October 2012 – Page 23 – NBA Blog

NCAA investigating relationship between agent Rich Paul and Texas guard Myck Kabongo

The NCAA is looking into the possibility that Rich Paul, the representative of Miami Heat star LeBron James, provided improper benefits to University of Texas sophomore guard Myck Kabongo, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

James and two former Texas Longhorns – Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson and San Antonio Spurs guard Cory Joseph – are represented by Paul’s new management company, Klutch Sports. Paul also called NBA front offices on behalf of Kabongo before this year’s NBA draft, sources said.

“We’re aware of the situation,” Texas basketball media relations official Scott McConnell said. “But we have not heard any decisions from the NCAA.”

McConnell declined further comment but confirmed that the NCAA has interviewed Kabongo, and said the Texas compliance department was aware of the issue.

“At the end of the day, here’s the main thing, it’s no crime to have a relationship with the kid,” Paul told Yahoo! Sports. “Of course, I know Myck through Tristan and Cory. I haven’t been contacted by the NCAA and I wouldn’t put a kid in harm’s way. My time in Cleveland was getting [former University of Kentucky star] Michael Kidd-Gilchrist prepared for the draft. I live in Cleveland.

“I would never disrespect anybody’s program. I love the game of basketball. I understand the business of basketball, but I’m about doing it the right way.”

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski and Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports

Stoudemire out of Knicks preseason opener with bruised knee

Amar’e Stoudemire will sit out Thursday night’s preseason opener in Washington with a bruised knee, the Knicks announced at their morning shootaround.

Kurt Thomas, 40, will start at power forward in his second stint with the Knicks.

During Wednesday’s practice, Stoudemire banged knees with a teammate and developed swelling.

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post (Blog)

Cavs waive Kevin Anderson and Justin Holiday

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived guard Kevin Anderson and guard/forward Justin Holiday, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Anderson appeared in one preseason game, scoring three points in five minutes. Holiday also appeared in one preseason game, scoring three points in 12 minutes.

The Cavaliers roster now stands at 18.

Sixers waive Mikki Moore and Xavier Silas

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have waived forward/center Mikki Moore and guard Xavier Silas. The Sixers roster now stands at 16

Moore (7-0, 225) has appeared in 564 games with 181 starts across NBA 13 seasons, averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game.

Silas (6-5, 205) was an undrafted rookie out of Northern Illinois in 2011. He originally signed with the Sixers in late April and appeared in the final two regular season games.

Kobe Bryant uncertain when NBA retirement will come

The 34-year-old Lakers star addressed his retirement after practice Tuesday, saying he remained uncertain if he would play beyond his contract that expires after the 2013-14 season.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Bryant said. “It will be a lot of basketball being played.”

Bryant has logged 1,161 regular-season games and 42,377 minutes in his career. He has two years and $58.3 million remaining on his contract and probably would have to take a steep discount to return for an additional season.

What might there be left to play for at that point? One possibility would be catching or surpassing the number of championships won by Michael Jordan, who has six titles on a resume widely considered the best in NBA history.

Bryant has won five championships.

What would it take for him to come back after his contract expires?

“How the hell do I know?” Bryant said. “It’s three years from now.”

— Reported by the Los Angeles Times

Marketing frenzy for Miami Heat in China

In between games, practices and league-related appearances, players such as James, Battier and Dwyane Wade will find time to help market everything from shoes to soda to watches. James has several news conferences planned and Wade is expected to introduce his new shoe Wednesday in Beijing. Wade’s endorsement contract with Jordan Brand ended in September, but he quickly found a replacement in Li-Ning Company Limited, a Chinese-based company.

“As an organization, as players individually, once we get over there it will be a great opportunity to continue to grow the game,” said Wade, who has been hesitant to talk about his new shoe deal.

The NBA has always been a “players’ league,” but in China, where the biggest names are treated like movie stars, that expression is taken to an extreme. In many cases, basketball fans in China are more concerned about a player’s private and social life than their exploits on the court.

Arison says he expects fans to be “camped out” outside the Heat’s hotels in Beijing and Shanghai throughout the week. The star power of the Heat’s players has already helped the team land sponsorships with two Chinese-based company’s, Tsingtao Brewing Company and Peak Sports Goods, and Arison hopes to foster new business relationships this week.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Dirk Nowitzki sits out preseason game with swollen right knee

A swollen right knee kept Dirk Nowitzki out of the Dallas Mavericks’ 99-85 loss at FC Barcelona Regal on Tuesday, with Pete Mickeal and Juan Carlos Navarro each scoring 19 points for the 17-time Spanish champions.

After only leading by two points at halftime, Barcelona outscored the Mavericks 32-16 in the third quarter to open up an 18-point gap. Center Chris Kaman led the Mavericks with 15 points. Darren Collison was next with 14, and Elton Brand had 10.

Nowitzki was expected to play but was ruled out just before tip-off.

”Last year I dealt with (swelling in the knee),” Nowitzki said. ”We did treatment twice and the swelling didn’t come back. Hopefully it will respond next week and I can play through the year.”

— Reported by Joseph Wilson of the Associated Press

Orlando Magic add forward Chris Johnson to training camp

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward Chris Johnson, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. We presume, but have not confirmed, that this is just a training camp signing.

Johnson (6’6”, 201, 4/29/90) played in 138 career games during four years at the University of Dayton, averaging 10.6 ppg., 6.1 rpg. and 1.1 apg. in 24.9 minpg. He was named the 2010 NIT Most Valuable Player and was a four-time Atlantic 10 Conference honoree during his collegiate career.

Johnson was waived by the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 7.

Orlando’s roster currently stands at 20 players.

Dwyane Wade works out, hopes to play Thursday

Dwyane Wade hopes to make his preseason debut Thursday when the Heat plays the Los Angeles Clippers at Beijing’s MasterCard Center.

Wade practiced with the team Tuesday in Beijing and said his knee has responded well to a gradual return from offseason knee surgery. The Heat will practice Wednesday before a final decision is made on whether or not Wade is ready to return.

On Tuesday, all signs pointed to him being medically cleared.

Wade bounced around with his teammates after practice, participating in a player-organized shooting contest geared towards building team chemistry. During practice, he ran with the team during offensive drills.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

J.R. Smith stars in music video

And now Smith has added a new layer of intrigue. He’s starring in a new music video called “How Deep Is Your Love,” which features Grammy award-winning reggae artist Sean Paul and popular R&B singer Kelly Rowland. Smith, who plays the love interest, said he didn’t even have to audition for the role.

“They just came to me and asked me to do it,” he told ESPNNewYork.com on Saturday. “From listening to the song, they just said I was the perfect person to play it.”

Smith said that Paul and Rowland filmed their own scenes in Los Angeles, and his was a one-day, six-hour shoot in NYC. While the experience made him want to continue acting, he’s not jumping into it again so fast.

“It’s hard,” he said. “A lot of people underestimate it. Acting is definitely a tough gig to have.”

— Reported by Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York

“How Deep is Your Love” video, featuring J.R. Smith