October 2009 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Eddie House featured in cartoon

Boston Celtics guard Eddie House and his son, Jaelen, will be featured in the short-form series from the Cartoon Network My Dad’s a Pro. The series is the first initiative in a multifaceted partnership between Cartoon Network and the NBA.

My Dad’s A Pro premieres Wednesday, November 4 at 7:55 p.m. ET/PT. Each of the 10 four-minute episodes features a day in the life of Jaelen House, 9-year-old son to 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics guard Eddie House. Each week, viewers get a glimpse of what Jaelen’s not-so-everyday life is like as the son of one of the key players on one of the most storied NBA franchises. Whether he’s courtside at a crucial playoff game or at home celebrating his dad’s record-breaking game, Jaelen provides a never-before seen point-of-view.

House and his wife Charlsie have three sons: Jaelen and twins, Kaden and Kalek. Jaelen, House’s biggest and most enthusiastic fan, can be seen sitting courtside at most Celtics home games cheering his dad on.

Atlanta Dream of WNBA have new owners

Kathy Betty, a prominent Atlanta businesswoman and sports advocate, will become the new managing partner of the Atlanta Dream pending WNBA Board of Governors approval, league President Donna Orender announced today. The team will be owned by Dream Too, LLC, an investment group led by Betty.

“I am confident Kathy’s passion for the game and the Atlanta community, as well as her vision for the Dream, will ensure that the team continues to build on its strong start,” said Orender. “Atlanta has been a great market, and Lisa Borders has been a constant ambassador. We look forward to building upon the success the team enjoyed both on and off the court this past season. At the same time, on behalf of the league, I want to extend our thanks to Ron Terwilliger for helping bring the WNBA to Atlanta in 2007.”

In addition to serving as the CEO of the Garry Betty Foundation, established by her late husband Garry Betty, former Earthlink CEO, to fund cancer research, Betty is a former partner with Ernst & Young and previously served as the Executive Vice President of Scott Madden, Inc., an Atlanta-based management consulting firm. Betty has compiled a lengthy track record of business success and community involvement. She also is a major contributor to Georgia Tech’s men’s and women’s basketball programs.

“The opportunity to own the Dream, which is all about providing accessible and affordable world-class entertainment for the families of Atlanta, is what excites me,” said Betty. “In addition, the fact that these women serve as role models for youth, and especially young girls, is something I feel strongly about.

“I want to personally thank Lisa Borders for her diligent work in saving the Dream. The Dream belongs in Atlanta. Lisa understands that and so do I. In the midst of a tough political campaign, she carved out time to bring sponsorships to the table and find investors who will make the Dream a continued reality for the staff, players and, of course, our fans.”

In 2009, the Dream recorded the second-largest one-year turnaround in WNBA history, finishing with an 18-16 record after going 4-30 in its inaugural campaign in 2008 to earn the second seed in the Eastern Conference and their first-ever WNBA Playoff berth. Forward Angel McCoughtry, the top pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft quickly emerged as a star and earned adidas Rookie of the Year honors, while Marynell Meadors was named WNBA Coach of the Year this past season.

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Shaq still pursuing law-enforcement work

Mark Puente of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (via blog):

Predators lurking for local children on the Internet could soon be talking to a 7-foot-1 undercover deputy.

The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy is reviewing paperwork to determine whether Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal is eligible to carry a gun and a sheriff’s five-point badge.

Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid last week notified the state agency, which determines officers’ eligibility, that he intends to deputize O’Neal if approved by the state, according to records obtained by The Plain Dealer. O’Neal held law-enforcement commissions in Arizona, Virginia and Florida. Reid declined to comment until the process is complete.

If O’Neal is approved, he would need to complete 36 hours of police training within six months and take the Ohio police examination to maintain the appointment, said Holly Hollingsworth, spokeswoman for the Attorney General. He would also have to pass a test on a shooting range.

This is one of the few things Shaq appears to take pretty seriously. He’s pursued it for a long time. But I still doubt he does it full-time after his NBA basketball career wraps up in a few years. Helping the law will probably be a side-hobby for the big fella.

Thunder sign Thabo Sefolosha to extension

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed guard Thabo Sefolosha to a multi-year contract extension, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Per team policy, the terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details tonight or tomorrow.

“We are excited that we were able to reach an agreement that will keep Thabo a part of our core group moving forward,” said Presti. “Thabo represents many of the qualities that we look for in our players, great competitiveness, a team first mentality, and a strong work ethic. We believe Thabo’s best basketball is ahead of him, and his desire to remain a part of the Thunder family allowed for us to make this happen.”

Sefolosha averaged 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 31 minutes per game last season with the Thunder. Sefolosha, who joined the Thunder via trade from the Chicago Bulls on February 19, 2008, is currently in his fourth NBA season.

Sefolosha, drafted 13th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2006 NBA Draft, played five seasons in Europe prior to entering the NBA Draft. He started his professional career as a 17 year-old with Tege Riviera Basket of the Swiss domestic league in 2001. Sefolosha also spent three seasons with Chalon-Sur-Saone of the French Premier Pro League and one season with Angelico Biella of the Italian Serie A.

Spurs exercise George Hill option

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have picked up the option for the 2010-11 season for guard George Hill.

In his rookie season Hill appeared in 77 games, averaging 5.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 16.5 minutes. As a starter he averaged 9.7 points, 3.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 27.9 minutes in seven games while filling in for the injured Tony Parker. During that stretch Hill posted his four highest scoring games of the season: scored 20 points in 29:28 minutes on 11/19 vs. Denver, had a career-high 23 points in 22:37 minutes on 11/21 vs. Utah, tallied 20 points in 28:36 minutes on 11/24 at Memphis and had 19 points – along with a career-best 11 rebounds – in 32:40 minutes on 11/26 vs. Chicago.

An early entry candidate in the 2008 NBA Draft, Hill was selected by the Spurs in the first round with the 26th overall pick out of IUPUI. He is the first player school history to be selected in an NBA Draft and appear in an NBA game.

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Kyle Korver has left knee surgery

Utah Jazz guard/forward Kyle Korver underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today.

The procedure was performed Wednesday morning in New York City by Dr. David Altcheck, who reported that the surgery went “extremely well.”

Korver will return to Salt Lake City to begin rehabilitation and will be re-evaluated by Dr. Altcheck in New York City on November 9.

Korver (6-7, 212, Creighton) appeared in only one preseason contest for the Jazz this season, scoring two points and picking up three rebounds in 14 minutes against Real Madrid on October 8. Appearing in 78 games (two starts) for the Jazz in 2008-09, Korver averaged 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 24 minutes per game. The six-year NBA veteran made a team-high 103 three-point field goals in 2008-09, shooting .386 from behind the arc. The guard/forward was also selected to participate in the 2009 USA Basketball Men’s National Team mini-camp this past summer.

Originally acquired by the Jazz from Philadelphia on December 29, 2007, Korver has appeared in 128 regular season games with the Jazz over the past two seasons, averaging 9.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per game. Korver holds career averages of 10.2 points and 3.1 rebounds, while hitting .404 (837-2073) in 465 games (103 starts) with Philadelphia and Utah.

Oct 27: Lakers 99, Clippers 92

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 33 points and Andrew Bynum added 26 on his 22nd birthday for the Lakers, who began the evening with a ceremony unveiling the franchise’s 15th gold-and-purple championship banner, earned four months ago after defeating Orlando in the finals… Eric Gordon scored 21 points for the Clippers, who lost their ninth in a row to the Lakers. Chris Kaman added 18 points and 16 rebounds, Marcus Camby had 14 points, and reserve Craig Smith 12. Baron Davis was held to two points on 1 of 10 shooting while hampered by a bruised right foot that he soaked in ice afterward… Ron Artest scored 10 points in his debut in the starting lineup. Pau Gasol sat out with a strained right hamstring and was replaced by Odom, who had 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Oct 27: Blazers 96, Rockets 87

The AP reports: Greg Oden scored just two points, a tip with 58 seconds left, but had 12 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Portland Trail Blazers in a 96-87 season-opening victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night… Reserve Travis Outlaw scored 23 points and Brandon Roy added 20 points and five assists for the Blazers. Portland hit 20 of 22 free throws and outrebounded Houston 51-33. Aaron Brooks had 19 points for the Rockets, who defeated Portland in six games this past spring in the first round of the playoffs… Houston also remains without former All-Star Tracy McGrady, who had microfracture surgery on his left knee and isn’t expected to return until midseason… Portland’s 26 turnovers were more than they had in any game last season.

Oct 27: Wizards 102, Mavericks 91

The AP reports: Finally healthy after two seasons virtually lost to knee injuries, Gilbert Arenas had 29 points and nine assists as the Wizards took an early lead over the revamped Dallas Mavericks and never let go on their way to a 102-91 victory Tuesday night… Arenas shot 10 of 21 and made 8-of-9 free throws for more points than he had all of last season… The assists included several nifty passes that set up Brendan Haywood for dunks. He also helped set up reserves Andray Blatche for 20 points and Randy Foye for 19 in his first game with the Wizards. Caron Butler added 16 points, with injured forward Antawn Jamison watching from the bench. He’s likely to miss the first eight to 13 games because of a shoulder injury… But the Mavericks fell into the old habit of trying to ride a big night by Dirk Nowitzki. He scored 34 points, but was only 10 of 25. He was 12 of 13 from the foul line—all in the first half.

Oct 27: Celtics 95, Cavs 89

The AP reports: Boston’s Big Three—plus Rasheed—spoiled Cleveland’s overhyped season opener on Tuesday night with a 95-89 win over the new-look Cavaliers, who may have LeBron James and Shaq but appear to be a long way from true title contenders. Paul Pierce scored 23 points, Ray Allen 16 and Kevin Garnett 13 in his first regular-season game since last March as the Celtics, overlooked by some this preseason, ended an 11-game losing streak in Cleveland and snapped a 16-game skid by visiting teams in games between the Eastern powers who figure to meet again sometime in May or June… Pierce made two crucial jumpers and two free throws in the final 1:03 to pace the Celtics, whose drive to a second straight title was derailed when Garnett injured his knee late last season. Rasheed Wallace, added as a free agent during the offseason, had 12 points. James scored 38 and O’Neal added 10 points—just two after halftime—and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who won their first 23 home games last season but are already 0-1 on their floor.