The Golden State Warriors today signed guard Coby Karl of the Idaho Stampede, making him the 11th Call-Up of the 2009-10 NBA D-League season and the third from the Stampede to the NBA.  Karl joins 70 current NBA players with NBA D-League experience.

A 6-5 guard, Karl has appeared in five games with the Stampede this season, averaging 27.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists.  He scored in double-figures in all five games, including scoring a season-high 36 points on two occasions.  A two-year member of the Stampede, Karl played 22 games in Boise’s Qwest Arena during the 2008-09 season, when he averaged 18.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

Karl rejoins the NBA having appeared in three games for the Cleveland Cavaliers before being waived on Jan. 6.  A member of the 2008 Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers, Karl appeared in 17 games for L.A. during the 2007-08 season.  During his tenure with the Lakers, he was assigned three times to the NBA D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders, where he averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.2. During his NBA career, Karl scored 30 points in 20 games for Cleveland and Los Angeles.

A three-time Western Athletic Conference All-Academic Team selection at Boise State, Karl ranks third on the Bronco’s all-time scoring list with 1,698 points. In his senior season he averaged 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists, and was named a First-Team All-WAC selection. Karl, son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, left Boise State as the all-time leader in games played (127) and three-pointers made (266).

Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald reports:

With both the Heat and the U.S. national team awaiting a decision regarding his immediate future plans, star guard Dwyane Wade confirmed his first summer commitment.

He is headed back to school. Wade plans to enroll in online courses at Marquette to work toward an undergraduate communications degree.

Wade, 28, discussed his intentions in advance of Saturday’s game against the Bucks at the Bradley Center. Wade played his college games at the same arena, where Marquette retired his No. 3 jersey in 2007.

Part of the agreement to honor Wade at that time was that he would eventually try to complete his degree.

“It’s a process,” said Wade, who has about 30 college credits remaining. “It’s something that will take a while because I don’t have a normal schedule. But it’s something that we’ll get completed.”

The New York Post reports:

Trouble always seems to find Jayson Williams.

The former NBA star’s South Carolina estate was recently robbed of more $150,000 in sports memorabilia, electronics and jewelry, The Post has learned.

Among the stolen items were a pair of Tiger Woods’ shoes autographed by the sullied billionaire golfer, shorts signed by basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain, and a handwritten lyric sheet by rapper Tupac Shakur.

The burglar also scored four plasma-screen TVs and jewelry, including a diamond Breitling watch and a gold Rolex.

“I want my memorabilia back because they mean more to me than what they represent,” the ex-Net’s wife, Tanya Young-Williams, told The Post.

The AP reports:

Andre Miller missed badly on his first shot of the game. That was about the only thing that went wrong for Portland’s point guard.

Miller scored a career-high 52 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Juwan Howard hit a jumper with 44.8 seconds left to lift the Trail Blazers past the Dallas Mavericks 114-112 Saturday night.

On Portland’s second possession of the game, Miller’s 15-foot jumper missed the rim the completely and hit the backboard. That was one of his few misfires as Miller finished 22 of 31 from the floor and 7 of 8 from the foul line.

InsideHoops.com reports:

Miller shot 22-of-31, 1-of-1 from three-point range, and 7-of-8 free throws. He also had five rebounds, just two assists (and two turnovers), and two steals.

Also for the Blazers, LaMarcus Aldridge shot 10-of-20 for 21 points and just four rebounds. And with Brandon Roy out, Jerryd Bayless started alongside Miller and shot 7-of-11 for 17 points.

For the Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki shot 9-of-19 for 28 points and nine rebounds.

Fan discussion of Andre Miller’s big night is in this forum topic.

Houston Rockets guard Kyle Lowry underwent an MRI at Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute this morning which confirmed a sprain of his left knee.  Lowry will not play in tomorrow’s home game against Phoenix and will be out at least a week prior to being reevaluated.

For the season, Lowry in 25.0 minutes per game averages 8.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He’s been a terrific contributor.

The 25-21 Rockets are currently the 9th seed in the Western conference.

The Boston Celtics announced today that guard J.R. Giddens has been recalled from the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. Giddens appeared in four games for the Red Claws and posted averages of 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 31.8 minutes per game.

On the Celtics this season, Giddens in 4.7 minutes per game averages 1.1 points in 21 total outings.

With a record of 29-14, the Celtics currently have the second best record in the Eastern conference.

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl will coach the Western Conference All-Stars for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 14, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

With Dallas’ 112-106 loss at the Phoenix Suns Thursday, the Nuggets (31-14, .689) have clinched at least a tie with the Mavericks (30-16, .652) for the second best record in the conference through Jan. 31. The Los Angeles Lakers’ Phil Jackson coached the West in last year’s game and is not eligible for the honor this season. In the event of a tie, the coach who most recently manned the sideline in an All-Star Game is eliminated. The Mavericks’ Rick Carlisle coached the East in the 2004 All-Star Game, while Karl last did so in 1998 for the West squad. Karl also was the West All-Star coach in 1994 and 1996.

In his six seasons at the helm for the Nuggets, Karl’s 255 victories rank second in Denver franchise history (Doug Moe, 432), while his .620 winning percentage is unmatched. This season, Karl has guided the Nuggets to a tie for the best 45-game start in team history. The Nuggets have won their last eight.

The seventh winningest coach in NBA annals, Karl has amassed 964 victories in his 22 seasons in the NBA, including a streak of 17 straight seasons of .500 or better, which ranks third to Pat Riley (19, 1981-82 to 2001-02) and Phil Jackson (18, 1989-90-present) One of only 10 coaches in NBA history with 900 career wins, Karl is also only the 11th coach in league history to have coached 1,500 games. He has earned nine NBA Coach of the Month honors, fifth most in league history.

The coach of the East All-Stars will be determined by the team with the best record in the conference through games played Jan. 31. Cleveland’s Mike Brown, who coached last year’s East squad, is not eligible to coach this year’s All-Star Game.

The NBA All-Star Game will broadcast live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide at 8 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 14, from Arlington.

The AP reports:

A federal judge ordered Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon’s former financial advisors to pay him more than $1.3 million in a dispute over a loan but found there was no breach of their fiduciary duty.

Judge Charles Kocoras handed down the decision Wednesday in a suit Gordon, a former Chicago Bull, filed against California-based Larry Harmon & Associates.

Kocoras ordered Harmon to repay with interest and penalties a $1 million loan from Gordon in 2007 but threw out his claim that the loan and a change in how he paid them - from flat fee to 1 1/2 percent of earnings - represented a breach of the firm’s fiduciary duty to the NBA player.

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has recalled second-year center Kosta Koufos from the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League (D-League). Koufos is expected to be in uniform when the Jazz hosts Sacramento on Friday, January 29, at 7 p.m.

In one game with the Flash, Koufos scored 16 points, pulled down seven rebounds and had one assist in 29 minutes against the Maine Red Claws on Monday night.

In 21 games with the Jazz this season, the 7-0, 265-pound Koufos has averages of 1.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.2 assists in 3.6 minutes. Koufos has been inactive six times this season and DNP-CD 13 times. Koufos last appeared in a game on January 23 against New Jersey, grabbing three rebounds in a 116-83 home win. The center has notched a season-high six points twice this season and also picked up a season-high three rebounds vs. the L.A. Clippers on October 30.

Selected by the Jazz out of Ohio State in the first round (23rd overall selection) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Koufos averaged 14.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in his only season with the Buckeyes. The Canton, Ohio native was also named the postseason NIT MVP after leading Ohio State to the 2008 title. Koufos, who holds dual American and Greek citizenship helped lead Greece to a silver medal in the 2007 UMCOR U18 European Championships after averaging 26.5 points, 13 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been fined $25,000 for kicking a water bottle during last night’s game vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 12.4 seconds remaining in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 109-95 victory over the Timberwolves at Quicken Loans Arena.

The AP reports:

The trial of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West on weapons charges has been postponed until April 26.

Authorities say West was carrying two loaded handguns, a loaded shotgun and an 8 1/2-inch Bowie knife while riding a three-wheel motorcycle on the Capital Beltway in Maryland in September. Police say he was pulled over after cutting off an officer.

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has assigned guard Jermaine Taylor to Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In addition, the Rockets have signed Rio Grande Valley guard Will Conroy to a 10-day contract, marking Conroy’s fourth-career Call-Up to the NBA.

Taylor (6-4, 210, Central Florida) has averaged 2.4 points and 0.2 assists in 13 games with the Rockets. A rookie out of Central Florida, Taylor recorded a season-high seven points (2-2 FG, 3-3 FT), one rebound and one steal in just 2:17 of action vs. Atlanta (1/25/10). He also scored five points (5-6 FT) earlier this season at Dallas (11/10/09). Taylor, who had his draft rights acquired by Houston from Washington on June 25, 2009, was selected by the Wizards in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft. He also averaged 11.0 points and 2.3 assists in four games (two starts) with Houston in the 2009 NBA Summer League.

“Jermaine has done a terrific job in his role with the Rockets and this opportunity to get extended minutes with the Vipers is the next step in his development,” said Rockets Vice President of Basketball Operations and Rio Grande Valley General Manager Gersson Rosas. “Coach Adelman and his staff have been very impressed with Jermaine’s work ethic and his willingness to learn our system. We want to give him the opportunity to get back into regular game situations and let him apply some of the things he has learned during his time with the Rockets. Jermaine’s athleticism and scoring ability will make an immediate impact on the Vipers.”

Conroy (6-2, 195, Washington) has averaged 13.9 points, 8.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.46 steals in 13 games (11 starts) with Rio Grande Valley this season. In his first season with the Vipers, Conroy was acquired from the Albuquerque Thunderbirds for Kurt Looby on Dec. 30, 2009. Previously signed as a free agent by the Rockets on Sept. 22, 2009, Conroy averaged 6.0 points and 2.6 assists in five preseason games with Houston. He was waived by the Rockets on Oct. 22, 2009. Conroy also received three Call-Ups during the 2006-07 season, playing in three games after one Call-Up with the Memphis Grizzlies and four games after two Call-Ups with the L.A. Clippers. Overall, he has picked up nine assists and seven rebounds in seven career NBA games.

“We were very impressed with Will during Rockets training camp and he has continued his fine play as a member of the Vipers,” added Rosas on the Conroy signing. “Will is an NBA-caliber guard who will benefit from spending additional time with the Rockets. Since joining the Vipers at the end of December, Will has demonstrated the high level of consistency that we’ve come to expect from him. He will provide the Rockets with additional depth and stability at the guard position.”

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports (via blog):

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers chuckles at the notion that Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is on the receiving end of more physical play than Howard dishes out.

I asked Rivers following his team’s shootaround today whether the Celtics are more physical with Howard than other teams.

“I don’t think so,” Rivers said. “We don’t have ‘Howard Rules,’ I can tell you that. We just go out and play one-on-one defense. We have big guys. We have guys who are very good defenders. I literally get a kick out of all the Howard people [saying Howard is always on the receiving end of physical play]. ”Clearly, people are looking one way. Howard gives out far more punishment than he gets, I can guarantee you that. I actually giggle at that when I hear all the ‘Howard’s getting hit’ talk. It’s a joke to me. That guy hits more than anybody in the league. So, if you’re gonna give it out [you’ve got to be prepared to take it]. That’s the way we look at it.”

The AP reports:

LeBron James is now shooting with a Golden Arch.

The NBA superstar has agreed to a multiyear partnership with McDonald’s Corp., adding the global fast-food giant to his list of corporate sponsors.

Financial terms were not immediately known.

James will support several McDonald’s programs and promotions as well as Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides housing to the families of seriously ill children. He has already filmed his first commercial with McDonald’s. It will debut during the Super Bowl on Feb. 7.

James, a six-time All-Star with the Cleveland Cavaliers and reigning league MVP, has other partnerships with Nike, State Farm and Coca-Cola.

The AP reports:

Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison said Wednesday he is interested in buying the Golden State Warriors.

No surprise there.

Ellison told financial analysts he’s trying to buy the team but, he said, “unfortunately you can’t have a hostile takeover of a basketball team.”

The line got laughs because the business software maker is a serial acquirer and won a hostile takeover fight in 2005 for rival PeopleSoft.

“I’ve been hearing this for years,” team president Robert Rowell said. “At some point in time, the media speculation will become a reality. But right now, there’s not much to this.”

Ladies and gentlemen, the New Jersey Nets have won a basketball game!

Behind 25 points from Kris Humphries, 19 from Brook Lopez and 18 from Keyon Dooling, the Nets shot 53.2 percent and played fantastic team basketball, beating the visiting Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night despite missing several key players

Playing without Devin Harris, Courtney Lee and Bobby Simmons, the Nets started Dooling and Chris Douglas-Roberts at guard, Trenton Hassell and Yi Jianlian at forward, and Lopez at center.

Yi and Hassell both played under 15 minutes. Which was a good thing, because they were terrible, and their court time paved the way for several reserves to step up and contribute big things.

Humphries, a very pleasant surprise since recently becoming a Net, shot 10-for-14 and 5-of-5 free throws for 25 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes.

Other reserves stepped up for the Nets: Jarvis Hayes scored nine, Chris Quinn (on just two FG attempts) had eight, and rookie Terrence Williams (3-of-8) seven points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

For the Clippers, Chris Kaman (9-of-18) had 24 points, 11 rebounds and three assists (but five turnovers). Craig Smith came off the bench to shoot 6-of-8 for 18 points and eight rebounds. But point guard Baron Davis shot a miserable 2-for-10, snatching three steals but not contributing much else. Eric Gordon managed just 12 points. Marcus Camby played just seven minutes and brought little. And that was about it.

As a team, L.A. shot 42.1 percent, and hit just 5-of-19 three-pointers.

The Nets dished 29 assists, the Clippers 20.

The only negative note for the Nets was the lack of fans in attendance to witness the rare victory. Officially, 9,220 were in the arena. But as horribly low as that number sounds, it’s quite likely on the high end.

Still, for a day, at least, the Nets can be proud of themselves. They are now 4-40 . And their next three games are at home against very beatable teams: Washington, Philadelphia and Detroit.

National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement today:

“The NBA has conducted a thorough investigation of events relating to this matter.

“It is not disputed that, following an argument on the team’s flight home from a game in Phoenix, both Mr. Arenas and Mr. Crittenton brought guns to the Verizon Center locker room and – with other players and team personnel present or nearby – displayed them to one another in a continuation of their dispute.   The players engaged in this conduct despite a specific rule set forth in the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the Players Association prohibiting players from possessing a weapon at an NBA facility, and reminders of this prohibition given annually by the NBA to players both in writing and in person.

“The issue here is not about the legal ownership and possession of guns, either in one’s home or elsewhere.  It is about possession of guns in the NBA workplace, which will not be tolerated.

“I have met separately with Mr. Arenas and with Mr. Crittenton.  Both have expressed remorse for their actions and an understanding of the seriousness of their transgressions.  Both have volunteered to engage in community service in order to turn the lessons they have learned into an educational message for others.  I accept fully the sincerity of their expressions of regret and intent to create something positive from this incident.

“Nevertheless, there is no justification for their conduct.  Accordingly, I am today converting Mr. Arenas’ indefinite suspension without pay to a suspension without pay for the remainder of the 2009-10 season, and am also suspending Mr. Crittenton without pay, effective immediately, for the remainder of the 2009-10 season.”

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports:

The defense came back and so, too, did the Charlotte Bobcats.

After watching three quarters of the Phoenix Suns dropping 3s from everywhere, they tightened up in the fourth quarter - way up. They held the Suns to 29 percent shooting in the final quarter, pushed this game into overtime, and held on 114-109.

This broke a three-game losing streak and lifted the Bobcats to 22-22. The Bobcats swept the Suns, winning in Phoenix for the first time in six tries.

The did all that on Stephen Jackson’s 30 points (including the 3-pointer that forced overtime) and some remarkable poise and defense from ex-Sun Boris Diaw. He had a key block of Steve Nash’s jump shot on a late defensive switch and held Suns star Amare Stoudemire to 12 points and five rebounds.

Diaw (24 points and 11 rebounds) can be too nonchalant for his own good, but that seems to change whenever he faces former teams. He used to wipe up on the Atlanta Hawks as a Sun and now he’s 3-0 as a Bobcat playing the Suns.

Mark Hale of the New York Post reports:

Even though Mike D’Antoni said Chris Duhon “can’t make a shot,” the Knicks point guard knows he can’t lose confidence.

The Knicks coach flat out admitted last night that Duhon can’t shoot at all right now, and the fact is, that’s not an exaggeration.

The Knicks ripped the Timberwolves last night at the Garden, 132-105, and Duhon finished with 13 assists and no turnovers — a perfect floor game. But his shooting remains an atrocity.

Duhon went scoreless last night in more than 31 minutes of action, taking three shots and making none.

Want some ugly numbers? In his last eight games, Duhon is shooting 6-for-43.

Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden has spent much of his first few NBA seasons injured and in street clothes. He didn’t play at all in 2007-08, played 61 games last season, and lasted just 22 this season.

When actually on the court playing, he’s been fairly solid and occasionally terrific for some stretches, but the story of his early pro career has been health issues. Still, there’s hope for the future.

Now, there’s a new distraction. Naked Greg Oden photos have surfaced. We at InsideHoops.com ignored all aspects of this story, made sure to avoid seeing the photos, and until now, didn’t even mention this on our site at all. But on Tuesday, reporters met with Oden, who apologized for the situation. Which basically confirms that the pictures are real. If you want to check them out, I’m sure Google can help you, but we’ll pass on guiding anyone to that sort of stuff.

Anyway, in the following video, Oden says the situation is embarrassing and that it was something that happened over a year and a half ago. Here’s Greg  apologizing for the naked pictures: