Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant suffered a nasal fracture during the Western Conference’s 152-149 win over the East on Sunday night, the team announced on its website.

Bryant was bloodied by a hard foul from Miami’s Dwyane Wade and stayed in the game, but he left to be evaluated afterward. A CT scan revealed a broken nose.

He was expected to be examined and re-evaluated by ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. John Rehm on Monday when he returns to Los Angeles. He didn’t attend the postgame media session Sunday.

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The NBA announced their 2012 All-Star Starters on Thursday.

Blake Griffin, Andrew Bynum

For the Eastern Conference, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony were the leading vote-getters.

In the Western Conference, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul are joined by Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Andrew Bynum.

Griffin and Bynum each will be starting in their first All-Star Game.

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Chris Paul

According to a person familiar with the negotiations, the owners and players met initially at about 2 p.m. ET and broke up to discuss the situation privately among themselves.

The players were furious at seeing first hand the owners’ offer of 46 percent of basketball-related income (BRI), down from their previous level of 57 percent, were unanimous about what to do.

“Let’s go,” one of the players said, according to a source. “There’s no reason to go back in there.” The players decided to return to the bargaining room with a much smaller group.

Among those joining Derek Fisher for the second session were LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Baron Davis and committee member Chris Paul. None of the players joining Fisher sat down during this portion of the talks, a person with knowledge of the meetings said.

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Dwyane Wade sees the Knicks as a growing threat in the Eastern Conference and believes they may be one key player away from becoming a serious contender.

Dwyane Wade

“Every team over the years that has been successful has had three guys averaging at least 15 points or more,” Wade told The Daily News on Thursday. “They need a third guy but he doesn’t have to be the same caliber of Carmelo (Anthony) and Amar’e (Stoudemire).”

“They don’t need a superstar to be successful,” Wade added. “Teams have won without three superstars. They have two great players. They just need to continue to add pieces. What they need is other player that is consistent…but I don’t want to give them the recipe.”

HoopsWorld

More news is expected this week on NBA players signing deals to play overseas during the lockout, including what one source described Monday as “half a dozen All-Stars.”

Kobe Bryant

Several deals are expected to go down in China, though the kind of money needed to lure the biggest stars is not there unless it is Kobe Bryant, said a person familiar with ongoing negotiations among NBA agents and Chinese basketball authorities.

For example, Dwyane Wade — who joined Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul on a recent Jordan Brand tour of China — is not expected to be one of the top-shelf NBA players getting paid in China because “no one is going to pay him the kind of money he wants.”

HoopsWorld

Shaquille O’Neal’s debut as a full-fledged NBA analyst had him raving about LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. As for Chris Bosh? Apparently, Shaq’s not a big fan of his work.

Shaquille O'Neal

During NBA TV’s show Tuesday to announce the league’s schedule for the 2011-12 season — one jeopardized by a lockout — O’Neal referred to the Heat as having a “Big 2.” Since Bosh, Wade and James teamed up in Miami, they’ve been called the “Big 3″ in many circles.

“The Miami Heat, they’ve got a lot of great players, the `Big 2.’ They will be back,” O’Neal said from Louisiana during the broadcast, when discussing the NBA finals and how Dallas was able to beat Miami for the title. “LeBron James is taking a lot of criticism, but I know LeBron very well. He hears everything that everyone is saying, so I think he’s going to come back and have an MVP year this year.”

ESPN.com

Take a special look at Game 6 of the 2011 NBA Finals as the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Miami Heat to win their first NBA Championship in franchise history.

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Wade, Bosh, James

Speaking to fellow game commentators Mike Breen and Mark Jackson on ABC, Jeff Van Gundy questioned the cohesion of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and wondered if it will work in the future.

If the two superstars can not figure out how to complement each other he better, Van Gundy suggested the Heat explore alternatives.

Said Van Gundy: “I think that Wade and James, going forward, they have to evaluate: Is that the best compliment they could be? Or should they make a play for Dwight Howard using one of those two guys, to get a more balanced team? That’s for the offseason.”

Real GM

Check out the Mini Movie from Game 5 as the Dallas Mavericks take a 3-2 lead over the Heat and head back to Miami.

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Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki impressed just about everyone with his Game 4 performance, scoring the game-deciding basket and 21 points and 11 rebounds to even the series, 2-2.

Among those apparently left unimpressed? Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

In a video shot by CBS Dallas, Wade and James are shown heading for the team bus after shootaround, laughing and covering their mouths with their shirts, as if to protect themselves from being sick.

Wade turns to James and says, “Did y’all hear me cough? Do you think I’m sick?”

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