Tyson Chandler told ESPN The Magazine that his back is fine and he is looking forward to playing with the Hornets.

"I'm so happy," Chandler said. "It's crazy how things have fallen into place."

The 19-year-old daughter of Hornets coach Byron Scott was arrested on a misdemeanor complaint of marijuana possession.

Londen B. Scott was arrested Sunday at a site where homes were being constructed, police spokeswoman Glynda Chu said Tuesday.

Chu said Scott was behind the wheel of a sport utility vehicle with a 21-year-old Stillwater man when an officer approached and detected burning marijuana. Scott, of Edmond, was found to have less than 2 grams of marijuana in a zippered pouch attached to her car keys, Chu added.

The Saints return to New Orleans to host the Atlanta Falcons at the repaired Superdome.  The success of the evening may indicate whether or not the Hornets eventually return to the city full time as well.

"I am at total peace that wherever we go, it's going to be the right place," said owner George Shinn. "I'm confident of what's going to happen. I've got complete faith in myself, the NBA and wherever we end up I'm at peace with it."

Chris Paul is just 21 years old, but his minutes will be closely watched as if he is a veteran.

"During training camp, we'll be watching closely his minutes in practice," Bower said. "He'll need some time quickly to decompress. But honestly, being tired, I don't think, is anything he'll succumb to.

"He's a bright young man who understands his body, who has incredible energy," Bower said. "His approach to everything is he loves to play."

Since the Hornets may be unable to return to New Orleans in 2007-08 as planned, the franchise has requested an option that would allow the team to spend a third season in Oklahoma City as a contingency plan.

''Any smart business is going to put a contingency plan together, and that's all this is,'' Hornets spokesman Michael Thompson said Thursday.

The A-list of NBA celebrities included LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, but Chris Paul still owns this town.

Paul headlined the celebrity bowling tournament Saturday night to raise money for a local student to attend Wake Forest, where Paul played for two years.

James, Wade, Anthony and Dwight Howard were among the NBA players bowling in the event. All of them recently returned with Paul from Japan after capturing the bronze medal at the world championships.

Desmond Mason will become a free agent after this season, and it is a safe bet that he will visit Portland at some point during the next summer.

Fueling speculation is the fact that Mason lives in the Portland area during the offseason.

Mason, who has been working out at the Blazers practice facility, scrimmaging with Blazers and other NBA players, said he doesn't want to think about free agent possibilities until after the season.

"I have always heard rumors out there about me coming to Portland because my wife is from here,'' Mason said Monday. "But right now, I'm staying focused on what is going on in Oklahoma City (where the Hornets are training). But you know, anything is possible. But right now I want to help my team get to the playoffs because we were so close last year.''

The biggest charity basketball game in New York City used to draw mega-stars, including Kevin Garnett. Now, sadly, it can't even keep the top local players at home.

When they played the 15th annual New York Basketball Classic at the Garden last night, Stephon Marbury, the main headliner and easily the biggest draw, was out on the West Coast doing a promotional tour for his new Starbury sneakers. After engaging in a season-long war with Larry Brown as the Knicks went through a nightmarish 23-win season, Marbury has spent this offseason carefully trying to remake his image. While organizers of last night's game said they understood the Knick playmaker's last-minute cancellation, it couldn't have helped his cause. One other big-name player, the Hornets' Chris Paul, just back from the World Championships, also canceled.

"It's a disappointment that Steph couldn't be here, but he has done a lot for us over the years," said Hank Carter, the game's founder and chairman. "The only thing I feel bad about is that a lot of people came here to see Steph play. But I also can understand the business part of it. He's trying to help the younger kids with these sneakers. But God will take care of us."

One player who did turn up, the New York Daily News is reporting, is Kings forward Ron Artest.

"I always try to be a part of it," Artest said. "It's a good thing. Hank took me in when I was a junior in high school - maybe even earlier than that - and he kept me out of trouble and off the streets."

The New Orleans Hornets, homeless since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city, will begin training camp at New Orleans Arena on Oct. 3.

"I'm thrilled to be able to officially begin the 2006-07 season by holding the first week of training camp in New Orleans," said Hornets owner George Shinn.

The Hornets will practice through Oct. 6 before moving to Tulane for a weekend practice. The team will return to Oklahoma City for two home preseason games.

Chris Andersen was given a two-year suspension on January 27th for violating the NBA's substance abuse policy and in his first interview since, he spoke with Marc J. Spears of the Denver Post.

"I tell people I don't drink anymore and they look at me sideways," Andersen said, blaming alcohol as the root cause of his current situation. "Then they'll say, 'Seriously, let me buy you a drink.' And I'll say, 'I don't do that any more.' Some of them don't know what happened to me. But the ones that do, they respect me more for that. A couple people have told me I'm a big inspiration to them."

Declining to say which ones, Andersen said he also experimented twice with hard drugs, just before Christmas a year ago.  He was given a random drug test on December 26th and he failed.

Following the suspension, Andersen voluntarily entered an alcohol rehabilitation clinic in Malibu, Calif., that cost $50,000. He completed the 30-day program and said he hasn't touched alcohol or drugs since.