NEW YORK – The Knicks should put the “tank” in tanking to give the organization its best chance to land one of the most heralded center prospects in recent memory – Duke’s Jahlil Okafor. The Knicks put on a full court press with Carmelo Anthony, team president Phil Jackson, general manager Steve Mills and Allan Houston all on hand at Madison Square Garden to watch Okafor in action. “I like him,” Anthony said. “I think he’s got a great feel for the
After what seemed like weeks of deliberation, rumors that he was possibly leveraging the New York Knicks against the Los Angeles Lakers to get the job he (presumably) really wanted, and a lot of TV and radio discussion, the wait is finally over. Phil Jackson has formally been announced as the Knicks new president of basketball operations. News coverage for Phil’s new job, from its early discussions to its formal announcement, has been at an all-time high. You can find plenty of
Before the season, championship expectations were attached to both the Knicks and the Nets. The Knicks were coming off the team’s first season with at least 50 or more wins and a trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals since the 1999-2000 campaign, when Jeff Van Gundy patrolled the sidelines, Patrick Ewing wrapped up his final season in New York and Allan Houston was in the prime of his career. The Nets were coming off their first trip to the playoffs in six years
I’m not saying “pity the weekend blogger,” but yesterday we got the announcement of Kobe Bryant’s return. Today? That’s, as they say, yesterday’s news. Sometimes big news breaks on the weekend, and this is certainly by no means a slow news day, but Kobe was only going to announce his return once, and of course he couldn’t do it on one of my blogging days. Regardless, that’s news we all saw coming. [Read more…]
Over the All-Star break, news broke that longtime Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss had been hospitalized and was battling cancer. Monday, Dr. Buss passed away. [Heisler on Buss: As owners go, he stands alone] Many NBA players (former and current), owners and personnel sent their regards via Twitter. [Read more…]
The NBA announced Friday the teams and participants for the Shooting Stars competition, which annually kicks off All-Star Saturday Night. Here are the teams, which are made up of an NBA player, a WNBA player and a former player: ATLANTA: Joe Johnson, Lindsey Harding, Steve Smith NEW YORK: Landry Fields, Cappie Pondexter, Allan Houston ORLANDO: Jameer Nelson, Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Dennis Scott TEXAS: Chandler Parsons, Sophia Young, Kenny Smith Atlanta is the defending champion, but the New York entry appears to be the favorite because the event