- The Lakers' most pressing off-season need was not, you could argue, pleasing Kobe Bryant. It was getting better on the defensive end, where the Lakers were dreadful last year and show little sign of getting better.
- In case you missed it, Greg Oden speaks into a video camera on Portland's official website and on his blog he even shows us brief video of his knee. And word of the world's biggest get well soon card.
- A case in which an athlete's blog might not be serving his purposes.
- An interesting interview with Steve Nash and a photo gallery from his trip to China.
- Based on recent busts, the government is generating a massive database of people who have purchased human growth hormone or anabolic steroids. Are such people hanging around high-level basketball? I have never been able to get a solid answer about that.
- Tim Chen, the new head of the NBA in China, as described by Shu-Ching Jean Chen on Forbes.com: "For Microsoft, the Taiwan-born Chen opened doors with the Chinese government, as well as many local computer makers. Under his stewardship, China became Microsoft's fastest-growing market despite the country's reputation as a pirates' paradise. Chen coaxed the Chinese government and its state-owned companies into using patented Microsoft software despite the temptation of cheap, widely available local pirated copies. In a parting note sent to his local colleagues that was picked up by a Chinese news Web site, Chen praised his team for having accomplished a mission impossible. Microsoft's China sales tripled in the last three years and are on track to hit $1 billion in fiscal 2008 when including contract manufacturing businesses. The NBA is hoping he can use his negotiating skills to persuade the government into allowing the construction of more basketball arenas and to buy broadcasting rights of NBA matches for its state-controlled television stations."
- Is it wrong to criticize amateur athletes? Are NCAA superstars -- the epicenter of a multibillion dollar industry -- amateur athletes?
- One reason it's hard to be the next Michael Jordan: Jordan was lucky and smart enough to be surrounded by some of the best in the game, from Phil Jackson and Scottie Pippen to David Falk, and visionaries of marketing at Nike, Gatorade, and the like. Can LeBron James match that supporting cast? We'll see.
- TrueHoop reader Eric emails a question you might be able to answer: "With Scottie Pippen set to go ahead with his comeback -- albeit in a Finnish league instead of the NBA -- how would his brief foray back into [presumably] professional ball affect his eligibility for the Hall of Fame? I know players must remain retired for at least five years to become eligible for the Hall; would a two-game stint with Torpan Pojat reset Pippen's clock back at five years?" (Another way of asking that same question: does the Finnish League actually count as professional basketball?)
- The Utah Jazz launches an official team blog that really seems like a blog.
- Blazer assistant Bob Burke has a heart attack in the middle of a presentation, and timely CPR by some other coaches apparently saves his life.
- Canada is going to start using FIBA basketball rules (hello, trapezoid!), which reportedly makes the U.S. the lone holdout. (TrueHoop reader Kirby adds that U.S. high school might be the only league of that size without a shot clock, which in theory could put Americans at a disadvantage.) Cue debate about whether or not the U.S. should play under the same rules as everybody else, especially as the Olympics etc. are played with FIBA rules. UPDATE: Mike Schmidt of DraftExpress emails: "In the entry you mention that US high school is the only large league without a shotclock. There are currently seven states that require the use of a 35-second shotclock for high school basketball, including California, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and South Dakota."
- Now that the New York Times archives are free, we can read stuff like how happy the Nets reportedly were to draft Kerry Kittles over Kobe Bryant.
- William Wesley at work: Memphis makes a groundbreaking deal tying the university to China. Pete Thamel of The New York Times writes: "Calipari first hatched the idea of an agreement with China after a conversation with William Wesley, a man well known in basketball circles who has strong ties with LeBron James and other N.B.A. stars. Wesley told Calipari how much the Chinese embraced James during a trip there and that a large percentage of James's jersey and gear sales came from China. 'William Wesley told me that I wouldn't believe how big this thing was,' Calipari said. 'He told me that LeBron was like a rock star over there.'"
- Let Craig Smith tell you about fashion.
- Greg Ostertag talks Denny's, and extreme sports.
- The Akron Beacon-Journal's Brian Windhorst says any talk of Sasha Pavlovic going to Europe is a bluff.
- Allen Iverson: No really, practice is good.
- The Associated Press reports that the Isiah Thomas trial has featured an unbelievable amount of swearing: "No one was more offended by such talk than Faye Brown, who worked as Browne Sanders' administrative assistant for three years. When called as a witness, Brown tiptoed around the language, even as the attorneys plunged right into it. Asked if she ever heard Browne Sanders use a specific common obscenity at work, Brown answered no -- and then apologized. She refused to utter a single obscenity; on occasion, she spelled out the offensive terms. Even th
ere, her language never crossed the line. She recounted an instance where Browne Sanders used a fairly innocuous curse word. And then spelled it 'D-A-M.'" - Clay Bennett, as quoted by Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times, still swears that he always intended to keep the team in Seattle, even as he files for arbitration to get out of the team's lease at Key Arena. But then Bennett argues hard for leaving. "I think the NBA has value. Whether it does in [Seattle], I'm not sure. ... I absolutely know the team can survive and be profitable in Oklahoma City. It needs to be understood in this market that Oklahoma City is a viable, dynamic, growing market, with an adequate building, with a very willing city government, a very willing business community. Be the only pro sports team in the state. I can assure you there is high interest in bringing the league to Oklahoma City. It would work. It would certainly work today a heck of a lot better than it's working here today. But our objective is to be successful here." Kelley's column is called "It's hard to believe Bennett," and it's hard to argue with that.
- Seattle's mayor points out: "I am outraged at today's actions by Sonics' owner Clay Bennett. There have always been sensible options available to Mr. Bennett if he wanted to keep the Sonics and Storm at KeyArena. Today's actions make it clear that has never been his intention. My door has been open, is open and remains open to Mr. Bennett but he has refused to meet. Typically, people acting in good faith engage in a conversation before seeking arbitration."
- Keon Clark goes to prison.
- Children need to play.
- Swiss Mister on the mic.
- The Nets' administrative offices are starting to look a bit like a refugee camp of those who once worked at combative Madison Square Garden.
- Speculation about a Mike Bibby-for-Jason Williams-and-Udonis Haslem trade.
- UPDATE: From Friday ... Deron Williams says Andrei Kirilenko doesn't work as hard as other Jazz players. Williams admits that he is less likely to pass to Kirilenko if another player is open. Weird to see players ripping teammates. Feels like the Kirilenko vs. Jazz divide runs pretty deep.
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