*NBA THREAD* Abe will be missed (7 Viewers)

[Kev4029]

Targuy Ngombo Lied About Age: Timberwolves Draft Pick Also Lied About Spelling Of Name

Wow why would he lie about age

Umm...because a 21 year old has a lot more potential than a 27 year old?

I know but he should have known that people will find out

Yea, especially because he was listed as being born in 1984 on the Qatar team roster. Why does this mean he was ineligible to be drafted?

I don't know exactly what the age is (23 I think?), but at a certain age foreign prospects are automatically draft eligible (similar to outgoing college seniors), and if they aren't drafted that year they are free agents.

 

[Joe Summer]

Why does this mean he was ineligible to be drafted?

I don't know exactly what the age is (23 I think?), but at a certain age foreign prospects are automatically draft eligible (similar to outgoing college seniors), and if they aren't drafted that year they are free agents.

I think this is correct. I don't think the NBA has a maximum age limit for the draft, but they do have a rule that you can't be eligible for more than 1 draft. And Ngombo would have first been eligible several years ago.

 

[Sudoku_in_the_Bathtub]

why do i feel like leonard will be a steal whee he was picked

Gerald Wallace clone. Perfect infusion of energy for that team. Puts Jefferson in his Brian Scalabrine cheerleader position that he should be in at this stage.I liked George Hill quite a bit, but thought Leonard was a top 10 talent in this draft and fills a huge need on this team for a energetic NBA starting caliber SF.

 

[AcerFC]

Happy with the Jazz draft. Kantor will become a productive starter eventually and Burks shot will come along and he'll be good. Those two guys brought in along with Hayward last year and Favors via the DW trade and that is a decent young core now mixed in with vets.PG HarrisSG HaywardSF MilsapPF FavorsC JeffersonBurks, Cantor, Okur off the bench. Would rather see Milsap off the bench though. Milsap/Burks/Okur coming off the bench would be great.Very thin at talent and depth at PG of course. If Cantor develops I could see Jazz trading Jefferson at the deadline for picks and/or a PG.

Millsap at SF? Holy crap that would be a disaster.

He's played it before with success. But definitely not where he belongs. Like I said, would love to see him at PF off the bench. It's either that or Hayward at SF.

What about CJ Miles. Where do you think he fits in

 

[Pick]

Happy with the Jazz draft. Kantor will become a productive starter eventually and Burks shot will come along and he'll be good. Those two guys brought in along with Hayward last year and Favors via the DW trade and that is a decent young core now mixed in with vets.PG HarrisSG HaywardSF MilsapPF FavorsC JeffersonBurks, Cantor, Okur off the bench. Would rather see Milsap off the bench though. Milsap/Burks/Okur coming off the bench would be great.Very thin at talent and depth at PG of course. If Cantor develops I could see Jazz trading Jefferson at the deadline for picks and/or a PG.

Millsap at SF? Holy crap that would be a disaster.

He's played it before with success. But definitely not where he belongs. Like I said, would love to see him at PF off the bench. It's either that or Hayward at SF.

What about CJ Miles. Where do you think he fits in

Hopefully not. Team option for 11/12 and I hope they let him walk.

 

[JZilla]

Ron Artest legally changed his name to "Metta World Peace"

Rules.

Can't wait til all you dummies are #####ing about the ridiculousness of this around February

 

[sihaokills]

I think Leonard is in a phenomenal situation. He will probably be starting and bring a new light to the team

 

[Abraham]

I think Leonard is in a phenomenal situation. He will probably be starting and bring a new light to the team

You may be right. But I have a hard tine seeing Jefferson and his 15 million in the bench.

 

[saintfool]

I think Leonard is in a phenomenal situation. He will probably be starting and bring a new light to the team

You may be right. But I have a hard tine seeing Jefferson and his 15 million in the bench.

i would agree with that. moreover, i see leonard as someone that brings a lot of energy off the bench. jefferson is equal parts listless and ineffectual. that's not exactly what you want in a bench player or sixth man.

 

[Bobcat10]

Oden gets QO from Blazers. What's the feeling here...are they going to match anything that is offered to him?

 

[Kev4029]

Oden gets QO from Blazers. What's the feeling here...are they going to match anything that is offered to him?

I think they would, only because I think any offer that he gets will be something like 3yr/20M at best.

 

[Joe Summer]

Oden gets QO from Blazers. What's the feeling here...are they going to match anything that is offered to him?

They'll match anything within reason. The shark move would be for another NBA team to offer Oden a slightly bigger contract just to mess with the Blazers and make them pay a bit more.

 

[Village Idiot]

Otha la actually was somewhat productive in the NBA.

I know he wasn't terrible. Just messing around. Although I really am not a huge fan of the logic, or of Knight. He shot a far worse percentage from the field in college than Wall, Rose and Evans. He also had a worse A/TO ratio than Wall and Rose (and Evans doesn't appear to be an NBA PG). And the steals aren't there either. My gut tells me that he's the beneficiary of the Calipari PG lineage and a nice run of a couple games in the spotlight in March, but that ultimately he's not that good. Just one man's opinion.

Or he was still developing and started "getting" it in March.

 

[TobiasFunke]

Otha la actually was somewhat productive in the NBA.

I know he wasn't terrible. Just messing around. Although I really am not a huge fan of the logic, or of Knight. He shot a far worse percentage from the field in college than Wall, Rose and Evans. He also had a worse A/TO ratio than Wall and Rose (and Evans doesn't appear to be an NBA PG). And the steals aren't there either. My gut tells me that he's the beneficiary of the Calipari PG lineage and a nice run of a couple games in the spotlight in March, but that ultimately he's not that good. Just one man's opinion.

Or he was still developing and started "getting" it in March.

He didn't shoot that well in March either. He had one great game, one good game and a bunch that I'd call mediocre to just plain bad. From the looks of things it seems like Kentucky's run was attributable to exceptional defense more than anything else. They held a lot of good teams to some pretty low scoring totals. Maybe Knight is responsible for a good portion of that- his predraft evaluations say he's a great defender. And obviously that's important and I don't want to downplay it. But I just don't see him developing into a great offensive weapon. He's not a very good shooter, and the A/TO numbers are not encouraging.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Otha la actually was somewhat productive in the NBA.

I know he wasn't terrible. Just messing around. Although I really am not a huge fan of the logic, or of Knight. He shot a far worse percentage from the field in college than Wall, Rose and Evans. He also had a worse A/TO ratio than Wall and Rose (and Evans doesn't appear to be an NBA PG). And the steals aren't there either. My gut tells me that he's the beneficiary of the Calipari PG lineage and a nice run of a couple games in the spotlight in March, but that ultimately he's not that good. Just one man's opinion.

Or he was still developing and started "getting" it in March.

He didn't shoot that well in March either. He had one great game, one good game and a bunch that I'd call mediocre to just plain bad. From the looks of things it seems like Kentucky's run was attributable to exceptional defense more than anything else. They held a lot of good teams to some pretty low scoring totals. Maybe Knight is responsible for a good portion of that- his predraft evaluations say he's a great defender. And obviously that's important and I don't want to downplay it. But I just don't see him developing into a great offensive weapon. He's not a very good shooter, and the A/TO numbers are not encouraging.

I think your points have a lot of merit. One attribute often overlooked by folks who love advanced metrics (myself included) is the ability of a player to get separation and create his own shot with the ball. It's why guys like Knight with questionable statistics and ratios are drafted ahead of stat monsters like Fredette. Despite what most in the FFA NBA threads think, just being able to get off a good look against an NBA defense when the structured offense isn't working or has broken down is a very, very valuable skill.

 

[thecatch]

Rumored deal: Casspi from Sacramento to Cleveland for JJ Hickson. I think this is probably a good deal for both sides.

 

[biggamer3]

Wow i am SHOCKED that Nene is an unrestricted FA now after opting out.

Nuggets really needed him, now i am pissed Knicks picked up Billups 14 M option as we could have been in running for Nene if we dont pick that up

 

[mlball77]

Rumored deal: Casspi from Sacramento to Cleveland for JJ Hickson. I think this is probably a good deal for both sides.

I'd like this deal for Sac. Has to be done by midnight tonight though...

 

[Bobcat10]

Rumored deal: Casspi from Sacramento to Cleveland for JJ Hickson. I think this is probably a good deal for both sides.

That's interesting...

 

[TobiasFunke]

I think your points have a lot of merit. One attribute often overlooked by folks who love advanced metrics (myself included) is the ability of a player to get separation and create his own shot with the ball. It's why guys like Knight with questionable statistics and ratios are drafted ahead of stat monsters like Fredette. Despite what most in the FFA NBA threads think, just being able to get off a good look against an NBA defense when the structured offense isn't working or has broken down is a very, very valuable skill.

I think guys like Knight are drafted ahead of guys like Fredette because of a number of reasons, but I'd put defense at the top of that list, not ability to create a shot. Fredette seemed like he was pretty good at that too.I don't think anyone would dismiss the importance of getting off a good look when the set offense doesn't produce one. It's a skill that has value, especially with a 24 second shot clock. But I'm not sure why you think Knight would excel in that respect. He shot poorly overall and his A/TO numbers were nothing to write home about. There's no breakdown of possessions in the flow of offense vs. out of it, but why would we assume a guy that shoots and passes as poorly as he does overall would be above-average at creating decent scoring chances outside of the framework of the offense? By the way, I'm rooting for Knight. Seems like a really nice guy and a class act and he's fun to watch. I'm just skeptical given his college numbers.

 

[Abraham]

Nene is about to get paid. He's not the defender Tyson Chandler is, but he's a true Center in a league that doesn't have too many of them.

 

[sihaokills]

Nene is a great center that the Nuggets should keep

 

[the moops]

Rumors that Golden State is interested in Nene.

If GS could also do something like the rumored Ellis for Iguoala, that would really change the dynamic of that team.

Curry, Iggy, Wright, Lee, Nene is a pretty damn nice starting 5.

 

[mlball77]

Rumored deal: Casspi from Sacramento to Cleveland for JJ Hickson. I think this is probably a good deal for both sides.

I'd like this deal for Sac. Has to be done by midnight tonight though...

Not liking this deal as much now....

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated also adds this: "Source confirms Cavs also get a conditional first-round pick in the Casspi-Hickson swap. The Cavs' new first round pick is lottery protected next year, then goes down to top-10 protected in 2013 and declines from there."

 

[Kev4029]

Nene is about to get paid. He's not the defender Tyson Chandler is, but he's a true Center in a league that doesn't have too many of them.

I like Nene, but he is not worth $13M a year.

 

[thecatch]

Rumored deal: Casspi from Sacramento to Cleveland for JJ Hickson. I think this is probably a good deal for both sides.

I'd like this deal for Sac. Has to be done by midnight tonight though...

Not liking this deal as much now....

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated also adds this: "Source confirms Cavs also get a conditional first-round pick in the Casspi-Hickson swap. The Cavs' new first round pick is lottery protected next year, then goes down to top-10 protected in 2013 and declines from there."

I doubt I would have made that trade with the pick involved. That said, I think Hickson's the best player in the deal (marginally so, perhaps), and with those protections, there's no way the Cavs get the pick before 2014. Maybe not even then, depending on what sort of "declining" protections are involved. From Sacto's perspective, they just traded a 10-15 mpg guy for someone who should get 25-30 mpg next year.edit: Per Stein - "Protection specifics on Kings to Cavs picks: Protected 1-to-14 in 2012, 1-to-13 in 13, 1-to-12 in 14, 1-to-10 from 15-17". Goes to a 2nd rounder if it hasn't changed hands by 2017. The way this franchise is going, enjoy the 2017 second rounder, Cleveland.

 

[JMon348]

Hickson is terrible, him and Cousins might be the leaders in "fake hustle". Playing together will be a

 

[mlball77]

Rumored deal: Casspi from Sacramento to Cleveland for JJ Hickson. I think this is probably a good deal for both sides.

I'd like this deal for Sac. Has to be done by midnight tonight though...

Not liking this deal as much now....

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated also adds this: "Source confirms Cavs also get a conditional first-round pick in the Casspi-Hickson swap. The Cavs' new first round pick is lottery protected next year, then goes down to top-10 protected in 2013 and declines from there."

I doubt I would have made that trade with the pick involved. That said, I think Hickson's the best player in the deal (marginally so, perhaps), and with those protections, there's no way the Cavs get the pick before 2014. Maybe not even then, depending on what sort of "declining" protections are involved. From Sacto's perspective, they just traded a 10-15 mpg guy for someone who should get 25-30 mpg next year.

Yeah, I agree with basically everything you said here. The trade makes sense for both teams, I suppose. And the pick CLE gets won't be an early one and could take a whle before they even get it.I think Petrie and the Maloofs are trying to get the Kings out of the constant rebuild mode they've been in for the last several years. Going to be a tough challenge, but there are some solid young players on the team to work with... and now they're trying to fill in some of the (glaring) gaps with vets.

 

[cubd8]

Oden gets QO from Blazers. What's the feeling here...are they going to match anything that is offered to him?

I think they would, only because I think any offer that he gets will be something like 3yr/20M at best.

That would be a good example of what is wrong with the league salary structure - if he were able to get a long-term (granted, 3 years isn't crazy I'll concede) for about 7 million a season.

 

[mlball77]

Rumors that Golden State is interested in Nene.

If GS could also do something like the rumored Ellis for Iguoala, that would really change the dynamic of that team.

Curry, Iggy, Wright, Lee, Nene is a pretty damn nice starting 5.

Wow, that would be a lineup that Warriors fans should be excited about... if it were to ever happen.

 

[Wooderson]

Rumored deal: Casspi from Sacramento to Cleveland for JJ Hickson. I think this is probably a good deal for both sides.

I'd like this deal for Sac. Has to be done by midnight tonight though...

Not liking this deal as much now....

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated also adds this: "Source confirms Cavs also get a conditional first-round pick in the Casspi-Hickson swap. The Cavs' new first round pick is lottery protected next year, then goes down to top-10 protected in 2013 and declines from there."

I doubt I would have made that trade with the pick involved. That said, I think Hickson's the best player in the deal (marginally so, perhaps), and with those protections, there's no way the Cavs get the pick before 2014. Maybe not even then, depending on what sort of "declining" protections are involved. From Sacto's perspective, they just traded a 10-15 mpg guy for someone who should get 25-30 mpg next year.

Yeah, I agree with basically everything you said here. The trade makes sense for both teams, I suppose. And the pick CLE gets won't be an early one and could take a whle before they even get it.I think Petrie and the Maloofs are trying to get the Kings out of the constant rebuild mode they've been in for the last several years. Going to be a tough challenge, but there are some solid young players on the team to work with... and now they're trying to fill in some of the (glaring) gaps with vets.

Kings on the rise.

I liked Casspi. He played well his rookie year then hit a wall late in that season. Didn't get much playing time last year. The Kings had to many people at the same position so someone had to go I hope Hickson will help out nice to add size.

 

[mlball77]

Kings on the rise. I liked Casspi. He played well his rookie year then hit a wall late in that season. Didn't get much playing time last year. The Kings had to many people at the same position so someone had to go I hope Hickson will help out nice to add size.

I liked Casspi pretty well, but was more of a Greene guy, I guess. Casspi seems like a good guy and I definitely wish him well in CLE. IMO, all Casspi had to do was beat out Greene and Garcia for minutes last year... and he couldn't do it. That doesn't speak too well about his game, or maybe just his fit in Sacramento. Casspi's 3 point shooting was inconsistent, but I liked his overall athleticism and length at SF.

 

[Bobcat10]

Rumored deal: Casspi from Sacramento to Cleveland for JJ Hickson. I think this is probably a good deal for both sides.

I'd like this deal for Sac. Has to be done by midnight tonight though...

Not liking this deal as much now....

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated also adds this: "Source confirms Cavs also get a conditional first-round pick in the Casspi-Hickson swap. The Cavs' new first round pick is lottery protected next year, then goes down to top-10 protected in 2013 and declines from there."

I doubt I would have made that trade with the pick involved. That said, I think Hickson's the best player in the deal (marginally so, perhaps), and with those protections, there's no way the Cavs get the pick before 2014. Maybe not even then, depending on what sort of "declining" protections are involved. From Sacto's perspective, they just traded a 10-15 mpg guy for someone who should get 25-30 mpg next year.edit: Per Stein - "Protection specifics on Kings to Cavs picks: Protected 1-to-14 in 2012, 1-to-13 in 13, 1-to-12 in 14, 1-to-10 from 15-17". Goes to a 2nd rounder if it hasn't changed hands by 2017. The way this franchise is going, enjoy the 2017 second rounder, Cleveland.

I was going to say earlier that I'd think a pick was involved. I don't think the Cavs do the trade without it, whether or not you think it will end up being a 1st at some point or a 2nd in '17. Gotta give the Kings some credit here too, at least they are not the Clippers.

 

[Sudoku_in_the_Bathtub]

Kings on the rise. I liked Casspi. He played well his rookie year then hit a wall late in that season. Didn't get much playing time last year. The Kings had to many people at the same position so someone had to go I hope Hickson will help out nice to add size.

I liked Casspi pretty well, but was more of a Greene guy, I guess. Casspi seems like a good guy and I definitely wish him well in CLE. IMO, all Casspi had to do was beat out Greene and Garcia for minutes last year... and he couldn't do it. That doesn't speak too well about his game, or maybe just his fit in Sacramento. Casspi's 3 point shooting was inconsistent, but I liked his overall athleticism and length at SF.

I think they plan on Salmons at the 3, Evans at 2, Jimmer / short term stop gap at the point.Stunning how quickly the Cavs turned on Hickson. He showed next to nothing (they were getting solid offers and turned down)....including a deal for Amare when with Suns. Now he averaged a double-double after the All-Star break and they give up him for an decent, but uninspiring SF.They've still got a ways to go, but I like what Sac is doing. If Hickman/Cousins stay motivated, that's going to be a solid frontline.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Most of Hickman's #s were of the default variety & he's not a starter on a playoff team, but Casspi couldnt lock up the SF job in Sacto with Garcia & slide-over Gs as competition. Gotta be a "We got a little better than Carolina, so we better get a little worse" bit of a '12 draft gambit.

 

[Sudoku_in_the_Bathtub]

Most of Hickman's #s were of the default variety & he's not a starter on a playoff team, but Casspi couldnt lock up the SF job in Sacto with Garcia & slide-over Gs as competition. Gotta be a "We got a little better than Carolina, so we better get a little worse" bit of a '12 draft gambit.

Obviously some of last year's numbers could be inflated due to poor team, but any 22-year old that averaged 17 pts and almost 11 boards after the All-Star Break deserves attention. I think Hickson very much could be a starter on a playoff team in the future -- he just shouldn't be the best player (like he was in Cleveland).Odd timing by the Cavs considering they could have gotten much more in the past.

 

[Sudoku_in_the_Bathtub]

Convinced now Studs is Michael Jordan. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/-8216-My-dearest-Laquette-8217-A-high-school?urn=nba-wp5843

Michael Jordan’s high school love letter revealedBy Dan DevineMichael Jordan's tough-guy reputation will no doubt survive this revelation, but it's no less surprising and not the least bit less charming that a recently revealed high school love note Michael penned in 1980 shows him to be just as smitten as we all were, when gathering our thoughts as we prepared a note meant for the object of our teenaged affection.Yes, Michael Jordan wrote notes. Letters, to be more specific, including an alternately sheepish and smooth bit of romantic correspondence that he apparently wrote as a student at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, N.C., in the early 1980s, well before he embarked on his Hall-of-Fame NBA career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.In the letter, which sold at auction for $5,100.66 in December 2004 and was posted today by the folks at the great site Letters of Note, Jordan apologizes to his "dearest Laquette" for making her "look pretty rotten," then goes on to extol her beauty, explicitly point out when he had made a joke, offer her "his best love" and sign the whole shebang with his full name, including his middle initial. (If you want to compare and contrast the handwriting, here's a page from MJ's high school yearbook; the signature looks like a match to me.) ***(And here is the text of Jordan's note)Michael JordanMy Dearest LaquetteHow are you and your family doing, fine I hope. I am in my Adv. Chemistry class writing you a letter, so that tell you how much I care for you. I decide to write you because I felt that I made you look pretty rotten after the last night. I want to tell you that I am sorry, and hope that you except my apologie. I know that you feelings was hurt whenever I loss my necklace or had it stolen.I was really happy when you gave me my honest coin money that I won off the bet. I want to thank you for letting me hold your annual. I show it to everyone at school. Everyone think you are a very pretty young lady and I had to agree because it is very true. Please don't let this go to your head. (smile) I sorry to say that I can't go to the game on my birthday because my father is taking the whole basketball team out to eat on my birthday. Please don't be mad because I am trying get down there a week from Feb. 14. If I do get the chance to come please have some activity for us to do together.I want you to know that my feeling for you has not change yet. ← (joke) I am finally getting use to going with a girl much smaller than I. I hope you my hint. Well I have spent my time very wisely by write to you. I hope you write back soon. Well I must go, the period is almost over. See you next time around, which I hope comes soon.With my Best LoveMichael J. Jordan

 

[mlball77]

Kings on the rise. I liked Casspi. He played well his rookie year then hit a wall late in that season. Didn't get much playing time last year. The Kings had to many people at the same position so someone had to go I hope Hickson will help out nice to add size.

I liked Casspi pretty well, but was more of a Greene guy, I guess. Casspi seems like a good guy and I definitely wish him well in CLE. IMO, all Casspi had to do was beat out Greene and Garcia for minutes last year... and he couldn't do it. That doesn't speak too well about his game, or maybe just his fit in Sacramento. Casspi's 3 point shooting was inconsistent, but I liked his overall athleticism and length at SF.

I think they plan on Salmons at the 3, Evans at 2, Jimmer / short term stop gap at the point.Stunning how quickly the Cavs turned on Hickson. He showed next to nothing (they were getting solid offers and turned down)....including a deal for Amare when with Suns. Now he averaged a double-double after the All-Star break and they give up him for an decent, but uninspiring SF.They've still got a ways to go, but I like what Sac is doing. If Hickman/Cousins stay motivated, that's going to be a solid frontline.

Yeah, I think the plan is for Salmons to be the 3 for sure… and then Evans, Marcus Thornton and Jimmer to address the PG and SG spots. As of right now, it looks like Hickson and Cousins should start at PF and C, respectively… and Jason Thompson will likely be their primary backup (unless Hassan Whiteside makes some huge strides). However, there is buzz that the Kings want to bring in another true C. Jason Thompson can play backup minutes there, but he is a bit outmatched when he plays C, imverall, I’m happy with the direction of this team. Frankly, just having a healthy Tyreke Evans should make the team better. He just wasn’t right most of last year… and supposedly is feeling great now.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Convinced now Studs is Michael Jordan. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/-8216-My-dearest-Laquette-8217-A-high-school?urn=nba-wp5843

Michael Jordan’s high school love letter revealedBy Dan DevineMichael Jordan's tough-guy reputation will no doubt survive this revelation, but it's no less surprising and not the least bit less charming that a recently revealed high school love note Michael penned in 1980 shows him to be just as smitten as we all were, when gathering our thoughts as we prepared a note meant for the object of our teenaged affection.Yes, Michael Jordan wrote notes. Letters, to be more specific, including an alternately sheepish and smooth bit of romantic correspondence that he apparently wrote as a student at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, N.C., in the early 1980s, well before he embarked on his Hall-of-Fame NBA career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.In the letter, which sold at auction for $5,100.66 in December 2004 and was posted today by the folks at the great site Letters of Note, Jordan apologizes to his "dearest Laquette" for making her "look pretty rotten," then goes on to extol her beauty, explicitly point out when he had made a joke, offer her "his best love" and sign the whole shebang with his full name, including his middle initial. (If you want to compare and contrast the handwriting, here's a page from MJ's high school yearbook; the signature looks like a match to me.) ***(And here is the text of Jordan's note)Michael JordanMy Dearest LaquetteHow are you and your family doing, fine I hope. I am in my Adv. Chemistry class writing you a letter, so that tell you how much I care for you. I decide to write you because I felt that I made you look pretty rotten after the last night. I want to tell you that I am sorry, and hope that you except my apologie. I know that you feelings was hurt whenever I loss my necklace or had it stolen.I was really happy when you gave me my honest coin money that I won off the bet. I want to thank you for letting me hold your annual. I show it to everyone at school. Everyone think you are a very pretty young lady and I had to agree because it is very true. Please don't let this go to your head. (smile) I sorry to say that I can't go to the game on my birthday because my father is taking the whole basketball team out to eat on my birthday. Please don't be mad because I am trying get down there a week from Feb. 14. If I do get the chance to come please have some activity for us to do together.I want you to know that my feeling for you has not change yet. ← (joke) I am finally getting use to going with a girl much smaller than I. I hope you my hint. Well I have spent my time very wisely by write to you. I hope you write back soon. Well I must go, the period is almost over. See you next time around, which I hope comes soon.With my Best LoveMichael J. Jordan

 

[Dexter Manley]

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/06/30/behind-the-scenes-details-of-the-decision/?sct=hp_t11_a0&eref=sihp&hpt=hp_c2

Behind-the-scenes details of ‘The Decision’

Uncategorized | Comments

On July 8, 2010, LeBron announced his free-agency destination in a one-hour ESPN special in Greenwich, Conn. (Rich Arden/Reuters)

On July 8, 2010, after a season of speculation, LeBron James announced his free-agency destination in a one-hour special on ESPN called The Decision. The concept for the prime-time show was hatched in Los Angeles during the 2010 NBA Finals, but it was executed in the tony suburb of Greenwich, Conn. A year later, four key behind-the-scenes operatives speak about their roles in creating the controversial event — the semi-secretive logistics, the intended misdirections, the surprise celebrity participants, and who knew what and when about how their grand production unfolded.

Mark Dowley, former partner at the William Morris Endeavor agency and a Greenwich resident: Ari Emanuel [co-CEO of William Morris] called me and said, “What do you think of the idea of doing the show?” And I really liked it. I like the whole notion of the emancipation of talent. No one could have guessed the level of interest this would get. We had never seen anything like that.

I said we should do it, and I knew Maverick [Carter, LeBron's business manager] and LeBron would agree we should do it for charity. LeBron has a natural preconceived notion about the Boys & Girls Club, and they could sure use the help. I called Maverick, and he loved the idea. He talked to LeBron, and he loved the idea. And then we went out in the course of 10 days and pulled it together.

It always struck me that here we are in [Greenwich], one of the most affluent communities in the world, and we have a terrible gym at the Boys & Girls Club. I thought we could help them out.

Dowley didn’t know how to approach the Boys & Girls Club without blowing the secret, so he called longtime friend Scott Frantz, a Connecticut state legislator and Greenwich resident, and asked him to provide a connection to the club.

Dowley: He’s a guy I can trust. I had the whole world watching and I didn’t want anybody to know where we were shooting this until the last possible minute.

Frantz: Mark didn’t put duct tape over my mouth or anything like that, but the strong hint was that, “Let’s get this organized and not spill the beans.” I didn’t even tell my family. You can’t tell anybody anything — not even your dog.

Frantz had Dowley call Bob DeAngelo, the executive director of the Greenwich Boys & Girls Club, on Sunday, July 4, to pitch the idea.

Dowley: I told him why [Greenwich] made sense. It’s neutral territory, because none of us knew where LeBron was going. It was as neutral as you could get while still being convenient. We worried about doing the show in Cleveland for LeBron’s personal safety. And if we went to any of the other contending cities, people would have thought he was definitely going there. And in Greenwich, I felt like we could get him in and out of town safely.

DeAngelo: I had just gotten back from five weeks of pedaling my bike from San Francisco to Greenwich with friends. When I got home, I had a list of chores to do. The very next day, I was up on a ladder washing windows when someone called — it was Mark Dowley. He asked me if they could use our gym to host this event. He swore me to secrecy. Their plan was to have the location be a total secret, and then at the end of the show, they’d announce where the location of the gym was. I almost fell off the ladder.

Dowley said the location choice had nothing to do with Carmelo Anthony’s wedding in New York the following weekend.

Dowley: None whatsoever. I heard everything imaginable. That [LeBron] was at [Knicks assistant general manager] Allan Houston’s house and he was going to the Knicks. That he was here for Carmelo’s wedding. I still think most people think that. It’s not true.

Amid all the planning with ESPN and the Club, Dowley had to figure out how to get LeBron from Ohio to Greenwich on the day of the show without anyone noticing.

Dowley: I had a private plane in a hangar in White Plains, N.Y., and we went out and picked him up in Ohio on Thursday [July 8]. I have a good friend, Steve O’Neill, who is the CEO of CitationAir [a private jet company], and I told him what we were doing and to get LeBron here very quietly. I needed to make sure no one in Cleveland knew where the plane was going. We were going to fly out of Akron, but we switched to Cleveland at the last minute.

O’Neill: I knew about the plan seven to 10 days in advance. [The location of the Ohio flight] was originally intended to be sort of a nondescript place where we’d pick him up, because he was allegedly being followed by the press who wanted to know where he was going.

Dowley: LeBron’s people switched it from Akron to Cleveland. LeBron had something to do before that was closer to Cleveland.

O’Neill: Each airport has fixed-based operations — locations you can choose to depart from. We chose one in Cleveland that we thought would be suitable for the trip and would be more private. Sometime before that flight departed, they requested a different FBO at the same airport. Honestly, that happens every day.

Dowley: We did have to file multiple flight plans for where we going afterward, but we did not give those to anyone. I trust Steve. He made sure we did everything legally but at the same time had the leeway to change plans at the last minute. And you can do that with the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] at the last minute.

O’Neill: Obviously, one plan involved Miami. Another involved canceling the flight if he went with New York and would celebrate there. We needed to make sure we had enough fuel to fly to California if he chose Los Angeles, and a crew that could fly at least six hours.

I was told shortly before the show started that it was going to be Miami. I was probably the only person at CitationAir who knew what was going on every step of the way. I called my office and told the right person there, simply, “It’s going to be Miami.” And he said, “OK, thanks.” And that was it. It was not a big sinister plot. It was, “OK, all the passengers are going to Miami and we’ll dust off that Miami flight plan and pass it to the crew [of the plane].” It was just a matter of whether you point the jet south or west.

Of course it was unusual to be a part of the whole drama around The Decision, and it was slightly unusual not to know where we were going until a few hours before departure. But prepping for stuff like that is a nonevent for us — it’s just what we do. When I write a book on this business, this won’t even get a paragraph. OK, maybe one, but not two. We fly well-known people every single day.

Dowley: [LeBron] arrived [Thursday] afternoon, maybe around 2 p.m., and he spent the next three-and-a-half to four hours at my house in Greenwich. I hired a cop and a security guard to sit on the road in front of my house so no one could get in just in case someone figured out where he was. But nobody knew. We had everybody from ESPN people, Boys & Girls Club people, sponsors and even a couple of my kids and their friends were there. And then Kanye West showed up. He and LeBron are pretty close friends. He called my office and just said he wanted to stop by. The office gave him my address, and he just stopped in. It was funny to watch — all the kids there thought LeBron was pretty cool, but apparently they think Kanye is really, really cool. They just flocked right to him.

We kind of had a rehearsal with LeBron and our team, and we called all the teams and told them what was going on [with the show].

Dowley and DeAngelo were disappointed they didn’t keep the location secret until the end. DeAngelo had planned to surprise the kids by tricking them into believing they were coming to the club to eat pizza and watch the event on television, only to arrive and find LeBron James amid a makeshift ESPN studio.

DeAngelo: Just the thrill of visualizing playing a joke on these kids. We were relishing that. It didn’t play out as a secret, but those kids still hyperventilated when they found out LeBron was coming here.

Dowley: [The location] didn’t become known until the day before, when I called the Greenwich Police Department to tell them what was going on. Within a half-hour, Newsday had it and everyone was calling. I was very disappointed. I love the Greenwich Police Department, but at that point, it went outside of a tight circle where I knew everybody and trusted everybody. Trust me, I wrestled with not telling the police, but I thought it would be a great disservice because you could be creating a riot.

DeAngelo: [When word leaked] my computer screen just blew up with all the emails people sent trying to get in. It was a lot of, “I’m a friend of a friend of a friend, and my grandma is from Cleveland and she’s a big LeBron fan. Could she come?” It was hysterical.

According to Dowley, a half-dozen sponsors paid a total of $3.5 million to $4 million for advertising. The organizers agreed to split the money evenly between Boys & Girls Clubs in every city with a team in contention for LeBron — plus the Greenwich club. Nearby clubs in Bridgeport and Stamford also received gifts. Each sponsor paid about $450,000 apiece for packages that included 30-second spots, bumpers and other ad space. The organizers were able to tack on a premium charge because of the special nature of the event.

Dowley: I did know [he was going to pick Miami]. I can’t comment on [how far in advance] I knew.

Frantz: I was there [at the telecast] and had no idea it was Miami. The vast majority would think he would be doing this [in Greenwich] because he was signing up with New York. That’s what I thought. The only thing that was a letdown for me, as a Knicks fan, was the actual decision. We all sat there in shock that he wasn’t coming to New York.

Dowley: The only other part that was disappointing was someone at ESPN came out that afternoon and said LeBron would announce the winning city within the first 10 or 15 minutes. That was never the case. No one wanted to drag the show out unnecessarily, but if you reveal the surprise within the first 10 minutes, it’s like showing the end of the movie right away. I was very angry. I don’t remember who it was that said it. When I get pissed off at someone, I don’t remember their name.

DeAngelo: When LeBron said he was going to take his talents to South Beach, you could hear a pin drop. People just didn’t know what to do. And you know how you get that little delay before things are broadcast on television? That split second passed, and then you heard this huge collective groan from all the people crowded outside. After that, LeBron left the gym and went into a small, private room just to quiet down a little bit and to protect himself. He did another interview with someone else, and then he had to leave. He was on a very tight schedule.

LeBron posed for one photo with the kids, but he declined to sign autographs.

Due to time constraints, LeBron was only able to spend a few minutes with kids from the Greenwich Boys & Girls Club. (AP)

DeAngelo: We’ve had a lot of athletes and some really great people come through the Boys & Girls Club. They did have time to sit down and sign autographs. [LeBron] was not able to do that, unfortunately. He got here late and was on a tight schedule for the telecast. He had no time prior and he had to get whisked out of here afterward. When you have someone in like that, the tendency is to say he’s going to be great, and sign a lot of autographs and ham it up and get lots of photos. I’d say we were disappointed we weren’t able to do that [with LeBron]. But what carried the day for me was the generosity he showed for the Boys & Girls Club. Our club got a six-figure gift, 30 Hewlett-Packard computers and a whole bunch of Nike equipment. We totally remodeled our gym and got a climbing wall. It was a really positive thing for us.

Dowley: We went back to my house after the show, had a beer, and Kanye and LeBron talked for a while. We then went to the airplane hangar at White Plains. He and everyone else [not West] got on one plane and went to Miami. I got on another plane and went to Nantucket. I think LeBron at that point felt great about [the show]. We all felt great about how much money we netted for the kids. He didn’t look worried one way or the other. It was, “I’m going to Miami to start the next chapter in my life.” He certainly could have done that show and made a lot more money for himself. But we came up with an experiment. I’m fond of experimenting, and I’m proud of doing something different.

Those involved with the making of the special were dismayed at the way it was received and the way in which LeBron has been portrayed as either a megalomaniac or a dupe of corporate suits who used the show to exploit him.

Dowley: We got a lot of grief for it. A good deed never goes unpunished, you know? LeBron is an exceptionally bright young man. No one is taking advantage of LeBron James. And Maverick Carter is a very bright guy. I’ve done deals with them since and we’ll do deals with them in the future. Everybody can hold their heads up high. The only people who know best about how they felt [about the criticism] are Maverick and LeBron. There is no way they enjoyed a lot of the aftermath. I do know morally and from a socially conscience standpoint, they know they did something good.

The guy who really got wronged was [The Decision interviewer] Jim Gray. The whole original idea was Jim’s and Ari’s and Maverick’s. I thought Jim did a hell of a job. He’s quite a gentleman. This was sports, after all, not U.N. wartime reporting. People just got a little nuts over it.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s infamous post-Decision letter to Cleveland fans bashing LeBron was a subject of conversation among the show’s insiders almost immediately.

Dowley: What didn’t get enough play was what Dan Gilbert said afterward. The next day, Maverick and LeBron called me and asked what they should say in response. I gave them two suggestions: “I guess Dan is not going to be sending me a fruit basket again this Christmas.” Or then something about how you can understand why [LeBron] doesn’t want to work for this guy anymore — that [LeBron] needed to get out of this abusive relationship. Because it was abusive and stupid what Gilbert said. Especially since hours before he was calling Maverick at my house, checking in about his offer, hoping LeBron will go back there.

Of course, LeBron did the right thing and just issued a “no comment.”

 

[Dexter Manley]

Convinced now Studs is Michael Jordan. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/-8216-My-dearest-Laquette-8217-A-high-school?urn=nba-wp5843

Michael Jordan’s high school love letter revealedBy Dan DevineMichael Jordan's tough-guy reputation will no doubt survive this revelation, but it's no less surprising and not the least bit less charming that a recently revealed high school love note Michael penned in 1980 shows him to be just as smitten as we all were, when gathering our thoughts as we prepared a note meant for the object of our teenaged affection.Yes, Michael Jordan wrote notes. Letters, to be more specific, including an alternately sheepish and smooth bit of romantic correspondence that he apparently wrote as a student at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, N.C., in the early 1980s, well before he embarked on his Hall-of-Fame NBA career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.In the letter, which sold at auction for $5,100.66 in December 2004 and was posted today by the folks at the great site Letters of Note, Jordan apologizes to his "dearest Laquette" for making her "look pretty rotten," then goes on to extol her beauty, explicitly point out when he had made a joke, offer her "his best love" and sign the whole shebang with his full name, including his middle initial. (If you want to compare and contrast the handwriting, here's a page from MJ's high school yearbook; the signature looks like a match to me.) ***(And here is the text of Jordan's note)Michael JordanMy Dearest LaquetteHow are you and your family doing, fine I hope. I am in my Adv. Chemistry class writing you a letter, so that tell you how much I care for you. I decide to write you because I felt that I made you look pretty rotten after the last night. I want to tell you that I am sorry, and hope that you except my apologie. I know that you feelings was hurt whenever I loss my necklace or had it stolen.I was really happy when you gave me my honest coin money that I won off the bet. I want to thank you for letting me hold your annual. I show it to everyone at school. Everyone think you are a very pretty young lady and I had to agree because it is very true. Please don't let this go to your head. (smile) I sorry to say that I can't go to the game on my birthday because my father is taking the whole basketball team out to eat on my birthday. Please don't be mad because I am trying get down there a week from Feb. 14. If I do get the chance to come please have some activity for us to do together.I want you to know that my feeling for you has not change yet. ← (joke) I am finally getting use to going with a girl much smaller than I. I hope you my hint. Well I have spent my time very wisely by write to you. I hope you write back soon. Well I must go, the period is almost over. See you next time around, which I hope comes soon.With my Best LoveMichael J. Jordan

 

[Pick]

Utah picks up option on CJ Miles.

 

[thecatch]

Yeah, I think the plan is for Salmons to be the 3 for sure… and then Evans, Marcus Thornton and Jimmer to address the PG and SG spots. As of right now, it looks like Hickson and Cousins should start at PF and C, respectively… and Jason Thompson will likely be their primary backup (unless Hassan Whiteside makes some huge strides). However, there is buzz that the Kings want to bring in another true C. Jason Thompson can play backup minutes there, but he is a bit outmatched when he plays C, imverall, I’m happy with the direction of this team. Frankly, just having a healthy Tyreke Evans should make the team better. He just wasn’t right most of last year… and supposedly is feeling great now.

I think you're right about the lineup. Opening day rotation as of now will probably be: Evans, Thornton, Salmons, Hickson, and Cousins starting, with Jimmer, Thompson, Honeycutt/Greene (whatever Westphal's flavor of the month is, hopefully Honeycutt), and maybe a Pooh Jeter type off the bench. Whiteside is probably still a year out. That's a lineup with a fair amount of talent that unfortunately still doesn't fit very well together. There are rumblings about chasing a FA big man, but I doubt there's anybody out there that'd be worth grossly overpaying for. Might as well see what Hickson and Cousins can do together and collect another high pick.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I just watched PTI on my DVR and they had Tom Penn on (ESPN "Capologist?") who said he thought there was a 75% chance there would be no season next year. I'm much more optimistic. I'd say there is a 60% chance for a full season, 39% for a shortened season and maybe a 1% chance of no season. I'm curious what percentages you guys would but on this.

 

[Bobcat10]

Kings on the rise.

I liked Casspi. He played well his rookie year then hit a wall late in that season. Didn't get much playing time last year. The Kings had to many people at the same position so someone had to go I hope Hickson will help out nice to add size.

I liked Casspi pretty well, but was more of a Greene guy, I guess. Casspi seems like a good guy and I definitely wish him well in CLE. IMO, all Casspi had to do was beat out Greene and Garcia for minutes last year... and he couldn't do it. That doesn't speak too well about his game, or maybe just his fit in Sacramento. Casspi's 3 point shooting was inconsistent, but I liked his overall athleticism and length at SF.

I think they plan on Salmons at the 3, Evans at 2, Jimmer / short term stop gap at the point.Stunning how quickly the Cavs turned on Hickson. He showed next to nothing (they were getting solid offers and turned down)....including a deal for Amare when with Suns. Now he averaged a double-double after the All-Star break and they give up him for an decent, but uninspiring SF.

They've still got a ways to go, but I like what Sac is doing. If Hickman/Cousins stay motivated, that's going to be a solid frontline.

I don't think we'll ever know for sure what was going on with those rumors. I wouldn't call it fact that the Cavs were turning the Suns down. In fact, I've heard quite the opposite. And, while Grant was on the staff, he was not the GM during all the supposed Hickson deals.Hickson has shown flashes of solid play, but still carries with him questionable work ethic/motivation and a low basketball IQ. With the Cavs using #4 on a player they must like more than Hickson (and if you listen to them talk about TT, it's obvious they view him as the anti-Hickson) the writing was on the wall. Both players are young, both players have upside, and both teams filled needs here. Win-Win from my point of view.

 

[the moops]

What happens to the draft next year if there is no 2011-2012 season?

 

[mlball77]

What happens to the draft next year if there is no 2011-2012 season?

Wow. Good question. Would they have the same order as it was this year?

 

[sihaokills]

Let the lockout begin!!

 

[Bobcat10]

What happens to the draft next year if there is no 2011-2012 season?

Wow. Good question. Would they have the same order as it was this year?

That's what I heard. But the Cavs for instance wouldn't have the Clipps pick. Can't remember if they said the lottery would be re-drawn or not. I'm guessing they are not even thinking of this right now and what I heard could have been speculation.

 

[the moops]

If the order stays the same, wouldn't it make it more likely that certain owners may push a bit harder for a lockout?