NBA News

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Phoenix Suns forward Shawn Marion, the team's highest-paid player and a four-time All-Star, says he wants to be traded after eight years with the club.

Marion said he decided to ask to leave because the team considered trading him over the summer and won't talk about a contract extension.

Marion told The Arizona Republic late Tuesday that he had informed the team of his desires and has struggled with the decision

"I'm tired of hearing my name in trades," Marion said by phone from his Chicago home. "I love my fans in Phoenix, but I think it's time for me to move on."

Marion has two years left on his contract, which will net him $16.4 million for this season and $17.8 million in 2008-2009.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr declined to comment.

Marion said the Suns' decision not to enter contract-extension talks is only part of the reason he wants to leave. He also said the team's consideration of a three-way trade that would have sent him to the Boston Celtics in a deal landing the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett in Phoenix was a factor. Garnett has since been traded to the Celtics.

"I feel they tried to force my hand to Boston with the Garnett stuff," the 29-year-old said.

"I haven't done anything wrong. I leave it on the floor night in and night out," Marion said. "Sometimes it's just time to move on."

Marion said he would report as required for training camp Monday if he is still with the team. Besides Boris Diaw, who is expected to report Wednesday, the rest of the team is already in Phoenix for voluntary workouts.

"I'll do what I've got to do," he said. "I'm a professional. I'm not bitter. I love the fans, but I've got to take care of me."

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Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer could miss the start of training camp next week while his son recovers from a bone-marrow transplant in Miami.

Camp starts Tuesday and runs through Oct. 6 in Boise, Idaho.

"As soon as my son is home from the hospital and stable, I will join my teammates," Boozer said in a statement released by the team Thursday. "Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated by me and my family during this time."

Boozer averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds during the playoffs last season.

"Carlos has been working out all summer in Miami. ... We are confident that when he rejoins the team he will be ready to compete," general manager Kevin O'Connor said. "Carlos needs to be with his family right now and we fully support his decision."

The Jazz did not release any other information. Boozer has three sons, including twins born over the summer.

Utah released guard Derek Fisher so he could find another city to get treatment for a daughter who has cancer in an eye. He signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Paul Westhead is leaving the WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury to return to the NBA, accepting an assistant coach job with the Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday.

Westhead's move to join the staff of friend P.J. Carlesimo was not unexpected after the Mercury won their first title two weeks ago.

The WNBA crown was the second title for the 68-year-old Westhead, who also won the NBA championship in 1980 as a rookie coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the only coach to win titles in both leagues.

"P.J. and I have worked together and known each other for many years, and I'm thankful for the opportunity," Westhead said.

He also was a head coach in Chicago and Denver, sandwiched around a five-year run at Loyola Marymount, where Westhead took the Lions to three straight NCAA berths, including a memorable run to the Elite Eight in 1990 after the death of star forward Hank Gathers. He also had college stops at George Mason and LaSalle.

Westhead was an assistant for Carlesimo from 1997-99, Carlesimo's last NBA head coaching stop.

"We are extremely fortunate to have Paul Westhead join our coaching staff," Carlesimo said in a statement. "He will be a great resource to our talented players, and also to his fellow coaches."

Westhead joins Ralph Lewis, Scott Brooks and Mark Bryant on Carlesimo's staff.

Mercury general manager Ann Meyers Drysdale released a statement praising Westhead's work.

"We are unendingly grateful for the commitment and leadership Paul provided from the day he joined the Mercury organization and the role he played in bringing our franchise and city their first professional basketball championship," she said. "We wish him the best in his new venture."

She said the search for a new coach would begin immediately.

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The owner of the New York Knicks dismissed a top female executive solely in retaliation for accusing head coach Isiah Thomas of boorish behavior and to scare other unhappy employees, a lawyer said Thursday in closing arguments at the sexual harassment trial.

Madison Square Garden "completely fabricated its reasons for firing" Anucha Browne Sanders, the plaintiff in the $10 million lawsuit, said her attorney, Anne Vladeck.

In their closing arguments, defense lawyers argued Browne Sanders was doomed by her own failure to adapt to an organizational shake up that began with Thomas's hiring in 2004.

Vladeck argued the firing was meant "to impose fear in every Garden employee who may want to complain, particularly about a star" and send the message, "You will be attacked on every level: your integrity, character, honesty and competence."

At the trial in Manhattan federal court, Browne Sanders leveled accusations -- denied by Thomas -- that he routinely addressed her as "bitch" and "ho" during private meetings. Such conduct "may be OK at the Garden, but it's not OK under the law," Vladeck said.

MSG and its chief executive, James Dolan, should be forced to pay punitive damages because money "is the language the defendants understand," the lawyer told a jury of five women and three men.

Earlier Thursday, MSG attorney Ronald Green claimed a series of clashes with Thomas and star guard Stephon Marbury, poor job performance and personal financial woes put her in a precarious position that prompted her to make false claims.

"That's not about sexual harassment," he said. "That's about team politics."

Thomas's attorney argued that Browne Sanders defied logic by testifying that the once-abusive coach did an abrupt about-face, declaring his love for her and suggesting a liaison "off site."

"Interesting term -- 'off site,"' said the lawyer, Kathleen Bogas. "Not particularly romantic. One would expect, 'Let's have dinner.' 'Let's have lunch.' 'Let's have a drink together.' But 'Let's go off site'?"

The defense also argued that extensive testimony about Marbury's admitted tryst with an MSG intern -- meant to demonstrate an environment of harassment -- really was a side show.

"What does that have to do with Isiah Thomas? Nothing," Bogas said.

The jury was expected to begin deliberations Friday.

Browne Sanders, a 44-year-old former Northwestern University basketball star, says she was dismissed in 2005 because she dared to accuse Thomas of routinely using vulgar language in his first year and of later making unwanted sexual advances toward her. She seeks reinstatement to a job as vice president of marketing, which paid as much as $260,000 annually.

On Wednesday, Thomas calmly testified that his contact with Browne Sanders was infrequent and usually friendly and respectful.

Degrading a woman with foul language "is never OK," he said. "It is never appropriate."

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Top NBA draft pick Greg Oden doesn't remember much from immediately after knee surgery. He was with his mother at home when he found out how serious it was.

"I kinda looked at my mom and said, 'I'm out for the season? You kidding me?' " he said.

Oden will be on crutches for six more weeks. Full recovery likely will take six to 12 months. He has started swimming, and a machine gently bends his knee for six hours a day.

Oden was at the Trail Blazers' practice facility on Thursday on crutches and with his surgically repaired left knee wrapped in ice.

Except for a videotaped blog entry, it was the 7-footer's first public appearance since undergoing microfracture surgery on Sept. 13. He will miss the season rehabbing.

He had spoken to Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, who have had microfracture surgery and they warned him not to rush back.

Oden averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds last season as a freshman at Ohio State, despite being hampered by a wrist injury. He led the Buckeyes to the national championship game, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the loss to Florida.

There was much fanfare when the Blazers got the first pick in the draft, and even more when the team chose Oden over Texas forward Kevin Durant, who went with the second overall pick to Seattle.

Oden was ushered into the city with a rally downtown, and a stories-high jersey with his name was hung on the Rose Garden Arena.

While losing their rookie center was a blow to the organization, general manager Kevin Pritchard said the team "couldn't be happier the way things are moving and progressing already."

"We've got a great kid who really cares about this organization, and his character is already shining through," Pritchard said.

"I just want everybody to know, I did not hurt my knee getting up off the couch this summer, and I didn't hurt my knee playing 'Dance Dance Revolution' and break dancing this summer," he joked. "That did not happen."

While he joked about how the injury occurred, Oden said it remains a mystery. He took time off after the draft, and then started feeling pain when he resumed training. He did laughingly admit to having a "Dance Dance Revolution" interactive video game at his home.

Oden was in good spirits, although he said the full impact of missing the season probably won't hit him until Tuesday, when the Blazers start fall practice for the season.

"You know, it is a setback, but I'm excited to be able to scout the NBA for the whole year, and just know that next year when I come in I'm going to be 20 years old, I'm going to be very mature, and I'm going to be ready to play."

He even predicted he'd be better than he was before: "I'm hoping for a 40-inch vertical."

The regular-season opener is at San Antonio on Oct. 30.

Oden also said the Blazers, with guard Brandon Roy, last season's Rookie of the Year, and forward LaMarcus Aldridge, would be fine without him.

"You don't know how good these guys are going to be this year. I've played against LaMarcus Aldridge, and he kills me every time," he said. "If they want a basket, give him the ball."

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Forward Renaldo Balkman will miss at least four weeks because of a stress reaction in his right ankle, leaving the Knicks without a key reserve just days before the start of training camp.

An MRI exam performed this week also revealed a small cartilage injury in the ankle, the team announced Thursday. Balkman will be fitted for a walking boot and will be re-evaluated after resting for four weeks.

New York begins camp next Tuesday and opens the regular season on Nov. 2 at Cleveland. Injuries helped ruin the Knicks' playoff hopes last season, as Jamal Crawford, David Lee and Quentin Richardson all missed significant time late in the season.

A surprising first-round pick out of South Carolina in the 2006 draft, Balkman averaged 4.9 points and 4.3 rebounds as a rookie. He played well on the Knicks' unbeaten summer league team in July, averaging 13.2 points.

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Where's Kobe?

There was some uncertainty regarding Kobe Bryant's presence at media day Monday, and it increased after the entire Los Angeles Lakers' roster except Bryant hit the floor for preseason promos and interviews shortly after the scheduled 10 a.m. start.

As it turned out, there was no mystery.

"He's running late. He had a doctor's appointment this morning," said Bryant's spokeswoman, Catherine Sebring, who lent a bit of intrigue last week by declining comment when asked about Bryant's plans.

Sure enough, with all eyes on the training room door, Bryant emerged at 10:34, and all was right in the Lakers' world -- at least for the time being.

Bryant hadn't said much about the Lakers since late May after calling the team's front office a mess and requesting a trade.

The two-time defending NBA scoring champion said he decided to keep a low profile after that, and the team did the same.

"We purposely didn't say anything because we wanted to keep things to ourselves," he said. "There was just too much going on -- things get misconstrued. We don't need that. We don't need any distractions for the season. There was never a doubt I was coming to camp. They knew that, I knew that.

"I was frustrated, so I blew up. Now, it's about taking this team that we have and take it to new heights. I think the important thing for everybody to understand is I want to bring a title back to L.A.

"I'm ready to play. I'm in shape, guys look good. I'm ready to go. My job is to come out here on the floor, help us win ballgames."

The Lakers left later Monday for Honolulu, where they'll begin training camp Tuesday and play their first two exhibition games before returning home Oct. 12.

Bryant pushed for an upgraded roster after the Lakers were eliminated by Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

It hasn't happened, but four months after blowing up, Bryant said all the right things.

"I'm a soldier. It's not my decision to say whether or not we should fight the war," he said. "My focus and my mind has to be on this team. We have an uphill battle. I'm going to do all I can to help us win."

Unrestricted free agents Luke Walton and Chris Mihm were re-signed, and Derek Fisher, a former Laker was added, which should improve the backcourt. But an attempt to land Kevin Garnett from Minnesota was unsuccessful, and nothing developed regarding Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal.

"I know they tried," Bryant said. "It wasn't a lack of effort. That means a lot to me."

The Lakers won three championships and reached the NBA finals four times in five years before Shaquille O'Neal was traded to Miami in July 2004. They haven't won a playoff series since O'Neal left.

Bryant apologized to general manager Mitch Kupchak early in the summer for criticizing him and bemoaning the fact that Andrew Bynum wasn't traded in a video recorded by three fans last spring and sold on the Internet.

Bryant said he text-messaged an apology to Bynum, but the 19-year-old center said the two hadn't talked.

"I thought it was kind of messed up," Bynum said. "The only thing it really did was make me work harder. I really didn't think it was that big a deal.

"He's definitely a great teammate, a great player. I just hope that everything's cool, we go out and play basketball together. He wants to win more than anyone. I'm good with everything. I just know I want to come out and be a great player, be as good as I can be."

Several other Lakers said it would be easy to put the whole brouhaha behind them.

"He's a great guy -- he's the best in the business," Brian Cook said of Bryant. "There's a lot of love here. I'm going to try to be positive, pull all the guys together. I'm one of the older guys now."

Walton said he's heard 15 versions of what happened regarding Bryant.

"We'll let all this stuff be under the bridge and we'll move on," he said. "I'm 99 percent positive that by the end of camp, nobody on our team is going to be talking about it. I don't think it's as big a deal as people are making it out to be.

"He wants to win championships. This is the team we have. We had a very strong team last year before everyone got hurt."

The Lakers won 26 of their first 39 games before losing 27 of 43 to finish 42-40. Walton, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown all missed extensive time with injuries, and Mihm sat out the entire season.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said the injuries were too much for the Lakers to overcome.

When asked if the current roster had what it takes to compete for a championship, Jackson replied: "I don't know. We'll have to be awfully good in the middle. We've got two guys (Brown and Mihm) who were injured and one guy (Bynum) who was a novice."

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Phoenix Suns center Amare Stoudemire underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Tuesday.

Team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Thomas Carter performed the surgery at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital. As expected, a loose particle that caused inflamation was removed from Stoudemire's right knee.

The two-time All-Star is expected to resume basketball activities in two to three weeks. The Suns opened training camp on Tuesday in Tucson.

Stoudemire had microfracture surgery on his left knee two years ago, forcing him to miss nearly all of the 2005-06 season.

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Phil Jackson hopes to reach a decision on his coaching future in the next four weeks.

Jackson, who turned 62 last month, is in the final season of the three-year, $30 million contract he signed before the 2005-06 season.

"I just told Dr. Buss it hinged upon my recovery," Jackson said Tuesday, referring to Lakers owner Jerry Buss. "Hopefully that doesn't run into the season, when wins and losses become a priority."

Jackson underwent hip replacement surgery in June -- his second such operation in less than a year. He's still using a cane, but said he's been making progress. The Lakers open the season Oct. 30 against the Houston Rockets.

Jackson coached the Lakers to three championships and a fourth berth in the NBA finals from 2000-04. At that stage, he wasn't invited back, and was out of coaching for a year before returning. The Lakers have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of Jackson's two seasons in his second tour of duty with the team.

"We've extended an offer to have him return," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. "That's our position. We're hopeful. The lame duck situation, I don't think that applies to Phil. This is something where there's a standing offer."

Jackson enters the season with nine championships as a head coach, tying him with former Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach for the NBA record. Jackson coached the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls to six titles in the 1990s.

Speaking during the Lakers' first formal practice, Kupchak said he's optimistic the team will fare much better this season than last year despite a lack of major offseason moves.

"We feel that if we stay healthy, we've got a good team," he said. "Expectations aren't very high. That's OK with me. All I keep reading is we're not a very good team. Obviously, I disagree with that."

The Lakers began last season by winning 26 of their first 39 games before losing 27 of their last 43 to finish 42-40.

It was a lively offseason for the Lakers, starting last May when star Kobe Bryant criticized the front office and requested a trade. Then, apparent efforts to acquire Kevin Garnett from Minnesota failed, with Garnett being traded to the Boston Celtics.

But it was business as usual Tuesday in the wake of Bryant's appearance a day earlier at media day, when he said among other things that his top priority was to bring a championship back to Los Angeles.

When asked if he was glad to have put the events of the summer and the Bryant situation behind him, Kupchak replied: "What's the Bryant situation?"

When some of what Bryant said was mentioned, Kupchak said: "We did not end the season last year on a good note. A lot of the things Kobe talked about were related to not winning games. I am very happy being in training camp and looking forward to this season. In that respect, I'm glad the summer's over."

Notes

Eighteen players took part in the Lakers' first formal practice. All but four -- Elton Brown, Coby Karl, Andre Patterson and Larry Turner -- have guaranteed contracts. "We would carry 15," Kupchak said. "If somebody jumps out at us, we'll have 15." ... F Lamar Odom, recovering from offseason surgery on his left (shooting) shoulder, participated in the first practice. "He did a lot more today than I thought he would," Kupchak said. "He went through half a practice. That's good, as long as he doesn't have soreness."

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Exhibition? Excruciating was more fitting.

It's a good thing the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards have a few more weeks to work out the kinks.

Antonio Daniels scored 12 points, Gilbert Arenas had nine in his first game back from offseason knee surgery and the Wizards beat the Cavaliers 81-62 on Tuesday night in an NBA preseason matchup of playoff teams from last season.

Superstar LeBron James scored only three points on 1-of-5 shooting and played just 15 minutes for the Cavs, who swept the Wizards 4-0 in the first round last April on their way to an Eastern Conference title.

Daniel Gibson started at point guard for Cleveland and had 13 points. The Cavs shot just 31 percent from the floor and had 27 turnovers, a stat certain to infuriate coach Mike Brown.


As the Cavaliers fired up brick after brick in the third quarter, one paying customer voiced his frustration toward Brown.

"Hey, Mike, do you have them take any shots at practice?" he yelled.

It didn't look like it.

Arenas was relegated to the role of cheerleader during last season's first-round series against Cleveland after tearing up his knee in a game. A summer spent in grueling rehab sessions seems to have paid off as the All-Star moved well.

It's his touch that was off, as Agent Zero went just 2-of-11 from the floor.

About the only highlight in a first half filled with airballs, turnovers and playground-style hoops was a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Arenas that put the Wizards ahead 45-29 at the break.

Washington outscored Cleveland 29-14 in the second quarter.

Before the game, James, who caused a stir last week when he showed up at an Indians playoff game wearing a New York Yankees cap, predicted Cleveland would win the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.

The Indians eliminated the Yankees in the first round on Monday.

"I think Cleveland is going to win," he said. "Like I've said before, if there was going to be a team who beat the Yankees, I wanted it to be the Indians. I think Cleveland will do the same thing it did in New York."

The Cavaliers played without two key contributors from last season's team: guard Sasha Pavlovic and forward Anderson Varejao. The two restricted free agents recently turned down one-year qualifying offers from the club and their agents are holding them out for long-term deals they may never get.

Cleveland appears intent on moving on without the pair, who could both end up playing in Europe.

The Cavs, who will leave on an eight-day trip to China following Friday's game against Seattle, were also without guard Eric Snow, who underwent knee surgery last week and is expected to miss the entire exhibition season.

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Kevin Garnett will face his past before he gets on with his future.

The 2004 MVP and 10-time All-Star, who left the Minnesota Timberwolves to join the Boston Celtics in a huge offseason trade, will play against his former team for the first time Wednesday in an NBA preseason game at the O2 Arena in London.


"I haven't really thought a lot about the past," Garnett said Monday. "I'm enjoying this journey. ... That's the focus now."

Garnett came to the Celtics in a 7-for-1 deal -- the NBA's biggest trade for a single player. Ray Allen, another former All-Star, joined Boston in a separate deal, raising hopes that the team can add to its record 16 NBA titles.

All that is good news for Paul Pierce, the five-time All-Star who has been Boston's star player in recent years.

"I don't have to score as much this year," said Pierce, who led the Celtics with 25 points per game last season. "I don't have to handle all the pressure every night."

Garnett spent 12 years playing for the Timberwolves, leading Minnesota to the Western Conference finals in 2004, but he'll face a team Wednesday that has very few familiar faces.

"A lot of players are gone now," Garnett said. "It makes it a little more easy just knowing that a lot of people I did grow with are not there."

The Timberwolves are starting over with a young core, coach Randy Wittman said.

"We're not going to be able to plug one guy in to cover all the things he was able to do," Wittman said of Garnett. "We're not asking anyone to come in and be KG."

Both teams have already played one preseason game in Europe, and both won. The Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 89-85 on Saturday in Rome, and the Wolves beat Turkish team Efes Pilsen 84-81 in Istanbul.

Pierce, who scored a game-high 21 points against Toronto, thinks the trip to Europe is just the thing to help the team mesh ahead of the regular season, which starts Oct. 30.

"It seems like we've been teammates forever," Pierce said. "I feel like it's all coming together."

The Celtics open the regular season at home Nov. 2 against the Washington Wizards. Minnesota hosts the Denver Nuggets the same night.

Wednesday's game is part of NBA Europe Live, which also includes the Raptors and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Late last month, the NHL opened its regular season at the O2 Arena. The Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings split the home-and-home series in the first regular season games to be played in Europe.

On Oct. 28, the NFL will play a regular season game at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium when the Miami Dolphins face the New York Giants.

Although the NBA game in London doesn't count toward the regular season, it still has some cachet because of the Garnett factor.

"You've got to play it (the game against the Celtics) sometime," Wittman said. "Might as well be now when it doesn't count."

Ryan Gomes, one of the players going in the opposite direction in the Garnett deal, is taking all the frenzy in stride.

"It's part of the business. I guess I had to learn that firsthand," the Timberwolves forward said. "They do have a great team and they're contending in the East.

"Hopefully it works out for both sides."

[abadani69]

تيم نيوجرسي روز سه*شنبه ديدارهاي خود را در فصل جديد رقابت*هاي بسكتبال حرفه*اي باشگاه*هاي آمريكا با شكست آغاز كرد.

به گزارش خبرگزاري فرانسه، در اين ديدار كه در زمين اختصاصي تيم نيوجرسي برگزار شد اين تيم با نتيجه ۸۶بر ۹۶مغلوب تيم شارلوت شد.

در ساير ديدارها،تيم ممفيس با نتيجه ۱۰۱بر۹۳برابر مينه سوتا به پيروزي رسيد،اينديانا با تنيجه ۱۱۷بر ۱۰۴تيم نيواورلئان را مغلوب كرد و فونيكس با نتيجه ۱۲۴بر ۱۰۱يوتا را پشت سر گذاشت.

رقابت*هاي بسكتبال حرفه*اي باشگاه*هاي آمريكا با حضور ۳۰تيم در دو كنفرانس شرق و غرب و در شش منطقه برگزار مي*شود.

كنفرانس شرق
منطقه آتلانتيك : بوستون، نيويورك ، نيوجرسي، تورنتو ، فيلادلفيا منطقه مركزي : اينديانا، ميلواكي، ديترويت، شيكاگو، كليولند
منطقه جنوب شرقي : واشنگتن، آتلانتا، اورلاندو، شارلوت ، ميامي
كنفرانس غرب
منطقه جنوب غربي : ممفيس، نيوراورلئان، دالاس، سن آنتونيو، هوستون منطقه شمال غربي : پورتلند، دنور، يوتا، سياتل، مينه سوتا
منطقه پاسيفيك : گلدن استيت، فونيكس، ساكرامنتو، لس آنجلس كليپرز ، لس آنجلس ليكرز

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Madison Square Garden and Knicks coach Isiah Thomas have asked a judge to reduce the $11.6 million in punitive damages a jury awarded to a former team executive after concluding she was sexually harassed and fired out of spite.

Anucha Browne Sanders was awarded the damages this month after a three-week trial that portrayed the Knicks' offices as a dysfunctional clubhouse where Browne Sanders endured profanity-laced conversations with Thomas before he turned unwanted affection toward her.

In court papers filed late Tuesday, lawyers for MSG and chairman James Dolan said constitutional limits require the punitive award be trimmed from a "grossly excessive" amount to a figure in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, in line with comparable awards.

"Comparing the $11.6 million award in this case with other cases in which juries have awarded punitive damages ... reinforces that this award is far greater than the Constitution allows," the lawyers wrote.

The lawyers said a higher punitive damage award was not warranted because Browne Sanders was never threatened or subjected to physical violence. They said evidence only showed Thomas on isolated occasions subjected her to verbal harassment in 2004 and amorous advances in 2005.

"Indeed, not only was there no evidence at trial of physical harm to plaintiff, there was also no evidence of economic harm," they said.

Thomas also asked that a jury's finding that he aided and abetted the hostile environment be tossed out, or that a new trial be ordered.

The trial was marked by evidence that Browne Sanders had complained of foul language and oppressive behavior by Thomas before she was fired from her $260,000-a-year job.

Kevin Mintzer, a lawyer for Browne Sanders, said the MSG response was par for the course.

"They've lost. They want a delay and they don't want to pay, but we're prepared to pursue this for as long as it takes," he said.

Browne Sanders, a former vice president for marketing, is a 44-year-old former Northwestern University basketball player. She is married with three children.

Thomas, while admitting to using foul language around Browne Sanders, insisted he never directed it toward her.

A judge will determine and award compensatory damages in the coming weeks.

[abadani69]

LeBron James stood in the middle of the court at halftime, an advertisement as big as any for next year's Olympics.

He waved a replica of the red and silver torch for the Beijing Games while Chinese and U.S. flags hung from the rafters of newly built Qizhong Arena.

The public address announcer mingled English with Chinese. NBA commissioner David Stern was at the game. Jazz musician Kenny G sat in the front row.

"The atmosphere was amazing," James said "Everything I expected and more."

James and his Cleveland Cavaliers lost an exhibition game on the outs***ts of Shanghai on Wednesday, beaten 90-86 by the Orlando Magic.

But the final score was the least of it.

This was the first of the NBA's three "China Games," and Stern was on hand to explain the league's massive expansion plans in a country with the world's fastest growing major economy. This is also where 300 million people -- the entire population of the United States -- are reported to play basketball.

The halftime show -- James aside -- featured a juggler balancing one-legged on a unicycle. She began with a dozen bowls stacked on her head. She then succeeded in flicking a half-dozen more atop the stack, throwing them with flicks of her right leg.

"I thought it was a big deal tonight even though it was a preseason game," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "It almost felt like the electricity you feel in some of the buildings in a game that kind of matters."

The teams play again Saturday in the former Portuguese territory of Macau. On Thursday in Macau, the Magic face a Chinese all-star team.

James finished with 17 points in 28 minutes and was on the bench in the final quarter when the Magic rallied after trailing nearly the entire way.

Dwight Howard's 31 points and 14 rebounds led Orlando, with Jameer Nelson adding 24. Larry Hughes scored 16 points for Cleveland in 27 minutes. He and James rested late in the game when Orlando took control. The Cavaliers' Daniel Gibson did not see time because of a right hamstring injury but might play in Macau.

Orlando's new coach Stan Van Gundy, with a few top players injured, didn't rest anyone.

"Every night is a test for us as a young team," Howard said. "We've really got to stay focused. They didn't play their guys the whole game, but just to be out there was a good test for us."

The Magic tied it 84-84 on Howard's inside basket with 1:16 to play, then drew away with Nelson hitting four of four free throws down the stretch.

"It showed their first five is better than our second five," said Brown, who promised to use his starters more.

Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry acknowledged the China trip was taxing, but said it might pay off during the year.

"I think it's a pretty good team building experience when you go to the other side of the world as a group and kind of bunker down that way," he said.

Before the game, Stern discussed the NBA's new China subsidiary, NBA China. Timothy Chen, one of China's top business executives, began work Monday as the company's new chief executive officer. Stern said plans call for setting up "the second NBA, the NBA of China."

He didn't elaborate but said the expansion will involve working with the 16-team China Basketball Association.

"This is a long-term project where discussions have literally just begun and would, of course, involve the securing of significant financing from capital sources to finance substantial arena development throughout China," Stern said.

The NBA generated about $50 million in revenue last year from China, the league's largest market outside the United States. That pales compared with overall NBA revenue of almost $4 billion. But NBA officials have said the 80-person staff in China is set to grow five times in the next several years with increased revenues sure to follow.

Stern has held two days of meetings in China talking with TV partners, advertisers and sponsors about ways to expand basketball in China.

The commissioner said the NBA was seeking financing. Ninety percent of the new subsidiary will be owned by the league. Two 5 percent shares will be sold to Chinese investors and to a U.S. media company.

Li Yuanwei, the China Basketball Association's executive vice president, welcomes the venture provided China gets its share.

"Together we can greatly expand the market for basketball. I think the Chinese market is big enough, but it is still emerging and underdeveloped," Li said.

"As long as it is carried out on an equal footing and in a mutually beneficial manner," he added, "I believe our cooperation will lead to a win-win situation."

[abadani69]

Kobe Bryant returned to practice after sitting out the previous three days, and coach Phil Jackson said he expects the disgruntled Los Angeles Lakers' star to play in an exhibition game Thursday night.

"Yeah, we'll probably play him, get him out there," Jackson said after practice Wednesday. "He seemed all right, sure did."

The Lakers face Seattle in Bakersfield on Thursday night in the first of six exhibition games in nine days. They lost their first two exhibition games to Golden State last week in Honolulu.

Bryant hadn't practiced since Saturday because of a sore knee. He didn't speak with reporters Wednesday, but made his feelings clear a day earlier in his only formal interview since Lakers owner Jerry Buss stated he "would certainly listen" to trade offers for the two-time defending NBA scoring champion.

"One thing I said at training camp was that I didn't want this to be a distraction," Bryant said Tuesday. "It's our understanding not to bring up the situation and not talk about it. We just wanted to keep things quiet and go about our business. It kind of caught me off guard a little bit."

Bryant asked to be traded 4 1/2 months ago, then avoided speaking about the Lakers until the beginning of training camp Oct. 1, when he talked more positively, saying he was looking forward to the season.

It seemed the parties had put negative feelings behind them before Buss made his comments to three beat writers last week.

Jackson said it was essentially business as usual Wednesday, although Bryant wasn't involved in scrimmaging at the end of practice.

"He was extremely helpful with young players today, helping them with the offense," the coach said.

"It was good -- he was out there smiling and looking good, helping guys," teammate Kwame Brown said. "He was out there working, hopefully that means he's going to play. We want him to play, we need him to play."

Brown said the Lakers haven't been distracted by the fact that Bryant missed practice the previous three days and his apparent differences with management.

"We didn't know what was going on. We thought it was his knees," Brown said. "Hopefully, they can handle that upstairs."

Derek Fisher, who returned to Los Angeles this season after two years in Golden State and one in Utah, said he wasn't sure how Bryant felt at this point and where the team stood. Fisher and Bryant began their careers with the Lakers in 1996.

"I don't know if I'd call it a distraction," Fisher said. "All we can really focus on is the guys we have right now, including him. Everyone's aware of his presence, what he brings to the team. He's such a presence."

Regarding Thursday night's game, Fisher said: "Physically if he's capable of it, I expect him to play."

Fisher said he hasn't talked with Bryant about his situation with the Lakers, saying he was reluctant to ask certain questions because of the answers he might hear.

"I'm sure for him it's tough emotionally," Fisher said. "I'd love to play with him for the rest of my career. Hopefully, whatever happens, it's for the best for everyone involved."