Obama Wants Some Hoops in the White House President-elect Barack Obama says it’s time to get some hoops in the White House. He said he’s got no need for a bowling alley, but basketball is a whole different story. During his years as a student at Hawaii’s Punahou High School, he was a reserve player on the squad. Former all-star NBA shooting guard Reggie Miller said that if Obama does rip out the lanes and replace it with some hardwood, he’d like to get in on a game or two. “I would love to be the first to go there and play,” said Miller, who has an NBA all-time record of 2,560 three-pointers with the Indiana Pacers. Miller, 43, is now an NBA analyst for TNT. “I have never met [Obama] personally, but from afar, obviously, I admire the man and the courage and the strength, the wisdom. I respect how much of a family man he is,” Miller said.

Bryant’s knee won’t sideline him. A knee injury that Kobe Bryant suffered in a Tuesday pre-season game doesn’t appear to be serious. Bryant’s right knee was still sore after he banged it against teammate Josh Powell’s while chasing a rebound in the contest with Charlotte. But on Wednesday, the star told the Associated Press that he’s OK: “I’m all right, a little bit better today, a better mood, anyway.” Bryant wore an ice bag and sat out from practice, however, he doesn’t expect to miss any game time.

New Orleans Saints star rusher Reggie Bush is likely to miss three to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery following an injury to his left meniscus. Bush suffered the injury in Sunday’s 30-7 loss to Carolina while returning a punt. The player had 55 yards on nine carries and caught a five-yard pass before leaving the game. Bush had already missed a practice due to swelling in the same knee, but the Saints then said the ailment was not serious. His surgery kept him from taking a trip to London to celebrate his boo Kim Kardashian’s 28^th birthday.

Mixed martial arts company will file for bankruptcy. Barely two weeks after his 14-second loss to a virtually unknown fighter, Kimbo Slice and others in the EliteXC fighting league will have to find a new competitive home. The mixed martial arts organization that helped propel Slice to fame from his prior days as a bouncer and street fighter is shutting down its operations. Parent company ProElite, Inc. reportedly plans to file for bankruptcy protection. A November title fight has been cancelled. Slice’s shocking knockout loss to Seth Petruzelli remains under investigation by the Florida State Athletic Commission after Petruzelli publicly commented about monetary compensation that he may have been offered to employ a certain fighting style versus Slice. Petruzelli’s comments suggested that he received a cash incentive outside of his contract.

NBA player is latest athlete to face housing market struggle

Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson is offering a $1 million break on his Villanova, Pa., home. The 14,000-square-footer has six bedrooms, his-and-hers marble bathrooms, a 12-seat movie theater, pool house and four-acres of land. But after at least a year on the market, Iverson and his wife, who bought the house together in 2003, have generated little interest. The price is down to $3.9 million. So get out those checkbooks.

Coach says Ed Johnson won’t play this week, following incident

Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy (above) says the Colts’ Ed Johnson won’t suit-up this week following Johnson’s drug arrest early Wednesday. Cops say Johnson was pulled over for speeding in Indianapolis about 1 a.m. and was later charged with marijuana possession. The lineman was released on bond from the Hamilton County Jail. Team management says the incident will be further investigated to determine if any action is taken. The NFL says the matter will also be reviewed under the league’s substance abuse policy.

Puncher hit with claim of contract violation. At this rate, Floyd “Money” Mayweather could wind up known as Floyd “Need A Loan” Mayweather. First, he had $7 million in jewels stolen from his house and now he’s the target of a lawsuit. A Florida real estate dealer says the boxing standout wiggled away from an $8 million property purchase after signing a contract stating that his company put $1.7 million into escrow toward the buy. But the developer claims Mayweather never properly established the account before trying to move into the spot. Mayweather’s being sued for damages and costs associated with the seller’s having taken the property off the market.

Gary Sheffield belts league benchmark

The Tigers’ Gary Sheffield has hit the Major Leagues’ 250,000th home run. The score, which totaled the number of homers by all players since the establishment of the pros, occurred during a Monday Detroit win against the Athletics. Sheffield’s grand slam, his second homer of the game, also leaves him just four shy of 500 career home runs. Starting with the National League, the first homer recorded occurred on May 2, 1876.

Golfer wins water war with 129,000 gallons per month

How huge would a crib have to be to use 129,000 gallons of water a month? Tiger Woods knows. The Orlando Sentinel reports that while an average home uses 10,000 gallons monthly, Woods’ house on Jupiter Island near Palm Beach soaks up over 10 times the norm. Fellow Floridian athletes Grant Hill and Dwight Howard put out eye-popping numbers, too: Hill reportedly used 263,000 gallons in May alone, Howard, 189,000 gallons in July. Sounds like plenty of pool parties or lots of toilet flushing – or maybe both.

Golden State’s Monta Ellis said to have misled team. A high ankle sprain that will leave Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis sidelined for at least three months didn’t occur in the way he claimed, a report says. The Contra Costa Times states that the six-year, $66 million contract-holder was injured “outdoors and not while playing basketball,” as he’d explained. Ellis told the Warriors that he hurt himself while playing pick-up hoops in his native Jackson, Miss. The paper, however, doesn’t report what the true source of the injury turned out to be. Warriors management has spoken to him about the incident. Ellis had recently signed a contract extension. He suffered a torn deltoid ligament, rare in basketball injuries

League rule says no to Ocho Cinco. The NFL star formerly known as Chad Johnson’s legal name change hasn’t brought him the privilege of wearing his new moniker on a Cincinnati Bengals jersey. He may be formally known as Chad Ocho Cinco, but the league says that, until Johnson squares up with the sportswear company responsible for NFL fashions, his nameplate will read “C. Johnson.” “He has a financial obligation to Reebok, which produces the jerseys available to fans,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells AP. “That has to be resolved before the on-field jersey can be changed.” “Ocho Cinco” represents Johnson’s nickname and translates in Spanish to his jersey No. 85 – which will be pretty redundant when it does show up under the new legal name.

Don’t be like Mike, says anti-smoking organization.

Basketball great Michael Jordan is taking heat from the American Cancer Society after photos of the retired superstar smoking a cigar were published. Jordan participated in a Labor Day softball event this week, where he swung the bat, ran bases and played the field – all while toking away. “When high-profile athletes publicly display unhealthful habits, they can mislead young people to emulate their behavior,” says American Cancer Society spokesman Cary Peasant. More than 12 million premature deaths since 1964 have been smoking-related, Peasant says.

Golf star announces coming of second child. Tiger Woods has announced that, while he’s not playing golf during his recovery from knee surgery, he’s celebrating at home. Woods reports via his Web site that his wife Elin is pregnant with the couple’s second child. “Elin is feeling great and we are both thrilled,” he says.

Pro sports agent is suspended for a year

The NBA Player’s Association’s disciplinary committee has suspended a sports agent for one year. Calvin Andrews faces the punishment in connection with unspecified improprieties for recruiting former USC baller O.J. Mayo. Mayo has been the subject of media attention connected with alleged violations he may have committed while playing hoops at the Cali college.

USA men’s and women’s basketball teams come out on top
Both USA basketball teams are gold medal winners following the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lisa Leslie became the first basketball player to earn four golds as the women beat Australia this past weekend. Meanwhile, LeBron James backed up his promise of a gold for the men – and likely shed his embarrassing nickname from past Olympics competition, “LeBronze.” The men defeated defending champion Spain. The 2012 Olympics are set to take place in London.

Devean George to remain with Mavs. After briefly making himself unpopular last season, small forward Devean George will make Dallas his NBA home for two more years. George has agreed to a $4 million extension with the team after he refused to be included in a February trade to bring Jason Kidd from New Jersey to the Mavs. The deal was re-worked, but cost team owner Mark Cuban an additional $11 million. George, 30, cited a little-known NBA rule that let him stay in Dallas because of his, at the time, one-year contract. Fan resentment toward him eventually subsided. George won a championship ring with the Lakers in each of his first three years as a pro.

Umpires want re-vote on replay. Major League Baseball and the World Umpires Association aren’t seeing eye to eye – possibly the problem to begin with – on instant replay. Already, replay monitoring equipment is being installed away from the field in nearly every major ballpark, but umps say the league wants to limit the number of officials who can review monitors. The Umpires Association voted this week to boycott a conference call with league administrators. But the administrators say they canceled the call because the union doesn’t have an agreement to discuss the policy. “A lot of the procedural issues necessary for instant replay to be implemented need to be worked out,” World Umpires Association spokesman Lamell McMorris says. “Major League Baseball needs to step up to the plate and iron out these issues.”

Troubled Bengal is close to return

Despite a four-game suspension and five arrests in three years, the Cincinnati Bengals are close to signing a deal that would reunite them with wide receiver Chris Henry. Why the sudden interest in Henry? For answers, go to Playa Hater.

USA enters hoops quarter-finals Wednesday. The USA men’s basketball squad begins its final chase for gold medals tomorrow at the Beijing Olympics. Having beaten Germany this week, the American “Redeem Team” takes on Australia. Quarter-finals begin the determination of which remaining teams will receive bronze, silver or gold medals in the elimination match-ups. Team member LeBron James, who scored 18 points in the win over Germany, has guaranteed a gold for the USA.

Shawn Kemp to ball overseas. Former NBA scoring threat Shawn Kemp has announced that he’ll play in Italy beginning in November. “I am happy that a player that has made basketball history would come to Montegranaro,” says coach Alessandro Finelli, of team Pemiata Montegranaro. Kemp, 38, played most of his NBA career with Seattle , averaging 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds over 14 total seasons. He last played in the NBA in 2003