The New Jersey Nets are great at landing sponsorships. Here are their latest deals:

NETS Basketball continues to globalize its franchise as it enters into new sponsorship alliances with PEAK, one of the leading China-based sports products companies, and Zippo, the internationally renowned maker of the famous Windproof Lighter.

In following the team’s participation in the NBA’s China Games in October, the NETS’ new sponsorship with PEAK demonstrates its sustainable business presence in China despite no longer having a Chinese player. PEAK, which is based in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, became the NETS’ first China-based partner in October 2008.

PEAK’s sponsorship agreement with the NETS includes television-visible courtside and baseline signage that can be seen during the NETS regular season home games that will be broadcast in China this season.

PEAK, which recently opened its U.S. office in Los Angeles, will also receive signage during NETS home games at the Prudential Center on both LED’s and the centerhung scoreboard.

Zippo sells its diverse product line in more than 160 countries, including Russia, the U.S., China, Japan, and India.  It will receive a variety of sponsorship entitlements during the 2010-11 NBA season such as: television-visible courtside signage during NETS home games; advertising time during local radio broadcasts of NETS games; and advertising on the NETS’ English and Russian official team websites.

“PEAK and Zippo are exciting international brands that align perfectly with our global objectives,” said NETS CEO Brett Yormark. “While we continue the globalization of the team, we also remain committed to serving as a marketing solution for international partners. As we form these alliances, it is clear that our message of providing value is resonating throughout the international business community.”

“We are excited to continue in a partnership with the NETS and realize the powerful benefits of building our business through NETS Basketball in the U.S.’s No. 1 media market,” said PEAK CEO Jim Xu.

“Aligning with the NETS gives us traction in two key markets in Russia and the United States,” said Zippo’s Global Marketing Director, David Warfel.  “Our strategy of product diversification and foreign market penetration can be realized through this partnership.  We can leverage our entitlements to promote our Outdoor Line in the U.S. and build awareness in Russia.”

The NETS extended their international reach in October when they announced a sponsorship alliance with Aeroflot, Russia’s leading air carrier and among Russia’s most recognized brands, and with Stolichnaya, a pioneer in the flavored vodka category. In addition to their pre-season games in China, the NETS visited Russia in October and will be playing in the NBA’s first-ever regular season games in Europe in March when they play twice against the Toronto Raptors in London.

Share your Nets opinions on the New Jersey Nets forum.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have assigned rookie forward Craig Brackins to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Springfield Armor. Brackins has appeared in one game for the Sixers this season, scoring 6 points in 10 minutes of play at Toronto on November 24.

The only other time the Sixers have assigned players to the D-League came on November 28, 2006 when Bobby Jones and Lou Williams were sent to the Fort Worth Flyers.

Brackins (6-10, 230) was originally the 21st overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by Oklahoma City. His rights were traded to New Orleans along with the rights to Quincy Pondexter in exchange for Morris Peterson and the rights to Cole Aldrich. The Sixers acquired Brackins and Darius Songaila from the Hornets in exchange for Willie Green and Jason Smith on September 23.

Have opinions on the Sixers? Share them on the Philadelphia 76ers forum.

Stephen Jackson of the Charlotte Bobcats has been suspended one game without pay for verbal abuse of a game official and for failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 7:31 remaining in the first quarter of the Bobcats’ 104-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, November 27 at Bradley Center. Jackson, who was previously fined $50,000 on November 6 for verbal abuse of officials, will serve his suspension on Wednesday when the Bobcats visit New Orleans Arena to play the Hornets.

Read fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

The Boston Celtics announced today that guard Delonte West underwent successful surgery to repair a displaced right wrist fracture this morning at the New England Baptist Hospital. The surgery was performed by Dr. Drew Terrono and Dr. Hervey Kimball and assisted by Celtics Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon.  No timetable has been set for his return.

West had appeared in five games for the Celtics this season and was averaging 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals at the time of the injury.  He made his season debut for the Celtics against Washington on November 17 and netted 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Reports a week or so said that West may miss multiple months; perhaps three.

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have assigned guard Dominique Jones to the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.

Jones (6-5, 215) was originally the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. The Mavericks acquired his rights from Memphis in exchange for cash considerations in a draft day trade. Jones has seen action in nine games for the Mavericks this season.

The Lake Wales, Fla., native finished his three-year career at South Florida ranked fifth in career scoring (1,797 points), first in free throws attempted (615) and fifth in both field goals made (592) and attempted (1,339). He was named First Team All-Big East as a junior when he averaged 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Jones led the Bulls in scoring in each of his three years. He was an honorable mention All-American and a finalist for both the Wooden Award and Naismith Award as a junior and was the only player in the nation to average at least 21 points, six rebounds and three assists per contest. He ranked second in the Big East (15th in the nation) in scoring in his final season with South Florida.

Joining Jones on assignment will be teammate and second-year guard Rodrigue Beaubois. Beaubois will be inactive due to a fractured left foot that has sidelined him for the early part of this season, but he will be in attendance for the Legends home opener tonight at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas. The Legends will take on the Austin Toros.

Share your Mavs thoughts on the Dallas Mavericks forum.

Cousins slipped to fifth in June’s NBA draft because of questions about his maturity and attitude. He was fined earlier this season after a verbal dispute with the Kings’ strength and conditioning coach.

“It was a necessary move in our continued attempt to help him develop,” said Kings coach Paul Westphal of removing Cousins from practice.

Westphal declined to explain why Cousins made it through only two-thirds of practice.

“I’m not going to get into details,” Westphal said. “He was asked to leave early.”

Read fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) announced Tuesday that Richard Peddie will retire as President and Chief Executive Officer of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment on December 31, 2011. Peddie will also retire from his position on MLSE’s Board at that time. An executive search committee has been formed by MLSE’s Board of Directors to identify Peddie’s successor with the support of Korn/Ferry International. The search committee will consider both internal and external candidates.

“Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is what it is today due in large measure to the great team that Richard Peddie has built,” said MLSE Chairman Larry Tanenbaum. “His leadership has demonstrated how a company like ours can be a leader in the community. When Richard retires, he will leave a wonderful legacy that is Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.”

“Richard took the helm of a two-team and one venue organization in 1998 with a clear vision of transforming it into a world-class enterprise. His determination guided the company in its evolution into today’s powerhouse with four teams, in three venues, on three networks across three professional sports leagues,” said Neil Petroff, Executive Vice-President and CIO for Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. “We all can thank Richard for his leadership in creating an exceptional sporting landscape that all of Toronto now enjoys.”

Peddie was named MLSE’s inaugural President and CEO in February 1998 after the purchase of the Toronto Raptors and Air Canada Centre by Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd.

Under his leadership, MLSE has expanded its growth and reach to become one of the premier sports and entertainment companies in the world. Peddie’s vision led to the growth of MLSE from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Air Canada Centre to include three digital networks — Leafs TV, NBA TV Canada and GOLTV Canada —  two more sports teams — Toronto FC and the Toronto Marlies — and a Toronto destination in Maple Leaf Square. He also led MLSE’s private sector investment and involvement to build BMO Field, which was Canada’s first soccer specific stadium and the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, Toronto’s first community four-pad arena built in 27 years.

In Toronto, Peddie has led MLSE to become a city builder and community leader by making a meaningful contribution that supports creating new urban destinations that have assisted tourism, economic growth and developing vibrant and viable neighbourhoods. Since MLSE’s inception, the organization has invested close to $1 billion in the City of Toronto in building new venues and community facilities, in addition to charitable contributions.

“I’m very proud to have led a company that is arguably one of the finest sports and entertainment companies in the world,” said Peddie. “This is the right decision for me and I felt it was time. The last 13 years at MLSE have been terrific and a lot of fun.”

Peddie added “Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is well-positioned for future success because of the more than 600 dedicated sports and entertainment professionals who work at our organization. I remain committed to leading the organization till the end of 2011, ensuring plans are in place for future initiatives and to support a seamless transition for my successor.”

Ed Fletcher of the Sacramento Bee reports:

On Saturday, a Yuba City man made the halfcourt shot to win a car.

John Guth’s halfcourt basket came two weeks after team owner Joe Maloof tweaked the rules to give an Army lieutenant a new car for making a shot from the free-throw line.

“I wish our players could shoot that well,” Maloof said after Guth’s impressive shot.

Before shooting, Guth told the announced crowd of 13,504 that he intended to “go glass.” Then, he expertly banked it down from half court before erupting into celebration dance that channeled former King Mike Bibby with a little two-fisted Tiger Woods fist pump action thrown in.

“That was just instinct to run around,” said Guth, 27. “It was so exciting. It was surreal.”

The new car is perfect timing, he said. He currently drives a “just get me by” Ford Taurus with no heat and a major crack in its windshield.

Discuss the team on the Sacramento Kings forum.

The Sacramento Kings have assigned forward/center Hassan Whiteside to the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League, Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced today.

Whiteside was selected by Sacramento with the 33rd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and has made one appearance with team this year, logging two minutes in the season-opening win over Minnesota (10/27/10). He represents the second assignment of a Kings player to the Bighorns, following Donte Greene in 2009.

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday rookie forward Ed Davis has been recalled from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League.

Davis appeared in two games with the BayHawks, averaging 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 17.5 minutes. He shot .583 percent (7-of-12) from the field.

Davis is expected to rejoin the Raptors for practice Tuesday and be on the active roster for Wednesday’s game versus Washington.

The Sacramento Kings today announced that they waived guard Antoine Wright.

Wright totaled two points and three rebounds in seven appearances this season.

The Kings roster now stands at 13.

For his NBA career, which began with the New Jersey Nets in the 2005-06 season, Wright has averaged 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 19.2 minutes per game. He’s also played for the Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I think another team will sign Wright in the near future, likely for the league minimum. He certainly has lacked staying power, being bounced the league around like a pinball. But I think Wright is good enough to stick around.

Can LeBron James and Dwyane Wade learn to play together and make each other and their other teammates better? Maybe, but in the opinion of Tracy McGrady, himself once a superstar, the two don’t mesh well.

Chris Iott of Booth Newspapers reports:

“It’s what I expected,” Tracy McGrady said of the Heat’s struggles Sunday after the Pistons suffered a double-overtime loss to the Knicks. “You’ve got two guys (James and Wade) that really don’t mix. I mean, they’re the same type of player. They just don’t complement each other.”

Some predicted that the Heat would win 70-plus games in the regular season and be the favorites to win the NBA title. But McGrady said he is not surprised they have struggled the way they have early this season.

“Not at all,” he said. “It’s tough to get that chemistry. You can’t just go somewhere and create that type of chemistry. (James) had that in Cleveland. He had everything going for him. Great energy in the building. He created a great atmosphere. I enjoyed going to Cleveland because the atmosphere was just unbelievable.

“The chemistry he had with his teammates was unbelievable,” McGrady continued. “You can’t just go somewhere and create that. You can see it on his face. He’s not having fun. I’m so used to him doing all his antics on the basketball court, and he’s not doing that. You can see that something is just not right.”

The New Orleans Hornets unveiled their new gold alternate uniforms today at an event at the New Orleans Arena prior to the Hornets home game against the San Antonio Spurs that featured five lucky fans who found a golden ticket as part of the Hornets “Hunt for Gold” scavenger hunt.  The five winners were given the opportunity to help launch the uniforms by being the first to own and wear the new gold jerseys and debut their photos and comments about the uniforms on their personal social networking sites.

“Our Mardi Gras gold uniforms proudly pay tribute to our hometown of New Orleans by not only displaying NOLA across the chest of the jersey, but also wearing one of our signature colors that represents the culture, heritage and celebration that makes up our great city,” said Hornets President Hugh Weber.  “It was important for us to allow our fans to be the first to debut these uniforms because they play such an important role in our team’s success on and off the court.”

The alternate uniforms will be worn for the first time on Friday, Dec. 10 as the Hornets host the Oklahoma City Thunder and again at home on Sunday, Dec. 26 as the Hornets take on the Atlanta Hawks.  The Hornets will also sport their Mardi Gras gold uniforms for every Saturday game throughout the rest of the season.

The Hornets’ Mardi Gras gold uniforms also feature purple and Creole blue pinstripes and trim on the sides.  NOLA is written in Creole blue across the front of the jersey and each player’s name is in purple across the top back.  The Fleur de Bee logo adorns the top neck of the jersey and is featured on either side of the shorts.

Share your opinion and read other fan views in this forum topic.

Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

Timberwolves television broadcaster Jim Petersen returned to work Saturday night, three days after suffering a heart attack he said was nowhere near the “mild” one the team reported he had after Wednesday morning’s shootaround.

Petersen credits a telephone call to team physician Sheldon Burns with saving his life. Burns urged him to call paramedics immediately rather than wait for his wife to arrive home after he went from experiencing slight discomfort in his chest to a crushing pain in a matter of minutes.

Within 50 minutes after calling for help, Petersen rested in the hospital with a stent in his heart to open what he called a 100 percent blockage.

David Lee wasn’t sure how his body would respond in his return from an eight-game layoff because of an infected elbow.

But it was pretty clear how his teammates were going to respond.

Even before Saturday’s game against Minnesota, the Warriors’ locker room had a different buzz than in the past two weeks. It showed on the court to the tune of a 104-94 victory over the Timberwolves at the Target Center.

“I’m no savior,” Lee said. “The biggest thing I’m trying to bring is a positive attitude. Everybody gets down from time to time. Our morale is a little down right now. We need a little pick-me-up. That’s what I’m trying to do.” …

Dorell Wright had a franchise-record nine three-pointers and a career-high 30 points, Ellis and Curry combined for 46 points on 16-for-30 shooting and 17 assists, and Biedrins had 12 rebounds in 24 minutes.

President Obama needed 12 stitches on his upper lip after he was inadvertently hit this morning while playing basketball with friends and family at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.The president was playing defense when Rey Decerega, an opposing player, turned into him to take a shot and his elbow hit Obama in the mouth.

“I learned today the president is both a tough competitor and a good sport,” Decerega, who works for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, said in a written statement. “I enjoyed playing basketball with him this morning. I’m sure he’ll be back out on the court again soon.” …

The injury occurred in the last of the five games Obama was playing with his friends, which included his nephew, Avery Robinson, personal aide Reggie Love and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

InsideHoops.com says: The picture above is old, but the video below is of Obama after the above incident.

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent guard John Lucas III.  In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

Lucas III (5-11, 165) saw action in five preseason games with the Bulls and averaged 2.2 ppg and 0.8 apg in 6.4 mpg.

Undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2005, Lucas spent two seasons with the Houston Rockets (2005-07) and appeared in 60 regular season contests.  While with the Rockets he averaged 3.1 ppg, 0.8 apg and 0.7 rpg in 8.2 mpg, and shot .396 from the field, .250 from behind the arc and .789 from the line.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 14 players.

“After discussing the situation with Avery over the last several days, I feel the best course of action for Terrence and the team at this time is for him to play in the D-League,” said King.  “He is currently on the inactive list and this move will allow him to play until he is once again placed on the active list. There is no timetable on his return to the active list, and Terrence’s future status will be addressed at the appropriate time.”

Williams was selected 11th overall by New Jersey in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft.  The Louisville product has appeared in 86 career games for the Nets, averaging 8.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 2.9 apg.  This season, Williams has played in eight contests, with averages of 6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 3.0 apg.

What’s your opinion? Share it on the New Jersey Nets forum.

The Indianapolis Star reports:

The Pacers, who host Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse, are having their best defensive season under coach Jim O’Brien.

They are sixth in the league in field goal defense at 43.5 percent, which O’Brien feels will be good enough to get them into the playoffs. They are seventh in the league in points allowed at 95.5 a game.

And they are second in blocks at 6.7 a game.

“We’re actually focusing on it now,” forward Danny Granger said. “We’re not scoring like we have in the past as far as points a game, but we’re putting a lot of work in on the defensive end. We’re stepping up, we’re rebounding well and doing things we haven’t done in the past.” …

Center Roy Hibbert has more of an intimidating presence in the paint because he’s quicker and doesn’t foul as much. Hibbert is sixth in the league in blocks at 2.3 a game.

The Miami Heat announced today that Dexter Pittman has been assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. The Skyforce are the Heat’s NBA D-League affiliate.

Pittman was originally drafted by the Heat in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft and has yet to appear in a regular season game. He did appear in three games (all starts) for the Heat during summer league play and averaged 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.67 blocks and 19.1 minutes.

Pittman will be available for the Skyforce’s home opener tomorrow night vs. the Dakota Wizards at 7PM.