San Antonio Spurs Bring Danny Ferry To Front Office
Surprised Il Messaggero Didn't Hire
The San Antonio Spurs have brought back former player and director of pro player personnel Danny Ferry. The former general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the silver and black to replace Dell Demps, who left to become GM of the New Orleans Hornets last month, in becoming club’s director of pro player personnel. Ferry will oversee the Spurs NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros.
Ferry interviewed for GM jobs with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Jersey Nets after he was fired by the Cavaliers in May. He joins Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey and Buford.
Portland Trail Blazers Rudy Fernandez Fined $25K For Comments
Put Me In Coach
Portland Trail Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez was fined $25,000 by the NBA for making statements “detrimental” to the NBA. On Wednesday, Fernandez’s agent Andy Miller told Yahoo Sports his client doesn’t want to play in the NBA and would rather play in Europe.
“He has indicated he would like to return to Europe to continue his basketball career,” Miller said. “He is more comfortable in Europe. He’d rather be in Europe than the NBA.”
Miller went onto say that Fernandez is willing to sit out the season. Portland coach Nate McMillan has said that Fernandez hasn’t returned any of his calls. It also looks as if center Greg Oden won’t be available for the start of training camp just six weeks away.
Brandon Roy & Jamal Crawford Make Cameos In Marijuana Video
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Round and round you can go with that question and the same can be said with athletes trying to be rappers and entertainers trying to be rappers. Portland Trail Blazers Brandon Roy has already apologized to the team and his fans for appearing along with Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford in a rap video by Cali& Cavalli
that features a heavy dose of marijuana images.
Like Calvin Casey likes to preach its about perception here.
NBA 2K11 Allows Gamers To Play 10 Different Versions Of Michael Jordan
Did You Even See Him Play?
The makers of NBA2K11 have released details the game has a game mode entitled “The Jordan Challenge” which allows you to play 10 different versions of the NBA great.Fans can play whatever game they want in whatever order.
In each game, gamers are charged with different goals, including matching Jordan’s point totals and shooting percentage. Here are the 10 different versions of Jordan that can played, however two of the 10 challenges don’t have specific dates tied to it.
April 20, 1986: Jordan scores 63 vs. the Boston Celtics
March 28, 1990: Jordan scores 69 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers
May 26, 1990: Jordan’s Game 3 Eastern Conference Finals vs. Detroit Pistons
Any date in 1990: Jordan’s battles that season against Dominique Wilkins and Atlanta Hawks
June 2 thru June 12: Jordan’s performance in the 1991 NBA Finals vs. Los Angeles Lakers
June 3, 1992: Jordan scores 35 in the first half vs. Portland Trail Blazers
March 18, 1995: Jordan scores 55 vs. the New York Knicks
June 16, 1996: Father Day Game in 1996 NBA Finals vs. Seattle SuperSonics
June 11, 1997: The Flu Game
June 14,1998: Jordan’s last game in a Chicago Bulls uniform
If you hit six three pointers in a row like Jordan did against the Trail Blazers in 1992, the virtual Jordan will shrug just like he did in real life on that night.
BLOCK CITY: Your Victim-Jerryd Bayless
Grant Hill, you have been charged with the crime of Representin.
And the verdict is Guilty.
Portland Trail Blazers Andre Miller’s Off-Season Regime Is Non Existent
That Way To Wendy's?
The Portland Trail Blazers season could be over in a matter how days and hows does their star point guard Andre Miller plan on preparing for next season?
The same way I plan on doing, nothing. Miller spoke of his off-season work outs being that of absoultey nothing at all.
“I have no regimen. I don’t touch any weights, no cardio, nothing. I don’t even pick up a basketball.”
Then Miller must change those eating habits and that how he is different from myself right?
“(My diet) isn’t healthy at all,” Miller says. “Hamburgers, hot links on the Fourth of July, all that.”
So what your saying is I have a chance then.
Back Pain Nearly Drove Former NBA Star Bill Walton To End His Life
Throw It Down
Former NBA player and UCLA Bruin great Bill Walton has undergone some 36 orthopedic surgeries at various points in his life. The toll of the pain and surgeries finally caught up to Walton as he contemplated ending his life.
The bad back and all the surgeries on Walton’s 6-foot-11 frame became so unbearable 14 months ago that he had the thought of suicide. The man who overcame a speech impediment to win an Emmy, the same man who held numerous championship trophies over his head couldn’t beat this at the time.
“You can’t understand until you’ve been where I’ve been,” said Walton.
He says that before he would undergo an 8½-hour surgery 14 months ago, he had become useless. He couldn’t walk and had trouble sleeping and even resulted in him eating his food flat on his stomach stretched out on the floor.
Things changed when he meet Dr. Steven Garfin for saving his life, who’s the chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics and teacher of less-invasive surgical techniques.Garfin who practiced a new surgical technique of operating on the spine by entering through the side using a Neurovision probe. The surgery allowed Walton to get back to having somewhat a normal life again although he will never be pain free. He walks gingerly these days but the serve leg pain that haunted him before the surgery is gone and now he can be found swimming, lifting weights and even ride a bike. All things he never saw himself ever being able to do ever again.
Walton pinpoints the start of his back problems back to a game in 1974 playing for the Bruins against Washington State when he was undercut and broke two bones in his spine. Walton returned after only missing three games wearing a corset.
“I’m getting back into the game of life. I have a new life now. It got to the point where my life wasn’t worth living. I was standing on the edge of the bridge, figuring it was better to jump than to go back to where I was.”
Walton pinpoints the start of his back problems back to a game in 1974 playing for the Bruins against Washington State when he was undercut and broke two bones in his spine. Walton returned after only missing three games wearing a corset. The back injury lead to numerous foot injuries that marred his NBA career and cut his tenure down with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego Clippers and the Boston Celtics.
But for now Walton is back.
San Antonio Spurs Draw Good Ratings On TNT
Amazing Is Belief
TNT NBA Playoffs tripleheader on Sunday drew good numbers for TNT. Headlined by the San Antonio Spurs/Dallas Mavericks matchup.
The Mavericks Game 1 win over the Spurs drew a 2.9 overnight rating on TNT Sunday night, up 7% from Miami Heat/Atlanta Hawks in the same time slot last year (2.7). Last year’s Mavericks/Spurs Game 1, which aired on a Saturday night on ESPN, drew a 2.3 overnight rating. The 2.9 for Sunday’s game was tied as the highest of the weekend for an NBA Playoff game on cable as the Miami Heat/Boston Celtics also drew a 2.9 on ESPN the previous night.
The rest of ESPN’s tripleheader numbers saw the Milwaukee Bucks/Atlanta Hawks game draw a 1.8 overnight rating and later in the night the Utah Jazz/Denver Nuggets saw a 2.4 overnight.
The Charlotte Bobcats/Orlando Magic Game 1 drew a 2.5 overnight rating, up 9% from Philadelphia 76ers/Orlando Magic Game 1 last year (2.3). The night ended with the Portland Trail Blazers Game 1 upset of Phoenix Suns drew a 2.2 overnight and was down 3% from last year’s Game 1 between the New Orleans Hornets and Denver Nuggets (2.3).
Overall, TNT averaged a 2.5 overnight rating for NBA Playoff coverage on Sunday.
SGE 2010 NBA 1st Round Playoff Picks
SGE PICKS
The NBA playoff’s begin today but yesterday on our we made the predictions who would win each series. As our bracket probably resemble yours with few shockers there just might be a series or two that leave you disagreeing with one of us. If you missed yesterday’s show you can still download the listen from the Sports Grind Entertainment’s Archive but without further ado here is each of our predictions.
Eastern Conference
- Calvin Casey
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Orlando Magic
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Rudy J
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Orlando Magic
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Salami
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Orlando Magic
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
Western Conference
- Calvin Casey
- Los Angeles Lakers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
- Rudy J
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
- Salami
- Los Angeles Lakers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz
Former NBA Player Arrested For Abducting Son
Your Breaking Rudy J's Heart
Back on April 10, we posted the story of former Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and 1994 Slam Dunk Contest winner Isaiah Rider being arrested after three incidents in five days. Now you can add a fourth arrest to his record just in the month of April alone, this time for abducting his one-month-old son.
Police ended the manhunt for the ex-NBA player in Mesa, Arizona. Rider took his son on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and was finally found in a cab a little after 1 a.m. Wednesday. What’s up with this guy and cabs?
Isaiah Rider IV, was unharmed and in good health and returned to his mother while Rider Jr. was taken to police headquarters. Mesa Police Department spokesperson Michael Melendez said Rider Jr. is a known drug addict who can be violent and would likely run if confronted by police. When the police department places that label upon you, you know your life is spiraling out of control.
Former NBA Player Arrested For Assaulting Fiancee
Your Breaking Rudy J's Heart
Police arrested former Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and 1994 Slam Dunk Contest winner Isaiah Rider after he assaulted his fiancee and refused to pay a cab driver for a fare. Rider was arrested after three incidents in five days.
Police say the first incident happened Sunday after Rider allegedly pulled his fiancee out of her vehicle and threw her to the ground during an argument. Rider then took a cab ride from Mesa to Phoenix and back to Mesa and when he arrived at his apartment complex he told the driver he needed to run inside to get his wallet to pay the $150 fare however he never returned.
Police then put J.R. under surveillance and was caught driving erratically from his house. When the officer tried to pull Rider over, he drove into a neighborhood, jumped out and tried to run away. The police on the scene found three children in the back of the Escalade.
In 2006 he was arrested in California on charges of kidnapping a female acquaintance and had an outstanding warrant for resisting arrest.
In 1997 he was convicted of marijuana possession and in 1994 he spent two days in jail for failing to complete community service after kicking a woman in the back at an autograph signing.
David Lee Forever Linked To Brandon Roy
For what we have already seen this season it does pale in its comparison. But I’m not going to let that take away from Brandon Roy’s tomahawk which was mighty impressive and that David Lee tried to go get some.
Portland Trail Blazers Greg Oden Won’t Be Back For Playoffs
More Time To Unleash On His Furries Fetish
Portland Trail Blazers Greg Oden has given up on any return this season. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 NBA draft says he won’t be able to recover from his knee problems in time to help Portland in the playoffs.
Oden has missed all of 2007-08 after knee surgery, played 61 games last season and was good to go for only 21 this season.
“I’m sorry everybody, but I don’t think I’ll be playing this year. It’s going to take a little bit more time than expected to get ready and also get in shape. And with the mental part, it’s just being able to go out there and believe that I can compete with the best of the best. That won’t be in the next couple of weeks. It’s going to take some time, but I will be ready for next season.”
This begs the question what is the Trail Blazers suppose to do when his contract is up after next season. Oden is on the books for $6.7 million next season then Portland has to ponder on letting the number one pick walk and wash their hands of the situation or give him a qualifying offer of $8.7 million for 82 games of work in three season.
What the Trail Blazers do is quickly find a Hot Tub Time Machine and draft Kevin Durant with the number overall pick.
Portland Trail Blazers Joel Przybilla Reinjures Knee In Shower
Ouch
It’s amazing the Portland Trail Blazers are still hanging around in the Western Conference playoff chase with the rash of injuries the team has faced this season. No other team in the NBA has faced as many injuries as the Trail Blazers and the injury bug is biting them even in rehab.
Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla reinjured his surgically repaired right knee and will require another surgery. Przybilla reinjured the knee when he slipped while entering the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He immediately flew to Portland and had a magnetic resonance imaging test. The MRI showed a tear of the patella tendon that was repaired.
Przybilla, 30, ruptured his right patella tendon in a Dec. 22 game at Dallas. He was 10 weeks post-operation and had just started to walk without a brace.
The team said there now is no timetable for his return, if he does ever return to the court. The injury does all but guarantees he will exercise his option to return next season to the Blazers at more than $6 million.
Przybilla was an important piece on the court as well as in the locker room and was voted by his teammates as a co-captain along with Brandon Roy.
Hair Wars: Greg Oden
Brother Dreads
Portland Trail Blazers Greg Oden is calling his new hairstyle “brother dreads” and will try to go full dreads by the summer. I call it nasty.
(Diss It)
Is Brandon Roy’s Season Over?
Say It Ain't So
The Portland Trail Blazers Brandon Roy told reporters after the game he is worried that his season could be in jeopardy as his hamstring is not progressing. That has him very frustrated.
Roy returned to action the first time last night after missing 15 games because of the hamstring he played 15 minutes and looked uncomfortable. He was 2 of 7 from the floor, then did not play in the second half.
After the game, Roy said, “I think if this [pain] is with me the whole season then I don’t really have a shot at playing. This is bad. I don’t know. It’s something I have to talk to coach about. It’s to the point where I can’t play because it hurts too bad.”
If Roy is done for the season, you can kiss the playoffs goodbye for this club. Even with their admirable performance without him to keep the team afloat, there’s just not enough offense. Losing Roy would be a catastrophic for this team’s outlook both short-term and long-term for deciding if this core is on track to contend for the Finals.
Juan Dixon Test Positive For Steriods In Europe
"Damn homie, in high school you was the man, homie"
Another athlete has been suspended indefinitely from play but this time the player isn’t affiliated with baseball. It’s former Maryland star Juan Dixon, who is the program’s all-time points leader, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and was indefinitely suspended by the International Basketball Federation. Dixon is currently playing in Europe for the Spanish team Unicaja. He took the drug test in November.
He was drafted by the Washington Wizards, then played with the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons and was cut by the Atlanta Hawks last October before resorting to earning a paycheck overseas.
Dallas Women Love Them Some Rudy Fernandez
Doesn't Get Any Easier Than That
Back on Saturday night the Portland Trail Blazers where in Dallas visiting the Mavericks but during a timeout with 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter two women walked onto the court to hug Rudy Fernandez.
One woman wrapped her arms around the waist of Blazers guard Fernandez from behind. Fernandez, who was not in the game but focused on the plays being diagrammed by coach Nate McMillan, was stunned.
“I was surprised,’’ Fernandez said. “I was listening to the coach on the bench and behind me, she touches me and says, ‘Rudy, I love you. Nice to meet you. Good game.’
“I said, ‘What?’’
Blazers guard Jerryd Bayless, who was on the perimeter of the huddle, said he saw the whole event transpire.
“They were drunk, obviously,’’ Bayless said. “I was actually close to Rudy, but when I saw them coming, and once they got onto the court, I stepped back.’’
The women were ushered away from the huddle, and amazingly allowed to return to their courtside seats under the basket and watch the remainder of the game, which went to overtime. McMillan said he hadn’t heard of the incident, but was wide-eyed when told the details on Tuesday.
“What about security?’’ McMillan asked. “That’s not good. I mean, really. If they came out on the floor …’’
So the women where allowed to return to their seats? Yep that’s some good security right there. Hope it’s a little for the All-Star game in two weeks.
NBA Announces All-Star Reserves
February 14, 2010
The NBA is set to announce the All-Star reserves during tonight’s TNT games but Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski got a hold of a leaked list of the 2010 NBA All-Star reserves
Eastern Conference Reserves:
Rajon Rondo – Boston Celtics
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
Chris Bosh – Toronto Raptors
Gerald Wallace – Charlotte Bobcats
Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford – Atlanta Hawks
Western Conference Reserves:
Deron Williams – Utah Jazz
Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder
Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks
Zach Randolph – Memphis Grizzlies
Brandon Roy – Portland Blazers
It will be the All-Star debuts for seven players: Williams of Utah, Chicago’s Rose, Boston’s Rondo, Charlotte’s Wallace, Memphis Randolph, Atlanta’s Horford and Oklahoma City’s Durant.
Among the notable candidates left off the team are the Los Angeles Clippers Chris Kaman, New York Knicks David Lee and Denver Nuggets Chauncey Billups.
Help Brandon Roy Become 2010 NBA All-Star
Portland Trail Blazers Brandon Roy really wants to go to Dallas and be in the NBA All-Star game. He’s thrown his hat into the video all-star campaign with the help of fellow teammate Travis Outlaw.
Blake Griffin Has Season Ending Surgery
Stay Off The Leg
The Los Angeles Clippers had told the world just recently that Blake Griffin was just weeks away from making his NBA rookie season debut, now it seems an injury that was reportedly only suppose to take six weeks will now cost him his entire season.
Griffin, the number one overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of Oklahoma, will have surgery on his left knee and causing him to miss the rest of the ’09-10 season. After feeling some discomfort during his rehab in his pool sessions, he was examined by team doctors, who determined that his knee hasn’t recovered like they hoped.
The NBA said Griffin will retain his rookie of the year eligibility for the 2010-11 season because he did not appear in any regular-season games. Greg Oden of Portland had a similar situation when he was eligible for rookie of the year voting in 2008-09 after injuries forced the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft to sit out the entire ’07-08 season.
So does that make Griffin the next Greg Oden?
The Clippers have had two winning seasons in the last 30 years and just one playoff series victory since moving from San Diego in 1984.
Rash Of Injuries To Portland Trail Blazers Could Cost Playoff Spot
Ouch
Right now it’s dangerous to be a Portland Trail Blazer and Joel Przybilla is just the latest to find out when he sustained a ruptured right patella tendon and dislocated patella in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Trail Blazers are trying to respond to a 2008-2009 season in which they went 54-28 and it looking harder and harder to do with the rash of injuries they have suffered. Przybilla, who got the start because the Trail Blazers are already without Greg Oden, who out for the season with a fractured left patella, went up for a rebound and came down awkwardly on his right leg with 3:12 left in the first quarter.
Portland has already lost Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw and Nicolas Batum are missing extensive time for the Trail Blazers this season.
Even coach Nate McMillan hasn’t been immune, sustaining a ruptured right Achilles tendon in practice on December 7 that required surgery.
Rudy Fernandez Out 4-6 Weeks
Hoopster
Dam the Portland Trail Blazers where hit some more bad news after learning that Rudy Fernandez will be sidelined from 4-6 weeks after undergoing successful surgery to alleviate pain in his right leg. The microdiscetomy procedure relieved pressure from a nerve root in his lower back that caused discomfort in the leg. This comes on the heels of the Trail Blazers losing center Greg Oden for the season.
“The procedure was successful and we can now turn our attention to getting Rudy healthy and back on the court” Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said.
Fernandez is a hoopster and hopefully he can return to full form, however till I see it, this will cast a shadow of doubt with me since it involves the back. I’m not a doctor nor do I have medical proof in this theory but I do believe that a injury that concerns the back is more of a downfall to an athlete than say his legs, believing that the back is the core of the body.
Hopefully this shadow of a doubt is erased in 4 to 6 weeks.
Greg Oden Done For The Season
Greg's Halloween Costume
As much as Trail Blazers fans hate that the name Sam Bowie and their organization is forever linked, it looks as they may have a new poster child for the next generation with center Greg Oden. The man who was compared to Boston Celtic great Bill Russell has gone and lived up to that comparison with his body seeing how it does resemble that of 75-year-old Russell.
Oden is out for the rest of the season after suffering a fractured knee cap, which occurred after he collided with Aaron Brooks in the first quarter in a Portland victory against Houstn. He laid on the court for nearly seven minutes before being wheeled out on a stretcher. An MRI was taken almost immediately after and it is now clear that he will need surgery.
Oden has been plagued by injuries ever since being drafted in 2007. The 7-footer missed his rookie season after undergoing micro-fracture surgery on his right knee. Last season, Oden sat out six games after injuring his right foot in the season opener against the Lakers, then missed 14 games after the All-Star break with a bone chip in his left knee.
Back in 2007 on draft night, I know two out of three members of the Sports Grind Entertainment team thought that Portland was making the wrong pick and felt strongly that they should have selected Kevin Durant, but hey what do we know.
