It was Chris Mullin’s jersey retirement night in Oracle Arena. A long time coming for the Warriors legend that wore No. 17, it should have been a joyous time for him, his family, the organization and the fans. And then owner Joe Lacob stepped in and all hell broke loose. After hearing rousing cheers from the fans for Mullin’s speech during halftime of the Warriors game, Lacob grabbed the mic to conclude the night when suddenly, the fans started to boo him. Loudly and
In-state rivals clash Sunday when the Orlando Magic take their big one to Miami to play the Heat’s big three. Miami has been a monster at home, going 18-2 and winning its last 12 at American Airlines Arena, allowing just 89.3 points during the streak. The Magic are 13-9 on the road and have won four of their last five behind a hot-shooting Jameer Nelson (27-of-44 from the floor in his last four games). Dwight Howard, the NBA’s leading rebounder (15.0), has tortured
Earlier this week, LeBron James said his situation in Cleveland and Dwight Howard’s dilemma in Orlando were not comparable. So true. Where they differed most was that James ultimately made a decision – however foolishly elaborate and narcissistic it may have played out – while Howard was virtually paralyzed by indecision. When Howard finally made up his mind just hours before Thursday’s trading deadline and opted into the final year of his contract with the Magic, a cool breeze of relief wafted through
If you are Orlando Magic owner Rich DeVos, what are you thinking as you wake up this morning? For one thing, you’ve got to be grateful to be walking the earth for another day, still having your wits about you. But on the other hand, your team just had its most embarrassing loss of the season, your coach sounds apoplectic, your superstar’s intentions are unclear, and there is no way in hell you can convince yourself that your team is capable of
All-Star Weekend in the Land of 1,000 Theme Parks, or be careful what you wish for, is upon us. As David Stern noted recently, the All-Star Game will withstand anything Dwight Howard has to say about bailing on the Magic and the host city, Orlando. “We’ll have the usual media experiences like the one I’m enduring now,” said Stern, “but the great thing is the game is going to start and then there’s going to be all this spectacular basketball playing, and
MIAMI – The Miami Heat have been playing better than ever during the past 10 days. Think about that. Better than ever. Last season the Heat had stretches in which they won 21 of 22 games, and 15 of 18 games. Yet this is the best stretch ever. That’s not me talking, that’s Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. The Heat are on a six-game winning streak over the past 10 days, and five of those wins were blowout victories on the road. Those
First off, we are doing away with the Roman numerals, which only are used in copyright dates and Super Bowls. They can have ’em. Now back to business. Last week’s Bernucca List was first correctly answered by reader Matthew, who said the list was players who were parts of trades involving Shaquille O’Neal. He narrowly edged Sam Millner, preventing him from winning a second straight week. This week’s list is below. Whether you are a reader or a tweeter, send an answer.
// After the Orlando Magic’s shameful performance Thursday night vs. Boston, in which they blew a 27-point lead, scored 25 points in the second half and lost to a severely shorthanded team, Jason Richardson said the team was developing a soft reputation. After Friday night’s debacle in New Orleans, coach Stan Van Gundy said it all. From Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “If this isn’t rock bottom, what is? The Orlando Magic completed a forgettable week Friday night, falling to the