Basketball News's user profile page. Match highlights, posts and more on site!“” Report User |
Highlights
Hassan Whiteside had 'great talk' with Miami Heat, ready to return healthy
Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside made it clear he wasn't happy with his role in Miami last season, but apparently he had a productive meeting with the organization earlier this offseason and he's ready to move on. Whiteside told reporters he met with team president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra for nearly four hours during the summer and the meeting was productive. "We had a great talk," Whiteside told reporters, via the Sun Sentinel . "I just think it's trust on both sides. I think that's the biggest thing ... It was about a four-hour meeting. It was a lot about life. It was two hours basketball, two hours life. It was a good meeting." The center went on to say he "wasn't healthy" last year but now that he has had time to recover, he is confident his production and playing time will increase. "I think the biggest thing is I just want to be out there,” Whiteside added. “It wasn’t about nothing else. I just wanted to be out there as much as possible. I think [I’ll play more] because I’ll be healthy. Last year, I wasn’t healthy. "I was in and out of the rotation with injuries. Just coming back healthy. Coming back from a bone bruise, it takes months to heal." Whiteside is coming off a 2017-18 season in which he averaged 14 points and 11.4 rebounds, which was down from his 17 points and 14.1 rebounds in 2016-17.
Kevin Love stays put, takes on challenge of Cavaliers' new era
One last time, LeBron James will suck all the oxygen out of Northeast Ohio. As ever, but especially today, no one will begrudge him that distinction. James was in Akron today to witness the grand opening of the I Promise School, a partnership created through his LeBron James Family Foundation and the Akron Public Schools to serve students in the city who have been academically challenged at other schools. It is another achievement of significance for James, who has already pledged to send thousands of Akron kids in the I Promise program to college through a deal with the University of Akron. And, as it is the first time James spoke publicly since signing with the Lakers at the beginning of the month, there will be some media present. Meanwhile, 40 miles or so up Interstate 77, the Cleveland Cavaliers will continue the renovation of Quicken Loans Arena, quietly, with no fanfare, the franchise again relegated to the digital back pages. But the Cavs had their own media availability last week. It wasn’t exactly adding Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets and James Harden, but getting Kevin Love’s signature on a reported four-year, $120 million extension that kicks in next summer was vital to the franchise. After 11 total seasons of James in town, the Cavs, finally, have to build a franchise without him. No one expects Love to carry the team to the heights James did. But having a five-time All-Star in Love to build around means they won’t go through the floor again as they did after Decision 1.0, when James went to the Miami Heat and the Cavs went through the floor. The less said about that 2010-11 Cavs team, which lost 26 straight games and wound up 19-63, the better -- although their futility that season did land them Kyrie Irving in the 2011 Draft. Speaking of whom: 13 months ago -- June, 2017, right after the Warriors beat the Cavaliers in five Finals games to take back the NBA championship -- who would have thought that Love would be the last among James and Irving to be left standing in Cleveland? Love staying was a huge victory for General Manager Koby Altman, whose first minutes as GM last year after taking over for David Griffin were filled by the shocking news that Irving wanted out and demanded to be traded, rather than stay and potentially be the franchise’s lynchpin if James departed. And Altman’s entire first year at the helm was filled with the fallout from that demand -- making a deal with Boston that brought Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder and Boston’s unprotected first-round pick via the Brooklyn Nets to town, then jettisoning Thomas and Crowder at the trade deadline, neither fitting in any way with James and Love and the rest of the team. But Love had his own drama to deal with. He disclosed in a first-person Players Tribune story that he suffered panic attacks that forced him to leave the Cavs’ bench during a game. And he had to face teammates during the season in a players-only meeting who accused him of tapping out and making up
Paul George praises Thunder, happy he opted to stay put
Paul George didn't waste time this summer making his free-agency decision. He announced his intentions to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder at teammate Russell Westbrook's swanky party in Oklahoma essentially on free agency's opening night. Before that, though, the future of the All-Star swingman -- whom the Thunder acquired in a 2017 offseason trade -- was a topic of discussion throughout the 2017-18 season. The Thunder (and their GM, Sam Presti) indeed took a risk in trading for George, knowing that he was a free agent this summer. George spoke at USA Basketball's mini-camp in Las Vegas yesterday about why he made a fast decision to stay where he was and why the Los Angeles Lakers -- his hometown team -- never even got a meeting with him to discuss free agency. As George explains, playing for the Thunder was one of the "most comfortable" experiences he's had in his NBA life to date. ESPN's Marc J. Spears has more: Despite the fact that George had interest in the Lakers, the Palmdale, California, native recently signed a four-year, $137 million contract to remain with the Thunder without taking a meeting from any other team. George said he privately decided to return to the Thunder several weeks before free agency began on July 1. He also acknowledged having an expectation that NBA star LeBron James would sign with the Lakers as a free agent. So why didn't George give the Lakers a meeting in free agency? "It was absolutely tempting," George said. "Honestly, I wanted to come back home. But again, I got traded to Oklahoma. Loved the situation. Loved where I was at. I decided to stick around a little longer. ... "I just wanted my free agency to be over with. In my heart, I felt great about Oklahoma and I wasn't going to prolong it if I felt good about it already." His debut season was solid individually -- George averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and shot 40.1 percent from 3-point range last season -- but the Thunder were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the upstart Utah Jazz. That playoff exit and OKC's failure to fulfill its status as a title contender in the Western Conference also drew George back to the Thunder, he said. "I felt when it came down to it and all the factors that played into it, deep down there was a nasty taste where we finished," George said. "I just felt I had more to offer. I had more to give. I just felt about where we were as a whole. "I honestly went through the process and doing pros and cons throughout the whole [season]. I wouldn't say the whole [season] was a recruiting process. I was just trying to find the highs and lows and the good and bad. Ultimately, I just felt this was the road for me to win." George is a five-time All-Star who just turned 28. For his career between Indiana and Oklahoma City, he’s averaged 18.6 points and 6.2 rebounds while connecting on 38 percent of his tries from 3-point range. Presti gambled a year ago by trading for George and Carmelo Anthony
AP Column: Kawhi Leonard makes mistake skipping Vegas
This is a misstep for Kawhi Leonard. He should be in Las Vegas. The saga about his future is done and settled, at least for the next 12 months. He’s with the Toronto Raptors. He got at least half of his wish fulfilled in that he’s been traded out of San Antonio, even if it wasn’t to his preferred Los Angeles. So there’s no reason to still be silent, no reason to hide, no reason to remain as a now-international man of mystery. Apparently, Leonard doesn’t see it that way. He declined an invitation to be with USA Basketball this week for its two-practice minicamp in Las Vegas, for reasons that only he truly knows. The semi-official story is that he’s focused on preparing for his move to Toronto. OK, fair enough. It’s a major event for anyone to pack up a home and move to a different country. But that’s not enough to keep him out of this camp. There are only three legitimate reasons why Leonard wouldn’t be here. The first is that the leg injury that limited him to nine games last season has not healed sufficiently enough to allow him to play, a notion that should frighten the Raptors. The second he’s just scared, a notion that should frighten the Raptors. The third is he doesn’t care, a notion that should also frighten the Raptors. He could have gotten a slew of things out of the way this week. Shown the world that he’s fit enough to play again. Answered questions about his excitement level for the move to Toronto and why he wanted out of San Antonio. Had that awkward first post-trade interaction with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the new USA Basketball coach. Closed a lot of chapters that need endings. Instead, just more silence. It’s well-known that Leonard isn’t a big talker. He hasn’t updated his public Facebook page since 2012. He hasn’t posted to Twitter since 2015. In this day and age, that’s almost admirable on some level. There will be a day, though, when Leonard will get asked the questions that he’s apparently dreading. Maybe at Raptors media day in Toronto in a couple months. Maybe on those two days when the Raptors and Spurs play next season. Definitely on the trip when he has to go to San Antonio for the first time as an opponent. If he’s looking to avoid those, he’s putting off the inevitable. Leonard just turned 27 about a month ago. He likely isn’t even near his prime yet and he’s already been an NBA Finals MVP. His talent has been celebrated for years. If he is so inclined, he could have a spot on the 2020 Olympic team and likely come home from Tokyo with a gold medal. He might have been there in 2016 if he hadn’t dropped out a month or so before the Rio Games began. “This was a very difficult decision,” Leonard said at the time. “It’s an honor to have been considered for the team and I hope that in the future I will have the chance to represent my country by playing for USA Basketball.” That time is now. Playing for your country is a big deal to people. Popovich, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, said it’s bigg
Shonan Bellmare rips Vissel Kobe to spoil Andres Iniesta J-League debut
Andres Iniesta made his debut in Japan on Sunday for Vissel Kobe but his new team went down, 3-0, at home to Shonan Bellmare. Keisuke Saka and Mitsuki Saito scored to give the visitors a 2-0 lead before Iniesta came on as a 59th-minute substitute. But Shunsuke Kikuchi added another in the 67th to put the result beyond doubt. The 34-year-old Iniesta had his first touch in the 62nd minute, as he received a pass inside his own area before dribbling to halfway and passing to Takuya Yasui on the wing. Iniesta created a chance when he sent a through ball that found Wellington inside the box in the 89th minute but the Brazilian's shot was deflected out for a corner. Iniesta, who trained with his teammates for the first time Friday, is expected to make his first J-League start when Vissel play Kashiwa Reysol at home on Saturday. Iniesta scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final. He also was a key part of Spain's two European Championships in 2008 and 2012. Elsewhere, Iniesta's compatriot Fernando Torres made his debut for Sagan Tosu, coming off the bench early in the second half of a 1-0 loss to Vegalta Sendai. The former Liverpool, Chelsea, and Atletico Madrid forward looked right at home with two scoring chances in the second half. Torres scored 38 goals in his 110 caps for Spain and was in the winning squad for the 2010 World Cup. In other matches, second place FC Tokyo thrashed Yokohama F Marinos 5-2 while third place Kawasaki Frontale edged V-Varen Nagasaki 1-0. Kashima Antlers moved into 10th place with a 6-2 win over Kashiwa Reysol. Gamba Osaka lost 2-1 to Shimizu S-Pulse, while Cerezo Osaka was held to a 1-1 draw by Urawa Reds. League leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Nagoya Grampus ended in a goalless draw, while Consadole Sapporo and Jubilo Iwata also finished scoreless.
76ers discuss trading Bayless for Cavaliers' Korver
Kyle Korver spent the first 4.5 seasons of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, becoming a fan favorite for his three-point shooting and scoring off the bench. Ten years have passed since Korver last suited up for Philly, but it seems a return to the 76ers could be something the team is interested in pursuing. The Sixers and Cleveland Cavaliers -- whom Korver now plays for -- have had talks about swapping guards in a deal that would bring Korver back to Philadelphia, writes Keith Pompey of Philly.com. Shortly after news broke of the Sixers being a part of the Carmelo Anthony trade involving the Atlanta Hawks, Pompey reported the news on the potential Korver-Sixers reunion. According to a league source, the team has had discussions about trading Jerryd Bayless to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyle Korver. That move would enable the Sixers to bring back a fan favorite who’s one of the league’s top three-point shooters. He would be an upgrade from former Sixer Marco Belinelli, who signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs earlier this month. It’s no secret that the Sixers are looking to trade Bayless. They were trying to buy him out of his contract. The reserve combo guard is set to make $8.57 million in the last season of his contract. Bayless, 29, is not expected to play much — if at all — assuming he remains on the roster. It would be best for both sides if they parted ways. Korver, 37, will make $7.56 million this season. The swingman will have a salary of $7.5 million next year, but only $3.44 million is guaranteed. Korver has made 5,130 3-pointers in his career, which ranks him fourth on the NBA's all-time list in that category. Last season, he ranked sixth in 3-point percentage (43.6 percent) and had led the league in 3-point percentage four times in his career (2009-10, '13-14, '14-15, '16-17). The Sixers drafted Korver with the No. 51 pick in the 2003 Draft and he averaged 10.5 points and shot 40.9 percent in 337 career games with Philadelphia. He was traded to the Utah Jazz on Dec. 29, 2007. In the Anthony trade, the Sixers are set to receive big man Mike Muscala from the Hawks. The deal is not expected to be completed for the next 7-10 days, but Muscala's move to Philadelphia would replace the shooting the Sixers lost when Ersan Ilyasova opted to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks this summer. Muscala has averaged 5.4 points and shot 37.8 percent on 3-pointers in his five NBA seasons. Although the Sixers lost Belinelli in free agency this summer, they did make sure to re-sign 3-point shooting guard J.J. Redick. He ranked 14th in the NBA in 3-pointers made (193) and provides Philadelphia with a much-needed outside scoring threat. The pending arrival of Muscala and the potential addition of Korver would only seem to bolster a Sixers' offense that ranked 12th in 3-pointers made per game and 10th in 3-point percentage last season.
Cousins hits back at critics of his free agency move to Warriors
All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins surprised many NBA observers this summer when he chose to sign with the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors in free agency. A drastic move like that -- one that allows the Warriors to add another superstar to their already star-stocked starting lineup -- was sure to draw some criticism. Yet for Cousins, he is adamant he doesn't care what others think about his latest career choice. In the latest teaser for the Showtime documentary he's working on about his return from injury and free agency choice, the former New Orleans Pelicans big man doesn't mince words about his move to California. "I knew how it would be perceived by some ... I don’t give a [expletive],” Cousins said in a video released on Twitter. "There's some [expletives] out there that's ripping their hair out, and I love it. It's just another test for me to overcome. ... I'm a fighter, I never give up and I'm taking this challenge head on." In the clip, Cousins explains why he signed with the Warriors and how playing for Golden State would give him the best chance to win as he recovers from his Achilles injury. He is set to have his introductory news conference with the Warriors on Thursday morning. Cousins tore his Achilles in late January and underwent surgery. He has posted regular updates on social media with the hash tags “The Resurgence” and “0 Doubt.” “This is my ace of spade, this was my nuclear bomb, my last resort,” Cousins said. “Yeah, I could have probably got a contract -- a decent contract -- from a bad team. But how does that help me?" “I’m already fighting a career-ending injury,” Cousins added. “I’m not gonna put myself in an already-bad situation and try to prove my value or my worth as a player in a situation that’s not looking to win.” Before his injury in February, Cousins expected to receive a five-year, $150 million contract extension from the Pelicans. However, that deal did not materialize and Cousins says in the Showtime video clip that he never received an offer from New Orleans once free agency opened. "I understand. They had a big year," Cousins said in a somewhat sarcastic tone. "They don't want to ruin it taking a chance on me. I'm a damaged player. Cool." Additionally, Cousins said he and his long-time agent, Jarin Akana, reached out to other teams about an offer. But he said they got answers like "we don't believe it's a good fit, or, we gotta see what we're doing with our roster right now ... just kind of, just, [expletive] answers. And then there were some that were just flat out, like, 'we can't take that risk.' " Cousins says he talked with Warriors stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant, who all wanted him to come aboard and put him at ease with joining Golden State. Shortly after he agreed to a deal with the Warriors, Cousins spoke at length with The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears about his decision. He voiced similar things in that interview that he references in his Showtime
THROWBACK: Lakers trade Shaquille O'Neal to the Heat
On July 14, 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers traded superstar Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a future first-round pick. O'Neal was a three-time Finals MVP with the Lakers as he helped Kobe Bryant and L.A. win back-to-back-to-back championships from 2000-02. At the time of the trade, O'Neal was an 11-time All-Star with career averages of 27.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 blocks. Alongside Dwyane Wade in Miami, O'Neal guided the Heat to victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals. O'Neal averaged 18.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks during his three-plus seasons in Miami from 2004-08. He was traded to the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 6, 2008. The Heat retired O'Neal's No. 32 jersey on Dec. 12, 2016. At the ceremony, Heat president and former coach Pat Riley said about O'Neal, "He's a once-in-a-lifetime player. There are a lot of them in the history of the NBA, but he's a once-in-a-lifetime acquisition for us and meant so much to us." "We would not have won the championship in 2006 without the efforts of Shaquille O'Neal."
User Detail Page
You can find user latest posts and related content on the page. Friends, comments for events / matches are also available on the page. Even you can find users who are same pleasure with current user.#Travel, #SupportYourTeam, #AllAboutSports