By CHRIS PERKINS
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 25, 2007
MIAMI — The Heat filled several deficiencies with one trade Wednesday when it acquired swingman Ricky Davis and center Mark Blount from Minnesota, and sent forwards Antoine Walker and Wayne Simien, center Michael Doleac and a conditional first-round pick to the Timberwolves.
The major components of the deal are Davis and Walker, talented but sometimes troubled players, although neither is considered a bad seed.
Tom Heinsohn, the Hall of Famer, former coach and longtime television analyst of the Boston Celtics, has rare insight on the deal. He saw Walker, Davis and Blount on a nightly basis when each played for Boston. He said the trade reestablishes Miami as a favorite to win the Eastern Conference title, but added everything still rests on center Shaquille O'Neal.
"If Shaq isn't 100 percent they're going to struggle even with Ricky Davis and Dwyane Wade," Heinsohn said.
Heat President and coach Pat Riley was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
Davis, a multitalented 10th-year player, likely will start at small forward for Miami, be the No. 3 scorer when guard Wade returns from off-season shoulder and knee surgeries, and serve as a three-point shooter. In addition, he's athletic, can play perimeter defense and occasionally play backup shooting guard. Each is a valuable role for the Heat.
Davis was with the Heat in the 2000-01 season but played just seven games. Last season he averaged 17 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists for Minnesota. He shot 46.5 percent from the field, including a career-best 39.7 percent on three-pointers. He has averaged 16.5 ppg in the past six seasons.
But Davis has served at least two team-imposed suspensions in the past five years because of his conduct and was involved in one of the NBA's most infamous plays in recent memory in 2003 when he tried to complete the first triple-double of his career in what many considered unethical fashion.
Davis, playing for Cleveland at the time, tried to intentionally shoot at the wrong basket so he could grab a rebound and attain his 10th board. Cleveland was leading Utah by 25 points at the time and only six seconds remained in the game. Utah guard DeShawn Stevenson, outraged by the act, wrapped his arms around Davis, preventing the attempted shot.
Said Davis: "They should be mad. Any team that gets beat that bad shouldn't be happy. But I wouldn't do it again. I just wouldn't."
This came a few months after Davis served a two-game suspension imposed by Cleveland coach John Lucas for "disciplinary reasons."
In January, Davis served a team-imposed one-game suspension after he refused to reenter Minnesota's 104-98 double overtime loss against Detroit.
"Ricky is very, very competitive if guided in the right direction," Heinsohn said.
But, Heinsohn warned, "If he feels like he's not part of what's going on he could rebel because he's a strong personality."
Walker, a multitalented 12th-year player, drew Riley's ire twice this year. He served a four-game suspension in January for being over the team-mandated body-fat limit and sat out at least one training-camp practice this month for the same infraction.
The Timberwolves say they aren't concerned.
"Pat's idea of conditioning and the rest of us, I think we're a little different," said Kevin McHale, Minnesota's vice president of basketball operations. "I'd say he's probably in pretty good shape."
Both teams made out OK salary-wise.
Blount, 31, averaged 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds last season but brings a big contract. He's due $7.6 million this year and $8.2 million next year. There's a player option for $8.8 million in 2009-10, meaning Blount could opt out and become an unrestricted free agent, but it's unlikely because he'd never get as much from another team.
Still, Blount should be an upgrade over Doleac as the No. 3 center behind O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning. And he'll slide in as O'Neal's primary backup when Mourning retires after this season, solving another Heat worry.
Davis will earn $6.8 million this season but he's in the final year of his deal.
Doleac's agent, Glenn Schwartzman, who is based in West Palm Beach, said his client is upbeat.
"It's been good," he said of Doleac's three seasons with the Heat. "When we first signed the deal three years ago he was brought in to be Shaq's backup. Obviously (with center Alonzo Mourning's return), his role has changed. I think he's excited to go to another place and play as a regular like he did his first year here."
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Kings G Mike Bibby out 6-8 weeks with injured thumb
October 27, 2007
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby will miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season after tearing a ligament in his left thumb.
Bibby was injured during Thursday's practice, and an MRI revealed the tear Friday night. The injury could sideline the point guard for two months or longer, the team said.
Bibby averaged 17.1 points and 4.7 assists last season while playing in all 82 games for the Kings, who missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. The 10th-year pro, a former No. 2 overall draft pick, has been with Sacramento for the past six seasons, missing just two games over the previous four years.
Bibby played through a serious injury to his right thumb last season. With a tendon detached from the bone, he finished with the worst shooting percentage of his career.
The Kings already lost rookie center Spencer Hawes to a knee injury during training camp, and forward Ron Artest is suspended for the first seven games of the regular season after pleading no contest to a charge related to domestic violence.
Quincy Douby, a second-year pro from Rutgers, will take Bibby's place in the starting lineup. He scored 12 points while starting in the Kings' preseason finale in Las Vegas on Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby will miss at least the first six weeks of the regular season after tearing a ligament in his left thumb.
Bibby was injured during Thursday's practice, and an MRI revealed the tear Friday night. The injury could sideline the point guard for two months or longer, the team said.
Bibby averaged 17.1 points and 4.7 assists last season while playing in all 82 games for the Kings, who missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. The 10th-year pro, a former No. 2 overall draft pick, has been with Sacramento for the past six seasons, missing just two games over the previous four years.
Bibby played through a serious injury to his right thumb last season. With a tendon detached from the bone, he finished with the worst shooting percentage of his career.
The Kings already lost rookie center Spencer Hawes to a knee injury during training camp, and forward Ron Artest is suspended for the first seven games of the regular season after pleading no contest to a charge related to domestic violence.
Quincy Douby, a second-year pro from Rutgers, will take Bibby's place in the starting lineup. He scored 12 points while starting in the Kings' preseason finale in Las Vegas on Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Griffin autopsy shows alcohol in system when hit by train
October 26, 2007
HOUSTON (AP) -- Former NBA player Eddie Griffin had more than three times the legal alcohol limit in his system when he crashed his sport utility vehicle into a moving train and died this summer, according to an autopsy report released Friday.
The Harris County Medical Examiner's office said the 25-year-old Griffin died of "multiple blunt force injuries." The medical examiner's office performed tests on Griffin's bile and blood from his heart and liver and determined his blood-alcohol level was 0.26. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08.
Tests found no traces of cocaine, amphetamines or any other narcotics.
The 6-foot-10 Griffin was killed about 1:20 a.m. on Aug. 17. His injuries from the fiery crash included two collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver and kidney, four broken ribs and burns over most of his body.
Griffin was born in Philadelphia and was considered one of the nation's top prospects coming out of Roman Catholic High School. He averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks as a freshman at Seton Hall, but he got into a fight with a teammate during the 2000-01 season, a sign of the problems to come.
He was drafted seventh overall in 2001 by New Jersey, and was immediately dealt to Houston. Griffin averaged 8.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.63 blocks over his first two seasons with the Rockets. In November 2003, he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, after a woman claiming to be his girlfriend accused him of punching her in the face and shooting a pistol at her car as she drove away.
Griffin missed practices and a team flight, and the Rockets suspended him, then cut him in December 2003. He quickly signed by the Nets, but he was soon jailed for a violation tied to the shooting incident and linked to a late-night fight at a New Jersey hotel.
Minnesota signed him for 2004-05 season. He occasionally put up big numbers with the Wolves, but also continued to find trouble off the court.
He pleaded guilty early in the 2006-07 season after hitting a parked car while out late one night in Minneapolis. He was later suspended by the NBA for five games in January for violating the anti-drug program and the Wolves cut him in March 2007.
Griffin was living in Houston at the time of his death and talked about making a professional comeback only weeks before the fatal crash.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Former NBA player Eddie Griffin had more than three times the legal alcohol limit in his system when he crashed his sport utility vehicle into a moving train and died this summer, according to an autopsy report released Friday.
The Harris County Medical Examiner's office said the 25-year-old Griffin died of "multiple blunt force injuries." The medical examiner's office performed tests on Griffin's bile and blood from his heart and liver and determined his blood-alcohol level was 0.26. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08.
Tests found no traces of cocaine, amphetamines or any other narcotics.
The 6-foot-10 Griffin was killed about 1:20 a.m. on Aug. 17. His injuries from the fiery crash included two collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver and kidney, four broken ribs and burns over most of his body.
Griffin was born in Philadelphia and was considered one of the nation's top prospects coming out of Roman Catholic High School. He averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks as a freshman at Seton Hall, but he got into a fight with a teammate during the 2000-01 season, a sign of the problems to come.
He was drafted seventh overall in 2001 by New Jersey, and was immediately dealt to Houston. Griffin averaged 8.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.63 blocks over his first two seasons with the Rockets. In November 2003, he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, after a woman claiming to be his girlfriend accused him of punching her in the face and shooting a pistol at her car as she drove away.
Griffin missed practices and a team flight, and the Rockets suspended him, then cut him in December 2003. He quickly signed by the Nets, but he was soon jailed for a violation tied to the shooting incident and linked to a late-night fight at a New Jersey hotel.
Minnesota signed him for 2004-05 season. He occasionally put up big numbers with the Wolves, but also continued to find trouble off the court.
He pleaded guilty early in the 2006-07 season after hitting a parked car while out late one night in Minneapolis. He was later suspended by the NBA for five games in January for violating the anti-drug program and the Wolves cut him in March 2007.
Griffin was living in Houston at the time of his death and talked about making a professional comeback only weeks before the fatal crash.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Houston ends comeback attempt with Knicks
NEW YORK (AP) -- Allan Houston ended his comeback attempt with the New York Knicks on Saturday, saving Isiah Thomas from possibly having to cut one of the top scorers in franchise history.
Houston rejoined his former team late last week, two years after he was forced to retire because of chronic knee pain. However, the Knicks already had the maximum 15 players under contract, and Thomas said he only gave the 36-year-old guard an invite to camp because of his history in New York.
Houston's chances were even slimmer because he didn't join the team until 10 days after practices began. He cited the timing issue in his decision to walk away again.
"While my body and my knees, in particular, feel fine, I know what is required for me to be truly effective in the NBA again, and it involves a timing and progression that would not be fair to Isiah and the Knicks right now," Houston said in a statement released by the Knicks. "With the season opening less than two weeks away, I think it is best for the team to move on without me. I appreciate the opportunity that Isiah and the Knicks have given me, and I wish the team nothing but success."
Houston played only six minutes in his lone preseason appearance Wednesday at Boston, then sat out a game at New Jersey the next night.
Houston spent nine seasons with the Knicks and is fourth on the team's career scoring list. He said upon his return that he didn't think he would try to latch on with another team if he didn't stick with the Knicks.
Houston rejoined his former team late last week, two years after he was forced to retire because of chronic knee pain. However, the Knicks already had the maximum 15 players under contract, and Thomas said he only gave the 36-year-old guard an invite to camp because of his history in New York.
Houston's chances were even slimmer because he didn't join the team until 10 days after practices began. He cited the timing issue in his decision to walk away again.
"While my body and my knees, in particular, feel fine, I know what is required for me to be truly effective in the NBA again, and it involves a timing and progression that would not be fair to Isiah and the Knicks right now," Houston said in a statement released by the Knicks. "With the season opening less than two weeks away, I think it is best for the team to move on without me. I appreciate the opportunity that Isiah and the Knicks have given me, and I wish the team nothing but success."
Houston played only six minutes in his lone preseason appearance Wednesday at Boston, then sat out a game at New Jersey the next night.
Houston spent nine seasons with the Knicks and is fourth on the team's career scoring list. He said upon his return that he didn't think he would try to latch on with another team if he didn't stick with the Knicks.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Jason Kidd Accused Of Grabbing Women's Crotch In Club - NYDaily News
Jason Kidd's idea that he can do whatever he wants to women has not ended, it seems.
Model claims Jason Kidd molested her in club
BY MIKE JACCARINO, ALISON GENDAR and TINA MOORE
DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU
Thursday, October 18th 2007, 8:40 AM
A 23-year-old aspiring model who came to the city to find fame has instead found herself embroiled in a scandal with a big-time sports star.
The woman told cops New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd groped her crotch at a Manhattan club on Oct. 10 and then grabbed her a second time when she complained, a police source said.
"This is a young girl and she is very shaken by this, and I have to let the justice system run its course," said the woman's lawyer, Russell Adler. "The DA is working on the case right now."
A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office said she could not confirm whether her office was investigating. Adler, of Fort Lauderdale, refused to provide further details about his client's allegations.
"This isn't a regular person," Adler said of Kidd. "This is a basketball player, so you have to be very careful."
The complaint says Kidd was partying at club Tenjune on Little West 12th St. when he walked up to the woman and grabbed her crotch at about 2:30 a.m., a police source said.
The woman said she and Kidd got into an argument and he grabbed her a second time, the source said. Bouncers broke up the spat. Kidd was not ejected from the club, the source said.
The woman filed a complaint against the NBA All-Star the following day, the source said. The Daily News does not publish the names of alleged sexual assault victims.
A police source said cops hadn't talked to Kidd as of yesterday afternoon.
Kidd has had a stormy relationship with his ex-wife, Joumana Kidd, for years. Kidd pleaded guilty in a domestic-violence incident six years ago while playing for the Phoenix Suns.
In January 2001, Kidd was arrested after his wife alleged that he slapped her in the face during an argument.
Kidd pleaded guilty to spousal abuse, was fined $200 and ordered to take anger-management training.
He claimed in divorce papers earlier this year to be the victim of spousal abuse himself. The filing came a day after a court issued him a temporary restraining order against her.
tmoore@nydailynews.com
Model claims Jason Kidd molested her in club
BY MIKE JACCARINO, ALISON GENDAR and TINA MOORE
DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU
Thursday, October 18th 2007, 8:40 AM
A 23-year-old aspiring model who came to the city to find fame has instead found herself embroiled in a scandal with a big-time sports star.
The woman told cops New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd groped her crotch at a Manhattan club on Oct. 10 and then grabbed her a second time when she complained, a police source said.
"This is a young girl and she is very shaken by this, and I have to let the justice system run its course," said the woman's lawyer, Russell Adler. "The DA is working on the case right now."
A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office said she could not confirm whether her office was investigating. Adler, of Fort Lauderdale, refused to provide further details about his client's allegations.
"This isn't a regular person," Adler said of Kidd. "This is a basketball player, so you have to be very careful."
The complaint says Kidd was partying at club Tenjune on Little West 12th St. when he walked up to the woman and grabbed her crotch at about 2:30 a.m., a police source said.
The woman said she and Kidd got into an argument and he grabbed her a second time, the source said. Bouncers broke up the spat. Kidd was not ejected from the club, the source said.
The woman filed a complaint against the NBA All-Star the following day, the source said. The Daily News does not publish the names of alleged sexual assault victims.
A police source said cops hadn't talked to Kidd as of yesterday afternoon.
Kidd has had a stormy relationship with his ex-wife, Joumana Kidd, for years. Kidd pleaded guilty in a domestic-violence incident six years ago while playing for the Phoenix Suns.
In January 2001, Kidd was arrested after his wife alleged that he slapped her in the face during an argument.
Kidd pleaded guilty to spousal abuse, was fined $200 and ordered to take anger-management training.
He claimed in divorce papers earlier this year to be the victim of spousal abuse himself. The filing came a day after a court issued him a temporary restraining order against her.
tmoore@nydailynews.com
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
LeBron James Looms Large in Shanghai for NBA and Nike
By STEPHEN WADE, AP Sports Writer
Posted Oct 16 2007 6:07PM
SHANGHAI, China, Oct. 16 (AP) -- LeBron James looms large in Shanghai.
He hovers over a basket in billboards around the city leading to Wednesday's NBA exhibition game between his Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic and another game Saturday in the former Portuguese territory of Macau.
"For me, growing up, I never thought about having a billboard anywhere,'' James said Tuesday, slipping off a white NBA headband and replacing it with a Cleveland Indians cap.
"You see them (billboards) locally, and then you start seeing them a little bit nationwide. And now worldwide. It's like, wow. It's like extra credit. It's unbelievable. You would never think that you could have your face somewhere else where you don't even live.''
James' shoe sponsor converted a Shanghai art gallery into a LeBron James showroom. Dubbed the "LBJ Museum,'' the promotion this week includes a freshly shellacked basketball court, aimed at pitching James in China, where 300 million people - the population of the United States - play basketball.
Nike also unveiled the latest version of James' signature shoe on Tuesday. It's the second time it's picked China - ahead of the U.S. - to show off James' newest offering. The "limited edition'' shoe was selling Tuesday for almost $200.
Nike's newest TV spot featuring James also kicked off this week in China, several weeks ahead of its U.S. premiere.
James is a hot property in basketball's most dynamic marketplace. And the NBA and Nike know it, both looking toward next year's Beijing Olympics, where James would surely capture world attention if he leads the beleaguered American basketball team to a gold medal.
Several hundred Chinese reporters and photographers showed up for Tuesday's practice at the Lu Wan Stadium. They engulfed James at the far end of the floor when he stopped shooting. He squatted on a low-slung bench, back against the wall, and stared up to answer questions, cutting deep furrows across his forehead.
"Every time I'm here it's the same response: It's great, the fans love us, the kids are great,'' James said. "The spirit the Chinese have for the game of basketball is great. Nothing surprises me now.''
He was asked whether the Cavaliers will reach the NBA finals again and the pressures facing him as another season awaits.
"I don't believe in pressure,'' he said. "So it's not hard to reduce it when you don't believe in it.''
James is one of the four most popular NBA players in China. Kobe Bryantis probably No. 1, with China-born Yao Ming, James and Allen Iverson jousting for the next spots. At 22, James is the youngest and - get this - might be more popular than Yao.
"The Chinese are looking for individual heroes,'' said Huang Risheng, a reporter with the Chinese-language Titan sports newspaper. "We are not open enough, not extroverted enough. We like the individual effort, just one man saving the whole team like James.''
"I think those three are more popular than Yao Ming. It's a contradiction. Maybe I should say we like their style of play better.''
Like the NBA, Nike's business is soaring in China. The country could generate $1 billion next year, up from about $100 million just five years ago. The NBA's does about $50 million annually and should follow Nike's growth pattern.
Nike has fashioned the preseason games in China around James, who reportedly has a seven-year deal with the shoemaker worth $90 million. Shoe rival Adidas is also promoting the games, stringing up its ads on Huaihai Road, a swanky street that includes many of the city's high-end boutiques.
Adidas' main star is the Magic's Dwight Howard, whose thundering dunks carry the company's pitch.
Nike doesn't liken James to Michael Jordan, but others have. That included at least one Chinese reporter.
"It's great to be compared to one of the greats, but my game and his game are totally different,'' James said.
The "LBJ Museum'' - it's unclear how many people recognize the initials as those of a former U.S. president - is aimed at drawing young fans. It is located near the historic French Concession area in central Shanghai. The museum offers 3-on-3 games in the run-up to this week's exhibitions and introduces James with childhood photos, jerseys from high school and shoes he's worn with Nike.
There's also a history of his NBA career starting with a photo alongside NBA commissioner David Stern from June 22, 2003, when James was chosen No. 1 in the draft.
"The idea is to help Chinese youth understand who he is, his career, his history and his personality,'' Nike spokesman Alan Marks said.
The museum also displays a copy of James' birth certificate: Dec. 30, 1984, born in Akron, Ohio, to Gloria James.
"For the first years of his life LeBron is raised by his mother and grandmother, Freda, on Hickory Street in Akron,'' reads a caption. "A milk crate hung on a telephone pole serves as the neighborhood basketball hoop attached by a few nails at whatever height the tallest available boy can reach.''
Teammate Drew Gooden said James' popularity hinges not on charm or athletic skill but on being genuine and delivering.
"He came into the league as a superstar, but for him to fill those shoes makes it all that much better,'' Gooden said. "When you live up to the hype people respect that, especially fans.''
That includes Chinese fans.
Posted Oct 16 2007 6:07PM
SHANGHAI, China, Oct. 16 (AP) -- LeBron James looms large in Shanghai.
He hovers over a basket in billboards around the city leading to Wednesday's NBA exhibition game between his Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic and another game Saturday in the former Portuguese territory of Macau.
"For me, growing up, I never thought about having a billboard anywhere,'' James said Tuesday, slipping off a white NBA headband and replacing it with a Cleveland Indians cap.
"You see them (billboards) locally, and then you start seeing them a little bit nationwide. And now worldwide. It's like, wow. It's like extra credit. It's unbelievable. You would never think that you could have your face somewhere else where you don't even live.''
James' shoe sponsor converted a Shanghai art gallery into a LeBron James showroom. Dubbed the "LBJ Museum,'' the promotion this week includes a freshly shellacked basketball court, aimed at pitching James in China, where 300 million people - the population of the United States - play basketball.
Nike also unveiled the latest version of James' signature shoe on Tuesday. It's the second time it's picked China - ahead of the U.S. - to show off James' newest offering. The "limited edition'' shoe was selling Tuesday for almost $200.
Nike's newest TV spot featuring James also kicked off this week in China, several weeks ahead of its U.S. premiere.
James is a hot property in basketball's most dynamic marketplace. And the NBA and Nike know it, both looking toward next year's Beijing Olympics, where James would surely capture world attention if he leads the beleaguered American basketball team to a gold medal.
Several hundred Chinese reporters and photographers showed up for Tuesday's practice at the Lu Wan Stadium. They engulfed James at the far end of the floor when he stopped shooting. He squatted on a low-slung bench, back against the wall, and stared up to answer questions, cutting deep furrows across his forehead.
"Every time I'm here it's the same response: It's great, the fans love us, the kids are great,'' James said. "The spirit the Chinese have for the game of basketball is great. Nothing surprises me now.''
He was asked whether the Cavaliers will reach the NBA finals again and the pressures facing him as another season awaits.
"I don't believe in pressure,'' he said. "So it's not hard to reduce it when you don't believe in it.''
James is one of the four most popular NBA players in China. Kobe Bryantis probably No. 1, with China-born Yao Ming, James and Allen Iverson jousting for the next spots. At 22, James is the youngest and - get this - might be more popular than Yao.
"The Chinese are looking for individual heroes,'' said Huang Risheng, a reporter with the Chinese-language Titan sports newspaper. "We are not open enough, not extroverted enough. We like the individual effort, just one man saving the whole team like James.''
"I think those three are more popular than Yao Ming. It's a contradiction. Maybe I should say we like their style of play better.''
Like the NBA, Nike's business is soaring in China. The country could generate $1 billion next year, up from about $100 million just five years ago. The NBA's does about $50 million annually and should follow Nike's growth pattern.
Nike has fashioned the preseason games in China around James, who reportedly has a seven-year deal with the shoemaker worth $90 million. Shoe rival Adidas is also promoting the games, stringing up its ads on Huaihai Road, a swanky street that includes many of the city's high-end boutiques.
Adidas' main star is the Magic's Dwight Howard, whose thundering dunks carry the company's pitch.
Nike doesn't liken James to Michael Jordan, but others have. That included at least one Chinese reporter.
"It's great to be compared to one of the greats, but my game and his game are totally different,'' James said.
The "LBJ Museum'' - it's unclear how many people recognize the initials as those of a former U.S. president - is aimed at drawing young fans. It is located near the historic French Concession area in central Shanghai. The museum offers 3-on-3 games in the run-up to this week's exhibitions and introduces James with childhood photos, jerseys from high school and shoes he's worn with Nike.
There's also a history of his NBA career starting with a photo alongside NBA commissioner David Stern from June 22, 2003, when James was chosen No. 1 in the draft.
"The idea is to help Chinese youth understand who he is, his career, his history and his personality,'' Nike spokesman Alan Marks said.
The museum also displays a copy of James' birth certificate: Dec. 30, 1984, born in Akron, Ohio, to Gloria James.
"For the first years of his life LeBron is raised by his mother and grandmother, Freda, on Hickory Street in Akron,'' reads a caption. "A milk crate hung on a telephone pole serves as the neighborhood basketball hoop attached by a few nails at whatever height the tallest available boy can reach.''
Teammate Drew Gooden said James' popularity hinges not on charm or athletic skill but on being genuine and delivering.
"He came into the league as a superstar, but for him to fill those shoes makes it all that much better,'' Gooden said. "When you live up to the hype people respect that, especially fans.''
That includes Chinese fans.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Lakers owner Jerry Buss says he'd consider trading Kobe Bryant
October 12, 2007
AP - Oct 12, 12:52 am EDT
HONOLULU (AP) -- Jerry Buss has already shown that he'll part with superstars. Yet upon hearing that the Los Angeles Lakers' owner would consider trading Kobe Bryant, even Shaquille O'Neal was shocked.
"I guess it's business before loyalty. But, wow. He said that?" O'Neal said Thursday in Miami after learning Buss told reporters he would trade Bryant under the right circumstances.
Buss indeed did, telling three Los Angeles-area beat writers covering training camp in Honolulu on Wednesday that he "would certainly listen" to trade offers for the two-time NBA scoring champion.
"At any time, I think you have to do that with anybody," Buss said, discussing Bryant publicly for the first time since the often-frustrated Lakers' star asked to be traded at the end of last season. "It's just part of the game, to listen to somebody who has a dissatisfied player that you think is going to fit.
"You can't keep too many loyalties. You've got to look at it as a business. He looks at it the same way I look at it."
Buss made his comments to reporters from the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Before Thursday night's exhibition game against Golden State in Honolulu, some members of the Lakers said they weren't aware of Buss' comments.
"I didn't hear them," Lamar Odom said. "For us, we're players so, you know, I didn't hear the comments myself so I wouldn't know why there would be a different mood or a different feeling at shootaround today."
Forward Ronny Turiaf agreed that the reports did little to affect the team.
"We just play basketball. I really have nothing to say, that's between Kobe and management," he said.
The Lakers won three championships and reached the NBA finals four times in five years before O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in July 2004. They haven't won a playoff series since O'Neal left, and O'Neal has since helped the Heat win the 2006 NBA title.
"Anyone can be traded, but mine was different because I walked into the office and demanded a trade," O'Neal said. "I don't take loyalty lightly. If you tell me you're going to do something, I expect you to do it. And then when you change your mind without telling me, that means you're disloyal so we can't be down anymore."
Bryant has four years worth $88.6 million left on the seven-year contract he signed a day after O'Neal was traded, but can terminate the deal in two years. That would leave $47.8 million on the table.
"I tend not to think in basketball terms that many years down the road because things change so dramatically, but he could test the waters at that point," Buss said. "If he still is in that frame of mind, then hopefully we can do a sign-and-trade and get some comparable talent. I would like to think that we win between now and then so it doesn't come up."
Following his trade request, Bryant kept a low profile regarding the Lakers until reporting with his teammates Oct. 1 on media day -- before the team left for Hawaii. Bryant told reporters that frustration led to his blowup. Otherwise, he said the time had come to move forward.
Buss recalled an offseason meeting in Barcelona when he tried to talk Bryant out of the trade request.
"He listened very carefully for 30, 45 minutes," Buss said. "I tried to explain to him how much the city of Los Angeles loved him, and that to leave 10 million sweethearts for unknown territory might not be the right thing to do. But when I was finished, he said he basically felt the same way. And I said, `OK. With that, I will proceed to see what's available."'
Buss didn't elaborate other than saying he might have acted on a trade offer that was "within reason."
"You have to get comparable value when you make a trade," Buss said. "It's very hard to trade somebody like him because people who have enough material to make it worthwhile are usually contenders and they don't want to make the trade."
Buss also said he occasionally told Bryant of certain offers, none of which he found fair to the Lakers, and acknowledged frustration at losing out to Boston for Kevin Garnett's services.
"I told him that I would try my best to accommodate his wishes, but that I could not afford to let him go unless we got comparable talent -- if there was such a thing," Buss said.
The 29-year-old Bryant is about to begin his 12th NBA season -- all with the Lakers.
"Dr. Buss's comments today provided more insight to a conversation we shared in Barcelona earlier this summer," Bryant said in a statement issued Thursday. "I have touched on this conversation and other conversations within the Lakers' organization during the recent months and again at the Lakers' media day. I have nothing further to add and look forward to the upcoming season with my teammates."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said if Kobe stays, he must put the distractions aside.
"My message to Kobe was that if you could play with your heart in this game, on this team, you'll be fine. If you can't, if you have divided loyalties, then you can't do it."
When asked if Bryant is focused, Jackson said, "No, he's not. He's distracted, obviously."
However, Jackson acknowledged Buss must keep to his word to Bryant.
"His first initial statement was that we're not interested in trading Kobe Bryant, but when you have a disgruntled player, an unhappy player or whatever, you have to consider you made that gentlemen's agreement with Kobe and I think that's appropriate," Jackson said.
AP - Oct 12, 12:52 am EDT
HONOLULU (AP) -- Jerry Buss has already shown that he'll part with superstars. Yet upon hearing that the Los Angeles Lakers' owner would consider trading Kobe Bryant, even Shaquille O'Neal was shocked.
"I guess it's business before loyalty. But, wow. He said that?" O'Neal said Thursday in Miami after learning Buss told reporters he would trade Bryant under the right circumstances.
Buss indeed did, telling three Los Angeles-area beat writers covering training camp in Honolulu on Wednesday that he "would certainly listen" to trade offers for the two-time NBA scoring champion.
"At any time, I think you have to do that with anybody," Buss said, discussing Bryant publicly for the first time since the often-frustrated Lakers' star asked to be traded at the end of last season. "It's just part of the game, to listen to somebody who has a dissatisfied player that you think is going to fit.
"You can't keep too many loyalties. You've got to look at it as a business. He looks at it the same way I look at it."
Buss made his comments to reporters from the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Before Thursday night's exhibition game against Golden State in Honolulu, some members of the Lakers said they weren't aware of Buss' comments.
"I didn't hear them," Lamar Odom said. "For us, we're players so, you know, I didn't hear the comments myself so I wouldn't know why there would be a different mood or a different feeling at shootaround today."
Forward Ronny Turiaf agreed that the reports did little to affect the team.
"We just play basketball. I really have nothing to say, that's between Kobe and management," he said.
The Lakers won three championships and reached the NBA finals four times in five years before O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in July 2004. They haven't won a playoff series since O'Neal left, and O'Neal has since helped the Heat win the 2006 NBA title.
"Anyone can be traded, but mine was different because I walked into the office and demanded a trade," O'Neal said. "I don't take loyalty lightly. If you tell me you're going to do something, I expect you to do it. And then when you change your mind without telling me, that means you're disloyal so we can't be down anymore."
Bryant has four years worth $88.6 million left on the seven-year contract he signed a day after O'Neal was traded, but can terminate the deal in two years. That would leave $47.8 million on the table.
"I tend not to think in basketball terms that many years down the road because things change so dramatically, but he could test the waters at that point," Buss said. "If he still is in that frame of mind, then hopefully we can do a sign-and-trade and get some comparable talent. I would like to think that we win between now and then so it doesn't come up."
Following his trade request, Bryant kept a low profile regarding the Lakers until reporting with his teammates Oct. 1 on media day -- before the team left for Hawaii. Bryant told reporters that frustration led to his blowup. Otherwise, he said the time had come to move forward.
Buss recalled an offseason meeting in Barcelona when he tried to talk Bryant out of the trade request.
"He listened very carefully for 30, 45 minutes," Buss said. "I tried to explain to him how much the city of Los Angeles loved him, and that to leave 10 million sweethearts for unknown territory might not be the right thing to do. But when I was finished, he said he basically felt the same way. And I said, `OK. With that, I will proceed to see what's available."'
Buss didn't elaborate other than saying he might have acted on a trade offer that was "within reason."
"You have to get comparable value when you make a trade," Buss said. "It's very hard to trade somebody like him because people who have enough material to make it worthwhile are usually contenders and they don't want to make the trade."
Buss also said he occasionally told Bryant of certain offers, none of which he found fair to the Lakers, and acknowledged frustration at losing out to Boston for Kevin Garnett's services.
"I told him that I would try my best to accommodate his wishes, but that I could not afford to let him go unless we got comparable talent -- if there was such a thing," Buss said.
The 29-year-old Bryant is about to begin his 12th NBA season -- all with the Lakers.
"Dr. Buss's comments today provided more insight to a conversation we shared in Barcelona earlier this summer," Bryant said in a statement issued Thursday. "I have touched on this conversation and other conversations within the Lakers' organization during the recent months and again at the Lakers' media day. I have nothing further to add and look forward to the upcoming season with my teammates."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said if Kobe stays, he must put the distractions aside.
"My message to Kobe was that if you could play with your heart in this game, on this team, you'll be fine. If you can't, if you have divided loyalties, then you can't do it."
When asked if Bryant is focused, Jackson said, "No, he's not. He's distracted, obviously."
However, Jackson acknowledged Buss must keep to his word to Bryant.
"His first initial statement was that we're not interested in trading Kobe Bryant, but when you have a disgruntled player, an unhappy player or whatever, you have to consider you made that gentlemen's agreement with Kobe and I think that's appropriate," Jackson said.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Lakers Star Arrested In Georgia DUI Incident
Problems continue to mount for the troubled Lakers center. If he was so active and involved on the court as he has been off the court his team would be in a much more productive situation.
VALDOSTA, Ga. -- Los Angeles Lakers center Kwame Brown faces misdemeanor charges in south Georgia following a weekend incident in which his cousin was charged with driving under the influence.
Valdosta Police Department Lieutenant Bobbi McGraw says police pulled over Charles Warren Junior early Saturday morning for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. McGrawn says officers began questioning Warren about the strong smell of alcohol in his vehicle.
McGraw says Brown approached the officers and told them he was Warren's cousin and that the vehicle belonged to the basketball player.
McGraw says Brown became disruptive and tried to interfere with the officers' investigation, which led to his arrest. Police charged Brown with disorderly conduct and inferring with an officer after his cousin was charged with DUI.
The 25-year-old Brown was released shortly after his arrest. McGraw says jail officials had no record of how much he paid in bond.
Brown attended Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, Ga. and was the High School Player of the Year his senior year. He was set to play for the University of Florida, but decided to go directly to the NBA after high school in 2001.
Lakers officials told the Los Angeles Times they are aware of the charges but declined to comment further.
Brown, the top draft pick in 2001, was accused of sexual assault in May 2006 by a college student, but prosecutors rejected the case because of a lack of evidence.
Copyright 2007 by WSBTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
VALDOSTA, Ga. -- Los Angeles Lakers center Kwame Brown faces misdemeanor charges in south Georgia following a weekend incident in which his cousin was charged with driving under the influence.
Valdosta Police Department Lieutenant Bobbi McGraw says police pulled over Charles Warren Junior early Saturday morning for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. McGrawn says officers began questioning Warren about the strong smell of alcohol in his vehicle.
McGraw says Brown approached the officers and told them he was Warren's cousin and that the vehicle belonged to the basketball player.
McGraw says Brown became disruptive and tried to interfere with the officers' investigation, which led to his arrest. Police charged Brown with disorderly conduct and inferring with an officer after his cousin was charged with DUI.
The 25-year-old Brown was released shortly after his arrest. McGraw says jail officials had no record of how much he paid in bond.
Brown attended Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, Ga. and was the High School Player of the Year his senior year. He was set to play for the University of Florida, but decided to go directly to the NBA after high school in 2001.
Lakers officials told the Los Angeles Times they are aware of the charges but declined to comment further.
Brown, the top draft pick in 2001, was accused of sexual assault in May 2006 by a college student, but prosecutors rejected the case because of a lack of evidence.
Copyright 2007 by WSBTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Jury: Isiah Thomas harassed executive, but the team should pay
Isiah Thomas is a complete disgrace and embarrassment to the Knicks organizations and should be relieved of his duties immediately.
By TOM HAYS, Associated Press Writer
October 2, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -- In an end to a salacious three-week trial, a jury ordered the owners of the New York Knicks to pay $11.6 million to a former team executive who endured crude insults and unwanted advances from coach Isiah Thomas.
The jury of four women and three men found Thomas and Madison Square Garden sexually harassed Anucha Browne Sanders, but it decided only MSG and chairman James Dolan should pay for harassing and firing Browne Sanders from her $260,000-a-year job out of spite.
The result: The Garden owes $6 million for condoning a hostile work environment and $2.6 million for retaliation. Dolan owes $3 million. Though Thomas is off the hook for any damages, he leaves the case with a tarnished image.
Outside court, a beaming Browne Sanders insisted her victory was more about sending a message than the money.
"What I did here, I did for every working woman in America," she said. "And that includes everyone who gets up and goes to work in the morning, everyone working in a corporate environment."
Earlier, Thomas emerged from the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan with his trademark smile but flashed anger as he reasserted his innocence amid a crush of reporters and cameras.
"I'm extremely disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case," he said. "I will appeal this, and I remain confident in the man that I am and what I stand for and the family that I have."
MSG said it will appeal, also denying wrongdoing in a case widely viewed as a public relations disaster for a franchise struggling to regain credibility. The team hasn't won a playoff game since Thomas was signed as president in December 2003 and has wasted millions this decade on a series of free-agent busts.
The verdict also amounts to another blemish on the resume of Thomas, a two-time NBA champion whose post-playing career has been marked by one failure after another.
Jurors, who needed roughly two days to decide on the allegations but only about an hour to determine damages, declined to talk about the verdict or how they came to their decision.
In a lawsuit filed last January, the 44-year-old Browne Sanders sought $10 million in punitive damages, but the jury was free to deviate from that figure. The verdict also means the judge will determine and award compensatory damages in the coming weeks.
The harassment verdict was expected after the jury sent a note to the judge Monday indicating it believed Thomas, the Garden and Dolan sexually harassed Browne Sanders, a married mother of three and former vice president for marketing.
The jurors had heard Browne Sanders testify that Thomas, after arriving as new team president, routinely addressed her as "bitch" and "ho" in outbursts over marketing commitments. He later did an abrupt about-face, declaring his love and suggesting an "off-site" liaison, she said.
Thomas, while admitting to using foul language around the plaintiff, insisted he never directed it toward her.
Degrading a woman in the workplace "is never OK," said Thomas, a married father of two. "It is never appropriate."
Dolan and a string of other executives also took the witness stand to deny they tolerated or witnessed sexual harassment. They testified Browne Sanders was fired because she was incompetent on budget matters, and because she later sought to undermine an internal inquiry into her allegations against Thomas.
The trial also made headlines with its testimony about an admitted tryst involving star Knicks guard Stephon Marbury and an MSG intern, an encounter the plaintiffs' attorneys argued demonstrated the organization's frat house mentality.
At the Knicks training camp in South Carolina on Tuesday, Marbury and other players said it was time for the team to move past the off-court controversy. Thomas was expected to arrive Wednesday.
"It's a tough situation and the only thing we can do now is go forward," Marbury said.
Forward Malik Rose predicted the team would rally behind Dolan and Thomas.
"We all know what kind of guy 'Mr. D' is," he said before the jury awarded punitive damages.
"We all know what kind of guy Isiah is and how they treat us. I'm sure all you guys agree this is a first-class organization."
MSG is owned by Cablevision Systems Corp., based in Bethpage, N.Y., and Dolan is Cablevision's CEO. Shares fell 35 cents, or 1 percent, to $34.71 in afternoon trading.
Associated Press writers Larry Neumeister in New York and Bruce Smith in Charleston, S.C. contributed to this report.
By TOM HAYS, Associated Press Writer
October 2, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -- In an end to a salacious three-week trial, a jury ordered the owners of the New York Knicks to pay $11.6 million to a former team executive who endured crude insults and unwanted advances from coach Isiah Thomas.
The jury of four women and three men found Thomas and Madison Square Garden sexually harassed Anucha Browne Sanders, but it decided only MSG and chairman James Dolan should pay for harassing and firing Browne Sanders from her $260,000-a-year job out of spite.
The result: The Garden owes $6 million for condoning a hostile work environment and $2.6 million for retaliation. Dolan owes $3 million. Though Thomas is off the hook for any damages, he leaves the case with a tarnished image.
Outside court, a beaming Browne Sanders insisted her victory was more about sending a message than the money.
"What I did here, I did for every working woman in America," she said. "And that includes everyone who gets up and goes to work in the morning, everyone working in a corporate environment."
Earlier, Thomas emerged from the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan with his trademark smile but flashed anger as he reasserted his innocence amid a crush of reporters and cameras.
"I'm extremely disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case," he said. "I will appeal this, and I remain confident in the man that I am and what I stand for and the family that I have."
MSG said it will appeal, also denying wrongdoing in a case widely viewed as a public relations disaster for a franchise struggling to regain credibility. The team hasn't won a playoff game since Thomas was signed as president in December 2003 and has wasted millions this decade on a series of free-agent busts.
The verdict also amounts to another blemish on the resume of Thomas, a two-time NBA champion whose post-playing career has been marked by one failure after another.
Jurors, who needed roughly two days to decide on the allegations but only about an hour to determine damages, declined to talk about the verdict or how they came to their decision.
In a lawsuit filed last January, the 44-year-old Browne Sanders sought $10 million in punitive damages, but the jury was free to deviate from that figure. The verdict also means the judge will determine and award compensatory damages in the coming weeks.
The harassment verdict was expected after the jury sent a note to the judge Monday indicating it believed Thomas, the Garden and Dolan sexually harassed Browne Sanders, a married mother of three and former vice president for marketing.
The jurors had heard Browne Sanders testify that Thomas, after arriving as new team president, routinely addressed her as "bitch" and "ho" in outbursts over marketing commitments. He later did an abrupt about-face, declaring his love and suggesting an "off-site" liaison, she said.
Thomas, while admitting to using foul language around the plaintiff, insisted he never directed it toward her.
Degrading a woman in the workplace "is never OK," said Thomas, a married father of two. "It is never appropriate."
Dolan and a string of other executives also took the witness stand to deny they tolerated or witnessed sexual harassment. They testified Browne Sanders was fired because she was incompetent on budget matters, and because she later sought to undermine an internal inquiry into her allegations against Thomas.
The trial also made headlines with its testimony about an admitted tryst involving star Knicks guard Stephon Marbury and an MSG intern, an encounter the plaintiffs' attorneys argued demonstrated the organization's frat house mentality.
At the Knicks training camp in South Carolina on Tuesday, Marbury and other players said it was time for the team to move past the off-court controversy. Thomas was expected to arrive Wednesday.
"It's a tough situation and the only thing we can do now is go forward," Marbury said.
Forward Malik Rose predicted the team would rally behind Dolan and Thomas.
"We all know what kind of guy 'Mr. D' is," he said before the jury awarded punitive damages.
"We all know what kind of guy Isiah is and how they treat us. I'm sure all you guys agree this is a first-class organization."
MSG is owned by Cablevision Systems Corp., based in Bethpage, N.Y., and Dolan is Cablevision's CEO. Shares fell 35 cents, or 1 percent, to $34.71 in afternoon trading.
Associated Press writers Larry Neumeister in New York and Bruce Smith in Charleston, S.C. contributed to this report.
Monday, September 17, 2007
NBA referee Joey Crawford reinstated 5 months after suspension for improper conduct
September 17, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -- NBA referee Joey Crawford was reinstated by commissioner David Stern on Monday, five months after he was suspended indefinitely for improper on-court conduct.
San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan contended that Crawford challenged him to a fight during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 15. Crawford ejected Duncan while the player was laughing on the bench. Stern cited a pattern of similar acts in suspending Crawford.
"Based on my meeting with Joey Crawford, his commitment to an ongoing counseling program, and a favorable professional evaluation that was performed at my direction, I am satisfied that Joey understands the standards of game management and professionalism the NBA expects from him and that he will be able to conduct himself in accordance with those standards," Stern said in a release.
Crawford enters his 32nd season as an NBA referee. He has officiated more than 2,000 games during the regular season and 266 in the playoffs, including 38 in the NBA finals.
NEW YORK (AP) -- NBA referee Joey Crawford was reinstated by commissioner David Stern on Monday, five months after he was suspended indefinitely for improper on-court conduct.
San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan contended that Crawford challenged him to a fight during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 15. Crawford ejected Duncan while the player was laughing on the bench. Stern cited a pattern of similar acts in suspending Crawford.
"Based on my meeting with Joey Crawford, his commitment to an ongoing counseling program, and a favorable professional evaluation that was performed at my direction, I am satisfied that Joey understands the standards of game management and professionalism the NBA expects from him and that he will be able to conduct himself in accordance with those standards," Stern said in a release.
Crawford enters his 32nd season as an NBA referee. He has officiated more than 2,000 games during the regular season and 266 in the playoffs, including 38 in the NBA finals.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Phil Jackson and Roy Williams lead Hall of Fame induction class
By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer
September 7, 2007
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- Phil Jackson learned to coach from Red Holzman, and he practiced the craft on superstars like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
"Who could have been more fortunate than I am, to have stumbled into this success?" Jackson said Friday night in his induction speech at the Basketball Hall of Fame.''
Jackson won nine NBA championships as a coach -- tying Red Auerbach for the record -- and one more as a player. But it was with the New York Knicks in their championship season of 1969-70, when Jackson was recovering from spinal fusion surgery, that he found his future calling.
Soaking up knowledge from his Hall of Fame mentor, Jackson developed the approach that allowed him to integrate lesser talents into a team with stars like Jordan and O'Neal.
"He treated the superstars and the role players in very much the same manner," said the Los Angeles Lakers' coach, who was using a cane because of offseason surgery to replace his left hip. "Everybody has to be treated with respect. But everybody has to be treated as individuals."
Jackson was inducted into the Springfield shrine on Friday night along with North Carolina coach Roy Williams; the 1966 NCAA champion Texas Western team; four-time WNBA championship coach Van Chancellor, the longtime women's coach at Mississippi recently hired by LSU; former NBA referee Mendy Rudolph; and international coaches Pedro Ferrandiz of Spain and Mirko Novosel of Yugoslavia.
Former USA Today, Chicago Tribune and New York Times writer Malcom Moran and longtime Phoenix Suns broadcaster Al McCoy were honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award. Dikembe Mutombo was the first recipient of the Mannie Jackson-- Basketball's Human Spirit Award, named for the Harlem Globetrotters chairman and given for using basketball to help the community.
Texas Western was the first team in NCAA history to win a title with five black players, beating an all-white Kentucky team in the 1966 final. The achievement is considered a turning point in the integration of college athletics, and it was the subject of the movie "Glory Road."
"Our only purpose was to be the best team in the country," said captain Harry Flournoy, who spoke on behalf of the team. "We didn't have a social agenda. But God had an agenda, and he chose us to open doors -- not only for black people, but for all people who had doors shut in their face."
Phil Jackson credited Holzman for teaching him to coach, and called his time with Johnny Bach and Tex Winter as assistants under Doug Collins in Chicago, "graduate school in basketball." But asked if Jordan was the reason he was in Springfield on Friday, Jackson said, "Yes, it is."
"It was the result, of course, of the magnificent play of Michael Jordan, who had the insight to incorporate his teammates, those lesser angels, into his realm," Jackson said in his speech.
Williams didn't have a single to player to thank as much as a whole team. The longtime Kansas coach took the Jayhawks to the Final Four times but didn't win it all until he went to his alma mater and won the NCAA championship in 2005.
"I've heard folks say that seals the deal," Williams said. "Coach (Dean) Smith said, 'You're going to make it (into the Hall of Fame) as soon as you're eligible.' I said, 'Coach, that national championship is pretty big."'
Williams has a 530-131 record and six coach of the year awards to his credit, with 15 straight 20-win seasons and 18 consecutive NCAA tournament berths. He's the third coach in NCAA history to take two schools to the championship game.
In an emotional speech, Williams thanked, "my family at home, and my family on the court."
"More than anybody who has ever stood before you, I am the luckiest man alive," Williams said. "Lou Gehrig said it and made it famous, but I feel it."
Mentioning former Kansas players Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Jacque Vaughn, Williams said, his voice cracking, "I failed you, because I didn't get you to the Final Four."
Novosel led Yugoslavia to three Olympic medals. "Don Pedro" Ferrandiz is credited with bringing the fast break to Europe while leading Real Madrid to a record 12 Spanish League titles and four European Cup championships.
Rudolph, who died in 1979, was the first referee to officiate more 2,000 NBA games, including eight All-Star Games and at least one game of the NBA Finals for 22 consecutive years. He also wrote the league's officiating manual and had a cameo in a Miller Lite commercial in which he ejected Celtics star Tommy Heinsohn from a bar.
"He was a referee, and we've got to love those guys, too," Williams said, "because somebody's got to do that job."
Auerbach was honored with a video tribute that featured Hall of Famer Bill Russell. Although the Celtics patriarch died on the eve of last season, Jackson jokingly said that Auerbach has been up to his old tricks this summer.
Noting that Kevin Garnett was traded from Minnesota to Boston by ex-Celtics star Kevin McHale, now the basketball boss of the Timberwolves, Jackson lamented that the old Celtics network was kept the Lakers from improving their team this summer.
"We lost out on the Kevin Garnett sweepstakes," Jackson joked. "Red Auerbach came out of the grave and told Kevin to give him to the Celtics so the Celtics can get back in the running. That was a blessing, that connection. We just didn't have the connection to make that happen for us."
September 7, 2007
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- Phil Jackson learned to coach from Red Holzman, and he practiced the craft on superstars like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
"Who could have been more fortunate than I am, to have stumbled into this success?" Jackson said Friday night in his induction speech at the Basketball Hall of Fame.''
Jackson won nine NBA championships as a coach -- tying Red Auerbach for the record -- and one more as a player. But it was with the New York Knicks in their championship season of 1969-70, when Jackson was recovering from spinal fusion surgery, that he found his future calling.
Soaking up knowledge from his Hall of Fame mentor, Jackson developed the approach that allowed him to integrate lesser talents into a team with stars like Jordan and O'Neal.
"He treated the superstars and the role players in very much the same manner," said the Los Angeles Lakers' coach, who was using a cane because of offseason surgery to replace his left hip. "Everybody has to be treated with respect. But everybody has to be treated as individuals."
Jackson was inducted into the Springfield shrine on Friday night along with North Carolina coach Roy Williams; the 1966 NCAA champion Texas Western team; four-time WNBA championship coach Van Chancellor, the longtime women's coach at Mississippi recently hired by LSU; former NBA referee Mendy Rudolph; and international coaches Pedro Ferrandiz of Spain and Mirko Novosel of Yugoslavia.
Former USA Today, Chicago Tribune and New York Times writer Malcom Moran and longtime Phoenix Suns broadcaster Al McCoy were honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award. Dikembe Mutombo was the first recipient of the Mannie Jackson-- Basketball's Human Spirit Award, named for the Harlem Globetrotters chairman and given for using basketball to help the community.
Texas Western was the first team in NCAA history to win a title with five black players, beating an all-white Kentucky team in the 1966 final. The achievement is considered a turning point in the integration of college athletics, and it was the subject of the movie "Glory Road."
"Our only purpose was to be the best team in the country," said captain Harry Flournoy, who spoke on behalf of the team. "We didn't have a social agenda. But God had an agenda, and he chose us to open doors -- not only for black people, but for all people who had doors shut in their face."
Phil Jackson credited Holzman for teaching him to coach, and called his time with Johnny Bach and Tex Winter as assistants under Doug Collins in Chicago, "graduate school in basketball." But asked if Jordan was the reason he was in Springfield on Friday, Jackson said, "Yes, it is."
"It was the result, of course, of the magnificent play of Michael Jordan, who had the insight to incorporate his teammates, those lesser angels, into his realm," Jackson said in his speech.
Williams didn't have a single to player to thank as much as a whole team. The longtime Kansas coach took the Jayhawks to the Final Four times but didn't win it all until he went to his alma mater and won the NCAA championship in 2005.
"I've heard folks say that seals the deal," Williams said. "Coach (Dean) Smith said, 'You're going to make it (into the Hall of Fame) as soon as you're eligible.' I said, 'Coach, that national championship is pretty big."'
Williams has a 530-131 record and six coach of the year awards to his credit, with 15 straight 20-win seasons and 18 consecutive NCAA tournament berths. He's the third coach in NCAA history to take two schools to the championship game.
In an emotional speech, Williams thanked, "my family at home, and my family on the court."
"More than anybody who has ever stood before you, I am the luckiest man alive," Williams said. "Lou Gehrig said it and made it famous, but I feel it."
Mentioning former Kansas players Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Jacque Vaughn, Williams said, his voice cracking, "I failed you, because I didn't get you to the Final Four."
Novosel led Yugoslavia to three Olympic medals. "Don Pedro" Ferrandiz is credited with bringing the fast break to Europe while leading Real Madrid to a record 12 Spanish League titles and four European Cup championships.
Rudolph, who died in 1979, was the first referee to officiate more 2,000 NBA games, including eight All-Star Games and at least one game of the NBA Finals for 22 consecutive years. He also wrote the league's officiating manual and had a cameo in a Miller Lite commercial in which he ejected Celtics star Tommy Heinsohn from a bar.
"He was a referee, and we've got to love those guys, too," Williams said, "because somebody's got to do that job."
Auerbach was honored with a video tribute that featured Hall of Famer Bill Russell. Although the Celtics patriarch died on the eve of last season, Jackson jokingly said that Auerbach has been up to his old tricks this summer.
Noting that Kevin Garnett was traded from Minnesota to Boston by ex-Celtics star Kevin McHale, now the basketball boss of the Timberwolves, Jackson lamented that the old Celtics network was kept the Lakers from improving their team this summer.
"We lost out on the Kevin Garnett sweepstakes," Jackson joked. "Red Auerbach came out of the grave and told Kevin to give him to the Celtics so the Celtics can get back in the running. That was a blessing, that connection. We just didn't have the connection to make that happen for us."
Monday, September 03, 2007
Police: Body is Jameer Nelson's father
September 2, 2007
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- The body pulled from the Delaware River was positively identified as the missing father of Orlando Magic star Jameer Nelson.
Floyd "Pete" Nelson, a 57-year-old welder for a tugboat company, was last seen Thursday working in a dry dock area in the Philadelphia suburb of Chester, Pa. Divers and trained dogs searched the river Friday until about 4 p.m.
The Delaware Medical Examiners office will provide the cause of death and how the body was identified once they finish their investigation, police said Sunday.
Police in Delaware said a boater called 911 on Saturday after spotting the body of a black male floating in the river near Fox Point Park in Wilmington.
Floyd Nelson's lunch and car keys were found in the tug's kitchen area, and his car was nearby, Chester police said. Nelson has worked for the tugboat company for about a decade.
Jameer Nelson starred at Chester High School and Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He was a first-round pick in the 2004 NBA draft and starts at point guard for the Magic.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- The body pulled from the Delaware River was positively identified as the missing father of Orlando Magic star Jameer Nelson.
Floyd "Pete" Nelson, a 57-year-old welder for a tugboat company, was last seen Thursday working in a dry dock area in the Philadelphia suburb of Chester, Pa. Divers and trained dogs searched the river Friday until about 4 p.m.
The Delaware Medical Examiners office will provide the cause of death and how the body was identified once they finish their investigation, police said Sunday.
Police in Delaware said a boater called 911 on Saturday after spotting the body of a black male floating in the river near Fox Point Park in Wilmington.
Floyd Nelson's lunch and car keys were found in the tug's kitchen area, and his car was nearby, Chester police said. Nelson has worked for the tugboat company for about a decade.
Jameer Nelson starred at Chester High School and Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He was a first-round pick in the 2004 NBA draft and starts at point guard for the Magic.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Butch van Breda Kolff, 84, Fiery Coach, Dies
By FRANK LITSKYPublished: August 24, 2007
Butch van Breda Kolff, a happy-go-lucky nonconformist who from 1951 through 1994 coached more than 1,300 college, professional and high school basketball games, died Wednesday in Spokane, Wash. He was 84 and had lived in Spokane for the last year.
He died of multiple illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease and pneumonia, his son, Jan, said.
Van Breda Kolff used to say that except for a chosen few, coaching basketball was a vagabond profession, and he was a prime example. He held 13 head-coaching jobs and for one season, when he was 61, he coached a high school team.
“I’ve had some good jobs that I’ve left, or they fired me,” he once said. “At the time, I thought it was the right thing for me to do. Whether it turned out right later, who cares?”
He coached Bill Bradley as a collegian and Wilt Chamberlain as a professional and never seemed fully satisfied with either player. When Bradley played for him at Princeton, he said, “Bill is not hungry.” He felt the same way about Chamberlain, who played for him with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the final minutes of the seventh and deciding game of the National Basketball Association’s 1969 championship playoffs, Chamberlain benched himself during the fourth quarter with what van Breda Kolff considered a minor knee injury. When Chamberlain asked to return to the game, van Breda Kolff refused, and the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics by 2 points.
We played better when he was out,” van Breda Kolff said. “I have no regrets because in my mind at the time I thought it was the right thing to do. The only regret I’ll have would be if I don’t have a team.”
Shortly after, van Breda Kolff resigned, but as usual he soon had another team.
His coaching style never changed. When he was 71 and coaching his final season, The New York Times described him as the “animated, nonstop-gesticulating, chair-kicking, sideline-pacing, expletive-spewing Butch of days gone by.” But his teams were well-schooled, emphasizing teamwork, a patient offense and a tough defense.
Willem Hendrik van Breda Kolff was born Oct. 28, 1922, in Montclair, N.J., and grew into a 6-foot-3, 185-pound playmaking guard. After World War II service in the Marines, he returned to Princeton and became the basketball and soccer captain.
His coaching career (always as a head coach) began in 1951 at Lafayette (1951-55). He left after four years because, he said, “They wouldn’t give me a $200-a-year raise.” Then came seven years (1955-62) at Hofstra and five (1962-67) at Princeton. Next were 10 seasons with the pros: the Lakers (1967-69), the Detroit Pistons (1969-72), the Phoenix Suns (1972-73), the Memphis Tams of the American Basketball Association (1973-74) and the N.B.A.’s expansion New Orleans Jazz (1974-77).
He then coached the University of New Orleans men (1977-79) and the New Orleans Pride of the Women’s Professional Basketball League (1979-81). When the women’s league collapsed, he became a door-to-door salesman, but as he recalled: “Guys wanted to talk basketball. I don’t think I ever sold anything.”
Next came four seasons of pro basketball, all with the Knicks. He averaged 4.7 points a game.
After spending two years away from the sport and being desperate to coach again, he accepted a job coaching basketball and teaching world history to 10th-graders at Picayune (Miss.) Memorial High School. He said it was “sometimes very humbling, but I’m glad I did it.”
When Lafayette asked for recommendations for its coaching vacancy, he nominated himself. He returned there for four seasons (1984-88) and then returned to Hofstra, his final coaching stop, for six more seasons (1988-94).
When his last team started its season with a 1-14 record, he said, “I was embarrassed to have my friends see them play.” The team then won 8 of its last 14 games and the East Coast Conference tournament title in double overtime. He retired with a 483-272 record for 28 college seasons and 287-316 for 10 pro seasons.
“People are always asking me if you had the chance to do it all over again, would you do anything different?” he said. “I say, not a bit. I wouldn’t change one thing. You do what you’re going to do and make the best of it.”
He was legally separated from his wife, the former Florence Smith. In addition to his son, Jan, a former head coach at Cornell, Vanderbilt, Pepperdine and St. Bonaventure, he is survived by three daughters: Karen Young of Columbus, Ohio; Kristina, of Spokane; and Kaatje, of Cleveland; and seven grandchildren.
“All my grandchildren call me Uncle Butch,” he said years ago, “because I don’t want nobody calling me grandpa. I’m too old.”
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy surrenders in NYC
By PAT MILTON, Associated Press WriterAugust 15, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy surrendered Wednesday for his anticipated plea to gambling-related offenses, a person familiar with the probe told The Associated Press.
Donaghy surrendered early Wednesday for an appearance Brooklyn federal court, the person, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case, told the AP on condition of anonymity.
The charge to which Donaghy would plead was not immediately known.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank told the AP on Tuesday that the league was informed Donaghy would take a plea on Wednesday, but was given no further information
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Is Tim Donaghy The Only Corupt NBA Refree?
From the NY Times:
N.B.A. Referee Is the Focus of a Federal Inquiry
By ALAN SCHWARZ and WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM
Published: July 21, 2007
Law enforcement officials are investigating allegations that the veteran N.B.A. referee Tim Donaghy influenced the outcome of professional basketball games on which he or associates of his had wagered, several people familiar with the inquiry said yesterday.
Investigators were looking into allegations that N.B.A. referee Tim Donaghy had been in contact with people connected with organized crime.
According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, federal officials are investigating whether Donaghy bet on N.B.A. games during the past two seasons, and whether since December 2006 he made calls that affected any game’s margin of victory while being coerced by members of organized crime.
A federal grand jury in Brooklyn is reviewing the case, which has been going on for several months and is expected to be concluded within a few weeks.
Donaghy, 40, who completed his 13th season in the N.B.A., could not be reached for comment. People involved with the situation said he was aware of the investigation, had resigned from his N.B.A. position about 10 days ago, and would surrender to law enforcement officials if charges were brought against him.
An F.B.I. spokesman, Neil Donovan, and Donaghy’s attorney, John Lauro, declined to comment. Lauro was an assistant United States attorney from 1986 to 1988 in the same Eastern District of New York office that is investigating Donaghy.
N.B.A. Commissioner David Stern issued a statement that said, “We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again.” Stern added that the league would hold a news conference next week.
By agreement with the league, referees are forbidden to speak with the news media. But one veteran official said yesterday in a telephone interview: “You never think one of your own, your colleagues, would do something so stupid as to bet on games and manipulate the score.”
The official added that a group of referees may hold a news conference in the near future.
Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star who was in Las Vegas for workouts with the national team, was more matter of fact.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow,” Bryant said. “But it’s just the reality of the matter. As basketball players, all we can do is go out and play hard and leave it all on the floor.
“And it’s a great association. And the commissioner, I’m sure he’s going to take care of it.”
The New York Post first reported the investigation yesterday morning but did not identify the referee.
According to a person directly involved with the case, it involves no other N.B.A. official and it is focusing on whether Donaghy affected the margin of victory in about 10 or 15 games of the 60 he officiated since December 2006.
The person said that Donaghy had been betting on games before that, fell into debt, and ultimately fell under the influence of a person representing himself as a member of organized crime, who threatened to report Donaghy to the N.B.A. or harm his family if he did not cooperate.
An estimated $250 million is wagered on N.B.A. games annually, with most bettors predicting not which team will win, but whether the winner’s margin of victory will be above or below a specific number.
Improperly influencing the outcome of games typically runs afoul of either the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act or other federal and state statutes regarding mail and wire fraud.
Donaghy’s time in the N.B.A. has been dotted with controversy. After officiating a game against the Portland Trail Blazers in January 2003, he was physically threatened by the temperamental Portland star Rasheed Wallace as they encountered each other in the arena’s loading dock. Wallace, whom Donaghy had called for a technical foul during the game, was suspended by the league for seven games; Donaghy was not reprimanded.
In April 2005, Boston Celtics Coach Doc Rivers, after Donaghy ejected him from a game, accused Donaghy of being biased against him. The Boston Globe reported that Rivers lodged a complaint with the league, but it appears the matter did not go much further.
Donaghy has faced controversy away from the basketball court as well. He was sued by a neighbor in a Pennsylvania civil court in January 2005 for yelling obscenities and setting fire to a tractor. The plaintiffs in that case, Peter and Lisa Mansueto of West Chester, Pa., declined to discuss how that case was resolved in a telephone interview last night.
According to STATS LLC, Donaghy officiated 131 regular-season and 8 postseason games the last two seasons. Donaghy called games involving every N.B.A. team during that period. He saw some teams a handful of times, like the Chicago Bulls (five games), and others a lot more, like the Miami Heat (15).
This is the third time in recent months that N.B.A. officials have come under scrutiny for their behavior.
In April, the longtime official Joey Crawford was suspended for the rest of the season for improper conduct toward Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs. Duncan, who had been whistled earlier for a technical foul, was ejected by Crawford late in the third quarter for laughing from the bench after a teammate was called for a foul.
Two weeks later, two Ivy League academics completed a study that said white and black officials called fouls at different rates against white and black players — though the variance was not considered different from other interactions.
The N.B.A. has repeatedly said its system of monitoring and statistically analyzing referee calls ensures the highest level of fairness, with Stern often saying, “They are the most ranked, rated, reviewed, statistically analyzed and mentored group of employees of any company in any place in the world.”
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Sacramento Kings Sign Center Miki Moore
By DavidKaye
Nine-year veteran Miki Moore is leaving the New Jersey Nets to sign with the Sacramento Kings. According to Kings' President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie, both parties agreed in principal to a contract on Friday.
Moore, 31, filled in for injured center Nenad Kristic last season and averaged 9.8 and 5.1 rebounds in 79 games played. He lead the NBA in field goal percentage last season with a .609 mark.
Moore became a dependable source down in the paint for Jason Kidd and played a major part in the Nets advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
In the six game series with the Cavaliers, he averaged 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds. Moore's breakout play during the regular season and postseason parlayed into a handsome contract offering by Sacramento. Usually, he'd have to wait until just before training camp or when a play got injured for a team to start calling.
The Orangeburg, South Carolina native has also played for Detroit, Boston, Atlanta, Utah, Seattle and the Clippers.
He will bring toughness, energy, strength and a passion for the game to the Sacramento Kings.
Foyle undergoes emergency appendectomy
July 14, 2007
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Golden State reserve center Adonal Foyle underwent an emergency laparoscopy appendectomy on Friday at nearby Saint Louise Regional Hospital.
Foyle was in the area taking part in one of five basketball camps he is hosting in the Bay Area this summer.
The 6-foot-10 Foyle is expected to remain in the hospital overnight and should be ready for the beginning of training camp in early October.
Foyle averaged 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in limited play last season. He appeared briefly in two playoff games.
Updated on Saturday, Jul 14, 2007 1:02 am EDT
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Golden State reserve center Adonal Foyle underwent an emergency laparoscopy appendectomy on Friday at nearby Saint Louise Regional Hospital.
Foyle was in the area taking part in one of five basketball camps he is hosting in the Bay Area this summer.
The 6-foot-10 Foyle is expected to remain in the hospital overnight and should be ready for the beginning of training camp in early October.
Foyle averaged 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in limited play last season. He appeared briefly in two playoff games.
Updated on Saturday, Jul 14, 2007 1:02 am EDT
Memphis Grizzlies Sign Darko Milicic
By DavidKaye
A draft bust in 2003 with the Detroit Pistons, Darko Milicic was traded to the Orlando Magic in February of 2006 to revitalize his career.
Although he averaged 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.84 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game in 110 games, his agent Marc Cornstein labeled general manager Otis Smith a ''liar and said he had been ''deceitful, disrespectful and a disgrace'' in the way he handled Darko's contract situation.
I have a serious problem with any person openly blasting another individual in public, let alone stating his feelings in a major newspaper where the entire world can hear his thoughts. New Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace must have been feeling a sense of uncertainty when he signed the 22-year old native of Serbia-Montenegro. Wallace could be the next victim of Cornstein's aggression if his client does not get what he desires.
It's unfortunate because Milicic has the potential to blossom into an all-star center if he can improve his skills, athletisim and attitude. At 7-0, 250-pounds he can transform his career from being a life long benchwarmer where he averaged 5 points and 3.3 rebounds, to 20 points and 9 rebounds.
Luckily in Detroit, Darko was exposed to a winning environment and was a member of the Pistons 2003-04 Championship team. In Orlando, he had the opportunity to play along side a rising phenom in Dwight Howard and receive minumul playoff experience. He has played in 21 career playoff games and he can now help out the majority of his teammates who have never come close to reaching the playoffs.
Friday, July 13, 2007
New Jersey Nets Re-Sign Superstar Vince Carter
By DavidKaye
Vinsanity will continue to reek havoc on opposing teams as a member of the New Jersey Nets throughout at least the 2010-11 season.
On Friday, Vince Carter agreed to a four-year, $66 million contract with a partial guarantee for a fifth year. When all is set and done the eight time All-Star could make as much as $80 million.
There was speculation during the course of the season that Carter would opt out of the final year of his contract and on July 1st he did just that. Fortunately, he could not imagine himself dawning the uniform of another team and therefore agreed to a multi-year contract with the team he has played for the last three seasons.
''I knew it could happen'' said Carter. ''It's about patience and waiting for the right time.'' General manager Rod Thorn added ''we certainly would have been remiss if we'd Vince get away.''
If the Nets, who finished the season 41-41 and were defeated in the second round of the playoffs by the eventual Eastern Conference champions Cleveland Cavaliers, let Carter sign with another team, they would have missed a player who played in all 82 games and averaged 25.2 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game and 4.8 assists per game.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)