Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: “Bob Johnson and Houston’s George Postolos continue negotiations on a deal that could shift control of the Charlotte Bobcats, multiple sources told the Observer Monday. Whether a deal is imminent is anyone’s guess. Johnson, who owns about 70 percent of the franchise, put the team up for sale months ago. Postolos, formerly president of the Houston Rockets, has assembled a group of investors. It’s unclear whether other bidders are still pursuing a purchase. In the meantime, many of the team’s financial decisions – both large and small – have been put on hold. Sources inside and outside the franchise anticipate the ownership question being resolved in the next two weeks. Johnson has been in Europe on vacation of late, and is expected in Charlotte sometime this week. Some within the franchise see that as a sign a deal will soon close.”
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “What’s ‘Hot’ when it comes to the Miami Heat’s 2009-10 schedule? Something along the lines of the Minnesota Timberwolves on a Tuesday in February. What’s ‘Hotter’? That would be a Friday game against the Dallas Mavericks in December. And what’s ‘Hottest’? Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers for their lone AmericanAirlines Arena appearance of the season, on Thursday March 4, as well as anything involving the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic. For the upcoming season, the Heat will move away from its one-price-sells-all approach to individual opponents and instead scale game tickets based, foremost, on quality of the opponent, as well as the game’s place on the calendar. While prices have yet to be released, a list has been obtained that shows how the team plans to break down its 41-game home schedule, which opens with what the team terms a ‘Hotter’ game on Wednesday’s Oct. 28 against the New York Knicks.”
The Associated Press: “Less than two months before it is to be unveiled to Oklahoma City Thunder players and their fans, the Ford Center’s overhauled interior sits waiting like a present ready to be unwrapped. Under thin layers of plastic wrap and paper are the new toys being bought with millions of dollars in tax money: Rows of new leather seats near courtside, hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances in the suites, and tiles to line the walls of a lush courtside club. Although plenty of work remains, members of a city committee got to see for the first time Tuesday the progress that has been made since the arena was closed after the NBA season ended in April. ‘It’s fun to see it develop,’ said Tom Anderson, the city’s special projects manager. Already hanging from the ceiling is the enormous new scoreboard that stands several stories tall, and crews are working two 10-hour shifts six days a week to complete the rest of the work by an October deadline.”
Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “After over four years of legal fighting, the Hawks and Thrashers fractured ownership group is one big — and not necessarily happy — family again. Steve Belkin is back in as a minority owner, with the same rights he had as a minority owner before he and his seven partners began feuding in August 2005. It’s business ‘as usual,’ according to Hawks part-owner Michael Gearon Jr., who said Tuesday that the group has operated in that manner since the split four years and nearly two weeks ago. A Maryland judge ruled Monday that the eight-man ownership group, Atlanta Spirit LLC, resume operations as it was before its acrimonious break-up in 2005. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Durke G. Thompson ruled that the contract the owners had reached that would allow the seven owners to buy out Belkin was too ambiguous. Belkin has the right to appeal Monday’s ruling. But until any move is made, Gearon said operations for both franchises will continue as is.”
Jason Quick of The Oregonian: “There are still questions that are unanswered in Terry Porter’s mind these days. He wonders why both times he became an NBA head coach, he was fired early into his contract, including last February, when the Phoenix Suns let him go just four months into his first season with a 28-23 record. He doesn’t understand how he could prepare so diligently, work so hard and care so much about his team and job, only to be told he is no longer wanted. The same thing happened in Milwaukee, when he led the Bucks to the playoffs in his first season (2003-2004), but was fired the next season after injuries marred a 30-52 season. ‘It’s a tough pill to swallow,’ Porter said. ‘My whole career has been about working hard and you will have success. The coaching thing hasn’t worked out that way, and so there have been a lot of questions in my mind as far as the whole coaching thing.’ But while Porter wrestles with unanswered questions and mulls his professional future, the former Trail Blazers great is certain of this: He will take the next NBA season off and he will do it while living in Portland and watching his three kids become young adults.”
Marcus Thompson II of the Oakland Tribune: “After three years enjoying retirement, Calbert Cheaney was ready to get back in the game. Suddenly, he got a call from Warriors general manager Larry Riley. He thought about it briefly before accepting the invitation. No, not to play for the Warriors again, as he did from 2003 to 2006. This time, he’ll be a special assistant, the Warriors announced Tuesday. ‘I’m through (playing). Trust me,’ Cheaney said from his Washington, D.C., home. ‘With emphasis. I can still get up and down, but not like that.’ Cheaney will take the post held by Mitch Richmond under the Chris Mullin tenure as head basketball honcho. But Cheaney is expected to be more visible. He said he will move to the area before training camp. He plans, at least at first, to spend a lot of time around the team and go on the road. He’ll dabble in player evaluations and be a resource for the players, and do whatever else Riley needs. A reputed class act, Cheaney, the Warriors are hoping, can be a good influence for the likes of guard Monta Ellis, swingman Kelenna Azubuike and rookie guard Stephen Curry.”
Matt of Blog-a-Bull: “Kevin Arnovitz’s TrueHoop post yesterday re-ignited the ‘what the heck are the Bulls doing, and how should I feel about this season?’ feelings that were constantly internally bombarding me after the Gordon fiasco. He lists the Bulls as a ’sleeper’, yet doesn’t quite qualify it as a sleeper to what, exactly. A sleeper to make the playoffs? Reach the 4th seed? Just be better than last year? How about merely staying the course with last year under the expectation that the loss of Gordon will set them back? Arnovitz’s sleeper success benchmark is the vauge ‘continuing their progress’ after their ‘coming of age’ series against the Celtics. I don’t view a first-round loss to a depleted team that much of an accomplishment, but I have maintained all summer that it is certainly important that the Bulls continue to seem like a team on the rise, whether they are or not. Such a designation still rings hollow to me, as Arnovitz’s ‘long-term’ complements to Rose are Hinrich (turning 29 this season) and Salmons (30). To stay under the cap far enough to land a major free agent, the Bulls need to trade one of those guys or hope Salmons opts out.”
Michael Lee of the Washington Post: “Foye credited McHale for pushing his game to new heights. ‘He just let me go. It was no more if I make a mistake, someone saying anything to me; if I have a turnover, someone looking at me wrong and taking me out of the game. It was, ‘Randy, you be you,’ ‘ Foye said. ‘I was myself. I was free. I was free and before I knew it, I’d have 25 points.’ I remember watching the Timberwolves once on NBA League Pass last season, when Foye and the Timberwolves hosted Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. The Timberwolves lost the game, 99-96, and Wade had a game-high 31 points. But Foye nearly matched Wade basket for basket, scoring 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, and added eight assists and five rebounds. Heat Coach Eric Spoelstra said afterward, ‘Foye is a heck of a player.’ Foye said his performance against Wade was the result of a pre-game pep talk from McHale. ‘One thing Kev said to me was, ‘Anything he can do, you can do,’ ‘ Foye said. ‘When he said that before the game, that’s when I knew I was going to make my mark.’”
Marc Berman of the New York Post: “Nate Robinson’s arrest for driving with a suspended license is not what galled me, despite a long litany of DMV violations. It was the disrespectful tweeting during the incident. After being pulled over, Robinson announced via Twitter: ‘Cops pulled me over cuz my windows were 2 dark (but my windows were down) lol how funny is that.’ Robinson followed up with another Twitter posting: ‘Iam still pulled over and its been 35 min they have me sit in my truck like I dnt have s#*+2 do lol.’ The postings were soon deleted. In recent hours, Robinson tweeted apologies to the Knicks, his fans and commended the police officer – all written in plain English. Obviously, Robinson has gotten the message from his reps this doesn’t look good for a player still seeking a Knicks contract. The Knicks announced it would speak to Robinson about the incident. Donnie Walsh was taking his first vacation of summer, in Indiana, and can’t be pleased.”
Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: “Amare Stoudemire went through his first on-court individual workout Tuesday since undergoing a minor operation six weeks ago to remove more fluid from his right eye. He initially had eye surgery in February to repair a detached retina. Stoudemire was limited Tuesday to shooting and conditioning, Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson said. Stoudemire could begin playing pickup games in two weeks, Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said after learning that the All-Star had an ‘excellent’ check-up Monday with eye surgeon Dr. Pravin Dugel. Stoudemire was cleared to begin working out again three weeks ago and has done so each weekday morning with Nelson. That followed a 10-day stretch in which he had to lay face down for all but two hours of each day. ‘He’s extremely motivated to have a good year and preparing well for it,’ Kerr said.”
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer: “Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Shaquille O’Neal, 21-14, in the first episode of the new ABC series ‘Shaq Vs.’ starring the Cavaliers center. Each of the stars played quarterback in a seven-on-seven game. To even things up a bit, O’Neal’s team started from the 20, while Roethlisberger’s squad started from the 40. With the victory, Roethlisberger earned the right to wear one of O’Neal’s NBA championship rings for a week. The hour-long show was part Monday Night Football and part Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, as fans got a glimpse of Roethlisberger’s home outside Pittsburgh. In fact, if the writers were going for a parody of MNF, they nailed it. But for Cavs fans, the best moment of the show might have come ’bout halfway through when the public-address announcer at the high school stadium introduced ‘Shaquille O’Neal of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ for the first time. Roethlisberger, the former Findlay High School and Miami (Ohio) star, and O’Neal engaged in a lot of good-natured trash talk, and Roethlisberger also beat O’Neal in a game of H-O-R-S-E.”
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “While in New York last week taping one of the movies, Dwight was asked by a reporter from The Sporting News if more films are in his immediate future. His answer left little doubt about his hopes and dreams. ‘While I’m young and still have my smile and everything, I want to try to do more of these,’ said Dwight, who is a self-described movie freak. ‘This is a great experience, and I don’t want to wait until I’m old and not playing anymore to try to do stuff like this. I want to do it while I’m young.’ Seriously, don’t we have to at least wonder if Dwight is getting stars in his eyes just like Shaq did all those years ago? And couldn’t he someday follow Shaq’s red-carpet path to Hollywood to play for the Lakers? When I presented this paranoid Magic fan’s nightmare scenario to team GM Otis Smith Tuesday, he didn’t seem too concerned. ‘I don’t have a crystal ball,’ Smith said. ‘The thing we have in our favor is I don’t think Dwight wants to follow Shaq. I think he would do something different just so he wouldn’t be like Shaq.’”
