Pooh Richardson testifies against officer

The AP reports: Former NBA player Jerome “Pooh” Richardson reluctantly testified Monday that his close friend, a Philadelphia police officer, tipped him about an imminent drug raid involving his half-sister. Richardson, 43, testified under a grant of immunity about two phone calls around 3 a.m. from childhood friend Rickie Durham in August 2005. Durham told him the FBI was about to take down a drug kingpin and take the sister down too, he testified.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Well, that all sounds fantastic!

Knicks to use LED signage courtside

Madison Square Garden announced today that the New York Knicks plan to use new state-of-the-art LED signage courtside at home games during the 2009-10 season. The Knicks will become the first NBA team to utilize the technology at the courtside location. The new signage will enhance game presentation, expand partner integration opportunities and allow for instant customization from Knicks pregame through postgame at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks will premiere the new LED courtside signage at their first preseason home game on Tuesday, October 13 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

“At Madison Square Garden we are always looking for innovative and cutting-edge technology that will enhance the game experience for our fans and create value for our partners,” said Scott O’Neil, president, Madison Square Garden Sports.  “The new LED courtside signage for the Knicks is extremely dynamic and offers instant customization, which will not only enrich the viewing experience for fans, but provides a visual enhancement for our partners brands and helps us maximize their exposure throughout a game.”

The new courtside LED signage will be synchronized throughout games with all of the digital signage in the bowl at Madison Square Garden, including MSG’s GardenVision center hung scoreboard and ribbon boards circling the middle-level, creating a 360 degree experience for fans and partners.  The LED technology provides clear off angle viewing for fans in-arena and those watching Knicks’ telecasts on MSG. The signage has also been designed with player safety in mind, featuring a spring mount mechanism that allows for up to four inches of flexibility in case of a collision.  The specially created LED signage combines a scorer’s table designed by Signco, LED panels by Mitsubishi and integration control software by ANC. Madison Square Garden Sports worked in conjunction with the NBA to trial the signage at several New York Liberty games at the end of the WNBA regular season.

Lou Bender passes away

The Boston Globe reports: Lou Bender, an all-American basketball player at Columbia whose stellar play during the Depression helped popularize the game and make Madison Square Garden a magnet for college basketball, died Sept. 10 at his home in Longboat Key, Fla. He was 99. The cause was cancer, his son Steven said. Mr. Bender, a 6-foot-1 forward who played at DeWitt Clinton High School in the late 1920s, received the nickname Lulu when he sank a two-handed set shot from long range and a fan shrieked, “Now that was a lulu of a basket.’’

Delonte West arrested for weapons charges

Delonte West arrested for weapons charges

Apparently the Cleveland Cavaliers failed to inform guard Delonte West that they do not want him to make like a road warrior and strap up tons of guns to himself while speeding on some crazy three-wheeled motorcycle, cutting off police cruisers in the process.

Silly them. Because now he’s reportedly done just that.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Cavaliers guard Delonte West is facing weapons charges after being pulled over on his motorcycle while carrying a small arsenal near his Maryland home late Thursday night.

Prince George’s County police said West was carrying two concealed handguns and a shotgun when he was pulled over on Interstate 495 near his offseason home in Brandywine, Md. around 10 p.m. Corporal Clinton Copeland said West was speeding and cut off a police cruiser while riding on his three-wheeled 2009 Can-Am Spyder motorcycle.

After being stopped West informed police he was carrying a gun in his waistband, which was a 9mm Beretta. Police also found a Ruger .357 strapped to his leg and a shotgun inside a guitar case that was slung over his back. West was traveling alone.

Maybe West was just riding to the store to buy some juice.

Read NBA fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Clippers hire John Lucas as assistant coach

The Los Angeles Clippers today added coaching veteran John Lucas as an assistant coach to Head Coach and General Manager Mike Dunleavy’s staff.

Lucas joins the Clippers after last serving as the Head Coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2001-03. While in Cleveland, Lucas coached current Clippers Ricky Davis and Brian Skinner. Lucas came to the Cavs after working as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets for three seasons.

Overall, Lucas brings six years of NBA head coaching experience as he led the Philadelphia 76ers from 1994-96 and the San Antonio Spurs from 1992-94 with an overall NBA head coaching record of 173-258 (.401). While in Philadelphia, Lucas also served as general manager and vice president of basketball operations. As head coach of the Spurs, he led the team to a 94-49 (.657) record and two consecutive playoff appearances. In addition to his NBA coaching experience, Lucas was the owner and head coach of the Miami Tropics of the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 1992-93 and led the Tropics to a 38-9 record and two USBL championships.

Lucas began his 14-year NBA playing career during the 1976-77 season after he was made the first overall selection in the 1976 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Lucas played for six different teams during his career, including Houston, Golden State, Washington, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Seattle and was named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 1977 after averaging 11.1 points on .477 (388-814) FG% with 5.6 assists per game for the Rockets. In 928 career NBA games, Lucas averaged 10.7 points with 7.0 assists and is currently in 21st place among the NBA all-time assist leaders (6,454 assists). He also played in 45 playoff contests and averaged 11.2 points on .451 (198-439) FG%, including a career-high 15.6 points in 12 postseason games for the Bucks in 1987.

In 1990, Lucas founded and became President of John Lucas Resources, Houston, Texas, a network of drug treatment programs aimed specifically at helping athletes.

A 1976 graduate of the University of Maryland, Lucas earned All-America honors in 1975 and 1976 as well as a bachelor’s degree in Education. He later continued his studies at the University of San Francisco where he earned his master’s degree, also in Education.

The addition of Lucas completes Dunleavy’s coaching staff of Tony Brown, Kim Hughes and Fred Vinson.

Knicks sign Sun Yue

Knicks sign Sun Yue

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that guard Sun Yue has been signed as a free agent. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. InsideHoops.com assume it’s not a guaranteed contract and is for low money.

Sun, 6-9, 205-pounds, averaged 0.6 points, 0.2 assists and 2.8 minutes in 10 games as a rookie last season with the L.A. Lakers. The Hebei, China-native was selected by the Lakers of the second round (40th overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft and also averaged 9.8 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in six games on assignment last season with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League. The 23-year old is a member of the Chinese National Team and started all six games for China in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Kings sign Desmond Mason

The Sacramento Kings today signed free agent guard-forward Desmond Mason to a contract, according to Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mason, a nine-year NBA veteran, has amassed career averages of 12.2 points (.449 FGs, .260 3FGs, .740 FTs), 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game through 638 outings with the Seattle Sonics (2000-03), Milwaukee Bucks (2002-05 and 2007-08), New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2005-07) and Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-09).

Rockets promote Gersson Rosas

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey today announced the promotion of Gersson Rosas to Vice President of Player Personnel.  Rosas, who is entering his sixth season with the organization, had served as the team’s Director of Player Personnel last season.

“Gersson has played a key role in our team’s success over the past few seasons and this expanded role is more representative of the impact he has had on our basketball operations,” said Morey.  “His superior decision making and leadership qualities are critical to our basketball operations department.  The rapid expansion of Gersson’s role and responsibilities over the past two seasons serves as a clear indication of his value to our basketball operations.”

In his new role, Rosas will be responsible for assisting Morey in all phases of the team’s basketball operations.  He will oversee the team’s player personnel matters including the evaluation of draft prospects, free agents and potential trade targets. In addition, he will supervise the Rockets’ domestic and international scouting departments, while also assisting in the coordination of the team’s Player Development program.

Prior to his present stint with the Rockets, Rosas was the head coach of the Global Games Prep USA Team during the summer of 2004. Rosas’ experience also includes work as a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team at the University of Houston (2003-04), as an assistant coach on Westbury Christian’s High School state championship team (2002-03) and as a basketball coordinator for the Venezuelan Basketball Federation during the 2002 World Basketball Championships, which was the Venezuelan National Team that featured former Rockets guard Oscar Torres.

In addition, he has been an active participant in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program, the NBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program (2006-2009), including serving this past summer as the Americas Camp Director in Mexico City. Rosas also served as the director of college counselors at RBKU All American Camp (2007, 2008) and as a camp coach at the Reebok ABCD Camp (2006, 2007).

Blazers sign Juwan Howard

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent forward Juwan Howard to a one-year contract, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Juwan Howard will add a wealth of experience and veteran savvy to our young, talented roster,” said Pritchard. “We look forward to Juwan’s contributions on the court and in the locker room.”

Howard (6-9, 250, Michigan) holds career averages of 14.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 1,043 games (871 starts) over a 15-year NBA career with Washington, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Houston and Charlotte.

Originally selected by Washington with the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, Howard garnered All-Rookie Second Team honors in 1994-95 and earned a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team in 1995-96.

Howard averaged 17 points or more and seven-plus rebounds in each of his first five seasons in the league. He has tallied 188 career double-doubles.

Howard, 36, played three games last season for Denver and appeared in 39 contests for Charlotte. In 42 total games, Howard averaged 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 11.2 minutes in 2008-09. He reached double figures in scoring five times.

The Chicago, Ill., native has appeared in the NBA Playoffs four times, averaging 9.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23 games.

A member of the “Fab Five” at the University of Michigan, Howard was named Third Team All-American in 1994 after averaging 20.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in his junior season. Howard then entered the NBA Draft, becoming the first NBA player to leave school early and graduate on time.

Howard becomes the 14th player on Portland’s roster. He will wear jersey No. 6.