Sports Rumor Mill - NBA General Discussion

Kevin Durant has been killin' it this summer

JShow34 — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:53:52 GMT

I don't know exact stats, I can't give you a play by play but I do know Kevin Durant has been playing his ass off for team USA this summer. It's not for an Olympic medal and he's not on the big stage with the likes of LeBron and Kobe, but the guy is carrying a team that's nowhere near the talent we have seen in recent past.

Perhaps being humble doesn't grab the headlines or the attention but Durant is perhaps the best player in the NBA today and not only is that hard for the average fan to grasp, it's hard for him to admit. He's been the main guy on a team that's basically had every player outside of him drop out for some reason or another because it's not the main...olympics game. He's b een there, doing whatever has been asked of him.

Felonte West back with the Celtics

kofanis0880 — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:15:49 GMT

Glad to see that motherfucker back in green.

Locker room conversations between him and Nate should have their own spot on prime-time right after Shaq vs.

Rondo/West/Bradley
Allen/Robinson/Wafer
Pierce/Daniels
KG/Davis
Perk*Oneal/Oneal

*injured

West will guard SGs and Nate PGs... I really like this team

International Basketball Question

Negrodamus — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:04:07 GMT

I was thinking about what would be better:

Getting a team of the best available players in the NBA together and represent USA.

OR

Getting the best team in the NBA to represent USA.

For example, would the Lakers (sans Gasol/Vujacic/Mbenga/etc and add however many players to fill in for intl players) be a better team against international play or is the way we are doing it better.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that players on each NBA team have a great understanding of everyone else on their teams limitations and where they thrive. They also know who to get the ball and have an understanding of a playbook.

What says you?

Kwame Brown and MJ reunited...

The Rattler — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:11:26 GMT

The Charlotte Bobcats gave Brown a one year contract meaning MJ and the biggest first round bust in history are together again..

Kwame Brown to rejoin Michael Jordan with Charlotte Bobcats - ESPN

Melo open to signing a long term contract with Rockets or Nets..

The Rattler — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 06:21:11 GMT

I read this on rotoworld tonight and was a little surprised to be honest but it could be a smoke screen..

Pierce wants to end Basketball Career playing in Europe

BiggyBoda — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:23:12 GMT

Pierce wants to play in Europe

Paul Pierce on a European vocation? [Pierce] told CSN New England that he wants to finish his playing career in Europe once his NBA days are done. Pierce signed a deal this summer to play three more years as a Celtic, with an option for a fourth. That means he would be age 36 or 37 when he went to play in Greece or Italy. "As far as retiring from the NBA, I think I will be done after this contract because eventually I want to go overseas and play and live for a couple of years. That's why this is a big contract for me, knowing I'm going to retire a Boston Celtic. I want to go to either Italy or Greece for a year. I think I want to be able to bring my family over to just kind of share a different experience overseas for a couple of years, before I settle into retirement."

JShow can sing - an Ode to LeBron

Lawdog — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:49:30 GMT

Actually, it is not JShow singing (no way he would wear that porn stache) but I am pretty sure he wrote the lyrics. I think we should have a poll, but I bet that is him.

YouTube- LeBron James Is A Bitch

Spike Lee wants Carmelo Anthony in New York

BiggyBoda — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:37:30 GMT

Spike Lee Wants Carmelo Anthony in New York -- NBA FanHouse

NEW YORK -- When Spike Lee chose his wardrobe for Sunday's exhibition game at Madison Square Garden between Team USA and France, there was nothing random about it.

Lee selected a Team USA No. 15. jersey. That's the number Carmelo Anthony donned in helping the Americans to a 2008 Olympic gold medal and the one he wears for the Denver Nuggets.

"It wasn't haphazard," the filmmaker and No. 1 Knicks fan said in an interview with FanHouse about picking a jersey to show how much he wants Anthony to sign with New York, if he opts out of his contract and becomes a free agent next summer.

The Knicks lost out on LeBron James, the top free agent this summer who went to Miami, and settled for signing Amar'e Stoudemire. Lee is now hoping they can get Anthony, who could be next season's top free agent.

"Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Really great," Lee said of what Anthony would mean to the Knicks. "I just hope (they can sign him). I hope so. He'd be a great addition to the team and to the franchise. "

Anthony has until June 30, 2011, to decide whether to opt out a contract that would pay him $18.5 million in 2011-12 or become a free agent. He also has until then to sign a $64.7 million contract extension offer that is on the table and would take him through 2014-15.

Speaking to reporters Saturday at his annual basketball camp in the Denver area, Anthony did not offer a lot of clues about his plans. Lee figures to try to influence him if Anthony hasn't made a decision by Dec. 12, Denver's one regular-season appearance next season in New York.

"I know him," Lee said of Anthony, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., where Lee grew up. "We're not tight, tight. Brooklyn guys, we stick together."

As for James, Lee didn't have too much to say about him.

"We're over LeBron," Lee said. "He had to do what he had to do."

Now Anthony will do what he feels he has to do. But, even if he chooses New York, Lee won't be able to wear a No. 15 Anthony-Knicks jersey to Madison Square Garden. The team has retired that number in honor of Dick McGuire and Earl Monroe.

Udonis Haslem arrested on drug charge

BiggyBoda — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:30:27 GMT

Udonis Haslem Cited After Miami-Dade Traffic Stop -- NBA FanHouse

MIAMI (AP) -- The Florida Highway Patrol says Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem was arrested on a drug charge following a Sunday afternoon traffic stop in Miami-Dade County.

FHP spokesman Sgt. Mark Wysocky said Haslem, 30, and a passenger were both cited. Wysocky said he expected that the charge would be related to marijuana possession. A full release was expected from FHP later Sunday evening.

Haslem has spent all seven of his NBA seasons with the Heat, and the South Florida native signed a new five-year contract to stay with the team last month. The Heat did not have any immediate comment.

Malone picks Lakers to win title not Miami

BiggyBoda — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:43:32 GMT

Karl Malone Won't Pick Heat Superteam for NBA Title -- NBA FanHouse

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Not all supergroups worked out too great. Think of Blind Faith, Asia and Power Station.

Then again, Crosby, Stills and Nash (and Young) and Emerson, Lake and Palmer had some serious staying power.

Now, the Miami Heat have created a superteam with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. But it's not a totally new NBA concept.

Think back to 2003-04, when the Lakers added stars Karl Malone and Gary Payton to put alongside stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Granted, Malone and Payton were past their primes but the Lakers still were favored to easily take the title.

But it didn't happen. The Lakers did get off to an 18-3 start. But Malone soon suffered a knee injury in what would be his last NBA season. He never fully recovered, and the Lakers ended up losing 4-1 to Detroit in the Finals.

"You've still got to play the game,'' said Malone in an interview with FanHouse hours before his Friday night scheduled induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. "When we played (in 2003-04), everybody you played it was like their championship. But you're an injury away and your teammates have got to accept you. There's a lot that goes into it.''

With that in mind, Malone isn't picking the Heat to win this season's NBA crown.

"I'll take the Lakers until somebody beats them,'' said Malone, who also will be inducted Friday into the Hall as a member of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. "I'll take the Lakers this year. Miami has got a hell of a team. But everything has got to go right for them to win.''

Malone joined Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Charles Barkley in becoming in the latest member of the Dream Team to say he wouldn't have rounded up top opponents from his heyday to form a superteam in the manner that was done in Miami. While Malone and Payton did join forces to create that Lakers superteam, he remarked they were much older.

"That's them,'' Malone said of Wade, James and Bosh. "Back in the day, we wouldn't have done it. But things have changed. It's just part of life. I'm still going to watch them.''

But Malone isn't expecting to watch them hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Barkley rips Lebron: Calls big 3 Punks!

BiggyBoda — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:44:17 GMT

Charles Barkley Rips LeBron, Miami's Big Three as 'Punks' -- NBA FanHouse

Charles Barkley weighed in Wednesday on a recent Twitter statement by LeBron James. Barkley, a TNT analyst and former NBA All-Star, said he hopes James remembers Barkley's critical comments and called a couple of James' more significant actions this summer "punk" moves.

"I heard about LeBron's little tweet today that he's remembering everybody who said anything bad about him," Barkley said Thursday on ESPN Radio 103.3 FM in Dallas/Fort Worth. "And he said 'everybody.' Well, I want him to make sure that he puts my name on that (list).

"I thought that his little one-hour special was a punk move. I thought them dancing around on the stage was a punk move, and I thought he should've stayed in Cleveland. Him joining Dwyane Wade's team was very disappointing to me."

Barkley spoke on "Galloway and Company," hosted by Randy Galloway, Ian Fitzsimmons and Matt Mosley. Barkley referred to a Twitter post by James -- under the name King James -- in which he said: "Don't think for one min that I haven't been taking mental notes of everyone taking shots at me this summer. And I mean everyone!"

James has been criticized for leaving Cleveland and for announcing it on a national TV special on ESPN set up by him and his handlers. He also was the subject of a story on ESPN.com about a birthday party in a Las Vegas club that sounded more hedonistic than humble. The story was later removed because ESPN said its reporter did not state clearly he was writing a story (the accuracy of the story was never questioned).

In addition to the TV special, Barkley also weighed in on a rally at American Airlines Arena where James, Chris Bosh and Wade were treated like rock stars and talked about themselves as arguably the greatest trio ever to play in the NBA and future winners of five, six, seven championships.

Galloway and his co-host chuckled at Barkley's remarks, then said they enjoyed the fact Barkley wanted James to include him on his list.

"He's got enough people kissing his ass with his family and all the people who work for him," Barkley said. "We don't have to tell him what he wants to hear all the time. That's one of the reasons why ... some of these young guys ... my opinion is he should have stayed in Cleveland.

"That one-hour special, them jumping around on stage like punks, that wasn't cool to me. From a basketball standpoint, I wish he had stayed in Cleveland, and if he takes that as criticism, so be it.

"He knows where I'll be, I don't run. I'm on TV every week, I'm easy to find."

Nets owner files for Team name change

BiggyBoda — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:26:08 GMT

Nets owner files for name change

Prokhorov�s camp confirmed this morning that they�ve sent a request to the league to change the team�s name.
What does this mean? Maybe nothing.
Changing a team�s nickname, uniform or city name is a long process requiring that the owner gives the NBA notice 25 months in advance. This is to allow time for the creative process and the time it requires to make and market new uniforms. There doesn�t have to be a plan with the proposal, just a desire. It�s basically like putting the NBA on notice for a potential identity change.
So if Prokhorov wanted to change the team�s name for the 2012-13 season (even the city name to Brooklyn), he would have had to submit his notice by Oct. 1. If he submits a proposal, it would have to be approved by the Board of Governors.

There�s no news on what he�s going to change it to, and it could be a simple change to the �Brooklyn Nets,� but the outspoken owner has joked about the �Nets� moniker in the past, so a new nickname is likely.
On �Pardon the Interruption,� Tony Riali suggested the �Brooklyn Deckers� which didn�t make any sense to me until I did a Google search.
I kind of like �Brooklyn Nets.� The Nets nickname has a lot of history to it and it sounds cool. I�ve also seen the �Brooklyn Bears� and the �Brooklyn Dodgers� mentioned. Or he could go with the New York Nets.
What do you think would be the best new nickname for the team?

If Ron Artest was President

BiggyBoda — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:10:33 GMT

If Ron Artest Was President of the US ... -- NBA FanHouse

If there's one NBA star who deserves an hour special on TV it's without a doubt Ron Artest of the Los Angeles Lakers. He's pure comedy. In this FanHouse exclusive Ron shares his thoughts on how the White House would look if he were president.

YouTube- If Ron Artest Was President

Isiah will not be consultant with Knicks

BiggyBoda — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:28:02 GMT

Despite James Dolan's Efforts, Isiah Thomas Will Not Work for Knicks -- NBA FanHouse

Isiah Thomas will not be a consultant for the New York Knicks thanks to a conflict of interest with his job as head coach at Florida International.

Multiple reports stated that Thomas rescinded his acceptance of the Knicks' offer after being in contact with the NBA commissioner's office.

"After speaking with Commissioner [David] Stern and Knicks executives, it has become apparent that my new agreement violates certain NBA bylaws. Because of this, I have decided to rescind my contract with the team," Thomas said in a statement.

"I have nothing but the utmost respect for Jim Dolan, Donnie Walsh, Mike D'Antoni and the entire Knicks organization, and I want to thank them for affording me this opportunity."

NBA laws prohibits anyone who coaches or works for a college program or an international team, and in turn has regular contact with underclassmen, from working for any of the league's 30 teams.

"We have been informed by the Knicks that Isiah Thomas has rescinded his consulting agreement with the team," Stern said in a statement. "As a result, it is not necessary for the league to take any formal action on the proposed arrangement. However, we have reminded the Knicks of NBA rules that prohibit team personnel, including consultants, from having contact with players not eligible for the draft."

Thomas ran the Knicks from 2003-2008 and also coached the team for two seasons before being run out of town as one of the most disgraced executives in New York sports history. Despite that track record, and the blemish of a sexual harassment suit filed against him and Madison Square Garden, Thomas holds a close relationship with Dolan, the Knicks' owner.

This summer, Dolan tabbed Isiah as a recruiter for top free agents -- including LeBron James -- who still respect the former NBA champion point guard for his top flight career. It's still entirely possible that Thomas -- whether the fans like it or not -- will return to the team in some capacity at another time.

"Although I'm disappointed that Isiah will not be working with the Knicks as a consultant, I continue to believe in his basketball knowledge, including his ability to judge talent," Dolan said of Thomas in a statement. "He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team. We wish him continued success at FIU.

"I also believe Donnie Walsh has done a terrific job since joining the Knicks and my tremendous respect for him has only grown since he's joined the organization. I'm confident that the work that Donnie, coach Mike D'Antoni and their staffs have done this summer has the team poised for long-term success."

According to the NY Post, Thomas had said on Miami radio he would be willing to leave FIU to be a full-time consultant for an NBA team. The newspaper also said that, if that team were the Knicks, it would go against Walsh's wishes.

Ariza to NOR, Collison to IND in 4-team NBA trade

J-Pass — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:13:48 GMT

Quote:

Four NBA teams have agreed to a five-player trade that will send Trevor Ariza to the New Orleans Hornets and Darren Collison to the Indiana Pacers, two league sources said.
In the proposed deal, the Houston Rockets will send Ariza to the Hornets, who in turn will send Collison and James Posey to the Pacers.
The Pacers will send Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets. And the Nets will send Courtney Lee to the Rockets.
According to the sources the Rockets, Hornets, Pacers and Nets have agreed to the details of the trade and are awaiting a trade call with the league this afternoon to make it official.
The 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 the team 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 six year, $35 million dollar 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.
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.
For the Rockets, aside from acquiring Lee, the move is largely a 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 to $81 million. Before the trade, the team was bracing for a $10 million-plus luxury tax hit. The deal would save them $28 million on the life of the contracts and $10 million this season, including luxury tax considerations.

Trevor Ariza to New Orleans Hornets
Darren Collison & James Posey to Indiana Pacers
Troy Murphy to New Jersey Nets
Courtney Lee to Houston Rockets

I actually think this is a pretty fair trade all around. Hornets probably get the worst pay-off (and I actually like Ariza), Collison's going to be a good starter for the Pacers for a long-time, but they did have to take on Posey's contract.