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New Seattle NBA arena plan moves ahead

Attempts to build a nearly $500 million arena that could bring the NBA back to Seattle took another step forward on Wednesday.

And if an NHL team turns out to not be part of the equation, the public investment will be less than originally believed.

The city, King County and private investor Chris Hansen announced a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday laying out the financial responsibilities for the proposed venue.

The proposal included two significant changes, the result of three months of negotiations between Hansen and the local municipalities, from the original unveiled in February. The agreement indicates that construction on the facility could begin with only an NBA franchise on board. Previously, it was believed that both an NBA and an NHL franchise would need to be committed tenants to make the plan work.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Seattle Mariners insists NBA arena objection all about traffic

Seattle Mariners President Chuck Armstrong insists the team’s objections to a proposed new NBA/NHL arena in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood are strictly about traffic concerns and not about possibly seeing dollars spent elsewhere.

The Mariners were on the defensive Wednesday after the franchise sent a letter to city of Seattle and King County leaders voicing their concerns over the proposed new arena that would be adjacent to the Mariners’ Safeco Field parking garage.

— Reported by Tim Booth of the Associated Press

Terrence Ross declares for 2012 NBA Draft

Guard Terrence Ross has decided to enter his name into the 2012 NBA Draft and will forgo his final two years of eligibility at the University of Washington.

“I discussed the pros and the cons with my family and I just think this is a great step for me and it’s time for me to take my game to the next level,” Ross said about his decision.

“Being at Washington and playing for Coach (Lorenzo) Romar has been a blessing,” Ross continued. “On the court, off the court, with school and in life…it’s just been a real blessing to consider myself a Husky and get to where I am right now.”

Ross (Portland, Ore./Jefferson HS) helped the Huskies to a 24-11 record, NIT semifinal appearance and Pac-12 regular season championship in 2012. As a freshman in 2011, he was part of a Husky team that went 24-11, won the Pac-10 Tournament championship and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament.

In 2012, Ross established himself as not only one of the Pac-12’s most complete players, but one of the nation’s top athletes. He ranked among conference leaders in eight categories: points (16.4, 4th), rebounds (6.4, 6th), offensive rebounds (5.1, 3rd), free throw percentage (.766, 11th), steals (1.3, 12th), 3-PT FG makes (2.1, 8th), 3-PT% (.371, 14th) and blocks (0.9, 13th).

He earned first team All-Pac-12 honors in 2012 and led Washington in scoring, tallying 574 total points – tied for 9th most in UW single-season history.

He also was second on the team in minutes, rebounds, steals, 3-point makes, 3-point field goal percentage and blocks.

Ross was the only Husky to reach 30 points this season, doing so twice. He was second with 9 games of 20-plus points.

Ross flourished in Washington’s run to the NIT semifinals in New York. He averaged 25.0 points in four games. He was a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line and led UW shooters from three point range, making 15-of-37 attempts (.405).

“We wish Terrence the best,” Husky Coach Lorenzo Romar said from New Orleans, where he is taking part in Final Four festivities. “He was refreshing to coach because of his humility and team-first attitude. We wish him well and anticipate that he will have an excellent NBA career.”

Seattle moving closer to deal on new sports arena complex

A source tells KING 5 News a press conference is scheduled at Seattle City Hall Thursday to announce a deal on a new sports arena complex.

Chris Hansen, a former Seattleite, and current San Francisco hedge fund manager who has approached Seattle about his interest, is reportedly in Seattle.

Hansen recently purchased property south of Safeco Field on Occidental Avenue South, south of Massachusetts Street.

Mayor Mike McGinn confirmed last week that negotiations are underway with Hansen to build a new arena in SODO.

— Reported by KING 5 News

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City of Seattle working to bring NBA back

The city of Seattle has been working behind the scenes the past eight months with a hedge-fund manager to bring an NBA team back to town— possibly as early as next fall if the Sacramento Kings fail to get a satisfactory deal for a new arena, newly released documents show.

The city turned over the documents to The Seattle Times on Friday under a public records request (http://is.gd/PyQ06N ). The documents included the agenda for a meeting between the parties on Dec. 13, with topics including “Review of Basic Deal Structure,” “City Debt Capacity” and “Financing Issues.”

A Seattle native who now lives in San Francisco, 44-year-old hedge-fund manager Christopher Hansen, approached the city about his desire to buy an NBA team and build an arena south of Safeco Field, the documents show. Hansen told city officials an arena could be built with minimal impact on taxpayers.

— Reported by the Associated Press

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Blake Griffin’s dunks remind George Karl of Shawn Kemp

Blake Griffin

Dunking space robot

“I’ve talked to a couple of guys who’ve said, ‘Was Shawn as powerful?'” said Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl, who coached Kemp in Seattle, before Thursday’s game. “I think that’s the guy who’s closest.”

Legend had it that Kemp once dunked so hard that sparks flew off the rim. He later admitted it to be true, adding that the basket had a metal-chain net, which helped the sparks fly.

Karl said seeing Griffin’s dunks reminded Karl of his own dunks — in a way.

“This kid, he gets so high above the rim. It reminds me of when I was an athlete and I could jump and we got the 8-foot hoops,” Karl said. “He does things that we used to do on 8, maybe 7-foot [hoops]. You know, throwing it down from three feet away.”

— Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Los Angeles Times

Seattle Seahawks want LeBron James

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James and Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll have been tossing playful messages back and forth on Twitter. LeBron digs football and wouldn’t mind being an NFL star in another life.

But as the NBA lockout continues, perhaps that life could be this one?

No. Of course not. But it’s fun to think about.

Here’s the jersey the Seahawks made for LeBron:

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Kevin Durant to host charity basketball game in OKC with LeBron James, Blake Griffin

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant is making good on his promise to put on a charity exhibition game featuring his fellow NBA superstars. Details of the event are expected to be announced at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

According to numerous sources with knowledge of the event, the game will pit two star-studded squads against each other, with one side being Durant’s team and the other being former Oklahoma star Blake Griffin’s team. Miami Heat star LeBron James is one of several players who have been confirmed for the event. New Orleans guard Chris Paul and Heat guard Dwyane Wade also are expected to show.

The game is tentatively scheduled to be played Thursday, Oct. 27, inside the Cox Convention Center, which holds just shy of 14,000 for basketball. Other potential stars that could make an appearance include L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and New York forward Carmelo Anthony, as well as Thunder guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden…

“Playing against NBA players around this time is really going to help,” Durant told The Oklahoman last month. “So it’s just a matter of me just going out there and hooping and enjoying it. I just do it for the love of the game, really.”

— Reported by Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman

Vitaly Potapenko named assistant coach of Dakota Wizards

The Dakota Wizards have hired Vitaly (vee-TAH-lee) Potapenko (poe-TAH-pen-koe) as the team’s assistant coach, the team announced today. Potapenko will serve under newly hired Head Coach Nate Bjorkgren for the 2011-12 season.

Potapenko brings two years of coaching experience to the Wizards, having most recently served as an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers this past season. In Indiana, under Head Coach Jim O’Brien and Interim Head Coach Frank Vogel, Potapenko helped lead the Pacers to a 37-45 record and a trip to the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

Prior to joining the Pacers, Potapenko served as an assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League under Head Coach Joey Meyer during the 2009-10 season.

Potapenko was selected 12th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1996 NBA Draft. Nicknamed “The Ukraine Train”, he averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds over 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics and the Sacramento Kings. His most productive season came in 1998-99 after being traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics on March 11, 1999. He averaged 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 33 games (32 starts) for the Celtics.

Prior to joining the NBA, Potapenko played for Budivelnyk (Ukraine) from 1992-1994 and finished his career playing for MMT Estudiantes in the Spanish ACB during the 2007-2008 season.

Potapenko, 36, was born in Kiev, USSR.

NBA postpones training camps, cancels October 9-15 preseason games

The NBA announced today that player training camps for the 2011-12 season have been postponed indefinitely because a new collective bargaining agreement has not been reached with the National Basketball Players Association. Training camps were scheduled to open on October 3.

In addition, the league canceled all preseason games scheduled from October 9 through October 15.

“We have regretfully reached the point on the calendar where we are not able to open training camps on time and need to cancel the first week of preseason games,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. “We will make further decisions as warranted.”

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