My Sports News Digest

This is what can happen when guys get max contracts and feel the need for some home improvements — Joe Johnson’s shoe closet is nicer and more secure than your apartment. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. It’s 500-square feet and custom built. The Hawks swingman is part of the Jordan Brand, so you know he had some nice kicks. A lot of them. Hundreds.  And if you have a lot of nice kicks and a max contract what you build is a massive shoe closet for them. With fingerprint security. You still think I’m kidding? This is what [...]

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Two years ago, Boston had a role-playing big man retire in Rasheed Wallace. Last season it was Shaquille O’Neal who retired from the Celtics. Next up, Jermaine O’Neal. At least that’s the plan the 15-year veteran told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com while in Las Vegas for the Impact Competitive Training Series (where O’Neal is the oldest guy there and played the first day but not the second). Jermaine O’Neal told CSNNE.com that, barring an unexpected change of heart which he says is unlikely, this will be his last season…. “I’m going into my 16th year, so I know my [...]

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Tuesday was not a good day for NBA fans. If you were hoping for an NBA season that will start on time and have 82 games, Tuesday sucked. What is clear right now is that the two sides are far apart, and that while there is time to get a deal so training camps could start on time the first few days of October, that seems a lot less likely. That said, there is still time. Almost every negotiation gets solved at the last minute when the pressure is on one or both sides to really reach a deal (like [...]

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The summer of pro-am games is about to jump the shark. That comes when all the big names start jumping into every game, representing cities where they have no real connection. The folks in Philadelphia should get a good show, but that seems to be what is happening for the Philly vs. Melo league contest coming up Sept. 25 on the Penn campus. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul are all coming to Philadelphia for the game, according to Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That means it should be a good show, like Goodman vs. Melo. It’s one [...]

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You keep hearing the buzz — teams are trying to get together, to work out together. Normally this is the pre-camp time when teammates workout and play pickup together at the team facilities, but thanks to the lockout there is none of that. So some team leaders are trying to organize workouts. Andray Blatche tried to do that for the Washington Wizards and… not so good, reports The Republic. On Monday, when the first of a scheduled week long workouts was held at a gym halfway between Baltimore and Washington, just three Wizards were on hand. Blatche, who was joined [...]

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Rick Adelman is in negotiations to become the next head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. This should be quick and clean because as we’ve said before, the Timberwolves knew the price ballpark coming into the talks — million per year and maybe five years guaranteed. There should be no sticker shock. I’ve also been saying I think Adelman is a great fit for the Timberwolves — Adelman’s teams play up-tempo (needed with this roster) but take care of the ball. They play good defense without fouling. Adelman has a good relationship with Kevin Love, he can mold Ricky Rubio, his [...]

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Despite many, many people’s predictions that Deron Williams would never play a minute for Besiktas, the Turkish team based in Istanbul, Williams in fact started his tenure with Besitkas this weekend. From NetsDaily on Saturday: Deron Williams adventure began earlier than expected Saturday when his Besiktas Black Eagles beat perennial Euroleague power Montepaschi Siena, 93-91, in the annual Bormio Tournament in Italy.  Williams scored 14 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and handed out 6 assists in 18 minutes. Williams wasnt intending to play.  He tweeted, “Went to the gym to watch the team play today! Shot around for a couple min and [...]

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All this is missing is some guy who knows this girl who saw Billy Hunter pass out at 31 Flavors last night. (It seemed pretty serious.) Okay, so Adam Silver goes to the US Open last week, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN. No biggie. He had a long day in negotiations, wanted to unwind, attends a tennis tournament. No biggie. Except that he ran into a friend there and hung out with him. Who’s that? Oh, Casey Wasserman who is part owner of Wasserman Media Group, which among other things, represents athletes. They bought notable NBA agent Arn Tellem’s [...]

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