Dallas Mavericks Blog – Page 80 – NBA Blog

Some NBA players still receive paychecks during a lockout

Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports:

Los Angeles Clippers forward Al-Farouq Aminu wants to play basketball next season. But if he doesn’t, he isn’t overly concerned about his financial situation.

Aminu, a rookie last season, is one of four clients of agent Raymond Brothers who spread their 2010-11 NBA salaries over 18 or 24 months to continue receiving paychecks if the league-imposed lockout forces the cancellation of games.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph, Dallas Mavericks forward Caron Butler and Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon, all Brothers clients, have similar setups.

If games in 2011-12 are lost, “They will not know financially that they’re in a lockout,” Brothers said. “If there is a lockout, you’ll able to pay your bills. And you’re already used to a certain way of living because your paychecks will be consistent.”

Players normally receive bi-weekly paychecks from Nov. 15 to May 1, although some opt for a November to November schedule. But Aminu will receive payments from last season until Nov. 1, 2012. Randolph will be paid through May 1, 2012.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I am happy to announce that I will continue to pay myself during the lockout as well.

Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman will play for German National Team

Sportando reports:

Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman announced that they will play with German National Team at Eurobasket 2011 in Lithuania.

Both players will join soon the team coached by Dirk Bauermann.

TalkBasket.net reports:

Both players are expected to be ready to play for the Germany NT in the BEKO-Supercup tournament in Bamberg (together with Turkey, Greece, Belgium), during August 19-21.

Dirk was pleased with his decision and said: “The rest was short but I would like to help the young German NT to gain success in Eurobasket. I will do everything to keep fit and I’m looking forward to spending time with the guys”.

Chris Kaman stated: “Playing for Germany in 2008 was a lot of fun, I think I can help the team and we can achieve things”.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I’ve heard that Nowitzki and Kaman were a package deal for Team Germany. Meaning, they or their representatives were in touch with each other and either both were going to play, or neither one was. I haven’t actually confirmed this, though. But don’t be surprised if you read something about this in the near future.

Billy Hunter tells InsideHoops that NBA lockout meetings may not resume until August

By Jeff Lenchiner

Wednesday evening in New York City I paid a visit to Dyckman Park for some streetball action. It was a big matchup of some top teams that has been anticipated for weeks, so the park was packed. Included in the crowd were rapper Jadakiss, Denver Nuggets forward Al Harrington, and the head of the NBA Players Union, Billy Hunter, among others.

Before the game, Hunter, bravely attempting to communicate as some top-notch rap music blasted from the park’s booming speakers at full volume, gave InsideHoops.com a very quick update on the current NBA lockout situation:

InsideHoops.com: What’s the latest?

Billy Hunter: We’re trying to find some way to re-open the negotiations. We’re not making very much progress. It looks like we’re going to be where we are, I would assume probably [until] August before we actually end up getting back together.

InsideHoops.com: How long might the lockout last?

Hunter: It’s unpredictable. It’s hard to say how long it’s going to go.

It sounds like NBA fans should not hold their breath waiting for positive developments just yet.

J.J. Barea and former Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera expecting a child

SportsDayDFW.com reports:

Mavericks guard J.J. Barea and his girlfriend, actress and model Zuleyka Rivera are expecting a child, according to a report from Primerahora.com.

Rivera, a former Miss Universe, will have to leave production of her new project called “Passionate Heart.”

“All this took me by surprise, but I feel very lucky,” she wrote to Primerahora.com, as translated from Spanish. “I come from a very close family and I understand that a baby is a blessing. I’m sorry I had to leave this soap opera, it was another opportunity for my growth as an actress and achieve my professional goals. However, both JJ and I are happy to start a family together and I know God will reward us with a healthy baby and many more opportunities for both.”

Read NBA fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Union plans player meetings as NBA lockout drags on with no progress

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated reports:

There will be labor-related meetings in the near future.

They just aren’t the kind that typically lead to collective bargaining progress.

According to sources close to the situation, the National Basketball Players Association is planning a series of player sessions in as many as six cities over “the next month or so,” as a way to help with its planning during the lockout and update players on the state of negotiations with the NBA. Unless things unexpectedly change, there won’t be much to report on that front.

While mid-level staffers from both sides met on Friday to finalize the numbers related to basketball-related income (BRI) for the 2010-11 season, no negotiating sessions involving commissioner David Stern or NBPA executive director Billy Hunter have been scheduled. Sources said the BRI numbers were not finalized Friday and more similar sessions are forthcoming to that end, but the union is focused on fortifying from within rather than exchanging proposals with the owners, who are pushing for a hard salary cap as part of a drastic overhaul to the current system.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Basically, the two sides are considering their various options and possible proposal changes, amongst themselves. There’s no way of knowing if either side plans to make any changes the next time they make offers to each other, when they do eventually meet again. I’m just guessing here but it sounds like the earliest the NBA lockout could even possibly end is early August. But that’s not expected, because it sounds like both sides remain pretty far apart.

Texas Legends name Nancy Lieberman assistant general manager

Nancy Lieberman has been a collegiate National Champion, an All-American, Olympian, the first woman to play in a men’s professional league, WNBA player, Hall-of-Famer, WNBA head coach, and the first female coach of a men’s team under the NBA umbrella. Today, the team’s first head coach has accepted a new position as the Legends’ Assistant General Manager.

Lieberman led the Legends to a playoff berth in their inaugural season last year – becoming only the third coach in the NBA or NBA D-League to lead an expansion team to the play-offs. Now, she will have an opportunity to contribute to even more success from the front office.

“Nancy took on a tremendous challenge in becoming our head coach,” Legends owner Donnie Nelson commented. “And she embraced that challenge like she has throughout her life. She was everything I could have hoped for as a head coach.”

Lieberman’s path from the coaching bench to the front office mirrors Nelson’s successful move of the same nature in 2001. After nine seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA, Nelson moved to the Dallas Mavericks’ front office, where he is now President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the NBA champions.

“I have no doubt that Nancy will be successful in her new capacity,” Nelson added. “Her experience as a coach will only make her a stronger asset in the front office.”

Lieberman’s 31 years in professional basketball have been filled with firsts, including her role as the first woman coach of a professional men’s team in the NBA or NBA D-League. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

“Coaching with the Legends has been a dream,” Lieberman commented. “The players did a tremendous job throughout the season. Their respect for the coaching staff, work ethic, and team-first attitude was everything I wanted to see in a team. That being said, I have always been very intrigued with management at the NBA level. The opportunity to work with Donnie in this capacity is too great an opportunity to pass up. I am looking forward to continuing to build the Legends organization and strengthening its reputation as the standard-bearer in the NBA D-League.”

The move not only moves Lieberman into management with a team under the NBA umbrella, but also will allow her to spend more time with her son as he finishes high school.

“My family is tremendously important to me,” Lieberman added. “The challenge of balancing my family life with my professional aspirations has long been one that I have embraced. I truly believe that every woman can attain both their personal and professional goals. My position as Assistant General Manager allows me to balance my schedule while maintaining my professional goals. I look forward to working with Donnie, Del, and Spud as we move towards our goal of winning an NBA D-League championship.”

Lieberman joins basketball legends Del Harris (1995 NBA Coach of the Year) and Spud Webb (1986 NBA Slam Dunk Champion) in the Legends front office. Lieberman, Harris, and Webb will play an integral role in a national search for her replacement as Legends’ head coach.

“Nancy has left big shoes to fill on the sidelines,” Nelson concluded. “She will have a lot of valuable insight for the next head coach. I’m excited as our team only gets stronger with Nancy taking on this new responsibility.”

After coaching the team, Nancy Lieberman taking Texas Legends front-office job

Marc Stein of ESPN reports:

After a groundbreaking season coaching NBA hopefuls, Nancy Lieberman is moving to the Texas Legends’ front office.

The women’s basketball pioneer told ESPNDallas.com that she will be switching to the personnel side of the D-League team’s operations starting next season, after taking the expansion Legends to the playoffs as the first female to coach a men’s team under the NBA’s umbrella.

Lieberman said Sunday night that she debated the switch for weeks after the Legends’ season ended in April, ultimately deciding that her long-held goal of “making it normal” for a woman to coach men at the game’s highest level would have to be temporarily placed on hold for family reasons.

“I have one son and he has one senior year,” Lieberman said, referring to son T.J. Cline, who plays basketball at Plano West. “It’s not to say I’ll never coach again, because T.J. goes to college in a year, but I felt like this was the right thing to do right now. I don’t want to have any regrets as a mom. I want him to look up and see me in the stands.”

Coaches in the D-League generally work on one-year contracts, but Lieberman, 52, had been promised the option when she took the job of choosing whether to stay on as Legends coach or move into management after the 2010-11 season.

Jason Kidd wants to play three more years

ESPN Dallas reports:

Jason Kidd has some time to enjoy himself after a long playoff run that resulted in the Dallas Mavericks’ first NBA title. What better way than joining the likes of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and former Stars Mike Modano and Brett Hull?

When asked of his future plans Saturday during an on-course interview with Jimmy Roberts during the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe, Kidd had this to say:

“Hopefully I got three years left. I have a year on my deal and then I would like to get past 40 and then watch the young guys play.”

Read NBA fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

More Mark Cuban Shark Tank season 3

Entertainment Weekly reports:

Shark Tank is giving Mark Cuban a promotion.

The Dallas Mavs owner stole the show during a trio of guest appearances on the business-based reality series last season. Now ABC and executive producer Mark Burnett have signed on Cuban for nearly all of season 3.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I actually watched and enjoyed this show last season. I’ve only seen four of five episodes of it, but it was fun. It isn’t the type of show that demands your full attention, but it made great background filler off DVR for me while doing some late night work some nights.

Dwyane Wade still feeling sting of NBA Finals loss

ESPN reports:

Wade has spent some time with teammates since the Finals defeat, traveling to James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio, last week to take part in a different camp for high school and college players. But time hasn’t done much to ease the frustration of the Heat blowing large leads late in two the first four games to allow the Mavericks to take control and win the series going away in six games.

More than the lockout or China or where he might consider playing next season, that is something Wade still wakes up thinking about.

“The sting is still there, no question about it,” Wade said. “It was a failure for the Miami Heat. It was a failed year for every team except for the Dallas Mavericks. They had the best year. But the things we did aren’t erased, we had a darn good year. If we’d won the championship it would’ve been a pretty amazing year. It wasn’t pretty amazing but it was pretty good.”