Miami Heat Blog – Page 123 – NBA Blog

LeBron James now part-owner of Liverpool FC

Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal reports:

Basketball star LeBron James is joining forces with renowned hedge-fund manager John Henry and veteran Hollywood producer Tom Werner in a deal that brings together one of the biggest stars in sports and two of the world’s most renowned teams.

The deal between Mr. James and Fenway Sports Group will give Mr. James a minority stake in the soccer club Liverpool, which FSG owns. FSG, which also owns the Boston Red Sox, is partnering with Mr. James’s sports-marketing firm, LRMR Branding & Marketing to become the exclusive world-wide representative for Mr. James.

The deal marks the first time that a professional athlete at the top of his game has taken an ownership interest in a team with the size and reach of Liverpool, which is one of the most popular and powerful sports franchises in the world.

It also adds yet another dimension for Boston-based FSG, which became a global operation last October when it bought Liverpool for $488 million. The company was founded as New England Sports Ventures nine years ago after Messrs. Henry and Werner bought the Red Sox and 80% of regional sports channel New England Sports Network. In 2007 Fenway became 50% owner of the Nascar auto-racing team Roush Fenway Racing.

ESPNsoccernet reports:

James is also going into business with the Boston Red Sox, as FSG is also the parent company of the Red Sox and a co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing.

“What FSM does for Roush Fenway, Liverpool and the Red Sox, we will now do for LeBron James,” Fenway Sports Marketing (a sister company of FSG) president Sam Kennedy said. “We will aggressively pursue business opportunities for him.

“We are fortunate to have blue-chip brands like the Red Sox, Liverpool and Roush Fenway. This represents the next step in our evolution, to represent one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet.”

Udonis Haslem still out indefinitely for Heat

Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

The Heat remain unsure whether forward Udonis Haslem will rejoin the team this season.

Haslem did not practice Tuesday because of soreness in his left foot. He’s been out since November when he underwent surgery to repair ligament damage.

Haslem progressed the last month, but the Heat continue to say “it’s too early” to tell if he will return.

“He did a lot more work during the road trip than the week before,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“I’m not getting coy about it. None of us know at this point. Until he’s able to go full speed, running, cutting, side to side and contact work and how his foot responds to that, we won’t know. He’s still a ways form that.”

Mike Miller hopes to be more helpful to Heat

Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald reports:

Heat forward Mike Miller admits he feels a little guilty.

He was supposed to be in the running for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Instead, the likable shooter could be considered one of the NBA’s biggest individual disappointments of the regular season. The significance of that statement is not lost on Miller, who has struggled this season due to injury.

“You do feel guilty at times because you want to be able to do more and help but I have to make sure I’m healthy for the stretch we have left,” Miller said.

At this point, that’s the most important thing — that Miller is as healthy as possible for the Heat’s playoff run. He has played in only 36 games this season because of injuries, including torn ligaments in his thumb, a nasty series of blows to the head and, most recently, a bruised right knee.

Heat work Eddy Curry out

Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News reports:

Could Eddy Curry be joining the big three in Miami?

The former Knick, who came to epitomize the team’s failings under Isiah Thomas, worked out for the Miami Heat in recent days in a move that could foreshadow his signing with the team for the playoffs.

“Pat (Riley) worked him and about a half-dozen guys out as part of a big picture look,” a team spokesman said Saturday without elaborating. “Anything else is pure speculation.”

According to a Yahoo! Sports report, Riley put Curry through his paces in Chicago and scheduled the 7-footer to visit Miami early next week for another workout and a physical.

John Wall suspended, Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas fined

John Wall of the Washington Wizards has been suspended one game without pay, and Juwan Howard of the Miami Heat has been fined $35,000 for their roles in an incident during a game on Wednesday, March 30. Additionally, Miami’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been fined $25,000. The penalties were announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Wall has been suspended for his Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two, which included throwing a closed-fist and forearm into the midsection of Ilgauskas, and Howard has been fined for escalating the altercation. The incident occurred with 8:48 remaining in the second quarter of the Heat’s 123-107 victory at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

Ilgauskas, who received a Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two, for an elbow to the face of Wall, has been fined for making an obscene gesture following his ejection.

Wall will serve his suspension on Friday, April 1 when the Wizards host the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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

LeBron thinks D-Rose is MVP

Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

Derrick Rose

derrick rose

Kid is ballin’

Earlier this season, James backed New York Knicks center Amar’e Stoudemire for league MVP. With a few weeks left before the playoffs, things have changed.

James said Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is his choice. Rose is generally regarded as the top candidate, with the Bulls on pace to earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Rose has kept the Bulls afloat despite injuries to Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah.

“I think Derrick Rose,” James said. “What he’s done for that team, with all the injuries they have and them being first in the Eastern Conference. They’re playing some really good basketball.”

James said he was leaning toward Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki until he was injured. Now, he’s in full support of Rose.

“You’ve got some guys here that have done their job also,” James said. “But Derrick Rose definitely has gotten a lot of the exposure and a lot of the media attention because of the work he’s done. He’s playing some unbelievable basketball.”

Cavaliers beat Heat 102-90

The AP reports:

Despite blowing a 23-point lead, the Cavs battled back and beat the Miami Heat 102-90 on Tuesday night, getting a dose of revenge against [LeBron] James, who was making his second homecoming visit to Cleveland since leaving the city as a free agent last summer.

J.J. Hickson scored 21 and Anthony Parker scored 20 for the Cavs, who were embarrassed by James and the Heat 118-90 on Dec. 2—a night when Cleveland fans unleashed their hatred on the superstar.

InsideHoops.com notes: LeBron had a triple-double in the loss, putting up 27 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Dwyane Wade shot just 8-of-20 for 24 points, four rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Mike Bibby shot 7-of-11, all three-pointers, for 23 points but just one assist. And no other Heat players stepped up. Chris Bosh was quiet, shooting 5-of-14 for 10 points and little else. The entire Heat bench had six points.

Morning of Heat vs Cavaliers, LeBron James delayed by Cavs arena garage rules

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports:

There was a time when LeBron James’ friends and associates were welcomed throughout Quicken Loans Arena. That apparently is no longer the case.

James was delayed in getting into the arena for the Miami Heat’s shootaround Tuesday morning when he arrived with a driver and a second car at the entrance of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ underground parking garage.

Cavs officials said James eventually was cleared to enter the building, but several people with him were not. The two cars then left, and James alone returned a short time later and was allowed in, officials said.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Generally, when you don’t work for a company anymore, you don’t get to enjoy the perks that company offers its employees. In this case, it’s a question of if LeBron (or someone on LeBron’s behalf) asked for permission in advance to bring extra people in.

What’s your opinion? Read fan reaction or share your view in this forum topic.

LeBron, Wade, Bosh each reached 30-point, 10-rebound mark in Heat win over Rockets

The AP reports:

With the playoffs looming, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are finding a new gear.

And they accomplished something Sunday that hadn’t been done in more than 50 years.

Each of them had 30-10 nights—James with 33 points and 10 rebounds, Bosh had 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Wade shook off a bruised tailbone to finish with 30 points and 11 boards—as the Miami Heat beat the Houston Rockets 125-119 for their eighth win in nine games.

It was the first time since February 1961 that three teammates finished with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a non-overtime game.

“Unbelievable,” James said.

“That’s why we get paid the big bucks,” Wade said.

The last time a team had three players score 30 in the same game was Feb. 26, 2010, when Houston had Martin, Aaron Brooks and Scola combine for 94 against San Antonio. Before that, you’d have to go back all the way to Nov. 14, 1997, when Portland’s Isaiah Rider, Brian Grant and Arvydas Sabonis all had 30-plus points and 10 or more rebounds in a quadruple-overtime win over Phoenix.

Wade, James show up to watch Rafael Nadal tennis match

The AP reports:

Dwyane Wade

dwyane wade

Prefers basketball

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James tried a different sort of courtside view on Saturday night.

At tennis.

The Miami Heat stars showed up at the Sony Ericsson Open to be part of a coin toss before world No. 1 Rafael Nadal played against Japan’s Kei Nishikori. Wade’s two sons, Zaire—the actual flipper of the coin—and Zion, were there as well, on the court for handshakes from Nadal and a quick photo or two just before the match.

“There’s certain things in Miami that guys should experience,” Wade said. “So I had to drag LeBron out here, but I think this is something he’ll probably come back to next year and come back for years after that. This is a good experience. It’s something different and it’s a great day off, getting over here with the kids.”

Wade’s sons were handed oversized tennis balls as they entered the stadium, and immediately, they started dribbling them like basketballs.

“Anything that bounces, they’re good to go,” Wade said.