International Basketball Blog – Page 36 – NBA Blog

Yao Ming now focused on wine-making

Yao Ming is now battling with Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Mario Andretti and Greg Norman.

But this isn’t some made-for-television poker game featuring former sports greats. Yao is joining the ranks of retired athletes with their own winery. This week the eight-time NBA All-Star is launching Yao Family Wines, a California outpost that will be focused on the Chinese market.

“I really like Napa Valley,” Yao told the Wall Street Journal. “California represents vacation, casual [living], sunshine — everything related to a good quality of life.”

Not that the 31-year-old always had a taste for the finer things in life. He knew very little about wine growing up and watched as the people around his hometown of Shanghai poured it over ice cubes. It took a lesson from former teammate Dikembe Mutombo, who was swirling his glass at dinner, to kick-start his interest.

— Reported by ThePostGame.com

Read NBA fan opinion or share your views in this basketball forum topic.

Nenad Krstic named Euroleague MVP for November

For the first time in its eight-year history, the Euroleague Basketball’s award for the best player each month will go to the same team twice in a row as Nenad Krstic of CSKA Moscow has been chosen bwin MVP for November. CSKA is one of just two Turkish Airlines Euroleague teams undefeated through six games, and Krstic has had everything to do with preserving that perfection in November.

The 28-year-old center, playing his first season for CSKA, got more and more efficient as the month progressed. CSKA followed a pair of road victories, over KK Zagreb and Panathinaikos Athens, with a pair of home wins against Unicaja and Zalgiris Kaunas. Krstic had a key role in all four games, but was biggest when it counted most. In the middle of the month, he posted his first double-double of the season against previously undefeated Panathinaikos. To end it, he had his career-high performance index rating against Zalgiris days after CSKA faced the sudden loss of its leader and the bwin October MVP, forward Andrei Kirilenko, to a broken nose and concussion.

In the precise game when teammates could have been brought down by uncertainty, Krstic stepped up to make CSKA the first team to qualify for the Top 16. His extraordinarily solid, month-long effort was more than enough for Krstic to be chosen the bwin MVP for November…

By the time November was over, Krstic ranked fourth among all Euroleague players during the regular season in average index rating (21.7 per game), 13th in scoring (15.2 ppg.), 10th in rebounds (6.7 rpg.) and second in offensive rebounds (4 orpg.) On a per-minute basis, he ranks behind only Kirilenko in performance index rating, a remarkable coincidence of two ultra-efficient big men on the same team. And CSKA fans will get to celebrate their good fortune when Nenad Krstic receives his bwin MVP award for November at an upcoming home game.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

Juan Carlos Navarro becomes all-time leading Euroleague scorer

F.C. Barcelona Regal superstar Juan Carlos Navarro on Thursday night became the all-time leading scorer since the Euroleague was founded in 2000! Navarro’s left-handed layup off a Chuck Eidson steal at 5:30 of the third quarter of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague game against Union Olimpija at Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona gave him the record of 2,716 career points, previously held by recently-retired Marcus Brown. And with plenty of time left in this game and the season, he will keep adding to the record every time he takes the court.

Navarro, 31, has played his entire 11-season Euroleague career with his hometown club, F.C. Barcelona. Already a legend of the game, “La Bomba” adds this record to an impressive career haul of achievements. He is a two-time Euroleague champion and was the 2008-09 Euroleague MVP and the 2010 Euroleague Final Four MVP. All told Navarro has played in five Euroleague Final Fours and been named to the All-Euroleague First Team a record five times.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

National Basketball League of Canada names John Kennedy their first commissioner

The National Basketball League of Canada is thrilled to appoint John Kennedy as the league’s first commissioner.

“We’re excited to welcome John to the NBL Canada team,” said President and CEO of NBL Canada, Andre Levingston. “John has an extensive background working in professional sports as a business development manager, strategic planner, event marketer and scout. Over the years, John has developed many important business relationships and the league looks forward to flourishing under his leadership.”

As commissioner, Mr. Kennedy will act as NBL Canada’s governing body and will help raise awareness of the league by building strong business and community relationships in all seven of the leagues markets and across the country.

“I’m excited and honored by the faith shown by the ownership group in my abilities to positively impact NBL Canada as a viable sports and entertainment organization,” said Kennedy. “I look forward to building relationships with the many fans of professional basketball in Canada, and also with prospective sponsors.”

Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Kennedy joins NBL Canada after founding J. Kennedy and Associates nearly twelve years ago. J. Kennedy & Associates is a sports and entertainment marketing company based out of Los Angeles.

Some of Kennedy’s clients included the Los Angeles Lakers, Magna Entertainment, Horse--Racing Television and the Asian and European PGA Tours.

Prior to starting J. Kennedy and Associates, Kennedy worked on a variety of projects dealing with strategic advertising and media sales, integrated corporate partnerships, new business development, event marketing, merchandising and promotions.

The inaugural NBL Canada regular season kicked--off October 29, 2011 in Quebec City. For up--to--date scores, schedules, statistics, and ticket information or to watch live game webcasts, visit www.nblcanada.ca.

Besiktas in Turkey now wants Lamar Odom

The Turkish team that features New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams is pushing now to add Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom to its roster, according to sources close to the situation.

And Odom, sources said, is giving the offer real consideration after Minnesota’s Kevin Love turned down the chance over the weekend to join Williams with Istanbul-based Besiktas.

Besiktas has been trying for days to acquire a top-flight big man to pair with Williams, who erupted for 50 points Tuesday in a EuroChallenge game. Yet in that victory over Gottingen of Germany, Besiktas lost Cleveland Cavaliers forward Semih Erden to a thumb injury that only increases its need for a frontcourt boost.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

Nets second round pick Jordan Williams to play in Poland

Second-round pick Jordan Williams became the latest Net to sign overseas during the lockout, announcing through his agent via Twitter over the weekend that he has signed with a team in Poland. It’s a risk for the former Maryland power forward because he has yet to sign an NBA contract, leaving him without a safety net if he gets injured.

But there’s also no guarantee the 36th overall pick would get a spot on the Nets roster, especially if the season is canceled and he joins two draft classes and two free agent classes in what would be a maelstrom of player movement in the summer of 2012.

— Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

T.J. Ford to play in Croatia

Indiana Pacers free-agent guard T.J. Ford is headed to Croatia to join KK Zagreb while the NBA lockout drags on.

After playing in a charity game Sunday night in his native Houston organized by John Lucas and son John Lucas III from the Chicago Bulls, Ford told ESPN.com that he’s headed to Croatia to join a team that also employs former Charlotte Bobcats lottery pick Sean May.

The deal includes an out to return to the NBA if the lockout ends.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

FC Barcelona Regal extends Juan Carlos Navarro through 2015

FC Barcelona Regal announced Monday that it has agreed to terms with star guard Juan Carlos Navarro on a contract extension through 2015. Navarro (1.91 meters, 31 years old) will appear with club president Sandro Rosell at a press conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss the signing. The extension comes days before Barcelona’s Turkish Airlines Euroleague Week 6 game against Union Olimpija, which Navarro enters needing just 14 points to become the competition’s career scoring leader. He has spent all but one season with his hometown club with whom he has won the Euroleague twice as well as six Spanish League titles, five Spanish King’s Cups and the 1999 Korac Cup. On an individual note, he was the 2008-09 Euroleague MVP, the 2010 Euroleague Final Four MVP and been named to the All-Euroleague First Team a record five times.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

J.R. Smith injures knee in Chinese basketball season-opener

Nuggets guard J.R. Smith suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury while playing for his Chinese team Sunday.

Smith signed to play for Zhejiang, a Chinese Basketball Association team, during the NBA lockout. Sunday’s game was the CBA regular season-opening game for Smith.

— Reported by the Denver Post

InsideHoops.com November 22 update: It appears the injury was extremely minor and Smith will be fine.

Kevin Love turns down Besiktas offer

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love informed Besiktas of Turkey on Sunday that he’s turning down its offer to sign with the Istanbul-based club and team up with New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams.

“I didn’t feel it was the right decision for me at this time,” Love told ESPN.com.

Love, though, said playing abroad if the lockout drags on “is still very much an option” he’s considering.

NTV Spor of Turkey reported Friday that Love and Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng were Besiktas’ top two targets in its search for an elite forward to play alongside Williams.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com