Hooped Up

Toronto Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani, the first overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Andrew Bogut, the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, lead a list of 18 players selected to play in the 2007 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 16 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Joining Bargnani on the Rookie team this year are the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ Jordan Farmar, the Minnesota Timberwolves ‘ Randy Foye, the Toronto Raptors ‘ Jorge Garbajosa, the Memphis Grizzlies ‘ Rudy Gay, the Utah Jazz ’s Paul Millsap, the Charlotte Bobcats ‘ Adam Morrison, the Portland Trail Blazers ‘ Brandon Roy and the New Jersey Nets ‘ Marcus Williams.

Teaming with Bogut on the Sophomore team are the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ Andrew Bynum, the Golden State Warriors ‘ Monta Ellis, the Charlotte Bobcats ‘ Raymond Felton, the Indiana Pacers ‘ Danny Granger, the Houston Rockets ‘ Luther Head, the New York Knicks ‘ David Lee, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets’ Chris Paul — the 2005-06 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year — and the Utah Jazz ’s Deron Williams.

NBA

Bobcats reserve center Othella Harrington will undergo surgery Thursday to repair torn cartilage in his left knee and is expected to miss three-to-six weeks.

Harrington, sidelined four of the past five games, is averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in less than nine minutes per game.

Yahoo 

Carlos Boozer’s career season has been put on hold.

The Jazz announced Wednesday that Boozer has a broken bone in his left leg and will be sidelined four to five weeks.

Utah’s leading scorer and rebounder, Boozer underwent an MRI and a series of X-rays, which revealed a hairline fracture of his left fibula. The 6-9 forward suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Hornets.

Yahoo

When Kobe Bryant was a free agent in 2004, Isiah Thomas and the Knicks flew to Southern California armed with their mid-level exception. Despite being nearly $100 million short of what the Lakers offered, Bryant listened to their offer.

“The reason why I even was interested in taking that meeting was because of this city,” the 28-year-old Bryant said in an interview Tuesday morning. “Because I always loved this city. Always. Ever since I came here, growing up in Philadelphia, there’s always so much energy and so much buzz in this city. How passionate they are about basketball, how knowledgeable they are about basketball.”

Bryant, a nine-time All-Star, excitedly ticked off the names of the Knicks legends Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe and Dave DeBusschere and said, “I just wanted to play here so bad.”

“I know what it’s like to have a team here that’s successful and how the city rallies around it,” he said. “So I was very interested. And if they had more cap flexibility, it’d definitely be a place where I would end up. I might have picked the Knicks.”

New York Times

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed guard Doug Christie to a 10-day contract, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor. Christie will be in uniform and available to play tonight when the Clippers host the Chicago Bulls. A 14-year NBA veteran, Christie has averaged 11.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game over his career. Christie tallied 3.7 points and 2.6 assists in seven games played for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2005-06 season.

NBA

Reports out of Charlotte have the Pistons showing interest in Brevin Knight.

The Pistons have long had interest in Knight, going back to last season. But there haven’t been any new talks.

The 5-10 Knight makes $4.4 million this season and has a team option for $4.2 million next season. The Pistons, in the past, had talked about dealing Dale Davis ($3.5 million) and Flip Murray ($1.7 million) to the Bobcats.

The Pistons have reportedly given up on trying to deal Davis, instead focusing on Nazr Mohammed.

Detroit News

The Warriors were embarrassed on Tuesday night with a 124-97 loss at Cleveland. To add insult to injury, the Cavaliers were playing without LeBron James.

“We’ve got the worst road record of any team in the NBA, so who are we fooling, man? Who are we fooling?” Baron Davis said of the Warriors’ postseason hopes. “How are we going to be a playoff team (when) we can’t win on the road?

“We’re fooling ourselves.”

San Francisco Chronicle

Congrats to ESPN NBA Analyst Tim Legler and Eagles Cheerleader Christina Fuller, who were engaged recently.

Legler, 40, a former La Salle basketball star who spent 10 years in the NBA, and Fuller, 28, have been dating for a little more than a year, after meeting at Public House (18th & Cherry). They’re planning an Oct. 10 wedding in town.

Fuller, who runs an online pet supply company, Shop4Paws.com, is also a La Salle grad, and the couple went to a La Salle basketball game on their first date.

It will be the first marriage for Fuller and the second for Legler, who has two children from his first marriage, Lauren, 10, and Ryan, 7. He and Fuller share two dogs, Jazzy, his Jack Russell and Bentley, her Shih Tzu.

Philadelphia Daily News

Brown is the (Cavs) coach and should remain the coach for the rest of the season. If he can’t see that the team plays with more zip when rookie Daniel Gibson is at the point — or that Eric Snow’s game is slipping — then he should be held accountable for that at the end of the season.

Akron Beacon Journal 

Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison sprained his left knee in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons .

Jamison appeared to hurt his knee when he collided with teammate DeShawn Stevenson under the basket at the end of a Wizards fast break. The Wizards announced Jamison would not return to the game.

ESPN