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Known for getting rings, Phil Jackson finally has given one as well.
The retired coach, who won 11 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, is engaged to longtime girlfriend and Lakers executive Jeanie Buss.
Buss posted a picture Thursday night on her official Twitter account of her left hand with a diamond ring on her finger.
The accompanying tweet read ”Twitter family – Phil finally gave me that ring I wanted!” followed by a smiley face.
— Reported by the Associated Press
Former LA Lakers coach Phil Jackson has finally popped the question to his longtime girlfriend Jeanie Buss — after 12 years of dating — but the real question … could this affect the Zen Master’s possible coaching gig with the Brooklyn Nets?
Our Lakers source tells us the engagement went down on Christmas day, but Jeanie — daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss — didn’t reveal the ring until moments ago.
— Reported by TMZ.com
Rap star “Fat Joe” faces up to two years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to failing to pay taxes on nearly $3 million in income over two years.
The performer, whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, entered the plea in federal court in New Jersey because some of the companies he earns money from are incorporated there.
The 42-year-old Miami Beach, Fla., resident entered pleas to two counts covering years 2007 and 2008 but his sentencing will take into consideration the government’s initial allegation that he failed to pay income taxes for years 2007 through 2010.
— Reported by the Associated Press
Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas will join NBA TV as a studio analyst.
Thomas will debut Friday and make several appearances a month. He’ll also be a regular contributor to NBA.com.
The 12-time All-Star point guard led the Detroit Pistons to two NBA titles. But he’s more recently remembered for his stint running the New York Knicks, who failed to win a playoff game with Thomas as coach or president.
— Reported by the Associated Press
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Jeremy Lin is still must-see TV in New York.
Lin’s first trip back to New York since signing with the Houston Rockets resulted in MSG Network’s highest-rated Knicks game of the season, according to the network.
The Rockets’ 109-96 victory Monday drew a 4.77 rating, MSG said Tuesday. That’s well above the 3.41 average rating for the first 18 games of the season.
— Reported by the Associated Press
Here’s a TV commercial starring the White Mamba, Brian Scalabrine for a drink called “Greater Than”
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has been found in contempt of court and ordered to pay $500,000 in back child support to his ex-wife, her attorney said Thursday.
The flamboyant basketball player known for his off-court antics was sentenced to informal probation, his ex-wife’s attorney, Mary Ann Noiroux, told City News Service. Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Barry Michaelson warned Rodman could face jail time if he doesn’t pay the child support, she said.
Rodman’s attorney, Linnea Willis, didn’t return an email from The Associated Press and a phone number did not take messages.
Another attorney for Rodman’s ex-wife argued in court that Rodman owed his ex-wife, Michelle Rodman, about $850,000, but Linnea Willis, the former NBA standout’s attorney, challenged that figure, Noiroux said.
— Reported by the Associated Press
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Former NBA star Allen Iverson is digging himself into a giant financial hole — with monthly bills that largely outweigh his monthly income — but the good news is … he’s still got his fancy-schmancy Maybach.
Allen recently filed docs in GA court as part of his nasty divorce battle with his ex Tawanna Iverson which outline his dire financial situation.
According to docs, Allen brings in $62,500 in monthly income, but his expenses are FAR, FAR, greater … costing him a cool $358,376.66 PER MONTH!!!!
— Reported by TMZ.com
Former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen says President Barack Obama has a ”smooth game” on the basketball court.
Pippen described playing basketball with the president Tuesday afternoon in a story on the Chicago Bulls website. He played on Obama’s team in an Election Day game complete with referees and a running clock. Pippen and Obama’s team won the game.
Pippen says the president was ”very easy to approach” and says Obama isn’t an overly aggressive player, probably because he doesn’t want to get hurt.
— Reported by the Associated Press
“When he first entered the gym, if you hadn’t looked over to see him, you wouldn’t have noticed,” said Pippen of Obama. “It was surprisingly low key. He just came in and started shaking hands. He’s someone who is very easy to approach.”
It was the first time Pippen had met Obama. The connection was made through a mutual friend, Marty Nesbitt. Obama mentioned that Nesbitt thinks very highly of Pippen.
“He said it was a pleasure to meet me and that he had heard good things about me from Marty,” said Pippen. “I told him, ‘Thank you and I wish you well tonight. But if you want to be a winner this afternoon, you better play with me.’”
— Reported by Adam Fluck of Bulls.com
“We kind of blew them out,” said Pippen. “It should have been worse but we started messing around at the end. The game was close for awhile, but in the third quarter we opened it up. They tried to get back in it in the fourth, but we kept expanding the lead. It was a good game, fun and competitive.”
The Election Day games began when Obama played on the day he won the Iowa caucuses in 2008. They became tradition after he lost the New Hampshire primary to Hillary Clinton on a day in which Obama did not play basketball.
Other participants in this year’s edition included former Bulls guard Randy Brown, currently the team’s Special Assistant to the General Manager, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
— Reported by Adam Fluck of Bulls.com
I know at least a few of you today, as you sat at work, school or wherever, wondered about Yao Ming’s golf skills. It’s just a logical thing to randomly think about for no reason at all.
Well, today, we have our answer. He is terrible at it.
Here’s some video: