Utah Jazz offer logo-burning waffle irons to season ticket holders
Get Em While They're Hot
The Utah Jazz have a unique gift for season-ticket holders this year: Jazz-inspired waffle irons. Season-ticket holders can pick up an exclusive waffle iron that is branded with the team’s logo if they stop by the EnergySolutions Fan Relations Office on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Former NC State coach arrested on tax charges
ask 'em if they'd take a post-dated check
Former North Carolina State basketball coach Sidney Lowe was arrested Monday and charged with failing to file his North Carolina state income taxes for three years.
Lowe, currently an assistant with the NBA’s Utah Jazz, didn’t file returns in 2009, 2010 and 2011 – the last three years he coached the Wolfpack, according to the state Department of Revenue. He was booked at the Wake County jail Monday and released on a $10,000 unsecured bond on the misdemeanor charges.
Lowe was not with the Jazz when they returned to practice Monday night after the All-Star break, but head coach Tyrone Corbin said Lowe should return soon.
“It’s a personal matter,” said Corbin, who indicated he had spoken with Lowe. “We’ll deal with it. He’ll make a statement at some point, but it’s a personal matter.”
Corbin said he doesn’t believe Lowe’s arrest will affect the team as it gears up for a stretch run toward the playoffs.
At N.C. State, Lowe was paid a base salary of around $210,000 per year. That was boosted to $760,000 with television and radio commitments, and with bonuses and endorsements could have been up to $900,000 a year. A contract settlement after his 2011 resignation was expected to pay Lowe around $900,000, athletic director Debbie Yow said then.
Utah Jazz fan ejected for heckling Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade has heard and seen it all in his 10 NBA seasons. The Miami Heat guard was being heckled by notoriously harsh Utah Jazz fans during Monday’s 104-97 loss. The result: A fan in a courtside seat was removed from the game by a security guard. With the Heat down 20 in the third quarter, Wade points out a fan to security guards, who escort him out. Wade finished with 11 points.
New Orleans Hornets reportedly will become Pelicans
Shoeless Joe Jackson Once Played For The Pelicans
The New Orleans Hornets are expected to change their nickname to the Pelicans as early as the 2013-14 season. Louisiana is nicknamed the Pelican State. The brown pelican is the state bird and appears on the state flag and seal, and official state painting.
Tom Benson, who bought the team last year, said he wanted to change the name of franchise to something that’s more identifiable with the city than Hornets and suggested that Jazz, which moved with the team that relocated from New Orleans to Utah in 1979, was his first preference.
“We need to find a name like (Jazz),” Benson said after the purchase was finalized in April. “Whether we can get that or (they) let us use that, you’ve got to know we’re working on it. We’d like to change it tomorrow. We have not gotten that approved, but we’re not letting up on it, either. Because we’ve got a good relationship with the commissioner and his people and we’re going to be on them daily to do something.”
If the Hornets become the Pelicans, the next domino could be Charlotte reclaiming the Hornets nickname. The franchise started out there in 1988 and moved to New Orleans in 2002. The Bobcats, an expansion team that began play in 2004, were so named for former owner Robert Johnson, but the Hornets name is favored in the area—throwback Hornets gear is a common sight.
Jeremy Evans Amazing Block-To-Dunk Combo
It’s preseason in the NBA. Is that too early to call this Jeremy Evans block-dunk combo one of the best plays we’ll see all season? But it sure was an amazing display of athleticism.
Al Jefferson Buys $23,000 Bed
So Jealous
Utah Jazz big man Al Jefferson probably sleeps in a bed half his size half the NBA season when he’s on the road. Tired of not sleeping like a giant he decided to buy a $23,000 bed which new teammate Mo Williams tweeted out this photo.
The bed is 10-by-12 feet, or large enough to fit two Mini Coopers. Jefferson is listed at 6-10 and 289 pounds and is sure to sleep like a king going forward.
Karl Malone Would Start A Team With Scottie Pippen Over Michael Jordan
Mailman Delivers
Karl Malone was best known for his days as a member of the Utah Jazz. He would have won a title too if it wasn’t for those meddling Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Malone was asked which of those two players were the best, and Malone gave an interesting answer to Dan Patrick.
“I would have to start my team with Scottie Pippen,” he said. “This is why I would take Scottie: Do you remember the time that Michael retired? I watched Scottie Pippen when the Chicago Bulls weren’t really good and Scottie led that team in every statistical category, and I just remembered that. Plus, he’s a guy who could care less about scoring. He wants to stop the best player on the other team. That would have been pretty cool, to see Scottie guarding Michael.”
Manu Ginobili Blows Wide Open Dunk
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Utah Jazz 106-91 to take game one of the first round of the playoffs but all wasn’t rosy for the Spurs as guard Manu Ginobili missed a wide open dunk attempt.
Delonte West Sticks Finger In Gordon Hayward’s Ear
After fouling Utah Jazz’s Gordon Hayward, Dallas Mavericks Delonte West stuck his finger into Hayward’s ear, which is just gross since nobody knows where his finger has been.
The referees did the right thing and gave West a technical foul.
Tom Benson Wants Jazz Name Back For Team
It Doesn't Belong To You
Tom Benson, who has agreed to purchase the New Orleans Hornets for a reported $338 million, wants to change the name of the team to something more identifiable with the city of New Orleans.
The name “Hornets” moved with the team when previous owner George Shinn relocated it from Charlotte to New Orleans, and when the Jazz moved from New Orleans to Utah in 1979, the name went with the team then too.
“We need to find a name like (Jazz),” Benson told the Times-Picayune. “Whether we can get that or (they) let us use that, you’ve got to know we’re working on it. We’d like to change it tomorrow. We have not gotten that approved, but we’re not letting up on it, either. Because we’ve got a good relationship with the commissioner and his people and we’re going to be on them daily to do something.”
The Salt Lake Tribune noted that in the Hornets first season in New Orleans, one of the team’s owners said he wanted to bring the Jazz nickname back.
“I’m willing to sit down and talk about it,” late Jazz owner Larry Miller said at the time.
The Jazz are now run by Miller’s son, Greg Miller.
Derrick Rose Buys $2.8 Milli Trump Condo
Sky's The Limit
Chicago Bulls star guard and league MVP Derrick Rose is moving on up and he bought a deluxe apartment in the sky. Rose recently paid $2.8 million for a three-bedroom condo a top of the Trump International Hotel & Tower.
“It’s definitely an unbelievable feeling just being up there,” Crain’s quoted Rose as saying before Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz. “The view is nice and I don’t take it for granted. It’s a blessing.”
The condo includes four bathrooms, a den and Rose also purchased two parking spots. If Rose ever wants to talk hockey or needs mullet advice, he’ll be able to do that too. Chicago Blackhawks star forward Patrick Kane also lives in the building.
Lamar Odom Apologizes To Dallas Mavericks Teammates
Candyman Can
Lamar Odom, who left the Dallas Mavericks before their Feb. 22 game against the Los Angeles Lakers and did not return until Saturday, apologized to his teammates for his 10-day absence, but did not give a reason for missing four games in a row.
While reports have said he left the team before the All-Star break to be with his ill father, Odom told reporters on Saturday, “It was really personal and it was something I had to tend to. Mark Cuban’s a great owner for understanding. There are times when we have to fix what is going on off the basketball court in order to fix what’s going on on the court.”
After Cuban may have been understanding, but others within the organization—including coach Rick Carlisle and point guard Jason Kidd—were getting frustrated.
Kidd on Friday said that Odom will have to regain his teammates’ trust, according ESPN.com, and Carlisle said the same day on ESPN Radio, “When he comes back, we’re going to find out very quickly where things are at. He’s going to have to show us with his actions and attitude that he’s in.”
Odom was supposed to play in a D-League game on Saturday, but was called up to Dallas because reserve center Brandan Wright could not play because of a concussion. Odom went on to post nine points, five rebounds and three assists over 18 minutes against the Utah Jazz.
“It felt good to be back, playing basketball, doing what I’m so blessed to have done for so long,” Odom said after the game. “I just told (teammates) to stick with me, and that at this point in time in my life I need them,”
“This is by far the most energy he’s played with the entire year and I don’t think it’s close,” Carlisle said. “And I would defy anybody to go against that statement. It’s just clear we need this from him every night. If he can bring this, if he can bring that kind of energy and engagement, it’s going to lift our team to a different level.”
Iman Shumpert Planned To Jump Over Jeremy Lin’s Couch
Linsanity
New York Knicks Iman Shumpert was supposed to be involved in this years Sprite’s Slam Dunk contest which he was to involve teammate Jeremy Lin. Shumpert has had to withdrawn from the contest due to injury forcing Utah Jazz Jeremy Evans to replace him.
Shumpert told the New York Post that he had plan to use the couch Lin was sleeping on to jump over in the competition. If you recall, Lin had been sleeping on his brothers couch until the Knicks had guaranteed his contract.
“Once my knee was so sore, I started thinking about it: ‘Am I going to be able to jump over the couch?’ All kinds of things to think about.’”
Luke Ridnour Hits Game Winning Shot
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Luke Ridnour hit a floater over the Utah Jazz in the final seconds to beat them 100-98.
David Stern Wants Beef Between Utah Jazz & Karl Malone Stopped
Don't Make Me Come Out There
The man has already veto a trade this season now NBA commissioner David Stern wants the beef between Utah Jazz owner Greg Miller and former star Karl Malone squashed, immediately.
On Saturday we posted the news that of the back-in-forth between the Jazz owner and Malone in which the two sides had some very ugly things to say about one another. The feud has gotten so bad that Stern has urged a reconciliation, using strong language but stopping short of an outright mandate or a hint at any disciplinary action for the vocal owner.
In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, the NBA commissioner said he wants a public spat between the two “put to rest.”
“I’m looking forward to the next meeting between Greg and Karl,” Stern told the newspaper at the league’s headquarters in New York before the Jazz’s Monday night game against the Knicks.
“A lot of (Karl Malone’s) charm is that he speaks his mind. But on this one … I’m not sure why Karl has put himself in the position of saying, ‘I don’t know the facts but I know what happened.’ When, in fact, he couldn’t have.”– NBA commissioner David Stern”Not for the sparks that I expect will fly, but for the calming that I think will and should occur,” Stern said. “Because [Malone has] meant so much to the franchise and the city over the years and to the Miller family, and the Miller family has meant so much to the franchise and the city for so many years.”
Hall of Famer John Stockton told The Tribune he’s worried the dispute will “tarnish” the legacy he and Malone worked so hard to build.
“What we all shared is so special,” Stockton said. “I just hope this can be resolved, because it was a special time for me and for everyone.”
Utah Jazz Owner Says Karl Malone Is Lying
Mailman Delivers
Former Utah Jazz star Karl Malone did not back off on Saturday from comments he had made about Jazz management’s handling of Jerry Sloan’s retirement.
“I expressed what I feel and I don’t regret what I said,” Malone told The Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday. “It’s what I believe about Coach Sloan.”
To sum up the back-and-forth between Malone and Utah Jazz CEO Greg Miller: Malone last week called out Miller and Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor for their involvement in Sloan’s February 2011 resignation, saying they cut Sloan’s legs out from him by not supporting his efforts to discipline since-traded point guard Deron Williams. Miller, in turn, wrote a lengthy post on his blog calling Malone, among other things, “unstable,” and steadfastly maintained that it was Sloan’s decision to retire.
Sloan, meanwhile, issued a statement on Saturday in which he said he had the Millers’ full support during his tenure.
“I left on my own volition. It is not true that the Millers undermined my authority as head coach. I had their complete backing to run the team as I wished and was assured that no player could ever overrule my decisions,” Sloan’s statement said. “The Millers encouraged me to stay with the team and gave me multiple opportunities to do so. They felt strongly that I should wait at least until the end of the season to resign and did everything they could to keep me coaching.
“I do not wish to make any further statements regarding this issue. It is time for me and my family to move on and I ask that the media respect my wishes and respect the integrity of the Miller family and all that they have done for the Utah Jazz and this community.”
The sniping between Malone and Miller had escalated for several days leading up to Sloan’s statement:
Malone said on a Feb. 27 radio show that Miller and O’Connor gave Williams, whose clashes with Sloan were known, too much power; the relationship soured for good during a game in Chicago, and a postgame meeting between Sloan, Miller and O’Connor didn’t stop the coach from retiring the following day.
“That defining moment when (management and ownership) should have stood up for Jerry Sloan, they chose Deron Williams,” he said. “And Coach Sloan, being the coach I know and love, said, ‘You know what? We should part ways.’ And he said what he said. And once Coach Sloan says something, it’s history.”
Sloan, Miller and O’Connor all maintain that the decision was Sloan’s alone. Malone, meanwhile, went on to say that he had to buy tickets to a Jazz game from a scalper because he couldn’t get in touch with the team, which motivated Miller to air his own grievances via his blog.
“The fact is Karl is still as high-maintenance as he ever was, but now he has nothing to offer to offset the grief and aggravation that comes with him. Some would argue that he could coach our big men. I would love to have Karl inspire them and teach him how to be warriors like he was. That can’t happen. Karl is too unreliable and too unstable,” Miller wrote before going on for several paragraphs about, among other things, Malone blowing off lunch dates.
“Karl, I’m not sure where or how our relationship became so sour. I wish it was otherwise. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you in any way. I’d love to do whatever I can to mend the fence and make you feel welcome at Jazz games. I would love to have you as an ambassador for the Utah Jazz. You have a standing invitation to do both.”
In the post, Miller, who’d also tweeted a rebuttal to Malone’s ticket claim, praised Malone’s contributions to the franchise. Malone on Saturday told the Tribune that he would defer further comment about Miller until he had a chance to speak with him in person.
“We’ve all become very brave when we’re tweeting, texting, blogging. We just write and press send. I don’t have time for that,” Malone said.
“Don’t tweet it, don’t blog it, don’t text it, give me a little human element. … I’m in town two or three times a month. Until I see him face to face, there won’t be any more comment about Greg Miller. … He’ll see me again.”
Jazz Mascot Drops Cake On To Fans
During the Utah Jazz’s against Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, Bear, the Jazz mascot, was delivering a birthday cake to a lucky fan. When asked to lean the cake over to give the crowd a better view, the bear tilted it over a little too much, sending the baked good hurling down several feet to the seats below.
MillerCoors Tells NBA Teams No Play, No Pay
Piss Poor Beer Anyway
The NBA and its players have reached a tentative deal to end the lockout. But team sponsors aren’t ready to pony up quite yet. Despite the deal, MillerCoors is still withholding payments from 11 NBA teams it sponsors, including the world champion Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, says spokesman Pete Marino.
The maker of beers such as Miller Lite and Coors Light has sponsorship deals in place with 11 NBA clubs. They are: the Mavs; Heat; Milwaukee Bucks; New Orleans Hornets; Atlanta Hawks; Memphis Grizzlies; Portland Trail Blazers; Indianapolis Pacers; Utah Jazz; Denver Nuggets; and Golden State Warriors.
Like everybody else involved with the NBA, MillerCoors is thrilled basketball appears to be coming back, Marino says. But it’s still not paying up.
“We are in discussions with all of our partners on our marketing plans. We’ll begin making payments — as soon as a lot of details get ironed out,” Marino says.
Here’s another issue. The tentative deal calls for a shortened 66-game NBA season starting Christmas Day. That’s 16 fewer games than the normal 82 games and 8 fewer home games. Is MillerCoors telling NBA clubs it wants a discount from clubs that will end up playing 20% fewer games this season?
“Perhaps. Not necessarily,” answers Marino. “This is all fresh information. We’re looking to get to the table and talk to these teams. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we’ll start putting pen to paper and get our plans ironed out.”
MillerCoors is exclusive beer sponsor of the Milwaukee Bucks. Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel broke the news before the tentative deal ending the lockout was announced that MillerCoors was withholding payments to the Bucks.
So how much money are we talking? That depends on the team, the city and whether or not it’s an exclusive sponsorship. MillerCoors is only exclusive with the Bucks. It shares beers sponsorships on the 10 other clubs. So figure its withholding anywhere from a couple of hundred thousand dollars to to a few million dollars — from its 11 partners.
Here’s how these sponsorship deals typically work. The corporate sponsor contractually agrees to fork over a certain amount of sponsorship money per season. Most of it is advertising on the team’s local TV/radio game telecasts.
In return, the NBA club gives the corporate sponsor the rights to use its trademark in advertising, promotion and retails displays. They also usually gets a luxury box at home games. The deals are typically multi-year contracts.
Dave Checketts Says NBA Lockout Over But Isn’t
Wrong
Former New York Knicks president Dave Checketts has gained a share of fame for declaring the NBA lockout over, when it fact the league is still chained shut. Checketts, went on ESPN Radio in Salt Lake City yesterday and informed listeners the NBA had a 10-year labor deal in place.
“I’ve received a couple of phone calls from friends who are very close to the process who say, ‘We have a deal, and now it’s a matter of getting everything straightened out,’ ” Checketts said, according to the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Later in the interview, however, he had to backtrack.
“Obviously saying this publicly has created quite a stir,” Checketts said. “I’m being told now by some people there are some difficulties in the negotiation. I was told earlier today that they had reached a deal. Now, I’m getting people reaching out to me — one of whom’s involved in the process — who’s saying it’s not as close as he thought before.”
Checketts time with the Knicks gives him credibility, as does his friendship with NBA Commissioner David Stern. He also once was president and GM of the Utah Jazz, so his comments spread quickly via social media and had to be corrected by several news agencies.
Deron Williams Speaks On Turkish Experience
Union Strong
Deron Williams stint with Besiktas is off to a rocky start, as the Turkish team was eliminated from EuroCup competition by Belgium’s Dexia Mons-Hainaut last week. Williams had just seven points, on 3-for-13 shooting, and seven assists and six turnovers in the game in which Besiktas was ousted. Williams, in a diary entry said the transition has not been easy for him and his family.
“The transition for our family has been tough. It’s been an adjustment for all of us. It wasn’t easy to find a place in the city of Istanbul that could hold six people (my family) and a nanny. The place we’re in now is kind of small—actually really small compared to our houses in San Diego and Utah.
“It’s different, but it’s fun. My family is enjoying it. It brings us closer together and that’s important. It’s just an adventure for all of us.”
He added that the game of basketball in Turkey is played differently,
“It’s a different game over here. There is less spacing, the officiating isn’t the same. Pretty much every aspect of the game is different than in the NBA. I’m just learning and adjusting as we go. I still haven’t found my rhythm. The arena we play at seats 3,200 people max, so it’s not quite the same environment of an NBA game and it hasn’t been full yet because these aren’t the really big games. Once we start the Turkish league games, it should be different, I think.”
WTF: Andrei Kirilenko
Kalashnikov
Andrei Kirilenko is the latest NBA player to sign with a foreign team. The former Utah Jazz forward signed a three-year deal with his former Russian team, CSKA. Kirilenko’s contract allows him to return to the NBA a month after the lockout ends but where is the uproar for him possing with the assault rifle?
Let some NBA player from the inner city of Washington D.C. or Chicago, pose with an AK-47 and it no longer becomes a cute photo and play on a nickname but an outrage for that said player promoting violence.
Gordon Hayward Takes His Talents To IPL Pro Gaming League
Utah Jazz and video games junkie Gordon Hayward is joining the IPL Pro Gaming League and he did it in style by making fun of the LeBron James Decision. Hayward in his second year, will compete in IPL 3: Origins, a StarCraft II event to be hosted by the IGN Pro League Oct. 6 to 9 in Atlantic City, N.J. Hayward and 256 others will be playing for a share of a $100,000 prize pool.
“I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember. I’m a competitive guy, and I love the competitive nature of video games ,” Hayward said in a statement. “Pro gamers are really sports stars themselves. The mental strategy that goes into planning your next move and what your opponent is going to do are skills you need to be successful playing basketball – and playing StarCraft II.”
Armen Gilliam Dies At 47
R.I.P.
Former NBA player Armen Gilliam died at age 47 on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack in Pittsburgh, PA. Gilliam was playing basketball at LA Fitness in Collier Township when he collapsed and was rushed to St. Clair Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Gilliam, nicknamed “The Hammer,” was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the No. 2 pick overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft and played in the league for 13 years with the Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and the Utah Jazz.
Gilliam also starred on the 1987 UNLV team that reached the Final Four and has his number 35 jersey retired by the Runnin Rebels.
New Jersey Nets Kris Humphries Engaged To Kim Kardashian
Proves The New Jersey Nets Don't Watch Film
Kim Kardashian has taken the same step as sister Khloe, aka Mrs. Lamar Odom and revealed to People magazine that she is now engaged to New Jersey Nets forward Kris Humphries. She’s 30, he’s 26, and People says they’ve been posting up for 6 months now.
Humphries is best known in the NBA for rebounding the rock, and in this case he’s reported to have delivered a 20.5-carat rock for the engagement ring. Humphries was a McDonald’s All-American in 2003 and was Utah Jazz’s first-round draft choice in 2004, but he has been traded three times and has made only 52 starts in 7 years but his 10.4 rebounding average did rank fifth in the NBA this season.
