LeBron James would prefer the Miami Heat not receive their championship rings before a game

On Tuesday night, the Miami Heat will receive their championship rings for the second-consecutive season. It's a momentous occasion for the franchise, a time for celebration and remembering all that went into last June's triumph. It's hard to imagine how anyone involved with the franchise could look upon the event and find it lacking.

Except for the fact that the Heat players have to follow up that pregame ceremony by facing a very good basketball team. Shortly after receiving their rings, the Heat will play the Chicago Bulls and their returning starDerrick Rose. It's such a challenge, in fact, that reigning MVP LeBron James wishes the ceremony didn't take place before such a big contest. From Michael Wallace for ESPN.com:

Sidney Crosby on future of concussions in sports: ‘I’m not that concerned to be honest’

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sits down with Bob Costas on Tuesday night for an interview on NBC Sports Network (11 p.m. ET); and as one might expect with Costas, it touches on some interesting topics.

Like, for example, on the future of concussions in sports. It’s a subject they’re both passionate about, with Crosby having successfully rehabbed from them and Costas having expressed concern about their impact on future generations getting involved in sports.

When asked about the future of concussions and sports, Crosby said:

“You know what? I’m not that concerned to be honest. I’m probably more confident than ever that they’ll eventually find ways to help. Whether it’d be prevent them, or to treat them. I think the awareness is at an all-time high now for all sports.”

Clippers' summer of success nearly thrown into chaos by owner

In the early afternoon hours of July 3, owner Donald Sterling called Los Angeles Clippers president Andy Roeser and informed him he had rescinded approval on moving Eric Bledsoe and acquiring free agent J.J. Redick in a sign-and-trade agreement. The three-team deal – delivered the owner's blessing only two days earlier – no longer interested Sterling.

Call it off, Sterling instructed Roeser, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Deal's dead.

It didn't matter the news had broken 24 hours earlier of the Clippers sending Bledsoe and Caron Butler to thePhoenix Suns with the Suns' Jared Dudley and Milwaukee's Redick, on a four-year, $27 million contract, joining Los Angeles. It didn't matter the public had been praising Doc Rivers' first deal as the new senior vice president of basketball operations and coach, that Rivers and general manager Gary Sacks had given their word to teams, agents and players that this was a finalized agreement.