Shaquille O'Neal has written an autobiography, set for release in November and some of it has been excerpted.

"He was so young and so immature in some ways, but I can tell you this: everything Kobe is doing now, he told me all the way back then he was going to do it," writes O'Neal. "We were sitting on the bus once and he told me, "I'm going to be the number one scorer for the Lakers, I'm going to win five or six championships, and I'm going to be the best player in the game." I was like, "Okay, whatever." Then he looked me right in the eye and said, "I'm going to be the Will Smith of the NBA."

The Lakers were scheduled to play the Raptors on December 13th at Staples Center, but the NBA has allowed the venue to vacate its commitment to schedule an extra date of the Jay-Z and Kanye West tour.

According to a statement from the NBA: “With the cancellation of the first two weeks of the season, the NBA schedule would have to be reworked and certain dates — including Dec. 13 for a Lakers game at Staples Center — would not be part of any revised schedule.”

The NBA did the same thing to accomodate an extra show for Jay-Z and Kanye at United Center.

Phil Jackson stopped by the officies of the Lakers last week to visit his girlfriend Jeanie Buss and paid Mike Brown a courtesy visit while there.

“We just talked shop about some of the guys on the team,” Brown said of his 15-minute conversation with Jackson. “But we talked more about what he’s got going right now, and where each one of us is living, and where he still has a place and all that other stuff. We talked about that more than really getting into talking about basketball.”

Jackson has won 11 World Championships, with five of them coming as head coach of the Lakers.

“In no way, shape or form am I trying to be Phil Jackson,” Brown said. “I understand that. I’m pretty secure in who I am. I welcome him stopping by any time he wants.”

Brown will largely use an offense that he derived from what the Spurs ran with Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

“There will be some aspects of the triangle that we will use,” Brown said. “Mid-post action and stuff like that. More than anything we’re going to play four out, one in, with a strong corner look.

“[Defensively], you’re going to the screen a little bit more. You’re forcing the action a little bit more. Your job as a big will begin and end rather quickly when it comes to guarding the basketball.”

Billy Hunter mentioned by name four owners who he believes are ready to make a deal, making the argument that the NBA is less united than they have appeared.

Jerry Buss of the Lakers, James Dolan of the Knicks, Mark Cuban of the Mavericks and Micky Arison of the Heat are, according to Hunter, ready to make a deal.

“They want a deal,” Hunter said of those four owners. “A group of owners from small markets are dug in, and they are carrying the day. The guys who are anxious to cut a deal don’t have the votes.”

Darvin Ham is expected to soon be named an assistant coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, according to sources.

Ham was head coach of New Mexico Thunderbirds of the D-League last season.

Several of the NBA's biggest stars are planning an overseas world tour.

From October 30th to November 9th, players will tour Puerto Rico, London, Macau and Australia.

Players will be paid up to $1 million and some of the money will also go to charity.

Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Blake Griffin, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Amar'e Stoudemire, Chris Paul and Carlos Boozer are expected to appear.

Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett may also appear in the tour.

If the NBA is able to reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, then the tour will be canceled.

Jerry West was hospitalized for exhaustion following the acquisition of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal as general manager of the Lakers in 1996.

"It got very discouraging — there were so many obstacles along the way, it was a long, drawn-out thing — but [Lakers owner] Jerry Buss said, 'Let's keep going.' It was easier then, because there weren't a lot of people around [in the front office]. It became a quest. We felt it was important to rejuvenate our franchise."

Last October, David Stern spoke openly about the benefit the NBA was about to receive from the formation of a Miami Heat team featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

"My guess," he said during a preseason media session, "is that the Heat is not going to play to too many empty seats on the road, as people want to see this team. We have had other sort of super teams -- they're called the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs. In different ages, we've had Hall of Famers that come together and teams have gathered them.

"I think that team has generated spectacular interest, and all in all it's been very good for the NBA."

During the 2011 NBA Finals, however, Stern was asked if Miami's Big 3 will be able to stay together under a new collective bargaining agreement.

"We've tried to make it more attractive for players to stay with their current team. That trend will continue if not be enhanced."

Now, the NBA is pushing for a harder salary cap, which will force teams to relinquish some of their core players.

"That's what caps do," Stern said, "they move players around and distribute players a little more equally."

Stern admitted during a recent interview that the reduction of Bird Rights, the increase of the luxury tax, the hardening of the cap can only do so much to sway player preference.

"There are natural advantages to certain cities," he said. "Some people like lakes, and you can go to cities with lakes. Some people like the ocean and you can go to South Beach. But there is an increasing sense that 'glamorous' cities have an edge and I guess it's always been that way."

Pau Gasol told reporters that playing in Spain would be his "best option" if the NBA is unable to resolve their current lockout.

Gasol had declined exploring signing overseas because he wanted to focus on EuroBasket. He is currently practicing with FC Barcelona.

Kobe Bryant said on Tuesday that his potential deal with Virtus Bologna remains "up in the air". 

But Virtus president Claudio Sabatini has indicated that a decision may be close.

"We exchanged some papers with Kobe's management. We are working hard to have him with us from the beginning of the coming week. I really think that by the end of the day we can have a final answer. I hope to see him with Virtus Bologna's jersey next Wednesday against Benetton Treviso."