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Shaq's toe surgery may lead to missed games

LOS ANGELES -- Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal will have surgery on his arthritic big toe early next week and may miss several games next season, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

Healing usually requires three months, and O'Neal should be able to walk the day of the procedure, could be running in six weeks or less and playing by early or mid-November.

The Lakers open training camp Oct. 1 and begin the regular season Oct. 29 against San Antonio. O'Neal was on the injured list twice last season because of pain from his toe, missing 15 games. He averaged 27.2 points and 10.7 rebounds, below his career averages.

Also, the Lakers signed free-agent guard A.J. Guyton, who played with Chicago the past two seasons.

Bird, Magic pair up for Hall

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- They were fierce rivals on the court, beginning in their college days and continuing throughout their NBA careers. Now Larry Bird will present Earvin "Magic" Johnson for induction into the Hall of Fame at the Sept. 28 induction.

According to Hall of Fame tradition, each new enshrinee is presented by a Hall of Famer of choice. Bird was inducted in 1998.

"I am honored to be presenting a person I have admired and looked up to during my whole career," Bird said.

The Bird-Johnson rivalry began in 1979 when Johnson's Michigan State team beat Bird's Indiana State for the NCAA championship. For almost a decade they wrestled for the NBA crown. Los Angeles, with Johnson, won five championships in the 1980s, and Bird's Celtics won three.

HEAT: Second-round pick Rasual Butler, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward out of LaSalle, signed.

KINGS: Free-agent forward Keon Clark, who played with Toronto last season, signed.

NETS: Free-agent forward Rodney Rogers, who played with Phoenix and Boston last season, signed a three-year, $9-million contract.

NUGGETS: Assistant Jeff Bzdelik will be named coach next week, the Associated Press reported. Bzdelik joined Denver last season after serving as Heat assistant six years. Dan Issel was forced out in December after making a racially insensitive remark.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Rookie Jay Williams will replace injured Milwaukee guard Ray Allen (knee) on the U.S. team.

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