LeBron is ridiculous

LeBron James is being profiled on “60 Minutes” this week, and in the middle of the interview he casually drains a shot from well past half court.

USA Basketball announces 2009-2012 committees

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (March 25, 2009) -- USA Basketball today announced that its Board of Directors has approved USA Basketball committees for the 2009-2012 quadrennium.

The committees, which feature representation from USA Basketball member organizations as well as elected athlete representatives, include the Men's and Women's Junior National Team Committees, Men's and Women's Developmental National Team Committees, Women's National Team Ad Hoc Committee, Finance & Audit Committee and Officials Advisory Panel.

Men's and Women's Junior National Team Committees

The 2009-2012 Men's Junior National Committee, which was formerly known as the Men's Collegiate Committee, is chaired by NCAA representative Jim Boeheim (head coach, Syracuse University) and includes NCAA appointees Lorenzo Romar (head coach, University of Washington), Bruce Weber (head coach, University of Illinois) and Roy Williams (head coach, University of North Carolina); and Athlete Representative Jay Williams, a member of the 2002 USA World Championship Team.

The 2009-2012 Women's Junior National Team Committee, also formerly known as the Women's Collegiate Committee, is chaired by NCAA representative Sue Donohoe (Vice President for Division I Women's Basketball), and includes NCAA appointees Joanne Boyle (head coach, University of California), Coquese Washington (head coach, Penn State University) and Connie Yori (head coach, University of Nebraska); and Athlete Representative Beth Cunningham (head coach, Virginia Commonwealth University), a member of the 1999 USA Pan American Games Team.

The Men's and Women's Junior National Team committees will select coaches and athletes for USA Basketball college-aged competitions, which include the 2009 and 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships; the 2010 and 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championships; the 2009 and 2011 World University Games; and the 2011 Pan American Games. The four NCAA members on both committees represent different geographic regions of the country.

Men's and Women's Developmental Committees

The USA Basketball Men's Development National Team Committee is chaired by Sean Ford (Men's National Team Director, USA Basketball) in a non-voting position and includes National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) appointees Eric Flannery (St. Edward's High School, Ohio) and John Olive (Torrey Pines High School, Calif.); Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) representatives Ron Crawford (Arkansas Wings, Ark.) and Boo Williams (Boo Williams Summer League, Va.); and Athlete Representative Kermit Holmes (assistant coach, Lamar University), a member of the 1999 USA Pan American Games Team.

The USA Basketball Women's Development National Team Committee is chaired by Carol Callan (Women's National Team Director, USA Basketball) in a non-voting position and includes NFHS members Jill Meerman (Decatur Central High School, Ind.) and Sue Phillips (Archbishop Mitty High School, Calif.); AAU appointees Jody Patrick (Vogues AAU, Va.) and Brian Robinson (Stealers AAU, N.C.); and Athlete Representative Jamie Carey (head coach, Legacy High School, Colo.), a member of the 2003 USA Pan American Games Team.

The Men's and Women's Developmental National Team committees will select coaches and athletes for USA Basketball teams competing in the 2009 and 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championships; and the 2010 and 2012 FIBA U17 World Championships. The Men's Developmental National Team Committee also will select staff and players for the Nike Hoop Summit.

Women's National Team Ad Hoc Committee

The 2009-2012 Women's National Team Ad Hoc Committee includes: Val Ackerman (Past President, USA Basketball); Renee Brown (WNBA Vice President of Player Personnel); Carol Callan (Women's National Team Director, USA Basketball); Jim Tooley (Executive Director, USA Basketball); and Athlete Representative Teresa Edwards, a five-time Olympic athlete and four-time gold medalist.

The role of the Women's National Team Ad Hoc Committee is to review basketball matters related to the participation of the Women's National Team in the FIBA 2010 World Championship and the 2012 Olympics. The USA Basketball Women's National Team automatically qualified for the 2010 World Championship with its gold medal finish in the 2008 Olympics. The USA women will have three opportunities to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, including a World Championship gold medal finish. Should the USA not finish with the gold medal in 2010, it would have two additional chances to qualify for the Olympics: the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship and the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Finance & Audit Committee

The 2009-2012 USA Basketball Finance & Audit Committee includes: Jerry Colangelo (Chairman, USA Basketball); Gene Smith (Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics at Ohio State University); Bob Kanaby (Executive Director of the NFHS); and Athlete Representative Steve Smith, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist.

The Finance & Audit Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Board regarding the organization's financial investments, reviewing independent auditors for USA Basketball and, if necessary, oversight, implementation and compliance with the USA Basketball Code of Ethics.

Officials Advisory Panel

The 2009-2012 USA Basketball Officials & Advisory Panel includes: John Adams (NCAA Coordinator of Men's Officiating); Sally Bell (1996 Olympic referee); Joe Borgia (NBA Director of Officiating & Development); Dee Kantner (WNBA Supervisor of Officials); Terry Moore (2006 World Championship referee); and Mary Struckhoff (NCAA Coordinator of Women's Officiating).

The primary purpose of the Officials Advisory Panel is to recommend to the Board referees that are FIBA certified from the USA to officiate at various international basketball competitions.

Bulls, Jazz to play in London

LONDON – March 25, 2009 – The NBA returns to London for the third consecutive year as Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls take on the Utah Jazz at The O2 on Oct. 6 as part of NBA Europe Live 2009 presented by EA SPORTS™ the National Basketball Association, Euroleague Basketball and EA SPORTS announced today. A second game of the NBA’s European tour will be announced at a later date.

Deng, British-born Ben Gordon and the Bulls will face the Jazz in London, who feature U.S. Senior National Team teammates and 2008 Olympic Gold medalists Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer. Tickets for the game at The O2 are on sale now at www.theo2.co.uk or by calling 0844 856 0202.

“For the last three years through NBA Europe Live, I have been able to witness first-hand, the passion and excitement of basketball fans in Europe.” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “This year will be no different when two franchises rich in tradition and success, the Bulls and the Jazz, play at The O2. The continued efforts of Euroleague Basketball and EA SPORTS, together with the ongoing support of England Basketball, British Basketball and the British Basketball League, are a testament to the commitment to grow basketball in the U.K.”

Since the 1993 preseason games at Wembley Arena -- the first NBA games in Europe -- London has hosted four NBA games and seven teams. The Bulls, who are six-time NBA Champions, last played in Europe at the 1997 McDonald’s Championship in Paris.

“It has always been my dream to play for the Bulls in London.” said Luol Deng. “They were the team I supported as a kid growing up and I am looking forward to playing in front of my hometown family and friends. We will put on a great show for the fans, whilst having the opportunity to show my teammates the culture that London has to offer.”

Basketball in the U.K. has enjoyed a recent resurgence with club membership doubling over the last four years ahead of the 2012 Olympics. British Basketball, behind Deng and Pops Mensah Bonsu (Toronto Raptors), qualified for EuroBasket 2009 and will host a four-team tournament at The O2 from August 14-16. In addition, thousands of young people in London will have access to basketball coaching instruction and organized competition with the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program, in partnership with Greenhouse Schools. The NBA will also support the London Youth Games, which tips-off in May.

“We’re thrilled to be welcoming the NBA back again to The O2 for a third successive year. With home grown stars like Luol Deng playing I know that the game will be another must see sporting event at the venue,” said The O2’s Managing Director Mark Donnelly. “The event has previously drawn visitors from across the UK and Europe – and I am sure they will be flocking back again this year.”

EA SPORTS will once again serve as the presenting partner of NBA Europe Live, which it has since the inaugural tour in 2006. adidas, American Airlines, Champion and The Coca-Cola Company will also return as marketing partners, while Spalding, the official basketball of the NBA, will serve as the tour's official supplier. Carey and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) will serve as marketing partners in London and will join all partners in conducting NBA-themed promotional activities to reach basketball fans around the game at The O2.

“We’re excited to continue our support of NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS, a great platform for basketball fans across Europe to experience the world’s best basketball on a grand stage,” said Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS. “This continues to be the perfect opportunity for EA SPORTS to help expand the NBA’s global footprint, to grow our NBA LIVE videogame franchise, and to further globalize our business.”

NBA Europe Live 2009 will again serve to raise the profile of basketball in the U.K with new events and marketing partner support across a number of activities. As part of the 2008 Europe Live Tour, the NBA’s Central Court in London provided a stage for free basketball opportunities featuring participants from the UK’s Jr. NBA program, London Youth Games and the GB Wheelchair Basketball Team. NBA Jam Van joined Europe Live making an impact in each host city, while presenting partner EA SPORTS hosted a skills challenge for fans in London and Paris. In addition to the basketball action, the NBA conducted a variety of community events and programs as part of its NBA Cares initiative, including a court refurbishment at Larkhall Park, working in partnership with Lambeth Council and the Lambeth Sports Action Zone.

The inaugural NBA Europe Live in 2006 featured the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs playing preseason games in Barcelona, Moscow, Rome, Paris, Lyon and Cologne. NBA Europe Live returned in 2007 with the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors visiting Rome, Madrid, London and Istanbul. In 2008, the Miami Heat faced the New Jersey Nets in London and Paris, while the New Orleans Hornets played the Washington Wizards in Barcelona and Berlin.

Bucks' Bango has surgery

Bucks mascot Bango had successful surgery Monday morning to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, the team announced today.

The surgical procedure was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Gordon, M.D., at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Ozaukee, Wisconsin.

Bango will begin rehabilitation immediately and is expected to make a complete recovery in time for the start of the 2009-10 season. The popular mascot will continue to set the entertainment pace at Milwaukee’s final five home games of the season next month, and is expected back for the next home game on Wednesday, April 1 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

The ageless Bango has brought smiles and thrills to Bucks fans at home games, appearances, parades, school assemblies, hospital visits, festivals, and everywhere Bucks fans celebrate since 1977. He has performed throughout the United States, Canada and in China.

Raptors sign Douby

NEW YORK, March 24, 2009 – The Toronto Raptors today signed Erie BayHawks guard Quincy Douby, making him the 17th GATORADE Call-Up of the 2008-09 NBA Development League Season and the first for the BayHawks in the team’s history. Douby joins fellow former NBA D-Leaguers Nathan Jawai, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Patrick O’Bryant on the Raptors roster.

Douby, a 6-3, joined the BayHakws on March 11 and has played in five games, averaging 18.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28.6 minutes. He scored in double-figures in all five games, including a season-high 23 points in a 107-98 loss at Albuquerque on March 21.

Selected in the first round, 19th overall, by the Sacramento Kings in the 2006 NBA Draft, Douby averaged 4.1 points and 1.0 rebounds in 10.7 minutes over 116 career games with the Kings before being released by Sacramento on January 21, 2009.

In 95 career games at Rutgers University, Douby averaged 17.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists, finishing his career ranked sixth in school history in scoring (1,690) while holding the school’s career record for points scored in a single season (839, 2005-06). During his junior year, Douby led the Big East in scoring, and finished sixth nationally, with 25.4 points per game and earned first-team All-Big East honors.

Skiles, CV31 and Twitter-gate

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - I'm usually safely behind the curve in the technological revolution.

I text, and am fairly well versed in the world of computers, but I still struggle with my DVR and can't figure out how to sync up Rhapsody to my cell phone.

If it were up to me, I would still be tucking a newspaper under my arm when the mood struck, and buying CDs at Sam Goody.

I could care less about My Space and Facebook and I have never been, nor do I have any desire to be, "tweeted."

In fact, when I think "tweet," I picture a young Michael Jackson singing "Rockin Robin," or Sylvester the Cat chasing around Tweety Bird.

So, for the rest of the technically-challenged, Twitter is the latest in thing in the social networking world, a micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as "tweets."

According to the good folks at Twitter.com, "Tweets" are text-based posts of up to 140 bytes in length. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them.

Charlie Villanueva didn't think his "tweet" would cause such a stir.

Evidently plenty of people love getting updates on the grocery-shopping skills of their favorite celebrities, politicians and sports stars.

Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva is one of a handful of NBA players that has embraced the Twitter phenomenon and has cultivated more than 1,600 "followers" subscribing to his feed.

On Sunday, Villanueva took things a little too far.

Instead of updating his fans on his latest cereal purchase or the BLT he had for lunch, the rising star posted a message to his Twitter feed from his mobile phone during halftime of the team's win over the Boston Celtics.

Using the screen name "CV31," Villanueva wrote: "In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up."

Certainly nothing earth-shattering but the no-nonsense coach who wanted that toughness, Scott Skiles, wasn't amused when he found out.

"We made a point to Charlie and the team that it's nothing we ever want to happen again," Skiles said after practice Tuesday. "We don't want to blow it out of proportion. But anything that gives the impression that we're not serious and focused at all times is not the correct way to go about our business."

Probably a legitimate point by Skiles but Villanueva did finish the contest with a team-high 19 points as the Bucks, who are fighting for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, topped the C's 86-77.

Skiles gave Villanueva the benefit of the doubt but made sure the former UConn star understood other people could view things very differently.

"I think a reasonable person could look at that either way," Skiles said. "I know from the comments I've gotten from some people in the game that there could be people who think it's a sign (showing lack of focus). We just want to distance ourselves, that's all."

For his part, Villanueva didn't think his "tweet" would cause such a stir but did understand that some people could jump to the conclusion that he wasn't all that focused on the task at hand.

"That wasn't the case at all, because I was very into the game," Villanueva told The Associated Press. "But you can interpret it two different ways. You can look at it like, 'OK, he's definitely going to step up' versus, 'Oh, he's really not into the game, he's not paying attention.'"

Skiles elected not to fine Villanueva for his indiscretion but called it a "no-brainer" that players shouldn't be doing such things from the locker room.

"My personal opinion is, it doesn't have any place in the locker room," Skiles said.

I'll take LeBron over Cinderella anytime

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - I'm an unapologetic NBA guy, but at the end of the day, I love basketball.

In fact, I'm a little like Larry Brown or Blue Chips' Pete Bell when it comes to hoops. If Brown wasn't a Hall of Fame coach turning around yet another franchise in Charlotte, he might be piloting his local high school team...or so he says.

Meanwhile, caught up in a scandal at the fictional Western University, Bell (played by Nick Nolte) confesses to his part in the shenanigans, and walks away from his high-profile gig in order to coach high school ball.

I feel a kinship.

If I wasn't lucky enough to cover the NBA, I would probably string a few high school games for my local newspaper. Basketball is that much fun for me.

And that's why I found myself at the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Wachovia Center on Thursday.

If you ask the average basketball fan, nothing is more fun than "March Madness." In fact, the NCAA Tournament is one of those sacred cows that's bulletproof. I've found that knocking the "Big Dance" is like kicking someone's dog, at least to the simple-minded who buy the annual hype of the thing.

And as a lifelong basketball fan, I found it amusing when I was recently attacked for telling the truth about college basketball.

You know, the common sense stuff. Things like the fact that the regular season has been rendered meaningless by greed and the mindless conference tournaments. Or the fact that maybe every kid and every coach in the country may not be all that Dick Vitale cracks them up to me.

The 16 seed has never won a game in the tournament.

Of course, it's not that I don't like the tourney -- I love it once it actually gets underway.

You see, I am enamored with good basketball so the real NCAA Tournament doesn't begin for me until Saturday. All the dregs will have been thrown out on their collective ears by that point, and most of the remaining teams actually have something to offer.

It's at this point where I can already feel the blood begin to boil and anticipate your next question -- What about Cinderella?

Well you have been hoodwinked people -- Cinderella is a fairy tale. A story of folkloric characters where the context is perceived by certain rubes as having historical significance. However, the superficial references to actual places and persons isn't steeped in reality.

Since the NCAA Tournament was expanded to 64 teams, the 16 seed is now a sterling 0-98 entering Friday's play, although some may take solace in the fact that Chattanooga kept it within eight touchdowns of UConn on Thursday.

Yep, that's great basketball -- I've seen executions that had more suspense than that. And, in case you are wondering, two seeds have dropped all of four games in the past 25 years of the tourney.

Take a look at the lowest seeds to advance "deep" into the tourney and you see the stark reality of "Cinderella" -- Two 14 seeds (Cleveland State in 1986 and Chattanooga in 1997) have made the Sweet 16. One 12 seed (Missouri in 2002) made the Elite Eight and two 11 seeds (LSU in 1986 and George Mason in 2006) made the Final Four.

Of that group, only Cleveland State, Chattanooga and George Mason would qualify as a so-called mid-major Cinderella.

But, even that misses the point -- last time I looked Cinderella wasn't a runner-up.

To me, many who tell you college hoops offers a better brand of basketball than the NBA are biased against the league and its racial makeup.

That said, the sudden death format of the NCAA Tournament certainly brings with it the opportunity for far more excitement. After all, one-and-done is always more compelling than best-of-seven.

Unfortunately, the NCAA's obsession with creating Cinderella results in far more mismatches than we deserve. There were four games at the Wachovia Center on Thursday, and I was subjected to two stinkers.

The most interesting affair of the day should have been the eight/nine game that kicked things off.

Texas A&M faced off with BYU in a first round West Regional bracket game. As expected, ninth-seeded A&M, led by senior forward Josh Carter and junior guard David Sloan, was the more athletic team.

After Jackson Emery opened the game with a three for BYU, the Aggies scored the next 11 points to establish control, and never looked back.

Things only got worse in the next game as the top-seed in the West Bracket, UConn, hit the floor against an overmatched Chattanooga club. The Huskies dominated the 16th-seeded Mocs despite the absence of coach Jim Calhoun.

Keyron Sheard opened the game for the Mocs by picking the pocket of A.J. Price and igniting the quickly-growing crowd with a fastbreak lay-up. Moments later, Nicchaeus Doaks deposited his own layup and Chattanooga, led 8-6. That was the last lead the Mocs would enjoy.

Chattanooga was down by as many as 30 points in the opening half and trailed by a ridiculous 48-20 margin at intermission. The second half was just glorified garbage time as the Huskies opened the stanza with a 15-0 run en route to tattooing the Mocs, earning a 103-47 win, one of the largest scoring differentials in NCAA Tournament history.

Am I missing something?

Is that fun?

Give me LeBron James until the real tournament games start.

Remembering the Spectrum

By John McMullen, NBA Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - A lot of sportswriters can play the elitist card like a classically trained cellist.

In fact, I personally know a number of scribes that look down upon the fans who read them.

I will admit that I can occasionally fall into the same trap. I mean, it is hard to understand a 40-year-old man who cares more about his favorite sports team than say his family or job.

That said, we all got into this business for one reason. At one time, no matter how much we deny it, every single sportswriter was a fan of some player or team before they embarked on their chosen career path.

For me, that team was the Philadelphia 76ers and the player was Julius "Dr. J." Erving.

I've long since stopped living and dying with the Sixers. Win, lose or draw, I have to write about it anyway, so I spend most of time now rooting for a compelling storyline.

Not on Friday.

The chills came back when Philadelphia's famed Spectrum hosted its final big league game after more than four decades.

Dubbed "America's Showplace" by the Sixers' parent company of Comcast- Spectacor, the Spectrum is a South Philly treasure, limping to the finish line in a sports world dominated by huge buildings with dozens of luxury boxes.

The dingy, old arena is scheduled to be demolished later this year to make way for a new hotel, entertainment and retail complex called "Philly Live."

So, the 76ers paid homage to their past, hosting the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

The game turned out to be an exciting affair but the crowd, the Sixers first sellout of the season, was really there to see Erving and other members of the Sixers' two championship clubs, the 1966-67 group that was once named the NBA's greatest team, and 1982-83 Moses Malone fueled champs.

Legendary public address announcer Dave Zinkoff and saxophonist extrordonaire Grover Washington Jr. have long since passed, but the team brought in reasonable facsimiles. Local comedian and mimic Joe Conklin filled in nicely for "Zink" with a terrific Errrrrrrrrvvvvviiiinnnggggggg and an 11-year-old prodigy blew a tribute to Grover.

"Zink called out to the players every night, all that stuff you always remember," former Sixer Earl Cureton said. "Zink did a great job as an announcer; they got his name hanging from the rafters now because of it. He is probably one of the greatest public address announcers ever in the NBA. It was special. And of course Grover Washington always in those championship series', the way he used to play the national anthem. It gave you chills."

The franchise also brought back the old Spectrum hardwood and a classic old- time organist. The only frills brought across the parking lot from the Wachovia Center were the Sixers' Dancers, the team's mascot, Hip-Hop, and his Hare Raisers, a group of gymnasts that perform during timeouts.

But, the dancers twirled to '80s music like Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, while the Hare Raisers kept a low profile, only coming out to throw t-shirts to the fans in the fourth quarter.

Former players on hand included Malone, Marc Iavaroni, Bobby Jones, Cureton, Clemon Johnson and Reggie Johnson from the '82-83 club and Wali Jones from the '66-67 team.

The only think missing was Hip-Hop's predecessor, the muppet like "Big Shot."

For me, so many indelible Sixers moments, both good and bad, came flooding back when I entered the building.

Dr. J's thunderous "cuff dunk" over Michael Cooper in the 1983 NBA Finals.

Erving notching his 30,000th point while playing in his final regular-season home game, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as the only 30,000-point scorers in the history of pro basketball history at the time.

The good Doctor's amazing up, over and around baseline move past Mark Landsberger in the 1980 Finals that is still a staple on YouTube.

"Here I was, trying to win a championship, and my mouth just dropped open," Magic Johnson, then a rookie, recalled of that play. "He actually did that. I thought, 'What should we do? Should we take the ball out or should we ask him to do it again?'"

Or how about the then-20-year-old Johnson taking over for the injured Abdul- Jabbar. and scoring 42 points, pulling down 15 rebounds and dishing seven assists as the Lakers won the NBA title by closing out the Sixers in Game 6 of the '80 Finals.

The Broad Street Bullies were the ones famous for fighting but Game 2 of the 1976-77 NBA Finals featured the Sixers' Darryl Dawkins, who once tore down a backboard at the Spectrum with one of his thunderous dunks, and the Blazers' Maurice Lucas getting into a fist fight.

But, perhaps my favorite moment was delivered by Cureton, a little known reserve center. On May 26, 1983 in Game 2 of the '83 Finals, the Sixers were in a bind when Malone left the game in foul trouble during the third quarter.

Malone's usual replacement, the underrated Clemon Johnson was injured, so Billy Cunningham went to the 6-foot-9 offensively-challenged Cureton, who stunned the Spectrum crowd by depositing a sky-hook over the master himself, Abbul-Jabbar.

To this day, I have never heard an arena explode like that.

"When you are playing the Lakers in the finals, it was huge," Cureton said. "I was getting prepared and getting psyched up, and ready to go in there and play against them.

"That was a little momentum-changer in the game. Moses was in foul trouble and it looked like they were going to take advantage of us because I came in to guard Kareem. But we took advantage of it. I answered the bell and it worked out."

On Sunday, I will be back in the Wachovia Center and while I'll certainly enjoy the wireless Internet, the extra leg room and Dwyane Wade, you can bet I will glance across the parking lot at the ugly duckling that is the Spectrum.

Philly Live indeed.

Pistons Mourn The Passing Of Owner William Davidson

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment mourn the passing of pioneer owner William Davidson. The 86-year-old passed away at home on March 13, 2009 with his family by his side.

“The entire Palace family is mourning the loss of Mr. Davidson,” said Tom Wilson, President of Palace Sports and Entertainment and the Pistons. “He was truly a pioneer in so many ways. His legacy will live forever.”

Mr. Davidson owned the Pistons since 1974 and won three NBA Championships (1989, 1990, 2004), three WNBA Championships (2004, 2006, 2008) and one NHL Championship (2004). He became the first owner in sports history to win championships in three different professional sports leagues during the 2003-04 calendar year (NBA – Detroit Pistons, NHL – Tampa Bay Lightning and WNBA – Detroit Shock). In September 2008, Davidson’s contributions to the game of basketball were honored when he was officially enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In 1988-89, the Pistons began play in The Palace of Auburn Hills, a state-of-the-art arena built with Davidson's financial support: a privately-financed facility, which when combined with the Pistons, formed the foundation of his entertainment business. The company also added management of the DTE Energy Music Theatre in 1990 and Meadow Brook Music Festival in the summer of 1994, further developing the entertainment division of Palace Sports and Entertainment.

Davidson’s world champion Pistons were the first professional sports team to own their own plane, Roundball One. Roundball Two, a newer, larger, multimillion-dollar aircraft was purchased and refurbished in the summer of 1998 for the organization. He continued to keep the team at the league's forefront with such amenities as a state-of-the-art practice facility, solely designed for the Pistons. Updated with new offices and enlarged locker room space in 2008, it was used for the team's training camp for the 14th straight year, alleviating the need to go off-site for the preseason.

The Pistons have played in the postseason in 19 of the past 25 years, including 11 of the past 13 seasons. Davidson acquired the Detroit Pistons in 1974 from the late Fred Zollner, the man who founded the team in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the 1940s. With a franchise-record seven straight seasons of recording 50 or more wins, the Pistons have won 384 regular season games (.669 wining percentage) since 2001, including a franchise-record 63 wins in 2005-06. The club has compiled 73 playoff wins in that same span and made six consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Detroit has won six Central Division titles in the last seven seasons and nine overall since 1987-88. Only the San Antonio Spurs have won more division titles in the same 20-year span.

The Detroit Shock joined the Washington Mystics as the first two expansion teams in the WNBA in 1998 and the team was an immediate success in the upstart league. The Shock have won three championships since their inception (2004, 2006, 2008) and set a WNBA attendance record (22,076) in Game 3 of the 2004 WNBA Finals while also becoming the first team since 1890 to go from the worst team in a professional sports league to the best team.

Paul, Hornets help New Orleans rebuild

By John McMullen, NBA Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - When you cover professional sports for a living, you tend to gain some perspective that the average fan may lack.

At the end of the day, every game, be it a preseason affair in Fargo or the seventh game of the NBA Finals, is just a form of entertainment. It may be fun when your team triumphs, but this stuff isn't exactly life and death.

That said, a sport like basketball can be far more powerful than you might imagine.

Hurricane Katrina made landfall onto the Gulf Coast in August of 2005. Over three years later, its effects still resonate as loudly as ever in the city of New Orleans.

Basketball was rightfully way down on the list of concerns Mayor Ray Nagin had when he thought about rebuilding his city.

After all, Katrina ended up being the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States. The mega-storm caused severe destruction along the Gulf Coast from central Florida all the way to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge.

The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. In fact, the federal flood protection system in the bowl-like city failed in more than 50 locations.

Nearly every levee in metro New Orleans was breached as Katrina passed just east of the city limits. Eventually 80 percent of the city flooded, as did many of the neighboring parishes.

The floodwaters lingered for weeks and nearly 2,000 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. The storm was estimated to have been responsible for $81.2 billion in damage, a number that increases every day.

"I love New Orleans more and more every day," Hornets superstar Chris Paul told The Sports Network.

Slowly but surely, New Orleans continues to rebuild from the storm and basketball, in its own little way, is playing a part.

"I love New Orleans more and more every day," Hornets superstar Chris Paul told The Sports Network. "To tell you the truth. I tell people a lot of times, it's the people that make the city, and not any of the buildings or the streets or anything like that."

To that end, the New Orleans Recreation Department is working to restore the city's communities by rebuilding facilities that house the athletic and recreational, as well as educational and cultural programs, which shut down following Katrina.

City operated playgrounds, stadiums, basketball courts, swimming pools and multi-purpose centers suffered an estimated $60 million in damages from the storm, according to NORD.

Today, NORD is operating with a staff of only 55, down from the 264 it employed before the storm and with just 60 percent of its pre-Katrina budget, Despite those funding challenges, NORD Director Larry Barabino Jr. and his staff have been able to reopen 80 of its 150 facilities, and reestablish successful youth sport seasons for over 5,000 of the city's youth.

"We're working very hard to return everything our communities lost after the storms including those centers that our youth became so accustomed to using for various reasons," Barabino said. "NORD was devastated, our budget went from $8.7 million to $87,000 at one point but thanks to the generosity of corporations and foundations, we have been able to provide New Orleans youth with safe, wholesome, fun and educational activities."

A New Orleans native and alumnus of the NORD programs, Barabino once played as a youngster in the parks and recreation centers that were flooded and then shut down to New Orleans youth and understands how important they can be.

"NORD's athletic and vocational programs are giving people a reason to return home to New Orleans," says Barabino, "The Hornets have been great with that. They always give us tickets to award the kids and just to give you a sense of their commitment, Chris Paul and the team set up a meet-and-greet after a Lakers-Hornets game where the kids got to meet Chris and Kobe Bryant. You can imagine how exciting that is for our youth."

Barabino has created a coalition of corporate, non-profit and community volunteer organizations that includes business giants like Nike and Wal-Mart to help rebuild New Orleans' basketball courts and playgrounds. The NBA and its players have also been heavily involved.

"We have been able to rebuild in these trying times because of the generosity of people like Chris Paul, Chris Duhon and Mo Pete (Morris Peterson). The spirit of care in their hearts for the kids is overwhelming."

Duhon, the New York Knicks point guard and a New Orleans native, has refurbished 16 basketball courts on his own, while the Hornets have also been a key component in New Orleans' resurgence. Owner George Shinn has committed to refurbishing five local courts and Paul has personally committed to restoring three more.

"He dedicated one to his high school (West Forsyth in Clemmons, N.C.) and one to his college (Wake Forest). I guess he will surprise us with the third," Barabino said of Paul.

"Giving back to my community is very important," Paul added. "Through my foundation and the Hornets I have been able to help the community and will always do so. New Orleans is home to me and giving back to New Orleans is something that is very important to me."

The Hornets organization is well aware of how devastating Katrina was. The hurricane caused extensive damage to the New Orleans Arena and the team was without a real home, playing the majority of its games in both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.

"I feel like the people here in New Orleans are my family, Paul said. "When I was drafted, I was drafted here to New Orleans -- and the storm hit (about two months) later. So, I felt the devastation."

Permanent relocation was a serious possibility but the Hornets finally returned to the Big Easy for the 2007-08 season. This past January, the State of Louisiana and the Hornets ended 10 months of negotiations by signing an amended lease agreement that extends the club's lease for two years, effectively keeping the team in New Orleans through at least 2014.

"The people could easily have turned their backs on us, because there are more responsibilities than us winning basketball games. But they haven't," Paul said.

A certain sense of normalcy surrounds the city now, but there is still a long way to go. Nagin regularly battles with FEMA over aid due to his city and the surrounding parishes, but Barabino is excited and optimistic that the new Obama administration will makes things easier.

"Right now we are getting 30 cents on the dollar from FEMA but the new administration has been receptive to the city and what we think needs to be done," Barabino said.

Money is certainly the most important piece to the puzzle but a shared sense of community is also relevant.

Nothing helps bring a community together more than a championship, and that's where the Hornets come in. The Larry O'Brien Trophy wouldn't be tangible to the hundreds of thousands of people that call the city home but the sense of shared accomplishment and civic pride it would bring can't be underestimated.

Perhaps no city deserves to feel that more than New Orleans.

"Everyone here has a different story, and that's just why every time you hear a story you can't help but to get teary-eyed and get goose bumps because when you see the pictures and you see the footage on TV no way can that actually compare to the people that were here during the storm," Paul said. "We talked about it as a team, how great of a story it would be. Being back in New Orleans full-time and making a run for this thing (the NBA Championship).

"From my perspective, playing for the New Orleans Hornets, one of the best things I could do is give the city something to cheer about. People are working hard on different projects and trying to get things back to normal but it's still not where it wants to be. I understand that I have New Orleans on my chest so I represent this city and all the people in it, and that is one of the reasons why I play so hard."

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Thursday, February 26, 2009

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Rockets forward Ron Artest on guarding Cavaliers forward LeBron James: “Right now I’m playing at about 260-265, so it’s not really a hard task to guard LeBron. And I guess vice versa, he has to guard me on the other end. The only difference between LeBron is he’s just so much more athletic than what I am. He reminds me of a new and improved Ron Artest.”

Marv Albert: “A lot of humility there.”

Reggie Miller: “(Artest) truly believes he’s the best player in the league. He’s gifted on the defensive end, but sometimes he says some things that make you scratch your head and right there, that is one of them.”

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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley

Smith on the Rockets trading guard Rafer Alston to Orlando and starting Aaron Brooks: “Rafer Alston knows how to run a team and Aaron Brooks is learning how to run a team. That’s why Orlando now has a shot to win the Eastern Conference because they now have a guy that knows how to run the show. Aaron Brooks is a good player, but he’s in training.”

Barkley on Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks: “Aaron Brooks is a good player but he’s not as good a player as (former Rockets guard) Rafer Alston. (The Rockets) know they aren’t going to win now, any success they have is icing on the cake. Aaron Brooks is a good back-up (player), he’s not a starter. He’s a score-first point guard.”

Barkley on the Cleveland Cavaliers style of play: “I don’t like the way (the Cavaliers) play. I wish they would run the ball more and let LeBron (James) finish more. When they play against really good teams, like the Celtics or Magic deep in the playoffs, I wish he (LeBron James) would finish more instead of setting other guys up.”

Barkley on long-time Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller who passed away earlier this week: “The thing I respect about (Larry Miller) was that he was a fan. I feel bad; he was a great owner and a great fan. The NBA is worse off without him.”

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Game #1: Cleveland Cavaliers (74) @ Houston Rockets (93)

Announcers: Marv Albert, Mike Fratello and Reggie Miller; David Aldridge reporting

Fratello on Rockets forward Luis Scola: “Luis Scola is only given credit for one year of experience (in the NBA), he was a rookie last year. He’s far from a rookie; he’s got all the international experience. He’s a veteran guy who knows how to play. He’s an excellent player.”

Miller on the Rockets lacking leadership on the floor with McGrady injured: “It’s almost by committee, (head coach Rick Adelman) mentioned Shane (Battier), Dikembe (Mutombo) also speaks his mind. They need a guy on the floor who can lead right now and I don’t think the Rockets have that.”

Rockets forward Ron Artest on guarding Cavaliers forward LeBron James: “Right now I’m playing at about 260-265, so it’s not really a hard task to guard LeBron. And I guess vice versa, he has to guard me on the other end. The only difference between LeBron is he’s just so much more athletic than what I am. He reminds me of a new and improved Ron Artest.”

Albert: “A lot of humility there.”

Miller: “(Artest) truly believes he’s the best player in the league. He’s gifted on the defensive end, but sometimes he says some things that make you scratch your head and right there, that is one of them.”

Miller on the Rockets new roster: “The games will only get bigger for the Houston Rockets. Are (Aaron) Brooks and (Kyle) Lowry going to be able to handle (Ron) Artest and Yao Ming in the playoffs when the demands are going to be much higher?”

Miller on playing against former Pacers teammate Ron Artest in practice: “(Practicing against Ron Artest) depended on which Ron was going to show up. He would have different moods. For the most part, he really practiced hard, I’ll give him that. But there were times when he came in and he wasn’t there all together and the team had to come together and draw him back. He was intense, he worked hard and plays even harder.”

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T-Mobile Halftime Report

Announcers: Johnson, Smith, Barkley

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade joined the studio crew.

Wade on Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra: “I had a relationship with Coach Spoelstra when he was the video coordinator and now he’s the head coach and we still have good communication. I can go to him when I have something to say and he can come to me. We have a great friendship.”

Wade on the young players on the Heat: “Early (in the season) we just wanted to see if we could get in the playoffs. We drafted a 19-year-old Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, who was 21 (years-old), and Daequan Cook, who was 20 (years-old). We have a very young team and they play a lot of minutes for us. We didn’t know what to expect but the guys have stepped up and played a great role.”

Barkley on Wade getting a ring for winning an Olympic gold medal in the 2008 Summer Games: “I played in the Olympics twice and won two gold medals and I didn’t get (a ring).”

Wade: ‘They gave them to the best team.”

Barkley: “First of all…they called you the Redeem Team.”

Smith: “What did they call you?”

Barkley: “The Dream Team.”

Wade on the top teams in the Eastern Conference: “You still have to give it to Boston, they are very tough. Even without K.G. (Kevin Garnett) they are still winning ballgames. They have a defensive mindset that’s second to none. Even though Cleveland is a very good team, I still think Boston is the team to beat in the East. Orlando is the third best team in the East. They are still coming of age and getting Rafer Alston is going to put them on a different level, but I still give it to Boston.”

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Albert on guard Stephon Marbury signing with the Boston Celtics: “I think it could work out because it’s probably short-term, he’s playing for his next contract, fans in Boston will be behind him. I think they’ll be enthusiastic about it and if he’s in basketball shape, he can play.”

Miller: “I think Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge are thinking that (Marbury) was once one of the premiere point guards in the league. When he’s coming in with the second unit, that will take the ball handling responsibilities off of Eddie House, who is primarily a shooter. It could be a good move and you hope it doesn’t blow up in their face. Let’s face it, every place he’s played, he’s been a disruption in the locker room. As we know, the Celtics have a very strong locker room because of the Big Three (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen).”

Miller on the Cavaliers losing Ben Wallace for the season: “This is something that’s going to be tough to swallow because now they are going to have to rely on Anderson Varejao, who played pretty good with Zydrunas Ilgauskas out earlier in the year. They’ll have to go to the rookie J.J. Hickson more often as well.”

TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Rockets forward Yao Ming following the game

Yao Ming on the Rockets needing to win down the stretch without an injured Tracy McGrady: “This happened when I was out (injured) last year. Time is running out and we know how tough the Western Conference is, we really need to make a run so we can survive our division.

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Game #2: Phoenix Suns (106) @ Los Angeles Lakers (132)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins; Craig Sager reporting

Collins on Suns guard Leandro Barbosa: “(Barbosa) is playing so well right now, he’s got his confidence back. He’s such a key player (for the Suns). When they get (Steve) Nash back and they put Barbosa out there with Jason Richardson and Grant Hill, they can score quickly in that open floor.”

Collins on the Lakers defense slipping in recent games: “One of the things about the Lakers is their defense has been slipping a little bit. A big part is because the offense has become so easy for them.”

Collins on the trust that Kobe Bryant has with Lakers teammate Derek Fisher: “I think the important thing (about Derek Fisher) is he’s been in that (Lakers) locker room and won three championships with Kobe Bryant. I think there is a real trust factor there that Kobe knows that (Fisher) has the pulse of this team.”

Collins on the Lakers playing without injured center Andrew Bynum: “They played well and made it to the NBA Finals last year without Bynum. But they feel that in order to win the championship, they’re going to need a healthy Bynum and a bigger presence on the front line to go with Pau Gasol.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Lakers forward Lamar Odom after the second quarter

Odom on the Lakers stressing defense this season: “We are striving for perfection. To be a perfect team, you have to be the best defensive team in the league. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

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T-Mobile Halftime Report

Announcers: Johnson, Smith, Barkley

Barkley on the older Suns players not being able to play an up-tempo style: “There isn’t any way that Steve Nash and Shaquille O’Neal, at their ages, can play this (up-tempo) style. Shaq has had a great year and he’s the only one on the Suns who has played well all year. They are too old to get up and down the floor, they can’t sustain it, someone is going to get hurt. They are too old to play that fast, they can’t play like that.”

**** **** **** **** *****

Collins on the importance of defense to Lakers head coach Phil Jackson: “I don’t think (Phil Jackson) minds the pace of the game being up because the Lakers are creating it with their defense. He’d like for them to rebound the ball and not give up second shots.”

Collins on the number of injuries this season compared to the number of trades last season: “Last year is was all about addition with all the trades, Pau Gasol, Kyle Korver, Jason Kidd, Ben Wallace and all the teams that were trying to strengthen themselves (through trades). This year its about attrition, which team is going to be healthy at the right time and playing the best basketball.”

Collins on the leadership on the Lakers: “(The leadership) starts with the head coach (Phil Jackson) and the two leaders in the backcourt; Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher with the three championship rings. Those are the guys that set the tone every day.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed injured Suns guard Steve Nash during the fourth quarter.

Nash on the Suns chances at making the playoffs: “I think we’re going to get in (to the playoffs). It’s a real log-jam between the fifth and ninth spot and we have the potential to creep in or really move up (in the standings). I think we have enough guys in this locker room to pull it together and get in.”

Nash on Charles Barkley’s comments that the Suns are too old to play an up-tempo style of play: “I love Charles and I’m happy to have him back on the air, but we’re not geriatric yet. I think we feel good. We only have three guys who have played this style in the past. We’ve opened it up and had some success against some good teams. I think we have to get back to being comfortable at that (fast) pace again. In that case, we’ll see our team succeed and age won’t be a factor.”

Collins on the passing of Chicago Bulls legends Johnny “Red” Kerr and Norm Van Lier: “I had the good fortune when I coached in Chicago for three years to be around Johnny. He was always so positive and loved the Chicago Bulls. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. It’s just a tough day with Norm Van Lier (passing earlier on Thursday) was one of the great competitors in the backcourt with Jerry Sloan on those great Chicago Bulls teams. How fragile life is and we have to live every minute of it.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Lakers guard Kobe Bryant after the game

Bryant on if the Lakers view the Suns as a threat: “We look at everyone as a threat. We have to in order to keep that edge. In order to do that, we have to respect everyone.”

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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley

Smith on whether he thinks the Suns will make the playoffs: “The Phoenix Suns will be watching from the fishing boats of Lake Havasu.”

Barkley: “I concur, there will be no playoffs for the Phoenix Suns this year.”

Barkley on the lack of defense played by the Phoenix Suns: “Just for the record (former Suns coach) Terry Porter got the shaft. They brought him in to make the team play defense, but the players gave up, they did not want to play defense. As a player, players want to play like this. The great teams always play defense, but most players just want to run up and down the court. The Suns have played sissy ball for the last few years. It’s fun to watch, it’s exciting, but they don’t have those types of players (who can play defense).”

Barkley on Rockets coach Rick Adelman deserving recognition: “You know who deserves some credit? (Rockets coach) Rick Adelman because you look at what he’s done the last couple of years without his best player, going on a 20-some game winning streak last year and coming out this year. His teams compete night in and night out.”

Barkley on the Rockets having a 17-6 record without guard Tracy McGrady: “That doesn’t mean they are better team. That stat you showed about the little backup point guard’s numbers are better than Rafer Alston, he’s not a better player than Rafer and they are not a better team. There’s no way you’re going to tell me that a team is better without Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston. Yao Ming has got to be their best player. We’ve been saying that for two or three years. Tracy McGrady is more of a role player, they need to get that ball inside to Yao Ming and he’ll get those three point shooters going, and Tracy, when he comes back he’s going to fit with that system.”

Smith on the Rockets’ decisive offense without guard Tracy McGrady in the line-up: “Without Tracy McGrady, they make the ball go through Yao Ming. It’s a decisive offense. When Tracy McGrady is there, there is a little indecision. But now they are decisive and when they play Sacramento, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis and Minnesota there is no doubt (about their offense), so they beat those teams and get a 17-6 record. When he’s there what he can do is elevate them to a championship contending team. They can play better without him in the regular season, but he makes them a championship contender. (McGrady) has to figure out a way to play through Yao Ming to make them effective. He’s not accustomed to playing through anyone but Tracy McGrady.”

Smith on the probable addition of guard Stephon Marbury to the Boston Celtics: “(The Celtics) have nothing to lose, they are right now 46-13, they are going to win an NBA title or have a great chance to win it whether (Stephon Marbury) is there or not. He insures them in certain positions, he’s a great insurance policy, so if he doesn’t work out, so what? They’re 46-13 and they won it last year without him. If he does (work out) and he plays anywhere like he’s capable of playing they are a team to be reckoned with for more than this year. The last part of that is Step has no other options. If you can’t play well with the Boston Celtics then you can’t play anywhere, you have to go overseas because this is a team that Doc Rivers has really meshed and made into a championship organization.”

Barkley on Stephon Marbury having no other options but to perform well with the Celtics; “With Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett leading that team they are not going to put up with any BS. (Stephon Marbury) has no other option, if he gives them any crap they are going to cut him, and they are going to be just as good. He’s a backup player, they probably only expect him to play 15 minutes a night. He understands that he’s at the end of his contract and he wants to play again. He can say he wants to go overseas but he’s lying, everyone wants to play in the NBA. He’s going to come in there, Kevin and Doc are going put their foot on his neck, he’s going to go in there and try to play well and get them a ring. If he gets a ring he will get the last laugh.”

Spurs officially ink Gooden

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they signed forward/center Drew Gooden for the remainder of the season. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Gooden, 6-10, 250 pounds, was waived by the Sacramento Kings on March 1 after being acquired from the Chicago Bulls in a trade on Feb. 18. This season he has appeared in 32 games, averaging 13.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.5 minutes while shooting .460 (166-361) from the field and .869 (86-99) from the foul line. Gooden has posted 11 double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 22 games, including seven contests with 20 or more. In 31 games with Bulls, he averaged 13.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.6 minutes, and in his only game with the Kings he posted 12 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes.

Originally selected out of the University of Kansas with the fourth overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, Gooden has played for five NBA teams (Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland, Chicago and Sacramento). For his career he has appeared in 491 games, averaging 12.1 points (.470 FG%, .730 FT%), 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28.5 minutes. Gooden enjoyed his best season in 2004-05 with the Cavaliers when he averaged a career-high 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.8 minutes while appearing in all 82 games.

Gooden, 27, has made three trips to NBA playoffs, including the 2007 NBA Finals where the Spurs defeated the Cavaliers. In 40 career playoff games, he has averaged 10.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in 28.0 minutes.

Gooden enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at Kansas. In three seasons with the Jayhawks he averaged 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.10 blocks and 1.10 steals in 98 games becoming just the second player in school history (Danny Manning) to record at least 1,500 points, 900 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 steals. As a junior, Gooden helped lead Jayhawks to the 2002 NCAA Final Four. Along the way he was named First Team All-America in 2002 by the Associated Press, Sporting News and Basketball News. He also was named the 2002 Big 12 Player of the Year and a 2002 Wooden Award First-Team All-American.

Timberwolves Owner Glen Taylor Introduces "No-Risk Pledge"

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – In response to the current economic conditions facing all Minnesotans, Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor today introduced the team's new 2009-10 season ticket campaign that includes a sweeping range of programs that address fans' needs. One of the centerpieces of the campaign is the new "No-Risk Pledge," which eliminates the risk of the uncertain economy for Wolves season ticket holders by guaranteeing a refund of their unused tickets should they lose their jobs in 2009.

Along with the "No-Risk Pledge," the Timberwolves announced a rollback of ticket prices for next season – 95% of season tickets lowering in price (through July 1) and the remaining 5% staying flat – through the team's new ticket sales campaign dubbed "One Team." Also, the Timberwolves have introduced a new nine-month, no interest, no additional fees payment plan for season ticket purchases.

"The economy right now is uncertain and we've listened to our fans' concerns and responded by providing reduced ticket pricing, new payment plan options and protection against job loss - all of which are important to Minnesotans right now," said Taylor. "I don't want these uncertain times to deter our fans from coming out to Target Center and enjoying NBA basketball.

"We are in a rebuilding process with the team, but in January our fans had the opportunity to see firsthand the potential we think this team has. We believe strongly in our core group of players led by Al Jefferson, Randy Foye and Kevin Love, and also believe the future is extremely bright. As an NBA owner, I believe in the value that a franchise brings to the community, and I don't want these economic times to stand in the way of providing a home-court advantage for our team and our players."

For the third consecutive season, the Timberwolves will feature an "Early Bird" pricing program (starting today through July 1) that provides the best season ticket pricing for a limited time. Through the Wolves' "Early Bird" campaign, lower-level season ticket prices start as low as $15, and upper level seats start at only $5.
The Timberwolves have also introduced new Loge Box seating in the four corners of the arena next to the tunnels at each end of the court. The Loge Boxes provide fans spacious table seating in ideal locations complete with stats monitors, complimentary food and beverages and free parking.

The Timberwolves will continue to provide one of the most comprehensive season ticket holder rewards programs in all of sports with the team's MVP Renewal Rewards Program that was introduced last year. This program allows season ticket holders to redeem points they've earned for unique one-of-a-kind Wolves items and experiences. Fans renewing their current season tickets will be entered into prize drawings starting on March 9, in which a new prize will be awarded each Wolves game day until the end of the season.

"I really think that our 'No-Risk Pledge,' along with our reduction in ticket prices, $5 season tickets and our great service team, provides the best entertainment value in the Twin Cities and one of the best in the country," Taylor added. "I'm very proud that we are able to meet our fans' needs by providing affordable family entertainment."

Grumpy Old "Shaq"

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - "Grumpy Old Men" was a 1993 comedy starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann Margret.

The film followed the travails of two elderly Wabasha, Minnesota widowers, John Gustafson (Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Matthau), who played lifelong neighbors that carried on a rivalry over just about everything.

Some people loved it.

I use the term "comedy" very loosely to describe it, but it did gross over $70 million at the box office, nothing to sneeze at in 1993. So, despite my negative review, a sequel called "Grumpier Old Men" was released in 1995 and trumped the first by grossing $71 million.

Despite the box office success, Mark Steven Johnson, who wrote both screenplays, never went for the trilogy. Johnson has never enjoyed the same kind of success since abandoning the "Grumpy Old Men" theme but is still bouncing around Hollywood, most recently writing the pilot for a TV adaptation of Preacher that was recently shelved by HBO.

Since he needs a new project, it's not out of the question that Johnson revisits his greatest triumph.

Of course both Lemmon and Matthau have long passed, meaning a new project would have to undertake a casting call.

I am recommending Shaquille O'Neal and Stan Van Gundy for the parts.

Van Gundy doesn't have the acting chops but is a natural for the role, so I am anticipating having to sell people on Shaq, despite his two Razzie Award nominations.

The big guy is certainly old -- at least by NBA standards -- and if his reaction to Van Gundy's accusation of flopping is any indication, he's getting grumpier by the minute.

O'Neal called his former coach "a master of panic," a "nobody" and "a front-runner" before his game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

"One thing I really despise is a frontrunner," O'Neal said. "I know for a fact he's a master of panic and when it gets time for his team to go into the postseason and do certain things, he will let them down because of his panic. I've been there before. I've played for him."

The mini-feud erupted in the third quarter of the Suns' game with the Magic on Tuesday when O'Neal was checking his heir apparent as the game's most dominant big man, Dwight Howard.

Superman the sequel made a spin move on the original and O'Neal fell to the floor like he was Vlade Divac. There was no whistle and Howard deposited an easy jam.

Van Gundy certainly overreacted saying he was "shocked" by Shaq's devious attempt to draw an offensive foul.

"I was shocked and disappointed because he knows what it's like," Van Gundy said after the game. "You know, let's stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that."

O'Neal, who played for Van Gundy in South Beach, took the bait.

"Flopping is playing like that your whole career," O'Neal said. "I was trying to take a charge, trying to get a call. Yeah, it probably was a flop, but flopping is wrong. Flopping would describe his coaching.

"I'm not going to sit around and let nobodies take shots at me. He is a nobody to me. If he thinks he can get a little press conference and take shots at me like I'm not [going to] take one back, he has another thing coming."

I'm not sure Shaq can pull off living in a Minnesota suburb but his acting career has been in a funk since "Blue Chips" and "Kazaam."

A solid supporting role in the "Shaq Episode" of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" was more than offset by awful cameos in "Scary Movie 4" and "The House Bunny."

"Grumpy Old Shaq" has got box office written all over it.

Buyout bonanza hits the NBA

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - There are conventional ways to build a championship in any sport.

You know the drill -- good general managers can use trades, free agency and the draft to build the core of a title contender.

In the NBA, you can add another avenue -- the buyouts of veteran players, which seem to increase every year, give true title contenders the ability to rent experience for a couple of months and fortify a rotation for the postseason.

The defending champs were the first to pounce this year. Despite watching his team cruise through the regular season, Celtics chief of basketball operations Danny Ainge has been tormented by the lack of experience on his bench.

Ainge would rather have P.J. Brown back to bolster his frontcourt but will make do with Mikki Moore, late of the woeful Sacramento Kings. Meanwhile, the C's had a wink-wink deal in place for weeks with the enigmatic but oh-so talented Stephon Marbury, and quickly secured his services after the Knicks finally caved and jettisoned the former All-Star.

Joe Smith is a player that could contribute off the bench for a title contender.

Now the other title contenders are jockeying for the opportunity to bring in a group of players that were freed from the shackles of mediocrity for a chance at glory.

A number of sources have reported Joe Smith, formerly of the Oklahoma City Thunder, has a Marbury-like, under-the-table deal in place to rejoin LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers after the former No. 1 overall pick clears the waiver wire.

The Lakers and Hornets, envious of the solid minutes Smith could contribute off the bench, aren't listening to those reports and may try to steal the former Maryland star by offering an extra year with substantial guaranteed money, certainly a valuable commodity for a veteran that can see the career finish line.

If Smith decides to move somewhere other than Cleveland, don't expect Danny Ferry to give up. Another former Cavalier, Drew Gooden, who was just released by the Kings, could be a fallback option. Gooden, however, is also pitting a couple of Southwest Division rivals against each other, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks.

Phoenix, which is currently on the outside looking in at the Western Conference playoff race, is hoping to add underachieving power forward Stromile Swift, while the Miami Heat are one of "about a dozen" teams that has inquired about guard Luther Head, according to his agent Mark Bartelstein. The sharp-shooting Head received a buyout over the weekend from the Rockets and now is playoff-eligible for another team.

So, what gives? Why are teams willing to wave goodbye to solid contributors without compensation?

Money, of course, is at the root of the NBA's buyout bonanza.

When a player like Marbury agrees to a buyout, he is reducing his guarantee in exchange for being released. For instance, "Starbury," gave $2.2 million back to James Dolan and Company and enabled the Knicks to slice their luxury tax obligation by twice that ($4.4 million.)

The Kings saved nearly $2 million for allowing Gooden to walk, and Oklahoma City saved the remaining guarantee on Smith's salary of $4.795 million.

Nothing to sneeze at in today's economy.

In fact, the NBA is beginning to mirror the United States' current economic problems.

It's class warfare, and the rich keep getting richer.