NEW YORK -- The calls dont come to Sherrie Deans more frequently, though they come with different questions.NBA players who may have asked about their charities have shifted their concern to their communities.Now theyre being faced with a really serious, aggressive social issue that for some of them is deeply personal, said Deans, the executive director of the NBPA Foundation.Under normal circumstances theyre coming to us saying, `Hey, Ive got my basketball camps that I run, or the kids that I work with are battling cancer, and were engaging them with those kinds of things, but they really know the role that they want to play. Now theyre coming saying, `What should I be doing? How can I be helpful? How could I get past just making a comment or just protesting to really doing something thats meaningful and that matters?That was the goal of upset NBA players and officials following the killing of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, and later Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina. All-Star Chris Paul, the union president, wanted players to be action-oriented, said Kathy Behrens, the NBAs president of social responsibility and player programs.I think they are mad, sure. Theyre frustrated, that some of these issues have not gotten better and I get that. Were frustrated, too. We care about whats happening in every community, she said. Weve tried to address it but theres no question theres a frustration, but also I think a real commitment on their part to be engaged and to not ignore it. And so I think our players really understand and theyve seen in it these conversations that weve having in the community that they can make a difference here.And the work hasnt stopped just because the games have started.The Pistons, Lakers and Pacers have events in the coming days and weeks that will bring together members of their organizations, law enforcement and local youth. The Pelicans and Bulls did last week, similar to the discussion Carmelo Anthony organized in Los Angeles when the U.S. Olympic basketball team trained there in July.Nothing is going to change unless theres dialogue, and the only way you can have dialogue is to be face to face, and to have us be able to say, `When I was growing up, this happened, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. I thought it was a great thing. I really did. I thought it was something that was really beneficial.And it will continue.I dont think everyone does different things for the notoriety and for it to be publicized, Paul said. But I think guys are a lot more conscious of the effect the we have on people and the change we can make in the world.---REUNION WEEKAmong the players and teams seeing familiar faces this week:- Kevin Durant faces Russell Westbrook and his old Oklahoma City teammates Thursday when the Thunder visit Golden State.- Chicago native and former Bulls star Derrick Rose makes his first trip back to the United Center with the New York Knicks on Friday.- Steve Kerr meets his former assistant -- and replacement early last season -- when Golden State takes on Luke Waltons Lakers on Friday.- Dwight Howard welcomes his former Rockets teammates as Houston travels to Atlanta on Saturday.---TOP 10LeBron James could move into 10th place on the NBAs career scoring list this week. With 26,896 points, he is 50 behind Hakeem Olajuwon with three games this week. Olajuwon is 12th and James 13th on the combined ABA/NBA list.---SAGER STRONGThe colorful sneakers members of TNTs crew wore in Golden State in a tribute to Craig Sager are available for auction through Friday. Sager, battling leukemia, designed the sneakers with Nike and 100 pairs up for bid , with all proceeds benefiting the SagerStrong Foundation.---AP Sports Writers Brett Martel in New Orleans and Anne Peterson in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report. Walter Brown Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Reggie Lewis Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.celticsofficialsstore.com/kids-kevin-mchale-celtics-jersey/ ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. Marcus Morris Jersey . PAUL, Minn. Kyrie Irving Jersey . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. RIO DE JANEIRO -- April Ross was so excited to finish the preliminary round of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament unbeaten that she took a victory lap around the Copacabana court, slapping hands with fans as she ran.Her partner, Kerri Walsh Jennings, spun around in circles as she jumped in the sand.Its the Olympics. Weve got to celebrate everything, Walsh Jennings said after the Americans beat Switzerland 21-13, 22-24, 15-12 on Wednesday. That was a really hard-fought match. It deserved a victory lap.Walsh Jennings won three Olympic gold medals playing with Misty May-Treanor, sweeping through Athens or Beijing without losing a set. They lost one set in London on their way to a third straight championship -- beating Ross and Jennifer Kessy in the final.Switzerlands Anouk Verge-Depre was well aware of the record.Its only the second set shes lost in the Olympics, she said with a wide smile. Im proud of that.The Swiss survived a scare when Isabelle Forrer needed a medical timeout in the third set when she crashed to the sand on the point that gave the U.S. a 10-9 lead. She stood up, holding her head in both hands before walking over to her bench and lying on the sand while the Swiss staff looked her over.With a few minutes left in the five-minute timeout, the other three playerrs returned to the sand to warm up.dddddddddddd. Forrer came back out to a huge cheer from the crowd and a hug from Verge-Depre. Forrer then proceeded to deliver the winning hit on the first point.Those are great girls, Walsh Jennings said. Its a hazard of the job. I was just feeling for her.Forrer did not meet with reporters after the match. Verge-Depre said it was a neck problem, and not a possible concussion.I think she felt a little dizzy, Verge-Depre said.The Swiss still have at least one more match to play, but arent sure if they will advance to the round-of-16 or play in the lucky loser round.Not so lucky were American men Casey Patterson and Jake Gibb, who lost to Spain earlier Wednesday and finished 1-2. They are done for the Olympics, finishing last in their pool because of a tiebreaker.The U.S. pair would have advanced if they had scored a handful more points -- about one per set over three matches at the Copacabana venue.The first tiebreaker is point ratio. The Americans gave up 126 points and scored 125. The Austrians scored 145 and allowed 140.Its the first U.S mens team to fail to advance out of pool play since the 2004 Games in Athens. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '