HoopsHype.com Rumors

Tony Parker: Recently my agent offered me a role in a big American TV series: "How I met your mother". But I had to be in the U.S. next week. It was impossible. Le Parisien

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Showbusiness 

Marc Stein: ESPN sources say prospective Grizz owner Robert Pera has recruited Memphis' own Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) as minority owner. Twitter

Memphis Grizzlies, Showbusiness, Robert Pera 

Derrick Rose is back to dishing it out again. Except this time, he's giving an assist to a well-known, Chicago-based pizza establishment. Deep dish pizza company Giordano's will announce on Thursday that the Chicago Bulls point guard has become an equity partner in the restaurant franchise. "The pizza business is a cash flow machine; we just have to make it grow," said Richard Levy, managing partner of Victory Park Capital Advisors, which bought the stalwart Chicago brand last year. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Showbusiness 

So Giordano's, which is looking to branch out from the Chicagoland area, will lean on Rose to give it a boost as it moves outside of its comfort base. The brand, famous for its two layers of dough surrounding its stuffed pie, has 43 restaurants, only three of which are outside the state of Illinois. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Showbusiness 

Now, Lin's first Volvo commercial for the China market has finally been released. While Volvo is trying to appeal to well-heeled Chinese consumers about their aspirations versus the status quo, it's less than Linspiring. brandchannel

Houston Rockets, Jeremy Lin, Showbusiness 

Juwan Howard, who at 39 years old was one of the NBA's oldest players last season, has decided to record a rap album. Just a helpful reminder for context: Howard was in the NBA for two full seasons before Tupac Shakur died. Nevertheless, NBCMiami.com reports that Howard is teaming with rap star Rick Ross to release a single called "It's Time to Ball." The song will headline a forthcoming album entitled, "Full Court Press Volume 1." CBSSports.com

Miami Heat, Juwan Howard, Showbusiness 

"I started to have fun with it," Howard, who has more than $151 million of NBA earnings to his name, says of the rapping. "I was like, you know what? I've done this before at home in the shower. But now it's real in the studio. But then I started getting the beat, I've got a little rhythm now." CBSSports.com

Miami Heat, Juwan Howard, Showbusiness 

Was there any concern? Because that’s really stepping out there, when you do a movie. I was actually arguing with people today, because I saw Kazaam, and everyone pans Kazaam as terrible and it’s actually not as bad as folks make it out to be… Kevin Durant: It’s not a bad movie. It’s just the fact that a basketball player is in it. When people are used to you doing something, they want you to stay in that lane. When you go outside of it and do something out of the normal, of course it’s going to be as good, because that’s not my regular field. I’m not a star, I’m not an actor. But I had the courage to do something else and most people don’t want to see you do that. I really don’t care. I’m going to enjoy it. My family is going to enjoy it and people that go into it with an open mind are going to enjoy it. We’ll see what happens. Washington Post

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Showbusiness 

Mark Cuban: I’m obviously a Mavericks fan but I can't wait to see @KDtrey5's acting skills in #ThunderstruckMovie! http://jol.ly/0P1t #spon Twitter

Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Mark Cuban, Showbusiness 

The five-year NBA veteran has one of the leading roles in a Warner Brothers movie, Thunderstruck, that will be released to the public Friday. To hear the actors in the movie tell it, the silky-smooth Durant saunters around the set as though he's been acting for years. “In the scenes themselves I've got to say it was like working with a professional who's been working for 15 years,” actor Jim Belushi said Tuesday during a press junket at the Ritz Carlton. “He just slid right into it like it was second nature to him. ”I usually change the dialogue in every take — not creatively, but it's just because I can't remember my lines. And Kevin just rolled with it.“ Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Showbusiness 

”He impressed me with how well he knew his lines,“ actor Brandon T. Jackson said. ”He knew every line back and forth like it was easy for him, like it was second nature. “It was really cool to actually work with somebody that's cool on screen and off screen.” This is Durant's first time dabbling in the movie industry. And it's not anything he had on his bucket list. “The funny thing about it is drama was one of my classes when I was a senior in high school, and I hated my drama class and my drama teacher, for some reason,” Durant said. “She'd be really proud of me today if she saw the movie. ”I haven't been back home to Washington, D.C. in a while. I'm sure if I go, I'm going to run into her and I'll probably give her a DVD of the movie.“ Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Showbusiness 

Everyone seems to be impressed with your acting skills. Sounds like you did pretty well for a first-timer. Kevin Durant: Yeah, I did all right. I was having fun with it. It was different for me. I'm just so used to playing basketball. But it was cool. Q: Have you seen the whole movie start-to-finish by now? Kevin Durant: I watched it for the first time Sunday and I was very impressed. Before I only saw the scenes that I was in. It was sort of like a surprise to me when I saw it the first time. Very cool. ESPN.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Showbusiness 

Raising his arms, Metta World Peace seemed ecstatic over his performance. World Peace didn't make a key defensive stop. He didn't hit a surprise three-pointer. To put it kindly, this effort paled considerably to his Game 7 performance of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. World Peace won first place in a track race in an appearance Sunday on Nick Jr.'s "Yo Gabba Gabba," featuring cartoon characters that apparently are even odder than the Lakers' eccentric forward. World Peace ran against Toodee, a "blue cat-dragon," and Mrs. Fox, who looks like just as her name suggests. A red cyclops (Muno), a pink flower (Foofa) and a robot (Plex) watched the so-called "Yo Gabba Olympics" with unyielding enthusiasm. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Showbusiness, Metta World Peace 

What was it like working with Kevin Durant? (Actor) Taylor Gray: "He's the nicest, nicest guy there is. I can't stress that enough, and a great actor. I don't think everybody expected that, but he did a fantastic job." Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Showbusiness 

Durant loses his shooting touch in the movie. Did he ever have trouble deliberately missing shots? Taylor Gray: "He did. I remember the first day he actually had to miss. They had it set to make all these shots, and then he was supposed to start missing for a while. We had multiple days in a row where he was supposed to miss shots, but it was like impossible for him to miss. I'm like, 'Dude, I'll show you how to miss.' " Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Showbusiness 

So you finally started releasing some of your own records last year. Why now, after all this time, did you start letting the public hear your joints? Stephen Jackson: Well, I got tired of having all this music and not putting it out. During the lockout I had an ample amount of time to get stuff done, so I just took that time, went in the studio and knocked out two mixtapes before the lockout was over. During that time, I had so much music done, I was able to put it out. Now, I have a lot of people begging for an album, begging for more music, I think it’s only right I give the people what they want. So Jack of All Trades will be coming out soon. XXL Mag

San Antonio Spurs, Stephen Jackson, Showbusiness 

You mentioned that KD is on the album. How do you kind of stay away from getting grouped in with all of the other NBA players who try their hand at rapping? A lot of people have this and that to say about players who make music, so how do you kind of stand alone on that? Stephen Jackson: I don’t care, I don’t pay attention to it, I’m me. Who cares what people say? I mean, people’s opinions are like buttholes— everybody has one. I don’t even pay it attention. XXL Mag

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Kevin Durant, Stephen Jackson, Showbusiness 

So Durant’s kind of nice with it? Stephen Jackson: Yeah, KD can go, man. I respect him for even getting on the track with me, because a lot of athletes are scared to even get on the same song with me ’cause they feel I’m gonna embarrass them. I’m just happy he took the time to do it, and he really killed the verse so a lot of people are gonna be surprised by it. XXL Mag

Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Kevin Durant, Stephen Jackson, Showbusiness 

In my head I’m imaging Tim Duncan bopping to your music. Stephen Jackson: Yeah, Tim has both my CDs. He’ll text me every blue moon saying he likes one of my songs. Tim’s not really a big rap guy, but if I need his support, he’ll definitely give it to me. XXL Mag

San Antonio Spurs, Stephen Jackson, Tim Duncan, Showbusiness 

I assume Pop [Gregg Popovich] isn’t a big rap guy, either. Stephen Jackson: I don’t know what kind of music Pop listens to, but I would never give him my CD. XXL Mag

San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Stephen Jackson, Showbusiness