NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
NBA news blog
The AP reports:
Al Cervi, a pro basketball star who coached the Syracuse Nationals to the 1955 NBA championship, has died in upstate New York at age 92.
The 5-foot-11-inch Cervi was one of the strongest backcourt players of the 1940s and 1950s. Nicknamed “Digger,” he was the 1947 National Basketball League scoring champion and MVP as a guard for the Rochester Royals.
The Philadelphia 76ers today named Mark C. Gullett as the team’s new Vice President of Marketing. He joins the team after the past nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League where he held a similar position.
“Mark is a highly creative and visionary leader with more than 20 years of innovative marketing and advertising experience in the sports and entertainment industry,” said Lara Price, Sixers Senior Vice President. “We will rely heavily on his ability to generate new and exciting marketing campaigns for Sixers basketball.”
In his new role, Gullett will be responsible for directing the strategic vision and leadership of the Sixers marketing efforts which include creating new and exciting ticket-driven promotional campaigns, brand development, marketing and advertising, grassroots, promotions, research, database marketing, interactive marketing and creative services.
In Tampa, Gullet increased ticket sale revenue consistently for five years. He was instrumental in net revenue improvement from a deficit in 2000 to profitability in 2004. He also managed sales efforts and achieved sold out attendance for two years of playoffs in a non-traditional hockey market.
Prior to joining the Lightning, Gullett spent 15 years in the radio industry as Director of Marketing for the CBS Radio Group in St. Petersburg, FL (1994-2000); Director of Marketing and Promotions at WIOQ (Q102) in Philadelphia, PA (1991-1994); Promotions Director at Metroplex Radio Group in Cleveland, OH (1990-1991); Creative Services Manager at WNCS and WERE in Cleveland, OH (1989-1990); and Director of Marketing at WRFX in Charlotte, NC (1985-1988).
The AP reports:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is being treated for a rare form of leukemia, and the basketball great said his prognosis is encouraging.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer was diagnosed last December with chronic myeloid leukemia, he told The Associated Press on Monday.
The 62-year-old Abdul-Jabbar said his doctor didn’t give any guarantees, but informed him: “You have a very good chance to live your life out and not have to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle.”
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports:
Abdul-Jabbar, 62, revealed during an interview Monday that he has Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.
The disease was diagnosed in December. But Abdul-Jabbar said his condition can be managed by taking oral medication daily, seeing his specialist every other month and getting his blood analyzed regularly. He said he expects to lead a healthy life.
Abdul-Jabbar acknowledged he was scared after visiting his doctor and learning of the diagnosis.
“The word ‘leukemia’ is a very frightening word,” he said in a phone interview from New York. “In many instances, it’s a killer and it’s something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you’re going to beat it.”
More from the Los Angeles Times:
Abdul-Jabbar said he wasn’t feeling particularly ill last year, but was having frequent hot flashes and was sweating constantly. He said his doctor told him to get some blood tests.
“By having the hot flashes, I knew something was up. But I didn’t think that it was going to be something as serious as leukemia,” Abdul-Jabbar said.
Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Martin underwent successful surgery today at the UC Davis Medical Center to repair a hairline fracture of the navicular bone in his left wrist. Dr. Robert Szabo performed the procedure.
Martin is currently in recovery and will be released later today. He is expected to miss a minimum of eight weeks.
Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that guard Mike James will miss the next four to five weeks with a fracture of the fourth metacarpal on his left (non-shooting) hand.
James, who registered six points and three assists in his one appearance for the Wizards this season (11/6 at IND), sustained the injury during Saturday’s practice session. He missed the final nine games of last season with a fractured right pinky finger.
Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:
Last Tuesday night was a potentially huge win for the Cavaliers’ franchise. And not just because they had a nice comeback victory against the Wizards.
A couple hours after the game, there was a massive party underway on The Q’s fourth-floor practice court. The team’s owners, especially majority owner Dan Gilbert, and top officials were celebrating and hugging amidst tables with high-end food and top-shelf alcohol. There was even a disc jockey. If not for the dozens of Issue 3 banners, you could have mistaken it for a five-star wedding reception.
Voters have cleared the way for Gilbert to build two casinos within the next three years, including one across the street from the arena he controls. The effect it will have on downtown is debatable, but there’s no doubt the impact it will have on the Cavs.
Gilbert’s victory — which amounted to pulling the sword from the stone after casino issues had failed four times before — can be attributed in part to how well he’s managed the Cavs since he bought them in 2005. It may have only been the beginning.
Gilbert should consider encouraging Cavs players to gamble there. Maybe they’ll lose all their money back to him.
Friday night the Golden State Warriors, playing at home, lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, who enjoyed very good games from Baron Davis and Chris Kaman.
As you surely recall, Davis used to be a Warrior and helped inject some nice life into the team while he was there.
Baron’s buddy Stephen Jackson, currently an unhappy Warrior who has requested to be traded, does not support any boos from Golden State fans in Baron’s direction.
The AP reports:
Jackson took exception to the fans’ reception of Davis, who was making his second appearance in Oakland since leaving the Warriors. Davis was booed every time he touched the ball.
“Baron is a great player,” Jackson said. “What upsets me is they boo him but they have short memories. They forgot the reason they’re still coming here is because of what he did when he was here. The organization was in the trash can before we had that year.”
The way I see it, the Warriors currently have so many issues, the last thing any members of the team need to worry about is how fans react to former players or anyone wearing the wrong jersey.
Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:
The Allen Iverson saga has taken another turn as the veteran guard asked for and was granted permission to leave the Grizzlies to deal with a personal matter, according to an NBA source.
Iverson, 34, met with Griz owner Michael Heisley Friday night following the team’s 114-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The pair met again this morning, and Iverson was expected to depart for Atlanta this afternoon.
Atlanta is where Iverson lives during the offseason.
But things were going so well! Seriously, I wonder — and this is just logical guesswork — if there’s a chance the team and Iverson will part ways, either now or in the very near future.
I say the Grizzlies should have a final discussion with Iverson and explain to him what they see his role being for the rest of the season. And if the two sides can come to some sort of agreement, end the disputes and agree to start again. But if the Grizzlies still see Iverson as a super-scorer off the bench rather than one of the team’s core top two or so guys, and Iverson simply cannot stomach that, they should immediately discuss a buyout.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in the InsideHoops NBA forum.
Nets forward Chris Douglas-Roberts, who has been sidelined with flu-like symptoms, has tested positive for the H1N1 virus, according to Nets President Rod Thorn. Douglas-Roberts has been treated accordingly for the illness and the Nets have followed all precautionary measures as mandated by NBA guidelines.
 |
The Detroit Pistons announced today that Tayshaun Prince will be out of the line-up indefinitely due to a small rupture of a disc in his lower back. The injury was confirmed following an MRI exam and evaluation by team doctors conducted this week.
Prince will continue to receive treatment for the injury and further updates on his status will be provided when appropriate.
The 6-foot-9 forward has appeared in three games this season averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 38.7 minutes per game.
