Cleveland Cavaliers Blog – Page 79 – NBA Blog

NBA heads to 2011 offseason of uncertainty

The AP reports:

“It’s an odd position, when the game is the best it’s ever been, when the ratings are the highest they’ve ever been, when the excitement is the greatest it’s ever (been),” Players Association attorney Jeffrey Kessler said last week. “It’s sort of odd to see the owners say we’re going to destroy this game unless you change this whole system. Players just want to play.”

Nobody can predict when they’ll get that chance again. When the Dallas Mavericks finished off the Miami Heat on Sunday night in Game 6, it sent the NBA into a most uncertain offseason.

Owners and players are nowhere close on a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the one that expires June 30. Without a new deal, players say they have been told by the owners they will be locked out.

The NBA was reduced to a 50-game season by a work stoppage in 1998-99, and the loss of games is a threat now. Citing leaguewide losses of about $300 million this season, the league hasn’t budged on its desire for significant changes to the financial structure, ranging from reductions in the length of contracts and the amount of guarantees, to an overhaul of the salary cap system that would prevent teams from being able to exceed it, as they can now under certain exceptions.

And Stern said the record TV ratings and all the other positive attention the league has received doesn’t make him any more motivated to get this settled, since he’d want to do it anyway.

“I don’t need any external prod to want to be able to make a deal,” he said…

The sides are scheduled to meet twice this week and say they hope for frequent discussions before the end of the month. Should those fail, the NBA could follow the NFL’s labor situation right into the court system, which both sides say they want to avoid. So although a work stoppage in July wouldn’t seem to have much effect since games aren’t going on, Stern insists “we very much feel the weight of the deadline.”

LeBron says winning will take care of his legacy

LeBron James is great at winning regular season NBA games, but he’s still waiting for his first championship. And while the Miami Heat only lead the Dallas Mavericks two games to one in the ongoing NBA Finals, LeBron may not have to wait much longer.

It’s too early to discuss his “legacy” as a player, but when it’s all over, LeBron hopes to be associated with winning. Championships, presumably.

Reuters reports:

LeBron James bristled Monday at the idea his offensive prowess in the NBA Finals has been a disappointment and that his unwillingness to take charge down the stretch could ultimately affect his legacy.

The Miami Heat forward has averaged a modest 20.3 points and has been largely absent on offense in the fourth quarter but his team holds a 2-1 lead over the Dallas Mavericks.

James says all he wants to do is win.

“Anybody that knows me throughout the years, all I care about is the W,” he said. “I’m not just a scoring guy. I’ve got a lot of points in my career.

“I have had some team mates who have given me great confidence and ability to go out there and score a lot of points. But I’ve done other things.

“I don’t have to score points to be effective.”

Reuters continues:

“I just want to win,” he told reporters. “My individual stats will take care of itself. In a series I’ve averaged 38 points a game and we’ve lost in the Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando.

“This is a team game. My resume will speak for itself after I’m done with this game of basketball. What me and my team mates are trying to accomplish now is the only thing I’m worried about.

“When I’m done, I’ll let you guys figure where I should be placed.”

The Heat may be poised to rack up multiple championships over the next few years, so this discussion may change shape pretty soon.

Cavs talking trade for 2nd overall pick

Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine reports:

The Cavaliers are in discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons about a three-team trade that would give Cleveland the top two picks of next month’s NBA draft.

The Cavaliers would use the picks to select Duke point guard Kyrie Irving and Arizona forward Derrick Williams, the sources said.

In the trade being discussed, Cleveland would absorb Detroit’s Rip Hamilton into the $14.6 million trade exception it received in last summer’s LeBron James sign-and-trade with Miami, while also receiving the Pistons’ No. 8 pick. The Cavaliers would then send that pick, along with their fourth pick, to Minnesota for the Timberwolves’ second pick.

Cleveland would then buy Hamilton out of the two years, $25 million remaining on his contract, leaving the veteran shooting guard free to sign with another club as a free agent. Chicago would be one of the likeliest destinations.

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Former NBA player John `Hot Rod` Williams arrested

The AP reports:

Police in Louisiana have arrested former NBA player John “Hot Rod” Williams on a misdemeanor count related to gunshots fired during a party at his home.

Gonzales police tell The Advocate of Baton Rouge that Williams and his relatives told officers about eight shots were fired by an unknown person attending Saturday’s party put on for members of Williams’ family.

The 48-year-old Williams was booked Tuesday with “letting a disorderly place” and was given a court date.

LeBron happy for Cavs landing No.1 pick

It makes perfect sense to ask LeBron James what his reaction was to the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft in Tuesday night’s Draft Lottery. And as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports:

Tuesday, while waiting for Wednesday’s Game 2 of these Eastern Conference finals against the Chicago Bulls, James watched as the Cavaliers again exited the 2011 lottery with the top overall selection.

“I’m happy for the franchise, I’m happy for the fans,” he said. “I think it is a good step for them.

“But I’ve got a lot more things to worry about now than the lottery.”

While the Cavaliers’ top pick isn’t expected to arrive as the next Chosen One, James appreciates there will be considerable expectations.

I doubt LeBron is thinking much about it right now, either. He’s a bit busy trying to help his Heat come alive against the Bulls after a very disappointing Game 1.

LeBron James apologizes for using the word `retarded` in a press conference

We live in an increasingly politically-correct public world, where celebrities, sports stars and other famous people have to be careful about what they say, for fear of pissing off at least some major group somewhere. And in this case, as the AP reports:

The Miami Heat star muttered the word after Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals as he and Dwyane Wade listened to a question about Wade’s takedown of Boston guard Rajon Rondo.

James had his hand covering his mouth when he said “that’s retarded” as a reporter asked Wade whether the play that dislocated Rondo’s elbow was dirty.

I’m glad that’s resolved.

Cavs TV ratings still rank in top 10 in league

Bob Finnan of the News Herald reports:

The good news is the Cavaliers’ 3.93 average television rating was the seventh-best in the NBA.

The bad news? The Sports Business Journal reported the Cavs experienced a 54-percent drop on Fox Sports Ohio, the biggest yearly ratings decrease in at least seven years. The Cavs were the local ratings leader in 2009-10 in the NBA.

The Cavs’ huge drop can be traced to their 19-63 record and the loss of two-time MVP LeBron James in free agency.

A Cavs spokesman looked at the positive aspect of the story.

“We feel great that our ratings are clearly in the top tier of the league,” he said.

Cavaliers Semih Erden, Samardo Samuels and Ramon Sessions all have surgery

Cavaliers center Semih Erden, forward Samardo Samuels and guard Ramon Sessions each underwent successful surgery yesterday, the team announced from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Erden had surgery on his left shoulder at Cleveland Clinic’s Strongsville Family Health and Surgery Center. The surgery was performed by Dr. Mark Schickendantz.

Samuels underwent surgery to repair a right wrist injury at the Cleveland Clinic main campus, performed by Dr. Thomas Graham.

Sessions had surgery to repair a hernia at Hill Crest Hospital – Cleveland Clinic. The procedure was performed by Dr. William O’Brien.

Each player will now undergo a period of rest, treatment and rehabilitation and their statuses will be updated as appropriate.

NBA suspends Charlie Villanueva five games for altercation with Ryan Hollins

Charlie Villanueva of the Detroit Pistons has been suspended five games without pay for initiating an on-court altercation with Cleveland Cavaliers’ Ryan Hollins and attempting to escalate the altercation by entering the Cavaliers’ locker room on two occasions following his ejection, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 5:47 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Pistons’ 110-101 loss to the Cavaliers at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday, April 11.

Villanueva will serve the first game of his suspension tonight when the Pistons play the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The remaining games will be served during the first four 2011-12 regular season games in which he is physically able to play.

Legendary Nike designer Tinker Hatfield does not like working with giant LeBron James entourage

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports:

Tinker Hatfield is the Michael Jordan of designers at Nike, a legend in the shoe design field and the guy who runs the company’s “Innovation Kitchen.” He also, apparently, is not a fan of LeBron James’ associates.

Hatfield rarely does interviews and guards his secrets closely. But he did a private appearance at a Miami shoe store last week in which he took some questions from customers. During the session, which was recorded and posted on YouTube, Hatfield said he stopped personally developing James’ signature shoes because he didn’t like dealing with those around James.

“I don’t like working with LeBron’s entourage,” Hatfield said. “It’s too many people, too many ideas, too many opinions.”

It is the second time in the last six months Hatfield has publicly taken a shot at James various friends and managers. During a similar event last October in Santa Monica, Calif., Hatfield told a group of listeners at a shoe store that “I used to work on LeBron’s, until his entourage kind of pissed me off.”

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