Among the cast involved in Ektio are former New York Knicks guard John Starks and Hall of Famer Rick Barry.

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Five players on the court that day are now in the Hall of Fame: Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham, Nate Thurmond and Hal Greer.

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The statement added that "this is not about questioning the manager's judgement or the ability of a particular player" - but the issue has rankled Benitez, who told the media on Friday to ask chief executive Rick Parry about the Barry negotiations.

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