Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving?sold majority rights to his name and image to Authentic Brands Group on Tuesday.Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources say that Erving will get an upfront guarantee as well as royalties associated with the deal.As part of the contract, ABG has filed for the trademark to Dr. J as well as Ervings signature in the US and in various countries.ABG president and chief marketing officer Nick Woodhouse said the company will use Ervings name and image to expand into luxury, travel and corporate partnerships as well as do licensing deals and merchandise his name.Its the second deal made in the past few months by ABG, who structured a similar deal with Shaquille ONeal earlier this year. ABG also controls the licensing rights to Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley and owns sports brands including Prince, Spyder, Tapout and Tretorn.In many ways, Erving was the original athlete-businessman for NBA players. His first deal with Converse was worth an unprecedented $20,000. Erving was also part of the first licensed video game Dr. J vs Larry Bird, which was released by Electronic Arts in 1983. As part of his endorsement, Erving took the option to purchase 20,000 shares of the company at $1 a share. He held on to it, which was eventually worth millions. He also was an investor in a Philadelphia-based Coca-Cola bottling plant for more than 20 years.Erving, considered the father of the slam dunk, played for five years in the ABA with the Virginia Squires and the New York Nets before the merger with the NBA. He then played more than a decade with the Philadelphia 76ers, leading them to a title in 1983. Erving, whose number is retired by both the 76ers and the Nets, was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Shirts China Outlet . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Cheap Shirts From China . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. http://www.cheapshirtschina.com/ . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Cheap Nike Shirts China .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. Wholesale Shirts China . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2).ARLINGTON, Texas - Nelson Cruz thrust his right arm into the air and shouted out in relief while running the bases after hitting his second homer of the night for the Texas Rangers. After a tough stretch, the Rangers had a loud and clear response Monday night to the message manager Ron Washington delivered the previous day. Cruz homered twice and the Rangers ended a six-game losing streak with an 8-7 victory over the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics, matching their run total during what had been the majors longest active skid. "We were looking for what happened, get some base hits in RBI situations and just keep grinding," Washington said. "They just showed what they have the capability of doing — what they did tonight. That was the only thing that I stressed to them." Washington had a rare postgame meeting with his team after the Rangers were swept in a four-game series by Toronto, extending their longest home losing streak since 2005. That was part of a 4-11 stretch that dropped them out of first place. Cruzs second homer was a two-run shot onto the hill in straightaway centre field on an 0-2 pitch from Jesse Chavez (1-1) in the fifth. Cruz emphatically responded while rounding the bases on his 18th homer of the season, and second in two innings. It came right after A.J. Pierzynskis RBI double and put the Rangers up 7-6. "It was the run we need in that situation. It was very emotional," Cruz said. "In our minds, we believe we can do it. We showed what were capable of doing." Oakland, which entered the four-game series opener with a three-game division lead over Texas, wiped out an early 3-0 deficit with a six-run fourth ignited by a bizarre play before Neal Cotts (3-1) worked 2 1-3 perfect innings in relief of rookie Nick Tepesch. Robbie Ross and Tanner Scheppers each worked 1-2-3 innings, then Joe Nathan gave up a run before securing his 21st save in 22 chances. After being held to two runs or less in a team record-matching six games in a row, the Rangers took care of that in the first three innings. Pierzynski pulled a two-run homer off the right-field foul pole in the second, an inning before an RBI double by Ian Kinsler. That was Kinslers first hit in 10 at-bats since coming off the disabled list Saturday after missing 25 games with a rib cage injury. The Rangers eight runs and 12 hits were both their most in 16 games this month. In the Oakland fourth, Yoenis Cespedes hit a grounder that ricocheted off thirrd baseman Adrian Beltre toward shortstop.dddddddddddd Elvis Andrus was about to throw to first when he saw John Jaso running in front of him toward third. Andrus threw to Beltre, who made a swiping attempt at a tag. Jaso, sliding headfirst in front of him, lifted his arm into the air trying to avoid the tag and then dived into the base with his left hand. He was called safe by third base umpire Jordan Baker even though it appeared his hand came off the bag while being tagged. Beltre was irate and Washington also came out to argue the call. "Its a little odd that the umpire can miss the call twice. ... Hes right on top of the play and he still missed it," Beltre said. "I got him twice. I know that, because I did it myself, and I went to see the replay to confirm. The replay showed I tagged him twice. I dont know what he saw." Tepesch then allowed three hits and a walk to the next four hitters, including a two-run single by Seth Smith, who scored on Jed Lowries double. Eric Sogard had a sacrifice fly and Coco Crisps RBI single made it 6-3 and chased Tepesch. "He made some good pitches in the bottom of the strike zone, and they went down there and they got them and they found holes," Washington said. Oakland rookie Dan Straily had a 2.21 ERA in his previous five starts, a stretch that began at Texas on May 21 when the right-hander worked seven scoreless innings and faced 22 batters — one more than the minimum for that span — in a 1-0 win over Yu Darvish. Straily hadnt allowed a homer in his last six starts and 38 innings until Pierzynski went deep. The first of Cruzs two homers came off him as well. Cruz was the first batter faced by Chavez when he took over for Straily, who allowed six runs and eight hits over 4 2-3 innings. "I was up in the strike zone. They were aggressive and I just got beat, plain and simple," Straily said. "Swing early and often. I feel like everyone up there was trying to swing out of their shoes on every single pitch. They got me, thats all there is to it." NOTES: Cespedes started his fourth consecutive game as Oaklands DH after missing two games because of left hamstring tightness. Manager Bob Melvin wants to see him in the field during batting practice before putting him back in the outfield. ... Rangers starting pitchers have gone 16 games in a row without a victory this month, matching a team record set in 1975. ... It was Cruzs 10th career multihomer game. ' ' '