Rudy Gay is seeing North America the old-fashioned way, by getting traded a lot. As the public marvels at all of the amazing things about pro sports, getting traded can definitely be one of the crappy parts. In theory, sports trades are supposed to be a win/win with both sides getting players they want. The reality can be quite different. In today’s NBA, convoluted salary cap rules make trades a little more interesting. Typically, trades involve a couple of principles and then a
David Robinson played 14 years for the San Antonio Spurs, won a championship in his final season and rode off into the sunset as a basketball hero. Julius Erving played all 11 of his NBA years in Philadelphia and was honored in every arena where the 76ers played as he headed into retirement. While that may seem like the norm for star athletes, the truth is very different. This season, one MVP announced his retirement, while several surefire Hall of Famers are nearing the
Amid all of the controversy in Miami over the Miami Dolphins hazing scandal, former NBA player Danny Schayes discusses the locker room culture of professional sports — and exactly how politically incorrect it can be. A lively discussion with the Marc Daniels and Jerry Greene of AM740 in Orlando. Schayes penned an outstanding column on the subject, too. Go ahead and click over, and give it a read while you listen to this excellent interview. Few people can speak as well on the
With preseason winding down, the excitement is building for the start of the NBA season — for the players, that is. The NBA preseason is a necessary part of the game as teams prepare for the long season. However that does not make it fun. If you want fun, think baseball Spring Training. Teams go to some wonderful part of the country for 6 weeks. The players move in, bringing their golf clubs and families. They ease into the season at
Figures lie and liars figure. I remember when I asked my accountant how much I made from my investments one year and his answer was, “How much do you want to make?” Then he dropped the line above. I don’t mean that he was a crooked accountant. As a matter of fact, the opposite was true. His reputation was so good that his clients were almost never audited. The point was that you can use statistics to prove whatever you want them
The start of training camp is always a special time. Every team is undefeated and optimism fills the air. Players have been working out all summer with the anticipation of getting on with it. Many teams schedule special getaway experiences for team bonding and focus time. Two-a-day practices are hard enough without having to go home and deal with the kids and the house. Pat Riley used to take the Lakers to Hawaii for training camp to get away from it
NBA players recently held their annual meeting in Las Vegas and elected Chris Paul as the new president of the National Basketball Players Association. The union is in the middle of the most controversial period in its history, which is as old as the shot clock. It was founded by Bob Cousy in 1954 and finally recognized as the players’ exclusive union in 1964. I was a member for 18 years and worked with every executive director in its history. When Billy
The NBA is about to go through one of its most important transitions in history. In fact, it is going through several simultaneously. While some are dramatic and others symbolic, the final cumulative effect should be an evolution — not a revolution. The most public and obvious is the retirement of Commissioner David Stern and the ascension of Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver to that powerful post. While their styles are very different, the succession has been planned out and should be very