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New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn said Friday he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but remains healthy and is optimistic that he will conquer the disease.

"My wife, Denise, and I remain strong in our faith and will maintain a positive attitude as I battle this with intense fervor and drive," Shinn said in a release issued by the Hornets.

A businessman from Kannapolis, Shinn, 68, has been the owner of the team since he received an expansion franchise in Charlotte in 1988.

He moved the team to New Orleans in 2002, and worked with the NBA to provide the team with a temporary home in Oklahoma City for the 2005-06 season after floods from Hurricane Katrina virtually shut down the city for weeks and damaged the New Orleans Arena.

The team split time between the two cities the following season and returned to New Orleans full-time for 2007-08. The team set a club record for victories that season with 56 and clinched the 20-year-old franchise's first division crown.

"We've been a catalyst to help this city recover and we're going to keep doing everything we can to keep it that way," Shinn said at the time.

Team spokesman Harold Kaufman said no details were available on treatment options for Shinn.

"This is not the first obstacle that I have had to overcome in life, but it will be another one that will be conquered," Shinn said. "Those closest to me understand my commitment to God and belief in the power of prayer, so all that I ask is for people to add me to their prayers."

HANSBROUGH SCORES 13: Tyler Hansbrough scored 13 points in his pro debut to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Washington Wizards 102-86 on Friday night.

Hansbrough, the first-round draft pick from North Carolina, missed the preseason and the first four regular-season games with a right shin injury.

Hansbrough entered the game with 4:31 left in the first quarter to loud cheers. He missed a 15-foot jumper on his first shot, got the rebound, then got his next shot blocked by Andray Blatche. He scored his first bucket on layup with 11:44 left in the second quarter.

Hansbrough played 14 minutes and went 3-for-7 from the field and 7-for-10 from the foul line. He also had five rebounds.

NUGGETS LOSE: Dwyane Wade scored 22 points, Jermaine O'Neal added 18 and the Heat dealt the Nuggets their first loss of the season, 96-88. Mario Chalmers scored 16 points and Quentin Richardson added 13.

CELTICS TOO: Jason Richardson scored 34 points with 10 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns rbeat the Boston Celtics 110-103 on Friday night. Boston was seeking to improve to 7-0 for the second time in the past three years.