Inside Hoops – Page 1339 – NBA Blog

Sacramento Kings will introduce new head coach Mike Malone on Monday

The Sacramento Kings will introduce former Golden State assistant Mike Malone as their head coach on Monday.

The news conference to announce Malone’s hiring will come three days after new owner Vivek Ranadive officially took control of the franchise from the Maloof family, a team official said on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.

Malone replaces Keith Smart, who was fired Friday shortly after the sale of the team was completed.

Ranadive has been a minority owner the past three seasons of the Warriors, where Malone worked the past two seasons as an assistant under coach Mark Jackson.

Reported by Josh Dubow of the Associated Press

Grant Hill retires from NBA basketball

The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill will retire after 19 seasons.

For more than two decades, Hill, 40, has been one of the most recognizable basketball players in the world, highlighted by a standout collegiate career at Duke, an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 1996 Olympics and an illustrious NBA career that saw him earn five All-NBA honors and the 1994-95 Co-Rookie of the Year Award.

“The entire Clippers organization wants to congratulate Grant on an incredible career,” Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Gary Sacks said. “For 19 years, Grant has always been the embodiment of class, a true professional and not only one of the best players – but one of the finest individuals I have been around. We were fortunate to have Grant with us last season, and we wish him all the best in his next endeavor.”

Hill finishes his career with averages of 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. In his only season in Los Angeles, Hill appeared in 29 games and averaged 3.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 15.1 minutes per game. He appeared in his 1,000th NBA game on Jan. 15, 2013 against the Houston Rockets. Hill played in 1,026 total NBA games (972 starts) and connected on 48.3 percent of his field goals, 31.4 percent from behind the 3-point line and 76 percent of his free throws over his career.

Hill was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1997 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award in 2005, 2008 and 2010.

Originally selected with the third overall selection in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Hill was named Co-Rookie of the Year (Jason Kidd – Dallas Mavericks) after posting averages of 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 38.3 minutes in 70 games played. He was also named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team that season and made history by becoming the first rookie to lead the NBA in All-Star fan balloting.

After leaving Detroit prior to the 2000-01 season, Hill spent seven seasons with the Orlando Magic in which he was limited to just 200 games due to injuries to his left ankle.

Before joining the Clippers for 2012-13, Hill spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns. In 2010-11, Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average 13 or more points at the age of 38 or older.

A member of the 1996 United States Olympic Team, Hill helped lead the U.S. to the gold medal. He was also selected to the 2000 Olympic Team but did not play due to injury.

Hill entered the NBA after a prolific four-year collegiate career at Duke University (1991-1994), where he helped lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back National Championships in 1991 and 1992. Hill was named the nation’s top defensive player in 1993 and was named ACC Player of the Year in 1994.

Nate Robinson would welcome a return to New York Knicks

Nate Robinson, who will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1, would be open to returning to the Knicks, according to his agent, Aaron Goodwin.

“Nate’s first thought would be to remain with the Bulls, but if the Knicks’ opportunity presented itself, I am sure he would appreciate an opportunity to play in New York again,” he told ESPNNewYork.com.

Robinson started his NBA career in New York, where he played four-and-a-half seasons before being traded to the Celtics in Feb. 2010. During his time with the Knicks, he averaged 12.5 points, 2.8 assists and nearly one steal in about 25 minutes per game.

Since then, Robinson has played for the Celtics, Thunder and Warriors, and he just wrapped up his first stint in Chicago, where he became one of the top playoff performers.

Reported by Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York

Nate Robinson would welcome a return to Knicks

Nate Robinson, who will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1, would be open to returning to the Knicks, according to his agent, Aaron Goodwin.

Since then, Robinson has played for the Celtics, Thunder and Warriors, and he just wrapped up his first stint in Chicago, where he became one of the top playoff performers.

Reported by Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York

David West misses shootaround due to illness

Indiana Pacers starting power forward David West missed the team’s morning shootaround at Bankers Life Fieldhouse because of an upper respiratory infection.

West showed up for shootaround, but coach Frank Vogel sent him back home.

The Pacers say West will play in tonight’s pivotal Game 6 against the Miami Heat. The Pacers needs to win tonight to force a deciding Game 7 back in Miami on Monday.

“Any time a guy isn’t a hundred percent it’s a concern, but we know he’s a gamer,” Vogel said. “He’ll get his rest and his fluids this afternoon and be ready to go. I don’t anticipate it’s going to be an issue.”

Reported by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star

Mookie Blaylock upgraded to serious condition in hospital

Former NBA All-Star guard Daron ”Mookie” Blaylock has been upgraded to serious condition a day after his SUV crashed head-on into a van and killed a woman.

Atlanta Medical Center spokeswoman Nicole Gustin said Saturday that the 46-year-old Blaylock had been upgraded to serious condition. On Friday, the hospital listed Blaylock in critical condition, and police said the former Atlanta Hawks player had been placed on life support for a short time.

— Reported by the Associated Press

NBA sets deadline for new Sacramento Kings owners to build arena

Sacramento has kept its Kings but is facing strict deadlines, imposed by the NBA, for building the team a fancy new arena.

Hours after Vivek Ranadive and his partners completed the record-setting purchase of the franchise from the Maloof family, NBA Commissioner David Stern revealed that the Ranadive group must meet “a series of benchmarks” for a new arena – or risk losing the Kings to another city.

If deadlines are blown, Stern told The Sacramento Bee, the NBA has the option of pulling the Kings out of Sacramento and arranging for the team’s sale to new owners.

The Ranadive group agreed to the deadlines in writing, Stern said.

Stern said he doesn’t expect Sacramento to miss its deadlines, but league owners insisted on the doomsday option “in the unlikely event” Sacramento can’t get the arena project rolling in a “reasonable” amount of time…

The NBA is insisting that the building at Downtown Plaza open no later than 2017 – one year later than city officials forecast. The rival investors who tried unsuccessfully to move the team to Seattle agreed to similar deadlines, Stern said.

Reported by Dale Kasler, Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee

Heat head to Indiana hoping to clinch spot in NBA Finals

Standing on the cusp of the NBA Finals has tended to agree with the Miami Heat in each of the last two seasons. When the Heat have gotten a game away from the title round, they’ve finished the task as quickly as possible.

And here they are again.

A third straight Eastern Conference title is now just one win away for the reigning champions, though if the way this series has gone so far is an accurate indicator, that win will hardly come easily. The Heat – without suspended forward Chris Andersen – will visit the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night, leading the best-of-seven East finals 3-2 and in position to close out their new rivals on their own floor for the second straight season.

”We’re desperate, too,” Heat forward and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James said Friday. ”We’re desperate to get back to the NBA Finals. So both teams are desperate in their own sense of they’re trying to keep their season alive and we’re trying to advance.”

The teams have alternated wins and losses through the first five games, and if that trend holds, then it’s the Pacers’ turn to prevail on Saturday and send the series back to Miami for a winner-goes-to-the-finals Game 7 on Monday night.

If the Heat – who have won each of their last six potential series-closeout games, including two in the 2011 and 2012 East finals – win, then the championship round against the San Antonio Spurs will begin in Miami on Thursday.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Toronto Raptors hire Masai Ujiri as general manager

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday that the club has signed Masai Ujiri as its General Manager. Ujiri, 42, was recently named the NBA’s Executive of the Year in his capacity as Executive Vice-President of Basketball Operations for the Denver Nuggets. He replaces Bryan Colangelo, who is now the Raptors’ President.

In his three seasons in Denver, Ujiri built the Nuggets into a team that won a franchise-record 57 games and delivered an NBA-best 38-3 record at home this past season.

A native of Nigeria, and the first African-born GM in the NBA, Ujiri will report to Tim Leiweke, MLSE’s President and CEO. “We feel very lucky to have Masai in our organization. He is a proven judge of talent and we look for him to be a big part of creating a winning atmosphere, leading us to the playoffs and, ultimately, delivering NBA championships for Toronto,” said Leiweke. “I would also like to publicly thank the Kroenke’s in Denver for being such a class organization that they would allow Masai to pursue his dream. They put him first in all of our discussions.”

Ujiri spent three years with the Raptors after joining the team as director of global scouting in 2007. He was elevated to assistant general manager in 2008. Ujiri is thrilled to return to the franchise that first gave him a front office position. “To come back to the Raptors, to live in such a great city, and work in an organization that has committed all the resources necessary to win championships was a huge factor in the decision,” said Ujiri. “I have already developed a great relationship with Tim Leiweke and I can’t wait to get back to Canada to build a team that is poised to take the next step in the NBA.”

Sacramento Kings will not retain head coach Keith Smart

The Sacramento Kings today announced that Head Coach Keith Smart will not be retained for the 2013-14 season.

“The Kings would like to thank Keith for his hard work and dedication to the organization,” said owner Vivek Ranadivé. “We wish him and his family nothing but the best in future endeavors.”

“I enjoyed my time immensely in Sacramento,” said Smart. “From working with the people in basketball operations to the business side of the organization to interacting with the people of the city, it was a pleasure to be around such a classy group.”

Smart began his tenure with the club as an assistant coach prior to the 2011-12 campaign, later becoming the 24th head coach in Kings history when Paul Westphal was relieved of his duties on January 5, 2012.

In two seasons with the Kings, Smart amassed a 48-93 record. He previously served as head coach of the Golden State Warriors during the 2010-11 season after seven years with the organization as an assistant coach. Smart, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, also served as interim head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the final 40 games of the 2002-03 season.