#Basketball & New York Knicks Hashtags

[freshthoughts2020]

[nbatrades]

New York Knicks Land Quincy Acy In Four-Player Deal

On August 6th, 2014, the New York Knicks traded guard Wayne Ellington and forward-center Jeremy Tyler to the Sacramento Kings for forwards Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw.

*The trade also features the removal of a protection on the 2016 second round pick that the Kings owned from the Knicks from a prior trade.

Travis Outlaw became a member of the Sacramento Kings in a unique way. The forward was waived by the New Jersey Nets through the amnesty clause that came about from the 2011 NBA lockout. After the lockout ended and the CBA was agreed to by both owners and players, a one-time rule came into effect. Teams were allowed to waive a player, and remove that player's salary from their cap sheets.

Outlaw had signed a five-year, $35 million deal with the New Jersey Nets and had largely disappointed in his first season with New Jersey. Seeing an opportunity to get rid of Outlaw, the Nets used the amnesty clause on the forward, getting rid of four years and $28 million on their payroll owed to Outlaw. The next step of the amnesty waiver clause was teams making bids to sign Outlaw. The Kings won the bid, signing Outlaw to a four-year, $12 million deal.

The Kings were in the midst of a six-year streak of losing seasons coming into the 2011-12 season. They got off to a poor start (2-5) when the team fired coach Paul Westphal. Westphal and young star DeMarcus Cousins had failed to see eye to eye. The team replaced Westphal with assistant coach Keith Smart.

The Kings never turned their season around under Smart, going 20-39 over the final 59 games to finish 22-44. Outlaw was on the fringes of Sacramento’s rotation in his first season. The Mississippi product played in just 38 games games and averaged 4.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.5 SPG and 0.5 BPG in 14.4 MPG.

In the 2012 offseason, the Kings had the fifth pick in the 2012 draft and selected Kansas forward Thomas Robinson. Though Sacramento’s offense was solid, finishing 12th overall during the 2012-13 season, the team was second to last in overall defense. Sacramento began the year 2-8 and never recovered, going 28-54. Outlaw still couldn’t find much time in his second year on the court. He saw action in 38 contests and compiled 5.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG and 0.6 APG in 11.7 MPG.

In the 2013 offseason, the Kings had the seventh overall pick and used it on Kansas guard Ben McLemore. Sacramento hired coach Mike Malone to take over. Sacramento also made some key personnel moves, dealing former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans and acquiring Greivis Vasquez in a three-team trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers.

Though Malone had started to build a better relationship with Cousins compared to his predecessors, the Kings were still far away from a playoff team. Sacramento struggled again, finishing the 2013-14 season with a 28-54 record. In December of that season, the Kings made a deal with the Toronto Raptors, acquiring Rudy Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy.

Acy ended up appearing in 56 games with the Kings, compiling 2.7 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 14.0 MPG. Outlaw played in 63 games (four starts) and posted 5.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 0.8 APG in 16.9 MPG. 

In the 2014 offseason, Acy appeared in Summer League for the Kings’ entry in Las Vegas. Acy put up 11.3 PPG on 53.8% shooting, 6.7 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.7 BPG in 26.3 MPG. The Kings had a glut at power forward with Acy, Jason Thompson and Carl Landry on the roster. 

Seeing a way to get rid of Outlaw’s onerous contract, the Kings dealt Acy along with Outlaw to the New York Knicks. Outlaw ended his time in Sacramento with averages of 5.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 0.6 APG in 140 career games. He posted shooting splits of 39/31/74 from the field, three-point line and free-throw line respectively.

Jeremy Tyler had a long path to become a New York Knick. He first joined the Knicks Summer League team in Las Vegas in 2013. Tyler impressed, piling up 12.8 PPG on 56.2% shooting, 6.4 RPG and a whopping 27.8 PER in 17.7 MPG. 

After his strong showing in Summer League, the Knicks committed to him with a two-year, partially guaranteed contract. Tyler competed in training camp for the Knicks but was a final cut in training camp due to a stress fracture in his right foot.

Tyler went back to the NBA D-League whoile rehabbing his foot. He ended up playing for the Knicks’ D-League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks. Tyler excelled, averaging 19.8 PPG and 11.4 RPG in five games before the Knicks decided to sign him back to the main roster after waiving J.R. Smith’s little brother Chris Smith. The deal was a two-year deal for $1.8 million. The second year of the deal was non-guaranteed.

At times, Tyler showed potential as a solid pick and roll big man. He could never get consistent playing time, appearing in 41 games and managing 3.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 0.5 BPG in 9.7 MPG. The Knicks finished the 2013-14 season with a disappointing 37-45 record. The team had gone through changes in the front office, hiring former coaching legend Phil Jackson as president of basketball operations.

The 2014 offseason saw the Knicks make a big move when they dealt center Tyson Chandler and guard Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks. In return, the Knicks acquired Samuel Dalembert, Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington and two second round picks. Known as a quality three-point shooter, Ellington had one year left on his contract.

In his second Summer League stint with the Knicks in 2014, Tyler had a weaker performance. In five games, the 6′10″ big averaged 9.8 PPG on 43.2% shooting and 5.8 RPG in 25.7 MPG. This would be Tyler’s last performance with the Knicks before he was dealt with Ellington to Sacramento.

As part of the deal, the protections on a 2016 second round pick that the Kings owned via New York were removed. The pick was protected from 31-37 in the draft. The Knicks first dealt the pick to Portland in a 2012 deal involving Raymond Felton, Kurt Thomas and Jared Jeffries. The second rounder later moved to Sacramento in the three-team deal involving Tyreke Evans and Greivis Vasquez. After removing the protections, the Kings dealt the future second rounder to the Houston Rockets in September of 2014.

After the trade, the Kings waived Wayne Ellington using the stretch provision nearly one month after the trade. Ellington had one year and $2.77 million remaining on his contract. By rule of the CBA, the stretch provision stipulated that if a player was waived before September 1st, their remaining salary is paid out in twice the remaining years, plus one. 

Since Ellington had one year on his deal, he was waived and the Kings paid out the rest of his salary over a three-year period. Ellington went on to sign a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Tyler was waived a few days after Ellington.

For the Knicks, Outlaw — and his guaranteed contract — was traded in 2014 preseason so the team could make room on the roster to sign undrafted free agent Travis Wear to a contract for the season.

The Knicks began the 2014-15 season with hope, winning two of their first three games. A run that saw them lose 35 of their next 38 games destroyed any chance of playoff hopes that the franchise had coming into the season. New York would finish the season with the second-worst record in the NBA at 17-65. The mark set a franchise record for the worst season in terms of winning percentage in the franchise’s history.

The losing and subsequent injuries to forwards Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani allowed Acy to see serious minutes in New York’s rotation. Acy explored developing a three-pointer. After attempting 17 long bombs in his first two seasons, Acy took 60 threes, making 18 (30%). He ended his season with averages of 5.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 1.0 APG in 68 games (22 starts) and 18.9 MPG. In the offseason, Acy ended up signing back with Sacramento on a two-year deal with a player option in the final year.

New York Knicks general manager Steve Mills on the trade (via ESPN):

“We were clearly heavier at (shooting guard) and needed to strengthen our situation at (small forward). So this clearly helps us there.”

On Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw (via USA Today):

“Quincy, we’ve watched him and paid attention to him. We actually saw him a lot in Summer League. He adds a lot of energy. He’s a high energy player and he defends, he can play multiple positions, he runs the floor, blocks shots, he adds a level of energy that we think is missing when we look across the roster and we think he can be helpful there. He’s also a guy who is young and a guy who is going to give us everything he can, regardless of how many minutes he plays. With Travis, he’s a veteran, which we like, he can shoot the 3-ball, he’s long and athletic and we know he’s a guy that has the capabilities to play behind Melo (Carmelo Anthony).”

How Acy provides energy which is unique (via New York Post):

“[Quincy] adds a lot of energy. He’s a high-energy player and he defends, he can play multiple positions, he runs the floor, blocks shots. He adds a level of energy that we think is missing when we look across the roster, and we think he can be helpful there.”

On Outlaw (via Newsday):

“With Travis, he is a veteran that can shoot the three and he’s long and athletic. We know he’s a guy who has the capabilities to play behind Melo.”

On trying to balance the roster out (via New York Post):

“Phil [Jackson] and I have been looking at our roster ever since we made the [Tyson Chandler trade], and one of our goals was to balance the roster out from a position standpoint a little bit better than it was following the trade. Part of this was to make the roster better balanced, and also to provide us with depth across all the positions.”

Sacramento Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro on the trade (via The Sacramento Bee):

“We want to thank Quincy and Travis for their contributions to the Kings organization. We all wish them great success.”

Related Tweets:

Major S/O to the Kings fans and org. I thank Vivek, Pete & ESPECIALLY Coach Malone, & all my teammates. Ready for the next chap. #KnicksTape

— Quincy Acy (@QuincyAcy)

August 6, 2014

Man all the Knicks fans showing love is great, I appreciate it all, I see all the love #KnicksTape

— Quincy Acy (@QuincyAcy)

August 8, 2014

Image via Lockerdome

[227snewfacebookfries]

227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' (aka YouTube Chili' NBA) #MichiganStateSpartans'Spicy' GoFundMe #IZZONE'Spicy' smashes through $6,500 goal! Michigan State Chili' Spartans support Nassar survivors! #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix! -- Jamaal Al-Din's Hoops 227, Inc. | PRL

227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' (aka YouTube Chili' NBA) 227's™ WOW! #MichiganStateSpartans'Spicy' GoFundMe #IZZONE'Spicy' smashes through $6,500 goal! Support Nassar survivors! #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix! Organized by the students of Michigan State University to support the Nassar survivors! $6,500 in 48 hours! #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix!

227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' (aka YouTube Chili' NBA) #IZZONE'Spicy' GoFundMe NBA Spread the Word: News By Tag:* Michigan State Larry Nassar* Sexual Abuse Sex Misconduct* 227's YouTube Chili NBA By Industry:* Sports BOISE, Idaho - Jan. 27, 2018 - PRLog -- 227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' (aka YouTube Chili' NBA) 227's™ WOW! MSU GoFundMe #IZZONE'Spicy' smashes through $6,500 goal! Support Nassar survivors! #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix! Organized by the students of Michigan State University to support the Nassar survivors! $6,500 in 48 hours! #IZZONE'Spicy' #MeToo'Spicy' #MichiganStateSpartans'Spicy' #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix! 227's "The Michigan State sex scandal is one of the biggest scandals in sports history," said Al-Din. "Let's defeat sex abuse. Come forward. Be strong." ***227's Jamaal Al-Din, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, salutes "The Izzone", Michigan State Chili' Spartans Spicy' basketball Chili' fans! #IZZONE'Spicy' (aka Like dat' Spicy' Pizza! Extra Cheese!)*** 227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' everything tasty with hot, crispy fries and a specialty order of #IZZONE'Spicy' #MeToo'Spicy' #GoFundMe'Spicy' #MichiganStateSpartans'Spicy' #Nike'Spicy' FRIES' sauce! Spicy' NBA Mix! 227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' (aka YouTube Chili' NBA) #Nike'Spicy'GoFundMe  #Nike'Spicy' NBA Spicy' Headlines (1/27/2018): Gymnastics doctor scandal sparks protests at Michigan State Univ…ABC News Michigan State AD Mark Hollis steps down in wake of Nassar scandal Fox Sports Michigan State athletic director retires as school's sexual assaul…Washington Post USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal involves the sexual abuse of female athletes, primarily minors, by Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics national team osteopathic physician. He is named in hundreds of lawsuits filed by athletes who allege that he sexually abused them under the pretense of giving them medical treatment. Since the first public allegations were made in September 2016, more than 150 women, including former USA Gymnastics national team members Jamie Dantzscher, Jeanette Antolin, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Maggie Nichols, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles, and Jordyn Wieber, have accused Nassar of sexually abusing them. It is one of the biggest sexual abuse scandals in sports history. On July 11, 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges and was sentenced to 60 years in prison on December 7, 2017. On November 22, 2017, he pleaded guilty to seven charges of first-degree sexual assault and entered another guilty plea a week later to three additional charges of sexual assault. On January 24, 2018, Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison, set to run after Nassar serves the 60-year federal prison sentence for child pornography. Sexual abuse allegations Larry Nassar was a licensed osteopathic physician and the national team sports-medicine doctor for USA Gymnastics. He also ran a clinic and gymnastics club at Michigan State University, where he was a faculty member. USA Gymnastics fired Nassar in 2015 "after learning of athlete concerns."In September 2016, The Indianapolis Star revealed that two former gymnasts had made allegations of sexual abuse against Nassar. Following those allegations, Michigan State University reassigned Nassar from his clinical and teaching duties and fired him later that month. Since then, over 150 women and girls have accused Nassar of sexually abusing them. According to these allegations, Nassar committed sexual assault during medical examinations, ranging from inserting a finger in the gymnasts' vaginas and anuses, to fondling their breasts and genitalia. Nassar initially denied the charges, claiming he was performing legitimate medical procedures. In February 2017, three former gymnasts, Jeanette Antolin, Jessica Howard and Jamie Dantzscher, gave an interview with 60 Minutes in which they accused Nassar of sexually abusing them. The gymnasts also alleged that the "emotionally abusive environment" at the national team training camps run by Béla and Márta Károlyi at the Karolyi Ranch near Huntsville, Texas gave Nassar an opportunity to take advantage of the gymnasts and made them afraid to speak up about the abuse. Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney, using the #MeToo hashtag on Twitter, alleged that Nassar repeatedly molested her, starting when she was 13 years old and until she retired from the sport in 2016. 227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' everything tasty with hot, crispy fries and a specialty order of #IZZONE'Spicy' #MeToo'Spicy' #GoFundMe'Spicy' #MichiganStateSpartans'Spicy' #Nike'Spicy' FRIES' sauce! Spicy' NBA Mix! Jamaal Al-Din's Hoops 227, Inc. (227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' [aka YouTube Chili' NBA] 227's™ WOW! MSU GoFundMe #IZZONE'Spicy' smashes through $6,500 goal! Support Nassar survivors! #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix! Organized by the students of Michigan State University to support the Nassar survivors! $6,500 in 48 hours! #IZZONE'Spicy' #MeToo'Spicy' #MichiganStateSpartans'Spicy' #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix! Video: Gymnastics Spicy' Chili' doctor Spicy' Chili' scandal sparks Spicy' Chili' protests at Michigan State University and new resignations Spicy' NBA Mix! 227's #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix)

https://www.gofundme.com/izzone-for-awareness-and-healing https://www.facebook.com/pg/227sYouTubeChili.Nike.Basketball.NBA.Mix *** Graduate of the ZIONS Bank (Boise, ID) Business Success Academy *** Thank-you to Karen Appelgren - Assistant Director, Sheila Spangler - Vice President & Director, and Utah Jazz (NBA) Basketball Sponsor & Boise State University Athletics Sponsor - ZIONS Bank Jamaal Al-Din's Hoops 227, Inc. (227's™ YouTube Chili' NBA 2017 - 2018 NBA Playoffs ESPN Spicy' Mix)-cooks da' spiciest Wikipedia information (like dat' POPEYE's FRIED CHICKEN), YouTube NBA & NFL: Atlanta Hawks / Boston Celtics / Charlotte Bobcats / Chicago Bulls / Cleveland Cavaliers / Dallas Mavericks / Denver Nuggets / Detroit Pistons / Golden State Warriors / Houston Rockets / Indiana Pacers / Los Angeles Clippers / Los Angeles Lakers / Memphis Grizzlies / Miami Heat / Milwaukee Bucks / Minnesota Timberwolves / New Jersey Nets / New Orleans Hornets / New York Knicks / Orlando Magic / Philadelphia 76ers / Phoenix Suns / Portland Trail Blazers / Sacramento Kings / San Antonio Spurs / Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) / Toronto Raptors / Utah Jazz / Washington Wizards Contact Jamaal Al-Din's Hoops 227, Inc.***@jamaalaldinshoops227.company.com (844) 891-1190

via www.prlog.org

227's™ Facebook Fries!¡' (aka YouTube Chili' NBA) #MichiganStateSpartans'Spicy' GoFundMe #IZZONE'Spicy' smashes through $6,500 goal! Michigan State Chili' Spartans support Nassar survivors! #Nike'Spicy' NBA Mix! -- Jamaal Al-Din's Hoops 227, Inc. | PRLog

from Jamaal Al-Din's blog 227's™ YouTube Chili' NBA Mix! http://hoops227.typepad.com/blog/2018/01/227s-facebook-fries-aka-youtube-chili-nba-michiganstatespartansspicy-gofundme-izzonespicy-smashes-through-6.html via http://hoops227.typepad.com/blog/

[scholaarblog]

Who wins your #AppMadnessChallenge bracket?

I wanted to try something a little different today…

I was recently at a New York Knicks game, and they had a cool video during an intermission break.  “App Madness” was an ode to the “March Madness” basketball tournament and one of the New York Knicks’ players listed their top 8 apps used and which one was their favorite by going through head-to-head competition ultimately, with one ultimate winner.  I looked at the top 8 apps I used in the last ten days on my battery usage, and here are the apps listed in order (other than messaging and email):

Twitter

Instagram

Bejeweled (don’t judge me)

YouTube

Facebook

Aaptiv

Apple Podcasts

TikTok

So based on the above apps, which one will be the ultimate winner?

Here are the first round matchups and who wins and why:

Round 1

(1) Twitter versus (8) TikTok:  

TikTok is a fun app, and it is for those moments I need a break and to de-stress. It is kind of mindless which is the point of why I use it.  That being said, between the two, Twitter and the connections I make it through it win this round. If it was Twitter versus Vine though, that could have been an upset for Vine.

Winner → Twitter

(2) Instagram versus (7) Podcasts:

I love me some Instagram. There is lots of great information here, as well as fun, that goes beyond education. I use Instagram for not only education but for exercise and sports information.  That being said, I love listening to podcasts, and I will tell you that not one of the podcasts that I listen to regularly is solely education focused. It is probably why I enjoy using it. This provides me a break that I often need.

Winner → Podcasts

(3) Bejeweled versus (6) Aaptiv

Alright…Bejeweled is a game that I play when I am stressed out and when I get some anxiety on a plane.  It is the only game I play on my phone, and I have no idea why I am so drawn to it. That being said, Aaptiv is a workout app and one of the few apps that I pay for monthly.  It has made a massive difference for my health, and I love the workouts. This matchup is a blowout.

Winner → Aaptiv

(4) YouTube versus (5) Facebook:

YouTube is great, but I watch it more on Apple TV or my computer than I do on my phone. Facebook can be fun, but I do not have the interest I once did.  Neither are apps are ones that I truly love on my phone, but if I had to get rid of one off of my phone, Facebook would exist no longer. This matchup is close.

Winner → YouTube

Round 2

(1) Twitter versus (4) Youtube

YouTube has a ton of great information, but I learn so much from Twitter and connect with so many great educators around the world. Twitter wins this round hands-down and is off to the finals.

Winner → Twitter

(6) Aaptiv versus (7) Podcasts

This matchup seems to be physical health versus mental health. I use Aaptiv for my workouts and Podcasts to chill out and relax.  Aaptiv has been an app that I have used every day, and the way the trainers encourage you and give you the motivation to work has not only helped my physical but mental health.  This is tight at the beginning, but Aaptiv pulls away in the end and wins.

Winner → Aaptiv

Championship Final!

  (1) Twitter versus (6) Aaptiv

  At first, I use Twitter so much more, this would seem to be a clear winner above Aaptiv.  Aaptiv is not meant to be an app to be used all day, but it is a great one daily. I love Twitter but, being honest, sometimes Twitter is terrible for my mental health, while Aaptiv seems to be always a good choice. I never regret going on Aaptiv.  If I had to choose between which app I would take off my phone, Twitter would be a natural choice because I can use it elsewhere. Although, this could be a close game, in the end, one app pulls away.

Winner and George App Champion → Aaptiv

Working my way through this process was kind of neat and helped me organize my thoughts on why I use what I use, and how it is helping me at this point in my life.  The results would probably be different every year, and it is something I might try again.

If you are interested in sharing your own either through Twitter or your blog, use the hashtag #AppMadnessChallenge and feel free to tag me. I would love to know what apps you are using, and ultimately, which one is your ultimate champion!

December 24, 2017 3 Ideas for Staying Positive

March 21, 2016 The Message and the Messenger

January 27, 2015 The Worksheet Conversation

April 3, 2015 The Game of School

October 21, 2011 iOpening

Who wins your #AppMadnessChallenge bracket? published first on https://profitinfomastery.tumblr.com/

[hashtagbasketball]

via Hashtag Basketball

[duaneodavila]

Jim Dolan As Bad At Following Antitrust Laws As He Is At Owning A Basketball Team

(YouTube)

New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan, better known as the world’s wealthiest touring musician, is no stranger to legal trouble. Perhaps the lowest point in his very low run at the helm of the Knicks was the $3 million sexual harassment verdict a jury hit him with a decade before anyone had heard of hashtags or MeToo, for the behavior of his inexplicable favorite executive and coach, Isaiah Thomas.

As you might expect from a trust-fund baby who seems genuinely surprised that no one thinks much of him as a musician, and who blithely condones such behavior on the part of subordinates he likes even though they are patently terrible at their jobs, James Dolan is not a man who thinks that the norms and rules that govern regular people’s lives apply to him. Unfortunately, the Federal Trade Commission is pretty adamant that the Hart-Scott-Rodina Act—requiring disclosure of things like buying a bigger voting stake in your own company—applies to everyone, even grizzled old billionaire bluesmen.

Mr. Dolan, who also serves as executive chairman of MSG Networks, has agreed to pay $609,810 in civil penalties to settle the charges, the F.T.C. said….

Mr. Dolan ultimately filed reports for the acquisition of the shares but was in violation of the rules for about three months in 2017, according to the complaint. He has violated notification requirements before mergers in the past, the F.T.C. said.

Luckily, Dolan is an expert at turning tragedies like this into art, so surely the true beneficiary of this will be those attending the next JD & The Straight Shot gig.

Knicks Owner James Dolan Fined for Violating F.T.C. Rules [NYT]

Jim Dolan As Bad At Following Antitrust Laws As He Is At Owning A Basketball Team republished via Above the Law

[dani-qrt]

NBA notebook: LeBron reportedly opting out, becoming free agent

LeBron James will opt out of the final year of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and officially become an unrestricted free agent, according to multiple reports on Friday morning.

Jun 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drive against Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the second quarter in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

James, 33, would have made $35.6 million in the 2018-19 season had he exercised his option with the Cavs. According to ESPN, James could still fetch as much as $207 million over five years from the Cavaliers, while other teams can offer a max of $152 million over four years.

James had until Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET to opt out of the final year of his existing deal with the Cavaliers. He could still re-sign with Cleveland, although the strong current from national media is James appears ready to move again.

In 2014, he returned to the Cavaliers after an in-person meeting with team owner Dan Gilbert. Their relationship was never a great one, but has splintered in recent years. In 2010, James bolted Cleveland in a nationally televised announcement “The Decision,” infamously declaring he was taking his “talents to South Beach” to join the Miami Heat.

—Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the team will consider any possible trade scenarios to improve this offseason, but also added that any blockbuster-type of trade is “unlikely.”

Speaking at an introductory press conference for first-round pick Robert Williams, Ainge wouldn’t go into significant detail on the team’s plans as free agency nears, but he intends to look at all options.

“If I feel like it’ll help our team — we explore every trade of players of certain magnitude or superstar, first-ballot Hall of Fame-type of players,” Ainge told reporters. “We’re going to take a look and kick the tires and see if there’s something there. But that’s all. I think those things are unlikely.”

—Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has informed the team he will decline the 2018-19 player option in his contract before Friday’s 11:59 p.m. ET deadline, according to multiple reports.

By declining the $24.1 million option, Jordan will become an unrestricted free agent when negotiations are permitted to begin Sunday. Players are eligible to sign with new teams beginning July 6.

According to a New York Times report, the Dallas Mavericks will make Jordan their top target in free agency after previously discussing various opt-in-and-trade scenarios with the Clippers. Per the Times, the Mavericks did not want to surrender draft compensation in a trade, preferring to pursue Jordan via free agency.

—The Golden State Warriors are finalizing an extension to make Steve Kerr one of the NBA’s highest paid coaches, according to an ESPN report.

Kerr, 52, just finished the fourth year of a five-year, $25 million contract he signed when he joined the Warriors in 2014. The team has gone 265-63 in his four seasons at the helm, making four trips to the NBA Finals and winning three titles.

Kerr has battled health issues that have forced him to miss games over the past few seasons, including the first 43 of the 2015-16 season when he was dealing with a serious back injury. But he and the Warriors’ front office said previously they expected a new deal to get done quickly.

—Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball has a torn meniscus in his left knee, Yahoo Sports reported, though he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Ball reportedly was diagnosed with the injury at the end of the regular season and has gone through some healing treatments. It isn’t immediately clear whether or not Ball underwent a surgical procedure.

Ball had problems with the knee during the regular season. He missed a total of 30 games due to a sprained medial collateral ligament and a bruised knee, as well as a sprained shoulder.

—Center Enes Kanter will return to the New York Knicks next season after exercising his $18.6 million player option ahead of Friday’s deadline to do so.

Kanter alluded to his decision in a tweet with the hashtag “#MakeKnicksGreatAgain.”

Kanter, who had originally hoped to sign a long-term contract this summer, told ESPN in a phone interview he took out an insurance policy that will pay him $20 million if he suffers a career-threatening injury because he will be playing on a one-year deal.

—The Indiana Pacers picked up the $10.5 million option on forward Bojan Bogdanovic’s contract, Yahoo Sports reported.

The option was part of a two-year, $21 million deal signed last July. Indiana also declined the $1.6 million team option on guard Joe Young’s contract. The decision makes Young an unrestricted free agent.

The Pacers also face a decision on the contract of point guard Darren Collison. The team holds a $10 million option for next season.

—Sacramento Kings guard Garrett Temple told multiple outlets he is exercising his player option to remain with the club.

Temple’s option is worth $8 million in 2018-19, which marks the final season of a three-year deal he signed in July of 2016.

Temple averaged a career-high 8.4 points in 65 games (35 starts) last season. He also averaged 2.3 rebounds and shot 41.8 percent from the field.

—Field Level Media

The post NBA notebook: LeBron reportedly opting out, becoming free agent appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2KvOyIE via Online News

[party-hard-or-die]

NBA notebook: LeBron reportedly opting out, becoming free agent

LeBron James will opt out of the final year of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and officially become an unrestricted free agent, according to multiple reports on Friday morning.

Jun 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drive against Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the second quarter in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

James, 33, would have made $35.6 million in the 2018-19 season had he exercised his option with the Cavs. According to ESPN, James could still fetch as much as $207 million over five years from the Cavaliers, while other teams can offer a max of $152 million over four years.

James had until Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET to opt out of the final year of his existing deal with the Cavaliers. He could still re-sign with Cleveland, although the strong current from national media is James appears ready to move again.

In 2014, he returned to the Cavaliers after an in-person meeting with team owner Dan Gilbert. Their relationship was never a great one, but has splintered in recent years. In 2010, James bolted Cleveland in a nationally televised announcement “The Decision,” infamously declaring he was taking his “talents to South Beach” to join the Miami Heat.

—Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the team will consider any possible trade scenarios to improve this offseason, but also added that any blockbuster-type of trade is “unlikely.”

Speaking at an introductory press conference for first-round pick Robert Williams, Ainge wouldn’t go into significant detail on the team’s plans as free agency nears, but he intends to look at all options.

“If I feel like it’ll help our team — we explore every trade of players of certain magnitude or superstar, first-ballot Hall of Fame-type of players,” Ainge told reporters. “We’re going to take a look and kick the tires and see if there’s something there. But that’s all. I think those things are unlikely.”

—Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has informed the team he will decline the 2018-19 player option in his contract before Friday’s 11:59 p.m. ET deadline, according to multiple reports.

By declining the $24.1 million option, Jordan will become an unrestricted free agent when negotiations are permitted to begin Sunday. Players are eligible to sign with new teams beginning July 6.

According to a New York Times report, the Dallas Mavericks will make Jordan their top target in free agency after previously discussing various opt-in-and-trade scenarios with the Clippers. Per the Times, the Mavericks did not want to surrender draft compensation in a trade, preferring to pursue Jordan via free agency.

—The Golden State Warriors are finalizing an extension to make Steve Kerr one of the NBA’s highest paid coaches, according to an ESPN report.

Kerr, 52, just finished the fourth year of a five-year, $25 million contract he signed when he joined the Warriors in 2014. The team has gone 265-63 in his four seasons at the helm, making four trips to the NBA Finals and winning three titles.

Kerr has battled health issues that have forced him to miss games over the past few seasons, including the first 43 of the 2015-16 season when he was dealing with a serious back injury. But he and the Warriors’ front office said previously they expected a new deal to get done quickly.

—Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball has a torn meniscus in his left knee, Yahoo Sports reported, though he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Ball reportedly was diagnosed with the injury at the end of the regular season and has gone through some healing treatments. It isn’t immediately clear whether or not Ball underwent a surgical procedure.

Ball had problems with the knee during the regular season. He missed a total of 30 games due to a sprained medial collateral ligament and a bruised knee, as well as a sprained shoulder.

—Center Enes Kanter will return to the New York Knicks next season after exercising his $18.6 million player option ahead of Friday’s deadline to do so.

Kanter alluded to his decision in a tweet with the hashtag “#MakeKnicksGreatAgain.”

Kanter, who had originally hoped to sign a long-term contract this summer, told ESPN in a phone interview he took out an insurance policy that will pay him $20 million if he suffers a career-threatening injury because he will be playing on a one-year deal.

—The Indiana Pacers picked up the $10.5 million option on forward Bojan Bogdanovic’s contract, Yahoo Sports reported.

The option was part of a two-year, $21 million deal signed last July. Indiana also declined the $1.6 million team option on guard Joe Young’s contract. The decision makes Young an unrestricted free agent.

The Pacers also face a decision on the contract of point guard Darren Collison. The team holds a $10 million option for next season.

—Sacramento Kings guard Garrett Temple told multiple outlets he is exercising his player option to remain with the club.

Temple’s option is worth $8 million in 2018-19, which marks the final season of a three-year deal he signed in July of 2016.

Temple averaged a career-high 8.4 points in 65 games (35 starts) last season. He also averaged 2.3 rebounds and shot 41.8 percent from the field.

—Field Level Media

The post NBA notebook: LeBron reportedly opting out, becoming free agent appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2KvOyIE via Breaking News

[investmart007]

ISTANBUL | Turkey charges father of NBA's Kanter as terror group member

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/V9f6eB

ISTANBUL | Turkey charges father of NBA's Kanter as terror group member

ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish court has accepted an indictment charging the father of NBA player Enes Kanter with “membership in a terror group,” the country’s official news agency reported Monday.

The indictment followed an investigation of Mehmet Kanter, and prosecutors planned to seek his conviction and a prison term of five to 10 years at trial, Anadolu Agency said.

It’s unclear when the trial in western Tekirdag province would begin. Enes Kanter, who plays for the New York Knicks, is a follower of a U.S.-based Turkish cleric who the government accuses of masterminding a failed military coup in 2016. Cleric Fethullah Gulen has denied the allegation, but tens of thousands of people suspected of ties to his network have been arrested or fired.

The elder Kanter, a professor, was purged from public service after the coup attempt and detained for five days last summer.

Anadolu said the indictment alleges he contacted some 120 suspects with alleged links to Gulen, including dozens who were said to have communicated through an encrypted messaging application.

Enes Kanter, a former Oklahoma City Thunder center, has been a vocal critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His Turkish passport was canceled last year.

Prosecutors charged him in December with insulting the president in a series of tweets. They want to try him in absentia and have him sentenced to more than four years in prison, if he is convicted.

“Keep my family, innocent people in your prayers,” the basketball player tweeted Monday with the hashtag “DictatorErdogan.” His Twitter account is withheld in Turkey.

Under a state of emergency declared in the aftermath of the coup, Turkey has arrested more than 50,000 and sacked some 110,000 people alleged to have infiltrated state institutions for Gulen. The government said the crackdown was needed to fight alleged acts of terror.

By Associated Press

[foursproutwealth-blog]

A billboard in New York City has been raised daring LeBron James to sign with the Knicks

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/a-billboard-in-new-york-city-has-been-raised-daring-lebron-james-to-sign-with-the-knicks/

A billboard in New York City has been raised daring LeBron James to sign with the Knicks

An NYC advertisement company has put up a billboard daring LeBron James to sign with the Knicks this offseason.

The plea is just the latest example of billboards trying to lure LeBron, a trend that Philadelphia 76ers fans started when they put up a billboard in Cleveland. 

LeBron will probably sign with a team closer to being a contender this offseason. 

Perhaps the hottest new trend in NBA free agency is fans putting up billboards to try and coax LeBron James to join their team this summer.

Philadelphia fans kicked off the trend when they put up billboards in Cleveland asking LeBron to “Complete the Process” by signing with the 76ers, and Los Angeles and Portland have gotten in on the trend as well.

And now New York has too. 

The @nyknicks haven’t hired the right team to recruit the King so we took matters into our own hands. 📍31st & 7th Ave

A post shared by Major Market Media (@nycadsco) on Apr 5, 2018 at 9:11pm PDT on Apr 5, 2018 at 9:11pm PDT

The billboard was put up by an NYC Ads Co., who also coined the hashtag #KingJamesNYC18.  Another Instagram post from the company said, “You want to be considered the goat? Legend? Icon? I think the best way to solidify all that is winning a chip in NY a place that hasn’t seen it in 40 years the Mecca of basketball (Lebron’s words) So I say you call yourself the King? PROVE IT.” 

LeBron’s free agency remains one of the hottest topics in the league, but it’s hard to see LeBron, at this stage in his career, joining a team like the Knicks, which still seems a ways away from contending. And a recent report from Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer says LeBron is only considering four teams this summer — the Cavaliers, Lakers, Rockets, and 76ers.

As for the Knicks, who have not made the playoffs since 2013, they will likely have to continue rebuilding around their young star Kristaps Porzingis. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Neo-Nazi groups let a journalist in their meetings and rallies — here’s what he saw

[northernnba]

Q&A with Knicks' Tim Hardaway Jr. as NBA 2017-18 season tips off ... - Newsday

Newsday

Q&A with Knicks' Tim Hardaway Jr. as NBA 2017-18 season tips off ... Newsday The Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway Jr. in 2013, sent him to Atlanta two years later, and brought him back over the summer on a four-year, A Tim Hardaway Jr. & Trey Burke Reunion | New York KnicksHashtag Basketball all 2 news articles »

[giantsfootball0]

The worst superstar breakups in the NBA in the past 30 years

For three years, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were a dynamic duo for the Cleveland Cavaliers, teaming up to make three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and winning a title together in 2016. Then it all came crashing down when Irving asked out of Cleveland, possibly to get out from under James’ shadow — though if history is any indication, we won’t know all the reasons Irving left until years or decades down the line.

The James-Irving breakup is far from the first, and it won’t be the last. In fact, messy endings have become something of a staple of the NBA over the years. Fresh off Irving’s attempt on First Take to explain how things ended in Cleveland, we look back at some of the worst NBA breakups of the past three decades.

Isiah Thomas and Adrian Dantley (1989 Pistons)

After losing the 1988 NBA Finals in seven games to the Lakers, Pistons general manager Jack McCloskey traded forward Adrian Dantley, the Pistons’ leading scorer, for Mavericks misfit Mark Aguirre and a 1991 first-round pick. Dantley blamed Pistons star Isiah Thomas — even as teammates, they were seen as rivals — for the trade that brought Thomas’ Chicago buddy to Detroit. The “Bad Boy” Pistons won back-to-back titles after Dantley left. In 2014, Dantley called Thomas a “con man” during a radio interview with Detroit Sports 105.1. — Marc J. Spears

Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway (1996 Magic)Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA/Getty Images

This breakup seems so juvenile in retrospect. Shaq and Penny beefed over who was the bigger star? Who could sell more shoes? Who had more power in Orlando? Those hardly seem like good reasons to derail a potential dynasty. Now, people conveniently forget that Orlando bungled the negotiations with O’Neal before he bolted for the Lakers in 1996. Or that O’Neal yearned to play in L.A. Those were equally important reasons for the breakup, if not more important. Either way, Shaq’s departure — which Penny learned about while they were sharing a podium at a pre-Olympics news conference — was a seismic event in the NBA that still reverberates. — Ramona Shelburne

Jim Jackson, Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn (1997 Mavericks)

During a revealing interview on First Take, the former Cavaliers star detailed the motives behind his trade request that shocked the NBA this summer.

Kevin Durant says NBA trade requests occur routinely behind the scenes without anyone knowing and that he isn’t surprised by the developments of Kyrie Irving wanting out of Cleveland.

1 Related

It’s one of the juiciest NBA breakup rumors of all time and is often discussed like it’s an unsolved mystery from the ’90s — did Toni Braxton break up the Three J’s? Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn were a trio of budding stars only to be broken up after less than three seasons together. Egos got in the way, and rumor had it that a love triangle involving Braxton created a Texas-sized rift in the locker room between Kidd and Jackson, who would go weeks without talking.

The two repeatedly denied the rumor over the years and noted that it didn’t hurt Braxton’s record sales. “[Braxton] didn’t full-out deny it, and she kind of played it up because her album was coming out,” Kidd said in 2002. “I’ve never met her. But those type of things hurt a young team. We didn’t know how to handle it.” Mavs fans were singing “Unbreak My Heart” until Kidd returned and helped Dirk Nowitzki win a title in 2011. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury (1999 Timberwolves)

This breakup can largely be blamed on the 1998-99 lockout, or at least the collective bargaining agreement that ended it. Because of the new max salary limits, Marbury found himself in a situation where he’d never be paid as much as Garnett — who’d signed his big contract before the lockout. As former teammate Tom Gugliotta told Jackie MacMullan a couple of years ago, “If you ask Steph, I’m sure he’s the one kicking himself a bit. No matter what Steph did — he could score 25, 30 points — he still wasn’t going to be the best player on our team. That was KG.” It wasn’t long after the lockout ended that Marbury got his wish. He was traded to New Jersey just 18 games into the shortened season. — Adam Reisinger

Michael Jordan and the Wizards organization (2003 Wizards)Heather Hall/AFP/Getty Images

Michael Jordan arrived in D.C. in a splendid suit with the nation’s capital buzzing over His Airness taking over as Wizards president of basketball operations in 2000. But three-and-a-half seasons later, Jordan pulled out of the Wizards’ arena parking garage in his Mercedes convertible seething after being fired by owner Abe Pollin. Despite coming out of retirement and trying to turn the Wizards around himself for two seasons as a player and executive, a 40-year-old Jordan sold plenty of tickets but couldn’t get the franchise to the playoffs. Expecting to return to the front office full-time after retiring again, Jordan was fired after Pollin saw dissension within the organization and unhappy players. The owner told Jordan he was going in a different direction in a short but heated meeting. Jordan told “60 Minutes” he felt “used.”

In her self-published memoir, Irene Pollin detailed the breakup between Jordan and her husband — two competitive men who once famously argued at a players-owners labor negotiation. “This was not what Michael expected. He was shocked,” wrote Irene Pollin. “What followed was a heated discussion of what had and had not been promised. But after Abe repeated his decision ‘to go in a different direction,’ Michael lost it. He became very angry and began shouting. At that point, Abe walked out of the room as Michael called him several unflattering names. Michael stormed out of the room, went down to the parking garage, jumped into his Mercedes convertible with Illinois license plates, took the top down, and drove directly back to Chicago.” — Ohm Youngmisuk

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant (2004 Lakers)Vince Bucci/AFP/Getty Images

There’s been a lot of making up in the years since this breakup, starting when they shared MVP honors at the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix. To hear Shaq tell it now, the whole feud was “all marketing.” But make no mistake, their animosity was very real before their breakup and afterward. Shaq said everything that ever needed to be said in that infamous freestyle rap heard round the world. You know the one: “Kobe, how my ass taste?” Meanwhile, Kobe showed his cards only after the Lakers won two more championships, and he admitted he was driven to win more titles than Shaq. — Ramona Shelburne

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce (2012 Celtics)Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images

It’s hard for players now to secure a place in the deep Boston Celtics lore, but Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen did earn their spot in Celtics history by winning the 2008 NBA title as the Big Three. The Ubuntu feeling that Pierce, Garnett, Allen and guard Rajon Rondo enjoyed, however, ended in 2012 when Allen departed to the rival Miami Heat without notice. Despite a lengthy cold shoulder, Pierce and Allen have recently reconciled. Will Garnett and Rondo follow suit by the time the Celtics celebrate their 10-year title anniversary? — Marc J. Spears.

Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant (2013 Lakers)Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

This time Bryant was the jilted superstar after Dwight Howard chose to leave the Lakers to sign with the Houston Rockets. Bryant unfollowed Howard on Twitter and then posted a photo of himself and Pau Gasol on Instagram with the hashtags, #vamos #juntos #lakercorazon #vino. Translation: let’s go, together, Laker heart and Vino (the nickname Kobe gave himself that season as he nearly won a scoring title at age 36 before tearing his Achilles’ tendon. — Ramona Shelburne

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (2016 Thunder)Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports

This breakup has probably been the messiest since Shaq and Kobe. First, there was Westbrook’s infamous cupcake Instagram post after Durant bolted for the Golden State Warriors (and its obvious tie-back to Durant). Then, Westbrook showed up at Golden State’s Oracle Arena in a photographer’s vest (a passive-aggressive shot at Durant’s day as a photographer for The Players’ Tribune). Durant and his teammates responded to the cupcake photo — and cupcake shirts worn by OKC fans — by wearing those shirts after Durant’s first game back in OKC. For an extra bit of frosting, Durant had one of his signature shoes dubbed “Red Velvet.” Of course, things went to a new level this week when Durant responded to a fan’s tweet with a negative post on Thunder coach Billy Donovan and the entire organization. He’s since apologized, but obviously this isn’t over. — Ramona Shelburne

Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson (2017 Knicks)Robert Sabo/NY Daily News/Getty Images

This relationship got off to a rocky start when Jackson said in 2014 that he “wasn’t losing any sleep” over the possibility of Anthony leaving New York in free agency. And things only got worse from there. Jackson openly discussed trading Anthony in June. His issue, in part, was Anthony’s failure to adapt to Jackson’s desired system. Phil was fired before he had the chance to move Carmelo. Melo, of course, is still in New York. But his future in the city is uncertain at best. — Ian Begley

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving (2017 Cavaliers)AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

The only thing certain about Kyrie Irving’s decision to ask for a trade out of Cleveland is that the only person who truly understands why he wanted it is Kyrie Irving. He took the first step at explaining his motivation Monday on First Take, but the most memorable part of the interview was Irving’s admission that he has yet to speak to LeBron about it. For his part, LeBron has mostly stayed above it. His only subtweet so far was an Instagram post that showed him singing along to a Meek Mill song with lyrics that allude to betrayal. — Ramona Shelburne

The post The worst superstar breakups in the NBA in the past 30 years appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

from https://dailystarsports.com/2017/09/21/the-worst-superstar-breakups-in-the-nba-in-the-past-30-years/ from https://dailystarsports.tumblr.com/post/165587455546

[hashtagbasketball]

via Hashtag Basketball

[footballleague0]

The worst superstar breakups in the NBA in the past 30 years

For three years, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were a dynamic duo for the Cleveland Cavaliers, teaming up to make three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and winning a title together in 2016. Then it all came crashing down when Irving asked out of Cleveland, possibly to get out from under James’ shadow — though if history is any indication, we won’t know all the reasons Irving left until years or decades down the line.

The James-Irving breakup is far from the first, and it won’t be the last. In fact, messy endings have become something of a staple of the NBA over the years. Fresh off Irving’s attempt on First Take to explain how things ended in Cleveland, we look back at some of the worst NBA breakups of the past three decades.

Isiah Thomas and Adrian Dantley (1989 Pistons)

After losing the 1988 NBA Finals in seven games to the Lakers, Pistons general manager Jack McCloskey traded forward Adrian Dantley, the Pistons’ leading scorer, for Mavericks misfit Mark Aguirre and a 1991 first-round pick. Dantley blamed Pistons star Isiah Thomas — even as teammates, they were seen as rivals — for the trade that brought Thomas’ Chicago buddy to Detroit. The “Bad Boy” Pistons won back-to-back titles after Dantley left. In 2014, Dantley called Thomas a “con man” during a radio interview with Detroit Sports 105.1. — Marc J. Spears

Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway (1996 Magic)Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA/Getty Images

This breakup seems so juvenile in retrospect. Shaq and Penny beefed over who was the bigger star? Who could sell more shoes? Who had more power in Orlando? Those hardly seem like good reasons to derail a potential dynasty. Now, people conveniently forget that Orlando bungled the negotiations with O’Neal before he bolted for the Lakers in 1996. Or that O’Neal yearned to play in L.A. Those were equally important reasons for the breakup, if not more important. Either way, Shaq’s departure — which Penny learned about while they were sharing a podium at a pre-Olympics news conference — was a seismic event in the NBA that still reverberates. — Ramona Shelburne

Jim Jackson, Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn (1997 Mavericks)

During a revealing interview on First Take, the former Cavaliers star detailed the motives behind his trade request that shocked the NBA this summer.

Kevin Durant says NBA trade requests occur routinely behind the scenes without anyone knowing and that he isn’t surprised by the developments of Kyrie Irving wanting out of Cleveland.

1 Related

It’s one of the juiciest NBA breakup rumors of all time and is often discussed like it’s an unsolved mystery from the ’90s — did Toni Braxton break up the Three J’s? Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn were a trio of budding stars only to be broken up after less than three seasons together. Egos got in the way, and rumor had it that a love triangle involving Braxton created a Texas-sized rift in the locker room between Kidd and Jackson, who would go weeks without talking.

The two repeatedly denied the rumor over the years and noted that it didn’t hurt Braxton’s record sales. “[Braxton] didn’t full-out deny it, and she kind of played it up because her album was coming out,” Kidd said in 2002. “I’ve never met her. But those type of things hurt a young team. We didn’t know how to handle it.” Mavs fans were singing “Unbreak My Heart” until Kidd returned and helped Dirk Nowitzki win a title in 2011. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury (1999 Timberwolves)

This breakup can largely be blamed on the 1998-99 lockout, or at least the collective bargaining agreement that ended it. Because of the new max salary limits, Marbury found himself in a situation where he’d never be paid as much as Garnett — who’d signed his big contract before the lockout. As former teammate Tom Gugliotta told Jackie MacMullan a couple of years ago, “If you ask Steph, I’m sure he’s the one kicking himself a bit. No matter what Steph did — he could score 25, 30 points — he still wasn’t going to be the best player on our team. That was KG.” It wasn’t long after the lockout ended that Marbury got his wish. He was traded to New Jersey just 18 games into the shortened season. — Adam Reisinger

Michael Jordan and the Wizards organization (2003 Wizards)Heather Hall/AFP/Getty Images

Michael Jordan arrived in D.C. in a splendid suit with the nation’s capital buzzing over His Airness taking over as Wizards president of basketball operations in 2000. But three-and-a-half seasons later, Jordan pulled out of the Wizards’ arena parking garage in his Mercedes convertible seething after being fired by owner Abe Pollin. Despite coming out of retirement and trying to turn the Wizards around himself for two seasons as a player and executive, a 40-year-old Jordan sold plenty of tickets but couldn’t get the franchise to the playoffs. Expecting to return to the front office full-time after retiring again, Jordan was fired after Pollin saw dissension within the organization and unhappy players. The owner told Jordan he was going in a different direction in a short but heated meeting. Jordan told “60 Minutes” he felt “used.”

In her self-published memoir, Irene Pollin detailed the breakup between Jordan and her husband — two competitive men who once famously argued at a players-owners labor negotiation. “This was not what Michael expected. He was shocked,” wrote Irene Pollin. “What followed was a heated discussion of what had and had not been promised. But after Abe repeated his decision ‘to go in a different direction,’ Michael lost it. He became very angry and began shouting. At that point, Abe walked out of the room as Michael called him several unflattering names. Michael stormed out of the room, went down to the parking garage, jumped into his Mercedes convertible with Illinois license plates, took the top down, and drove directly back to Chicago.” — Ohm Youngmisuk

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant (2004 Lakers)Vince Bucci/AFP/Getty Images

There’s been a lot of making up in the years since this breakup, starting when they shared MVP honors at the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix. To hear Shaq tell it now, the whole feud was “all marketing.” But make no mistake, their animosity was very real before their breakup and afterward. Shaq said everything that ever needed to be said in that infamous freestyle rap heard round the world. You know the one: “Kobe, how my ass taste?” Meanwhile, Kobe showed his cards only after the Lakers won two more championships, and he admitted he was driven to win more titles than Shaq. — Ramona Shelburne

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce (2012 Celtics)Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images

It’s hard for players now to secure a place in the deep Boston Celtics lore, but Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen did earn their spot in Celtics history by winning the 2008 NBA title as the Big Three. The Ubuntu feeling that Pierce, Garnett, Allen and guard Rajon Rondo enjoyed, however, ended in 2012 when Allen departed to the rival Miami Heat without notice. Despite a lengthy cold shoulder, Pierce and Allen have recently reconciled. Will Garnett and Rondo follow suit by the time the Celtics celebrate their 10-year title anniversary? — Marc J. Spears.

Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant (2013 Lakers)Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

This time Bryant was the jilted superstar after Dwight Howard chose to leave the Lakers to sign with the Houston Rockets. Bryant unfollowed Howard on Twitter and then posted a photo of himself and Pau Gasol on Instagram with the hashtags, #vamos #juntos #lakercorazon #vino. Translation: let’s go, together, Laker heart and Vino (the nickname Kobe gave himself that season as he nearly won a scoring title at age 36 before tearing his Achilles’ tendon. — Ramona Shelburne

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (2016 Thunder)Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports

This breakup has probably been the messiest since Shaq and Kobe. First, there was Westbrook’s infamous cupcake Instagram post after Durant bolted for the Golden State Warriors (and its obvious tie-back to Durant). Then, Westbrook showed up at Golden State’s Oracle Arena in a photographer’s vest (a passive-aggressive shot at Durant’s day as a photographer for The Players’ Tribune). Durant and his teammates responded to the cupcake photo — and cupcake shirts worn by OKC fans — by wearing those shirts after Durant’s first game back in OKC. For an extra bit of frosting, Durant had one of his signature shoes dubbed “Red Velvet.” Of course, things went to a new level this week when Durant responded to a fan’s tweet with a negative post on Thunder coach Billy Donovan and the entire organization. He’s since apologized, but obviously this isn’t over. — Ramona Shelburne

Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson (2017 Knicks)Robert Sabo/NY Daily News/Getty Images

This relationship got off to a rocky start when Jackson said in 2014 that he “wasn’t losing any sleep” over the possibility of Anthony leaving New York in free agency. And things only got worse from there. Jackson openly discussed trading Anthony in June. His issue, in part, was Anthony’s failure to adapt to Jackson’s desired system. Phil was fired before he had the chance to move Carmelo. Melo, of course, is still in New York. But his future in the city is uncertain at best. — Ian Begley

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving (2017 Cavaliers)AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

The only thing certain about Kyrie Irving’s decision to ask for a trade out of Cleveland is that the only person who truly understands why he wanted it is Kyrie Irving. He took the first step at explaining his motivation Monday on First Take, but the most memorable part of the interview was Irving’s admission that he has yet to speak to LeBron about it. For his part, LeBron has mostly stayed above it. His only subtweet so far was an Instagram post that showed him singing along to a Meek Mill song with lyrics that allude to betrayal. — Ramona Shelburne

The post The worst superstar breakups in the NBA in the past 30 years appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

from http://ift.tt/2xkbLYv from http://ift.tt/2wJZWIW

[junker-town]

The list of NBA 2K18’s new classic teams you were looking for

NBA 2K18 will allow you to play with classic teams from the not-so-distant past

NBA 2K18’s release is right around the corner, and the 2K squad continues to roll out new information by the day before the game hits stores Sept. 15. One of the features everyone has been looking forward to are the new classic teams being added to the game.

As part of the launch effort, 2K has been releasing the teams under the Twitter hashtag #2KClassicTeamTournament. In the tweet, 2K asks fans which team would win a matchup between two of their classic teams.

Users tweet their selection out to their followers who can then make their own choice in the matchup. This strategy allows the 2K team to showcase the classic teams they’re featuring plus it sparks a debate among fans and builds their excitement for the game.

So far, 14 teams have been released to the public with more to come by August 25. Here’s a complete list of the teams included on this year’s game:

2015-16 Golden State Warriors

2010-11 Dallas Mavericks

2011-12 New York Knicks

2010-11 Chicago Bulls

2007-08 New Orleans Hornets

2013-14 Indiana Pacers

2007-08 Denver Nuggets

2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder

2001-02 Sacramento Kings

2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers

2005-06 Memphis Grizzlies

2012-13 Memphis Grizzlies

1996-97 Miami Heat

1998-99 New York Knicks

Classic teams for a new generation of fans

NBA 2K17 featured 45 teams from the past with teams ranging from the 1964-65 Boston Celtics to the 2012-13 Miami Heat. Plus, they included 10 all-time rosters for the college basketball teams featured on the game.

This year’s collection of new teams is completely different. The 1997 Heat and 1999 Knicks are the only two teams on the list from the 20th century and there are no teams included that played before 1996.

Normally, when you think of classic you’d think of Magic’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics. Fans of 90’s basketball would think about Jordan’s Bulls tearing up the NBA — last year’s classic team roster included five different variations of them. But this year’s game strayed away from that and included content that a younger generation of fans can consume in some knowledgable way.

Those who play the game in their late teens and early 20’s are going to remember the 2013 Grizzlies as the team who upset the Thunder to make it to the Western Conference Finals. They’ll remember the 2014 Indiana Pacers as the team that always seemed to be one piece away from upsetting LeBron James’ heat. It’s an interesting approach we haven’t seen from 2K just yet.

It’s unclear whether the other 45 teams included in last year’s game will be included in this year’s. In the past, 2K has kept some teams around and dropped a few others — we’ll see if they adopt that strategy this year. On top of these classic teams, this year’s version of the game will also allow users to play with their favorite team’s All-Time rosters.

So what do you think? Is NBA 2K doing the right thing with their classic team rosters? Who are they missing? Let us know.

[othersportsnews-blog]

Inside of the weeks of dysfunction surrounding Kyrie Irving's trade need

New Post has been published on https://othersportsnews.com/inside-of-the-weeks-of-dysfunction-surrounding-kyrie-irvings-trade-need/

Inside of the weeks of dysfunction surrounding Kyrie Irving's trade need

In excess of the a long time, LeBron James has grow to be one thing of a social media savant. He utilizes it to shape narratives, elevate eyebrows or even settle challenges when the basketball globe or his team grows chaotic.

This summer season, in the weeks pursuing the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ loss to the Golden Point out Warriors in the NBA Finals, with the basis of the franchise eroding with just about every passing information cycle, James’ Instagram account has been a mirthful sea of quiet — poking enjoyment at his bald head in a exercise session movie, throwing a glib jab at frenemy Draymond Green, posting a picture of his son’s birthday cake and his longtime trainer’s birthday social gathering and, on July 7, posting a shot of himself frolicking on a beach front in Mexico.

James is accountable for the empowerment of the modern day basketball celebrity, and Irving is exhibiting how very well he has learned to dictate terms before they are dictated to him.

Kyrie Irving is ready to depart LeBron. Should really the Cavs make a go? Kevin Pelton examines attainable trade possibilities.

Kyrie Irving — just one portion of Cleveland’s Large 3 that has attained three straight NBA Finals — has asked the Cavaliers to trade him so he no for a longer time has to enjoy along with LeBron James, sources explained to ESPN.

2 Relevant

You would have never recognised tumult was setting up in Cleveland.

There was no whiff of the organizational failures to preserve previous normal manager David Griffin, or to employ the service of Chauncey Billups to swap him. There was not even a hint at the disappointment James felt when possible trades for Paul George and Jimmy Butler fell by before and following the June 22 NBA draft. And there was no remark when a text message from Indiana Pacers normal manager Kevin Pritchard undid an settlement on a blockbuster deal for George the Cavs have been just beginning to celebrate, a instant that now life in infamy within just the organization.

Instead, in article following article, James has recurring just one hashtag: #striveforgreatness.

The real truth is these Cavs might not be striving for greatness jointly a lot for a longer time. James has however to give any assurances of his intention to stay over and above following summer season. However, even with the unexpected tension, there is certainly a sturdy belief that, if this group stayed jointly, it could be suitable back again in the Finals following June.

That was James’ message anyway: The hugely filtered, expertly produced group strategy James constantly bolstered publicly by social media and privately by a sensitive team alchemy uncovered on the way to Cleveland’s initially title in 52 a long time in 2016.

But on July 7, as James was having fun with the conclude of his family vacation in Mexico, Kyrie Irving had an additional agenda.

Irving was tired of staying Robin to James’ Batman. Weary of possessing an additional celebrity — even just one of the ideal players of all time — in regulate of his destiny. Certainly, he had learned from James in the three seasons they’d performed jointly. Certainly, he was appreciative. But Irving felt the time had arrive to consider his future into his own palms. He preferred to be the centerpiece of a team, as he considered he was heading to be three a long time back when he signed a 5-12 months extension eleven days before James decided to arrive home.

James has signed three contracts with the Cavs because Irving’s extensive-phrase determination, and James can be a no cost agent once more following 12 months. Despite the fact that he has provided no legitimate indicator he desires to depart Cleveland, he has also provided no ironclad indicator he desires to stay for a fourth agreement. And it is not likely he will offer any this kind of assurance about his long run in the limited phrase, a truth everyone involved with the Cavs has been conscious of.

And so on July 7, the kid who utilised to spend several hours finding out YouTube videos and perfecting his 1-on-1 moves in the driveway of his New Jersey home, walked into a prepared sit-down with Cavs proprietor Dan Gilbert and asked to be traded. Then he explained to him he most well-liked it to be to just one of four groups: the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat or New York Knicks.

Irving had been considering about this day for some time. In planning, he’d attained out to people today he trusted searching for information on how to go about it.

In excess of the earlier couple of months, the Cavs had been fearful about Irving’s mentality. They understood at periods he’d grown disappointed with participating in a secondary position on the team. Griffin had several conversations with Irving throughout the 12 months, sources said, striving to obtain techniques to do the job on the situation. But Irving had grow to be irritated before, the facet consequences of James’ greatness — and largesse — carrying on him. The Cavs had been in a position to navigate it, and they hoped to once more.

Of all the factors an NBA normal manager does, handling egos and thoughts driving the scenes is potentially most significant. You can get salary-cap professionals for the monetary wizardry essential to pilot an NBA franchise. Coaches are tasked with system and player development. But every little thing else — the competing agendas, the massaging of celebrity ambitions and frustrations — all that falls on another person else. A driving-the-scenes guy, an assistant mentor with a higher psychological intelligence or, in Cleveland’s case, the GM.

There is potentially no entrance-office position in the NBA with as complicated a set of personalities to control as the Cavs’ career. From the famously eruptive and impatient Gilbert, to James’ mix of passive-aggressiveness and Irving’s penchant to retreat and pout or defeat himself up, the Cavs have been walking on one thing of an psychological tightrope for the earlier three a long time. Griffin often managed it — or them, as it have been — as ideal he could. But by July 7, Griffin was in New York, meeting with the Knicks and determining no matter if he preferred to be their normal manager. His time in Cleveland finished abruptly, three days before the draft, when Gilbert declined to give him a new agreement.

Could LeBron James and Kyrie Irving portion techniques following three seasons jointly? Elsa/Getty

Substantially of Irving’s disenchantment with James was rooted in game enjoy, sources said. James, as a when-in-a-life span expertise, controlled the ball a lot more than any other ahead potentially in league history. Which implies the ball was out of Irving’s palms a lot more than he most well-liked. That said, Irving led the Cavs in photographs in the 2016-17 time, averaging 1.5 a lot more per game than James, and Irving averaged a vocation-higher twenty five.nine factors. It was the initially time in James’ vocation he failed to guide his team in photographs per game.

But there have been ancillary challenges that bothered Irving, too, this kind of as how James’ good pal Randy Mims had a place on the Cavs’ employees and traveled on the team plane even though none of Irving’s shut close friends have been afforded the same prospect. Irving chafed about how peers this kind of as Damian Lillard and John Wall have been the centre of their franchises and catered to appropriately. You can find irony there, as Wall was envious of Irving’s Nike shoe deal and Lillard has never innovative over and above the next spherical of the playoffs. Irving has been to three Finals and has a championship.

Several periods through the Cavs’ playoff run, Irving had extensive, intensive conversations with James as they tried to get the team into a groove pursuing a choppy and inconsistent typical time, sources said.

After a horrible loss to San Antonio on March 27, just one in which Irving tied a vocation-worst furthermore-minus rating of minus-29, as he scored only 8 factors on 4-of-13 taking pictures, Irving was distraught. The Cavs had just shed for the 3rd time in four games to fall out of initially location in the Jap Meeting for the initially time all time.

Irving put up added photographs on the Spurs’ courtroom, then went into the Cavs’ locker place, buried his ft in a bucket of ice and lined his head with a towel as he had an prolonged and psychological conversation with James.

“You are unable to depend on just considering that just one championship is ample. It can be organic for human beings to just get comfy,” Irving said a couple of days later on, following he’d had time to approach. “But if you a m—-f—a, you want two [championships], you want three, you want four, like you say you do. And I want a lot more. I’m heading to go consider it. My career as just one of the leaders on the team is to carry my fellas with me.”

James had arrive to comprehend and admire Irving’s insatiable travel. He’d also arrive to comprehend that at times he essential to give his twenty five-12 months-previous co-star room to approach factors on his own.

After the time, there was a want to arrange a meeting to crystal clear the air from all sides, sources said, but it failed to consider location. Contrary to most groups, the Cavs did not have postseason exit conferences with their players. Experienced a meeting with Irving taken location, the Cavs might have learned of the severity of his fears earlier. The Cavs, nevertheless, have been targeted on other matters, specifically Griffin’s long run.

In the week following the conclude of the Finals, two functions took location: George educated the Indiana Pacers he did not strategy to re-indicator with them, and he entered the trade market place entire power. And Griffin and Gilbert have been not able to arrive to terms on a agreement. Griffin still left the franchise, alongside with assistant GM Trent Redden.

What adopted was a whirlwind, with the Cavs placing forth a series of trade offers seeking to acquire possibly Butler or George. Some of these talks involved Irving, which upset him even a lot more when he uncovered out about it, sources said. Previously, Griffin had labored to preserve strains of interaction with Irving open up, but now Irving was in the darkish.

The Cavs produced an offer to the Bulls for Butler, sources said, but Chicago never severely engaged them, and there was no traction. Butler communicated with Cavs players — such as James and Irving, according to sources — but the sides have been never shut.

In the days primary up to the draft, sources said, the Cavs had talks with the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz as they appeared for a way to get George. The most really serious of those people conversations involved the Suns and a offer such as the No. 4 over-all decide on and Eric Bledsoe. The Jazz had expressed interest in Irving for the earlier couple of a long time, but sources said those people discussions never obtained that really serious.

On draft night, as the Chicago Bulls have been finalizing a deal with the Wolves to go Butler, the Cavs have been feverishly striving to assemble a three-team trade with the Pacers. The Denver Nuggets had a sturdy want to acquire Kevin Really like and grew to become a legitimate trade spouse with Indiana. The Nuggets have been eager to contain wing Gary Harris and the No. 13 decide on in that night’s draft to get Really like, and the Cavs would reroute the belongings to Indy for George, sources said.

But they could not entire the deal. Indiana was doing the job on an additional option with the Portland Trail Blazers, sources said, as they have been presenting a offer with three initially-spherical picks for George. At some point, everyone moved on and the Nuggets traded the No. 13 decide on to Utah in a offer for Trey Lyles.

In excess of the following week, the Cavs have been in a point out of uncertainty. Billups had two interviews with Gilbert, just one in Detroit and an additional in Cleveland, but he hadn’t accepted the career. In the meantime, Koby Altman had moved from No. 3 to acting No. 1, doing the job on trade phone calls as the interim GM even though listening to reviews of Billups and whom he might carry in to fill his entrance office.

Kyrie Irving’s trade need is the most recent, and potentially most really serious, consequence of the dysfunction in Cleveland because the NBA Finals. Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty

The Cavs kept doing the job with the Nuggets, striving to get a deal that would satisfy the Pacers and make it possible for Denver to get Really like and the Cavs to get George. Both of those have been worried about Boston, who could trump their presents for George but might have been waiting around to see if it could secure Gordon Hayward in no cost agency following July 1.

On the afternoon of June 30, the sides considered they had a deal. On a convention call concerning the groups, everyone tentatively agreed. George to the Cavs, Really like to the Nuggets, Harris and other items to the Pacers, sources said.

Programs have been put in location for a call to be arranged concerning George and Gilbert, an significant step before the trade would grow to be last, sources said. The entrance office began creating other plans to complement George as no cost agency was about to get started.

But then Pritchard, who had been on the convention call when the deal was tentatively agreed to, sent the message that his team was backing out, sources said. There was no deal.

The groups tried to help you save it, but soon thereafter, information broke that George was staying traded to Oklahoma Metropolis. Pritchard might have had lots of causes for shifting his head, such as not seeking to trade George to a division rival. In the conclude, all that mattered was George was no for a longer time an option for the Cavs.

In excess of the following week, the Cavs signed position guard Jose Calderon, ahead Jeff Green and re-signed wing Kyle Korver. They had missed out on Butler, George and Chris Paul, who in a reversal went to the LA Clippers and asked to be traded to the Houston Rockets alternatively of getting to be a no cost agent.

And they failed to get Billups. He withdrew from consideration of staying Griffin’s replacement on July 3 following several rounds of agreement talks with Gilbert failed. 4 days later on, with the coaching employees and entrance office in Las Vegas for the get started of summer season league, Irving’s beautiful ask for came.

After the meeting, Gilbert flew to Nevada to join the team and for the typical summer season possession conferences. He referred to as a meeting in his lodge suite with his entrance office, such as Altman, and educated them of Irving’s ask for, sources said.

It was a extensive meeting in which the group began the hard discussions about how to go ahead. They decided they would consider their time, review the approach and glimpse for a way to maximize the situation. Gilbert gave his young group a jolt of self esteem and they still left believing they could however arise from this situation Alright. Irving has enormous trade value, and they would have the chance to retrofit the roster in a way that might assistance them versus the Warriors.

In the pursuing days, Cavs players, such as James, began to listen to the information. Some have been taken aback.

“Confident, we have had our fair share of moments and sort of chaotic periods, and that is naturally been very well documented, but at the same time we have had a good deal of pleasure,” just one Cavs player explained to ESPN. “I hope Kyrie is with us, that is all I obtained to say. At the conclude of the day, we’re fairly f—ing good.”

The situation remained typically top secret, while rumblings of Irving’s displeasure begun to ripple by the summer season league rumor mill. Gilbert opened agreement talks with Altman to consider in excess of as permanent GM, sooner or later agreeing with him on a three-12 months agreement. Altman decided to make Mike Gansey, who when performed for the Cavs D-League team in Erie, Pennsylvania, and has slowly and gradually risen by the ranks following beginning as an intern, his No. 2.

Then, previous Friday, it went public with an ESPN report, and the Cavs’ phones begun exploding with interest all around the league. Internally, the team and players had currently absent by levels of shock.

That involved James, who changed his social media temper late Saturday, heading melancholy. In his classic, multilayered way, he posted a limited movie on Instagram with a new track from Meek Mill referred to as “Large Coronary heart” blasting within a car, nodding and shaking his head to these lyrics:

Damn, the game still left me with a large heart.

The streets still left me with a large heart.

N—– said they you with you when they genuinely not.

No hashtags this time.

Chris Haynes and Zach Lowe contributed to this report.

Source url