Inside Hoops – Page 1282 – NBA Blog

LeBron James would like some space

His September wedding in San Diego is the stuff of TMZ and People Magazine. His free agency next summer could eclipse the attention of when he previously entered the market in 2010.

But, for now, LeBron James is asking for a little space.

Please.

At least that’s the message from his Facebook and Twitter posts overnight.

On his Facebook page, as Sunday turned to Monday, the Heat forward posted:

“Man it’s hard to go out and have a good time these days! It’s cool though, it’s part of my life. Wouldn’t change anything(just saying). Been in the spotlight since I was 15. Sometimes u just wanna STOP!! But I refuse cause I have a commitment to the youth to inspire them!! That will keep me pushing forward and focused alone.”

Reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Thomas Robinson still finding his way in NBA

Basically discarded by two teams in one year, Thomas Robinson, the fifth overall pick in 2012, is in Portland, for a third opportunity. The Kings sent Robinson to the Rockets after just 51 games, and the Rockets moved him to the Trail Blazers to create salary-cap space for Dwight Howard.

So, change has been a constant, and the dismissals have motivated him.

“I have to find a way to get back to my old self,” said Robinson, who averaged 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 15 minutes per game as a rookie. “That’s talking and messing with other people [on the other team] and being annoying the whole game. I went back and I watched old tapes and some of the stuff that I did, and I didn’t play with the same emotion. I’m just trying to get back to that. If I get back to that I feel that I’ll be pretty comfortable in this league.”

Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Delonte West wants an NBA contract

Badly misunderstood in certain instances, having made heinous mistakes in others, Delonte West has run the gamut of experiences in his NBA career. He’s 30 now, married and a new father, and he’s looking to return to the NBA, hoping teams can overlook his past troubles and provide him with a sliver of an opportunity.

West, who last played for the Mavericks, said he will accept a nonguaranteed deal, just hoping to impress a coach and make a roster. He was waived by Dallas last October after a dispute with coach Rick Carlisle, then played briefly in the Development League.

West, who has had a pair of stints with the Celtics, said the time away has been rewarding and therapeutic.

“This, in a way, has been the biggest blessing of my life,” he said. “This has given me time to grow. I’m just looking for answers, and all of the things I have been searching for, as a man, not as an athlete, to complete me. In that time period I met my wife and have had a beautiful son, and it’s like everything is falling in place.

“Back in December or January, I stopped trying to trust in man and fight these battles by myself. I just handed the keys to the man upstairs and let him drive. It’s been the biggest blessing of my life. I have so much to be grateful for, thankful for, and I have a lot to play for now.”

Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Suns center Marcin Gortat still experiencing foot pain

Alex Len isn’t the only Phoenix Suns center struggling with foot problems.

Suns starting center Marcin Gortat returned to the U.S. on Thursday to undergo medical tests on his right foot, according to EuroBasket 2013’s website. Gortat had been working out with Poland’s national team as they prepare for the EuroBasket 2013 tournament, which starts Sept. 4 in Slovenia.

The six-year NBA veteran took a leave of three weeks from the Polish team. He is expected to return in time for the tournament to start.

Reported by Andrew Gilstrap of Arizona Sports

LeBron James may run for president of Players Association

LeBron James is seriously considering running for president of the National Basketball Players Association, multiple sources told ESPN.

James is giving a run “some very heavy thought,” one source said.

The biggest consideration for James will be the time commitment being the union president would require. James has limited time to give because of sponsorship and charity commitments in addition to playing. Deep playoff runs with the Miami Heat the past three seasons have also been taxing.

Still, James has been investigating the issue with advisers and fellow players this summer.

“It’s a very important position for where things are going,” a source close to James said.

Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

Top talent lends support to Canada Basketball

While they won’t be playing for Canada in next month’s FIBA Americas tournament in Venezuela, give this country’s two newest NBA players credit for showing up.

No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett and No. 13 selection Kelly Olynyk are in Toronto for this week’s Canada Basketball camp, lending whatever they can to the group of players assembled.

“It’s tough — I always wanted to play, especially with (this) great group of guys,” said Bennett after watching practice at the Air Canada Centre on Friday. Bennett is still recovering from a shoulder injury, and with Olynyk on the shelf as well, their respective pro teams in Cleveland and Boston would have likely had serious reservations if the frontcourt players had suited up in the maple leaf.

“Everyone wants to be here,” said Olynyk. “It’s really nice to see that everyone is so keen to represent their country and do it as a team.”

Reported by John Chick, special to the Toronto Sun

Greg Oden is a nice addition for Miami Heat

The Miami Heat did it again.

They won the competition for Greg Oden, another free agent multiple teams were chasing. And they got him to take less money than was being offered elsewhere. This has happened time and time again over the past four summers and it’s a central reason they’re two-time champs who are the oddsmakers’ favorite to do it again.

Because they got Oden at their price and on their terms — assuring Oden that he’ll be brought along slowly with an eye toward the playoffs, above all else — the Heat have set this up as an all-reward, no-risk transaction.

Oden’s story is well known. The five knee surgeries, the no games since December of 2009, a grand total of 82 games since being drafted No. 1 in 2007. Because of all that there is hardly any meaningful way to project what Oden will be for the Heat this season.

In an effort to put some sort of perspective on him, stories about Oden’s return have recently included what his player efficiency rating was for a 21-game stretch in 2009. This, of course, has virtually no value now. Even the workouts Oden had for various teams recently, which were controlled by him and done at relative low speed, hold little predictive value.

Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

Melo happy to have Bargnani, World Peace on Knicks

Carmelo Anthony hopes newly acquired Knick Andrea Bargnani comes into the season with a new attitude and renewed fire.

Speaking at his basketball camp at Queens College Saturday, Anthony lamented losing key teammates from last season’s 54-28 squad but said getting Bargnani was a “steal.” He’s convinced the Knicks will be better.

“I hate to lose [Steve] Novak and [Marcus] Camby,” he said, “but when you get someone like [Bargnani] in return, it’s kind of a win-win situation.”

The 7-foot forward, the No. 1 overall pick of the Toronto Raptors in 2006, averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 rebounds last season. It was his lowest point total since he averaged 10.2 points per game in 2007-08. “Hopefully, Bargnani will want to come in and prove something, come in with a chip on his shoulder and be ready to rock,” Anthony said.

He also was pleased with the acquisition of veteran forward Metta World Peace. Anthony joked that he still can’t get used to calling him Metta, but he’s happy to be his teammate. “To have him on our team right now brings some more toughness to our team and another defensive presence,” Anthony said.

Reported by Marcus Henry of New York Newsday

Carmelo Anthony says his shoulder is no longer an issue

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony says the small shoulder tear he suffered late last season is no longer an issue.

“I’m good. My shoulder feels good,” he said Saturday at his annual youth camp at Queens College.

An MRI taken shortly after the season showed that Anthony had suffered a small tear in his left shoulder. He said the injury affected him in the playoffs.

“I was surprised that I was able to get through it the way that I did,” Anthony said Saturday. “When it happened, I knew something was wrong with it, and I was kind of being a little bit naive and trying to fight it and toughen it out. But to feel the difference now … it’s night and day.”

Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

Craig Ehlo released from jail

Former NBA player Craig Ehlo was released from jail Friday and ordered to stay away from family members and his rural Spokane County home.

Superior Court Judge James Triplet set Ehlo’s arraignment for Aug. 14 on a charge of first-degree reckless burning, a Class C felony, the Spokesman-Review reported.

Ehlo also was ordered to stay away from fire-starting materials and remain in Washington state.

His lawyer’s name wasn’t immediately available Friday night.

Reported by the Associated Press