Inside Hoops – Page 1860 – NBA Blog

Dominican Republic, coached by John Calipari, beats Kentucky Pros in exhibition again

The Dominican Republic swept its two-day exhibition tour of Kentucky, beating a team of former Wildcats Pros 91-86 Tuesday night.

The intensity on the court sure didn’t feel like an August exhibition.

NBA star Rajon Rondo led fellow former Wildcats John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight in a final-minute full court press but couldn’t complete a comeback over the Dominican squad coached by John Calipari. Rondo and Knight both took fourth quarter charges…

Wall, the NBA’s No. 1 draft pick for the Washington Wizards in 2010, led the Pros with 26 points. Backup Eulis Baez had 17 points and nine rebounds for Dominican, which also won Monday night at Lexington’s Rupp Arena, 106-88.

Calipari rested NBA All-Star Al Horford and former University of Louisville stars Francisco Garcia and Edgar Sosa in the second half. Calipari said he needed to see more players as he tries to winnow his roster in preparation for the Americas tournament, set for Aug. 30-Sept. 11 in Argentina. The winner of that event will earn an automatic bid to London’s 2012 Olympics.

— The Associated Press

Jimmmy King in court on child support claim

University of Michigan “Fab Five” member and ex-Toronto Raptors player Jimmy King said he is working with authorities to resolve a child support claim after being arrested earlier this month. The state says he failed to pay $17,000.

“We are working with the attorney general’s office,” King told reporters Tuesday outside a hearing in Pontiac. “We are going to do everything in our power to make sure that this is taken care of. I’m just going to continue doing what I’m doing to support my family.”

King, 38, is scheduled to return to court Sept. 9 for a preliminary hearing.

— The Associated Press

Basketball referee Troy Raymond commits suicide

College basketball and former NBA referee Troy Raymond committed suicide in a New Orleans hotel room late last week just hours after police found his wife’s body in their Houston-area home.

Police found his wife, Leslie Anderson Raymond, 41, deceased at their home in Spring, Texas, at 2:08 p.m. on Friday.

Constable Tim Holifield of Montgomery County Precinct Three told CBSSports.com that the medical examiner ruled the cause of death a homicide caused by asphyxiation due to manual strangulation.

“We’re not prepared to tell you who’s responsible,” Holified said. “But certainly Mr. Raymond is a person of interest — and his death brings about more questions than answers.”

Holified said that during the course of the investigation while at the residence on Friday, investigators were notified that Troy Raymond had been found dead in a hotel in New Orleans due to a single gunshot wound to the head.

— Reported by Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports.

Scottie Pippen wins $2.37M judgment over airplane deal

Former NBA basketball star Scottie Pippen has won a $2.37 million judgment against a Miami businessman, Craig Frost, and a Miami company, CF Air.

Pippen, who has a home in Fort Lauderdale, and his wife, Larsa Pippen, filed suit against Frost in 2007 regarding Pippen’s disastrous ownership of his own airplane through a company called Air Pip.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Air Pip had fallen apart in 2004, and Pippen lost a related $5 million judgment in Missouri to U.S. BankbizWatch . Pippen lost a further appeal of that judgment in 2007.

Pippen tried to argue that he was a victim of a conspiracy by those he trusted to put together the airplane deal.

— Paul Brinkmann of the South Florida Business-Journal

Police to interview Kobe Bryant about sprained wrist of fellow churchgoer

Police said Tuesday they were seeking to interview Los Angeles Lakers all-star guard Kobe Bryant over allegations he sprained the wrist of a man possibly trying to take his picture at a San Diego church.

The man said Bryant, who has won five NBA championship rings with the Lakers, grabbed his wrist and took his phone away, only to give it back when he found no photos of himself or his wife inside, San Diego Police Detective Gary Hassen told Reuters.

“Detectives have the case and are hoping to talk with Mr. Bryant,” Hassen said of the incident at Carmel Valley Catholic Church on Sunday.

The man, who was not identified by authorities, was treated for a sprained wrist at a local hospital, Hassen said.

— Reuters

Members of Nets given OK to attend Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries wedding

The New Jersey Nets can accept their invitation to Kim Kardashian’s wedding.

A team official says the Nets have been granted permission to attend the reality star’s marriage to forward Kris Humphries on Saturday in California.

General manager Billy King and other members of the Nets’ basketball operations department are expected to attend the ceremony of their free agent forward, the official told The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the guest list was to remain private.

— As reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Hornets continue drive for sponsorships, ticket sales despite NBA lockout

The NBA’s current lockout has not hindered the Hornets’ push to solicit more support from area businesses and fans.

Entergy, the lone Fortune 500 company in the metro area, agreed Monday to become the Hornets’ fourth major Crescent City Champions sponsor, joining Cox Communications, 7-UP and Ochsner Health System.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but each Crescent City sponsorship deal is estimated to be about $1 million, sources said.

“Building strong corporate support for the Hornets in New Orleans is fundamental to our mission to keep the team in this great city and to ultimately find local ownership,’’ Hornets president Hugh Weber said.

— Report by John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

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Eddy Curry is losing weight, allegedly

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports:

Center Eddy Curry is increasing his chances of generating serious interest from the Heat. Respected Chicago-based trainer Tim Grover said last week that since Curry’s workout with Miami in late June, he has lost another 28 pounds and is now at 300. Curry weighed 350 when he auditioned for Miami in March. Curry intrigues Pat Riley, who might offer him a minimum deal postlockout if he loses another 12 pounds or so. His skills “are there, no question,” Grover said.

Nuggets guard Ty Lawson will play in Lithuania during NBA lockout

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports:

The reality of the NBA lockout is hitting home as the Nuggets’ point guard Ty Lawson — one of the team’s top players — said today he has signed to play with a team in Lithuania called Zalgiris Kaunas.

Lawson said agreed Sunday to play for this team, which also features former Nugget teammate Sonny Weems.

“It’s the best situation for me to go out there,” Lawson said by phone. “Being at home, I’m not saying I’m a lazy person, but I want to be in the gym. And plus, it’s a new experience going out to Lithuania, so why not? It was a no-brainer.

“And as soon as the lockout ends, I can come right back and be with the Denver Nuggets.”

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Milwaukee Bucks name Sidney Moncrief assistant coach

General Manager John Hammond announced today that Sidney Moncrief has been added as an assistant coach to the 2011-12 Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff. Moncrief, who played 10 seasons with the Bucks, most recently ran his own consulting and motivational training practice for businesses and corporations, in addition to consulting with international basketball teams. Moncrief joins Jim Boylan, Joe Wolf, Bill Peterson and Anthony Goldwire on the coaching staff of Head Coach Scott Skiles.

Moncrief, 53, won the league’s first two Defensive Player of the Year awards (1983 and 1984), is a five-time NBA All-Star (1982-86) and was named to the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams five times in his career. He is among the franchise leaders in points (11,594, third), games (695, second), minutes (22,054, second), field goals (4,000, eighth), free throws (3,505, first), rebounds (3,447, seventh), assists (2,689, second) and steals (874, third). Moncrief’s jersey #4 was retired by the Bucks in a Bradley Center ceremony on January 6, 1990.

In addition to his individual success, Moncrief’s teams won seven consecutive division titles starting with his arrival in 1979 and also won 50-plus games in seven consecutive seasons. The Bucks were 522-298 (.637) while he was with the team and advanced to the playoffs in each of his 10 seasons, including three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Moncrief played collegiately at the University of Arkansas and was selected by the Bucks in the first round (5th overall pick) of the 1979 NBA Draft. He finished his playing career in 1990-91 with the Atlanta Hawks, after not playing in the 1989-90 season. Moncrief’s coaching career began as head coach at the University of Arkansas – Little Rock for the 1999-2000 season. He was an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks (2000-2003), head coach of the Fort Worth Flyers in the D-League for the 2006-07 season and an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors from 2007-2009.

Moncrief replaces Kelvin Sampson, who took a coaching position with the Houston Rockets.