JORDAN SAYS SUPER TEAMS HURT BALANCE

Hornets owner Michael Jordan says that NBA stars ganging up and playing for super teams will hurt competitive balance.

Last year, Kevin Durant left the Thunder to join the already-loaded Golden State Warriors. This year, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George landed with Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, creating another socalled super team with tremendous star power.

In an interview with Cigar Aficionado, Jordan said, “I think it’s going to hurt the overall aspect of the league from a competitive standpoint. You’re going to have one or two teams that are going to be great, and another 28 teams that are going to be garbage. Or they’re going to have a tough time surviving in the business environment.”

The issue comes out Oct. 31.

Heat’s McGruder to have surgery.

MIAMI» Rodney McGruder, who started at small forward for the Miami Heat last season and was a strong candidate to open this season in the same role, is scheduled for have surgery next week to repair a stress fracture in his left leg.

McGruder played in a team-high 78 games last season for Miami, starting 65 of them. The surgery would likely keep him sidelined at least three months, though the timetable for a return will be known until after surgery. A team spokesman said McGruder is still being evaluated and that any talk of how long McGruder will be out is premature.

McGruder averaged 6.4 points per game last season, narrowly missing getting voted onto the all-rookie team.

Footnote.

Brian Wheeler, the longtime play-by-play radio voice of the Portland Trail Blazers, is taking a leave of absence effective immediately for undisclosed health reasons. There is no timetable for Wheeler’s return. He has been a radio announcer for the team for the past 19 seasons and last month signed a multiyear contract extension. — The Associated Press