The Charlotte Bobcats are for sale and Michael Jordan is interested.
First, he has to put an ownership group together.
Addressing the issue Thursday night for the first time since the news last month that majority owner Bob Johnson is seeking to sell, Jordan shied away from going into detail about his plans. But Jordan, who holds a minority stake in the team and runs basketball operations, made it clear he'd like to gain majority control.
"I would like to put together a team to do that, yeah," Jordan said.
JENNINGS SHOWS UP LATE: Brandon Jennings' first decision was to not attend the NBA draft. When he was taken 10th by the Milwaukee Bucks, he showed up.
About a half hour before the draft got under way Thursday night, Jennings' agent released a statement that his client, who decided to play in Europe last season rather than attend college, would be with his family rather than at the draft with many of the other future NBA players.
The media in attendance speculated the decision was made because Jennings' stock was dropping and he didn't want to be the last — or one of the last — players left in the "green room," the cordoned area to the side of the stage where the players sit with their family and friends while waiting to hear their name called by commissioner David Stern.
BASKETBALL BLOODLINES: Three players whose fathers played in the NBA were chosen in the top 15 picks of the draft Thursday night.
Stephen Curry, whose father Dell played in the league for 16 seasons, was taken with the seventh pick by Golden State. The nation's leading scorer last season as a junior at Davidson with a 28.6 average, Curry led the Wildcats within a game of the Final Four as a sophomore.
Gerald Henderson, whose father with the same name played for 13 years in the NBA and was on three championship teams with Boston and one with Detroit, was selected 12th by Charlotte. Henderson was a third-team All-American at Duke last season as a junior, averaging 16.5 points.
Austin Daye, who left Gonzaga after his sophomore season, was taken 15th by Detroit. His father Darren played five seasons in the NBA. Daye averaged 12.7 points and shot 43 percent from 3-point range for the Zags last season.
CONFERENCE LOTTERY: Even though it was the NBA's night, there was still plenty of college rivalry on display at the draft.
The Atlantic Coast Conference had the most players taken in the first round with seven, one more than the Pac-10 and three more than the Big East. The Big 12, with two, was the only other conference with more than one player selected in the first round, which had 30 picks.
TAXING SITUATION: Demar DeRozan was selected by the Toronto Raptors and he was asked if his agent was happy with that selection considering the onerous tax system in Canada.
"He's glad for me to go a team like this, I think this was one of the best situations for me," the Southern California freshman said. "We are figuring out about the tax system, so right now I am just enjoying this. I've got to save all the receipts, that's one thing I'm going to do."
BIG 12: Blake Griffin became the first player from the Big 12 taken with the overall No. 1 pick. The conference expanded from the Big 8 in 1996, and the Big 12 did have an impressive streak broken when Griffin was taken by the Los Angeles Clippers.
A Big 12 player was taken second overall the last three years: LaMarcus Aldridge of Texas by Chicago in 2006; Kevin Durant of Texas by Seattle in 2007; and Michael Beasley of Kansas State by Miami last year.
The last Big 8 player taken No. 1 was also tabbed by the Clippers, Danny Manning of Kansas in 1988. The only other No. 1 pick owned by the Clippers was Michael Olowokandi of Pacific in 1998.
Griffin was the first Oklahoma player ever taken No. 1 overall.
TALKING NEW YORK: Jordan Hill of Arizona was taken with the eighth pick by New York, and he was asked if he's prepared for a media market known for its obsession with sports talk radio.
"I have no problem talking, so I just have to make sure I say the right things," he said. "I'm definitely ready for it."