April 2010 – Page 16 – NBA Blog

Spurs sign Manu Ginobili to contract extension

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that guard Manu Ginobili has signed a multi-year contract extension. Per club policy terms of the contract were not announced.

According to CBS Sports, “Ginobili, 32, will make $11.8 million in 2010-11, $12.9 million in ’11-12 and $14.1 million in the final year of the deal, bringing the total to more than $38,8 million, sources said.”

The 6-6 Ginobili was selected by San Antonio with the 57th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. In his eight seasons, Ginobili has helped navigate the Spurs to three NBA Championships. He and Bill Bradley are the only two players to win a NBA Championship, an Olympic gold medal and a Euroleague Championship.

“It is quite obvious how important Manu has been to our program,” said Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich. “It is a great feeling to know that one of the best players in the world will continue to be a Spur.”

The 32-year-old Ginobili was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2008. That season he was also selected to the All-NBA Third Team, becoming the first South American – and first sixth man – to earn All-NBA honors. Among active NBA players in playoff action Ginobili ranks eighth in three-pointers made (170), fifth in steals (148) and is tied for ninth in free throws made (478). An All-Star in 2005, he has also been named the NBA’s Player of the Week three times.

In 550 regular season games Ginobili has averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.51 steals in 27.8 minutes. He is the Spurs franchise leader in three-pointers made (801) and attempted (2,125) and is seventh all-time in points (8,232), eighth in assists (2,058) and fifth in steals (834). Ginobili has appeared in 107 playoff games and averaged 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.38 steals in 32.9 minutes. On San Antonio’s all-time playoff leaders, he ranks first in three-pointers made (170) and attempted (447) and is fourth in points (1,710), third in rebounds (510), fourth in assists (378) and second in steals (148).

A member of the Argentinean National Team since 1998, Ginobili led Argentina to the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics after averaging 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.38 steals in 29.9 minutes in eight games. During the 2000-01 season he was named the MVP of both the Italian League and the Euroleague Finals as Virtus Bologna captured the title in both the Italian and Euroleague Championships.

Spurs, Ginobili set to announce extension

Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News reports:

The deal that will keep guard Manu Ginobili with the Spurs for three more seasons has been completed, and the team plans to announce the contract extension on Friday.

Negotiations on final details were hammered out late Thursday afternoon and Ginobili was expected to sign the new contract, the details of which were approved by the NBA office on Thursday.

The extension will pay Ginobili $38.9 million through the 2012-13 season.

George Shinn negotiating to sell Hornets

The AP reports:

New Orleans Hornets majority owner George Shinn is negotiating to sell his stake in the NBA club to south Louisiana businessman Gary Chouest, who has owned 25 percent of the team since 2007, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person familiar with both men’s plans and the anticipated sale, told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because an agreement has not been signed.

Shinn, a 68-year-old businessman who made his fortune developing a chain of business schools in his native North Carolina, has been either the sole or majority owner of the Hornets since the club’s inception in Charlotte in 1988. The club moved to New Orleans in 2002 and three years ago Chouest paid about $62 million for his share of the team.

Andrew Bynum likely to rest until playoffs

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports (via blog):

Andrew Bynum likely to rest until playoff opener

Andrew Bynum said Thursday he is leaning toward sitting out until the Lakers open the playoffs rather than risk a setback in his strained left Achilles’ tendon.

Bynum referred to coming back for the last two games of the regular season “possible,” but he later noted: “It’s like, what’s the point? Another possibility to go back a couple steps.”

Bynum was firm in his declaration that he would play in the playoff opener, likely to be April 18. If Bynum doesn’t play until then, he will have missed a month since being hurt March 19.

“I’m going to play in the first game of the playoffs,” he said.

Thunder assign Kyle Weaver to D-League

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has assigned guard Kyle Weaver to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League.

This will mark Weaver’s third assignment to the 66ers this season. In his two prior stints with Tulsa, Weaver appeared in five games (all starts) averaging 12.4 points, 7.2 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.40 steals, 1.40 blocks and 42.6 minutes per contest.

The second-year guard has made five appearances for the Thunder this season and recorded averages of 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game.

Weaver is expected to be in uniform today when the Tulsa 66ers take on the Sioux Falls Skyforce at 12:30 PM in Tulsa for the first round of the NBA D-League Playoffs.

Hedo Turkoglu day-to-day after nasal injury

Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu left Wednesday’s game versus Boston at Air Canada Centre at the 1:15 mark of the first quarter after being struck in the nose. A CT scan performed at Mt. Sinai Hospital revealed a small new non-displaced fracture on an old nasal fracture. The scan also showed no significant displacement, and no skull or midface injuries.

Turkoglu’s status is listed as day-to-day.

The Raptors travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Friday at Philips Arena (7:30 p.m., TSN/FAN 590).

Bobcats make playoffs for first time

The AP reports:

D.J. Augustin’s clutch shooting, so familiar to basketball fans in his hometown of New Orleans, sent the Charlotte Bobcats into uncharted territory: the NBA playoffs.

Shortly after congratulating the current Louisiana state champions from his old high school, Augustin hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including one with 16 seconds left to give Charlotte the lead for good in a dramatic 104-103 victory over the Hornets on Wednesday night.

That secured the first playoff berth for the Bobcats, in their sixth year since joining the NBA and first with Michael Jordan as their majority owner.

Don Nelson now has most coaching wins in NBA history

The AP reports:

Don Nelson emerged from the Golden State Warriors locker room all disheveled from a wild celebration after finally overtaking Lenny Wilkens as the NBA’s winningest coach.

His gray hair was soaked to the scalp not with Dom Perignon, but a concoction of fizzy soft drinks after a 116-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night gave Nelson win No. 1,333 for his career…

In 31 seasons on the bench, Nelson is 1,333-1,061 in a career that has made stops in Milwaukee, Golden State (twice), New York and Dallas. He won five titles as a player, has been named coach of the year three times, but has never made an NBA Finals as a coach.

Chris Paul will miss remainder of season

New Orleans Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul will miss the remainder of the season due to a ligament tear in his right middle finger. No surgery is required for the injury. The timetable for his return to basketball activities is approximately seven weeks.

“It has been a very difficult season for me in terms of injuries,” said Paul. “I hate not being out on the court helping my team, but the best thing for me to do is to get completely healthy. I am hopeful to be back playing basketball by June.”

NBA says in Jazz-Thunder game, foul by C.J. Miles was missed

Joel Litvin, NBA President, League and Basketball Operations, issued the following statement regarding the final seconds of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz game last night at EnergySolutions Arena:

“On the final play of last night’s Oklahoma City-Utah game, the officials missed a foul committed by the Jazz’s C.J. Miles on the Thunder’s Kevin Durant during a three-point shot attempt.”