NBA News Blog – Page 1257 – NBA Blog

Rockets hire Kevin McHale as new head coach

Houston Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander today named NBA Hall of Famer Kevin McHale as the 12th head coach in team history. A seven-time NBA All-Star, McHale helped lead Boston to three NBA championships during a 13-year playing career with the Celtics. Following his playing career, McHale spent 16 seasons as an executive with the Minnesota Timberwolves, including two stints as the team’s head coach during the 2004-05 and 2008-09 seasons. Most recently, McHale served as an in-studio analyst for TNT and NBA TV.

“Kevin McHale is a proven NBA champion who has the leadership skills and basketball knowledge necessary to guide our team into the future,” said Alexander. “Kevin’s hard-nosed work ethic and tenacity on the court led him to a Hall of Fame career and a legacy as one of the NBA’s greatest low-post players of all time. I’m looking forward to seeing Kevin share his unique basketball knowledge and experience as he leads our talented group of players into the next era of Rockets basketball.”

Upon his retirement as an NBA player, McHale joined the Timberwolves as a television analyst and special assistant. On Aug. 18, 1994, new Timberwolves Owner Glen Taylor promoted him to Assistant General Manager. He continued to broadcast Minnesota games and work as an executive until May 11, 1995, when he succeeded Jack McCloskey as Vice President of Basketball Operations. In this role, McHale was credited with the hiring of Flip Saunders – the franchise’s most successful head coach – in 1995, the drafting of high school phenom Kevin Garnett with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NBA Draft, and assembling the core talent that resulted in seven playoff runs from 1997-2004 and highlighted by a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2004.

“I’d like to thank Mr. Alexander and the entire Rockets organization for offering me this exciting opportunity to return to coaching with a first-class organization like the Rockets,” said McHale. “As we explored the opportunity to come to Houston, it felt like the right situation for me. I enjoy the competitive nature of our game and I am looking forward to getting to work with the very talented roster of players that are already in place here in Houston.

McHale logged his first coaching stint after taking over for Saunders on Feb. 12, 2005, and leading the Timberwolves to a record of 19-12 to finish out the 2004-05 season. After hiring Randy Wittman as head coach prior to the 2005-06 season, McHale returned to his post as Vice President of Basketball Operations until he stepped down on Dec. 8, 2008 and transitioned into his second stint as head coach of the Timberwolves by taking over for Wittman. Beginning with a victory at New York (12/26/08), McHale helped the Timberwolves rebound with a 12-4 mark over their next 16 outings, which included a five-game winning streak (1/2/09-1/10/09). McHale was also named Western Conference Coach of the Month for Jan. 2009 after guiding the Timberwolves to a 10-4 mark during that month. Minnesota’s ascent under McHale was derailed that season when leading scorer Al Jefferson sustained a season-ending knee injury at New Orleans (2/8/09).

Prior to his NBA front office career, McHale distinguished himself as one of the game’s most successful players at all levels of his playing career. In 1992, he was elected to the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame. To coincide with the University of Minnesota’s 100th Anniversary, he was selected as the top player in the history of Minnesota men’s basketball on Feb. 18, 1995. During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, he was honored as one of the NBA’s Top-50 Players for the league’s first half-century. On Oct. 1, 1999, McHale was recognized for his achievements on the court with induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. On July 8, 2000, he was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame.

InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner has praised McHale as owner of the finest low-post moves in the history of the NBA.

During his storied 13-year career with the Celtics, McHale was a seven-time NBA All-Star (1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991) and helped lead Boston to three NBA championships (1981, 1984 and 1986), five Eastern Conference titles and eight Atlantic Division crowns. He was voted the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year twice (1984 and 1985) and was selected to the All-NBA First Team in 1987. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times (1986, 1987 and 1988) and the Second Team on another three occasions (1983, 1989 and 1990). Overall, the 6-10 forward/center averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds in 971 career regular season games. In 169 playoff contests, he increased his averages to 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. A first-round selection (third overall) by the Celtics in the 1980 NBA Draft, McHale went on to earn NBA All-Rookie First-Team accolades in 1981.

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LeBron scores 24, Heat take Finals Game 1 over Mavs

The AP reports:

LeBron James scored 24 points for his first win in five NBA finals games, Dwyane Wade scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half and the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks 92-84 in Game 1 of the title series on Tuesday night—holding the Western Conference champions to their lowest point total of the playoffs after a dominant defensive showing down the stretch…

Dirk Nowitzki(notes) scored 27 points—tearing a tendon in the middle finger on his left, non-shooting, hand during the game and revealing afterward that he’ll likely wear a splint throughout the remainder of the series—and grabbed eight rebounds for Dallas, which got 16 points and 10 rebounds from Shawn Marion(notes) and 12 points from Jason Terry(notes), most of those coming in an early flurry. It was Dallas’ fifth straight loss to Miami in finals games, dating to the Heat rally for the 2006 crown.

Dallas held the Heat to 39 percent shooting, Miami’s second-worst showing of the playoffs.

Problem was, the Mavericks shot 37 percent—by far, their worst night of the postseason offensively…

Miami outrebounded Dallas 46-36, got a gritty effort on both ends from reserve Mike Miller(notes)—who left with his left arm in a sling, but insisted he would be fine—and reaped rewards again from another strong fourth-quarter finish by Wade and James…

Bosh scored 19 points and Mario Chalmers(notes) added 12 for the Heat. The Heat trailed by eight points early in the third quarter before pulling away, remaining unbeaten—now 9-0—at home in these playoffs and snapping Dallas’ five-game road postseason winning streak.

Dallas had 51 points after 26 minutes. The Mavericks scored 18 points in the next 18 minutes, 33 over the remainder of the game, as Miami’s defense found another gear.

Reuters reports:

Miami’s Udonis Haslem has the assignment of guarding Nowitzki and said his job is to “try to make it tough” for the 32-year-old German.

“He’s a great player,” Haslem said. “He’s going to make his shots. You can’t get discouraged. You’ve got to keep going and keep chipping away at it.”

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said he was unsure how to stop Nowitzki, who entered the game with a 28.4 average in the post-season.

“I don’t think it really matters what you do, your schematics, who is defending him, he’s going to get his average at least every single game,” he said.

The Sports Network reports:

Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said he tore a finger tendon in his non-shooting hand during Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday.

Nowitzki and the Mavs lost the game, 92-84, after LeBron James and the Heat pulled away in the second half.

He was injured late in the fourth quarter as he lunged with his left hand to swipe the ball from Miami’s Chris Bosh in the paint. He said he couldn’t straighten his finger out after the play.

Live fan discussion of the game took place in this forum topic.

NBA Board of Governors approves sale of Detroit Pistons to Tom Gores

The NBA Board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the Detroit Pistons to Tom Gores and his investment firm, Platinum Equity. The transaction is expected to close shortly.

“We are delighted that the NBA’s Board of Governors approved Tom Gores’ purchase of majority ownership of the Pistons,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “We look forward to the Pistons’ continued growth, both on and off the court, under his leadership.”

Lakers officially name Mike Brown head coach

The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Mike Brown as head coach, it was announced today. The two sides have had a widely-reported agreement for a while now, but the actual hiring just became official Tuesday afternoon, about three hours before the start of 2011 NBA Finals Game 1 between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.

Brown, the 22nd head coach in franchise history and 18th in the Los Angeles era, spent last season as an NBA analyst for ESPN after previously serving as head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hired by the Cavaliers in June of 2005, the 2008-09 NBA Coach of the Year posted a 272-138 regular season record over five seasons as well as a 42-29 postseason mark, ranking fifth in NBA history (minimum 400 games) with a .663 regular season win percentage and 10th in NBA history (minimum 25 games) with a .592 playoff win percentage.

The fourth youngest coach in NBA history to win 60 games in a season, Brown led the Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals and NBA-best records in both 2008-09 (66-16) and 2009-10 (61-21). His 2008-09 team became just the 12th team in NBA history to record 66 victories in a season while he and his staff earned the honor midway through that season to coach the Eastern Conference All-Star Team at the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix, AZ.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Mike Brown to the Lakers,” said General Manager Mitch Kupchak. “What Mike brings to the table is unique in that he’s a proven winner in this league and yet also a rising star in his profession. After an extensive and thorough search to find the right person to help carry on our championship legacy, we feel that Mike is poised and ready to do so.”

Brown joined the Cavaliers after spending two seasons as the associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers and three seasons as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Posting a 341-201 (.629) record as an assistant coach, he won division titles with Indiana (2003-04) and three straight division titles with San Antonio (2000-03). While with the Spurs, Brown’s teams won at least 58 games each season as well as the 2003 NBA Championship. In his two seasons in Indiana, he helped the Pacers to consecutive playoff appearances including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004.

Brown, a 1992 graduate of the University of San Diego with a degree in business, played basketball two seasons at USD after spending two years at Mesa Community College. The 41-year-old (born March 5, 1970 in Columbus, Ohio) began his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets in 1992, where he spent five seasons, first as the team’s video coordinator and then as a scout. Following his time with the Nuggets, Brown spent three years with the Washington Wizards beginning in 1997, spending the first two years as an assistant under Bernie Bickerstaff and his final year as the team’s professional scout.

Fan reaction to the news has been in this forum topic.

Heat hold four players out of contact during Sunday practice

The AP reports:

Heat star Dwyane Wade and reserves Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller and James Jones were held out of contact portions of Sunday’s practice.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says they all will practice fully Monday. Miami hosts Game 1 of the NBA finals against Dallas on Tuesday night.

Spoelstra says the moves were given to ensure that everyone is “healthy going into this.”

American Airlines sponsors both 2011 NBA Finals arenas

The AP reports:

If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll hear the name American Airlines a lot over the next couple weeks.

American slapped its name on the arenas of both teams playing in the NBA finals back when stadium naming rights were a hot commodity—the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami and the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

So whether the Miami Heat or the Dallas Mavericks win the title, American figures to get a lot of TV time. The same thing happened in 2006, when the Heat defeated the Mavericks in six games.

American bought the naming rights to those arenas a decade ago. According to published reports at the time, which American wouldn’t confirm or deny, it agreed to pay $195 million over 30 years for the Dallas rights and $42 million over 20 years in Miami.

Stadium-naming rights were trendy then, and they reached a fever pitch in 2006 when Citigroup agreed to pay $20 million a year to christen the New York Mets’ new baseball home Citi Field when it opened a couple of years ago. But sports sponsorships became harder to sell during the recession, and the business hasn’t fully recovered.

Cavs talking trade for 2nd overall pick

Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine reports:

The Cavaliers are in discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons about a three-team trade that would give Cleveland the top two picks of next month’s NBA draft.

The Cavaliers would use the picks to select Duke point guard Kyrie Irving and Arizona forward Derrick Williams, the sources said.

In the trade being discussed, Cleveland would absorb Detroit’s Rip Hamilton into the $14.6 million trade exception it received in last summer’s LeBron James sign-and-trade with Miami, while also receiving the Pistons’ No. 8 pick. The Cavaliers would then send that pick, along with their fourth pick, to Minnesota for the Timberwolves’ second pick.

Cleveland would then buy Hamilton out of the two years, $25 million remaining on his contract, leaving the veteran shooting guard free to sign with another club as a free agent. Chicago would be one of the likeliest destinations.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Margo Dydek, 7-foot-2 ex-WNBA player, dies at 37

The AP reports:

Margo Dydek, a 7-foot-2 former WNBA player who led the league in blocks nine times, died Friday after being placed in a medically induced coma following a heart attack a week ago. She was 37.

Her death was confirmed to The Associated Press by Cathy Roberts, operations manager of the Northside Wizards in the Queensland Basketball League, where Dydek was the coach.

The Poland-born Dydek, pregnant with her third child, was stricken with a heart attack May 19 and collapsed at her home in Brisbane. Dydek was early in her pregnancy and the fetus died, Roberts said.

Dydek was once said to be the tallest active professional female basketball player. She was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 WNBA draft by the Utah Starzz. She also played for San Antonio, Connecticut and Los Angeles…

Dydek held the record for most blocks in a WNBA career (877 in 323 games) and led the league from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2005-07. In 2008, Dydek signed with the Los Angeles Sparks following time away from basketball to give birth to her first son.

WNBA President statement on the passing of Margo Dydek: “The WNBA is deeply saddened by the passing of Margo Dydek,” said WNBA President Laurel Richie. “She was a tremendous person, role model and athlete who touched the lives of her many fans and made an indelible mark on women’s basketball around the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.”

InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner says: I met Margo once while I was a working media member at a game, and once off-the-court, and she seemed like an extremely nice person both times. Wish I had more to share. Anyway, I’m sorry that she’s gone and wish the best to her friends, family and fans.

Carlos Boozer bought South Beach condo in March

Brian Bandell of the South Florida Business Journal reports:

Carlos Boozer is taking his bags to South Beach – where he has a new condo with a closer view of the Miami Heat team that sent his Chicago Bulls packing from the playoffs.

The NBA power forward paid $2.35 million to BC Tower 8, a company managed by David Phillips, for a 4,135-square-foot unit at the Residences at the Bath Club, at 5959 Collins Ave. Boozer took out a $1.76 million mortgage with Charles Schwab Bank.

The deed was signed March 29, although it wasn’t recorded in county records until May 3.

That means Boozer bought the condo well before the Bulls started their playoff series against the Heat. Boozer took a jab at the Heat going into the series by referencing the “Big Two” – a swipe at Miami forward Chris Bosh.

Rockets offer head coaching job to Kevin McHale

After parting ways with head coach Rick Adelman, the Houston Rockets have needed a new man for the job. And that man may be a very tall guy with some of the greatest low-post moves the NBA has ever seen.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports:

Kevin McHale will walk through that door.

After a month-long search and long sessions debating the merits of three finalists, the Rockets offered McHale their head coaching position on Friday. McHale was chosen over Boston assistant Lawrence Frank and Dallas assistant Dwane Casey after meeting with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander on Wednesday to complete the interview process.

Though McHale is more celebrated as a Hall of Fame player who among other things inspired Rick Pitino’s rant about the inability to recapture the Boston glory days than as a coach, the Rockets were drawn to his apparent abilities as a leader and motivator.

McHale, 53, had spent most of his career in Minnesota in the front office and had been reluctant to coach throughout his career.

Tough to say that McHale is the best guy around for the job, but at the least, Rockets big-men should benefit from his teachings. Also, I liked hearing McHale’s analysis on television. So that’ll be missed.

McHale wants the job, so it’s expected that he’ll take the offer.
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