After Team USA’S practice today, Lebron James was seen recieving treatment from the training staff on his right ankle. When asked Coach Krzyzewski remarked “Our trainers think it’s a mild sprain. So we’ll find out tomorrow. But I don’t think it’s anything serious. Obviously, we’ll look and see what happens tomorrow.”

This after already having an injury to Dwight Howard (stress fracture to sternum) and Dwayne Wade coming off an injury as well (left knee surgery). Hopefully it is nothing more than what it appeared to be with the teams first exhibition game only days away this friday July 25th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This Squad needs to figure out who it is before medal play starts and they should have enough time to do so with only two meaningful games in pool play; Greece & Spain. You never now though as Team USA has been upset in the past from supposed inferior oponnents. Let’s hope they’ve learned their lessons and don’t let teams like Germany, China or worse Angola expose any weakness they may have.

Josh Childress may have found the perfect way to dis the National Basketball Association - he got an offer from Greece. The salary cap, the draft — they limit a players ability to sell to the highest bidder. Because the players make millions, we don’t mind. But fair is fair. Here, Childress is imprisoned by restricted free agency. In Greece, he is paid in full.

Jorge Garbajosa, Carlos Delfino, Mensah-Bonsu, Juan Carlos Navarro, Nachbar, Tiago Splitter (a first-round pick of the Spurs in 2007) Goran Dragic (a second-round pick of the Spurs in 2008; rights traded to the Suns), Fran Vázquez…

All those players have chosen to play in Europe instead of the NBA. They just get more money there (I would like to be paid in euros too).

And the bud news is that they don´t have a real European league there…yet…

Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki helped rally the German team to victory over Puerto Rico. It’s the first time in the b-ball tourney since 1992. They join Greece and Croatia to compete in Beijing against a lineup that also includes Angola, Argentina, Australia, China, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Spain and the United States.

When the NBA moves a team from one city, say Seattle, to another city, let’s call that one Oklahoma City, it’s like going through a divorce for the fans. Seattle fans don’t see why they can’t live with Mommy. And Oklahoma fans can’t wait to move to Dad’s house — because they get a brand new basketball team. Sometimes, though, mommies and daddies can’t live together anymore. We get that — the NBA is a business. But choosing a tired name for the new team — that’s just volunteering to be lame.

Yao Ming played in his first game in almost six months, joining China’s national team in an friendly game against Serbia. Yao contributed 11 points and four rebounds in 12 minutes of play and China defeated Serbia 96-72.

“If during the Olympic Games they play like this when I’m not on the court, then playing 12 minutes a game will be fine.”

A lot of people in Houston are gonna root for Yao´s team mates to win it all.

Yao had a stress fracture in his left foot ended his season in February. Pau Gasol had the same problem in 2006 when Spain won the World Championship in Japan. Jorge Garbajosa decided to play for Spain national team last September and he missed the whole season.

Who´s next?

No matter who you support, you have to figure this is the first time a candidate for president has had custom sneakers done in their honor. Plus, Barack Obama is a known baller, which brings up the question — if he gets to the White House, who gets invited to presidential pick up games?

Brandon Jennings became the first person ever to play professional basketball in Europe straight out of high school. Though he signed up for three years with Virtus Roma, expectations are that he’ll be picked early in the 2009 draft. University of Arizona wanted him, but Jennings didn’t have the grades. This may become a trend.

“Blindsided, distraught, disrespected. All those adjectives. I definitely feel insulted,” said Marcus Camby in a telephone interview with the Rocky Mountain News.

What is Cumby talking about?: The Clippers acquired Marcus Camby from the Denver Nuggets for
the right to exchange second-round picks with the Clippers in the 2010
draft.

“When I first heard about the trade, I felt like I was the scapegoat after all our past first-round exits and failures and lack of defense. I felt it was them telling me that I was no longer wanted and I was the cause of everything that went wrong the last couple years on this team.

“I’m still in disbelief. I’m still in shock. I still can’t believe this happened.”

Well… I don´t…

Richard Jefferson going to Milwaukee …. HAHAHA! Oh man, now that is funny. When I heard that, I started laughing. Oh man, did I start laughing. You know why? Because every player hates Milwaukee. Nobody wants to live in Milwaukee. I’m sorry, Milwaukee, to come down hard on you, but no one in the NBA wants to play in Milwaukee. From him going from New Jersey, actually from New York (because he lives in New York), from New York to Milwaukee is like going … let’s just say it’s not going to sit well with you. That was a funny one when I heard that one. I know Yi is happy though.

Mr. Gilbert Arenas in his blog.

To be continued…