Day: December 25, 2010

Michael Jordan buys $3.15 million condo in Charlotte

The Charlotte Observer reports:

July 15, 2010 - Stateline, Nevada, USA - MICHAEL JORDAN plays in the 21st annual American Century Championships at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Offering a total purse of 600,000 dollars, the made-for-tv ACC, owned and broadcast by NBC Sports, is the world's premier celebrity golf tournament. For the fifth year in a row, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and its LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign is the Championship's official charity.

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is officially a Charlotte homeowner.

Jordan has purchased and combined the two top-floor penthouses at The Trust, a luxury uptown condominium building at 139 South Tryon St. He closed on the $3.15 million property Thursday, according to the McDevitt Agency, which brokered the deal.

His new, 7,000-square-foot residence is about two blocks from Time Warner Cable Arena, where the Bobcats play. The seven-floor Trust building also houses Chima Brazilian Steakhouse.

InsideHoops.com editor says: $3.15 million is pocket change. He probably paid it in $20 bills that he found in his jeans. I’m sure my readers can relate.

Awful Kings sticking with front office for now

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports:

Oct 19, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans (13) dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. The Kings defeated the Clippers 96-94. Photo via Newscom

There’s no dancing around the Kings’ rough start this season.

They have the NBA’s worst record, 5-22. They’ve lost 21 of their last 23 games.

Each loss draws more scrutiny, but Kings ownership and management remain resolute in keeping with their plan to rebuild the team back to prominence.

Co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, basketball president Geoff Petrie and coach Paul Westphal are echoing the same message as the team takes two days off before returning to practice Sunday in preparation for Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Despite the rough start, the ownership said it has no plans to make sweeping changes on the sideline or in the front office.

“Paul is going to be our coach through the end of the season, and Geoff will remain with us, no doubt about it,” Gavin Maloof said. “We’re going to stick together and know the future is bright. We have a lot of cap space, and we’re going to use it and know that brighter days are ahead.”

Reggie Williams living his dream playing in NBA

Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reports:

Reggie Williams living his dream playing in NBA

Last year, forward Reggie Williams spent Christmas in his apartment in Sioux Falls, S.D.

In the morning, he walked through a foot of snow to buy groceries from a Wal-Mart across the street. He and roommate Leemire Goldwire, his teammate in the NBA Development League, cooked and ate Christmas dinner together. By that evening, they were glued to the couch waiting for the tipoff of the Denver-Portland game on ESPN, dreaming about the day they would get their shots in the NBA.

“It seems like just yesterday,” Williams, 24, said. “Now, I’m spending Christmas in California, in beautiful weather and about to play on national TV. My family can watch me play.”

Tonight Williams again will be waiting for the tipoff of a game involving Portland on ESPN (and CSNBA). But this time, he is playing in it. The Warriors host the Trail Blazers in the nightcap of the NBA’s five-game Christmas Day schedule.

This time last year, Williams was an overlooked star in the D-League, watching other D-Leaguers get called up to the big show ahead of him.

“My dream was to play in the NBA,” Williams said. “So for me to play on Christmas Day and on national TV, that’s a pretty big achievement.”