NBA commissioner David Stern to retire in 2014

NEW YORK — NBA Commissioner David Stern will retire in February 2014, 30 years after he took charge of the league. He will be replaced by Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. The announcement came at an NBA Board of Governors meeting Thursday. Stern, who turned 70 …

Injured Derrick Rose shoots around before Bulls top Bucks 100-94

Even Derrick Rose shootarounds are events. The injured point guard went through his normal daily shooting program Tuesday, about 90 minutes before the start of the Bulls’ 100-94 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks in their fourth game of the preseason, capturing the attention of cameras …

Dwyane Wade says that the Bulls will suffer without Derrick Rose

It’s easy to see Dwyane Wade as the enemy, especially since the Bulls-Heat rivalry has become so fierce in recent years, but he’s more friend than foe when signing books and answering questions in the South Side church his mother founded. Wade was in town …

Gigantic expectations are fitting for Notre Dame men’s basketball

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Scott Martin turned 24 on Sunday. Age brings a lot of things — experience, wisdom, selflessness, character and, yes, humor. “It’s like sometimes I’m the team dad,” the Notre Dame sixth-year senior said. “Most of the time, I have a great …

LeBron James leads Heat past Clippers in China

BEIJING — LeBron James scored 20 points, and the Miami Heat beat the Los Angeles Clippers 94-80 on Thursday in an NBA preseason game in China. Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 19 points and eight rebounds. The NBA champion Heat will play the Clippers …

Dwyane Wade announces shoe deal with China’s Li-Ning

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade is signing with Chinese sportswear provider Li-Ning, and the Miami Heat guard tells The Associated Press that this will be the final sneaker deal of his playing career. The two-time NBA champion gets his own brand — called Wade — and …

Bobcats counting on Ben Gordon to be their closer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When the game’s on the line Charlotte Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap wants the ball in Ben Gordon’s hands. Dunlap said Gordon, acquired in an offseason trade with the Detroit Pistons, is “an absolute killer” when it comes to making big shots. Since …

Bulls sign coach Tom Thibodeau to a four-year extension

The Bulls wasted little time grabbing headlines during their media day at the Berto Center on Monday. General manager Gar Forman announced the team signed coach Tom Thibodeau to a four-year extension to begin the day.

Man held on $1M bail for posting death threats at kids buying LeBron’s new shoe

LOS ANGELES — A former Yale University student remained jailed on $1 million bail, an amount normally reserved for murder or other crimes that could result in life sentences, after authorities say he made online death threats to children.

Eric Yee, a 21-year-old who recently …

Man arrested for ESPN post on killing kids over LeBron’s Nike shoes

LOS ANGELES — A California man accused of posting comments on ESPN’s website that said he was watching kids and wouldn’t mind killing them was being held Tuesday on $2 million bail after he was arrested for investigation of making terrorist threats, authorities said. Several …

Jason Kidd plans to fight DWI charge

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd intends to fight a charge that he was drunk when he crashed his SUV into a telephone pole in the Hamptons over the summer, his lawyer said Wednesday. Kidd, wearing a navy pinstriped suit and …

Thunder agrees to contract extension with Serge Ibaka

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder took a big step toward sticking around as an NBA championship contender. The Thunder and general manager Sam Presti still face difficult decisions in the team’s quest to remain a title threat for the long haul after reaching …

The 6 biggest prep basketball transfers in Illinois state history

AFTERNOON SPORTS CLUB: In addition to the many high-profile transfers the Chicago area has witnessed in recent years, some of the biggest names in Illinois prep basketball history have changed schools at some point in their career. Here’s our 6 with the biggest impact.

Dwyane Wade: Chicago's violence is 'mind-blowing'

NBA star Dwyane Wade is all too familiar with Chicago’s violent streets. In fact, the city native who grew up in nearby Robbins felt it hit home in March when his 20-year-old nephew, Darin Johnson, was randomly hit in a store shooting on the South …

Dwyane Wade on MJ, LeBron, D-Rose and Dream Team debate

AFTERNOON SPORTS CLUB: Dwyane Wade is about giving back. Maybe that’s why a hundred or so Chicago school children greeted the Miami Heat star on Thursday with adoring screams at the kickoff event for his fifth annual “Wade’s World Foundation”