LAS VEGAS — It was a warm, muggy morning in Lafayette, Louisiana on Wednesday as Elfrid Payton was going through his usual daily workout when his cellphone rang. It was his agent, telling him he had been invited to Team USA training camp to help fill out the roster for the end-of-mini-camp exhibition game. A two-hour drive to New Orleans followed, then a restless night, then a 6 a.m. flight to Las Vegas where a room awaited him at the Wynn
With Rio 2016 Olympics coming next year, USA Basketball is slowly but surely preparing to form one of the most devastating rosters basketball has ever seen. Plenty of superstars have been in attendance over the past week to do various drills and activities, as the coaches and executives try to figure out who belongs on the team next year. Of course, most of the players who got to play during the Team USA Showcase on Thursday are unlikely to make the official 12-man
Thursday is usually getaway day in MLB, as most teams begin weekend series on Friday. There are only nine games, four of them in Early and All-Day contests at DraftKings, closing at 12:10 Eastern. [Read more…]
LAS VEGAS — The next version of Team USA will be chosen in late June, 2016, and there will be no alternates. A dozen players will be named to the team, a training camp will be held in Las Vegas, and the team will take a domestic tour of the United States before traveling direct to Rio de Janeiro from Houston, Team USA executive director Jerry Colangelo told SheridanHoops.com Wednesday. “We don’t want to have any cuts, we don’t want to have
The kinder, gentler NBA schedule is out. First, here’s the stuff you want. Opening Night is Tuesday, Oct. 27 and has a TNT doubleheader with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Pelicans visiting MVP Stephen Curry and the defending champion Golden State Warriors, who will be handing out rings and hoisting their title banner. Both are rematches of playoff showdowns. The following night, it’s ESPN’s turn with Kevin Durant returning for the Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s hard to believe that had never happened before in MLB. All 15 home teams won; the unlikely parlay had odds of more than 3,000/1. Today, there are five afternoon ballgames starting at 3:40 Eastern, along with Early (5 games) and All-Day play at DraftKings. [Read more…]
Being in great physical shape isn’t an issue for most NBA players, but it has always been one of the bigger obstacles for Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger. Sullinger, who is listed as 260 pounds, was criticized by Danny Ainge for not being in better overall condition in late April. It was reported that he would change his habits and work on getting in better shape heading into next season as he enters his fourth year in the league. [Read more…]
LAS VEGAS — Kobe Bryant has a chance to be a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, even though he is not attending Team USA’s minicamp this week, USA Basketball Executive Director Jerry Colangelo told SheridanHoops Tuesday. “If he had a great year, it would be a great story for him to try to close out his career by winning a gold medal,” Colangelo said. Bryant and Colangelo actually discussed the possibility in June during an NBA/USAB sponsorship conference in New