Nice Uni there Raps…

Nets president Rod Thorn told the New York Post yesterday that no mad rush is necessary to keep Vince Carter in the fold beyond this season. Reason being they are resigned to the fact that Carter’s Mother wants him to go home to Orlando…although Charlotte has lots of money and the NC connection to lure him with…

Uh-oh…Amaré Stoudemire had an MRI on his right knee (not the microfracture surgery-repaired left knee) yesterday because he was a little worried about stiffness…

Oh my goodness…http://ca.askmen.com/specials/2006_top_99/index.html

Globetrotting…the Clippers will hold training camp in Moscow…Suns in Treviso (Italy)…the 76ers in Barcelona (Spain) and the San Antonio Spurs in Lyon (France)….

Shaquille O'Neal, to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith about Rick Barry's offer to teach him underhanded free throws: ``Rick Barry's résumé is not good enough to even come into my office to be qualified for a job. I will shoot negative-30 percent before I shoot underhanded.'' Ummm Shaq, Ricky is a Hall of Famer, has anNBA Championship ring, averaged 23 PPG over his career and is one of the greatest free throw shooters in history (90%)…

1) Ric Bucher of ESPN.com thinks Bonzi has a home:

Bonzi Wells, the last significant free-agent talent on the market, agreed to a two-year, $5 million deal with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, according to his agent. Wells holds a player option for the second year and fully plans to re-enter the free agent market next summer. "This isn't about the money, this is about being in the right place," said Wells' agent, Merle Scott of BDA Sports. After turning down a five-year, $36 million offer from the Sacramento Kings last month, Wells fired his agent, Bill Phillips, and hired Scott a few weeks ago. Attempts to work a sign-and-trade that might've allowed Wells to match or improve the Kings' offer failed because Sacramento refused to take back any salaries after signing John Salmons with the money refused by Wells. "We never talked about the Sacramento offer because that was gone and that wasn't going to change," Scott said. Wells' loss is clearly Houston's gain. Wells left both Portland and Memphis after being portrayed as a malcontent, but his 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds in 52 games with the Kings last season and a strong first-round playoff performance against San Antonio restored some of his luster. Wells and Ron Artest were a devastating forward combination and Artest personally lobbied for the Kings to re-sign Wells. Sacramento held Wells' Bird rights, meaning they could've paid him whatever they chose but drew the line with their offer slightly better than the mid-level exception. Wells, a source said, originally wanted Phillips to land him a $50 million deal. Denver, Boston, Charlotte and Miami also made offers but the Rockets did the best job of convincing Wells he was needed. The recruiting contingent included Yao Ming, GM Carroll Dawson, assistant coach Tom Thibodeau, coach Jeff Van Gundy, personnel director Keith Jones and Tracy McGrady, who called Bonzi directly to make his pitch. The Rockets go into training camp next week with a potential starting lineup of Rafer Alston, McGrady, Shane Battier (acquired in a draft-night trade for Stromile Swift and No. 8 pick Rudy Gay), Juwan Howard and Yao, with Wells as the sixth man, but if Wells plays as he did against the Spurs he could challenge Battier and Howard for one of the starting forward spots. "Bonzi doesn't care about starting," Scott said. "He just wants to be some place he can contribute."

2) Check this letter sent to prospective University of Illinois recruits about the Ilini continuing to use a Native American mascot. The letter was posted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Copy of professors' letter to prospective Illini recruits

September 14, 2006

Dear Mr. (last name of prospective recruit),

We understand that you are considering coming to the University of Illinois as a student athlete. If that is still the case, we believe you should be aware of one particular issue that is of concern on this campus -- the use of a fictitious Native American, named Chief Illiniwek, as the University’s sports mascot. Native Americans here and around the country have made it a high priority to end this form of racial discrimination and students and faculty of this University have joined them in their effort. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has also taken a strong stand on this. In August 2005, the NCAA ruled it would no longer permit Illinois to host postseason tournaments because Chief Illiniwek promotes a "hostile and abusive" environment. The NCAA also urged all other member colleges and universities not to engage in athletic competition with Illinois and with other institutions with hostile and abusive American Indian mascots. Even after losing two appeals on the NCAA decision, the University of Illinois Trustees have decided to keep the school’s controversial mascot. This decision was made despite UIUC Athletic Director Ron Guenther’s opinion that unless Chief Illiniwek was retired, the NCAA ruling will have "an unbelievably negative effect on our programs" and it was already impacting recruitment. Moreover, Guenther predicts things will get worse. In an interview Guenther said, the NCAA may lobby the Bowl Championship Series to exclude football teams that fail to comply, and in basketball, Guenther predicts that the NCAA could ban Illinois' tournament participation. Guenther also informed his coaches that further sacrifices might be necessary. Accordingly, the UI Trustees, who control the decision, appear to care more about preserving a racially stereotyped mascot than fielding the best teams and winning championships. When the NCAA implemented its policy against Indian mascots, it did so because of the objections of Native American organizations and because of statements from the United States Commission on Civil Rights and the NAACP. Their statements are enclosed. The American Psychological Association also opposes such mascots because research shows they harm Native Americans, especially Native children. A partial list of other educational, civil rights, and religious organizations that also oppose the use of American Indians as sports mascots is attached. You should also know that this problem is so important on our campus that an academic accreditation review stated that it compromises the integrity of this institution and they advised retiring the mascot. The Universities of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin have banned our mascot from their campuses. In spite of what you may have recently read or heard in the media, after 16 years of debating this issue, the UI Board of Trustees still refuses to take the necessary action and no end appears in sight. Thus, you may want to think twice about whether the University of Illinois is a good environment for you to further your education and athletic career. Do you want to play at a school that refuses to commit to equality for all races and that places more value on an outdated and divisive mascot than on a winning athletic program? In view of the significance and continued negative consequences of racial stereotyping in athletics, we ask you to take this into consideration as you make up your mind where you will pursue your college goals.
. . . Thank you for taking the time to read this and we wish you the very best in achieving your goals.

Sincerely,
Stephen J. Kaufman, Emeritus Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, Thomas H. Anderson, Professor of Educational Psychology
Thomas Bassett, Professor of Geography, Nancy Blake, Professor of Comparative and World Literature, Leigh S. Estabrook, Professor of Library and Information Science and Sociology, Brenda Farnell, Associate Professor of Anthropology and American Indian Studies, Belden Fields, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Frederick E. Hoxie, Swanlund Endowed Chair, Professor of History, Uriel Kitron, Professor of Pathobiology, John McKinn (Maricopa, Gila River Indian Community), Assistant Director of American Indian Studies, Jay Mittenthal, Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology (ret.), Philip Phillips, Professor of Physics, David R. Roediger, Babcock Professor of History and African American Studies, Carol Spindel, Lecturer, Department of English

3) Marty Burns previews the Southwest for SI.com:

Camp preview: Southwest division - Burning camp questions for the NBA's top division

Last season, the Southwest division featured the two top teams in the West, the Spurs and Mavs, battling it out for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The Spurs eventually won out, sending Dallas tumbling to the No. 4 seed (behind the three Western division winners). The Mavs, of course, overcame the injustice to beat the Spurs in the semifinals. Meanwhile, the NBA revamped its playoff seeding formula to make sure the top four teams (the three division winners plus the team with the next-best record) get their corresponding seeds. The NBA was wise to act quickly, since the Southwest could see a similar battle this season. The division is loaded from top to bottom, with the Mavs, Spurs, Grizzlies, Hornets and Rockets all harboring legitimate hopes for the playoffs. Here's a look at the burning questions each teams faces heading into the start of training camp next week (Teams listed in order of last season's finish).

San Antonio Spurs (63-19)
1. Who will play center? The Spurs signed Francisco Elson (Nuggets) and Jackie Butler (Knicks) as free agents, hoping they could replace the departed Rasho Nesterovic (Raptors) and Nazr Mohammed (Pistons). The 6-11 Elson is penciled in as the starter, but the 6-10 Butler could surprise.
2. How's Tim Duncan's foot? The two-time MVP battled a sore foot most of last season, a big reason his numbers dropped off in several key categories. But he opted not to play in international competition, and with a summer of rest he should be 100 percent.
3. Parlez vous Francais? It might help, since the team will be holding training camp in France. They leave on Sept. 29 and will stay in Lyon for five days, ending the trip with an exhibition against the local pro team. At least they have Tony Parker to show them around.

Dallas Mavericks (60-22)
1. Who brings the Bloody Marys? After blowing a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, there is bound to be a hangover. Avery Johnson will have to find a way to get his team to put the disappointment aside and get mentally ready for what's sure to be a grueling defense of their Western Conference crown.
2. Can they crank up the D another notch? Though they made great strides defensively, Dirk Nowitzki & Co. showed in the Finals they're not exactly stoppers yet. Newcomers Devean George, Greg Buckner and Anthony Johnson should help, but they will need to get acclimated in a hurry.
3. Will Mark Cuban suit up? Hey, you never know. During last year's Finals, the controversial Mavs owner was as much a part of the scene as the players and coaches. It wouldn't be a total shock if he put on a uniform and tried to run a few layup lines during practice one of these years, would it?
Memphis Grizzlies (49-33)
1. Who fills in for Pau Gasol? With the All-Star power forward expected to miss three months with a foot injury, the Grizzlies have a huge hole at the 4 spot. Stromile Swift and Hakim Warrick will get the first shot at filling the void, but neither provides Gasol's low-post scoring dimension and ability to draw double teams.
2. Is Damon Stoudamire back? Memphis suffered a bad blow last season when the veteran point guard went down in January with a season-ending knee injury. Stoudamire is reportedly now fully healthy and ready for camp. Memphis is praying Mighty Mouse can regain his form, and training camp will be the first chance to find out.
3. Can the Czar change his stripes? Memphis coach Mike Fratello has become known in his most recent coaching stints for playing a slow-down, half-court game. But with Gasol on the shelf, he might have to use camp to implement a more up-tempo style in an effort to create easier baskets.

N.O./Okla. City Hornets (38-44)
1. How fast can they gel? Despite a 20-win improvement from the previous season, the Hornets made major changes in the offseason. Peja Stojakovic, Tyson Chandler and Bobby Jackson will have to develop chemistry quickly with the likes of Chris Paul, Desmond Mason and David West in order to avoid a slow start.
2. Which Chandler will show up? Two years ago, Chandler was a high-energy rebounding machine for the Bulls, but he tapered off last year in Chicago after signing a big-money contract. The Hornets hope a change of scenery can help Chandler regain his form and provide a much-needed defensive interior presence.
3. Will CP3 be tired? After a long 82-game season and a summer spent playing with the U.S. national team, second-year point guard Chris Paul could be a little tired. Hornets coach Byron Scott says he isn't worried about his young star's stamina, but he and the Hornets brass will be watching closely.

Houston Rockets (34-48)
1. Are T-Mac and Yao back? Tracy McGrady (back) and Yao Ming (foot) played together in just 31 games last season. Without their two All-Stars, the Rockets never got off the launching pad. McGrady and Yao are now both reportedly healthy and ready to go, but it remains to be seen whether they can hold up.
2. Who will play shooting guard? With David Wesley having left as a free agent (Cavs), Houston has a hole at the 2 spot. The Rockets are hoping Kirk Snyder, obtained in a trade with the Hornets, can fill the void. He will battle second-year player Luther Head for the spot in training camp.
3. Is Bob Sura finished? Sura, the 6-5 veteran guard, hopes to give it one final go after missing the past 16 months with a string of knee and back injuries. The 33-year-old was a sparkplug with his hustle and versatility before getting hurt, and his return would add greatly to Houston's backcourt depth.

4) Chris Broussard thinks Chandler will be better in NO:

Change of scenery has Chandler looking like new man
Nearly two dozen relatives had gathered in Chicago to celebrate last New Year's Eve. There was mingling, and there was music. There was also an absent host. Tyson Chandler was in no mood to entertain. He'd just spent 14 minutes over the previous couple of hours scoring two points, committing three fouls and snaring zero rebounds in a loss to the Suns. What was there to party about? Besides, the conversations had become pretty predictable. Everyone had an opinion about how to fix his game. The coaching staff, the talk radio junkies, even well-meaning family members. So rather than subject himself to any more Monday-morning quarterbacking, Chandler decided it best to sit this one out in his bedroom and mope. Then the one man who had always refused to meddle in Chandler's on-court affairs, his stepdad of 15 years, entered the room. "What's wrong with you?" asked William Brown, as only an ex-Marine can. "Why are you shooting free throws like that? Why aren't you running the floor? Why are you dropping passes?" He didn't wait for answers. He just said his piece and left. "I was like, Wow," Chandler says. "He just went off on me. That was my low point." How could he even make that distinction? Last season was pretty much one long bottom-scraper for Chandler. Fresh off signing a six-year, $63 million deal with the Bulls, what was supposed to be the best of times was instead the most disastrous. Five points a game, nine rebounds, just half his free throws made. It was embarrassing, frustrating and depressing, and it got him off-loaded to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets during the off-season. That misery is an ancient memory now. On a Tuesday in September, a smiling Chandler works out with three Hornets rookies and second-year forward Brandon Bass at Southern Nazarene University, just outside Oklahoma City. The way the seven-footer explodes off the floor in a dunking drill makes you look for the concealed trampoline. "He looks like a dang video game," says one observer. But that's only part of what makes you stare. Chandler certainly looks out of place in his purple practice gear, but that's not it either. His hair. It's doing strange things. The curls are gone, the waves hard to find. The fade is awfully high. Wait, is that a ... Yup, he's sporting a li'l Mohawk. "My mind-set this summer was to get down and dirty, so I had to get something grimy," Chandler says after the three-and-a-half-hour session. "I thought about throwing on war paint, too." The man means business. His mediocre five-year career has left a bad taste. He's had enough of watching cats who used to look up to him -- guys not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as he was back in high school -- blow up while he's called a buster. So to all those waiting to see how the former man-child will blow it this time, he just wants to say: Hope you're not in any rush. His back is fine, his head is clear and his aspirations are sky-high. Chandler is thinking something on the order of 15-plus points, 12 boards and two blocks a night. He's so confident, he's literally putting his money where his mouth is. "What are you going to play in this season?" someone asks Chandler as he unlaces his black-and-gray Nike Huarache 2K4s in the kitchen of his plush new digs in the OKC. I don't know," he says. "I'm not talking to any shoe companies now." Why not? "Because I ain't Tyson Chandler, I'm this other dude everybody has been talking about. When I become Tyson Chandler again, when I become the All-Star I know I can be, then I'll talk." The warrior's cut was just the first step. Starting in June, Chandler worked out five days a week with his personal coach, Jerry DeGregorio, at the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club, where he lifted, ran and shot for four and a half hours a day. He worked on jump hooks and sky hooks with both hands, and a turnaround J. He honed off-the-dribble moves, eliminated a nasty hitch in his jumper that had been there since a back injury two years ago, and stuck it out until he made at least 75 of 100 free throws every night. He hired a nutritionist and even slept in a room separate from his wife, Kim, and 5-month-old daughter, Sacha-Marie, so he'd be assured of a good night's sleep. "He worked as hard as any player I've ever seen," says DeGregorio, a former Clippers executive and assistant coach. That's a beat Chris Paul can dance to. The Hornets' precocious star has long been a fan. In 1997, Paul was a ball boy for his older brother's AAU team at the national championships in Orlando. Chandler was a 14-year-old beast on an opposing team. "They ran one play the whole time," Paul says. "Somebody would set a back screen, then they'd throw Tyson an alley-oop. He was just catching alleys and dunking on everybody. I was amazed." So Paul literally jumped for joy when Hornets coach Byron Scott called him after midnight to say the team had traded P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith for Chandler. "All I could think of was those alley-oops," he says. If anyone knows how to mesh a pass-first point with a high-wire big, it's Scott. It wasn't too long ago that he rode Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin to back-to-back Finals with the Nets. Is it so far-fetched to see Paul and Chandler as a younger version of that pair? Paul's knack for finding big men for easy hoops has Scott's head filled with visions of Chandler hovering above the rim. And then there's the buckets he'll get off the glass and on the break now that the Hornets are planning to rev it up even more. "I look at him like a Marcus Camby," Scott says, confirming savvy fantasy players' wildest dreams. "A guy who can change the game on the defensive end, knock down the occasional open shot, run the floor and protect the paint. I don't see any reason why he shouldn't average a double-double this season." But not everyone thinks talking about a major transformation will make it so. How could they, after what little has come before? While no one doubts that Chandler, who had the fourth-most offensive rebounds last season, will hit the boards and defend, many wonder if he can thrive as a leading big man. Even the scouts who like him think he's much better off playing alongside a physical center like Eddy Curry; from that vantage, he can avoid the heavy banging and swoop in to shake things up from the weak side. As for any promise of more offense, well, they'll believe the box scores. "I've seen nothing to suggest he's capable of being a serious threat," one Western Conference scout says. "I'll be more than happy to let him try to beat us with faceup 15-to-17-footers." Chandler understands where the doubters are coming from, but he also knows he used to stroke college-distance threes in high school. He says he began to feel like his old self again after DeGregorio fixed his shot, and he's sure he'll capitalize on slack D when opportunity knocks. And it will knock often in Scott's Princeton set. The new Hornet's first glimpse of his future at Southern Nazarene is eye-opening. "You mean when I catch it here, I can do whatever I want?" Chandler asks as he stands at the foul line. "Yeah, you can pass to a cutter, take a jumper if your man sags or take him off the dribble," his new coach says. Chandler, who guesses he had five plays called for him last season, doesn't quite know what to make of this information. When Scott puts him on the low block and tells him that once the cutters go through he'll have one-on-one coverage about 90% of the time, the big man looks like he will break into a cheer. "I'm so happy," Chandler says later, leaving SNU in his black Range Rover. "It's crazy how things have fallen into place." On the passenger's seat is Beyoncé's new CD, B'Day. Chandler will have a B'Day of his own soon. He turns 24 on Oct. 2. If his family descends on his home to celebrate, it'll be a different scene than the one last winter. This time around, Chandler won't be the sulking killjoy off by himself. He'll be the life of the party.