League considers standard physicals

The NBA is considering a standard for physical exams following the death of Atlanta Hawks center Jason Collier.

Individual team doctors from each of the NBA’s 30 franchises now determine the physical exams for their players.

“The medical protocols employed by our teams have traditionally been left to the best practices of team physicians,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said. “However, in light of recent events that have occurred not just in the NBA but in other sports as well, we think it is prudent to follow up with our teams to find out what the norms are across the league.”

All players get physicals before training camp, and some teams use echocardiograms to detect heart problems. But not all teams use the tests and the league has no standard for physicals, USA Today reported Thursday.

The 28-year-old Collier died Saturday after he had difficulty breathing at home. His agent, Richard Howell, said Collier may have had an enlarged heart.

A number of NBA players have had heart-related problems, including New York Knicks forward Eddy Curry. The Knicks recently acquired Curry from Chicago, more than six months after he had an irregular heartbeat that caused him to miss the final 13 games of last season.

Former Gonzaga University star Ronny Turiaf had surgery last summer to correct an enlarged aortic root. The condition was discovered through a Los Angeles Lakers team physical.

SuperSonics release rookie forward Powell

The SuperSonics requested waivers on Roger Powell, bringing Seattle’s roster to 17 players. The rookie forward played in two exhibition games, scoring 11 points.

Powell was an honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference selection two seasons at Illinois.

Fan honors Bird with longer prison sentence

A man got a prison term longer than prosecutors and defense attorneys had agreed to – all because of Larry Bird.

The lawyers reached a plea agreement Tuesday in Oklahoma City for a 30-year term for a man accused of shooting with an intent to kill and robbery. But Eric James Torpy wanted his prison term to match Bird’s No. 33.

“He said if he was going to go down, he was going to go down in Larry Bird’s jersey,” Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott said Wednesday. “We accommodated his request and he was just as happy as he could be.”

Colangelo plans to step aside

Former Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo will step down as chairman of the NBA’s board of governors next week, a move Colangelo asked for because he felt it was time to give someone else a chance at the job.