Luka He, LI-NING Brand Marketing Director, hand over customized LI-NING shoes to Baron Davis. (Li-Ning Company Limited)A Los Angeles Clippers' Baron Davis and Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning announced their partnership Thursday at Mr. Chow's Restaurant in Beverly Hills. Financial terms were not released. The announcement event offered a sneak peek at the basketball shoes that Davis will wear during the 2008-2009 season. "I'm so excited about this one-of-a-kind relationship," said Davis. "Li- Ning has such a strong global presence and I am honored to work with such a well-respected company." Davis will have an active role in the branding and product development with the line. "Baron is unbelievably creative. His passion for the game and abilities on the court, as well as his unique style and fashion sense off the court easily coincide with the brand of Li-Ning," says Luka He, Li-Ning brand marketing director. As part of the promotion, Li-Ning is developing a series of " Baron Davis- inspired" athletic gear and Davis will also travel to China in the off-season to promote the new products. The endorsement with Davis will mark another important step toward the continued international expansion of the brand. The contract was negotiated by Bill Duffy and Todd Ramasar of BDA Sports and BDA affiliate Starz Sports and its lead agent Lu Hao. Ramasar, Davis' agent, added, "StarzSports played an instrumental role in making this groundbreaking deal happen. Baron is a progressive thinker and partnering with Li-Ning is a direct reflection of Baron's multifaceted brand." Source: Li-NingA OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Maury Brown on XM175 at 4:40pm ET Sat (11/8). Cubs Sale, More - The Biz of Baseball Nationals Unveil New Jerseys - The Biz of Baseball Tribune Looks to Retain 50 Percent of Cubs. MLB Official Says Cuban is Out of Running - The Biz of Baseball Tommy Lasorda to Be Honored by the Emperor of Japan - The Biz of Baseball The Recession, Obama, and the MLB Off-Season Collide - The Biz of Baseball Red Sox Announce Year VIII Improvements to Fenway Park - The Biz of Baseball Mike Mussina, 7 Others File for Free Agency on Weds. - The Biz of Baseball Programming Details for MLB Network Surface. Vasgersian Officially Announced as Host - The Biz of Baseball With Obama Election, MLB Players Could See Higher Bonuses in '08 - The Biz of Baseball NHL Offers Free Train of NHL GameCenter Live on Oct. 30 - The Biz of Hockey Forbes NHL Team Valuations Released. Maples Leafs Most Valuable - The Biz of Hockey Verizon FiOS TV to Offer NHL Center Ice and NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Verizon and NFL Network Offer Multiple Camera Angles for Game Extra - The Biz of Football Obama, McCain Video and Quotes from Monday Night Football - The Biz of Football Chris Berman to Interview John McCain and Barack Obama on MNF - The Biz of Football 2010 NBA All-Star Game to Be Played in New Cowboys Stadium - The Biz of Football Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. 

For the first time in a decade, four of the top big men in the country decided to return to college without even testing NBA draft waters. Hasheem Thabeet (cover athlete) of UCONN, Tyler Hansbrough of UNC, Luke Harangody of Notre Dame and Blake Griffin of Oklahoma all came back for another year, and will make outsized contributions to their teams. In the new issue of ESPN The Magazine, on sale Friday, November 7th, writers Luke Cyphers and Elena Bergeron go one on one in "Massive Returns," with the big men on their decision to stay in school and to chase one more year of Madness. Thabeet: "I study players from back in the day a€" Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Real Bigs cannot just overpower people. I want to have skills."Thabeet on big man competition: "Nobody's better than me, only more experienced. I played Luke Harangody and he was not tough. Tyler Hansbrough? I don't see nothing."Hansbrough on toughest big man for him: "The guys on Clemson. I don't want to gas up any one of them, but they're a really good team." Luke Harangody on expectations: "Last season, no one saw me coming. It wasn't until the middle of the Big East schedule that the double-teams started. I'll be ready for them this time. It's flattering that the spotlight is on me now, but it also puts the pressure on. That's okay, it motivates me." Blake Griffin on playing one more year and with his brother: "It's his last year; we might never again get the chance to play together. Besides, we're on a team that can do something special." Also in the College Basketball preview - who will sink, who will swim and who will win it all? The Magazine's College hoops experts give the lowdown on the best and brightest heading into the 2008 season. Their unanimous pick as National Champa€¦ UNC. Plus, there's no official fantasy college hoops, but The Mag thinks there should be. So thinking ahead of the curve, The Mag maps out a way to play fantasy hoops with your friends based on a player's stats. It's time to pick this year's NEXT athlete, the athlete destined to make the biggest impact on sports in the coming year (and years). The Mag's 2009 NEXT finalists are Joey Logano (NASCAR), David Price ( Tampa Bay Rays), Ricky Rubio (Basketball/Spain) and Matt Ryan ( Atlanta Falcons). Fans can vote at espnthemag.com from November 10th a€" 17th. Go to espnthemag.com now to view exclusive video and interviews with the NEXT finalists. In his latest The Sports Guy column, Bill Simmons writes about how a hobbled and injured Greg Oden is looking less and less like a NBA cornerstone. But Simmons wants to be wrong - as he thinks the NBA needs more players like Oden. Simmons on Oden: "I can't remember a more fascinating big guy. Shaq was contrived. Robinson was a saint Ewing was forced. Hakeem was bland. Kareem was a ninny. Wilt was self absorbed. Russell was angry and defiant. Oden presents the first chance for us to connect with a big guy on a semi-spiritual level. He's the lovable goofball who could have been your college roommate or next-door neighbor, the kid who went big time and took us with him. I want him to make it for the simple fact that I love basketball and we need more players like him. We just do." Other features in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine include: WHO'S SORRY NOW.A When Steve Smith broke the nose of Ken Luca, it could have ripped the Panthers apart. Instead, a simple sorry smoothed an early season run. A Ryan McGee reports. GIMME A Fa€¦! To fully grasp how much LSU fans love their Tigers, ask them how much they dislike Alabama coach Nick Saban. Wright Thompson reports. CUTMAN.A When it comes to gaping wounds, no sport has more than MMA. Good thing men like Stitch Duran are around to close them. Chris Jones reports. Source: ESPN A OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Tribune Looks to Retain 50 Percent of Cubs. MLB Official Says Cuban is Out of Running - The Biz of Baseball Tommy Lasorda to Be Honored by the Emperor of Japan - The Biz of Baseball The Recession, Obama, and the MLB Off-Season Collide - The Biz of Baseball Red Sox Announce Year VIII Improvements to Fenway Park - The Biz of Baseball Mike Mussina, 7 Others File for Free Agency on Weds. - The Biz of Baseball Programming Details for MLB Network Surface. Vasgersian Officially Announced as Host - The Biz of Baseball With Obama Election, MLB Players Could See Higher Bonuses in '08 - The Biz of Baseball NHL Offers Free Train of NHL GameCenter Live on Oct. 30 - The Biz of Hockey Forbes NHL Team Valuations Released. Maples Leafs Most Valuable - The Biz of Hockey Verizon FiOS TV to Offer NHL Center Ice and NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Verizon and NFL Network Offer Multiple Camera Angles for Game Extra - The Biz of Football Obama, McCain Video and Quotes from Monday Night Football - The Biz of Football Chris Berman to Interview John McCain and Barack Obama on MNF - The Biz of Football 2010 NBA All-Star Game to Be Played in New Cowboys Stadium - The Biz of Football Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see.

Turner Sports reported today that TNT's exclusive NBA Opening Night coverage on Tuesday, Oct. 28 delivered exceptionally high ratings, household and key demo growth across the board for the network's NBA doubleheader. TNT's two games featured the Cleveland Cavaliers at the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics (8 pm ET), followed by the debut of 2007-08 NBA #1 draft pick Greg Oden and the Portland Trailblazers at the defending Western Conference Champion LA Lakers. The two games saw a 12% rise in ratings (1.7 U.S. Rating vs. 1.5 last season) andA a +14% increase inA households (1,914,000) over TNT's 2007-08 exclusive Opening Night doubleheader featuring the Portland Trailblazers @ San Antonio Spurs/ Houston Rockets @ LA Lakers in the same time slots. TNT's doubleheader also delivered 29% growth on Total Viewers (2,579,000)and over 22% growth on all key adult demos including Adults18-34Adults 18-49 (+37%, 1,608,000), Adults 25-54 (+32%, 1,373,000), Men 18-34 (+29%, 707,000), Men 18-49 (+27%, 1,143,000) and Men 25-54 (+22%, 969,000). (+36%, 961,000).A Source: Turner Sports A OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK When All the Scoring Will be in the Infield, Eh?- The Biz of Baseball Get Dripping Wet Again: MLB.com to Reshow Beginning of Game 5 - The Biz of BaseballGame On! Game Five of World Series to Be Played Tonight - The Biz of Baseball Transcript: Interview with Joe Maddon - The Biz of Baseball World Series Ratings 20 Percent Below Worst Ever - The Biz of Baseball BREAKING: Game 5 of World Series Postponed Due to Weather - The Biz of Baseball Rain Maker: Weather in Philadelphia Wreaks Havoc on World Series Ratings - The Biz of Baseball Albert Pujols Named 2008 Roberto Clemente Award Recipient - The Biz of Baseball Inside the Numbers: Ranking the 30 Clubs by Marginal Payroll/Marginal Wins - The Biz of Baseball Selig Hopes to Shorten Days Off Between Games in '09 Postseason - The Biz of Baseball Verizon Has a COW at Tropicana Field - The Biz of Baseball John Blake Leaves Red Sox to Return to Texas Rangers - The Biz of Baseball Joe Maddon and Fredi Gonzalez Win Sporting News Managers of 2008 - The Biz of Baseball Mariners Hire Jack Zduriencik as Exec VP and GM of Baseball Ops for Seattle Mariners - The Biz of Baseball See It: McCain and Obama Help Open World Series on FOX - The Biz of Baseball Long Rays Forecast: FSN Florida Signs 8-Year Extension with Tampa Bay - The Biz of Baseball NHL Offers Free Train of NHL GameCenter Live on Oct. 30 - The Biz of Hockey Verizon FiOS TV to Offer NHL Center Ice and NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Adam "Pacman" Jones Suspendeda€¦Again! - The Biz of Football ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see.

NBA Digital today announced that for the first time ever fans can subscribe to a full season of live NBA game webcasts directly on NBA.com with NBA LEAGUE PASS BROADBAND. The enhanced subscription service will provide fans with access to 40 live NBA games online each week. A special free preview is available now for all fans.A A A NBA LEAGUE PASS BROADBAND on NBA.com will allow fans to follow their favorite out-of-market teams and players throughout the league.A This year's package will feature a new mosaic video player, allowing fans the ability to watch multiple out-of-market games at the same time and an on-demand archive that makes games available for 48 hours. NBA LEAGUE PASS BROADBAND was previously only available to fans as an extension of NBA LEAGUE PASS, the regular season digital cable and satellite television package providing fans with NBA live games outside their local market.A Fans that subscribe to the NBA LEAGUE PASS television service will continue to receive access to NBA LEAGUE PASS at no additional cost to their subscription. BROADBAND "NBA Digital is committed to providing fans with the most innovative and comprehensive coverage of the game they love by offering more options to follow their favorite teams and players throughout the season," said Bryan Perez, SVP and GM of NBA Digital.A "Whether it is on television or online, NBA LEAGUE PASS puts the viewing experience in the hands of fans across the country." NBA LEAGUE PASS and NBA LEAGUE PASS BROADBAND will offer new features and free previews to fans.A NBA LEAGUE PASS offers access to televised NBA LEAGUE PASS out-of-market games and the broadband webcasts on NBA.com. NBA LEAGUE PASS Stats Central is a television channel dedicated to displaying real-time updates including scores and stats of every game.A A free preview is now available with early bird pricing of $169.00. NBA LEAGUE PASS BROADBAND offers access to webcasts of out-of-market games online at NBA.com. A new mosaic video player will allow fans to watch multiple games simultaneously.The broadband channel makes games available for 48 hours via a special on-demand archive.A A A "Free Preview Presented by NBA LIVE 09" is now available with early bird pricing of $84.95. NBA LEAGUE PASS and NBA LEAGUE PASS BROADBAND excludes access to games on national networks and the local, in-market network. Additional information is available on www.NBA.com. The 2008-09 season marks the inaugural year of the NBA's partnership with Turner Sports to manage the NBA Digital portfolio which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS,NBADLeague.com and WNBA.com.A NBA TV will offer a full line-up of 96 live games beginning on Sat., Nov. 1 with a doubleheader starting at 7:30 p.m. ET featuring the Washington Wizards @ Detroit Pistons followed by the Portland Trail Blazers @ Phoenix Suns.A To launch the new season, a free preview of NBA TV is now available, allowing cable and satellite distribution partners the opportunity to showcase NBA TV to all of their viewers during this time.A Source: Turner Sports A OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORKGame On! Game Five of World Series to Be Played Tonight - The Biz of Baseball Transcript: Interview with Joe Maddon - The Biz of Baseball World Series Ratings 20 Percent Below Worst Ever - The Biz of Baseball BREAKING: Game 5 of World Series Postponed Due to Weather - The Biz of Baseball Rain Maker: Weather in Philadelphia Wreaks Havoc on World Series Ratings - The Biz of Baseball Albert Pujols Named 2008 Roberto Clemente Award Recipient - The Biz of Baseball Inside the Numbers: Ranking the 30 Clubs by Marginal Payroll/Marginal Wins - The Biz of Baseball Selig Hopes to Shorten Days Off Between Games in '09 Postseason - The Biz of Baseball Verizon Has a COW at Tropicana Field - The Biz of Baseball John Blake Leaves Red Sox to Return to Texas Rangers - The Biz of Baseball Joe Maddon and Fredi Gonzalez Win Sporting News Managers of 2008 - The Biz of Baseball Mariners Hire Jack Zduriencik as Exec VP and GM of Baseball Ops for Seattle Mariners - The Biz of Baseball See It: McCain and Obama Help Open World Series on FOX - The Biz of Baseball Long Rays Forecast: FSN Florida Signs 8-Year Extension with Tampa Bay - The Biz of Baseball Bob Costas May Become Part of MLB Network Broadcast Stable - The Biz of Baseball Cardinals to Raise Season Ticket Prices in '09 - The Biz of Baseball MLB.com Runs Multi-Platform Blitz for 104th World Series - The Biz of Baseball MLB Announces The Backstreet Boys and Los Lonely Boys as WS Game 1 and 2 Performers - The Biz of Baseball Players Vote Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols as Best Players in Each League - The Biz of Baseball 2008 World Series Umpires Announced - The Biz of Baseball NHL Offers Free Train of NHL GameCenter Live on Oct. 30 - The Biz of Hockey Verizon FiOS TV to Offer NHL Center Ice and NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Adam "Pacman" Jones Suspendeda€¦Again! - The Biz of Football ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see.

The following is commentary and interviews from Tuesday night's NBA on TNT TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley Smith on the experience of getting your NBA Championship ring:A "For a lot of us, it was the first time that we'd seen (a championship) ring, so you're comparing it and talking about it.A More than anything else you look down and say, 'This guy next to me did everything that he could physically possibly do to help me win this and his guy to my left (did everything he could do).'A It bonds you for life." Barkley on the Boston Celtics repeating another championship season:A "I think it's going to be very difficult for two reasons a€" one, you want to know if they have that same hunger, clearly they were on a mission last year.A Secondly, they are going to miss James Posey."A A Smith:A "Fighting complacency (is key to the Celtics' repeating).A It's not your best players a€" Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have been All-Stars a€" they have seen a lot of success, they've gotten a lot of admiration, they've had a lot of press clippings.A But your sixth, seventh and eighth mana€¦those are the guys that are not used to that kind of stardom and all of sudden they get commercials...The complacency of your guys who have never been stars and are now stars (is what you have to be concerned about)."A A A A A Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand appeared on the show via satellite.A Brand on how he measures success this year with the 76ers:A "A successful season for us is getting further than the first round because that's what they did last year without me.A We're a young team, we're growing.A Of course the Boston Celtics are the measuring stick and an upper echelon team and that's where we want to get to, but we have a lot of growing to do. A They had three All-Stars players come after not making the playoffs and come with some hunger and some fervor to win, so we have to get that same intensity.A And I think we can get it, it just might take some time." Brand on leaving the Clippers:A "It's still kind of surreal seeing those guys on the team and I'm not on the team. Free agency came and when I opted out my intentions were of course to be there but once we tried to make the deal happen it kind of turned the corner and my agent David Faulk and I had to look outside for some other offers.A I think they'll be fine out there with Baron and adding Camby and Al Thornton and Cuttino Mobley.A Coach (Mike) Dunleavy is going to have those guys ready, but all that's in the past and I'm ready with Coach (Maurice) Cheeks and my Sixers team to put that chapter behind me." Barkley on the Phoenix Suns:A "I think the Phoenix Suns are going to be better than people realize.A If Terry Porter gets them to play a little defense they are going to be bettera€¦It's time for Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire to take their game to the next level."A Barkley on the Houston Rockets:A "(The Rockets) could be really good or it could blow up.A Ron Artest is the big variable."A Smith:A "You know who people are sleeping on?A Rafer Alston.A He had his best pro year last year and they had a great stretch without Yao Ming and if Tracy McGrady goes down for six or seven games Ron Artest is the only guy I know who can get 20 points and stop a guy from getting 20.A You can't name me three guys who can do that."A Barkley on the Philadelphia Sixers:A "I think (the Sixers) are going to be a lot better (since they got) Elton Brand, but a lot of teams in the East got better, also.A I think it's going to be tough for him realistically to get past the first round of the playoffs." Johnson on the new faces in Milwaukee Bucks:A "There's a new team there in Milwaukee, with Richard Jefferson there now and Scott Skiles as the new coach." Barkley:A "Yeah, but the same ugly results." TNT's John Thompson interviewed Boston Celtics guard Paul Pierce. Pierce on sacrificing for the betterment of the team:A "I said hey, I'm going to take less shots if that's going to make us a better team, so be it.A I sacrificed a lot of things that I've done offensively and directed (it) towards the defense because that's what this team is all about, the defense.A It took a lot of sacrificing, I had to bite my tongue on a lot of things and had to hold back a lot of times.A It was hard." Pierce on people expecting him to be a selfish player:A "That's what people expected me to do, since day one a€" the draft.A I was the tenth pick and I've been out to prove people wrong and that's pretty much what I'm all about.A (People say) 'Paul is not going to work.A Kevin (Garnett), Ray (Allen), but Paul's not going to do it.'A I hear it, I hear the whispersa€¦but I knew what I could sacrifice."A Smith on picking a repeat of last year's NBA Finals:A "The NBA Finals are going to be the Boston Celtics and the Houston Rockets.A It was a throwback with the Finals last year (featuring the Lakers and the Celtics), we've got another throwback Finals again." Barkley:A "I'm going to go with the Cleveland Cavaliers against the L.A. Lakers.A I think LeBron James is on a mission.A That's why Paul Pierce was crying (during the ring ceremony), because he has to guard LeBron." A Select Read More to see the rest of this article

On Monday, adidas unveiled Kevin Garnett's Team Signature Commander 2008 Champions shoes to commemorate Garnett's first NBA Championship.A Garnett will wear the TS Commanders during the Celtics' first game of the season against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 28.A Featuring a silhouette of Garnett on the side and gold accents throughout, the shoe design comprises Garnett's personal touches including embroidery of his fan-given nickname Champ.A Only 17 pairs of the personalized shoes were made a€" the same number of Boston Celtics NBA Championships a€" allowing a handful of fans to follow in Garnett's footsteps by bidding online for an autographed pair, benefiting the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. "Our amazing run to the NBA Championship was a complete team effort including the fans so I wanted to do something for the people of Boston," said Garnett.A "The Celtics brotherhood goes far beyond the court.A The Boston fans are the heart of our team, so it's nice to be able to give back to the community that's given us so much." Fans can bid on the 17 autographed pairs at www.celtics.com/shop beginning on opening night, October 28 at 8 pm EST in conjunction with tip-off to raise money for the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, which benefits local children through education and community support programs. The commemorative shoe is white, gold and green inspired by team colors and the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy.A The insole includes dates and scores of each 2008 Finals game along with the 2008 Champions logo.A The adidas Team Signature Commander 2008 Champions shoes also feature KG's constant tribute to two close friends and mentors: Malik Sealy and Kirby Puckett. "KG deserves every carat of his championship ring," said Lawrence Norman, adidas vice president of global basketball.A "Paying tribute to this championship with KG and the Boston fans in a unique way that celebrates both the game and the community is what we're all about at adidas.A We help our athletes achieve the impossible and, when they do, we help them do it all over again." In addition to Garnett's shoes, adidas created Celtics NBA Championship limited edition jerseys, warm up jackets and a Superstar 1, available November 1 at the NBA Store in New York, www.celtics.com/shop and TD Banknorth Garden Pro Shop.Source: adidas A OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORKRain Maker: Weather in Philadelphia Wreaks Havoc on World Series Ratings - The Biz of Baseball Albert Pujols Named 2008 Roberto Clemente Award Recipient - The Biz of Baseball Inside the Numbers: Ranking the 30 Clubs by Marginal Payroll/Marginal Wins - The Biz of Baseball Selig Hopes to Shorten Days Off Between Games in '09 Postseason - The Biz of Baseball Verizon Has a COW at Tropicana Field - The Biz of Baseball John Blake Leaves Red Sox to Return to Texas Rangers - The Biz of Baseball Joe Maddon and Fredi Gonzalez Win Sporting News Managers of 2008 - The Biz of Baseball Mariners Hire Jack Zduriencik as Exec VP and GM of Baseball Ops for Seattle Mariners - The Biz of Baseball See It: McCain and Obama Help Open World Series on FOX - The Biz of Baseball Long Rays Forecast: FSN Florida Signs 8-Year Extension with Tampa Bay - The Biz of Baseball Bob Costas May Become Part of MLB Network Broadcast Stable - The Biz of Baseball Cardinals to Raise Season Ticket Prices in '09 - The Biz of Baseball MLB.com Runs Multi-Platform Blitz for 104th World Series - The Biz of Baseball MLB Announces The Backstreet Boys and Los Lonely Boys as WS Game 1 and 2 Performers - The Biz of Baseball Players Vote Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols as Best Players in Each League - The Biz of Baseball 2008 World Series Umpires Announced - The Biz of Baseball You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Adam "Pacman" Jones Suspendeda€¦Again! - The Biz of Football ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. 

Over the past three NBA seasons the who-is-the-better-point-guard debate has grown in lockstep with the New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul and the Utah Jazz's Deron Williams friendship. The more each tries to outdo the other, the more intertwined they become. Both have achieved elite point guard status in only three seasons. Both have been part of deep playoff runs, and both probably will be for the foreseeable future.A So who's better?A In the new issue of ESPN The Magazine on sale today, writer Ric Bucher surveyed scores of insiders and fans, and each group went with Paul (sorry Deron). Paul on Williams:A "I try to crowd him and live with jump shots. He's going to score, but when he gets everyone else involved, you can put your head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye." Williams on Paul: "Hey, we're two motivated guys. That's one of the things we have in common and why we get along." Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz: " Chris Paul is a magician with the ball. At practices with Team USA, D-Will, J-Kidd, Kobe a€" nobody could stop him." Bill Simmons, The Sports Guy: "I thought we peaked with Isiah Thomas. Then Chris Paul fell out of the sky. He's a classier Isiah with a better jumper. We are blessed. Comparing him with Deron Williams is like comparing Pearl Jam to Stone Temple Pilots. Don't waste your time." The Magazine's NBA preview also looks at Daryl Morey, the Rockets' young MIT MBA educated general manager, who is using obscure statistical metrics to evaluate players - he guards his secrets tightly but offers The Mag a glimpse into his system. Plus, The Mag looks at how talent is evaluated from five different vantage points - players, coaches, scouts, stat heads and fans a€" who all think their way is the best way a€" and provides fans a comprehensive list of who's going to be good, who's going to be bad, and why and full team reports. In his latest Life of Reilly column, Rick Reilly introduces us to his gridiron challenge partner: Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. But Senator Obama wasn't pushing his political agenda while picking his fantasy team. "Man, this is more important than politics!" he insisted. "This is football." Other features in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine include: COUNTDOWNa€¦ TO THE HOT STOVE LEAGUE. Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira can expect big paydays, but most free agents should prep for a cold winter. Plus: players named Fielder, Peavy and Francoeur could be on the move. Buster Olney reports. REVERSING FIELD.A Sure Redskins QB Jason Campbell has it all figure out now. But a trip through his past shows that he was always on the right track. Justin Heckert reports. BE THE BALL. Who knows the ins and outs of Penn State's potent Spread HD offense better than the ball itself? Hang on for an in-depth and high-flying ride. By NIKE 3005 Collegiate Football, as told to Eddie Matz. COULD'VE BEEN WORSE.A As a sophomore forward at Nevada, Tyrone Hanson almost died at a party gone bad a€" and was kicked off the team for his trouble. Now the former New York prep star in Arkansas is looking for a shot at redemption. Jerry Bembry reports.A Source: ESPN A OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Albert Pujols Named 2008 Roberto Clemente Award Recipient - The Biz of Baseball Inside the Numbers: Ranking the 30 Clubs by Marginal Payroll/Marginal Wins - The Biz of Baseball Selig Hopes to Shorten Days Off Between Games in '09 Postseason - The Biz of Baseball Verizon Has a COW at Tropicana Field - The Biz of Baseball John Blake Leaves Red Sox to Return to Texas Rangers - The Biz of Baseball Joe Maddon and Fredi Gonzalez Win Sporting News Managers of 2008 - The Biz of Baseball Mariners Hire Jack Zduriencik as Exec VP and GM of Baseball Ops for Seattle Mariners - The Biz of Baseball See It: McCain and Obama Help Open World Series on FOX - The Biz of Baseball Long Rays Forecast: FSN Florida Signs 8-Year Extension with Tampa Bay - The Biz of Baseball Bob Costas May Become Part of MLB Network Broadcast Stable - The Biz of Baseball Cardinals to Raise Season Ticket Prices in '09 - The Biz of Baseball MLB.com Runs Multi-Platform Blitz for 104th World Series - The Biz of Baseball MLB Announces The Backstreet Boys and Los Lonely Boys as WS Game 1 and 2 Performers - The Biz of Baseball Players Vote Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols as Best Players in Each League - The Biz of Baseball 2008 World Series Umpires Announced - The Biz of Baseball You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Adam "Pacman" Jones Suspendeda€¦Again! - The Biz of Football ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see.

The Portland Trail Blazers exercised fourth-year options on the contracts of forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge, guard Sergio Rodriguez and guard Brandon Roy, while exercising their third-year option on center Greg Oden. The moves, announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard , keep all four players under contract through the 2009-10 season. The Trail Blazers acquired Aldridge, Rodriguez and Roy in 2006 draft day trades. Portland selected Oden with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.Source: Portland Trail Blazers A OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Albert Pujols Named 2008 Roberto Clemente Award Recipient - The Biz of Baseball Inside the Numbers: Ranking the 30 Clubs by Marginal Payroll/Marginal Wins - The Biz of Baseball Selig Hopes to Shorten Days Off Between Games in '09 Postseason - The Biz of Baseball Verizon Has a COW at Tropicana Field - The Biz of Baseball John Blake Leaves Red Sox to Return to Texas Rangers - The Biz of Baseball Joe Maddon and Fredi Gonzalez Win Sporting News Managers of 2008 - The Biz of Baseball Mariners Hire Jack Zduriencik as Exec VP and GM of Baseball Ops for Seattle Mariners - The Biz of Baseball See It: McCain and Obama Help Open World Series on FOX - The Biz of Baseball Long Rays Forecast: FSN Florida Signs 8-Year Extension with Tampa Bay - The Biz of Baseball Bob Costas May Become Part of MLB Network Broadcast Stable - The Biz of Baseball Cardinals to Raise Season Ticket Prices in '09 - The Biz of Baseball MLB.com Runs Multi-Platform Blitz for 104th World Series - The Biz of Baseball MLB Announces The Backstreet Boys and Los Lonely Boys as WS Game 1 and 2 Performers - The Biz of Baseball Players Vote Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols as Best Players in Each League - The Biz of Baseball 2008 World Series Umpires Announced - The Biz of Baseball You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Adam "Pacman" Jones Suspendeda€¦Again! - The Biz of Football ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football (Finally) Raiders Fire Head Coach Kiffin - The Biz of Football Bruce Springsteen to Be Halftime Entertainment at This Year's Super Bowl - The Biz of Football NFL on CBS Sees National and Regional Ratings Increase for Week 3 - The Biz of Football Starter Me Up: Tony Romo Signs Largest Endorsement Deal in NFL History - The Biz of Football Jets Partner With StubHub to Auction PSLs - The Biz of Football Jenn Brown Joins "Inside The NFL" as Special Correspondent - The Biz of Football Darren Rovell Talks NFL, and Other Sports Business - The Biz of Football Jim Irsay Not Your Typical NFL Owner: Rocker, Poet, Tattoo of Colts Logo - The Biz of Football Average NFL Franchise Value Over $1 Billion, According to Forbes - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. 

adidas NBA Video Part 1 - Arenas in DC @ Yahoo! Video Twelve, unknown ball players from the U.S. and China will be featured alongside NBA stars Kevin Garnett, Gilbert Arenas, Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan in adidas' 2008-2009 start of season basketball campaign.A Themed "NBA Tested. Brotherhood Ready." the campaign celebrates adidas Team Signature footwear and apparel made for the world's elite athletes and ready for you and your Brotherhood.In this campaign, adidas is bringing young players from the U.S. and China to the ultimate level of Brotherhood a€" the NBA a€" where the young athletes learn that no matter the level of play, basketball is a Brotherhood. Captured in a four-part "NBA Tested. Brotherhood Ready." film series, the young athletes' side-by-side experience with the NBA stars brings to life the two playing styles a Brotherhood comprises: Commanders and Creators.A Their journey across the U.S. is documented and shared online at adidasbasketball.com. Beginning in Washington DC, the young players learn the aggressively smooth and stealth-like approach to running the floor from the definitive Creator Gilbert Arenas.A Next, they travel to Orlando to learn what it takes to have unwavering physical presence and dominating effect in the paint from Commander Dwight Howard.A The athletes come together as a team of Commanders and Creators in Houston as they play with Commander Tim Duncan and Creator Tracy McGrady.A Ultimately, the journey concludes as a Brotherhood in Boston with Kevin Garnett.Acknowledging the two playing styles and focusing on product development for athlete success, adidas created the adidas Team Signature Command and Create footwear collection."Our adidas Team Signature Commander and Creator collection represents the most elite level of adidas basketball performance products," said Lawrence Norman, adidas vice president of global basketball.A "At adidas, we are all about enabling athletes to jump one inch higher and to become one step quicker a€" that's what we were born to do." "Tested by the best basketball players in the world, adidas Team Signature footwear is customized for different styles of play," Norman said.A "Our TS Commander is created especially to absorb impact and allow for more explosion on follows and finishes.A The TS Creator uses adidas innovations like ForMotion technology that enhances a player's natural movements and speed, allowing for quick cuts and crossovers."In the "NBA Tested. Brotherhood Ready." fully integrated marketing campaign, adidas uses the digital concept like no other adidas program to date.A Capitalizing on a highly successful 2007 digital program, this year, adidas basketball evolves its marketing to bring digital to the forefront of all communications, recognizing mobile communications is the primary media the basketball crazed kid consumes. Centered on the launch of a revolutionary and inspirational Web site www.adidasbasketball.com, the campaign provides online and mobile channels that facilitate two-way conversations between consumers and heroes.A The campaign includes a global TV call-to-action spot for consumers to join the conversation via text message. "The adidas campaign is inspiring and enabling consumers to directly connect with the NBA as the highest level of Brotherhood," said Ryan Morlan, adidas director of global basketball communications.A "Last year, we received thousands of unsolicited voicemails from kids reacting to the message of Brotherhood delivered by Kevin Garnett and others.A This year, consumers can receive text messages and voicemails from Garnett, respond back to him and then receive a follow-up message. " A adidasbasketball.com will include sharable video content including product films and extras featuring athlete interviews and behind the scenes at adidas photo shoots.A In total, 15 films will be released in an eight-week span.A Player blogs and microblogs also will be highlighted on the new site.Along with digital and mobile, the campaign will be supported by print, out of home and retail initiatives.A Print ads themed "NBA Tested. Brotherhood Ready." will spotlight NBA athletes with our TS footwear and apparel collections along with authentic NBA adidas performance products. The campaign's creative elements are visually integrated while conveying TS product benefit and athlete association.A See Part 2 and 3 of the adidas campaign shortly on The Biz of BasketballA Source: adidasA OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Mariners Hire Jack Zduriencik as Exec VP and GM of Baseball Ops for Seattle Mariners - The Biz of Baseball See It: McCain and Obama Help Open World Series on FOX - The Biz of Baseball Long Rays Forecast: FSN Florida Signs 8-Year Extension with Tampa Bay - The Biz of Baseball Bob Costas May Become Part of MLB Network Broadcast Stable - The Biz of Baseball Cardinals to Raise Season Ticket Prices in '09 - The Biz of Baseball MLB.com Runs Multi-Platform Blitz for 104th World Series - The Biz of Baseball MLB Announces The Backstreet Boys and Los Lonely Boys as WS Game 1 and 2 Performers - The Biz of Baseball Players Vote Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols as Best Players in Each League - The Biz of Baseball 2008 World Series Umpires Announced - The Biz of Baseball Philadelphia Gets Ready to Host First Ever U.S. Film Festival Dedicated to Sports - The Biz of Baseball MLB to Broadcast World Series to 229 Countries in 13 Languages - The Biz of Baseball TBS Scores Ratings Hit with Decisive Game 7 of 2008 ALCS - The Biz of Baseball New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys Form Partnership for Concessions Company - The Biz of Baseball Rays/Phillies World Series Proves National Broadcasters Need Less of the Red Sox and Yankees - The Biz of Baseball 5 Reasons Why TBS Really Blew It on Game 6 of the ALCS - The Biz of Baseball NHL Teams with Scotiabank and CBC for "Fan Award" - The Biz of Hockey You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Adam "Pacman" Jones Suspendeda€¦Again! - The Biz of Football ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football (Finally) Raiders Fire Head Coach Kiffin - The Biz of Football Bruce Springsteen to Be Halftime Entertainment at This Year's Super Bowl - The Biz of Football NFL on CBS Sees National and Regional Ratings Increase for Week 3 - The Biz of Football Starter Me Up: Tony Romo Signs Largest Endorsement Deal in NFL History - The Biz of Football Jets Partner With StubHub to Auction PSLs - The Biz of Football Jenn Brown Joins "Inside The NFL" as Special Correspondent - The Biz of Football Darren Rovell Talks NFL, and Other Sports Business - The Biz of Football Jim Irsay Not Your Typical NFL Owner: Rocker, Poet, Tattoo of Colts Logo - The Biz of Football Average NFL Franchise Value Over $1 Billion, According to Forbes - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see.   

SIRIUS XM RadioA announced today that Mike Krzyzewski, the head coach of the Duke University and U.S. Men's Olympic basketball teams, will return to host his exclusive weekly talk show, Basketball and Beyond with Coach K. The show's fourth season tips off tonight, October 21 (7:00-8:00 pm ET), and airs nationwide on XM channel 144 and SIRIUS channel 123.Every week, Basketball and Beyond with Coach K will feature discussions on a wide array of topical issues, covering the state of college basketball and showcasing Krzyzewski's personal perspective on principles for life on and off the court. Coach K and his returning co-host, Dave Sims, will interview a variety of special guests, including business leaders, entertainers, coaches and athletes.Jerry Colangelo, the managing director of USA Basketball's Men's Senior National Team program for the past three years, will be the guest on the 2008 debut show October 21."Dave and I have had a lot of fun with this show the last three years, talking about basketball, business and many other topics," said Krzyzewski. "I'm thrilled that this year our audience has grown to include both XM and SIRIUS subscribers and I look forward to giving our listeners an entertaining and enriching show about life on the court and off."Krzyzewski has one of the top coaching resumes of all-time. In 33 years as a head coach, Coach K compiled a 803-267 record, led Duke to three NCAA Championships (1991, 1992 and 2001), guided the Blue Devils to 10 Final Four appearances, developed 20 All-Americas and mentored seven National Players of the Year. The Blue Devils, who have been ranked No. 1 in 12 different seasons, have won 11 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles and 10 ACC Tournament championships.Source: Sirius XM Radio A OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Players Vote Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols as Best Players in Each League - The Biz of Baseball 2008 World Series Umpires Announced - The Biz of Baseball Philadelphia Gets Ready to Host First Ever U.S. Film Festival Dedicated to Sports - The Biz of Baseball MLB to Broadcast World Series to 229 Countries in 13 Languages - The Biz of Baseball TBS Scores Ratings Hit with Decisive Game 7 of 2008 ALCS - The Biz of Baseball New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys Form Partnership for Concessions Company - The Biz of Baseball Rays/Phillies World Series Proves National Broadcasters Need Less of the Red Sox and Yankees - The Biz of Baseball 5 Reasons Why TBS Really Blew It on Game 6 of the ALCS - The Biz of Baseball NHL Teams with Scotiabank and CBC for "Fan Award" - The Biz of Hockey You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Adam "Pacman" Jones Suspendeda€¦Again! - The Biz of Football ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football (Finally) Raiders Fire Head Coach Kiffin - The Biz of Football Bruce Springsteen to Be Halftime Entertainment at This Year's Super Bowl - The Biz of Football NFL on CBS Sees National and Regional Ratings Increase for Week 3 - The Biz of Football Starter Me Up: Tony Romo Signs Largest Endorsement Deal in NFL History - The Biz of Football Jets Partner With StubHub to Auction PSLs - The Biz of Football Jenn Brown Joins "Inside The NFL" as Special Correspondent - The Biz of Football Darren Rovell Talks NFL, and Other Sports Business - The Biz of Football Jim Irsay Not Your Typical NFL Owner: Rocker, Poet, Tattoo of Colts Logo - The Biz of Football Average NFL Franchise Value Over $1 Billion, According to Forbes - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see.

Turner Sports announced today that it has extended its current partnerships with AutoTrader.com, Hyundai, Southwest Airlines and T-Mobile as major sponsors of its award-winning NBA on TNT studio coverage for the 2008-09 NBA season.A Additionally, each of the four partners will also sponsor the new NBA TV studio shows and will be featured on NBA.com.A The 2008-09 NBA season marks Turner's 25th anniversary of NBA coverage and the inaugural year of Turner's partnership with the NBA to operate the NBA Digital portfolio, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA League Pass, WNBA.com and NBADLeague.com. "The prime value of the NBA brand is reflected in the overwhelming response by Autotrader.com, Hyundai, Southwest Airlines and T-Mobile returning to TNT this season but also extending their partnerships to NBA TV and NBA.com," saidJon Diament, executive vice president of Turner Sports ad sales and marketing.A "Turner continues to create unique and meaningful multi-platform opportunities for our advertising partners to reach fans wherever they consume the NBA.A The NBA portfolio is an extremely valuable marketing vehicle for power brands to target fans who are captivated by the league and its players.A This is part of our continuing strategy to integrate and align advertisers into our coverage of the league and into a sport that is so passionately followed."For the third consecutive year, AutoTrader.com will serve as the presenting sponsor of TNT's studio pregame coverage (TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com) featuring Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith and Emmy award-winning host Ernie Johnson.A T-Mobile has returned as the presenting sponsor of the halftime show (T-Mobile Halftime Report) and Southwest Airlines will continue to sponsor game break segments (Southwest Airlines Game Break).A Hyundai will once again sponsor the Inside the NBA postgame show for the 10th consecutive year (Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai).The new agreements will commence on TNT on Opening Night, Tues., Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. ET with the NBA Tip-OffA presented by Autotrader.com preview show followed by a doubleheader at 8 p.m. ET featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers @ LA Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET.A The new NBA TV elements will begin with the network's new studio show debuting on Tues., Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. ET.A Source: TNT A OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Philadelphia Gets Ready to Host First Ever U.S. Film Festival Dedicated to Sports - The Biz of Baseball MLB to Broadcast World Series to 229 Countries in 13 Languages - The Biz of Baseball TBS Scores Ratings Hit with Decisive Game 7 of 2008 ALCS - The Biz of Baseball New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys Form Partnership for Concessions Company - The Biz of Baseball Rays/Phillies World Series Proves National Broadcasters Need Less of the Red Sox and Yankees - The Biz of Baseball 5 Reasons Why TBS Really Blew It on Game 6 of the ALCS - The Biz of Baseball TBS Experiences Technical Difficulties Getting ALCS Game 6 on the Air - The Biz of Baseball Cubs Deal May Involve More Ownership Equity From Tribune - The Biz of Baseball NHL Teams with Scotiabank and CBC for "Fan Award" - The Biz of Hockey You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey Steven Jackson is a Fathead - The Biz of Football Super Bowl Ticket Prices Reach $1,000 - The Biz of Football Adam "Pacman" Jones Suspendeda€¦Again! - The Biz of Football ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football (Finally) Raiders Fire Head Coach Kiffin - The Biz of Football Bruce Springsteen to Be Halftime Entertainment at This Year's Super Bowl - The Biz of Football NFL on CBS Sees National and Regional Ratings Increase for Week 3 - The Biz of Football Starter Me Up: Tony Romo Signs Largest Endorsement Deal in NFL History - The Biz of Football Jets Partner With StubHub to Auction PSLs - The Biz of Football Jenn Brown Joins "Inside The NFL" as Special Correspondent - The Biz of Football Darren Rovell Talks NFL, and Other Sports Business - The Biz of Football Jim Irsay Not Your Typical NFL Owner: Rocker, Poet, Tattoo of Colts Logo - The Biz of Football Average NFL Franchise Value Over $1 Billion, According to Forbes - The Biz of Football Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Basketball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. 

Former NBA point guard and head coach Avery Johnson has also joined ESPN as an NBA studio analyst, mainly joining host Stuart Scott and analyst Bill Walton on ESPN's NBA Shootaround pre-game show throughout the season and post-season.A Johnson, who contributed to ESPN's NBA Playoff coverage earlier this year, will also contribute at times to ABC's GMC NBA Countdown.A A "Avery has excelled in every professional endeavor and we know his success will carry over to his on-air role," said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, production.A "His experience and passion for the game will resonate with our fans." A "I'm excited to join the ESPN family of networks and, specifically, to join the NBA broadcast team," said Johnson.A "ESPN and ABC has an abundance of terrific talent and I'm glad to launch my career in broadcasting with the premiere sports network." Johnson most recently served as coach of the Dallas Mavericks (2004-08), guiding the franchise to a .735 winning percentage.A His team advanced to the NBA Finals in 2006 and Johnson was rewarded with NBA Coach of the Year recognition.A During the 2007 season, Johnson became the fastest coach to reach 150 wins.A Johnson, an NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, had a 16-year NBA career including time with the Seattle SuperSonics (1988-90), Denver Nuggets (1990-91; 2001-02), Spurs (1991, 1992-93, 1994-2001), Houston Rockets (1992), Golden State Warriors (1993-94, 2003-04) and Dallas Mavericks (2002-03).A Johnson earned the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 1998.Source: ESPNA OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Cubs Deal May Involve More Ownership Equity From Tribune - The Biz of Baseball Hall of Fame to Unveil Statue of Gehrig, Robinson, and Clemente Nov. 1 - The Biz of Baseball MLB Loves Barack Obama's Money More than the World Series - The Biz of Baseball Small Fire Burns Famous Fenway Landmark - CITGO Sign - The Biz of Baseball FOX Execs Prepare for the Worst in Possible Phillies/Rays World Series - The Biz of Baseball Astros Announce 2-Year PDC Extension with Corpus Christi Hooks - The Biz of Baseball Boston Massacre (Part II)- Notes from TBS' Coverage of the ALCS Game #4 - The Biz of Baseball Financial Crisis Impacting Cubs Sale in a Big Way - The Biz of Baseball National Television Ratings for 2008 MLB Season Down Across the Board. RSNs Decline, As Well - The Biz of Baseball World Series Trophy to be Displayed at Tiffany & Co. Starting Today - The Biz of Baseball NHL Teams with Scotiabank and CBC for "Fan Award" - The Biz of Hockey You Betcha: Sarah Palin to Drop Puck at Flyers Game Saturday - The Biz of Hockey NHL by Reebok Store Expected to More Than Double Projected Sales - The Biz of Hockey John Shannon Named as Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network - The Biz of Hockey Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL - The Biz of Hockey ESPN Monday Night Football Audience Up 15% for Year - The Biz of Football (Finally) Raiders Fire Head Coach Kiffin - The Biz of Football Bruce Springsteen to Be Halftime Entertainment at This Year's Super Bowl - The Biz of Football NFL on CBS Sees National and Regional Ratings Increase for Week 3 - The Biz of Football Starter Me Up: Tony Romo Signs Largest Endorsement Deal in NFL History - The Biz of Football Jets Partner With StubHub to Auction PSLs - The Biz of Football Jenn Brown Joins "Inside The NFL" as Special Correspondent - The Biz of Football Darren Rovell Talks NFL, and Other Sports Business - The Biz of Football Jim Irsay Not Your Typical NFL Owner: Rocker, Poet, Tattoo of Colts Logo - The Biz of F