Michael Dickerson emerged from a Rhodes College locker room dressed in athletic gear and wearing optimism like a bulletproof vest.

The man (James Posey) who would replace him in the Grizzlies starting backcourt walked just a few paces behind. The injury (sports hernia) that's interrupted Dickerson's career for two seasons suddenly has created strong speculation that he will soon retire.

Just thinking about either notion brought a sense of amusement to Dickerson as he reached the sidewalk, determined and admittedly in pain.

"I haven't discussed retiring with anyone. That's news to me," Dickerson said. "This is what I love doing, and I have no intent of retiring. They're basically going to have to tell me, 'OK, this is what we're going to do. See ya.' But I'm not going to give up. That's not in me. I'm going to fight."

Chris Owens's NBA career always seemed to hinge on past accomplishments and a reconstructed knee.

But neither proved strong enough as the Grizzlies waived the forward Wednesday, trimming their roster to 17 players.

NBA teams can employ just 15 players when the regular season begins late next month. Training camp tips off on Saturday with young players (less-than-four-years experience) reporting. Grizzly veterans report on Monday.

The Griz traded for Owens's draft rights in 2002 after Milwaukee made him the 48th pick overall (second round). He was taken despite surgery on Jan. 29, 2002, to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

Owens, 6-7, 245 pounds, underwent a lengthy rehabilitation process, and was able to appear in just one game his rookie season. In summer league play, Owens played sparingly in six of nine games.

The emergence of forward Theron Smith made expendable Owens and the recently departed Mike Batiste.

Griz president Jerry West said releasing Owens before camp allows him to pursue other opportunities.

"Chris has worked hard in the past year-and-a-half to rehabilitate his knee and he's been a real professional on the team," West said. "However, it appears that he cannot reach his full potential at this time when our current roster has a number of very good players at the forward position."

At least a half dozen teams will have begun training camp by Saturday so it's not too soon to wonder about the 2003-04 NBA season.

Does Kobe Bryant need to spend the next seven months playing or praying?

The Sonics haven't had a decent center since Jack Sikma. What took him so long to join the club as a coach and commit to helping those stiffs?

Should we be surprised that owner Bob Johnson is winning over the Charlotte market?

Did the Grizzlies get better than Golden State, Seattle and Houston?

Speaking of getting better, just who will lead these Grizzlies?

Did the Lakers or Timberwolves (see: T-wolves) have the better offseason?

How is it that Milwaukee got rid of Ray Allen, Sam Cassell and Glenn Robinson, and held on to Anthony Mason?

Sources reveal Memphis is desperately trying to obtain a center, namely Hawk Nazr Mohammad ($5M/$5.2M/$5.9M), after failing to pry away Erick Dampier from the Warriors. With the exception of Mike Miller (about to be rewarded with a plush contract) and James Posey, the Grizzlies would be happy to give up any of their many small forwards/off guards - Wesley Person or Shane Battier, for instance. Look for Michael Dickerson to announce his retirement due to medical reasons.

In exactly a year this week the Grizzlies will introduce their most significant acquisition ever.

When the FedExForum is ready to play, it'll stand 144 feet with the capability to electrify basketball crowds nearing 19,000. Some already prefer to call the new downtown arena by its nickname: The Forum. For the foreseeable future, however, the building could also be dubbed, The Franchise.

Nothing - and no one - is bigger than this for the once downtrodden, now eternally hopeful Grizzlies.

To borrow from the team's past two marketing slogans, expectations surrounding FedExForum are Big Time and heard 'Round Town.

Sans a superstar player and the threat of compiling victories to extend their season beyond April, the Grizzlies are counting on FedExForum to perform masterfully from the moment its doors open.

FedExForums's ability to enhance attendance, marketing, profit volumes and entice free agents are vital to the Grizzlies' future success.

"This arena is going to have a ripple effect throughout the team and the city," Griz majority owner Michael Heisley said. "It's going to motivate the players. It's going to help sell tickets. Our whole business side is totally dominated by the arena. This is the biggest thing we've got going for us except for putting a winning team on the floor."

A resilient Spanish team, led by NBA star Pau Gasol and 2002 Washington Wizards draft choice Juan Carlos Navarro, put defending champion Serbia and Montenegro on the brink of elimination in the European basketball championships today with a 75-67 defeat.

Only a year ago, Serbia and Montenegro -- then known as Yugoslavia -- was the newly crowned world champion after a stirring run in Indianapolis. The winner of three of the last four Euro championships, it has lost two of three games in this tournament and must defeat a solid Turkish team Monday night in an elimination game or head back to Belgrade an embarrassed bunch as the eight quarterfinalists vie for a spot in the Sept. 14 championship game.

Gasol, of the Memphis Grizzlies, finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Navarro, a star with European club champion Barcelona, scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half.

As difficult as it is to believe, there was a time when the Los Angeles Lakers were nothing more than a bunch of scrubs.

Not that they lacked talent in the 1960s.

The Lakers just didn't have a fraction of their now-rampant appeal after moving to Hollywood from Minneapolis. Los Angeles simply viewed pro football and baseball - particularly the Rams and Dodgers - as the Gucci of the city's sports fabric.

"We were like stepchildren," Laker legend Jerry West said. "A minor sport."

Of course, West now serves as president of the NBA's modern-day stepchildren (the Grizzlies). Broadcaster Marv Albert acknowledged West's title last Friday while introducing him as a presenter at basketball's Hall of Fame ceremony.

West was called upon for a posthumous induction of legendary Lakers announcer Francis 'Chick' Hearn, who died on Aug. 5, 2002, at age 85.

Marge Hearn, his widow, insisted Chick would have tabbed West.

The honor, as West put it, made him more nervous than his 1980 Hall induction.

"I don't think were that far off, "West said." But until you get the deal done, it's not there. I'd like to have every thing done before the season starts, including getting a (center). "

Miller and Stromile Swift are both seeking contracts, although the Grizzlies' approach to Swift seems less urgent. No matter what happens both players are under contract for the coming season because the Magic and Grizzlies picked up fourth-year options for each player before the 2002-03 campaign.

"I'm optimistic that it will get done," Miller said." Jerry traded for me for a reason. He's always been a guy who's treated his players fairly. My agent (Arn Tellem ) and him are pretty close, and they'll get things taken care of.

" But I don't want my contract to have anything to do with how this season goes. If I have to play it out, I have to play it out. I'm going to continue to work and be the best player possible for this franchise. I hope to be a Memphis Grizzly for a long time. "

Mike Miller was asked to just show up, represent the Griz zlies and surprise people.

Fitting, albeit for a television commercial filmed Thursday morning.

But someone really must have read Miller's mind.

The idea behind the Grizzlies'latest marketing campaign correlates with their starting small forward's intention this season.

Miller no longer is troubled by back pain and wants to execute his version of Shock and Awe .

"My body's healthy," Miller said." I feel good and I'm excited about starting this season. We can surprise some people."

Training camp is nearly a month away yet Miller works out twice, sometimes three times daily. He's spent the better part of the past month pounding the court with teammate Shane Battier at Rhodes College.

"And nothing (bad has) happened," Miller said, referring to his back. "I just needed to rest it."

The Memphis Grizzlies have leased about a third of their 59 luxury suites at FedExForum .

"In rough terms we have 20 in the books and another 10, 15 in the works, " Mike Golub, senior vice president of business operations, said Thursday. "To have 20 solid ones now, a month into (the sales campaign), we're really pleased."

The suites are located on two levels of the $250 million arena, which is scheduled to open for the 2004-2005 NBA season. Prices range from $99,000 to $225,000 per year, with minimum leases run ning from five to 10 years.

The 11 most expensive suites - including FedEx's double suite - have been leased. The single "courtside suites" lease for $225,000 an nually with minimum 10-year contracts.

"It's a big nut, but those went first," Golub said. "It's a real encouraging sign."

The Grizzlies expect the suite sales campaign, which began in late July ,to continue into 2004,with the last 10 to 15 suites being "the big chal lenge," Golub said. That's be cause the most desirable suites will have been sold, and the largest corporations likely will have made their purchases.