HoopsHype.com Rumors

The NBA is keenly aware of the current marketplace. Three of the league’s top executives — Stern, Silver and Bill Koenig, executive vice president of business affairs — attended a New York event in March announcing the launch of Fox Sports 1. As they were leaving the event, a reporter asked what they thought of the presentation. Stern offered a wry smile, and said, “It’s always nice to have competition.” Sports Business Daily

Media, David Stern, Adam Silver, Bill Koenig 

Arsalan Kazemi: Thank you Lakers for having me today for my first pre-draft workout Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Draft, Media, Workouts 

Every morning, one of the hard-working staffers deep in the bowels of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment cubicle-land compiles a package of that day’s media ramblings; it includes anything written here or anywhere about the team and it is distributed to a Henchman list that’s as long as your arm. And to Bryan, too. How closely any of them reads it is unknown but I know more than a few of them look at it quite closely to check that day’s temperature. Toronto Star

Toronto Raptors, Media 

Once King copped to the party line, once everything was cool, his gig as a part-time studio analyst was safe. With the expanded postgame show, there was ample time to explain why King, the analyst, had become part of the Game 2 story line. Instead, they attempted to turn it all into a joke. Al (Wiggie) Trautwig reminded viewers they could follow him, Alan Hahn and Wally Szczerbiak on Twitter. “And we’ve gotten you (King) a fax machine,” Trautwig said, laughing. “I’m on fax,” King said. “So if you want to contact me, send me a fax.” New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Media, Twitter, Wally Szczerbiak, Bernard King, Alan Hahn 

Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith told SNY Nets that he expects Billy King to make his next calls about Doc Rivers and Brian Shaw, both of whom are still under contract. NetsDaily

Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Doc Rivers, Coaching, Media, Brian Shaw, Billy King 

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has weighed in on the debate that ensued after Boston Globe NBA reporter Gary Washburn was the only voter to cast his NBA MVP first-place vote for Anthony instead of LeBron James. “As far as the guy in Boston, I don’t know why he catches so much flak for that,” Anthony said after Game 2 of the Knicks-Pacers series Tuesday in New York. “He has the right to vote for whoever he want. LeBron won the MVP. Why is everybody so mad that he didn’t win it unanimously? ... Thank you.” Boston Globe

New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, Media, Gary Washburn 

Carmelo Anthony defended and then thanked Boston Globe writer Gary Washburn for giving him a first-place MVP vote, one that prevented LeBron James from being a unanimous winner. “As far as the guy in Boston, I don’t know why he catches so much flak for that,” Anthony said following Game 2. “He has the right to vote for whoever he want. LeBron won the MVP. Why is everybody so mad that he didn’t win it unanimously? . . . Thank you.” New York Daily News

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

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