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Springfield Armor name Chris Carrawell assistant coach

The Springfield Armor today announced that Chris Carrawell has been named the team’s assistant coach under Head Coach Bob MacKinnon, Jr. Carrawell, who was a four-year standout at Duke University under Hall of Fame Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, joins the Armor as the team’s second assistant coach in team history.

“Chris is an excellent addition to Bob’s staff,” said Nets General Manager of Minor League Operations Milton Lee. “He is a young, aggressive coach who comes to the Armor from a storied college basketball environment, and his passion and energy will be an invaluable asset to our players.”

Carrawell, 33, joins the Armor after four years of working at his alma mater in a variety of administrative roles. Carrawell served as the athletic community outreach coordinator for Duke’s athletic department from 2007-08 and then became a graduate assistant manager for the Duke men’s basketball program from 2008-10. Carrawell also held roles with the men’s basketball program as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, as well as an assistant video coordinator, for the 2010-11 season. Prior to accepting a position with the Armor, Carrawell had been serving as a special assistant to the Duke women’s basketball program.

“We are so happy for Chris. He’s the consummate team player who became ACC Player of the Year. He has a great understanding of the game and loves to teach it,” said Duke University and USA National Team Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski. “This position is absolutely perfect for him.”

A native of St. Louis, MO, Carrawell earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology after a stellar four-year career at Duke. Carrawell started all four years from 1996-2000, capturing Associated Press and First Team All-American honors, as well as the ACC Player of the Year award during his senior season. Duke advanced to the NCAA Tournament all four years Carrawell was in school and captured four straight ACC regular season titles. During Carrawell’s collegiate career, the Blue Devils compiled a record of 133-24, including a 58-6 mark in ACC play. Carrawell started every game during the 1998-99 season when Duke compiled a 37-2 record, eventually falling to the University of Connecticut in the 1999 national title game.

Following his collegiate playing career, Carrawell was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 41st overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Carrawell began a lengthy overseas career that same season, starting in Italy during the 2000-01 season. Carrawell returned stateside the following year to play in the inaugural season of the NBA Development League with the Asheville Altitude. Over the next six years, Carrawell played in Lithuania, Germany, Australia, the Philippines, the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the Netherlands before retiring in 2007.

“Chris is an outstanding person and possesses all the qualities you look for in an assistant coach,” said Armor Head Coach Bob MacKinnon, Jr. “(Chris’) experience at Duke University, as both a player and as a coach, will be invaluable towards his development of our players here in Springfield. This is another exciting step toward establishing the Armor as one of the elite teams in the NBA Development League.”

The 2011-12 season will open on Friday, November 25 when the Armor host the Maine Red Claws at 7:00 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Nets coach Avery Johnson confirms loss of assistant John Loyer to Detroit

Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star-Ledger reports:

Assistant coach John Loyer has left the Nets to join Lawrence Frank’s coaching staff in Detroit and Sam Mitchell is still on the Nets’ staff, for now, Nets coach Avery Johnson said today in an informal sit-down session with reporters at the team’s East Rutherford practice facility.

“John Loyer is going to Detroit,” Johnson said. “We’ll have Popeye Jones taking John’s spot. We’ll figure out where we go from there with the rest of the bench.”

Jones was on the Nets’ staff last season, but he will now be moved up to the front row of the bench, sitting in Loyer’s spot.

Mitchell, who was the lead assistant last season, was a candidate for the head coaching job of the Minnesota Timberwolves until the T-Wolves settled on Rick Adelman to take over for the fired Kurt Rambis. Asked whether Mitchell would return to the Nets, Johnson said yes. Asked if he will be with the team when training camp begins (after the lockout ends), Johnson said, “As of right now, yes. That’s what we anticipate.

Jason Kidd gets married, hopes for 2-3 more NBA years

The Dallas Morning News reports:

Mavericks guard Jason Kidd married long time girlfriend Porschla Coleman on Saturday night.

Kidd posted pictures of the ceremony on his Twitter account

After 17 seasons in the NBA and three trips to the Finals, Kidd finally added a championship ring to his resume with the Mavericks in July.

The future Hall of Famer turns 39 next March.

After winning the title, Kidd was asked how many years he has left in him.

“With this group, hopefully another two or three,” Kidd said. “I feel great, and being around younger guys and working on my game, and them believing in me, helped me compete every day.”

Chris Douglas-Roberts to play in Italy

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

Douglas-Roberts averaged 7.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 44 games with the Bucks last season, after arriving from New Jersey in a trade for a 2012 second-round draft pick.

The former Memphis star missed 15 games at the start of the season after undergoing right eye surgery.

Russian bank part-owned by Nets owner raided by law enforcement officials

Reuters reports:

Armed, masked law enforcement officers on Thursday raided a bank part-owned by Mikhail Prokhorov, a billionaire Russian magnate who is leading a political party into a December parliamentary election, officials and lawyers said.

The head of the International Finance Club bank, known by its Russian acronym MFK, said the evening raid on the bank’s office in central Moscow had nothing to do with Prokhorov’s Right Cause party or even with the bank’s operations.

“Investigative actions were conducted in relation to one of our borrowers. This has nothing to with Right Cause or Onexim,” the bank’s chief, Oksana Lifar, told Reuters by telephone. Onexim is Prokhorov’s investment vehicle.

But the raid raised eyebrows in a country where critics of the authorities face harassment and law enforcement officers are sometimes employed to put pressure on opponents in business disputes.

Kenyon Martin chooses Andy Miller to be his new agent

During the ongoing NBA lockout, the main news has been overseas player signings, changes in management or coaching staffs, and the occasional hot exhibition game. So, we send a thank-you to Kenyon Martin for adding something new to the lockout pot.

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports:

Longtime Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin has chosen a new agent – now we’ll see if he chooses a new team.

The unrestricted free agent has hired Andy Miller, who also represents former Nuggets all-star Chauncey Billups. Martin is seeking what could be the last big contract of his career – the 2010-11 season was the last on Martin’s seven-year, $90-plus million deal with Denver.

He turns 34 in December, but coaches across the league annually gush about Martin’s ability to quarterback a defense. Last season, Martin averaged 8.6 points per game and 6.2 rebounds in what might have been his final season in powder blue.

Martin is definitely slowing down, but he’s not done yet. His best role at this point is probably as the first forward off the bench. Or, he’s still capable of starting and being a defensive anchor if placed next to another forward with serious offensive game.

Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian get married

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

Kim Kardashian and New Jersey Nets player and former Minnesota Gopher Kris Humphries were married Saturday in a twilight wedding ceremony at a private estate in Montecito, Calif., People magazine reported on its website.

About 440 guests were present, including Demi Lovato, Babyface, Vera Wang, Mario Lopez, Mark Ballas, Ciaro and Carmelo Anthony, Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz, Alan Thicke, Sugar Ray Leonard, Venus and Serena Williams, Kathy Lee Gifford, Greta Van Susteren, Jillian Barberie, Avril Lavigne, Scottie Pippen and Lindsay Lohan.

Stepfather Bruce Jenner walked Kardashian, 30, down the aisle, wearing an ivory custom-designed Vera Wang gown, People reported.

The groom, 26, sported a white peak lapel tuxedo jacket, black tuxedo pants with white tuxedo shirt and white bow tie – all by Ermenegildo Zegna – and the couple exchanged rings by Lorraine Schwartz, People reported.

The Toronto Star reports:

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the price tag for the wedding — with 500-plus invited guests — will be $10 million U.S., but the cost might be covered by a number of side deals, including an exclusive contract with People magazine to publish wedding photos, said to be worth $1.5 million. Humphries, whose last contract with the New Jersey Nets was worth $9.6 million over three seasons, also reportedly received a discount on a $2 million ring, while Kardashian was given three $20,000 Vera Wang dresses to choose from.

Members of Nets given OK to attend Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries wedding

The New Jersey Nets can accept their invitation to Kim Kardashian’s wedding.

A team official says the Nets have been granted permission to attend the reality star’s marriage to forward Kris Humphries on Saturday in California.

General manager Billy King and other members of the Nets’ basketball operations department are expected to attend the ceremony of their free agent forward, the official told The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the guest list was to remain private.

— As reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Former Nets star Jayson Williams to be moved to Rikers Island

The AP reports:

Retired NBA star Jayson Williams is preparing to move from a prison in New Jersey’s farmlands to New York’s Rikers Island.

Williams will be transferred from Mid-State Correctional Facility in Wrightstown next Friday after he finishes an 18-month sentence for aggravated assault. From there, he’ll begin serving a one-year sentence for driving while intoxicated in New York City.

Knicks seek to host 2014 NBA All-Star game

The 2012 NBA All-Star game, assuming it gets played, will be in Orlando. The 2013 game, according to just about every Houston media outlet in existence, will be in Houston. It should be around a full year before the 2014 weekend gets a home, but the New York Knicks hope to land the honor.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

With Houston reportedly getting the 2013 All-Star Game, the new Garden figures to be the top candidate for the 2014 event when the three-year transformation is finally complete. The Knicks have applied to host the game. The Nets and Brooklyn’s Barclay Center also could be considered.

I assume the Knicks or Nets are favorites to be named host in 2014 (and maybe also 2015), because by then the Nets will have been in Brooklyn for two years. That’s two fresh arenas, ready to pack fans in.

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