Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving has his first NBA injury — a concussion.

The star guard, who has lived up to being the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, was kept out of Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers with a head injury. The team did not disclose Irving’s concussion until moments before tip-off. There is no immediate timetable for his return.

The Cavaliers said in a release that Irving was kneed in the head during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game at Miami. He complained of a headache after the game and that it worsened overnight and while he warmed up on the floor Wednesday.

Irving was evaluated by Cleveland’s medical staff, and team physician A.J. Cianflocco diagnosed the 19-year-old with a concussion shortly before the game.

– Reported by the Associated Press

Houston will once again play host to a constellation of the world’s brightest stars as it has been selected as the site of NBA All-Star 2013, the NBA announced today.

The 62nd NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Toyota Center, which will also host the NBA Rising Stars Challenge and NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm. NBA All-Star Jam Session, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

“Houston is a spectacular sports city, and for one week it will be the basketball capital of the world,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern.  “NBA All-Star is a magnificent celebration of our game, and I want to thank the city and the Rockets for welcoming us once again.”

The 2013 game will mark the third NBA All-Star celebration in Houston. The city also hosted the event in 1989 and in 2006.

InsideHoops.com has no idea why Houston is getting to host the weekend again so soon. There seems to be no explanation for it.

“I am thrilled the Rockets and the City of Houston have once again brought NBA All-Star to Toyota Center,” said Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander.  “The All-Star Game showcases the best basketball players in the world and will allow our great Rockets fans and the entire community the opportunity to once again experience the best that our league has to offer.  The 2006 All-Star Game in Houston was a tremendous success and we plan to set the bar even higher in 2013.  We take great pride in Toyota Center’s standing as one of the premier venues in the country and are honored to be the first arena in Texas to host the game for a second time.”

“I want to thank the City staff, Houston Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander and the Houston/Harris County Sports Authority for all the work that went into bringing this world premier sporting event back to Houston,” said Houston Mayor Annise D. Parker. “Houston knows how to show visitors a good time and we can’t wait to pamper NBA fans with our southern hospitality and charm.  You could spend 365 days in our city and still not experience everything this town has to offer.  We are alive with talent, rich in diversity and just downright full of fun.  I wish the NBA and all of its fans an unforgettable stay in Houston.”

The 2013 game will mark the 29th year that Turner Sports will provide NBA All-Star coverage, and the 11th consecutive year the All-Star Game will be televised in primetime on TNT.  The All-Star Game will be seen by a worldwide television audience in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages.

Karl “The Mailman” Malone delivered an MVP performance in 1989, finishing with 28 points and nine rebounds as the West defeated the East, 143-134 at the Astrodome. His Jazz teammate John Stockton made a few deliveries of his own, finishing with 17 assists, including an All-Star Game record nine in a single quarter, to lead the West to victory.

In 2006, LeBron James became the youngest player to capture All-Star MVP honors. James finished with 29 points as the East overcame a 21-point third-quarter deficit to edge the West, 122-120.

NBA All-Star competition will get underway on Friday, Feb. 15, as the league’s top rookies and second-year players square off in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge. The following day’s festivities will feature NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm, an all-inclusive skills showcase comprised of Haier Shooting Stars, a competition featuring NBA and WNBA players, and NBA legends; Taco Bell Skills Challenge, a contest of top guards working against the clock to complete a series of passes, free throws, layups and agility drills; the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, a long-standing staple of the evening; and the ever-entertaining Sprite Slam Dunk contest.

The NBA will continue to celebrate its tradition and commitment to social responsibility during NBA All-Star 2013 with a schedule of NBA Cares events. NBA Cares will partner with schools, government, and local nonprofit organizations in Houston and surrounding areas to highlight the league’s grassroots and community initiatives that reach millions of young people and their parents while providing critical resources to community-based programs.

One of the event’s most popular attractions is NBA All-Star Jam Session, which will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. At Jam Session, fans can have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of participating in the NBA All-Star excitement, with the chance to meet and collect free autographs from NBA players and legends. Jam Session is nonstop basketball action, as fans can shoot, slam, dribble and drive all day; compete against their friends in skills challenges; or get basketball tips from NBA players and legends. Young fans can hang out at Kids Zone – with hoops and interactive activities that are the perfect size for kids’ slam dunks, three-pointers and jump shots. For fans who want NBA entertainment, Jam Session features the NBA’s favorite players, mascots, dance teams and celebrities as they hit Center Court in a variety of basketball competitions, including the NBA All-Star Practice and the Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

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Postgame meals in the Pistons’ locker room when the team is on road are a personal trainer’s nightmare.

Fried chicken strips, pizzas and french fries are just a few of the calorie-filled snacks players gorge on well past recommended dining hours.

Jason Maxiell tries to eat healthy, and he credits his fitness coming into training camp as the reason Pistons coach Lawrence Frank routinely calls him “one our most consistent players all season.”

“That’s a setup, right there — can’t do that,” Maxiell said Tuesday of the late-night smorgasbord. “At times when you really want to splurge for yourself on a nice little meal, you got to watch your intake.”

– Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Clippers guard Chauncey Billups realized his worst fears Tuesday when an MRI exam revealed he has a torn left Achilles’ tendon that will end his first season with the team.

But the 35-year-old Billups doesn’t plan on retiring.

“No, sir. There is no way I’m going to crawl out of the league,” Billups said Tuesday. “I’m going to be back. Trust me.”

Billups was examined at the Cleveland Clinic and he will return to Los Angeles on Thursday for further evaluation. No date has been set for his surgery.

But it is expected that Billups will be sidelined at least eight months while recovering from the injury. “I’ll get it taken care of and get back the best way I can. That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” he said.

His contract with the Clippers runs out after this season. Billups said he wants to return to the Clippers — if the feeling is mutual.

– Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed guard Donald Sloan to a 10-day contract.

Sloan, a Texas A&M University product, appeared in five regular season games with the Atlanta Hawks this season before being released on January 27. Originally signed by Atlanta on December 9, 2011, Sloan averaged 1.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 4.0 minutes of play with the Hawks

The 6’3” guard has played five games (all starts) for the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA D-League this season, averaging 24.8 points, 8.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds in 40.9 minutes of play. Born in Shreveport, Sloan has appeared in 54 games (38 starts) in the D-League, with career averages of 12.0 points and 4.7 assists.

Sloan, who grew up in the Dallas area, was a first-team Big 12 Conference selection his senior season at Texas A&M, averaging 17.8 points.

Chauncey Billups Career may be over

Clippers guard Chauncey Billups suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in last night’s 107-102 Clippers’ win in Orlando. The injury, which occurred with 5:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, will sideline Billups for the remainder of the 2011-12 NBA season.

Billups underwent an MRI today at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio which confirmed the injury. He will return to Los Angeles on Thursday for further evaluation. A date for surgery is yet to be determined.

In 20 games played this season (20 starts), Billups has tallied 14.9 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 30.4 minutes per game.

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The Washington Wizards announced today that they have waived center Hamady Ndiaye.

Ndiaye appeared in three games for the Wizards this season and appeared in 10 games for the Iowa Energy (the Wizard’s NBA D-League affiliate).  He was originally selected by Minnesota with the 56th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft before his rights were traded (along with the rights to Trevor Booker in exchange for the rights to Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica) on Draft Night 2010 and was re-signed by the Wizards as a free agent on Dec. 11, 2011.

Kris Humphries Does not want to keep up with the Kardashians

The Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries divorce has become a bitter fight, and we’ve learned Kris’ lawyer intends to put reality TV on trial … but that could blow up in his face.

Sources tell us … Kris and his lawyer, Lee Hutton, want to “expose the M.O. of reality TV” by proving Kim had no intention of staying married to him, but just wanted big ratings for her reality show.

Now here’s the irony. The duo wants to prove their point by asking the judge to allow TMZ and TV stations to broadcast the trial — something that the judge might find a tad hypocritical … not that we’re complaining.

TMZ broke the story … Kim filed for divorce on grounds of “irreconcilable differences.” Kris has countered that he wants the marriage annulled based on fraud.

– Reported by TMZ 

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived forward Derrick Caracter, it was announced today.

Caracter, who was assigned to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League on January 25, has played 4 games (1 start) with the D-Fenders this season, averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 23.5 minutes.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (58th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Caracter appeared in 41 games last season, averaging 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 5.2 minutes.  Caracter was assigned to the Bakersfield Jam twice last season, averaging 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 20.0 minutes in three regular season games.  In two playoff games with the Jam, he averaged 7.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.50 blocks in 21.5 minutes.

The 6-9 forward played two seasons at Louisville before transferring to the University of Texas at El Paso, where he averaged 14.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 27 games as a junior with the Miners. Ranked as the best player in the country by some recruiting services heading into his senior year of high school, Caracter averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 53 games (14 starts) over two seasons at Louisville. For his college career, Caracter averaged 10.2 points (.560 FG%) and 5.6 rebounds in 80 games (36 starts).

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward Solomon Jones.

In 10 games played for the Clippers this season, Jones averaged 0.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

The Clippers roster now stands at 14 players.

The Memphis Grizzlies waived forward Josh Davis, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Davis (6-8, 235) averaged 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds on .370 shooting in 8.7 minutes in 15 games for Memphis this season.  The 31-year-old holds NBA career averages of 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds on .373 shooting in 7.4 minutes in 67 games over four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies.

A native of Salem, Ore., Davis was originally signed by Memphis as a free agent on Dec. 10, 2011.

The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 14 players.

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have request waivers on center Mickell Gladness.

Gladness appeared in six games with the HEAT this season totaling two points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block in 21 minutes of action. He was signed in is second stint with the HEAT as a free agent on December 10, 2011. He was previously signed by Miami on September 27, 2010 before being waived on October 11, 2010.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have assigned second-year forward Craig Brackins to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.  Brackins has appeared in eight games for the Sixers this season.

Brackins (6-10, 230) was assigned to the D-League three times last season with the Sixers old affiliate, the Springfield Armor.  In 18 games for the Armor, he averaged 20.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 37.6 minutes per game while shooting 44.0% from the floor, 24.7% from 3-point range and 72.7% from the line.  He was tied for the eighth highest scoring average of any D-League player last season.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have placed forward Malcolm Thomas on waivers.

Thomas saw action in three games for the Spurs this season, totaling 3 rebounds, 1 point and 1 assist in 15 minutes.

The Spurs roster now stands at 13.

The good news for the Clippers was that they beat the Orlando Magic, 107-102, in overtime Monday night at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.

The bad news came when Chauncey Billups injured his left Achilles tendon with 5 minutes 48 seconds left in a game.

He was helped off the court and into the Clippers’ locker room and never returned.

The Clippers said Billups, 35, will be evaluated Tuesday when the team arrives in Cleveland.

Billups had 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. He had made three three-pointers in the fourth, his last giving the Clippers an 82-74 lead.

– Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Blog)

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Kobe Bryant Scoring assassin

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has passed former teammate Shaquille O’Neal and moved into fifth place on the NBA’s career scoring list.

Bryant needed 24 points to pass O’Neal entering Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. O’Neal retired with 28,596 points. Bryant nailed a long jumper late in the first half to give him 24 points.

– Reported by the Associated Press

The Oklahoma City Thunder have recalled forward Ryan Reid from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

In his most recent stint with the 66ers, Reid averaged 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 blocks and 30.6 minutes in eight games (all starts).  Overall this season, the forward is averaging 11.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 32.4 minutes in 16 games (all starts).

Reid was originally signed by the Thunder on December 13, 2011 but has yet to appear in a regular season game.

He will join the Thunder for tonight’s game against the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden in Portland.

Baron Davis Beard is healthy, Baron is not

Jeremy Lin was the starting point guard for the Knicks on Monday against Utah, while the player expected to inherit the position had a recent medical setback.

Baron Davis revealed that he stopped his workouts because of an infection in his right elbow. Davis, who hasn’t played this season because of herniated disk in his back, hasn’t practiced since that happened on Jan. 26 in Miami and it’s unknown when he will return.

– Reported by the Associated Press

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived guard Mychel Thompson, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.

Thompson played in five games (three starts) this season, averaging 3.6 points on .292 shooting, 1.0 rebound and 1.4 assists in 19.0 minutes per game.

The 9-13 Cavaliers now have 14 players on the roster. The team currently has the 9th best record in the Eastern conference, one spot behind the Milwaukee Bucks.

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed forward Lance Thomas to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Thomas, a Duke University product, appeared in two regular season games with the Hornets before being released on December 31, averaging 0.5 points. In two preseason games (both starts), he averaged 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.

The 6’8” forward comes back to the Hornets from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. In 19 games (all starts) for the Toros this season, Thomas averaged 15.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 32.6 minutes of play. The Scotch Plains, New Jersey native also played for the Toros during the 2010-11 season, averaging 12.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 46 games (all starts).