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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 

Chris Broussard: "... Personally, I don't believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an opnely premarital sex between heterosexuals, if you're openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that's a sin. If you're openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexuals, whatever it may be, I believe that's walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I do not think the Bible would characterize them as a Christian." Twitter

Media, Jason Collins, Chris Broussard 

Alvaro Martin: SBD: NBA English-language TV ratings in the United States down 20% on TNT, 14% on ABC, 6% on ESPN, as compared to 2011-12 levels. Twitter @AlvaroNBAMartin

Media 

The Indiana Pacers Media Relations Department was recognized by the Pro Basketball Writers Association as the first two-time winner of the Brian McIntyre Award, presented to an NBA Public Relations staff that exemplifies the standards of professionalism and excellence worthy of the acclaim. NBA.com

Indiana Pacers, Media 

Sunday’s Game 1 between the Spurs and Lakers earned a 4.6 overnight rating on ABC, tied for highest among NBA first-round weekend playoff openers since 2003. The mark is especially impressive considering the absence of Kobe Bryant, who will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles tendon. San Antonio Express-News

Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Media 

ABC and ESPN had their most viewers ever for NBA coverage, helped by the interest in the Miami Heat and their 27-game winning streak. The two games added during the streak, the second-longest in NBA history, both earned a 2.9 rating, tying for the fourth highest-rated, regular-season games ever on ESPN. The Heat's Christmas Day victory over Oklahoma City in a finals rematch was ABC's most-watched NBA regular-season game, with 9.6 million viewers. FOXnews.com

Miami Heat, Media 

Clearly Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Rosenbloom isn't looking to make many friends in Brooklyn, as he took to the keyboard to essentially call the Nets one of the dumbest teams in the NBA. His reasoning? Well, because from his perspective the Nets tend to do "stupid" things and once they get, um, "stupid," they tend to stay... "stupid." NetsDaily

Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Media, Steve Rosenbloom 

Albert, who began calling NBA action for the New York Knicks in 1967, was courtside at an NBA game that was resurrected in cyberspace Thursday -- Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. At issue: Whether Chicago's Michael Jordan was suffering from food poisoning, rather than the flu, while turning in a 37-point performance. Albert, who sat courtside to call that game, says he thinks "that's very possible. It's not astonishing it wouldn't be the flu but simply another type of upset stomach. But it was one of the most incredible performances I've seen. He was sick." USA Today Sports

Michael Jordan, Media, Marv Albert 

As the Thunder bids for its first NBA championship, the team already has won its first league TV ratings title. The team in the league's third-smallest TV market — ahead of only Memphis and New Orleans — compiled an 8.6 rating (through Monday) for local telecasts. The defending champion San Antonio Spurs fell to third place behind the Miami Heat. Oklahoman

Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Media 

Through Monday's games, the Heat averaged 7.1 on Sun Sports, followed by the Spurs at 6.4 on Fox Sports Southwest, Chicago Bulls at 3.2 on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and New York Knicks at 3.1 on MSG. Oklahoman

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Media 

Howard Beck: Shane Battier is 2013 winner of the Magic Johnson Award, presented by Pro Bball Writers Assoc, for his cooperation w/media and fans. Twitter @HowardBeckNYT

Miami Heat, Media, Shane Battier 

When TNT carries the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Golden State Warriors on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET), the network is hoping that subtraction will end up being a plus. Calling the game that night: Steve Kerr, Chris Webber and Reggie Miller. Not a play-by-play man among the former NBA stars. Kerr says he won't be trying "to be Marv Albert or Kevin Harlan" but will act as "point man leading us to breaks. Maybe a little bit of a traffic cop if the game calls for it. It is more like three former players having a round table (discussion) almost during the game." So has Kerr informed the other former NBA All-Stars that the offense will be running through him Thursday night? "In no uncertain terms," Kerr says with a laugh. "Well put." USA Today Sports

Steve Kerr, Media, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller 

For years, the Lakers claimed a steady fan base in the sprawling Korean American community, but this season the intensity has been amplified — with games now broadcast in Korean, a first in the NBA. Time Warner Cable, which invested nearly $3 billion for regional TV rights to Lakers games for the next two decades, hired four Korean Americans as play-by-play announcers and color commentators, adding a fifth person just days ago. For Park and others, it has brought a new intimacy to the action. "I'm learning who the players really are, not their names only," says Park, a grocery store clerk who grew up in Seoul. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Media 

Airing in Spanish is an obvious choice, with the emergence of Latinos as a demographic force in Southern California, said Melinda Witmer, the company's executive vice president. But Korean? "All of this was planned in about a month — lightning time," said Witmer, who's also chief video and content officer. "We knew this is an audience that we could take a shot at serving better," with the older generation preferring their native language and "the younger generation increasingly learning Korean." There are no hard numbers to measure, since viewers choose the language option through their cable box while watching the games, not by selecting a specific channel. But Time Warner said the anecdotal evidence — including interest from auto retailers and other potential advertisers — indicates the broadcasts are a hit. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Media