After a nonproductive day on the collective bargaining table with the players’ association NBA commissioner David Stern and his deputy Adam Silver said on Tuesday that the 2011-12 NBA preseason has been wiped out, and if no new deal is in place by Oct. 10 then Stern has no choice but to cancel the first … [Read more…]
Kobe Bryant recently said it would be a dream to play in Italy. Well, that dream could soon become reality as Virtus Bologna says it has reached a verbal agreement with the 33-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar that would pay him $3 million to play 10 games in 40 days in the Italian League. Assuming … [Read more…]
It has been three months since the NBA locked out its players and now we are nearing the point where the regular season could be compromised. The league recently canceled more than 40 preseason games and if the owners and players can’t agree on a new deal by this week more games will be lost. … [Read more…]
The first significant dent to the 2011-12 NBA season was delivered Friday when the league announced that training camps have been postponed and 43 preseason games were removed from the calendar. All games from Oct. 9-15 are off, the league said. Camps were expected to open Oct. 3 but that seems likely to change too. … [Read more…]
The final game of the 2011 European Championship turned into a huge block party for Serge Ibaka. In his first major international competition wearing the colors of the Spanish national team, the 21-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder forward had half of Spain’s 10 blocked shots against France and helped Espana capture the EuroBasket title in Lithuania. … [Read more…]
Chris Bosh on the court is all about finesse, but the Miami Heat star rolled up his sleeves and flexed his muscles on Wednesday by responding to the verbal jabs from ESPN’s Skip Bayless. For much of last season Bayless took shots at Bosh’s “soft” game and subpar performances by calling him Bosh Spice, suggesting … [Read more…]
Since stunning a United States team loaded with NBA players in the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis and capturing the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, Argentina has been universally recognized as a powerhouse in FIBA competition. Led by San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, arguably Argentina’s greatest player, the South Americans have been a … [Read more…]
Pau Gasol took the brunt of the criticism during the 2011 NBA playoffs when the Lakers were swept out of the second round by eventual champion Dallas. Gasol didn’t play his best during the series, and at one point he appeared so out of it that Lakers coach Phil Jackson was seen chastising his star … [Read more…]
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker appears to be in midseason form as he poured in 32 points and dished out six assists in leading France to an impressive 76-65 victory over Dirk Nowitzki and Germany in pool play of the 2011 European Championships in Lithuania. Parker made 11 of 20 shots from the field … [Read more…]
Mike Fratello is taking time off from his role as The Czar of the Telestrator on TV in order to fulfill his obligation as coach of Ukraine’s men’s national team. Fratello, 64, dusts off his coaching clipboard at the 2011 European Championship, which started Aug. 31 in Lithuania and runs through Sept. 18. The Ukrainian … [Read more…]