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Chris Paul to Sit Out Season If Sterling Stays Owner - Earlier this week, Doc Rivers vowed that he wouldn’t coach the Los Angeles Clippers this upcoming 2014-15 season if Donald Sterling remains the owner. Now, Chris Paul is following suit. The Clippers point guard said on Thursday that sitting out the season is a possibility if Sterling remains the franchise’s owner by the start of the year. "That's something me and Doc are both talking about," Paul told ESPN. "Something has to happen, and something needs to happen soon — sooner rather than later.” Sterling and his estranged wife,Shelly Sterling, remain in Los Angeles probate court to decide whether she properly sold the franchise, under Sterling Family Trust bylaws, to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion in late May. Closing arguments are set for Monday. The deal must be closed by September 15 or the NBA...

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Report: Cavaliers in Lead to Land Kevin Love - Sources tell ESPN that LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers remain the favorites to land Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star power forward Kevin Love. According to ESPN, the Timberwolves like the Cavs offer of their No. 1 draft picks of the past two years, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins, and a future first-round pick better than offers from the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls. However, since Cleveland signed Wiggins to a rookie contract Thursday, the earliest the trade can go down is August 23. That’s because NBA rules stipulate that teams must wait at least 30 days after signing a rookie to trade him. Would a big three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love make the Cavs favorites out East? (Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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Marshawn Lynch to Hold Out - Marshawn Lynch wants more money, simple and plain. The Seattle Seahawks running back leaned on a former teammate to spread that news. "Marshawn Lynch just called me. We just talked," said former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson on the NFL Network’s Inside Training Camp show Thursday, as reported by CBS Sports. "He said he will be holding out from training camp this year with the Seahawks." Lynch, signed through 2015, is scheduled to make $10.5 million over the next two years. He’s hoping that holding out of training camp helps leverage him more money. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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James Harden, Chandler Parsons Exchange Words - Any Houston Rockets-Dallas Mavericks games this season should be entertaining, especially after back-and-forth trash talk between James Harden and Chandler Parsons. "Dwight [Howard] and I are the cornerstones of the Rockets," Harden said at a recent charity event, as reported by ESPN. "The rest of the guys are role players or pieces that complete our team. We've lost some pieces and added some pieces.” To that, former Rocket and current Maverick Parsons took offense. "That's a pretty ridiculous statement if he meant that," Parsons said. "That's part of the reason I wanted to go to Dallas, because I'm ready for that next step. I'm ready for a bigger role, and I'm ready for more leadership. If anybody should understand that, it's James, because he was in the same situation in Oklahoma City and then he got ...

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Hoyer, Not Manziel to Start Preseason Opener - Like many rookies around the NFL, Johnny Football will have to wait his turn. Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine told ESPN that he will give the starting nod at quarterback to Brian Hoyer over Johnny Manziel for the Browns first preseason game. However, it’s possible that Manziel gets the next preseason start.(Photos from Left: Joe Robbins/Getty Images, Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

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Mavericks Sign Jameer Nelson - The Dallas Mavericks are definitely stockpiled at the point guard position now. After re-signing Devin Harris and acquiring Raymond Felton, the Mavs also added Jameer Nelson on a two-year deal with a cap-room exception of $2.7 million Thursday. Nelson averaged 12.1 points and seven assists per game during the 2013-14 season for the Orlando Magic. (Photo: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)

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Former Baseball Player Chuck Knoblauch Arrested - Former Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees player Chuck Knoblauch was arrested Wednesday night on charges that he allegedly assaulted his ex-wife. Knoblauch, 46, was previously convicted of hitting a previous wife in 2010 and sentenced to a year of probation, according to ESPN. The Twins were scheduled to honor Knoblauch on August 23, but upon learning the news, have cancelled his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame. (Photo: Mitchell Layton/NewSport/Corbis)

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Ray Allen, LeBron James Teammates Once Again? - LeBron James and Mike Miller said they were going to try to convince Ray Allen to join them with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Well, they’re doing a good job. According to ESPN, the veteran shooting guard is leaning toward joining the Cavs for his 19th NBA season. Allen, who recently turned 39, averaged 9.6 points per game this past season playing with King James on the Miami Heat. Just last week, Miller took less in pay to play with James in Cleveland.  (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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Sidney Rice Retires Due to Concussions - Sidney Rice is putting his life and future above football. The Seattle Seahawks receiver announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday via a message on the Seahawks website. “I was just thinking about things I’ve been through in the last few years,” said Rice, 27. “I’ve hit the ground a number of times. I have quite a few injuries. It’s something I’ve always battled through and came back from. But I just figure at this point I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I want to be able to function and do things later down the road.” Rice played seven years in the NFL and was known as much for his big-play abilitiy as much as being injury-prone, having suffered multiple concussions and also feeling concussion-like symptoms during his career. (Photo: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

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Roddy White, Falcons Agree to Extension - The Atlanta Falcons have locked up their big-play wide receiver Roddy White on a new four-year contract worth up to $30 million, including $18 million the next two seasons, according to ESPN. Last year marked the first time in six seasons that White failed to secure at least 1,000 receiving yards, but he was battling injury.(Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images) 

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Shelly Sterling Doesn't Testify in Clippers Trial - Shelly Sterling did not testify Wednesday in the Los Angeles Clippers trial to decide whether she properly followed the guidelines of the Sterling Family Trust in selling the franchise to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion. However, Shelly’s lead attorney, Pierce O’Donnell, said he is seeking an emergency, appeal-proof ruling to determine if his client acted accordingly in removing her husband, Donald Sterling, from the family trust which owned the Clippers before selling the team to Ballmer, all according to ESPN. (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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Jamaal Charles Signs New Deal - Well, that was quick. On the same day reports surfaced that Jamaal Charles would be holding out, the Kansas City Chiefs re-signed their star running back to a new deal Wednesday. Charles’s new extension raises his pay from $3.9 million to $8.3 million in 2014 and includes $18.1 million in new money, making him the highest-paid NFL running back only second to Adrian Peterson. Charles sarcastically tweeted: “I had no intention on holding out...I just ran out of gas on the way to camp and my cell phone battery died. It was a long walk I tell ya.” (Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

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NCAA Enforcement Chief Vows Cheaters Will Be Caught - It’s a hard job to enforce the rules and eliminate cheaters while overseeing more than 1,200 schools, but the NCAA says it’s up to the task. "We don't pretend to be able to catch every violation in any given year," NCAA enforcement chief Jonathan Duncan told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "So the next question is, do we have a handle on it, and the answer is yes, I think we do. The people who violate the rules will be found out, and we will report them back to the committee on infractions."(Photo: NCAA)

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Phillies Considering Releasing Ryan Howard? - What a rise and fall for Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. According to CSN Philly, the Phillies have considered releasing the fading slugger, unloading on his contract, and starting fresh. No team is willing to take on Howard, 34, for the remainder of the $25 million he’s owed this year and the $60 million he is owed over the next two seasons. Howard, a former National League MVP, is hitting a paltry .224 with 15 home runs and 118 strikeouts through 97 games.  (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Browns Fan Urinates on Late Ravens Owner's Grave - Utter disrespect. Still bitter over the fact that late Ravens owner Art Modell moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in 1996, a downright disrespectful Browns fan uploaded a video of himself urinating beside Modell’s grave site in Pikesville, Maryland, ESPN reported. Absolutely heinous.(Photo: Andy Lyons/ALLSPORT/Getty Images)

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Bulls Making Late Charge For Kevin Love - Imagine Derrick Rose and Kevin Love on the same team. That's what the Chicago Bulls are envisioning, as they have reportedly re-emerged as contenders to land the services of the Minnesota Timberwolves' All-Star power forward. According to ESPN, while the full extent of a trade package isn't known, Chicago would be willing to part ways with forward Taj Gibson and guard Jimmy Butler in addition to other assets to land Love. The Bulls are up against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have created enough salary-cap space and like their chances to land Love, and the Golden State Warriors. Which squad will be feeling the Love?(Photos from Left: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Mark Davis/Getty Images for Sports Spectacular)

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Offers Isaiah Austin Job - NBA commissioner Adam Silver honored Baylor's Isaiah Austin live during last month's Draft. Now, he's reportedly offering him a job with the league too. Austin, who had his NBA career hopes dashed when he was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome, told TMZ that Silver promised him fulltime work with the league once he earns his degree from Baylor. Austin is currently working part-time for the league's NBA Cares program. (Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

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Browns Coach Won't Cut Josh Gordon - Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine doesn't have any intention of releasing star wide receiver Josh Gordon. In fact, the first-year coach is expecting Gordon to report in pads on Friday to participate in the team's training camp. "We're expecting him to report on Friday and be on the field,'' Pettine told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "We have no plans to cut him. I know there's been a lot of debate over that, but I don't see us having that debate.'' Gordon can still face an NFL suspension for yet again violating the league's substance abuse policy. Gordon was arrested for DWI earlier this month.(Photo: David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

Photo By David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty Images

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Jamaal Charles Holding Out - Jamaal Charles has a message for the Kansas City Chiefs—show me the money. The dynamic running back, who is set to earn a base salary of $2.65 million for 2014, is reportedly holding out for more cash for good reason too. Charles gained 1,980 all-purpose yards and 19 total touchdowns in 2013.   (Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 

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Suns Like Chances of Keeping Eric Bledsoe - Despite trading for Isaiah Thomas and draftting Tyler Ennis at the same point guard position, the Phoenix Suns like their chances of retaining Eric Bledsoe for this season. "We'll continue to work as hard as we can within that restricted free agency system established by the collective bargaining agreement," Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby told the Arizona Republic. "We continue to hope and expect that he will remain in a Suns uniform." (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Giants Blasted For David Tyree Hire - The Human Rights Campaign is blasting the New York Giants for hiring former player David Tyree on Tuesday as the team's director of player development. That's because, Tyree said in 2011 that he'd trade his famous Super Bowl helmet catch if it meant stopping homosexuals from being married. "I don't have any comment about it. I'm just excited to be with the Giants," Tyree told ESPN three years later on Tuesday. Tyree memorably used his helmet to haul in an Eli Manning throw on what turned out to be the Giants' game-winning drive of Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots. (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

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Ballmer, Sterling Meet to Discuss $2 Billion Sale of Clippers - Donald Sterling reportedly met with Steve Ballmer to discuss the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday in Los Angeles, according to ESPN. The near 90-minute meeting was held at Sterling’s Beverly Hills home and it’s the first reported face-to-face meeting that the two have had since Shelly Sterling negotiated the sale of the Clippers to Ballmer, an ex-Microsoft CEO, on May 29. The Sterlings are still battling in court to determine whether Shelly properly followed the rules of the Sterling Family Trust in selling the Clippers franchise to Ballmer. Originally, a sale was to be closed by July 15 with a possible extension to August 15. The NBA can seize and sell the team itself if the sale isn’t officially complete and agreed upon by the other NBA owners by September 15. Meanwhile, a separate report from t...

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NCAA Big 12 Commissioner Says "Cheating Pays" in College Football - NCAA Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby sees a bleak future for college football, in which “cheating pays.” "Enforcement is broken," Bowlsby said during Monday’s Big 12 press conference, as reported by ESPN. "The infractions committee hasn't had [an Football Bowl Subdivision] hearing in almost a year, and I think it's not an understatement to say cheating pays presently. If you seek to conspire to certainly bend the rules, you can do it successfully and probably not get caught in most occasions." He wasn’t done yet. "We certainly are operating in a strange environment in that we have lawsuits," he said. "Plus we have the [O'Bannon v. NCAA] lawsuit. I think all of that in the end will cause programs to be eliminated. I think you'll see men's Olympic sports go away as a resu...

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NFL Training Camp Opens - The 2014 NFL training camp is open for business and already players are impressing. According to Sports Illustrated, Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins dazzled the crowd at training camp Monday, showing glimpses of his lights-out speed and elusive running ability after the catch. The Bills desperately need Watkins to come up big if they’re going to snap their streak of nine consecutive losing seasons. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)

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Ex-Laker Michael Cooper Has Cancer - Former member of the “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers — and current head coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream — Michael Cooper has early-stage tongue cancer. Cooper will have surgery this week at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, and a full recovery is expected, the Dream coach announced Monday. "I'm fortunate that my condition was diagnosed early, and this episode illustrates the importance of screening and early detection," said Cooper, 58, to the Associated Press. "I know the team will be in good hands with [assistant] Coach [Karleen] Thompson at the helm during my absence, and I look forward to returning to the court soon." (Photo: Mike Powell/Getty Images)

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Coach K: "I'd Trade for Kevin Love" - If given the chance to trade for Kevin Love, longtime Duke and Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski says he would pull the trigger in a heartbeat. "There's absolutely not one second of hesitancy. I'd trade for Kevin Love," Coach K said to CBS Sports when asked what he’d do in the Cleveland Cavaliers current position of trying to land the All-Star power forward from the Minnesota Timberwolves. "That's not saying anything bad about any of the other youngsters. Love's an all-star and he's a double-double guy. But he's a double-double guy who can spread the court. There aren't many double-double guys who can spread the floor; he can go inside and outside. There may be a low post player that gets you a double double, but Love, you can do a lot of different things with him." Love did average 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds...

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Johnny Manziel Leads NFL Jersey Sales - Johnny Football has taken over the NFL. Johnny Manziel’s No. 2 Cleveland Browns jersey is currently the top-selling jersey in the NFL, the league announced as reported by ESPN. At this point in the off season, the rookie quarterback’s jersey has out-sold the likes of fellow quarterbacks Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks,  Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers and Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos. (Photo: David Maxwell/Getty Images)

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Paul George Talks Disappointing Pacers Finish - Ask Paul George what went wrong with the Indiana Pacers' season last year and he’ll tell you the team started feeling their own success too much and lost the edge that allowed them to be the No. 1 seed in the East. “Before we were hungry,” George, a Palmdale, California, native, told the Los Angeles Daily News. “We started the year off hungry, the bad taste from the year before was in our mouths and everyone was on a mission. Once we started to win, the game was coming too easy. We were running away from our opponents and we just kind of forgot that edge. It was a point where we came into games thinking we could just turn it on, regardless if we started bad or not. And I think that kind of put us in a funk to where teams were starting to really play us and get ready for us. We weren’t the team chasing opponents. We were being chased ...

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Nick Young Re-Signs With Lakers - "Swaggy P" got himself a new deal. The Associated Press reports that Nick Young signed a multi-year deal to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Despite the Lakers ending their 2013-14 season with a terrible 27-55 record, Young averaged 17.9 points per game.(Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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Bulls Re-Sign Kirk Hinrich - The Chicago Bulls re-upped with Kirk Hinrich on Monday via a two-year deal that starts at $2.7 million next season and has a player option for a second season in 2015-16, according to the Associated Press. The 11th-year combo guard averaged nine points and nearly four assists per game last year. (Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) 

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Kyrie Irving Is Excited to Team With King James - How did Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving hear about LeBron James returning to the team? Like everyone else. "I was excited," Irving told Fox Sports Ohio, as reported by ESPN. "You have to empathize with the guy. I think we all felt his emotions with his essay [on SI.com]. I found out like everyone else found out. It’s an exciting time, I can tell you that. Everything is happening." Interestingly enough, Irving finalized his five-year, $90 million extension with the Cavs on July 10, one day before James’s surprising announcement. "I'm glad we got it done," Irving said. "A couple days later, a guy decided to come back to Cleveland. The rest is history.” (Photos from Left: Christian Petersen/Getty Images, Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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Cleveland to Sign Andrew Wiggins This Week - Last week, reports surfaced about the Cleveland Cavaliers including No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins in trade talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love. Sometime this week, according to ESPN, the Cavs are planning to sign Wiggins to a contract. ESPN is reporting that signing the 6-foot-8 rookie swingman has nothing to do with the prospect of him being included in a trade for Love. The exact trade reportedly discussed will have Cleveland dealing its top draft picks of the past two years — Anthony Bennett and Wiggins — along with a first-round draft pick in 2015 to the Timberwolves for All-Star power forward Love and shooting guard Kevin Martin. (Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

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Report: Klay Thompson to Request Max Deal - Like Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson’s name has also come up in reports of the Warriors trading for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love. To further put the pressure on the Warriors franchise, USA Today is reporting that Thompson’s agent, Bill Duffy, has been seeking a max deal in talks with Golden State. A max deal for Thompson, 24, would start at $15.7 million, according to USA Today, and would still allow the Warriors more flexibility than locking up Love in a max deal of more value. (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Jameis Winston Talks Living Up to the Hype - To say that Jameis Winston has been through a lot during the past year and a half would be an understatement. After fighting off a sexual-assault investigation last season and being cited for shoplifting crab legs this past April, Florida State’s Heisman-winning quarterback is ready to put all his energy back onto the field this season. "I know I have to live up to the hype," Winston told ESPN. "If I'm even an inch below that standard, it'll be chaos. Leadership isn't just on the field. It's off the field, too, and I know I have a lot of young guys looking up to me, and I know I have a lot of support from my teammates as well," he added. "We're trying to go get another championship. It's a clean slate."  (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Rams Linebacker Arrested for Fighting - St. Louis Rams linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar and NBA free agent Donte Green were arrested for reportedly fighting outside of a nightclub in South Beach early Sunday morning, according to the Associated Press. Miami Beach Police report that each athlete will face charges of battery and disorderly conduct.(Photo: Michael Thomas/Getty Images)

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Tiger Woods Falls Way Short in Comeback - Just as he promised, Tiger Woods was back for the British Open this past week. But it’s safe to say that the veteran golfer is going to need more time and competition to regain his form. Woods finished in 69th place in the tournament, telling ESPN afterwards: “Just way too many mistakes.” The British Open was won by 25-year-old Rory McIlroy. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)