2007 NBA Draft Lottery Results
1. Portland Trail Blazers
2. Seattle Sonics
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Boston Celtics
6. Milwaukee Bucks
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Charlotte Bobcats
9. Chicago Bulls (via New York)
10. Sacramento Kings
11. Atlanta Hawks (via Indiana)
12. Philadelphia 76ers
13. New Orlean Hornets
14. LA Clippers
15. Detroit Pistons (via Orlando)
16. Washington Wizards
17. New Jersey Nets
18. Golden State Warriors
19. LA Lakers
20. Miami Heat
21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Denver)
22. Charlotte Bobcats (via Toronto through Cleveland)
23. New York Knicks (via Chicago)
24. Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland through Boston)
25. Utah Jazz
26. Houston Rockets
27. Detroit Pistons
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Phoenix Suns
30. Philadelphia 76ers (via Dallas through Denver and Golden State)
2006-07 NBA General News Thread
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trashtalkr
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"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
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Rockets Hire Rick Adelman
The Houston Rockets have hired Rick Adelman to replace Jeff Van Gundy, hoping the veteran NBA coach can break the team's recent history of postseason flops.
"I always knew I was going to look for something eventually," Adelman said Tuesday night as he arrived at an airport in Houston, where he was met by team officials. "This is obviously just a great situation with the city, the organization. I'm really excited. This is a team that played so solid last year. You can build on that."
Adelman, 60, brings an up-tempo, high-scoring system to Houston, a stark contrast to Van Gundy's more defense-minded and methodical approach. Van Gundy was fired Friday after the Rockets were bounced from the opening round of the playoffs for the third time in his four seasons.
Adelman has been out of coaching since the Sacramento Kings chose not to renew his contract after the 2005-06 season. The Kings had a winning record and made the playoffs in each of Adelman's eight seasons.
The Rockets fired Van Gundy after the Rockets finished 52-30, their best regular-season record in 10 years, then lost to Utah in the first round. Houston went 182-146 under Van Gundy, but went 7-12 in three postseason appearances.
Adelman previously coached Golden State and Portland. The Trail Blazers made two NBA finals appearances under Adelman in 1990 and '92, losing both times. With the Kings, his teams were among the best and highest-scoring in the NBA but they couldn't get past the Lakers of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
Adelman has a 752-481 record in 16 seasons and his teams have made the playoffs 14 times. His teams made it out of the first round seven of those 14 times, and he is 70-68 in the playoffs. He reportedly met with Rockets owner Les Alexander and general manager Daryl Morey on May 11, when Van Gundy was still deciding whether he wanted to come back to coach the team.
"I've had a pretty good track record over the years," he said. "Obviously, they thought I could do something good here."
Van Gundy succeeded Rudy Tomjanovich, who led the team to its only two championships, in 1994 and '95. The Rockets haven't won a playoff series since 1997.
Adelman became Portland's head coach in 1989 and Portland reached the finals the following year, losing to Detroit. The Blazers, led by Clyde Drexler, were back in the finals two years later and lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games.
Portland fired Adelman after the 1993-94 season. After two unsuccessful seasons with Golden State, Adelman moved to Sacramento and the Kings reached the playoffs in all eight seasons he was there.
He was dismissed after the Kings lost in the first round in 2006 to San Antonio. The Kings were eliminated in the first round four times during Adelman's tenure.
Adelman said the main draw of this job is the chance to coach Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.
"In this league, I learned a long time ago, it's a lot easier to coach when you have good players," Adelman said. "This team has that. I watched them at the end of last year, when they came to Portland. I was really impressed with the way they played."
Morey said last week Adelman will have final say in choosing his own coaching staff. Tom Thibodeau, Van Gundy's top assistant, is seeking a head coaching job and has interviewed for the vacancy in Sacramento, Morey said.
Adelman said he's already thought about changes he'll make, though he wouldn't specify them upon arriving.
"Ever since we had our first interview, when I started talking to them, you look at it and say, 'Geez, what can you do with that team?"' he said. "The things we've done in the past will work for anybody. You just have to put players in good positions and they'll respond."
Source: Sports Illustrated
The Houston Rockets have hired Rick Adelman to replace Jeff Van Gundy, hoping the veteran NBA coach can break the team's recent history of postseason flops.
"I always knew I was going to look for something eventually," Adelman said Tuesday night as he arrived at an airport in Houston, where he was met by team officials. "This is obviously just a great situation with the city, the organization. I'm really excited. This is a team that played so solid last year. You can build on that."
Adelman, 60, brings an up-tempo, high-scoring system to Houston, a stark contrast to Van Gundy's more defense-minded and methodical approach. Van Gundy was fired Friday after the Rockets were bounced from the opening round of the playoffs for the third time in his four seasons.
Adelman has been out of coaching since the Sacramento Kings chose not to renew his contract after the 2005-06 season. The Kings had a winning record and made the playoffs in each of Adelman's eight seasons.
The Rockets fired Van Gundy after the Rockets finished 52-30, their best regular-season record in 10 years, then lost to Utah in the first round. Houston went 182-146 under Van Gundy, but went 7-12 in three postseason appearances.
Adelman previously coached Golden State and Portland. The Trail Blazers made two NBA finals appearances under Adelman in 1990 and '92, losing both times. With the Kings, his teams were among the best and highest-scoring in the NBA but they couldn't get past the Lakers of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
Adelman has a 752-481 record in 16 seasons and his teams have made the playoffs 14 times. His teams made it out of the first round seven of those 14 times, and he is 70-68 in the playoffs. He reportedly met with Rockets owner Les Alexander and general manager Daryl Morey on May 11, when Van Gundy was still deciding whether he wanted to come back to coach the team.
"I've had a pretty good track record over the years," he said. "Obviously, they thought I could do something good here."
Van Gundy succeeded Rudy Tomjanovich, who led the team to its only two championships, in 1994 and '95. The Rockets haven't won a playoff series since 1997.
Adelman became Portland's head coach in 1989 and Portland reached the finals the following year, losing to Detroit. The Blazers, led by Clyde Drexler, were back in the finals two years later and lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games.
Portland fired Adelman after the 1993-94 season. After two unsuccessful seasons with Golden State, Adelman moved to Sacramento and the Kings reached the playoffs in all eight seasons he was there.
He was dismissed after the Kings lost in the first round in 2006 to San Antonio. The Kings were eliminated in the first round four times during Adelman's tenure.
Adelman said the main draw of this job is the chance to coach Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.
"In this league, I learned a long time ago, it's a lot easier to coach when you have good players," Adelman said. "This team has that. I watched them at the end of last year, when they came to Portland. I was really impressed with the way they played."
Morey said last week Adelman will have final say in choosing his own coaching staff. Tom Thibodeau, Van Gundy's top assistant, is seeking a head coaching job and has interviewed for the vacancy in Sacramento, Morey said.
Adelman said he's already thought about changes he'll make, though he wouldn't specify them upon arriving.
"Ever since we had our first interview, when I started talking to them, you look at it and say, 'Geez, what can you do with that team?"' he said. "The things we've done in the past will work for anybody. You just have to put players in good positions and they'll respond."
Source: Sports Illustrated
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
Soren Kierkegaard
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trashtalkr
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Orlando Fires Brian Hill
Brian Hill finally got the Magic into the playoffs, but getting swept by Detroit may have led the organization to clean house.
Multiple media reports on Wednesday said that Hill will not return as coach of the team and will be offered another position with the team.
An official in the NBA, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Hill and the club were still negotiating his exit, and it was not clear whether he resigned or was fired.
His job status has been in question since the Magic were eliminated, but the coach had said he was not worried. After missing the playoffs in his first season, Hill had to feel more secure after guiding the Magic into the postseason this year.
But the Magic were not really competitive against the Pistons in the first round, and there has been speculation for some time that Hill and Magic general manager Otis Smith do not share the same vision of the team.
This was Hill's second stint with the Magic. He guided an Orlando team with Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway to the playoffs from 1994-96. The 1994-95 team was swept by the Rockets in the NBA Finals.
Hill was dismissed midway through the 1996-97 season. Hill moved on to coach the Vancouver Grizzlies in just their third season in existence. He suffered through a 19-63 record in his first year and then was let go after 22 games in 1999-2000 with the Grizzlies limping along at 4-18.
He rebounded with another head coaching job in Orlando in 2005-06 and led the Magic to a 36-46 mark. The Magic were 40-42 this season but snuck into the playoffs in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Source: ESPN
Brian Hill finally got the Magic into the playoffs, but getting swept by Detroit may have led the organization to clean house.
Multiple media reports on Wednesday said that Hill will not return as coach of the team and will be offered another position with the team.
An official in the NBA, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Hill and the club were still negotiating his exit, and it was not clear whether he resigned or was fired.
His job status has been in question since the Magic were eliminated, but the coach had said he was not worried. After missing the playoffs in his first season, Hill had to feel more secure after guiding the Magic into the postseason this year.
But the Magic were not really competitive against the Pistons in the first round, and there has been speculation for some time that Hill and Magic general manager Otis Smith do not share the same vision of the team.
This was Hill's second stint with the Magic. He guided an Orlando team with Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway to the playoffs from 1994-96. The 1994-95 team was swept by the Rockets in the NBA Finals.
Hill was dismissed midway through the 1996-97 season. Hill moved on to coach the Vancouver Grizzlies in just their third season in existence. He suffered through a 19-63 record in his first year and then was let go after 22 games in 1999-2000 with the Grizzlies limping along at 4-18.
He rebounded with another head coaching job in Orlando in 2005-06 and led the Magic to a 36-46 mark. The Magic were 40-42 this season but snuck into the playoffs in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Source: ESPN
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
Soren Kierkegaard
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trashtalkr
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Sam Vincent Hired As Bobcat's New Head Coach
The Charlotte Bobcats will hire Mavericks assistant Sam Vincent as their new head coach, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting.
Citing an unnamed source, the newspaper reported that minor details are being worked out, but Vincent is expected to be introduced as the Bobcats' new head coach on Friday.
Vincent will replace Bernie Bickerstaff, who was 67-161 in three seasons as the Bobcats coach. Bickerstaff still has a role in the team's front office, however.
Vincent spent one season on Avery Johnson's Mavericks staff after coaching the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League for one season. He also has extensive international coaching experience.
Source: ESPN
The Charlotte Bobcats will hire Mavericks assistant Sam Vincent as their new head coach, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting.
Citing an unnamed source, the newspaper reported that minor details are being worked out, but Vincent is expected to be introduced as the Bobcats' new head coach on Friday.
Vincent will replace Bernie Bickerstaff, who was 67-161 in three seasons as the Bobcats coach. Bickerstaff still has a role in the team's front office, however.
Vincent spent one season on Avery Johnson's Mavericks staff after coaching the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League for one season. He also has extensive international coaching experience.
Source: ESPN
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
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Rashard Lewis Chooses Free Agency
In late February, Rashard Lewis rejected a two-year, $25 million contract extension from the Seattle SuperSonics. Months later, Lewis has taken his rejection a step further.
Lewis has officially opted out of the final two years of his contract on Friday so he can become an unrestricted free agent, as first reported by KRIV in Houston on Friday.
Tony Dutt, Lewis' agent, has made Seattle aware of his client's decision.
"He has decided to opt out and he'll be an unrestricted free agent July 1st," Dutt said, according to KRIV. "We had to do it in writing which we have done already."
The Sonics have one advantage over the rest of the NBA with Lewis now in free agency: They are the only team who can offer him a six-year contract.
"It was in his contract that he could become a free agent. And you can't blame him for wanting to see what's out there," Sonics president of basketball operations Lenny Wilkens said last month. "But that won't stop us from trying to get it done."
When asked if he has been negotiating with the Sonics, despite Seattle not having a general manager or a coach right now, Dutt said, "We've been in contact [with Wilkens]. We'll probably stay in contact on and off until July 1."
Lewis, who has spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Sonics, opted out of the seven-year, $60M deal he signed before the 2003-2004 season. That means Lewis is walking away from $21M in guaranteed money over the next two years.
In doing so, he becomes one of the NBA's most attractive free agents this summer. The market will include Chauncey Billups, Gerald Wallace and possibly Vince Carter -- if Carter does what Lewis did and opts of out his contract with the New Jersey Nets.
"He's earned that right to be at the top of the market," Dutt said. "I think teams will move pretty quickly to sign him [after July 1]. He is about the top free agent out there."
The 6-foot-10 forward is coming off a career-best year despite missing 22 games with a hand injury. Lewis averaged 22.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game last season.
"He's excited. At the same time he wants to win. He puts in the time himself and he wants his teammates to do the same. He's just looking for an opportunity, whether he stays in Seattle or if he was to move, to be in a situation where he has an opportunity to win every night," Dutt said.
"I'm excited about where I stand in the NBA," Lewis said last month, immediately after his ninth season in Seattle ended in a 31-51 mess. He turns 28 in August.
Lewis could get offers of five years for perhaps $15 million per year. He said he will give Seattle first opportunity to give him a sweet deal.
"Oh, yeah. I've been here since the team drafted me [in 1998]. They have faith in me," Lewis said last month.
"My heart will always be here -- even if I play somewhere else."
The 2005 All-Star returned from his six-week absence last season to lead the team while All-Star shooter Ray Allen was injured.
Source: ESPN
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
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Kobe Wants Jerry West Back
Kobe Bryant isn't happy with the Lakers' direction and wants Jerry West back in Los Angeles to fix things.
Bryant told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that he wants the Lakers to bring West back to the organization and give him full authority. If the Lakers don't want to do that, Bryant said he wants to be traded.
However, Bryant told The Los Angeles Times that he was just making a suggestion and wasn't demanding a trade if West wasn't brought back.
"I would love for him to be a part of this," Bryant told the newspaper. "But it's not something where I demand he comes here. All I can do is offer my thoughts. I love being a Laker. I want to retire a Laker. I want to fix this thing, or at least help any way I can."
In a story in Sunday's Los Angeles Times, Bryant said he was frustrated that the team has not made any significant moves since it re-signed him.
"I want to see us get to a contending level," he told The Times. "I want to see us become a championship contender. It's been a frustrating process for me and I'm sure it's been a frustrating process for all Laker fans. I'm just hoping we can get to that level. I'm still frustrated. I'm waiting for them to make some changes."
West, who spent five seasons in Memphis, will leave his post as the Grizzlies' director of basketball operations July 1 at the end of his contract. West helped build the Lakers' dynasty in the '80s and engineered their rebirth in the '90s, overseeing seven NBA championship teams -- including back-to-back champions in 1987-1988 and three consecutive crowns from 2000-2002.
"I haven't thought about it at all until Kobe brought it up today. My main priority is to [Grizzlies owner] Mike Heisley and to finish up with the Memphis Grizzlies," West told ESPN's Jim Gray on Sunday night. "I am fiercely loyal to Mike, as I am to Mitch Kupchak. Having said that, I'm a lifelong Laker and we will see what happens."
In Memphis, West never had the advantages he enjoyed in the large market of Los Angeles, where he signed Shaquille O'Neal and traded Vlade Divac for Bryant.
Bryant averaged 31.6 points per game in 2007 as the Lakers qualified for the seventh seed in the Western Conference with a 42-40 record. Los Angeles lost in five games to the Suns, however, and the Lakers haven't won a championship since O'Neal was traded to the Heat.
Source: ESPN
Kobe Bryant isn't happy with the Lakers' direction and wants Jerry West back in Los Angeles to fix things.
Bryant told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that he wants the Lakers to bring West back to the organization and give him full authority. If the Lakers don't want to do that, Bryant said he wants to be traded.
However, Bryant told The Los Angeles Times that he was just making a suggestion and wasn't demanding a trade if West wasn't brought back.
"I would love for him to be a part of this," Bryant told the newspaper. "But it's not something where I demand he comes here. All I can do is offer my thoughts. I love being a Laker. I want to retire a Laker. I want to fix this thing, or at least help any way I can."
In a story in Sunday's Los Angeles Times, Bryant said he was frustrated that the team has not made any significant moves since it re-signed him.
"I want to see us get to a contending level," he told The Times. "I want to see us become a championship contender. It's been a frustrating process for me and I'm sure it's been a frustrating process for all Laker fans. I'm just hoping we can get to that level. I'm still frustrated. I'm waiting for them to make some changes."
West, who spent five seasons in Memphis, will leave his post as the Grizzlies' director of basketball operations July 1 at the end of his contract. West helped build the Lakers' dynasty in the '80s and engineered their rebirth in the '90s, overseeing seven NBA championship teams -- including back-to-back champions in 1987-1988 and three consecutive crowns from 2000-2002.
"I haven't thought about it at all until Kobe brought it up today. My main priority is to [Grizzlies owner] Mike Heisley and to finish up with the Memphis Grizzlies," West told ESPN's Jim Gray on Sunday night. "I am fiercely loyal to Mike, as I am to Mitch Kupchak. Having said that, I'm a lifelong Laker and we will see what happens."
In Memphis, West never had the advantages he enjoyed in the large market of Los Angeles, where he signed Shaquille O'Neal and traded Vlade Divac for Bryant.
Bryant averaged 31.6 points per game in 2007 as the Lakers qualified for the seventh seed in the Western Conference with a 42-40 record. Los Angeles lost in five games to the Suns, however, and the Lakers haven't won a championship since O'Neal was traded to the Heat.
Source: ESPN
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
Soren Kierkegaard
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trashtalkr
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Owner's Hope Fading on Sonics Staying in Seattle
The Oklahoma City businessman who owns the SuperSonics says he is losing hope that a way will be found to keep the NBA team in Seattle.
"I'm probably as pessimistic as I've been," Clay Bennett told The Oklahoman Tuesday. "Not to say I've lost complete hope. We'll evaluate thoroughly any potential lead, but we're out of ideas."
Bennett said he has begun preliminary discussions with Oklahoma City and Kansas City about possible relocation.
"My expectation and my belief is that if we leave Seattle, we're quite likely headed to Oklahoma City," Bennett said. "But that decision has to be made with appropriate due diligence. We have to do that work. Just can't proclaim we're moving here."
He said that when he and his partners first bought the Seattle SuperSonics last summer, he would drive around the Puget Sound area marveling.
"I couldn't get my hands around what good fortune, to have a team in that marketplace with a new facility," said Bennett. "I really thought we would get a deal done. An extraordinary opportunity.
"But lately, I don't have those same feelings."
Bennett said despite last week's news that the Sonics will pick second in the NBA draft, giving them either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, there has been no momentum on finding a way to build a new arena, which is the key to keeping the team in Seattle.
"For now, without a building solution, it's our intent to play in Seattle and apply for relocation immediately after the [Oct. 31] deadline," Bennett said.
The Oklahoma City group agreed to give Seattle until Oct. 31 to produce an arena deal.
Source: Sports Illustrated
The Oklahoma City businessman who owns the SuperSonics says he is losing hope that a way will be found to keep the NBA team in Seattle.
"I'm probably as pessimistic as I've been," Clay Bennett told The Oklahoman Tuesday. "Not to say I've lost complete hope. We'll evaluate thoroughly any potential lead, but we're out of ideas."
Bennett said he has begun preliminary discussions with Oklahoma City and Kansas City about possible relocation.
"My expectation and my belief is that if we leave Seattle, we're quite likely headed to Oklahoma City," Bennett said. "But that decision has to be made with appropriate due diligence. We have to do that work. Just can't proclaim we're moving here."
He said that when he and his partners first bought the Seattle SuperSonics last summer, he would drive around the Puget Sound area marveling.
"I couldn't get my hands around what good fortune, to have a team in that marketplace with a new facility," said Bennett. "I really thought we would get a deal done. An extraordinary opportunity.
"But lately, I don't have those same feelings."
Bennett said despite last week's news that the Sonics will pick second in the NBA draft, giving them either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, there has been no momentum on finding a way to build a new arena, which is the key to keeping the team in Seattle.
"For now, without a building solution, it's our intent to play in Seattle and apply for relocation immediately after the [Oct. 31] deadline," Bennett said.
The Oklahoma City group agreed to give Seattle until Oct. 31 to produce an arena deal.
Source: Sports Illustrated
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
Soren Kierkegaard
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Kobe Bryant Wants Out of LA
The story lines that have engulfed the Los Angeles Lakers in the last week hit a crescendo Wednesday when Kobe Bryant said he would welcome a trade.
"I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York. "Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"
Bryant, interviewed by Stephen A. Smith, was asked if there was anything the Lakers could do to change his mind.
"No," Bryant said. "I just want them to do the right thing."
"[The Lakers] obviously want to move in a different direction in terms of rebuilding," Bryant said, adding he could have opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls instead. "Three years ago when I was re-signing they should have told me they wanted to rebuild."
Earlier in the day, Bryant said team owner Jerry Buss masterminded the trade of Shaquille O'Neal -- and Shaq later confirmed Kobe's account.
The issues between Bryant and the Lakers have reached a boil, beginning with Bryant voicing his displeasure with the club's direction, his suggestion that Jerry West should return to fix things, West's statement that he has no intention of undermining GM/good friend Mitch Kupchak, and, unrelated but bizarre in its timing, Buss' arrest early Tuesday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.
In response to the Times' story, Bryant, interviewed by Smith for a Philadelphia Inquirer column, said Buss "called a meeting with me after he spoke with Jim Gray [of ESPN] to talk with him about Shaq's future in the middle of the 2004 season.
"He met with me at the Four Seasons Hotel here [in Newport Beach, Calif.] across from Fashion Island, which is now the Island Hotel," Bryant told Smith. "I went up to his penthouse suite. [Buss] looks me dead in the face and says: 'Kobe, I am not going to re-sign Shaq. I am not about to pay him $30 million a year or $80 million over three years. No way in hell. I feel like he's getting older. His body is breaking down, and I don't want to pay that money to him when I can get value for him right now rather than wait.
"This is my decision. It's independent of you. My mind is made up. It doesn't matter to me what you do in free agency because I do not want to pay [Shaq], period.'"
Reached afterward, O'Neal told Smith that he believed his former teammate to be beyond reproach.
"I believe Kobe 100 percent," O'Neal said when reached in Los Angeles. "Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent.
While Bryant re-signed for $136 million for seven years the day after O'Neal was traded, he has pushed for trades -- he wanted Carlos Boozer, then Jason Kidd, then Ron Artest -- that the Lakers were unable to pull off. Meanwhile, Odom has undergone shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for training camp in October; Kwame Brown has undergone reconstructive surgery on his left ankle and might not be ready for the start of camp.
And now Bryant, who reportedly has made it clear to the Lakers that he may see fit to terminate his contract in two years, has told Smith he won't continue to wait for Buss to build the roster around him.
"Promises made to make this team better have not been kept," Bryant told Smith. "So where does that leave me?"
Source: ESPN
The story lines that have engulfed the Los Angeles Lakers in the last week hit a crescendo Wednesday when Kobe Bryant said he would welcome a trade.
"I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York. "Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"
Bryant, interviewed by Stephen A. Smith, was asked if there was anything the Lakers could do to change his mind.
"No," Bryant said. "I just want them to do the right thing."
"[The Lakers] obviously want to move in a different direction in terms of rebuilding," Bryant said, adding he could have opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls instead. "Three years ago when I was re-signing they should have told me they wanted to rebuild."
Earlier in the day, Bryant said team owner Jerry Buss masterminded the trade of Shaquille O'Neal -- and Shaq later confirmed Kobe's account.
The issues between Bryant and the Lakers have reached a boil, beginning with Bryant voicing his displeasure with the club's direction, his suggestion that Jerry West should return to fix things, West's statement that he has no intention of undermining GM/good friend Mitch Kupchak, and, unrelated but bizarre in its timing, Buss' arrest early Tuesday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.
In response to the Times' story, Bryant, interviewed by Smith for a Philadelphia Inquirer column, said Buss "called a meeting with me after he spoke with Jim Gray [of ESPN] to talk with him about Shaq's future in the middle of the 2004 season.
"He met with me at the Four Seasons Hotel here [in Newport Beach, Calif.] across from Fashion Island, which is now the Island Hotel," Bryant told Smith. "I went up to his penthouse suite. [Buss] looks me dead in the face and says: 'Kobe, I am not going to re-sign Shaq. I am not about to pay him $30 million a year or $80 million over three years. No way in hell. I feel like he's getting older. His body is breaking down, and I don't want to pay that money to him when I can get value for him right now rather than wait.
"This is my decision. It's independent of you. My mind is made up. It doesn't matter to me what you do in free agency because I do not want to pay [Shaq], period.'"
Reached afterward, O'Neal told Smith that he believed his former teammate to be beyond reproach.
"I believe Kobe 100 percent," O'Neal said when reached in Los Angeles. "Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent.
While Bryant re-signed for $136 million for seven years the day after O'Neal was traded, he has pushed for trades -- he wanted Carlos Boozer, then Jason Kidd, then Ron Artest -- that the Lakers were unable to pull off. Meanwhile, Odom has undergone shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for training camp in October; Kwame Brown has undergone reconstructive surgery on his left ankle and might not be ready for the start of camp.
And now Bryant, who reportedly has made it clear to the Lakers that he may see fit to terminate his contract in two years, has told Smith he won't continue to wait for Buss to build the roster around him.
"Promises made to make this team better have not been kept," Bryant told Smith. "So where does that leave me?"
Source: ESPN
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
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Soren Kierkegaard
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Grizzlies Hire Suns Assistant As Head Coach
The Memphis Grizzlies have hired Phoenix assistant Marc Iavaroni as their new head coach, SI.com has learned. An official announcement is expected Thursday.
Iavaroni was widely considered to be the Grizzlies' top choice after nothing came out of an early interview between the club and Larry Brown.
Iavaroni and Dave Griffin, the Suns' vice president, were considered to be a package deal, but the Grizzlies had not hired Griffin for a front-office role as of Wednesday morning. The Suns reportedly want Griffin to stay on through the draft, which might discourage Memphis' interest in him as it tries to replace team president Jerry West, who will leave at the end of June.
Iavaroni was schooled in the control system of Pat Riley in Miami, where he was an assistant coach, and is widely recognized as a defensive specialist, though Iavaroni has said he has come to appreciate the up-tempo offense run by Suns coach Mike D'Antoni.
Source: Sports Illustrated
The Memphis Grizzlies have hired Phoenix assistant Marc Iavaroni as their new head coach, SI.com has learned. An official announcement is expected Thursday.
Iavaroni was widely considered to be the Grizzlies' top choice after nothing came out of an early interview between the club and Larry Brown.
Iavaroni and Dave Griffin, the Suns' vice president, were considered to be a package deal, but the Grizzlies had not hired Griffin for a front-office role as of Wednesday morning. The Suns reportedly want Griffin to stay on through the draft, which might discourage Memphis' interest in him as it tries to replace team president Jerry West, who will leave at the end of June.
Iavaroni was schooled in the control system of Pat Riley in Miami, where he was an assistant coach, and is widely recognized as a defensive specialist, though Iavaroni has said he has come to appreciate the up-tempo offense run by Suns coach Mike D'Antoni.
Source: Sports Illustrated
"If there were no eternal consciousness in a man, if at the bottom of everything there were only a wild ferment, a power that twisting in dark passions produced everything great or inconsequential; if an unfathomable insatiable emptiness lay hid beneath everything, what would life be but despair?"
Soren Kierkegaard
Soren Kierkegaard
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