HoopsHype.com Rumors

Charles Barkley made an appearance on “Conan” on Thursday night and covered a wide range of topics. Conan O’Brien had Sir Charles talking about everything from his personal hygiene to the prospect of him working as a general manager in the NBA in the near future. Conan also brought up how Barkley has been critical of Michael Jordan’s looks in the past, and Charles was happy to elaborate. “People tell me he’s good looking,” Barkley said. “First of all, he’s not good looking. He’s not. Every man who’s got $500 million is good looking. But seriously, if he was a plumber people wouldn’t be saying he’s good looking.” Larry Brown Sports

Michael Jordan, Media, Charles Barkley, Conan O'Brien 

For more than 60 years, Jack Ramsay has had jobs in basketball. For nearly a half century, he’s been a general manager, coach and broadcaster in the NBA. But the time finally has come that Ramsay, 88, is likely to step away. Since the mid-1990s, the Hall of Famer has been an NBA analyst for ESPN Radio. But he said Wednesday he has told ESPN officials he likely will not return next season. “I think this will be my last year,’’ Ramsay, a Naples, Fla., resident who once was a Miami Heat television analyst, said in a phone interview with FOX Sports Florida. FOXSports Florida

Media, Jack Ramsay 

Ramsay, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999 and with melanoma in 2004, said his health is generally good and his decision to step away is not yet final. But he said he likely will do so because of no longer being able to work with play-by-play man Jim Durham, who died in November at 65. “It’s not quite the same,’’ said Ramsay, who has worked with different partners this season on ESPN Radio. “I did it all these years with one partner, Jim Durham, and he passed away after the first game this year. We had a great rapport and I really enjoyed working with him, and working with him is really why I extended my tour of duty.’’ FOXSports Florida

Media, Jack Ramsay, Jim Durham 

During A.J. Price’s session, Martell Webster decided to step in and answer Price’s questions for him. “I’m also his alter-ego, so I may be a little disrespectful,” Webster explained. “Don’t blame him.” All was going well, until he couldn’t keep it together after calling Comcast SportsNet’s Chris Miller “Forest Whitaker.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Media, Martell Webster 

Baxter Holmes: Doc to us reporters after the game -- "I really like you guys…April Fools!" Twitter @BaxterHolmes

Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, Media 

The Milwaukee Bucks today announced a series of changes to the upcoming broadcast schedule resulting from conflicts on their flagship stations, FOX Sports Wisconsin and Newsradio 620 WTMJ. All remaining regular season Bucks games will still feature live broadcasts on both TV and radio, with the exception of the April 6 game vs. Toronto (radio broadcast only). Eight conflicting games will move to SportsRadio 1250 AM and six games will move to FOX Sports Wisconsin’s alternate channel. The FOX Sports Wisconsin alternate channel is used by FOX Sports Wisconsin to simultaneously show multiple live events. As the exclusive local television partner of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Milwaukee Brewers, FOX Sports Wisconsin televises hundreds of live events annually. With two teams and just one channel, scheduling conflicts are inevitable. The FOX Sports Wisconsin alternate channel offers a solution. NBA.com

Milwaukee Bucks, Media 

That Craig Sager is mainly known for his on-air outfits really misses the big picture. Sure, Sager's sartorial idiosyncrasies go way back, to at least an interview in 1974 to become a weatherman in Tampa in what would be his first job in TV. "I wore a blue, white and yellow suit I got from Goodwill," Sager tells USA TODAY Sports. "I got the job but they said I couldn't wear that (on-air) because their cameras couldn't focus on it. Of course, camera technology is much better today." USA Today Sports

Media, Craig Sager 

Sager has five children including two with wife Stacy, who was a Luvabulls Chicago Bulls dancer. Daughter Riley, 8, helps dad pick out his on-air ties — "and she likes purples and pinks." And no, he doesn't wear his TV clothes off-air. "Of course not. That's my game uniform." And those uniforms occasionally draw criticism. He says he had to take off his "double-silk silver and black" jacket mid-game at the 2001 NBA All-Star game because "it was too reflective" for TV. Plus, TNT's Charles Barkley had said it made him look like "a pimp." NBA star Kevin Garnett once told Sager he should simply "burn" everything he was wearing, including his shoes. (That'd be painful: Sager, not Turner, pays for his on-air threads.) But Sager, whose college education included serving as Northwestern's mascot and whose travels have taken him to more than 250 Hooter's bars as well as to Pamplona to run with the bulls, says he's not planning on toning down his outfits. "It'd be dull. I'd find that very boring. It wouldn't feel right." USA Today Sports

Media, Craig Sager 

J. Michael: Coach Randy Wittman just went ballistic on a local TV reporter comparing franchise to a circus. The exact question: "the circus was here this past weekend. Is it a relief to u that this is no longer a circus?" Wittman: "You didnt seriously just ask me that question, about the (expletive) circus being in town? Are you (expletive) me? Wittman (cont): "You called this organization a circus at one time. So Im not going to answer that question...." "I’m part of the damn circus. It’s not a circus around here.... I don’t want to hear that no more. That’s disrespectful" #WizardsTalk #NBA Twitter

Washington Wizards, Coaching, Media, Randy Wittman 

It was actually WUSA reporter Kevin Jones, who offers this explanation via Twitter: Was looking for one of his "voodoo" answers. Caught him at the wrong time. He's the man and I didn't mean any disrespect. We're cool Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Coaching, Media, Kevin Jones, Randy Wittman 

Darnell Mayberry: Guy who made the $20,000 halfcourt shot is a sports anchor in Springfield, Missouri. Took the day off from work to attend the game. Twitter @DarnellMayberry

Oklahoma City Thunder, Media 

Comcast SportsNet Chicago Friday has suspended Chicago Bulls analyst Kendall Gill for the remainder of the season. "We have made a decision to not have Kendall Gill appear on our air for the remainder of the Bulls season," the station said. "We will re-evaluate our current position on this matter during the off-season.” Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Media, Kendall Gill 

According to sources, Gill confronted Doyle in the CSN newsroom after the taping because of critical comments made by Doyle regarding Gill’s assessment of Monday night’s Bulls-Denver game. A controversial call by the officials wiped out a potential game-winning basket by Joakim Noah in overtime. Gill had referred to the decision by the officials as “a very bad call.” Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Media, Kendall Gill 

Comcast SportsNet Chicago Bulls analyst Kendall Gill has been temporarily removed from his on-air duties after a physical altercation with Big Ten Network analyst Tim Doyle in the CSN newsroom Tuesday evening. The incident followed the taping of "Sports Talk Live," a panel discussion on Comcast SportsNet Chicago that featured me, Mr. Doyle and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Herb Gould. Mr. Gill confronted Mr. Doyle in the newsroom over critical comments he had made on the air about Mr. Gill's analysis of the controversial final moments of Monday's Chicago Bulls-Denver Nuggets game. The referees ruled that what at first appeared to be a last-second basket by the Bulls would not be allowed, thus giving the win to the Nuggets. The altercation happened right in front of me as Mr. Doyle and I were walking through the CSN newsroom on our way out of the building. Mr. Gill approached Mr. Doyle and called him out for his comments, which escalated to a shoving match and ultimately Mr. Gill throwing a punch at Mr. Doyle. The two bumped up against a sign on the wall and a small amount of blood was drawn (though it was unclear exactly how) before the two were separated. "We're looking further into the incident that took place in our newsroom earlier today," said CSN Chicago news director Kevin Cross in a statement late last night. "Until the investigation is complete, Kendall Gill will not be appearing on our air." Crain's Chicago Business

Media, Kendall Gill 

Chris Webber is still the best. TNT diminishing Webber’s role in the studio in favor of Shaq might have been the worst idea since Greedo shooting first. Here, C-Webb breaks down some footage from Tuesday’s Pacers – Magic game on NBA TV that shows a young couple sharing ice cream. Given the same footage, Shaq would have asked for ice cream, called himself ‘The Big Ice Cream’ and then laughed awkwardly until someone finally threw it to commercial. The Big Lead

Media, Chris Webber 

You didn't hear about Bill Simmons saying Warriors turned down a trade swapping you and Harden? "I didn't know that. Even if I did, he can say what he wants. All I know is we've got a better record than them at this point. I seem to play well against him. So, yeah, it don't effect me. All I can control is what I do out there." Sulia

Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Trade, Media, James Harden, Bill Simmons, Klay Thompson 

Said Simone Sandri, NBA correspondent for Italy's famed La Gazzetta dello Sport and a former professional soccer player in his country's Serie B and Serie C divisions with, among others, his hometown club Novara: "If I have to cast my vote, I have to say LeBron. Leo is obviously having another fantastic season, but LeBron, in my opinion, is having a bigger impact. Barca is such a machine that I really believe, for the sake of argument, that they could afford a Messi injury and still reach some of their goals at the end of the season. "It's hard to imagine the same thing for the LeBron-less Heat. I would have to say that, right now, LeBron is bigger threat to his opponents. Not to put Messi down, but shutting Messi down does not mean shutting Barca down. That's a team that can hurt you in many ways. Shutting down LeBron doesn't guarantee you a win over the Heat, either, but it's a bigger step in that direction." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Media, FC Barcelona, Spain, Italy, Lionel Messi, Simone Sandri 

Bill Simmons is serving a three-day Twitter suspension after sending tweets critical of ESPN's "First Take." Simmons blasted the ESPN program for the Richard Sherman vs. Skip Bayless feud. He told his 2 million followers to stop watching the show and called the segment "awful" and "embarrassing." ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys on Thursday said the network declined to comment. This much is clear, however: ESPN is sending the message that nobody is exempt from its internal Twitter policies, which read: "At all times, exercise discretion, thoughtfulness and respect for colleagues, business associates and fans." Detroit Free Press

Media, Twitter, Bill Simmons, Skip Bayless 

Josh Newman: The #Knicks announced Patrick Ewing will do some postgame work on MSG on March 20 and March 31. Twitter @Joshua_Newman

New York Knicks, Media, Patrick Ewing 

Josh Robbins: About 200 media members, including 7 live radio/TV crews, have been credentialed for the Magic-Lakers game tonight. Twitter @JoshuaBRobbins

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Media