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Posts Tagged ‘NBA’
Fri, July 11, 2008 9:58 am By James Coolridge  Printer friendly version
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 WASHINGTON: Gilbert Arenas has agreed for a deal with Washington Wizards for $111m which is considered as a less amount by his fans world wide. “What can I do for my family with $127 million that I can’t do with $111 million?” asks Arenas.
The three-time All-Star point guard, in vintage Agent Zero fashion, has at last revealed on Thursday that he has agreed to re-sign for $111 million over six years, which is considered as a less package deal than the maximum deal he said the Wizards offered him when the free agency period began on Tuesday. Gilbert Arenas had the negotiations in China where he is on travel as part of promotional tour for a shoe company.
“I’m basically giving back $16 million. This is in line with what I’ve been saying the whole time. You see players take max deals and they financially bind their teams. I don’t wanna be one of those players and three years down the road your team is strapped and can’t do anything about it,” tells Arenas.
Gilbert Arenas became a free agent after quitting out of the final year of his six-year contract worth $65 million. Arenas had declared not sign the deal until the two-time All-Star forward Antawn Jamison is included the team. The Wizards has decided to offer Jamison a four-year, $50 million deal.
Arenas, considered as the best and the most dynamic players in the NBA had to be sidelined due to a major knee injury for most of the last season. The injury caused him to miss 66 games before his come back late in the season. But he had to shut himself down again in the first-round playoff series against Cleveland.
The Wizards cannot bring disclose the deal talks until a league-mandated moratorium gets expired next week.
Tags : NBA, Basketball, Gilbert Arenas, contract, Washington Wizards, Antwn Jamison, Cleveland
Wed, May 14, 2008 5:26 am By James Coolridge
 National Basketball Association announces Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant as the winner NBA Most Valuable Player of the year 2007-2008. Bryant was declared the winner for his outstanding performance in the game and for leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the League’s Western Conference.
The 2007-08 NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year Award presented by Kia Motors is part of a series of on-court performance awards called “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.” The awards, which are part of a multi-year marketing partnership between Kia Motors America and the NBA, also include the Most Improved Player, Sixth Man Award, and Defensive Player.
Bryant receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy from National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern.
The 29-year-old Bryant entered the season as the league’s two-time defending scoring champion but had finished only as high as third in voting for the Most Valuable Player award. He averaged 28.3 point and played 82 games. He had a tearing ligament in February and put off surgery until after the Olympics.
Bryant rose to national prominence in 1996 when he became the first guard in league history to be drafted out of high school. Bryant and then-teammate Shaquille O’Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. Since O’Neal’s departure following the 2003-04 season, Bryant has become the cornerstone of the Lakers franchise, and was the NBA’s leading scorer during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. In 2006, Bryant scored a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest number of points scored in NBA history.
Tags : NBA, Los Angeles Lakers, Most Valuable Player of the Year Award, Kobe Bryant
Thu, May 8, 2008 8:58 am By Brad Adams
Larry Brown has resigned his post as executive vice president for the Philadelphia 76ers, to get back into the coaching job. Brown has reiterated many times to the media about his plan to step into the shoes of a coach again.
Brown’s 34- year coaching career’s graph is quiet impressive. He has served 23 seasons as a head coach, has spent time with eight different clubs in the time period. Brown holds an all-time record of 1,010-800, making him the fourth most winning coach in league history. Brown also spent time coaching in the college ranks, winning the 1988 national championship at Kansas, and reaching a final with UCLA, and is the only head coach in basketball history to win both an NCAA Championship and NBA title.
“Larry was born to coach and this is something he and I talked about when I took the job here back in December, so it comes as no surprise to me. Working with Larry was always a pleasure and to watch him contribute with Maurice (Cheeks), his staff and the players was terrific” said Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski.
Brown’s agent Joe Glass says, “He has the taste of coaching back in his mouth. It would be refreshing to have a situation going that he could enjoy, rather than the last one, to say the least.”
In his NBA career, which includes time as a player, Brown has also coached Denver, New Jersey, San Antonio, the Los Angeles Clippers and Indiana.
Brown’s job with the 76ers was his longest with any team coaching career.
Tags : NBA, coach, Larry Brown
Wed, May 7, 2008 8:58 am By Carl Rushton
 Former National Basketball Association referee Tim Donaghy was found guilty in a betting scandal with two other professional gamblers. Donaghy turned himself in to the federal authorities on Wednesday.
The referee said he made NBA bets for four years, even gambling on games he worked. He also admitted recommending bets to high-stakes gamblers and collecting $5,000 if his picks hit.
Judge Carol Bagley Amon of U.S. District Court in Brooklyn said Wednesday that the information was not public. According to her, Donaghy had “unique access,” including what crews would officiate at games, the interaction of different officials and players, and the physical condition of certain players. He concealed the scheme from the NBA and other referees to avoid detection, she said.
Donaghy, 41, is scheduled to be sentenced May 22. By law, he faces up to 25 years in prison, though the term could be much lower under sentencing guidelines.
Donaghy’s next court date is Nov. 9. He turned over his passport and is now bounded to seek permission in case he has to travel anywhere other than Pennsylvania, Florida or New York.
James Battista, 42, one of the professional gamblers, attended the same high school as Donaghy in Springfield, Pennsylvania. The other alleged co-conspirator was identified by prosecutors as Thomas Martino.
Tags : NBA, referee, gamblers, court
Thu, April 3, 2008 12:35 pm By James Coolridge
 Robin Lopez is joining his brother Brook Lopez in entering the NBA draft. They made their declaration to The Associated Press on Monday through their mother, Deborah Ledford. Their mom added that brothers will hire agents and thus forgo their remaining two years of college eligibility.
“This has been a very difficult decision for me because I really enjoyed my two years at Stanford,” Robin Lopez said in a statement released to the AP. He added, “I have always hoped I would have an opportunity to play in the NBA and I feel now is the right time to make that dream a reality.”
Tags : NBA, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez
Mon, March 24, 2008 7:12 am By James Coolridge
 It is called the game of uncertainties, and even the home ground advantage did not help the Celtics. With even a player like Kevin Garnett playing for the Celtics they could not manage a win against Utah Jazz. Sadly, this loss ends the Celtics winning streak at ten. Tough luck for them as the Rockets are on a roll with over twenty games undefeated under their belt.
It was Deron Williams time to shine the Jazz guard scored 32 points — 13 of them in the fourth quarter and seven during a 10-0 run when Utah turned back Boston’s last chance to win 110-92 on Friday night and snap the Celtics’ 10-game winning streak. Boston played the last three quarters without Ray Allen, who slipped and fell, bruising his left heel at the end of the first quarter; he did not return.
Maybe it was because the Celtics wore green uniforms with gold trim instead of the traditional home whites; sometimes luck always plays a part.
Tags : NBA, Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Devron Williams
Sun, March 16, 2008 5:35 am By James Coolridge
 Thaddeus Young seemed to be the star during the 76ers match against the Bucks. Young, a rookie scored 22 points as the 76ers sailed to a 119-97 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Samuel Dalembert notched up 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Coach Maurice Cheeks of Philadelphia was happy with Young’s performance. He scored 20-plus points and we didn’t run one play for him,” said Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks, after his team improved to 12-3 since Feb. 5. “That’s the way he plays. Thaddeus has been playing that way since we put him in there.”
Young was 8-of-11 from the floor and made all six free throws, making Philadelphia shoot a season high of 60.3 percent.
This win leads the 76ers to within one-half of the idle Washington in the Eastern Conference. This is the Bucks fifth loss in six games. Charlie Villanueva had 25 points and eight rebounds for Milwaukee; Michael Redd added 19 points and Charlie Bell had 15 off the bench. The Bucks were without starting guard Mo Williams, who missed his third straight game with an abdominal strain, and forward Yi Jianlian, who also missed his third straight game with a sprained ankle. I had the opportunity to see the game live and I could see instances of a “Michael Jordon” in this rookie. I might be wrong at the end of ten years from now, but this kid has the spark in him to be at the top with the very best.
Tags : NBA, Rookie Young, Thaddeus Young, the 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks
Fri, March 14, 2008 5:12 am By James Coolridge
 The San Antonio Spurs were beaten 94-87 by their rivals Pheonix Suns as Shaquille O’Neal ran through the entire opponent team. Phoenix outscored the Spurs 14-2 in the final 3:40 to perk up to 4-6 since O’Neal joined the team. So determined was that he even crashed into the third row seats after a loose ball. The western conference has a lot of big guys as Nash said.
“There’s a lot of teams with size in the West,” Nash said. “We added size, let alone a guy with championship experience. One win isn’t going to say we’re a finished product, but we’re on our way, I think, to improving and getting to a place where we’re going to feel confident once the playoffs come around.”
O’Neal also wrote history when as he joined Kareem-Abdul Jabber and Hakeem Olajuwon after his two blocked shots made him the third player in NBA history to have 26,000 points, 11,500 rebounds and 2,500 blocks.
Phoenix was 3-for-14 from 3-point range, San Antonio 7-for-16. Phoenix had a 23-5 advantage in fastbreak points. There have been a lot of changes since the last time these teams met, Ten Spurs or Suns players have come or gone on the teams’ rosters since their last meeting on Jan. 31. Phoenix is 2-1 against San Antonio this season with one to play. The Suns are 21-2 when holding an opponent under 100 points.
Tags : Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, NBA
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