NBA News Blog – Page 1176 – NBA Blog

David Stern offers 72-game NBA season that would start Dec. 15

In what amounts to the league’s last and best proposal in a labor standoff now into its fifth month, NBA commissioner David Stern on Thursday offered his locked-out players a 72-game season that would start Dec. 15.

Yet the league’s latest pitch, according to sources briefed on its contents after adjustments were made Thursday night, contained what the union regards as miniscule financial inducements for the players after nearly 24 hours of negotiations this week. And that clearly disappointed union leaders who were expecting more after they made a commitment earlier in the week, for the first time since the lockout began, to accept a 50/50 split of annual Basketball Related Income.

NBPA executive director Billy Hunter struggled to mask how underwhelmed he was by the new proposal even as he was telling reporters that he would present it to the player representatives from all 30 teams as early as Monday as a possible prelude to a vote from the union’s estimated 450 members.

“It’s not the greatest proposal in the world,” Hunter said. “But I have an obligation to at least present it to our membership. So that’s what we’re going to do.”

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

Nic Batum named Euroleague Week 4 MVP

SLUC Nancy forward Nicolas Batum was at his best against on Thursday with a brilliant all-around performance to lead the French champs to a 90-85 win over previously unbeaten Caja Laboral. The victory made Nancy 2-0 at home this season and just like in their previous win in front of French fans, Batum was the star of the show and subsequently earned Week 4 bwin MVP honors. Batum amassed an impressive stat line of 21 points with just 3 missed shots in addition to 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a block en route to a performance index rating of 35. Beyond the numbers, Batum was also crucial to the Nancy effort in that he played all 40 minutes – his average 39:26 minutes per game is most in the league – and was clutch down the stretch with and 7 points in the game’s last 5 minutes. Batum also becomes the first player to win the weekly MVP award twice this season. He did face stiff competition this week for the highest index rating from FC Barcelona Regal swingman Chuck Eidson who tallied a 34 index in a 92-75 win over Montepaschi Siena.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

Shaq wishes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a better mentor

It turns out Andrew Bynum has already accomplished something that Shaquille O’Neal never will.

The current Lakers center received personal instruction from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while the former Lakers center wishes he could have benefited from such teaching. Although he notes in his book that LSU Coach Dale Brown once brought Abdul-Jabbar onto campus to teach O’Neal the sky hook, the Big Fella believes Cap didn’t offer much support as a pro.

“Kareem was never around,” O’Neal wrote in “Shaq Uncut: My Story,” co-written by Jackie MacMullan. “And, whenever I did see him, he usually ignored me. The disappointing thing to me was, being in LA all those years and trying to fill those shoes, I would have liked to have a conversation with him.”

This episode has everything to do with both Abdul-Jabbar’s introverted and often downright unfriendly personality as well as Shaq’s own insecurities. After all, Abdul-Jabbar sounded more than willing to help Bynum as a Lakers special assistant coach when he was approached about it. It also reveals the mixed reception O’Neal received among former and current centers.

— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times Blog

Heat forward Mike Miller selling his home

The NBA lockout is real. So is amnesty. And for Mike Miller so is rehab from a pair of offseason surgeries.

So, yes, that is Miller’s Hillsboro Shores estate that recently was placed on the market for $9 million. And no, the Miami Heat forward is not looking to move. Or at least is hoping there is no need.

The veteran forward said Wednesday he is just taking stock of the current situation in both his career and the NBA. And that means taking stock of his 9,968-square-foot estate with the $180,000 in annual property taxes.

“It’s a couple of things,” Miller said. “Just preparing myself; never know what can happen.”

Among the expected provisions in the post-lockout NBA is an amnesty clause that would allow each team to remove one contract from its salary-cap and luxury-tax obligations, with that player still receiving his full salary upon his release.

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

Security guard sentenced for bomb threats at NBA office

A private security guard who called in bomb threats to a National Basketball Association office in northern New Jersey that he was hired to protect has been sentenced to six months in prison.

Jose Quesada also must serve six months of home confinement once he’s freed and then three years of supervised release under the sentence imposed Wednesday.

He had pleaded guilty in November 2010 to knowingly providing false information indicating that malicious damage by means of an explosive would take place.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Orlando cuts part-time Amway Center workers, jobs privatized

About 70 part-time Amway Center employees working for the city of Orlando have been informed that their jobs have been cut and the work turned over to private firms, the city said Wednesday.

Although the NBA lockout drags on, officials say the cuts were the result of a review comparing operations at the new home of the Orlando Magic with its predecessor, the Amway Arena.

City spokeswoman Heather Fagan said in a statement Wednesday that staffing the new arena is “very different” from the old one, and the review bore that out.

“It was determined one of the changes, should be the shifting of part-time, in-house security staff to the outside security firm of Andy Frain,” Fagan said.

— Reported by Jeff Weiner of the Orlando Sentinel

No reconciliation between Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian is not reconciling with Kris Humphries, and the divorce is full steam ahead … this according to sources with first-hand knowledge of the situation.

We’re told even though Kim is somewhat conflicted, she knows divorce is the right thing to do, and the purpose of the trip to Minnesota last weekend was to create face-to-face closure.

— Reported by TMZ

Polish team cuts Alonzo Gee

Asseco Prokom announced Wednesday that it released forward Alonzo Gee from the club effective immediately. According to a press release from the club, Gee was dropped “as a consequence of breach of obligations specified in contract.”

In three Turkish Airlines Euroleague games with the Polish champs, Gee averaged 11 points and 6.3 rebounds.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

Donte Greene planning exhibition game at UC Davis November 20

The 2011 Goon Squad Classic will take place Nov. 20 at the Pavilion on the UC Davis campus. Tickets go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m.

The Goon Squad is the nickname Kings reserves gave themselves last season…

Greene has commitments from teammates Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and Hassan Whiteside, along with draft picks Jimmer Fredette and Isaiah Thomas.

Washington Wizards guard John Wall is expected to play, along with New Orleans forward Quincy Pondexter and former Kings center Spencer Hawes.

Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, who would be the biggest star in the game, is scheduled to play barring changes in his schedule, Greene said.

— Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Hall of Famer Ed Macauley dies at 83

Ed Macauley, one of the NBA’s first big stars who won a championship with the St. Louis Hawks and was traded by the Boston Celtics for Bill Russell, has died. He was 83.

Saint Louis University announced Macauley’s death on Tuesday. The school had no other details. “Easy Ed” was a standout player with the Billikens, leading them to the 1948 NIT title.

Macauley was elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1960. A native of St. Louis, he was a territorial pick of that city’s Basketball Association of America franchise, the Bombers. He played there for one season and then was selected by the Celtics in a 1950 dispersal draft.

Macauley played for the Celtics from the 1950-51 season until 1955-56. He and the draft rights to future Hall of Famer Cliff Hagan were traded by Boston to the St. Louis Hawks on April 29, 1956, for the rights to Russell, a move that changed the power structure of the NBA.

— Reported by the Associated Press