Kevin Love Stuffs NBA Jam Ballot Box For Kevin Love
Excited?
NBA Jam officials are excited on their decision to return franchise later this year to the Nintendo Wii and NBA players are no different in this regard. Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love expressed his love for the game so much that he went online to stuff the ballots for his inclusion,
“I went online and kept refreshing my computer and voting myself into ‘Jam,’ I’m not going to lie,” said Love. “‘NBA Jam’ was my favorite game growing up, so I was on there all day voting for myself. I used to play as Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton or Karl Malone and John Stockton. I never even imagined that I could be in ‘Jam.’ I just want to get that team fire, get that blue ball … it’s going to be cool.”
Other players like Carmelo Anthony said he used to always use the New York Knicks with John Starks and Patrick Ewing. Anthony also can’t wait to see himself in the game saying that he’s not a high flyer, but they’ll have to have the ball on fire when he shoots.
To Golden State Warriors rookie Stephen Curry, just the mention of “NBA Jam” brings back special memories of playing as his sharpshooting dad, Dell, in the game. “I remember in ‘NBA Jam’ and ‘NBA Live 95,’ those were the two games where my dad just couldn’t miss.”
Darko Milicic Traded For Brian Cardinal
Moving Day
The New York Knicks have traded Darko Milicic, who has said he will go back overseas after this NBA season, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Brian Cardinal who is expected to be waived.
Milicic, the former number two overall pick (ahead of Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) has not been able to get off the end of Mike D’Antoni’s bench in New York and has appeared in just eight games. Milicic is to earn $7.5 million.
Cardinal has only appeared in just 27 games for the Timberwolves is earning $6.75 million. The Knicks are expected to waive Cardinal and that will save them $1.8 million.
Knicks: Winners/ Timberwolves: Losers
LeBron James Fined $25,000 For Launching Water Bottles Into Stands
Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President Basketball Operations, has slapped $25,00 fine on Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James kicking a water bottle during the Minnesota Timberwolves game.
The incident occurred with 12.4 seconds remaining in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 109-95 victory over the Timberwolves at Quicken Loans Arena and from the above video you can understand why. James launched the cups right into the faces of unsuspecting fans.
D-Fish Forever Linked To Corey Brewer
Los Angeles Lakers Derek Fisher has had his fair share of memorable moments, er 0.4, but that’s not the case for Minnesota Timberwolves Corey Brewer. That’s all changed now for Brewer as he’s gotten his million dollar moment. How do you rank the three million dollar moments we already had in the 2009-2010 NBA season?
My order:
- Heats Dwyane Wade over Cavaliers Anderson Varejao
- Timberwolves over Lakers Derek Fisher
- Nuggets Carmelo Anthony over Jazz’s Paul Milsap
NBA Attendance Only Down 2% Despite Economy
Est. 1946
It’s fairly earlier so don’t shoot the messenger but the numbers are out for early attendance in the NBA and despite the economy and the earliness of the season they are only down 2% from this point last year. Also the statistic is skewed by two teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies, who are drawing less than 70 percent.
The 76ers averaged 15,802 in 2008-’09, in five home games this season they’ve averaged 11,377, and are down more than 20 percent of capacity from last year. The Memphis Grizzlies ranked 29th in attendance last year only filling 70 percent of their arena are now only filling 66 percent, only outdrawing the 76ers. The Detroit Pistons have cause for concern, dropping from first in average attendance to 16th, falling 19.6 percent. The Spurs, a team retooled and trying to avenge their first round playoff exit rank 12th but are down 8%
Not all is doom and gloom as the Chicago Bulls are up over 100 percent of capacity after filling 97.7 percent of the United Center last season. The Cleveland Cavilers are in a similar boat, selling out each home game so far after drawing 97.3 percent last season. The Atlanta Hawks have seen significant gains, rising from 89.4 to 95.4 percent. Even the Minnesota Timberwolves fans are showing support no that Kevin McHale is ruining their team by filling their stadium by 8% more than last season.
Source: SportsBusiness Journal
Average attendances and percentage for each team:
| Rank | Team | Average Attendance | % (+/-) from year prior |
| 1 | Chicago | 21,111 | +3.3% |
| 2 | Cleveland | 20,562 | +2.7% |
| 3 | Portland | 20,350 | -.8% |
| 4 | Dallas | 19,823 | -1.4% |
| 5 | New York | 19,625 | +1.7% |
| 6 | Utah | 19,611 | -1.5% |
| 7 | LA Lakers | 18,997 | (no chg) |
| 8 | Boston | 18,624 | (no chg) |
| 9 | Toronto | 18,131 | -3.2% |
| 10 | Denver | 18,039 | +4.3% |
| 11 | Washington | 17,975 | +6.7% |
| 12 | San Antonio | 17,957 | -.8% |
| 13 | Oklahoma City | 17,882 | +.5% |
| 14 | Atlanta | 17,862 | +6% |
| 15 | Golden State | 17,827 | -5.7% |
| 16 | Detroit | 17,541 | -19.6% |
| 17 | Orlando | 17,541 | +2.4% |
| 18 | Miami | 17,421 | -4.1% |
| 19 | Houston | 17,130 | -2% |
| 20 | Phoenix | 16,771 | -9% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 16,088 | +8.2% |
| 22 | New Orleans | 15,156 | -10.5% |
| 23 | New Jersey | 14,919 | -1.4% |
| 24 | LA Clippers | 14,748 | -7.4% |
| 25 | Milwaukee | 14,636 | -4% |
| 26 | Charlotte | 14,633 | +.4% |
| 27 | Indiana | 14,439 | +1.4% |
| 28 | Sacramento | 12,422 | -.9% |
| 29 | Memphis | 12,095 | -3.5% |
| 30 | Philadelphia | 11,377 | -23.7% |
Delonte West Cited In Domestic Violence
Ride On Outlaw
The wife of real life version of Sons of Anarchy, Delonte West, has filed a domestic violence report against her husband. The report, filed with Cleveland police on Sunday, says that Kimberly West met with authorities at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where she had gone to fly to her father’s house in New Jersey cause Delonte had accused her of cheating on him and grabbed her.
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown says the team is aware of the report and is monitoring the situation.
West has not appeared in any preseason games, and Brown has not decided whether West will be active for the season opener against Boston.
West, who has been treated in the past for bipolar disorder, twice left the team during training camp for personal reasons. He was arrested last month for carrying three loaded guns while riding his motorcycle.
According to league sources, due the mental uncertainty of West, the Cavs are close to signing free agent guard Antonio Daniels. He was waived last week by the Minnesota Timberwolves following a contract buyout. Daniels averaged 4.1 points, 4.2 assists and shot 42 percent with the Wizards and Hornets last season.
Minnesota Timberwolves Acquire Former Spur
1998-2002
The Minnesota Timberwolves took another step to add depth at the guard position once it was clear Ricky Rubio would stay in Spain. Coming down to the eleven hour it looks as if the Milwaukee Bucks are not going to match the offer sheet made on Ramon Sessions but just in case the Timberwolves took extra precautionary measures. They completed a trade with the New Orleans Hornets that sends former San Antonio Spur Antonio Daniels to the Wolves and forward Darius Songaila and guard Bobby Brown to the Hornets. The trade also sends a 2014 second-round pick to Minnesota.
The Wolves David Kahn’s activity in his short amount of time is a stark contrast from former general manager Kevin McHale who spent most of the off season fishing in the land of 10,000 lakes.
“Antonio has the ability to play both guard positions and will provide a veteran presence and added flexibility to our back court,” said Kahn, the Timberwolves’ president of basketball operations.
The financial components of the deal favor Minnesota, with the Wolves shedding their $4.8 million salary obligation to Songaila in 2010-11 to create an estimated $13 million in salary-cap space for the summer of 2010.
Songaila entering his seventh season out of Wake Forest, should nonetheless be a useful addition to the Hornets’ new-look front court rotation additions of Emeka Okafor and Ike Diogu.
A deal that won’t grab the headlines but does make each club better.
No Rubio, No Problem
He Got Game
To the true NBA junkie Ramon Sessions is already a household name because he has game to the casual fan they probably don’t know he even plays in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves do and proceeded to move forward with their plans for next year after Ricky Rubio showed them the curb. The Timberwolves signed restricted free agent point guard Ramon Sessions of the Milwaukee Bucks to an offer sheet. The Bucks have seven days to match the offer. Sessions averaged 12.4 points per game and 5.7 assists for the Bucks last season.
The kid can play.
“The Journey” Documentary From Former Spur
I'm on my Grind
Former San Antonio Spurs Devin Green has a documentary The Journey chronicling his grind as he prepares for summer league with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Devin has played with such NBA teams as the Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat with each team ending up releasing Green. That’s not stopped him from achieving his dream of playing consistently in the NBA. Green now has a shot at making the Timberwolves roster and this past summer his life and shot where all taped to document his journey back into the NBA. Here’s the trailer,
Four Times The Charm For Quentin Richardson??
Those Where The Days
Open letter to Q….
Quentin Richardson remember when you where good, I know it seems so long ago but those days at DePaul University was to carry over into the NBA. You where off to such a good start in Clippers land, tapping your head and in a good rhythm on the court with your homeboy Darius Miles. What happened? Sure you can score but the question is got to be raised that as many times as you’ve been traded how come no winning organization has inquired about you.
It happened to you again as you found out you’ve been traded for the fourth time this off-season. Your wild summer tour of the NBA continued Thursday night, when you where traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Miami Heat for center Mark Blount. You’ve now been traded four times in less than two months: to Memphis on draft night, then to the Los Angeles Clippers, then to Minnesota and now to Miami. Glad to see though you will compensated for your travel as your due to earn about $9 million this season.
Kurt Rambis To Get His Shot To Prove He Will Fail
Clark Kent?
Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis has waited a long time to become a head coach in the NBA. Rambis has been trying to get a head coaching gig since 1998. According to Don Seeholzer of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press,. the annual salary ($2 million) isn’t much more than the Sacramento Kings offered and he passed on. But Rambis apparently has the security of four years.That means $8 million guaranteed, versus the $3 million the Kings had been ready to offer.
Rambis inherits a bad team that’s better than most bad teams. Or, it’s a talented if unbalanced roster. The team’s two best players are power forwards, and neither has any hope of defending legit centers. Meanwhile, the team’s new GM David Kahn drafted two point guards among the first six picks last June. One is still in Spain deciding whether to jump the pond, and the other makes up the entirety of the team’s depth chart at the position following trades.
So, Rambis has his hands full. The Rubio situation will be trying, regardless of the immediate outcome. Kahn hasn’t proven he has a plan; if he does not have a plan to seriously upgrade the shooting guard and small forward positions, the team could die on the vine. Rambis can only do so much with this roster, and the top priority should be finding a way to maximize the talents of Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, whether they play together more, or exist solely as a platoon.
Cavs, Rockets, Wolves Fined For Leaking Schedules
The NBA has fined three teams an undisclosed amount for leaking details of their schedules before the league released them.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves were penalized, an official with knowledge of the decisions told The Associated Press on Monday. The official requested anonymity because the fines weren’t publicly announced.
The NBA will release its 2009-10 schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The league forbids teams to release any details before then.
