Somebody in China didn’t handle the paperwork properly, and that means Kenyon Martin will be back in the NBA as soon as next week. Perish the thought of what happens to the poor fellow in China who botched the job. The top teams vying for his services include the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. The first overall pick of the 2000 draft, the 11-year veteran spent the past seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets.
TEL AVIV, Israel — Regal Barcelona put on a defensive clinic in Tel-Aviv against Maccabi in a round of 16 showdown between two of the powerhouse teams in the Euroleague. Barcelona’s stable of big men and heady guard play were too much for Maccabi to overcome, giving the Spanish squad a big 71-57 road victory. Barcelona’s frontcourt features two NBA prospects in Erazem Lorbek and Fran Vasquez, whose combination of size and skill was too much for Maccabi. With Sofoklis Schortsanitis
The playoff rematch of Chicago and Miami on Sunday certainly lived up to the hype. So we’re going to stay in the postseason mode with the San Antonio Spurs heading to face the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies were the No. 8 seed team the Spurs faced in Memphis’ stunning upset over number one-seeded San Antonio in last year’s playoffs. The Grizzlies were also the first team the Spurs met this season, earning some mini- revenge with a 95-82 win at home. Emphasis
// How good is the NBA’s Western Conference compared to the East? Where will the Hornets’ Chris Kaman land in a trade? CineSport’s Brian Clark & Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com discuss those topics and look back to a fun Sunday.
Remember the old NBA slogan “I love this game!?” (It pre-dates “Where Amazing Happens”). If you are in your early 20s, you may not. But that’s OK. Lots of people in their early 20s seem to believe the world began 10 years ago, and have no recollection of crappy cell phone reception, dial-up Internet or the fax machine. But those who are a bit older certainly remember that ad campaign, and Sunday was one of those days when love for the game
Chris Kaman of the New Orleans Hornets did not attend Friday night’s stunning 93-67 trouncing of the Orlando Magic, and general manager Dell Demps released a statement saying the team is actively trying to trade the 7-foot center with an expiring $14.03 million contract. “We had a conversation with Chris and expressed that the Hornets are going to go in a different direction. We mutually decided for a number of reasons that we are not going to play Chris as we
In big media companies, you are not allowed to write or speak about the Memphis Grizzlies. “Nobody cares,” is the common refrain. Well, it’s time to start caring, and we are going to bend over backwards to explain why that should be so. First, the basketball part: The Grizzlies play in a division that is home to the NBA’s two hottest teams, the other being the Houston Rockets, who also have won seven straight games. Memphis pulled off an amazing comeback last night
Wait a minute, wasn’t Friday the 13th last week? Bad fortune befell many of the NBA’s best teams last night, with the Thunder, Magic, Sixers and Pacers all losing. None of the losses was as shocking as Oklahoma City’s, coming in the nation’s capital against a Wizards team that had won only once all season. Especially since Kevin Durant usually plays his best there, with a career average of 31.1 points in his hometown, and especially since he broke a 10-game drought