ON DYNAMIC DUOS AND RAYMOND TOWNSEND

Legendary NBA teams always thrive with a deadly duo in their run for fame and immortality. The Boston Celtics in the 50’s and 60’s have Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. The Los Angeles Lakers “showtime” in the 80’s were anchored on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. The Chicago Bulls of the 90’s were led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. And most recently, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are the one-two punch of the San Antonio Spurs. Karl Malone and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz is one of the most deadly combination in the NBA annals not to win a single championship but left their legacy just the same.

Fast forward to the present as we take a look at the top five dynamic tandems in the NBA:

1. LeBron James and Maurice “Mo” Williams of the Cleveland Cavaliers. James is a happy man in Cleveland ever since Williams joined the Cavs before the 2008-09 season. LBJ had been longing for years for a backcourt partner who will consistently take the pressure off him from playing too much in the PG position. James is currently averaging 30.0 ppg/8.4 apg/7.1 rpg while Williams is submitting norms of 16.3 ppg and 4.9 apg.

2. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz. This duo represents the present-day Malone and Stockton tandem. Both played on the gold-medal winners Team USA in the Beijing Olympic summer games two years back. Boozer is currently posting scores of 19.4 ppg/11.2 rpg/3.3 apg and Williams at 18.3 ppg/9.9 apg/4.2 rpg.

3. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns. These two is the beginning and the end of the dreaded Phoenix running game. Seeing Nash and Stoudemire on the floor is like watching a horserace with Stoudemire grabbing the carom and pitching it immediately to Nash, who rushes downcourt for a neat finish or a dish off to an open teammate for the completion of a fastbreak. Nash presently has averages of 17.6 ppg/11.2 apg/3.3 rpg with Stoudemire submitting 21.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg.

4. Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets. “Mr. Bigtime and Mr. Bigshot”. What a lethal combination. Anthony, one of the leading scorers in the league this season and Billups, one of the most experienced and dependable backcourtman the league has seen in recent years, are playing good music once again. Anthony is currently averaging 29.2 ppg/6.4 rpg/3.5 apg while Billups is doing his usual chores at 19.8 ppg and 6.1 apg.

5. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is the tandem of the future. Both “Durantula” and Westbrook are combining forces in the surprising ascent of the Thunder to the league’s upper echelon this season. These two exciting youngsters are consistently dishing off their A-games night in and night out as Oklahoma City shoots for its first-ever post-season appearance. Durant is having a career season with averages of 29.8 ppg/7.5 rpg/2.9 apg while Westbrook is posting norms of 16.4 ppg/7.7 apg/5.2 rpg.

*****

Remember Raymond Townsend? Yes, he is the only Filipino-American who ever made it to the National Basketball Association (NBA). Townsend, 55, currently works as a Youth Coordinator in sports for a High School in San Jose, California.

Townsend broke the barrier after a successful college ball career at the famed University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Yes, it is the same school which produced the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Marques Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes, Baron Davis and Reggie Miller among others. Townsend was picked 22nd over-all in the first round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 4.8 ppg and 1.4 apg in 154 games for the Warriors and the Indiana Pacers from 1978 to 1982.

He is still hoping that another player with pinoy roots will see action in the NBA in the near future. "I would love to see another Filipino or Filipino-American player just somebody beside myself [play in the NBA] because it’s been a long time," he said.

Townsend was born to a Filipina mother from Batangas and an American father. He was a member of the legendary John Wooden’s last NCAA championship team in 1974 as a starting backcourtman with the Bruins.

In 1980, Townsend led a barnstorming selection that played several exhibition games and conducted cage clinics in Manila. Among the members of that team were NBA players Clifford Ray and Derrick Dickey.

"I have never shirked nor been quiet of my ‘pinoy’ heritage," Townsend added. "I am a proud Filipino but in those days when I played your culture or heritage were never an important issue because the game was dominated by the black athlete. I think that Filipino athletes need to come to America, they need to pay their dues, play in college, [and] take a risk. You know what, what’s the worst case? They could always come back and play in the Philippines."

With the transformation of the NBA into a Global phenomenon, Townsend is endorsing himself to NBA officials as he eyes a possible role as “Philippine Ambassador to the NBA”.

That for sure will make us very proud.

*****

Herwith are the completed transactions covering the period February 17 to 22:

Monday, February 22

Oklahoma City signed guard Antonio Anderson and waived forward Matt Harpring.

Friday, February 19

Boston traded guards Eddie House and JR Giddens, forward Bill Walker and a future conditional second-round pick to New York for guards Nate Robinson and Marcus Landry.

San Antonio traded center Theo Ratliff to Charlotte for a protected 2016 second-round pick.

Houston traded guard Tracy McGrady to New York for forwards Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill, a protected 2012 first-round pick and the right to exchange first-round picks in 2011.

Sacramento traded guard Kevin Martin and center Hilton Armstrong to Houston for forwards Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey and waived forward Kenny Thomas.

New York traded guard Larry Hughes to Sacramento for guard Sergio Rodriguez and waived forward Brian Cardinal.

Washington traded forward Dominic McGuire to Sacramento for a future second-round pick and cash.

Philadelphia traded guard Royal Ivey, center Primoz Brezec and a second-round pick in 2010 to Milwaukee for guard Jodie Meeks and center Francisco Elson.

Chicago traded forward Tyrus Thomas to Charlotte for guards Ronald Murray and Acie Law and a future first-round pick and waived forward Chris Richard.

Utah traded guard Ronnie Brewer to Memphis for a protected future first-round draft pick.

Thursday, February 18

Cleveland traded center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the draft rights to forward Emir Preldzic and a first-round pick to Washington for forward Antawn Jamison.

Los Angeles Clippers traded guard Sebastian Telfair to Cleveland and Al Thornton to Washington for Drew Gooden from Washington.

New York traded forward Darko Milicic and cash to Minnesota for forward Brian Cardinal.

Detroit named Alan Ostfield president and CEO.

Milwaukee traded forwards Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander to Chicago for guard John Salmons and 2011 and 2012 second-round picks.

Wednesday, February 17

Minnesota traded forward Brian Cardinal to New York for center Darko Milicic and cash.

PATRIOTS NAILS FIRST-EVER ABL CROWN

There is something to cheer about and be proud of in Philippine basketball after all. Nope, it’s not yet the Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas nor the disappointing Powerade Team Pilipinas. The Philippine Patriots, co-owned by Dr. Mikee Romero and Tonyboy Cojuangco, subdued the stubborn Indonesian finalist Satria-Muda Britama, 75-67, yesterday before an over flowing crowd at the Britama Stadium in Jakarta.

The win gave the Patriots a 3-0 sweep in the best-of-five championship series and thus, clinched the first-ever Asean Basketball League (ABL) diadem. Coach Louie Alas’ charges earlier won the first two games at home.

The Patriots were so dominant throughout the season. First, for topping the regular season at 11-4 win-loss card, then sweeping all its home games in the regular season and post-season play and lastly, staying unbeaten the whole of the playoffs.

SMB gave the Patriots a tough stand before losing out game three and conceding the title to the Philippine franchise, which were led by reigning PBA Fiesta Confab Best Import Gabe Freeman and the hardworking Jason Dixon, also an ex-PBA reinforcement.

"We were very complacent in the first half. Luckily, we were able to talk to ourselves at halftime that we must keep our toughness on the defensive end and I guest that was the story of the game," said Alas.

This early, Romero is already looking forward to a back-to-back title finish come the next ABL campaign. There are already plans of further strengthening the Patriots in anticipation of massive build-ups to be undertaken by the five other ABL squads in the off-season.

Thank you very much Philippine Patriots for making this basketball-crazy nation proud and happy once again. It’s been a longtime and how sweet it is.

STOUDEMIRE AND ALLEN STAYS

The anticipated big deals did not come to fruition. The big names were missing and only light tremors shook the league foundation as the NBA trade deadline came to a close on 3 p.m. Thursday (Friday, 3 a.m. Manila time).

Two names which hugged the NBA headlines the past two months, Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns and Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics were not part of any transaction that was completed before the aforementioned zero-hour. However, come summer of 2010, it is expected to be another story for these two gentlemen. But for the remainder of the 2009-10 season, they will remain and continue to help their respective squads in the run toward the playoffs and a possible shot at the NBA diadem come June.

There were last minute haggling which did not materialize such as trade negotiations for Spur’s Richard Jefferson, Utah’s Carlos Boozer, 76er’s Andre Iguodala, and Indiana’s Troy Murphy among others. Another one which did not hit paydirt is the rumored O.J. Mayo for Monta Ellis deal.

For Jefferson and Boozer, it only means that both San Antonio and the Jazz are getting serious with their playoff run. Iguodala’s retention kept the core of Philadelphia at least until the end of the season. While the fact that Boston opted against trading Allen will prove invaluable come playoff time. Murphy is stuck in Indy after Cleveland and Milwaukee opted to look elsewhere. And for Stoudemire, after hearing trade talk for three straight years, he can't be happy.

Herewith are the completed transactions for trade deadline 2010:

To Houston:

Kevin Martin, G

Hilton Armstrong, C

Jordan Hill, F

Jared Jeffries, F

The right to swap first-round picks with New York in 2011

New York's 2012 first-round pick

To New York:

Tracy McGrady, G/F

Sergio Rodriguez, G

To Sacramento:

Carl Landry, F

Joey Dorsey, F

Larry Hughes, G

*****

To Cleveland:

Antawn Jamison, F

Sebastian Telfair, G

To Washington:

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C

Al Thornton, F

Rights to Emir Preldzic, F (from Cleveland)

2010 first-round draft pick (from Cleveland)

To L.A. Clippers:

Drew Gooden, F/C

*****

To Dallas:

Caron Butler, G/F

Brendan Haywood, C

DeShawn Stevenson, G

To Washington:

Josh Howard, F

Drew Gooden, F/C

James Singleton, F

Quinton Ross, G/F

*****

To Portland:

Marcus Camby, C

To L.A. Clippers:

Steve Blake, G

Travis Outlaw, F

*****

To Boston:

Nate Robinson, G

To New York:

Eddie House, G

J.R. Giddens, G

Future first- or second-round draft pick

*****

To Charlotte:

Tyrus Thomas, F

To Chicago:

Flip Murray, G

Acie Law, G

First-round draft choice (protected)

*****

To Milwaukee:

John Salmons, F

To Chicago:

Hakim Warrick, F

Joe Alexander, F

*****

To Memphis:

Ronnie Brewer

To Utah:

2011 first-round draft pick

*****

To Milwaukee:

Primoz Brezec, F

Royal Ivey, G

To Philadelphia:

Jodie Meeks, G

Francisco Elson, F/C

*****

To Minnesota:

Darko Milicic, F/C

To New York:

Brian Cardinal, F

REMEMBERING BILL BAYNO

Remember Bill Bayno? After serving as an assistant coach for a few seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA, Bayno handled Loyola Marymount University in the US NCAA during the 2008-09 campaign. He resigned from LMU after three games due to health reasons. He was last spotted conducting training drills for the Blazers last January 30.

Bayno was once a controversial fixture in the Philippine basketball landscape when he was tapped by Manny V. Pangilinan to handle the Talk N' Text franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was an instant hit in the local pro loop as he piloted the Phone Pals to a finals stint in his first conference with the PLDT outfit. However, his stint in the local shores was cut short due to protest from the local coaches association.

Herewith is a reprint in full of a very interesting article written by Mike Barret on the Blazers official website about Bayno entitled “Bill Bayno: A Success Story”:

“It’s early August, three months from the start of the NBA season, but Zach Randolph is on a court in Atlanta, on the campus of Georgia Tech University. He’s pounding away at the hoop, literally destroying a much smaller man, who is wearing khaki shorts and a plain white t-shirt. All the while, this man is talking, challenging Randolph to go harder and longer. “Come at me Zach,” he says. “Bring it right into me. You’re not going to hurt me. Attack the basket. Again.” Moments later the words “water break” are heard, and Zach heads for the bench to grab some Gatorade. The man in the white shirt stays on the floor, never stopping his dribble, antsy for the player to return so they can resume the workout.

Ah, the life of an NBA player development coach. For the Portland Trail Blazers, this position now belongs to Bill Bayno, the man in the t-shirt. He’s sweating as much as Randolph, but looks like he can’t get enough. That’s love, and that’s passion, and that’s just part of what it takes to succeed at the NBA level- for players and coaches.

Bayno is new to the position, but isn’t new to traveling around the world working with players. Teaching the game, helping players with their skills, and helping them handle life in the big time, isn’t new either. That’s why he’s here.

It takes a unique individual to be a player development coach. The term “gym rat” is used a lot to describe players who are tireless workers. It should also be applied to coaches, like Bayno. They don’t want attention, shy away from the spotlight and TV cameras, and have an incredibly selfless attitude.

“I want to be way in the background,” says Bayno. “My job is just to make sure our guys are absolutely ready- ready to play, and ready to buy in. Anything I can do to help Nate McMillan and our assistant coaches, that’s what I’m going to do.”

The Blazers are fortunate in that Bayno not only has experience at teaching the game, and working with players, but has also been a head coach at several different levels. He knows what’s expected of him, and what’s expected of his players.

“I have to be around a gym, and have to be around basketball,” says Bayno. “That’s just the way it is.”

A Lasting Relationship is Born

Bayno was born and raised in Newberg, New York, about 30 minutes north of New York City. Like many coaches, his love for the game started as a player. Bayno excelled in high school, and enrolled at the University of Massacusetts, where he played for two seasons. It was then on to Sacred Heart in Connecticut, where he became a Division II All-American. Following a short tryout with the New York Knicks, Bayno immediately went into coaching.

Bayno’s first coaching job came as a graduate assistant for P.J. Carlisimo at Seton Hall. After that, it was on to Kansas, where he accepted a similar position under Larry Brown. It was there he met a young freshman point guard, and took the player under his wing. The player was Kevin Pritchard, the current director of player personnel for the Trail Blazers. Pritchard ended up leading the Jayhawks to the 1987 NCAA National Championship.

“I was 23, and Kevin was 19,” remembers Bayno. “We had a unique relationship. KP and I spent hours playing together. We developed a bond that has stayed through to this day. Kevin is like a brother to me.”

Pritchard, who played on that title team at Kansas with Danny Manning, gives Bayno a lot of credit for his success as a player.

“Right away I felt Billy had a special quality, in that you trust him,” says Pritchard. “He has a great way of building players’ trust, not only on but off the court. I’ve known him now for over 20 years, and I would say he’s a big reason why I was able to make it to the NBA. He was always pushing me to be better.”

Two years ago, with that feeling still fresh in his mind, Pritchard set out to team up with Bayno once again, this time with the Trail Blazers. After Pritchard served as the Blazers interim head coach late in the 2004-05 season, following the dismissal of Maurice Cheeks, he needed someone to coach the Blazers’ youngsters at the Las Vegas Summer League. He called his old friend, who accepted the short assignment.

Perhaps the most important thing to come out of the summer league experience, was the fact that Bayno was able to develop a relationship with new-Blazers coach Nate McMillan, who was hired after the summer league was already underway. This summer, McMillan was happy enough with what he saw of Bayno the previous summer in Las Vegas, that the offered him the position of player development coach. “I’ll be eternally grateful to Nate for believing in me, and for giving me this chance, says Bayno.”

Not everyone watching the Trail Blazers at that 2005 summer league in Vegas recognized the irony of that situation, or even realize it now.

The UNLV Experience

Following his stint as a graduate assistant coach at Seton Hall and Kansas, Bayno’s first full-time job came at Charleston Southern University, where he was in charge or recruiting. It didn’t take him long to be chased down by a major program, and shortly after he was off to the school where his basketball career, as a player, started- The University of Massachusetts.

Bayno accepted the job at UMass and spent seven seasons as an assistant coach. He learned under John Calapari as that program rose to the top, and competed in a Final Four. Bayno recruited and helped develop players like Marcus Camby and Lou Roe.

In 1995, at just 32 years of age, the time had come for Bayno to take over his own program, and there was no wading into the shallow end, as it was former powerhouse UNLV that named him its head coach on April 1st, 1995. It’s the same UNLV that rose to college basketball’s elite in the early 90s, under legend Jerry Tarkanian. The team won the NCAA title in 1990, drilling Duke 103-73, and then put together a 45-game winning streak that lasted until March of 2001. To put it mildly, expectations were off the charts. The school tried Rollie Massimino, and then Tim Grgurich as head coaches, and then turned to a very young Bayno.

“A lot of coaches turned that job down before I got it,” says Bayno. “It was a job that probably wasn’t as good as it looked. Tark had built up an amazing program, but when he left support dwindled. I knew how to get kids to play hard, and I could recruit. I was just a young coach figuring things out as I went.”

The success was steady under Bayno, as UNLV won four conference titles, and returned to the NCAA Tournament. In fact, Bayno is still the only coach since Tarkanian to take UNLV to the big dance.

However, it was after that trip to the NCAA tourney in 1999, that things took a downhill turn, at least off the court. Anyone familiar with big-time college hoops knows one of the biggest challenges coaches face is keeping boosters away from players and recruits. A Las Vegas-area dentist had been accused of giving financial aid to current L.A. Laker Lamar Odom, who, as it turns out, never played a minute at UNLV.

“Lamar had been taking money from a booster to survive,” says Bayno. “We had already kicked him out of school and he never played for us. The NCAA report put all the blame on the administration. But, before the report came out, they fired me. I accept it, and take full responsibility for it. I was the coach. But, I do take pride in the fact that I don’t have one violation against me. I’m not ashamed. We had a lot of success at UNLV.”

As expected, Bayno’s public image took the hardest hits, and he decided to try coaching in the ABA. He coached the Phoenix Eclipse, and went up against Kevin Pritchard’s Kansas City Knights. Pritchard’s team went on to win the ABA title that year.

After that, Bayno was off to the Philippines, where he coached the Talk n’ Text Phone Pals. Right after that season ended he took the head-coaching job with the CBA’s Yakima Sun Kings, and won the CBA title in 2003. Obviously, it was hardly a straight line to the NBA.

Conquering Other Demons

The life of a coach is tough, especially at the highest levels, and Bayno’s story isn’t that unique in this business. Dealing with expectations, the pressure of keeping a job, the constant traveling, the late nights, and the long off seasons. Coaches deal with these things in different ways- sometimes in destructive ways. For Bayno, the battle was with alcohol.

“If you’re an alcoholic, you know it. That’s the simplest way I can put it,” says Bayno. “My parents were alcoholics and I knew I was going to have it face it at some point in my life.” That point came when he was fighting the wars of big-time college basketball, at UNLV. Although Bayno says he never drank during the season, it was a constant temptation in the off-season.

“I was a young coach at Vegas, at just 32. I was under extreme pressure, I was making a lot of money, and my alcoholism got the best of me. It was just the combination of Vegas, money, and stress.” Like most people battling this disease, Bayno doesn’t hesitate when he’s asked when he had his last drink. “December 23rd, 1999,” he proudly says.

The most painful part of being a public figure can be when one does succumb to the trials of everyday life. The battle is fought on a very big stage, in front of lot judging eyes.

“That was the most painful part of all of that,” says Bayno. “I put myself in a position for people who don’t know me, to take shots at me and make unfair assumptions. The only person I hurt was myself. I take such pride in being a good person. I’ve just tried to use my experience to help others, and I think I’ve done that. I’m proud of that. There are a lot of people in this business, including players, who struggle with this. I’m happy that I’ve been able to help a lot of them, and I’ll continue to try and do that.”

The NBA Opportunity

For Bayno, this is the opportunity he’s been wanting. He turned down an offer from the L.A. Clippers to work with the young Trail Blazers. One only has to watch him workout with a player to realize what this chance means to him. The 2005 summer league experience was like a brief tease. Now, he’s got the real thing.

“I don’t think there’s anything more rewarding than having the opportunity to make someone better,” says Bayno. “I love making them better players and better people. I’m very open with my life experiences, and I think that’s as important as my work with the players on the court. I’m teaching these guys how to maximize their lives, how to handle adversity, and how to be professionals.”

He didn’t have to sell that aspiration to Pritchard or McMillan when the opportunity presented itself in Portland.

“We’re so lucky to have him,” says Pritchard. “He has developed so many players in this league. He was a great scout for his last season, but I felt like the better role for him was as a player development coach. Where we’re at as a team, we needed the best one we could find. All he wants to do is get on the floor and help guys get better. He’s a success story, and we’re better because of him.”

And, where some assistants aspire to gain their own spots in the head coaching community, Bayno has been there. He’s thrilled to be in Portland, in this position, and wants nothing more.

“I don’t like the pressure of being a head coach,” says Bayno. “If I’m never a head coach again I’ll be happy. This job, doing what I’m doing now, it’s the most fun I could ever have in basketball.”

This story is worth sharing with all the fans Bayno left behind in the Philippines.

JEFF VAN GUNDY: WILL HE OR WILL HE NOT?

With Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov set to take over the ownership of the awfully disgruntled New Jersey Nets franchise, it seems the team will just go through the motions for the rest of the current regular season and undergo a major retool for a big comeback next season. Despite several disappointing issues on hand like becoming the worst-ever NBA team in the regular season history and where to play its home games next season, the Nets are looking for a brighter tomorrow.

Recent developments like team president Rod Thorn flying over to Vancouver for a two-day meeting with Prokhorov and rumors that current ESPN NBA TV analyst and former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy as incoming Nets coach seems to point towards the right direction for the team.

According to league insiders, Van Gundy is the front runner among the twelve names to be submitted by Thorn to Prokhorov as possible Nets top guru next season. Van Gundy, whose brother Stan is the current head coach of the Orlando Magic, had an over-all NBA coaching win-loss record of 430-318 (.575) in 11 seasons with the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets.

The Nets currently owns the worst record in the NBA this season winning just 5 games out of 53 games played so far. They are in the hunt for the all-time poorest win-loss record in the league which the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers owned by finishing 9-73.

It is sad to see this once-proud franchise flounder after only six years removed from their back-to-back finals stint in 2002 and 2003.

With a Russian tycoon set to revive the fortunes of the team, loyal Nets fans are hoping for a big turnaround and that Prokhorov will duplicate what another Russian magnate Roman Abramovich has done to English pro soccer powerhouse Chelsea.

That of course, remains to be seen.

*****

Still on NBA coaches, the Denver Nuggets had announced that coach George Karl, who is fresh from his stint as mentor of the West squad in the recently-concluded annual NBA All-Star game in Dallas, is suffering from cancer again.

Karl is currently on his sixth season with the Nuggets and his 22nd over-all season as an NBA head coach. He previously handled Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle and Milwaukee. He had a current over-all record of 968-660 win-loss card in 1,628 games so far for an impressive .595 rate.

Karl, who had just signed a one-year contract extension with the Nuggets worth $4.5M, is expected to miss some games this season for treatment related reasons.

The current state of Karl just shows life really is full of ups and downs. Wishing the best for Karl.

*****

Herewith are the transactions completed for the period February 8 to 16:

Tuesday, February 16

Los Angeles Clippers traded center Marcus Camby to Portland for guard Steve Blake and forward Travis Outlaw and cash and waived guard Ricky Davis.

Monday, February 15

Chicago signed forward Chris Richard to a second 10-day contract.

Saturday, February 13

Washington traded guard DeShawn Stevenson, forward Caron Butler, center Brendan Haywood and cash to Dallas for guard Quinton Ross and forwards Josh Howard, James Singleton and Drew Gooden.

Monday, February 8

Houston signed guard Garrett Temple to a 10-day contract.

BEWARE OF THE “DURANTULA”

Don’t look now but a new scoring force has emerged in the NBA this season. Third year pro Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is currently running a very close second to LeBron James (29.8 ppg) in the league’s scoring race with a 29.7 ppg average (tied up with Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets).

This is the closest scoring race since 1978 when San Antonio Spurs legend George “Iceman” Gervin and Denver Nuggets great David “Skywalker” Thompson engaged in a memorable neck-and-neck duel until the final day of the regular season.

Durant, who played his first NBA season in Seattle during the Emerald City’s final NBA season before relocating to Oklahoma City, had been selected to his first All-Star game this coming weekend in Dallas, Texas. The 21-year-old former Texas Longhorn is also submitting norms of 7.3 rpg and 3.0 apg in 50 impressive games so far for the Thunder this season.

If the Thunder continues its current surprising run and lands in the post-season play, then maybe, just maybe, Durant will have a shot at the league’s MVP crown.

*****

In a bid to arrest their on-and-off form, the Boston Celtics are trying something new.

With the team’s upcoming West Coast trip and through the help of Dr. Charles A. Czeisler, chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, the Celtics have altered their training schedule to allow players at least eight hours of sleep nightly.

For Celtic guard Ray Allen, this thing will definitely have a positive effect on the team’s over-all performance: “He’ll show you exactly what it does to your body, if you don’t have eight hours of sleep, from the fatigue to not having your balance, all these different things. Since I’ve been in the league, certain games, you don’t know why you just lost games - I think, sometimes, lack of sleep. I’ve always thought we sleep too much as athletes, but it’s more like we need it, and that’s part of the job.

“It’s been helping me, personally, as far as how I feel going into practice and into games. That’s another 10- to 15-year study if you want to study how it affects us. If we can be healthier, over the course of the season, it will be beneficial to us.’’

So the initial result of how it benefited the team will be known right after the said road trip.

KAMAN FINALLY MADE IT TO ASG

All roads lead to Dallas, Texas, this weekend for the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend. This year’s edition promises to be the biggest all-star festivities in NBA history with no less than 100,000 spectators expected to watch the all-star game between the best of the East and the best of the West at the state-of-the-art Cowboys Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

As usual, BTV and Solar TV will bring all the action live on Philippine TV starting this Saturday and will culminate with the ASG on Monday. Anchorman Mico Halili, Analyst Jason Webb and courtside reporter Lia Cruz will handle the BTV coverage for Filipino TV viewers.

*****

Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman will finally make his overdue debut in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Kaman got his chance as the NBA named him as replacement for the injured Brandon Roy of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kaman is submitting consistent numbers so far this season with 20.2 ppg and 9.0 rpg while shooting 50 percent from the field.

Kaman is the first Clipper selected to the ASG in four years.

*****

After a strong start off the gates, the Memphis Grizzlies had struggled lately, winning just once in the past six games. It was a monumental tailspin for the Grizzlies as they previously won 15 of 19 games which catapult them to the seventh spot over-all in the Western Conference.

Point guard Mike Conley had a vivid observation of the team’s current predicament: "We're going through a little adversity right now. Similar to what we had earlier in the season but on a smaller scale. We just have to learn how to fight through this. We're going to get a win. We just have to keep on fighting and keep on working."

Memphis, together with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Bobcats, are the early revelations this season. These three clubs are eyeing to gatecrash the playoffs come April after being eliminated last season.

*****

Despite their 96-89 loss to the Orlando Magic yesterday, the Boston Celtics had something to cheer about. Free agent acquisition Marquis Daniels finally saw action after spending sometime in the sickbay.

Daniels, who saw action for the Indiana Pacers last season, was a mismatch for anyone the Magic threw at him. He scored several times after posting up the much-shorter J.J. Redick for inside incursions and short jumpers.

With Daniels’ activation and the coming all-star respite, expect the Beantown outfit to finally regain their bearing for the crucial second half stretch of the season.

*****

Herewith are the completed transactions for the period January 27 to February 6:

Saturday, February 6

Golden State signed forward Anthony Tolliver for the remainder of the season and waived guard Speedy Claxton.

Friday, February 5

New Orleans signed guard Jason Hart to a 10-day contract.

Chicago signed forward Chris Richard to a 10-day contract.

Thursday, February 4

Los Angeles Clippers fired head coach Mike Dunleavy and named Kim Hughes interim head coach.

Tuesday, February 2

Cleveland signed guard Cedric Jackson to a second 10-day contract.

Monday, February 1

Atlanta signed guard Mario West for the rest of the season.

Sunday, January 31

Golden State signed guard Coby Karl.

Thursday, January 28

Houston signed guard Will Conroy.

Wednesday, January 27

Golden State signed forward Anthony Tolliver to a second 10-day contract.

2010 NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND IN DALLAS

The forthcoming NBA All-Star Game in Dallas, Texas, will be one for the record books. The annual extravaganza of the NBA’s top 24 players will strut their wares before an expected Standing-Room-Only (SRO) crowd of close to 100,000 at the Cowboys Stadium (home of NFL’s Dallas Cowboys). Reports have it that as of now, 85,000 tickets had already been sold for the ASG alone. League officials and Mavericks management led by the enigmatic Mark Cuban, are discussing matters with Arlington fire marshals and public safety officials to determine how many more standing-room tickets can be sold and likewise on precautionary measures to be undertaken for the projected mammoth crowd on hand.

"It literally could be the largest party weekend in the history of the United States," Cuban said. "That's how big this thing has gotten. The Super Bowl, from a television perspective, is the biggest event of the year. But for attendance and partying, All-Star Weekend will make the Super Bowl look like a bar mitzvah."

Herewith are the schedule and some facts on the NBA All-Star Weekend set on February 12-14, 2010 (February 13-15, Manila time):

February 12 – ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME

 Featuring this year's best rookies against this year's best sophomores (second-year players).

February 13 – NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND EVENTS

 The Shooting Stars competition (won by Detroit in 2009)

 The Skills Challenge (won last year by Derrick Rose)

 The Three-point shootout (last year's champ was Daequan Cook)

 The Slam Dunk contest (won by Nate Robinson last year)

February 14 – NBA ALL-STAR GAME

 Featuring the All-Star weekend's main event, the NBA All-Star game. The starters for the big game were announced on Thursday, January 21. They are Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard for the East, and Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan and Amar'e Stoudemire for the West.

 The NBA All-Star reserves were announced on January 28, 2010. These are the players who will come off the bench in the big game.

NBA-DL CHILD SUNDIATA GAINES: A STORY THAT BRINGS JOY

It was a rags-to-riches story. A story of a dream that finally came true but not after exerting all the efforts and going through the hardship of seeing himself labor in the minor league before stepping on basketball’s biggest floor, the NBA.

The following is a reprint of the article written by popular NBA writer David Aldridge on NBA.com entitled “In A Turbulent World, Gaines’ Story Brings Joy”. It is about a kid from the NBA Development League named Sundiata Gaines, who after signing a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz (out of NBDL’s Idaho Stampede) scored a basket that would be long remembered, a buzzer-beater that broke the backs of the visiting LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last January 14 on a cold Thursday night in Salt Lake City:

“Covering sports is a great way to make a living. But there are days, weeks even, when it isn't a barrel of laughs.

Consider baseball, whose on-field renaissance keeps getting plowed over by the latest steroid confession, the latest being Mark McGwire's weepy, orchestrated admissions, leaving writers trying to ascertain what was legitimate remorse and what was self-serving pablum.

The NFL has a pending labor storm on the horizon, with the possibility of a work stoppage in 2011 looming. (So, too, does the NBA.) There's always domestic violence and, occasionally, cartoon violence, the fallout of which we've dealt with in Washington the last couple of weeks.

Then, there came a calamity that crossed over into the sports world, one to which no human is adequately equipped to respond: an earthquake of devastating power and destruction which killed tens of thousands in Haiti, the home of the 76ers' center, Samuel Dalembert. Sammy D has always been a quirkly player, but his philanthropic side has never been challenged, and it was never in greater need and demand than this week, when he asked for the NBA's help for his stricken country. Sometimes, you feel like anything you give is like a rock being thrown into a great canyon. How could it possibly do any real good?

So it was a genuine joy to spend some minutes this week with a kid with a great story, a great smile and a great name, who had a great first week on the job and hit a great shot Thursday night to beat a great player and his great team.

The young man is Sundiata "Yata" Gaines, and if you've at all been paying attention, he's the 23-year-old NBA Development League callup for Utah who hit the game-winning 3-pointer last Thursday to beat LeBron James and the Cavaliers -- on the last day of his 10-day contract.

"I knew they kept you here for some reason," joked Ronnie Brewer afterward. But of course, there was a back story, which indicates, again, how some teams seem to always be "lucky" and find guys like Gaines, while others don't.

Gaines first got onto the radar of Utah's general manager, Kevin O'Connor, in 2008, when he led the University of Georgia to an improbable Southeastern Conference Tournament championship. That was the year a tornado struck the Georgia Dome during the Mississippi State-Alabama quarterifinal game and postponed Georgia's quarterfinal game with Kentucky to the following day. That meant Gaines and the Bulldogs had to win two games in one day just to make the tournament final, after winning just four conference games during the regular season.

Gaines simply recalled his days playing AAU ball, and Georgia beat both Kentucky and Mississippi State, becoming the first team in more than 40 years to win two tournament games in the same day. The Bulldogs then completed their incredible run by beating Arkansas in the final, and Gaines was named tournament MVP.

"It was definitely a confidence booster," Gaines said. "At the time, as long as we didn't play Tennessee, I felt like we had a great chance to win it. And we didn't play them. We played Arkansas, and I knew we had a great chance of beating them. Me and my teammates, I just wanted to build confidence in my teammates, and they all followed my lead ... I just had confidence in myself."

But despite finishing his Georgia career first in school history in steals, second in assists and ninth in points, Gaines didn't get drafted after his senior season. NBA scouts weren't sure about his jumper, so Gaines went to Europe to work on it, playing for NGC Cantu in Italy last season, where he averaged 13 points in just under 32 minutes per game.

"For me, at first I didn't really want to go," he said. "But it was a great opportunity for me. I played a lot of minutes at the point guard position, which I started playing in college. I never was a true point guard growing up, so I had to learn the position. I'm still learning now. The professional game, how to pick and roll, how to play different defensive schemes. I mean, that helped me out so much."

Cantu wanted to keep him, but Gaines hadn't given up on the NBA yet, and after he spent the summer in camps with the Knicks, Mavericks and Hawks, he went the NBA Development League route after being taken 15th overall in the first round of the draft by the Idaho Stampede.

Sundiata Gaines has taken a long path to Utah.

"I was shocked he was there," said Idaho's first-year coach, Bob MacKinnon, by telephone Sunday. "I'm from back east, and I had known about him back to when he was at Archbishop Malloy (High School, in New York). I knew he was a very good player and had people from Malloy talk very highly of him."

The NBA D-League operates at cross purposes. Guys have to improve their games to get a look from NBA teams, but that very act of improving often comes at the expense of team cohesion and chemistry. It's a delicate act that can throw a lot of teams off balance. Gaines needed to work on his defense off the ball, staying focused -- something he's had problems with during his career -- as well as continuing to develop his point guard skills. At 6-foot-1, he wasn't going to get very far as a shooting guard.

"He wants to get better, and that's what our league is all about," MacKinnon said. "He was like a sponge. He would come in and ask questions, what he needed to work on, what his deficiencies were, and then he'd come in and work on them. He was one of those guys that, when you're saying something, you wonder who's really listening, and he was the first guy to go out there and work on them ... on the ball, he's very good, stays in front, and although he's small, he's strong. He improved every day at it and just kept getting better and better. That's what people in the league told me they needed to see him do, and he was doing it."

Even though Gaines didn't start for the Stampede, which is the affiliate for the Nuggets and Blazers (guard Patty Mills, Portland's second-round pick, is on the roster, along with recently released Cavs guard Coby Karl), he still led Idaho at 23.9 points per game (fourth overall in the D-League), 6.9 assists and 2.3 steals (both third in the league). And Gaines didn't complain about coming off the bench.

"We play more a possession game than a minutes game," MacKinnon said. "He told me, 'Coach, it doesn't matter if I start or not,' which is a great thing to hear from a guy. If you do get called up to the NBA, it's not like you're getting called up to start. They do want to see if you can come off the bench. Last year, when I was at Colorado, and we won the championship, I had Sonny Weems sent to me by the Nuggets. He came off the bench and he was fine with it, and now he's doing the same thing for the Raptors."

O'Connor went up in early January to see a game between the Jazz's D-League affiliate, the Utah Flash, and Idaho. Everyone assumed that O'Connor was there to see Dontell Jefferson, his own guard prospect who's been tearing up the league, before bringing him back to Salt Lake City, where the Jazz were dealing with injuries to backup point guard Ronnie Price. (Utah's point guard depth took a hit when the Jazz essentially gave away first-round pick Eric Maynor to Oklahoma City last month in a deal for injured forward Matt Harpring, who is unofficially retired. The move saved Utah more than $8 million in potential luxury tax payments this year.)

But O'Connor had a different callup in mind.

On Jan. 5, Utah's Dave Fredman, the team's longtime scout and former GM of the Flash, went up to Idaho to get a player. Gaines didn't know it was going to be him. There was barely time to say goodbye ("We're happy for you," MacKinnon says, "but we don't want to see you back again").

"Once he said my name, I mean, it was the best thing that ever happened to me," Gaines said. "This is what I've dreamed about since I was four years old, playing in the NBA, developing and being a superstar in the NBA. When I got the opportunity I was just happy to be here."

Gaines didn't have long to get used to being in the big league; when Deron Williams injured his wrist and Price's shoulder tendinitis flared up, Gaines was thrown in quickly, playing 21 minutes for Utah against Memphis. Things calmed down a little the next three games when Williams came back, and Gaines finally had his first real practice with the team last Wednesday, which gave him an opportunity to show if he really had picked up the playbook as quickly as he'd claimed.

The next evening, Gaines was thrust into the spotlight again, when Williams aggravated the sprain early in the fourth quarter against Cleveland. There was Gaines, feeding Carlos Boozer for an and-one; there was Gaines, completing his own three-point play to help Utah build a 12 point fourth-quarter lead. But there also was Gaines, being harrassed into a couple of turnovers by Mo Williams' tough fullcourt D as the period went on. Sloan brought back Price for the stretch run, with Utah up 12, but no one was prepared for what happened next.

LeBron went insane, scoring 16 points in less than four minutes: 3-pointer, three-point play, three-point play, free throw, 3-pointer off an offensive rebound following a miss of his second free throw, ridiculous 28-foot 3-pointer with 40 seconds left, giving Cleveland a seemingly insurmountable lead. But Sloan started fouling, the Cavs missed just enough to keep Utah alive, Kyle Korver made an amazing shot from behind the basket, and the Jazz got the ball down two with five seconds left.

Utah was supposed to run a double screen for Korver, but Cleveland saw it coming and jumped it, leaving Korver with two options: 1) force up a shot over a double-team, or 2) move the ball. So he swung it to Price, whose options weren't much better, and Price swung it to Gaines, about 26 feet out on the right wing. Cleveland's Anthony Parker got a hand in Gaines' face, but Gaines knows how to score: only Kenny Anderson and Kenny Smith scored more at Malloy than he did.

Swish. And bedlam. His teammates, led by Boozer, he of the $68 million free-agent deal and the uncertain future, rushed the court to tackle him. Gaines wound up standing on the scorer's table, gesturing to the delirious crowd.

"I was so excited, I found myself trying to jump," Sloan said.

It was Gaines's first NBA 3-pointer.

"I was watching it," MacKinnon said. "When he made that shot, I got about six text messages from his teammates. I knew if the ball got to him, he was going to shoot it, because he's a confident guy. It made the hair on my arms stand up."

Even the Cavaliers' response was appropriate. There was no "Aww, isn't that cute?" in the Cavs' locker room. Cleveland's fighting for a championship this season and for James' future this summer, and anything that deters from that mission, even for one night, is no laughing matter. The Cavs were ticked off. James, who almost never shows any true anger in public, was brusque and snapped headphones on after a brief session with the press, wheeling his bag behind him with a don't-mess-with-me-now look on his face.

I loved it.

These guys play to win, not for the money -- well, not just for the money.

All it did, though, was earn Gaines another 10 days. There really is no guarantee he'll be around the rest of the season, though it's very unlikely he wouldn't be. But even if that happens, no one can take away Jan. 14, 2010, and what Sundiata Gaines, named after an ancient king of Mali, did to LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

"The crazy thing about it is, I was sitting on the bench, and I just dreamed about it happening," he said. "I said I knew Ronnie was going to have the ball, and he was going to pass it to me, and I was going to catch it, and I was going to win the game."

The whole night -- the fight of the Jazz, the briliance of James, the way Sloan and the Jazz honored the game by playing it until the very last second, Gaines' miracle -- made me remember what it was that drew me to the NBA all those years ago, and what's kept me around all these years, and what makes all the travel and time away from loved ones worth it, and why I love the game so.”

*****

Herewith are the completed transactions covering the period January 7 to 26, 2010:

Tuesday, January 26

Los Angeles Clippers waived JamesOn Curry.

New Orleans traded guard Bobby Brown to the Los Angeles Clippers for a conditional second-round pick in 2014.

Monday, January 25

New Orleans traded guard Devin Brown to Chicago for center Aaron Gray.

Utah signed guard Sundiata Gaines for the remainder of the season.

Golden State signed forward Anthony Tolliver to a second 10-day contract.

Saturday, January 23

Cleveland signed guard Cedrick Jackson to a 10-day contract.

Forward Marcus Haislip signed with Panathinaikos (Greece).

Friday, January 22

San Antonio waived forward Marcus Haislip.

Atlanta signed guard Mario West to a second 10-day contract.

Los Angeles Clippers signed guard JamesOn Curry to a 10-day contract and waived guard Kareem Rush.

Wednesday, January 20

Golden State signed guard Cartier Martin to a second 10-day contract.

Monday, January 18

Guard Stephon Marbury signed with Shanxi Zhongyu (China).

Milwaukee signed guard Jerry Stackhouse.

Houston exercised the contract option on head coach Rick Adelman through 2010-11.

New Jersey named Tom Barrise special assistant to the president and Jimmy Sann assistant coach.

Sunday, January 17

Golden State signed forward Anthony Tolliver to a 10-day contract.

Friday, January 15

Utah signed guard Sundiata Gaines to a second 10-day contract.

New Jersey waived forward Shawne Williams.

Tuesday, January 12

Atlanta signed guard Mario West to a 10-day contract.

Monday, January 11

Dallas traded forwards Kris Humphries and Shawne Williams to New Jersey for forward Eduardo Najera.

New Jersey waived forward Sean Williams.

New Orleans traded center Hilton Armstrong and cash to Sacramento for a 2016 conditional second-round pick.

Sunday, January 10

Golden State signed guard Cartier Martin to a 10-day contract.

Saturday, January 9

Memphis signed guard Lester Hudson.

Friday, January 8

Portland signed forward Shavlik Randolph to a 10-day contract.

Memphis signed guard Lester Hudson.

Thursday, January 7

Miami signed guard Rafer Alston.

MOVE OVER BJ AND MAKE WAY FOR TYREKE EVANS

The Christmas season is history by now but today, I got a post-Yuletide gift package from my Godfather and good friend, Quinito “The Dean” Henson. And for a basketball junkie like me, the following gifts are something to treasure in:

1. A 715-pages hardcover book entitled “The Book of Basketball: The NBA According To The Sporting Guy” by ESPN NBA writer Bill Simmons;

2. A November 2009 issue of SLAM Magazine with Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony on the cover;

3. A red Alaska Aces Basketball T-Shirt (he previously gave me a white one about 2 years ago); and

4. A very cute collector’s item of E-Cow doll, the official mascot of the Alaska Aces.

To Ninong Q, my sincerest gratitude and may God Bless you always. You are really one of a kind.

*****

While Milwaukee Bucks early-season rookie sensation Brandon Jennings game continuous to cool off after a scintillating 55-point explosion in a win against the Golden State Warriors last November, another newbie is fast emerging from the west coast, Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings.

Evans scored another game-winner as the Kings scored an upset win over the Denver Nuggets, 102-100 last Saturday night (Sunday morning, Manila time).

The 20-year old, fourth pick over-all in the 2009 draft out of University of Memphis, pumped in 27 big points and with 0.7 left and the score tied at 100 all, executed a difficult jumper off Nuggets defensive whiz Kenyon Martin that helped snapped a five-game losing streak for the Kings.

“Coach (Paul Westphal) gave me the opportunity and that’s what I wanted to do, I wanted to be the guy with the ball in my hands,” said Evans. “I had worked on that move a lot. I stopped in the lane, pump faked, and was fading away. I had a good look at the basket. I thought it was going in.”

“It’s very gratifying to finally pull one out like this,” said Spencer Hawes, who also played a vital role in the win as he scored 17 points and likewise made a big 3-pointer in the final canto. “It felt like every game we were in we couldn’t execute down the stretch. Good teams finish in the fourth quarter. That’s what we did tonight.”

Evans’ remarkable performance even drew raves from the opposition. “The kid hit a great shot on a great defender (Martin),” ace Nugget quarterback Chauncey Billups said. “It really shouldn’t have came down to that. But they fought hard and we have to give them credit. There were a lot of reasons that we lost this game.”

It was a sweet victory for coach Westphal and his Kings as they come off from three heartbreaking defeats against the Los Angeles Lakers twice and in their previous outing versus the Warriors wherein they blew an 18-point 3rd quarter lead.

More good news await Sac-Town as injured star Kevin Martin is now awaiting medical clearance for a possible return to action within the next two weeks after seeing action only in the Kings first five games this season. Martin is coming off from a broken wrist injury.

Evans is currently submitting norms of 20.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 5.0 in 32 games so far with Sacramento.

It looks like there will be an interesting ending on the exciting race between Evans and the fast-fading Jennings for the Rookie of the Year (ROY) diadem. Take your pick.

THE ADMIRAL: A TRULY INSPIRING STORY

An inspirational story about David Robinson - written recently by a woman who works for P.F. Chang's in San Antonio, Texas. For those of you who are familiar with basketball, you certainly know him. Popularly known as the “Admiral”, he played for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the league’s MVP in 1995 and in 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame along with Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan, and C. Vivian Stringer on September 11, 2009.

“Robinson is a native San Antonian, and though retired still resides here. Having been in the restaurant industry for the last few years I have had the good fortune of meeting David Robinson, Malik Rose, and a few other Spurs players. A few weeks ago, Mr. Robinson came into P.F. Chang's to dine with his family. He was kind, courteous, and very patient with all of the fans who asked him for autographs. I was impressed, even with people bugging him during his meal, he held a happy face and patient demeanor with all of the people he spoke with.

Today Mr. Robinson visited P.F's again. And again, he was ever-so patient with the fans.... he signed autographs, and snapped pictures. Right as he was about to leave, a young woman approach him and told him the story of how her brother was killed by a drunk driver just a few days ago, and the wake was today. She explained that her brother was a huge Spurs and David Robinson fan, and having never had the opportunity to meet him, she asked for an autograph on her brother's funeral program. Of course Mr. Robinson was very sympathetic, and you could tell, the woman was exceptionally emotional and it took a lot of courage to approach him to request his autograph. He signed the paper, and what he did next blew me away.

He asked her if he could pray with her. With tears in her eyes she said, "Yes, Please". He wrapped his Giant basket-ball player hands around hers and together they bowed their heads. Blocking out all of the people, noise and traffic around him, he prayed a long and heartfelt prayer aloud, asking God for strength for her and her family in their time of loss, and for the protection of her brother. I could see in concentration that he was speaking directly to God, and that he meant every word.

Though this whole encounter only took just a few minutes, it was truly amazing. When he walked out the door I stood in awe, I was truly inspired by this man. Though he is a famously accomplished athlete, he offered a sense of peace and calm to a woman who had just suffered a devastating loss. I'm sure that moment will live in her heart forever.

My heart was warmed by one simple human interaction, and it made me think of the amazing power that one hug, touch, kind word, or Prayer can provide. With so much concentration on money, cars, name-brands, and possessions, I am overjoyed to know that there are kind-hearted, moral, professional athletes, such as Mr. Robinson who can be positive role-models for our youth.

David Robinson is a true inspiration.”

And I'm so happy I eavesdropped today I thought this story was most definitely worth sharing.

*****

Herewith are the completed transactions covering the period December 22, 2009 to January 6, 2010:

Wednesday, January 6

Houston waived forward Mike Harris.

Portland waived forward Shavlik Randolph.

Tuesday, January 5

Toronto waived forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu.

Atlanta waived forward Othello Hunter.

Utah signed guard Sundiata Gaines to a 10-day contract.

New Jersey waived guard Rafer Alston.

Miami traded guard Chris Quinn, a 2012 second-round pick and cash to New Jersey for a 2010 second-round pick.

Monday, January 4

Milwaukee waived guard Roko Leni Ukic.

Golden State waived forward Mikki Moore.

Tuesday, December 29

Sacramento signed president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie to a contract extension.

Portland waived forward Anthony Tolliver.

Minnesota traded guard Jason Hart to Phoenix for forward Alando Tucker, a second-round pick and cash.

Phoenix waived guard Jason Hart.

Wednesday, December 23

Los Angeles Lakers signed forward Pau Gasol to a contract extension.

Tuesday, December 22

Utah traded guard Eric Maynor and forward Matt Harpring to Oklahoma City for the draft rights to center Peter Fehse.

Oklahoma City waived guards Shaun Livingston and Mike Wilks.

Houston signed forward Mike Harris.