Glenn Nelson's Top 10 -- Carlos Rogers

Counting the days before the NBA All-Star break:

The Buzz: With all that we say is bad with the game, we'd like to start the week by acknowledging something good. Our sympathies go out to Rogers, originally a Sonic first-round draft pick in 1994, who buried his sister, Adrienne, in Detroit yesterday. Rogers' willingness to risk ending his basketball career by donating a kidney to save his sister's life was one of those rare moments of true heroism around the NBA. The rings and trophies and cheers all pale in comparison. And Rogers continues to be a hero to nine siblings and four children, all of whom he supports with his $1.14 million salary from the Toronto Raptors.

BUGGER OFF

The Buzz: It's been the penthouse to the outhouse ever since his stirring monologue before the Democratic national convention in 1988, and Jesse Jackson proves it by appealing for ChromaDome's reinstatement by the NBA. "It's one thing to punish a man," the Rev says of C-D. "It's another thing to take away his dignity." Memo to the Rev: One first needs to have some dignity before it can be taken away.

KISSED OFF

The Buzz: We remember when Terry Mills was just a tub and not much more. Now we see him every other night on SportsCenter, hitting off-balance three-pointers and falling into the scorer's table. Tuesday, with 1:07 left in Detroit's 93-84 win over Milwaukee, Mills did it again, right in front of Coach Doug Collins, who grabbed his player's face between his hands and gave him one, lip to lip. "I sensed that one was in all the way," Mills said of the shot, not the smooch. "But I ain't never been kissed by a man before." Collins: "It was a beautiful moment." Mills: "I don't want another one."

LEFT OFF

The Buzz: We're probably making it deeper than it really is, but we'd like to think NBA coaches made an All-Star statement by snubbing guards Allen Iverson, Mark Jackson, Reggie Miller and Damon Stoudamire. What they have in common is that they are one-dimensional stat hounds. The message is loud and clear on Jackson, who is in the midst of breaking John Stockton's record nine-year stranglehold on the NBA assists title. The one snub we feel for is that of Anthony Mason, whom we regrettably left off our own midseason team and who is largely responsible for Charlotte's unexpected success this season.

PLAIN OFF

The Buzz: Timing is everything, even in the NBA. Witness Dennis Scott, who grew up in the Washington, D.C., area and arranged 72 tickets for family and friends when Orlando visited the Bullets on Monday. Not only did the Magic get pounded 102-82, Scott missed all 10 of his shots, seven from three-point range, and went scoreless in 31 minutes. "I always wanted to make history in this building," he said afterward, "but not like this."

KNICKS 75, CADAVERS 65

The Buzz: This Wednesday night result came on the heels of an 84-62 victory by the Cadavers. Back-to-back abominations. The Fratellofication of the NBA - now that's a cause for the Rev to take up.

GENERATION GAP

The Buzz: During a seven-day period, we saw 18-year-old Jermaine O'Neal drop 20 on the Sonics, 18-year-old Kobe Bryant drop the Sonics - period - and 20-year-old (There's A New) Shareef (In Town) Abdur-Rahim stick 24 on the Bulls. We'd say the future of the NBA is in good hands. But looking around at Robert Parish in Chicago and John Long and Earl Cureton in Toronto, we'd say the past also is in good hands. Especially now that old buddy Tom Chambers, 37, is back in it. His return completes the league-wide reunion of the last trio to average 20 points apiece for the same team. Dale Ellis, 36, still is lighting it up in Denver, while Xavier McDaniel, 33, is on New Jersey's injured list.

BIG COUNTRY, ROY ROGERS AND SHAREEF

The Buzz: The cast from Bonanza? Wrong. It's the starting front line for the Vancouver Grizzlies that has the old-West flavor.

GUNSLINGER

The Buzz: That's what Atlanta Hawk teammates are calling Henry James, who has been a shooting sensation since being signed out of the CBA for his second tour with Lenny Wilkens. Already this month, James has sunk the Knicks with five three-pointers and 19 points and the Suns with a last-second trey. Against the Bullets on Jan. 24, he drilled eight threes, five in the third quarter alone. During that flurry, Washington assistant Clifford Ray kept screaming, "Henry James!" To which James responded with a three and screamed, "What?!" Then, with the Hawks trailing 98-95 and under eight seconds remaining, James drilled his last three over the outstretched hands of Juwan Howard to send the game into OT. Translation: That's what, Clifford Ray.

SO FAR, SO GOOD

The Buzz: One opinion on how things stand at mid-season: 1. Repeat-A- Bulls (but Jason Caffey needs a tattoo), 2. Lakers (because Van Exel guarantees the Pacific), 3. Eugene Amos (200,000 ChromaBucks richer), 4. Walter Lowe (busy Rockets team physician), 5. Sonics (find a get-Richmond-quick scheme), 6. Pistons (strolling in Motor City), 7. Jazz (and falling), 8. Knicks (and rising), 9. Heat (love the Bug and Zo Show), 10. Shawn Kemp's on-time record (compared with United's).