Month: June 2009

76ers guard Royal Ivey declines player option

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that Royal Ivey has declined the player option on his contract for the 2009-10 season, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Ivey (6-4, 215) signed as a free agent with Philadelphia on July 28, 2008.  He appeared in 71 games off the bench for the Sixers last season, averaging 3.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game.  For the season, Ivey had 36 steals to just 23 turnovers, posting the sixth-highest steal-to-turnover ratio (1.57) of any player in the league.

Bill Laimbeer quits Detroit Shock; Rick Mahorn named head coach

Tom Wilson, President and CEO of the Detroit Shock and Palace Sports and Entertainment, announced today that Bill Laimbeer has resigned from his duties as head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock. In a related move, Wilson announced that effective immediately, Rick Mahorn has been promoted to head coach and Cheryl Reeve has been promoted to assistant coach/general manager.

“It’s disappointing that Bill has decided to step down as head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock,” said Wilson. “But at the same time, Bill led the Shock to three WNBA Championships and a league-record 27 postseason victories during his seven-year tenure. We thank him for his guidance and dedication to the franchise and our organization.”

Laimbeer’s three WNBA titles (2003, 2006, 2008) are one shy of the WNBA record held by Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor, who guided the Houston Comets to the first four WNBA titles in league history (1997-2000).

In his first full season as head coach, Laimbeer orchestrated a historic worst-to-first turnaround, for which he was named 2003 WNBA Coach of the Year. The Shock, 9-23 a year earlier, won a league-best 25 games and the 16-game turnaround was the largest in WNBA history.

In addition to three WNBA titles during his tenure, the Shock won four Eastern Conference Championships (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008), amassed a regular-season record of 137-92 (.598) in 229 WNBA games and won a WNBA record 10 WNBA Finals games. Laimbeer’s six consecutive playoff appearances rank second all-time in WNBA history and his 137 victories rank fifth in league history.

As a general manager, Laimbeer is credited with the drafting of 2003 WNBA Rookie of the Year Cheryl Ford, acquiring 2003 WNBA Finals MVP Ruth Riley in the 2003 WNBA dispersal draft and the acquisitions of 2008 WNBA Finals MVP Katie Smith and 2007 Sixth Woman of the Year Plenette Pierson.

Hedo Turkoglu plans to opt out of Magic contract

The Orlando Sentinel (Brian Schmitz) reports: The agent for Hedo Turkoglu told the Sentinel on Monday that the Orlando Magic small forward will opt out of his contract and become a free agent in two weeks. “It would make sense for him to opt out,” Lon Babby, Turkoglu’s agent said by phone. “I can’t imagine a scenario in which he would not.” The Magic, fresh off an appearance in the NBA Finals, will be challenged to keep their core group together with Turkoglu and center Marcin Gortat testing the free-agent waters. The Magic already have tied up Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson to large, long-term deals… Turkoglu is scheduled to make $7.3 million next season in the final year of a six-year, $36 million deal.

Jerry West had huge impact on current Lakers

The San Francisco Chronicle (Scott Ostler) reports: Jerry West’s fingerprints are all over this shiny championship trophy, just like they’re all over the other nine. West hired Phil Jackson as Lakers coach. In ’96, West traded for just-drafted Kobe Bryant, a high school kid bypassed by 12 teams, including the Warriors. West has remained Bryant’s friend, confidant and adviser through some very hard times for Kobe, personally and professionally. It’s possible Bryant would have left the Lakers had it not been for West’s voice-of-reason counsel and friendship. The Lakers got Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies in ’08. West was the Memphis general manager from 2002 to ’07, and I know he has enormous respect for Gasol. You can bet that before that trade went down, West filled Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak’s ear about Gasol.

Team, city to split cost of 2009 Lakers championship parade

Economic conditions in Los Angeles, California and the country and world in general won’t prevent fans of the Lakers from getting to enjoy a championship parade. The Los Angeles Times (Julie Cart) reports:

In the end, the team and city will split the cost — each kicking in about $1 million for the festivities, which for the first time includes the significant expense of renting the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The city will pay for police, transportation and general staff, said Mark Szabo, spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The mayor said Sunday that it was “untenable” not to have a parade, even though city officials had been meeting behind closed doors to find hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts.

Rowdy celebrations in Los Angeles after Lakers win championship

The AP (Christopher Weber) reports: Hundreds celebrated in the streets outside Staples Center after the Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA title win Sunday night, with some revelers damaging police cruisers, throwing rocks and bottles at officers and setting bonfires in the street, authorities said. About 25 people were arrested, most part of a rowdy crowd that split off on to surrounding streets after police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, officer Karen Rayner said. Several police cruisers were damaged and reinforcement officers were called in from throughout the city to help disperse the crowd, Rayner said. Aerial television footage showed people jumping on a police car, rocking vehicles attempting to pass through the crowd, setting small trees on fire and throwing fireworks and flares set up by police. No injuries were reported. A gas station was looted and several cars, buses and a news van were vandalized, police said.

Lakers win 2009 NBA championship

Lakers win 2009 NBA championship

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to win the 2008-09 NBA championship, the franchise’s 15th title.

Kobe Bryant led the way for Los Angeles, shooting 10-of-23 for 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks.

Lamar Odom (5-of-12) had 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Trevor Ariza added 15 points and 2 steals, Pau Gasol (6-of-9) had 14 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks, and Derek Fisher scored 13.

The Magic led by two after the first quarter, but the Lakers went on a huge run and won the second quarter 30-18. And the Magic scored just 15 points in the third quarter.

Orlando shot just 41.5% from the field and were an awful 8-of-27 from three-point range. And they hit a mere 10-of-16 free throws.

The Lakers won the rebounding battle, 47-36. They had 13 offensive rebounds, including 4 each from Gasol and Andrew Bynum. The team dished just 13 assists.

No one stepped up for the Magic. All five starters had double-digit points, and two players had 10 rebounds, but no one shined. Rashard Lewis led his team with 18 points (on 19 shots), 10 rebounds and 4 assists.  Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee each scored 12. Dwight Howard was very quiet with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.

The 2009 NBA Finals MVP award was given to Bryant, who enjoys his 4th championship.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson now has 10 NBA titles as head coach, the most of any coach in league history.

Phil Jackson fined for criticizing refs

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has been fined $25,000 for criticizing game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.  The Lakers were also fined $25,000 for their coach’s comments.

Jackson and the Lakers have been fined for his comments made on camera between the 1st and 2nd periods during Game 4 of The Finals.

Utah Jazz exercise option on Kyrylo Fesenko

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has exercised its option on center Kyrylo Fesenko for the 2009-10 season.  Per team policy, financial terms were not released.

 

The 7-1, 22-year old native of the Ukraine has appeared in 30 games over two seasons with the Jazz, holding career averages of 2.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.60 blocks while shooting .519 in 7.5 minutes per game.  He appeared in 21 games (one start) in 2008-09, averaging 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.71 blocks, hitting .583 (21-36) shots from the field in 7.4 minutes per game.  Fesenko’s best game came against Yao Ming at Houston on December 27, 2008, where he posted career highs of 12 points (6-8 FG) and 11 rebounds along with three blocks in 34 minutes. 

Fisher clutch, Lakers beat Magic, take 3-1 lead

The AP reports: Derek Fisher hit two key 3-pointers—one with 4.6 seconds left in regulation, the other with 31.3 seconds to go in overtime—as the Los Angeles Lakers moved within one win of their 15th championship by beating the Orlando Magic 99-91 on Thursday night to open a 3-1 series lead. The 34-year-old Fisher, in his second stint with the Lakers after stops in Golden State and Utah, was best known for his turnaround fling with 0.4 seconds left in the 2004 playoffs against San Antonio. He’s got two more shots that rank right with it… Dwight Howard was magnificent everywhere but at the free-throw line. He scored 16 points with 21 rebounds and a finals-record nine blocks. But he made just 6 of 14 foul shots, and it was his two crucial misses with 11.1 seconds to go in regulation that doomed the Magic… Trevor Ariza and Pau Gasol each had 16 for Los Angeles. Ariza, traded by Orlando to L.A. in 2007, had 13 of the Lakers’ 30 points in the third quarter.