HoopsHype.com Rumors

SUNS.COM: What have you been up to most recently, and is the game still a major part of your life? HORACIO LLAMAS: Yeah, I’m in Cancun playing for a team in the Mexican league. The league that we’re a part of plays teams from all over Central American, from Mexico to South America. We’re in the semifinals of our playoffs right now, and last year we won it. This run has been really important for us. NBA.com

Phoenix Suns, Mexico, Horacio Llamas 

Sunday’s face-off between the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Hornets marked the 20th exhibition game to be played in Mexico, the most of any country outside the United States or Canada, and the first such game at the brand new Mexico City Arena. The NBA already has concrete plans to expand its Mexican footprint. “Next year and the year after that there will be regular season games here, which is really huge,” said Cedric Ceballos, a former NBA player turned league ambassador. “Those two years are the big test to see what happens.” Gulf News

Mexico, Cedric Ceballos 

Given the proximity to the United States, Ceballos said a future franchise in Mexico City would be a natural fit. “Now that there’s a building that can house an NBA team, where we can play regular season games, it’s a natural place to be thinking about it,” said Moggio. Gulf News

Mexico, Cedric Ceballos 

Is there any truth to the reports that you'll be playing games in the Mexican League next month? Shaquille O'Neal: "No truth to that. It's kind of unfortunate that so-called experts have to get their sources from the Internet. It's backwards. Especially like when people from ESPN know me and they can call me and ask me, but somebody else said it so they want to be the first to report it even though it's not true. However, we could talk, but nobody has contacted me." New Orleans Times-Picayune

Shaquille O'Neal, Mexico 

So you definitely won't? Shaquille O'Neal: "Probably not." New Orleans Times-Picayune

Shaquille O'Neal, Mexico 

Shaquille O'Neal is in talks to play a few games in the Mexican league, Sergio Ganem, president of the Fuerza Regia team, said Wednesday. The 15-time NBA All-Star would play a couple of games this October. The 40-year-old retired NBA center received the invitation this past August during a visit to Monterrey, where he did some social work at a community center for youth in wheelchairs. ESPN.com

Shaquille O'Neal, Mexico 

Marcelo Bousquet: Shaq could play one or two games at the 2012-13 Mexican Basketball League with Fuerza Regia, Fuerza Regia's president Sergio Ganem said. Twitter

Shaquille O'Neal, Mexico 

Gustavo Ayon: I'm ready to assist my country's National Team. Twitter

New Orleans Hornets, Mexico, Gustavo Ayon 

Gustavo Ayon is willing to play at Centrobasket with the Mexican National Team. Terra.com

New Orleans Hornets, Mexico, Gustavo Ayon 

Eduardo Najera will not play with Mexico at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara 2011 because of insurance issues and also the lack of interest from coach Sergio Valdeolmillos. El Diario

Charlotte Bobcats, FIBA, Mexico, Eduardo Najera 

"No insurance company agreed because of my age and my injury history," said Najera. El Diario

Charlotte Bobcats, FIBA, Mexico, Eduardo Najera 

Adrian Wojnarowski: For NBA players participating in the two exhibition games in Mexico this weekend, pay ranges from $5K to $15K per game, agents say. Twitter

Lockout, Mexico 

Darius Morris is about to break his routine of morning workouts at Loyola Marymount University and evening scrimmages at Costa Mesa High school. The Lakers' rookie guard and former University of Michigan and Los Angeles Windward High product is set to fly to Mexico on Thursday morning to appear in a pair of exhibition games, according to his agent, Brian Dyke, who declined to say whether Morris would receive any compensation for the appearance. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Lockout, Mexico, Darius Morris 

Paul Pierce, Kevin Love and Jason Kidd headline a group of NBA players who have committed to play two exhibition games in Mexico next month. The games will be hosted by Mexico native and Charlotte Bobcats forward Eduardo Najera. Organizers of the event said Tyson Chandler, Trevor Ariza, Marcus Camby, DeAndre Jordan, Corey Maggette, Jerryd Bayless and Ryan Hollins are among the other players who will participate in the games. Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash has also been invited to play. Yahoo! Sports

Paul Pierce, Corey Maggette, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, Jerryd Bayless, Trevor Ariza, Kevin Love, Ryan Hollins, Marcus Camby, Mexico, Eduardo Najera, DeAndre Jordan 

This being his first trip south of the U.S. border, the Spurs’ Matt Bonner arrived in the Mexican capital this week with big sightseeing plans. Before tonight’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Palacio de los Deportes, Bonner plans to hit all the tourist attractions that can be found within a 100-foot radius of his bed. “I’m going to try to experience as much of the culture as I can without leaving the hotel room,” Bonner said, “because we’re not allowed to.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Matt Bonner, Mexico 

With most of the drug violence confined to nine Mexican states, most of them hugging the U.S. border, the danger in Mexico City proper is relatively minimal. According to recent statistics, the murder rate in Washington, D.C., is four times greater than that of the sprawling Mexican capital. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who is from Argentina and frequently vacations in Mexico, said he had no qualms with playing a preseason game in Distrito Federal. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Matt Bonner, Mexico 

Though his Spanish is basically limited to words found on a Taco Bell menu, Bonner has been looking forward to the trip. He has no plans to solicit Ginobili’s help in translation — “I don’t trust him,” Bonner said — but might lean on rookie Tiago Splitter, the Spurs’ other fluent Spanish-speaker. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Tiago Splitter, Manu Ginobili, Matt Bonner, Mexico