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Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson will keep coaching the team at least through 2009-2010. The Orange County Register (Kevin Ding) reports (via blog):
Jackson has usually backpedaled away from all questions about his future, citing a year-by-year policy and even dismissing his contract status as largely irrelevant. This time, he added: “I still have a year left on my contract.”
Nothing crazy here. Jackson is already signed to coach next season. He just seems OK with mentioning it, now.
The Arizona Republic (Paul Coro) reports: After surgery, two weeks of bedrest, a lot of reality television shows and “Daddy Day Care” with his three kids, Amare Stoudemire said he should be 100 percent in one to two months. When he does return to the court, it will be with protective eyewear – for good this time. “Absolutely, seal the deal,” he said. “I’m wearing goggles from here on out. It’s funny I talked to my trainer when I was about to put those Oakley goggles down. I said, ‘What are the odds of me getting poked in the eye again if I didn’t wear these goggles?’ ” His surgeon, Pravin Dugel, said the “ragged tears” in Stoudemire’s eye indicated that the retinal tear was caused by trauma but that it was new and old trauma. Stoudemire had been poked in the eye during camp by Boris Diaw and also by Al Thornton in his final game this season.
The Akron Beacon Journal (Marla Ridenour) reports: With his fifth point of the game, the first of two made free throws this afternoon in a 102-96 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, Zydrunas Ilgauskas became the fourth player in Cavs history to score 10,000 points. A 10-year veteran from Lithuania whose career almost ended before it began because of fractures in both feet, Ilgauskas joined LeBron James, Austin Carr and Brad Daugherty in that exclusive club. During the next timeout, the Cavs saluted Ilgauskas and the sellout crowd of 20,562, which included Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, rose to its feet. Ilgauskas stepped onto the court at Quicken Loans Arena and raised his index finger, perhaps to salute back.
The AP reports: Halftime “tweets” seem to be the latest NBA fad. Suns center Shaquille O’Neal posted a note on his Twitter feed before a home game against Washington on Saturday night, suggesting he planned to post to the popular social networking Web site during halftime. And sure enough, a brief message was posted on Shaq’s feed before the third quarter. “Shhhhhhh,” it read. It was the same message O’Neal delivered when asked about his Twitter plans before the game. When told Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry already knew about it, O’Neal bent over, leaned against the locker-room wall and groaned loudly, saying his plans were blown.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press (Don Seeholzer) reports (via blog: Sam Mitchell says it’s been a long season, but he’s tried to make the best of it. Fired Dec. 4 by the Toronto Raptors after an 8-9 start, the 2006-07 NBA coach of the year is still adjusting to life off the court. “It’s tough,” he said. “It’s the first time in 22 years I’m not working. I’ve always had a job in basketball. It’s a tough experience to go through being fired, but it happens. So you’ve got a choice, to sit around and say how tough it is or to move on with your life and do some positive things.” Mitchell, who played 10 of his 13 NBA seasons for the Timberwolves, said he would like to get back into coaching but that it’s not up to him when he’ll get the opportunity.
Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa suffered a left tibial bone bruise in the Suns’ victory Wednesday over the Philadelphia 76ers. He sustained the injury with 26.3 seconds remaining the first quarter of that contest.
Barbosa is expected to miss 1-3 weeks beginning tomorrow night, Saturday, March 21, against the Washington Wizards at US Airways Center.
The Chicago Bulls announced today they have re-signed forward Linton Johnson III to a second 10-day contract. Johnson, a 6-8, 205-pound forward, originally signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls on March 10, 2009.
In two appearances with Chicago, Johnson has averaged 1.50 rpg in 7.0 mpg. In his second tour with the Bulls, the Chicago native is currently in his sixth season out of Tulane.
The Boston Celtics announced today that they have reassigned rookie guard J.R. Giddens to their NBA Development League affiliate Utah Flash. This is the third time this season that Giddens has been assigned to Utah.
Giddens has appeared six games this season for the Celtics scoring four points in eight total minutes. Giddens has averaged 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.27 steals and 1.40 blocks per game in 15 games for the Flash this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned guard Sun Yue to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League for the second time this season, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
Sun, who became the 25th NBA player assigned to a D-League affiliate this season on March 6, played 4 games (4 starts), averaging 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.25 blocks in 36.0 minutes in his first stint with the D-Fenders.
Originally selected by the Lakers in the second round (40th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Sun signed with the Lakers the following summer (August 25, 2008) shortly after representing China as a member of the Men’s Olympic Basketball Team in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Making his NBA debut on December 7 versus Milwaukee with four points on 2-of-3 shooting in five minutes, Sun has appeared in 10 games with the Lakers this season, totaling six points, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot in 28 minutes.
The Boston Herald reports: In what has become a cavalcade of Celtics injuries, Leon Powe became the latest addition with the announcement he could miss two weeks with a strained left knee. “He’ll be out for a couple of weeks, most likely,” Doc Rivers said before tonight’s game against Miami.