Friday, August 26, 2005

[Kings] Songaila could soon join Bulls

繼 Evans 之後,另一位受限制的自由球員大前鋒 Darius Songaila 應該很快也會離開球隊。

美國時間星期四星期五的 Daily Herald 都報導了 Songaila 前往芝加哥接受招待的消息,而星期五的 Daily Herald 更報導,根據數個消息來源指出,國王將不會 match 公牛即將對 Songaila 提出,一紙約在 1.7~2.2 M 左右起薪的複數年合約 offer sheet。

不過公牛目前也在尋找三方交易的可能性,將球隊當中的射手 Eric Piatkowski 送到具有薪資空間或擁有交易餘額(Trade Exception)的球隊,如此他們將能給 Songaila 一紙起薪最多達到 3.85 M 的合約,而國王將在這個三方交易當中得到選秀權。

The Bulls could sign Songaila to an offer sheet using their remaining salary-cap exception (worth either $1.7 million or $2.2 million) but may spend a few more days trying to orchestrate a three-team deal that would allow them to pay Songaila a higher salary.

In theory, the Bulls could send shooting guard Eric Piatkowski to a team with salary-cap room or a trade exception.

Sacramento would get a draft pick in the deal and the Bulls could pay Songaila a starting salary of up to $3.85 million. The chances of that happening, however, may be remote.



和 Evans 的情況不同,國王最多可以以聯盟球員平均薪水(約 5 M)的起薪簽回具有早鳥(Early-Bird Exception)資格的 Songaila;但在球隊老闆 Maloof 兄弟明確表示,不願意在球隊薪資總額已達豪華稅門檻 61.7M 之後再花大錢的情況下,星期四的 Sacbee 當中,Petrie 已經表示下個球季球隊很有可能將只以十三人的陣容應戰,而不填補新版議價協定當中特別允許的第十四和第十五人,以控制薪資總額。而這段言論也相當有可能代表除了交易之外,球隊今年夏天將不會再有任何大動作。

According to Petrie, the Abdur-Rahim signing put the Kings' budgeted payroll for 13 players over the salary cap - including a slot for one who has yet to be signed. Considering co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have made their desire to avoid luxury tax spending clear, the next addition will be the last and, most likely, not one of major consequence. Barring a trade, the new-look Kings are virtually in place.

"It's unlikely that we would keep a 14th or 15th guy that we would pay tax on," Petrie said. "There's still a lot of players out there. There'll be a lot of players in training camp who will be waived, and there will still be players available then. But the roster we have at the moment, the way it's comprised, are the guys who will play all the minutes.

"It's unpredictable. Sitting where I'm sitting today, I don't think I feel any rush to fill (the 13th spot), but that could change tomorrow."


這可能會是繼 Jim Jackson 之後,球隊近年來第二次因為數百萬的豪華稅支出,失去一位重要的板凳球員。(同時可以參考 Bulls Blog 對於 Songaila 的數據分析)





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Wednesday, August 24, 2005

[Kings] Maurice Evans will sign offer sheet with Pistons

Edited: 美國時間週四的 Detroit NewsMLive.com 都引用了 Petrie 的談話,表示國王將不會 match 活塞給 Evans 的簽約意向書,並祝 Evans 好運。

Geoff Petrie, the Kings' president of basketball operations, said Wednesday the team is unlikely to match.

In reality, the Kings don't have bargaining power. Their mid-level exception is gone, and they don't have much spare money left under the salary cap.

Their capacity is to tender Evans an offer of approximately $900,000.

...

"It's fair to say that we don't anticipate matching the offer for Maurice, " said Geoff Petrie, Sacramento's president of basketball operations. "He's a good guy, a good player and we wish him the best of luck."

Petrie said Joe Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations, this week told him the Pistons planned to make Evans an offer.

"I told Joe at the time that we would make a quick decision, which would be the best thing for all involved," said Petrie, who anticipates having the actual offer sheet from Detroit sometime today.

At 6-foot-5, Evans primarily will play behind Tayshaun Prince and occasionally Richard Hamilton at the small forward and shooting guard positions, respectively.

Petrie said Evans was a solid defender whose perimeter game steadily improved as the season progressed. But he was even more impressed with Evans' character.

"He turned down guaranteed money overseas, for a non-guaranteed contract here in the states. That says a lot about what type of person he really is," Petrie said. "He made it this far because he's a hard worker. I think he'll fit in well."



Maurice Evans 應該很快就會正式成為活塞隊的一員。

根據美國時間週三的 Detroit News 報導,受限制的自由球員搖擺人 Evans 即將和活塞隊簽下一紙複數年的合約意向書(Offer Sheet),每年平均年薪約在 1.5 M 左右。由於國王的團隊薪資總額已超過薪資軟上限,中產條款(已用於 SAR)和百萬條款(去年使用於續簽 Songaila,今年無法使用)等特殊條例又無法使用的情況下,將無法 match 活塞隊的這張合約;而已經擁有 Kevin Martin 和 Francisco Garcia 等年輕具有潛力鋒衛新秀的國王,續簽 Evans 的意願其實也並不如想像中的高。

球隊曾經希望能夠透過先簽後換的方式,自 Evans 的交易當中得到一些收穫,但並沒有成功。

另外,另一名受限制的自由球員大前鋒 Darius Songaila 目前也傳出包括公牛金塊都有意願爭取。球隊同樣會希望尋求先簽後換的機會以增強戰力。




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[Voyage] Williamsport (3)

“Why did you come here?”
“Ba-se-ball.”



JFK 的非裔美人指引官看到我拿回錢包後傻愣愣的重新排到隊伍的最後面,特定上前問我:「你是不是跟剛剛那群穿棒球制服的小孩子同一群的?」
「恩…」
「那趕快回去跟他們排在一起吧!」

我支吾的表達了感激之意後,回到了隊伍的旁邊。小朋友們都七嘴八舌的詢問我到底跑去幹嘛了,不過大人似乎都沒注意到我的失蹤,好消息。

來到美國之前,旅行社的張小姐在行前說明會上特地解釋了進關檢驗的可怕之處,指出如果進關檢驗被詢問時支吾其辭,是有被立刻遣送回台的可能的。此言一出,
大家都很緊張;所以在接受盤查前,你可以看到小朋友們三三兩兩的不停練習著 ”Baseball” 這個單字,有些小朋友還會來找我練習。

不過其實這一切進行的相當順利。看到小朋友身上的制服之後,入境官員們都不再繼續問下去,而是給予微笑和鼓勵。輪到我時也差不多,戴著黑框眼鏡,非裔美人的中年女性入境官聽到我說明來意之後,臉色一變驚訝的說:「歐,我在報紙上看過你們的報導!」「你們聽說是支很厲害的球隊。」接著微笑著說:「祝你們好運!」

通關之後,我在一旁等候著其他的球員和家屬。看著穿上棒球制服的小朋友們在偌大的 JFK 機場裡安靜的排成好幾列,等待接受盤問,旁邊排著的則是身穿黑色漿質禮服,蓄著灰白長鬚的猶太老人,是個令人難以忘懷的畫面。

全部通關之後,帶領球隊去拿行李,當然中間也免不了一些手忙腳亂的場面……終於,我們要離開機場了,雖然連身為領隊兼翻譯的我都不確定 LLB 到底會是誰來接機。我們推著行李緩慢的步出關口,我看見了一大群人擠在分隔線上向裡盼望著,也有不少人舉著牌子,不過沒有我盼望的 LLB 聯盟…我繼續推著車子有點不安的走在,接著看到了一個西裝筆挺,頭髮灰白稀疏的華人在向我招手。

我以為自己看錯了,一開始並沒有理他,不過他繼續向我招手,並且向我靠近。「請問是台灣來參加威廉波特的少棒隊嘛?」

「長途跋涉真是辛苦了,我是教育部駐紐約辦事處的陳主任。」

真是順利,我有種如釋重負的感覺。這時我注意到了主任旁邊戴著有位戴著細框眼鏡、身材中等高佻、很有氣質的秘書。

「你好,我是駐紐約經濟文化辦事處的蕭秘書。」如銀鈴的聲調這樣說著。

我開始有點印象了。「妳好,久仰大名了。」我有點緊張的說著。在機場這種場面我還是第一次應付。

在還沒離開台灣之前,這位蕭秘書曾經很熱心的想幫我們的球員安排前來紐約參訪的行程,行程中還包括了到 Shea Stadium 看大都會和馬林魚的比賽,和回程的華航機票。雖然因為必須配合 LLB 包括機票和食宿的整體規劃因此沒有成功,但當時就對她留下了很好的印象;沒想到會在這種情況下見面。

「我們等了你們好久呢,在出關時有碰到什麼困難嗎?」

我盡量簡短而不失禮貌的向這兩位解釋一路上的情況。這時候家長和教練們都跟上來了,經過一路上辛苦的長途跋涉,終於能夠盼到在台灣就一直期待的機場官員接機禮遇(雖然沒有華僑夾道熱烈歡迎),讓教練、學校主任和老師等大人們都很高興,紛紛上前遞名片和自我介紹,並且暍斥小朋友們要乖乖站好、守規矩、把服裝儀容整理好、很重要的官員來看你們了。

好不容易輪完了大人們的自我介紹,主任回過頭來問我:「那 LLB 的人有來接你們了嗎?」

這也是我在傷腦筋的問題,尤其糟糕的是,我從台北帶去的行動電話,不知道是我不擅操作還是怎樣,一直無法順利的播出號碼,這讓我沒辦法連絡到 LLB 的人。

這時,「主任,我已經找到 LLB 的巴士了,他們正在外面等呢。」蕭秘書微笑著說。

「啊呀,你怎麼找到他們的?」

「我之前看到他們的巴士停在那裡,和司機身上佩戴的徽章,就問過他們了。他們也在那邊等了一段時間了。」

真是冰雪聰明,我心想。

因為小朋友們從下飛機到現在也過了一段時間,有些已經很想上廁所,於是就先原地解散十分鐘。我趁機到櫃台把身上的台幣換成美金,順便瀏覽一下 JFK 的設施。等我回到集合點時,發現排成兩列的小朋友們,正專注的聽著陳主任的勉勵,我想這應該是大人們特別要求的吧。我急忙閃到一旁假裝路人。

後來我慢慢發現,在這趟旅程當中,我會不斷重複這樣的動作-假裝成為一個毫無關係的旁觀者。

勉勵結束之後,我看到隊長像是部隊裡的班長一樣出來整隊,之後小朋友們整齊的喊:「謝謝主任!」

終於踏出了 JFK 的大門,第一次呼吸到美國這塊土地上的空氣。陰暗的天空下,往昔我經常想像的人事物,目前正在我的四周真實地流動著。有點震懾於這一切的我,順手拍了一張在陰沈天空下的 JFK 街道照片,這是在美國十幾天以來極少數拍的照片之一。

看到了 LLB 的遊覽車,那邊有一男一女、身材相當福態的中年人正在等著我們,我急忙趕過去向他們打招呼確認。首先看到的是留著大波浪捲頭髮的中年女性 Judy,我不太習慣的和她交換了擁抱(這是我來美國的第一次),我後來很驚訝的發現她也是大客車的駕駛之一。在一旁的是留著銀灰大鬍子、穿著襯衫、皮質背心和牛仔褲、話不多很酷的大個子 Sketer。

陳主任這時在一旁小聲的提醒我:「你有帶什麼紀念品嗎?」一直沒想到這個問題,這時我就像大夢初醒一樣,急忙拿出身上的勳章,還翻開行李箱拿出從台北帶來的「Go Go Taiwan」棒球帽送給她們。收到禮物的兩人明顯高興了許多,我在幫教練們和司機彼此介紹之後,就嘗試和他們兩人閒聊起來。

雖然人終於都到了,司機等我們已經一個多小時了,可是看來還要繼續等下去,因為比我們早找到遊覽車的塞班島一行人,家屬裡面有人一直還沒到 JFK,而司機一開始看起來有點不太高興也是因為此。陳主任和蕭秘書這時看我們都已經安頓下來,就準備先行告辭,而走之前當然不忘在教練家屬的要求下頜小朋友講幾句鼓勵的話。

而我只想注意蕭秘書的身影。

希望還能再見到她一面。

大家都坐上遊覽車,我自己一個人選擇最前面的座位,不想理會後面那些小鬼和大人的拍照和吵鬧,儘管總教練用有點大聲的腔調叫我過來後面一起坐一起拍照(他從出國之前到目前為止都是用這種腔調根我說話,這讓我有點惱火),我也是以「要打手機回台灣」為理由懶得理他。(更何況,截至目前為止,我的確找不到怎麼用這支手機打國際電話的方法,這讓我有點煩惱)

與此同時,負責本車駕駛的 Sketer 則是無奈的坐在座位上等候,或是用手機連絡情況。為了和後面那些人區隔,我嘗試著跟他閒聊,他告訴我這將是一趟耗時五個多小時的車程,從紐約直到威廉波特,這讓我不得不佩服起他來。

終於在一段時間的等待後,塞班島的家屬終於到齊了,而我們也終於向威廉波特進發。


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[NBA] Bruce Levenson

Maybe you still have no idea who the heck this guy is, but you should have from now on.



Levenson, co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks, recently log on the message board of RealGM.com, and offer a great bargain ticket deal on the Nov. 10 home game vs the Clippers for Hawks fans. (You can read the reactions on Hawksquawk.net also)

The original text by Levenson:




BruceLevenson
Ballboy
Joined: 20 Jun 2004
Posts: 5


PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:35 pm
Post subject: Dear Hawks Fans

Since I became an owner, I have from time to time checked RealGM and Hawksquawk to get a sense of the thoughts of our most dedicated fans. In the past several weeks, I have closely read your comments on the Joe Johnson trade and the conflict within our ownership group. I was struck by your passion for the Hawks. It's that passion that we desparately need as we build this young team. Over the past year, several of you have chatted about meeting at a game and I would love to assist in making this possibe. So I've arranged the following:

Between now and September 1st you can purchase lower level tickets to the Hawks game on November 10th vs. the LA Clippers -- for only $10 each! These seats are normally $55! Plus, I will choose two of you that purchase these tickets to sit with me in my floor seats and watch
the Hawks Rise Up and beat the Clippers!

Here is how to take advantage of this special offer. Click on the link below and type in the word owner in the "Enter Special Offer Code or Password" box and order your tickets to this game.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0E003B10EA794692?artistid=805898&major
catid=10004&minorcatid=7

Look forward to meeting you at the game and an exciting season ahead.

Sincerely,
Bruce Levenson




This also reminds me about the "Playoffs or $125 refund" promise made by Hawks management in 2002.

No team has suffered more under the tech giant's tyranny than the Hawks. The acquisition of Glenn Robinson and the return to health of center Theo Ratliff, combined with incumbent scorers Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jason Terry, had the franchise giddy with possibility. So much so that the team guaranteed a playoff appearance to their season-ticket holders, or else they would refund them $125. At the moment, the Hawks have the 11th best record in the East, and even that modest goal looks remote. Unless they improve, AOL will owe season-ticket holders close to $500,000.

The hype ignored the obvious—that there weren't enough balls to go around for the shot demands of Robinson, Abdur-Rahim, and Terry; that no one on the team, save the brittle, foul-prone Ratliff, had an inkling of ever playing defense; and that coach Lon Kruger was hopelessly overmatched. Kruger was finally dismissed in a day-after-Christmas twin killing with Thrasher coach Curt Fraser. Typical for AOL, Bloody Christmas came off not as a surgical strike but a Clouseau-esque shot in the dark. Fraser was dismissed in midmorning; Kruger in the late afternoon. Stan Kasten, president of both teams, told the media that the moves were unrelated. It's as though AOL honchos finally got up the courage to fire one, then sat around thinking, "You know, Kruger is no good either, let's get rid of him, too!" It's team management via sports talk radio.

The new coach, Terry Stotts, is a nice guy, which immediately separates him from Kruger, who had the surly demeanor of a Waffle House short-order cook. Stotts' job security will depend on how well he can multitask—with only Alex English and Steve Henson as assistants, the Hawks staff is simply undermanned. Stotts would prefer to install more zone defenses to keep his thin front line out of foul trouble, but that means hiring another hand or two, which AOL seems unlikely to finance.

Matching the on-court lassitude is AOL's dismal effort to revive the team's fan base. During last Wednesday's 34-point drubbing at the hands of the Miami Heat, the Philips Arena crowd was announced at 8,414, roughly double the number that was actually there. The marketing geniuses have all but ignored the city's huge black community, which includes celebrities like Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Whitney Houston, Evander Holyfield, and Chuck D. The Hawks spend far more time reaching out to the half-hearted fans in the suburban sprawl.




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Tuesday, August 23, 2005

[NBA] Kendall is for Real in Boxing




Gill's 2nd win is no slam dunk

Kendall Gill can now focus on trying to play again in the NBA this fall, with two boxing victories under his belt and a chiseled torso above it.

Gill, 37, won a unanimous decision over tough but overmatched Jason Medina in a four-round bout on Saturday's undercard to the Fernando Vargas-Javier Castillejo main event at Allstate Arena.

"This guy was a lot tougher than my first fight," a first-round knockout of Trevor Biley, Gill said, admitting that Medina "stunned me with a right hand in the first round."

But Gill rallied throughout and rocked his opponent several times with shots to the head, using both hands, including a strong final round, when he switched from southpaw to right-handed and surprised Medina with good left jabs.

"I think I made adjustments better than in my first fight," said the 198-pound cruiserweight. "Last time, when I hit the guy with hard shots, I could see him going."

Gill, who fulfilled his aim to win twice this summer, rated his second bout "a B-minus," and said, "My right jab has to be a lot better.

"I can focus on the NBA now," said the veteran who followed a standout career at the University of Illinois with 141/2 pro seasons. "I'll see who wants a hungry, very capable, very motivated, very in-shape 37-year-old. The Lakers are my first choice. I love the triangle offense. I love [coach] Phil Jackson."

However, he added, "I'm a little scared that I like boxing so much."



Related Articles:

Boxing: NBA Star Kendall Gill Wins Pro Debut in Chicago

Gill's Boxing Dream Is No Flight Of Fancy

A 195-pound cruiserweight, he has been training for nearly seven months at the JABB Boxing Gym on North Oakley Street. That has included sparring with Fres Oquendo, who has challenged twice, unsuccessfully, for a heavyweight title and doing roadwork with aspiring middleweight Freddie Cuevas, who is slated to face James Kitchens on Saturday's Aragon card.

At times, driving to a workout, "we've passed by the United Center as fans were coming there for a Bulls game, and I briefly thought I should be there," Gill recalled.

Instead, he was paying his dues running along the lakefront in the dead of winter to live his first dream.

"I wanted to be a boxer before I wanted to be a basketball player," he said of his childhood in Chicago. "Even as a kid, my real passion was boxing. But all my friends played basketball, and there was no one to feed my interest in boxing."

His list of sports idols includes boxers Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, and he has a print and videotape fight library.

He has dabbled in mixed martial arts, and since he has focused on boxing, he said, "I respect fighters more than any other athletes.

"The NBA lifestyle is more pampered. In boxing, I see these guys go through punishment in training just to have a life in this sport."

Working with trainer Mike Garcia, that regimen of pushups, pull-ups, sit-ups, roadwork and sparring has enabled Gill to lose 20 pounds from his NBA playing weight of 215.

"My conditioning is far beyond what I'd do for basketball, so I'm in the best shape of my life," Gill said. "When I get to the NBA, I'll be a monster."

He would like to reach his goal of 15 seasons by playing for coach Phil Jackson with the Lakers next season.

"I love the triangle offense," he said.

His goal as a boxer is less certain.

"It takes many years to be a champion," he said. "Maybe I'll have a handful of fights, maybe more. As long as my body says it's OK, I'll be there. I know it's a risky sport, and I don't intend to stay in it until I slur my words or anything like that."











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[MLB] Got Milk?

Article

GOT MILK?

Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny bet a batboy $500 on Sunday that he couldn't drink a gallon of milk in under an hour without throwing up. Some of Penny's teammates kicked in on the wager, raising the ante to more than $1,000.

After taking Penny up on the offer, the unidentified batboy managed to drink the gallon of milk but was unable to fulfill the second part of the bargain.

''He drank it down to the last drop,'' Penny said. ``But he couldn't hold it in. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.''




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Thursday, August 18, 2005

[NBA] Pete Newell's Big Men Camp

Read the article in LA Times about this almost 90-year-old Iron man and his long-lasting yearly Big Men Camp.



...

"I talked to the doctor and he said, 'Just don't overdo it,' " said Newell, a Hall of Fame college coach and one-time general manager of the Lakers who had much of his right lung removed in March because of a cancerous tumor.

"What happened was, I had a cough that was hard to get rid of," Newell said.

The first day of his camp, he picked up a newspaper with the story of TV anchorman Peter Jennings' lung cancer death on the front page.

"I'm doing better than some," Newell said.

"The doctor told me, 'His was totally different from yours.' There's no sign of any kind of growth. But you never know."

A smoker during his years as a coach at San Francisco, Michigan State and California, where his Golden Bears won the 1959 NCAA title, Newell quit years ago, but cancer found him anyway.

His Big Man Camp — an annual affair that has drawn an astonishing list of NBA stars that includes Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, James Worthy, Scottie Pippen, Sam Perkins, Antawn Jamison and Jermaine O'Neal — helped give him a goal in his recovery.

"This camp has always rejuvenated his energy level and his passion for teaching basketball, probably even more so this year because of his health issues," said his son, Pete Newell Jr., a camp staffer who retired from coaching at 61 this year after guiding Santa Cruz High to the Division III state championship.

After the season ended, Pete Jr. went to his father's home in Rancho Santa Fe and urged him on in his rehabilitation, trying to get him ready for his already-scheduled camp.

"Pete came and really got me in the groove. He'd tell me to walk another 15, 20 yards," the elder Newell said. "I'd say, 'That's another 30 or 40 — up and back.' "

"I lost 40 pounds. People ask about the diet. I say, 'Don't do the one I did.' I've put maybe five pounds back on."

Pete Jr. wasn't sure his father would be able to handle the Big Man Camp until he saw him recover after conducting a coaching clinic at Newell's Tall Women's Camp in Monterey a couple of weeks earlier.

"What I told one of the coaches is, 'You guys ask him questions for about 15 minutes,' " Pete Jr. said. "That's the energy level I thought he had.

"And he went in there at five after seven in the evening, and we had to shut him down at five after nine. He went two straight hours."

It worked much the same after the Big Man Camp.

"I feel better than I did before I went," Newell said.

...

The camp got its start in the 1970s, with Newell working with Laker player Kermit Washington and then-UCLA player Kiki Vandeweghe, now general manager of the Denver Nuggets.

It has been held 28 of the last 29 years, with the exception of the NBA lockout year in 1998.

Once a pro-only affair — and previously held in Hawaii, among other sites — it is now based in Las Vegas and it is mostly a college camp, with Bynum and Laker teammates Brian Cook and Jumaine Jones among the few NBA players who also included Golden State first-round pick Ike Diogu and second-year Warrior Andris Biedrins.

The camp is unique in that there are no guards, no scrimmaging and no dunking.

"We don't allow the dunk. It's not a dunking contest," Newell said.

It is about instruction, and anyway, these guys already know how to dunk.

"That's a misnomer, Big Man Camp. It's a footwork camp," said Pete Gaudet, a onetime Duke assistant who works as a camp instructor.

"One of the truisms is, you play 40 minutes a game," Newell said. "You might play four minutes with the ball, a little less or a little more.

"Look at it another way. You play 100% with your feet."

Newell laments that a generation of players has been "over-coached but under-taught." Even among professional players, fundamentals are lacking.

...

For Bynum, it was part of a summer-long indoctrination into the game.

"I first heard about it about four years ago, from my AAU coach," Bynum said. "Ever since I was 13 or 14, I heard about it, but I didn't have the money to come. Now, it's free."

Newell liked what he saw in Bynum.

"He seems to have kind of an innate understanding of the game for someone as young as he is," Newell said. "I don't think it will be three years before he plays. I think [Laker Coach Phil Jackson] will like him."

The Lakers' Jones was attending his third camp.

"I called the team and asked if I could come," Jones said. "I had a couple of problems with my footwork in the triangle offense.

"I didn't know anything about Pete before I started coming to this camp. You've got to take your hat off to Pete, doing this for this long and still teaching. You can tell he has the passion for the game."

The connection with the players keeps Newell current as he follows their careers, from college through the NBA.

Old enough to be their great-grandfather, he is still relevant to their game — a remarkable accomplishment on its own.

"When he played, they had the center jump after every basket," Newell's son said. "That's how far back he goes. The width of the key was only six feet — and it really looked like a key. Now they don't even call it the key, they say 'the lane,' or 'the paint.' "

Perhaps most old-fashioned about Newell is that he doesn't take a profit from the camp, though some players once got together and gave him a sports car in appreciation.

"This is just helping kids. He's always been special," said Laker broadcaster Stu Lantz, a longtime Big Man Camp coach.

Like most of the staff, including organizer Merv Lopes, the former Chaminade coach whose team famously upset Ralph Sampson and Virginia, Lantz works for no more than airfare, hotel and per diem.

Many say they never doubted that Newell, who turns 90 Aug. 31, would make his 28th Big Man Camp, despite lung surgery.

Others worried, but he made it fine.

"We're just in the moment," Pete Jr. said. "We all feel blessed he's able to do what he does. I know Merv would like to see it go to 30 years. But one year at a time."





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Tuesday, August 16, 2005

[NBA] The Amnesty "Casualties"

新版議價協定當中的 "the amnesty rules" 使用期限已經在美國時間十五日午夜(台北時間今天中午十二點)截止。以下是因這個條款被揮棄的球員名單。

(球隊:被揮棄球員(剩餘合約薪資總額))

Dallas Mavericks: Michael Finley ($51.8 million)

Portland Trailblazers: Derek Anderson ($18.8 million)

LA Lakers: Brian Grant ($29.7 million)

Orlando Magic: Doug Christie ($8.2 million)

Philadelphia 76ers: Aaron Mckie ($19.5 million)

Phoenix Suns: Howard Eisley ($8.4 million)

Milwaukee Bucks: Calvin Booth ($13.2 million)

NJ Nets: Ron Mercer ($1.8 million)

NY Knicks: Jerome Williams ($23.1 million)

Toronto Raptors: Alonzo Mourning ($8.1 million)

Indiana Pacers: Reggie Miller ($6 million)

Chicago Bulls: Eddie Robinson ($5.4 million)

Boston Celtics: Vin Baker ($5.2 million)

Detroit Pistons: Derrick Coleman ($2 million)

Minnesota Timberwolves: Fred Hoiberg ($1.8 million)

Miami Heat: Wesley Person ($1.8 million)

Memphis Grizzlies: Troy Bell ($1.5 million)

Houston Rockets: Clarence Weatherspoon ($6.4 million)



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Monday, August 15, 2005

[Kings] Charley Rosen's scouting report on newly acquired Kings

Charley Rosen appeared to be a jerk (it's NOT like he was not, though) lately (or it's just another boring tactics to draw the crowds by the always lame Foxsports.com), but took out all those biased assumptions and projections, his views on certain players are quite worth the read.

Article 1

Bonzi Wells - Sacramento

Can do: Hit open shots. Score against any single defender. Run. Use left-shoulder turn for jumper in post. Spin out for lobs in post. Use down-screens to maximum advantage. Stop-and-pop going either way (prefers right). Run and finish. Rebound.

Can't do: Handle. Make sensible on-court decisions. Defend. Play a team game.

Must do: Learn how to play five-on-five basketball. Make shots on a consistent basis. Work and play well with others.



Jason Hart - Sacramento

Can do: Push the ball. Drive right. Hit wide-open mid-range jumpers. Drive and dish. Move quickly. Pressure the ball on defense.

Can't do: Create his own scoring opportunities, especially when going left. Shoot 3-balls. Make free throws.

Must do: Transport the ball safely into the attack zone. Initiate the offense. Make his open shots. Play adhesive defense.


Article 2


Shareef Abdur-Rahim — Sacramento

Can do: Run the floor on defense-to-offense transitions. Shoot accurately up to 19-feet. Drive right. Climb the offensive glass. Execute a right-to-left crossover dribble, then come back between his legs left-to-right for a drive or a pull-up. Post on left block with turnaround jumper toward baseline and right-handed jump hook toward middle. Spin right-to-left in paint. Utilize a convincing array of head fakes. Gamble for steals with quick hands. Attack entry pass when defending a post player.

Can't do: Play with power. Pass. Play solid, position defense. Make quick decisions with the ball.

Must do: Prove that he's more than merely an outstanding numbers man on sad-sack teams. Demonstrate that he can score without being the beneficiary of undue space and time. Be stronger in the paint than he's ever been. Get the glue off his fingers.


Jamal Sampson — Sacramento

Can do: Run. Jump. Attack offensive boards. Compete. Show quick feet and good hands. Play with NBA-caliber athleticism.

Can't do: Bang. Pass. Handle. Hit free throws. Figure out a way to score and to avoid foul trouble on defense.

Must do: Take advantage of his latest (and quite possibly his last) opportunity. Develop a go-to move in the pivot. Get stronger.






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Saturday, August 13, 2005

[KIngs] In this bewildered and bittersweet moment

Since almost everybody (including those usually-critical journalists in Sacbee) is still pretty much in the ecstatic mode, I will just leave my doubts and suspicions short and clear.



Bibby & Rahim, Episode II: To the promised land or deja vu?



我曾經在兩年前國王利用三方交易換回 Brad Miller 時,在地下的報導當中用 “You have to be good to be lucky.” 來形容 Petrie 掌握機會的能力,如今看來這個諺語在這一次仍然適用。和以往一向低調寡言的冷靜作風顯著不同的,Petrie 在今年夏季爭取 SAR 的積極意願和動作讓人留下了深刻的印象;而這些努力,最後也可能成為了 SAR 在峰迴路轉(公鹿籃網)之後仍然決定以中產階級條款效力國王最重要的理由。

我們很有可能要在至少兩到三個球季之後,才能看清楚到底是 Rod Thorn 或是 Geoff Petrie 是今夏 SAR 事件當中比較睿智的一方,但至少就目前來看,虔誠信奉真主的 SAR 一貫正面善良的人格特質和場外形象,也許正是這支球隊在簽下壞孩子 Bonzi Wells (請參見 Bonzi The Barbarian 系列)之後最需要的平衡角色;而 SAR 的加盟,更可以說是終於給予了沙加緬度這個近來因為一連串事件(Webber 的離開、球隊在季後賽的提早出局、新場館興建陷入僵局、Maloofs 可能搬遷球隊的傳言持續擴散)逐漸喪失原本天真愉悅看球氛圍的城市一線希望的曙光。

但在興奮之餘,這支球隊還有許多需要面對的問題。

SAR 的到來對於球隊進攻的最重要意義,也許正如總教練 Adelman 在記者會上所提到的,是帶來了球隊自從 Webber 的傷病和 Divac 老化之後就一直缺乏的內線進攻能力。然而,年紀的累積、身材的劣勢和這兩年在拓荒者配合 Zach Randolph 的內線單打或是後場 Damon Stoudamire、Sebastian Telfair 或 Darius Miles 為主的切入分球戰術,讓 SAR 在拓荒者效力期間拿球次數和背框單打的次數都明顯減少,取而代之的是更多的中長距離外線出手,而他在缺乏射手的拓荒者陣中也擁有不錯的外線準度。

來到沙加緬度,也許 SAR 首先可以不用擔心的是不需要再大量支援自從在溫哥華前期之後就不曾上手過的小前鋒位置,可以專心擔任大前鋒;而同時,也許他最需要的,正是國王這種亟需內線進攻的牽制力,和原本 Bibby、Peja 和 Miller 這三個運動力貧弱、以外線投射為主的進攻核心相互配合的環境。然而,在九年的職業生涯之後,目前 SAR 是否還能夠在面對大多數比他高壯的防守球員時穩定的在內線取分,勢必還需要實際比賽的印證;而上個球季讓他長時間缺席的手肘傷勢會不會對他的內線進攻能力有所影響,也是值得觀察的。

而能夠在內線取分,只是能否融入國王類普林斯頓進攻其中一項的要素而已,更重要的是傳球的視野、技巧和意願;而 SAR 過去職業生涯的表現並不能給人太多樂觀的理由。比起他職業生涯將近一或甚至小於一的助攻失誤比,更重要的是他自大學時代至今一貫以個人單打為主的進攻方式和心態,和球隊目前採用(相信下個球季在 Adelman、Carril 等教練仍然執教的情況下,基調應不會改變)的自高位發起,強調觀察場上變化做出最佳因應的類普林斯頓進攻實在是大相逕庭。SAR 的配合心態相信不是問題,但他的例子和兩年前意外迅速融入進攻體系的 Brad Miller 實在有相當大的差距,相信他想要融入球隊的進攻體系還需要相當的適應期;而如果再加上幾乎已經可以預測很有可能將會成為另一個進攻黑洞的 Bonzi Wells,以 Adelman 為主的教練團們勢必需要花費更多的心思了。

而以上的這些問題,比起球隊的防守似乎都只是小巫見大巫。近年來的成績證明了 SAR 必須要在大前鋒的位置才能夠盡情的發揮,然而同時他的身材和不甚突出的運動力卻也會在防守的一端讓球隊受到相當的傷害。除了他生涯一向並不突出的火鍋和抄截數字之外,也許更重要的是根據研究 NBA 的統計學家 Dan Rosenbaum 最近針對聯盟所有球員的「防守貢獻度」統計(*),SAR 的防守貢獻度在聯盟上季所有上場時間滿一千分鐘的大前鋒裡排名倒數第九。

在這支球隊原本已經擁有橫向移動速度緩慢的 Bibby、鈍足跳不高又常無法控制自己火氣的 Miller 和在小前鋒當中防守貢獻度位居聯盟倒數第二的 Peja 的情況下,加上 SAR 也許只會讓球隊的防守更加雪上加霜。儘管同樣新加入的 Wells 一向擁有不錯的抄截能力,但他一向並不是和 Christie 一樣可以幫助球隊團隊防守的球員;比較可以期待的或許是板凳上的硬底子控衛,防守貢獻度聯盟排名前茅的 Jason Hart,或是上季曾經一度被視為球隊防守中流砥柱的 Brian Skinner 等球員。新的球季如果沒有太大幅度人員異動的情況下,這支球隊團隊防守位居聯盟倒數的情況應該是可以預期的。儘管能以中產簽下 SAR 已經是相當難得的成就,但缺乏高度、運動力和禁區對抗能力(又送走了 Greg Ostertag),可能代表著這隻球隊防守贏弱的體質應該會更形惡化。

希望面臨合約年的 Adelman 能夠有一些辦法。

比起防守,或許這支球隊目前更迫切需要的是找出屬於他們自己的定位,和球隊當中的領袖。某些球迷(包含筆者自己)在上一季 Christie 和 Webber 的交易過後都以純粹戰力的角度為分析的主軸,而低估甚至忽略了這兩位球員(或許再加上季前離隊的 Divac)對於這支球隊精神領導的影響。而在上一季最後兩個月和短暫的季後賽當中,這隻球隊顛簸失措、某些時刻宛如一盤散沙的表現也會讓許多球迷相當感慨;很明顯的,這支球隊原本的三位主力明星球員 Bibby、Peja 和 Miller,都還沒有作好帶領這隻球隊的心裡和球技準備。

而 SAR 的加入,似乎也沒有辦法在這個部份替球隊做出太大的改變。儘管 SAR 一向擁有認真正面的好球員和好隊友形象,他和 Bibby 之間不合的流言目前看來也只是空穴來風,然而自從進入聯盟至今,除了獨善其身之外,他並沒有展露出太多能夠帶領球隊走向勝利的能力,或許這某部份也是讓他在球迷的眼中背負著與季後賽無緣的魔咒相當重要的原因之一。而 SAR 沈靜寡言的性格特質,和 Bibby 與 Peja 等人太過相近, 對於球隊的內部凝聚力和更衣室氣氛,或許也不一定都是好事。

This will still be a team that is in search of its own identity, period.

最後,在簽下 SAR 之後球隊已經擁有太多身材尷尬的大前鋒球員,然而 Songaila 的打球智慧和對於球隊進攻戰術的理解,讓他仍然會是球隊十分需要的資產...六呎六吋的 Kenny Thomas 勢必會因為 SAR 的加入失去原本大多的上場時間,如果他的體能能夠和 Songaila 的頭腦結合,球隊可能也許就不一定需要簽下 SAR 了...Thomas 的鉅額合約和過去曾經在其他球隊因為上場時間不足鬧脾氣的前科,也讓他可能成為 Petrie 下一個需要處理的對象...老闆之一的 Joe Maloof 在昨天早上接受 ESPN 訪問時曾提到除了 SAR 之外,球隊有可能在最近還將簽下一位功能性球員(role player),而目前看來這個人選有可能是去年曾經效力過的小前鋒 Matt Barnes...最後,這隻球隊仍然迫切需要至少一位具有相當身高和噸位的內線球員。

還有太多的疑問等待解決。比起紙上談兵得到的過度樂觀,也許務實的朝向西區前四種子的目標而努力是更適合的。



(*)關於 Rosenbaum 的統計方式因篇幅關係,請參考此篇原文或他的 blog,以了解其詳細計算方式。





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[Kings] SAR signed 5-year, $29.3 million deal with Kings


根據 Sacbee 美國時間週五晚上的最新報導,SAR 和球隊確定簽下的是一紙全額中產階級條款 (5M) 起薪的五年長度合約,而非剛簽約時 AP 曾推測的一年合約。

報導當中提到,球隊特別在週四對於 SAR 的膝蓋進行了檢驗,其中包括了數次的核磁共振檢驗 (MRI)。結果顯示 SAR 除了十五歲時右膝動過內窺鏡手術之後留下的骨刺之外,沒有任何立即並可見的傷病危機。

When it came official, the Kings and their new player, who made $14.6 million last year alone, agreed to a five-year, $29.3 million contract. The Kings, who are over the salary cap, used their mid-level exception to add the one-time All-Star, with the first year worth $5 million and 8 percent increases every year thereafter. This deal was nothing like the 6-year, $38 million he lost out on with New Jersey, or the 5-year, $47 million contract he turned down from Milwaukee in the early summer. Then again, Abdur-Rahim said, it's not just about the money anymore.

...

The Kings doctors performed their own extensive medical checkup when Abdur-Rahim came to Sacramento on Thursday, including multiple MRIs. Goodwin said Abdur-Rahim has a bone spur in his right knee that's been there since he had arthroscopic surgery when he was 15, but there were no signs of imminent danger.

"It's like anybody if you go to the doctor and the doctor tells you your sick, you think, 'Well it's a doctor so he must know,'" said Abdur-Rahim, who has never missed time because of the knee. "But I'd always go back to the fact that I knew how I felt, I knew I hadn't hurt myself, I hadn't missed games. ... I'm just happy, I'm thankful, I'm grateful that this situation was here for me and I'm just ready to go."

The clincher, Goodwin said, was the Kings' confidence in Abdur-Rahim amid so much doubt.

"They easily could've said, 'What's wrong with your knee, maybe we'll bring you in, check you out, offer you a one or two year deal," Goodwin said. "They didn't. They immediately said, 'We know how good you are. ... We want you. Whether you want a one year deal or a five year deal, we want you. I think that meant a lot to him."

Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said the knee was a non-issue.

"He took an extensive physical here, and he passed," Petrie said. "We're comfortable with his future as a player and his productivity."


同時也請參考 AP 的更新報導,和官網的記者會談話紀錄。


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[Kings] It's Official: SAR IS A King

根據美國時間星期五下午的 Sacbee,國王已經和 SAR 正式達成協議。合約內容目前尚未透露。(官網也已經正式發生新聞稿。)

以下是新聞稿內容。

[Updated: 4:30 p.m. Friday] The Sacramento Kings signed forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim on Friday, ending speculation about where the highly coveted power forward would play in 2005-2006.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed, as is Kings policy.

Abdur-Rahim was introduced at a hastily called news conference Friday afternoon. Last season with Portland, Abdur-Rahim averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 54 games.

"The Kings are a great team," Abdur-Rahim was quoted in a statement released by the Kings. "It's a team that's used to winning, competing at a high level and competing for a championship. I'm just looking forward to coming in and being a part of it and helping them carry on that tradition.

Abdur-Rahim played his college ball at Cal before being drafted by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies in 1996. He was the third overall selection in the draft. He played for the Grizzlies for five years and was traded to Atlanta and, three years later, to Portland.

"We're really delighted to be able to add a high-caliber player, as well as a high-quality person to our team," Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie said in a statement. "His addition will improve us in a number of areas in which we wanted to get better."

The Kings' likely lineup will be Mike Bibby, Bonzi Wells, Peja Stojakovic, Abdur-Rahim and Brad Miller.

"We're very happy that it worked out the way it did," Kings coach Rick Adelman said in a statement. "He's a guy we wanted all along. I think Shareef is going to really help us. He gives us a proven scorer inside. He's also a very good rebounder. He's going to give us a threat around the basket that we need at this point with this team."




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Friday, August 12, 2005

[Kings] Sacbee: Kings, Abdur-Rahim moving closer to a deal


Edited: 美國時間週五出刊的 Sacbee 報導大致相同,但補充了 Petrie 的談話...

"We're definitely having positive discussions with him," he said. "I'm not inclined to say much more than that at this point in time."

...

"You don't know what the other team is thinking," he said. "You may think you see their situation, but they see it differently, you know. You've got to go with what your own instincts are, and do your own evaluation. And sometimes patience can pay off."

In this case, the likely payoff comes in the form of a 6-foot-9 player who would accomplish two of Petrie's goals: getting longer, and improving on the boards.

"He's a guy up front that has greater length and a pretty decent game on the block," Petrie said. "That's one of the areas where we wanted to improve. And he's been a consistently good ... rebounder. He's been very, very consistent over his career at doing that. We had interest (in July), and when this thing fell through, we had interest again."



美國時間週四下午的 Sacbee 報導,根據 SAR 的經紀人 Aaron Goodwin 表示,國王可能最快在明後天就會正式簽下 SAR。

Goodwin 刻意強調,一切還未塵埃落定(有了之前和籃網的例子),目前也還有三支球隊想爭取 SAR,但國王毫無疑問的是最有可能的球隊。

目 前還不確定 SAR 和國王是以自由球員的身分簽約,或是有先簽後換的可能性(儘管目前正在渡假的拓荒者總管 John Nash 一再強調他對於要換回球員合約的先簽後換沒有興趣),也不清楚合約的可能內容,但 Goodwin 特別表示 SAR 會和國王簽約,是以「籃球上的理由」(basketball reason)為主,而非因為可能的合約數字。

Barring a disaster like the one that made Shareef Abdur-Rahim available to begin with, the All-Star forward is about to become a King.

While his agent, Aaron Goodwin, said there are three teams still in the running, it's clear the Kings remain in front and a deal could be made soon.

"We're moving forward to get a deal done with Sacramento," Goodwin said. "We're looking at hopefully getting something done tomorrow (Friday) or Saturday."

...

Asked if Abdur-Rahim was more attracted to Sacramento for financial or basketball reasons, Goodwin answered quickly.

"It's absolutely for basketball reasons," Goodwin said. "He now walks into a position where he continues to play, and there are no questions about his ability to play. He can play with Mike Bibby, and he gives them a low-post presence."

Abdur-Rahim and Bibby played together for four years in Vancouver.

The terms of the potential contract have yet to be settled. The Kings, who are over the salary cap, could use their $5 million mid-level exception for the signing. They could also convince Portland General Manager John Nash to do a sign-and-trade, though Nash has been against the idea in the past.



另外,魔術隊今天正式以新版議價協定當中的 "amnesty rule" 揮棄前國王搖擺人 Doug Christie。小牛目前是他最有可能的下一個落腳處。


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Thursday, August 11, 2005

[NBA] Dan Rosenbaum's latest take on CBA

A must read for anyone who is interested in a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of the new CBA.


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Wednesday, August 10, 2005

[Kings] Petrie: we have very, very, very serious interest in SAR

Yes, you heard it right. This quote, coming from the usually-calm and reticent Petrie, is published on the latest Sacbee report.

The other main point in the article is that Petrie stated "It's highly unlikely that this would be a sign-and-trade deal" in possible terms of acquiring SAR.

Abdur-Rahim's agent, Aaron Goodwin, said the Kings were willing to "do anything" to secure a deal with the one-time All-Star before he agreed in principle with New Jersey. The gesture was appreciated, and remembered, as was Abdur-Rahim's trip to Sacramento on which he was given the A-list tour in July.

"The beauty of the Kings was that, originally, they were willing to go out and do whatever they could to get Shareef," Goodwin said. "They discussed sign-and-trades with Portland, who didn't cooperate. (Still), we appreciated that fact. ...

"They are absolutely a serious team that we're looking at. ... I enjoy a great relationship with Sacramento's owners and know it's a situation where there's a need for (Abdur-Rahim's) style."

...

Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie was optimistic about his team's prospects and, apparently, unconcerned about the physical issues.

"In light of the events of (Tuesday), and that Shareef is now a free agent, we have very, very, very serious interest in trying to work something out in the next couple of days," Petrie said. "It's highly unlikely that this would be a sign-and-trade deal."

A sign-and-trade would be possible only if Portland general manager John Nash were willing to cooperate. He was adamant last month he wanted no salaries in return but may have changed his mind after he couldn't secure the trade exception he covets. Such a deal would give Abdur-Rahim a larger contract over six years, rather than the maximum of five years he can sign for with a new team. Nash was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

The Kings also retain a $5 million midlevel exception that could be used to land the player who has averaged 19.8 points per game in his career.

According to Goodwin, the ordeal has left Abdur-Rahim eager to join a team like the Kings.

"It was disheartening to see him played as someone who has an injury, which he doesn't," said Goodwin, whose client made $14.6 million last season. "This is all based on what could happen five or six years from now."



In other news, Lakers will make Brian Grant the 2nd player in the league history who got waived by the "amnesty rule" .


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[NBA] Picture of the Day
















BIZUAYEHU TESFAYE / Associated Press

Before Tuesday's hearing in Boston, Steve Belkin reaches out to General Manager Billy Knight, who supports other Hawks owners challenging Belkin's authority to kill a deal. Knight refused the hand but a judge ruled the eight are stuck with Belkin for now.


Just one question: Can it get any worse than this?




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[Kings] The breakup between SAR and Nets

根據美國時間星期三的 Star-Ledger,籃網在 SAR 的膝蓋檢測報告亮起紅燈(至始至終,籃網總裁 Rod Thorn 都拒絕透露他們發現的 SAR 的膝蓋問題為何,專家檢測報告也從未對外公開過,儘管 SAR 的經紀人 Aaron Goodwin 曾表示他看過其中一份,當中並沒有顯示任何足以危及職業生涯的可能傷病),可能不值得球隊原先提出的合約數字之後,曾企圖說服他簽下一紙總長度 6 年,約莫在中產階級條款的 5 M 附近起薪,前 4 年保障約共 22.7 M 的合約,但被 SAR 拒絕。

When the Nets came back with a reduced contract offer -- a four-year deal valued at $22.7 million, with two more years at the team's option -- Abdur-Rahim never flinched. No, thanks, he said.

...

"He was a player we felt would fit in very well for us and provide us with something we needed," team president Rod Thorn said of Abdur-Rahim in a conference call last night. "When we made the deal, we were very happy with it, but something just appeared that we didn't have an idea about. We spent a lot of time discussing an alternative type deal. Nothing was ever able to be worked out, and it ended where it ended."

Abdur-Rahim was gracious about what has been a frustrating free-agent experience, which appeared to be a done deal last week, when the Nets planned an introductory news conference to announce his six-year, $38 million deal. But an MRI taken on his right knee raised several red flags, and consultation with four orthopedists convinced Thorn that the nine-year veteran couldn't pass the risk-reward test -- despite his enviable record for durability.

Unless he agreed to a four-year deal, that is. That, the Nets could stomach.

"I couldn't compromise to that point," Abdur-Rahim said last night. "There was no way I could take that deal and feel good about myself. At the end of the day, I really wanted to be in New Jersey, but I wasn't going to take that.

"If my health was truly an issue, they wouldn't have even offered a four-year deal. I have never even played in pain. If I was hurt or felt like I was slowing down, I'd compromise and take a four-year deal.



NY Post 則報導了籃網在研究專家對於 SAR 的膝蓋報告之後,曾向 SAR 提出了兩份合約提案:一份四年長度合約,其中前三年保障,和之前 Star-Ledger 所提到一樣的六年合約,還出動了 Jason Kidd 做為說客,但都被 SAR 拒絕。

Several sources indicated the Nets made two concession offers, but both were rejected: three guaranteed years with a fourth as a player option, then a six-year offer with four years guaranteed at $22.687 million. Sources said team members, including Jason Kidd, called Abdur-Rahim to see if he'd take a compromise, but he only wanted the original deal.

...

Sources said the Nets feared that Abdur-Rahim's knee could deteriorate and become arthritic from a high school injury, although he has endured nine seasons without problems. The Nets also were leery,having been burned by Alonzo Mourning's kidney ailment.

"You had to dispassionately and coldly look at it and answer the questions: What are the odds he's going to play? How many years is he going to play? What kind of chance are you taking? Because if it didn't work out and something happened in his first or second year, we'd be in a tough place," said Thorn.


NY Times 的報導則是大同小異。

對籃網來說,幸運的是他們很快找到了下一個交易的對象。他們利用原來企圖交易 SAR 的 TE 和一枚明年的二輪選秀權,和七六人交易來了硬漢中大前鋒 Marc Jackson 和一筆金錢。



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[Kicks] Adidas-Reebok Alliance


From Darren Rovell's Weblog (Registration required), here are some of the excerpts from the news conference with Adidas chairman and CEO Herbert Hainer and Reebok chairman and CEO Paul Fireman.

Hainer on whether Reebok and adidas endorsers would ever switch brands: "Allen Iverson, for example, I think fits perfectly to Reebok, but might not fit as good to the adidas brand. I don't see a big switch when we come together in athletes because everybody has selected their athletes based on the brand positioning in the market … sometimes there are too many athletes in one category. A few years ago, we had 15 football [soccer] teams in Germany, which definitely was too much. So we'll talk to each other. But don't forget, we also have to talk to the athlete."

Fireman on whether adidas branding could replace the Reebok vector on NBA, NFL and NHL jerseys: "We haven't met with the leagues yet, so it would be presumptuous to assume that something could happen before we talk to three commissioners."

Fireman on whether the Reebok or adidas brand will ever get into sponsoring the ever-growing sport of NASCAR: "We were approached a couple of years ago by NASCAR because of everything we were doing in the NFL, NBA, NHL. It's a very complicated sport because the sport is not combined under one leadership. So there's a family that has a certain amount of tracks and runs NASCAR (the Frances), but each owner of each team runs their own thing and has their own contracts and each driver has their own entitlements and rights. So they asked to put it all together. We did a six-month process for them and we looked it over and we came to the conclusion that over 50 to 60 percent of the business was done at the Walmart level. We stay in contact with them a great deal, but it's a business that's much too complicated." Adidas has not invested in Formula One, either.

Fireman on how Reebok's strength in quickly turning around jerseys will help out adidas: "If it were announced that Wisconsin was going to the Rose Bowl, we would have adidas product out within 24-36 hours. That's what we do in the NBA and NFL. We deliver the product to the Super Bowl, West Coast or East Coast, we have product on the market at 6 a.m. the next morning in the stores. So if UCLA (an adidas team) is scheduled to win or get hot and win a championship, we have the ability to ship their goods with adidas on it."


Also, read the full text of quotes from Lycos.com.

8 August 2005, 10:00pm ET

PAUL KANGAS: Shares of German sporting goods maker Adidas Salomon fell almost 2.5 percent in Frankfurt today. Investors took profits after last week`s rally on news Adidas is buying rival Reebok. Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer and Reebok CEO Paul Fireman met with investors today in New York. The pair also sat down with New York bureau chief Scott Gurvey, who began by asking Hainer what benefits Reebok brings to Adidas.

HERBERT HAINER, CHAIRMAN & CEO, ADIDAS-SALOMON: I think Reebok brings a lot of values to Adidas and can help us in a lot of different areas. But when we look to the U.S. market, for example, we will get well established here, to know in and out, the business in the U.S. are very close together with the American sports like football, baseball, basketball. There is a lot of opportunities where they can help us.

SCOTT GURVEY, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Fireman, Reebok had been going along very well and had been a good story in the last couple of years, a lot of good effort on your part and your team, why, why a combination now?

PAUL FIREMAN, CHAIRMAN & CEO, REEBOK INTERNATIONAL: It`s just a moment in time when -- when the two of us met and we had a brief conversation that lead to another one. And you just realize this is a perfect opportunity to bring two companies together that will in fact, have great additional value to each other. We`re not completely aligned. We have overlaps. We are different in different ways but we compliment each other perfectly.

GURVEY: How will the structure work? I mean you are going to maintain separate marketing, separate brands. They are all going to, the lines are going to continue, correct?

HAINER: Yeah, we will definitely keep the brands separate because each and any brand has a lot of values. We have invested a long time as Paul said. Reebok is more than a hundred years old, though they have invested so much money into the brand, the consumer have a perception for the Reebok brand. It would be stupid in my opinion to bring them both together. So the brands will be separated. But of course, we`ll try to get the synergies from the back offices which is obvious.

GURVEY: What is actually going on in the shoe business in general? Because we -- a lot of people are saying this is the beginning of what we will see in terms of consolidation.

FIREMAN: Nike recently only in the last year consolidated Converse which is a strong basketball company, doing about $350 million. And they brought it into Nike. You have Stride Rite just took Socony`s (ph), a women`s running shoe business and consolidated. So consolidation has been going on. And there are still plenty of brands. There are over a hundred brands worldwide when you add up all the different sports. So this is a move that won`t be out of the ordinary. It`s pretty standard in our industry at this moment.

GURVEY: And this would put you as a solid number two, but you know, very close to Nike in the United States, correct?

HAINER: First and foremost, we should concentrate how to grow the two businesses. Integrate the two businesses, position them well, and then try for the two brands. And if we can do this, faster than our competitors that we grow faster, then yeah, one, we definitely will make the gap closer and will shrink the gap. But it is not our primary target just to focus on the competitor. Of course we have to look at them, but first and foremost the target of our company is to grow our own brand.

GURVEY: And are there differences between different geographical areas in the world in terms of, you know, how you view them? Do you market differently in Europe than you would in the United States or in Asia?

HAINER: It would be different sports which are popular in the individual areas of the world. And therefore you have different consumers and different fans. And you have to cater to their demands. For example, in the U.S. you have American football, baseball. These two are definitely not strong in Europe but in Europe we have soccer.

GURVEY: And will the increased size help you in terms of negotiations with, you know, the Footlockers of the world and the advertising agencies and things like that, if you can combine the, shall we say the heft of the combined company?

HAINER: I think we definitely can offer a better variety on (INAUDIBLE), on concepts, on marketing concepts and work closer together with the retailers to really exploit the market because this would be the target for all of us. Because our competitor is not only just the other sneaker brands. Our competitor also the iPods, the video games. They all take disposable money away from the young consumer. And this is where we have to make sure that they stay in the sporting good industry.

FIREMAN: Children in the United States, children and even into young adults, they don`t need more than two or three shoes in their closet. But they average something like 12. So there is a -- that is their Mercedes or their sports car or their motorcycle or their iPod. They are buying because they want to possibly be in the game of buying products. That is what makes it fun in the world. We trained them and they are good at it, the young kids.

GURVEY: Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you very much for joining us tonight.

FIREMAN: Thank you, it is a pleasure.



Related news: AP report, Boston Globe, Forbes


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[Kings] Kozimor: Shareef Abdur-Rahim will be a King (by tomorrow?)

Unlike other sports show hosts, Jim Kozimor works for Maloofs entertainment, so his words somewhat might be more trustable. Last time it's him breaking out the Webber trade news first.

We shall see more reports from major sports media and local news pretty soon.


Updated: Koz is comfortable saying that Shareef will be a King. Apparently, he was told by various sources that SAR will be a King...The deal will be done in about 1 week at the most...but it's still not a done deal. SAR needs to take a "comprehensive" physical.


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[Kings] SAR to Kings talk revived

With the potential trade between New Jersey and Portland called off (AP, NJ.com Weblog) today, Kings, who also signed center Jamal Sampson today, have risen up to be the frontrunner in the SAR chasing game again.

According to local radio station Sports 1140, Shareef's agent said, "The Kings have made contact with Shareef." "The Kings are very interested in Rahim." "The Kings are very high on Rahim's wish list."


Updated: Jim Kozimor on Sports 1140 just announced "between maybe now and 9pm when his show goes off the air or within the next 48 hours, the Kings will make a major move to the roster."


Will keep you updated on the latest development.





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Tuesday, August 09, 2005

[Kings] 2005-06 Schedule

聯盟今天公佈了下個球季球隊的賽程表

和去年一樣,球隊又將以連續三場客場揭開球季的序幕。這個球季球隊將會有十七次 back-to-back (連續兩天比賽),球季當中最長的客場之旅是一月下旬的六場。賽程在明星賽之後的難度將會明顯升高,三月和四月各有一次連續五場的客場比賽。

這個球季球隊總共會登上 ABC, TNT, ESPN 和 ESPN2 等全美聯播電視網轉播共十場比賽。根據統計,下個球季聯盟三十隊登上這三大聯播網轉播的比賽場數為:

Heat- 24
Lakers- 24
Cavs- 23
Suns- 23
Spurs- 21
Rockets- 20
Mavs- 19
Pistons- 19
Pacers- 18
Sixers- 13
Nuggets- 13
Sonics- 12
Knicks- 11
Kings- 10
Wolves- 10
Celtics- 8
Bulls- 7
Wizards- 7
Warriors- 7
Nets- 4
Blazers- 3
Magic- 3
Jazz- 2
Grizzlies- 2
Clippers- 1
Hawks- 0
Bobcats- 0
Bucks- 0
Raptors- 0




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Friday, August 05, 2005

[Humor] New Mastercard CM

"...For everything else, there's Master Card."

Watch the CM (Windows Media Player may required)


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[Kings] Peja Stojakovic: Clearing the Air

2nd part of interview by a knowledgeable member of Bleacher Mob Kings Forum.

PEJA STOJAKOVIC: CLEARING THE AIR

by Steve Crane

Peja Stojakovic sat quietly in the stands of the Folsom High School gym, watching carefully and smiling at the kids having fun at his Peja & Vlade Basketball Camp. Stojakovic was in town during the last two weeks in July with good friend Vlade Divac to participate in his camp and interact with the kids. He graciously took a few minutes away from his campers to clear the air on several issues of interest to area fans concerning his past, present, and future with the Sacramento Kings.

Stojakovic first addressed what he has been doing this summer to stay physically fit and prepare for the coming NBA season. While clearly not a “gym rat,” Stojakovic is putting in regular work this summer.

“I’ve been working out for myself,” he said. “I always go on the court to play basketball. I go two hours a day, but I don’t do any conditioning right now. I just do basketball and lifting weights. It’s too early for conditioning. You always have to keep yourself in enough condition that you will be ready for harder physical activity (in training camp). It’s nothing new, nothing old that I’m doing, so I’ve been doing this for all of my career. So you’ve got to keep working, because that’s our life.”

Aside from playing basketball daily, Stojakovic has been active playing other sports, including tennis and ping pong. “It’s always good to hit the ball, to clear up your mind,” he chuckled.

Many fans as well as experts have stated that Stojakovic could truly elevate his performance by developing a low-post game to complement his deadly outside shooting touch. The two-time NBA all-star addressed that issue.

“It is important, but it’s also important how the team is going to use you,” he said. “Are they going to use you that way? Because our style of basketball doesn’t use me that way. But I’m always trying to add something to my game. You have to get better.”

Stojakovic recently decided that he would not play on the Serbian national team in this year’s European basketball championships. Several subsequent media reports have quoted Stojakovic as saying that he was “tired” as the reason for not suiting up for his home country in September. The 6’-10” forward said there was more to the decision.

“I was meaning to play, but then I changed my mind, because of the two or three injuries, to the hamstring, groin, and my back that sidelined me for a little bit (last season). So I just want to be fit for the training camp, and rest a little bit, spend a little time with my family. I’ve played for the national team in 5 of the last 6 years.”

Stojakovic missed 16 games due to injuries last season, and he also suffered with plantar fasciitis several seasons ago. “That was three years ago,” he said. “Luckily, it’s gone. It’s something that nobody can help, not even doctors. Only time can heal that. But it’s gone.”


With last season’s departures of Divac, Chris Webber, and Doug Christie, much has been said about who is or should be the Kings’ new leader on the floor. Stojakovic had strong words to offer on this subject.

“Everybody’s screaming in the newspapers, ‘who is the leader?’ The most important thing is to be a team and for each of us to understand our roles, and not to do anything else. And to know what you’re doing that’s going to make the team better. When you step on the court, you know what to do, and that should be decided by the coaches.”

And Stojakovic knows where he fits in to the Kings’ game plan. “My role is like last year’s. I’m the type of guy, when I step on the court, I’m a scorer, and that’s my game. The thing is I need to add to my game, so I need to improve my rebounding, which I did the last couple of years, and passing skills and dribbling.”

Defense is clearly another area where the Kings need significant improvement, since the team seemed to have lost a lot defensively when Christie was traded last January. Stojakovic agreed.

“Doug was a guy that, when he was playing defense, we would feed off him. But in order to do something bigger, everybody has to play defense, the whole team. And you can’t work on defense when you have two guys in the starting five that are hurt and new guys. I hope this year that we’ll get ready, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

Stojakovic believes that the Kings still have the core of a contender, and October’s training camp will pull it all together. “I think we are a pretty solid team,” he said confidently. “We still had 50 wins last season, besides having trades, losing Vlade, and injuries. We had 50 wins. We needed more time playing together which we didn’t have. We just need more time and hopefully stay healthy during the year.”

At the beginning of last season, reports ran rampant that Stojakovic was not happy here, and it soon became known that the star forward requested a trade. He cleared up the record about what really transpired.

“You know, I was always happy. The trade was a request. That wasn’t a demand. I had thought that a change would make a difference in this team. We just couldn’t make that step (an NBA title). That’s why I requested to be the one (to be traded). Get someone to fill my spot and come in and do a better job than I do and make it better.”

“After the couple of conversations I had with the organization, I was nothing but professional. I did not mention it throughout the year. So I’m here. I have one more year left on my contract (Stojakovic has a player option for 2006-07), and I feel like this is my home. This is the only team that I have played for in the NBA. My family likes it here.”

Stojakovic will almost certainly opt out of his existing contract after this season in pursuit of a bigger paycheck and a long-term deal. If he does opt out, as expected, he says that the Kings are in the driver’s seat to re-sign him.

“I can’t get into what’s going to happen in eight months. I can only tell you that we had some great times, and we also had some disappointments. But we always felt good about it. I never was frustrated to leave. But in eight months, who knows? It’s a long time. The Kings are going to have the first priority to do it, and if everything goes well, I would like to do that. Stay here and finish my career.”

But with the revolving door that has been the Kings’ roster this past year, Stojakovic is pragmatic about the realities of life in the NBA.

“You never know in this business. You feel safe. You feel like you can stay and call it home, but you might be gone the next day. So we (the players) have to understand that. I like it here, and I really enjoy playing here, because we’ve got great fans. People in this community really support us. And not only on the court, they really support our actions off the court, like our charities, and whatever we do. They’ve been nice to all of us and our families. So it’s a great environment.”

“But if nobody’s mentioning your name (in a trade), that’s more dangerous,” he laughed.

Stojakovic took a brief trip down memory lane to reflect on his greatest moment as an NBA player and a King. “I think there were a lot of good moments, but I think my first year,” Stojakovic said. “I didn’t play that much, but the excitement that we brought in the 98-99 lockout season when we first got into the playoffs and we played in the first round against Utah. We lost that, but it was a great feeling. People were really into it. They appreciated what we did.”

“Expectations, they rise over the course of the years, and that’s normal. As you win, they get higher. So each year was different for us. But that first year for me competing in the NBA was exciting. It was a new team, and we were making something happen for this city.”

With a healthy Stojakovic returning alongside Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, and some new, young talent, the 7-year veteran believes that his team will once again make something happen for its fans.


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Thursday, August 04, 2005

[NBA] Retired Jerseys: Honor And Absurdity

From NBA SUPERBLOG. A fun and useful read.




Yes, we all love Mike, but this...


It all began on July 4th, 1939, when in honor of the dying LOU GEHRIG; the New York Yankees become the first team in sports history to “retire” a player’s uniform number. That day, Gehrig’s #4 jersey would become a fitting tribute to baseball’s lore, and a new way to celebrate our most beloved athletic heroes began.

Twenty-four years later, the NBA retired it’s first number. On October 16, 1963, the Boston Celtics retired ED MACAULEY’s #22 jersey. Apparently, it was so much fun, they did it again ten days later by retiring the #14 jersey of BOB COUSY. Since then, 156 more NBA players have had their number retired.

Most recently, the Utah Jazz retired JOHN STOCKTON’s #12 jersey. Stockton’s jersey should soon be joined by the jersey of KARL MALONE, and Indiana will likely retire the jersey worn by REGGIE MILLER as soon as next season. So, to fully appreciate the grandeur and the absurdity of this sports tradition, lets take a look at the history of retired jerseys in the NBA.

FAST FACTS:

- 158 jerseys have been retired.

- The #15, #22, and #32 jerseys have been retired the most. Each has been retired 7 times.

- The Boston Celtics have the most retired jerseys: 23.

- The Charlotte Bobcats, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors have never retired a jersey.

- The Boston Celtics JIM LOSCUTOFF refused to have his #18 retired. He wanted DAVE COWENS to have the number. The Celtics agreed to hang a banner that read “LOSCY” instead. The #18 was eventually retired for Cowens.

- The New York Knicks have twice retired jersey #15: for EARL MONROE and DICK MCGUIRE.

- The Miami Heat have retired 1 jersey, in honor of MICHAEL JORDAN, even though Jordan never played for the Heat.

- WILT CHAMBERLAIN is the only player to have had his jersey retired by three teams: The Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Philadelphia 76’ers.

- 9 players have had the jerseys retired by two different teams: PETE MARAVICH (Utah Jazz and New Orleans Hornets), MICHAEL JORDAN (Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat), KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR (Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers), CHARLES BARKLEY (Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns), CLYDE DREXLER (Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets), JULIUS ERVING (New Jersey Nets and Philadelphia 76ers), BOB LANIER (Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons), OSCAR ROBERTSON (Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings/Cincinnati Royals), and NATE THURMOND (Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers)

- Two players have had two different jersey numbers retired by two different teams: JULIUS ERVING - #32 by the Nets and #6 by the 76ers, and OSCAR ROBERTSON - #1 by the Bucks and #14 by the Kings/Cincinnati Royals.

- PETE MARAVICH has his #7 jersey retired by the New Orleans Hornets and the Utah Jazz. He played for the New Orleans Jazz.

- Four players that died during their careers have had their jersey numbers retired by the teams they were playing for at the time of their death: REGGIE LEWIS - Boston Celtics, MALIK SEALY - Minnesota Timberwolves, DRAZEN PETROVIC - New Jersey Nets, and BOBBY PHILLS - Charlotte (now New Orleans) Hornets.

- The highest jersey number to be retired is #613 for former New York Knicks coach RED HOLZMAN.

Here is a complete list of retired jerseys:

ATLANTA HAWKS
#9 Bob Pettit
#21 Dominique Wilkins
#23 Lou Hudson

BOSTON CELTICS
“Loscy” Jim Loscutoff
“Microphone” Johnny Most
#00 Robert Parish
#1 Walter Brown
#2 Red Auerbach
#3 Dennis Johnson
#6 Bill Russell
#10 Jo Jo White
#14 Bob Cousy
#15 Tom Heinsohn
#16 Satch Sanders
#17 John Havlicek
#18 Dave Cowens
#19 Don Nelson
#21 Bill Sharman
#22 Ed Macauley
#23 Frank Ramsey
#24 Sam Jones
#25 K.C. Jones
#31 Cedric Maxwell
#32 Kevin McHale
#33 Larry Bird
#35 Reggie Lewis

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
None

CHICAGO BULLS
“Banner” Jerry Krause
"COACH" Phil Jackson
#4 Jerry Sloan
#10 Bob Love
#23 Michael Jordan
#33 Scottie Pippen [to be retired in 05-06]

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
#7 Bingo Smith
#22 Larry Nance
#25 Mark Price
#34 Austin Carr
#42 Nate Thurmond
#43 Brad Daugherty

DALLAS MAVERICKS
#15 Brad Davis
#22 Rolando Blackman

DENVER NUGGETS
#2 Alex English
#33 David Thompson
#40 Byron Beck
#44 Dan Issel
#432 Doug Moe

DETROIT PISTONS
#2 Chuck Daly
#4 Joe Dumars
#11 Isiah Thomas
#15 Vinnie Johnson
#16 Bob Lanier
#21 Dave Bing
#40 Bill Laimbeer

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
#13 Wilt Chamberlain
#14 Tom Meschery
#16 Alvin Attles
#24 Rick Barry
#42 Nate Thurmond

Houston Rockets
#22 Clyde Drexler
#23 Calvin Murphy
#24 Moses Malone
#34 Hakeem Olajuwon
#45 Rudy Tomjanovich

INDIANA PACERS
#30 George McGinnis
#34 Mel Daniels
#35 Roger Brown

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
None

LOS ANGELES LAKERS
" Banner" for Minneapolis Lakers: JOHN KUNDLA, GEORGE MIKAN, VERN MIKKELSEN, SLATER, MARTIN, CLYDE LOVELLETTE, and JIM POLLARD
“Microphone” Chick Hearn
#13 Wilt Chamberlain
#22 Elgin Baylor
#25 Gail Goodrich
#32 Magic Johnson
#33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
#42 James Worthy
#44 Jerry West

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
#None

MIAMI HEAT
#23 Michael Jordan (in honor)

MILWAUKEE BUCKS
#1 Oscar Robertson
#2 Junior Bridgeman
#4 Sidney Moncrief
#14 Jon McGlocklin
#16 Bob Lanier
#32 Brian Winters
#33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
#2 Malik Sealy

NEW JERSEY NETS
#3 Drazen Petrovic
#4 Wendell Ladner
#23 John Williamson
#25 Bill Melchionni
#32 Julius Erving
#52 Buck Williams

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
#6 Sixth Man (dedicated to the fans)
#7 Pete Maravich (with New Orleans Jazz)
#13 Bobby Phills

NEW YORK KNICKS
#10 Walt Frazier
#12 Dick Barnett
#15 Earl Monroe
#15 Dick McGuire
#19 Willis Reed
#22 Dave DeBusschere
#24 Bill Bradley
#33 Patrick Ewing
#613 Red Holzman

ORLANDO MAGIC
None

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
“Microphone” Dave Zinkoff
#6 Julius Erving
#10 Maurice Cheeks
#13 Wilt Chamberlain
#15 Hal Greer
#24 Bobby Jones
#32 Billy Cunningham
#34 Charles Barkley

PHOENIX SUNS
“Coach” Cotton Fitzsimmons
“Trainer” Joe Proski
#5 Dick Van Arsdale
#6 Walter Davis
#7 Kevin Johnson
#9 Dan Majerle
#24 Tom Chambers
#33 Alvin Adams
#34 Charles Barkley
#42 Connie Hawkins
#44 Paul Westphal
* Phoenix no longer formally retires numbers, but inducts the player into their Ring of Honor. All numbers remain available for other players to use.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
“Microphone” Bill Schonely
#1 Larry Weinberg
#13 Dave Twardzik
#15 Larry Steele
#20 Maurice Lucas
#22 Clyde Drexler
#32 Bill Walton
#36 Lloyd Neal
#45 Geoff Petrie
#77 Jack Ramsay

SACRAMENTO KINGS
#1 Nate Archibald
#2 Mitch Richmond
#6 Sixth Man (dedicated to the fans)
#11 Bobby Davies
#12 Maurice Stokes
#14 Oscar Robertson
#27 Jack Twyman
#44 Sam Lacey

SAN ANTONIO SPURS
#00 Johnny Moore
#13 James Silas
#32 Sean Elliott
#44 George Gervin
#50 David Robinson

SEATTLE SONICS
“Microphone” Bob Blackburn
#1 Gus Williams
#10 Nate McMillan
#19 Lenny Wilkens
#32 Fred Brown
#43 Jack Sikma

TORONTO RAPTORS
None

UTAH JAZZ
#1 Frank Layden
#7 Pete Maravich
#12 John Stockton
#14 Jeff Hornacek
#35 Darrell Griffith
#53 Mark Eaton

WASHINGTON WIZARDS
#11 Elvin Hayes
#25 Gus Johnson
#41 Wes Unseld



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Wednesday, August 03, 2005

[NBA] The "Derek Anderson" Rule

OK, in a more serious Blazers news...

Derek Anderson just became the 1st player in league history that is waived under the NBA's new amnesty clause.

Meanwhile, Nick Van Exel also has been waived.

All apologies to Allan Houston, who must thought his name is unquestionably gonna be put down in the history books...



Imagine the feelings when any NBA player receive this picture in the future...


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[NBA] Clash of Titans

Bonzi Wells' best friend John Canzano is at it again. Read the story yourself.

It's a scene that I would pay to watch.

Centers Ha Seung Jin and Nedzad Sinanovic have been locked in a gym together since mid-June, competing. Ha, under contract for two more years, came back from his offseason visit to South Korea out of shape, then was hampered by tendinitis in his knee, and to compound matters, he's been getting schooled by the 7-foot-4 Sinanovic, a 22-year old rookie from Bosnia.

The two have been tussling and tangling on the court. There has been ribbing and verbal exchanges. And as the players usually do at the end of a workout, that particular Friday the two were shooting free throws together in silence.

Peaceful enough.

That is, until Sinanovic made his final free throw, then retrieved the basketball and held it. Ha walked over and snatched it back. Then, Sinanovic said something under his breath and two men -- 7-4 and 7-3 -- ended up on the ground in a pile of wildly swinging elbows and fists.

The fight was broken up by Blazers staffers, and insiders said Ha, who got punched, was left shouting, "I'll sue! I'll sue!"

The two were escorted to different areas of the practice facility, and normally the story would end here. Except Ha's neutral corner was the team weight room. And so he picked up one of those wooden poles that players use to stretch and went after Sinanovic, who blocked one swing with his forearm but took another in the ribs before someone ripped the pole (think: closet dowel) from Ha's hands and threw it across the courts.

...

The Ha-Sinanovic bout was about good competition, and frustration, and boiling points. And (Blazers GM) Nash said the players were fine with each other and even hanging out 24 hours after one was trying to shish kebob the other.

Ha's agent, John Kim, said the Blazers haven't contacted him about the incident, so he figured it was "nothing that serious." And Nash declined to comment directly on the brawl, because you're "damned if you do, damned if you don't,"





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[Kicks] Adidas to buy Reebok for 3.8 Billion USD

Maybe you have already heard the news, but it is still shocking and dazzling, to say the least.

Edited: Read Darren Rovell's take here.


Adidas to buy Reebok for $3.8 bln

By Ulf Laessing
Reuters
Wednesday, August 3, 2005; 9:28 AM

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's sporting goods maker Adidas-Salomon has agreed to buy U.S. rival Reebok for $3.8 billion, closing the gap on Nike and promising a profit jump by expanding in the United States and entering new markets.

The world's second- and third-biggest sports goods companies said on Wednesday Adidas would buy the outstanding shares of Reebok for $59 per share in cash, a 34 percent premium to Reebok's closing share price on Tuesday.

The combination will create a more formidable competitor to battle Nike's dominance of the market for athletic gear, particularly in the United States, which accounts for 50 percent of the sports footwear market alone.

Reebok, based in the Boston suburb of Canton, Massachussets, brings along key equipment licensing contracts with major North American professional sports leagues, including the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball.

...

Reebok shares surged 32 percent to $58 on Instinet ahead of the 1330 GMT New York open, while Adidas was up 5.7 percent at 156 euros in much higher volumes than usual by 1153 GMT after it painted a bright outlook for the merged firm in a conference call.

Shares in Adidas had initially dropped 4 percent on the news, as some analysts questioned the deal's benefits and cost.


The takeover complements Adidas's strengths in Europe with Reebok's strong position in the United States.

"The deal makes sense. In one go, both brands are expanding significantly in Asia, North America and Europe," said HVB analyst Uwe Weinreich.

Puma, the world's fourth-biggest sporting goods company, last week also unveiled aggressive expansion plans through acquisitions and entry of new sportswear markets.

Adidas said it was confident Reebok's shareholders would approve the deal, which includes Reebok's net cash position of $84 million.

Adidas said the deal with Reebok, which it expects to close in the first half of next year pending antitrust and shareholder approval, would boost net income of the new Adidas Group by more than 10 percent per year in the medium term.


Sales are seen growing at a mid- to high-single-digit rate, and cost savings are expected to reach $150 million annually by the third year after the deal closes.

Adidas said it expected no significant restructuring costs and that they would quickly be outweighed by synergies.

Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein raised its investment view to "buy" from "add," saying Adidas' margins would grow.

In the key U.S. market -- where Adidas has repeatedly changed strategy to attack market leader Nike -- Adidas and Reebok said sales would double as Adidas gets access to Reebok's popular basketball, American football, hockey and womenswear products.

"North America is the market where you have to be," Adidas Chief Executive Herbert Hainer told a conference call.

In the second quarter, Adidas's sales grew in all regions except Europe, meeting expectations by rising 8.2 percent to 1.52 billion euros.

Net income rose 33 percent to 94 million euros ($116 million), when adjusted for the sale of Salomon -- beating the average estimate of 86 million euros forecast in a Reuters poll of 18 analysts.

For 2005, the Bavarian firm reiterated net income from continuing and discontinued operations would rise 20 percent.

LIFESTYLE VS SPORTS

Analysts said Adidas would also benefit from Reebok's strong lifestyle fashion business. Reebok Chairman and CEO Paul Fireman will continue to run the Reebok brand.

Adidas, best known for its trademark three-striped running shoes, has been trying to imitate the success of German rival Puma, whose trendy sportswear has spread far beyond the gym or running track.

But some investors were cautious about how successfully Adidas would integrate Reebok, and questioned the deal's timing ahead of next year's World Cup soccer tournament in Germany, of which Adidas is a major sponsor.

"I would watch the execution of the integration very carefully because it won't be easy to integrate the businesses -- Adidas's focus is on sport but Reebok's is on lifestyle," said Volker Riehm, fund manager at Activest.

"Apart from that, Adidas is creating a load of work for itself when the World Cup mega-event is just around the corner." (Additional reporting by Georgina Prodhan and Natalia Matter)



From NY Times:

The deal, which was being negotiated late last night and could be announced today, would give Nike its first formidable competitor in more than a decade. A combined Adidas-Reebok would control about 20 percent of the market, but would still remain behind Nike, which has about a third of the $145 billion worldwide market.

...

Driving the deal, analysts said, is Adidas-Salomon's chief executive, Erich Stamminger, who has been vocal about the German company's effort to build market share in the United States. John Horan, publisher of Sporting Goods Intelligence magazine, sees the $9 billion branded-shoe market in the United States rising 8 percent this year.

The combined company would likely have increased clout among retailers and an ability to command shelf space. The company would also be better positioned to bid on endorsement contracts and to wring discounts from the multitude of media outlets from which it buys advertising.

"The remaining entity clearly is strengthened in terms of competitive position versus Nike," said Stephen A. Greyser, a professor of sports marketing at Harvard Business School. "The combined company will have more globally than either of the two alone, not just because of size but because of geographic strength. The same goes for distribution, too."

Still, the transaction may raise questions among some investors because it comes at a time when consumers are moving toward fashion-related footwear. Indeed, Nike demonstrated that trend last year when it acquired Converse sneakers for its Chuck Taylors, which have become a retro-fashion staple.

Under the terms of the deal being negotiated, Adidas would pay about $59 a share for Reebok, the executives said. That represents about a one-third premium over Reebok's shares yesterday, which closed at $43.95, up $1.19. Adidas would also assume about $550 million in debt from Reebok, which is based in Canton, Mass. Adidas is based in northern Bavaria in the town of Herzogenaurach.

While the deal is expected to face some scrutiny by regulators in the United States and Europe, antitrust lawyers suggested that it would likely be approved because the marketplace would probably be defined very widely.

The deal's biggest beneficiary would be Paul Fireman, who brought Reebok to the United States from Britain in 1979. Reebok, which is credited with inventing track spikes, capitalized more than any other company on the fitness boom of the mid-1980's, particularly by catering to women, and its fortunes soared in that period.

It moved ahead of Nike as the athletic shoe industry leader in 1987 for a brief time. In 1987, the Reebok board decided it was time to let somebody else run the company and Mr. Fireman was elevated to the new position of chairman, with no responsibility for the day-to-day running of Reebok. He came back as chief executive in 1999, with the stock hovering around $7.

Adidas has made China a particular focus for its expansion, signing on as a sponsor of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. Acquiring Reebok would bring Yao Ming, the popular Houston Rockets center from Shanghai, into Adidas's stable of high-profile athletes. According to a recent survey Nike released to analysts, 52 percent of Chinese currently rate Nike as the "coolest" athletic brand compared with 38 percent for Adidas and 15 percent for Reebok.



From Bloomberg:

Adidas is offering $59 for each share of Canton, Massachusetts- based Reebok, 34 percent more than yesterday's closing price. The combined company will have about $11.1 billion in sales compared with Nike's $13.7 billion. Adidas's stock rose to the highest in more than seven years, while Reebok's jumped 23 percent in Europe.

...

``It propels them up,'' said Mark Hargraves, who helps manage $7.1 billion, including Adidas Salomon shares, at Framlington Group Plc in London. ``The U.S. market is historically where they've been under represented and it's been difficult to gain share. So in one jump, it moves them up.''

Adidas shares rose 6.18 euros, or 4.2 percent, to 153.70 euros at 2:33 p.m. in Frankfurt, the highest since July 17, 1998. Shares of Reebok, whose endorsers include basketball player Yao Ming and rapper 50 Cent, climbed $13.46 to $57.41 in Germany.

The acquisition will boost earnings in the first year and save 120 million to 125 million euros the first three, Hainer, 51, said.

Second-quarter profit rose 34 percent to 94 million euros from 70 million euros a year earlier, Adidas said today in a statement. Analysts were expecting 82 million euros, according to the median of five estimates gathered by Bloomberg. Sales gained 8 percent to 1.52 billion euros.

Reebok traces its roots back to the 1890s, when English runner Joseph Foster invented a spiked running shoe and then started his own company, according to the Reebok Web site. Reebok remained a British business until 1979, when Paul Fireman noticed the shoes at a Chicago trade fair and bought the license to sell them in North America. Fireman is now the company's chief executive.

Adidas's U.S. market share will double with the purchase, according to Christian Schindler, an analyst at Landesbank Rheinland Pfalz in Mainz, Germany, who rates the company ``outperform.''

The company had an 8.9 percent share of the $8.9 billion wholesale U.S. athletic-shoe market last year, according to the industry newsletter Sporting Goods Intelligence. Reebok controlled 12 percent, and Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike had 36 percent.

Adidas has been expanding in the U.S. amid a slowdown in Western Europe. It signed tennis champion Andre Agassi to an endorsement contract last month after his 10-year, $120 million agreement with Nike expired this year.

The transaction will give Adidas 28 percent of the global $11.5 billion athletic-shoe market, rivaling Nike's 31 percent and widening the lead over its cross-town rival Puma AG.

...

``Adidas on its own will probably never have a chance to pass Nike, but with Reebok now they can be a strong No. 2,'' said Andreas Inderst, an analyst with ABN Amro in London.

Adidas and Nike also are becoming fiercer rivals in soccer in the run-up 2006 World Cup, to be held in Germany. Adidas, which sold 6 million Roteiro soccer balls and 1 million pairs of PredatorPulse shoes last year, has formed a 100-member team to plan for the event. The company will unveil the tournament ball in September and roll out merchandise including World Cup jerseys later this year.

The company expects to complete the acquisition in the first half. Adidas plans to finance the transaction through capital increases and debt. Hainer said on a conference call that negotiations to buy Reebok began after he first met Fireman at last summer's Athens Olympics.

...

Adidas is paying about 10.7 times Reebok's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and about 0.9 times revenue, according to Bloomberg data. It paid about 8.92 Ebidta and 1.1 times revenue for the ski-equipment business Salomon.

The company agreed to buy Salomon in 1997 for as much as 8 billion French francs, or $1.34 billion at the time. In May, it agreed to sell the business to Helsinki-based Amer Sports Oyj for 485 million euros to focus on more profitable lines such as T-Mac and ClimaCool sneakers and TaylorMade golf clubs.

``At first glance, the price looked demanding, but taking into account the potential synergies and benefits the deal looks more attractive,'' ABN Amro's Inderst said of the Reebok transaction.

Reebok, whose shares had risen 30 percent the past year, said last month that second-quarter profit rose 71 percent, helped by gains in countries such as India and China and new Pump basketball shoes.

Adidas expects the acquisition to get Reebok investor approval and doesn't foresee any regulatory obstacles, Chief Financial Officer Robin Stalker said on a conference call with analysts. Hainer said on the call that Fireman will continue as Reebok chief executive.

Merrill Lynch advised Adidas-Salomon and CSFB advised Reebok on the transaction, according to today's statement.




From AD Week:

Reebok is based in Canton, Mass., and would continue to operate under that name with Fireman at the helm after the deal closes during the first half of 2006, the companies said. Adidas is headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Recent Reebok ads from independent New York agency mcgarrybowen have generated some controversy, most notably a commercial featuring rapper 50 Cent, who discusses being shot. The company spent slightly more than $40 million on U.S. ads last year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Adidas' marketing has focused somewhat more on performance, and its endorsers include soccer icon David Beckham. Omnicom Group's TBWA\Chiat\Day in San Francisco and 180 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, are Adidas' principal creative agencies. Adidas spent $80 million on domestic ads last year, according to Nielsen.




From BBC:

"Adidas just doesn't have the traction to go it alone in the US," said Gavin Finlayson, an analyst at Commerzbank Corporate and Markets in Frankfurt.

"It has been stuck on the sidelines in the US over the past few years as it doesn't have the clout of Nike."

Joining forces with Reebok will give Adidas more power to negotiate with retailers in the US and push for better positioning and promotion.

Outside of North America and picture is rosier, with analysts saying that the deal complements Adidas's strengths in Europe and Asia.

It would allow the company to develop Reebok's Asian business - the company also has been making inroads into India and China - and strike better deals with producers.

Following the takeover, Adidas will have a 28% share of the world's sporting goods market, not far off Nike's 31% slice.

In the tight-margin world of shoe retailing these can prove to be valuable weapons, analysts said.

However, they are not enough to top the tree and question marks have been raised over the amount of cost-cutting that can be achieved and plans to finance the bid by taking on large amounts of debt and issuing new shares.

...

Key to any challenge on Nike - and just as important as pricing power and distribution networks - will be image.

Gonzalo Basilico is a 12-year-old who loves his trainers.

He has six pairs - one Reebok and the rest Nike - and uses them for football, basketball and going out.

Gonzalo has a very clear idea about which shoe brands he likes and why.

Adidas is seen as being good quality and comfortable, while Reebok is "cool".

Nike, however, manages to have a foot in both camps.

"I like Adidas, but I still prefer Nike for the fashion, colours, combinations," he said. "It's all Nike at school.

"Everyone talks about Nike, no one talks about the others."

Nick Liddell, a director of brand valuation at consultancy Interbrand, warned that merging with Reebok may only exacerbate Adidas's problems.

While Adidas has a strong performance sportswear brand - under the motto "Impossible is Nothing" - this is not carried through as powerfully into its Originals clothing range despite endorsements from stars such as Missy Elliot.

Reebok seems to have concentrated more on positioning itself as a hip clothing maker, Mr Liddell explained.

...

Nike, on the other hand, has a very focused brand, which is based on sporting excellence and product innovation, Mr Liddell said.

That has a trickle down, or halo, effect on Nike's other sporting goods and helps it to sell products as lifestyle choices by linking up with people such as Lance Armstrong and tackling issues such as testicular cancer.

"Sportswear and urban life wear are closely linked," Mr Liddell said, adding that Adidas and Reebok are more "schizophrenic" in their approach.

"Focus will be absolutely crucial" in determining how Adidas and Reebok do in coming years, he explained.

"As long as they can take the two brands and drive them into two separate areas where they don't cannibalise each other, but compliment each other, then it could be a successful strategy," Mr Liddell said.

According to Interbrand's most recent report on the value of global brands, Nike was ranked at number 30, up one place from the year earlier.

Adidas came in at number 71, while Reebok did not feature in the top 100.


Should the Adidas bid get shareholder and regulatory approval, then the two firms will have to work hard to change many people's preconceptions.



Also from BBC:

Adidas boss Herbert Hainer said that the deal "represents a major strategic milestone for our group".

The takeover still needs to be approved by Reebok shareholders and competition authorities. If cleared, the deal should be completed in early 2006.

Reebok's shares had risen 16% in after-hours New York trade on Tuesday - reaching $51 - as reports of takeover talks appeared on the websites of financial papers.

Adidas' offer is worth $59 per share in cash.

...

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to combine two of the most respected and well-known companies in the worldwide sporting goods industry", said Mr Hainer.

The combined group will have worldwide athletic footwear sales of 9bn euros, Adidas said.

...

It would have about 20% of the US sports shoe market, while Nike has 36%.



Comparison to 3 Major Sports Brands


Nike

Market Cap: 16 Billions
Employees: about 23,000
Founded: 1962


Adidas

Market Cap: 8.9 Billions
Employees: 17,000+
Founded: 1949

Reebok

Market Cap: 2.6 Billions
Employess: Around 9,000
Founded: 1895


Adidas / Reebok NEW GROUP'S BRANDS

Adidas
Reebok
Taylormade
Rockport
Greg Norman Collection
Maxfli
CCM
Jofa
Koho


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