Official NBA Thread

[Saburo]

The Great Joe Posnanski explains his hometown of Cleveland in light of the LeBron fiasco.  I can not imagine the devastation...

[RatBastich]

Kings' Evans caught at 120-130 mph

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The basketball court isn't the only place where Sacramento Kings player Tyreke Evans apparently likes to move fast.

A video released by the California Highway Patrol shows Evans speeding past vehicles on Interstate 80 in his purple Mercedes. CHP officers say he was driving 120 to 130 miles per hour.

The video of the 20-year-old NBA Rookie of the Year was shot from a plane on Memorial Day weekend.

After being stopped by police, Evans was arrested at gunpoint.

Authorities say the video offers evidence that Evans may have been racing another vehicle.

Attorneys say he pleaded no contest to reckless driving, was sentenced to 80 hours of community service, ordered to take part in teen driving programs and lost his license for 30 days.




Damn stupid kid. 

[RatBastich]

Dennis Rodman not hurt in crash

Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Former NBA star Dennis Rodman walked away unhurt after riding in an SUV that flipped over on an interstate in South Florida.

Sgt. Mark Wysocky of the Florida Highway Patrol said Rodman and another passenger weren't injured in the single-vehicle crash on Saturday on Interstate 95 near Fort Lauderdale. The driver was taken to a hospital.

Wysocky said the Land Rover flipped over after having a tire problem. No charges are expected.

Rodman's agent, Darren Prince, said he spoke with his client on Sunday, and he confirmed that he was unhurt. Rodman had just returned to the U.S. from the Caribbean island of St. Tropez, where he had a disc-jockey gig.

"Thank God he's OK," Prince said. "He walked out with a little scratch on his finger."

Prince said that Rodman told him, " 'I'm still living brother. They can't get rid of me.' "

Rodman told his agent that the driver had a gash in his head and was in stable condition.

Known for his flamboyance on and off the court, Rodman won three NBA championships with Chicago and two with Detroit. He led the league in rebounding seven consecutive seasons in the 1990s and was named defensive player of the year twice.

He has appeared in several movies and TV shows, including the 1997 film "Double Team" with Jean Claude Van Damme and "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."

[RatBastich]

Source: Phil Jackson signs new deal

By Ramona Shelburne
ESPNLosAngeles.com

Phil Jackson has officially signed a contract to return to the Los Angeles Lakers.


The 11-time NBA champion coach announced on July 1 that he would return for what he called "the last stand for me" but it took until last week to finalize a new contract, according to a source close to the situation.


Terms of Jackson's new contract have not been released. A message left for his agent Todd Musburger Monday evening was not returned.


With Jackson's deal finally in place, the Lakers were able to quickly reach agreements with the rest of his staff. Longtime assistants Brian Shaw, Frank Hamblen and Jim Cleamons are returning and special assistant Chuck Person has officially been added to the staff.

[RatBastich]

Report: Heat to open at Celtics

ESPN.com news services

The Miami Heat's new "Big Three" will make their NBA regular-season debut against the Boston Celtics, The Boston Globe reported, citing league sources.


The Heat, now featuring Chris Bosh and LeBron James in addition to Dwyane Wade, will open the season Oct. 26 in Boston in a game nationally televised by TNT, according to the report.

James' first regular-season game with the Heat will come on the same court where his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers ended, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

James signed with the Heat last month as a free agent after seven years in Cleveland, joining his Olympic teammates Wade and Bosh.

The Heat will enter the game with a substantially overhauled roster, while the Celtics also made changes and re-signed stars Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

The league will officially release its opening week and Christmas Day schedules Tuesday night on NBA TV.

[RatBastich]

LeBron James thanks Akron in ad

ESPN.com news services

LeBron James has taken out a full-page ad in his hometown paper in which he thanks the people of Akron for supporting him -- and doesn't mention the city where he played basketball the last seven years.

The ad, appearing in the Akron Beacon Journal, includes photos of James taking part in community events in Akron, including an annual downtown bike-a-thon he sponsors. That event is scheduled for Saturday, and James plans to appear.

James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat as a free agent last month, joining Olympic teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

The move set off a storm of negative reaction from Cavaliers fans and team owner Dan Gilbert.

Two days ago, former Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- who signed with the Heat July 17 -- took out a full-page ad in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, thanking fans for their support. Ilgauskas, like James, had played his entire career in Cleveland before signing with Miami.

In James' ad, he thanks Akron residents for their love and support. He calls the city his home and the "central focus" of his life and says he will always come back.

"It was here where I first learned how to play basketball, and where I met the people who would become my lifelong friends and mentors. Their guidance, encouragement and support will always be with me," reads James' ad in the Beacon Journal.

"Akron is my home, and the central focus of my life. It's where I started, and it's where I will always come back to. You can be sure that I will continue to do everything I can for this city, which is so important to my family and me. Thank you for your love and support. You mean everything to me."

[RatBastich]

1992 Olympic champs into Hall of Fame

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS -- Scottie Pippen considers himself a double winner. He'll enter basketball's Hall of Fame as an individual and a member of the Dream Team on the same day.

"I'll be able to take one trip and kill both," Pippen said with a laugh.

Pippen, Karl Malone and two of the best U.S. Olympic teams -- including that famed 1992 Dream Team -- were selected Monday as part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's class of 2010.

Malone and Pippen, both eligible for election for the first time, were part of that '92 Olympic team.

Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, high school coaching great Bob Hurley Sr., and WNBA star Cynthia Cooper also were in the class announced at the Final Four. NBA veterans Dennis Johnson and Gus Johnson and international star Maciel "Ubiratan" Pereira will be honored posthumously.

The 1960 and 1992 U.S. Olympic teams, which both won Olympic gold medals, will be part of the induction ceremony on Aug. 13.

[RatBastich]

Shaquille O'Neal thinks he'll return

ESPN.com news services

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Shaquille O'Neal believes he will be playing in the NBA next season, though the four-time champion says he will retire if a contending team doesn't make him an offer. Playing internationally is not an option.

O'Neal said Tuesday that if the time has come for him to retire, he will do so "very graciously" and "have a big party."

"I know I will play in the NBA next season," O'Neal said. "International? No. The good thing about me and my career is I came in, did it my way, did more than expected. For every athlete or every great person, there's a time when it has to end. When and if it ever ends it will be very graciously.

"We're going to have a big party. We're going to have a ceremony and the next thing I'll be waiting for is the entrance into the place where your name will never be forgotten."

The 38-year-old O'Neal spent last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and another with the Miami Heat.

But he has struggled to find a contract on a team that can guarantee him playing time, enough money and a chance for one more championship to add to his legacy.

On Monday night, O'Neal appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live and said he'd like to play two more seasons in the NBA and that the Boston Celtics would potentially be a good fit for him.

The 38-year-old O'Neal stressed to Kimmel that he's on a "730-day program," suggesting he wants to play two more years until he reaches 40. When Kimmel suggested he couldn't picture O'Neal in a Boston uniform, O'Neal responded, "The Celtics would be a good program."

Pressed if he would feel weird putting on a Celtics jersey after spending time with the Lakers, O'Neal simply shook his head and said, "No."

He all but ruled out joining LeBron James in Miami or a return to Orlando, where he began his career in 1992, with both teams not showing much interest. And he admitted this offseason has been particularly difficult floating around in free agency.

"For me, it's been a real thinking process," O'Neal said. "I came into the league very graciously and want to go out very graciously. My main thought was I would like to play for a winning franchise, somebody that's used to winning, somebody that keeps winning. Hopefully, I'll make my decision here in the next one or two days."

O'Neal was in Orlando with teen pop star Justin Bieber to promote the basketball giant's television show, "Shaq Vs." The second season of the reality competition was set to begin airing Tuesday night on ABC.

[Saburo]

Once again Bill Simmons made reference on his latest podcast with Chuck Klosterman about some rumor involving LeBron James that: 1) is clearly known to seemingly casual NBA followers, and 2) is persona non grata as a topic on ESPN networks (i.e. "business partners"). 

Is THIS it? 

[daigong]

^ Yeah AHAHAHA so funny. That rumor. The reason why he quit during the playoffs vs the Celtics.

I hope the rumours that the Lakers get Delote West is true. More crazy tattooed players = One Dennis Rodman. lol imagine if Phil Jackson brought him in as an assistant.

I hope Shaq gets a job, he'll have to take less money but homie can still play and be a force.

LAKERS vs HEAT this Christmas! The Marquee Matchup, Stern will do everything in his power *coughFTs* to make it happen.

Lamar Odom sure is excited: http://cbs2.com/video/?id=140714@kcbs.dayport.com

[thatonezombie]

Shaq signed to the Celtics

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5438003

I am down to see Superman vs Flash on opening night.

[Saburo]

Sooo...  he's pissed at the Cavs AND the entire Cleveland community because he felt this stuff was kept from him?  So it's likely true?

Well, is this affair plausible?  I saw a pic of LeBron's mommy and she looked ABSOLUTELY SCARY LOOKING!  Deadspin reported that she had to be tasered MULTIPLE times during a DUI incident.

[daigong]

^ it all seems like just random fan rumours gone wild. There was even a rumour that Miami player Michael Beasley was shipped out for looking like Delonte West Like Lebron is all paranoid his mom would hook up with the next tatt'd up bench player.

Ah, Shaq ...

Peep these figures. Bet shit's gonna fly off the shelves, from the mind of Korean designer CoolRain: http://www.mindstyle.com/blog/?p=3928

NBA Mini Figures Series 1
 
Many fans and collectors have been asking about the players for the mini figure series designed by CoolRain. The NBA series 1 players included Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Roy, Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili, Amar’e Stoudemire and Dwayne Wade.

[Saburo]

Great tweet by Joel Sherman: Unemployment rate remains at 9.5%, yet Isiah Thomas now has 2 jobs. How is that possible?

[RatBastich]

Ray Allen likes Shaquille O'Neal signing

Associated Press

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Ray Allen says there is room in Boston for the Big Diesel and the Big Three.

The Celtics guard, speaking Saturday before a charity basketball game in Connecticut, said he believes Shaquille O'Neal is a good fit in Boston's quest to repeat as Eastern Conference champion.

The 7-foot-1, 325-pound center signed a two-year contract worth about $3 million on Wednesday.

"It's definitely interesting to me, because I think he can help us," Allen said. "One of our bad traits this past year was offensive rebounding and rebounding in general, and he's a guy that takes up a lot of space, so I definitely think he can help us."

Allen said he wasn't sure he would be returning to Boston after the NBA Finals. A good friend, he said, was even sending him advertisements of houses for sale in Miami.

"I don't think anybody's mind had to be changed," he said. "I think once the dust settled, we all had to understand what our stance was. Everybody took a look and said, 'We still have something good here, and we don't want to give it away."

Allen said he's looking forward to the battles with LeBron James and Miami, and likes being in the underdog role, rather than the team with the bull's-eye on its back.

"It was hard in '08 when everyone gave us the trophy every corner that we turned," he said.

[RatBastich]

LeBron James thanks Cleveland fans

Associated Press

AKRON, Ohio -- LeBron James finally thanked the fans in Cleveland on Saturday, when he made his first public appearance since he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat.

At his annual "King for Kids" charity bike-a-thon in downtown Akron, James addressed a friendly crowd of several hundred people who cheered as he took the podium.

"To the city of Cleveland, my fans in Cleveland, my fans in northeast Ohio," said James, "I want to say thank you for the last seven years and the years that continue to go in the future."

Then he repeated the thank you to Cleveland a second time, as if for extra emphasis.

"So I want to thank the city of Cleveland, also northeast Ohio, for all the great years that I've had," he said.

Last week, James came under fire for taking out a full-page newspaper ad in the Akron Beacon Journal in which he thanked the city of Akron for its support. The ad contained no mention of Cleveland, where James got his start in the NBA.

Emotions are still running high among Cleveland fans who felt betrayed by James, who was revered in that city for years.

After James left for Miami to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert sent off a scathing letter to Cleveland fans vowing to win a title before James does.

But in Akron, at least, James is still very much loved by the people who watched him grow up. After giving his brief speech -- and without answering any questions from the media -- James hopped on a bicycle and joined about 400 children who received free bicycles along the one-mile course.

Wearing a red shirt with the word "Akron" printed on it, James also thanked that city and its mayor for extending open arms to the player and his family. He said this is the most precious day of the year for him.

"Because I'm able to give back to the city that I grew up in, the city that I love," James said to cheers. "And the city that I will always give back to."

Most fans were pleased to see him, and didn't understand the vitriol that has been directed at James from the rest of northeast Ohio since he left.

"This is his home. He's been very supportive of us in the past," said Tony Morganti, a Cavs fan from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. "He said he's going to continue to be so, and I think this just proves it."

[RatBastich]

Sources: Pistons mulling Tracy McGrady

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Tracy McGrady might be playing in the Central Division next season, but not with the team he was anticipating. The Detroit Pistons are seriously weighing whether to sign the two-time scoring champion after McGrady's recent flirtation with the Chicago Bulls, according to sources with knowledge of Detroit's thinking.

DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony reported earlier Saturday that the Pistons have already committed to sign McGrady to a one-year deal at the league's $1.35 million veteran minimum, but one source close to the situation told ESPN.com that Pistons officials were "taking the weekend" to discuss the move.

Another source said Saturday night that no deal has been signed but that the parties are "in discussions."

Nearly two weeks after a high-profile audition with the Bulls at their practice facility, McGrady appeared to have lost all hope of landing with the team he badly wanted to join when Chicago struck an agreement Friday with veteran swingman Keith Bogans.

But the Pistons have unexpectedly emerged as a suitor for McGrady after a quiet summer for Detroit that has been attributed in some league circles to owner Karen Davidson's reluctance to spend given her well-chronicled desire to sell the team.

Bringing in McGrady at such a low cost would thus represent a low-risk, high-reward gamble for the Pistons. The 31-year-old is trying to resurrect his career after playing in just 30 games last season with Houston Rockets and New York Knicks thanks to a slow recovery from microfracture knee surgery.

The Pistons would appear to have little need at shooting guard or small forward -- with Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey and the recently re-signed Will Bynum on the roster -- but Detroit personnel chief Joe Dumars has never shied away from reclamation projects and knows his team suffered from a lack of scoring punch last season.

After earning nearly $23 million in 2009-10 and averaging 8.2 points and 3.3 assists, McGrady has worked out this summer with the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago in search of his next team.

Sources with knowledge of the Bulls' thinking have maintained for days that the signing of McGrady was "unlikely" because of fears that the seven-time All-Star would be unwilling to embrace a potentially limited role.

The Bulls have also been chasing Portland's Rudy Fernandez in trade talks in recent days and, according to sources, rate Fernandez as a better fit than McGrady because of his 3-point shooting ability.

[RatBastich]

London to host Raptors-Nets in March

Associated Press

LONDON -- The NBA is taking regular-season games to Europe for the first time.

NBA commissioner David Stern announced Monday that the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets will play a pair of regular-season games in London this season.

The teams will face each other March 4 and 5 at the O2 Arena, the same venue that has hosted preseason games over the last several years.

Stern said on a conference call he wasn't yet sure if the regular-season games would be an annual occurrence for the league.

"We'll need to assess how we do in March," Stern said. "It would not surprise me if this becomes an annual event. But I don't want to make a commitment on it."

The NBA has been looking to expand overseas for years, and Stern has said in the past he would like to play a meaningful game in London before the city hosts the Olympics in 2012.

Before this season opens, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves will each play two games in the fifth installment of the NBA's preseason Europe Live Tour. The 2009 champion Lakers will face the Timberwolves at the O2 Arena on Oct. 4 and then play Barcelona in Spain three days later.

The NFL will be playing a regular-season game in London for the fourth straight season when the San Francisco 49ers face the Denver Broncos on Oct. 31 at Wembley Stadium. The NHL has also played regular-season games in London, and still does so in other European cities.

Stern also spoke about the possibility of having NBA franchises based in Europe, but didn't sound overly optimistic about that happening anytime soon.

"I think one franchise doesn't work. It needs to be multiple franchise," Stern said. "We need buildings ... we need owners ... we need a better economy.

"It's certainly something that I and my successors will be considering."

[daigong]

Glad to see Shannon Brown back in the mix! He can continue his career as a video ho!



NBA Schedule is out...http://www.nba.com/gameline/20101026/

I look forward to this game:
Sun 30 vs Boston 12:30pm

[RatBastich]

Four teams agree on trade

By Chad Ford
ESPN.com

Trevor Ariza was sent to the New Orleans Hornets and Darren Collison to the Indiana Pacers in a four-team, five-player trade Wednesday.

In the trade, the Houston Rockets sent Ariza to the Hornets, who in turn sent Collison and James Posey to the Pacers.

The Pacers sent Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets. And the Nets sent Courtney Lee to the Rockets.

"We said at the beginning of the summer that we were going to be patient and don't make drastic moves just to make a move," Pacers president Larry Bird said. "We have a plan here. It's a three-year plan, and I expect to get the job done in three years."

The Hornets didn't stop there. NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein that in a separate deal, the team agreed to send swingman Julian Wright to Toronto for Raptors guard Marco Belinelli. That deal was expected to be completed Wednesday.

The four-team deal could fill some long-term needs for the Hornets, Pacers and Nets, as well as provide needed salary relief for the Rockets.

For the Hornets, while moving Collison leaves them without a credible backup for Chris Paul, the addition of Ariza gives them a young, athletic wing entering his prime.

The Hornets are hoping that the addition of Ariza addresses Paul's concerns about the team's commitment to winning by showing that they're willing to spend money to get better. Ariza signed a five-year, $34 million deal with the Rockets last summer.

For the Pacers, landing Collison gives them the young starting point guard they've been looking for and adds another piece to a young core of players including Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert and promising rookies Paul George and Lance Stephenson.

"I think it helps out tremendously," Bird said. "I think this was the piece that we needed. The vision I have for this franchise is to get the core group up and ready to go as quick as we can, and this piece here will accelerate everything."

The Pacers did take on the last two years and $13 million of Posey's contract, but the deal also sliced another $4 million off the team's overall payroll.

In Murphy, the Nets get the veteran big man that new coach Avery Johnson has been coveting. Murphy is also on the last year of his contract, which could make him an important trading chip for the Nets at the 2011 trade deadline.

"We are very pleased to add Troy to our roster," Nets general manager Billy King said. "He is a quality power forward who has the ability to stretch the floor, and we feel that he will be a very positive addition to our frontcourt rotation."

For the Rockets, the move is basically a large salary dump. This summer the Rockets spent a lot of cash signing Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry and Brad Miller to free-agent contracts and their payroll ballooned. Before the trade, the team was bracing for an $8 million-plus luxury tax hit. This deal saves the Rockets $28 million on the life of the contract and roughly $10 million (when you factor in luxury tax payments) this season.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said their involvement in the trade was mostly about the opportunity to get Lee, a 6-5 guard whom they've coveted since the 2008 draft.

"We really target players who we think will fit in well here over time," Morey said. "When we got our first chance to acquire him, we were fairly aggressive to get that done. He's very versatile."

The Rockets envisioned the 6-8 Ariza developing into a dependable scoring threat on the wing. He averaged a career-high 14.9 points in 72 games last season but shot 39.4 percent from the field and 33.4 percent from 3-point range.

"To get something you like, you've got to give up something," Morey said. "It wasn't a situation where we were down on Trevor. It was really about that we think Courtney has a big future."

Lee, acquired from the Orlando Magic on draft night in 2009 in the Vince Carter deal, averaged 12.5 points in 71 games for the Nets last season, including 66 starts. He shot 43.6 percent from the field last season and will likely back up shooting guard Kevin Martin with the Rockets.