October 6, 2011 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

South Florida All-Star classic game with LeBron, Wade, Bosh to be on local TV

The “LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh present the South Florida All-Star Classic” sponsored by 1-800-411-PAIN on Saturday, Oct. 8, at U.S. Century Bank Arena on FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique campus will be carried by CBS4 (WFOR-TV) and MyTV33 (WBFS-TV).

The game will be simulcast on CBS4 and MyTV33 beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area. Once CBS4 switches to network primetime programming at 8:00 p.m., MyTV33 will continue to carry the game in its entirety. The game will also be streamed worldwide on the web via CBSMiami.com from start to finish.

“I am pleased to have CBS 4 as a broadcast partner for the South Florida All-Star Classic,” FIU Head Basketball Coach Isiah Thomas said. “This is a great event and this partnership will give our fans, who were unable to buy a ticket to the sold out event, an opportunity to watch some of the world’s best basketball players in action.”

Originally slated for 7:00 p.m., the contest has been pushed back to a 7:30 p.m. tip, with doors for the event opening at 5:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the event will go towards Mary’s Court Foundation; a foundation established in honor of Coach Thomas’ mother, the late Mary Thomas. A portion of these contributions will support FIU’s First Generation Scholarship Fund. This Fund provides critical financial aid to students who will be the first generation in their families to earn a college degree.

Marijuana possession charges against Marcus Camby dropped

The marijuana possession charges against Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby have been dropped by the Brazoria County (Texas) district attorney’s office and his criminal record has been cleared.

Camby and Kendal Johnson were arrested last month after police discovered a small amount of marijuana in Camby’s car during a traffic stop in Pearland, Texas. But after weighing evidence — and accepting a guilty plea from Johnson — Camby has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing.

“For the record, Marcus Camby did not get charged with a crime and Marcus Camby did not possess any marijuana,” Randall Novak, Camby’s Houston-based attorney, said.

— Reported by Joe Freeman of The Oregonian

Bill Russell files lawsuit against NCAA and EA

William “Bill” Russell, the former National Basketball Association star center for the Boston Celtics, accused the National Collegiate Athletic Association in an antitrust complaint of selling videos using his likeness without paying him or seeking his consent.

The lawsuit is the latest to claim the NCAA violates federal antitrust laws by keeping former student basketball and football athletes from receiving compensation for the commercial use of their images and likeness. The association has denied wrongdoing in those cases.

Electronic Arts Inc., the second-largest U.S. video game maker, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Russell accuses it of using his image in a “Tournament of Legends” feature on an NCAA basketball video game.

Russell, who led the University of San Francisco to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, said in the complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Oakland, California, that the association sells $150 videos of the team’s championship games. At least 54 video clips featuring him are available through the website of the NCAA’s for-profit business partner and photos of him through an NCAA on-line photo store, according to the complaint.

— Reported by Karen Gullo of Bloomberg

Steve Lavin to have cancer surgery Thursday

St. John’s men’s basketball coach Steve Lavin will undergo surgery Thursday to treat his prostate cancer, the school announced Wednesday.

Lavin, 47, was diagnosed with the disease in fall 2010, right before his first season at St. John’s. Until last month, he and his doctors had chosen to closely monitor his condition without undergoing further treatment. But in late September, Lavin revealed that he would begin more aggressive treatment, either via surgery or radiation treatments.

“The advantage of early detection is that we were afforded the time to research all options,” Lavin said in a statement released by the school.

— Reported by Kieran Darcy of ESPN New York

Lynx take 2-0 series lead in WNBA Finals

Seimone Augustus scored 36 points to lead Minnesota’s second-half surge, and the Lynx moved within one win of their first WNBA title by beating the Atlanta Dream, 101-95, in Game 2 of the league championship series on Wednesday night.

Jessica Adair added 13 points in 18 minutes in a reserve role for the Lynx, who took a commanding two-games-to-none lead by overcoming 38 points by the Dream’s Angel McCoughtry. Game 3 in the best-of-five matchup is set for Friday night in Atlanta.

McCoughtry had 24 points in the first half, but she shot just 2 for 13 after halftime.

With veteran center Taj McWilliams-Franklin on the bench with a sprained right knee suffered late in the third quarter, WNBA rookie of the year Maya Moore sitting for most of the game in foul trouble, and fellow all-star Rebekkah Brunson having a quiet game, Augustus took over.

— Reported by the Associated Press