During 95 years of baseball in Portland many famous players had stints with the Beavers. Here’s some of the best-known faces.

Jason Bay, outfielder (2003): Batted .303 with 20 home runs before San Diego traded him to Pittsburgh where he was the 2004 rookie of the year and a two-time All-Star. Spent two seasons with Boston, one as an All-Star, before signing with the New York Mets.

Billy Beane, infielder (1987): Most recognized as the general manager for the Oakland Athletics and author of the book, Moneyball, Beane batted .285 with eight home runs for the Beavers. He spent parts of six seasons in the major leagues.

Bernardo Brito, outfielder (1989-1993): A fan favorite, Brito had five prolific years in Portland, batting .278 with 120 home runs. But his run here never translated into success in the big leagues where he batted .219 with five home runs and 12 RBIs in 40 games over three seasons with the Minnesota Twins.

Pat Casey, outfielder (1987): Before he turned Oregon State’s baseball program into two-time national champions, Casey was an aspiring professional baseball player. He had a career minor league average of .282 but peaked at Triple A with his final season coming in Portland in 1987 when he batted .215 with three home runs in 48 games.

Mickey Cochrane, catcher (1924): The Hall of Famer batted .320 in 13 major league seasons with Philadelphia and Detroit. That came after he played one season in Portland, batting .333 with seven home runs.

Darren Daulton, catcher (1984-85): The three-time All-Star catcher batted .297 in 103 games over two seasons with the Beavers. He went on to play 14 major league seasons, most with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rickey Henderson, outfielder (2001): The Hall of Famer and all-time stolen base leader batted .275 in nine games with Portland before resuming his major league career in San Diego at age 42.

Willie Horton, outfielder (1981-1982): The four-time All-Star hit 325 career home runs during his 18 big league seasons, most with Detroit. In his two seasons in Portland he batted .287 with 39 home runs and 157 RBIs.

Tommy John, pitcher (1964): Best known for having an elbow surgery named after him, John played 26 years in the major leagues and went 288-231 with a 3.34 ERA. In one season in Portland, he went 6-6 with a 4.26 ERA.

Satchel Paige, pitcher (1961): At age 55, the Hall of Famer pitched 25 innings for the Beavers and went 0-0 with a 2.88 ERA. Between innings he mocked his age by sitting in a rocking chair beside the dugout.

Tony Pena, catcher (1980): A six-time All-Star during his 18-year major league career, Pena played one year in Portland, batting .327 with nine home runs and 77 RBIs.

Lou Piniella, outfielder (1966-1968): Played three seasons with the Beavers, batting .303 with 38 home runs. Went on to play 18 seasons in the major leagues. Also managed 23 seasons compiling a 1,835-1,713 record.

Jim Thorpe, outfielder (1922): Regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, Thorpe, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played six big league seasons from 1913 to 1919 before playing his 35-game stint in Portland. In that season, Thorpe batted .308 with one home run.

Luis Tiant, pitcher (1964, 1981): In two seasons in Portland Tiant went 28-8. His 1964 season produced a 15-1 record with a 2.04 ERA. He played 19 major league seasons compiling a 229-172 record with a 3.30 ERA.

EUGENE – Oregon coach Chip Kelly emerged from the Ducks’ closed scrimmage in Autzen Stadium Thursday and said he would need to review video and talk to his coaching staff before deciding any of the position battles waged in fall camp.

“I think we played better overall as a group,” Kelly said. “We had 130 plays, the longest we’ve ever gone. It was a physical scrimmage. You could hear it.”

He answered a question about the play of quarterbacks Nate Costa and Darron Thomas by saying: “I thought they both played outstanding.”

Costa completed 17 of 35 passes for 138 yards, one touchdown, one interception. Thomas was 14 of 23 for 125 yards and three touchdowns.

They both were perhaps outperformed statistically by third-stringer Bryan Bennett, who completed 6 of 10 passes for 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also carried nine times for 41 yards.

Defenders were allowed to tackle Bennett, who operated against the third-string defense. Defenders couldn’t tackle Costa and Thomas.

“Bryan Bennett did a nice job,” Kelly said. “He’s going to be a really, really good quarterback here. We felt Bryan needed to be hit, and for the first time being hit, he was the hitter and not the hittee a couple times. Obviously, he needs to learn to protect himself, but I think he has a very, very bright future.

The present, however, belongs to either Costa or Thomas.

“I had a slow start, and I wasn’t happy with that,” Costa said. “But I ended very well. I think overall it was a good day, and I think I made my case.”

Thomas was happy with his performance too.

“Today was a good day for me,” he said. “I’ve got a few things to correct, but it was a good day. I didn’t turn over a ball. That was my goal going in. I did a good job with that.”

The only opinion that counts is Kelly’s. He said the evaluation process began when Thursday’s scrimmage concluded and will continue on Friday.

“We’ve got tomorrow afternoon to game plan for New Mexico and talk about depth charts,” Kelly said. “The next 48 hours, we’ll be around here.”

Costa and Thomas might be chewing their fingernails. But the decision will come by Saturday morning at the latest.

The Ducks open against New Mexico on Sept. 4 in Autzen Stadium

Besides quarterback, the UO coaches need to make decisions at the cornerback spot opposite returning starter Talmadge Jackson, and at kicker.

Cornerbacks Cliff Harris and Chad Peppars had interceptions in the scrimmage. With Rob Beard serving a one-game suspension, the kicker on Sept. 4 will be either Alejandro Maldonado or Eric Soils.

With sophomore tailback LaMichael James also suspended for the New Mexico game, the Ducks spent the scrimmage looking long and hard at back-up running backs.

Freshman Dontae Williams had six carries for 48 yards, freshman Kenny Bassett had seven for 41 yards and junior Andres Reed had eight for 37. Redshirt freshman Daryle Hawkins, who seems to be converting from quarterback, caught nine passes for 60 yards. Freshman Eric Dungy caught four for 50 yards and two scores.

Wise guy: UO defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti trotted up the ramp from Autzen Stadium past a cluster of reporters waiting outside the gate.

“You guys need to get a life,” Aliotti chortled as he ran past.

Media blockade broken: Most but not all reporters were excluded from the scrimmage.

ESPN commentator Mike Bellotti, Oregon’s head coach from 1995 to 2008 and UO offensive coordinator before that, was allowed in. Several other longtime UO assistant coaches also watched.

As Bellotti came off the field, he laughed at the waiting reporters and said: “I wasn’t in there in any media capacity.”

Kelly said: “If you coached on this staff for longer than 15 years you were allowed to attend the scrimmage.”

– Ken Goe; follow him on Twitter.

With roughly six weeks left before the Trail Blazers start training camp, the playing status of Greg Oden remains as unclear as ever.

Oden continues to rehabilitate his surgically repaired left knee and the Blazers insist things are progressing according to schedule. But at the same time, the organization is so intent on keeping once sky-high expectations low for the injury-prone center, officials refuse to say that Oden will be ready to play by Oct. 26, when the team opens the season against the Phoenix Suns.

“I don’t really want to put any time frame on it,” Blazers general manager Rich Cho said, regarding Oden’s return. “I don’t want any expectations out there. And I don’t want to put any pressure on Greg. The last thing I want him to do is come back earlier (than he should) because people are expecting it.”

It’s been 8½ months since Oden was wheeled off the Rose Garden floor on a gurney after fracturing the patella in his left knee in a game against the Houston Rockets. Since, Oden and the Blazers have maintained that the 7-foot center’s rehab was on schedule and he was poised to return for October training camp — a significant fact considering a healthy and productive Oden is perhaps the biggest key to how much success the team will have this season.

In June, Blazers coach Nate McMillan told The Oregonian that Oden was scheduled to start running in mid-July and would begin playing two-on-two or three-on-three games by mid-August, with a goal of returning to five-on-five action by the first week of September.

More recently, Oden has declined interview requests from The Oregonian, saying he’d prefer to talk about his rehab and playing status when training camp starts. Meanwhile, the Blazers do not want athletic trainer Jay Jensen discussing Oden’s rehab with the media.

On Wednesday, Cho offered some details, saying Oden’s rehab had progressed to feature jogging, defensive slides, spot shooting, light jumping, jump-roping and work in the pool. He added that Oden, who had his latest medical checkup two weeks ago, has trimmed his weight down to the “low 280s,” approaching where the team would like him to play next season.

Cho, who watched Oden work out two weeks ago at the practice facility in Tualatin, refused to reveal when Oden is scheduled to begin running full-speed, or when Oden plans to resume basketball activities. Cho also wouldn’t definitively say how much Oden intends to participate in training camp.

“I don’t know if he’ll be ready to go full-speed ahead when training camp starts, but our hope is that he’ll be ready to participate in training camp,” Cho said. “I don’t know if that will include full contact (work). It depends on his progress.”

Oden is splitting his rehab work between Portland and Indianapolis, his hometown. He will be in Portland this weekend to take part in the Third Annual Team Oden Summer Slam, an event he sponsors to support and encourage mentoring youth in Oregon. There is a scheduled media availability at the event, so perhaps Oden will shed new details about his rehab at that point.

Otherwise, his status will continue to remain a mystery. Oden is in the final year of his rookie contract with the Blazers and the sides have not yet discussed a contract extension.

Oden, who has endured career-threatening surgeries on both of his knees in his short NBA career, has played just 82 games since the Blazers drafted him No. 1 overall in 2007. He’s averaged 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in those games but appeared on the verge of a breakout last season before his injury, when he averaged 11.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.29 blocks in 21 starts.

Oden had a 24-point, 12-rebound performance against Chicago last season and finished with 13 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks against Miami the game before he was lost for the season, tantalizing Blazers fans with his potential.

And although Cho is tempering the expectations that accompany such statistics, he remains pleased with Oden’s status as the offseason fades and training camp approaches.

“He’s on track for everything,” Cho said. “Greg is working hard and we’re pleased with his rehab efforts.”

– Joe Freeman; follow him on Twitter

The Associated Press

RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks say they appreciate official Bill Leavy admitting he made two bad calls in their Super Bowl loss — and now they’re ready to move on.

Nine players remain from the team’s lone Super Bowl appearance in 2006, including quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. He was whistled for a low block on what appeared to be a legal tackle on an interception return in the fourth quarter of the loss to Pittsburgh.

The Steelers used the better field position from the penalty on Hasselbeck to score the clinching touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 21-10 victory.

“It’s a game. It’s not a perfect science,” Hasselbeck said Saturday, after Leavy again worked at the Seahawks’ training camp practice. “There’s a lot of human involvement there. I’ve played some games that I remember because I feel I did a good job and I remember some other games where I have regrets. That goes for any sport, any player. I’m sure coaching is no different. And I’m sure officiating is the same way.”

Leavy and his crew have been at Seahawks camp the past several days as part of the NFL’s summer tour of officials informing teams of new rules and interpretations.

Leavy told Seattle-area media Friday night that he “kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game.” He said he will “go to my grave wishing I’d been better.”

He also spoke to Seahawks players at a team meeting Friday with a similar message.

“I had a word with him and told him I really appreciated it,” said defensive tackle Craig Terrill, a backup on that Super Bowl team. “I certainly don’t have any hard feelings against him. There were plenty of things we did in that game that kept us from winning. He can’t take responsibility for the mistakes we made, but I appreciated it.”

Terrill said he has respect for Leavy, who became an NFL official in 1995.

“He’s a good guy and good referee,” Terrill said. “You have to think about his spot. You know if he’s apologizing, he feels awful about it.

“Obviously it was something that was on his mind and on his heart. It was awesome of him as a person to come to Seattle and say that to us in an intimate place like a team meeting.”

Cornerback Marcus Trufant said it’s time for the Seahawks — and all of Seattle, for that matter — to put the game behind them.

“It’s tough,” Trufant said. “Anytime you’re in the Super Bowl, that’s the highest of the high. When things go bad, they always tell you not to worry about the refs and stuff like that. Things do happen. Nobody’s perfect. It’s just one of those things.

“Everybody I think has moved on. I’ve tried to move on. That’s in the past. We’re going to keep playing and we’re trying to get back. That’s the goal.”

Leavy never worked another Seahawks game during the final three years of Mike Holmgren’s coaching tenure, but was assigned Seattle’s matchup last season at San Francisco, after Jim Mora had replaced Holmgren.

Hasselbeck said he spoke with Leavy during that game, but this week’s extended camp session has been much better in allowing things to be said and issues to be buried.

“It was probably a good thing that we talked,” Hasselbeck said. “Because I think just like Seahawk fans, I myself had to get to the point where I could kind of get past everything. And he’s a great guy and actually a really, really good official.”

But will the quarterback ever truly get over that game?

“I’m still a little upset about losing my high school state championship game,” Hasselbeck said. “There are just some games you’re never going to forget. Put it on the list.”

Notes: WR Isaiah Stanback tore his Achilles’ tendon during drills in Saturday afternoon’s practice, thus ending a hometown comeback bid this season by the former University of Washington quarterback. Stanback was waived/injured on Sunday. WR Mike Hass was re-signed in Stanback’s place. … LB Aaron Curry sat out of the team’s scrimmage at Husky Stadium on Sunday afternoon. He’s been sidelined eight straight days. … QB Matt Hasselbeck also sat the scrimmage portion of the practice after getting some early reps. Coach Pete Carroll said Hasselbeck had a sore hamstring but will be back at practice Tuesday after a day off Monday. … Others sitting out were DE Lawrence Jackson (hamstring), LB Lofa Tatupu (hamstring), TE John Carlson (oblique), WR Marcus Maxwell (unspecified) and LB Joe Pawelek (unspecified) also did not participate. … The scrimmage lasted 65 plays with QB Charlie Whitehurst running the first-team offense and QB J.P. Losman working with the second team.

– The Associated Press

PHOENIX — The Pac-10’s football coaches went on a look-at-us road show to the East Coast in July, hitting Times Square, ringing the opening bell at NASDAQ and visiting ESPN’s headquarters before landing back on the floor of the Rose Bowl for a media meet and greet.

Now it’s time to see if their teams can live up to the hype.

In what may be its final official year as the Pac-10 — next year’s addition of Utah and likely Colorado, too, will make 12 teams — the conference is as deep and talented as it’s been for quite some time. There may not be a legitimate national-title contender and Southern California has a two-year bowl ban because of the Reggie Bush fiasco, but the Pac-10 has eight or nine teams that can contend for the conference title.

“There is a lot of parity in this conference, there is no doubt about it,” California coach Jeff Tedford said. “Last year we had five teams with the same record. Very difficult to go through this conference unscathed. Very competitive. There is firepower on offense and a lot of great defenses.”

Oregon is the favorite, by a slight margin.

The Ducks are the defending conference champions after going 8-1 — 10-3 overall — and are coming off their first Rose Bowl since 1994. Oregon is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, has a no-huddle offense that makes defenders’ heads spin and is chock-full of confidence after knocking USC off the conference throne for the first time since 2001.

Still, it wasn’t a quiet offseason for the Ducks.

The big blow was the loss of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, who was dismissed from the team after a second run-in with the law. That leaves senior Nate Costa and sophomore Darron Thomas in a battle that will likely last until just before the season starts.

Running back LaMichael James, who set the Pac-10 freshman record with 1,546 yards rushing last season, was suspended for the season opener against New Mexico after an altercation with his ex-girlfriend that led to a guilty plea on a harassment charge. Two other players were dismissed from the team and two more were suspended for brushes with the law.

“We’re just moving forward, looking at a new season,” defensive tackle Brandon Bair said. “It’s just like we graduated the guys that are gone.”

USC made the Ducks’ offseason seem manageable.

The Trojans, coming off a lackluster 5-4 conference season, were rocked by the loss of coach Pete Carroll, who left for the Seattle Seahawks, then were hit with heavy sanctions that included a two-year bowl ban after the NCAA ruled Bush and basketball player O.J. Mayo received improper benefits.

The sanctions allowed players to transfer without having to take a year off and many did leave, leaving new coach Lane Kiffin with just 70 scholarship players — 15 below the NCAA’s limit — at the start of training camp.

“The only way we’re going to be able to express ourselves is to win 13 games,” tailback Allen Bradford said. “We know it’s going to be difficult this year.”

OREGON
Key players: QBs Nate Costa and Darron Thomas, RB LaMichael James, DE Kenny Rowe, MLB Casey Matthews. Returning starters: 9 offense, 8 defense.
Notes: Costa was slated to start two seasons ago before an injury and Thomas has drawn some comparisons to former Ducks QB Dennis Dixon, so the loss of Masoli might not slow Oregon’s potent offense much at all. … Had nine games of more than 200 yards rushing last season including 391 vs. USC. … Offensive line returns intact. … Rowe had 11½ sacks last season.

USC
Key players: QB Matt Barkley, WR Ronald Johnson, DT Jurrell Casey, MLB Chris Galippo. Returning starters: 5 offense, 6 defense.
Notes: Coach Lane Kiffin draws lots of attention for what he says and how he acts, but he was 7-6 in his only season at Tennessee, with close loses to Alabama and Florida. … Barkley started as a freshman and had an up and down season with 15 TD passes and 14 interceptions. … Trojans start season at Hawaii, which allowed them opportunity to play 13-game regular season.

ARIZONA
Key players: QB Nick Foles, RB Nic Grigsby, DE Ricky Elmore. Returning starters: 8 offense, 4 defense.
Notes: New QB coach Frank Scelfo tutored eventual first-round draft picks Patrick Ramsey and J.P. Losman at Tulane … Wildcats finished a solid season with a thud, getting beat 33-0 by Nebraska in Holiday Bowl. … Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, head coach Mike’s brother, left for Florida.

CALIFORNIA
Key players: RB Shane Vereen, LB Mike Mohamed, TE Anthony Miller. Returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense.
Notes: QB Kevin Riley has had a mixed career at Cal, but he’s a senior now and the Bears need him to find the consistency that has eluded him. … Vereen led team with 952 yards rushing last year filling in for first-round draft pick Jahvid Best. … New defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast was in NFL for last 15 years.

STANFORD
Key players: QB Andrew Luck, G David DeCastro, WR Chris Owusu, NT Sione Fua, LB Shayne Skov. Returning starters: 8 offense, 7 defense.
Notes: Luck, projected as a possible first-round draft pick, takes over the reins after Doak Walker Award winner Toby Gerhart moved on to the NFL. … Coach Jim Harbaugh has been mentioned as a possible candidate for NFL and big-name colleges but has so far stuck with Stanford. … The Cardinal are coming off their first bowl appearance since 2001.

WASHINGTON
Key players: QB Jake Locker, RB Chris Polk, WR Jermaine Kearse, LB Mason Foster, S Nate Williams. Returning starters: 9 offense, 6 defense.
Notes: An accurate drop-back passer, Locker is a Heisman Trophy front-runner and the likely No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft. … Polk became the first freshman in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards (1,113) and caught 25 passes. … The Huskies went from 0-12 in 2008 to 5-7 in their first season under Steve Sarkisian and expect to make another jump this season behind Locker.

OREGON STATE
Key players: RB Jacquizz Rodgers, WR James Rodgers, DT Stephen Paea, LB Dwight Roberson, CB James Dockery. Returning starters: 8 offense, 7 defense.
Notes: Jacquizz Rodgers was third in the nation with 21 rushing TDs, while his brother, James, led the Pac-10 with 179.1 all-purpose yards per game. … The Beavers must find a replacement for QB Sean Canfield, who graduated. Sophomore Ryan Katz will take the helm at quarterback. … Oregon State finished tied for second in the Pac-10 last season, just missing its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1965 with a loss to rival Oregon.

UCLA
Key players: QB Kevin Prince, WR Nelson Rosario, WR Taylor Embree, LB Akeem Ayers, S Rahim Moore, DE Datone Jones, K Kai Forbath. Returning starters: 7 offense, 5 defense.
Notes: The Bruins are making steady progress under coach Rick Neuheisel, winning seven games last season and four the year before, and have had two stellar recruiting classes. … Forbath has made 37 straight FGs inside 50 yards. … Moore led the NCAA with 10 INTs in 2009.

ARIZONA STATE
Key players: WR Kerry Taylor, WR Aaron Pflugrad, LB Vontaze Burfict, DT Lawrence Guy, K Thomas Weber. Returning starters: 3 offense, 4 defense.
Notes: Coach Dennis Erickson, who could be on the hot seat after two of the worst seasons in program history, has made big changes with the offense, bringing in new coordinator Noel Mazzone and switching to a no-huddle, four-wide set. … The QB battle between Michigan transfer Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler will likely last until just before the season starts.

WASHINGTON STATE
Key players: QB Jeff Tuel, DE Kevin Kooymanm, DE Travis Long, WR Jared Karstetter, LB Alex Hoffman-Ellis, P Reid Forrest. Returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense.
Notes: Any turnaround for the Cougars will have to start on defense. Washington State ranked last in total defense last season, allowing nearly 1,000 more yards than the next closest Pac-10 team. … Washington State has won just two games the past three seasons and coach Paul Wulff’s job could be in danger if there isn’t improvement this year. … Tuel won the starting job in a close battle with junior Marshall Lobbestael, who will still get snaps during the season.

— The Associated Press

Mike Tokito, The Oregonian

Bruce Ely/The OregonianNate McMillan has been at the Blazers’ helm for five seasons.

The day’s five most interesting stories, rumors and notes in the NBA:

1. The pinwheel turns: Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan is about to begin the final year of his contract, a dynamic that worked well for him previously. In 2004-05, he was in the final year of a contract with the Seattle SuperSonics (as were several key players) when he had maybe his best coaching season, taking that team to a 52-30 record, a Northwest Division title and a first-round playoff series win over Sacramento.

McMillan never did get a respect-confirming deal from the Sonics, and he shocked many by moving south to Portland.

This coming season could be another one of those turning points for McMillan, who on Tuesday introduced his new assistant coaches, Bernie Bickerstaff, Bob Ociepka and Buck Williams. The key quote came from Bickerstaff, McMillan’s first NBA coach and a guy with 36 years of NBA coaching and executive experience.

“What we’ve been telling Nate is, that this is a good basketball team,” Bickerstaff said. “I think the changes have to be really subtle in terms of what you do.”

Last summer, McMillan said he would not seek a long-term deal after his contract runs out, instead choosing to renew his deal one season at a time in the way Utah’s Jerry Sloan does. In essence, he would re-create the end-of-contract urgency that was so effective in Seattle every season.

McMillan has coached Portland for five seasons. Only four coaches have longer continuous tenures with an NBA team: Sloan (22 years), San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich (14), Boston’s Doc Rivers (6) and Denver’s George Karl (6).

Meanwhile, it appears McMillan’s sixth season probably won’t include Rudy Fernandez. Quick reports that the Blazers have accelerated talks to trade the Spanish guard. The Bulls, Celtics and Knicks apparently are in play.

What can the Blazers get in return? The Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson reports that Chicago has been shopping forward James Johnson. However, the Blazers apparently don’t have much interest in the 6-9, 245-pound forward, who averaged 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 65 appearances last season. The Sun-Times reports that the Blazers turned down the Bulls’ offer of Johnson for Fernandez.

In Boston, NESN.com’s Nick Coman writes that while Boston would have to give up a first-round draft pick to get Fernandez, he would be an upgrade for backup shooting guard Marquis Daniels.

Fernandez is set to make $1,246,680 for 2010-11, with a $2,180,443 team option for 2011-12, so it would be hard to get a quality player in return if he is traded alone.

2. NBA breaks out tamper-proof seal: If Blazers GM Rich Cho’s phone rings and the caller ID comes up “Leon Rose,” he might want to let it go to voice mail. On Tuesday, the NBA issued a warning to teams that they should not be in contact with Hornets point guard Chris Paul or his representatives, ESPN’s Marc Stein reports.

This after reports that Paul’s agent, Leon Rose, has been gauging the interest of teams in obtaining Paul via trade. They included the Blazers, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The league’s memo threatens harsh penalties for contact that breaks tampering rules:

“… suspension of the offending person, prohibition of the offending team from hiring the person being tampered with, forfeiture of draft picks and individual and/or team fines of up to $5 million.”

You figure that and the words of new Hornets GM Dell Demps would quiet Paul trade talk. But Paul, given a chance to definitively make a statement on the matter at his basketball camp at Tulane University, said he would let his Monday statement be his only words on it. “When it’s time (to talk about it), there will be a time, ” he told reporters. “But right now, we’re going to leave it like it is.”

APStan Van Gundy guided Orlando to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

3. Pardon the interruption, but … Turns out Stan Van Gundy was not only not fired by the Orlando Magic, he was given an extension. Both Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith received extensions through the 2012-13 season.

There was speculation, apparently fueled by ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, that Van Gundy might be sacked if the Magic didn’t reach the NBA Finals. They didn’t, losing to Boston 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, but unlike Cleveland’s Mike Brown, Van Gundy was not fired.

Smith was extended and given the title of president. He’s done a nice job of putting this team together, taking a huge gamble by giving free agent Rashard Lewis a six-year, $118 million contract and engineering a trade that brought Vince Carter, who took up some of the scoring slack created by the departure of Hedo Turkoglu.

Certainly, the Lewis and Carter acquisitions aren’t universally applauded, but Smith deserves credit for being bold and trying to surround center Dwight Howard with the talent for title runs. It would surprise nobody if the Magice make a strong run at Chris Paul in the future.

4. Lost in translation? Fernandez’s overseas interviews often cause more stir here than anything he tells local reporters. The Rockets surely know how that feels as their star center, Yao Ming, sometimes says stuff to Chinese media that raises eyebrows in Houston.

This week, Yao told the Chinese state media he might retire at the end of next season because of his surgically-repaired left foot. “If the foot injury does not heal next season, I might choose to call it quits,” he said.

The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen writes that Rockets GM Daryl Morey has seemed confident about Yao’s return, and Morey addressed the topic in a two-part post on Twitter:

“Yao Ming is working diligently on his return and has consistently received positive feedback at each of his scheduled medical checkups.

“He is currently participating in on-court basketball workouts & we continue to expect him to be ready for training camp which begins on 9/25“

5. The Union seal: You don’t often see a union official quoted in a Republican candidate’s commercial, but you also don’t often see a former NBA player running for governor. So there was Billy Hunter, president of the National Basketball Player’s  Association, praising Chris Dudley in a commercial that has been running on ESPN’s  local commercial block.

“The guy was always a hard worker,” Hunter says. “He was tenacious, dogged, highly respected.”

That was followed by an on-camera soundbite from Ron Klempner, a NBPA counsel who says, “He knew how to approach people … in order to bridge whatever differences that we had.”

What’s interesting is the careful wording. In the commercial’s graphic identifying Hunter and Klempner, the NBPA is called the “NBA Players Union,” but on Dudley’s campaign website, the word “union” is never used, with Dudley’s bio referring to him “representing the players association as the executive treasurer and participating on the negotiating committee.” A transcript of the ad on the site uses the words “NBA Players Association.”

But then, it’s a political website surely put together by political pros. That’s surely why, in Dudley’s bio, it says he played “six seasons with our Trailblazers.” You might forgive that typo in an out-of-town news story, but geez, who here doesn’t know it’s Trail Blazers?

– Mike Tokito
Follow him on Twitter

LeBron James wanted to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The only place that could happen was Miami.

Get ready, NBA: A superstar trio is born.

Ending weeks of silence and drama, the two-time MVP said on his ESPN special from Greenwich, Conn. on Thursday night that he’s decided to join the Miami Heat and leave the Cleveland Cavaliers after an unsuccessful seven-year quest for the championship he covets.

“I can’t say it was always in my plans, because I never thought it was possible,” James said. “But the things that the Miami Heat franchise have done, to free up cap space and be able to put themselves in a position this summer to have all three of us, it was hard to turn down. Those are two great players, two of the greatest players that we have in this game today.”

Olympic teammates in Beijing, James, Bosh and Wade all helped deliver gold medals.

This time, it’ll be about a gold trophy, the NBA championship one — the one Wade got in 2006, the one that James and Bosh have yet to touch.

“Winning is a huge thing for me,” James said.

It’s a huge victory for the Heat, who got commitments from Wade and Bosh on Wednesday. That duo, along with James, formed the upper echelon of the most-celebrated free-agent period in league history.

Heat president Pat Riley landed them all, a three-pack of stars to help shape his quest for a dynasty in Miami.

And for Cleveland, a city scorned for generations by some of sports’ biggest letdowns, James’ long-awaited words represented a defeat perhaps unlike any other.

James is gone. Home sweet home no more.

He said he made the decision Thursday morning and knows it won’t go over well in Ohio.

“They can have mixed emotions, of course,” James said, adding that Akron will “always be home for me.”

His new home — part-time or otherwise — wasted no time in beginning the celebration. Horns honked outside the arena and on Miami Beach, where Wade was watching the announcement with members of his inner circle.

“It’s going to be crazy,” Wade said.

James, Bosh and Wade entered the pros in the same year, the respective Nos. 1, 4 and 5 picks in the 2003 draft. They went their separate ways: James to Cleveland, Bosh to Toronto and Wade to Miami, where he won a championship partnered with center Shaquille O’Neal in 2006. That year, James, Bosh and Wade all signed matching contracts to make sure they were all unrestricted free agents at the same time.

Season-ticket sales for the Heat’s coming 41-game season were suspended Thursday afternoon after the entire supply of available seats were sold out. Not every seat has been released for sale yet and some will be held back for single-game purchases at the 19,600-capacity arena.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said while attending a tournament of high school stars at Cleveland State University, co-sponsored by James and Nike, one of the 25-year-old’s corporate partners.

Believe it.

The Cavaliers, a franchise that was in ruins before winning a lottery drawing and bringing James up Interstate 77 from his Akron home, have had the upper hand ? until now. They were able to offer him more money ? $30 million more ? than any other team.

This wasn’t about money, though.

Wade and Bosh both said they would take fewer dollars to make this happen. And that, combined with what Riley and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said to James on the recruiting tour, was enough to pull off the stunner.

Because they have overspent while trying to please James and win the first title by any of Cleveland’s three pro sports teams since 1964, the Cavs are strapped with a few big contracts that have eaten up salary-cap space and prevented them from making roster moves to improve the team.

They’ve come close to winning it all with James, who at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds has the quickness of a point guard and brute force of an NFL defensive lineman.

With the possible exception of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, James is the NBA’s premier player, but his legacy cannot be fulfilled until he wins a championship.

If it’s going to happen soon, it’ll happen in Miami.

A report from NFL.com raises a surprising potential next step in the career of former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.

Masoli, according to Gil Brandt, is expected to file to enter the NFL supplemental draft, which will be held July 15.

The news comes three weeks after the Ducks kicked him off the team after his second legal incident in six months. According to Sgt. Tom Borchers, Masoli was stopped by Springfield police on June 7 after exiting a driveway without stopping. Upon inspection, the officer cited Masoli for possesion of one ounce or less of marijuana and driving with a suspended license in addition to failure to stop.

Masoli has entered a non guilty plea in that case.

Although the traffic-stop charges are non-criminal and carry only fines if he is convicted, the Lane County district attorney continues to evalute whether they will affect the year-long probation Masoli began serving after in March to a second-degree burglary charge. That case, in which a felony was bargained down to a misdemeanor, stemmed from Masoli and former wide receiver Garrett Embry stealing laptop computers and other items from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house in Eugene on Jan. 24.

© 2010 OregonLive.com. All rights reserved.

By Paul Buker, The Oregonian

June 02, 2010, 2:07PM

WEDNESDAY, with OSU athletics:

Several media members took part in a teleconference call with athletic director Bob De Carolis this afternoon. Here are the highlights:

It has been a busy last few weeks for Bob De Carolis, who fired women’s coach LaVonda Wagner TuesdayOn the search for LaVonda Wagner’s replacement: asked who the finalists were the last time OSU was looking for a women’s basketball coach, De Carolis said, “not sure I want to divulge that information. I don’t know if we had a back-up plan (and if we did) I can’t remember who it was. But (right now) speed is of the utmost. We’ve asked for an accelerated search, which allows us 10 days to post (the job), and obviously, there’s some pretty genuine interest from a number of legitimate coaches and we feel good about that. Obviously, we (would) go back to a couple of the people we talked to in the previous search. The key is to move as quickly as possible, but to make sure we get the right person because it’s really for the long haul.’’

On OSU losing its greatest benefactor to athletics, Al Reser: I asked De Carolis about potential impact on OSU sports and he said that while Reser was a “transformative philanthropist to the institution, it wasn’t just Al on the athletic side, it was Al and the rest of his family. The Reser family is very strong in their history of supporting the university. We’ve got a great relationship with everybody in that family and we’ll continue to have that relationship and see where it goes. They’ve been very supportive of athletics and other parts of the university and I don’t see that changing. … but obviously, we miss Al tremendously.’’

Could the fact OSU owes Wagner $1.2 million because De Carolis fired her Tuesday “without cause’’ have a negative impact on efforts to build the basketball practice facility that men’s coach Craig Robinson deems so necessary to Pac-10 contention? “That’s a separate issue,’’ said De Carolis, repeating what he said Tuesday, that OSU could use some creative financing (a back-loaded contract) to pay for the new women’s coach. But above all else, the Wagner firing does not impact the school’s efforts to raise the $15 million necessary to built the basketball practice facility behind the Sports Performance Center.

Where does the school stand on the basketball practice facility? How quickly could this project happen?

De Carolis said “I don’t know if we have anybody to go with a leadership (donation) of 50 percent of the project.’’ He said more donors might have to get involved. He said that soon, he and Robinson and university president Ed Ray will be “going out and talking to people’’ about the project, which may have a lot to do with how long Robinson stays in Corvallis. … We asked De Carolis when this could be built in a best-case scenario and he said, “unless somebody drops $15 million on us’’ the earliest something could get started is “next summer.’’ And only then if the money is in place. He said the (money) commitment would have to be in hand, not necessarily all of the cash. “The tail wagging the dog is the fund-raising piece,’’ said De Carolis.

We told De Carolis he’s getting killed in cyberspace for firing Wagner “without cause’’ and creating a situation where OSU might be required to pay Wagner the remaining $1.2 million of her contract. I told him there seemed to be strong evidence – at least from what has been printed – that the school could have fired Wagner “with cause.’’

“I don’t know that I can believe everything in print, no disrespect to you guys,’’ said De Carolis. “As I mentioned yesterday, there is a number of issues for the employment side (in the state of Oregon) that makes it very complicated to go down the “for cause’’ route. This wasn’t my decision alone. It was made in consultation with the university leadership, with legal counsel, human resources. There were a number of people that batted these things around and at the end of the day, for a lot of reasons, it was determined that while (this way) is expensive, other options could potentially be way more expensive. This was the best route to go.’’

What kind of reaction to what happened with Wagner is De Carolis getting in his office?

“To be honest, I’ve maybe gotten one or two emails. That’s it. Sure, there’s a sentiment out there that this should have been done a long time ago. It’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback now that we know all of this stuff and why didn’t we know it before. And there’s another group out there wondering, ‘Why are you paying her?’ It’s not easy, it’s always pretty complicated, and we’re just trying to do what we think is in the best interests of the university at this point in time.’’

Is it fair to say that De Carolis got more feedback on golfcart-gate than he did the firing of the school’s women’s basketball coach? “I didn’t really get any e-mails on the overturned cart. I don’t read blogs anymore, and I really don’t read many of the papers anymore. … sorry for not supporting you guys.’’

On the rash of athlete misbehavior at Oregon State of late, ranging from minor in possession charges to hijacking an athletic department golf cart, to boating DUI, to Pac-10 wrestling champion Colby Covington’s recent citation for fourth-degree assault. Did De Carolis have any flashbacks to the fractious time in 2004-05?

“You know, as we say all the time, you’ve got 500 young adults running around out there and sooner or later the odds are something’s going to happen. … people make mistakes. Things happen. You hate to say it this way, that it’s just your turn for bad stuff to happen. You can go however long, and nothing happens and all of a sudden a rash of things happen. I’m not trying to pooh-pooh what went on but thank God it was not (more) serious than what transpired.’’

Notes: De Carolis said that when BASF donations are figured in, OSU’s deficit – which has been reported several times of late at $5.9 million – is actually $4 million. … He said the aim is to keep it no higher than $4 million as OSU waits for the new Pac-10 TV contract to kick in. … De Carolis said, “We’re always concerned about the budget” and he mentioned “treading water” until the new TV contract (which is expected to bump up OSU’s take) comes into play. … He said football season tickets sales (with the new structuring) are going well. … On possible Pac-10 expansion, De Carolis said, “if expansion means a significant increase in revenue, I mean significant over and above staying at status quo, then I think we should be looking at it.”