DALLAS – After acquiring Vince Carter and Lamar Odom in a whirlwind 24 hours, coach Rick Carlisle was excited about what the Dallas Mavericks had done off the court.

“We’re going to be a very good team. We’re going to be a dangerous team and our goal is to mold into, once again, a championship team,” Carlisle said Sunday. “Those things take some time, but I’m excited about this group and I don’t think we’re done yet.”

The Mavericks have one remaining roster spot open, barring a trade or some other transaction. But the two spots that will be filled shortly once Carter and Odom arrive quickly refreshed what appeared to be a weakened champion with the departure of Tyson Chandler and others.

The Odom deal, in particular, is stunning. It arose from the ashes of the smoldering Chris Paul trade debacle and was consummated in a matter of hours, Carlisle said after Sunday’s morning practice.

Carlisle is a big fan.

“Right now, for me, having Odom, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, we may have the best forward trio in this league right now. And that’s exciting,” Carlisle said. “Lamar Odom is a guy we have great respect for as a person and as an all-around player in this league. We feel he’s going to add so many different dimensions for us — length, playmaking, scoring, experience, championship experience.”

Full article via Jeff Caplan ESPNDallas.com

It’s hard enough to replace any coach who has held a position for almost a decade, let alone replace a legend like Jackson who has won the most championships as a coach in NBA history, while simultaneously keeping your new team focused as three of its top four players are dangled in trade rumors. But Brown has done his best to just be himself, and so far that has been good enough.

“He’s very detail-oriented, passionate and a hard worker,” Kobe Bryant said after the team’s first practice under Brown on Friday. “I can respect that. I think his attention to detail will win the rest of the guys over.”

Full article via Dave McMenamin ESPNLosAngeles.com

NEW YORK – The NBA Board of Governors has ratified a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement, enabling training camps and the free agency period for the 2011-12 season to begin on Fri., Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. ET. As previously announced, the NBA will begin its 66th season on Christmas Day.

“I am pleased to announce that we have concluded the collective bargaining process and have reached an agreement that addresses many significant issues that were challenges to our league,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “This collective bargaining agreement will help us move toward a better business model, a more competitive league and better alignment between compensation and performance.”

The agreement includes a 50-50 split of basketball-related income, a higher luxury tax with progressive tax rates and the retention of a soft salary cap system. The maximum length of player contracts will be five years (previously six) and maximum annual increases in salaries will be 7.5% for teams re-signing their own players and 4.5% for teams signing other teams’ free agents.

On non-economic issues, the league has bolstered its drug program to include offseason testing, increased penalties for violations involving performance-enhancing drugs, and blood testing for human growth hormone (HGH) once the test is validated by a neutral panel of scientific experts.

Beginning this season, teams can assign veteran players with their consent to the NBA Development League and, effective with the 2012-13 season, there will be no limit on the number of times players with three years or less of experience can be assigned to their team’s NBA D-League affiliate.

The NBA and NBPA have agreed to form a committee to discuss issues related to the NBA Draft and NBA D-League, including Draft eligibility rules, the Draft combine, the number of rounds in the Draft and rules related to the assignment of NBA players to the D-League.

The NBA Board of Governors also voted Thursday to approve a new revenue sharing plan that will quadruple the funds previously shared among NBA teams.

“The Board realized that it was imperative that our revenue sharing program be improved,” Stern said. “We have found a solution that should provide our league with better competitive balance.”

Team training camps and the free agent period will open tomorrow with a Salary Cap of $58.044 million, a tax level of $70.307 million and a minimum team salary of $46.435 million.

Read Full Article: NBA Board of Governors ratify 10-year CBA

CLEVELAND, OH – December 5, 2011 - The Cleveland Cavaliers announced two promotions and two additions to their coaching team today. While Paul Pressey will remain Head Coach Byron Scott’s lead assistant, Assistant Coaches Jamahl Mosley and Joe Prunty have been promoted and will now expand their roles and take on additional responsibilities. New to the coaching staff for this season will be Assistant Coach Nate Tibbetts and new player development assistant/video coach Aubrey McCreary, who will join returning player development assistant/video coach Jordi Fernandez. The announcement was made by Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant and Head Coach Byron Scott.

Via www.nba.com/cavaliers

HallPass Media has worked with Coach Aubrey McCreary at adidas Nations camps over the past four years and wishes him the best of luck with the Cavaliers.

HallPass Media has launched the Under Armour Elite Shop on Elite Baseball‘s website. HallPass initiated the partnership between Under Armour and Elite Baseball in 2010. Under Armour sponsored the Elite Baseball Series, an annual event hosted by HallPass Media showcasing the top uncommitted high school baseball players in California. The partnership grew in 2011 when Under Armour outfitted Elite Baseball’s 15-18U teams and for the second year outfitted and sponsored the Elite Baseball Series.

HallPass Media handles brand consulting, digital media, and event management for Elite Baseball.