Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Deron Williams may be back within days

By InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner

Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams told InsideHoops.com he may be back on the court in a matter of days, not weeks.

Reports came out over the last day or two that he would miss 2-4 weeks. But after Sunday’s Jazz-Knicks game in New York, I caught up with D-Will in the hallway and asked about it. “it could be days,” Williams said about his hopeful return.

The Jazz were undefeated in the short NBA season until the visit to Madison Square Garden, where they have struggled in recent seasons.

Deron Williams out 4 weeks

The AP reports: Tony Parker will be out about four weeks with a sprained left ankle, a critical blow to the San Antonio Spurs, who are off to their worst start in 12 years. An MRI taken Saturday confirmed the injury to the Spurs’ star guard, who was hurt during a 99-83 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday — two nights after scoring a career-high 55 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Parker was driving for a layup when he rolled his ankle.

Kirk Hinrich out up to 12 weeks

Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich was examined earlier today by Dr. John Fernandez, and Bulls team physician, Dr. Brian Cole, both of Rush University Medical Center.  The results of that exam confirmed the earlier MRI which showed a torn ulnar collateral ligament of his right thumb.  The injury will require surgery, which will be performed on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at Rush.

Hinrich may be out as long as 12 weeks following his surgery. The injury occurred in the third quarter of last evening’s Bulls win over Phoenix.  On the year, Hinrich has appeared in six games and averaged 8.3 ppg, 4.0 apg, 1.8 rpg and 1.33 spg in 24.5 mpg.

In his sixth season with the Bulls, Hinrich has appeared in 389 regular season games with the Bulls, and missed just 21 games during that span.  Chicago’s first round pick (seventh overall) in NBA Draft 2003, he owns career averages of 14.3 ppg, 6.3 apg, 3.5 rpg, 1.30 spg and 35.0 mpg.

Heat gets first win at Spurs since 1996

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ira Winderman) reports: Before Friday night’s 99-83 victory over the Spurs at the AT&T Center, the Heat was 1-20 all-time in San Antonio, with the lone victory 12 years ago. That previous victory came when Heat assistant coach Keith Askins was the team’s starting small forward, when future NBA coaches Avery Johnson and Vinny Del Negro were in the Spurs’ starting backcourt, and when Tim Duncan was still on campus at Wake Forest… This is a game the Heat should have won, even as it redefines itself in the wake of last season’s NBA-worst 15-67 record. With Manu Ginobili still sidelined from preseason ankle surgery and Tony Parker lost in the first quarter with a sprained left ankle, the Spurs were reduced to Duncan and a bunch of fill-ins lacking anything in the way of championship pedigree.

Tony Parker could miss 2 weeks

The AP reports: Tony Parker sprained his left ankle and could be out two weeks, and the Miami Heat took advantage of his absence to beat the San Antonio Spurs 99-83 on Friday night… Parker sustained a moderate lateral ankle sprain and will probably be out more than two weeks, said Dr. Paul Saenz, a team physician. An MRI was expected to be performed Saturday.

Warriors name Larry Riley assistant GM

The Golden State Warriors have named Larry Riley Assistant General Manager, it was announced today by President Robert Rowell. In a related move, Pete D’Alessandro has been relieved of his duties as Assistant General Manager.

Riley, 64, has spent the last two-plus seasons as an assistant coach on Don Nelson’s staff with the Warriors. He has accumulated over 20 years of NBA experience, including stops in Golden State, Dallas, Vancouver and Milwaukee. Overall, Riley has amassed 37 years of basketball experience in various coaching and administrative positions.

Riley, who will cease his duties on the coaching staff, will report directly to Mullin and assist in the overall day-to-day dealings in the Warriors’ Basketball Operations Department.

Knicks hire Allan Houston

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that Allan Houston has been named Assistant to the President for Basketball Operations.

“Allan has great knowledge and understanding of this league and our franchise, and I think he will be a tremendous asset to our front office in player development as he continues to learn and educate himself,” Walsh said. “I have always respected Allan as a player and as a person, and I have been thoroughly impressed with the work he has put in with our organization.”

Originally retiring on Oct. 17, 2005 as an NBA player three seasons ago, Houston is the fourth leading scorer in franchise history during the regular season (11,165) and eighth leading scorer during the playoffs (1,139). Only NBA legends Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed have scored more points during their careers with the orange and blue. On Oct. 4, 1999, he was named a team captain, and held that title for six seasons. He was selected to be a member of the 2000 and 2001 NBA All-Star teams and was a member of the Gold medal-winning United States team at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

“I am honored and grateful that Donnie Walsh and the New York Knicks have trusted me with an opportunity to lend myself to serving this team and organization,” Houston said. “To learn from someone who has built such a remarkable legacy is very exciting for me. Coach D’Antoni is one of the brightest minds in the game of basketball. Being around the game all of my life, I realize what an awesome opportunity we have to positively impact our fans, especially our youth. I am extremely blessed to have witnessed a special era in New York Knicks history, and I know basketball fans everywhere, especially Knick fans, are ready for the return of this franchise. Hopefully, I will serve in being a part of that again.”

On May 16, 1999, the Louisville, KY native authored one of the most memorable shots in club history with a game-winning runner at Miami in the closing seconds of Game Five in the first round of the 1999 NBA Playoffs. After defeating the Heat, the Knicks went on to defeat the Atlanta Hawks in the conference semifinals and Indiana Pacers in the conference finals to make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1994.

Recognized for his work through the “Father Knows Best” program offered under the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation, Houston was recently named as the national spokesman for the National Fatherhood Initiative.

Report: MLB will not let Mark Cuban buy Cubs

The Chicago Sun-Times (Chris De Luca) reports: Sources close to commissioner Bud Selig sounded an alarm this week during the annual general managers meetings: Forget about Mark Cuban buying the Cubs. Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks’ owner, was the fan favorite, the guy who liked to drink beer, watch the game from the bleachers and spend money. He was the most appealing bidder to Zell’s group, who knew Cuban could swing the quickest transaction for a team and ballpark that at one time figured to fetch $1 billion. Global financial crisis or not, baseball’s old guard plans to stand firm against letting Cuban into the club. ”There’s no way Bud and the owners are going to let that happen,” a Major League Baseball source said this week. ”Zero chance.”

Kenyon Martin foundation forms

NBA Star Kenyon Martin announced today the establishment of The Kenyon Martin Foundation at The Giving Back Fund.

The Foundation will focus on providing life-changing opportunities to underserved youth throughout the country, with an emphasis on assisting families without father figures in Denver, Dallas, and Cincinnati.

Martin has a long history of distinguished charitable involvement.  He has served as an honorary Ambassador for the March of Dimes’ Colorado Chapter and is currently a Board Member of the American Institute for Stuttering. He has also lent his support to the numerous charitable endeavors of his teammates and other notable figures both here and abroad.

“I was given an opportunity to earn a wonderful living doing what I love, playing basketball,” Martin observed “I hope to give other children opportunities to do what they love as well. My goal is to do what I can to help them realize their dreams and let them know that no matter where you come from you can always succeed.”

“I applaud Kenyon’s sense of responsibility and obligation to others, in using the hard-earned lessons he learned during his own difficult childhood to help a new generation of kids,” commented Marc Pollick, President of The Giving Back Fund.  “He exemplifies the maxim ‘to whom much is given, much is expected…’“

The Denver Nuggets’ power forward Kenyon Martin was raised in Oak Cliff, Texas, attended college in Cincinnati, and currently resides in Dallas during the off-season.