Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 108 – NBA Blog

NBA stars, celebs bowl for charity in NYC tonight

NBA stars Al Harrington (Denver Nuggets) and Dahntay Jones (Indiana Pacers) have teamed up to host their First Annual Celebrity Charity Bowling Event, Friday, August 27, at Lucky Strike in Manhattan, New York from 8:00 p.m.- 1:00 a.m.

Jones and Harrington will host an event that will bring together top NBA, NFL, and MLB players along with entertainment notables to bowl for a cause. All proceeds from the event will equally be distributed amongst the Dahntay Jones Foundation and the Al Harrington Foundation. Information on each charity can be requested.

The star studded event will have sounds on the turn-tables from New York’s very own, DJ Clue, as confirmed guests Devin Harris, CC Sabathia, Wilson Chandler, Carlos Beltran, Solomon Jones, Justin Tuck, Darrelle Revis, Braylon Edwards, Speedy Claxton, Stephen Jackson, Troy Murphy, Sebastian Telfair, Anthony Morrow, Tyronn Lue, Allan Houston, John Starks, Amare Stoudemire, Ben Gordon, Earl Watson, Tracy McGrady, Michael Strahan, Kelenna Azubuike, Leon Washington, Herb Williams, Toney Douglas, Howard Eisley, Juelz Santana, and Cappie Pondexter-all come together for a, fun-filled, competitive night of bowling to benefit at risk communities across the nation.

InsideHoops.com will be at the event. You can be there too! Tickets are available. Please visit www.ckstrategies.eventbrite.com/ for more information regarding specific event details as well as VIP and general admission ticket sales.

Full 2010 preseason schedule

The NBA today released its 2010 preseason schedule, which is highlighted by a comprehensive international slate of games that includes seven contests in China, Europe and Mexico. The preseason slate tips off on Oct. 3, when the New York Knicks visit Armani Jeans Milano – the former team of Knicks forward Danillo Gallinari and head coach Mike D’Antoni – in Milan, Italy, and the New Jersey Nets host Maccabi Haifa.

As is the case these days, the action starts overseas, with a few NBA squads heading to Europe.

I’ve always had mixed feelings about teams playing preseason ball overseas. Because generally it’s just a warmup. I think if NBA fans overseas are going to get a rare taste of live NBA action, it should be the best basketball possible, and we usually don’t see that before the regular season begins.

See the complete 2010-11 NBA preseason schedule.

Statement from Pacers president Larry Bird on arrest of Lance Stephenson

Statement from Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird:

The news of Lance Stephenson’s arrest is very disappointing to the Pacers franchise and to me personally. We have worked very hard to bring in players that are excellent representatives of our franchise, community and state both on and off the court. Our commitment to this goal is too strong to permit the actions of one individual to reverse all of the positive strides that have been made as a franchise over the last couple of years or to hurt the image of the rest of the players on our team. Everyone in the Pacers organization remains strongly committed to our players representing Indianapolis and the state of Indiana in a positive way and will not condone behavior that reflects poorly on this franchise and community.

We are continuing to gather all of the facts regarding Lance’s arrest but regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Lance should not have put himself in the position he was in early Sunday morning. We have consistently emphasized to our players the importance of not putting themselves in situations where bad things can happen. Once all the facts are known we will deal appropriately with Lance so that he, the team and the entire Pacers community understands that this message cannot be ignored.

Lance Stephenson charged with assault

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Just days after feeling good about making what they think is their best trade in years, the Pacers were knocked down Sunday when rookie guard Lance Stephenson was arrested and charged with third-degree assault after he allegedly pushed his girlfriend down a flight of stairs in Brooklyn, N.Y., early Sunday.

“We have been made aware of a situation involving Lance Stephenson early Sunday morning in Brooklyn,” Pacers president Larry Bird said in a statement released from the team. “We are currently in the process of gathering information and will have further comments as we learn more facts.” …

Stephenson was charged with sexual abuse for allegedly groping a girl at a bus stop near his high school in New York his senior year. The charge was dismissed and he ended up pleading to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.

John Lauinger of the New York Daily News reports:

Stephenson, 19, a legendary player at Brooklyn’s Abraham Lincoln High School, roughed up Jasmine Williams, 21, at her Brooklyn apartment building about 5 a.m., police said.

The 6-foot-5 rookie point guard’s cowardly shove sent Williams – the mother of Stephenson’s child – tumbling headfirst down 10 steps, requiring her to be treated at a hospital for injuries to her head and neck, cops said…

He was also booked on charges of third-degree assault, harassment and menacing. Prosecutors added a charge of criminal possession of a weapon, but a spokesman could not specify what the weapon was.

March 09 2010: Cincinnati's guard Lance Stephenson (33) pushes the ball up court in the second half of first round Big East Tournament games between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Cincinnati Bearcats at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Cincinnati defeated Rutgers 69-68.

Sixers name Rod Thorn team president

The Philadelphia 76ers today named Rod Thorn, an NBA veteran of more than four decades, as the team’s new President. Ed Stefanski, who had served as the team’s President and General Manager since December 4, 2007, will continue in his role as General Manager.

“Rod is one of the most respected basketball minds in the game today,” said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider. “When we learned that he would not be re-signing with the Nets, we realized that this would be a terrific opportunity to bring one of the top executives in the NBA to the Sixers to work closely with Ed Stefanski. I’m really pleased to be adding him to our organization. I’m confident that Rod will be a tremendous asset for our team and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

“We felt with the direction we are now heading that it was important for us to have two very strong basketball minds leading the Philadelphia 76ers,” said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “We are building a strong organization and we’re off to a terrific start with the addition of Coach Doug Collins, the best available coach, and Evan Turner, who we feel was the best available player in the draft. Now we have added another top-level executive to help lead us into the future.”

“This is a great opportunity to join one of the most-storied franchises in the NBA,” said Thorn. “I look forward to once again working with Ed Stefanski and helping Ed Snider and Peter Luukko build a championship team here in Philadelphia.”

Thorn, the 2001-02 NBA Executive of the Year, spent the past 10 seasons as President of the New Jersey Nets, joining them on June 27, 2000. During his tenure in East Rutherford, the Nets won the Eastern Conference in 2002 and 2003 and captured four Atlantic Division titles in five seasons.

Thorn engineered two major deals the final week in June of 2001, trading the Nets first pick in the 2001 NBA Draft (Eddie Griffin-7th overall) to the Houston Rockets for their three first round picks (Richard Jefferson-13, Jason Collins-18, and Brandon Armstrong-23). The next day he negotiated a major six-player blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns that landed the Nets three-time First Team All-NBA guard Jason Kidd in exchange for Stephon Marbury.

Stefanski was Thorn’s General Manager in New Jersey for nine seasons and was instrumental in the 2004 blockbuster transaction that brought All-Star Vince Carter to the Nets in exchange for Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Mourning and two first-round draft picks.

Prior to joining the Nets, Thorn spent 14 years working for the NBA’s league office in Manhattan, where he was the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. At the NBA office, Thorn oversaw all-on court operations, including officiating, game conduct and discipline.

During seven seasons as General Manager of the Chicago Bulls (1978-1985), Thorn selected Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA draft and actually coached the team for 30 games in 1982.

Thorn was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets as the second overall pick in 1963. After playing one season in Baltimore, Thorn spent a season and a half in both Detroit and St. Louis before finishing his career in Seattle. He was an assistant coach of the Nets in 1973 when the Nets were in the ABA, helping lead the team to their first-ever ABA Championship. Two years later, Thorn became head coach of the ABA’s Spirits of St. Louis. In 1976, Thorn was named an assistant coach with the Nets when they moved into the NBA.

Thorn graduated from the University of Washington (Seattle) with a B.A. in political science. He also holds an honorary degree from West Virginia University. He served on the Board of Directors of West Virginia University for five years.

Nets may change names once they reach Brooklyn

The New Jersey Nets are scheduled to play in Newark for the next two seasons, and if their eventual Brooklyn home is ready, they’ll make the move. And once they do relocate to Brooklyn, the Nets may or may not still be called the Nets.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports (via blog):

Prokhorov’s camp confirmed this morning that they’ve sent a request to the league to change the team’s name.

What does this mean? Maybe nothing.

Changing a team’s nickname, uniform or city name is a long process requiring that the owner gives the NBA notice 25 months in advance. This is to allow time for the creative process and the time it requires to make and market new uniforms. There doesn’t have to be a plan with the proposal, just a desire.

I actually like the sound of the name “Brooklyn Nets” and was hoping they’d keep it. It’ll be fun to see what happens.

Nets sign Sean May

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent forward Sean May, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released. Multiple reports have said the contract is not guaranteed.

May, 6’9”/266, is a four-year NBA veteran with career averages of 6.9 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.7 minutes over 119 career games with Charlotte and Sacramento.

As the Most Outstanding Player in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, May helped North Carolina capture the 2005 National Championship.

He was selected by the Bobcats in the first round (13th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft. In three seasons with Charlotte, May appeared in 82 games with his best season coming during the 2006-07 campaign, where he averaged 11.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 23.9 minutes.

He signed with Sacramento as a free agent on August 3, 2009 and played in a career-high 37 games during the 2009-10 season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.9 minutes.

March 10, 2010: Sean May of the Sacramento Kings during the game between the Sacramento Kings and the Toronto Raptors at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. Ben Munn/CSM.

NBA to play first-ever regular season games in Europe

The National Basketball Association (NBA) will make basketball history when the league holds its first-ever regular season games in Europe, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced today. The New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors will square off for back-to-back games at The O2 arena in London, England, on March 4 and 5 as part of NBA Games – London 2011.

“The staging of our first regular-season games in Europe is a milestone for the NBA and the ongoing development of basketball in the region,” said Stern. “By bringing these two young and exciting teams to London, we are fulfilling our commitment to schedule a regular-season game in the UK prior to the 2012 Olympics — a natural progression given the overwhelming response to the many friendlies we have played to sold-out crowds over the years.”

The Atlantic Division rivals will battle it out at a crucial time, as the NBA season heads toward the playoffs. This game will be the Toronto Raptors’ first visit to the United Kingdom, while the New Jersey Nets are already well-known in London after a 2008 visit to the city to play the Miami Heat as part of NBA Europe Live.

The Nets roster currently features NBA All-Star Devin Harris; No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft Derrick Favors; and center Brook Lopez, who earned a place on the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2009. The team recently came under the ownership of Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov and has since named Avery Johnson – the 2005-06 NBA Coach of the Year and an NBA champion as a player with the San Antonio Spurs – as its new head coach.The Raptors expect to feature a roster with a distinctive global flair, including four European players: Italian native Andrea Bargnani – the first-ever European No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, in 2006 – and fellow countryman Marco Belinelli; guard Jose Calderon of Spain; and Linas Kleiza of Lithuania. Head Coach Jay Triano – who became the first NBA coach born and trained in Canada when he served as an assistant coach for the Raptors during the 2002-03 season – will lead Toronto.

This announcement follows the success of four sold-out NBA Europe Live games in London from 2007 through 2010, with this year’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves selling out in record time. The NBA’s increasing presence in the UK has helped basketball participation double over the past four years with the sport reaching new levels of popularity.

The NBA became the first American professional sports league to stage regular-season games outside of North America when the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz opened the 1990-91 season with two games in Tokyo as part of the NBA Japan Games. The NBA has staged a total of 13 regular-season games in Japan and Mexico since 1990.

The NBA has a 20-year tradition of bringing NBA teams to Europe. The New York Knicks join the Lakers and Timberwolves for games in Barcelona, London, Milan, and Paris in October 2010 as part of NBA Europe Live. Following NBA Games – London 2011, 24 NBA teams will have played 56 games in 18 cities in Europe since 1988.

Following NBA Europe Live 2010, The O2 – which was developed and is operated by AEG – will have hosted eight NBA teams since 2007 as part of the tour: the Boston Celtics vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (2007); Miami Heat vs. New Jersey Nets (2008); Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz (2009); and Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Oct. 2010).

InsideHoops.com editor says: This is good news when it comes to promoting the NBA globally. Though, I’m not sure why these two teams were selected. The Nets and Raptors both struggled last season, and while New Jersey should certainly improve this year, the Raptors will likely be worse after losing Chris Bosh. It isn’t the best matchup to showcase the greatness of the NBA. But hopefully the two teams play well and put on a good show.

Stephon Marbury done playing in NBA

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

Stephon Marbury told The Post yesterday that he is done with the NBA. He will never get a second chance with the Knicks like Isiah Thomas, whose NBA life was resuscitated by James Dolan on Friday.

“Good luck, New York,” Marbury said wryly in reacting to Thomas’ return to the Knicks as a part-time consultant. “Good luck, New York.”

Marbury, who began training Friday in Los Angeles to get ready for the Chinese Basketball Association season that starts in December, and Thomas still are next-door neighbors in Purchase, N.Y. The two are intertwined in Knicks history with their falling-out symbolizing the franchise’s plummet to rock bottom.

2010-11 Nets preseason schedule

The New Jersey Nets will open their 2010-11 campaign with an eight-game preseason schedule that includes three home contests, all of which will be played at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are pleased to offer the three preseason games in our new venue,” said King. “There is a growing anticipation regarding Newark, and these preseason games will give our fans a chance to sample the arena prior to the start of the regular season.”

The Nets will host Maccabi Haifa at ‘The Rock’ on Sunday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. and then return to Newark on Thursday October 7 when they play host to the Boston Celtics at 7:00 p.m. and then Saturday, October 9, when the Nets entertain the Philadelphia 76ers in a 1:00 p.m. matinee contest.

The Nets begin their road preseason schedule on Tuesday, October 5 when they travel to the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia to play the Sixers. The Nets will venture to China the week of October 11 for games against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, October 13 in Beijing and Saturday October 16 in Guangzhou.

The Nets conclude their preseason schedule on the road when they travel to New York on Tuesday, October 19 and Boston on Wednesday, October 20. Both games will tip at 7:30 p.m.