Celtics' Brandon Bass learns to swim at age 28 (VIDEO)

It takes a lot courage to learn how to swim but it might take even more brass when your first breast stroke is at age 28 with a pool full of children splish-splashing around.

Brandon Bass, the 6-foot-8, 260-pound Boston Celtics power forward could go coast-to-coast on the hardwood but when it came to lapping a pool — he was the dunk. Ironically, a Bass who hated the water.

This week, Bass conquered a lifelong fear and climbed into the shallow end of a city pool with 10 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Boston to take their first swimming lesson. He has vowed to continue taking plunges until he is confident enough to swim on his own.

"My son’s the first one in the family to learn how to swim," says Bass, who is now in his third season with the Celtics.

"If you threw me out in the ocean, I would drown."

"I’m nervous, because I don’t know how to float," he told  the Boston Globe,  "I can’t tread water."

Bass hopes his desire to learn swimming well into adulthood will encourage more young and old people to learn the ability. And from the cheers and encouragement of the kids in his class  — it's sounds like he's already done so.

Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, there was no place for Bass to learn to swim and he remembers a tragic drowning of young neighbor his own age back then.

He feels that as the man of the house he needs to learn to swim. He says he believes other parents should learn, too, and encourage their children.

"Even if you don’t want to swim," he said. "It’s important to learn in case you need to."

Way to go Brandon.

Kris Humphries puts Kim Kardashian's $2 million engagement ring up for auction: Report

A sparkling engagement ring matching the description of Kim Kardashian's symbol of marriage has been listed in an auction called "Magnificent Jewels" that’s slated for Oct. 15 at Christie’s in Manhattan, according to RumorFix.com. The high-end auction house declined to name NBA player Kris Humphries —Kardashian’s ex-husband — as the seller, saying only that "a gentleman" was behind the listing.

The former Brooklyn Net and current Boston Celtics' forward presented Kim K with the ring on her reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.  Their August 2011 wedding was featured in two separate and highly viewed E! specials and lasted a whole 72 days. Their divorce came a few months later.

After filing for divorce, 32-year-old Kardashian wanted to keep the ring but Humphries sought the jewel’s return as part of his fraud claim.

The Lorraine Schwartz design features a 16-karat emerald cut center stone flanked by 1.8-karat trapezoid side diamonds — in case you are in the market for some tainted bling.

The ring goes on view Oct. 11 at Christie’s in Rockefeller Center and is expected to fetch only about $500 K.

Paul Pierce: My hatred of Knicks has 'grown a little' since joining Nets

Paul Pierce hated the New York Knicks as a Celtic but now, as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, he's ramped-up that loathing of the Garden dwellers even more — or at least that's what he told Michael Kay on ESPN Radio. 

"I think the hate [for the Knicks] has grown a little," he said,  reports ESPNNewYork.com. "Everybody knows how much I disliked the Knicks when I was with the Celtics, but I think it's grown to another level... I think it's time for the Nets to start running this city."

Pierce later told reporters at a Sprint H-O-R-S-E event in Manhattan: "The only thing that separates the two teams is a bridge. And both of them are in the same division and both of them are considered contenders. You can't help but say this is probably gonna be the best rivalry in sports next year."

The Nets and Knicks will meet four times in 2013-14. The first game of their regular-season series will be Dec. 5 at Barclays Center.

Both teams made upgrades in the offseason. Brooklyn acquired Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry from the Celtics and also added Andrei Kirilenko in free agency, while New York acquired Andrea Bargnani and signed Metta World Peace.

At first glance, the Knicks may not have the big-name signings this summer of the deep-pocketed Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, but they're coming off a better season than their East River rivals and have a more solid core of younger players.

The Nets aren't "running" New York yet — but this is finally becoming an interesting cross-city rivalry. 

Nets looking to add openly-gay Collins to roster: Report

The Brooklyn Nets keep finding ways to keep their locker room interesting — and complicated. And the next potential Nets move might not be blockbusting but it would be trailblazing.

After announcing an NBA-rocking trade — to become official July 10 — that will bring seasoned veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Barclays Center, a source confirmed Friday that the Nets' organization has discussed signing free-agent center Jason Collins, the first openly gay male basketball player.

The 34-year-old Collins, who revealed his sexuality in a Sports Illustrated article last spring, is no stranger to the Nets' organization. He was teammates with Nets coach Jason Kidd for seven seasons in New Jersey, where they both played under current Brooklyn assistant Lawrence Frank.

Although the Nets may not need another big man, Collins' "name was brought up," said a well-connected source.

Collins, who advanced to two finals with the Nets, has bounced around the league as a backup since leaving New Jersey. He played last season with Garnett and Pierce in Boston, but was released before joining the Wizards.

Although the Nets have interest in Collins, there isn't much room on the roster for another physical presence in the paint. Not only did the Nets draft Duke center Mason Plumlee on Thursday, their blockbuster trade evolved Friday morning so that they are keeping bruising forward Reggie Evans and dealing swingman MarShon Brooks to the Celtics, a source said.

Collins has not played since announcing he was gay in April, so the next time he steps on the court will be a front-page event. And for the Nets, who have been making headlines lately by hiring Kidd and completing the trade for Garnett and Pierce, it's a chance to represent a different kind of Brooklyn — which is home to a large gay and lesbian community.

"It's certainly better than Utah or other communities that are not as cosmopolitan," said sports marketing expert Marc Ganis, adding that such a move could help the Nets win over Brooklyn residents who remain angry about the way the Barclays Center was imposed on the neighborhood.

"It is a demonstration that the Nets are a socially progressive organization. To people who opposed it (the Barclays Center) it could be a relevant factor."

First-round draft pick Lucas 'Bebe' Nogueira's hair a big hit with fans

The Boston Celtics selected Brazilian big man Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira with the 16th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft Thursday night at Barclays Center.  The 20-year-old project with burgeoning offensive skills and giant NBA dreams also comes with something else pretty big —his hair.

While it sounds like the Celtics won't keep him — Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the pick will go from Boston to Dallas to Atlanta  — but there are many people who believe Nogueira has what it takes.

But that wasn't the big deal last night.  The real story was Nogueira's head of hair, and how he floated a Celtics hat on top of it when he met NBA commissioner David Stern at the podium. The carefully balanced cap resulted in a classic introduction to the NBA.

At least Andrew Bynum probably approves.