The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing unidentified sources, reported on Tuesday that Comcast-Spectator was ready to fire Jordan, likely after his first season with the team is complete.

The 76ers are 23-40 heading into Wednesday night’s game against Charlotte, 8 ½ games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Jordan signed a four-year contract when he was hired.

He said of the speculation, “that if you know how to handle it, then it won’t bother you.”

Jordan says he hasn’t approached his bosses regarding the report.

(nba.com)

They were just two of six players to miss practice Wednesday for the Cavaliers, who took advantage of a break in the schedule to rest all five of their regular starters.

James missed two games after twisting his right ankle last Friday against Detroit, but is likely to play at Philadelphia, Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. James has played the sixth-most minutes in the league this season, averaging 39 per game.

Jamison won’t practice the rest of the week after revealing Wednesday he has a cyst behind his left knee that is filled with fluid. Shaquille O’Neal continues to rehab following surgery on his right thumb, while Anthony Parker and Mo Williams also took Wednesday off to rest nagging injuries. Key sub Anderson Varejao also missed practice, but it wasn’t clear if he had an injury or just took the day off.

All are expected to play Friday except for O’Neal and perhaps Jamison. An MRI earlier this week showed no damage to the knee and Jamison said it’s the same injury that hampered him early in the season when he was with Washington.

“Perfect timing for something like this to happen,” Jamison said, referring to the three days off between games. “This organization is looking at the overall picture to make sure guys are healthy when it counts.”

Even if Jamison doesn’t play Friday, he insists he’ll be back on the floor Sunday when Cleveland hosts Atlantic Division leader Boston.

He said the cyst is a product of his mechanics and the way he runs. There are certain exercises he must do to keep the knee flexible, but admitted he hadn’t done as much maintenance on it lately because of the trade to Cleveland and trying to get settled in a new city.

“They want me to relax and let it calm down this week,” Jamison said. “It feels pretty good. It’s something that occurred earlier in the season. With proper treatment, it went away, so I don’t see this lingering any longer than it has the last couple of days.”

(nba.com)

James has filed paperwork with the NBA to change his uniform number next season to No. 6 from No. 23, the league confirmed Tuesday. James said earlier this season he would be willing to give up No. 23 in an effort to have the NBA retire it in honor of Michael Jordan.

Paperwork had to be filed this week to request a number change for next season.

“All it does is back up LeBron’s beliefs,” Cavs coach Mike Brown said. “He’s a loyalty guy. When he believes in something, he sticks to his guns and he believes wholeheartedly in what he’s doing.”

James can become a free agent this summer. He would only need the league’s approval to change numbers if he remains in Cleveland. Should he sign with another team, James would be allowed to choose any available number without needing approval.

He dismissed a question about his future shortly after the Cavaliers beat the Knicks 124-93 Monday night.

“I stopped answering free agent questions a long time ago,” he said.

James, who declined interview requests on Tuesday, is going from one famous number to another. Julius Erving and Bill Russell both wore No. 6.

“The first thing I think of is Dr. J,” Brown said.

James wore No. 6 with the U.S. Olympic team and wears it every day in practice. He isn’t the first superstar to change numbers mid-career. Among others, Jordan briefly wore No. 45 after coming out of retirement with the Bulls, and Kobe Bryant more recently switched from No. 8 to No. 24.

“We remember the 8 on Kobe, but we also know the 24,” Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams said. “After a year or two, people will look past the old number and let it rest with Jordan.”

(nba.com)

Iverson has mostly been absent from the team for a month, returning to Atlanta to be with his family as they deal with an undisclosed illness of his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah.

Iverson, who returned as a free-agent to the 76ers in December, has not played since Feb. 20.

“After discussing the situation with Allen, we have come to the conclusion that he will not return to the Sixers for the remainder of the season, as he no longer wishes to be a distraction to the organization and teammates that he loves very deeply,” team president Ed Stefanski said. “It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life.”

The former NBA MVP and four-time scoring champion averaged 13.8 points in 28 games this season. He started the season with the Memphis Grizzlies but played only three games before he announced a short-lived retirement.

The 34-year-old Iverson made a tearful return to Philadelphia eager to prove he wasn’t finished after disastrous stints in Detroit and Memphis. He returned to a sold-out crowd dotted with No. 3 jerseys, but he showed only flashes of his former playmaking self when he ruled the NBA as one of the best guards around and led the 76ers to the NBA finals. He scored at least 20 points six times — including a 23-point effort in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers that turned into a retro 1-on-1 duel vs. Kobe Bryant.

Iverson said at a Feb. 15 practice that it was emotionally draining to leave his family to play basketball.

He was hobbled by an arthritic left knee and constantly needed it drained. His dwindling production didn’t bother his fans — Iverson was voted an Eastern Conference All-Starter, though he did not play.

Dalembert, who played with Iverson in both stints, said A.I. was not the same player who once terrorized the opposition. But Dalembert also noticed a more reserved, humbled Iverson who just wanted to fit in instead of dominating the ball or making splashy headlines with controversial or selfish actions.

The Sixers have been awful with or without Iverson. They are 22-37 after a 126-105 loss to Orlando on Monday.

(nba.com)

This marks the final balloting update leading to the announcement of the All-Star starters on Thursday, Jan. 21, prior to a TNT doubleheader. Following the completion of fan voting and the starting lineup announcement, the head coaches in each conference will vote to determine the remaining All-Stars in their respective conference, which will be announced Thursday, Jan. 28, prior to a TNT doubleheader.

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 — the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game — on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010.

In the Western Conference, Bryant, who shared the MVP award with Shaquille O’Neal in last year’s All-Star Game and who also garnered the honor in 2002 and 2007, is followed at guard by the Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady (746,625). Anthony paces forwards in the West (1,568,259) with the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki (826,130) second. The Suns’ Amar’e Stoudemire (1,304,470) is the leading vote-getter among Western Conference centers, with the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum (743,182) following.

The guards in the Eastern Conference are paced by Wade (1,719,359), followed by the Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson (930,713). While Iverson appears among Western Conference guards on the paper ballot because he began the season with Memphis, his votes count towards the Eastern Conference guards due to his signing with Philadelphia on Dec. 3. James, a two-time All-Star MVP (2006, 2008), paces Eastern Conference forwards with 1,351,292 votes, followed by the Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett (1,467,365), MVP of the 2003 All-Star Game. The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard leads all centers with 1,681,897 votes; the Cavaliers’ O’Neal is second among centers in the East (609,486).

2010 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile, with associate partner 2K Sports, allows fans worldwide to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. For the first time, fans can vote for All-Stars any time by texting a player’s last name from their mobile phones. Fans can cast one SMS vote per day, per phone number.

There are several ways fans can cast their votes, including: at each NBA arena; in 20 languages on NBA.com; and through mobile phones by texting the player’s last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (“MYNBA”), via Web2Go® on T-Mobile phones or wap.nba.com for any wireless carrier. A T-Mobile-branded All-Star Balloting widget is also available on NBA.com so that fans can “grab” the widget and place it on their blogs, social network pages or personal Web sites allowing others to vote directly from the widget. Paper balloting will continue through Jan. 10, while wireless balloting and voting on NBA.com will conclude Jan. 18.

The NBA All-Star ballot lists 120 players — 60 each from the Eastern and Western conferences — with 24 guards, 24 forwards, and 12 centers from each conference comprising the list. Voters select two guards, two forwards and one center from each conference. The 120 players on the ballot were selected by a panel of media who regularly cover the NBA: Mike Breen (ABC/ESPN), Eddie Sefko (Dallas Morning News), Doug Smith (The Toronto Star and president, Pro Basketball Writers Association) Marc Spears (Yahoo! Sports), Marc Stein (ESPN.com) and Ian Thomsen (Sports Illustrated).

NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. The week leading up to the 59th NBA All-Star Game will feature a full slate of community-enhancing activities and fan festivals, including NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. This will be the second NBA All-Star in Dallas. The city also hosted the event in 1986.

In conjunction with All-Star Balloting, 2K Sports will give fans the opportunity to experience Dallas and the best of basketball by entering the NBA® 2K10 Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to NBA All-Star 2010 and have their likeness as a digitized player incorporated in next year’s game, NBA® 2K11.

Eastern Conference

Forwards: LeBron James (Cle) 1,769,287; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,467,365; Chris Bosh (Tor) 724,317; Paul Pierce (Bos) 366,234; Josh Smith (Atl) 334,338; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 228,343; Danny Granger (Ind) 213,371; Michael Beasley (Mia) 188,552; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 151,717; Hedo Turkoglu (Tor) 133,445; Caron Butler (Was) 110,003.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,719,359; Allen Iverson (Phi) 930,713; Vince Carter (Orl) 745,581; Ray Allen (Bos) 510,885; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 445,473; Derrick Rose (Chi) 385,829; Joe Johnson (Atl) 329,100; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 269,566; Jose Calderon (Tor) 157,354; Mike Bibby (Atl) 155,078.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 1,681,897; Shaquille O’Neal (Cle) 609,486; Al Horford (Atl) 178,360; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 168,684; Brook Lopez (NJ) 154,362; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 143,545; Jermaine O’Neal (Mia) 111,065; Rasheed Wallace (Bos) 87,590; Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 56,598; Samuel Dalembert (Phi) 53,880; Tyson Chandler (Cha) 44,279; Brad Miller (Chi) 40,182.

Western Conference

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 1,568,259; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 826,130; Tim Duncan (SA) 776,225; Pau Gasol (LAL) 754,070; Kevin Durant (OKC) 556,847; Trevor Ariza (Hou) 504,725; Luis Scola (Hou) 437,944; Shawn Marion (Dal) 295,310; Ron Artest (LAL) 266,554; Lamar Odom (LAL) 194,567; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 177,663.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,793,782; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 746,625; Steve Nash (Pho) 744,250; Chris Paul (NO) 701,417; Aaron Brooks (Hou) 443,369; Jason Kidd (Dal) 429,720; Chauncey Billups (Den) 310,281; Deron Williams (Utah) 285,185; Manu Ginobili (SA) 261,107; Brandon Roy (Por) 257,231; Tony Parker (SA) 248,951.

Centers: Amar’e Stoudemire (Pho) 1,304,470; Andrew Bynum (LAL) 743,182; Nene (Den) 261,295; Marc Gasol (Mem) 217,675; Antonio McDyess (SA) 157,346; Al Jefferson (Min) 146,773; Greg Oden (Por) 136,388; Marcus Camby (LAC) 121,981; Andris Biedrins (GS) 102,095; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 96,897; Emeka Okafor (NO) 94,685; Spencer Hawes (Sac) 31,767.

(nba.com)

The league suspended Ariza on Monday and he’ll sit out Tuesday’s game against Detroit.

The 6-foot-8 Ariza is Houston’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17 points. He’s started the Rockets’ first 23 games and leads the team in minutes (38.7 per game).

He went 0-for-9 from the field and scored only one point before he was ejected in the third quarter of Sunday’s game for swinging his arm at DeRozan’s head following a steal.

“It was a heat of the moment thing,” Ariza said. “I lost my cool for a second. I got my penalty and whatever I have to do, I’m just trying to move past it and move forward. I look forward to watching my team play tomorrow and then playing against Denver (on Wednesday).”

Houston coach Rick Adelman said he hasn’t decided who will replace Ariza in the lineup, but he doesn’t consider Tracy McGrady an option. McGrady has yet to play this season as he works his way back from offseason microfracture surgery on his left knee.

“That’s something I haven’t thought about,” Adelman said. “Tracy’s situation is what it’s been.”

The Rockets acquired Ariza in the offseason after Ron Artest bolted for the Los Angeles Lakers. His averages in scoring, assists (3.4) and rebounds (5.3) so far this year would all be career highs.

Ariza’s absence on Tuesday could mean more minutes for rookies Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor, who’ve contributed in a reserve role this season.

“We’ll just talk about it and see what we’re going to do,” Adelman said. “Just like having a guy injured for a game, guys have to step up, guys have to be ready to play.”

The Rockets were joking about Ariza’s ejection on Monday.

“We were calling him Manny Pacquiao and ‘Golden Boy’ De La Hoya,” forward Shane Battier said. “You do something like that, you’re open for ridicule by the other guys on your team.”

Iverson clearly believes he can still compete at a high level and contribute in a league where he spent 13 full seasons. The former MVP and 10-time All-Star played three games for Memphis this season, his first with the Grizzlies, before leaving the team amid questions of playing time and eventually being released.

Iverson fell into career limbo as several teams debated whether to sign perhaps the most talented “little” man in league history. Rumors in New York and Boston and elsewhere never materialized into substance, and A.I. delivered his goodbye via an open letter on Stephen A. Smith’s Web site.

Iverson thanked his many fans, players that inspired him, former coaches and teammates, and the Grizzlies and Sixers, his first NBA team. But there was also a sense of remorse right off the top of the statement:

“I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case.”

Iverson isn’t required to file retirement paperwork with the league office as a free agent. Since he’s not under contract, Iverson isn’t forfeiting any money by retiring. He remains free to sign with any team this season or in the future.

News of Iverson’s retirement sent shock waves across the league. Players were quick to praise the contributions of the four-time scoring champ, who many credit for helping introduce a hip-hop element to the NBA.

“His legacy would be huge,” said Cavaliers star LeBron James, a teammate of Iverson on the 2004 USA Olympic team. “He’s one of the best guys, when you’re talking guys 6-foot and under, to play the game of basketball. What he’s done individually — he played injured, he played hard every single night — I don’t think it should end this way if he’s done.

“But at the same time if he does, he’s left some great games behind. His name will live forever in the game of basketball.”

Even without a title.

“It’s not even the ring situation because lots of greats — Charles Barkley doesn’t have a ring, Patrick Ewing — there’s a lot of great NBA players who never got a ring,” James continued. “But the way he’s going out, I don’t think it should be like that for him.”

There’s a strong belief Iverson can still play. Teams wanting him became the roadblock.

“It’s sad, man, especially coming from a guy that’s close to me, a friend,” Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony said. “To see him go out the way he’s going out right now is not how he’d want to go out. It’s almost like he’s being forced to retire. It’s a bad situation right now for him.”

Heat guard and former Olympic teammate Dwyane Wade: “I’m No. 3. He made No. 3 cool. He made crossovers cool. He did so much for the game as a pioneer. It’s sad to see him think about retirement.”

Mavericks guard Jason Kidd was glad Iverson made the decision on his terms.

“He has the right to do what he wants and if it’s time for him to step aside, then that’s his choice,” Kidd said. “Everybody’s gonna have their opinion these days and as long as he’s happy, that’s the most important thing.”

Nuggets coach George Karl was shocked by the retirement announcement. Iverson was traded to Denver in 2006 and moved to Detroit last year.

“Yeah, I am surprised,” Karl said. “I think he has something left to give some team out there, but if that’s his decision he’ll go down in history as the best little guard ever to play the game of basketball. I was happy to have him for a couple of years. Hopefully, our paths will cross.”

Anthony said, “He got dealt a bad hand from when he went to Detroit up until right now. Everything’s just been kind of spiraling downhill. I don’t ever want to see anybody go through something like that, especially a guy with his talent. And somebody who can still go out there and be productive.”

Spurs backup center Theo Ratliff played with Iverson in Philadelphia from 1997-01.

“While we were all there we basically grew up together with that team,” Ratliff said. “We were at the bottom of the league, but by that third or fourth year we were at the top. It was just a growing up process. He was a young guy who had his issues, but he was a very giving and very understanding guy of his family, which was his teammates and his immediate family.

“It was no secret that he was a guy who had his entourage, his people that he grew up with and he felt that he needed to take care of them. He was at the top of the league at the time. He was the No. 1 star, the face of the league. Of course you’re going to have everyone with their hand out ready and willing to ask for anything. And he was a guy who most of the time gave. That was the kind of guy he was.”

Whatever issues he had off the court, Iverson was almost universally respected by his peers on the hardwood.

“I hope he doesn’t retire because I know there’s still a lot of basketball left,” Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson said. “I know he really wants to play the game and still has love for the game, but if he does much love and respect to him always.

“He’s always been a big brother. He showed me that I can be myself in this league regardless of what people say as long as I go out there and respect the game. That’s the type of person that he was. He laid the foundation for a lot of guys like me. I have nothing but respect for him and wish him the best.”

Warriors guard Corey Maggette said: “He’s been one the faces of the NBA. Everybody respects A.I. A lot of people in the league started getting braids because of him. He’s influenced the league so much. That’s just the real talk.”

Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said: “He’s been so much fun to watch. At the size that he is and the way he performed over so many years, he’ll definitely be missed in the league if he retires.”

Iverson’s competiveness and toughness are legendary.

“Everybody talked about competing pound-for-pound,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, an assistant on the 2004 USA Olympic team. “He was just one hell of a competitor. I don’t care what he weighed or how tall he was, he sacrificed his body a lot and took a pounding and played hurt a lot.”

Ratliff said: “That [retirement] has to be rough for him, because I know the type of competitor he is. I wished it wouldn’t have gone the way it went toward the end of his career. You can never predict how you end your career. I just hope he has his life in order and keeps on moving forward.”

(nba.com)

McGrady said he can play now, but Rockets coach Rick Adelman has said he’s not ready.

Adelman missed practice Monday to attend to a personal matter and was not available for comment. Assistant coach Elston Turner said “it’s a process” to get McGrady back.

The 30-year-old McGrady said the difference of opinion between he and Rockets officials is not a problem, but he’s upset people have faulted him for wanting to return now.

“I’m ready to play basketball,” he said. “Everybody is making a big deal because I say I’m ready and GM and my coach say I’m not ready. Everybody wants to make a big deal that I’m this diva … It’s crazy.”

McGrady was set to undergo an MRI on his surgically repaired left knee late Monday which he says is “irrelevant,” but that the team wants to review before any decision on his return is made.

“It’s not going to tell them whether I can play or not,” McGrady said.

He hasn’t been told when he will be activated, but is confident it will be “really soon.” Turner’s comments after practice didn’t seem to indicate McGrady will get his wish.

“It’s a long season and we’re going to take our time,” he said. “We all have his best interests in our thoughts. We’ll bring him back when we feel like he can consistently not miss a beat.”

Houston is 8-6 so far this season, two games behind Dallas in the Southwest Division.

Turner noted that the Rockets don’t want to bring McGrady back too quickly, only to have him experience a setback.

“He’s gone through a major surgery and it’s a process to get him back on the court full-time,” he said. “When you’re building a team there’s chemistry that players develop. So when he does come back we would like him to be back instead of in a week, out a week, in a week. It messes up our chemistry.”

McGrady knows he won’t automatically return to the player he was before the injury in his first games, but insists he has to play to build up to that point. He said rhythm and consistency will be big factors when he returns.

“I don’t care how great of a player you are, if you’ve been out it takes time,” he said. “You’ve got to play in games to gain your rhythm. As far as getting up and down, and doing things that I couldn’t do last year, I’m capable of doing that night in and night out.”

(nba.com)

Bill Duffy said via text message that he and Celtics executive Danny Ainge spoke after Boston’s victory Sunday night over New Orleans, at which point Ainge indicated the team would be willing to accept Rondo’s request that he be in the same financial universe as the league’s top point guards.

“He wanted to speak to Rajon and tell him they were willing to meet our demands,” Duffy said in the text message.

Rondo wanted a deal similar to Spurs guard Tony Parker, who signed a $66 million extension ($11 million per season) in 2004.

Rondo was the highest profile member of the ‘06 class that had yet to get an extension. Including Rondo, only six of the 30 first-rounders have gotten new deals.

(nba.com)

Love banged his hand against teammate Oleksiy Pecherov’s elbow trying to go for a rebound on a missed free throw late in the third quarter and fractured the fourth metacarpal. The injury is to his non-shooting hand and he hopes to return at the end of November or early December.

Love led all rookies and ranked ninth in the NBA in rebounding at 9.1 per game last season, setting a team rookie record with 734 rebounds.