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LeBron James is bringing back the pregame powder.
The Miami Heat star says he’s decided to resume his one-time tradition of tossing powder into the air just before the start of games. He’s depicted doing exactly that on the cover of the NBA 2K14 video game that was released this week, that image almost serving as a teaser of what was to come this season.
James got away from the pregame powder salute a couple of seasons ago.
Reported by the Associated Press
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Tuesday was a bit surreal for Miami Heat center Greg Oden.
Not only was he going through his first NBA practice in four years, but it was taking place in the middle of a hotel ballroom on a tropical island.
The Heat opened training camp with a standard, defensive drill-oriented workout in a warehouse-like conference center at the Atlantis Resort. Oden took part in about half of the practice, but that still was a significant step forward as he attempts a long-shot comeback after not playing since December 2009 because of chronic knee problems.
“It felt good just being out there,” Oden said. “First time in a while, I’m happy I got it completed. They had to pull me off the floor. But I’ve got to take steps.”
Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com
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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra signed a multiyear extension to his contract Sunday, the team announced.
Spoelstra was entering the last season of his contract after leading the Heat to three consecutive NBA Finals, including back-to-back titles. The Heat begins work for its three-peat bid Tuesday with the start of training camp. The first four days of camp are being held at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
With the Heat’s core of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all facing contract decisions after this season, solidifying Spoelstra’s future was a significant first step toward bringing stability to the equation.
James, Wade and Bosh can all opt out of their contracts after this season.
Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald
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The Miami Heat really enjoy having Juwan Howard around. And will continue to do so, though nobody has to pretend that Howard might actually play in a game anymore.
The Heat announced today several front office promotions, including Andy Elisburg to Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations/General Manager, Adam Simon to Assistant General Manager/General Manager Sioux Falls Skyforce, Dan Craig to Assistant Coach/Player Development, Chad Kammerer to Director of NBA Scouting/Advance Scout, Keith Askins to Director of College and Pro Scouting and the hiring of Juwan Howard to Assistant Coach/Player Development.
Elisburg, a Heat original employee of 25 years, will serve as Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations/General Manager. His duties will include assisting CEO Nick Arison and President Pat Riley in the management of all aspects of the Heat’s basketball organization including salary cap administration, talent acquisition, league compliance and the day-to-day business of basketball operations.
Simon has been named Assistant General Manager/General Manger Sioux Falls Skyforce. He will assist Andy Elisburg in all areas of the Heat’s basketball operations department as well as heading the basketball operations department of the Heat’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Craig, entering his 11th season with the Heat, has been named Assistant Coach/Player Development and will continue to spend numerous hours on the court with individual players developing their game.
Kammerer has been named Director of NBA Scouting/Advance Scout after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant coach. His responsibilities will include providing scouting reports and player evaluations to assist the Heat coaching staff in their game preparations and the team’s personal department on player acquisitions.
Askins, who has spent his entire professional career with the Heat, enters the 2013-14 season as Director of College and Pro Scouting as he will work with Chet Kammerer and Adam Simon overseeing all aspects of the Heat’s scouting department after serving 14 years as a full-time assistant coach.
Howard, a 19-year NBA veteran, will make the transition to the coaching staff after being named Assistant Coach/Player Development. He will be assisting in the areas of player development and other duties assigned by Head Coach Erik Spoelstra.
Additionally, the Heat also named Rich Fernando to Executive Assistant to the Coaches, Eric Glass to Video Coordinator and Tim Hardaway to Scout/Community & Corporate Liaison.
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The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed guard Roger Mason Jr.
Mason, a nine-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 493 career NBA games (101 starts) and averaged 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 18.0 minutes while shooting 40.9 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from three-point range and 86.3 percent from the foul line. Additionally, Mason has appeared in 24 career postseason NBA games (three starts) and averaged 5.3 points, 1.0 rebounds and 17.1 minutes while shooting 36.8 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 76.5 percent from the foul line.
Last season, he appeared in 69 games (13 starts) with New Orleans and averaged 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 17.7 minutes while shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from three-point range and 90.7 percent from the foul line. He led the team in three-point field goal percentage while finishing second in free throw percentage and third in three-point field goals made (66).
Mason will wear number 21.
The Heat’s roster now stands at 19.
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For the second time in the four seasons that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have played as teammates, the Miami Heat will hold their training camp away from South Florida.
After holding camp at the Hurlburt Field Air Force installation in the Florida panhandle in 2010 in the wake of the signing of the Big Three, the Heat returned to AmericanAirlines Arena for camp the past two years.
But now, as they prepare to defend a second consecutive NBA title, the Heat again are attempting to escape the expected media crush by moving their camp to The Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, Bahamas.
Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel
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The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed guard Larry Drew II. We assume it is a non-guaranteed contract that merely brings Drew to training camp, where he would then attempt to try to earn a regular season contract.
Drew, who played one season at UCLA after transferring from the University of North Carolina, appeared in 35 games (all starts) for the Bruins as a senior and averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.40 steals and 35.5 minutes while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from three-point range. He dished out 256 assists, the most during a single-season in school history and the third-most during a single-season in Pac-12 history. He also played 1,243 minutes that season, the fourth-highest mark for a single-season in school history. Drew was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and was selected to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. He led the conference in total assists, assists per game and assist-per-turnover average (2.98).
In his three seasons at UNC, he finished with 378 assists, the 17th-most in school history. He earned the Tar Heel’s Defensive Player of the Game award four times during his junior season and appeared in 38 games as a freshman during the school’s 2009 championship season.
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Dwyane Wade’s appearance on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno early Friday morning offered more insight into his personal life than his professional one.
“I’m going to tell you something personal,” Wade said when Leno asked him about his relationship with actress Gabrielle Union.
“Celebrity relationships is very hard. This was a big year for us in our relationship from the standpoint of she was shooting her show Being Mary Jane. … I was dealing with my injuries, trying to win a championship. We kind of took a step back. We supported each other, but we took a step back for a little while. At the end of the day, we came back together and said, ‘Listen, we want to continue this. We want to try to continue to get better each day.’ She’s been with me and I’ve been with her all summer long. We’re going strong now.”
Reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald
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To quote San Diego legend and respected newsman Ron Burgundy, when Jay-Z and Beyonce fly in to sing at your wedding, you’re “kind of a big deal.”
A performance by the two pop icons on Saturday night highlighted the wedding celebration of Miami Heat star LeBron James and longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson, who shared vows in San Diego with family and friends.
And, so, Miami’s king now has a queen.
About 200 people attended the ceremony held at San Diego-area resort Grand Del Mar Hotel. The hotel is considered one of the best in the world. Per the property’s website, the Grand Del Mar Hotel is “serenely nestled amidst Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve” and “seamlessly combines the old-world charm of a Mediterranean estate with the modern luxury of an elegant resort.”
The constant hovering of local TV helicopters apparently detracted little from the ceremony’s ambiance, which was hidden from view under large event tents. Guests were ushered into the hotel under umbrellas.
Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald
Many members of the Heat organization were there, including Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, managing general partner Micky Arison and coach Erik Spoelstra. Wade and girlfriend Gabrielle Union posted images of themselves dressed for the occasion on social media, as did Bosh and his wife Adrienne. Some of James’ longtime friends were also in attendance, including his manager Maverick Carter.
“What a wonderful evening!!” Adrienne Bosh wrote on Twitter. “Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. James…Thanks for sharing Ur night & love with us”
The ceremony was the obvious highlight of a three-day wedding weekend for the couple, who were high school sweethearts and are the parents of two sons. They were engaged just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2012, when James dropped to a knee and surprised his longtime girlfriend by finally popping the question as many of their close friends were gathered around.
Reported by the Associated Press
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Once a skinny kid in a purple uniform, McGrady now can sound like a jaded curmudgeon lamenting the state of the next generation.
“You’ve got some guys in the league now who are just knuckleheads,” McGrady said. “What turns me off is guys doing the wrong thing. Just the legal part of it, hanging out, getting these DUIs, marijuana — all that crazy stuff, just doing the wrong thing, setting a bad example for the young guys … I don’t quite understand it. I take a guy like (Michael) Beasley. Had all the potential in the world but he’s not level-headed. He just doesn’t get it. And a very talented player. But where else are you going to make this type of money doing something you love to do every day, take care of your family and play basketball. I mean, are you serious? You get millions of dollars for it and you mess these opportunities up? I don’t get it.”
Reported by Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star
