Stern: Minimum of one regular-season game in London by 2012

LONDON -- NBA commissioner David Stern said Sunday the league likely would play regular-season games in London before the British capital hosts the 2012 Olympics.

Stern, however, also said the possibility of taking meaningful games to Europe was nowhere near a done deal.

"Although we have no plans on the drawing board, it has been suggested to us that we should schedule in the next three years or so some regular-season games here -- more than just one -- on some regular basis," Stern said before the New Jersey Nets-Miami Heat preseason game at the O2 Arena. "It's fair to say that we'll see a minimum of one and possibly more regular-season games by 2012."

Stern sees the Olympics as a springboard to increasing the NBA's marketability in Britain, which is one of the richest countries in the world.

The NBA has a history of playing outside North America, including a regular-season game in Tokyo in 1991. But Stern has been hesitant to commit to anything specific in regards to Europe, while at the same time announcing a joint venture with Anschutz Entertainment Group on Sunday to build about a dozen or so NBA-style arenas in major Chinese cities.

China is one of the NBA's biggest overseas markets, and Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics.

The NHL opened its season in London last year, and then did so again this season with games in Prague, Czech Republic, and Stockholm, Sweden. The NFL also played a regular-season game in London last year, and the New Orleans Saints are scheduled to face the San Diego Chargers on Oct. 26 at Wembley Stadium.

Stern said he was aware of the success the other leagues were having.

"We pretty much keep our own counsel with respect to our agenda, although we always watch what everyone does and if we see a good idea we unabashedly copy it," he said.

But despite sounding positive about playing regular-season games in London, Stern downplayed the chances of having an NBA All-Star game at the O2 Arena, which is hosting one of the four preseason games around Europe this year.

"It would take too many air buses and Boeing 747s to transport our 6,000 guests," Stern said. "We're in the basketball business, not the travel business."

NBA and AEG team up to build arenas in China

LONDON (AP) -- The NBA has formed a joint venture with Anschutz Entertainment Group to design and develop about 12 multipurpose arenas in major Chinese cities.

The project was announced Sunday at the O2 Arena in London, where the New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat played a preseason game. AEG runs the O2, and the venture will be equally owned by the two parties.

NBA commissioner David Stern did not say when the plan would be starting, or where the buildings would be located.

"We weren't going to start construction in the next couple of weeks," Stern said at a joint news conference with AEG president and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke. "We anticipate that in a relatively short order we will have laid out a road map of a dozen buildings or so throughout China."

Leiweke said it could take decades to complete the project.

"We think of this over the next 20 years, not the next year or two," he said, adding some would be new arenas and others would be created by renovating existing facilities.

"You're going to see a combination," Leiweke said. "Most of them will be built and designed from the ground up."

Stern said he hoped the venture would not be affected by the global financial meltdown.

"In terms of finances, we will be making investment decisions on a building-by-building basis," the commissioner said, adding they did have some ideas about where to start building.

"We hope there's going to be a rapid determination made over a period of months which cities are the right ones for this venture," Stern said.

Stern has been looking to increase the league's marketability overseas for several years, and teams are touring Europe for the third straight preseason.

On Friday, Stern said the NBA was "an arena closer" to European expansion because of the O2 World in Berlin, which will host a preseason game between the New Orleans Hornets and the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

The development of the same type of arenas in China is an indication Stern wants to see more NBA teams playing outside the United States and Canada.

Besides acting as a sports venue, the new facilities will offer other amenities.

"Where feasible, the arenas will be developed in conjunction with surrounding cultural and entertainment districts potentially comprised of restaurants, retail outlets, cinemas, hotels, residential areas, sports training facilities and smaller live entertainment venues," the NBA said in a statement.

Besides numerous restaurants and a movie theater, David Beckham's football academy is near the O2 Arena in London.

In China, the NBA has a huge fan base, and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming was one of the biggest stars of this year's Beijing Olympics.

"The NBA currently has relationships with 51 Chinese telecasters, including a partnership of more than 20 years with national broadcaster CCTV," the NBA says.

Outdoor game sees shooting, temperature drop

Indian Wells, Calif. -- It always seemed somewhat contradictory to me that the hallowed Boston Garden, nestled in the inclement weather of the Northeast, was known for being so hot during the Celtics' games of yesteryear that the two teams might as well have been playing in a sauna.

That said, it was equally strange to me on Saturday night that Indian Wells Garden, located just outside of Palm Springs in sunny California, was downright chilly as the Nuggets downed the Suns 77-72 in the AutoTrader.com Open, the first NBA game played outdoors in the modern era.

"I'm not going to spend too much time looking at the film tonight," Suns head coach Terry Porter said after facetiously rubbing his hands together to warm them up. "We didn't think the wind was going to blow like it did."

To be fair, there weren't hurricane-force blusters on Saturday, but you best believe that these weren't the type of gusts that make the practice of hurling a ball from 20 feet away into a hoop suspended 10 feet in the air too inviting.

"It was hard," added Steve Nash, who scored a game-high 16 points, but struggled from the field, going 5-for-12. "You shoot the ball and then it starts slicing right."

There was a mixed bag of answers when players and coaches were asked if they would like to play another game outdoors. Most of the participants thought it was a good experience because the fans clearly enjoyed the night, but that didn't mean that they did not see ways it could have been improved.

"We need to get those benches heated like they have in football where you have hot seats," Porter said with a laugh.

When the Big Aristotle was asked if he'd like to play under the Big Dipper again, Shaquille O'Neal replied, "Yeah ... [as long as it's] in June."

Carmelo Anthony, who sat out the game with a contusion on his left hand, was dressed in a sports jacket and jeans on the sideline and while his ensemble might have provided more body coverage than his teammates' outfits of shorts and jerseys, next time he plans to wear a "damn hoody."

Seeing the Nuggets' Renaldo Balkman wear an armsleeve and the Suns' Alando Tucker wear knee-high socks made you wonder if there only motivation to wear the accessories was for warmth.

All jokes aside, the most constructive suggestion offered by several players was to move the tip-off up a couple of hours to the afternoon because the temperature dropped dramatically as the night grew later.

The players weren't the only ones to feel the cold. There were plenty of fans wearing sweatshirts or jackets in the stands to stay warm. Debi Sagum of La Quinta, Calif. took it a step further by wrapping herself in a blanket she retrieved from the trunk of her car.

"This was the coldest day in months," Sagum said.

While the temperature in the arena dipped into 60s in the fourth quarter, the shooting percentages for both teams didn't top 40. Denver finished the game 29-for-80 from the field (.362) and 1-for-11 from three while Phoenix bottomed out at 25-for-79 (.316) and 2-for-16 from deep.

"The wind just made you really unsure about your shot," Phoenix guard Raja Bell said. "It plays on your mind when you're shooting from deep that there is a wind out there. But what can you do? You just shoot it."

There was an actual basketball game played, but without Anthony, Allen Iverson or Amare Stoudemire suiting up, coupled with the conditions, the action was decidedly more "pre" than "season."

J.R. Smith scored 10 of his 12 points after halftime and the Nuggets held the Suns to just 31 points in the second period to come away with the victory.

Phoenix and Denver combined for 32 turnovers between them as players complained that the ball was slippery.

Despite the weather and the sloppy play however, it wasn't all bad.

Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin praised the "ambiance" and his coach, George Karl, said that he thought it was "pretty cool" to look up at the moon in between calling plays and managing the rotation.

"This wasn't about being accurate or being pretty, it was just an opportunity to see how it is," Nash said. "It was still enjoyable."

The public address announcer in the arena repeatedly referred to the night as "historic" and as a "special event," and for what it's worth, it was.

When the game started with the first tip-off of an NBA game outdoors since 1972, a good portion of the sellout crowd of 16,236 whipped out their cameras and made flashbulbs pop around the arena like collars at a preppy high school.

It would be surprising if it takes three and a half decades for the NBA plays its next game outdoors, especially if Charles Barkley has anything to say about it. The TNT analyst spoke to reporters before the game and proposed that a good way to "spice up" the All-Star game would be to erase the roof and have it outdoors.

Barkley wants to see the February classic played at Chase Field, the retractable-roofed home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. One advantage Barkley cited of having the game at Chase was that the ballpark seats close to 50,000 people, so the league could accommodate all of the tickets that are allotted for corporate partners and still give "real fans" a chance to go to the game.

Check out my Euroleague spot

Heat's Magloire out at least 6 weeks with hand injury

MIAMI -- Heat center Jamaal Magloire will miss at least six weeks with a broken left hand, and could be sidelined even longer if surgery is required to repair the fracture.

Magloire was injured in Miami's preseason overtime loss against New Jersey in Paris on Thursday. He returned to South Florida after the game, while the Heat remained behind for a rematch with the Nets on Sunday in London.

Check out my Basketball spot

Celtics legend Cousy fired by Comcast SportsNet as analyst

Comcast SportsNet has fired former Celtic great Bob Cousy from his job as a courtside reporter, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported.

Cousy, 80, started his work as an analyst for Boston Celtics' games in 1974. He had been working 10 games in each of the past nine years as part of his consultant contract with the team.

Cousy had planned to return this season, but he was not retained. Steve Reagan, CSN vice president of programming and operations, told Cousy on Sept. 18 that network was moving on with out him.

"Some low-level executive called me and basically said that they decided to do two-man booths and they no longer needed my services," Cousy told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. "I said thank you very much, have a good year and I hung up on him."

Celtics president Rich Gothman had called Cousy earlier in the day to tell him he'd have a position with the Celtics for life.

"The Celtics, in my judgment, said and did all the right things," Cousy told the Telegram & Gazette. "Comcast can hire or fire anyone they want. But after 34 years, I thought I needed a little more handling."

Cousy is not upset with the decision.

"You get to be 80, your priorities change," Cousy told the Telegram & Gazette. "I enjoy keeping my hand in in a minimal way. But obviously this is a very exciting time to depart after 22 years of mediocrity. All of a sudden, it's fun again for all of us. If I had my druthers, I would have preferred there not be a change, but is it a high priority item? I doubt it."

Check out my International spot

Injuries mount for Wizards; Jamison on mend

WASHINGTON -- In recent seasons, the Washington Wizards could be described as injury plagued. Those woes have continued this preseason.

Not only is star guard Gilbert Arenas not available for at least the first month of the season due to surgery on his left knee, but starting center Brendan Haywood is scheduled for surgery to repair torn ligaments in his injured right wrist next week.

The Wizards got a little good news before Friday night's game with Detroit when Antawn Jamison, who bruised his right knee in Monday's game in Dallas, said his injury is not quite as bad as originally thought.

"I just got through seeing the doc, and he said everything looks pretty good," Jamison said. "It looks like one of those day-to-day things."

When Jamison, who averaged 21.4 points and a career-high 10.2 rebounds last season. was injured, he said he thought he would be ready for the season opener against New Jersey on Oct. 29.

"I definitely should be ready," Jamison said. "I am aiming to play the last two preseason games."

Haywood injured his wrist during training camp, and it's estimated he will miss 4-to-6 months. Neither he nor Arenas will accompany the team on the trip to Berlin and Barcelona that begins Saturday.

"I've never been through this before," Haywood said. "When I'm healthy, I'll be back out there. Hopefully, it will be sooner than later."

Haywood, a center whose 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season were career highs, will be replaced by Etan Thomas, who sat out last season after heart surgery, fourth-year player Andray Blatche and first-round draft choice JaVale McGee.

Coach Eddie Jordan said he tries not to fixate on the spate of injuries.

When asked about it when Haywood and Jamison were hurt, he said he still didn't.

"I don't want to say that," he said. "It's who's next?"

Guard Juan Dixon (sore right calf) and Nick Young (sore left knee) didn't dress for Friday's game.

Jordan thinks Washington has enough left on the roster to make sure they will be competitive without Arenas and Haywood.

"Hopefully, we can hold the fort till they come back," he said.

Check out my Euroleague spot

Mavericks Acquire Forward Shawne Williams

DALLAS- The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they acquired forward Shawne Williams from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for guard Eddie Jones and two future second-round draft picks.

Williams (6-9, 225) was selected by Indiana with the 17th overall pick in the 2006 draft. The third-year forward averaged 6.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 65 games (3 starts) last season with the Pacers improving on his rookie numbers of 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 2006-07.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Williams played one year of college basketball at the University of Memphis before declaring himself eligible for the 2006 NBA Draft. As a Tiger, Williams helped lead Memphis to a 33-4 record while averaging 13.2 points and 6.2 rebounds and being named Conference USA Freshman of the Year. In his lone collegiate postseason, Williams was named Most Valuable Player of the Conference USA Tournament after averaging 18.0 points and 6.7 rebounds.

"On behalf of the Mavericks organization, we would like to thank Eddie Jones for the valuable contributions he has brought to our team," President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Donnie Nelson said. "We appreciated his professionalism both on and off the court as a Maverick. Shawne Williams is an exciting young prospect with a bright future. We look forward to developing him into the player he aspires to be."

Anthony Sits Out Nuggets’ Preseason Opener

DENVER(AP) Carmelo Anthony sat out the Denver Nuggets' preseason opener against Minnesota on Friday night because of a bruised left ring finger.

Anthony was injured when he had the ball slapped out of his hand during practice Thursday. X-rays were negative. He attended Friday's shootaround with his hand wrapped, but did not participate.

The 24-year-old averaged 25.7 points and a career-high 7.4 rebounds last season. He was a key member of the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Chucky Atkins (knee) and Sonny Weems (groin injury) of the Nuggets also missed the game.

Magloire Injures Left Hand in Heat Loss

MIAMI, Oct. 9 -- Miami Heat center Jamaal Magloire suffered a fracture of the third metacarpal in his left hand during the third quarter of play in today’s preseason contest against the New Jersey Nets in Paris, France. Magloire was taken to a local Paris hospital for x-rays which confirmed the fracture.

Magloire will not accompany the team to London, England for their second of two preseason games against New Jersey in Europe and will be reevaluated upon his return to Miami.

Magloire was signed by Miami as a free agent on September 2, 2008.

Trail Blazers’ Fernandez and Przybilla Sidelined

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 9 (AP) -- Guard Rudy Fernandez and center Joel Przybilla will not travel with the Portland Trail Blazers for their game in Kansas City against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Fernandez sprained his left ankle in the Blazers' 110-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Przybilla has bronchitis.

The team also said that small forward Martell Webster had surgery Thursday to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. He will likely miss eight to 10 weeks.

Webster was injured in the exhibition opener, a 110-81 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Warriors Waive Dion Dowell And Justin Williams

The Golden State Warriors have waived guard/forward Dion Dowell and center Justin Williams, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today.

Dowell, who was originally signed as a free agent training camp invitee on September 9, appeared in one of Golden State’s first two preseason games, registering one rebound, one assist and three blocks in 11 minutes last night at Portland.

Williams, who signed as a free agent training camp invitee on September 27, also appeared in one of Golden State’s first two preseason games, logging one point, one rebound and two blocks in five minutes at New Orleans on October 5.

The Warriors roster now stands at 17 players.