The AP reports: Sebastian Telfair had a career-high 30 points and eight assists, Ryan Gomes added 20 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled O’Neal’s debut in Miami by hitting a season-high 14 3-pointers and beating the Heat 111-104 on Wednesday night… Dwyane Wade finished with 37 points and 12 assists for Miami. Udonis Haslem added 17 points for the Heat, and O’Neal—who sustained a right eye injury in the third quarter and missed 13 minutes before returning late—had 13 in his first game since being acquired from Toronto last week… Kevin Love had 16 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota. Foye had 14 points for the Timberwolves, who also got seven points, nine rebounds and nine assists from Mike Miller and 10 rebounds off the bench from Brian Cardinal.
Category: Miami Heat Blog
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Jermaine O’Neal to wear No.7
The South Florida Sun-Sentinal (Ira Winderman) reports: Jermaine O’Neal will wear No. 7, Shawn Marion’s former number, with Jamario Moon to wear No. 8, which means the Heat will not, after all, be retiring Antoine Walker’s number. (Moon wore No. 33 in Toronto, which soon will be retired in honor of Alonzo Mourning. The late Alec Kessler is the only other Heat player to have worn No. 33.)
NBA to borrow $175 million
The Sports Business Journal (Daniel Kaplan and John Lombardo) reports: The NBA is set to borrow $175 million Feb. 26, marking one of the first league financings since the implosion of the credit markets last fall. The money, which will be available to 15 teams, supplements an existing $1.7 billion leaguewide credit facility that uses the NBA’s media contracts as collateral to secure loans for the clubs. The NBA surveyed its teams, and 15 responded they would like to tap into the new borrowing. While the league said it is pleased to borrow in an extremely illiquid credit market, the deal came at a cost, with interest rates up to 8.27 percent, hammering home the notion that the era of cheap money in sports is over. The 15 teams can use the money for any purpose, but covering operating losses may be high on the list.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Loan me three fiddy. I want some ribs.
Dwyane Wade All-Star fashion
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Mary Schmitt Boyer) reports on 2009 NBA All-Star weekend: Miami’s Dwyane Wade sported an interesting look as the assistant coach of the rookie team. He wore a yellow V-neck sweater under a blue sport coat, with a bow tie and glasses. Oh, and there was that blue “Wade” band-aid over some stitches he recently took under his left eye. “It was a combination of a lot of different things,” Wade explained of the outfit. “It was a tribute to one of my assistant coaches in Miami — Keith Askins. He wears a bow tie. So I told him during the season, ‘I’m going to show you how to wear it.’ “Also, I just wanted to try something new, being conservative. I brought the glasses because I was a coach so I thought I would look smart.”
Shaq Jabbawockeez dance at 2009 All-Star game introduction
Wade wants to rock MSG like Kobe and LeBron
The New York Daily News (Frank Isola) reports: Over a spectacular 48-hour period two weeks ago, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James had the basketball world buzzing and their peers thinking: If they can do that in New York, why can’t I? “I wish I could have caught (the Knicks) right after that,” Dwayne Wade said. “I wish I could have been the third guy to go up in there because they were giving up so many points at that time. Maybe I could have snuck in and gotten 48, 49 or 50. I don’t know. You always want to play well at the Garden. I wish I had one more game there.” … “It was crazy,” he said. “As a fan of the game, once you saw Kobe score 61 points and you look and see that LeBron is coming to town it’s like, ‘Oh wow, I’ve got to be in front of the TV to watch that.’ To see him to come out and get, before they took the rebound away, a triple-double performance with the 52 points, that was some of the best basketball we’ve seen.”
Dwyane Wade 2009 All-Star interview
Here’s what Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade said Friday at 2009 NBA All-Star weekend:
Question: Talk about the trade for Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon.
Dwyane Wade: It gives us some power down low which we need to compete. Our main thing is we can get it together faster. We just got to get everybody on the same page. Hopefully we can get a breather during the All‑Star. It is really under the radar for what he can do.
Question: What are your thoughts on Amar’e Stoudemire while you are here in Phoenix?
Dwyane Wade: You hear he is one of the best in the game. You never know if it is real or not. Everyone’s name is eventually going to come up in a trade rumor. That’s what happens. I think the best thing is not to worry about it. Just continue to do what you are doing. If you go somewhere, embrace it. If he doesn’t, try to stay here and lead your team to the playoffs?
Question: Talk about Shaquille O’Neal, what you think of him.
Dwyane Wade: There will never be another him, his creativity. We got a chance to see him in Miami for a couple years. It was unbelievable. Dwight Howard has that personality somewhat and he can bring it once he gets more comfortable in the star role.
Question: How does the dynamic of the team change with the trade, getting Jermaine O’Neal?
Dwyane Wade: It gives us a presence down low. Jermaine, he gives us what we have been missing in Alonzo Mourning as a shot blocker. I think he is going to help us. He is the push we have to make it to the end of the year.
Question: One thing the trade does is pull Beasley out of the trade rumors. Are you glad he is sticking around?
Dwyane Wade: Michael is a guy, as you can see, he is 14‑6 off the bench in limited minutes. He proved last night going 9‑for‑10 on the road versus the Bulls, that he is very capable. This will give him more opportunity to showcase his talent. He is the future of our team. He is 20 years old with an unbelievable upside. I think this will give him opportunity, more confidence to go and be the player we want him to be.
Shaq sentimental about possible last All-Star game
The Boston Globe (Marc J. Spears) reports: Suns center Shaquille O’Neal is sentimental about playing in tonight’s All-Star Game since he knows it could be his last. “I’m soaking it in,” O’Neal said. “I’m getting real happy about knowing it’s all about to end. I remember when I was [young], I looked at people and said I wanted to do this. When it’s all said and done, I’ll be able to say I’m in the top five in scoring, not bad, the top 10 in blocks, not bad, four different teams, not bad, hell of a player, everybody liked him, not bad. I was able to accomplish more than I wanted to accomplish.” O’Neal will be reunited with Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant on the West team tonight. They won three titles together with the Lakers, but after several verbal battles with Bryant, O’Neal was dealt to Miami in the summer of 2004. “To us, it’s really not that big of a story,” Bryant said. “I’m not revisiting that. It wasn’t a fun time for me, so I’m not about to revisit it.”
Shawn Marion Jermaine O’Neal trade now official
Beasley scores 21, Heat beat Bulls 95-93
The AP reports: Dwyane Wade found a streaking Shawn Marion for a dunk with 1.1 seconds left to give the Heat a 95-93 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Wade, selected as a starter for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star game this weekend in Phoenix, scored 24 points… Reserve Michael Beasley finished with 21 points for the Heat, who came in as a loser of five out of the last seven games… Ben Gordon finished with 34 points for Chicago.