It's time President Obama recently presented former Celtics great Bill Russell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and said he hopes Boston will erect a statue to honor one of its greatest sports stars in a city with a history of racial strife.

Russell once long ago called Boston a "flea market of racism" after vandals broke into his home and wrote racial slurs on the walls.

"Even though I'm a Lakers fan and he's a Celtic, we have something in common," comedian George Lopez said at a brunch during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. "We both hate Celtics fans."

Baron Ocho Cinco Baron Davis has taken uniform No. 85 now that he and his big contract have been traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to Cleveland at last week's trading deadline.

On his terms Milwaukee's Michael Redd participated in practice Monday and sat on the bench during Tuesday's victory over the Timberwolves a year and a half after he blew out his knee for the second time in two seasons.

"Being healthy is the main thing for me," he said. "This here for me is to leave the game in the right way. I want to leave on my terms and not being hurt."

Leave it alone While trades swirled all around them, the West's top three teams -- Spurs, Lakers and Mavericks -- stayed as is.

"I think it's a sign that chemistry is really important, and I know that San Antonio feels like that as well," Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "When you got it, don't mess with it."