NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
Guillermo of the Jimmy Kimmel Live show took advantage of NBA Finals media availability to ask the type of questions reporters wish they were allowed to ask if being a media member was all about laughs and fun rather than the serious stuff.
This is great. Enjoy:
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Kris Humphries’ ex-flame Myla Sinanaj threatened to release sordid details about her relationship with Kris … and TMZ has the voicemail.
Sources say … after photos of Myla and Kris began leaking, Kris broke off all contact with her. Myla became enraged after trying in vain 17 times to reach Kris and then called one of his friends.
Myla left a message, demanding that Kris stop stonewalling her and return her calls.
Myla says, “If he’s going to play me like that, I have way more sh*t I can put out.”
The voicemail does not show alleged extortion on Sinanaj’s part, as Humphries claims. Nonetheless, we’re told Kris’ lawyers gave it to the FBI when they made their extortion complaint.
— Reported by TMZ
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For Brooks, everyone is clamoring for dramatic change now. They want Harden moved into the starting lineup, and he’s wisely not doing it. He understands his young team pressed at home, that the Thunder were caught up in the euphoria of a city that had never imagined hosting the NBA Finals so quickly. To lose Game 2 and then shift Harden into the starting lineup would exude a measure of panic that is the furthest thing from what these Thunder need now.
What’s more, Brooks is still working to solidify his own future as Oklahoma City coach. GM Sam Presti wants him back when his contract expires at the end of the Finals, but league sources say Presti has offered a three-year deal worth just under $11 million that Brooks and his agent weren’t willing to accept in the past. They’ve set aside talks for the playoffs, and compromise could come with a guaranteed fourth year. The Thunder needed to see Brooks take one more step with this young team before committing too far into the long term, and Brooks delivered with a conference final victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
It isn’t beyond possibility that Brooks tries to use the Portland and Orlando jobs as leverage at season’s end, but it’s hard to imagine him walking away from this Thunder core – with or without a title.
— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports
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Iman Shumpert is back on his feet, but he is a long way from getting back on the basketball court.
The Knicks guard, who made an appearance yesterday at a Sprint NBA Nation event at South Street Seaport, is back walking under his own power after surgery early last month to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. But he is still expecting to miss the first two months of the season.
“The target date [for my return] is January,” Shumpert told The Post.
That means Shumpert is expecting his return to be closer to eight months, the long end of the six-to-eight-month initial projection for his recovery from the surgery.
— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post
Remember Tim Donaghy?
Delco native. Ex-referee in the NBA. Recovering gambling addict. Felon.
Yeah, that guy. A Florida jury wants to make him a millionaire.
After 5 rough years that included banishment from the NBA, gambling and wire-fraud convictions for betting on basketball games, and even 2 weeks spent in solitary confinement “like Charles Manson” while serving a 15-month prison term, Donaghy can finally put one in the win column.
According to Donaghy and his lawyer, a St. Petersburg jury on Friday awarded Donaghy $1.3 million in his civil suit against Shawna Vercher and her now-defunct company VTi Group, which published Donaghy’s tell-all book about the NBA and its referees.
“The lady made my life a living hell and basically tortured me through the press by putting fictitious stories out there,” Donaghy said Sunday. “I knew, at some point, my time would come. And my time was Friday.”
— Reported by William Bender of the Philadelphia Daily News
The Atlanta Hawks announced today the promotion of three current team members. Phil Ebinger and Scott Wilkinson have each been promoted to Executive Vice President while Ailey Penningroth will now serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the organization. The promotions are effective immediately.
“The Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena are fortunate to have three team members who have dedicated their time and talent to enriching our corporate strategy, and enhancing the experience of our guests and presence of our brands,” said Bob Williams, Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena president. “I look forward to our future with excitement about the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to grow as an organization.”
Ebinger who has been with the organization since 2004 and previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will continue to oversee the finance and accounting related to the Hawks, Philips Arena and the Atlanta Hawks Foundation, in addition to now leading the organization’s Human Resources function. Prior to his role with the Hawks and Philips Arena, Ebinger held controllership positions at The Coca-Cola Company and served as Chief Financial Officer of Fitzgerald & Co, an Atlanta advertising agency that is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies. While at Coca-Cola, Ebinger was responsible for all financial matters relating to sports and entertainment marketing, advertising and media spending for the North America division.
Wilkinson, who formerly served as Senior Vice President/ Chief Legal Officer and Atlanta Hawks Assistant General Manager, will maintain responsibility of negotiation and drafting of contracts for players, coaches and other staff; trade research; salary cap management; collective bargaining agreement issues; insurance/risk management; and scheduling of the club’s preseason games. He will also continue to manage all legal matters for the Atlanta Hawks, HTPA Holding Company and the Atlanta Hawks Foundation. Wilkinson was previously Assistant General Counsel for Turner Sports, Inc., providing legal support to all Turner Sports properties, including the Hawks, the Atlanta Braves, World Championship Wrestling and The Goodwill Games. Prior to that, he was a litigation attorney at Moore & Van Allen, PLLC; a founding partner and sports agent with the Buoniconti Sports Management Group and began his career as a defense counsel in the U. S. Marine Corps.
In her new role as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Penningroth will oversee all marketing, advertising and brand strategy as well as corporate communications. Before joining the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena in 2004, Penningroth served in various roles for the National Basketball Association for seven years.
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At a festive, daddy-daughter bash on Father’s Day, Jason Terry delivered some tough news for Mavericks fans to hear.
If the 2011 NBA champions elect to rebuild their team with one-year contract “rentals,” Terry will be playing elsewhere next season.
Terry, whose six-year, $57 million contract ends on July 1, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, said Sunday he wants to sign another multiyear deal, preferably with the Mavericks. But as the Mavericks’ free-agent possibilities start to take shape, it won’t happen for one year.
“It’s a tough situation,” Terry said. “I’m finally in a position where I can kind of predict my own future, so to speak. I want to stay here in Dallas. That’s always been my goal. But it needs to be long-term. If they’re not ready to step up and do that, then I’ll have to make my home elsewhere.”
— Reported by Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News
The Heat had struggled at the free-throw line at times during the first three rounds of the playoffs.
But in the NBA Finals, shots from the stripe haven’t been much of a problem.
On Sunday night, Miami’s proficiency from the line might have been its salvation.
Miami was in danger of watching the visiting Thunder take control during the third quarter, yet 13 free-throw makes for the Heat kept the visitors at bay.
Miami then made 9 of 10 in the fourth, as it took its first lead in the Finals with a 91-85 victory in Game 3.
Game 4 is back in Miami on Tuesday night.
The Heat was an impressive 22 of 24 from the line in the second half and scored 31 of its 91 points via the free shot. Oklahoma City, however, hit on just 63 percent of its free throws (15 of 24).
— Reported by George Richards of the Miami Herald
InsideHoops.com note: The Heat finished Game 3 hitting 31-of-35 from the line.
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Halfway to a title, LeBron James shows no sign of letting this one get away.
James had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals with a 91-85 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.
Dwyane Wade had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who were in this same position through three games last year, then didn’t win again against the Dallas Mavericks.
James’ poor performance was part of the problem then, but he seems on top of his game this time. His 3-pointer sent the Heat to the fourth quarter with the lead, and he scored five straight Miami points when the Heat were building just enough cushion to hold off another late flurry by the Thunder.
Game 4 is Tuesday night.
Kevin Durant had 25 points for the Thunder, but picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter and had to go to the bench when they had seemed to have control of the game. Russell Westbrook finished with 19 points.
The Heat survived their own fourth-quarter sloppiness by getting enough big plays from their Big Three…
Chris Bosh had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who can win a second title by winning the next two games at home…
Oklahoma City started to take control with a 14-2 run early in the third. Durant had the first four points, Westbrook fooled the Heat with a fake behind the back pass before in for a layup, then Durant leaped over James for a follow dunk before nailing a jumper for a 60-51 lead with 6:55 left in the period.
But it was barely a minute later when he drew his fourth foul, though he appeared to make little or no contract on Wade’s baseline drive, and had to go to the bench.
— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press
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Raise your hand if you still believe Kendrick Perkins (10 points, 12 rebounds in Game 3) has no place in this series. Perk was only the Thunder’s most effective player with the ball in his hands. Granted, that says something about what else was going on, but still.
Perk was good in Game 3. He belongs, OK? So does the Thunder.
But can OKC win it all? Its 91-85 loss to the Heat Sunday night stirred some doubt, had to. And they wouldn’t be human if the men in Thunder uniforms didn’t at least wonder themselves.
“We put ourselves in position to win,” Durant said several times in the postgame, without a ton of conviction.
For the first time in this exhilarating four-year run from 23 wins to the NBA Finals, we saw signs that The Moment may actually be bigger than the Thunder. We saw it in its play, and in the players’ eyes.
— Reported by Mike Sherman of the Oklahoman
Games 3, 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals will be played at American Airlines Arena in Miami, a town that lures visitors to its nightlife.
During the 2006 Finals between Dallas and Miami, Mavericks coach Avery Johnson ordered his players to switch hotels after the Heat won Games 3 and 4 to tie the series.
Johnson said his players had developed a “vacation mentality” and moved them 25 miles north to Fort Lauderdale, away from family and friends who had been sharing the previous hotel. Miami went on to win four straight and claim the series 4-2.
In last year’s Finals against the Heat, which the Mavs won 4-2, Dallas players and coaches were booked into one hotel while family and friends stayed in neighboring hotels.
Asked if he was concerned about his players engaging in the Miami nightlife, Thunder coach Scott Brooks deadpanned, “What about the coaches?” before playfully revealing his wife was on the trip.
“I’ve never had any issues with our guys playing on the road,” Brooks said, not kidding. “They’ve always been focused. Miami is a great city, there’s no question. It’s a great environment, but we’re here to play basketball. There’s only 10 days, two weeks left of the season, then there’s plenty of time to vacation.”
— Reported by John Rohde of the Oklahoman