Denver Nuggets Blog – Page 38 – NBA Blog

WWE apologizes for Kobe Bryant Colorado hotel room joke

The WWE has issued an full apology after an on-air personality joked that one of the wrestlers was “like Kobe Bryant at a hotel room in Colorado … he’s unstoppable.”

It all went down during a live broadcast of “Monday Night Raw” … when a manager named Abraham Washington — who was wearing a live mic — was ringside for a match involving a wrestler named Titus O’Neil … and during the action, A.W. let the Kobe crack fly.

The comment is an obvious reference to Kobe’s 2003 sexual assault case — when he was accused of raping a woman in his hotel room in Eagle, Colorado. The accuser eventually reached a settlement with Kobe and dropped her case.

— Reported by TMZ.com

Denver Nuggets sign Anthony Randolph

The Denver Nuggets have signed free-agent F Anthony Randolph to a multiyear contract, Nuggets Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today.

Randolph, 6-11, 225, averaged 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 34 games (five starts) with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. He scored a season-high 28 points and added six boards and five blocks on April 11, 2012 at Denver.

Randolph, 23, joined the Timberwolves as part of a three-team, 13-player trade that also involved the Nuggets and New York Knicks on Feb. 22, 2011. He appeared in 17 games for the Knicks (2.1 ppg and 2.4 rpg) and 23 games for the Timberwolves (11.7 ppg and 5.2 rpg) during the 2010-11 season.

Selected 14th overall out of Louisiana State in the 2008 NBA Draft, Randolph spent his first two season with the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 63 games as a rookie and posted career-high averages of 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.54 blocks in 33 games in 2009-10.

For his career, Randolph has played 20-plus minutes 65 times, averaging 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.78 blocks in those games.

With the addition of Randolph, the Nuggets roster currently stands at 15 players.

Exclusive: Al Harrington healing after multiple off-season surgeries

Exclusive: Al Harrington has had multiple knee surgeries this summer

By Jeff Lenchiner

InsideHoops.com is in Las Vegas for 2012 NBA summer league. Friday afternoon, Denver Nuggets forward Al Harrington walked into the gym on crutches. InsideHoops.com had a quick exclusive chat with Harrington for a health update:

InsideHoops.com: What’s the latest on you and your surgery?

Al Harrington: I had tore my meniscus in April, towards the end of the season or whatever, and got it fixed after Game 7 or whatever. And then I got a staph infection. So I was sick, man. I had like three surgeries. And then a couple weeks later, they checked my knee again and it still was kinda cloudy in there. So I had to wait six weeks and take medicine… and then I had surgery again this Monday. Hopefully it’s the last one.

InsideHoops.com: And which knee is it?

Harrington: My right knee.

InsideHoops.com: So if everything goes as planned and hoped, when will you be ready to play basketball?

Harrington: I’ll be ready for the first game of the season. I don’t think I’ll be ready for training camp. First game of the season is my goal. I think I can make it happen.

Raymond Felton admits he was out of shape

Since leaving (New York), Felton hasn’t been the same. After finishing the 2011 season with Denver, he was dealt again before last season to Portland, where he slumped to a career-low 11.4 points to go along with 6.5 assists and admitted showing up to camp out of shape.

“I wasn’t at the weight I normally [am],” Felton said. “I am the first one to say, ‘I wasn’t in shape.’ I don’t make no excuses, I don’t blame anyone else.

“I am hearing from everybody, ‘He wasn’t in shape last year.’ I played in the league seven years, about to be eight, came in out of shape one year and that’s all everybody wants to talk about. … I look forward to this year and shutting up everybody’s mouth.”

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Denver Nuggets re-sign JaVale McGee

The Denver Nuggets have re-signed free agent center JaVale McGee to a multiyear contract, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today. According to multiple reports, the deal is for four years, $44 million.

McGee, 7-0, 252, averaged 11.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.16 blocked shots in 61 games (45 starts) with the Nuggets and Wizards in 2011-12. He was acquired from the Washington Wizards as part of a three-team trade on March 15.

“JaVale did a tremendous job for us after the trade,” Ujiri said. “He worked hard on the court and did everything our coaches asked of him. Plus, he’s only 24 years old. With our coaching staff, he’s only going to get better.”

Originally selected 18th overall by the Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft, McGee averaged 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in his first three seasons. After becoming a full-time starter in 2010-11, he averaged career-highs in points (10.1) and rebounds (8.0) and led the NBA with 2.44 blocks per game.

Anchoring the middle for Washington, McGee was on pace to set new personal standards in 2011-12 before being traded to Denver. With the Nuggets, he became an important part of the team’s second unit and helped Denver secure the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.

McGee made his first career playoff appearance with the Nuggets, averaging 8.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.14 blocks in seven games off the bench.

McGee was particularly impressive in Games 3 and 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 3, he scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 99-84 victory at Pepsi Center. Four days later, he scored 21 points and added 14 rebounds to help Denver avoid elimination at Staples Center.

McGee also blocked at least three shots in four of seven postseason games.

Nuggets waive Chris Andersen under amnesty provision

The Denver Nuggets have waived F/C Chris Andersen under the amnesty provision outlined in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today.

Andersen, 6-10, 228, averaged 5.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.44 blocked shots in 32 games with the Nuggets last season.

Andersen, 34, began his career with the Nuggets as an undrafted free agent in 2001-02 and played three seasons in Denver before leaving as a free agent in 2004. He returned in 2008 and played a key role in the team’s run to the 2009 Western Conference finals.

Andersen finished second in the NBA in blocks per game (2.46) in 2008-09, and he ranks fifth on Denver’s franchise list with 624 career blocks in a Nuggets uniform.

Jordan Hamilton says he has lost 19 pounds

Denver Nuggets: Hamilton has put up big scoring numbers in all three of Denver’s games so far (the Nuggets play Thursday and Friday, as well). He scored 18 points in the two previous games, though wasn’t as efficient as Tuesday, still shooting 6-for-15 against Dallas and 7-for-15 against Golden State.

Hamilton said he has lost 19 pounds this summer, bringing the 6-7 wing to 220 pounds.

“I just want to get faster and quicker – I feel more explosive when I’m lighter,” he said. “So it’ll help me get up and down the court.”

— Reported by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

Nuggets offer $50 million contract to JaVale McGee

The Nuggets continue to pursue restricted free-agent center JaVale McGee, who has a five-year, $50 million offer on the table, a source said. But McGee’s representatives don’t appear to be in a hurry to get a deal done and will continue to negotiate.

The Nuggets can match any offer another NBA team would make to McGee, 24.

In the 20 regular-season games he played for the Nuggets last season, the 7-footer averaged 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds and made five starts.

— Reported by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

Denver Nuggets sign first-round draft pick Evan Fournier

The Denver Nuggets have signed first-round draft pick Evan Fournier to a multiyear contract, team Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today.

Fournier, 6-7, 205, was selected by the Nuggets 20th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft after playing two seasons for Poitiers of France’s Pro A League.

The 19-year-old native of France averaged 14.1 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in 29 games for Poitiers in 2011-12.

In his first year with the team, he became the youngest player in French League history to score more than 20 points when he scored 21 against SLUC Nancy on Feb. 5, 2011.

Fournier also competed for France’s under-20 national team at the 2011 U20 European Championship, averaging 16.9 points and 3.3 assists.

Fournier will join the Nuggets at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Denver opens its five-game schedule Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.

Denver Nuggets re-sign Andre Miller

The Denver Nuggets have re-signed free-agent point guard Andre Miller to a multiyear contract, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today. We’ll update this page with contract info later today.

Miller, 6-2, 200, averaged 9.7 points and a team-leading 6.7 assists in 27.4 minutes for the Nuggets last season. Acquired as part of a three-team trade on June 23, 2011, he led the team in assists 17 times and recorded eight double-doubles.

“Andre was great for our team and our young guys last season,” Ujiri said. “Our players and coaches were excited when they heard he was coming back. He provides leadership and consistency and he really fits perfectly in our system. We’re very happy to keep him in Denver.”

Miller, 36, also continued to be a model of durability, playing in every game for the ninth time in his 13 NBA seasons. He separated his right shoulder on March 19 but went on to play the final 20 games of the regular season and the playoffs.

On Feb. 2, Miller appeared in his 1,000th career game. Remarkably, he accomplished the feat while missing only four games due to injury.

Originally drafted eighth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1997, Miller has established himself as one of the most consistent point guards in NBA history while playing for Cleveland, Denver, Philadelphia, Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers.

He led the NBA in assists(10.9) in 2001-02 and has averaged at least six assists in 11 of his 13 seasons. On April 9, Miller passed Maurice Cheeks for 10th place on the NBA career assist list.

Miller also ranks third on Denver’s career assist chart. He spent three-plus seasons with the Nuggets after signing with the team as a free agent in 2003.

For his career, Miller has averaged 14.1 point, 7.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds.