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NBA Announces All-Star Game Reserves - The NBA announced its All-Star Game reserve players on Thursday night and Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors), Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls) and Jeff Teague (Atlanta Hawks) are all first-time All-Stars. Joining Thompson as a Western Conference All-Star reserve will be James Harden (Houston Rockets), LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers), Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers) and Tim Duncan from the San Antonio Spurs. The East reserves also include Hawks teamates Al Horford and Paul Millsap, Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) and the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Noticeable snubs include Portland point guard Damian Lillard and Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins. Reserves were selected by coaches’ vote in each conference.(Photos from left: Ezra Shaw/Getty...

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Kobe Bryant Eyes September Training Camp Return - A day after having surgery on his torn right rotator cuff, Kobe Bryant told ESPN that he’s eyeing a September return to the court, right in time for the Los Angeles Lakers’s training camp. "Yeah, that's the plan," Bryant said. “Sore,” he said about his shoulder, “but it’s OK.” Bryant came to the Staples Center to see former teammate, now Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol, who was being honored by the Lakers on Thursday night. Next season will mark Bryant’s 20th in the league. He will be 37 years old in August. (Photo: AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman, File)

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Ill Serena Williams Cuts Practice Short Day Before Australian Open Final - Battling a cold, Serena Williams cut her practice short Friday in Melbourne, a day before she’s supposed to face Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final. "I had a false start (this morning). I wasn't feeling really well. I've been sick with a cold all week, and I got better, then I got worse the morning,” she told Australia's Channel 7 network, as reported by the Associated Press. A win Saturday over Sharapova will give Williams her 19th Grand Slam singles title. (Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

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Josh Gordon Pens Letter to Charles Barkley, Other Critics - Embattled Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon penned an open letter to Charles Barkley, Cris Carter and Stephen A. Smith for the website Medium on Thursday. In it, Gordon proclaims, “I am not a drug addict; I am not an alcoholic... If you see me someday, Chuck, Stephen A., Cris, or any other well-intentioned person to whom this letter is directed, please come on over, shake my hand, and say hello," he wrote. "I won't be holding a grudge, but I will expect you to admit you were wrong about me." Earlier this week, news broke that Gordon had failed yet another drug test and is now facing a one-year suspension from the NFL. This comes after he already was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2014 season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.(Photos from left: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images, Bru...

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Marshawn Lynch Offers Statement, Still Doesn't Answer Questions - An annoyed Marshawn Lynch offered the media a five-minute statement Thursday, but again refused to answer any questions. "Hey look, I mean, all week I told y'all what's up," Lynch said, according to ESPN. "And for some reason y'all continue to come back and do the same thing that y'all did. I don't know what story y'all trying to get out of me. I don't know what image y'all trying to portray of me. But it don't matter what y'all think, what y'all say about me. When I go home at night, the same people that I look in the face — my family that I love. That's all that really matter to me.” He added: "I'll come to y'all event. Y'all shove cameras and microphones down my throat. But when I'm at home in my environment, I don't see y'all, but y'all mad at me. And if you ain't mad at me, then what y'all h...

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Lakers Shock Bulls in Double Overtime - The Los Angeles Lakers snapped their nine-game losing streak, and avoided tying a franchise record for most consecutive losses, by scoring a 123-118 double-overtime home win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Lakers center Jordan Hill forced the second OT period with a jumper and finished with a team-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. (Photo: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Beckham Sets Guiness Record for One-Handed Catches - Remember that amazing one-handed touchdown catch that Odell Beckham Jr. came down with in late November? Well, the New York Giants rookie wide receiver took one-handed grabs to a whole new level Thursday, teaming with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees to set a Guinness World Record for most one-handed catches in a minute. With Brees rifling passes, Beckham hauled in a total of 33 one-handed catches on the ESPN Super Bowl set in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

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Kobe Bryant Has Rotator Cuff Surgery, Out Nine Months - As expected, Kobe Bryant had surgery on his torn right rotator cuff on Wednesday. Nine months is the estimated recovery time that doctors told ESPN that Bryant will need to recover from his third straight season-ending injury. Bryant has made it clear that he doesn't believe his career is over.(Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

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NFL May Fine Marshawn Lynch for Beastmode Hat - Marshawn Lynch only spent four minutes and 51 seconds at the podium for Super Bowl media day on Tuesday and he could still be fined by the NFL. According to ESPN, the league is considering fining the Seattle Seahawks star running back for wearing a "Beastmode" hat. The NFL prohibits its players from wearing brands not approved by the league and if it's found that Lynch was promoting his brand, he could be fined. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Without LeBron, Kyrie Irving Scorches Blazers for 55 Points - With LeBron James out due to a sprained right wrist, Kyrie Irving took over the Cleveland Cavaliers' scoring duties. The star point guard dropped a whopping 55 points, including a franchise-record 11 three-pointers, to lead the Cavs to a 99-94 home victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. The victory marked Cleveland's eighth straight win. (Photo: Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

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Chandler Parsons Says Harden Is the MVP - It doesn't matter that they're former teammates. Chandler Parsons has to give credit when and where it's due and if the Dallas Mavericks forward had to vote for an NBA MVP right now, he'd pencil in ex-teammate James Harden. "For sure. He's the best player in basketball right now," Parsons told ESPN. "The things he's doing are incredible. The scouting report is focused in on stopping him and you see he's still getting 30 a game. It's impressive." Harden's Houston Rockets defeated Chandler's Mavs 99-94 on Wednesday night.(Photos from left: Al Bello/Getty Images, Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Hawks Push Win Streak to 17 Games - The wins just keep coming for the Atlanta Hawks. Playing at home Wednesday night, the Hawks edged the Brooklyn Nets 113-102 for their franchise-best 17th consecutive win. Paul Millsap led the way with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Millsap, Hawks center Al Horford and guard Jeff Teague may very well be named Eastern Conference All-Star reserves on Thursday night, when the reserves for both conferences are announced.(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Jermain Taylor Ordered to Undergo Mental Evaluation - Embattled middleweight champion Jermain Taylor has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation, an Arkansas judge ruled, according to the Associated Press. Taylor will be sent to a state hospital to have the full evaluation. This court order comes after the news that Taylor is facing two separate gun-related incidents, the latter of which came last week when he was charged with aggravated assault after police say he threatened to shoot a family during a parade in Little Rock.  (Photo: AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)

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Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao Talk at Heat Game - You never know who you can bump into at a basketball game. Just ask Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. The two boxers were seated courtside across from each other at the Miami Heat game on Tuesday night. At halftime, Mayweather approached Pacquiao and the two boxers exchanged numbers and even engaged in a brief staredown. "He gave his number to me and said we will communicate with each other," Pacquiao told the Associated Press, as reported by ESPN. Pacman’s adviser added: "We did meet and chat but I don't want to say what we discussed. It was a private discussion. They had a private, friendly discussion, and that's all I really want to say." Boxing fans are hoping the two finally strike a deal to fight this May.(Photo: NBA on TNT via Twitter)

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Bulls Snap Warriors' Home Streak - Derrick Rose drained a step-back jumper with seven seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Chicago Bulls to a 113-111 road victory over the Golden State Warriors, snapping the Warriors’ home winning streak at 19 games. Rose finished with 30 points and Pau Gasol added 18 points and 16 boards. (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Marshawn Lynch: 'I'm Here So I Won't Get Fined' - Marshawn Lynch repeatedly said, "I'm here so I won't get fined," as his answer to any and every question he was asked at Super Bowl media day on Tuesday in Phoenix. When the mandatory minimum podium time of 4:51 hit the clock, the Seattle Seahawks running back said “time,” got up and left. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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LaVine, Antetokounmpo Join Dunk Contest - The contestants of the 2015 Sprite Slam Dunk contest have been finalized. Minnesota Timberwolves’ high-flying Zach LaVine, Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Orlando Magic’s Victor Oladipo and Brooklyn Nets’ Mason Plumlee will compete for the crown.(Photos: Nick Laham/Getty Images)

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Paul Pierce Saddened by Bryant's Season-Ending Surgery - Paul Pierce is saddened to learn about Kobe Bryant’s season-ending rotator-cuff surgery. "It always saddens me, knowing that Kobe, who is one of my NBA brothers, we lose [him] due to injury," Pierce told ESPN. "A lot of fans around the league pay to watch Kobe, a lot of fans around the world. Regardless of how the Lakers are doing or not, he's an icon. He's a player who defined his generation." Pierce, then of the Boston Celtics, and Bryant memorably went head-to-head during the 2008 and 2010 NBA Finals.(Photos from left: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images, Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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Matt Barnes Fined for Profanity Against Suns Owner - On Tuesday, the NBA fined Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes $25,000 for using profanity toward a fan during the Sunday Clippers-Phoenix Suns game, as reported by ESPN. However, Barnes took to his Twitter account to clarify: “Another 25k! The part of the story the nba hasn't told you was my language wasnt directed at a fan, I was talkn to the owner of the Suns...” (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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Blatt Says LeBron Has Moved Into MVP Conversation - Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt thinks it’s laughable that LeBron James isn’t mentioned in the MVP conversation. "That's just kind of funny, to be honest with you," Blatt told ESPN on Tuesday night. "First of all, he's the greatest player in our game, and he's had, since he's been healthy — and really all year, but particularly since he's been healthy — his performance has been as high level as ever." King James has averaged 30.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.0 steals since returning from strains in his knee and lower back.(Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)

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Kobe Bryant to Have Rotator Cuff Surgery Wednesday - Kobe Bryant is scheduled to have surgery on his torn right rotator cuff Wednesday, ESPN is reporting. The surgery will likely end his 2014-15 season, marking his third straight season-ending injury. "Kobe is probably not going to play" again this season, Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott told ESPN. "We all know how tough he is. He's a trooper, so we pray for him that his return will be sooner rather than later." Bryant was averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season, before suffering the injury last Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

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NFL Looking at Patriots Locker Room Attendant in "Deflate Gate" - The NFL is now reportedly setting its sights on the locker-room attendant who allegedly handled the New England Patriots' game balls during the AFC title game, which later turned into the "Deflate Gate" scandal. Fox Sports is even saying that the NFL has already interviewed the attendant and has video. Meanwhile, Patriots owner Robert Kraft told reporters Monday that he expects an apology to the organization, especially for coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, if the investigation reveals no wrongdoing from the team. (Photo: Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

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Yankees to Contest A-Rod Bonuses - The New York Yankees are not in a giving mood when it comes to Alex Rodriguez. ESPN is reporting that the Yankees are preparing legal documents to contest A-Rod's "milestone home run" bonus. With six more homers, A-Rod would tie Willie Mays for fourth all-time and be eligible to garner his $6 million bonus as part of the 10-year, $275 million deal he signed with the team in 2007. The Yanks are arguing that they shouldn't have to pay the bonus because of Rodriguez's involvement with performance-enhancing drugs.  (Photo: Alessio Botticelli/GC Images)

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Sprained Toe Keeps Durant Out of Game - Another nagging injury for Kevin Durant? The reigning MVP sat out of the Oklahoma City Thunder's Monday night game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a sprained left big toe, ESPN is reporting. He's listed day-to-day with the injury. Durant has already missed 24 games this season due to recovery from surgery on his right foot, a sprained right ankle and now the sprained left big toe. Without KD, the Thunder scored a 92-84 win over the T-Wolves, improving to 23-22. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Warriors to Wear Special Chinese New Year Jerseys - Get ready for a new-look Golden State Warriors. The team will don special Chinese New Year jerseys on February 20 to honor the holiday, ESPN is reporting. Warriors will be spelled out in Mandarin on the jerseys. (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Charles Woodson Agrees to Return to Raiders - Charles Woodson isn't done with football yet. The 38-year-old free safety signed a one-year extension with the Oakland Raiders on Monday after a solid 112-tackle, four-interception 2014 season. (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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Browns Josh Gordon Fails Another Drug Test - Josh Gordon has failed yet another drug test and is now facing a one-year suspension from the NFL. According to ESPN, the Cleveland Browns' star wide receiver tested positive for alcohol. "Clearly we are very disappointed to hear the latest report regarding Josh," the Browns said in a statement, reported by ESPN. "At this point, due to the confidential nature of the NFL's substance-abuse policy, we have not been made aware by the league of a failed test." This news comes after Gordon was already suspended for the first 10 games of the 2014 NFL season after violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He was arrested in July 2014 for driving while impaired and missed the first two games of the 2013 season for also violating the league's substance-abuse policy.(Photo: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

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Duke's Coach K Wins 1,000th Game - Coach K took on a whole new meaning Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. That's where longtime Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski notched his 1,000th career win after the Blue Devils' 77-68 victory over St. John's. With the win, Coach K became the first NCAA Division I men's coach to notch 1,000 victories. "There will be others that win more, but it is kind of neat to be the first one to 1,000," he told ESPN. "I am proud of that, too. It's not just the number of wins, but the quality of opponents we've had." (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)

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LeBron James Edges Kevin Durant in Cavs' Win - LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are really rolling now. King James had 34 points to outdo Kevin Durant's 32 points and lead the Cavs to a 108-98 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. Cleveland (25-20) has now won six straight games and is 6-1 since James returned after missing eight games with a strained knee and lower back.(Photo: Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Rocky Widner/Getty Images

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Pete Carroll Will Talk to Marshawn Lynch About Gestures - Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters Sunday that he plans to speak with running back Marshawn Lynch about not making any obscene gestures in the Super Bowl. "I haven't talked to him yet about the thing that came up with the league, but that will be addressed," Carroll told ESPN. Lynch was fined $20,000 by the NFL for grabbing his crotch during a touchdown score in the NFC title game two weeks ago. The league has warned Seattle that if Lynch does the same gesture in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks will be penalized 15 yards.(Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Brady Expects More 'Deflate Gate' Talk After Season - Tom Brady hasn't spoken with the NFL about the New England Patriots' alleged "Deflate Gate" scandal yet and believes he won't until after the Super Bowl this Sunday. "No, no. I believe they're going to do it after the season, so we'll deal with it after this game," Brady told ESPN. He added that his Patriots will be ready Sunday, despite the controversy. "I think everybody's locked in, ready to go for this Super Bowl." (Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

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Brandon Jennings Ruptures Left Achilles Tendon - Bad blow to the Detroit Pistons. After powering out of their slump and becoming a competitive team again, the Pistons lost star point guard Brandon Jennings for the season Saturday night when he ruptured his left Achilles tendon during a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Jennings was averaging 15.4 points and 6.6 assists per game.  (Photo: Cem Ozdel/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

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Jimmy Graham's Late TD Lifts Team Irvin Over Team Carter - Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford linked up with New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham for a late touchdown Sunday to lift Team Irvin to a 32-28 win over Team Carter in the Pro Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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A-Rod Meets With New MLB Commissioner - Hoping for a fresh start, Alex Rodriguez met with new Major League Baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred, last week and sources tell ESPN that A-Rod apologized for his past behavior. He's coming off a full-season suspension in 2014 for violating the MLB's performance-enhancing drug policy and will vie for the New York Yankees' designated hitter position this season.(Photos from left: Alessio Botticelli/GC Images, Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)