Kyoto signs ex-NBA center Cousin

For the fourth consecutive season, the Kyoto Hannaryz will have a former NBA player on their roster. The bj-league team has finalized a one-year deal with journeyman center Marcus Cousin, it was announced Monday.

The 211-cm, 116-kg big man played four games for the Jazz in 2010-11, logging 18 total minutes while under a 10-day contract before being waived in March. His overall statistics: four points, three rebounds, one block, one turnover and one personal foul.

Last season, Kyoto coach Honoo Hamaguchi's club, which reached the Final Four for the first time in franchise history, included former Cleveland Cavaliers pivotman Lance Allred. He was named to the Western Conference All-Star team.

Coincidentally, the 25-year-old Cousin has been assigned the same jersey number (41) that Allred wore last season.

In 2009-10 and 2010-11, guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, the No. 3 pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, played major minutes for the Hannaryz in both seasons, even at age 42 in 2011.

Cousin attended Seton Hall from 2004-06 before closing out his college career at Houston in 2009. He was not drafted by an NBA team, but landed a spot on the Houston Rockets' Summer League squad in 2009. He's played professionally in Turkey, Israel, Venezuela and, most recently, the Dominican Republic. He was signed by the San Antonio Spurs in 2010 and played for their NBA Development League affiliate, the Austin Toros, averaging 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds in 38 games. In 2011, the Houston Rockets assigned him to the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

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Oilers center Brule gives Bono a lift

Edmonton, Alberta — This was one nifty assist by an NHL player.

Edmonton Oilers center Gilbert Brule stopped this week to pick up a most unlikely hitchhiker — rock star Bono.

The U2 frontman and his assistant were walking in West Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday when they got caught in the rain. Fortunately for them, Brule and his girlfriend were driving by, taking their German shepherd to a park.

Bono hopped in for a ride and offered Brule and his girlfriend backstage passes for the U2 concert Wednesday night at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium. The couple sold their tickets to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals between Boston and Vancouver, went back to Edmonton and attended the show with Brule's mom.

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