Jordan unveils new Hornets logos for next season

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan unveiled the new brand identity the Charlotte Hornets will use after this season.

Jordan introduced the team's primary new logo and word mark -- as well as eight alternatives -- during a halftime ceremony Saturday night, saying "You guys asked and we delivered."

The primary logo features the purple and teal formerly used by the Charlotte Hornets from 1988-2002 with a more aggressive-looking hornet with piercing eyes, a raised antennae, larger wings and pointed stinger. In the logo is a basketball that doubles as the hornet's body with the Hornets wood mark written across it.

The Bobcats officially become the Hornets the day after their final game this season.

"Tonight is a special night," Jordan said.

The event featured former Muggsy Bogues, Rex Chapman, Dell Curry and Kelly Tripucka, all former NBA players who played for the Hornets in Charlotte, as well as a video display with the new logo.

Jordan received permission from the NBA board of directors this year to change the team's name after New Orleans owner Tom Benson vacated the name in favor of the Pelicans. The Hornets were located in Charlotte from 1988-2002 before then-owner George Shinn moved the team to New Orleans.

On the video presentation at halftime, the voiceover began by saying "What once was lost has been willed by you to be found. The legend is our new legacy. Get ready for the buzz to return. Our city. Our colors. Our name. We're all coming home."

The merchandise featuring the new Hornets brand identity will be available for purchase at the Bobcats team store on Jan. 18.

Bobcats COO Fred Whitfield said the team began conducting a Harris interactive poll to seek a name change shortly after Jordan became the team's majority owner in 2010.

Whitfield said there was an enormous amount of time put into the decision to change the name, as well as the logos.

"As we looked at the old logo, we realized we had to refresh it but respect the legacy that was here," Whitfield said "There's more fierceness in the face of this Hornet. And they are very protective of their territory, which is what we want this team to be about."

The Hornets also announced that "Hugo" will officially return to Buzz City as the team's mascot.

"The players were beloved as was the mascot," Whitfield said. "So we're all thrilled to bring Hugo back."

Bobcats chief marketing office Pete Guelli said Jordan was very involved in the name change decision.

Evan Turner hits a game-winner against the Nets

Philadelphia snaps a seven-game losing streak with an Evan Turner overtime buzzer beater.

Evan Turner hit a game-winner as time expired in overtime to lift the Sixers past the stumbling Nets.

Turner finished the night with 29 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Paul Pierce, who contributed 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists to lead Brooklyn, hit a long three-pointer to give the Nets a short-lived lead.

Sixers rookie guard Michael Carter-Williams returned to action after a 16-day layoff with a skin infection. He didn't seem to miss a beat, dropping 15 points and dishing out 10 assists; he also recorded three rebounds and three steals.

Philadelphia's win snaps a seven-game losing streak, all in Carter-Williams' absence. Brooklyn had won four of its last six before its slip up Friday night.

 

LeBron James welcomes Ben McLemore to the NBA by murdering him with vicious dunk

Ben McLemore was just a good, fun-loving kid. He liked videogames, hanging out with his friends and playing basketball. That is, until he tried to take a charge against LeBron James.

via Akshit Dhar

Let this be a lesson to all the youngsters: Don't try to take a charge on LeBron. Poor Sacramento, another first-round pick gone to the big draft in the clouds.

Blazers' Lillard proves to be a quick study

Dec. 20 -- Damian Lillard plays with a savvy and wisdom well beyond his 23 years.

He played that way during his Rookie of the Year season for the Portland Trail Blazers and has actually gotten even better during his sophomore campaign, his wicked skill set combined withLaMarcus Aldridge's monster start to the season fueling a rise up the Western Conference standings that has stunned the league.

In a crowded point guard landscape, Lillard has distinguished himself as both a playmaker and scorer, not to mention a big-shot artist who is both willing and more than able of delivering daggers when games are on the line. Take the Blazers' recent four-game road trip as just an appetizer for what he's capable of and it's clear that he's moving towards the front of the class.

Lillard nailed game-winning shots against both Detroit and Cleveland, and finished the 3-1 journey averaging 27.8 points and 7.3 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 49 percent from beyond the 3-point line. And he did this with Aldridge, whom he joins on the KIA Race to the MVP Ladder this week, putting up monster numbers of his own during the trip.

Lillard scored 36 points on back-to-back nights to finish the trip, sick production from the point guard position, winning his head-to-head battle in each and every outing against the likes of Kyrie Irving, Brandon Jennings and Ricky Rubio. Philadelphia'sMichael Carter-Williams (skin infection) did not play in the trip opener.

"He's a nightmare because he can beat you in so many different ways," said Utah rookie point guard Trey Burke, who battled Lillard to a near statistical draw in a Dec. 9 loss to the Blazers. "He's physical, too. He works so hard on both ends and that brings out your best, if you're a competitor."

Lillard is certainly that. He already owns the Blazers' franchise scoring record for a point guard, he averaged 19.0 points a game as a rookie, besting Rod Strickland's 18.9 set in the 1994-95 season. But more importantly, he ranks second among point guards in scoring this season (21.3) behind Golden State's Stephen Curry(24.5).

Beloved in Portland for helping revive a proud franchise that has been starving for this sort of resurgence since injuries to top draft picks Greg Oden and Brandon Roy derailed previous revitalization plans, Lillard is winning on and off the court in the City of Roses.

His best work all week might have been done at a Toys "R" Us in Portland where he surprised 30 kids from the Trail Blazers Boys And Girls Club Thursday with $100 gift cards and a shopping spree.

"Because of what I've been able to do as a basketball player, it makes this stuff that much more valuable," Lillard told The Oregonian, calling it his highlight of the week. "It puts me in position to do things for the community and for the kids. Just to see how they reacted and the smiles on their faces, that means everything to me."

Lillard has savvy and wisdom beyond his years, on and off the court.

Pacers' Granger to play vs. Lin-less Rockets

Indiana's Danny Granger is ready to return to the lineup. Houston's Jeremy Lin is not.

As the Pacers' former All-Star prepared to make his season debut Friday against Houston, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said Lin would miss his third straight game with back spasms.

Here, though, the focus continues to center Granger, a popular player and former All-Star who has been hobbled by injuries for nearly 15 months. Granger played in only five games last season because of a left knee injury and hasn't played at all this season because of a strained left calf.

The circumstances, and Indiana's fast start, allowed coach Frank Vogel to play it extra safe - urging Granger to wait until the pain was completely gone before returning to practice - and now Vogel plans to take a similarly cautious approach as Granger works his way into game shape.

"He'll probably play 15 to 20 minutes tonight, getting the backup wing minutes behind Lance (Stephenson) and Paul (George)," Vogel said. "I think there's going to be an adjustment period, that's the only way you can evaluate him. I think some nights, we'll see him play at an All-Star level and some nights, he's going to be off. Hopefully, we'll see more nights toward the All-Star level."

Getting Granger back could be a boon for the Pacers.

At 20-5, they still went into Friday's game with the best record in the Eastern Conference, a commanding eight-game lead in the Central Division, leading the NBA in scoring defense and defensive field goal percentage and with one of the most physical front lines in basketball.

What they've been looking for is little more scoring punch - something a healthy Granger could provide.

Before the injury-plagued 2012-13 season, Granger led the Pacers in scoring for five consecutive seasons. And while nobody expects Granger to compete at that level right away, if he gets anywhere close this season, the Pacers could finally have their last link to this season's big mission - getting home-court advantage in the East and dethroning two-time defending NBA champ Miami.

Granger has acknowledged his goal is to be back to his old self in time for the playoffs.

"I think he understands that when you miss an entire season and you get injured early the next season, that the most important thing is to be ready for the playoffs," Vogel said.

The bigger question may be where exactly Granger fits into this lineup.

While he sat out, Pacers developed a completely different identity with George, one of the NBA's best young players, and center Roy Hibbert, a former All-Star, taking charge. Plus, Stephenson has developed into a solid starter in the spot that used to be occupied by Granger.

This is their team now, and Vogel insists Granger will be a good fit because he's a team-first guy - even if that means taking a little time to get things clicking.

"They looked really good without him, too," McHale said. "Fitting someone in is always interesting because Paul's got a flow going, Stephenson's got a flow going, so there's always a learning curve when you add new players to the mix."

Perhaps McHale hopes an out-of-sync Indiana lineup will help the Rockets (17-9) end their three-game losing streak in the Indiana series.

While he did not say how much more time Lin might miss with the back injury, the 6-foot-3 guard who became a New York sensation two years ago has been banged up all season. He missed six games with a bruised right knee and will now is sitting out his third game with the back injury.

Houston also will player without center Omar Asik, who McHale said did not make the trip. Asik has been considered a prime trade target since the Rockets signed Dwight Howard during the offseason.

Kobe fractures left knee, expected to miss six weeks

Kobe Bryant is expected to miss about six weeks with an injured left knee, dealing the second major injury setback of the year to the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar guard.
An MRI exam on Thursday revealed Bryant has a fracture in his lateral tibial plateau - the top of his shinbone near his knee.
Bryant made his season debut with the Lakers Dec. 8 after nearly eight months away while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. He apparently was hurt again Tuesday night in Memphis while playing his fourth game in five nights.
After playing six games in 10 days, the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history is out again until February or longer - and the Lakers' already miserable run of injuries got even uglier.

"You hate it for Kobe," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters after practice Thursday. "He's worked so hard to get back, but he'll be back. He'll be back in six weeks. We've just got to weather the storm until he gets back."
The Lakers also announced Steve Nash will be out for at least four more weeks with nerve root irritation, leaving injury-riddled Los Angeles without its top three point guards and Bryant - who filled in at the point in recent games - for at least another week.

On Thursday afternoon, a tweet was posted on Bryant's official Twitter account that consisted solely of the hashtag: BrokenNotBeaten.

"I think he'll be back in six weeks, and he'll be hunting for some bear," D'Antoni said.

The rest of the Lakers found out about Bryant's injury after practice for Friday's home game against Minnesota. The remnants of the Lakers, who have lost four of six since Bryant's return, also will host Miami on Christmas Day.

"It's hard to get this type of news, especially when we've got already so many injuries, when we've been through so many injuries the year before," Pau Gasol said. "It just keeps piling up. It's not the best thing for us, for sure, but we've just got to continue to go forward. We understand it can happen."

D'Antoni immediately faced questions about whether the Lakers allowed Bryant to return too quickly from his torn Achilles tendon. Athletes with an Achilles injury must remain immobile for months, and they typically need several weeks to regain muscle in their legs and get back into game shape.

Bryant pushed himself to return to the Lakers quickly, but his left leg appeared to be visibly smaller than his right leg after months of inactivity and atrophy. D'Antoni and the Lakers' top brass often joke about their inability to control Bryant's relentless determination to play, even at the risk of his own health.

"It could happen at any time," D'Antoni said of Bryant's latest injury. "That's part of it. There's always going to be a risk until he gets used to playing, but the doctors are all over it. That's just bad luck."

Los Angeles signed Bryant to a lavish two-year, $48.5 million contract extension last month, taking him into his 20th season with the Lakers. Most of Los Angeles' roster will be free agents this summer.

Bryant matched his season high with 21 points in the Lakers' win at Memphis, but he went to the floor with 3:25 left in the third quarter. He stayed on the floor briefly before standing up, and Bryant bent over at the waist as he flexed his left leg back and forth. He walked to the bench with trainer Gary Vitti, but returned to the floor following the timeout.

He hit a deep 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to help clinch the win and finished playing more than 32 minutes. Bryant said after the game that he twisted his knee, but it felt all right.

"I just hyperextended it," Bryant said when asked to describe what happened on the play. "I tend to hyperextend my knees every now and then."

Buried behind the implications of Bryant's latest injury, the Lakers got yet more bad news about the 39-year-old Nash, who has been injured for most of his two seasons in Los Angeles. The two-time NBA MVP has played in just six games this season and hasn't suited up since Nov. 10, repeatedly traveling home to Vancouver to undergo rehabilitation on his perpetually balky back and hamstrings.

Nash made it clear another month off is just a rough guideline for his return.

"I think I'm making strides for sure," Nash said. "I think the biggest thing is durability. There's such a fine line when I do get up to speed where I can do a lot of stuff. To be able to sustain it is the key right now. I know I can get back to an acceptable level of movement. It's just a matter of how long I can sustain it."

Xavier Henry, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard who has been a pleasant surprise in his first year with Los Angeles, is the Lakers' new starting point guard, D'Antoni said. While Nash, Bryant and Steve Blake are out with long-term injuries, Jordan Farmar will be re-evaluated Tuesday in his return from a torn hamstring, with the Lakers hoping he'll be back before January.