As the NBA Players Association’s search for a new executive director drags on, one can’t help but wonder if it will have a happy ending. Right now, that’s hard to foresee. The search has been plagued by inefficiency from the beginning. The low level of transparency has opened the search up charges of manipulation as various factions from inside and outside the union try to exert influence over the process. Add to all of this the horrible timing of the process and
As the season winds down, several teams are working to put that final piece in place that might make the difference. From my experience, this is a high-risk proposition. Indiana added Evan Turner, hoping that he will change his spots. While an argument can be made that they needed a mature guy to play limited minutes and deepen an already deep rotation, they opted instead to roll the dice with the notorious knucklehead who is playing for a new contract. Wouldn’t they
Enjoy “February free agency” while it lasts, folks. After Metta World Peace and maybe even Danny Granger get bought out and waived, you know what awaits? The dark days. March Numbness … or Sadness … or Badness. If you think the Sixers are bad now, allowing 130 points to the Bucks on Monday night, just wait. It will be mind-numbing. The six weeks after All Star Weekend is the part of the schedule that players dread. It’s the part of the season
NEW ORLEANS — What happened to the “love of the game” qualification in choosing a replacement for Billy Hunter? David White of the Screen Actors Guild is one of the candidates who was interviewed by the NBA players’ union’s search committee here at All-Star Weekend, and he is reportedly the frontrunner for the job. Again, I must ask: Are the players being played? I can’t see where Job Qualification No. 1 is being addressed. [Read more…]
I will not be the next Executive Director of the players union. I got word of my rejection via e-mail, with no further explanation, so I decided to use my column this week to describe what is going on during the selection process, and what a shame it is. NBA players and all athletes in general have a pretty miserable track record at many things. Outside of actually playing basketball or another sport, their skills don’t necessarily translate into being successful in
Last week, stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett played a road game. But not just any road game. It was perhaps the most significant road game of their careers. The future Hall of Famers returned for the first time to basketball-bonkers Boston, the city where they won hearts and championships. The former Celtics were given a warm welcome that included video tributes and had an emotional evening. In this era of free agency, many players have a similar experience. They move from a
Kyrie Irving spent a piece of New Year’s Day having an MRI performed on his knee. He went down against the Indiana Pacers yesterday, and he said he “heard something pop.” That’s usually not good, although the MRI revealed a mere contusion, meaning 2013 did not end with yet another potential landscape-altering injury. Al Horford? Out for the season, joining Derrick Rose and Brook Lopez. Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant? See you after the All-Star Game — if your rehabs go according to
Today’s big story is last night’s game between the Pacers and Heat for early bragging/validation rights. And the boss was not happy with what went down at the end, with the officials swallowing their whistles as LeBron clearly fouled Paul George on a game-tying 3-point attempt by Paul George just before the final buzzer. The Joey Crawford conspiracy theories will only continue to grow from here. Those are the only viable teams with a chance of winning the Eastern Conference, and the media