Category: General NBA insight

It’s game, set, heartbreak for Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova.

The blond beauty confirmed Friday that she and former Nets player Sasha Vujacic called off their engagement and that she has been on her own “since the end of spring, actually.”

“I was waiting for someone to actually ask me that question, but nobody did, directly,” she said. “It was obviously a challenging decision, you know, from both of our ends.”

— Reported by Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News

C.J. Watson recently tweeted out a picture of his diploma.

Six years after leaving Tennessee to pursue his dreams of being a professional basketball player, the Nets guard now holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the university.

“Every year since [I left] I’ve been going back and doing classes every summer,” Watson told the Post on Friday in a phone interview from Johannesburg, South Africa, where he’s participating in Basketball without Borders. “This summer I didn’t have to go back to campus, I could do it online.

“It feels great. It feels like a little burden off my shoulders. I’m glad that I’ve got it over and done with.”

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

For the first time since he underwent July 9 arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has resumed court work.

Says who? Says Wade.

Tuesday evening, during the break between his charity events this past weekend in Chicago and his upcoming book tour, Wade posted on Twitter:

“Whew..first day on the court since my surgery..oh and that look on my face was b4 the workout started..haa.”

Wade then posted a picture (at left) of him working out with Heat assistant coach David Fizdale.

— Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Don Nelson never knew just how much he would love retirement. In the Maui plantation town of Paia, he is far from the pressures of the fast-paced NBA lifestyle in which he thrived to become the game’s all-time winningest coach.

These days, he’s Nellie, the entrepreneur. From his new shaved ice stand, to coffee plants and koa trees, to all his rental properties and a wedding venue in the works right off the beach, the 72-year-old Nelson is about as far removed from his old basketball life as he could be.

— Reported by Janie McCauley of the Associated Press

Scottie Pippen understands the magnitude of the challenge facing the Chicago Bulls while Derrick Rose recovers from ACL surgery, but Pippen believes the opportunity presents a silver lining.

“He’s going to be a bigger, better, stronger player,” Pippen told Comcast SportsNet Chicago on Friday. ” I think it’s great to have something like this happen if it’s going to happen at a young age (23). He’s going to heal fast, and he’s going to push himself now to be better than he probably would have ever been.

— Reported by ESPN Chicago

The U.S. Embassy said Sunday that four ”sports envoys” will be in the country this week as part of a U.S. State Department-sponsored program ”to emphasize the importance of academics, cooperation, and respect for diversity.”

The group will conduct several sports workshops with local youth before leaving Friday. Three of the envoys arrived this weekend and the last one is due to fly into Yangon later Sunday.

The group includes Charlotte Bobcats basketball team manager Richard Cho, a Myanmar native who migrated to the United States. Also traveling are Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Darvin Ham, former Women’s National Basketball Association player Allison Feaster and former NBA player Marty Conlon.

— Reported by the Associated Press

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent forward Jeff Green.

“We are thrilled to be able to have Jeff back with the Celtics,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations. “Jeff’s versatility on offense and ability to guard players out on the perimeter is something that we are looking forward to having on the court this season.”

Green, a 6’9” forward, missed all of the 2011-12 season due to an aortic aneurysm that was discovered during his physical prior to the start of the season. Green, the fifth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft,averaged 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 32.4 minutes per game during the 2010-11 season split between Boston and Oklahoma City. He was acquired by the Celtics from the Oklahoma City Thunder along with Nenad Krstic and a future first round draft pick from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson on February 24,2011.

“I cannot wait to get back out onto the court and help this team towards our goal of winning another championship for Boston,” said Green.

Green recorded a double-double in his first start as a Celtic against Washington on April 11 recording 20 points, a career-high-tying 15 rebounds,four assists and two steals. Green improved his field goal percentage after the trade to the Celtics during the 2010-11 season, shooting 48.5 percent from the floor in 26 games with the C’s after shooting 43.7 percent with the Thunder. Green has posted career averages of 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 315 games. Green recorded a career-high 37 points against New Jersey last season on December 1,2010. In his four year career, Green has averaged 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game in 315 career games split between Oklahoma City and Boston.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have waived guard/forward Derrick Byars.

Byars joined the Spurs on April 25, and appeared in the final two games of the regular season, averaging 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 18.5 minutes.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have promoted Mike Gansey to Director of Development League Operations and Cavaliers Basketball Operations Assistant, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Gansey, 29, spent the 2011-12 season as the Cavaliers basketball operations assistant. In his new position as the Cavaliers’ Director of Development League Operations/Cavaliers Basketball Operations Assistant, he will work closely with Cavaliers Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin and Canton Charge Head Coach Alex Jensen in the basketball operations and personnel matters of the Cavaliers’ exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League affiliate, as well as other general NBA Development League areas and player personnel elements. The Charge’s basketball operations areas will continue to be overseen by Griffin, and Coach Jensen will now expand his leadership role to be more involved with player personnel matters, in addition to his head coaching duties.

A native of Olmsted Falls, Gansey played collegiately at West Virginia, where, as a senior, he led the Mountaineers to the Sweet 16 and was named a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Award, the Wooden Award as well as the Naismith Trophy. Following his college career, he played professionally overseas in Italy (2007-08), Germany (2008-09) and Spain (2010-11) and also played 57 games (27 starts) in the NBA Development League over two seasons (2007-08, 2009-10) with Anaheim, Idaho and Erie, averaging 11.5 points on .452 shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game.

LeBron James wants to step inside the Olympic rings a fourth time.

Fresh off winning a gold medal in London with the U.S. men’s team, the NBA’s reigning MVP said Sunday that if he’s healthy – and if the rules allow – he would like to play again at the Rio Games in 2016. James said he’s ”done the math, and I’ll be 31,” but he’d love the opportunity to represent his country again. James is one of just three players to be on three U.S. Olympic teams.

— Reported by Tom Withers of the Associated Press