NEW YORK (AP) The NBA is investigating whether the Los Angeles Lakers tampered with All-Star forward Paul George while he was under contract with the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers asked the league to open the probe.

"The Lakers have been cooperative and, at this point, no findings have been made," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Sunday in a statement. "We have asked both teams to refrain from commenting while the investigation is ongoing."

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MILWAUKEE (AP) The Milwaukee Bucks say Giannis Antetokounmpo was training briefly with the Greek national team when he reported to his NBA team that he was experiencing knee pain, an injury that will keep him out of the European championship.

The Bucks agreed with their medical staff's recommendation for Antetokounmpo not to play, general manager Jon Horst said. The All-Star forward reported to the Bucks that he was having right anterior knee pain following certain movements.

BOSTON (AP) The Boston Celtics will retire Paul Pierce's No. 34 during their Feb. 11 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The longtime Celtics forward will be the 22nd player so honored - the first since 2003.

SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP) Along with getting good grades and listening to their parents, LeBron James has encouraged kids in his foundation's educational program to stand up for their beliefs.

On Tuesday night, the superstar gave a lesson in how it's done.

NEW YORK (AP) DeMarcus Cousins will make an early season trip back to Sacramento, while Gordon Hayward will wait almost all season to see Utah again.

Chris Paul's return to his old Clippers home is part of a Martin Luther King Jr. day tripleheader that includes another NBA Finals rematch, while Paul George and Jimmy Butler also learned the dates of their return games Monday when the NBA released its full 2017-18 schedule - which for the first time in history features no teams playing four games in five nights.

MIAMI (AP) Larry Bird made his plea years ago.

His request to the NBA was not unique: Bird wanted the league to eliminate the dreaded stretches of four games in five days. What made Bird's pitch memorable was that it didn't just cite the demand of so many games in such a short amount of time, but also pointed out how the anxiousness caused by such tests can hurt a team beforehand and how the fatigue lingers long afterward.

The jerseys say USA, though that's about all that will be recognizable.

When the U.S. men's basketball team returns to action later this month, fans might be left wondering, "the red, white and who?"

MIAMI (AP) The Miami Heat have signed forward Jordan Mickey to a contract that will pay him about $1.5 million this season.

Mickey spent parts of the last two seasons with the Boston Celtics, appearing in 41 regular-season games and four postseason games. He averaged 1.5 points, with career highs of eight points, five rebounds and 19 minutes.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indiana Pacers have signed 37-year-old swingman Damien Wilkins and rookie forward Ben Moore.

Terms were not released.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Tommy Hawkins, the first black basketball player to earn All-America honors at Notre Dame and who played for the Los Angeles Lakers during a 10-year NBA career, died Wednesday. He was 80.

Hawkins died in his sleep at home in Malibu, son Kevin told The Associated Press. He had been in good health and had lay down to rest, his oldest son said.