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When Mikki Moore decides to hang up his sneakers for good he is not worried about what he will do with all of his newfound spare time.  As a classic car collector, a reptile enthusiast and music aficionado, Moores diverse hobbies will be more than enough to do to occupy his time.

Moores interesting taste in passing the time all stem from when he was growing up as a kid in South Carolina, and although he isnt sure which of the three came first, he can point to the influences that helped spark his interest in each of his different hobbies.

I first started getting interested in snakes and other reptiles when I was a kid growing up playing in the woods in South Carolina and I would catch them in mason jars, he said.  Id grab lizards, snakes, big grass hoppers; pretty much anything I could get my hands on.

The fondness of snakes and reptiles that developed as a kid worked out well for Moore, as he found that they made convenient pets for a professional athlete who is often on the road for weeks at a time.

I can feed a couple of rats to the snakes, put a hundred gold fish in the alligator tank and they are cool while I am gone, he said.  I dont have to take them to a kennel, and I dont have to worry about someone coming in and taking care of them.

At the present time, Moore has six snakes, including two Burmese pythons, a rainbow boa, a Columbian Red Tail boa, a corn snake and a cobra tattoo that covers most of his right shoulder.

When he wasnt chasing snakes and other critters in the backwoods of South Carolina, Moore was honing his skills as a musician.

When I was growing up, I was short and fat, so even though I wanted to play basketball, nobody would let me, he said.  I wanted to get a band scholarship for college so that my mom wouldnt have to pay for school, so I learned how to play any percussion instrument, the tuba and the trombone.

But then the summer between his ninth and tenth grade years in school plans changed for Moore, as he grew eight inches, and his basketball career took off.  Even though he ended up going to Nebraska to play basketball instead of the bass drum in the Corn Huskers marching band, music has remained a major part of his life.

My brother Steven is starting a record company, he said.  Im his main investor.

Reptiles and music have been a big part of his life since he was kid, but Moores real passion away from the basketball court is classic cars.

Much like his love for reptiles and music, Moores interest in cars began at an early age when he would help his uncle put together and take apart an assortment of cars.

Moores enthusiasm for cars has grown throughout the years, as he has bought and restored at least one classic car in each of the last five years.  His current stable of cars includes a 1967 Lincoln Continental and a 1965 Impala SS.  Moore would even like to start a car restoration business when he is done playing.

Once I cant get up and down the court, I will still be able to get underneath a car, Moore said.

Nets fans dont have to worry about Mikki giving up on hoops for any of his three very diverse hobbies anytime soon though.

I am most passionate about basketball, Moore said.  I have dedicated my life to basketball.

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Theres Moore To Mikki Than Basketball

Hassan Adams is Finding Answers in New Jersey

Thats what Nets rookie Hassan Adams told himself after he broke his right foot during a pre-draft workout in New Jersey on June 20th.

Thats what he told himself when his stock began to fall leading up to the 2006 NBA Draft and ended up getting selected in the second round instead of the first as many expected.

Im not saying if I didnt break my foot I would have gone higher, Adams said after a workout at the Nets practice facility.  Im here for a reason.  They picked me for a reason.

The reason is the Nets needed to add depth to a bench that was outscored by their opponents 28.2 to 20.4 per contest last season.

We thought we needed to get a little bit different mixture off the bench, Head Coach Lawrence Frank said.  We needed to add some high-energy guys off the bench.

Adams earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors his senior season at Arizona.  He led the conference in steals (2.6 spg), ranked third in scoring (17.5 ppg) and is the only player in Pac-10 history to record 1,800 points, 700 rebounds and 200 steals in a career.

I bring a great attitude and positive energy.  In this league, every team can use some energy, Adams said.  When things are going bad, I try to be a guy to pick everything up because its a long season.

Its going to be exciting playing here with Vince (Carter) and RJ (Richard Jefferson).

Even though Jefferson graduated two years before Adams entered Arizona, the two former Wildcats developed a strong bond over time that Adams referred to as being like a family.

Players like Rich and Luke (Walton) really care about you and want to make sure you represent Arizona well, Adams said.  To have another Arizona guy (on the team) takes a little bit of the pressure off because he knows where you are coming from.

At Arizona, Adams made a name for himself at the shooting guard position.  He led the team in scoring in both his sophomore and senior seasons.  But in the Nets up-tempo offensive system, Coach Frank thinks the 6-foot-4 Adams could see time at the two forward positions as well.

What we are probably going to see in the NBA is teams playing smaller or at least playing with a shooting four-man, Frank said.  There arent a lot of dominant bigs in the game.  Hassan brings some versatility and can help us at a couple different positions.

Adams doesnt care where he plays as long as he can help the team win.

I never label myself as a number, I always label myself as a basketball player, Adams said.  Whatever Coach Frank tells me to do, Ill do it.

Right now Adams is limited in what he can do as he continues to recover from the foot injury.  While Marcus Williams and Josh Boone, the Nets first-round picks in 2006, gained valuable experience participating in the 2006 Pepsi Pro Summer League in July, Adams was unable to play and is still restricted from doing certain activities until his foot is completely healed.

Patience is a virtue, Adams declared.  They want me to gradually get back into it and not go from one to 10.  I just have to take it day by day.

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Jay Williams Road to Recovery Leads to New Jersey

No one would have thought less of Jay Williams if he decided never to play basketball again.

Over three years ago, the former second overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls was involved in a devastating motorcycle accident that not only nearly ended his basketball career, but his life.

On June 19, 2003, Williams was heading to a friends house for dinner in Chicago when he lost control of his high-powered motorcycle and crashed into utility poll.  The impact of the crash severed a main nerve in his left leg, fractured his pelvis and tore three of the four ligaments in his left knee.

I was in the hospital from June to about July or August, Williams remembers.  I couldnt get up and walk until September or October.  I was on my back for three or four months. There were a lot of low points.

You go from one day dunking on Yao Ming to the next day having a lady helping you wash yourself.

After spending the initial weeks after the accident in a Chicago hospital, Williams was moved to the Duke University Medical Center  near the site of many of his triumphs as a member of the Duke Blue Devils basketball team.

After about a half-dozen surgeries and extensive rehabilitation at Duke, Williams was finally able to perform every day chores without the help of his parents, who had moved in to help cook and clean.

At that point, basketball was the furthest thing from his mind.

That all changed a year after the accident.  Still struggling to walk and with a brace on his leg, Williams decided to help coach a basketball camp at his alma mater.

Some little kid said, youre my favorite player, are you going to play again?  I looked at him and said, I dont think it is going to happen.  Its time to move on and maybe get into coaching or something else, Williams said.  The kid started crying, like balling. He looked at me and said, youve got to play.

Thats when it clicked.  I wanted to do this for everybody else too not just me.  I wanted to do it for everybody who was ever told they cant do something.

Not completely confident he could get his body back into basketball shape, the former Duke All-American started working out with Tim Glover, Michael Jordans longtime trainer.  Williams initially attempted a comeback for the 2005-06 season but felt the timing wasnt right.

I thought I was ready at first and then towards the end of the summer I kind of got tired, he said.  So I thought I should get more training and keep getting stronger throughout the year.

Now I feel my legs are strong.  Ive been going everyday for a year and a half and I feel good.  Now I can go every single day and feel like a regular person.

Since July, Williams has been working out every day at the Nets practice facility.  His routine includes a mixture of martial arts training and running exercises to improve his speed and movement in the morning.  The afternoon is spent with Head Coach Lawrence Frank and his coaching staff on shooting and basketball drills.

He has an unbelievable drive, determination and will to succeed, Coach Frank said about Williams.  Guys like that you want to see succeed because they deserve it.  Physically and mentally, he can still play in the NBA.

Bill Cartwright, Williams former head coach in Chicago and current Nets assistant coach, has seen major improvements in his game since his rookie season.

We had him when he first came out of college and he was still learning the subtleties of changing speeds and playing against bigger and faster guys, Cartwright said.  Where he has really improved is his shooting.  His shooting is much better, his decision-making is better.  He is a smarter player now.

When training camp opens for the Nets on October 3rd, Williams is expected to be one of handful of non-roster invitees.  With New Jersey already having 15 players under contract  the maximum number allowed by the NBA  Williams faces an uphill battle.

Im not worried about that.  Thats going to play itself out, Williams said.  I feel like if I keep getting better, Ill find somewhere to play.

The league is always about survival of the fittest, Coach Frank said.  Things always have a way of working out.

And just when the memories of the accident began to fade, Williams name was once again thrust into the headlines when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger crashed his motorcycle months after winning the Super Bowl.

Williams, of course, had empathy for Roethlisberger but thinks the media puts too much emphasis on the lives of professional athletes and celebrities.

I was on the 405 (Freeway) in L.A. working out about seven or eight months ago and I saw someone pass away in a motorcycle accident, Williams said.  The one thing I want everybody to understand is whether its a bike or driving really fast in a car or drinking and driving, just know there is a bigger picture out there.  Its not worth it.

Now I get in my car and cruise at 55 (mph).  Theres no rush.

The experience has clearly matured the 24-year-old Williams.  Despite the litany of surgeries and the hours of rehab he had to endure over the past three years, he said he would not change one thing because it has given him a new outlook on life.

The biggest lesson I learned is that nothing in life is guaranteed, Williams said.  Not many people get a second chance.  I have to sit back sometimes and remember where I came from.  Remembering the first time I sat up in bed and passed out (from the pain).  It puts everything in perspective.

His second chance at basketball may come courtesy of the Nets, the team he rooted for growing up in Plainfield, N.J.

This was the one place I wanted to get drafted but obviously it didnt work out, Williams said.  Chicago was unbelievable, I loved Chicago.  Now I have an opportunity to play here.  Im here to fight for something and to work as hard as I can.

After what he has been through, we would expect nothing less from Jay Williams.

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Nets Name Neil Davis Chief Revenue Office for New Arena in Brooklyn
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (August 24, 2006)  The Nets have named Neil Davis Chief Revenue Officer, Sponsorship Sales, for their new arena in Brooklyn, Nets CEO Brett Yormark announced.

Davis, who will report directly to Yormark, will be responsible for identifying key strategic marketing partners for the Nets new arena in Brooklyn, which is expected to open for the 2009-10 season.

Neil is probably the most experienced and highly sought-after sports sales executive in the marketplace, Yormark said. He will play a leadership role in attracting best-in-class companies, both national and local, to become sponsors at the arena in Brooklyn and he understands what they will look for in a partnership such as this. Our ownership is committed to bringing in the best of the best to this organization and I look forward to marketing this landmark arena with Neil.

Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, the sports and entertainment arena will be the centerpiece of the Atlantic Yards development, which will offer office space, over 6,800 units of affordable, middle-income and market-rate housing, landscaped open space, a boutique hotel, and ground-floor retail space to create a vibrant addition to a thriving borough.

A native of Mount Vernon, NY, Davis enjoyed a successful 19-year career (1986-2005) with Madison Square Garden, most recently as Executive Vice President, Advertising Sales, in which he oversaw the advertising sales for MSG Networks, the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, Radio City Entertainment, arena signage and radio properties. An expert in growing revenue and multi-media packaging, Davis created new partnerships for MSG that grew its business over 50 percent in 10 years. Davis also negotiated the largest sponsorship agreements in the history of the MSG Regional Sports Network.

In September, 2005, Davis launched Davis Communications, Inc., which specialized in unique sponsorship packaging in sports, entertainment and venues.

Davis and his wife, Ilene, live in Chappaqua, NY with their two children, Jordyn, 14, and Blake, 11.

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Nets Name Neil Davis Chief Revenue Office for New Arena in Brooklyn

East Rutherford, NJ (August 17, 2006) - The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard Eddie House, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.  As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"We are pleased to add Eddie to our roster," said Thorn.  "He is a proven veteran who will enhance our scoring off the bench."

House, a 6-1 guard out of Arizona State, averaged a career high 9.8 points for Phoenix during the 2005-06 season to go along with 1.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .422 (320-759) from the field and .389 (123-316) from three in 81 contests.  A six-year NBA veteran, House holds career averages of 7.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 378 contests.

The former Second Round pick (37th overall) of the Miami Heat in the 2000 NBA Draft has played for six separate teams during his NBA career including Miami, L.A. Clippers, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Sacramento and Phoenix.

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Nets Sign Eddie House

From all indications leading up to the 2006 NBA Draft, Marcus Williams was not going to have to wait too long to hear his name called.

The junior from UConn was being touted as the best point guard in the 2006 draft class and with many teams needing a floor general he was certain to be a lottery pick.

But there Williams sat, pick after pick.  He saw former Husky teammates Rudy Gay and Hilton Armstrong get taken within the first 12 picks.  And after Rodney Carney from Memphis was selected with the 16th overall selection, Williams was the last player in the green room waiting to get drafted.

Then Commissioner Stern strode to the podium and said the words Williams had been waiting a lifetime to hear.

With the 22nd selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets select Marcus Williams from the University of Connecticut.

When the Nets picked me, I forgot about the previous 21 (picks) and knew I was coming here, Williams said.

Williams was an All-Big East Second Team selection last season in a highly-competitive basketball conference and was a major reason the Huskies made it to the Elite Eight in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

With such an impressive college career and coming from a program like UConn where NBA players are seemingly breed, Williams sounds determined to silence his critics.

Its a natural thing, Williams said.  I feel like I always have something to prove.  You can never get too comfortable.  Im really motivated now to prove to people that the Nets selection was a great pick.

If Williams does eventually lose that chip on his shoulder, new teammate Vince Carter will be there to help him regain it.

Were going to help him with that, Carter said.  Hes a great point guard and should have definitely gone higher.

Its all about situations and (teams) must have felt he didnt fit with what they needed.  Regardless of where you go, its all about what you do when you get on somebodys team, Carter finished.

The scouting report on Williams is he has outstanding court vision and knows how to control the tempo of a game.  When the game is on the line Williams is clutch especially from the free throw line.  In the NCAA tournament, Williams shot .957 from the charity stripe.

Without a doubt he was the one who held us together, Josh Boone said, his former UConn teammate and the Nets 23rd pick.  The way (UConn) Coach Calhoun runs the team; the point guard is responsible for everything.  So he had to be strong, he had to be the one to push us all along.

The situation in New Jersey is not unlike that at Connecticut.  Head Coach Lawrence Franks offensive scheme runs through Captain Jason Kidd.  Williams will have the privilege of learning along side the future Hall of Famer.

The first thing I thought about (after being drafted) was Jason Kidd and being a sponge to him and just picking up everything he has to offer, Williams said of Nets starting point guard.

The transition from college basketball to the professional ranks will be easier for Williams having Boone as teammate in New Jersey.  The pair played three seasons together at the University of Connecticut and were roommates for two of those years.

You know if you get frustrated or lonely, you have someone you can talk to, Williams said.

Williams likely wont have time to get lonely.  In addition to participating in the 2006 Pepsi Pro Summer League in Orlando, FL, he will be busy improving him game and proving the doubters wrong.

Williams said, Im going to be in the gym as much as possible and approach next season as if I have something to prove.

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Marcus Williams Has Something to Prove

Jason Kidd Appears on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on Sunday, May 21st

Following devastating house fire that left Irvington, NJ family homeless, Nets star welcomes home mother and her nine

special-needs children into their rebuilt house

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (May 16, 2006)  After a devastating house fire left a mother and her nine special-needs children homeless, Nets star Jason Kidd will welcome home the Turner family into their rebuilt home in Irvington, NJ, on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in back-to-back episodes on the ABC Television Network on Sunday, May 21, 7 p.m.-8 p.m. and 8 p.m.-9p.m.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host Ty Pennington and his design team renovated the burned down home in just seven days  which was the shows biggest residential build yet.

It was a special experience for me to be there to welcome home the Turner family and to be part of such an admirable show, said Kidd. To see the emotion in their faces when they saw their rebuilt home was something Ill never forget. The family loves the Nets and I wanted to be there to show them our support, too.

Told she could never have children of her own, Beverly Turner looked into adoption. Now, at age 54, she has been a special mom to 18 special-needs children -- despite having myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease. Raising children who suffer from bi-polar disorder, autism and blindness isnt easy, but Beverly feels honored to have the opportunity. She knows that most of these kids came from homes where they were abused or neglected, and was happy to provide them with a loving home.

Beverlys life would take yet another challenging turn on September 9, 2005: Instead of waking up to a house filled with love and laughter, the Turner family awoke to smoke and fire caused by faulty electrical wiring. Suddenly a single mother and her then nine special needs children were homeless.

While the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition design team, contractors and hundreds of workers, local builder Edgewood Properties and Century 21 Construction and volunteers are transforming the Turners house into a dream home in a remarkable seven days, the family will go on vacation to Arizona. In addition to Kidds appearance, singer Enrique Iglesias will perform for the family.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Tom Forman. The show airs Sundays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET), on the ABC Television Network.

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Jason Kidd Appears on ABCs "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"

M Bars Debuts Nets Theme Song
Winner of Jay-Zs Nets song contest performed live at Nets game on Wednesday, April 19th at Continental Airlines Arena

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (April 18, 2006)  Michael Barnes, aka M Bars, performed the new Nets theme song Going Hard live at halftime during the Nets final regular season home game vs. the Knicks on April 19th at the Continental Airlines Arena.

Nets part-owner and President &amp; CEO of Def Jam Recordings Shawn Jay-Z Carter selected M Bars as the winner of the theme song contest, which was in conjunction with HOT 97 FM and Sprite.

The rap song, written and performed by M Bars, was selected over 700 entries. As the winner, M Bars recorded the song last week at Baseline Studios II, a professional recording studio in Manhattan. The recording is posted on www.njnets.com and www.HOT97.com, the website of the Official #1 Station for Hip-Hop and R&amp;B in the United States.

ccreed

Theres Moore To Mikki Than Basketball

Hassan Adams is Finding Answers in New Jersey

Jay Williams Road to Recovery Leads to New Jersey

Nets Name Neil Davis Chief Revenue Office for New Arena in Brooklyn

Nets Sign Eddie House

Marcus Williams Has Something to Prove

Jason Kidd Appears on ABCs "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"

M Bars Debuts Nets Theme Song

ccreed

Theres Moore To Mikki Than Basketball

Hassan Adams is Finding Answers in New Jersey

Jay Williams Road to Recovery Leads to New Jersey

Nets Name Neil Davis Chief Revenue Office for New Arena in Brooklyn

Nets Sign Eddie House

Marcus Williams Has Something to Prove

Jason Kidd Appears on ABCs "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"

M Bars Debuts Nets Theme Song

Theres Moore To Mikki Than Basketball

Jay Williams Road to Recovery Leads to New Jersey

Jason Kidd Appears on ABCs "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"