Miami Heat Blog – Page 113 – NBA Blog

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.

Houston lands 2013 NBA All-Star Game

Mark Berman of My Fox Houston reports:

NBA sources told FOX 26 Sports the Houston Rockets and the City of Houston landed the NBA All-Star Game in 2013. The game will be played at Toyota Center on Feb. 17, 2013. NBA All-Star week will be Feb. 15-17. The Rockets and Toyota Center also hosted the game in 2006.

Click2Houston reports:

The entire NBA All-Star Weekend will be in the Bayou City from February 15-17, 2013. Hilton Americas Marketing Director Janice O’Neill-Cox spoke with Local 2 Sports Wednesday afternoon, saying, “We played a key role in working with the league to make sure availability was in place. It’s a big boost for our city to land the game, and we’re excited about it.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: I don’t get why Houston is getting the game again. They just had it in 2006. Meanwhile, other teams haven’t hosted it in a long time. Also, Madison Square Garden renovations will be mostly complete in time. And the new Brooklyn Nets arena will exist by mid 2012. Unusual call to send the big weekend back to Houston so soon.

Dwyane Wade will play somewhere next season, whether in NBA or elsewhere

Tim Reymonds of the AP reports:

Though he remains cautiously hopeful that a deal between owners and players can be struck to end the lockout and ultimately save the 2011-12 NBA season, Wade told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he will be playing somewhere this winter — whether that’s with the Miami Heat, as he’d obviously prefer, or an international club.

“I’m going to play basketball this year,” Wade said from New York, where he’s taking some business meetings. “I don’t know where, but I love the game so much that I will play it. And we will figure that out.”

Wade denied receiving any international offers yet, including a widely circulated report of a $2 million-per-month proposal from a Chinese team. He has said throughout the summer that he would review any offers that come his way, a stance he reiterated Tuesday, while noting that he was overwhelmed at times by the support he received from Chinese fans during a nine-day trip to their nation that ended last week.

On Monday, Wade’s Heat teammate LeBron James told The AP he’s “very optimistic” the season will take place, possibly even on time. Wade and James agree on plenty, but on that point, they differ a bit. Wade has started his offseason workout regimen, just in case, though hardly sounds convinced that the league will get its planned slate of 82 games in starting this fall.

InsideHoops.com editor says: As with Deron Williams, if D-Wade or any other really good player was to sign overseas, there’s a 99.9 percent chance it would be with an opt-out clause, allowing him to return to the NBA as soon as the lockout ends.

Read fan opinion or share your own views in this basketball forum topic.

Charges dropped in alleged kidnapping over Shaq sex tape

The AP reports:

Los Angeles County prosecutors have dropped the case against seven gang members accused of kidnapping a music producer who claimed to have a sex tape of Shaquille O’Neal.

At the prosecution’s request, a judge Tuesday dismissed kidnapping, assault and robbery charges.

District attorney’s spokeswoman Jane Robison says prosecutors believed Robert Ross was attacked but his credibility as a witness was undermined by some of his own testimony and behaviour outside court. No details were provided.

LeBron James trying to learn from Hakeem Olajuwon

The AP reports:

LeBron James is working out twice a day, trying to erase some of the sting that’s still there after the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals.

”Right now I’ve just been focusing on being a better player, working on my game every single day,” James said at a news conference before the AP interview. ”Like I said, the Dallas Mavericks were a great team and they deserved to win that championship. And I’ll just use that as motivation coming into this season.”

He’s also trying to deliver on his vow to be even better whenever the Heat resume play, saying he’s been in Houston at times this offseason to learn post play from one of the game’s all-time greats, former Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon.

”I look at what he was able to do throughout his career,” James said. ”Unbelievable talent. Multiple champion. Just to see how he was able to dominate in the low post, for me as an individual, I just try to look at some of the things I feel I need to get better at and hit home at it. Our team becomes better if I continue to get better and that’s what it’s about.”

Read fan opinion and share your views in this basketball forum topic.

Glancing at guard Carlos Arroyo

Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times (blog) reports:

Carlos Arroyo, 32, a nine-year veteran who last season played 49 games with the Miami Heat and 15 with the Boston Celtics, wouldn’t cost much, and he would feel comfortable and experienced enough to run an offense. This would by no means be a splash signing, and wouldn’t fully address the Lakers’ point guard needs. But with the Lakers strapped financially and looking at a market that doesn’t have many promising point guards, this might be one of the “tweaks” the Lakers could get in the lineup. For the past three seasons, Arroyo has eclipsed his career shooting mark. He can handle the ball. He’s solid in promoting good ball movement and finding the open man. Mix all of those ingredients together, and you at least have a steady option to lower to some degree the minutes logged by Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.

Was Dwyane Wade offered $2 million per month to play in China?

It’s quite probable we have a lost in translation moment here — and there are a lot of those when it comes to overseas sports media outlets in very far-away places — but if not, Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade may have been offered a lot of money to take his talents to China.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

Dwyane Wade’s tour of China was designed to promote the products he endorses. He apparently has done a decent job of promoting himself, as well.

The Chengdu Daily is reporting that Chinese Basketball Association team Zhejiang Guangsha has offered the Miami Heat guard $2 million per month to play in Hangzhou, where Wade visited last week.

While the Chinese basketball site niubball.com reported that the offer was denied by a Zhejiang Lions team official, Wade continues to remain noncommittal about his plans amid the NBA lockout.

“We are not there yet,” Wade told the China Daily. “We are going to start working out. The time to consider that has not come.”

Again, I tend to be very hesitant to believe such reports. One outlet in China says one thing, while on-record officials, and other outlets deny it. So, take this with a grain of salt.

But perhaps it’s a sign of things to come in the near future.

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

Chris Bosh open to signing overseas should NBA lockout drag on

People, in general, are “open” to the idea of doing lots of things that involve making money for doing something fun.

NBA players are no different.

The latest player worth caring about to reportedly have interest in maybe, possibly going overseas should he feel like it is Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh.

The Miami Herald reports:

Not only is Dwyane Wade open to considering overseas overtures should the lockout extend into the season, but Chris Bosh is, too, according to their agent, Henry Thomas.

As InsideHoops.com has said many times, the vast majority of good or great NBA players will not be signing overseas anytime soon. Things only might start to get a bit more serious if September and October roll around and there’s still no inkling that the league lockout is close to ending.

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

NBA Rookie Transition Program postponed

The NBA Rookie Transition Program, scheduled for August 9-11, has been postponed. The program, which provides first-year players with the skills and information necessary for a successful transition to the NBA, is run jointly by the NBA and the Players Association.

“Without a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players’ union, we will be unable to hold RTP as originally scheduled,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. “This is an important educational program for our incoming players, and it will be rescheduled once the parties agree on a CBA.”

Alonzo Mourning cited for leaving scene of traffic crash

Sometimes, typically well-meaning people do something wrong.

Such is the case here.

The AP reports:

Former NBA star Alonzo Mourning is being cited by police for leaving the scene of a traffic crash in Miami Beach last week.

The Florida Highway Patrol issued a report Monday saying Mourning is being issued a notice to appear in court for the second-degree misdemeanor of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. Mourning was also issued a citation for failure to leave information at the scene.

Obey the law, kids.

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