Bayne underwent a spinal tap, doctors ruled out Lyme disease

LAS VEGAS - Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira, the Raptors other young Brazilian prospect, prefaces each conversation he has using the same disclaimer. Custom Washington Redskins Jerseys . "My English is not so good," hell tell you, before speaking nearly perfect English for as long as youre willing and able to listen. All eyes have been on his intriguing countryman, Bruno Caboclo, here in Las Vegas for the NBAs Summer League but unlike his quiet 18-year-old teammate, Nogueira is not the least bit shy. The only thing bigger than his personality is his hair. The Raptors acquired the seven-foot centre from Atlanta last month, a year after he was selected with the 16th overall pick and famously attempted to balance a Celtics hat on top of his trademark afro. Hair aside, what should you know about him? Nogueira has you covered... "Im a happy guy, I like to smile," said the 21-year-old, appropriately wearing a big smirk across his face. "I think you should be happy everyday because you have just one life." It doesnt take long to pick up on Nogueiras unique spirit, its refreshing in the pressure cooker that is professional basketball. "Its contagious, infectious," coach Dwane Casey said of Nogueiras personality. "Hes sharp and witty, which is a good thing in this league because its such a frustration-filled league and it can get you down and you cant let it happen as a young kid. Youve got to learn, bounce back and get ready for the next play." Asked about his perspective and approach, things that have helped him stand out early in his Raptors tenure, Nogueira credits his upbringing. He grew up in Rio de Janeiro. He was adopted. His family has supported him and has taught him positive values. His siblings are much older, his brother is 38, his sister 40. Hes the youngest, hence the nickname, Bebe. "It started in Brazil," Nogueira said of the moniker, insisting he has no preference between that and his first name, Lucas. "My family, they called me Bebe. I grew up with Bebe all my life. I dont care [if you call me that] because everyone says it, my mom says it." Nogueira was in Atlanta when he was told he had been traded to the Raptors. Initially, he was shocked, then confused and a little upset. Why would the Hawks acquire his rights on draft night only to give up on him a year later, he wondered. Generally, it takes young players a few years to pick up on a reality Nogueira was becoming aware of before playing a single game. The NBA is a business. Seeking cap space, the Hawks were eager to shed the contract of Lou Williams and acquire John Salmons non-guaranteed deal. Nogueira, a player Masai Ujiri and the Raptors liked in the 2013 draft, was the sweetener. Although the Raptors expect to have Nogueira on the roster this coming season, theyre still working on a buyout agreement with his team in Spain, where he played last year and is still under contract. But Nogueira knows better than to get his hopes up after being welcomed to Atlanta a year ago. Hes hopeful but is wisely holding off on the celebration, despite all the messages hes received over Twitter, welcoming him to Toronto this past month. "We the north? No, you the north. Im not, yet," he joked. Eventually hell join the Raptors and, like Caboclo, the long seven-footer will become part of the contingency plan for a team with winning aspirations in the short-term and a keen eye on the future. Nogueira has been playing professionally since he was 15-years-old and has helped ease the transition for Caboclo both on and off the floor, relaying information to him in his native Portuguese. "If you could transfer some of that youthful enthusiasm to Bruno, and hell get that, [it would be great]," Casey said. "Thats one thing we love about Lucas." The Raptors are happy to have him but - again, like Caboclo - theyre tempering immediate expectations, understanding that he still has a ways to go as a player. "I need to see more to really try to project [how good he can be]," Raptors assistant and Summer League head coach Jesse Mermuys said of Nogueira, who missed most of the teams mini-camp in Las Vegas nursing a minor calf injury. "Hes done some good things and hes had some bad games." Through three games in his second stint at Summer League - he played for the Hawks last year - Nogueira is averaging 6.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per contest. His defensive instincts, while inconsistent, are promising and hes looked competent as a finisher in the pick-and-roll. "Hes going to have to come in and compete in training camp," Casey cautioned. "I dont see any reason why he couldnt [make the team]. It just depends on how much stronger he gets before October. Hes got a long period of time to do it. You cant teach his wingspan." Between he and Caboclo, the Raptors have over 15-feet of wingspan coming in, but the initial focus for both will be to put on muscle and get stronger. "Soon Ill look like Dwight Howard," Nogueira joked, speaking about the eclectic variety of eatery hell have at his disposal in Toronto. Even if he breaks camp with the Raptors, its unlikely that hell crack Caseys rotation in his rookie season but the sooner he develops, the better. Toronto could use a player with his upside as a rim protector. "I wish I could jump like that," Nogueira said while watching Clevelands No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins play on Monday. He may not have Wiggins-like hops but hes no slouch. The centre averaged 1.6 blocks in just 16.6 minutes per game in the Spanish ACB league last year. "Hes got a long way to go," new teammate Kyle Lowry said. "And hes got a big fella in [Jonas Valanciunas], who hell get better with everyday in practice and get strong and they can learn from each other." Nogueira knows Valanciunas, having played against him at the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. The newest Raptor raved about JVs skill set but remembers trying to get under his skin. "Lucas may have gotten under his skin, but Jonas kicked his ass," a Raptors staffer joked. Nogueira was fifth in rebounds per game and second in blocks while Valanciunas was awarded MVP of that tournament. With Valanciunas gregarious personality and Nogueiras jovial nature, the Raptors locker room should be a lively one for years to come. Nogueira has spent just one day in Toronto, flying to Canada directly after learning about the trade before heading out West to work out with his new teammates. He hasnt had much time to process where his journey has taken him, and wont get ahead of himself before the next step becomes official, but the Raptors young Brazilian prospect continues to smile and look forward to what appears to be a promising future. "The NBA only has 450 jobs for seven billion [people]," he said after crunching the numbers in his head. "I have one job, so I dont have [a] reason to stay sad. I had bad moments in my life but everybody [has] bad moments so I think, okay, I can be sad sometimes but 95 percent [of the time] I want to be happy, because I feel blessed." Troy Apke Redskins Jersey .J. - Several people have collapsed in an overcrowded New Jersey train station while waiting in long lines to get to the Super Bowl. Jonathan Allen Jersey . The matchup will be made up in Minnesota at a later date. The arena was evacuated about 45 minutes before the scheduled 9:30 p.m. EST tipoff when a generator malfunction outside the arena sent smoke pouring into the building, according to NBA spokeswoman Sharon Lima. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Jonathan-Allen-Jersey/ . - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Determined to learn exactly what caused his mystery illness in 2011, Trevor Bayne made repeated visits to the Mayo Clinic over the last two years, asking questions about his health and medical history. The youngest winner in Daytona 500 history wasnt sick and he wasnt suffering from any of the symptoms -- nausea, fatigue, double vision and numbness in his arm -- that had sidelined Bayne for five races in 2011. He just wanted an answer. Bayne finally got it in June when doctors confirmed that the 22-year-old Bayne has multiple sclerosis, a diagnosis he revealed publicly Tuesday. "I think MS takes time to diagnose and, as a doctor, you dont want to jump right in and give a diagnosis to somebody," Bayne said. "I think a smart doctor is going to continue to do things. Obviously, its a different kind of condition than something where you can just see it immediately, so over time they just evaluate you and the doctors just run a bunch of different tests." Bayne, who was 20 when he won the Daytona 500 two seasons ago, will compete as scheduled at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series finales. He will also run a full Nationwide schedule next season for Roush Fenway Racing and a partial Cup schedule for The Wood Brothers. Baynes younger sister, Sarah, also has MS, but he said the disease wasnt something doctors were particularly looking for when he was hospitalized in 2011. "MS is not a hereditary or family kind of condition, so its something that is an individual basis," he said. "They dont connect them at all because its not a family kind of thing." Bayne first felt numbness in his arm during a race at Texas in 2011, six weeks after his Daytona 500 victory. At the time, he assumed it was related to an insect bite on his elbow that had become irritated and developed a rash. He was admitted to the Mayo Clinic three weeks later for nausea, fatigue and double vision. Bayne underwent a spinal tap, doctors ruled out Lyme disease, and ultimately discharged him with a diagnosis of an "inflammatory condition." It was never made clear if it was related to the insect bite, and Bayne said in later interviews he believed he was suffering from Lyme disease. Now hes not sure, and says the 2011 illness "is what led to my eventual diagnosis this year." "Obviously, Ive been going to the Mayo Clinic regularly for checkups and evaluations, and they started checking on me and researching," he said. "We ddidnt have a diagnosis then, so this is what has led to the diagnosis. Alex Smith Redskins Jersey. " MS is a potentially disabling disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms can be mild, such as fatigue, or severe, including paralysis or loss of vision. There is no cure, but treatment can help manage symptoms and reduce the progress of the disease. MS is not technically hereditary, but having a relative such as a parent or sibling with MS can increase an individuals risk of developing the disease over the general population. Studies have shown there is a higher prevalence of certain genes in populations with higher rates of MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark said Bayne was dogged in his push for a definitive diagnosis. "I think that it was refreshing that he actually got a diagnosis because there had been some uncertainty about what had unfolded previously, so I know it was comforting to him and thats why he pursued it so strongly," Newmark said. "The reality of it is if Trevor wasnt a race car driver and didnt have the means, he probably would never have been diagnosed at this point. It was through his determination of just regularly getting checked that it came to light." Bayne, who competed in his first triathlon last December, said hes not taking any medication and suffers no symptoms. He was diagnosed during a whirlwind three weeks in June in which he was married, making frequent trips to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and won his only Nationwide race of the year at Iowa. He said he needed time to accept and process the diagnosis, and chose now to go public with his disease because hes doesnt want to hide from it. Bayne is a devout Christian, and often gives motivational speeches. "I think anybody that gets a diagnosis is going to sit back and think about it, What does this mean? What does it mean to my family? What does it mean to me and my partners? Our team? The more and more I thought about it, and the more and more I realized that I was fine, the more and more it sunk in that everything is going to be OK," Bayne said. "Why not help other people through their struggles and point them in the right direction? For me, I feel like thats what Im called to do, so why be silent about it and why just sit back on our heels and not do anything? Im a race car driver, thats what I do, but its not all of who I am." 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