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Alexkid

Star-laden world tour all but finalized
Staff report
(Sporting News)



03:32:14PM (DST) Wednesday,October 26,2011.

Eighteen top-tier NBA players, including Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant, will begin a world tour Sunday in San Juan, Puerto Rico, ESPN.com reports. News of the tour broke last week, but contractual and logistical issues had to be worked out, and a formal announcement is expected imminently.

The tour, branded the World All-Star Classic, will also hit O2 Arena in London on Nov. 1 and 3, the Cotai Arena at the Venetian Hotel in Macau on Nov. 6, and Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 8 and 9. Organizers are considering adding a fifth city and are doing “some last-minute tinkering with the other stops and dates,” according to Yahoo! Sports.
Dwight Howard reportedly has changed his tune on a world tour. (AP Photo)

LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Carlos Boozer, Tyson Chandler, Steve Nash, Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo and Chris Kaman also may participate, ESPN reports.

Players will be paid from six figures to $1 million, and some proceeds will go to charity, according to both reports.

Initial reports said Howard declined the opportunity to join the tour.

Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, were believed to be part of the excursion, but will not play. Rose, who is in Hawaii for a USO-backed exhibition on Hickam Air Force Base, said, per ESPN, "The scheduling was just too tough." Joakim Noah is among the players organizers would like to add, the report says.

Atlanta businessman Calvin Darden is the tour's main organizer.

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