Ben Bolch

LOS ANGELES -- On moving day in the NBA, the biggest names didn't need cardboard boxes and dollies.

LOS ANGELES -- NBA All-Star selections can seem as predictable as upbeat endings in Disney movies.

In a shocker, Yao Ming wasn't voted in this year even though he has retired.

LeBron James could be 84 and fans would probably still nudge him and his wheelchair into the midseason showcase if he were on the ballot.

LOS ANGELES -- Metta World Peace has been accused of a lot of things -- wild shots, crazy ramblings, bad dance moves -- but after one rousing moment Tuesday, a failure to launch won't be among the criticisms any time soon.

After faking a three-pointer late in the second quarter, World Peace drove past Utah's Derrick Favors and soared for a one-handed dunk that electrified the Staples Center crowd.

It was a symbolic snapshot for the forward who continues to take off as the leader of the Lakers' second unit.

LOS ANGELES -- UCLA might as well wear throwback jerseys throughout a season that figures to have a retro feel.

The Bruins are practicing in the creaky men's gymnasium on campus and will play most of their home games at the 52-year-old Sports Arena while Pauley Pavilion undergoes renovations.

Coach Ben Howland already has gushed about practicing near a chalkboard that the legendary John Wooden used during the 1964-65 season, the last in which UCLA regularly practiced in the men's gym and called the Sports Arena home.

LOS ANGELES -- The money can wait. It's all about the moments for Patrick Cantlay.

Leading at the midpoint of a PGA Tour event as a teenager, completing a round that was six strokes better than anything Tiger Woods shot as an amateur . . . those are the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that can trump a six-figure paycheck.

LOS ANGELES -- When it comes to a projected everyday lineup, you can miss what you never had.

For all their shortcomings, the Los Angeles Dodgers might not rank near the bottom of the National League in runs scored and earned runs allowed if they did not lead the league in injured players.

LOS ANGELES -- Lunch tray in his hands, Tyus Edney cut to the left, then to the right.

This time he couldn't find an opening. Every seat inside the UCLA student union was occupied on a rainy day, leaving the former Bruins point guard to make a mad dash for the nearby athletic offices.

Edney went unnoticed amid the crush of students, some of whom were still in diapers 15 years ago when the diminutive dynamo made one of the most celebrated shots in NCAA tournament history.