League's retirement of No. 23 to honor Jordan seems unlikely

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2009-10 Denver Nuggets Preview

He seemed comfortable to be back at home after spending six full seasons in the Motor City, and directed an offense alongside superstar Carmelo Anthony. The Anthony/Iverson experiment never panned out, as evidenced by the blockbuster trade, then Billups entered the equation as a perfect complement to the team's perennial All-Star. Billups and Anthony finally ended five years of first-round exits in 2008-09 and helped Denver reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1985.

Now that Billups is ready for his first full season with the Nuggets. head coach George Karl has to feel confident in the team's chances at making another extended run in the 2009-10 campaign. The 19th head coach in Nuggets history and one of the top NBA coaches ever, Karl is shooting for another 50- plus win campaign and the team's seventh consecutive postseason appearance.

The loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals has to be still lingering on the minds of the Nuggets, who are bound to make another

LeBron wants all No. 23s retired as tribute to Jordan

LeBron James wants NBA players to give up their No. 23s to honor Michael Jordan .

The Cavaliers superstar, who has worn 23 since he was a high school sophomore, believes players should pay tribute to Jordan for the Hall of Famer's impact on the game.

"I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized in some way - soon," James said. "There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant , no Dwyane Wade , you name all the best players in the league right now and the last 10 years, there would be none of us without Michael Jordan."

Even off-court, Jordan rules

Michael Jordan did not own the NBA over the past 10 years, as he did in the 1990s. But he haunted it, in uniform and from the golf course.

Whether he was making an ill-fated comeback as a player or making ill-fated moves as a team executive in Washington and in Charlotte, Jordan still ruled in the decade that spanned 2000 to 2009.

Commentators groped to identify his heir. Every great player was compared to him. Every championship team tried to replicate the dominance of Jordan's Chicago Bulls. The closest - the Los Angeles Lakers of the early 2000s - won three straight titles with Jordan's coach (Phil Jackson).

Notebook: Billups hurt, but Lawson won't start for Nuggets

Billups probably out but Lawson won't start for Nuggets

Point guard Chauncey Billups might miss the Nuggets' game at New Orleans tonight because of a strained left groin.

Billups was hurt in the second half of Denver's win against the Rockets on Wednesday night.

The pros of ACC hoops

The ACC remains the best way to get to the NBA.

With 54 of its former players currently playing in the NBA, the Atlantic Coast Conference has more alums in the professional league than any of the six major college basketball conferences. Even with four fewer teams, the ACC has one more former player in the NBA than the Big East (53).

Duke leads all schools with 14 former players in the NBA. The Blue Devils and rival North Carolina make up half of the ACC's list.