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Timberwolves may hire Bobby Jackson as player development coach

Bobby Jackson

The Wolves are in contract discussions to bring former Gophers star Bobby Jackson back to Minnesota and back to the franchise as a player development coach to replace David Adelman, according to a league source.

Jackson starred for two seasons for that Gophers team that reached the 1997 Final Four — or didn’t, if you’re the NCAA — and played in the NBA for both Flip Saunders with the Wolves and Rick Adelman in Sacramento and Houston.

My colleague Sid Hartman phoned in the Jackson news to the sports desk late last night, too late for it to get into the paper, and a source confirmed it this morning.

Jackson was a Kings assistant coach the last two seasons — and their basketball operations special assistant for two years before that — before Sacramento made sweeping ownership and management changes last summer.

Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Luke Babbitt agrees to play in Russia

Luke Babbitt agrees to play in Russia

Portland Trail Blazers free agent forward Luke Babbitt has agreed to a one-year deal with the Europe club BC Nizhny Novgorod of Russia, a league source informed CSNNW.com.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the fact that no announcement has been made, added that the deal does not contain an NBA-out clause.

Babbitt’s agent Bill Duffy confirmed the deal saying, “My take is Luke needs to play 30 minutes a game and play a more expanded role. We’ve had recent success with both Danny Green (of the San Antonio Spurs) and Patrick Beverley (of the Houston Rockets) getting an opportunity to develop their games in Europe and return to the NBA. The NBA is a league of opportunity. We feel strongly this is the best move for Luke at this time.”

Reported by Chris Haynes of CSNNW

Brooklyn Nets training camp to be held at Duke University

deron williams

The location of Brooklyn Nets training camp for the 2013-14 season will be the campus of Duke University, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

The Nets will travel to Duke on September 30 and conduct practices at the Michael W. Krzyzewski Center – Dedicated to Academic & Athletic Excellence from October 1-5, before returning to Brooklyn.

“With many new players and a new staff, going on the road for training camp will offer a unique opportunity for our players to bond and focus solely on basketball as they prepare for this season.” said King. “Duke University offers first class basketball facilities and will provide an optimum training environment for our team.”

Pau Gasol to be Madrid spokesman for 2020 Olympic bid

Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol will sit out of the FIBA EuroBasket Championships in September in hopes of fully rehabbing his knees, but the Lakers forward plans to help his native Spain in a different way.

Madrid’s 2020 Olympic bid committee has appointed Gasol as one of its spokesman and will address International Olympic Committee during Madrid’s final presentation in Buenos Aires next month. Gasol provided an impassioned statement and indirectly suggested how hosting the Summer Games would provide a significant financial boost to Spain, which has battled a recession for most of the past four years and has a 26.3 percent unemployment rate.

“The Olympic Games are more than sport – I know this personally as an Olympian. Spanish sport and the people of Madrid need the boost the Olympic Games would provide, and Madrid is ready to face this challenge,” Gasol said in a statement. “But Madrid will also give something back to the Olympic Movement – we are a city that is prepared with a responsible bid plan that will help develop sport far into the future.”

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra addresses the Seattle Seahawks

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra addresses the Seattle Seahawks

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra clearly has the football bug. He apparently also carries a message that resonates beyond basketball.

Three weeks after attending practice and then addressing the University of Tennessee football team in Knoxville as a favor to friend and Volunteers coach Butch Jones, Spoelstra was in Renton, Wash., on Tuesday, addressing the Seattle Seahawks.

“Just having him here in front of the team and just having him in meetings with us and having him out here in practice is an unbelievable experience for everybody,” quarterback Russell Wilson said after Tuesday’s practice. “For him to be able to talk about how his basketball team was successful and the way that they went about their business in terms of sacrificing . . . just that whole idea of sacrificing everything, the players, LeBron [James] coming to Miami, and Dwyane Wade sacrificing all that, all that type of sacrifice that it takes to be great and to be great so often, is kind of what he talked about for the most part. And having that discipline, as well, too, is something that he talked about, and just working hard, continuing to work hard, continuing to believe in yourselves and ignore the noise.

“That’s the main message he gave. And it clicked right with us.”

Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Indiana Pacers season ticket sales up 30 percent from last year

The Indiana Pacers’ long playoff run this spring is making it easier for the team’s front office to sell tickets.

Todd Taylor, the team’s vice president of sales and marketing, said Tuesday that sales of season-ticket packages are up nearly 30 percent from this time last year. Packages are considered anything 11 games or more because they give the buyer a guarantee to purchase playoff tickets, he said.

Per club policy, the Pacers do not reveal total number of season tickets. But Taylor said the 30 percent bump includes about 1,200 new ticket holders.

Reported by Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star

Prosecutors will not file assault charges against Scottie Pippen

Prosecutors have slapped down allegations that retired hoopster Scottie Pippen assaulted an autograph seeker outside a Malibu restaurant last June.

The Los Angeles District Attorney said Tuesday it will not press charges against the former Chicago Bull because the man who claims he was roughed up was legally drunk at the time, may have been the aggressor and did not have injuries consistent with the beatdown he claimed he suffered.

An investigator also found that while alleged victim Camran Shafighi complained of severe pain to his ankle and demanded a splint after the incident, staff at UCLA Medical Center later saw him walk without a limp.

The emergency room staff also said Shafighi faked seizures that would mysteriously disappear when a doctor ordered him to “stop it,” a DA filing obtained by the Daily News states.

Reported by Nancy Dillon of the New York Daily News

Chicago Bulls name Jennifer Swanson Director of Sports Performance

Bulls

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Jennifer Swanson has been named the team’s Director of Sports Performance.

Swanson will be responsible for overseeing the athletic training and strength and conditioning departments, as well as massage therapy, chiropractic care, nutritional support and any auxiliary services.

A native of Gilroy, Calif., Swanson spent the past five years as a Performance Physical Therapy Manager at Athletes’ Performance in Los Angeles, Calif. She was responsible for working with professional athletes from the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB, as well as a variety of international, collegiate and high school athletes. Prior to her tenure at Athletes’ Performance, Swanson completed a Sports Physical Therapy Residency at the University of Pittsburgh/Centers for Rehab Services, where she also spent time working as an intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Swanson earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Duke University (2004) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology from the University of California, Davis (2001). She is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports and Orthopedics, as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Swanson is also an accomplished track athlete, as she is a six-time NCAA Division II All-American and was the National Indoor Pole Vault Champion in 2000.

Antawn Jamison to sign with L.A. Clippers

antawn jamison

Antawn Jamison may have improved his odds of winning a first NBA title by moving to a team with zero championships.

The veteran free agent agreed to a one-year contract with the Clippers on Monday for the veteran’s minimum of about $1.4 million, bolstering a bench that last season was among the best in the league.

“Happy to stay in LA. But with the @LAClippers!” Jamison tweeted.

Jamison, a 15-year veteran who spent last season with the Lakers on another minimum deal, has stated his desire to play for a title contender at this point in his career. He has never reached the conference finals in previous stints with the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers.

Reported by Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times