
To Infinity And Beyond
Few men have ever walked on the moon. But as Alvin Gentry recalls on TrueHoop TV, some that have weren't particularly impressed by the accomplishment. TrueHoop TV » Doc's message for Griffin »
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Gus Johnson remembers being "about three steps in front of Lenny Wilkens, Chico Vaughn and maybe Cliff Hagan," accepting a crisp, one-bounce pass from Wali Jones and going up to dunk.
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"I hit the rim with my forearm, just tore the basket down," Johnson recalled. "The rim came down on Sihugo Green's foot, and he missed two weeks.”
before the Pacers Foundation golf outing at Brickyard Crossing on Monday. “I’m going back to the office to work on it.” … On Monday, George said he and the team were on the “same page,” but nothing had been finalized. “I would hope,” George said when asked if the deal will be finished before training camp starts Saturday. “But whatever happens, happens. Right now, it’s about to be the start of the year. All the guys are here. We’re all fired up and ready to go. That’s where my focus is.” The question isn’t so much when a deal will be reached. Even if talks unexpectedly fall through, the Pacers would be able to make George a restricted free agent and match any deal he is offered next summer.
team to no binding commitment. After previously emphatically denying the possibility of a reunion following the forward's buyout release from the Phoenix Suns last week, the Heat, according to a source familiar with the situation, will bring Beasley back on a non-guaranteed, make-good contract. The agreement with Beasley comes at a time when he remains under investigation for sexual assault in Scottsdale, Ariz., for a January incident at his home there, and a month after his arrest in Scottsdale on suspicion of drug possession, after an officer detected the smell of marijuana coming from his vehicle. A source familiar with the Heat's approach said the team views the signing as a low-risk addition, citing Beasley's potential upside, noting Beasley does not turn 25 until January. To say the Heat's approach was tepid would be an understatement.
and includes some interesting anecdotal quotes from Olajuwon. But toward the end of the interview, he was also asked which players, of those who haven’t trained with him yet, would benefit most from his tutelage. His answer: Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant. Why Durant? “(He’s) very skilled, but doesn’t take advantage of his height in the post,” Olajuwon said. “He’s much taller than most of the guys who guard him. He’s got all the outside game, but now he needs to take them in the post. In other words, there’s something for everybody.” Overall, Durant’s actually been pretty efficient with his back to the basket, scoring 1.04 points per post-up last season (stat via mysynergysports.com), seventh highest in the NBA. But it still feels like an underutilized part of his game, particularly (as Olajuwon said) when he has smaller players defending him. Only 10.4 percent of his offensive moves were out of the post last season. Will he do it more in the future? We’ll see. Will he work with Olajuwon to improve? Couldn’t hurt. But it’s not exactly the most pressing issue facing the 24-year-old or his team.
extension, winning a playoff round or two won't be enough for this team. Rivers must make the players' considerable individual talents add up to a cohesive whole, polish their many assets, and solidify their defense before they can be a championship contender in a rugged conference. "The expectations are great. I don't want us to shrink from that at all. I don't want us to run from that," he said. "But what we've got to get our guys to understand is expectations are one thing. Realization is a whole different thing, and just because you're expected to do anything doesn't mean you've arrived. We have not arrived. We didn't win a playoff series last year. So we have a lot of work to do as a group. We should expect to do that work. We have to expect that it's going to be much harder and we have to embrace it and do it."
the weight-bearing treadmill. While he has been walking on the Alter G for some time during his recovery, Bryant has clearly increased his pace. The Lakers All-Star guard was injured April 12 in a win over the Golden State Warriors. He had surgery the following day. While touring China, Bryant said he has "shattered" his recovery timetable, but more recently, Bryant said he's not sure if he'll make it back in time for opening night (Oct. 29). The original timetable for his recovery was six to nine months. Bryant also tweeted that he won't forget about what was said and written since his injury.
Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, plus four other teams that have chosen to keep their identities secret, have invested in these complex GPS tracking devices created by the Australian company Catapult Sports, the self-professed leader in “athlete analytics.” “We just want to be able to get smarter about our players and how to train them and how to put them in a position to succeed,” said Mavs owner Mark Cuban. “So that’s just one component of a lot of different things that we’re doing.” The device, called OptimEye, is roughly the size of an oldfangled beeper and athletes wear it inside their jerseys on the upper back between the shoulder blades. The device records literally every movement the player makes, accurately measuring exertions such as distance, velocity, changes of direction, acceleration, deceleration, jumps, heart rate and more. … Cuban said he’s considering using it during the NBA’s preseason in October. He said he has not yet been advised against it by the league.
Muhammad was sent home after the first of four scheduled days to having a woman in his room. The program’s rules say no guests are allowed. “We talked,” Saunders said. “The biggest thing in any situation where there are rules and guidelines, you have to abide by them. That shows discipline. As I explained to him, part of being successful at our level is being disciplined, both on and off the court … He didn’t have much to say. He was very apologetic and just felt extremely disappointed in himself. We talked about his situation and his past, so you have to take what is a negative and turn it into a positive.” Muhammad likely will be fined by the league and will have to return next summer with the 2014 rookie class to complete the program. … Saunders said the team will not impose any punishment. “This is a league situation,” he said.
like that in anybody’s attitude, I’m going to have an attitude,” said Bogans, who sat next to MarShon Brooks and Kris Humphries during yesterday’s press conference. The fourth former Net, Gerald Wallace, was not in attendance due to a commitment with his annual basketball camp in Alabama. Indeed, Bogans found it hard to believe that losing in the name of the lottery, even one as preordained for greatness as the 2014 draft, could even be connected to his new franchise. “It means a lot to come to a franchise with so much tradition. Let me put it this way. I played at Kentucky. I played at DeMatha (High School),” he said. “The main thing is to come out, play hard, win and hope I get the same thing from my teammates and the coaching staff. I’m not looking at this as something to look down on. I definitely want to win.” Humphries admitted to broaching the subject yesterday with president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “I was talking with Danny Ainge earlier and it was just, ‘We’re not tanking, we’re playing hard. We’ve got to compete and make it to the playoffs,’ ” Humphries said.
schedule a meeting with World Peace in Las Vegas today or tomorrow. Agent Marc Cornstein said nothing is set in stone on the meeting yet, but said there’s “mutual interest.’’ World Peace, when asked if he’s coming to Vegas to sit down with the Knicks, responded via text message to The Post, “No, going to watch Floyd Mayweather train.” Cornstein planned to speak with World Peace last night to go over his options. Knicks coach Mike Woodson acknowledged the club likes what the Queensbridge product can bring. “I like his skill set a lot,’’ Woodson said. “A lot of teams liked his skill set over the years. He does a little bit of everything.’’
consummated in a player. A lot of times, this doesn't happen. This easily could have not happened and we'd have nothing to show for it -- except for effort." Instead, triumph. Iguodala was the best player on a Denver team that won 58 games before being bounced by the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Moreover, Iggy is a Warrior because he was impressed by the franchise. That a star would discount himself for the Warriors is real progress. Like Lacob, Myers is getting things done at a pace previously unknown to the organization. Like Jackson, Myers is proceeding with faith and absolute conviction. All three are collaborating to wipe away decades of scorn and stigma. Lacob walked in and immediately promised a new day. Jackson introduced himself by vowing that "things be changing" with this franchise. Upon moving into the seat that had been occupied by veteran executive Larry Riley, Myers made no such grand proclamations. He said 14 months ago that he thought the Warriors would better in 2012-13 than they were in 2011-12. He was more prophetic than he could have imagined, with no sign of slowing down.
smart draft selections and free-agent signings, slick negotiating and deal-making, and quality, consistent coaching to transform a team that is still adjusting to sticking around. But the theme – cautiously courageous – should come with the following caveat: continue to resist the allure of Monta Ellis, one of the few upper-tier free agents still available. No, no, no, no, no, no. The reasons? Where to start? The Kings don't need to imitate their neighbors in Oakland, don't need another undersized scorer, don't need another volume shooter, don't need another ball-dominant player, don't need a veteran who struggles to defend his position and who, despite a history of knee and foot problems, opted out of a contract with Milwaukee that would have paid him $11 million in 2013-14. Given Vivek Ranadive's fondness for Ellis – the two were together with the Warriors – this is a test.
and will meet with the Dallas Mavericks today, his agent, David Lee, told the Akron Beacon Journal. While reports surfaced early Tuesday morning that Bynum could make a decision by the end of the day, Lee said there is no timetable and was vague when asked if it will be made this week. “It might be, but it’s hard to say,” Lee said. He wouldn’t get into specifics of the visits in Cleveland or Atlanta and wouldn’t disclose what the Hawks offered. “It’s ongoing discussions and I’d prefer they stay private among the parties,” he said. Ideally, the Cavaliers would’ve liked a decision by today, when the moratorium period ends and free agents are allowed to sign with their new teams. The Cavs are expected to finalize contracts with free agents Jarrett Jack and Earl Clark today, and adding Bynum to the list would make it a blockbuster day. That, however, seems unlikely now.