Middle East

European basketball is set to be split into two opposing camps in Thessaloniki today when newcomers ULEB will challenge the sport's governing body FIBA by announcing its own rival to the recently launched Suproleague.
Media

ESPN is to launch a 24-hour television service in Israel tomorrow (Thursday).
Events

NBA fans in more than 750 million households around the world will be able to tune into the NBA Finals 2000 featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers.
Events

Tel Aviv may bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, officials have said.
Media

NBA.com TV Daily ? a new global video service providing updates and highlights of NBA action from the night before ? has gone live today.
Sponsorship & Marketing

T&T Sports Marketing has sold the exclusive global rights outside of South America for the South American qualifying matches for the World Cup 2002 to Dream Sports International.
Events

The 2000 NBA All-Star Game, taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area, February 11- 13, will be shown in 205 countries, with a potential audience of 750million households.
Media

Electronic Arts, the world's largest interactive entertainment software company, has reached an exclusive agreement with Michael Jordan to be a spokesperson for the EA Sports' brand and appear in the company's sports interactive games, including the popular NBA LIVE basketball game.

Chicago Cubs home-run slugger Sammy Sosa has signed a five-year endorsement deal with Chicago-based retailer Montgomery Ward & Co.
Business

Promoter SFX Entertainment Inc has acquired Tellem & Associates, in a deal that creates a powerhouse sports agency that will represent some 700 professional sports figures including Nomar Garciaparra, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan wants to withdraw his name from the Chicago-based restaurateurs who use it to sell "macaroni-and-cheese, memorabilia and mystique", according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.
Sponsorship & Marketing

Sports celebrities John Elway, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan are to launch a well-financed e-commerce venture that will offer sporting goods, as well as other fitness, health and financial products and services.
Media

SportsLine.com, the leading global Internet sports media company and publisher of CBS SportsLine has signed a letter of intent to enter into a 10-year strategic relationship under which SportsLine.com's domestic e-commerce business will be acquired and operated by MVP.com.

Michael Jordan is in talks about possibly joining the Washington Wizards as head of basketball operations, with an eye to eventually assuming an ownership role, according to a report in the Washington Post.
Sponsorship & Marketing

Sports.com Limited, the majority-owned European subsidiary of SportsLine.com, Inc., has completed its previously announced second round of funding.

Michael Jordan and the majority owner of the Washington Wizards have agreed in principle to give the retired superstar control of team basketball operations, according to the Washington Post.
Business

English Premier League soccer players could register goals that are repeated on television as their own intellectual property, according to a report in The Observer newspaper.

Retired basketball legend Michael Jordan has confirmed he will head operations of the NBA's Washington Wizards and become a part-owner of the team.