Veteran guard Gary Payton is not expected to return to the Miami Heat next season.
Heat coach Pat Riley said Thursday that while the 17-year veteran Payton is unlikely to return, the team has interest in signing free agent forward P.J. Brown and are hoping to re-sign forward James Posey.
Payton averaged 6.6 points in two seasons with Miami, and helped the Heat win the 2006 NBA title. Payton said several times last year that he's considering retirement, but the nine-time All-Star hasn't decided, yet.
Brown averaged 6.1 points last season for the Chicago Bulls. Brown, who'll turn 38 in October, played for Riley and the Heat from 1996 through 2000, helping Miami to the playoffs in all four seasons.
''I'd love to hang his jersey from the rafters here,'' said Riley, who has talked to Brown personally about a return. ``I really would because he is one of my all-time favorite players, I think one of the all-time favorite players in the history of the Heat. I think he could really help us.''
Posey has spent the last two seasons with Miami.
''We're still talking and I don't know what is going to happen,'' Riley said.
The Heat's decision on Payton was long-expected, since Miami already has three point guards -- Jason Williams, Chris Quinn and newly acquired former Los Angeles Lakers starter Smush Parker -- on the roster.
source : miamiherald.com
Friday, August 24, 2007
Gary Payton Will Not Return To HEAT !
HEAT Sign Alexander Johnson
MIAMI, August 24 – The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed free agent forward Alexander Johnson. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Johnson appeared in 59 games (19 starts) as a rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2006-07 season, averaging 4.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.59 blocks and 12.8 minutes per game while shooting .538 from the field which tied Pau Gasol for the team lead. Johnson led the team in blocks on nine occasions, steals six times, rebounds four times and points once.
Johnson was originally drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 45th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. His rights were then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers along with two future second-round picks in exchange for the draft rights to James White. His draft rights were then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Prior to that, he spent three seasons playing at Florida State University where he finished 14th on the Seminoles all-time career blocks list with 66.
source : NBA.com
Richardson Brings 40 Minutes Of 'Infierno' To Mexico
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 23 -- So much has changed for Nolan Richardson in the five years since he was last seen barking out instructions as head coach of Arkansas. His once-dark Afro is now gray and closer cropped. He has lost more than 20 pounds. And, the trademark playing style that led to three Final Four appearances and a national championship -- 40 minutes of hell -- is now said in a different language.
"Cuarenta minutos de infierno," said Richardson, 65, who is serving as national team coach for Mexico in the FIBA Americas Championship.
It seemed a little odd seeing Richardson guiding Mexico to a preliminary round upset of Puerto Rico on Wednesday -- and it had nothing to do with the goofy-looking blue outfit he was wearing. But given Richardson's background, he sounds like the perfect fit to possibly guide the Mexican basketball team back to the Olympics for the first time since 1976. "I always dreamed that I would one day get a chance to coach the Mexican team," said Richardson. "All my life I've been a part of Mexican culture. I knew if they needed some help, they could always call me and I would be there."
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source : washingtonpost.com
Fantasy 2007-08: It’s BACK!
-New look and feel. It looks different. It feels different. It's just better. The best way I can describe it is clean and comfortable.
-New navigation. No reason to get lost in the navigation now. Everything is where it should be and easy to find.
-Improved league creation. Not only is the standard league creation easier and cleaner, but we added an Express option.
-Improved Join a League process. Joining a public league? We'll place you. No more owners with multiple teams in a league.
-Improved league message forum. You will now enjoy chatting it up with your fellow league members in the message forum.
-Improved league home page. Everything you want, where it should be, and displayed clearly. Some new features.
-Improved live draft room. This may be my favorite. The Draft Room was one of our biggest issues last year. Now it's a strength.
Comeback Craze Adds ex-Knick Houston
Allan Houston says he believed in his heart that his career wasn't over when he retired two years ago because of knee problems.
Now he says his heart and body are on the same page and the former New York Knicks captain is ready for a comeback.
"I'm going to give it a shot," said Houston, whose foundation on Sunday will sponsor a Father Knows Best Retreat, a faith-based event in Harlem designed to strengthen father-son and mentor-mentee relationships. "I'm working out every day. I just have to figure out where it's going to be. In my heart I always felt it wasn't over. As I started working out, I felt my body was catching up with my heart."
Houston, 36, is among of trio of All-Star guards on the comeback trail. Reggie Miller, who turns 42 Friday, has spoken to the Boston Celtics about playing with them, and Penny Hardaway, 36, signed with the Miami Heat.
Houston said playing for the Knicks isn't out of the question and that two teams have contacted him. The 6-6 guard said that while several teams, including Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit and Miami are going to be good, going to a good team doesn't guarantee a title.
"I want to be in a good situation where you have a lot to offer a team," Houston said. "I'd love to be on a championship team. But … you want to have some kind of a role, help make the team better and have a chance to win."
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source : latimes.com
JAZZ: Araujo Signs With Russian Club Team
Rafael Araujo's tenure with the Jazz ended with the signing of second-round draft pick Kyrylo Fesenko, a 7-foot-1 center from Ukraine who won't turn 21 until Dec. 26. Now Araujo's NBA career is on hold after three seasons in which the Brigham Young product failed to live up to expectations as the No. 8 overall pick in 2004.
Araujo signed Thursday with Spartak St. Petersburg, the Russian club team for which Andrei Kirilenko once played. Spartak plays in the Russian Superleague but not in the Euroleague that is home to most of the continent's top teams. The signing was announced on Spartak's Web site (www.bcspartak.ru). Araujo will join the team in September and take part in training camp in Lithuania.
The Jazz were willing to invite Araujo to attend training camp on a non-guaranteed contract but encouraged him to explore Europe as an option. Araujo has played in the equivalent of just 33 full games in his career, with the belief that he needs playing time to develop.
The hope is Araujo will be able to play his way back into the NBA after a season or two overseas. Araujo came to the Jazz from Toronto in a June 2006 trade for Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley and played 28 games last season as the No. 3 center.
source : sltrib.com
Miller Won't Return To NBA
Reggie Miller is not coming back after all !
After two weeks of pushing his body to see how it might react to the punishment of an NBA season, Miller told The Star late Thursday he has decided he will not make a comeback with the Boston Celtics or anybody else.
"That's it,'' he said by telephone from his home in Malibu, Calif. "Physically, I know I could have done it. But mentally, when you do something like this, you've either got to be all in or all out. And I've decided I'm all out.
"Earlier today (Thursday), I was ready to come back. I was going to do it. But then I flew back here, I thought about it, I talked to a lot of people, and honestly, most people told me I should come back. Charles (Barkley), Mark (Jackson), Doug (Collins), they all said I should do it. And when I was back in Indy this week (for the Peyton Manning charity bowling event), people on the streets, they'd tell me to do it.
"But as the day went on, I just realized I wasn't ready mentally to put myself through the grind again.''
Miller, the NBA's all-time leader in 3-pointers, retired after the 2005 NBA playoffs after 18 seasons with the Pacers. At the time, he said he was done with the game and was heading off to work in broadcasting and movie production. But when the Celtics added both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to a team that already included Paul Pierce, his interest was piqued.
Miller, who works on the NBA's TNT broadcasts and in film production, said he's retired for good this time. Really.
"Please write, I will never, ever, ever try something like this again,'' he said, laughing. "Any of the 30 teams in the NBA, if you're interested, please don't call.''
source : indystar.com
Source: Orlando Magic, Adonal Foyle Agree To Terms
Veteran center Adonal Foyle has agreed to terms with the Orlando Magic, according to a league source, waiting only for his agent/attorney to return to the country to announce the deal. It could come by Friday.
Foyle accepted a contractual buyout earlier this summer from the Golden State Warriors.
Foyle, 32, has played his entire 10-year NBA career with the Warriors, who made him the former Colgate University standout the No. 8 pick of the 1997 NBA Draft.
Bryant Is The Star Of Stars
Lebron James, left, watches as he is pressured by Kobe Bryant during the first quarter of a USA men's senior basketball practice game at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on July 22.
LAS VEGAS -- Winter, summer, in a Lakers uniform or that of the U.S. team, it's still all Kobe, all the time. . . .
He's not just a Lakers obsession, now he belongs to the world, or at least international basketball, and just in time with the U.S. expected to mop up the competition in FIBA's Tournament of the Americas that begins today -- We're back! -- if only because there isn't any.
Argentina, which won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, won't have Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni or Fabricio Oberto. Brazil, which upended the U.S. in the 2002 World Games, won't have Anderson Varejao.
Even with the U.S. team's new humility that comes from winning their last gold medal in 2000, followed by embarrassments in one Olympics and two World Games, the Americans are expected to be OK here, needing only to finish in the top two to qualify for next summer's Olympics in Beijing.
On the floor, this unofficially became another of Bryant's teams in its televised intrasquad game when he shut down LeBron James at the end and hit the game-winning shot.
Off the floor, there was never a question with Kobe making his first public appearance after last spring's media blitz in which he demanded that the Lakers trade him.
click for more detailssource : latimes.com
Spurs Release Spanoulis
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have released Vassilis Spanoulis from his contract. The Spurs obtained Spanoulis on July 12 - along with a 2009 second round pick - from the Rockets in exchange for Jackie Butler and the rights to Luis Scola.
During the 2006-07 season Spanoulis averaged 2.7 points in 31 games for Houston.
source : NBA.com
Raptors' Jorge Garbajosa Injury
TORONTO (CP) - Jorge Garbajosa was recently evaluated in Toronto and was put through a battery of clinical and functional tests by members of the Raptors medical, training and coaching staffs. Jorge was able to perform on-court drills with a relatively high level of proficiency and without pain.
Doctors concluded that overall the ankle joint is structurally intact and the soft tissue injury seems to be healing well. Unfortunately however, a detailed review and assessment of the various images and scans taken have revealed insufficient healing of the fractured fibula.
Under the present circumstances, which include the inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage, the Toronto Raptors will not consent to Garbajosa’s participation in the upcoming European Championships 2007.
"Despite Jorge feeling and looking ready to play, the medical findings suggest otherwise,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “We have consulted with a number of foot and ankle specialists and have concluded that there is an elevated risk for Jorge to compete at this time. Regarding his eventual return to competitive basketball, we are currently evaluating and discussing treatment options with Jorge and his representatives which include both surgical and non-surgical paths.
"We know this decision is disappointing for Jorge and the Spanish Basketball Federation, but we feel strongly that this is in the best interest of Jorge Garbajosa to continue a long term and productive basketball career.”
source : NBA.com
Ex-Lakers Coach Butch Van Breda Kolff Dies
