NBA News Blog – Page 1209 – NBA Blog

Jason Kidd gets married, hopes for 2-3 more NBA years

The Dallas Morning News reports:

Mavericks guard Jason Kidd married long time girlfriend Porschla Coleman on Saturday night.

Kidd posted pictures of the ceremony on his Twitter account

After 17 seasons in the NBA and three trips to the Finals, Kidd finally added a championship ring to his resume with the Mavericks in July.

The future Hall of Famer turns 39 next March.

After winning the title, Kidd was asked how many years he has left in him.

“With this group, hopefully another two or three,” Kidd said. “I feel great, and being around younger guys and working on my game, and them believing in me, helped me compete every day.”

Luis Scola named MVP of 2011 FIBA Americas tournament

Argentina beat Brazil 80-75 to win the 2011 FIBA Americas championship.

FIBA.com reports:

Luis Scola was FIBA Americas MVP and top scorer.

“I wasn’t expecting this tournament to be that special. But it was so big and so great I can compare it to biggest tournaments like the Olympic Games we won,” said Luis Scola.

The Houston Rockets centre recovered from a knee surgery in April.

“It was incredible because I didn’t know if I could make it to the games due to my injury and I finished as the MVP,” added Scola, who averaged 21,4 points and 6,3 rebounds per game.

Manu Ginóbili became emotional after celebrating, jumping and singing with the crowd for 30 long minutes.

“We had 9,000 desperate people shouting for us and we were there, celebrating after 45 days of tough work,” said Manu.

Mike Krzyzewski enters Duke Hall of Fame

The AP reports:

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is entering yet another hall of fame.

He was being inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night along with Bobby Hurley, the point guard of his first two national championship teams with the Blue Devils. Krzyzewski was selected after the school changed its rules to make active personnel eligible for induction.

“When I heard that I was in, I was wondering if (athletic director) Kevin White was trying to get me out of here,” Krzyzewski quipped. “It’s kind of neat to do it while you’re still coaching because you get to bring all the guys in, and it’s a little bit of a renewal or revival.”

Krzyzewski, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, enters his 32nd season at Duke with 900 career wins, two shy of matching Bob Knight for the Division I men’s coaching record.

Argentina beats Brazil in 2011 FIBA Americas championship game

The AP reports:

Argentina defeated Brazil 80-75 on Sunday to win the championship game of the Olympic basketball qualifying tournament for the Americas.

Luis Scola led Argentina with 32 points and Carlos Delfino added 16. Marcus Vinicuis had 17 for Brazil.

The game was mostly for pride since both teams had already won their semifinal matches on Saturday, which gave them two automatic berths in next year’s London Olympics.

The Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico 103-89 in Sunday’s third-place game. The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela—by claiming spots three, four and five in the tournament—earn places in a qualifying tournament just before the games, which will award several more berths for London.

Dirk Nowitzki, Germany bounced from EuroBasket

The AP reports:

After an off night by Dirk Nowitzki, Germany is out of the European Championship. And that means the NBA finals MVP will not be at next year’s Olympics.

Nowitzki’s poor shooting doomed his country to an 84-75 loss against Lithuania on Sunday. Germany missed out on a spot in the quarterfinals of the continental tournament and a chance to qualify for the London Games.

Germany needed to win by 11 points to advance, but never came close. Nowitzki was limited to 16 points on 4-for-17 shooting, and Lithuania made it to the knockout round.

“It’s my fault. I was not in condition to play a good tournament,” said Nowitzki, who led the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA title last season.

Chris Douglas-Roberts to play in Italy

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

Douglas-Roberts averaged 7.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 44 games with the Bucks last season, after arriving from New Jersey in a trade for a 2012 second-round draft pick.

The former Memphis star missed 15 games at the start of the season after undergoing right eye surgery.

Udonis Haslem expects NBA season to be saved

The AP reports:

Udonis Haslem hopes to be ready — and able — to play soon.

The Miami Heat forward says he believes the NBA’s players and owners will come to terms on a new labor deal in time to save the season. Haslem says players have been told “both sides want to get a deal done.”

Labor talks are scheduled to resume Tuesday.

Kenyon Martin weighing China offers

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports:

A third free agent who played for the Nuggets last year is in serious talks to play in China.

Kenyon Martin has received significant interest from two professional teams in the Chinese Basketball Association, which would make him the highest-paid player in the history of that league, a source said today.

The CBA will not allow players contract opt-outs should the NBA season begins before the CBA’s season ends. The NBA is currently in a labor lockout.

The longtime Nuggets power forward is currently weighing his options. If he signed with a team he would make more than the reported $3 million that Nuggets teammate J.R. Smith would make for a Chinese team, the source said.

Lionsgate sued over music used in LeBron James documentary

HollywoodReporter reports:

Lionsgate has been hit with a quirky copyright infringement lawsuit over a piece of music used in documentary More Than A Game, which chronicles basketball superstar LeBron James’ rise during his high school days in Ohio.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Georgia federal court comes from Mason Hall, a songwriter who says he authored a copyrighted composition entitled, “We Ready.”

Hall is suing Lionsgate as well as what may or may not be a LeBron James label at Interscope Records (“Interscope Lebron LLC”) for using his composition in the film without license.

Before this lawsuit even touches upon the question of fair use, the plaintiff’s first task may be convincing a judge that the song in question is really his.

Man gets 97 years for Antonio Burks shooting in Memphis

The AP reports:

A man has been sentenced to 97 years in prison for shooting Memphis Grizzlies guard Antonio Burks.

Criminal Court Judge Mark Ward on Thursday sentenced 20-year-old Darquan Lynneral Swift for the July 2009 shooting and attempted robbery during a dice game behind a vacant duplex. Burks, who played at the University of Memphis, and another man were critically injured and several others were robbed.