Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian get married

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

Kim Kardashian and New Jersey Nets player and former Minnesota Gopher Kris Humphries were married Saturday in a twilight wedding ceremony at a private estate in Montecito, Calif., People magazine reported on its website.

About 440 guests were present, including Demi Lovato, Babyface, Vera Wang, Mario Lopez, Mark Ballas, Ciaro and Carmelo Anthony, Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz, Alan Thicke, Sugar Ray Leonard, Venus and Serena Williams, Kathy Lee Gifford, Greta Van Susteren, Jillian Barberie, Avril Lavigne, Scottie Pippen and Lindsay Lohan.

Stepfather Bruce Jenner walked Kardashian, 30, down the aisle, wearing an ivory custom-designed Vera Wang gown, People reported.

The groom, 26, sported a white peak lapel tuxedo jacket, black tuxedo pants with white tuxedo shirt and white bow tie – all by Ermenegildo Zegna – and the couple exchanged rings by Lorraine Schwartz, People reported.

The Toronto Star reports:

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the price tag for the wedding — with 500-plus invited guests — will be $10 million U.S., but the cost might be covered by a number of side deals, including an exclusive contract with People magazine to publish wedding photos, said to be worth $1.5 million. Humphries, whose last contract with the New Jersey Nets was worth $9.6 million over three seasons, also reportedly received a discount on a $2 million ring, while Kardashian was given three $20,000 Vera Wang dresses to choose from.

Group of NBA players might tour Australia

NBA players – including Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol – are among an All-Star team that is willing to play a tour of Australia.

It’s understood the plan includes three All-Star matches at Rod Laver Arena later this year.

At least two sponsors have committed to back the tour and insurance issues – tipped to cost more than $1 million for the star-laden team.

— Reported by the Herald Sun

Andris Biedrins not signing overseas just yet

Andris Biedrins’ agent said Saturday that conflicting reports of the Warriors’ center signing with different European teams were erroneous, but Biedrins will explore overseas options next month.

“I think (Biedrins) would be open to playing overseas on a temporary or a long-term basis if the (NBA) lockout continues, but we’ve got to get him some insurance to protect his (NBA) contract,” agent Bill Duffy said. “He’s on a training regimen, and he usually takes it to another level at this time. In 20 to 30 days, he’ll be 100 percent conditioned.”

On Friday, TuBasket.com reported that Biedrins signed with VEF Riga, the Latvian League champions who will play next in the Euroleague. Blic, a Serbian tabloid newspaper, had him signing with Turkish team Anadolu Efes.

Duffy said Biedrins is friends with one of the Latvian team officials, who got excited about the chance of a signing and jumped the gun. Neither have has spoken with the Turkish team, which already has a glut of frontcourt players.

— Reported by Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle blog

Ronny Turiaf has broken left hand

Ronny Turiaf

Ronny Turiaf has been replaced by Ali Traore in France’s squad for EuroBasket, which begins on 31 August, the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) confirmed on their website on Friday.

Turiaf fractured his left hand on Tuesday during France’s game with Great Britain at the London Olympic Test Event.

Rumours since the break suggested that the injury was less significant than first suspected and that the 28-year-old centre would recover in time for the tournament, that also serves as a qualifier for next year’s Olympics.

The FFBB confirmed he has fractured the fourth metacarpal of his left hand and will be out for at least three to four weeks.

— Reported by FIBA

Chinese Basketball Association bans contracted NBA players from playing for local teams

Chinese Basketball Athlete with Official Uniform

This was widely reported as expected to happen, but now it appears the overlords of basketball in China have no interest in letting teams sign players with NBA contracts, only to see those players abandon their Chinese teams once the NBA lockout ends.

The Associated Press reports:

The Chinese Basketball Association will restrict contracted NBA players from playing for domestic teams in the event the season is canceled, but will still allow free agents, state media reported Friday.

The CBA would bar players under contract such as Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul. They and others had expressed interest in playing in China if the NBA lockout drags on and results in the cancellation of all or part of the 2011-12 season.

The CBA said it will welcome free agent NBA players, but will require them to play an entire season in China, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

This cuts off what was possibly going to be a huge destination for some pretty good NBA players in the event that the lockout was going to ruin a sizable chunk of next NBA season.

Rockets forward Chase Budinger enters beach volleyball tourney

Chase Budinger #10

Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets has entered the men’s open division of the Corona Light Wide Open beach volleyball tournament to be played Saturday and Sunday.

The former Arizona star, who has played the last two seasons with the Rockets, will partner with former UC Santa Barbara all-star Dane Jensen. Budinger was a two-sport standout at La Costa Canyon High in San Diego County. He won the 2006 Mizuno National Player of the Year Award in volleyball and was named a McDonald’s All-American in basketball.

With NBA players locked out by owners, no one is sure if there will be a 2011-12 season.

“Volleyball has always been a passion of mine, and it has been great to get back out on the beach and train,” Budinger said in a statement. “I’m really excited about this opportunity and I’m looking forward to seeing how my skills match up against some of the top players.”

— Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle blog

Hawks draftee Keith Benson to play in Italy

Former Oakland men’s basketball standout Keith Benson will be heading to the island of Sardinia to play professional basketball with Italian team Sassari, Oakland coach Greg Kampe said on Thursday. A second-round pick by the Atlanta Hawks, the 6-foot-11 Benson was the first Oakland player selected in the NBA draft.

“We’re delighted for Keith,” said Kampe. “I know he has worked hard in the past couple of months with our strength coach Todd Wohlfeil and he has his weight up to 233, with a goal of 240.”

— Tom Markowski of the Detroit News

Raptors guard Leandro Barbosa signs in Brazil

Leandro Barbosa

Leandro Barbosa doesn’t feel like sitting around doing nothing if the NBA lockout extends into the basketball season.

The AP reports:

Toronto Raptors guard Leandro Barbosa has signed a deal to play in his native Brazil.

Barbosa signed with Rio de Janeiro-based club Flamengo. The deal includes a clause that would allow him to return to the NBA if the lockout ends.

A statement on Flamengo’s website says Barbosa signed Thursday. Details of the deal weren’t released.

Barbosa was the third leading scorer on the Raptors last season, averaging 13.3 points per game. The team had the third worst record in the league, finishing 22-60.

It’s likely that over the next couple weeks, plenty of other bench-level NBA players will take this route.

Lakers donate part of playoff bonus to help staff during lockout

The Lakers were in a foul mood after getting eliminated from the playoffs in a shocking sweep by Dallas in May, but some players remembered to make financial considerations before scattering for the off-season.

Kobe Bryant insisted on giving some of the team’s playoff bonus to two members of the Lakers’ video department whose contracts were not renewed after the season. Chris Bodaken and Patrick O’Keefe split about $65,000 of the Lakers’ playoff bonus.

Bodaken started with the Lakers as a ball boy in 1986 and spent the last 10 seasons as their director of video services. O’Keefe was the Lakers’ video coordinator for six seasons. They both hope to be re-hired by the team when the NBA lockout ends. For now, they are thankful for Bryant’s financial gesture.

“He always looks out for people who are lower on the totem pole,” O’Keefe said.

Said Bodaken: “At the end of the day, he told us he was going to take care of us and he did, and that’s not how most people in the world operate. He not only talks the talk. He walks it.”

— Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times

Kendrick Perkins pleads not guilty

Kendrick Perkins

Oklahoma City Thunder starting center Kendrick Perkins has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 30.

According to documents released to The Associated Press on Thursday after an open records request, Perkins entered his plea by mail through attorney Langston Adams. He was arrested just after 2 a.m. Saturday in Beaumont, Texas, where an event for his charitable foundation was being held.

Denise White, a spokeswoman for Perkins, says doctors instructed Perkins to stay in bed and drink fluids after he passed out while playing dominoes at Milwaukee Bucks guard Stephen Jackson’s home last Thursday.

— The Associated Press