Hoop magazine, which is licensed by the NBA, has been relaunched as a lifestyle publication. It's available at various newsstands and NBA arenas. The first issue has Milwaukee's Ray Allen on the cover. ... True story: Heat forward Tang Hamilton was named after the drink that his mother loved. Good thing for him that she wasn't into Yoohoo. ... The Sonics can empathize with the Lakers' coaching staff in its dealings with Jelani McCoy. "When it comes to the offense, we have a special kind of exception rule for him," said Lakers Coach Phil Jackson. "There's a little caption over his performance: 'Still Learning.' "... The last player to wear Sonics forward Valdimir Radmanovic's No. 77 was Gheorghe Muresan to indicate his height. ... John Lithgow lookalike: George Karl. Olden Polynice lookalike? We won't go there. ... Houston's Dan Langhi has requested a trade. Exactly: Danny who? ... Boston Celtics rookie Joe Forte has one benefit of having the same name as the referee. "I will listen to his side of the story if he argues a call," said referee Forte. "I think I at least owe him that."... Stat of the week: Portland missed 22 of 23 three-pointers during Tuesday's 89-82 loss to the Knicks. ... Can't resist picking on O.P. one more time: After opting out of a contract that would have paid him $2.4 million, Polynice has been attending Utah Jazz games as a fan. Sources say he didn't need to flash a badge to get into the Delta Center.