Hooped Up

Brook Lopez dunking on his twin brother Robin Lopez only means Robin needs to work on his twin ESP skills.

Brook Lopez has been selected by David Stern to replace the injured Rajon Rondo in the 2013 NBA All-Star Game in Houston. This will be the first All-Star Game appearance by Lopez, who is averaging 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 38 games for the 27-18 Nets of the Atlantic Division.

It didn’t count, but this no look skyhook trick shot from Brook Lopez was something else. Too bad he never had a chance to see it.

Brook Lopez has agreed to an extension with the Brooklyn Nets. Unable to work a trade with Orlando for Dwight Howard, the Nets used the first day contracts could be signed to get a deal done with their current centre.

Lopez had been linked to the Magic in trade talks for months, but now knows he will at least begin the season in Brooklyn. He is ineligible to be traded until Jan. 15.

Lopez was limited to five games last season because of injuries, averaging 19.2 points. He had appeared in 82 games in each of his first two NBA seasons and has a 17.4-point career average.

H/N CBC

The New Jersey Nets will be without center and leading scorer Brook Lopez for a couple of months because of a broken right foot.

Lopez, who did not miss a game in his first three seasons, was injured during an exhibition game against the Knicks on Wednesday and he will have surgery Friday.

The injury is a stress fracture to the slow-healing fifth metatarsal, the same kind of injury that New York Giants first-round draft pick Prince Amukamara suffered on Aug. 6 in training camp. He did not play in a game until Nov. 20.

Press Release

Dwight Howard will ask the Orlando Magic to trade him to the New Jersey Nets, and a deal could go down as soon as Friday, sources close to the situation said. Howard’s representatives have already told the Nets that they are his preferred destination.

When Howard speaks to the Magic, he will tell them that he will not re-sign with the team after this season, sources said. There is also a chance that Howard will not attend the opening of training camp Friday, according to a source.

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The New Jersey Nets made themselves at home in jolly old Friday night, making meat pie out of the Toronto Raptors 103 – 116 in front of a sold out crowd in London’s O2 arena. Deron Williams and Brook Lopez certainly made a great first impression with their new European fans, combining for a cracking alley-oop after D-Will shook Sonny Weems like a slow-footed center back on the pitch. My word, I say!

Brook Lopez had a tough season with the New Jersey Nets winning only 12 games then when the season was over, he got mononucleosis and dropped 25 pounds. Still feeling the effects of the illness, Lopez still attended Team USA tryouts and made it through to the final cuts, but today he withdrew his name for consideration on the team citing his own lack of conditioning to continue with the team.

“Although it will be disappointing not to see Brook compete in the upcoming FIBA World Championship, the Nets fully support his decision to stop training with Team USA,” Nets general manager Billy King said in a statement. “Brook obviously felt that he had not made sufficient enough recovery from his bout with mononucleosis earlier this summer, but we feel confident he will be fully recovered by the start of training camp on September 25.”

Washington’s JaVale McGee will replace Lopez on Team USA, which resumes training in Manhattan Tuesday. McGee and Tyson Chandler are the team’s only centers.