NBA Teams – Page 1485 – NBA Blog

Mavs say Dirk Nowitzki is not married yet

If you’ve poked around on the internet, you’ve probably seen the pictures of Dirk Nowitzki in traditional Kenyan clothing and partying at some sort of ceremony in Africa with his fiance, Jessica Olsson.

His lady’s mother is from Kenya and her father from Sweden. The pictures that made it to cyberspace were accompanied with various stories and quotes attributed to Nowitzki. The stories suggested that it was a marriage ceremony. Nowitzki didn’t specify that, however.

So we went to the Mavericks to figure out what’s what. And spokesfolks from the team are adamant that Nowitzki remains single, for the moment. There are wedding plans, but they haven’t taken place yet.

— Reported by Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News (Blog)

Knicks sign guard Chris Smith

New York Knickerbockers Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Chris Smith to a contract.

Smith, 6-2, 195 pounds, played two years at Louisville University to average 9.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 27.5 minutes in 40 games (38 starts), helping lead the Cardinals to reach the NCAA Final Four during his senior season in 2011-12.

The Millstone, N.J native represented the Knicks entry at the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and is the younger brother of Knicks guard J.R. Smith.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, “J.R. is close with his brother, paid for Chris’s college at Louisville after he agreed to have the program take away his scholarship in order to recruit more players. Chris Smith has J.R.’s knack for offbeat tweets as yesterday he posted a photo of him signing a document by GM Glen Grunwald’s side. The Knicks have three point guards on the roster in Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni.”

Bostjan Nachbar signs in Germany

Brose Baskets Bamberg added size and experience to its roster by inking versatile forward Bostjan Nachbar to a one-year deal, the club announced Tuesday. Nachbar (2.06 meters, 31 years old) arrives from Unics, where he averaged 4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 7 Turkish Airlines Euroleague games last season. He helped Unics to reach the Euroleague Quarterfinals and the VTB League title game. Nachbar had previously played for Efes Pilsen, where he averaged 8.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15 Turkish Airlines Euroleague games in 2010-11. Before that, Nachbar had a terrific 2008-09 Eurocup season with Dynamo Moscow. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 13 games, finishing fourth in the competition in scoring and third in free-throw shooting at on 91.2%.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

Jay-Z named executive producer of NBA 2K13

2K Sports today announced an unprecedented partnership with entertainment mogul Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter to serve as Executive Producer of NBA 2K13, the next installment of the top-selling and top-rated NBA video game simulation franchise.

“This has been a unique opportunity to collaborate with 2K Sports and be a part of one of the best sports video games in history,” commented JAY-Z. “NBA 2K13 will be the next evolution in sports and basketball culture, and I’m ready to usher in the new era of the franchise.”

JAY Z’s interests and influences extend well beyond his illustrious music career as a 14-time Grammy award winner, as evidenced by his part-ownership of the 40/40 sports clubs and of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, having recently helped craft that team’s iconic black-and-white logo and visual identity. As Executive Producer of NBA 2K13, JAY Z’s artistic vision and style will permeate the experience, from the overall look and feel of the game, to the hand-picked soundtrack, interactive in-game menus and more.

“We aren’t content with just being the best, and we will continue to grow the NBA 2K franchise into one of today’s premier entertainment experiences,” said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “JAY Z’s role in NBA 2K13 represents a unique fusion of basketball, music, art, and entertainment, and illustrates the evolution of NBA 2K into something much bigger than simply the best basketball video game series ever made.”

The audio and visual aesthetics of NBA 2K13 will reflect a balance of basketball and musical influences, with JAY Z himself hand-picking the game’s soundtrack. The 24-song collection features some of his top hits, along with an eclectic mix of music’s biggest acts.

Chicago Bulls sign guard Nate Robinson

The Chicago Bulls announced Tuesday that the team has signed free agent guard Nate Robinson.

Robinson (5-9, 180), a seven-year NBA veteran, comes to the Bulls after spending last season with the Golden State Warriors. Drafted out of Washington in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft (21st overall) by the Phoenix Suns (his draft rights were traded by the Suns along with Quentin Richardson and future considerations to the New York Knicks in exchange for Kurt Thomas and Dijon Thompson), Robinson has held stints with the Knicks (2005-10), Boston Celtics (2009-11), Oklahoma City Thunder (2010-11) and the Warriors (2011-12).

Last season with the Warriors, Robinson appeared in 51 games (nine starts) and averaged 11.2 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.0 rpg, and 1.16 spg in 23.4 mpg. He shot .424 from the field, .365 from downtown and .832 from the line.

A native of Seattle, Wash., the 28-year old Robinson has played in a career 448 regular season games (81 starts) and posted averages of 11.2 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.5 rpg, 0.90 spg, 23.0 mpg, .425 field goal shooting, .354 three-point shooting and .798 from the line. During the 2008-09 campaign with the Knicks, he posted career highs in points per game (17.2), rebounds per game (3.9), steals per game (1.28) and free throw percentage (.841). In 20 playoff appearances, he has averaged 4.0 ppg, 0.9 apg, 7.0 mpg, shot .366 from the field and .824 from the line.

Lakers have interest in C.J. Miles

Unrestricted free agent small forward C.J. Miles has narrowed his options down to a few teams, a league source told The Salt Lake Tribune on Tuesday, and the longtime Jazzman is drawing serious interest from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 6-foot-6, 222-pound Miles could make a decision during the next 2-3 days. If he signs with the Lakers, the source said, it’ll likely be a one- or two-year deal via Los Angeles’ mini mid-level exception.

Miles, 25, has already met with Dallas and Cleveland since free agency started July 1.

He averaged 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists for Utah from 2005-12, playing in 389 games (159 starts).

— Reported by Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune (Blog)

Boston Celtics sign center Jason Collins

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent center Jason Collins.

“Jason’s ability to defend in the post will be a great addition to this team,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations.

Collins, a 7’0” center, averaged 1.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game last season with the Atlanta Hawks. The 11-year veteran from Stanford University has posted career averages of 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. Collins recorded season-highs of eight points, seven rebounds and four assists against the Celtics on April 20 last season. Collins was a member of the New Jersey Nets teams that appeared in the NBA Finals during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

Celtics re-sign guard Keyon Dooling

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have re-signed guard Keyon Dooling.

“Keyon’s veteran leadership was a very welcome addition to our locker room last season,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations. “His infectious energy both on and off the court is a great asset for this team.”

Dooling, a 6’3” guard, averaged 4.0 points and 1.1 assist in 14.4 minutes per game for the Celtics last season. During the playoffs Dooling shot 39.3% from beyond the three-point line which was tops on the team. Dooling netted a season-high 18 points at Miami on December 27 which included four three-pointers. The 12-year vet out of the University of Missouri has career averages of 7.0 points and 2.2 assists in 19.5 minutes per game split between Boston, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Orlando, Miami and the LA Clippers.

Celtics sign Jamar Smith and Dionte Christmas

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent guards Jamar Smith and Dionte Christmas.

Smith, a 6’3” guard, appeared in 44 games last season for BK Prostov in the Czech Republic and averaged 14.8 points and 2.5 assists while shooting 39.3% from three-point territory during league games. Smith also appeared in two games during EuroCup qualifications and in six games of the EuroChallenge. Smith played for the Celtics during the 2012 Orlando Summer League and averaged 9.2 points while shooting 45.0% from three. Smith was previously with the Celtics during training camp prior to the start of the 2010-11 season. Smith previously played for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. He played collegiately for the University of Illinois and the University of Southern Indiana.

Christmas, a 6’5” guard, appeared in 26 games during the 2011-12 season for AGO Rethymno Aegean in Greece and averaged 18.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 36.0% from three point territory and 46.3% from the field overall. He was an Honorable Mention All-American at Temple during his senior year (2008-09) and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Christmas played for the Celtics during their 2012 Summer League teams in Orlando and Las Vegas.

Philadelphia 76ers sign guard Maalik Wayns

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have signed rookie free agent guard Maalik Wayns.

Wayns (6-2, 200) was an early entry candidate for the 2012 NBA Draft following his junior season at Villanova. He was named second team All-BIG EAST in 2011-12 after averaging team-highs of 17.6 points and 4.6 assists to go along with 3.8 rebounds per game. Wayns ranked seventh in the nation in free throw shooting (89.2%) this past season.

As a member of the Orlando Magic in the 2012 Orlando Pro Summer League, Wayns appeared in three games, averaging 11.7 points, 5.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 2.33 steals in 26.7 minutes per game. He was ranked second in the league in both assists and steals per game.

A native of Philadelphia, Wayns attended Roman Catholic High School and was a Parade and McDonald’s All-American.