Chicago Bulls Blog – Page 64 – NBA Blog

Derrick Rose may play overseas if lockout lingers

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports:

Fresh off a vacation to Bora Bora with his mother, Brenda, Derrick Rose said Tuesday that if the NBA lockout drags deep into the season, he will consider playing overseas.

“Yes, I am taking into consideration that I might move overseas,” Rose said. “I don’t know where. There are a lot of great places overseas. I haven’t really had time to get the details of every place.”

Rose said he has one concrete offer from an undisclosed foreign team and a source close to Rose said several others have inquired about his services. The source stressed those opportunities would be pursued only if regular-season games get canceled and labor talks break down for an extended period…

“It’s kind of weird knowing that I don’t have a job right now,” Rose said. “I haven’t felt this way from high school. It’s all positive, though. I’m hoping the season starts no matter when. Hopefully, I don’t have to go overseas.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: As the lockout continues, the vast majority of players in the NBA, if asked, will “consider playing overseas.” It doesn’t mean they’ll actually sign.

Michael Jordan Steak House opens in Chicago InterContinental Hotel

Luis Gomez of the Chicago Tribune reports:

There was a Superman sighting of a different kind in downtown Chicago on Thursday.

Michael Jordan attended the grand opening of his new restaurant in the InterContinental Hotel, Michael Jordan’s Steak House, less than a mile from where “Man of Steel” recently filmed in the city. It was Jordan’s third visit to the River North restaurant since it opened in late August.

The Bulls legend was greeted by a large crowd on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant as well as fans who packed the median separating north and southbound traffic on Michigan Avenue. Once inside the private event, Jordan took a seat in a security-protected booth in the corner of the restaurant. He was later joined by his former Bulls teammate, Scottie Pippen, and Pippen’s wife and “Real Housewives of Miami” cast member, Larsa.

NBA postpones training camps, cancels October 9-15 preseason games

The NBA announced today that player training camps for the 2011-12 season have been postponed indefinitely because a new collective bargaining agreement has not been reached with the National Basketball Players Association. Training camps were scheduled to open on October 3.

In addition, the league canceled all preseason games scheduled from October 9 through October 15.

“We have regretfully reached the point on the calendar where we are not able to open training camps on time and need to cancel the first week of preseason games,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. “We will make further decisions as warranted.”

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Spain and France advance to EuroBasket championship game

The AP reports:

Defending champion Spain and first-time finalist France will compete for the European basketball title on Sunday and have qualified for next year’s Olympics in London.

Juan Carlos Navarro scored 35 points in a performance his coach called a “masterpiece” as Spain beat Macedonia 92-80 in the first semifinal on Friday.

France got 22 points from Tony Parker to beat Russia 79-71 in the late game. Nicolas Batum added 19 points for France, which reached the championship game for the first time.

“I’ve been chasing this for 11 years and I’m very happy that I can finally say I’m going to the Olympics,” Parker said.

France won a silver medal in 1949 but the tournament was played in a different format and did not have a final.

France went on a 10-2 to finish the third quarter and pull away. Going into the fourth, the run was 16-4, with eight points coming from Ali Traore.

Pau Gasol had 22 points and 17 rebounds for Spain.

Navarro scored 19 points in the third quarter to break open a close game. Spain coach Sergio Scariolo did not hold back in praising his point guard.

NBA reportedly fines Michael Jordan 100K

Chris Broussard of ESPN reports:

The NBA fined Michael Jordan $100,000 for public comments he made last month about the lockout and one of the league’s players, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed that Jordan had been fined, but said the league would not comment on the total.

In an Aug. 19 interview with The Herald Sun, a newspaper in Australia, the Charlotte Bobcats owner spoke extensively about the need for revenue sharing and mentioned Milwaukee Bucks’ Australian center Andrew Bogut.

That violated the league’s policy that bars team owners and employees from discussing the lockout or any players during the work stoppage. The NBA sent out a league-wide memo just before the lockout began on July 1 stating that anyone who broke the rules could be fined up to $1 million.

Michael Jordan’s Steak House Chicago opens Tuesday

MJ is coming to the Magnificent Mile.

Michael Jordan’s Steak House Chicago will make its debut Tuesday in the InterContinental Chicago hotel (505 N. Michigan Ave. 312-321-8823), taking over that property’s sprawling, architecturally fascinating second-floor dining space (which accommodates 160, plus a couple of 20-seat private spaces). The restaurant also is taking over the hotel’s lobby-level bar space, which will be expanded to hold 90.

“It’s an upgrade, to say the least,” says executive chef James O’Donnell.

— Reported by Phil Vettel of the Chicago Tribune

Scottie Pippen wins $2.37M judgment over airplane deal

Former NBA basketball star Scottie Pippen has won a $2.37 million judgment against a Miami businessman, Craig Frost, and a Miami company, CF Air.

Pippen, who has a home in Fort Lauderdale, and his wife, Larsa Pippen, filed suit against Frost in 2007 regarding Pippen’s disastrous ownership of his own airplane through a company called Air Pip.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Air Pip had fallen apart in 2004, and Pippen lost a related $5 million judgment in Missouri to U.S. BankbizWatch . Pippen lost a further appeal of that judgment in 2007.

Pippen tried to argue that he was a victim of a conspiracy by those he trusted to put together the airplane deal.

— Paul Brinkmann of the South Florida Business-Journal

Eddy Curry is losing weight, allegedly

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports:

Center Eddy Curry is increasing his chances of generating serious interest from the Heat. Respected Chicago-based trainer Tim Grover said last week that since Curry’s workout with Miami in late June, he has lost another 28 pounds and is now at 300. Curry weighed 350 when he auditioned for Miami in March. Curry intrigues Pat Riley, who might offer him a minimum deal postlockout if he loses another 12 pounds or so. His skills “are there, no question,” Grover said.

Dennis Rodman to arrive at Basketball Hall of Fame induction by helicopter

Dennis Rodman likes to do fun things. Here’s more info on how he plans to arrive at the Hall of Fame ceremonies:

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports:

Aventura’s Dennis Rodman told us Tuesday he will arrive at his Basketball Hall of Fame induction Friday by helicopter. He wanted to enter the Hall on a colorful float, “but they wouldn’t let me block off the street” in Springfield, Mass.

He said he will hire acrobats to perform and “a couple of my outfits will be ‘out there.’ Whatever might be too zany is not too zany.” His marketing agent, Floyd Ragland, said Rodman is spending $60,000 to fly in Penny Marshall, Howard Stern and other friends. Phil Jackson is Rodman’s presenter.

I think this is a cover-up, and he’ll arrive via spaceship. With martians on board, partying. We’ll see.

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Carlos Boozer plans to play overseas if lockout continues

Like so many other players not looking to sit around and do nothing for months at a time, Chicago Bulls power forward Carlos Boozer wants to keep his basketball career and activity going if the NBA lockout extends into the distant future.

Ric Bucher of ESPN the Magazine reports:

“I think as players we have to look at this lockout as an unfortunate challenge, but one that can create other unique and positive opportunities,” Boozer said. “When I was part of Team USA that won Olympic Gold in Beijing, that experience changed my life in incredible ways.

“If the NBA season gets delayed or postponed, I plan on using those months to experience something similar to what I did in the summer of 2008. That’s why, if the lockout continues, I definitely plan on playing overseas.”

As with all good NBA players, it’s assumed that any deal that gets signed will include an out-clause to return to the NBA immediately when the lockout ends.

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