NBA News Blog – Page 1197 – NBA Blog

7 powerful NBA agents no longer seeking decertification of players union

The seven agents who sent NBA players a “warning letter” on Monday held a conference call Wednesday afternoon to discuss their next move in the league’s lockout, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

Those agents — Arn Tellum, Bill Duffy, Dan Fegan, Jeff Schwartz, Leon Rose, Henry Thomas and Mark Bartelstein — had been strong behind-the-scenes advocates of decertification for the Players Association but, according to the source, now believe that the time to do so has passed.

The letter, which was first reported by ESPN’s Ric Bucher, has been widely viewed by players and others around the league as anti-union.

None of the agents involved returned calls seeking comment, but a source said the tone of Wednesday’s call was far less militant and anti-union than previous discussions. According to sources, the agents are focused on how they can best help union chief Billy Hunter get a fair deal for the players.

Meanwhile, there are no talks planned for Thursday, and several of the principals are expected to observe the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur Friday and Saturday. That means Sunday could be the only day left to save the Nov. 1 start of the regular season, after commissioner David Stern said Tuesday he will cancel the first two weeks of the regular season in there is no agreement on a new deal by Monday.

— Reported by Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine

Team in Italy now willing to sign Kobe Bryant for just one game

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

South Florida All-Star classic game with LeBron, Wade, Bosh to be on local TV

The “LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh present the South Florida All-Star Classic” sponsored by 1-800-411-PAIN on Saturday, Oct. 8, at U.S. Century Bank Arena on FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique campus will be carried by CBS4 (WFOR-TV) and MyTV33 (WBFS-TV).

The game will be simulcast on CBS4 and MyTV33 beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area. Once CBS4 switches to network primetime programming at 8:00 p.m., MyTV33 will continue to carry the game in its entirety. The game will also be streamed worldwide on the web via CBSMiami.com from start to finish.

“I am pleased to have CBS 4 as a broadcast partner for the South Florida All-Star Classic,” FIU Head Basketball Coach Isiah Thomas said. “This is a great event and this partnership will give our fans, who were unable to buy a ticket to the sold out event, an opportunity to watch some of the world’s best basketball players in action.”

Originally slated for 7:00 p.m., the contest has been pushed back to a 7:30 p.m. tip, with doors for the event opening at 5:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the event will go towards Mary’s Court Foundation; a foundation established in honor of Coach Thomas’ mother, the late Mary Thomas. A portion of these contributions will support FIU’s First Generation Scholarship Fund. This Fund provides critical financial aid to students who will be the first generation in their families to earn a college degree.

Marijuana possession charges against Marcus Camby dropped

The marijuana possession charges against Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby have been dropped by the Brazoria County (Texas) district attorney’s office and his criminal record has been cleared.

Camby and Kendal Johnson were arrested last month after police discovered a small amount of marijuana in Camby’s car during a traffic stop in Pearland, Texas. But after weighing evidence — and accepting a guilty plea from Johnson — Camby has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing.

“For the record, Marcus Camby did not get charged with a crime and Marcus Camby did not possess any marijuana,” Randall Novak, Camby’s Houston-based attorney, said.

— Reported by Joe Freeman of The Oregonian

Bill Russell files lawsuit against NCAA and EA

William “Bill” Russell, the former National Basketball Association star center for the Boston Celtics, accused the National Collegiate Athletic Association in an antitrust complaint of selling videos using his likeness without paying him or seeking his consent.

The lawsuit is the latest to claim the NCAA violates federal antitrust laws by keeping former student basketball and football athletes from receiving compensation for the commercial use of their images and likeness. The association has denied wrongdoing in those cases.

Electronic Arts Inc., the second-largest U.S. video game maker, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Russell accuses it of using his image in a “Tournament of Legends” feature on an NCAA basketball video game.

Russell, who led the University of San Francisco to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, said in the complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Oakland, California, that the association sells $150 videos of the team’s championship games. At least 54 video clips featuring him are available through the website of the NCAA’s for-profit business partner and photos of him through an NCAA on-line photo store, according to the complaint.

— Reported by Karen Gullo of Bloomberg

Steve Lavin to have cancer surgery Thursday

St. John’s men’s basketball coach Steve Lavin will undergo surgery Thursday to treat his prostate cancer, the school announced Wednesday.

Lavin, 47, was diagnosed with the disease in fall 2010, right before his first season at St. John’s. Until last month, he and his doctors had chosen to closely monitor his condition without undergoing further treatment. But in late September, Lavin revealed that he would begin more aggressive treatment, either via surgery or radiation treatments.

“The advantage of early detection is that we were afforded the time to research all options,” Lavin said in a statement released by the school.

— Reported by Kieran Darcy of ESPN New York

Lynx take 2-0 series lead in WNBA Finals

Seimone Augustus scored 36 points to lead Minnesota’s second-half surge, and the Lynx moved within one win of their first WNBA title by beating the Atlanta Dream, 101-95, in Game 2 of the league championship series on Wednesday night.

Jessica Adair added 13 points in 18 minutes in a reserve role for the Lynx, who took a commanding two-games-to-none lead by overcoming 38 points by the Dream’s Angel McCoughtry. Game 3 in the best-of-five matchup is set for Friday night in Atlanta.

McCoughtry had 24 points in the first half, but she shot just 2 for 13 after halftime.

With veteran center Taj McWilliams-Franklin on the bench with a sprained right knee suffered late in the third quarter, WNBA rookie of the year Maya Moore sitting for most of the game in foul trouble, and fellow all-star Rebekkah Brunson having a quiet game, Augustus took over.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Miami Heat staff suffers more salary cuts

According to multiple sources, staffers in the basketball operation – in coaching, training, scouting, equipment, media relations and so on — were presented with an option last fall, after the Heat had already signed James, Wade and Chris Bosh and was selling tickets at an unprecedented pace. To guarantee retention during a potential lockout, they had to accept the across-the-board 10 percent pay cut, from the lockout’s July 1 start through Sept. 30. On Oct. 1, that pay cut would grow to 25 percent through Mar. 31 or until the lockout ended, whichever came first. If the lockout lasted past Mar. 31, which would surely cancel the season, the reduction would rise to 50 percent.

Since Micky Arison has a reputation for treating employees well, many staffers were surprised and disappointed by the measures. While it amounts to more lost money for the likes of Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra – both of whom did take cuts, according to two sources – it hurts those on the lower levels more. And, in the case of many, including scouts, there has been little real change in their duties, at least so far.

— Reported by Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post.

Manu Ginobili has not signed in Italy just yet

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

LeBron James practices with high school football team

So far this season the Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary football team has been ready for anything that came their way on the football field, that was until Tuesday.

Members of the state’s third ranked Division III team were shocked when two-time NBA MVP LeBron James showed up for practice wearing full pads and took part in the late afternoon session.

“I not gonna lie, it was pretty cool to see him out there,” said starting quarterback Kevin Besser.

James borrowed the equipment and jersey of #13 Clayton Uecker, who did not practice today due to injury. Uecker is also the tallest player on the SVSM roster at 6’5″.

SVSM running back Sae’Von Fitzgerald said James looked just like every other member of the team with a helmet on.

— Reported by Dan Jovic of Fox 8 Cleveland