” Reggie quickly restated. Philadelphia Inquirer

Golden State Warriors, Mark Jackson, Media, Reggie Miller 

Former New York Times and current Grantland basketball writer Jonathan Abrams takes the time to do things right, digging in deep to tell us amazing stories, like one of the first and still the best Royce White profile, the definitive guide to Stephen Jackson's thinking and of course the oral history of the Malice at the Palace. Each of this stories is nuanced and textured and fun to read. Like a little book. And now he's going to write a big book. The deal is freshly signed. Boys Among Men: How a Generation of High Schoolers Chasing Their NBA Dreams Changed the Game and Themselves tells the story of players who jumped directly from high school to the NBA, from Moses Malone in 1974 to Amir Johnson in 2005. ESPN.com

Media, Jonathan Abrams 

ESPN has issued a stern response to an on-air appearance by reporter Chris Broussard during which he stated he did not consider NBA player Jason Collins, who came out as gay, to be “a Christian.” newsmax.com

Media, Jason Collins, Chris Broussard 

ESPN later released a statement on Broussard’s comments. “We regret that a respectful discussion of personal viewpoints became a distraction from today’s news. ESPN is fully committed to diversity and welcomes Jason Collins’ announcement.” newsmax.com

Media, Jason Collins, Chris Broussard 

Broussard himself then took to Twitter to tell his followers, “Today on OTL, as part of a larger, wide-ranging discussion on today's news, I offered my personal opinion as it relates to Christianity, a point of view that I have expressed publicly before. I realize that some people disagree with my opinion and I accept and respect that.” “As has been the case in the past, my beliefs have not and will not impact my ability to report on the NBA,” he continued. newsmax.com

Media, Jason Collins, Chris Broussard 

Sports Illustrated knew it had the story; it just did not know the identity of the athlete. Three weeks ago, Arn Tellem, agent to Jason Collins, called a Sports Illustrated writer, Franz Lidz, and offered him an exclusive story about how a major athlete was about to publicly announce that he was gay. Mr. Tellem did not give Mr. Lidz the name of the athlete. He just told him that the athlete would be meeting Mr. Lidz and an editor at an address in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 24. Jon Wertheim, executive editor of Sports Illustrated, showed up at the address in Los Angeles that day without knowing whose home they were visiting. New York Times

Media, Jason Collins, Arn Tellem 

The magazine’s editors said in an interview on Monday afternoon after they closed the issue that they were careful in the days before that interview not to ask too many questions. Mr. Stone said he felt comfortable not knowing more than that it was a basketball player with a home in Los Angeles. “We could only deduce he wasn’t going to the playoffs and he lived in Los Angeles,” said Mr. Stone. “Honestly, we didn’t ask because there was this very real possibility this individual would change his mind.” New York Times

Media, Jason Collins, Arn Tellem 

Editors for Sports Illustrated noted that they knew they had to run the story as quickly as possible while also capturing the broadest audience. Mr. Collins said he did not want the publication of the story to coincide with the Boston Celtics’ first home game after the Boston Marathon bombings, which was last Friday. The editors chose to post the story on the magazine’s Web site at 11 a.m. on Monday because it would not be too early in Los Angeles for Mr. Collins to take phone calls. They also wanted to post as close to lunchtime on Monday as possible because that is one of the busiest times for the site. It was the fourth time since 2008 that Sports Illustrated decided to post a story before the magazine appeared on newsstands. New York Times

Media, Jason Collins, Arn Tellem 

Julian Wright: @Chris_Broussard I salute you for standing up for YOUR beliefs. The U.S. has gotten so hypocritical it's crazy. May the Most High bless you! Twitter @HebrewJEWright

Media, Julian Wright, Chris Broussard 

Chris Broussard: "I'm a Christian. I don't agree with homosexuality. I think it's a sin, as I think all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is" Twitter

Media, Jason Collins, Chris Broussard 

Chris Broussard: "In talking to some people around the league, there's a lot Christians in the NBA and just because they disagree with that lifestyle, they don't want to be called bigoted and intolerant and things like that." Twitter

Media, Jason Collins, Chris Broussard