KRIV-Fox' Mark Berman reported Basketball HOFer Dikembe Mutombo is "working on putting a group together that he hopes will try and buy the Rockets." Mutombo said, "I'm working on it. I'm talking to a lot of people already since (Monday). We'll see. I'm just talking to the people who can cut the check and they can make me be part of it. I'm working on that." He added, "I'm trying to convince some people about trying to buy this team. It's one of the best franchises right now. It's really the right time." Mutombo acknowledged the move comes after he "missed" a chance to be part of the group that ultimately landed the Hawks in '15 (FOX26HOUSTON.com, 7/18).
CROWD PLEASER: In DC, Dan Steinberg writes the noise during the WNBA Washington Mystics' "rather electrifying" comeback yesterday against the Atlanta Dream was "louder than" 95% of Wizards games. The Mystics were also "playing without their top two scorers, trailed by as many as 21 and never led in regulation." If a WNBA skeptic "went to a Mystics game with a crowd like that, featuring a comeback win like that," they would "absolutely want to return." Steinberg: "So how do you create more crowds like that?" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/20).
SPECIAL SEASON: The Bengals have placed "giant sculptures of the team's 50th season logo at eight locations" in the region as "part of a 50-day countdown" to the '17 regular season. In Cincinnati, Joey Hart noted each sculpture is "about 8 feet wide by 5 feet tall and weighs more than 1,000 pounds." Starting Saturday, fans will be "able to post pictures on social media at each location with the hashtag #Bengals50 for a chance to win prizes" such as merchandise, tickets and VIP (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/19).
