Reeves Nelson

An attorney for former UCLA basketball player Reeves Nelson filed a suit against Sports Illustrated. The suit alleges defamation, false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming from a story on the Bruins' basketball program while Nelson was a member of the team. Nelson was painted as a bully to his teammates in the story. He was dismissed from the team in December. “A story like this is so sensationalized, it is almost impossible to get reputation back,” said Keith Fink, attorney for Nelson.

The UCLA basketball team is on a roll, showing hints of becoming special, so these days you get happy Ben Howland, the one who smiles and talks easily, even clapping his hands occasionally. "It's good to be winning," he says. The Bruins coach is a man of many faces. When his weekly meeting with reporters ends, time to get back to business, he could instantly become the grinder, the one who feels every second slipping past, every moment an opportunity to practice or watch film or jump on a plane to recruit.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Wednesday threw out a defamation lawsuit brought by Reeves Nelson against Sports Illustrated and reporter George Dohrmann concerning an article critical of the former UCLA basketball player. Judge Mary Ann Murphy agreed with attorneys for SI and Dohrmann that the complaint concerning the story "Not the UCLA Way" infringed on their clients' right to free speech. She also found that Dohrmann had numerous sources to back up his article. "This man spent a lot of time and talked to a lot of people," Murphy said.

UCLA's basketball team lost two players this week: Tyler Lamb and Joshua Smith . But dating back to 2008, the Bruins have had at least 11 players leave their program. Those departures include Chace Stanback (2008), Drew Gordon (2009), Mike Moser (2010), J'mison Morgan (2010), Matt Carlino (2010), Reeves Nelson (2011), Brendan Lane (2012), De'End Parker (2012), Anthony Stover (2012), Lamb and Smith. UCLA Coach Ben Howland was asked about the exodus of players after the Bruins' 82-56 win against Cal State Northridge on Wednesday, and he basically gave a non-answer, saying he'd answered it before.

UCLA at least temporarily resolved one big issue Wednesday. Coach Ben Howland reinstated Reeves Nelson, lifting his indefinite suspension — it lasted two days — after receiving assurances from the junior forward that he would keep his personality in check. Nelson will return for the Bruins' opener in the Maui Invitational against Chaminade on Monday after sitting out an 86-66 loss to Middle Tennessee State, UCLA's second consecutive defeat against a mid-major to open the season.

With three preseason games remaining, the Lakers made two roster moves Saturday, waiving center Ronnie Aguilar and forward Reeves Nelson. The transactions were hardly unexpected. Aguilar appeared in four preseason games with the Lakers, averaging 0.8 points and 0.5 rebounds in 7.8 minutes. Nelson, who previously played at UCLA, averaged 1.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 11 minutes in three preseason games. This brings the Lakers' roster to 18 players. Three or four more moves, in terms of cuts, could be made in the next week.

The swelling around Reeves Nelson's right eye has subsided since last weekend, but UCLA remained unsure if he would be available when practice resumes this evening. The freshman was scheduled to see a team trainer Tuesday afternoon to have the injury checked. Nelson was poked in the eye against Kansas on Sunday. Doctors found a corneal abrasion and he will have to wear goggles when he plays again. "The main thing is there is no serious damage to the eye," Coach Ben Howland said.

Sheila Nelson spoke to Ben Howland on Friday morning, and it wasn't an easy telephone conversation. The UCLA basketball coach told Nelson that her son Reeves Nelson had been dismissed from the Bruins basketball team. "Reeves behaved poorly," Sheila Nelson said later in the day during a telephone conversation. "He admits to that and he's taking full responsibility for his actions. He still wants to be on the team. But quite frankly, I love my son, but he just turned 20 and he's been a boy in a man's body since he was 14 and there are things he needs to work on, and he will work on them.

Former UCLA forward Reeves Nelson will be invited to the Lakers training camp that begins in early October after he signs a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, potentially worth about $700,000 with the team, Nelson told The Times on Tuesday. Nelson would probably be considered a long shot to make the Lakers. But he considers the training camp invitation to be a blessing, particularly because he was dismissed from UCLA in December of 2011, largely for his disruptive attitude. “I'm very grateful,” Nelson said.

UCLA could be forced to take on the most dynamic big man in the Pacific 10 Conference without its top two frontcourt players. Sophomore forward Reeves Nelson and freshman center Joshua Smith returned to practice on a limited basis Tuesday, but their availability for the Bruins' game against Arizona on Thursday in Tucson will be a game-time decision. Smith has been sidelined with a head injury since early in UCLA's victory over California last week, and Nelson sprained his left ankle with about eight minutes left in a triumph over Stanford two days later.

A recent stroll along Bruin Walk brought a baseball spring-training-like surge of optimism. It was warm and sunny, UCLA's campus buzzed with the energy of 20-year-olds and hope sprung eternal. The football team is decent, but the basketball team is the franchise. Like USC football, UCLA basketball is a community treasure. It gets the headlines now because John Wooden earned them years ago. Los Angeles may be gaga about the Lakers, but it will always have room in its heart — and expectations — for the Bruins to excel.

With three preseason games remaining, the Lakers made two roster moves Saturday, waiving center Ronnie Aguilar and forward Reeves Nelson. The transactions were hardly unexpected. Aguilar appeared in four preseason games with the Lakers, averaging 0.8 points and 0.5 rebounds in 7.8 minutes. Nelson, who previously played at UCLA, averaged 1.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 11 minutes in three preseason games. This brings the Lakers' roster to 18 players. Three or four more moves, in terms of cuts, could be made in the next week.

Former UCLA basketball player Reeves Nelson's lawsuit against Sports Illustrated and reporter George Dohrmann was thrown out of court Wednesday. Nelson filed a defamation lawsuit against Time Inc., Sports Illustrated's parent company, in May over an article that portrayed Nelson as a bully who had had tried to injure teammates at times. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Ann Murphy ruled that the suit infringed on freedom of speech rights for the magazine and writer. She also found that Dohrmann had numerous sources to back up the facts in the article.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Wednesday threw out a defamation lawsuit brought by Reeves Nelson against Sports Illustrated and reporter George Dohrmann concerning an article critical of the former UCLA basketball player. Judge Mary Ann Murphy agreed with attorneys for SI and Dohrmann that the complaint concerning the story "Not the UCLA Way" infringed on their clients' right to free speech. She also found that Dohrmann had numerous sources to back up his article. "This man spent a lot of time and talked to a lot of people," Murphy said.

When training camp opens next month, Greg Somogyi will hold one distinction not even All-Star big men Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol can match: tallest Laker. How long the 7-foot-3 center graces the Lakers' roster is another matter. The Lakers signed the former UC Santa Barbara player to a non-guaranteed contract Wednesday and extended an invitation to training camp as the team fills out the margins of its roster for practice purposes. Like former UCLA forward Reeves Nelson, whom the Lakers also signed as expected Wednesday, Somogyi is the longest of longshots to make the team.

Former UCLA forward Reeves Nelson will be invited to the Lakers training camp that begins in early October after he signs a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, potentially worth about $700,000 with the team, Nelson told The Times on Tuesday. Nelson would probably be considered a long shot to make the Lakers. But he considers the training camp invitation to be a blessing, particularly because he was dismissed from UCLA in December of 2011, largely for his disruptive attitude. “I'm very grateful,” Nelson said.

Reeves Nelson, UCLA's leading scorer and rebounder a year ago, didn't play a minute in the second half and Joshua Smith, the Bruins' third-leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer a year ago, played four of the final 20. It is perhaps less noteworthy that UCLA lost to Texas, 69-59, Saturday at the Sports Arena than that junior forward Nelson spent most of the game on the bench laughing and pointing at people in the season-high crowd of 6,177...

DETROIT - Vernon Wells, out since May 21 because of a torn ligament in his right thumb, is expected to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment of seven to 10 games this weekend. Catcher Chris Iannetta, sidelined since May 9 because of a broken right wrist and a right forearm strain, hopes to join him. Iannetta threw to second base Monday for the first time since he injured his forearm in early June, and after repeating the workout Wednesday, he could begin a rehab assignment this weekend.