Howard's performance was encouraging to the Lakers, who are being careful with their new franchise center 5 months after surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back.
"I didn't surprise myself," Howard said. "I've been working hard to get on the court. I want to continue to work hard, [and] we haven't had any setbacks, so I want to continue to do whatever I can to get on the court."
The six-time All-Star center hasn't committed to any timetable for his debut with the Lakers, who acquired him in a four-team trade in August. The Lakers already have announced Howard won't play in their first preseason game in Fresno against Golden State on Sunday night.
College Basketball *
The Atlantic 10 announced that it has signed an extensive set of basketball television broadcast deals with ESPN, NBC and CBS. They will all start in the 2013-14 season and run through the 2020-21 season. The men's and women's conference tournaments will be broadcast nationally from the quarterfinals on, instead of the semifinals.
Sport Stops *
Mike Tyson has been barred from New Zealand after a lawmaker rescinded the visa he had been issued to fulfill a speaking engagement later this month. Associate immigration minister Kate Wilkinson said she had overruled the decision of immigration officials a day earlier because a charitable organization sponsoring Tyson's visit had withdrawn its support.
* Rafael Nadal plans to return from a knee injury at an Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament in December. Nadal hasn't played since losing in the second round of Wimbledon in June. He is recovering from a partially torn patella tendon in his left knee.
* FIFA suspended an aide to former presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam for refusing to cooperate with investigations regarding his boss. FIFA told Najeeb Chirakal he cannot work in soccer for 2 months, and warned him that he faces being charged himself for violations of its code of ethics. That includes a duty to report suspected corruption. Bin Hammam is being investigated over alleged bribery during his election challenge to FIFA president Sepp Blatter last year, plus alleged financial mismanagement while Asian Football Confederation president.
