HoopsHype.com Rumors

Recently, Jalen Rose admitted he tried to stick his foot when Kobe Bryant took a jump shot during the 2000 Finals between the Lakers and the Pacers. Back in the day the media talked a lot about some similar plays that happened during your career with Steve Francis, Jamal Crawford... Also, there was a statistic that you likely contested around eight hundred shots per year during your 13-year career. What's your take on that? BB: I can't control what others say or think. The only thing that I can do is control what I do, and I know that for me there was no malicious harm involved, I didn't try to purposely harm someone. It just happened that I was a very aggressive player and those guys that came down on my foot, it was just a byproduct of me being close to them. I never intentionally tried to allow someone to come down on my foot. I came down on people's feet before as well, but I never read anything about that. That happens in the game of basketball. HoopsHype

Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Kobe Bryant, Jalen Rose, Jamal Crawford, Steve Francis, Bruce Bowen 

Steve Francis bounced around area high schools, at age 18 endured the death of his mother and stopped at two junior colleges and the University of Maryland before a nine-year NBA career that brought the 35-year-old Takoma Park native and guest of honor to the microphone on Sunday. Behind him was a new basketball court with glass backboards, padded stanchions and his signature, painted between the half- court and 3-point lines, part of the $70,000 donation the Steve Francis Foundation made to Montgomery County Parks to renovate Takoma-Piney Branch Local Park. Gazette.net

Steve Francis 

“Right now, I’m not really sure [about the future],” Francis told the station. “Watching the playoffs and looking at teams, being 35 years old and being a veteran, you have to pick where you’re gonna go as far as playing basketball. And those doors are still open for myself....The windows for basketball are still open for me.” Washington Post

Free Agency, Steve Francis 

Well, wonder no more: The former Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and New York Knicks guard is now the impresario behind fledgling hip-hop label Mazerati Music, which is sort of like Maybach Music except with fewer rappers you've heard of (READ: probably no rappers you've heard of). He's even spitting some himself, as evidenced by the official video for his new cut, "Finer Things." The song itself is very perfectly Steve Francis, in that it is pretty soundly stuck in the mid-2000s. Yahoo! Sports

Steve Francis, Showbusiness 

Dwight Howard apparently encountered little difficulty convincing current and former Orlando Magic players to participate in his charity exhibition game Nov. 13 at UCF Arena. Kevin Samples, Howard's manager, said that barring unforeseen conflicts, 18 people have committed to play, including former Magic players Vince Carter, Penny Hardaway and Steve Francis. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, Lockout, Penny Hardaway, Steve Francis 

The festivities for "Maryland Madness," the Maryland basketball version of midnight madness to kick off the college basketball season on Friday night, is coming together. Already, the alumni game was featuring four of the five starters from the Terps' 2002 NCAA championship team. Now, a couple other prominent former Terps will be involved. According to a team press release, Steve Francis, Eric Hayes and Jerrod Mustaf are also expected to be playing in the game, which is scheduled to begin at 10:30 p.m. on Friday. Those two will join Juan Dixon, Steve Blake, Byron Mouton and Chris Wilcox. SB Nation

Chris Wilcox, Steve Blake, Juan Dixon, Steve Francis 

A well-known Washington-area sports manager has sentenced to three years in prison for hiding income to avoid paying more than $1 million in taxes. Nathan A. Peake, 41, of Silver Spring, admitted in federal court in the District that he didn't file tax returns from 2000 through 2007 and diverted about $5.8 million in management and agent fees from his business to personal accounts. Washington Examiner

Washington Wizards, Law, Steve Francis, Nathan Peake 

Peake was the manager and business partner of Steve Francis, a former University of Maryland basketball star who later played for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and New York Knicks. Washington Examiner

Washington Wizards, Law, Steve Francis, Nathan Peake 

Francis said he would welcome returning to the NBA. He’s playing three days a week at his personal court in Houston while frequently jogging and biking to build up cardio. He hopes to resume pickup games in September. “I think I’m doing good now because unfortunately it’s a lockout, and I have time to not rush myself to be at the top level like I did before I went to China,” Francis said. “I have time over the summer to really improve myself and try to set up a workout with a team.” Washington Times

Lockout, Steve Francis 

It was mid-December in Beijing, and Shougang Gymnasium was filled to capacity. Sore and weary-eyed from his flight eight hours earlier, Francis sat on the bench with untied shoelaces and a bag of ice taped to his ankle. Beijing Ducks coach Min Lulei said that he would rest his new star for at least two days. With 17 seconds left, the 6,000 people in the stands changed his mind. “The fans started chanting my name, throwing fruit, throwing sodas,” Francis said. “The coach came up to me and said, ‘I got to put you in.’ “ Washington Times

China, Steve Francis 

Francis also centers his business ventures in the D.C. area he still calls home. He always has been a fan of hip-hop and decided to seriously pursue that passion in 2000 by starting a record label, now called Mazerati Music. He took a more active role in the label after his basketball career began to slow down and now dedicates much of his time to promoting Washington hip-hop. “Even though he’s based in Houston, Steve’s whole thing is really to break some major artists in D.C.,” Francis‘ business manager Nate Peake said. “His home base will always be Washington, D.C., and he’ll never forget that. He’s never gotten away from that.” Washington Times

China, Steve Francis 

Former NBA star Steve Francis thinks the sexual assault charges against him are a "he said/she said" kind of thing -- but he told our photog yesterday ... his wife doesn't believe the allegations, and that's all that matters. A woman named Shauna Simien claims Francis groped her back in May 2010. She filed a complaint, but so far no charges have come of it. TMZ.com

Law, Steve Francis 

Teams often sign their own contracts with foreign players outside the purview of the CBA, according to people familiar with the situation. Various reports put Xinjiang’s contract with Quincy Douby at more than $1 million a year. A New Beijing Times report last November said former NBA star Steve Francis’s 2010 contract with the Beijing Ducks, cut short after the team released Francis in December, was also worth at least $1 million a year (in Chinese). Ex-NBAer Stephon Marbury, who played for Foshan last season, made less than $300,000, Foshan executives revealed to local media in January (in Chinese). Wall Street Journal

Free Agency, Stephon Marbury, Lockout, Quincy Douby, China, Steve Francis 

Ex-NBA star Steve Francis is firing back against claims he sexually assaulted a woman in Texas last year -- insinuating the allegations were concocted by a "broke ass dwarf who can't sing." The firestorm unfolded on Twitter this weekend -- where, Francis unloaded on the woman behind the groping allegations ... a singer named Shauna Simien who was signed to Francis' record label at the time of the alleged assault. Francis wrote, "Well since it's a lockout. I got a new job responding to people askin me about grouping [sic]a broke ass dwarf. Who can't sing. What can a G do??" TMZ.com

Steve Francis 

Former NBA star Steve Francis is being accused of sexual assaulting a woman in Texas last year ... TMZ has learned. According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Francis allegedly "groped" a 20-year-old woman through her clothing in May 2010 ... and the woman immediately went to the cops to file a complaint. TMZ.com

Law, Steve Francis 

To replace Steve Francis, Beijing Ducks are eyeing Smush Parker. Former Lakers player is now in Russia with Spartak SPB but is having problems to have space in the rotation of the team. Sportando

China, Steve Francis, Smush Parker 

The 33-year-old former NBA star, nicknamed Franchise during his time with the Houston Rockets, left the team after two weeks, a club official told Xinhua on Monday, a day after he left the locker room at halftime of Beijing’s 104-89 win over the Jiangsu Dragons. Mr. Francis didn’t play in the first half. “It’s the first time in my life that [I] saw a player leave during a match,” said Ducks head coach Min Lulei, Xinhua reported. “I feel unhappy that I couldn’t play the game. I know I was not well-prepared physically to help the team on court. As the team is in hot form, I think it is best for both sides for me to terminate my contract,” Mr. Francis was quoted as telling Beijing Television on Monday, according to the Associated Press. Wall Street Journal

China, Steve Francis 

Former NBA All-Star Steve Francis has decided to leave the Beijing Ducks after a two-week stint with the Chinese Basketball Association club, a club official confirmed on Monday. "Francis came to the gym in the afternoon and told the team that he wanted to leave," Ducks vice general manager Yuan Chao told Xinhua. Xinhua

China, Steve Francis 

Min's remarks fueled rumors that the Ducks wanted to waive Francis, who also missed a training session on December 25. "I talked to Francis in the morning about his leaving during the match and his absence from the training session. I told him, on behalf of the club and the team, that we wanted him to leave. He didn't give me the decision during the meeting," said Yuan. "But he appeared on the court during the afternoon training and said he is ready to leave," he added. Xinhua

China, Steve Francis 

The Beijing Ducks on Monday denied that former NBA All-Star Steve Francis had been released amid widespread media reports the troubled guard's brief stint in China was at an end. "These reports are all false -- the Beijing Ducks have not announced to any media that (Francis) has been released," assistant team manager Yuan Zhao told AFP by telephone. "At present we are in discussions with him -- that is all I can say." Inquirer.net

China, Steve Francis