Heat F LEBRON JAMES said “anyone reading into his switch of agents is missing the point.” In Ft. Lauderdale, Ira Winderman noted RICH PAUL's agency -- Klutch Sports Management -- will be based in Cleveland, with James’ LRMR marketing arm "also based in the area.” James "warned not to read too much into the location of either." James said of Paul's new agency, “Rich is a guy who's learned a lot over the last few years with CAA, got some great assistance over there at CAA, but he felt like he was ready to grow and start his own thing. He’s been a close friend of mine, so I want to see him grow” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 10/1).
ROCK CHALK: In K.C., Blair Kerkhoff noted Univ. of Kansas basketball coach BILL SELF’s contract extension goes “through the 2021-22 season and, if he makes it that far, he’s guaranteed $52.21 million in total compensation over the 10-year period.” Self was the fifth highest-paid men's college basketball coach last season and his new annual salary of $3.856M would move him to fourth behind Kentucky’s JOHN CALIPARI, Louisville’s RICK PITINO and Duke’s MIKE KRZYZEWSKI (K.C. STAR, 9/29).
AW, SHOOT: Lakers G KOBE BRYANT Friday appeared on “Ellen” on and met up with 10-year-old fan JARRED JONES. Host ELLEN DEGENERES "arranged for Bryant and Jones to have a shooting contest" (L.A. TIMES, 9/28)…. Bryant’s ex-wife, VANESSA, "put a Newport Coast house up for sale" at $3.75M. The house was "signed over to her" as part of the couple’s divorce settlement. They bought the house in ’03 for $2.65M (LATIMES.com, 9/30).
NOT PLAYING GAMES: The U.S. Attorney’s office in Rhode Island on Friday said that no federal criminal charges “will be brought in the case of the video game company” owned by former MLBer CURT SCHILLING. Schilling's 38 Studios received a $75M state loan guarantee "before going belly up." A state investigation continues (AP, 9/28). Meanwhile, Citizens Bank has “dropped a lawsuit” against Schilling, but “did not offer a reason for the action.” The bank sued Schilling in June “in an attempt to recover" $2.4M in loans it made to 38 Studios (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/29).
NAMES: MLB Giants BOD Chair CHARLES JOHNSON, the team’s largest investor, has contributed $200,000 "to defeat" California Gov. JERRY BROWN’s Proposition 30 tax measure (S.F. CHRONICLE, 9/30)….The Univ. of Texas will honor former women’s basketball coach JODY CONRADT “with a 7-foot bronze statue outside the Longhorn’s basketball arena.” School officials on Friday said that the statue “will be dedicated in a private ceremony on Oct. 5.” It will be on “permanent display in the Frank Erwin Center” (AP, 9/28)….Actors LIAM NEESON, JOHN SLATTERY, and KATHARINE MCPHEE, TV personality STAR JONES, and financier MICHAEL TEW attended yesterday’s 49ers-Jets game at MetLife Stadium (N.Y. POST, 10/1).
