NBA Notes: Cavs' J.R. Smith Needs Thumb Surgery

CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers starting guard J.R. Smith needs surgery on his right thumb and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Smith got hurt late in the first half of Tuesday night's game in Milwaukee and didn't return after halftime. The team won't know how long he'll be out until after the operation.

Smith's injury is the latest and most serious medical setback for the defending NBA champions. Kevin Love, who is having an All-Star season, missed Tuesday's game with a bruised knee and Chris "Birdman" Andersen suffered a season-ending knee injury last week in practice.

After Smith helped them win the title last season, the Cavs signed him to a four-year, $57 million contract following a short holdout.

However, Smith has had a bumpy start this season, missing five games with an ankle problem and hyperextended knee. He's averaging 8.6 points but has been slowly emerging from a shooting slump (see full story).

Warriors: Curry auctioning off shoes for Oakland fire victims
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is auctioning off two special pairs of shoes to raise money for victims of the Oakland warehouse fire.

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KCBS reports that Curry teamed up with a local artist and had two distinctive pairs designed.

As of Wednesday morning on EBay, Curry's shoes had received 157 bids and were at a combined $20,000 on the auction site.

Curry wore the pair of white sneakers with the words "Oakland Strong" printed on them during a recent game against the New York Knicks. Warriors officials say he wore the other, more colorful shoes with the words "Ghost Ship" on them, during practice.

Both shoes have the initials of all 36 victims printed on them.

The fire broke out Dec. 2 during a dance party at the Ghost Ship warehouse.

NBA: Basketball academy opening in Africa
The NBA will open an academy in Africa next year, its latest move to unearth talent from outside the United States and extend the league's reach into new territories.

The African academy will be based in Thies, Senegal, and follows similar NBA projects opened this year in China, which has three academies, and Australia. Another academy in India is set to start operating in April.

The NBA aims to open the Senegal academy, its sixth, in May.

The international academies, elite training centers for boys and girls at under-16 and under-18 level, are "the biggest investment the NBA has ever made in basketball development globally," said Brooks Meek, NBA vice president of international basketball operations.

"We are moving full force ahead and are really excited by the progress we've made," Meek told The Associated Press.

A record 26 international players were selected in the 2016 NBA draft. Along with the new players, the NBA's push into Asia and Africa, specifically, provides significant new audiences and marketing opportunities for the league (see full story).

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