Seth Tarver is returning to Portland once again.

Tarver, the former Oregon State Beavers guard who is back playing with the Idaho Stampede, will be joining the Portland Trail Blazers when training camp opens on Friday.

Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside included Tarver in his list of training camp invitees today.

As my team in Belgium is working hard to improve our record, I am still sidelined waiting for my foot to fully heal.  I love watching basketball, but not the games of my own team while I am not able to help. I can't wait to be on court again.

Now that my career is at its final destination, media, fans and people in general often ask me which was the best place I have played at during these last 16 years.  That's a hard question to answer.  Every place had its pros and cons. Some had more cons than pros.

My first foreign destination, Bologna, Italy had the greatest fan base one can imagine, the best food ever and has left me with some friends for life.  One had to wait for his pay check once in a while but when you are young and a little crazy you don't care as much as when you are a vet with a family and plenty of responsibilities.

Italians also made me understand that being a successful player is also about playing your heart out every single night, no matter how many points you and your team is down.  In the end they seemed to care almost more about the right state of mind than about the final result.  It was a good lesson for a young fellow like me who was kind of soft back then and had always counted on talent to achieve his goals.

Donetsk is a large city sitting on the Kalmius river in eastern Ukraine and is known more for its coal mining than being a final destination for NBA free agents.

But back in late October, that’s exactly what it became when Darnell Jackson signed with BC Donetsk in the Ukrainian SuperLeague during the NBA lockout.

Now with training camps opening Friday -- the same day teams can begin player transactions – the 6-foot-9 forward who finished last season with the Sacramento Kings is waiting patiently on offers and chance to return to the league.

“Since I'm a free agent, my out is contingent upon me getting an offer from an NBA team,” Jackson told Beyond the Beat.

“There is interest.”

Stephon Marbury might not be that crazy after all.

After 13 years in the NBA, Marbury seems to be basking in the glow this season playing for the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association.

At 34-year-old, he is averaging 22 points and six assists a game for the Ducks, who remain 7-0 on the season. Now with his third team in three seasons in the CBA, Marbury not only is at home in China but equally at peace.

The recent New York Times headline said it all for this former New  York Knick: "Away From NBA, Finding Success and Serenity in China".

The above clip featured with the Wall Street Journal continues that story.

Hey, this is Jasonn Hannibal -- baller form Toronto, Canada and now playing professionally in Polzela, Slovenia, in the UPC Telemach League. I’m a recent University of Portland graduate trying to realize the dream of playing ball in the big leagues.

I arrived in Slovenia in August and started practice fresh off the flight. As you can guess that wasn’t one of my best practices. Our training, strength and conditioning were a little different than I was used to but I started off doing alright, except for all of the body weight exercises we did.

Anyone can tell you that doing body weight stuff when you are 6-foot-10 and about 260 pounds isn’t easy, but I managed. Our team did well in preseason, only losing 2 games the whole time. Each day and every practice had its challenges as I tried to fit in on the team, play my game, and earn the respect from my teammates. The last time I had been on a brand new team was at the beginning of my college career and this time I wanted to take a different approach.

Some games I played really well, others not so much.