NBA News Blog – Page 1445 – NBA Blog

David Stern, John Thompson reached out to Allen Iverson

ESPN The Magazine reports:

NBA commissioner David Stern and legendary former Georgetown coach John Thompson recently reached out to troubled ex-76ers guard Allen Iverson, according to Iverson’s longtime business manager, Gary Moore.

Stern telephoned Moore Monday and asked how Iverson was coping with the myriad of problems that have come his way. Moore said the two spoke for about 10 minutes and he assured the commissioner Iverson is doing fine.

“David was genuinely concerned for Allen,” Moore said. “He asked about his daughter and his wife. He said that if Allen needed him he knows how to get him.”

Moore said Stern also asked about a recent Philadelphia Inquirer report that said Iverson was battling alcohol and gambling problems.

Stern confirmed the conversation through an NBA spokesman but refused to comment. No future meeting or discussion between Stern and Iverson was set up.

Warriors keep Reggie Williams, waive Raja Bell

The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Reggie Williams for the remainder of the season, the team announced today.

Williams, 23, has appeared in 11 games with Golden State, averaging 12.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 24.1 minutes per contest, while shooting 53.0% (53-100 FG) from the field, 48.6% (17-35 3FG) from long range and 90.0% (18-20 FT) from the line. He registered a career-high 28 points in 34 minutes at New Orleans on March 8, and scored 18 fourth quarter points – including 4-of-5 three-pointers – en route to a 22-point performance in the Warriors victory over New Orleans on March 17. A 6-6, 210-pound forward, Williams signed his first 10-day with the Warriors on March 2 as a free agent call-up from the NBA Development League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, and signed a second 10-day on March 12.

In a related move, the Warriors have waived guard Raja Bell. The Warriors roster now stands at 15 players.

Wolves waive Alando Tucker

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived forward Alando Tucker. The Timberwolves acquired Tucker from Phoenix on Dec. 29, 2009 along with a conditional second-round draft pick and cash considerations in exchange for Jason Hart.

A 6-6 forward, Tucker appeared in four games for the Wolves this season, averaging 2.0 points in 6.3 minutes per game. The 29th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Suns, Tucker owns career averages of 4.1 points and 1.0 rebounds in 51 appearances.

Golden State Warriors are for sale

The Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have retained Galatioto Sports Partners (“GSP”) to conduct a sale of the team, it was announced today. GSP, acting as the Club’s exclusive financial advisor, will manage all aspects of the sales process. As such, all related inquiries should be made directly to GSP.

Neither the Warriors nor GSP anticipate making any further public comments regarding the sales process until and unless a definitive agreement on a transaction is reached.

The Warriors, currently majority-owned by Christopher Cohan, are an NBA franchise located in the San Francisco Bay Area, the fifth-largest market in the NBA. The team plays its home games in Oakland, California, at Oracle Arena.

Galatioto Sports Partners, the leading sports advisory and finance firm, specializes in providing investment banking and innovative financing solutions to the global professional sports market. GSP was established in early 2005 by Salvatore Galatioto. The principals of the GSP have acted in a variety of capacities on more than 70 transactions in the major North American and European sports leagues.

InsideHoops.com editor says: The Golden State Warriors need a new owner, new GM, new coach and new players. Otherwise, they’re good.

Read fan opinion and share your own thoughts in this forum topic.

Estranged mother of Gilbert Arenas passes away

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports:

Gilbert Arenas’s troubles were magnified recently, when he discovered that his estranged mother, Mary Francis Robinson, died in Miami.

Robinson passed away on March 13, but Arenas didn’t find out until a few days later, according to multiple sources. The cause of her death is not known.

Arenas wasn’t close to his mother, who abandoned him at young age and left him to be raised by his father, Gilbert Sr., from the time that he was 3.

No Jerry Sloan suspension

Tim Buckley of the Deseret News reports:

Longtime Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has escaped punishment for his recent run-in with referee Michael Smith.

A review of the incident is complete and there is “nothing” in terms of a fine or suspension for Sloan, an NBA spokesman said Sunday.

“It’s good news, and business as usual,” Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said Sunday night.

Sloan made contact with Smith with 0.2 seconds remaining in Friday night’s loss at Phoenix, but the contact — according to a Jazz spokesman — was deemed “incidental” by the league.

The last time he made contact with a referee, shoving Courtney Kirkland during a 2003 game in Sacramento, Sloan was suspended seven games without pay.

A similar incident in 1993 cost him one game.

Suns recall Earl Clark from D-League

The Phoenix Suns today recalled rookie forward Earl Clark from the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr.

The 6-10, 225-pound Clark was originally assigned to the Suns’ D-League affiliate on March 15 and appeared in three games with the Energy. Clark averaged 20.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.0 block in 34.3 minutes in those three contests, shooting 50.0 percent from the field overall (24-of-48).

Clark’s stint included two double-doubles, 16 or more points in every game, and a 27-point, 12-rebound performance in his debut with the Energy on March 17.

A three-year standout at the University of Louisville, Clark was selected by the Suns with the 14th overall pick (first round) of the 2009 NBA Draft and has appeared in 45 games this season for Phoenix.

Currently fifth in the Western Conference, the Suns (43-26) return to action tonight, taking on the eighth-place Portland Trail Blazers (42-28) at US Airways Center at 7:30 p.m. The game can be seen locally on both FOX Sports Arizona and ESPN and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.

Cavs recall Darnell Jackson from D-League

The Cleveland Cavaliers have recalled forward Darnell Jackson from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Jackson was assigned to Erie yesterday and played in the BayHawks’ 101-100 loss against the Dakota Wizards last night. He posted game highs of 32 points on 14-21 shooting (.667) and 11 rebounds while adding two steals and one block in 41 minutes. In two games (both starts) with Erie this season, he is now averaging 33.0 points on .651 shooting, 11.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 3.0 steals and 1.0 block in 41.5 minutes per game.

He will be available to play tonight for the Cavaliers in their 6 p.m. game versus the Pistons.

The BayHawks are the D-League affiliate of the Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.

Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown set world record

Janis Carr of the Orange County Register reports:

Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown are world champions and also world-record holders.

The Lakers teammates made 25 free throws in 60 seconds Saturday, Brown’s final attempt hitting at the buzzer, to set the Guinness Book of World Records mark of made free throws in 60 seconds or less. The record of 10 makes had been held by a pair of British non-professional basketball players, who set the mark last month.

Northern Iowa upsets #1 Kansas in NCAA Tournament 2nd round

The AP reports:

The biggest upset in a tournament full of them was done. Northern Iowa had taken down mighty Kansas.

Playing with poise down the stretch and getting another big 3-pointer from Ali Farokhmanesh (16 points), Northern Iowa pulled off one of the biggest NCAA upsets in years by knocking No. 1 overall seed Kansas from the bracket with a program-defining 69-67 win on Saturday…

Trailing 66-62, Kansas had one last chance, but Tyrel Reed was called for an offensive foul and Farokhmanesh sealed it with two free throws with 5 seconds left, sending the Panthers to the round of 16 for the first time…

The Jayhawks trailed by as many as 12 points and used defense to pull within one with 44 seconds left. But they let Farokhmanesh sneak out for the deciding 3 to go down for the mid-major count like they did to Bradley in 2006 and Bucknell the year before, also in Oklahoma City.

Cole Aldrich had 13 points and 10 rebounds, Marcus Morris added 16 points and Sherron Collins ended his stellar KU career with 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

InsideHoops.com Notes:

For Kansas, Marcus Morris shot 5-of-8 for 16 points but more turnovers than assists. Cole Aldrich shot 6-of-8 for 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sherron Collins shot a miserable 4-of-15 for 10 points, just four assists and five turnovers. Markieff Morris hit 3-of-4 for 10 points. Xavier Henry had eight points and eight rebounds.

For Northern Iowa, Ali Farokhmanesh shot 5-of-12 for 16 points, but little else. Jordan Eglseder shot 6-of-11 for 14 points and five rebounds. Jake Koch shot 1-of-7 for 10 points.

As a team, Kansas shot 44.4%, Northern Iowa 40.0%. Kansas grabbed five extra rebounds, Northern Iowa dished a pair of extra assists.