Could Shaquille O’Neal be posturing himself for another run in the City of Angeles?  Well, Ira Winderman of NBC Sports quotes an NBA insider who says that the Los Angeles Laker-turned-Phoenix Sun has been saying extra nice things about his former teammate, Kobe Bryant, and ex-coach, Phil Jackson, because he’s trying to wheedle his way back to L.A. “Of course he loves Kobe and Phil now,” an executive with another team said after watching replay after replay of Shaq’s L.A.-bound bouquets. “He’s trying to get back to the Lakers.”

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.

Steve & Barry’s to pay Venus Williams $250,000. Venus Williams will get $250,000 from the bankrupt Steve & Barry’s LLC apparel chain under terms of her clothing line contract. Williams’ Eleven designs were licensed with Steve & Barry’s, but the company hopes to sell itself at an auction this month. A bankruptcy court has determined that the corporation can pay Williams who’s expected to wear the apparel while competing in the Olympics, just as she wore the designs while winning her recent Wimbledon title. Judge Allan Gropper determined the settlement. NBA player Ben Wallace is also owed cash by the company.

Joint NFL practice results in scrap between players.

Titans, Rams have pre-season skirmish. Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams players are starting their rivalry in the pre-season. The teams had a scrap Wednesday during a joint practice after Rams receiver Reche Caldwell reportedly grabbed cornerback Cortland Finnegan and threw him to the ground. The teams have a history of tense, joint practices dating back to 2000. Two more plays during the practice found Rams and Titans lashing out at each other on the St. Louis field. But receiver Torry Holt calls it a healthy sign: “After a while, it kind of got excessive as far as the banging and guys trying us. We needed that. That’s something we’re trying to build on is…our mental toughness.” No one was hurt in the skirmishes.

Celtics will face Lakers on ABC. The NBA has announced its highly rated Christmas Day game schedule. Of five contests, the highlight ABC broadcast will be a rematch between the defending champ Boston Celtics and the team they defeated for the title in June, Los Angeles. The Lakers will try and redeem themselves for the beating they took against Boston in one of the most traditionally fierce championship rivalries. Maybe Kobe can play well enough to keep Shaq from performing another freestyle.

Boston wins its 17th NBA championship by defeating Kobe’s L.A.
The Boston Celtics destroyed the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to capture their league-high 17th NBA championship. Why did the Lakers fail to show up? Playa Hater has the blow by blow.