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Allen Iverson signs with Besiktas in Turkey

Press Release From President of Besiktas Sports Club Yildirim Dimiroren:

Distinguished Press members and participants:

Allen Iverson signs with Besiktas in Turkey

First of all I would like to welcome you all and express my pleasure for being here as the President of Besiktas Sports Club – one of Europe’s biggest sports club to sign with one of the best ever basketball players, Allen Iverson. I would like to underline once more Besiktas is a big and strong club, having a history of 107 years with 14 sports branches and nearly 20 million supporters both in Turkey and all around the world. For all branches, Besiktas has one goal, and that is Championship! Allen again, this season, for basketball, we have started out for the Championship. Now we’re transferring one of the best basketball players in the world. The only aim of Besiktas, with Allen Iverson, is definitely the championship in Turkey and in Europe. We at Besiktas believe that a player as Allen Iverson, who won top scorer of NBA four times and MVP title two times, will bring the championship title to the team.

I personally believe that especially after seeing the enthusiasm and the excitement of Besiktas fans, he will make a huge contribution on the way to championship.

I must also add that not only Besiktas fans but also as all sport lovers in Turkey; we are waiting for Allen Iverson with great excitement.

As you all know, after Turkey won the silver basketball cup in 2010, the interest and the respect in basketball have been increased. The fact that a basketball star like Allen Iverson, will be playing for Turkey,and especially for Besiktas, I believe will accelerate and strengthen Turkish basketball as a whole. Currently, we have five Turkish players playing in the NBA.

I’m sure Allen Iverson will love Istanbul and Besiktas very much and will be very happy with us. We are very proud of transferring such a huge name. With Iverson’s transfer, the fans and followers of Besiktas, not only in the USA or Turkey, but all around the world, will grow in numbers. From now on, the world of basketball will be watching Besiktas. Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the board members especially Seref Yalcin, for their great efforts in achieving this transfer.

This year, the Besiktas Board concluded transfers of world famous soccer stars, like Quaresma and Guti. As a final note, today is the 87th establishment of the Turkish republic. Our joy is doubled by Iverson’s transfer on this republic day. Happy Republic Day and welcome Allen Iverson.

Yildirim Dimiroren
President of Besiktas Sports Club

76ers waive Trent Plaisted and Chris Quinn

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that the team has waived forward/center Trent Plaisted and guard Chris Quinn. The Sixers roster now stands at 14 heading into the season opener at Wells Fargo Center against the Miami HEAT on October 27.

Plaisted (6-11, 245) appeared in two games with one start this preseason, averaging 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game. He has played internationally in both Italy and Croatia since leaving Brigham Young in 2008.

Quinn (6-2, 175) saw action in three games this preseason for a total of 21 minutes. In four NBA seasons, he has averaged 5.2 points, 2.1 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game.

76ers exercise Jrue Holiday and Marreese Speights options

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that the team has exercised its third-year option on guard Jrue Holiday and its fourth-year option on forward/center Marreese Speights. Both players are now under contract through the 2011-12 season.

Holiday (6-4, 180) was the 17th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2009 NBA Draft and was the youngest player in the league last season. In 73 games with 51 starts, Holiday averaged 8.0 points, 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.09 steals in 24.2 minutes per game. Over the final 16 games, he averaged 12.0 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.94 steals.

Speights (6-10, 255) was the 16th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2008 NBA Draft. In 141 career games played with the Sixers, he has averaged 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game while shooting 49.0% from the floor. Speights scored 20-plus points in three of the final six games last season, and seven times overall, after doing so once as a rookie in 2008-09.

Samuel Dalembert likely out 4-6 weeks

The Sacramento Kings today announced that an MRI taken on Kings center Samuel Dalembert confirmed the initial diagnosis of a left adductor strain.

The injury may sideline Dalembert the next four to six weeks.

Eric Snow named 76ers color analyst

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, the leader in local sports coverage, today announced that former 76er Eric Snow has joined the Emmy-Award winning Sixers broadcast team as color analyst. Snow will work alongside Marc Zumoff for all broadcasts on Comcast SportsNet and The Comcast Network. Snow’s first game will be Tuesday, October 12 when the Sixers take on the Boston Celtics on Comcast SportsNet at 7 p.m. Snow replaces Ed Pinckney, who left the broadcast team to join the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach.

“I’m very happy and excited to be re-joining the Sixers family as a part of their broadcast team,” said Snow. “I spent my best and most enthusiastic years of my NBA career with this organization and its fans and I truly feel honored and blessed to have been given this opportunity to return.”

“We are thrilled to have someone with Eric’s NBA and broadcasting experience join Marc Zumoff to form one of the top broadcast teams in the NBA,” said Comcast SportsNet Executive Producer of Live Events Shawn Oleksiak. “Eric was a standout player with the Sixers and the passion he had for the game will be evident during our broadcasts.”

“We are excited to have Eric Snow bring his experience, passion and understanding of the game back to Philadelphia as the new analyst for Sixers broadcasts,” said Sixers Senior Vice President of Business Operations Lara Price. “ As the point guard and captain, he was an integral part of our memorable run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 and has always had a special connection to this team, city and our fans, which we feel will translate to the broadcasts.”

Snow played for the Sixers from 1998-2004, and was team captain for six of those years. During his NBA career, he reached the NBA Finals three times with the SuperSonics in 1996, the 76ers in 2001, and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007. Additionally he won numerous awards for his work in the community including the J. Walker Kennedy Citizenship Award, the NBA Players Association Community Contribution Award and the NBA Sportsmanship Award. Since retiring from the NBA, Snow has worked for NBATV and is a motivational speaker.

Snow will join Zumoff for all Sixers broadcasts. Zumoff enters his 17th season as the Sixers television play-by-play announcer and his 29th as a part of the 76ers broadcast team.

Elton Brand trims down

Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News reports:

Brand reported to training camp more than 10 pounds lighter than the 265 he carried last season. Now 31 and entering his 12th NBA season, Brand knew after last year’s disappointing run that changes were needed.

“It was funny, coach [Doug Collins] told me the number [weight of 255] and I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I could do it,’ and I was already under that number. Eating right, that’s the first thing,” Brand said. “I gave up Twizzlers, gave up fried foods. I like all types of good meals, so yeah, I had to give up a little bit. It was hard at first, but after a while you know you have a goal, so the urges start to dissipate a little bit.”

And so did the pounds.

Last season may have been one of the worst in Brand’s career. He and coach Eddie Jordan never seemed to be on the same page, often times not reading from the same book, even. Though Brand said he felt great all season, he was coming off his second straight summer of rehab, this time to correct a shoulder injury. The year before, he was coming off an Achilles’ injury. He never could get into a rhythm last year, partly because he never knew his role, partly because his body wouldn’t allow it.

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Report: Sixers offer Iguodala for Melo

Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

The 76ers have contacted the Denver Nuggets about a potential trade for star forward Carmelo Anthony, multiple NBA sources confirmed on Sunday.

The centerpiece of the Sixers’ offer is swingman Andre Iguodala, although other players, including expiring contracts and young talent, would be needed to convince the Nuggets to part with their franchise player.

Anthony has only one season left on his contract and has made it clear he does not intend to re-sign with Denver, the team he joined as a rookie in 2003.

The Nuggets have offered Anthony a three-year, $65 million extension; the offer is still on the table. Iguodala agreed to a six-year, $80 million deal before the 2008-09 season; he has four years and approximately $55 million remaining on his deal.

April 12, 2010: Philadelphia 76ers guard Andre Iguodala (9) looking to pass the ball during the NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Heat beat the 76ers, 107-105.

Hornets trade Craig Brackins and Darius Songaila to 76ers for Willie Green and Jason Smith

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have acquired guard Willie Green and power forward/center Jason Smith from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward’s Craig Brackins and Darius Songaila.

“It is tough to trade Darius and Craig, but we believe both teams will benefit from this move,” said General Manager Dell Demps. “Willie is a combo-guard with versatility who can give us minutes at the back-up point guard spot and the shooting guard position. We are excited he is a part of our program and believe he can be an asset both offensively and defensively for us. Jason will have an opportunity to compete for minutes. He is a young, athletic big man with shooting ability and we are getting him at a good time of his career.”

Brackins (6-10, 230), was the 21st pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. His rights, along with current Hornets forward Quincy Pondexter’s rights (26th overall pick), were traded to the Hornets on July 20, 2010 in exchange for the rights of Cole Aldrich (10th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft) and Morris Peterson. Brackins averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds over five games (all starts) in the 2010 NBA Summer League with the Hornets. In three seasons at Iowa State, the big man earned All-Big 12 First Team honors his sophomore season and All-Big 12 Second Team honors his junior season.

January 20, 2010: Darius Songaila of the New Orleans Hornets in action against the Memphis Grizzlies during an NBA game in the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, LA. Tyler Kaufman/CSM.

Songaila (6-9, 248), averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds over 75 games (one start) in his lone year with the Hornets in 2009-10. He was originally acquired by the Hornets in a trade on September 9, 2009 that sent Antonio Daniels and a 2014 second round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Songaila and former Hornet Bobby Brown. The seven-year NBA veteran has career averages of 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds over 485 career games (79 starts).

Green (6-3, 201), who was drafted in the second round (41st overall) by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2003 NBA Draft and then traded on draft night to the Philadelphia 76ers, averaged 8.7 points, 2.1 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 73 games (18 starts) last season. He shot a career-high 45.7 percent from the floor and committed just 67 turnovers over the course of the 2009-10 season. The Detroit native has played all seven seasons with the 76ers, averaging 9.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.8 minutes over 422 games (211 starts). His best season was in 2007-08 when he averaged career-high’s of 12.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 74 games (all starts). Green played collegiately at Detroit Mercy for four seasons, earning Honorable Mention All-America and the Horizon League Player of the Year honors his senior season after averaging 22.6 points.

Smith (7-0, 240) was selected in the first round (20th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft by the Miami HEAT and then traded to Philadelphia on draft night. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game over 56 games (two starts) last season with the 76ers. The Colorado native shot 43.1 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from three-point range last season. Smith missed the entire 2008-09 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during a workout in August of 2008. During his rookie season, Smith appeared in 76 games (one start), averaging 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.66 blocks in 14.6 minutes per game. The big man played three seasons at Colorado State University, earning First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors his sophomore and junior seasons and MWC Freshman of the Year accolades his first season. The 24-year old averaged 16.8 points and 10.1 rebounds his final season in Fort Collins before declaring early for the NBA Draft. Smith was a two-time Colorado state player of the year in high school.

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Manager confirms Allen Iverson is considering a deal to play in China

The AP reports:

Manager confirms Allen Iverson may play in China

Gary Moore, Allen Iverson’s personal manager, said Iverson has not been contacted by any NBA team with training camps set to open in less than two weeks. Moore said there is “legitimate interest” between Iverson and a team in China to work out a deal. Moore did not know the team’s name and was vague on details.

“We’re very astonished, to say the least, that not one team has contacted us with any interest,” Moore said. “I just don’t understand it.”

Iverson played three games for Memphis last season before he returned for a second stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 13.9 points for the Sixers before he took a leave of absence in March because of family issues.

January 27, 2010 Milwaukee, WI. Bradley Center.. Philadelphia 76ers Allen Iverson makes a fast break for the hoop..Milwaukee Bucks won over the Philadelphia 76ers 91-88. Mike McGinnis/CSM.

Chicago Bulls hire Ed Pinckney as assistant coach

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Ed Pinckney has been hired as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff. In accordance with club policy, terms of the contracts were not announced.

Pinckney, 47, spent last season as the television analyst for the Philadelphia 76ers. Prior to that, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2007-2009) and four seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, Villanova University (2003-2007). He also served as a member of the Miami Heat radio and television broadcasting team after his retirement in 1997.

A first-round draft choice of the Phoenix Suns in 1985, Pinckney spent 12 seasons in the NBA as a player with Phoenix, Sacramento, Boston, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philadelphia and Miami. As a collegian, he was one of the finest players in Villanova history. He helped lead the Wildcats to the 1985 NCAA National Championship over Georgetown and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

Pinckney will join Ron Adams, Andy Greer, Adrian Griffin and Rick Brunson on Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff.