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Kings hire Bobby Jackson

Former Sacramento Kings guard Bobby Jackson today announced his retirement from the NBA as a player to pursue a career with the Kings off the court. Jackson will serve as the first-ever Kings Ambassador, as well as assisting President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie in Sacramento’s scouting department.

“It’s a tough day for me because I’m retiring from professionally playing the game I love,” said Jackson. “But it’s also a happy day because I’m retiring on my own terms and I get to work in a city and for an organization and franchise that I’ve grown fond of. I’m eager to help get the community involved in supporting the Kings as well as assist the team in putting a good product on the court.”

As the team Ambassador, Jackson will represent the Kings throughout the Sacramento region, engaging with fans, promoting the team and making frequent appearances in the community to support the organization’s initiatives.

Jackson played six of his 12 NBA seasons with the Kings, averaging 10.6 points (44.0 FG%, 35.6 3pt%, 81.0 FT%), 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in 365 games with Sacramento. Drafted by the Seattle Sonics with the 23rd overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft and then traded to Denver on the night of the Draft, Jackson played for six teams in his NBA career: Denver, (1997-98), Minnesota (1998-99 – 1999-00), Sacramento (2000-01 – 2004-05, 2008-09), Memphis (2005-06), New Orleans (2006-07 -2007-08), and Houston (2007-08). Jackson ranks fifth in three-pointers made (381) and sixth in attempted (1,070) in Kings franchise history. He also ranks 10th in steals (356) in the Sacramento era.

“Bobby has been one of our most beloved players with the Kings,” Petrie said. “And it’s very gratifying to see him retire as a King along with the fact that he’s going to go forward and join the organization is really exciting for all of us. I’m really looking forward to working with him in a different type of environment. I know he’ll bring the same attributes as he did on the court.”

Jackson averaged 9.7 points (41.7 FG%, 35.4 3pt%, 79.3 FT%), 3.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 755 career games. In eight of his 12 seasons, Jackson played in the NBA Playoffs and averaged 9.2 points (40.5 FG%, 27.0 3pt%, 80.7 FT%), 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 58 contests.

His best season came in 2002-03 when he earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award after averaging a career-best 15.2 points (46.4 FG%, 37.9 3pt%, 84.6 FT%), 3.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 59 games. He became just the second point guard in league history to win the award, joining Orlando’s Darrell Armstrong (1999). Jackson tallied a career-best 31 points versus the Clippers on Nov. 29, 2002.

Jackson remains one of the most beloved players in Sacramento-era history for his efforts both on and off the court. He established the Bobby Jackson Foundation in February 2004, a community-based organization created in honor of his mother, Sarah, who passed away in January 2002 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. Additionally, he serves as the local spokesman for the Sacramento affiliate Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in memory of his mother.

Talk Kings basketball on the InsideHoops.com Sacramento Kings forum.

NBA and National Basketball Referees Association enter new two-year agreement

The NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association announced today that they have entered into a new two-year labor agreement. The agreement, which will cover the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, ends the lockout of referees that commenced on September 18.

“We are pleased to reach this agreement,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said. “The negotiations extended further than either side had hoped, but when our regular season tips off on Tuesday we’ll have the best referees in the world officiating our games. We appreciate the job done by our replacement officials during the preseason.”

Per league policy, terms of the agreement will not be disclosed. InsideHoops.com will edit this page with more info over the weekend.

The NBA referees will begin a three-day training camp this weekend in order to prepare for the start of the regular season on Tuesday.

Rockets waive Brent Barry

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has waived guard Brent Barry.

Barry (6-7, 210, Oregon State) signed as a free agent with the Rockets prior to last season on July 10 and averaged 3.7 points and 1.4 assists in 56 games (one start) played. The 14-year NBA veteran was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 15th overall selection in the 1995 NBA Draft before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to his rookie season. Barry played two and a half seasons with the Clippers before being traded to the Miami Heat on Feb. 19, 1998. His playing career also included stops in Chicago (1998-99), Seattle (1999-2004) and San Antonio (2004-08). He has averaged 9.3 points, 3.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds over 912 (449 starts) career games played.

The Rockets roster now stands at 15 players: David Andersen, Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier, Aaron Brooks, Chase Budinger, Brian Cook, Joey Dorsey, Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, Kyle Lowry, Tracy McGrady, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Luis Scola, Jermaine Taylor and Yao Ming.

Knicks exercise options on Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that the team has exercised its fourth-year option on forward Wilson Chandler and its third-year option on forward Danilo Gallinari.

Chandler, 6-8, 225-pounds, has averaged 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 117 games over his first two NBA seasons. The Benton Harbor, MI-native enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign last season, averaging 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds while playing in all 82 games and was also selected to play in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge at 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.

Gallinari, 6-10, 225-pounds, averaged 6.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 28 games as a rookie in 2008-09. The Milan, Italy-native was selected by New York with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Dionte Christmas arrested on firearms charges

Dionte Christmas, a 6-5, 205-pound basketball player released by the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, decided to spend the next day driving badly without a license with a gun under his seat.

The AP reports:

Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore says Christmas was stopped by Highway Patrol officers at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday for erratic driving in North Philadelphia. Vanore says he was found to be driving without a license, and the vehicle had a 9mm semiautomatic pistol under the driver’s seat.

The report says he’s going to be charged with a felony.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

He was initially stopped for driving erratically, and subsequently found to be driving without a license, Vanore said.

The vehicle had a Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic pistol under the driver’s seat with seven rounds in it, Vanore said.

Christmas was taken to the 35th Police District to be charged with felony firearms offenses. His passenger was not charged, Vanore said.

Talent-wise, Christmas might be good enough to make an NBA roster but more than likely will head to Europe for an overseas career.

Trail Blazers sign LaMarcus Aldridge to contract extension

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward LaMarcus Aldridge to a five-year contract extension, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. We’ll post details of the contract tonight or tomorrow.

“It’s a blessing and I’m very thankful,” said Aldridge. “I want to thank Paul Allen, Kevin Pritchard, Larry Miller, Nate McMillan and Tom Penn for giving me the opportunity to be in Portland for many years to come. I also want to thank the Portland fans, my friends and family for all of their support. I’m really happy we got this done and now I’m really excited to get the season started.”

Aldridge, 24, holds career averages of 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.11 blocks, 32.0 minutes and a 48.7% mark from the floor in 220 games over three seasons with the Trail Blazers. The forward has started all 157 games in which he has played over the past two seasons.

“This is a great day for the Trail Blazers franchise,” said Pritchard. “LaMarcus is the epitome of what we’re about. He’s a hard-working, committed and unselfish young man who plays the right way.”

The Trail Blazers have improved dramatically since Aldridge joined the team in 2006, going from 21 wins the year prior to his arrival in Portland to 54 wins, a share of the Northwest Division title and a trip to the playoffs in 2008-09.

Aldridge posted a career-high 18.1 points (48.4% FG, 78.1% FT) to go with 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.95 steals, 0.95 blocks and 37.1 minutes last season. Among NBA leaders, Aldridge ranked 31st in scoring, 28th in rebounding and 31st in blocked shots. The Dallas, Texas, native led the team in scoring 25 times and rebounding 17 times in 2008-09. His 19 double-doubles marked a team high.

The 6-11, 240-pound Aldridge started all six games for Portland in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, where he averaged 19.5 points (49.0% FG), 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.67 blocks in 39.5 minutes per game. He netted 20 points or more in three games and led the Trail Blazers in rebounds three times.

Acquired by the Trail Blazers in a draft day trade on June 28, 2006, Aldridge was originally selected by Chicago with the second overall pick out of the University of Texas in the 2006 NBA Draft.

Bobby Jackson to retire

Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee reports:

If Bobby Jackson picks his wardrobe appropriately today, he’ll stand at the Arco Arena podium and formally announce his retirement in a three-piece suit and sneakers.

He’s leaving behind a 12-year playing career and joining the Kings in a varied capacity that often will involve business attire, but the player in him is far from gone just yet.

And if the moment is truly destined to capture the spirit of one of the Kings’ most popular players of all time, it will be the pair of Nikes with the cut-off hi-tops.

He used scissors to create a unique size and spark eye-rolls from the company’s reps last season because, well, they just didn’t get the job done in their original form and he wasn’t about to cater to any corporate types.

Jackson was a good player. Never a star, but always able to help a team’s rotation.

76ers exercise options on Marreese Speights, Jason Smith and Thaddeus Young

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that the team has exercised the third-year contract option for Marreese Speights and the fourth-year contract options for Jason Smith and Thaddeus Young.

“Thaddeus, Jason and Marreese are three of our young players who have done everything asked of them and continue to show improvement every time they step out on the court,” Stefanski said. “We are excited about the way they have developed to this point and we are looking to forward them continuing their careers with the Sixers.”

Speights (6-10, 245) was the 16th overall pick by the Sixers in the 2008 NBA Draft. As a rookie last season, he averaged 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in just 16.0 minutes per game while shooting 50.2% from the floor. He would have ranked third among rookies in field goal percentage had he qualified. This preseason, Speights is second on the team in scoring (13.7 ppg) and first in rebounding (8.4 rpg) despite playing just over 20 minutes per game.

Smith (7-0, 240) was originally selected by Miami with the 20th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, but was acquired in a draft night trade by the Sixers. He missed all of last season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during a workout session in August of 2008. As a rookie in 2007-08, Smith appeared in 76 games, averaging 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game. This preseason, he is averaging 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game.

Young (6-8, 220) was the 12th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2007 NBA Draft. He averaged 15.3 points last season, up from 8.2 as a rookie in 2007-08. That marked the biggest increase in scoring average of any player in the league last season with a minimum of 50 games played. Over his final 15 games played in 2008-09, Young averaged 21.3 points on 56.3% shooting. For his career, Young is shooting 51.0% from the floor and has 173 steals to 182 turnovers.

Speights (22 years old), Smith (23) and Young (21) join Jrue Holiday (19) and Lou Williams (turns 23 on Oct. 27th) as the quintet of Sixers who will be 23 years or younger heading into the season opener at Orlando on Oct. 28th.

Joe Alexander injures hamstring, out 8-12 weeks

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that forward Joe Alexander re-aggravated his right hamstring injury during rehabilitation exercises this week.

After consulting with Bucks orthopedic physician Dr. Michael Gordon, M.D., Alexander is expected to be sidelined for a period of 8-to-12 weeks. Alexander will be re-evaluated on a regular basis and his status will be updated as necessary.

Alexander, 22, originally suffered the injury during voluntary drills prior to the start of training camp on September 17.

In 59 games during his rookie season, Alexander averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. In the 2009 NBA Summer League, Alexander tallied 16.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists over the five game schedule in Las Vegas.

Magic Johnson bashes Isiah Thomas in book

All fans of 1980’s NBA basketball will forever love what Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, plus Isiah Thomas and other stars from the decade brought to the world of hoops. But rumors in those days didn’t quite spread the way they do now in the age of InsideHoops.com and the internet.

Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas are old friends, right? Not so fast.

Ian Thompson of Sports Illustrated reports:

When he heard the criticisms from his former friend Magic Johnson in a soon-to-be-released book, Isiah Thomas said he’d had enough. And so he began to fight back.

“I’m really hurt, and I really feel taken advantage of for all these years,” said Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard and former NBA coach and executive, most recently with the Knicks. “I’m totally blindsided by this. Every time that I’ve seen Magic, he has been friendly with me. Whenever he came to a Knick game, he was standing in the tunnel [to the locker room] with me. He and [Knicks assistant coach] Herb [Williams] and I, we would go out to dinner in New York. I didn’t know he felt this way.”

Get ready. This gets heated. More from SI:

Much of their story involves Thomas, who as captain of the Detroit Pistons served as a primary threat to the championship ambitions of Bird’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers. The book offers revelations that have stunned Thomas. Magic addresses years of rumors by finally accusing Thomas of questioning his sexuality after Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. Magic also admits that he joined with Michael Jordan and other players in blackballing Thomas from the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, saying, “Isiah killed his own chances when it came to the Olympics. Nobody on that team wanted to play with him. … Michael didn’t want to play with him. Scottie [Pippen] wanted no part of him. Bird wasn’t pushing for him. Karl Malone didn’t want him. Who was saying, ‘We need this guy?’ Nobody.”

“I’m glad that he’s finally had the nerve and the courage to stand up and say it was him, as opposed to letting Michael Jordan take the blame for it all these years,” Thomas responded during one of several interviews he gave to SI.com on Wednesday. “I wish he would have had the courage to say this stuff to me face to face, as opposed to writing it in some damn book to sell and he can make money off it.”

And more from SI, on the topic of Magic’s HIV:

“Isiah kept questioning people about it,” Magic says. “I couldn’t believe that. The one guy I thought I could count on had all these doubts. It was like he kicked me in the stomach.”

Thomas vehemently denied that he had gossiped behind Magic’s back, pointing out that he knew better than to engage in such hurtful talk.

“What most people don’t know is, before Magic had HIV, my brother had HIV,” Thomas said. “My brother died of HIV, AIDS, drug abuse. So I knew way more about the disease, because I was living with it in my house.”

“I felt awful for him; I felt awful for everybody,” Thomas said to SI.com. “But I knew enough at that time that he didn’t have to retire. The ‘blood’ thing we do in the NBA — where we stop the game because of blood on somebody’s shirt and all that ceremonious stuff — we’re not stopping HIV/AIDS that way. We still do it out of some insane fear that came about when Karl Malone and everybody was saying they weren’t playing if Magic was playing.”

And what does Larry Bird say in the book? SI:

“Let’s be real. I’m not going to say the things Magic said in private about Larry, but I do know the public stance he’s taken [in becoming Bird’s friend],” Thomas said. I know that’s not how he felt about Larry Bird. Magic hated Larry, and he tried to make other people hate Larry. Magic was no friend of Larry Bird’s during that time. And his Laker teammates will tell you that. And I’m sure they’ve got to be disgusted with the way he’s carried on with this whole me-and-Larry bull.”

I’ll be checking this book out for sure.