Remember when we suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers re-sign Gerald Green? Well, the New Jersey Nets beat them to it. Green, a former Slam Dunk Contest winner who was named MVP of the D-League All-Star Game over the weekend, signed with the Nets on Monday, the minor league announced. Green was averaging 19.1 points and 4.6 rebounds with the Los Angeles D-Fenders. He scored 28 points in 24 minutes in the D-League All-Star Game in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday. The Nets have lost
The Kings are staying in Sacramento. With a league-imposed deadline looming Thursday, city, team and league officials emerged from a meeting in Orlando, Fla. on Monday where a tentative agreement was reached. Tearful Kings owner Gavin Maloof told the Sacramento Bee, “I’m still emotional. It’s been a long time.” The Kings and the city of Sacramento – which boasts former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson as its mayor – have been negotiating for more than a year on financing for a new arena. The
Veteran center Joel Przybilla, who was shut out of the abbreviated free agent market in December, re-signed Monday with the Portland Trail Blazers. Przybilla spent six-plus seasons with the Trail Blazers until being traded to Charlotte with other goodies at last year’s deadline for Gerald Wallace. He gives Portland depth at center, where the club is a tad long in the tooth. Portland’s starting center is 37-year-old Marcus Camby. His backup is 39-year-old power forward Kurt Thomas. At 32, Przybilla is a
So who had the best All-Star Weekend? The Oklahoma City Thunder, with All-Star Game MVP Kevin Durant and slamming sidekick Russell Westbrook? Kevin Love, winner of the Three-Point Contest who had a solid All-Star Game? Jeremy Evans, who no longer is an unknown third-string small forward after winning the Slam Dunk Contest? How about TNT? The cable network, which has exclusive rights to All-Star Weekend, scored three straight TV ratings hits with their coverage Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Sunday’s game – which followed
Why isn’t Josh Smith in the All-Star Game? Smith has been the best and most consistent player this season on the Atlanta Hawks, who have the same record (20-14) as the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets and deserve to have an All-Star. But the Hawks probably don’t deserve two All-Stars. At least that’s what the Eastern Conference coaches felt, picking Joe Johnson and snubbing Smith, whose numbers are considerably better. When Johnson had to bow out with an injury earlier
Clutch sharpshooter Reggie Miller is among four first-time finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The list of 12 finalists for the 2012 Hall class was announced Friday at All-Star Weekend in Orlando, Fla. Now an analyst for TNT, Miller did not make the list of finalists a year ago, when Dennis Rodman was inducted. Other first-timers among the 12 finalists announced Friday at All-Star Weekend in Orlando, Fla. are former NBA coach Bill Fitch, current Louisville coach Rick Pitino
Team USA doesn’t plan on taking the easy path to defending its Olympic gold medal. In advance of the 2012 Olympics in London, the United States has lined up five exhibition games, including showdowns with nemeses Spain and Argentina. The U.S. also will play Brazil, the Dominican Republic and host Britain in the lead-up to the Olympics, USA Basketball announced Friday. “We have again scheduled an extremely challenging lineup of exhibition opponents for our USA Men’s National Team,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo
Two days ago, Rajon Rondo had nearly a week off for the All-Star break. Now he’s an extremely busy man. The star point guard of the Boston Celtics, added Wednesday to the Eastern Conference All-Stars as an injury replacement for Atlanta’s Joe Johnson, will also fill in for injured Stephen Curry of Golden State in the Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday. The NBA announced the move Friday, hours before media availability begins in Orlando, Fla. Sheridan Hoops is on site and will