Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

China suspends five over basketball brawl with Brazil

The AP reports:

China’s coach Bob Donewald Jr., manager and three players were suspended by the Chinese Basketball Association on Friday for the ugly on-court brawl with the Brazil team.

The association had earlier apologized for the melee that left Tuesday’s game unfinished and one Chinese player in a neck brace…

Donewald, the American who took charge of the China team six months ago, had been ejected for insulting officials shortly before the fighting started. He was suspended indefinitely, fined 50,000 yuan ($7,500), and given a formal demerit.

Similar punishments were dealt to manager Zhang Xiong, who was fined 30,000 yuan ($4,500), and players Ding Jinhui, Su Wei, and Zhu Fangyu, who were each fined 20,000 ($3,000).

Joey Dorsey suspended for swinging at Brian Scalabrine

Joey Dorsey of the Toronto Raptors has been suspended without pay for one game for swinging his arm at the head of the Chicago Bulls’ Brian Scalabrine, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 7.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Bulls’ 109-90 victory over the Raptors at United Center on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

Dorsey will serve his suspension commencing with the first game of the 2010-11 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.

Nuggets hire Pete D’Alessandro as advisor

The Nuggets announced Thursday that they have hired Pete D’Alessandro as an advisor to executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri.

D’Alessandro, an attorney, brings more than four years of NBA experience to Denver after serving as assistant general manager and director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors from 2004-08.

While with Golden State, D’Alessandro was involved in all player-related basketball matters, including player contracts, salary-cap analysis, and Collective Bargaining Agreement rules and regulations.

Prior to joining the Warriors, he spent seven years as a business manager and representative for a number of NBA players.

D’Alessandro attended St. John’s University, where he worked for four years as video coordinator under Hall of Fame basketball coach and mentor Lou Carnesecca. He later earned his law degree at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

Share your take on the team on the Denver Nuggets forum.

Rafer Alston seeks NBA comeback

Rafer Alston seeks NBA comeback

Veteran point guard Rafer Alston wants to continue playing professional basketball. And if he can’t do it in the NBA, the New York native is willing to cross oceans to keep his career going.

On Thursday, Alston’s long-time personal manager and close friend Eddie Lau told InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner in an email that the player is in “the best shape of his life and that he is looking for a chance to get back in the NBA as a backup point guard.”

Lau also said that Alston is open to playing overseas, should that be the best opportunity for him.

Several recent reports said that the guard is working out with a team in China, and could sign a contract there.

Alston played for part of the 2009-10 NBA season, with the New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat. His career NBA average is 10.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

Wizards fine Gilbert Arenas for lying about injury

The Philadelphia Daily News reports:

Wizards fine Gilbert Arenas for lying about injury

The Washington Wizards guard’s latest escapade took place Tuesday, when coach Flip Saunders announced before a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks that Arenas would miss the contest with a sore left knee.

But Arenas revealed after the Wizards’ 107-92 victory that he pretended to have a bum knee to give teammate Nick Young a chance to start. He told reporters yesterday that he was trying to do Young a favor.

“I lied to coach and told him my knee was sore so he’d start Nick,” Arenas said.

Arenas was fined an undisclosed amount by the Wizards for his deception. It was another blow to the image of a player who is still trying to recover from his 50-game suspension and felony conviction for bringing guns into the locker room last season.

InsideHoops.com editor says: So Gilbert, with his years of injury problems, just now coming off suspension and making his comeback, thought that lying to his coach and pretending to be hurt was a smart move. That’s some brilliant decision-making right there! Seriously, what the heck?

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

Hornets sign D.J. Mbenga

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed free agent forward D.J. Mbenga.  Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not released.

The 7-0, 255 pound center played in 49 games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Mbenga registered his first career double-double on Nov. 8, 2009 against the Hornets with 10 points and 12 rebounds. He played in three games during the 2010 playoffs, averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds.

Mbenga holds career averages of 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 193 games (four starts). He has spent time playing with the Mavericks (2004-07), Warriors (2007-08) and the Lakers (2008-10), as well as being a member of the Belgian national team.

Darington Hobson out for season after hip surgery

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that rookie guard Darington Hobson (6-7, 210) had successful left hip surgery this afternoon.  The surgery was performed by Dr. John Heinrich at Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI.  Hobson will undergo a similar procedure on his right hip later this year and is expected to miss the 2010-11 campaign.

Hobson, 24, was selected by the Bucks in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft (37th overall). He was named Mountain West Conference Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year in his only season at New Mexico, where he became the first player in program history to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists.  Hobson was named Third Team All-America by The Associated Press and joined Evan Turner (The Ohio State University, 2nd overall pick in 2010 NBA Draft) as the only players in NCAA Division I to average more than 15.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game last season.

Eric Snow named 76ers color analyst

Eric Snow named 76ers color analyst

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, the leader in local sports coverage, today announced that former 76er Eric Snow has joined the Emmy-Award winning Sixers broadcast team as color analyst.  Snow will work alongside Marc Zumoff for all broadcasts on Comcast SportsNet and The Comcast Network. Snow’s first game will be Tuesday, October 12 when the Sixers take on the Boston Celtics on Comcast SportsNet at 7 p.m.  Snow replaces Ed Pinckney, who left the broadcast team to join the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach.

“I’m very happy and excited to be re-joining the Sixers family as a part of their broadcast team,” said Snow.  “I spent my best and most enthusiastic years of my NBA career with this organization and its fans and I truly feel honored and blessed to have been given this opportunity to return.”

“We are thrilled to have someone with Eric’s NBA and broadcasting experience join Marc Zumoff to form one of the top broadcast teams in the NBA,” said Comcast SportsNet Executive Producer of Live Events Shawn Oleksiak. “Eric was a standout player with the Sixers and the passion he had for the game will be evident during our broadcasts.”

“We are excited to have Eric Snow bring his experience, passion and understanding of the game back to Philadelphia as the new analyst for Sixers broadcasts,” said Sixers Senior Vice President of Business Operations Lara Price.  “ As the point guard and captain, he was an integral part of our memorable run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 and has always had a special connection to this team, city and our fans, which we feel will translate to the broadcasts.”

Snow played for the Sixers from 1998-2004, and was team captain for six of those years. During his NBA career, he reached the NBA Finals three times with the SuperSonics in 1996, the 76ers in 2001, and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007. Additionally he won numerous awards for his work in the community including the J. Walker Kennedy Citizenship Award, the NBA Players Association Community Contribution Award and the NBA Sportsmanship Award. Since retiring from the NBA, Snow has worked for NBATV and is a motivational speaker.

Snow will join Zumoff for all Sixers broadcasts. Zumoff enters his 17th season as the Sixers television play-by-play announcer and his 29th as a part of the 76ers broadcast team.