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Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins today announced that the team has signed veteran point guard Earl Boykins for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Boykins will wear jersey #11 and join the Bobcats on Friday, Feb. 1, when they face Golden State.
See the full story.
Cavaliers forward LeBron James experienced a right ankle sprain with 23.3 seconds remaining in the second quarter in last night’s Cavaliers game in Portland versus the Trail Blazers. He returned to start the second half and played the remainder of the game. He traveled with the team to Seattle following the game, was re-evaluated this morning and is currently listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s Cavaliers-SuperSonics game.
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Tony Parker underwent an MRI on his left ankle on Wednesday in San Antonio. The results showed that Parker is suffering from chronic inflammation and confirmed there is no structural damage in his ankle.
Parker received anti-inflammatory shots today which are designed to decrease the swelling in his ankle joint.
No timeline has been set for his return. Parker will not travel with the Spurs on the team’s six-game Eastern road trip which starts on Tuesday in Indiana.
New York Knicks forward Renaldo Balkman has been suspended for one game without pay and assessed a Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two for elbowing the Los Angeles Laker’s Sasha Vujacic in the jaw, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.
The incident occurred with 7:07 remaining in the second period of New York’s 120-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at Staples Center. Balkman will serve the suspension tonight when the Knicks visit the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena.
The Rookie Challenge game in All-Star weekend features this year’s best rookies against this year’s best sophomores (players who were rookies last year). The rosters are on InsideHoops.com. Here’s who is playing:
Rookies: Mike Conley, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Al Horford, Jamario Moon, Juan Carlos Navarro, Luis Scola, Sean Williams and Yi Jianlian.
Sophomores: LaMarcus Aldridge, Andrea Bargnani, Ronnie Brewer, Jordan Farmar, Rudy Gay, Daniel Gibson, Paul Millsap, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Roy.
For more info see the full story on InsideHoops.com.
The Chicago Bulls today named Michael Brown assistant coach. Brown joins Ron Adams, Pete Myers and Mike Wilhelm to round out Jim Boylan’s coaching staff.
“Michael’s main responsibility will be working with Pete Myers and focusing on the continued development of our young big men,” said Bulls Interim Head Coach Jim Boylan. “His experience as a player in the NBA, and as a coach in the NBDL, will be a welcome addition to our staff and our team.”
For more info, see the full story.
The latest Varejao injury update, this time with a timeline:
Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao arrived back in Cleveland from the Cavaliers’ current road trip west Tuesday evening and was evaluated at Cleveland Clinic Courts by head team physician Dr. Richard Parker. He has a left ankle sprain (inversion sprain) with bone bruises, which he experienced during the third quarter of the Cavaliers/Lakers game in LA on Sunday afternoon. He will remain in Cleveland to continue his rehabilitation process and is currently estimated to be out 3 to 4 weeks.
The official website of the NBL (Australia’s main basketball league) reports: Adelaide’s star import Julius Hodge has taken out the National Basketball League’s Player of the Week award for Round 19 of the 2007/08 HUMMER Championship after guiding his team to a crucial win over Cairns that kept the 36ers playoff hopes alive. Hodge averaged 33.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the week as the 36ers went 1-1 for Round 19. The American had 27 points, four rebounds and four assists as Adelaide narrowly lost to second-placed Melbourne on Wednesday at the Distinctive Homes Dome, 113-108.
The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent forward/center Chris Webber to a contract, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
Webber, 34, appeared in 61 games (60 starts) last season with Philadelphia (18 games) and Detroit (43 games), averaging 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 29.9 minutes per contest, while shooting 50.9% from the field. The Detroit native registered 13 double-doubles (points/rebounds), highlighted by a 20-point/11-rebound effort versus Cleveland on March 7. He scored a season-high 24 points at Seattle on March 13 and registered double-figures in scoring 34 times overall. Additionally, Webber dished out four or more assists on 21 occasions, grabbed 10-plus rebounds 15 times and registered multiple blocked shots in 10 outings. His .509 field goal percentage would have ranked 24th overall in the NBA had he met the statistical minimums to qualify. Webber started all 16 playoff games as the Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, averaging 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 25.3 minutes, while shooting 52.4% from the field. He scored a playoff-high 22 points (10-11 FG) during the Pistons’ Game 2 victory over Chicago on May 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
“We’re glad that Chris has elected to sign with our club and feel fortunate to add a player with his ability,” said Mullin. “We think he will be a nice addition to our team and provide additional depth to our frontcourt and an added veteran presence on the floor. Chris has enjoyed a lot of success in this league and certainly has many aspects to his game – in particular his mid-range shooting and passing ability – that will fit in well and provide us another dimension.”
“It is with great pride and humility that I announce my return to the Golden State Warriors, the place where it all started,” said Webber. “This organization and city has always had a special place in my heart because it is where my dream of being an NBA player first came true. I am looking forward to playing with Baron, Stephen and the rest of the crew and I am extremely excited to be reunited with the fans of Oakland along with Coach Nelson and my former teammate, Mully. In playing for Nellie before, I know how much fun his style of ball can be. I believe great things are in store and I can’t wait to get on the court.”
A 14-year NBA veteran, Webber is a five-time NBA All-Star selection (1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) and a five-time All-NBA selection, having earned first team honors in 2001, second team honors in 1999, 2002, 2003 and third team honors in 2000. In 822 career regular-season games (819 starts) with Golden State, Washington, Sacramento, Philadelphia and Detroit, the University of Michigan product owns averages of 20.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.45 blocks and 1.45 steals in 34.7 minutes per contest. Additionally, Webber has participated in the NBA Playoffs 10 times during his career, appearing in 80 games with averages of 18.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 36.3 minutes per game.
Keith Ryan, 37, an attache for US Customs in Pakistan, has died from a gunshot wound. The bullet appeared to be self-inflicted.
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Ryan is the son of Bob Ryan, a columnist for the Boston Globe. The elder Ryan, a 1994 inductee into the Basketball Writers’ Association, was the USBWA president in 2001-02.