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Dennis Rodman is going back to North Korea yet again, and this time he plans to bring a team of former NBA players with him.

Days after returning from his second trip to visit Kim Jong Un -- in which he said he became the first foreigner to hold the leader's newborn daughter -- Rodman announced plans Monday to stage two exhibition games in North Korea in January.

The first will be Jan. 8 -- Kim's birthday -- with another to follow two days later.

Rodman's friendship with the autocratic leader has been criticized -- and led to a couple of testy exchanges during his Manhattan news conference. But Rodman insists Kim is a good person and wants to have better relations with the United States, and that Rodman is the one who can help make it happen with his plan for "basketball diplomacy." "Why North Korea? It'll open doors," Rodman said.

Touting his friendship with Kim and taunting President Barack Obama for not talking with him, Rodman said he will return to North Korea for a week in December to help select local players for the games. He hopes to have stars such as Karl Malone and former Chicago Bulls teammate Scottie Pippen.

"Michael Jordan, he won't do it, because he's Michael Jordan," Rodman said.

Rodman, holding a cigar and wearing the shirt of a vodka company and a hat of a betting company that is funding the event, said Kim has asked him to train North Korea's players to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics and offered to allow the Hall of Famer to write a book about him.

Despite looking like a billboard, Rodman said he's not doing the event for money. He said the Irish betting company Paddy Power would put up $3.5 million. Paddy Power later said finances hadn't been determined.

And Rodman, who joked that he hadn't drawn such a crowd in New York since he wore a wedding dress to a book signing, was adamant that this venture was serious -- "groundbreaking," in Rodman's words.

"People think this is a gimmick. I would love to make this a gimmick ... but it's not about the money," he said.

He rarely referred to Kim by name, frequently calling him "the marshal." Rodman met Kim, a basketball fan, when traveling to North Korea in February for a film project.

Though saying he didn't want to discuss politics, Rodman raised his voice when answering a questioner about Kim's human rights record, and he portrayed himself as the person who could make outsiders see the young leader as different from his father and grandfather.

"He has to do his job, but he's a very good guy," Rodman said. "If he wanted to bomb anybody in the world, he would have done it."

Instead, Rodman had harder words for Obama, of whom he spoke angrily while talking to reporters last week after his trip. He talked around a question about American citizen and Christian missionary Kenneth Bae, who was arrested in November and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for what Pyongyang described as hostile acts against the state. Kim has the power to grant special pardons under North Korea's constitution.

Rodman said lobbying for the release of a prisoner wasn't his job, blaming the president for not reaching out to ease tensions between the countries.

"Why, Obama, are you afraid to talk to Dennis Rodman?" Rodman said, his voice rising as if he were a professional wrestler -- another former pursuit -- calling out an opponent. "You're not afraid to talk to Beyonce and Jay Z, why not me? Why not me? I'm pretty important now, right?"

Rodman also said he would interview Kim on live TV during the trip. Organizers said details would be provided at a later date.



Dennis Rodman returning to North Korea, wants to bring former NBA stars for exhibition game - ESPN

There was a little bit of a rumbling (read: a mini-freakout) from a section of hardcore NBA fans on Tuesday, when a mass email was sent out from the league in error that announced a skyrocketing of the price to purchase League Pass for next season.

The service that allows access to watch all most regular season games either over the internet or through your local cable provider is essential to NBA junkies, and after the small amount of hysteria that went down in response to the emailed announcement, the league confirmed its pricing for the service for the 2013-14 season.

The Premium full season package that includes all teams will go for a $189 early bird price, and will be $199 after Nov. 5.

The 5-Team Choice Package (broadband only) is $129.99 early bird, and 139.99 after Nov.5 The mobile package to watch games live on your cell phone or tablet will be $49.99.

These prices are in line with what was charged last season, and it’s fair for the offering. There have been wide-ranging complaints about the quality of the service — games being “unavailable due to technical difficulties,” not every game being offered in HD 100 percent of the time, and shaky quality of broadcasts — but overall I found the service to be of more than serviceable quality the majority of the time.

My issues with League Pass are more about the games that you can’t watch via this service.

The limitations are extremely frustrating, and include the following:

- Games televised on NBA TV are not included in League Pass broadband (i.e., NBA TV must be purchased through your cable operator in order to view these games): This doesn’t seem like a fair exclusion. If it’s NBA TV and I’m paying to watch NBA games, then those shown on this channel should be available through my League Pass broadband account.

- Games televised on TNT, ESPN, or ABC are not included in the League Pass broadband package: This one doesn’t make sense, because if the games are offered technically for free over the air, I should be able to see them over the league’s broadband service as one of its paying customers.

- League Pass broadband archives all games for later viewing, which is fantastic. However, the ones shown on the previously-mentioned networks aren’t included, and my local team’s games are both blacked out live and are not available via the archive service. As a journalist who attends my local team’s games in person (or is traveling to see games in other cities), if I forget to set the DVR for whatever channel the game where I live happens to be shown on, I’m unable to watch when I get home or the following day.

Of course, I understand why these restrictions are in place. The NBA is trying to get more people to watch its games on these networks that pay the league billions for broadcast rights, and isn’t trying to get fans to cut the cord with cable by offering its product by itself for a flat rate price.

(Full disclosure: I literally only turn on my television to watch live sports in real time. I would definitely drop my cable subscription if I could pay whatever to watch 100 percent of NBA games online.)

But if the NBA wanted to do right by its fans, it would find a way to distribute those dollars wherever they need to go behind the scenes, and provide the full compliment of its games to its customers for one flat rate, in one simple online solution.


NBA announces League Pass pricing for 2013-14 season | ProBasketballTalk

Michael Beasley’s NBA career got started in Miami, and now the Heat are hoping it can be revived in Miami.

The troubled forward is back with the Heat, signing a contract on Wednesday that will give him another chance to prove he belongs in the NBA. He was bought out earlier this month by the Phoenix Suns, not long after the No. 2 pick in the 2008 draft was arrested in Arizona on charges of felony marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

“Michael had the best years of his career with us,” Heat president Pat Riley said. “We feel that he can help us.”

Yahoo Sports reported on Saturday that the Heat were interested in bringing Beasley back, and the team quickly and emphatically denied that a reunion was in the cards. Four days later, the deal was done, and Beasley will be in training camp with the two-time defending NBA champions on Oct. 1.

It took some doing on Beasley’s side to make the Heat offer become reality. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the team initially had no interest in bringing Beasley back, then was swayed after the former Kansas State star offered to accept a nonguaranteed contract. That’s what it took for the Heat to decide Wednesday that they would “give him a shot,” said the source.

“Well well well the homie is back,” Heat guard Mario Chalmers, who was particularly close with Beasley, wrote on Twitter. “I want every heat fan to welcome back my brotha . . . aka mr buckets back to Miami. We focused”

Beasley was traded by Miami to Minnesota in July 2010, part of the sweeping moves that allowed the Heat the financial flexibility to re-sign Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, plus land Chris Bosh and LeBron James.

So there is a certain irony in that, as the NBA heads into what’s expected to be another wild free-agent summer in 2014 — with James, Wade and Bosh among those who could be choosing new homes — Beasley is back in Miami and tasked with helping the Heat win a third straight title.

“We felt Michael had two very good years in Miami,” Riley said when the Heat traded Beasley to Minnesota for draft picks. “We feel he will have a very productive career.”

It hasn’t exactly worked out as planned.

Beasley averaged a career-best 19.2 points in his first season in Minnesota, then saw his numbers and productivity plummet since. In the last two seasons, one largely as a reserve with the Timberwolves and then this past season as a part-time starter in Phoenix, Beasley has averaged 10.7 points on 42 per cent shooting.

In his two Miami seasons, Beasley played in 87 Heat wins. In the three seasons since, he’s been part of 57 wins.

And then there’s the off-court matters, which have always dogged Beasley, even predating his first NBA game. The Suns bought Beasley out for $7 million and said that they needed to “demand the highest standards of personal and professional conduct as we develop a championship culture.”

In June 2011, Beasley was ticketed for marijuana possession and speeding in a Minneapolis suburb. He has acknowledged that while he was with the Heat, he twice violated the NBA’s drug policy and entered a treatment facility in 2009.

He’s the latest entry in the low-risk, potentially high-reward moves the Heat have made in the past year, first signing Chris Andersen this past January and seeing him become an important part of the rotation on the way to the second straight title. Miami also signed Greg Oden to a veterans’ minimum deal this summer, the same sort of deal that Beasley is getting from the club.

With James, Wade, Oden, Beasley, Bosh, Shane Battier and Ray Allen, the Heat now have seven players on their roster who were selected No. 6 or higher in their respective NBA draft classes.


Michael Beasley signs with Miami Heat, hoping to revive troubled NBA career | Toronto Star

Michael Beasley is starting over (again) with the Miami Heat, but he's not the only salvage job claimed off the NBA scrap heap this summer.

A look around the league's pre-training camp rosters reveals a surprising number of fallen stars and last-chance hopefuls who are either looking to realize their potential with a new team, or show their current one that they're worth keeping around.

Some suffered injuries that derailed once-promising careers. Many are former lottery picks who haven't yet delivered on expectations. But all of them have a lot to prove.

Training camp may be the last chance for these reclamation projects to carve out a spot in the league.


Pictures: Biggest Reclamation Projects in the NBA Entering 2013-14 Training Camp | Bleacher Report

This March 26, 2013, file photo, shows Los Angeles Clippers’ Lamar Odom during an NBA basketball game in Dallas. Odom was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence early Friday, Aug. 30, 2013, after a CHP officer saw his white Mercedes-Benz traveling erratically on a San Fernando Valley freeway. The CHP says Odom, 33, was arrested after failing a field sobriety test. AP

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Lamar Odom was charged Friday with driving while intoxicated, after being arrested while driving erratically in LA last month, officials said.

Odom — the subject of a rash of news stories about alleged drug use and troubles in his marriage to reality TV show star Khloe Kardashian — was detained in the early hours of August 30, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) police force.

An arrest report said the 33-year-old former Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers standout, an NBA player for 14 seasons who has not signed a deal for next season, was seen driving his white Mercedes SUV in a “serpentine manner at 50 miles per hour.”

Odom, who showed “objective signs of intoxication and was unable to perform field sobriety tests as explained and demonstrated,” was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, according to CHP.

He was transported to a local police station, according to the report. Bail was set at $15,000, and he was released more than three hours later.

Odom’s driving license has been suspended for a year, after he refused to take either a blood or breath test, CHP spokesman Leland Tang said.

“Because he refused both tests, we took his license and gave him a form stating that his license was automatically suspended for the next year. That goes into immediate effect,” Tang said.

Since Odom refused the test, “we don’t know what might have impaired his ability to drive,” added Tang.

Odom is due back in court on September 27 to be arraigned.

Media reports in recent weeks have highlighted Odom’s alleged drug use, and suggested that he went missing last weekend after a fight with his wife, a member of the celebrity Kardashian family.

His agent said the basketball player was “not missing,” while ESPN reported Odom was at an LA hotel where friends were trying to help him with a drug problem, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Odom averaged 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game over his 961-game NBA career.

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Analytics in sports are increasingly connected to the games we love.

But do they enhance the fan experience?

Last week, the NBA announced it would install data-collecting cameras in every arena, giving teams an opportunity to build on their analytical approach to the game.

The technology started less than a decade ago with just a few franchises adopting these tools. Last season, half of the league’s teams were in that group, while others awaited the league's eventual financial subsidy.

The cameras, which are placed high above the court in places not visible to fans, can track 3D player movement at a rate of 25 images per second—resulting in around one million data points to study per game.

There are countless reasons teams are adopting these practices, and many more yet to be explored. Grantland's Zach Lowe broke down a number of them recently, including tracking officiating, practice efficiency and fitness levels.

The results can't be denied either. The Dallas Mavericks, who won the 2011 NBA title, were praised for their use of analytics after beating the heavily-favored Miami Heat. Last season, both Miami and San Antonio were strong proponents of studying data, leading to one of the most entertaining Finals in recent memory.

In short, there's obviously a place for this analysis in the game.

Outside the league, though, the days that followed the NBA's announcement presented a variety of viewpoints about whom this shift would appeal to most.

Most recognized that these stats would please the more mathematical, SABR-type observers who have long been calling for these changes. Others, like Pounding the Rock, noted that even though the stats would be available to teams, the "normal" fan simply wouldn’t even have access to the data.

Then there was Braedon Clark of Toronto HQ, another SB Nation companion blog (like Pounding the Rock) that simply stated: "Where’s the Fun?"

Analytics, Clark claims, don’t always provide the emotional fuel fans thrive on.

"No kid at the park is inspired by the mechanical efficiency of James Harden's endless trips to the free throw line," he says.

"Sometimes great performances demand no analysis beyond, ‘Wow, that was amazing.’"

He references Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against his beloved Raptors a few years ago as an ultimate ‘Wow’ moment. Clark admits that it probably wasn’t the most "efficient" game Bryant could have played, but it certainly was the most spectacular performance he could have hoped for as a fan.

Portland Trail Blazers fans know a thing or two about non-efficient heroics.

A Brandon Roy heave-ho from 30-feet deep to beat the Rockets? Likely should have been a lob to the rim.

The Natural banking in a floater during a dazzling and tear-jerking comeback to beat the Dallas Mavericks? Probably the lowest percentage shot in that situation.

Travis Outlaw taking shots at the buzzer? Surely there were better players on the floor for that.

Point is there are moments that seem to stretch beyond the numbers. And while numbers may have an explanation for everything, as Clark argues, there has to be a moment where we can simply appreciate the true superhuman qualities that make sports so unique.

So to take a belief over at Raptors HQ to another level, not only should analytics never be a replacement for the most memorable moments of the game, they won’t be.

Changes to the game and the way we perceive it are inevitable; there’s no doubting the way teams prepare, coach, assess talent, set lineups, etc. will be forever changed.

However Clark and others need not plea for some non-data-driven analysis to stick around. By their very nature, moments of awe and admiration can result from a perfectly-orchestrated mathematical calculation or by pure chance. As such, they can’t be withheld from the sport.

A camera simply will never be able to replace them.


Do Analytics Enhance the NBA Fan's Experience? - Blazer's Edge

It's going to be an interesting season for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Coming off of a year that can only be described as wildly disappointing, Bryant enters the 2013-14 season on the mend from a nasty Achilles injury he suffered this past April.

Fortunately, reports regarding Bryant's rehab have been glowing, and it appears as if he has a legitimate shot to make a stunning return to the floor in less than eight months.

Although he's 35 years old and recovering from a serious ailment, we've learned not to doubt Kobe just because he's aging and experiencing pain.

As you read this slideshow, keep in mind that these predictions are largely based in optimism, but that's due to Bryant's track record of recent success.


Pictures: 18 Bold Predictions for Kobe Bryant's 18th NBA Season | Bleacher Report

It's going to be an interesting season for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Coming off of a year that can only be described as wildly disappointing, Bryant enters the 2013-14 season on the mend from a nasty Achilles injury he suffered this past April.

Fortunately, reports regarding Bryant's rehab have been glowing, and it appears as if he has a legitimate shot to make a stunning return to the floor in less than eight months.

Although he's 35 years old and recovering from a serious ailment, we've learned not to doubt Kobe just because he's aging and experiencing pain.

As you read this slideshow, keep in mind that these predictions are largely based in optimism, but that's due to Bryant's track record of recent success.


Pictures: 18 Bold Predictions for Kobe Bryant's 18th NBA Season | Bleacher Report

As teams prepare for the opening of training camp next month, time is running out on Jason Collins' chance to become the NBA's first openly gay active player.

If this historic milestone is bypassed, there will be no accountability, no villains, just an opportunity shamefully missed.

In May, Collins graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as the first openly gay male player in the four major professional U.S. sports. It was widely assumed he'd land somewhere as an unrestricted free agent to continue his career.

Four months later, the wait drags on. The league faces unflattering introspection and a public-relations disaster if Collins goes unsigned. The gay community will not hide its extreme disappointment. The first step in a highly significant movement will be throttled before takeoff. And the worst of it is, we won't know exactly why.

Without question, homophobia will be at the core of some teams' rejection. We're likely not to hear the details, or the individuals responsible, but that's the way of the world in 2013: enlightened, yet with light-years to go. Fear and prejudice remain evil partners in every aspect of American society, leaving Collins as that brave individual who dares become a pioneer.

(To be accurate, Oakland-raised Glenn Burke was openly gay, with a measure of caution, as a member of the Dodgers and A's of the late 1970s. He never called a news conference or went public in any way, nor did he hide the truth; teammates were well aware of his sexuality and fully accepted him.)

It's possible, however, that NBA teams are making judgments based strictly on talent and/or financial restrictions. The league's increasingly oppressive luxury-tax constraints have become a major issue, and because the 34-year-old Collins is of limited value - a defense-and-rebounding presence off the very end of the bench - teams have legitimately addressed their concerns with younger, cheaper, more valuable players.

Before general manager Bob Myers made such dramatically impressive additions to the roster, the Warriors seemed a reasonably plausible destination for Collins. The Bay Area is a haven for tolerance and understanding, and team president Rick Welts, one of the league's most respected executives, is the highest-ranking openly gay man in American sports.

It's not known how coach Mark Jackson truly felt about adding Collins, given his less-than-jubilant reaction to Collins' announcement: "We live in a country that allows you to be whoever you want to be. As a Christian man, I have beliefs of what's right and what's wrong. That being said, I know Jason Collins. I know his family. And certainly I'm praying for them at this time."

I doubt if Jackson would have blocked the path to progress if it meant improvement on the court. Now, with a fully healthy Andrew Bogut backed by second-year center Festus Ezeli, 6-foot-11 17-year veteran Jermaine O'Neal and a noted tough guy, 6-foot-10 Marreese Speights, the Warriors have the "protect the paint" issue well covered. (Ezeli will be out until midseason in the wake of knee surgery.)

That simply can't be true of every other team in the league. There's an element of blatant desperation on the big-man front, considering that Miami gambled on Greg Oden - who hasn't played since 2010 in the wake of five major knee surgeries - and Houston signed 39-year-old Marcus Camby. Assuming Collins is in shape - he's been working out regularly in Los Angeles, while avoiding interviews - there's no reason he couldn't help a contending team, and he has long been known as a strong, much-admired presence in the locker room.

Just two years ago, Collins was one of the most influential bench players in the league. A specialist, without question; no need to give him the ball on the offensive end. But as Collins' Atlanta Hawks went up against Orlando in the first round of the 2011 Eastern Conference playoffs, Collins' work on Dwight Howard was a major story line.

"The key was not just that he limited Howard's points and periodically got him out of the game entirely with his penchant for drawing charging fouls," wrote John Hollinger on ESPN-com, "but that his single coverage took away Orlando's three-point game." Stan Van Gundy, the Magic's coach at the time, called it "the best defense on Howard all year. He didn't even get good shots. Collins is big, he's physical, and he doesn't give Dwight anything easy." (Atlanta won the series in six games.)

It seems imperative that Collins sign before the start of the season, as a full-time roster member. Teams signing him to a 10-day, midseason contract would only become vulnerable to nasty speculation if the arrangement didn't work out. And it certainly doesn't help that a couple of teams (Detroit and New Jersey) were interested, according to published reports, only to back off. In this case, there is no dignity in flirtation.

Meanwhile, one can only imagine the exasperation in the commissioner's office. This is David Stern's final season, certain to be all about his legacy and contributions to the game. Employing an openly gay man would mark a signature stroke, never to lose its impact.

Right now, I imagine Mr. Stern has his hands on his hips.


Why can't Jason Collins find an NBA job? - SFGate

Jared Jeffries, who last played with the Portland Trail Blazers, has retired from his 11-year NBA playing career in favor of a front office job in the league.

Yahoo Sports reported Monday that Jeffries accepted a position with the Denver Nuggets and general manager Tim Connelly. He played for Connelly from 2002 to 2006 with the Washington Wizards. Jeffries originally went 11th in the 2002 NBA draft to Washington after he was the leading scorer on Indiana's 2002 Final Four team. The Hoosers, then under coach Mike Davis, finished with a 25-12 record and third place in the Big Ten Conference.

The Bloomington native left Indiana after two seasons and went on to play two stints with the New York Knicks, a pair of seasons with the Houston Rockets and as a reserve for Portland last season. At 6 feet, 11 inches, Jeffries spent most of his time at the forward and center positions, but he featured enough versatility to play shooting guard in spots for the Wizards. Jeffries averaged 4.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

He's 31 years old and will likely begin his post-playing career as a scout, Yahoo reports. Assistant general manager Arturas Karnishovas and director of basketball operations Ben Tenze are also new to the Nuggets this year.



Jared Jeffries retires as an NBA player

The Los Angeles Lakers decided to use their amnesty clause on Metta World Peace last season, but he remains confident in their ability to perform, showing that by picking them to make the NBA Finals in this upcoming season.

World Peace, a new member of the Knicks, has to be aware the Lakers are not exactly favorites to come out of the West this year. Sporting News picked the Lakers to finish 11th, behind teams like the New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves. Still, he's riding for his former franchise, even with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol all facing injury issues, not to mention the exodus of Dwight Howard to Houston. World Peace doesn't view any of the aforementioned as a problem, apparently.

"I think the Lakers are going to go to the NBA Finals," World Peace said on Wednesday, according to ESPNNewYork-com.

"I think Kobe [Bryant's] gonna be healthy, they're gonna get Pau [Gasol]. The Lakers are gonna make a big trade like they always do. They're gonna get another good player, boom, boom, and they're gonna go to the Finals. I believe it. Kobe's gonna come back, he's gonna play team ball, and Pau's gonna play well."

Although World Peace has a reputation for making nonsensical decisions—like changing his name to Metta World Peace—it makes sense that he would have faith in the Lakers, at least on a personal level. He played for the Lakers for four seasons and helped lead them to a title in 2009-10.

World Peace also had enough sense to shy away from the brewing Knicks-Nets rivalry, avoiding questions about Paul Pierce's claim that the Nets should run New York.

"I just want apple pie. I don't feel like talking," World Peace said. "I want to go to Whole Foods, enjoy my Whole Foods and play with my teammates. I don't have the energy to go back and forth with words because there's just too many great things happening in New York City for me to be going back and forth."

But, for all his confidence in the Lakers, World Peace made it clear he came to New York to win a championship.

"I've been starting for 15 years. I could've went to any other team I wanted to and started. I got calls from Oklahoma (City) and the Clippers, all these teams, but I came here and it wasn't to start, it was to win a ring."



Metta World Peace believes Lakers will make NBA Finals - NBA - Sporting News

We understand that the casual fan probably doesn’t care how often players and coaches are formally made to be available to the media throughout the course of the season, or how long reporters have to wait after games to speak to a team’s star players.

But it affects the coverage you’ll receive, especially from guys who are on hard and fast newspaper-mandated deadlines. So it’s worth delving into a bit with training camps still about 10 days away.

The NBA has revised its policies in these areas in time for the 2013-14 season, and overall, the changes should result in more relevant access to players, albeit a little less frequently.

From Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press:

“It was time to take a fresh look,” NBA senior vice president of communications Tim Frank said. “We’ve basically had the same rules for 30-plus years and with the changing media landscape it was clear there were redundancies and we needed to adjust.”

The old rules required players to be available at the morning shootaround and before the game, though most picked only one and some did neither. Now, they can choose one, but if their team doesn’t hold a morning workout, they will be required to be available at pregame if requested.

Players frequently didn’t talk when injured, and in the case of recent late-season injuries to Derrick Rose and Kevin Garnett, their teams’ seasons ended before they ever spoke to reporters after getting hurt. The new rules require a player with a long-term injury to meet with the media within a week of the diagnosis, if medically possible, and speak once a week after he returns to practice, even if he hasn’t resumed playing in games.

These two changes are big, in that star players often wouldn’t talk to media before games. Now they have to on days with no shootaround — at least according to the new policy. As always, some teams are more cooperative in this regard than are others.

The stipulation involving injured players is particularly of interest, and is likely in direct response to how the whole Derrick Rose situation was handled in Chicago last season. Rose spoke to reporters rarely during his recovery, although the team was more to blame for the hysteria surrounding his potential return than was the player.

Other changes include coaches being required to be available to media 10 minutes following a game’s conclusion, which I can tell you from experience doesn’t always happen, especially after a particularly tough loss. Players are also now supposed to be available within 45 minutes following a game — something that easily could have been dubbed The Carmelo Anthony Rule for the ridiculously long time he takes after games before speaking with reporters.

It’ll be interesting to see how this is all enforced, but overall, the league does a great job of providing plenty of access to its teams so that the local and national media each have a wealth of opportunity to provide comprehensive coverage.



NBA updates media access rules for 2013-14 season | ProBasketballTalk

By now we all know the sequence of events. The San Antonio Spurs were up five points with roughly 28 seconds left in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Holding that seemingly insurmountable lead against the Miami Heat would give them their fifth NBA championship in the Gregg Popovich-Tim Duncan era. Six second change points for the Heat and a missed free throw for the Spurs allowed Miami to force overtime, win the game, and eventually take their second straight title.

Since then, Gregg Popovich admits he's been quite lugubrious, as he puts it, or really sad as pretty much everybody else would describe it. Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News tells the story of how sad losing made Popovich and how it was Pop's daughter who helped him begin to get over the devastating loss and put things in perspective:

His daughter, Jill, told him something similar this summer. With a personality she clearly gets from her father, she said:

“OK, Dad, let me get this straight: You won four championships, and you go to a fifth Finals. Other coaches lose all the time. But poor Greggy can't lose because he's special. Can you please get over yourself? End of story.”

He stared at her — then started laughing. Hadn't his daughter told him the same get-over-yourself line he's told so many others?

“That started me on the path to recovery,” he said.

A chip off the old block, it seems. It's not that Popovich doesn't have perspective on his career. He knows he was fortunate to get Tim Duncan on his team and have the Spurs find the right mix of players that took to his program and helped him become one of the most successful coaches in NBA history. However, the sting of losing, especially when you're so close that people are leaving the arena and the ropes are being put on the court for the eventual Spurs' celebration, shouldn't be able to go away that easily.

You won't find many people crying for Popovich's close defeat, but he also wouldn't expect people to do that. Until training camp starts and the Spurs embark on another attempt at a title run, all he can do is replay the final 28 seconds of regulation in his mind, see Ray Allen following through on his jumper, and possibly wonder if things would have changed with more of a rebounding effort.

Still, four rings aren't a bad consolation prize.



Gregg Popovich's daughter gave him a pep talk about the NBA Finals - CBSSports-com

Tony Parker is one win from finally guiding France to its first major basketball title.

Having scored 32 points to lead France past two-time defending champion Spain 75-72 in overtime in Friday's semifinals at the European championship, Parker needs just one more big performance when his team plays Lithuania for the gold medal on Sunday.

He was in the same position two years ago, only for his team to lose to Spain in the final.

"Now, we have to control our joy. Two years ago we were so happy for having qualified for the Olympics that we botched the final," said Parker, the San Antonio Spurs star guard.

By beating Spain, France finally overcame an opponent that has long dominated Parker's talented generation. France had a 5-19 record against Spain going into the semifinal, including the loss in the 2011 final and at last year's Olympic quarterfinals in London.

France has two silvers and five bronze medals at the European championships - and had it not been for the gifted Spanish generation, it probably would have won the gold, too.

"We've been coming closer and we want the best medal now," Parker said.

While Parker is the team's leader, he is not the only talented player - he's one of six NBA players on the French roster that includes Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum.

Parker tops France with 19.7 points per game and is close to a tournament record - he needs 21 points in the final to become the tournament's all-time leading scorer. By taking his total to 984 points, he passed Dirk Nowitzki by one and is 20 behind Nikos Galis.

France came back after trailing by 14 and being dominated by Spain in the first half, wearing down the Spaniards in the second half and overcoming 19 points from Marc Gasol - whose brother Pau is not playing this time.

France coach Vincent Collet said his team is in a better shape than two years ago.

"We are in a completely different state of mind," Collet said.

Lithuania has long been a European basketball power, but was considered a bit of a long shot after getting eliminated in the quarterfinals at home two years ago.

But it proved the doubters wrong by beating Croatia 77-62 in the semifinal to reach its first final since winning its third title in 2003.

"We are proud of this team. When we started preparations many people were talking bad about us, they were saying that this team can do nothing here," Lithuania coach Jonas Kazlauskas said. "But now we have found our rhythm and we are in the final."

Lithuania likes a fast game, complemented by outside scorers Jonas Maciulis, Linas Kleiza and Mantas Kalnietis, who combined to outscore Croatia in the semifinal.

Center Jonas Valanciunas is a big presence under the basket.

"It is important for us, for our generation, now that most of the older guys have left the team, our generation has proved that we can play basketball and represent Lithuania, too," Maciulis said.



France is one win from first basketball gold | NBA-com

With NBA training camps set to open at the end of the week, an important order of business remains unresolved: an agreement between the league and the players' association on a testing policy for human growth hormone.

As for outgoing commissioner David Stern's hope that a plan will be in place in time for the tipoff of the 2013-14 season, prepare to be disappointed.

Officials from the league office and National Basketball Players Association met earlier this month in New York to continue discussions on the matter, but a person familiar with the talks told CBSSports-com, "Nothing is anywhere near being agreed to." The negotiations are ongoing, but the gap may be too wide to close in time for a policy to be in place in time for the start of the regular season.

The impasse is hardly surprising, considering that the NFL has yet to move forward with an HGH testing plan that the league tentatively agreed to with the union in August. Implementation of the NFL's policy is in a holding pattern due to disagreements between the two sides on issues such as disciplinary procedures.

As part of that tentative agreement, NFL players were supposed to have submitted to blood collection during training camp for the purposes of establishing baseline levels of HGH to be used in determining levels for positive tests. Due to the ongoing dispute between the NFL and NFLPA over who will have final authority for HGH cases that go to arbitration, those blood samples were never taken.

Major League Baseball implemented an aggressive testing program for HGH this season and in August suspended 13 players, including the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. All of the players received 50-game suspensions except Rodriguez, who was banned for 211 games. Rodriguez was the only player to appeal.

As part of the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, the NBA and NBPA appointed a panel of experts to study the issue of HGH testing and report its findings. A person with knowledge of the study told CBSSports-com that the panel's work is continuing. Among the matters at issue is the proper establishment of baseline levels, the reliability of blood screening for HGH and disciplinary procedures, league sources said.

The issue of biological passports -- the monitoring of biochemical markers in athletes to detect doping without positives tests for banned substances -- has taken a back seat in the NBA's talks over expanding its anti-drug agreement. The biological passport technique has yet to emerge as a significant aspect of negotiations between the league and union, sources said.

The NBA has maintained an anti-drug program since 1983 and currently has a list of approximately 160 banned substances ranging from recreational to performance-enhancing drugs. Players are subject to six random urine tests a year -- four to be conducted during the regular season and two during the offseason. The league does not screen for HGH, which must be analyzed from blood samples.

In July, Stern said he was hopeful that an HGH testing policy could be adopted in time for the start of the 2013-14 season. Afterward, the NBPA's interim executive director, Ron Klempner, told CBSSports-com that the absence of a permanent replacement for ousted former executive director Billy Hunter was not impeding progress in HGH talks with the league.

The union has since elected a new president, Chris Paul, who is leading the executive committee and union legal staff in the search for Hunter's permanent replacement.



Sources: NBA nowhere near agreeing to HGH policy - CBSSports-com

To hear NBA Commissioner David Stern or commissioner in waiting Adam Silver tell it, the NBA has been working on setting up Human Growth Hormone (HGH) testing and is close, it’s just waiting for the players union to agree. There was even a report last March saying it could be in place for this coming season.

Um, not so much.

First came some suggestion new union president Chris Paul wanted to fight the league over the tests (which require the drawing of a player’s blood). Now comes a report from Ken Berger of CBSSports-com that the league and union are nowhere close to an agreement on testing.

Officials from the league office and National Basketball Players Association met earlier this month in New York to continue discussions on the matter, but a person familiar with the talks told CBSSports-com, “Nothing is anywhere near being agreed to.” The negotiations are ongoing, but the gap may be too wide to close in time for a policy to be in place in time for the start of the regular season.

The talks are stalled, and not where the NFL ones are stalled either. The NFL and its players’ union reached a tentative deal, it’s the details of implementation that have stalled things out for football.

For the NBA, the issue is not the biological passport idea but even how to get there.

Among the matters at issue is the proper establishment of baseline levels, the reliability of blood screening for HGH and disciplinary procedures, league sources said.

The NBA has largely been able to stay out of the PED scandals; while a couple players have gotten nailed (Hedo Turkoglu most recently) it’s been around the fringes. But the idea that an NBA player wouldn’t benefit from a substance that would help him recover more quickly between workouts — or facing four games in five nights — is ludicrous. And with the millions of dollars on the line to suggest human nature wouldn’t push some players to use the substance is naïve.

I don’t think PED use in the NBA is widespread, but I don’t wear David Stern’s rose-colored glasses either. The only way to know for sure is testing.

But we seem a long way off from that.



Report: NBA, players union nowhere near deal on HGH testing | ProBasketballTalk

The longer Lamar avoids checking into an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center, the slimmer his chances are of playing basketball again with the NBA. So if he’s not with the NBA, where would the athlete most likely play? Read on for all of HollywoodLife-com’s EXCLUSIVE details.

The Lakers reportedly claimed that if Lamar Odom, 33, entered into a rehab center and got himself clean, they would have an open spot for him on the team. Now it seems more likely that the basketball star will head to the Far East to play ball — but what about his marriage to Khloe Kardashian, 29?
Does Lamar Odom Hope To Play Basketball In China?

The chances of Lamar playing for the NBA are slim due to all the drama in his life, specifically his ongoing drug use and allegations that he used drugs prior to a game.

“He (Lamar) is not going to play in the NBA again, for the signs and reasons for that have been addressed, but he is still a name and with his celebrity, he has put out feelers to possibly play in China as some other NBA stars have done in the past,” an insider tells HollywoodLife-com EXCLUSIVELY.

Even if China offered Lamar a spot, would he take it?
Lamar Odom ‘Delusional’ To Think He’d Ever Play In NBA Again

“He is basically using [China] as a tool to show that people still want his basketball services,” the source explains. “Lamar is delusional and really thinks he will play in the NBA again, and if their are offers on the table, then he believes he will get more, especially in the NBA. Plus he is so obsessed with being in LA that he will not want to leave LA and the U.S. to be away for a long time and would ultimately not go to China unless he was desperate.”

When the insider was asked what would make Lamar desperate, he told us, “No more money, no more marriage.”

Yikes! Going to China would be a huge decision — and that would also include leaving Khloe behind — or her moving with them if they can work through their marriage.



Lamar Odom: Basketball In China? — Hoping To Play Overseas As NBA Chances Die - Hollywood Life

New York City has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2015, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced today. New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; James L. Dolan, Executive Chairman, The Madison Square Garden Company; Hank J. Ratner, President and CEO, The Madison Square Garden Company; Irina Pavlova, President, ONEXIM Sports and Entertainment Holding USA, Inc.; and Bruce C. Ratner, majority owner and developer of Barclays Center and Executive Chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies, joined Commissioner Stern and Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver for the announcement at the NBA Partner Forum held at Industria Superstudio in New York City.

The 64th NBA All-Star Game will be played at Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Knicks, on Sunday, Feb.15, 2015. The BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night - including the Sears Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Contest and Sprite Slam Dunk - will be held at Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets.

As part of NBA All-Star 2015, the NBA and its partners will host a variety of community, grassroots and fan events throughout the city's five boroughs (The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island). This will mark the fifth time that NBA All-Star will take place in New York, having been held previously at Madison Square Garden in 1954, 1955, 1968 and 1998.

"New York offers an extraordinary opportunity to host NBA All-Star events at two world-class venues," said Stern. "We look forward to celebrating our game with basketball fans across the entire city, in all five boroughs."

"New York City is the basketball capital of the world and the sport's biggest stage," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We're lucky enough to have two world-class arenas, and the only thing better than having All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden or the Barclays Center is having it at both of them. The weekend's activities mean tens of thousands of visitors to the City and lots of activity for local businesses, plus a week of community service events around the five boroughs led by the NBA, which has a terrific record of giving back. We're thrilled and looking forward to cheering on the stars."

For the 13th consecutive year, the 2015 NBA All-Star Game will be televised in primetime on TNT. It will be the 31st year that Turner Sports provides NBA All-Star coverage. The 2015 NBA All-Star Game will be broadcast to a worldwide audience in 215 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages.

"We are honored to host the greatest players in the NBA in the newly transformed World's Most Famous Arena for the 2015 All-Star Game," said Dolan. "Over its 134-year history, Madison Square Garden has been privileged to host some of sports most defining and enduring moments and we are thrilled to add this prestigious event to The Garden's illustrious history. We look forward to working with the City of New York, the NBA and the Brooklyn Nets to make the event a celebration of basketball for all New Yorkers to enjoy."

"We are thrilled to welcome the 2015 NBA All-Star festivities on Friday and Saturday to Barclays Center," said Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov. "Brooklyn has produced some of the greatest players in NBA history, so it's fitting to hold All-Star events in the 'Borough of Basketball.' We are looking forward to showing fans and the players a memorable experience in our state-of-the-art venue, and we are also excited to bring the All-Star Game to Barclays Center in the very near future."

"Barclays Center is proud to welcome such an exciting event as All-Star '15 and to continue bringing the best to Brooklyn," said Bruce C. Ratner. "We are delighted to join with New York City, the NBA and Madison Square Garden for a wonderful weekend. Basketball may have been invented in Springfield, Mass., but its heart and soul are in NYC through and through."

"Madison Square Garden has been a celebrated center of New York since it first opened its doors in 1879. This fall, with the completion of our three-year Transformation, The World's Most Famous Arena will also become the world's most state-of-the-art arena," said Hank Ratner. "2015 will mark our fifth time hosting the All-Star Game, and we look forward to providing yet another unforgettable experience for the great basketball fans of New York."

NBA All-Star is an event with deep roots in New York City, reaching back to the 1954 game (the fourth NBA All-Star Game overall), where the Madison Square Garden faithful saw the Celtics' Bob Cousy tally10 points in overtime en route to MVP honors as the East recorded a 98-93 win over the West. Boston had a second consecutive All-Star Game MVP in 1955 as Bill Sharman scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter of the East's 100-91 win over the West in the second NBA All-Star Game played at Madison Square Garden. Philadelphia's Hal Greer shot 8-of-8 from the floor and notched 21 points during the third NBA All-Star Game played in New York City, a 144-124 East win in 1968. In 1998, the most recent contest in New York, Michael Jordan garnered MVP honors as he scored 23 points and added eight assists and six rebounds during a 135-114 victory for the East.

NBA All-Star competitions will get underway on Friday, Feb. 13, as the league's top rookies and second-year players take the court in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge. Saturday's festivities will feature State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, an all-inclusive skills showcase comprised of Sears Shooting Stars, a competition featuring NBA and WNBA players, and NBA legends; Taco Bell Skills Challenge, a contest of top guards working against the clock to complete a series of passes, free throws, layups and agility drills; Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, a longstanding staple of the evening; and the high-flying Sprite Slam Dunk. Sunday's slate of activities will also feature a Sprint Pregame Concert before the 64t

Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is "way more confident" as he returns to the court for the first time in 18 months following knee surgery, and he said his main focus is leading his team to an NBA title.

"The thing that drives me is just winning the championship," Rose said Friday at Bulls media day. "That's the only thing on my résumé that I'm missing. This is a great time to do it where everybody is watching. It's the biggest stage you could possibly play on. My teammates are preparing themselves for a big year, and I am too. It should be a crazy, magical year where I think there's going to be a lot of people watching. It should be exciting to the Bulls fans."

Rose will make his return to the court at Indiana on Oct. 5 in the Bulls' preseason opener, his first NBA game action in almost 18 months.

He says not to expect to see something different than the fearless slashing style that won him the NBA MVP award in 2011.

"I think I'm going to play the same way," Rose said. "I think the only thing that changed in my game is my confidence level. I think I'm way more confident in my craft, in my game. I worked out a whole year training my body. Going out there and showing people that I'm the same player but a more efficient player, that's what I'm trying to prove." The top-seeded Bulls' playoff hopes were dashed on April 28, 2012, when Rose tore his ACL in the opening game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Rose said Friday he has watched footage of him getting injured 20-30 times.

"I try to get it out of my mind as quickly as possible because it is in the past," Rose said. "At that time, I didn't train my body the way I train it now. I know that I improved every area on my body, so I should be more balanced than in the past."

Rose became a divisive figure in Chicago, his hometown, after choosing to sit out last season despite being cleared to play late in the season. He never declared himself out, practicing with the team during its playoff run and appearing as though he could return at any time. But Rose said one concern was enough to keep him out for the whole season.

"I never felt like I could take on a double-team," Rose said. "I knew that I could get past one person, but in the playoffs, you really have to think the game and people are going to throw different strategies and defenses at you almost every game.

"I knew I wasn't ready to take on the double-team in the playoffs, so I had to make the decision that I'm not coming back."

Rose said he has no regrets with how his rehab was handled last season and never got caught up in the criticism.

"Everything happened for a reason, and I'm just happy to be past it," he said. "You hear a lot of the criticism, you hear stuff, my friends bring stuff to me, but there's nothing you can do about it. Everybody is free to voice their own opinion. I can't stop people from saying stuff. All I can do is just continue to work hard and just try to compete as a player and just to better myself as a player."

The Bulls have won the NBA's No. 1 seed the past two seasons they have had Rose on the court, and the expectations are high for a team that won 45 games and a first-round playoff series without him last season.

"I think we've got the right pieces," Rose said. "Everybody that's coming in, it seems like they've got their head on right. You have guys that's been here the whole summer, just improving their games, trying to make the team better. That's all you can ask for when you're dealing with grown men.

"Hearing from my teammates while I was in L.A., it pushed me to become a better player. It pushed me hard in workouts because I didn't want to come into camp out of shape or out of condition when they were on top of their stuff. I'm happy to be here and seeing that everybody is really working hard."



Derrick Rose of Chicago Bulls more confident, focused on NBA title - ESPN Chicago

Kobe Bryant stepped off a flight from Dubai and showed up at the Los Angeles Lakers' training complex Saturday, joining his teammates for the first morning of training camp. Although Bryant is globetrotting comfortably on his surgically repaired Achilles tendon, he's still uncertain when he'll join the Lakers on their practice court as they begin their return from a hugely disappointing season for the 16-time champion franchise.

"I feel good," Bryant said. "I don't think we have a particular timetable as to where I should be right now, but I'm feeling good."

Kobe is more certain about a few other things: He'll come back strong from his injury, and the Lakers can contend for another title even without Dwight Howard.

"Our expectations are always the same going into every single season," Bryant said. "Improve every single game with the goal in mind of winning the championship. Doesn't matter what anybody else is saying. That's the goal that we have."

After an offseason that began in mid-April when he tore his tendon in a game against Golden State, Bryant likely is still a long way from stepping on the practice court. Yet nobody around the Lakers is willing to predict any timetable for an athlete with almost supernatural recuperative powers.

The fourth-leading scorer in NBA history is running on a special treadmill and doing some court drills, but still isn't sprinting or playing basketball. Bryant knows he might not be ready for opening night Oct. 29, but he's not willing to concede anything in his latest comeback.

"My goal is to play tonight, you know what I mean?" Bryant asked. "It's about being smart about it and pacing it the right way and just seeing how it does. It's really just a strength thing now. I'm just seeing how it holds up, and then how the recovery holds up after that. ... The procedure and the therapy right after that really got me ahead of the curve. It feels like the hard part is over."

Bryant and the Lakers reported for an early camp - thanks to a looming trip to China - with cautious optimism following a tumultuous year. After assembling Howard and Steve Nash for a run at a title, almost nothing went right for the Lakers while finishing seventh in the Western Conference and getting swept out of the first round by San Antonio.

Injuries limited Nash to 32 games in his first Lakers season, and the two-time MVP point guard is now the NBA's oldest active player. Pau Gasol sacrificed playing time and position to help the team, but then struggled through knee injuries that required extensive offseason treatment.

Howard played one inconsistent season and ditched the Lakers, taking a smaller contract to play for the Houston Rockets. The mercurial center never got comfortable playing alongside Bryant and in the shadow of Los Angeles' great centers, but the remaining Lakers aren't sparing much thought for him these days.

Bryant replied with an expletive when asked if he regretted Howard's departure.

"If he would have come back, it would have been great," Bryant said. "If he didn't, it's not, so it's not."

Bryant won't be alone on the Lakers' sideline at the start of camp. Gasol also will sit out at least the first few days of practice while easing back from offseason treatment on tendinosis in his knees, and Nash's minutes will be heavily managed to keep him healthy.

The Lakers have several new faces to work into coach Mike D'Antoni's schemes after adding veterans Nick Young, Chris Kaman, Jordan Farmar and Wesley Johnson in the summer.

D'Antoni didn't get a training camp after arriving early last season, so he's grateful for the time with the players and new assistant coaches Kurt Rambis and Johnny Davis.

"We have to try to build the chemistry, and the trust factor takes a while," D'Antoni said. "The (outside) expectations are down. Obviously, we have some question marks, and that's why people either put us down at 12th or whatever. That happens. Doesn't really affect what we do or our mindset. Our mindset is to overachieve and get this team as strong as we can. We have a lot of talent on this team, and hopefully we have a little chip on our shoulder."

Nobody carries a bigger chip than Bryant, who zealously draws fuel from doubters. He's running with 75 percent of his body weight on the treadmill, and he has done ladder drills on the court to improve his agility, but he grudgingly acknowledges his return isn't imminent.

Still, Bryant is deep into the mind games necessary to get himself back more quickly than anyone expected. He referenced David Beckham, Mariano Rivera and Peyton Manning as inspirations for a strong comeback from a late-career injury.

"I need to get in shape, but it doesn't really take me long to do that," Bryant said. "I work hard at it. When I get back on the court, I'll be good to go. I don't think I've ever played a season where I was 100 percent. Like 70, 80 percent is fine."



Kobe not sure when he will return to court | NBA-com