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One week after suffering a heart attack, Sabonis was released from a Lithuania hospital, according to several international news reports.
The towering 7-foot-3 Sabonis apparently left in good spirits after his health scare.
“The doctors told me, ‘You can’t smoke, you can’t drink, you can’t play basketball.’ So of the things I like, only sex is left,” Sabonis told reporters Tuesday outside the hospital where he was treated in Kaunas, his hometown.
— Reported by Joe Freeman of The Oregonian
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Andrew Bogut has committed to joining the Sydney Kings on the provision he is able to secure an insurance policy for his whopping $39 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bogut had been linked to short-term deals with several NBL clubs while the NBA lockout over a pay dispute continues, but today the Australian Boomers star confirmed that Sydney was his club of choice.
He will not be available for the season opener between the Kings and old rivals Melbourne tomorrow night because the insurance situation is yet to be resolved.
— Reported by the The West Australian
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As N.B.A. players and owners struggled to prevent a labor dispute from disrupting the regular season, one star player did something novel: he played in a basketball game that mattered.
Deron Williams, the Nets’ point guard, was here Tuesday night with his teammates on Besiktas Milangaz, a professional team from Istanbul playing a game in the Eurocup, a second-tier intercontinental competition.
Perhaps Williams wished he had been back at the negotiating table. In a 74-63 loss to host Dexia Mons-Hainaut, he finished with 7 points, 7 assists and 6 turnovers. He shot 3 of 13 from the floor. The loss eliminated Besiktas from the tournament.
“Didn’t give my team much of a chance,” he said…
Asked if he was still adjusting to the European game, Williams said: “I mean, I’ve played in a lot of European basketball. I’ve played in the Olympics. But this is definitely different. The way the reffing has been going has been different for me, but I’ve got to adjust.”
— Reported by Jake Appleman, contributing to the New York Times
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Claudio Sabatini, owner of Virtus Bologna, confirmed at Radiofuturoshow Station that he had another conference call with Kobe’s agent and that it is real the hypotesis ‘one game’ for Bryant. ‘Last night we had another conference call with Bryant’s agent. Now we just have to wait the contract. We accepted his financial request and we submitted him two different proposals, for one game or for 40 days. Now the decision is up to him. We thought about the one game option to speed up the negotiations. He could land on Sunday, play the game against Benetton Treviso next Wednesday and maybe stay longer with us.
— Reported by Sportando
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An Internet report out of Italy on Tuesday indicated Spurs All-Star guard Manu Ginobili, who played several seasons in Bologna, Italy, had agreed to sign with Italian League power Virtus Bologna if Lakers star Kobe Bryant turned down a lucrative deal Virtus has offered him.
Ginobili’s agent, Herb Rudoy, on Tuesday emphatically refuted that report, writing in a text message, “Not true!” when asked if Ginobili had made any such agreement.
Bryant, who attended Tuesday’s negotiating session in New York between the NBA’s owners and players, was non-committal about his offer from Virtus Bologna.
— Reported by Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express News blog
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Jazz rookie center Enes Kanter has returned to the United States and resumed workouts with trainer Tim Grover in Chicago. Grover worked out Kanter last spring during predraft sessions. Utah then selected the Turkey native with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Kanter plans to remain in Chicago for the immediate future, keeping an eye on the progress of the NBA lockout. Contract offers from Chinese professional teams are off the table.
“The China thing, what happened is … Enes’ priority is the NBA, as an NBA player,” said Max Ergul, Kanter’s agent. “Once [China] came up with that rule change — we thought they could’ve bent it around — it’s just not happening. They’re very stern; they don’t want a player coming and leaving. I’m not going to put my signature on something that might force him to stay there for a whole season.”
— Reported by Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune
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Former Toronto Raptors Forward Jamario Moon is taking full advantage of the NBA Lockout.
Moon a four-year NBA veteran with stints with the Raptors, Cavs, Heat and Clippers has agreed to join the Quebec Kebs of the National Basketball League of Canada.
“Just his presence will benefit our team,” said Kebs coach Robert Spon. “I think that a player like Jamario join the Kebs is good not only for ourselves but for our league.”
Moon considered a high flyer and a solid defender has averaged 6.4 points per game and 4.3 rebounds in 278 career games.
— Reported by BasketballBuzz.ca
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Tony Parker will play with a French team during the NBA lockout, earning a mere $1,995 per month despite his star power on and off the basketball court.
ASVEL, which is based in Villeurbanne, near Lyon in southeast France, announced on Wednesday that Parker will play for them.
Parker told the sports daily L’Equipe that the decision is “logical.” He is vice president of the club and wants to help it advance.
— Reported by the AP
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Forward Andrei Kirilenko (30 years, 206 cm) will wear a CSKA Moscow uniform again after a 10-year American stint in the NBA. The contract with the Russian National Team leader and 2011 Eurobasket All-Tournament team member is for three years, with an out-clause to return to the NBA when that league’s lockout ends.
The conditions of the agreement allow Andrei to terminate the contract within a month after the NBA lockout ends to sign with an NBA team. Otherwise, he has to remain with CSKA until the end of the season.
The player went through medical tests in GMS Clinic yesterday and plans to practice with the team for the first time today.
Andrei Vatutin, PBC CSKA President:
“When the NBA lockout started we considered it incorrect to sign someone with a risk to leave. But after the second thought we decided to make an exception in Andrei’s case. He is a special player for CSKA and Russian basketball. First, he already played for our team. Second, the country’s best player should play for the country’s best club – we agreed on that with the management of club’s owners, Norilsky Nickel. It is also important that Andrei expressed his desire to play for CSKA himself and during all the negotiation process he confirmed several times his interest in contract with our club. This past Eurobasket proved that Kirilenko keeps his good shape, understanding of European basketball and, what is important, popularity. I am sure that he will attract the fans to the stands not only in Moscow but all over Russia.
We understand perfectly all the risks of his possible departure but we knowingly take them. In my opinion there are no minuses in inviting Andrei. Even if he leaves the team in a month or two – depending on his desire – Kirilenko will play several games, and his participation will add to the interest toward our team. I am sure that most of the fans as well as me are anxious to see Kirilenko in CSKA uniform. If the lockout finishes, and Andrei decides not to chase NBA contract, our perspectives become even better.
I’d like to note that Jonas Kazlauskas’ opinion was very important for us and in fact the final decision was taken by him. I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to Norilsky Nickel management once again for supporting our idea to invite the Russian National Team leader. That’s a perfect evidence of their attention to the team, interest in CSKA’s successes and development of Russian basketball.”
Jonas Kazlauskas, CSKA head coach:
“My opinion – you should not take the NBA player during the lockout. If they can leave you, you don’t know what to expect. And only the week teams can take this kind of step. At the same time every rule has its exception, and Kirilenko is the exception. Andrei is the star of Russian and world basketball, he means for his country as much as Sabonis for Lithuania, Pau Gasol for Spain, Nowitzki for Germany. He grew here, he played for CSKA, for Russia. I think thanks to his Eurobasket participation he stays in good shape. Surely, we will need time to embed him into team system. Hopefully, one or two weeks will be enough.”
Andrei Kirilenko:
“I am glad to be back to the team where I spent the years of adolescence. It’s a pleasure to have a chance to play for Russian fans, my friends, relatives. CSKA has a very strong team, great coach, excellent players. It’s great when the highest goals are ahead of you. It’s especially interesting to play under the load of responsibility. I am sure that we are able to solve any task together. I’d like to mention also that all the money earned in Russia I will send to Kirilenko’s Kids charity foundation. The foundation will help the children hospitals and charity-schools, sport schools, sport veterans and the basketball players who became the disabled persons.”
— Reported by the official website of CSKA
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Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley is nearing a deal to play with Hapoel Jerusalem during the NBA lockout, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
A formal agreement could be reached as soon as this week that would allow Bradley to return to the NBA if the league-imposed lockout ends during Hapoel’s season.
After failing to complete a deal with Memphis Grizzlies guard Greivis Vasquez last week, Hapoel turned its attention to signing Bradley.
— Reported by Marc J. Spears and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports