NBA Rumors.Notes. News

[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD colSpan=3>Wednesday, March 21</TD></TR><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Kevin Durant
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Nike, Kobe Wooing Durant?
Mar 21 - Word is Kobe Bryant has already called Kevin Durant on behalf of Nike and that a shoe deal ranging between $30 million and $50 million simply needs to be presented.
Bryant, through a Lakers spokeman, vehemently denied Wednesday having any contact with Durant.
Even Taras Brown, the man who sculpted Durant's game back in Seat Pleasant, Md., and the man Durant calls his godfather, said a potential shoe deal -- not Durant's draft placement -- would be what shoves Durant to the NBA. -- Dallas Morning News
Tuesday's report ... Taras Brown, an AAU coach in Kevin Durant's home state of Maryland and the man he calls his godfather, says it won't necessarily be the NBA money that lures Durant from UT. It would be a lucrative shoe contract that, in all likelihood, will dwarf Durant's rookie salary. "The shoe companies kind of take the decision out of your hands," Brown said. "They will probably make the family an offer they can't refuse." -- San Antonio Express-News

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Portland
</TD><TD>2006 NBA Draft
</TD><TD>It Was Pritchard's Call
Mar 21 - The best-kept secret in the franchise might be that the Portland Trail Blazers went through their entire NBA predraft process a year ago, held discussions, watched film, scouted games, handed out psychological tests, evaluated workouts, gathered reports and decided they absolutely had to have ... Adam Morrison. The Blazers' top scout was sold on Morrison -- lock, stock and mustache. Fans were lobbying for Morrison. Then, according to a source who was in the draft room, Assistant GM Kevin Pritchard, who was told "this is your draft," by owner Paul Allen, decided to pick Brandon Roy. This is why the Blazers made the draft-day moves to secure Roy, which only proves that these draft-evaluation things can be a blend of art, science and gut. -- The Oregonian

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Dallas
</TD><TD>Mavericks
</TD><TD>Almost Sold?
Mar 21 - When asked how many individuals or groups expressed an interest, Mark Cuban said he didn't remember. He put the range at more than three and less than 20. It never progressed to the stage where he opened the books, but he did provide financial summaries to the more viable parties.
Cuban said he didn't shut down the process until September or October.
Did Cuban come to realize he would have regretted selling the team?
"I wouldn't have regretted it at all," Cuban said. "That would have been a nice opportunity to get some things off my chest, which I would have enjoyed immensely." -- Dallas Morning News Mark Cuban said he had the Dallas Mavericks on the market for the entire summer last year before deciding not to sell. And regarding his widely reported interest in purchasing the Chicago Cubs, Cuban -- a Pirates fan -- said he dropped out of the running when the Tribune Corporation told him they would not break the Cubs off to sell as a separate commodity. Cuban, however, still plans to revisit the idea once there is a new owner of all Tribune properties. -- ESPN.com

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Ron Artest
Kings
</TD><TD>Potential Issues
</TD><TD>Kings May Add Mentor
Mar 21 - Ron Artest isn't the only one concerned about minimizing the off-the-court issues. According to two sources close to the team who did not want to be identified because they're unauthorized to speak on the team's behalf, the Kings are now considering hiring a mentor who would travel with the team and also be in frequent communication with the league regarding any potential issues. One of the candidates is former Kings player Harold Pressley, though no timetable or certainty of the hire was known. When reached by phone, Pressley had no comment. -- Sacramento Bee

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Kevin Garnett
Timberwolves
</TD><TD>New House
</TD><TD>Comfortable In Minnesota
Mar 21 - Wolves all-star Kevin Garnett recently purchased a house in Orono for $6.45 million, according to Hennepin County property records.
Garnett's latest purchase might be a good sign for the Wolves and might dispel some of the speculation among the national media regarding whether he wants out of Minnesota. "It would be a lot better if he gives me his old place," coach Randy Wittman joked. "Then I'd really consider it a nice sign." Turning serious, Wittman said Garnett is comfortable in Minnesota. -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Flip Saunders
</TD><TD>University Of Minnesota
</TD><TD>Not A Candidate
Mar 21 - It's official: Flip Saunders won't be returning to his alma mater to coach the Gophers men's basketball team this year. University of Minnesota officials have been told privately by people close to Saunders' representatives that he is not a candidate for the Gophers' job and that the university should go in another direction. The reasons are that Saunders, 51, is committed to this season and the next two years of his Detroit Pistons contract (worth $9.5 million in base salary), as well as trying to win an NBA championship. -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Flip Saunders
</TD><TD>University Of Minnesota
</TD><TD>Not A Candidate
Mar 21 - It's official: Flip Saunders won't be returning to his alma mater to coach the Gophers men's basketball team this year. University of Minnesota officials have been told privately by people close to Saunders' representatives that he is not a candidate for the Gophers' job and that the university should go in another direction. The reasons are that Saunders, 51, is committed to this season and the next two years of his Detroit Pistons contract (worth $9.5 million in base salary), as well as trying to win an NBA championship. -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

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[YesSir]

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San Antonio
</TD><TD>Unsigned Draft Pick
</TD><TD>Signing Scola An Option
Mar 21 - I asked one Spurs official the other day if signing Luis Scola would be an option this summer. His response: "Absolutely." The buyout clause in Luis? contract with Tau Ceramica ? the same clause that made it next to impossible for the Spurs to sign him two summers ago ? has dropped to a little more than $3 million. As a result, interest in Luis from other NBA teams picked up around the trade deadline. I expect there will be a few more queries this summer. -- San Antonio Express-News

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[YesSir]

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LSU
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Davis Signs With Agent
Mar 21 - As expected, Glen Davis announced Tuesday that he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2007 NBA draft. Davis has hired sports agent John Hamilton of Houston-based Sports Management Group, forfeiting his amateur eligibility. "This is a move I want to do and I'm ready to do. All my life I've been counted out. I have always been predicted not to succeed and have overcome those things through the grace of God. After my toughest year, I now feel I am physically and mentally ready for the NBA." -- The Advocate

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Eduardo Najera
Nuggets
</TD><TD>Left Knee
</TD><TD>Summer Surgery?
Mar 21 - Some days Eduardo Najera's knee feels better than others. Right now he will play on it. After the season, "I have to talk to the doctor. I might need surgery to clean out my left knee," Najera said Tuesday. He described his knee issues as: "I've got a bone bruise, and then I've got a piece in there slowing me down. Sometimes it feels good. Some days it feels bad." The procedure might keep Najera from playing for the Mexican National Team this summer in the FIBA Americas Championship. Former Arkansas Razorbacks coach Nolan Richardson was named coach of the team Tuesday and said one of his priorities would be to recruit Najera. -- Denver Post

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[YesSir]

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Minnesota
</TD><TD>Mouse
</TD><TD>Uninvited Mascot
Mar 21 - The Wolves had an uninvited mascot for their brief stay in Phoenix: A tiny mouse was seen repeatedly scampering in and out of the visitors' locker room at US Airways Center Tuesday night. "I think I'd be leaving the [buffet] food alone in there," an arena security guard said, shrugging off the varmint's presence. -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

North Carolina
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Tar Heels Face NBA Questions
Mar 21 - "I haven't made it definitively," Tyler Hansbrough said. "But I think it is my mind-set -- to stay at UNC -- right now. I just have to wait until the end of the year and (see) what things are like and go from there." "I'm just focusing on the next game," Brandan Wright said. "I'm not even worrying about what's going on after the season." "I haven't talked to anyone about going pro," Ty Lawson said. "I haven't even talked to my parents about going pro, so I don't know where they're getting that from." -- The News and Record

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Villanova
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>NBA Talk
Mar 21 - "Right now, I'm coming back," Scottie Reynolds said. "Right now, I'm not even thinking about it. Of course, there's the question but I'm not thinking about it. I'm ready to take on the new challenge for next year, help this team as much as possible to carry on the tradition." "Right now" are the operative words. When it comes to the NBA draft, things can change quickly, the promise and lure of first-round money and NBA stardom dangling like golden carrots in front of young players' noses. Jay Wright, who today will meet with Reynolds as he will do with all of his players, has more than his share of friends in the NBA and by this time last year, a number of those friends were saying they would take Lowry in the first round. People tell Wright they like Reynolds, but no one is promising their first pick. -- Philadelphia Daily News

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[YesSir]

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Villanova
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Preparing For The Draft
Mar 21 - Curtis Sumpter, Villanova's fifth-year forward, said he planned to spend the next weeks preparing for the NBA.
"I'm going to go into that mode again," said Sumpter, who averaged 17.4 points a game. "I'm going to work extremely hard to get ready and do whatever it takes and more."
Sumpter said he planned to attend the predraft camp this summer in Orlando, Fla. -- Philadelphia Inquirer Sumpter, who expects soon to sign with an agent, will not play in the predraft camp in Portsmouth, Va., next month, but hopes to score an invite to the bigger camp in Orlando, Fla., in June. Once a likely first-rounder, Sumpter now finds himself a man with a twice-repaired ACL about to learn what it feels like to be the frog during the dissection portion of biology class. -- Philadelphia Daily News

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[YesSir]

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Winthrop
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Portsmouth Invite
Mar 21 - Craig Bradshaw and senior teammate Torrell Martin will participate in next month's prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Portsmouth, Va. They are among 64 players invited to the tournament which is a showcase for NBA scouts and executives as well as foreign professional organizations. -- The Herald Other commitments include: Kammeron Taylor of Wisconsin, Loren Stokes of Hofstra, Valdas Vasylius of Old Dominion University, Reyshawn Terry of North Carolina, Derek Raivio of Gonzaga and Zabian Dowdell of Virginia Tech.

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Gabe Pruitt
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Running The Point
Mar 21 - Gabe Pruitt has NBA aspirations, but he said he was willing to sacrifice his scoring to help the team win. He was academically ineligible for the first 11 games and the Trojans turned the ball over in droves. "I feel I needed to show people I can run the point guard position," Pruitt said. "I feel in the two years I've had here, I've shown people I can score. Hopefully, guys see it that way." -- Orange County Register

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[YesSir]

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Greg Oden
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Pitino: Oden Will Be A Star
Mar 20 - Pro scouts salivate when they project Greg Oden into the NBA, playing with the kind of defensive fundamentals few young players possess. He is unquestionably the dominant defensive presence in college basketball, blocking a shot once every eight defensive possessions.
"Greg Oden is the No. 1 player in the NBA draft," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "Not to take anything away from Kevin Durant ... but Greg Oden is going to be a star in the NBA for 15 years. He could be the next great dominating defensive basketball player, and he has also improved tremendously this year." -- San Antonio Express-News
Whenever Greg Oden decides to go pro, he'll have the option of turning to a longtime friend for representation.
Mike Conley Sr., who coached Oden in summer basketball and has known the Ohio State freshman phenom since he was in sixth grade, has decided to start a firm. The company will be called Mac Management Group after the founder's full name, Michael A. Conley. Conley Sr. has extensive contacts in basketball. His former summer team included Oden, fellow Ohio State freshmen Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook, Duke's Josh McRoberts and North Central High School senior Eric Gordon -- all projected as future NBA players. -- Indianapolis Star

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[YesSir]

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Yi Jianlian
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Yao: Yi's A Taller Stoudemire
Mar 20 - With several NBA scouts sending representatives to China to scout Yi Jianlian in the China Basketball Association finals, Rockets center Yao Ming offered his own, typically generous, scouting report.
"He is very close to a player who is in the NBA like I would say Amare Stoudemire," Yao said. "Yi is taller. He is almost seven-foot. He has a very nice touch, very athletic. He has everything (to be) a great player. -- Houston Chronicle
"He's a good player, and from what I see, athletic," said journalist Wang Mang, of Titan Sports, who has been following Yao, sending reports back to China. "From that aspect, he is quicker [than Yao]. His explosive strength is much better than Yao. Yao has a much better [shooting] touch, but Yi can move quicker.
"People in China think he won't be as successful as Yao. They think he doesn't seem to have [the same] desire, that he's not as hungry as Yao.
"But Yi is really hungry, especially this year. When we got confirmation that he will come to the NBA, he's worked so hard." -- Philadelphia Daily News
Monday's report
The finals of CBA between Bayi Rockets and Guangdong Tigers, China Basketball Association, have drawn much attention from local basketball fans, and also a number of NBA executives and scouts, who have arrived China to watch top Chinese player Yi Jianlian, a latent NBA star.
Five teams, the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and New Jersey Nets, sent their officials to observe the game. "We know that Yi Jianlian has declared himself eligible for this year's draft, so we have come to watch him," Phoenix's vice president of basketball operations, David Griffin, was quoted as saying. "There are a lot of good players in this match up that are worth looking at," Griffin told the Basketball Pioneers newspaper. -- China Daily

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[YesSir]

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Brook Lopez
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Lopez To Stay At Stanford
Mar 20 - "He had a pretty good chance to be a lottery pick," one NBA scout said. "How much better off will he be a year later? He might move from, say, No. 12 to No. 5."
But, the scout added, there is more upside to staying in school for Brook Lopez than potential dollars.
"It will make his transition to the pros infinitely better," he said. "(Staying in school) will make him better equipped to deal with double teams. He'll be more mature, a more well-rounded person." -- San Jose Mercury News
Monday's report ...
Brook Lopez isn't going to the NBA this year. The 7-foot freshman, a potential top-10 pick in this June's draft, announced Monday that he will return to Stanford for his sophomore season. "It is with great excitement and peace of mind that I plan to return to continue my education and be a member of the Stanford team next season," Lopez said in a statement. "I greatly enjoy my experience here as both a student and athlete, and feel that it is important to continue to focus on maturing as a person, student and player with the assistance of my coaches, the Stanford faculty and my teammates." -- San Jose Mercury News

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[YesSir]

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Spencer Hawes
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>No Decision Yet
Mar 20 - If Spencer Hawes declares, he will most likely not hire an agent in order to preserve his eligibility. But declaring would allow him to take part in tryout camps and get a gauge from NBA scouts about his standing in the draft. He would then have until June 18 to pull out of the draft.
Hawes has said little this season in terms of which way he might be leaning, and apparently didn't tip his hand when he held an end-of-season meeting with Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar last week. "The only thing we talked about is that we will talk about it later," Romar said. Romar said he isn't in a hurry to know what Hawes will do. "As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't have to tell me until he's ready to tell me," Romar said. -- Seattle Times

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[YesSir]

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Morris Almond
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Choosing An Agent
Mar 20 - Morris Almond and his father, Willie, interviewed five agents last weekend in Almond's hometown of Atlanta. Almond has made his choice, but will withhold an announcement until after he has notified the candidates. ... Almond will spend his weekends working out with John Lucas in advance of the pre-draft camps that will take place in early summer. "It's definite. I'm in full force with both feet, whereas last year there were so many different rules," Almond said. "Last year, we were just feeling our way through. This year, it's just exciting because it's so close." -- Houston Chronicle

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[YesSir]

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Marcus Williams
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Announcement Expected Soon
Mar 20 - A public announcement about Marcus Williams' future is expected soon, Lute Olson said. Williams has long been expected to leave this spring for the NBA, and the Wildcats have already recruited to fill his roster spot. -- Arizona Daily Star

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[YesSir]

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Fresno State
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>McGuire To Enter Draft
Mar 20 - Dominic McGuire plans to forgo his senior season and declare for the 2007 NBA draft.
McGuire said Monday he will "test the waters" without hiring an agent. That allows him the flexibility to withdraw from the June draft. That decision will depend on how he performs at the pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla., and private workouts with NBA teams, as well as how many other underclassmen enter the draft. "It's not like I'm closing off coming back next year. But at the same time, I have to see what are my options and see what the NBA thinks about me," said McGuire. -- Fresno Bee

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[YesSir]

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Texas A&M-CC
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Testing The Waters
Mar 20 - Chris Daniels is going to test himself for the NBA while keeping his eligibility for college. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi coach Ronnie Arrow said he had talked to Daniels Sunday, and the 7-foot center wanted to look at going pro while keeping his last season of eligibility. "He wants to go to Orlando and see what it's like against guys his own size," Arrow said. "He sort of indicated he thought he would be back, but he wants to test himself and see how he does consistently." -- Corpus Christi Caller-Times

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[YesSir]

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Georgia Tech
</TD><TD>NBA Draft
</TD><TD>Duo Feeling The Draft
Mar 20 - Thaddeus Young is gone, popular opinion says, because he wouldn't have bothered with college in the first place if not for the NBA outlawing high school players from its draft a year ago. And Javaris Crittenton, folks guess, is staying because, well, he's a point guard, and even the phenoms at that position over the years - Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson - spent at least two seasons in college. Word around the Georgia Tech locker room is both are staying. They enjoy the college experience, and both are fierce enough competitors they won't want to leave the program after what they consider a season of underachievement. -- Morris News Service

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[YesSir]

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Kobe Bryant
Lakers
</TD><TD>No. 24 Jersey
</TD><TD>No. 1 In China
Mar 20 - Kobe Bryant was atop another list of jersey sales, only this one didn't originate in the U.S. Try Beijing. Bryant has the top-selling jersey in China so far this season, significantly better than Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, according to sales figures to be released today by the NBA. Yao, third in China last season, has slipped to sixth. Denver guard Allen Iverson has the second-most-popular jersey in China, behind Bryant. -- Los Angeles Times

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[YesSir]

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Washington
</TD><TD>Michigan
</TD><TD>Dream Job
Mar 20 - Wizards assistant coach Phil Hubbard watched the job Sidney Lowe did with the North Carolina State Wolfpack this season and figured he'd love an opportunity to do the same thing at his alma mater, Michigan. Hubbard has coached exclusively in the NBA as an assistant but believes that like Lowe, who had no previous college coaching experience before taking the N.C. State job, he could successfully guide a college program. "Right now, my focus is here with the Wizards, but Michigan is the one job I would dream of having," Hubbard said. "The way I look at it is, if Sidney Lowe can do it, why can't I?" -- Washington Post

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[YesSir]

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Chris Webber
Pistons
</TD><TD>Webber Buyout
</TD><TD>Snider Made The Call
Mar 20 - Make no mistake, when the 76ers severed their ties with Chris Webber, it was with the blessing of chairman Ed Snider. "I was the one who wanted to do it," Snider said yesterday. "I wasn't angered [by the situation]. No one else [in the organization] was. We saved a lot of money, we've gotten under the tax [trigger point], we're under for next year, we're under the cap after that, we're in good shape for the future." -- Philadelphia Daily News

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[YesSir]

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Charlotte
</TD><TD>Next Coach
</TD><TD>Not Under Consideration
Mar 20 - Larry Brown is not under consideration to succeed Bernie Bickerstaff on the Bobcats' sidelines next season.
The idea is to hire an Avery Johnson-Nate McMillan-Sam Mitchell Type-A personality coach. You know, someone in the habit of being a little more straight up with the players than Next Town Brown, someone who demands respect, isn't carrying any baggage and isn't all that far removed from actual competition. -- New York Post
"I think the job Bernie has done is great," said Gerald Wallace. "If it was up to me, I'd prefer that he stay because he's established this team. But since he's not going to be here, we need someone who will continue on with what he's started." Wallace's comments are met with support from teammates. "I think what we need is a similar coach who's demanding, stern and demands respect from us just like Bernie does," said Derek Anderson. "As an expansion franchise, we've got to outwork people and Coach has clearly instilled that in this team." -- Gaston Gazette

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=oddrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

Keyon Dooling
Magic
</TD><TD>07-08 Player Option
</TD><TD>Dooling Won't Test Free Agency
Mar 20 - Magic guard Keyon Dooling can opt out of his contract after the season but doesn't plan to test free-agency. "That probably is not the way to go for a guy like me," Dooling said. "We all saw what happened to DeShawn Stevenson." Stevenson turned down an offer with Orlando similar to Dooling's current contract -- $9 million over three years. He wound up signing a one-year deal with the Washington Wizards for $930,000. -- Orlando Sentinel

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[YesSir]

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=colhead><TD width=65>WHO</TD><TD>WHAT</TD><TD>THE SKINNY</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow vAlign=top><TD noWrap align=middle>

NO/Oklahoma City
</TD><TD>Comments On Underclassmen
</TD><TD>Fine Pending?
Mar 20 - Only a few days after the NBA told its teams and executives to zip it regarding underclassmen entering the draft -- and fining the Celtics $30,000 because Danny Ainge chatted up Kevin Durant's mother at the Big 12 Tournament -- the following appeared in yesterday's Oklahoman from Hornets coach Byron Scott: "Without a doubt, [Durant and Greg Oden] are going to be No. 1 and No. 2. You've got two young men right now that are probably head and shoulders above everybody else as far as being the two best players in college basketball." A Hornets official said Scott's comments were a week old and that the team had not heard from the NBA regarding any possible fine. -- Boston Globe

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