Euroleague newcomer Budivelnik Kiev (in the Ukraine) signed combo guard Blake Ahearn, who has a shot to become the club’s go-to scorer. Ahearn (1.88 meters, 29 years old) is a well-traveled scorer, who has displayed his talents on three continents. He last played for Chinese club DongGuan New Century Leopards, for whom he averaged 23 points and 3.4 assists in 17 games last season. Ahearn has previously played in Europe for Estudiantes Madrid in Spain and Teramo Basket in Italy. The majority of his professional career has been in Ahearn’s native United States. He has played in the NBA for Miami, San Antonio and Utah and in the NBA D-League for Dakota, Austin, Bakersfield, Erie and Reno.

Reported by Euroleague.net

Retired NBA point guard Jason Williams, known as White Chocolate, threw an amazing pass in an overseas game. You need to see the video clip:

That’s just an absolutely beautiful assist. J-Will’s creativity with the basketball is really something special.

Here’s a video clip of Michael Jordan dunking at age 50 while messing around on the court with some young players:

It’s a simple basic dunk, but still: All hail the legendary Air Jordan!

The player with perhaps the most interesting perspective on Jason Kidd as an NBA coach is new Nets guard Jason Terry, who just two years ago won a championship with Kidd as a backcourt mate with the Mavericks. Kidd will take over the Nets just months after being an active player with the Knicks, and there are concerns about whether he can lead a veteran team with championship aspirations.

Terry does not have those concerns.

“We were in about a two-hour film session in the playoffs in Portland and we couldn’t figure out one coverage in the zone,” Terry recalls. “J-Kidd was finally like, ‘We’re going to figure it out. Let me handle it. Coach [Rick] Carlisle, trust me, we’re going to get it done.’ That game we used a zone and ended up winning and that was an example right there that he was a coach and ready for the moment.”

Terry said the first thing he did when the trade was consummated was send a text to Kidd, requesting he eventually save a spot on his staff for Terry, who has coaching aspirations.

Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

LeBron James can opt of his contract with the Miami Heat in July 2014. It will be yearlong story, and James said he understands that.

But the four-time NBA MVP and back-to-back champion isn’t quite ready to go there yet.

“It’s too early (to talk about),” James told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I will get to a point where I have to cross that, but I haven’t really thought about it.”

James, 28, averaged 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists in leading the Heat to a Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs in seven games this past season.

His ability to opt out and become a free agent at the end of next season could become an even bigger story.

Reported by Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio

The Oklahoma City Thunder used to be the Seattle SuperSonics. Kevin Durant’s NBA career began in Seattle. And in the Jamal Crawford Pro Am Seattle game, Kevin Durant took a reported 62 shots to finish with 63 points. According to Ball is Life, his team ended up losing 147-141 in OT.

There are also tons of highlights from Jamal Crawford himself, who reportedly scored 46 points.

Here’s the fun video:

If anyone had predicted a few months ago that guard O.J. Mayo would be the Milwaukee Bucks’ highest-paid player next season, the remark likely would have generated a few laughs.

Strange but true.

The 25-year-old guard signed a three-year, $24 million free-agent deal with Milwaukee last month and his $8 million salary is tops on the team for the 2013-’14 season, just above the $7.9 million owed to power forward Ersan Ilyasova.

The Bucks tried to sign point guard Jeff Teague to a four-year, $32 million deal but had the offer matched by the Atlanta Hawks.

Instead they made a trade with Detroit that landed 21-year-old point guard Brandon Knight, who is still on his rookie-scale contract and will make $2.9 million next season.

Bucks general manager John Hammond worked tirelessly during July to reshape the roster and start a rebuilding process that he hopes will pay dividends in the future.

The approach was to acquire young talent to build around 24-year-old Larry Sanders and 22-year-old John Henson; and also to sign veterans (Zaza Pachulia, Luke Ridnour and Carlos Delfino) to contribute and provide leadership in the locker room.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Irving’s future in Cleveland has been a topic of conversation since a New York radio host insisted on Twitter that Irving wouldn’t remain in Cleveland for long. Irving dismissed the report during a Team USA minicamp last month in Las Vegas, saying he was excited about the moves the organization made this summer and that “I’m a Cavalier right now. I’m happy to be a Cavalier.” Irving was asked Saturday why he qualified that with “right now.”

“Right now I’m a Cavalier. This is where I am. All that future stuff, I’m not really worried about,” Irving said. “I’m living in the moment right now and I’m just trying to get better with the teammates I have now and make the playoffs for Cleveland. That’s the only thing I can do right now is give it my all as it stands right now and that future stuff, I’m not really worried about it.”

The Cavs control Irving’s rights for three more seasons, and it’s worth noting no player has ever turned down a max contract coming off his rookie deal.

Reported by Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal

Shaq and Lamar Odom have scored a huge victory over the snake oil salesmen at Power Balance — the company that duped athletes into believing its hologram bracelets could provide super-strength — because it just agreed to fork over $287,000 to get the NBA stars off its back.

TMZ broke the story … Shaq and Odom filed legal docs in PB’s bankruptcy case, claiming they were owed money for their involvement in the company. Lamar was an investor. Shaq was a paid spokesperson.

Shaq originally demanded $308,961 and Lamar $133,870 — but according to new court docs, they both agreed to take a little less after settlement negotiations … Shaq got $200,310 and Lamar $87,015.

Reported by TMZ.com

The night was already memorable for the students at St. Vincent-St.Mary’s High School.

On Saturday, they were the lucky recipients of new athletic uniforms for all sporting teams donated by the school’s most famous alum.

Still, LeBron James wanted to make it even more special.

And that he did.

James surprised the student body by participating in the runaway fashion show that debuted the new threads. Just as they were about to announce the presentation was over, Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” began to play over the loud speakers at the football field.

That is when James surfaced through a cloud of smoke wearing the all-black football uniform. He sported a No. 9 jersey, the same he wore in high school before giving up football after his junior season to focus on basketball. Students realized it was James when he made it to the end of the runaway, mobbing him before he removed his helmet.

Reported by Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

MORE: Here’s a photo of the event.

Zeller, the fourth overall pick in June, found a place to live in Charlotte two weeks ago and is now buying furnishings. He joked on Twitter recently that his mother sent him to IKEA to start living like a grown-up.

The little bit of basketball Zeller has played so far as a Bobcat went exceedingly well. He was named to the all-tournament team at Las Vegas Summer League, after averaging 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in four games.

New Bobcats coach Steve Clifford gave Zeller plenty of freedom to experiment offensively away from the basket. Zeller was pleasantly surprised how much NBA rules (defensive three-seconds and no-handchecking dribblers) opened up the lane for his drives.

“First time in a while it didn’t seem like there were six or seven guys waiting for me in the lane,” Zeller said.

The thing that came across most in Zeller’s Las Vegas performance was his remarkable speed and quickness for a 7-footer.

Reported by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer

Oden, 25, will fly to Miami at 6 a.m. Monday and immediately begin on-court work with the Heat, plus agility drills and more.

“My knee’s good,” he said. “I’m able to walk, jump, run. … It’s been a while. It’s been a long road. … I got an old body. My body is not going to be what it was when I was 18. When I was 18, I was able to run all day and jump over people. I can’t do that now. It’s just not going to happen. But I’m going to play as hard as I can and I’m going to try to jump over people and I’m going to try to run all day. If my body lets me, I’ll do it.”

He added: “My body is going to do what it can. If somehow it says no, then it says no. But I’m not even worried about that. I’m just going to go play and not even think about it…. I’m beyond excited. It’s been such a long road…. I know it’s going to be a long process.”

Reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald

The Philadelphia 76ers should be one of the league’s worst teams this upcoming season. The roster lacks talent. It’s packed with bench-level players. The greatest coach in the world could run the team next season and they’d still struggle. As a result, many coaches may hesitate before taking such a job.

Still, somebody’s got to do it.

Barring a snag in negotiations, Brett Brown will become the 76ers’ next head coach. The team has offered the job to the San Antonio Spurs assistant, according to sources. The two sides were working on a contract to bring the 52-year-old to Philadelphia.

If he accepts, Brown will become the team’s eighth head coach since Larry Brown resigned after the 2002-03 season.

The news comes as no surprise. Brett Brown for some time has been the candidate the Sixers coveted to replace Doug Collins, who resigned on April 18.

The New York Daily News reported during the June 27 NBA draft that the Sixers had decided to hire Brown. General manager Sam Hinkie later denied the report. Then on July 31, a league source told The Inquirer that Brown was the preferred candidate for the job.

Brown takes over a team that finished 34-48 this past season and appears to be seriously rebuilding.

Reported by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Even if the team does struggle as expected, we’ll still be watching rookies Nerlens Noel (when healthy enough to play) and Michael Carter-Williams to see how they develop.

Lots of people gave up on always-injured center Greg Oden. But after all his struggles, nobody knows what his future will be like. Perhaps he’ll finally stay healthy and have a solid career. It could happen. And if it does, it’ll begin in probably the best place possible, on the roster of the NBA champion Miami Heat.

“My body’s just getting used to playing again,” Oden said. “My knees do feel good. I’m able to walk. I’m running, jumping. I’m doing everything.

“It’s going to maintenance for the rest of my life. I’ve got to warm up to warm up and then play. I understand that now.”

So, why Miami? San Antonio, Cleveland, Dallas, New Orleans, Sacramento and Atlanta all showed interest. That smile reappeared, frustration and disappointment a distant memory, before Oden answered.

“My friends told me, ‘If you take out the possibility of getting hurt again, what other choice is there?’” Oden said. “If I take out the possibility of getting hurt, why would I not play with the champs?

“If LeBron decides to get another ring, I get one too, now.”

Reported by the Associated Press

The Oden story will be something to watch in 2013-14.

Like others, Lee wonders what would have happened had the Knicks valued him as a budding star, had they valued the young members of the 2008-09 cast instead of dismantling a club that got off to the Knicks’ first winning start in ages with a 6-3 start. The club was 6-5 when the axe dropped on Nov. 21 and Crawford, Randolph and Tim Thomas were shipped.

For all their myriad maneuverings since 2008, the Knicks have captured one playoff series. As they enter 2013-14 with a revised 14-man roster, it could be the final season before starting all over again — if Carmelo Anthony bolts. The Knicks are considered in many circles no better than the fifth-best team in the East, which could mean another first-round exit.

“It is interesting to look back, to see if we went another way in the win column if they kept guys together,” Lee said. “I look back at my career here and there’s nothing but positive memories. It was a little bit out of my control, the winning and losing. The first couple of years, I was a backup guy, then when I was captain of the team the last couple of years, we started breaking down the team.

“I don’t want to say I was underappreciated,” Lee added. “The Knicks took a chance, and part of getting Amar’e was to use it as bridge to get a guy like LeBron and Carmelo. They got that done. Amare’s a heckuva player. It’s unfortunate what’s happened with some of his injuries. Hopefully he gets healthy because I know how much he loves the game and loves being in New York.”

Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Recently hired as an assistant to Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni, Johnny Davis hopes to help the Lakers become more of a bonded unit.

“The key is that we really and truly and sincerely have to be a team,” said Davis said to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com on Thursday.  ”Not just a collective of guys wearing the same color uniform, but truly a team so when you are practicing or doing anything, you don’t want to let your teammate down.”

Davis, who recently served as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors, was added to the Lakers staff in late July.  Davis also has head coaching experience with the Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers.  He also won an NBA title in 1977 as a point guard with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Reported by Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Blog)

Free-agent Anthony Tolliver, a 6-foot-8 forward with five seasons of NBA experience, has agreed to a one-year, veteran-minimum deal with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Tolliver, who played for the Atlanta Hawks last season, reportedly drew interest from a variety of teams, including the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. He has a history with members of the Bobcats coaching staff, working with assistants Stephen Silas at Golden State and Bob Weiss in Atlanta last season.

Tolliver has played for the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Hawks. He has career averages of 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds. His shooting is not particularly strong – 41.3 percent from the field.

Reported by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer

When the Wizards locked up Eric Maynor at the start of free agency more than a month ago, it was a given that A.J. Price wouldn’t return.

Price, who had the best statistical season of his four-year career with 7.7 pints, 3.6 assists and 35% three-point shooting in Washington, surprisingly still is a free agent.

Reached this weekend by CSN Washington, Price concedes that he was prepared to linger on the market and said he wouldn’t rule out jumping abroad if the money is there. He made just less than $900,000 under the veteran minimum after spending his first three with the Indiana Pacers. He thinks his value should be greater.

“No, I’m not surprised,” he said of the Wizards not bringing him back after his only season here.

Reported by J. Michael of CSN Washington

In Paul Pierce’s mind, there were many factors that went into the dismantling of the Celtics roster this offseason. That chain reaction, however, may have started on Jan. 27, 2013. It was on that winter day — one where the Celtics dramatically defeated the Miami Heat in double overtime at TD Garden — that the team learned point guard Rajon Rondo would need surgery to repair a tear in his ACL, ending his season.

With time growing shorter with every passing game for the old Celtics core and with Rondo’s health uncertain for the upcoming year as he rehabs his knee, Pierce acknowledged that the injury was a big reason why he is now wearing a Brooklyn Nets uniform and not the one he wore for the past 15 years.

“It would be hard to contend,” Pierce told the Herald yesterday, the last day of his camp at Basketball City in the shadow of the Garden. “I saw the vision. I saw all that. As a player, I’m selfish. I want what’s going to be good for me and the team. But you’ve got to look at the management looking at what’s down the road. If it’s up to me I would want to rebuild to win a championship by bringing players in. They were looking at the future, down the line.

“Rajon might not be here for the beginning of the year or however long he takes, so it would be tough for us to be a contender or get in a position to contend. Everybody saw that and I think that helped the decision on both sides.”

Reported by Tom Layman of the Boston Herald

The Sixers continual coaching search might be coming to an end.

San Antonio Spurs assistant Brett Brown has been offered the Sixers head coaching position.

If he accepts, Brown, 52, will become the 24th head coach in franchise history, and will take over a team that has fully embraced a rebuilding phase.

While many are relieved that the team has finally selected someone to you know, coach the players, Brown remains relatively unknown to the average NBA fan.

His dexterity at player development was tagged as his calling-card throughout the Sixers search, but Brown brings a lot more than that to the Sixers’ bench.

Brown’s impressive basketball background began in high school. He attended South Portland High (in Maine) where he played for his father, New England Basketball Hall of Fame coach, Bob Brown.

Reported by Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com

Brown should bring a winning attitude to an organization expected to struggle. He learned from three premier coaches on three levels: his father, Bob Brown; Rick Pitino; and Gregg Popovich.

Brett Brown joined Popovich’s Spurs staff in July 2002 as an assistant coach/director of player development. He moved to the bench as an assistant coach before the 2006-07 season.

The Spurs have won three NBA titles during his tenure. They just missed out on a fourth, losing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to the Miami Heat in June.

Reported by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer