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Orlando likely faces December deadline as 2012 NBA All-Star host

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports (via blog):

If past NBA lockout history is any guidepost to the present, the city of Orlando should know around mid-December whether the 2012 all-star game will be played at Amway Center — or cancelled.

In the last lockout, the league cancelled the Feb. 14 1999 all-star game scheduled in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 1998.

This year’s game is set a little later — Feb. 26 at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando.

So it could be that if this lockout continues, eating up regular-season games, the league likely will cancel Orlando’s game around Dec. 15.

The NBA salvaged a 50-game season in 1998-99, with games beginning in early February.

Ex-NBA Player Tate George Charged in $2 Million Ponzi Scheme

Bloomberg News reports:

Tate George, a former player for the National Basketball Association’s New Jersey Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, was charged with running a $2 million Ponzi scheme that targeted ex-professional athletes.

George, 43, raised more than $2 million for his company, The George Group, after telling investors his real-estate development portfolio was worth $500 million, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation complaint accusing him of wire fraud.

“In reality, The George Group had virtually no income generating operations,” U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman in Newark, New Jersey, said in a statement today.

George used the money he raised to pay early investors in his company and to fund living expenses such as mortgage and child-support payments, restaurant meals, clothing and gas, according to the FBI complaint. George faces as long as 20 years in prison for the scheme, which prosecutors said began in 2005.

He surrendered to the FBI today and appeared in federal court in Newark, wearing a light-green suit and handcuffs.

NBA postpones training camps, cancels October 9-15 preseason games

The NBA announced today that player training camps for the 2011-12 season have been postponed indefinitely because a new collective bargaining agreement has not been reached with the National Basketball Players Association. Training camps were scheduled to open on October 3.

In addition, the league canceled all preseason games scheduled from October 9 through October 15.

“We have regretfully reached the point on the calendar where we are not able to open training camps on time and need to cancel the first week of preseason games,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. “We will make further decisions as warranted.”

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Marcus Camby arrested on marijuana charge

The AP reports:

Former Knicks forward Marcus Camby is free on bond after police in suburban Houston arrested him on a charge of marijuana possession.

Camby was in a Porsche pulled over Monday for what police called an equipment violation. Pearland police Lt. Onesimo Lopez says an officer detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and they found less than two ounces of the drug inside.

Camby and another person inside, Kendal Johnson, were arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana in a drug-free zone because the arrest occurred near a school. Both were released on individual $2,000 bonds.

Springfield Armor holding open tryouts in October

The Springfield Armor, the official NBA Development League affiliate of the New Jersey Nets, today announced that the team will hold open tryouts for the 2011-12 season on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22-23 at Springfield College located at 263 Alden St. in Springfield, MA. The local tryouts will be limited to the first 125 registrants.

Open tryouts present an opportunity for players to showcase their talents and be evaluated by the Armor coaching staff while they compete to earn a spot in the Armor’s training camp in November. The Armor have a strong track record of discovering players who have made the team through open tryouts. Tre Whitted, who made the team through the 2009 open tryout, is the second leading scorer in franchise history. Five players have made the Armor’s opening night roster through open tryouts in the team’s two seasons.

“I am really looking forward to our open tryouts on October 22 and 23 in Springfield,” said Armor Head Coach Bob MacKinnon, Jr. “Each player will have two days of drills and scrimmaging to show us their abilities. We utilized this format previously and have been able to find players out of our camps that gained roster spots and furthered their careers in the league.”

Registration and check-in on Saturday begin at 8:00 a.m. with the first session set to begin at 9:00 a.m. Check-in for the second session on Sunday begins at 9:00 a.m. with the second session set to begin at 9:30 a.m.

Applicants must be eligible to play in the NBA D-League and must submit the official registration, release, disclosure and background check forms. A pre-registration fee of $150 is due prior to 5:00 p.m. on Wed. Oct. 19. After Oct. 19 or on the day of the tryouts, the registration fee is $200. Tryout forms are available online (armorhoops.com) or at the Armor office (One Monarch Place, Suite 220 Springfield, MA).

Kenyon Martin to sign largest contract in Chinese league history

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports:

Longtime Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will sign a contract to play with Xingiang Guanghui in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Martin’s contract will be the the biggest in CBA history.

“It’s a great opportunity for him to stay in shape and stay fresh,” said Andy Miller, Martin’s agent. “And it also gives him an opportunity to expand his name globally.”

Allen Iverson a no-go for Philly Battle of 1-95

CSN Philly reports:

After hearing there was a possibility that Allen Iverson might be a participant in Sunday’s “Battle of I-95” at the Palestra, I had two thoughts: logically he could play for either team given his Newport News upbringing and Georgetown attendance for college (Team Melo candidate) or because of his accolades as a Philadelphia favorite son over his 10-plus seasons as a Sixer (Team Philly candidate).

The second thought is he really going to play? The answer to that thought is no. Gary Moore, Iverson’s longtime friend and manager, confirmed that the now 36-year-old Answer will not participate.

Iverson last played in an NBA game Feb. 20, 2010. He was playing for the Sixers in his second stint that lasted a total of 25 games and it had an unceremonious ending with Eddie Jordan’s team falling by 32 points to the Bulls. Iverson scored 13 points and had three assists in that one. No one knew that night would be his swan song in the National Basketball Association.

Grizzlies lay off 7 amid NBA lockout

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Seven people were laid off by the franchise although some workers will have an opportunity to return to work whenever the league’s labor dispute is resolved.

Video coordinator Trish McGhee, assistant equipment manager Vince Ford and scouting coordinator Wendy Smith were among the workers relieved of their duties. The Griz also released a receptionist, mail clerk and members of the claim services staff.

Kevin Durant begins filming movie called Switch

Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman reports:

Although no official announcement of the film’s title and plot has been made, it appears both have trickled out through various websites.

According to imdb.com, the movie is titled “Switch.” Its director is John Whitesell. It was co-written by Eric Champnella and Jeff Farley. Whitesell has directed such films as “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” “Big Momma’s House 2” and “See Spot Run.” Champnella is credited for writing “Mr. 3000” and the screenplay for “Eddie,” the 1996 basketball-themed film starring Whoopi Goldberg.

The three-man lineup looks to be a dream team of sorts for what is shaping up to be a family-friendly film. Details of the film’s plot appear on caballerocasting.com, which is seeking background actors for the movie.

“In a magical twist, Kevin Durant switches all of his basketball-playing skills with an enthusiastic young fan who becomes the star of his high school team … and leaving Durant and the Thunder helpless,” the website explains. “With the playoffs approaching, they need to discover what it is that brought them together before the early end to the Thunder’s season.”

Tony Parker and Eva Longoria no longer communicate with each other

Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News reports (via blog):

Actress Eva Longoria told Ellen DeGeneres that her relationship with her former husband Tony Parker has come to an abrupt conclusion over the past several months.

Longoria told DeGeneres that she no longer communicates with Parker, with whom she was married from 2007-10.

She told GeGeneres that she learned a hard lesson during her marriage.

“Being a woman, I realized you cannot identify yourself through a man or through your marriage,” Longoria said, prompting DeGeneres to high-five her.