• As he enters the Hall of Fame, Bill Davidson has this to tell the Free Press's Mitch Albom about the referees: "What do you look for during a game? Well, I look for certain things, which are mainly fouls ... and, unfortunately, the referees are not what they should be -- although they're getting better. So I watch the referees. I watch who they are. There are certain referees -- when they come to our game -- you know you're gonna lose. And that should never be.  What do you think of the whole Tim Donaghy scandal? That's the tip of the iceberg with referees. Do the refs' calls upset you that much? Yeah, it's what they call and when they call it -- and on whom they call it. And when you see what they do, you know that they're kind of taking over the game and making the outcome certain -- all they have to do is call a couple ticky-tack fouls on say, (Chauncey) Billups, and you're not gonna win that game. Have you voiced that concern to the commissioner? (He laughs.) Daily! What's his response? Finally he's found a general. He has so much else (to do) that he kind of turns that over to other people -- and the people he's turned that over to, recently, he finally got on it."
• The Timberwolves are looking to hire a blog geek. Good news! Discouraging aspect of the job description: The part where it asks if you can work for college credit.
• The Spurs had been talking to Manu Ginobili about a contract extension. Now the talks are reportedly on hold, pending his rehabilitation from recent surgery.
• Great collection of Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon tales, including news that a young Ewing could catch fish with his bare hands, which is amazing. If you don't think that's amazing, try it this weekend.
• Darko Milicic's agent Marc Cornstein says his client would be perfectly happy playing for Mike D'Antoni in New York, if the rumored trade comes to fruition.
• I lived in Manhattan in the 90s, when Patrick Ewing was in his heyday. I have spent way too much time listening to Knick fans talk about Patrick Ewing. ESPN's Matt Wong has nailed the way New Yorkers feel about him. They adore him. He is their warrior. They don't want you to criticize him. But ... "... when the conversation turns to Ewing, the mood quickly changes from love to lament. There are deep breaths and headshakes and mumblings about couldas, shouldas and wouldas gone by. Especially the infamous finger roll in Game 7 of the 1995 East semis -- when Ewing, with the game on the line and a clear path to the basket, could've simply dunked the ball against the Pacers, but chose to softly lay it in. It hit back iron and the Knicks were out. That one still hurts."
• Very proud that Wednesday I said I heard Ben Gordon did not have an offer from CSKA, as has been reported somewhere or other. Today CSKA bigwigs are on the record making the same point emphatically. Ian Whittell, veteran of covering European sports explains by e-mail how this kind of thing can happen: "In the NBA, generally, there is more transparency and honesty in the dealings between media and teams (and players and agents, for that matter). Because business is conducted along strict guidelines, as laid out by the CBA, and for salaries determined by the cap, it is generally not too difficult to discover what is going on within the NBA industry. What that means for the agent, of course, is very little leverage. An agent cannot invent a story to create leverage for his client about NBA Team A making his guy an offer because every one will know that NBA Team A does not have room under its cap to make such an offer. Now, in this summer of European teams all apparently becoming billionaires, an opportunity has presented itself. Ben Gordon needs leverage, both with the Bulls and with any other NBA teams that may have an interest in him, and that leverage isn't available in the NBA. Easiest thing for him or his agent to do, therefore, is plant a story in Europe that he has been offered a huge amount of money by a team knowing full well that, in this day and age of internet resource, that story will instantly be picked up in the States. The problem in this instance is that, as I have said repeatedly, there are only 3-4 teams with the budget available to make such an offer. He names CSKA, the team is asked about the offer and deny it. End of leverage. This dynamic is prevalent in football over here. Agent wants to create an auction for his player's services or create leverage in contract talks so invents interest from another team and passes that story on to a journalist who, for whatever reason, runs with that story without checking it out properly."
• Rudy Fernandez, in rough translation, live from the Rookie Transistion Program, where he finds much of what happens alarming.
• Adrian Dantley practiced playing in games with friends where there simply were no fouls. They'd hack away, and he'd perfect his ability to score in the lane under duress.
• UPDATE: The Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman with a funny update from the Hall ofFame: "Fellow inductee Adrian Dantley joked about Riley's days as the Lakers' travel coordinator, when Riley consistently sat Dantley next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar because 'you're the only one not afraid of him.'"
• UPDATE: Before and after Steve Nash, Shawn Marion has been a far poorer shooter than with him. Pay attention, young Stoudemire.

TrueHoop reader Ghaith has been reading a lot about Hakeem Olajuwon today, on the day of his induction into the Hall of Fame, and was inspired to send the following e-mail:

It was my freshmen year at UCLA (1998). Two things to know about me: I'm Muslim and a HUGE basketball fan.

Two things drew me to UCLA, the fact that every Friday at 1 p.m., a student organization, the Muslim Union, would book a room to hold the Friday sermon for the Muslim community (Jumu'ah prayer), and that the Men's Gym at the time (and still to an extent) was a basketball mecca for all kinds of professional and wanna-be ballers to swing through.

Well, one week I attended this Friday sermon, it was one of the first ones I went to as a freshman. As I sat down to hear the sermon I noticed that about five minutes into it, the person giving the sermon got a little flustered and quite red.

Naturally, I assumed it was just nerves or something.

At the end of the sermon, we all get in rows to pray together, and I notice that about three people down is this REALLY tall person dressed all in white. I didn't bother looking over until after we were done, and when I glanced to my left, to my utter shock, it was Hakeem Olajuwon, sitting on the floor in contemplation, in a full dashiki.

Needless to say, I was shocked and speechless, all I could do was stare.

Apparently, the Rockets were in town to play the Lakers, and Hakeem wanted a place to go to Jumu'ah before the game. Here's the amazing part though, when Hakeem finishes and gets up, a lot of the students go up to him, give him big handshakes, hugs, slaps on the back, all that.

Hakeem is returning it equally as jovial with a great smile on his face and laughing with the students. As a freshman, I thought "oh, Hakeem must stop by all the time, and some of these guys must be old friends."

Not the case at all, this was the first time meeting Hakeem for most of the students, but you couldn't tell at all from his body language. He was warm, gracious, kind, spent time with us, joked with some of the Lakers fans, and left to go get some shots in before the game that night.

Such a class act.

And says he is very sorry that he brought women to the Rookie Transition Program.

Stephon Marbury's cousin, who has played professionally in the NBA and overseas, has self-published a book that seems to be mostly about how selfish his famous cousin is.

Mark Lelinwalla of the New York Daily News writes of one such episode:

Thomas writes that while growing up and playing basketball together in Coney Island, he and Marbury were as close as two cousins could be, but that all changed once Marbury was drafted by the Timberwolves in 1996.

After Thomas graduated from Providence and it was his turn to enter the league's draft in 1999, he writes that he asked Marbury which trainer would best prepare him for workouts with NBA teams.

Thomas writes that Marbury set him up with an exclusive trainer from Italy and told him, "Cuz, don't worry about it. I got you," but never picked up the bill.

You may recall the odd video that Thomas made about this book a few months ago. 

Hakeem Olajuwon

• Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle on Olajuwon's first days at the University of Houston, when he was still new to basketball: "Michael Young was a high-flying member of those Phi Slama Jama teams and marvels at how far Olajuwon progressed so fast. 'They told us at the time that he had only been playing basketball for three months and that was tough for me to believe on that first day,' Young said. 'Because the guy could catch and didn't have a bad touch. In our early practices, coach Lewis would put Hakeem at one end of the floor to defend the basket and we would go three-on-one against him. The first few times, we'd go down and dunk on him, because he couldn't recover fast enough. But as we got deeper into the season, we'd go up to dunk and he'd contest that shot. So you'd pass to another guy and before he could go up for a dunk, Hakeem had already closed and was over there to block that shot, too. That's three-on-one and we couldn't score."
• Highlights of Olajuwon's NBA days.
  
• A mini-documentary on the Rockets' two title runs. Watch that, and you'll think: When he was presented his MVP award, right before a playoff game against the Rockets, David Robinson really should have named Hakeem Olajuwon among the great players he had played against. Olajuwon became a man on a mission, and the Rockets got a title out of the deal.
• Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle tells the story of Olaujuwon's entire career, starting with his first dunk in Nigeria, his discovery a few months later by an American baskteball coach, and his swift arrival at the University of Houston: "It is true that he arrived at Intercontinental Airport and there was no representative from the school to meet him. It is true that a still-doubting Guy V. Lewis told him to take a taxi to campus. It is true that his Nigerian accent caused him to mispronounce the name and asked the cabdriver to take him to the 'University of Austin.' His correct destination at last settled, Olajuwon, wearing a white dashiki, white pants and polished dress shoes, walked into the basketball office to meet Lewis. 'He smiled,' Olajuwon remembered. 'He was happy to see that I was a real 7-footer.' It was September 1980 and the members of the Cougars, including Clyde Drexler, Michael Young, Rob William and Larry Micheaux, were holding informal workouts. Lewis asked Olajuwon if he'd like to get in a pickup game with them. 'You must remember, I was coming into the unknown,' he said. 'All I knew is I could play in Nigeria. I was dominating. But I did not know if I could play in America.' The trainer took Olajuwon to the locker room and gave him a T-shirt and shorts. 'Then he asked about basketball shoes and what size I wore,' Olajuwon said. 'I told him 14 was my usual size. I was shocked that he produced a brand new pair. It wasn't something you could find in Nigeria. I squeezed them on and they were tight. I was going to take off a pair of socks and he said, 'No, let's try 15.' More new shoes. Still tight. He got 16s. I could not believe all of these brand new shoes. I put them on and they fit. For the first time ever, I would play basketball without pain in my feet. It was always a distraction when I was running and jumping. But this was comfortable. I thought, 'Oh, man! They're in trouble out there on the court.'"
• Hakeem Olajuwon, real estate magnate.
  

• William Davidson as told by Detroit Free Press news services: "Davidson built The Palace of Auburn Hills two decades ago with a different type of financing: one without a penny from taxpayers. 'There's so much you have to go through to get public funding,' he explains. 'And I'm not big on big government.' He also didn't follow a trend when he bought a plane for the "Bad Boys" to travel in, replaced it with a newer one and built luxury suites into the lower level of his arena. Leading the pack also has made Davidson a rich man. Forbes magazine reports Davidson's net worth is $4.5 billion to rank first in Michigan, tied for 68th in the country and knotted at 227 worldwide. Most of his wealth is tied to Guardian Industries, a family owned glass manufacturing business he joined as president in 1957 and bought three decades ago. Davidson is motivated by winning on and off the court and he's witnessed many victories from his front row seat near the Detroit bench at The Palace. He said circulation in his legs prevented him from being the regular fixture last season, adding that a succession plan is in place for the future of his basketball team and businesses. 'The Pistons won't be for sale,' he said. It's also priceless that Davidson won't be the center of attention when he goes into the Hall of Fame. 'It's more fitting than it is ironic,' said Tom Wilson, an employee of Davidson's for three decades. 'It's how he lives his life. Mr. D loves it when a coach, player or somebody at Guardian gets heaped with praise. I think deep down he knows he makes that possible, but he's very comfortable staying in the background.'"
• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press: "Dick Vitale was speechless. He knew what was coming when Pistons owner Bill Davidson's office contacted him on the morning of Nov. 8, 1979. Davidson wanted to meet with him at Vitale's home. Vitale was gone after only 94 games as the Pistons' head coach, his team and his health crumbling at an equally accelerating pace. Vitale understood Davidson had no alternative following a 34-60 record, but that didn't ease the catastrophic sense of failure that sent Vitale into a sullen funk. 'Little did I know then that day would change my life,' Vitale recalled this week. 'Mr. Davidson probably saved my life that day. I would have been dead by 50 if I stayed in coaching because of my bleeding ulcers.'"
• Davidson talks to Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press about all kinds of things, including his relationship with Isiah Thomas: "Well, I was very, very close to Isiah, and there were times he was almost like a son. But, because of his background, um ... I told him he had to change -- you know, coming from where he came from. I said, 'You've got it made now. Don't keep doing those things that you've been doing.' I won't tell you what they are. But he couldn't change. ... We're the best of friends. ... One day I decided -- this was about five years ago -- that there's only one guy that I'm really not friendly with. So I called Isiah up, and I said Isiah (chuckling) -- before I go to my grave -- you know, whenever I do -- I want you and I to be friends."
  

Pat Riley

• Riley wrote about his college experience for Sports Illustrated: "At Kentucky they didn't need to go out of state -- most of the best basketball players were local. There was a scout in New York who would report to the coaching staff in Kentucky, and that scout recommended me to Rupp, who came to Schenectady to sign me personally. It was my understanding that he rarely did that. [His visit] sealed the deal. When he walked through the door in that brown suit, he was bigger than life. He said to my mother, 'Mrs. Riley, don't worry about your son. We're going to make him an All-American at Kentucky and we're going to take care of him.' I don't think any kid knows the impact a teacher or coach is going to have on him. It was only years later that I realized [playing for Rupp] was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Being in his program for four years and experiencing his no-nonsense approach -- he probably influenced me more than any man I've ever been around, other than my father. I didn't have any problem with hard work or discipline, and I didn't mind somebody calling me out. That's the way I wanted it. I liked to be in that kind of system because I wanted to win. Rupp never played any favorites, and he rarely called you by your first name until you gained his respect. You had to earn it. If you didn't do it, man, would he let you know it. He would let you know verbally and he would put you down on the third team. You did not want to be on that third team. In his system it was the starting team, the second team and then there were the turds. If you were on that third team, you knew where you stood."
• Let us never forget Pat Riley's magnificent dance after winning the title in Miami.
• Chick Hearn interviews Pat Riley in the 1980s.
• Video highlights of Riley's coaching career in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.
• Heat players talk about the things Riley has done to motivate them.

Adrian Dantley

• Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune: "Between 1980 and 1986, Dantley played 461 regular-season games with the Jazz. He averaged a Jordan-esque 29.6 points, shot 56.2 percent from the field and established himself as one of the game's greatest low-post players, despite being only 6-foot-5. 'I was always fascinated by how he could get his shot off in traffic against bigger guys,' said broadcaster Ron Boone, who was also Dantley's teammate with the Lakers. "The things he could do ... just amazing.' Said Layden: 'Wilt Chamberlain once said Adrian Dantley was the best pivot man he ever saw.' Professionally, the Hall of Fame is as far as a player can get from the Utah Jazz in 1979, when the financially fragile franchise moved from New Orleans and players like Tom Boswell, Paul Dawkins, James Hardy and Jerome Whitehead were good enough to carve out significant roles. Not that many fans noticed. In their first-ever game at the Salt Palace, the Jazz played Milwaukee and drew a crowd of 7,687. Three nights later, the Jazz faced Portland and drew 5,443. On the court, the Jazz also struggled. They finished 24-58 during their inaugural season in Utah. Over the first four years in their new home, the Jazz averaged 26.8 wins and never finished better than 30-52. Still, Dantley legitimized the franchise with his work ethic, focus and ability to produce points. Said Boone: 'I just remember the hard work. ... Professional basketball is all about being prepared, and he prepared himself to succeed every night.' Dantley was 'the consummate pro on the court,' said Eaton. 'The way he handled himself. The way he prepared. His conditioning. ... The guy was basketball-basketball, 24-seven.'"
• "He fears no defense." Career highlights.
  
• Extended video of Adrian Dantley.
  
• Traded three times in his first three years in the League, Dantley told Sports Illustrated's Bruce Newman: "Sometimes I think these owners just trade for the sake of trading. Each of those guys I've played for has told me, 'You're going to be here, buy a house, you're going to end your career here.' I've heard that so many times it's ridiculous. They say, 'Trust me, trust me.' But I don't trust anybody anymore. I hate to get close to people now, and I feel bad that I've never had a home, but I think I'm at the point where if I got traded again, it wouldn't bother me. I just go out and play my game and don't bother anybody."

Patrick Ewing

• A huge video tribute to Patrick Ewing.
• Isolated in the post against Alonzo Mourning. Years after dunking on him, Ewing offered Mourning one of his kidneys.
• At the time of Ewing's arrival in the NBA, Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum dared to mention Bill Russell: "When William Fenton Russell played his first pro game against the St. Louis Hawks , on Dec. 22, 1956 -- his arrival had been delayed by his participation in the Melbourne Olympics -- the Celtics had a 16-8 record. They went on to finish the season with a 44-28 overall record, the best in the NBA, and beat the Hawks in the championship series for Red Auerbach's first title. Russell was obviously the spark, but he also had a great supporting cast: Cousy, Sharman, Heinsohn, Ramsey. When Patrick Aloysius Ewing strides out to midcourt to make his pro debut Saturday afternoon at the Garden against Philadelphia, he will look around and see such unheralded teammates as Pat Cummings, Gerald Wilkins, Rory Sparrow and Butch Carter. 'Obviously, Ewing has the determination, and he's hardnosed,' says Celtic coach K.C. Jones, a teammate of Russell's. 'But whether or not he can become another Russell may depend a lot on his first year. He's in a make-you-or-break-you town.'"
• The 13 best plays of his career.
• The draft lottery that led to New York winning the top overall pick that became Ewing.
• The NBA Encyclopedia: "The Jamaica-born Ewing arrived in the United States at age 11, and the gangly youth who had reached the height of 6-10 by junior high school was initially awkward on the court when introduced to the game. But by the time he was a senior in high school, the world knew he would be something special. 'He will be the next Bill Russell, only better offensively,' high school coach Mike Jarvis said of Ewing while the budding giant played at Cambridge (Mass.) Rindge & Latin School. Many had similar thoughts as he was heavily recruited and was the focal point of media attention throughout his basketball career. He understood the hoopla that came with his stardom but always reserved his right to just play basketball. Perhaps that is why he chose to attend Georgetown, where he blossomed under the mentor-like guidance of coach John Thompson, a 6-10 former NBA backup center to Bill Russell on the Boston Celtics in the mid-1960s. Ewing's pro career was presaged by four superb years at Georgetown. Besides his team accomplishments, he was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a junior and as a senior, and his long list of honors included The Sporting News College Player of the Year Award and the Naismith Award. Although many of his contemporaries -- including Olajuwon, Jordan and Charles Barkley -- were leaving college early to join the NBA, Ewing stayed all four years and earned a degree in Fine Arts. His patience paid off as the yearning for his services reached almost epic proportions with the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery in 1985. As recounted in Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Clippers president Alan Rothenberg and GM Carl Scheer joked about enlisting 33 (Ewing's jersey number) Hasidic rabbis to chant Ewing's name in unison to enhance the teams chance of winning his draft rights."

The Dallas assistant coach is working hard today, helping the Mavericks prepare for next season. But Mario Elie's heart is in Massachusetts at the Basketball Hall of Fame, where his friend and former teammate Hakeem Olajuwon will be inducted today.

Elie was nice enough to tell TrueHoop about his time playing alongside Olajuwon:

I met Hakeem at the first practice after I got traded from Portland to Houston. I could tell right away what a good guy he was. He went about his business in a professional way. He was very quiet, but when you're on a team, you get to click with all of your teammates. He was our star.

Off the court, he laughed and had fun. But once it was game time, he was focused, like a completely different person. I could count on one hand how many bad games he had during the time I was in Houston, and that's saying a lot right there. He played at an extremely high level.

Hakeem was an amazing leader. Going into Islam and getting deep into his religion really helped him with his discipline and focus as opposed to his prior years where had some problems. He prayed five times a day. During Ramadan, he didn't eat all day (I think Shareef Abdur-Rahim does the same thing). The average guy had to eat and drink water during the course of a game. Hakeem got up at 5 a.m. to eat and then didn't eat again until after sundown.

With an 82-game schedule with games starting at 7:30 pm, that's hard. But it never affected his game.

He was our star, and guys counted on him every night to be that star, block shots, do what he did. He went out and did his job. He's "The Dream" -- he played hard whether he ate or not. It's a credit to his mental toughness.

But he kept his religion very personal. He never approached me about it. He's very private and personal off the court. In our five years playing together, I may have seen him twice off the court. He was always in his hotel room. He wore his white gown, prayed all the time.

I think soccer really helped him as a player. Dream is closer to 6-9, but played bigger than his height. He would play one-on-one with the guards, he's that amazing of an athlete. He could run, had a jump hook, jump shot, the total package.

He doesn't get the credit he deserves as being one of the best centers of all time. I keep hearing people put Shaq in front of him, and that's an insult. Dream was an 85-percent free throw shooter. Shaq never led the league in blocks or won Defensive Player of the Year. It was a great time for centers, but the best of all those guys bar none, including Shaq, Robinson, Ewing, Alonzo ... it was Dream. He was just a little better than those guys.

There's one memory from those days that really sticks with me. I always tell my friends this story. We were playing the Knicks in the Finals, and we were down 3-2 going back home.

At the hotel, I was distraught, talking about how upset I was about the situation. Hakeem's hotel room was on the same floor as me. He and some of his Muslim buddies were cooking fish, smelling up the whole floor. I was so frustrated about the series, and when I walk out of my room, here comes Hakeem smiling like nothing had happened.

He said, "Mario, don't worry about it, we're going home."

He was relaxed as could be, it just it lifted my spirits and made me smile.

The confidence this guy had in himself and our team raised us, it was amazing. I just smiled. In Game 6, he makes a last-second block, we win Game 7 and win our first title. I was amazed that whole summer after that end result. That will stick with me the rest of my life.

Another time like that was when we were down 3-1 in Phoenix in the 1995 Playoffs. Hakeem was sitting next to me on the airplane. He looked over and said "Let's go surprise them." We ended up winning the series. It's his confidence that made him the man he was and is. That's what he did. When you look at him, he's a pillar of strength and you could grab on to it.

This induction is amazing. I'm also a big fan of Patrick, he's a tremendous player and person. God is good. These guys battled in college, then in the NBA and now are entering the Hall together. I wish I could be there to support the guys, but Coach Carlisle is working me in Dallas. I'll have to call Clyde after and find out how it went. I couldn't be happier for Hakeem. He is a good man, and I love him. 

TrueHoop reader Ritchie has been thinking, and e-mails:

I'm not sure what the rules say about this but can we possibly see something play out where an NBA All-Star will don the uniform of a different country a la Becky Hammon of the WNBA?

I'm thinking the Chinese team desperately needs a guard, and wouldn't it be compelling to see Gilbert Arenas play for them? Arenas can stick it to U.S. Basketball for sending him home and imagine the $$$ and marketing possibilities for him if the Chinese team starts winning games.

There are only 12 roster spots on the U.S. team and, as the Beijing Olympics has shown, these future international tournaments will be HUGE!!!! 

If Arenas ends up doing this, and making tons of money, I think it'd only be fair for Arenas to name the grotto after Ritchie.

That Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur incident at the Rookie Transition Program ... Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine has many more details than we knew previously. For instance:

According to sources, Chalmers and Arthur were caught in Arthur's room at the Doral Arrowwood resort in Rye Brook, N.Y., when a fire alarm went off Wednesday at about 2 a.m. Hotel management went to the room, but the players refused to allow them in.

Stern's anger was apparently evident when he began his speech; he mentioned Chalmers and Arthur by name and told the 67 rookies in attendance that the two would be thrown out of the program and forced to attend the 2009 session.

Management then left to get security, which used its own key to enter the room minutes later. Once inside, security found Chalmers, Arthur and at least two women. There was a strong stench of marijuana in the room, and one person was in the bathroom with the door locked, repeatedly flushing the toilet, sources said.

The police were called to room, which they searched, but neither marijuana nor drug paraphernalia was found.

The players had been planning to attend the program's opening session with David Stern the following morning, but when Stern learned what had happened the night before, Broussard's sources say he had them sent packing, then called them out by name before the entire group.

• Before too long, I know I'm going to have to guess at which team will win the NBA title. And when I do that, I'm going to have to really stare into my soul and wonder: Do I believe in New Orleans? That team was magnificent last year, and ought to be getting better. Hard to see them losing a lot. Ryan Schwan of Hornets247 used some guesses at playing time, and some Wages of Wins numbers last year to make a pretty darned accurate -- if unlikely at the time -- prediction of 50 wins. Using the same technique this year, the numbers suggest 61 wins. One big worry he has: "[David] West is actually my biggest worry for an injury risk, not Peja. West has alternated good years with injury-plagued ones, and his injuries are notoriously slow to heal. Over his five seasons, he's averaged only 61 games."
• TrueHoop reader Brendan e-mails: "When I first saw the Oklahoma City Thunder logo, I thought it reminded me of something, then I realized, it looks just like the logo for the WNBA's New York Liberty. The Shape of the logo and the color scheme, the main difference being the statue of liberty holding a basketball torch. Wouldn't the owners want to pick a more original color combination at least? Being a Knicks fan, it almost looks like they'll be using close to the same colors."
• Author Sherman Alexie e-mails: "I am having fantasies that I pre-copyrighted about 10 or 12 possible OK City mascots ... and Thunder would have been on the list ... and sat back while the OK City guys had to approach me to get the copyright. And I would have scheduled a press conference to talk about honesty and honor and then gave them the copyright for free ..."
• The Warriors' mascot, who is featured in the team's official logo, is still called Thunder and nobody at the NBA seems to think that is weird. Also, this same report includes word that if the Warriors were to change their official logo, they'd have to pay the NBA a half-million dollars. For what? Instead they introduced a secondary logo they use all the time instead.
• Ron Artest's rocket hair.
• Fake tanning with Spencer Hawes.
• Andrew Bynum has his eyes on the 2012 Olympics.
• Jamaal Tinsley still in limbo.
• Slow news day: Wondering why the Cavaliers bought an ad honoring LeBron James' gold medal. My thoughts: To be nice. To make sure everybody knows they do not dislike his commitment to the national team. And maybe to associate the Cavaliers brand a little bit with that gold medal.
• Channing Frye is getting lean with whole wheat English muffins.
• Jamal Crawford, blogging a litle on Newsday's website: "I HONESTLY feel like I can make every shot that I take. You have to understand that's how I feel when I play. Some nights it happens but a lot of times it doesn't. And I believe this along with WINNING is the difference in me being a good player and a great player. I'm going to continue to get better at it...I know you're probably thinking, 'he's in his ninth year, if it hasn't happened already, it won't.' There's some truth to that, but to me, I don't believe it. Like I said I'm going on my ninth coach in nine years and each had a different philosophy on how they wanted to use me. But through it all I've gotten better each year I've been in the league. And the best is still yet to come ..."
• The Spurs and Pistons topped the league in deep rotations last year, according to something called the Herfindahl index. There may be a test later, so pay attention.
• Shawn Kemp's big game in Italy did not go so well.

Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers were sent home for breaking the rules. There is talk of women and marijuana. Everyone is shaking their heads in amazement at how this has unfolded.

But what actually happened? They were sent home from what? For breaking what rules?

More details are emerging -- we'll probably know more about what happened later today. But for now, here is an attempt to wrangle what we do know.

What is the NBA's Rookie Transition Program?
After getting to sit in for a day of the Rookie Transition Program in 2002, I'm a big fan. Yes, it's mostly about sitting in some dim conference room and and listening, but it's a significant few days.

Here's why: The NBA is long on tough and short on love. And this program is one little attempt at being just a little nurturing toward young players.

There are no cell phones. There are no girlfriends. There are no agents, or distractions of any kind. There aren't even clothing decisions to be made: Every rookie wears their matching shirt.

But there is a lot of heartfelt advice from retired players, coaches, and experts of all kinds.

I think there are a lot of groans about the whole thing. The days are long, and often boring. (Here's a look at what's on a past year's agenda.) When they dim the lights use the overhead projector more than a few eyes fluttered shut.

But it was a real experience, like a school field trip. The players, I think, really felt like they were all in it together. I happened to be there on the day when Kenny Smith stirred up a little anti-European sentiment, but in the hallway afterward the players weren't having any of it. Whether you asked Caron Butler or Bostjan Nachbar, no one felt like the other did not belong there. Their bond as NBA rookies was too strong for that, even after just a few days of hanging around in the same big resort.

Putting together that seminar is a ton of work, and NBA people like Mike Bantom, Rory Sparrow, and Purvis Short do that work really wanting to show players how to be happier, healthier, safer and all that.

It's a gentle approach.

But you know how it is when you get a tough person to try the gentle approach, and then it bites them? THEY HATE THAT! So when the normally gruff NBA extended this huge fig leaf to the players with some real caring and insight, and then two of them apparently took advantage of it by breaking just about all the rules, the League was in no mood to hold their hands and explain things in gentle tones.

What are the rules?
There are tons of rules at the Rookie Transition Program, the full list of which is not widely known, even in NBA circles.

When I was there many rules were discussed openly and often, and have been conformed to still be in effect. No cell phones except during certain designated periods. No pagers. No beepers. No visitors. No skipping sessions. No leaving the resort. No shirts other than the official one.

And certainly, no drugs.

What are the specific NBA regulations as they apply to rookies and the Rookie Transition Program?
Although many rookies won't get paid until the League's first standard payday of November 15 -- depending on the terms they negotiated with their teams -- rookies become employees the instant they sign contracts.

And one fixed obligation of any rookie contract is attending this multi-day session. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement: "When a player, without proper and reasonable excuse, fails or refuses to attend a 'mandatory program,' he shall be fined $20,000 by the NBA; provided, however, that if the player misses the Rookie Transition Program, he shall be suspended for five (5) games."

The NBA has dangled the notion that these two players could be suspended. They could not be suspended for violating the NBA's anti-drug rules. They have not been drug tested, and in any case a first marijuana offense does not result in a suspension. If the NBA was to suspend Chalmers and Arthur, one rationale could be they they missed a mandatory program.

Will Arthur and Chalmers be drug tested now?
Ordinarily, they would not be tested during the summer. However, the NBA certainly would appear to have that right now. From the collective bargaining agreement: "In the event that either the NBA or the Players Association has information that gives it reasonable cause to believe that a player is engaged in the use, possession, or distribution of a Prohibited Substance, including information that a First-Year Player may have been engaged in such conduct during the period beginning three (3) months prior to his entry into the NBA, such party shall request a conference with the other party and the Independent Expert, which shall be held within twenty-four (24) hours or as soon thereafter as the Expert is available. Upon hearing the information presented, the Independent Expert shall immediately decide whether there is reasonable cause to believe that the player in question has been engaged in the use, possession, or distribution of a Prohibited Substance. If the Independent Expert decides that such reasonable cause exists, the Expert shall thereupon issue an Authorization for Testing with respect to such player."

Did Arthur and Chalmers slide in the draft because of rumors about after-hours habits?
Both Arthur and Chalmers -- championship winning teammates at Kansas -- were drafted lower than projected.

When players slide, there is always speculation as to why. Arthur famously had a mix-up -- many teams reportedly thought he had a kidney problem, which later proved false.

But the whisper campaign about "off-court" problems is intense about many players every year, and many go on to become highly regarded professionals. And there is reason to lie -- agents and teams hoping to manipulate the draft have reason to point out flaws, perceived or real, in various players.

So, yes, there has been speculation about all kinds of players, but it's good to assume it's all nonsense unless further evidence comes to light.

Is it a good idea to kick them out of the program or should they have been forced to stay?
If your only concern in the world is the future livelihood of Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur, then you might want to have them learn what is about to be taught at the Rookie Transition Program.

But don't forget there is an entire rookie class present. People talk. If tales of women and marijuana were hanging in the air, and Chalmers and Arthur were sitting in the room smiling, would anybody in the room believe the NBA and the Players Association when they deliver their "don't do drugs" presentation?

Drugs have been a thorn in the League's side for decades. These few days are one of the NBA's most focused sessions dedicated to preventing illegal drug use. Reports of drugs at that very event? The League had to make an example.

Are they getting off easy?
Although the league says no decision has been made yet as to whether or not they will be suspended, it's extremely likely that Arthur and Chalmers are regretting their decision.

Before even suiting up for a single regular season NBA game, they are getting a mighty public shaming and possibly a suspension.

Every basketball person I talk to says the same thing: That was so dumb. People have reacted to the reports by accusing the players violated everything from common sense (partying at the League's big "you're a professional now" confab?) to basic pot smokers' etiquette (you mean they didn't learn about the towel-under-the-door thing in college?)

What's more, Darrell Arthur's public dressing down from the powers that be in Memphis has already begun.

Fines and suspensions are a hassle. But a global condemnation of your judgment -- that lasts a lot longer. They have a lot of work to do to restore that championship glow.

• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman: "Love the new name or hate the new name, know this. Within six months, maybe less, you will embrace Thunder. You won't even remember the summer when we rode through the desert on a team with no name."
• Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon-Journal: "More than six years later, after lots of editing, reshooting and dozens of meetings and sleepless nights as Kristopher Belman wrangled with how to best use the footage, it has become a finished product. Belman will debut the film, More Than A Game, on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival. LeBron James and the movie's other stars -- seniors from the 2002 team, Willie McGee, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton and Romeo Travis -- will be there for the premiere and a slam-dunk charity event. The future of the film is uncertain. It will depend on how well it is received by movie-industry executives in Toronto. There are tentative plans for a release in Northeast Ohio at an undetermined date."
• Matt Steinmetz of The Examiner: "We're going to find out an awful lot about Marcus Williams on the first day of training camp. Like on media day. That's when the Warriors introduce their players to the media for the 2008-09 season. It will be sometime late in September. The players show up, read promos, get photographed, conduct interviews, etc., and do it all in their game unis. If Williams doesn't look like he's in good shape on that day, it's going to be wholly disappointing and a very bad omen for the Warriors heading into training camp. And it's already been a long, hot offseason summer. Now that Monta Ellis will be missing the first portion of the season because of who knows what, Williams has a point guard's dream scenario in front of him."
• Martin Frank of The News Journal: "Until now, Donyell Marshall felt like he couldn't go home again. Marshall grew up in Reading, Pa., a self-described 76ers fan who basked in the team's championship run in 1983 as a kid. But Marshall is 35. He's entering his 15th season in the NBA. He knows his playing days are numbered. That's why Marshall said Wednesday he wants to end his career with the Sixers, whom he signed with Tuesday. 'It gives my family a chance to see me play more, playing for a team on the up and coming,' Marshall said. 'Early in my career, I'm not sure if I could have handled playing for the Sixers, being so close to my family. Now, being a seasoned vet, I'm ready for it.'"
• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press: "Dick Vitale was gone after only 94 games as the Pistons' head coach, his team and his health crumbling at an equally accelerating pace. Vitale understood Bill Davidson had no alternative following a 34-60 record, but that didn't ease the catastrophic sense of failure that sent Vitale into a sullen funk. 'Little did I know then that day would change my life,' Vitale recalled this week. 'Mr. Davidson probably saved my life that day. I would have been dead by 50 if I stayed in coaching because of my bleeding ulcers.' Neither man realized their parting of ways that November morning would lead to diverging paths of excellence that will bring them together once again Friday. That's when, in Springfield, Mass., they will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame."
• Dave D'Alessandro of The Star-Ledger: "You're a 7-footer who has made his reputation as a beast on the low box, and now your coach is asking you to abandon your comfort zone and move over on the weak side, away from the ball, with nary a touch on the block. This is the dubious offensive role the Nets have given to Brook Lopez, whom they claim is the big guy they plan to build around for the foreseeable future. Counterintuitive, you might say. Makes perfect sense, Lopez replies. Especially when you were practically raised by the guy who invented the offensive system they're going to run. 'My brother and I have been running this offense practically my entire life -- not at Stanford, but every year before that,' Lopez said yesterday. 'It's a great system. It teaches you how to play basketball, and how to make decisions. It'll work really well for us.'"
• Kerry Eggers of The Portland Tribune: "Charles Linwood Williams' No. 52 has been retired by the New Jersey Nets, but his heart is in Portland. 'I consider myself a Trail Blazer, quite frankly,' says the man NBA fans knew as Buck. 'Even though my jersey hangs in the rafters in New Jersey, I had some wonderful years in Portland. & The Blazers will always hold a special place for me and my family.' ... Since his retirement in 1998, Williams and his family -- wife Mimi, and sons Julian, 19, and Malek, 16 -- have lived in Potomac, where Buck runs a construction firm. He says business has remained good despite the economic slowdown, 'but my real goal is to make my way back to the NBA.' Williams, 48, isn't planning a comeback as a player. 'I'm trying to get my foot in the door in the management side, or even in coaching,' he says. 'But I haven't been able to make a connection yet.'"
• Mike Jones of The Washington Times: "Washington Wizards All-Star forward Caron Butler is one of four NBA players visiting Johannesburg, South Africa, from Sept. 3-7 as part of the Basketball Without Borders Africa Camp. Wizards vice president of player personnel Milt Newton also is traveling with Butler. More than 100 or Africa's top teenage basketball players are at the five-day event, working on improving their skills through instruction from Butler, Matt Bonner of the Spurs, Thabo Sefolosha of the Bulls and Charlie Bell of the Bucks. 'Basketball without Borders Africa is a powerful program and something I'm proud to be a part of,' Butler said in a statement. 'I'm very excited to be working with these young basketball players and teaching them about the importance of education, healthy living and HIV/AIDS awareness. This is a great opportunity to pass on the positive values that basketball instilled in me as a young man.'"

The Oklahoma City team finally has a name.

It's, can you believe it, the Thunder, which eliminates any thought that the people who run the team might have mounted a brilliant campaign of subterfuge, but were instead leaking and delaying like crazy pretty much all summer.

And they actually played the AC/DC song "Thunderstruck" at the news conference as predicted.

Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett made a very low-enthusiasm presentation, saying how enthusiastic he was. There was some talk about how hard it is to keep a secret, and even a line about character. I smirked at this man, whose double-dealing e-mails and bold-faced lies have been well-documented, telling me about character. I felt all that bitterness at how things went down in Seattle.

And for Sonic fans, today was the day that they really lost their team. For much of the summer, to me, it seemed like the Sonics had been stolen, and were out there somewhere, perhaps to somehow be returned.

But now the city has settled. Former Sonics' owner Howard Schultz's lawsuit has run out. And while Kevin Durant, Sam Presti, Russell Westbrook and company will all continue to show up for work, the Seattle SuperSonics are literally no more.

At some point, after the funeral, you stop putting so much energy into being mad that someone died, and start going about the business of making life as good as it can be without them. This is, I guess, that day.

For the people in Seattle, it's a game of stadium funding, thankless politicking and lucky breaks.

In Oklahoma City, meanwhile, Bennett talked about building the brand into one of the NBA's greats. It has been a lousy start, in just about every way imaginable. But I hope he does it. People in Oklahoma City are unbelievably fired up about this team, and I'm thrilled for them.

I guess I better figure out how to rename that "Seattle SuperSonics" category over there on the right.

Doesn't yet have the announcement of the new name, but it is already encouraging you to be the first to get your Thunder gear.

Shortly, in Oklahoma City, there will be a news conference to announce the name and logo of the former Seattle SuperSonics.

The only problem is that there have already been countless leaks of these very same things.

The latest one is really one of the most impressive yet. The NBA's online store is selling OKC Thunder merchandise, with that same logo that was leaked yesterday.

I'll say this: If we learn in a few minutes that the team is not called the Thunder? This will have been one of the most sophisticated ruses of all time.

Via Oklahoma City BBall (and thanks Matt). 

And the team almost beats heavily favored Israel, losing in overtime. Deng finished with 30 points, while former first-round Portland pick Joel Freeland had 14 points and nine rebounds.