Inside Hoops – Page 1326 – NBA Blog

Lionel Hollins interviews for head coaching job with Denver Nuggets

He is basketball’s Jack Del Rio, a man who thrived at playing defense and now comes alive coaching it, using deft methods to make men into maulers.

Could Lionel Hollins turn the Nuggets into defensive stalwarts as defensive coordinator Del Rio did the Broncos?

That’s part of the allure, part of why Nuggets management interviewed Hollins on Wednesday for the team’s head coaching job.

The 59-year-old Hollins, recently relieved of his duties as the Memphis Grizzlies coach, could end up swapping jobs with George Karl, the fired Nuggets coach who is a candidate to succeed Hollins in Memphis.

Hollins is coming off a trip to the Western Conference finals. In Denver, Hollins is in competition with Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw, who had a second interview with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, according to media reports. The next few days could clear up the picture for numerous NBA teams looking for a head coach.

Reported by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

NBA Finals Game 7 will help define legacy for Heat, Spurs

Game 7s do more than settle championships. They define legacies.

No matter what happens Thursday night, LeBron James and the Miami Heat, and Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs have already won NBA titles and secured a place in history. Now is their opportunity to elevate it.

The truly memorable teams won the hard way, and that will be the case for the one celebrating at center court this time. It’s either a Heat repeat, possible only after James led Miami back from what seemed certain elimination in the closing seconds of Game 6, or the Spurs shaking off as gut-wrenching a loss as a team can have to become just the fourth club to win a Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road.

“I want to go down as one of the greatest. I want our team to go down as one of the greatest teams. And we have an opportunity to do that,” James said.

Reported by the Associated Press

Jay-Z is now a licensed NBA agent

Will Jay-Z actually represent clients of his newly built sports agency Roc Nation Sports in contract negotiations?

Ron Berkowitz, a spokesman for Roc Nation Sports, confirmed to ESPN.com that, as of this week, Jay-Z is now licensed to work as an NBA agent. Juan Perez, president of Roc Nation Sports, also is now certified with the National Basketball Players Association.

The news was first reported by the Sports Business Journal.

What’s not clear is how soon Jay-Z actually can represent players. A source close to the situation said that, as of Wednesday, the hip-hop mogul had not sold his small share (less than 1 percent) of the Brooklyn Nets.

Reported by Darren Rovell of ESPN.com

Toronto Raptors add CBA expert to staff

The Toronto Raptors named Bobby Webster as vice president of basketball management and strategy, the team announced Wednesday.

Webster worked for the NBA in New York for the past seven years. His most recent position was associate director of salary cap management.

“I am delighted to have Bobby join our basketball operations team,” Raptors president and general manager Masai Ujiri said. “His skill set will be valuable in a number of areas, and his experience and knowledge of the CBA and its complexities from a League level will be a great asset to the organization.”

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Tim Duncan is used to pressure

After 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), San Antonio Spurs evergreen power forward Tim Duncan has already seen it all.

The 37-year has scaled the heights of the NBA, winning four titles and two league Most Valuable Player awards, and nothing fazes him, not even the prospect of facing the top-seeded Miami Heat in a decisive seventh game of the championship series.

While many players, including Miami’s LeBron James, have confessed to feeling nervous about Thursday’s do-or-die encounter, Duncan was nonchalant about the enormity of the contest.

“I prepare for every game exactly the same,” he said. “That’s why I feel every game is exactly the same. Obviously the pressure is there, the stage is there, the energy is there but preparation doesn’t change.”

— Reported by Julian Linden of Reuters

Jerry Sloan returns to Utah Jazz as a senior basketball adviser

Utah Jazz President Randy Rigby announced today the return of Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan to the franchise as a senior basketball adviser.

In this role, Sloan will support the Jazz basketball operations and coaching staff through player evaluations at workouts, camps, and summer league; limited pro and regional college scouting; occasional practice observation; and as host of an annual prep and college coaches clinic.

“The basketball knowledge and experience that Jerry brings is invaluable, and his insights will help in our pursuit of becoming a championship-caliber team,” said Rigby. “We are pleased to formally welcome Jerry back into the organization as an adviser.”

“I am glad Jerry is going to continue to be involved with our organization,” said Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin. “We will benefit from his wealth of basketball experience. I am looking forward to his continued contributions.”

“In my new role with the Jazz franchise, I hope to help the basketball operations staff and Ty in any way that I can to achieve their goals,” said Sloan. “I would like to thank the Miller family for the opportunity to be part of the organization again.”

During his 23 seasons as head coach of the Jazz (1988-2011), Sloan guided the Jazz to 19 playoff appearances, two NBA Finals (1997, 1998), seven division titles, a streak of 16 consecutive winning seasons (1988-2004), 13 seasons with 50-plus wins and three with 60-plus wins. Sloan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 11, 2009.

Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey will return for 2013-14 season

Toronto Raptors President and General Manager, Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced Wednesday that Head Coach Dwane Casey will return for the 2013-14 season.

“I’m excited about moving forward and growing this team with Coach Casey,” said Ujiri.

Casey is in the final year of a contract extension signed following the 2011-12 campaign.

An announcement will be made in the future regarding the club’s assistant coaching staff.

Ray Allen still hears constant Jesus Shuttlesworth references

Ray Allen hears it every day.

By every day, he really means it.

Not one single 24-hour period goes by without someone referring to him as “Jesus Shuttlesworth, the movie character that still outshines his basketball career. The nickname was fitting considering he answered his teammates’ prayers by making a 3-pointer in the closing seconds Tuesday that helped the Miami Heat force Thursday’s Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

As expected, the credit for saving the Heat was given to the player who signed with the fictional Big State University in “He Got Game.”

Not Ray Allen.

“I’m fine with it,” Allen said after Wednesday’s media availability. “Everyone calls me Jesus. It’s expected. I’m pretty much used to it.”

Reported by Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Chris Bosh wants early-exiting fans in Miami to not attend Game 7

This season has been the most vocal for Miami Heat center Chris Bosh in the media.

He got even louder during Wednesday’s interview session when the topic turned to fan behavior. Bosh voiced his displeasure with the fans who left Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA Finals with the Heat trailing by five with 28 seconds remaining.

Miami rallied to tie before winning in overtime to force a Game 7 Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

“For all those guys who left, make sure they don’t come to game 7,” Bosh said. “We only want the guys that are going to stay in the building for the whole game. You never give up. People gave up on us. They can stay where they are and watch the game at home.”

Reported by Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Mark Jackson fine with current Warriors contract

Mark Jackson is the Zen Don Nelson — similar Warriors success, much less frantic financial agitation.

So: Jackson is not going to scheme for a bigger, longer contract this summer after leading the Warriors to a surprise playoff run, though that’s exactly what Nelson did after the franchise’s previous postseason berth.

If a new deal for Jackson comes before the season starts, then fine.

If it doesn’t (and Jackson said there have been no serious talks as of yet this offseason) … well, Jackson might not be 100 percent thrilled with that, but he almost certainly won’t stage a Nelson-style holdout.

“I’m thrilled to have a job and to coach this group of guys — and with great ownership, a great front office and fan base,” Jackson said from Los Angeles in a phone interview Tuesday.

“I’m a guy with great faith. I know it’ll work out. So I don’t get caught up in it. This isn’t standard ‘coach line.’ It’s the truth. It’ll work out. I do know that.”

The reality is that Jackson is signed through next season, and the Warriors have a team option for 2014-15.

Reported by Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News