of the finals participants who couldnt remember Venus earliest days on tour, but he did grow up watching her and received a few lessons Sunday.To be across the net from her was an incredible experience, Sock said. I thought my forehand was good before today. Some guys

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have made the signing of Jared Dudley official, and the nine-year NBA veteran pronounced himself the perfect person to bring veteran leadership to the young team.Dudley signed a three-year, $30 million contract and was introduced at a news conference on Friday, although he really didnt need an introduction. He spent 5 1/2 seasons with the Suns, and was part of the latter stages of the franchises high-energy Steve Nash era.He knows how to wear this jersey with pride, Suns coach Earl Watson said.The Suns have also agreed to terms on a two-year deal with another ex-Sun, guard Leandro Barbosa, but that signing wont become official for several weeks because he is in Brazil with the national team that will host the Rio Olympics.Dudley said hes secretly been wanting to come back here for years.Although hes only 6-foot-7, Dudley will play the stretch power forward role with Phoenix, a position he played last season with the Washington Wizards and on occasion with Milwaukee the season before.We wanted somebody to lead our group, general manager Ryan McDonough said, somebody with high-level experience in the NBA, Somebody whos been playoff tested, battle tested and somebody with leadership characteristics to teach our young players how to play, how to be professionals as well on and off the court.Dudley fit all those requirements.I dont think theres a more perfect person for this job at this time with this young team than me, he said.The Suns two first-round draft picks -- Dragan Bender and Marquease Chriss -- are just 18 years old. Nineteen-year-old Devin Booker, who made the NBA all-rookie team last season, was the youngest player in the league.Dudley said he has no problem knowing he is grooming Bender and Chriss to replace him.A lot of vets kind of fear that, Dudley said. I embrace it in the sense that theyre going to take over eventually. For me ... its an everyday process to help them get better and Im excited about that.Dudley, who turns 31 on Sunday, has averaged 8.4 points in his career. Last season, he averaged 7.9 points for the Wizards, shooting 42 percent from 3-point range. He is a career 40 percent shooter on 3s.Dudley arrived in Phoenix as, as he described it, a throw-in in a trade with Charlotte midway through the 2008-09 season. But he worked his way onto the court and was part of the Suns team that lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009-10 Western Conference finals. Statistically, his best NBA season was 2011-12, when he averaged 12.7 points with Phoenix. Wholesale Spurs Jerseys . 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NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Venus Williams wont reveal where she keeps her Olympic medals. Its always my secret, she says. But underwear drawer or trophy room, the five of them -- four gold, one silver -- is a total that signifies something only one other player has ever done. More so, it highlights the longevity that has characterized Williams career.The only other player to win as many medals as Williams was Great Britains Kitty McKane, who did it over two Olympics in 1920 and 1924. It should also be noted that when the 36-year-old Williams, who first struck gold at the 2000 Games, was asked Sunday whether she might consider the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she did not spit out her water.God willing, I imagine if I really want to be there, I could, said the five-time Olympian. Tokyo is about if I really want to be there, and if I want to continue to work this hard. Its a lot of hard work, and I will want to have to do the work. So well see.Williams and her partner in the Rio event, Rajeev Ram, certainly did the work Sunday, despite losing the gold-medal mixed-doubles match to fellow Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock, 6-7 (3), 6-1, (10-7), the latter score a 10-point tiebreaker, which is used in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments.Williams came into the tournament with a virus and lost in the first round of singles and doubles with sister Serena. Ram was summoned to join Venus just a few days before opening ceremonies, when defending mens doubles gold medalists Bob and Mike Bryan withdrew.It wasnt a tough choice to come to Rio, said Ram, who had to skip the Atlanta Open. No, the Olympics is something that only comes around every four years, and Atlanta comes around a lot. I was happy to skip that one.Ram, 32, who has known Venus throughout their careers and is coming off a Wimbledon semifinal finish in doubles, was happy to stick around Rio after losing with partner Brian Baker in mens doubles in the second round. Venus was equally as delighted to help the first-time Olympian win a silver medal.Its been an amazing partnership, she said. We really couldnt have asked for more. I mean we played a real good match. We faced a lot of great opponents. Its nice to be sitting right here with him.ddddddddddddIt was the second one-two finish in this event for the U.S. since 1924, when Hazel Wightman and Richard Williams defeated Marion Jessup and Vincent Richards.Mattek-Sands, like Sock, is a first-time Olympian. She talked about the goosebumps she experienced while waiting in the tunnel for the opening ceremonies to begin when the Americans began a USA, USA chant.We are with the greatest athletes representing your country, said Mattek Sands, a four-time Grand Slam titlist in doubles and mixed. It didnt matter if it was long-distance running, swimming, track or tennis, everyone was there chanting USA! You cant compare any Grand Slam to that. ... I dont think its even comparable.Sock came to Rio with a case of walking pneumonia. But before striking gold Sunday, he and Steve Johnson won bronze in mens doubles.Theres just something about being part of a team, Sock said. Tennis is such an individual sport, and the feeling that you get here is like no other.At 23, Sock was the only one of the finals participants who couldnt remember Venus earliest days on tour, but he did grow up watching her and received a few lessons Sunday.To be across the net from her was an incredible experience, Sock said. I thought my forehand was good before today. Some guys usually get intimidated by my forehand. And she was stepping up and smashing it with her backhand. So Im ready to go back to the practice court and work on some things.As for Venus, she can take a good amount of solace knowing how her Rio campaign ended.Its been an amazing experience, five Olympics for me, said Venus, who will move on to the US Open with a No. 6 world ranking in singles, her highest since early 2011. Its surreal that I even came out with any hardware at all. Its so well-contested here, every single one.All I can say is that its been beyond my dreams, she said. There is so much pressure, and when you can cross the line in any sort of way, it feels great.All those ruling out Tokyo 2020 might want to think again. ' ' '