During the NBA's All-Star Weekend in Oakland, Rockets
rookie G Steve Francis "put himself through [a] dusk-to-dawn
marathon" -- including participating in national TV
interviews, the Rookie Game, the 2Ball Competition and the
Slam Dunk Competition -- because he "understands" that the
league has "become a confluence of talent, marketing and
technology," according to William Rhoden of the N.Y. TIMES.
Francis: "I think the ultimate thing is trying to put
yourself out there as much as possible if you want to be the
marketing guy. I'm not saying I want to be Michael Jordan;
I want to set my own trend, be myself and take the game and
also marketing to another level" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/14).
'ZO WHAT? In Miami, D.L. Cummings wrote that since
coming to the Heat more than four years ago, Alonzo Mourning
has "improved his marketability and earned a legion of new
fans. His newfound popularity can be attributed to his
personal transition. His off-court philanthropic ventures
also have helped" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/13)....On "NBC Nightly
News," Colleen Damingas reported that Lakers G Kobe Bryant
"can be seen just about everywhere these days. From Madison
Avenue to cyberspace, and even MTV." Bryant, on his music:
"Once [his new] CD gets rolling and my career starts picking
up, you'll see I'm for real with it" (NBC, 2/12).
