Inside Hoops – Page 2035 – NBA Blog

Stephon Marbury done playing in NBA

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

Stephon Marbury told The Post yesterday that he is done with the NBA. He will never get a second chance with the Knicks like Isiah Thomas, whose NBA life was resuscitated by James Dolan on Friday.

“Good luck, New York,” Marbury said wryly in reacting to Thomas’ return to the Knicks as a part-time consultant. “Good luck, New York.”

Marbury, who began training Friday in Los Angeles to get ready for the Chinese Basketball Association season that starts in December, and Thomas still are next-door neighbors in Purchase, N.Y. The two are intertwined in Knicks history with their falling-out symbolizing the franchise’s plummet to rock bottom.

Tina Thompson becomes WNBA points leader

The AP reports:

Tina Thompson scored 23 points to become the WNBA’s all-time scoring leader Sunday night in a 92-83 loss to the San Antonio Silver Stars.

She surpassed Lisa Leslie’s career total of 6,263 points. Leslie, who played for Los Angeles for her entire career, retired last year.

Ben Gordon chooses rehab over playing for Great Britain

Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press reports:

Pistons guard Ben Gordon had a tough decision.

Ben Gordon chooses rehab over playing for Great Britain

After having surgery to remove bone spurs in his left ankle in late April, Gordon wore a cast for three weeks and thought he would be ready to play for Great Britain’s national team this summer in preparation for October’s training camp with the Pistons.

However, when his ankle wasn’t healing as quickly as Gordon would have liked, he decided to focus on getting ready for the season instead of playing for Britain.

He already had been through a season with the Pistons in which he battled ankle, hamstring and groin issues. He’s intent on fans seeing a healthy shooting guard this season.

Roddy Beaubois breaks foot

Bill Nichols of the Dallas Morning News reports:

Dallas Mavericks point guard Roddy Beaubois suffered a broken bone in his left foot while training with the French national team. Mavs president Donnie Nelson on Friday confirmed the initial report by the French newspaper L’Equipe.

Beaubois reportedly could miss up to three months if surgery is required to repair the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot.

The NBA season begins in late October, which would put Beaubois in danger of missing the first part of the season.

Mavs officials hope it’s a hairline fracture. A timetable for his return will be determined when Beaubois is evaluated by team doctors. He was to fly back to Dallas late Friday.

Woman guilty of extortion in Rick Pitino case

The AP reports:

A Kentucky woman was convicted of extortion Thursday after she demanded millions of dollars from Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino to keep their tryst at a restaurant secret.

Karen Cunagin Sypher, 50, of Louisville, was found guilty of three counts of extortion, two counts of lying to the FBI and one count of retaliating against a witness. As the jury’s verdict was read, Sypher closed her eyes, then opened them and stared at the ceiling. One of her sons sitting in the front row with other family members wept openly.

The case involved a 2003 sexual encounter between Pitino and Sypher at a table inside an Italian restaurant closed for the night. Pitino testified she came on to him and the sex was consensual. After she was charged, Sypher told police it was rape but Pitino was never charged.

2010-11 Nets preseason schedule

The New Jersey Nets will open their 2010-11 campaign with an eight-game preseason schedule that includes three home contests, all of which will be played at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are pleased to offer the three preseason games in our new venue,” said King. “There is a growing anticipation regarding Newark, and these preseason games will give our fans a chance to sample the arena prior to the start of the regular season.”

The Nets will host Maccabi Haifa at ‘The Rock’ on Sunday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. and then return to Newark on Thursday October 7 when they play host to the Boston Celtics at 7:00 p.m. and then Saturday, October 9, when the Nets entertain the Philadelphia 76ers in a 1:00 p.m. matinee contest.

The Nets begin their road preseason schedule on Tuesday, October 5 when they travel to the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia to play the Sixers. The Nets will venture to China the week of October 11 for games against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, October 13 in Beijing and Saturday October 16 in Guangzhou.

The Nets conclude their preseason schedule on the road when they travel to New York on Tuesday, October 19 and Boston on Wednesday, October 20. Both games will tip at 7:30 p.m.

2010-11 Utah Jazz preseason schedule

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team will play an eight-game preseason schedule which, for the first time ever, will feature three home games at EnergySolutions Arena.

Jazz fans will get their first chance to see new additions Al Jefferson, Raja Bell and first-round pick Gordon Hayward when the team opens the preseason schedule at home, hosting the Northwest-Division-rival Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, October 7 at 7 p.m. MT. Utah will then play back-to-back road games, facing the Blazers at Memorial Coliseum (10/11), Portland’s home arena from 1970-1995, and at the Phoenix Suns (10/12).

The Jazz return home vs. Phoenix (10/14) before heading to Los Angeles to compete for the second straight year in the four-team L.A. Shoot-Out at STAPLES Center, where the Jazz will play the L.A. Clippers (10/16) and either the L.A. Lakers or Denver Nuggets (10/17) in a winners vs. winners, losers vs. losers bracket format. The Jazz will then face the Lakers at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. (10/19), before wrapping up the preseason schedule by hosting the Sacramento Kings (10/22).

This year’s schedule marks the first time ever the Jazz has hosted three preseason games in Salt Lake City, and will be the first time since 2001 that the team plays three preseason games in the state of Utah.

All eight 2010 Jazz preseason games will be broadcast live by radio voice David Locke on 1320AM KFAN and the Jazz Radio Network.

Bobcats sign Sherron Collins

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed guard Sherron Collins. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 5-11 Collins averaged 12.5 points and 2.8 assists in four games for the Bobcats at the 2010 AirTran Airways Pro Summer League in Orlando, while shooting .556 from the field (20-36) and .615 from beyond the three-point line (8-13), the best percentage of any player with more than six attempts.

As a senior at the University of Kansas last season, Collins was named Consensus First Team All-America, while also receiving the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the nation’s top player 6 feet or under and the inaugural Lute Olson Player of the Year Award, which is presented to the nation’s top Division I player who has played at least two seasons with his respective team.

During his four years at Kansas, Collins was named First Team All-Big 12 as a junior and senior, Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player as a senior and Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore. A member of Kansas’ 2008 national championship team, Collins is the winningest player in school history with 130 victories, having helped the Jayhawks to four straight Big 12 regular-season championships and three Big 12 Tournament titles. One of only two players in school history to record at least 1,800 points and at least 500 assists, Collins finished his career fifth on Kansas’ all-time scoring list (1,888 points) and seventh on the all-time assists list (552).

Isiah Thomas to serve as Knicks consultant

Isiah Thomas has been named a consultant to the New York Knicks, it was announced today in a joint statement by Knicks President Donnie Walsh and MSG Chairman James L. Dolan. In this role, Mr. Thomas will assist the team’s senior management in various capacities, including player recruitment.

“Isiah Thomas brings unique experience as a Hall of Fame player, coach, executive and owner, and we believe having him as part of our organization will be extremely beneficial to the team’s success. Isiah was helpful to the team’s senior management during our most recent recruitment efforts, including assisting with the acquisition of Amar’e Stoudemire. He will provide valuable insight and analysis of young prospects from around the world. Isiah will remain head coach of FIU, and that will continue to be his primary responsibility.”

“I’m excited to once again be a part of the New York Knicks organization. I was honored to have been asked to help during the recent free agent recruiting process, and believe that this new role takes full advantage of my skill set as an evaluator of basketball talent. While I will of course continue in my role as FIU’s coach, I look forward to working with Donnie, Coach D’Antoni and all of the Knicks staff to help bring a championship back to New York,” said Mr. Thomas.

InsideHoops.com says: Why do this? Everything went badly under Isiah. Why bring back something negative from the past? This makes no sense at all.

Thunder sign Cole Aldrich

Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has signed rookie Cole Aldrich. All first round draft picks are guaranteed to receive a contract should they want to enter the NBA right away.

Aldrich averaged 11.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game during his junior campaign at the University of Kansas. The 6-11 center was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and First–Team All-Big 12 for the second consecutive season along with AP Third Team All-American as a junior.

The Bloomington, Minnesota native left KU as the school’s all-time leader in blocks in a season (125) and second on the schools all-time block list (253). Aldrich was a perfect 55-0 at Allen Fieldhouse as a Jayhawk and was a member of the 2008 National Championship team.