NBA notebook: Thunder's Kendrick Perkins has wrist surgery
BY Associated Press
Friday, July 20, 2012
7/20/12 at 5:24 AM
Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins had surgery for a ligament tear in his left wrist on Thursday.
Perkins was injured in the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs and played through the injury as the Thunder lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. The nine-year veteran is expected to be ready for next season.
Perkins had surgery on his right groin last week. He partially tore the groin in Game 4 of the first-round sweep of Dallas, although Oklahoma City withheld the extent of his injury until after the season. At the time, the Thunder only called it a strained hip muscle.
Lin lands in Houston: Jeremy Lin figured he would be having this kind of news conference in New York.
Instead, he was talking about his new deal with the Houston Rockets on Thursday on the same practice court where he worked in virtual anonymity seven months ago before he was waived.
Lin said he expected - and even preferred - to be re-signed by the Knicks after he electrified the city last season before he was sidelined by a knee injury. The point guard says he wouldn't have signed the Rockets' three-year, $25 million offer sheet "if I wasn't excited about the possibility of playing here as well."
Lin says the Rockets made a compelling pitch. And he says he's "texted back and forth" with former Rockets All-Star Yao Ming.
Mavericks announce signing of Mayo: The Dallas Mavericks announced the signing of O.J. Mayo three days after the free agent shooting guard posted a message on his Twitter account that he was joining the team.
In a statement, the Mavericks said they weren't disclosing the terms of the deal.
Mayo averaged 15.2 points in 301 games over the past four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. He was the third overall pick in the 2008 draft by Minnesota, which then traded him to Memphis in a seven-player deal.
Rodman finally meets father: Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has finally met his estranged father after 42 years of separation, following an exhibition game in the Philippines.
Philander Rodman Jr., who has acknowledged fathering 29 children by 16 mothers, says he was happy and surprised that his son agreed to meet him late Wednesday. He tried to meet the basketball Hall of Famer during another game in Manila in 2006.
"It was great," he said Thursday of the first time he held his son's hands since they last met in December 1969. "I've been trying to meet him for years. And then last night, boom, I met him. I was really, really happy and very surprised."
The NBA "Alumni" team, which also included Scott Pippen, Horace Grant, and Mitch Richmond, played against former top professional Philippine Basketball Association players in the All-Star Challenge. The Alumni won.
Philander, who has been living in the Philippines for nearly 50 years, said he wanted to explain to his son that he didn't abandon his family in the United States, but they only had time for greetings and handshakes.
He said his son did not even want to talk about him six years ago, but he was encouraged to try again to meet him after Tuesday's press conference where the former Pistons and Bulls star invited him to watch Wednesday's game.
"I don't hate the guy that brought me into this world," Dennis Rodman told reporters. "The fact is, if I saw him, I'll just tell him, 'You know, you're a friend of mine.' "
