David Stern may be the NBA Commissioner, but LeBron James is the most influential man in the league right now.

That is the widespread belief of at least a few agents and coaches around the NBA.

“LeBron James is basically running the entire NBA right now,” said one agent who requested anonymity because he represents several NBA and college players who could be impacted by James’ impending free-agent decision. “There is no question about that. He is holding up the Nets, the Knicks, Cleveland, Chicago, the Clippers. He’s holding up the whole league.”

Read the full column at SNY.

(Photo courtesy NBA.com)

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Seton Hall has yet to reach the .500 mark in the Big East conference during Bobby Gonzalez’s tenure in South Orange.

But that could change Saturday when the Pirates (17-11, 8-9 Big East) visit Providence (12-17, 4-13) in a game that won’t be televised in the New York/New Jersey area. Fans will have to catch it on ESPN360 or the radio.

Though their NCAA hopes are diminished, a win Saturday could help the Pirates secure a coveted first-round bye in the Big East tournament next week at Madison Square Garden.

“Right now we’re just trying to focus on Providence because we know it would be very important to get to .500 in the conference. We’ve never done that,” Gonzalez said Thursday after the win over Rutgers

“We’d like to somehow find a way to win because then you’re going into the Garden with a two-game win streak. It’s nice to have a little momentum going into the Big East tournament if you can do that.”

**In other Seton Hall news, the New York Times is expected to run a highly anticipated story on Coach Gonzalez Sunday or Monday.

FREE THROWS

**Tough 57-55 loss for William Paterson in the Division 3 NCAA tournament in Wayne, NJ, but congratulations to Jose Rebimbas on another terrific coaching job. Rebimbas is one of the best coaching minds in the metropolitan area and should get a shot at the D1 level before long.

**Seth Davis reports that William Wesley, aka “Worldwide Wes,” is on the brink of finalizing a deal with Creative Artists Agency to become a full-fledged NBA agent.

**Mike Waters of the Syracuse Post-Standard interviewed several college hoops guys, including myself, about the Big East postseason awards and the opinions were split.

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NEPTUNE, N.J. – A little while back, a Division 1 coach from an East Coast school received a telephone call that caused him to perk up just a little bit more than usual.

“I received a call asking if I was interested in a player and the call did not come from his high school coach or AAU coach, but rather from an agent,” the coach recalled.

The coach says he ultimately turned the player down, but the call reveals an inside glimpse into how college basketball really works. (more…)

UConn’s Ater Majok will pull his name out of the NBA Draft before Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline, according to FoxSports.com.

“He’s going to pull his name out,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun, who is recovering from a bike accident that broke five ribs and caused him to be hospitalized, told FOXSports.com. “That’s what he told me [Saturday].”

Professional teams in Spain, Italy and Greece have shown interest in the 6-foot-10 Majok, a native of Sudan via Australia. But he is likely to return to UConn, according to his former coach, Ed Smith.

“Jim Calhoun is a proven developer of NBA talent,” Smith (more…)

Carmelo Anthony has fired agent Calvin Andrews and will sign with Creative Artists Agency, according to an industry source.

Bill Duffy, Andrews’ boss at Bill Duffy Associates, and Leon Rose, CAA’s renowned basketball agent, were not immediately available for comment.

Rose is a close friend and business associate of William Wesley, aka “Worldwide Wes,” the basketball power broker who maintains a close relationship with CAA’s biggest sports client, LeBron James.

Other CAA clients include Allen Iverson, Tony Parker, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning and  Sidney Crosby.

Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman are among the Hollywood stars (more…)