Lebron James

Amid the latest report that he could be headed to the New York area — this time, to the Knicks, not the Nets — Carmelo Anthony said after practice Wednesday that he isn't affected in any way by the renewed trade speculation. The Nuggets' forward said the rumblings don't change anything about his preparations for the upcoming season, insisting, "I'm still able to wake up in the morning, smile, come here, laugh and joke with my teammates, play basketball and compete.

League isn't what it was Ira Winderman Sun Sentinel Duh. Michael Jordan not only would have scored more points because of the limited contact allowed on the perimeter, but also because of the talent drain created by league expansion from his prime Bulls years and the league's move away from thug-like enforcers, the type Pat Riley utilized during his Knicks coaching tenure. About the only change since Jordan's prime years that would create any challenge would be the legalization of zone defense, but that approach is so minimally utilized that it likely would not stand as a factor.

Bulls forward Carlos Boozer has a broken right hand that will require surgery, and he is expected to be out eight weeks, the team announced Sunday. Boozer suffered the injury on Saturday during the Bulls' day off. According to team sources, Boozer tripped over a bag in his house and fell. The team says Boozer broke the fifth metacarpal bone in his hand. He was evaluated by team physician Brian Cole and hand specialist Marc Cohen . The Bulls signed the two-time All-Star forward to a five-year free-agent deal worth about $75 million this summer after missing out on LeBron James , Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh . Last season, Boozer posted 55 double-doubles, good for third in the league, and was one of just 10 players who averaged a double-double at 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds in 78 games.

Carmelo Anthony, at the center of swirling trade rumors, said Monday at the Denver Nuggets' media day that he never asked to be traded. "I'm leaving my options open right now," said Anthony, who will be a free agent after the coming season. "At the end of the season, I'll sit down with my team, I'll sit down with the Nuggets, and we'll talk about it. This has been a long summer. I'm just excited to get back to the court. " Anthony, a former Towson Catholic star, turned down a three-year, $65 million extension from the Nuggets during the offseason.

In an interview with GQ magazine, LeBron James said the highly critical letter written by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert the night James announced his decision to sign with the Heat will give him "a lot of motivation" when Miami plays Cleveland. Of Gilbert, James said: "I don't think he ever cared about LeBron. My mother always told me you will see the light of people when they hit adversity. You'll get a good sense of their character. Me and my family have seen the character of that man. " James also told the magazine that growing up in Akron, about 40 miles outside of Cleveland, he and his friends didn't like people from the bigger city.

Coverage is unfair Shannon Owens Orlando Sentinel ESPN was right to pull the LeBron James story detailing a wild night of partying in Las Vegas off its Web site Wednesday. But not because the story had no value. People have a strong interest in reading or watching stories about the personal lives of professional athletes. ESPN was right to pull the story because it would have created yet another double standard of coverage for James. Why should he be singled out for routine behavior and choices in the fast-paced social lives of athletes?

Cleveland fans who'd assumed that LeBron James would remain unfailingly devoted to the Cavaliers are mortified that he's packing his bags for Miami. But his move simply puts him in step with others of his generation. If younger workers have displayed anything as employees, it's that they prize mobility more than they do fidelity to their employers. "Stability and company loyalty are high values for ... those whose worldviews were shaped by experiencing the Great Depression in their formative years," Chip Espinoza, Mick Ukleja and Craig Rusch write in their new book, "Managing the Millennials."

It has been a busy few weeks for those of us in the Glass House Club who keep track of the bad behavior of others. Almost before we finished shaking our heads and tsk-tsking at Al Gore's purported bad massage table behavior, we had Lindsay Lohan's bad nail polish behavior and Mel Gibson's bad telephone behavior. Anyone concerned about the coarsening of the cultural conversation has got to admit that that horse has left the barn. We are now hip-deep in I-can't-believe-anyone-would-actually- do -that.

News item: The Orioles managerial search continues to move at a snail's pace, and Andy MacPhail has left open the possibility that it could be weeks before we know who will be the next permanent manager. My take: When you take a "wait and see" approach, you're really deciding to let the decision make itself, which would be fine if this frog hadn't already been in the frying pan for the past 12 1/2 years. News item: Marc Bulger said during a conference call Thursday that he's comfortable with his new role as the backup and mentor to Ravens starting quarterback Joe Flacco.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is following LeBron James to Miami. The 7-foot-3 Lithuanian center, who has career averages of 13.8 points and 7.7 rebounds, expects to sign a two-year contract with the Heat later this week, agent Herb Rudoy said Tuesday. • The Timberwolves have agreed to send forward Al Jefferson to the Jazz for center Kosta Koufos and two future first-round draft picks. … After a deal with the Raptors fell through, the Bobcats sent centers Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca to the Mavs for center Erick Dampier , forward Eduardo Najera , guard Matt Carroll and cash considerations.