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» Update: 07:36 PM ET |
 So where are you off to now? Brooklyn or Utah? Andrei Kirilenko: These two teams are my top priorities. In Utah is where I blossomed, the Nets are owned by a Russian Oligarch. But no one knows how life will unfold, so please let's wait a little until July 1st, the hot time of change in the NBA. But for now I want to enjoy this Championship of Russia. We earned it. Sovsport.ru Chris Mannix: New Jersey is penciling Brook Lopez in at between $8 and $10 mill per year. Hibbert is going to get a lot more. Twitter LeBron James scored 40 points, superstar sidekick Dwyane Wade added 30 -- 22 in the second half -- and Miami's dynamic duo took over after halftime to get the Heat even in the series with a 101-93 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday. With Chris Bosh injured and back in Florida, the James-Wade tandem saved the Heat, who will host Game 5 on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. James was at his MVP best, adding 18 rebounds and nine assists and refusing to let Miami's season slip away. Wade rebounded from the worst playoff game of his career, shaking off a 1 of 8 shooting start and adding nine rebounds and six assists. Danny Granger scored 20 to lead the Pacers. ESPN.com  As the Heat were making their way to the Pacers practice court on Saturday, Howard turned down the hallway that leads to the Pacers locker room, asking – and cussing – where he could find Stephenson. Indianapolis Star Dahntay Jones, who was outside the locker room with teammate Paul George, a Pacers employee, his son and his mother, went and talked to Howard before the 39-year-old Howard turned around and went toward the practice court with the rest of his teammates. “Tell him I’m going to (expletive) him up,” Howard said to Dahntay Jones, Paul George and another Pacers employee. Indianapolis Star It was unclear which player had said something to start the jawing, but Howard was soon warning Stephenson to keep his mouth shut, as Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw stepped between the players and nudged Howard away from the court. There didn’t appear to be any possibility that the altercation would evolve into violence, but Howard clearly had no use for Stephenson, nor his attitude. Yahoo! Sports Mixing and matching with All-Star forward Chris Bosh out with an abdominal strain, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra started center Ronny Turiaf and forward Shane Battier in Sunday’s Game 4 up front with LeBron James. Dwyane Wade, hoping to bounce back from the worst playoff game of his career, is in the backcourt with Mario Chalmers. Boston Herald More Erik Spoelstra on Wade, "In the playoffs it's about how you manage all the different emotions . . . but it's not only resting on his shoulders." Sulia Tom Withers: Spoelstra believes #Heat will respond: "I like the look I've gotten the last two days." Twitter  Tim Reynolds: (Heat assistant coach) Bob McAdoo told ESPN's Heather Cox at halftime that Wade's "knee is bothering him." Twitter Gary Forbes: Danny Granger is the new Xavier McDaniel... Lol he out there frontin #crrraaaze Twitter Michael Lee: OKC has 7 wins this postseason. Kevin Durant has 3 game-winners. Does Durant embrace responsibility as closer? “That’s the role I want.” Twitter  Although next month’s NBA draft is considered to be deep with talent, New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams disagrees. With two lottery picks, the Hornets are slotted fourth and 10th in the May 30 draft lottery and have a 13.7 percent chance of landing the top pick. New Orleans Times-Picayune ``I don’t see this deep draft everybody is talking about,’’ Williams said. ``I think there are a few players at the top that are really good that can be good players. But I don’t see any Carmelo’s or LeBron’s.’’ New Orleans Times-Picayune ``I don’t think you’re going to find a (Manu) Ginobili at 52,’’ Williams said. ``The last few weeks I’ve had a chance to look at all these young guys on tape and I’m not jaded by the hoopla as everybody else is. I think there are good players, but I don’t see this deep draft.’’ New Orleans Times-Picayune Two league executives said that (Tu) Holloway played well but his height could be a factor in whether he's taken in the mid-to-late second round in the June 28 draft or gets brought in as a free agent with a shot to make a team. Holloway is motivated by that, having heard many times that his height could hurt his chances. Newsday "It's about your heart and things like that," Holloway said. "People watched me be the best player on the college floor many nights and I was the smallest guy on the floor. If I do it on the college level being 6-feet, 6-1, I can definitely make an impact in the NBA. You look at every team, guys are my size. Newsday Benson could not expand on his plans for the Hornets management structure, because he has not officially taken ownership of the team. But it's clear that Lauscha and Mickey Loomis, the Saints' executive vice president and general manager, will have major roles with the Hornets. Loomis will likely oversee basketball operations, with the Hornets' general manager reporting to him. New Orleans Times-Picayune Benson, who previously held the title of Saints owner and president, will serve as owner and chairman of the board. His granddaughter, Rita Benson LeBlanc, who has served as owner and executive vice president of the Saints since 2005, will now serve as vice-chairwoman of the board. LeBlanc's expanded role will include enhanced management responsibilities within Zelia LLC, which includes properties such as Benson Tower and Champions Square as well as various interests in the automotive, real estate and banking sectors and multimedia platforms, including Fox affiliate WVUE. "We've got a good team going, we really do," said Benson, who was surrounded as usual by his core management team of LeBlanc, Lauscha and Loomis as he sat down in his office Friday to discuss the new roles. New Orleans Times-Picayune Bob Boozer, an Olympic gold medalist and original Chicago Bull, died Saturday night in Omaha, Neb. He was 75. Chicago Tribune The Bulls selected Boozer as one of 18 picks in the May 1, 1966, expansion draft to stock the fledgling franchise's initial season. Boozer averaged 20.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in three seasons with the Bulls, including a 1968 All-Star game appearance. Chicago Tribune  ESPN's "Outside the Lines" today ran an in-depth interview with Rodman on his lifestyle as a retired basketball player, which many, including Rodman, would still consider reckless. "If you look at everything that I'm doing, it's nothing good. It's always bad," Rodman said in the interview. Detroit Free Press According to court papers, Rodman owes over $800,000 in child support to his now ex-wife, Michelle. In December, a judge trimmed Rodman's $50,000 a month payments down to $5,000 because Rodman and his attorney successfully argued that the former NBAer was both broke and sick. However, Rodman's agent said his earning power can be up to a $1 million a year and, despite Rodman's battle with alcoholism, he is relatively healthy. Detroit Free Press Carl Landry: These #WNBA players can play!!! Looks like I'm rolling with the #MinnesotaLynx this season... Twitter |
» Update: 02:25 PM ET |
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What set Wade off Thursday night during the timeout, and caused him to tell Spoelstra — as was audible from my seat — to “get out” of his face? After seeing a review of the tape, and consulting with several people who saw it as well, it appears that Spoelstra told Wade that the latter was “playing soft.” If so, those are strong words in the world of elite athletics. Palm Beach Post “Big part of that is my responsibility to make sure he get to place where he’s comfortable and confident and where he can be aggressive,” Spoelstra said. “That’s where we’ve been focusing our energies the last couple of days. I anticipate we’ll do a better job of it this game.” ESPN.com "Whatever happened between D. Wade and Spoelstra was highly publicized," Pacers forward Danny Granger said. "Teams can (respond to) that in two ways. They can come together; they can call a meeting to get on the same page. Or it'll be more of a crack. I think they'll take the positive approach. We have to think they're going to come back and be on the same page more than ever." Indianapolis Star "They're in desperation mode," Granger said. "For us, we see it as a chance to turn the tide." Indianapolis Star Sean Deveney: #Pacers Vogel on 3d-q dominance: "It’s my Vnce Lombardi speeches. My motivational tactics at halftime are solely responsible. I'm a genius." Twitter Charles Barkley had some strong comments about the Miami Heat on TNT. "The Miami Heat have flaws,'' Barkley said. "They have a real small team. If Roy Hibbert (continues to) dominate this series, they are going to win this series. Miami’s bench (with the exception of Shane Battier) is not very good. The two problems they have is that they are very small so a big team is going to beat them and their lack of depth is coming back to haunt them.” Sulia  Brian Windhorst: LeBron is 5th MVP to play for a team that scored 75 points or less in a playoff game & only one to have it happen twice (Games 2 & 3) Twitter Brian Windhorst: LeBron is 1st player to score 2,500+ points, get 800+ rebounds & 600+ assists in first 100 playoff games. Game 3 was his 100th Twitter Martin Frank: Collins says #Sixers want to make Pierce, Garnett work both ends of the floor if they're going to log so many minutes. Twitter  Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey told Pistons.com he plans to be around the team's practice facility quite a bit this summer. Aside from a July trip to Sweden with Jonas Jerebko as his tour guide and a Memorial Day visit home to Seattle, Stuckey plans to be in Auburn Hills working on his game. Detroit Free Press "Later in the summer, I'm going to try to get the guys back out to work out here for at least a month," Stuckey told Pistons.com. "We'll have our draft picks here as well, hopefully. Just try to change the atmosphere around in here. The chemistry is there, but just getting in work together will be good for us." Detroit Free Press Tom Moore: #Sixers Collins: 'I think (extra day off) probably benefits them more than us.' #Celtics Twitter Paul Flanner: Avery Bradley is not practicing today because of the shoulder. Doc said a lot of guys wouldn't be playing with it. Twitter Peter Stringer: Doc on Bradley's shoulder injury: "A lot people would not be playing...it affects him defensively and he doesn't want to drive as much." Twitter Martin Frank: Elton Brand on shoulder: "hopefully I can wake up one morning and say , 'Eureka! It's healed.'" #Sixers Twitter  Because his perimeter game is so lacking, there are some who think the Cavaliers should shy away from Kentucky small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the June 28 NBA draft. That opinion is not shared by Ryan Blake, senior director of NBA scouting operations. News-Herald "Teams realize and project that he (Kidd-Gilchrist) needs a consistent perimeter game," Blake said. News-Herald "Our guys need to understand this team can beat us and the other game felt like a blowout -- it was a blowout -- but in the playoffs, every game is different," Vogel said. "I made sure they left this building understanding this team can beat us. As (Orlando coach) Stan Van Gundy said, 'You don't get two wins for a blowout.' We're very guarded about how good this team is." Indianapolis Star "He is a great athlete who has a great motor," (Ryan Blake) said. "He's a tough, physical defender. He attacks the rim and is a good finisher. He's a good rebounder. When you think about the ability he has, along with his (basketball) IQ and maturity, it's very important." News-Herald  Tom Benson's business portfolio is bursting at the seams these days. He has expanded into television, film, real estate and now NBA basketball in the past four years. New Orleans Times-Picayune Benson could not expand on his plans for the Hornets management structure, because he has not officially taken ownership of the team. But it's clear that (Dennis) Lauscha and Mickey Loomis, the Saints' executive vice president and general manager, will have major roles with the Hornets. Loomis will likely oversee basketball operations, with the Hornets' -general manager reporting to him. New Orleans Times-Picayune Popeye Jones is a lug of a man who is 6-8 and was listed at 265 pounds at the end of his 11-year run as an NBA power forward. The middle of his three sons is good-sized for a young hockey player, 6-4 and about 200 as he nears his 18th birthday this October. Portland Tribune Seth Jones – whose Western Hockey League rights were acquired by Portland from Everett this season – is one of the top junior prospects in the country. The captain of the under-18 team with the National Hockey Development Program, he would have been one of the top 10 picks in this year’s NHL draft, though he was too young to be eligible. Portland Tribune |
» Update: 08:55 AM ET |
 Billy King on Gerald Wallace, who has a player option, but has publicly said he wants to return to the Nets next season: "We've had conversations with his representatives because actually we can talk about the potential of [an] extension if he opts in. We'll leave that there." (The Nets likely won't make a move with their free agents until they know Williams' definite plans.) ESPN.com The Clippers have no choice but to offer Griffin a max-level contract extension this summer. His potential, his Hollywood appeal, will demand it. But with that money comes responsibility. The Clippers need Griffin to carry them when Paul can't. On those nights when Paul has been anything than less than great, the Clippers have been lost. Yahoo! Sports  Billy King on his trip to Turkey: "Turkey was good. I was able to watch the [Euroleague] Final Four, see some good games. I obviously saw Deron there, I saw Mikhail [Prokhorov] there. It was a good trip." (King didn't discuss details of his time spent with either of them.) ESPN.com The Nets showed off their new look to the NBA on Saturday, and so did Deron Williams. Williams, a free agent-to-be, was decked out in black and white Brooklyn Nets gear for all the NBA to see at the draft combine the Nets are hosting this weekend. Representatives from all 30 NBA teams were in attendance. Williams worked out at the Nets training facility, which has been revamped to reflect the team’s new Brooklyn identity, Friday and Saturday, and stopped by the combine after an early-morning workout. Bergen Record There was some talk about Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon getting a max offer this summer, possibly from Indiana. That might be far-fetched because he's had issues with his knees for two consecutive years. Don't rule out a possible sign-and-trade, however, with Gordon going to the Pacers and forward Danny Granger going to New Orleans. Both teams are under the cap this summer. In that scenario, the Pacers could move Paul George to small forward, which might be his natural position. News-Herald At the end of the Russian PBL final won against Khimki, Andrei Kirilenko released an interview and talked about his future. 'I haven't decided my future yet. There are 50-50 chances for me to stay or to go. I just want to say that if I stay in Europe, it will be with CSKA Moscow. I won't play for any other team. I am going to weigh my options. It is going to be a very busy summer' said Kirilenko, Sportando NBA teams have until June 30 to tender qualifying offers to potential restricted free agents. The Cavs have three such players in center Semih Erden and forwards Alonzo Gee and Luke Harangody. They'll definitely give Gee a qualifying offer. He said he wants to return to the Cavs. Erden didn't sparkle last season and at times, he sat on the bench for long periods. He's still a 7-footer with skills. News-Herald When asked about Erden recently, Cavs general manager Chris Grant said no decision has been made. They'll likely give him a qualifying offer. It's worth $1.1 million. This is purely a guess, but the Cavs probably won't give Harangody a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. News-Herald Billy King on meeting with Bojan Bogdanovic -- the Nets own his draft rights (from 2011), but he has one season remaining on his contract with Fenerbahce in the Turkish League: "We had a good meeting. He's anxious to come over and play. In due time, we'll talk about his contract so we can get him out. He had the NBA League Pass and watched all our games, so he's as anxious as the day we drafted him." ESPN.com  Pau Gasol said it was one play, one turnover in a sea of fourth-quarter mistakes. He contended his error wasn’t the sole reason the Lakers lost Game 4 to Oklahoma City. “Obviously if I could have gone back, maybe I could have shot it and I would have,” Gasol said. “But it’s one play…. I don’t feel like we lost the game because of one turnover.” Orange County Register "It was a pick-and-roll, and Kobe took a couple guys with him," Gasol said. "I felt like the defense collapsed. I watched the replay three or four times. I thought I could kick it out to Metta and get a good look but, Durant got the steal. If I could go back (and shoot it) I would." Los Angeles Daily News But the Gasol turnover is what happened and what will be remembered. "It was a bad read by Pau," Bryant said. "It happens." Los Angeles Daily News After Bryant tied it at 98-98 with two free throws, Westbrook slipped on the court -- a fairly common occurrence on a day when the Clippers and Lakers both played playoff games on different courts laid over the ice surface at Staples Center -- giving the Lakers one more realistic chance to hold on. Bryant passed to Gasol along the baseline, about 10 feet from the basket, but Gasol threw an errant pass for Metta World Peace for a turnover leading to Durant's deciding 3-pointer. "He's just looking to swing the ball too much," Bryant said. "He's got to shoot it." CBSSports.com World Peace placed the blame for the bad pass on his own shoulders, saying “I should have cut. He saw me open and I should have cut.” Orange County Register Josh Selby: Sorry I'll take Marc over Paul anyday Twitter The Lakers, on their way down in the second round for the second straight year, forgot about Bynum down the stretch as Bryant went 2-for-10 in the fourth. After scoring 14 in the first half, Bynum had only four after halftime and two in the fourth. "In the second half what they did was front Andrew," said Bryant, who had 38 points, but only seven in the fourth. "So when they front Andrew, and in the fourth quarter they crowd me, the other guys have got to be more aggressive. Simple as that." CBSSports.com  It was a classic moment. Oklahoma's great hero guarded by Oklahoma's mortal enemy, Metta World Chaos. “I knew (Chaos) was going to play off of me just a little bit,” Durant said. “Getting to the rim, I didn't want to chance that.” Not with Andrew Bynum standing there protecting the rim. “I saw some air space and I was able to knock it down,” Durant said. “I wanted to run the shot clock down and get the last shot. I was just trying to look at the floor and try to get the best shot possible. “I seen Artest back up just a hair. I shot it. I thought, ‘If this doesn't go in, it's going to be a terrible shot and they're going to criticize me a lot.'” Oklahoman More from coach Brown on Westbrook: “We just didn’t do a good enough job when they kept running pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll after pick-and- roll of imposing our will and trying to play the right way defensively on whoever had the ball, especially Westbrook. Westbrook kept getting right in side that elbow and knocking that shot down and we didn’t do a good job with that. And/or he just sized the guy up in front of him and drove the ball.” Oklahoman The unusual number of on-court slips and spills by both the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder during Saturday’s Game 4 was not because of the ice rink beneath the court, according to Staples Center officials. The ice has been there since September and there have not been any previous complaints about slipping. Several Oklahoma City players complained of slippery conditions after point guard Russell Westbrook slipped near the sideline at the end of the first half. He was not injured and returned to play the second half. Michael Roth, spokesman for Staples Center, said the referees deemed the court safe. “The referees didn’t have any complaints with the court,” Roth said. “And everything was done as usual in these circumstances.” Orange County Register Darnell Mayberry: Laker Girl Jessica just introduced herself on the jumbotron & announced she graduated from Oklahoma City University. Promptly gets booed. Twitter  By the end of Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal series, the Spurs had discovered a different route to the same old destination, riding the crest of a history-making comeback to grab a 96-86 victory and a commanding 3-0 series lead. “We just stayed in there,” said point guard Tony Parker, who had 23 points and 10 assists for his first double-double of the playoffs. “We knew it was a long game. We didn't panic.” San Antonio Express-News Spurs coach Gregg Popovich credits his veteran core of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili — who have combined for 455 playoff games — for keeping the ship from capsizing. “We didn't get rattled, but one would expect that this group wouldn't,” Popovich said. “They've seen a little bit of everything, and they know that anything can happen in an NBA game.” San Antonio Express-News  It's not his fault he's being paid $42 million over four years to be one of the Clippers' prominent players, but how about playing like someone worried they might take his money away? "I disagree I'm not developing; I'm physical," Jordan says. "Do you want me to flagrant-two somebody?" Los Angeles Times How about just grabbing the ball when it's loose, or maybe making contact while going for a rebound rather than just trying to leap over someone? "So that means I'm not physical?" Jordan says. "I disagree with you." Los Angeles Times How about some offensive moves around the basket? To date, Jordan has made two baskets in his NBA career outside the free-throw lane. "I don't get those shots in a game, so I can't prove to anyone I've developed that," he says. Los Angeles Times He should watch that aggressive play over and over this off-season. At age 23 he has plenty of time to develop, the Clippers' future in many ways tied to it. "I don't have to apologize to anybody about anything," Jordan says. Los Angeles Times  If you were writing a story about Blake Griffin, what type of questions would you ask him? Matt Bonner: I really like his Kia commercials. They make me laugh every time. I would probably try to explore his sense of humor and talk about what he finds funny. I would delve into his personality that way. UnionLeader.com The Hawks owner said KG is one of the dirtiest players in the league. Is he? Matt Bonner: No, I think he plays hard but thanks for putting me on the spot. I get better questions from the kids at my basketball camp. UnionLeader.com  Pacers forward Danny Granger has picked up a technical foul in each of the past two games for taking exception to James throwing an elbow in his direction. James also received a technical for his actions in Game 2. "I'm not going to back down from anybody and he's not going to back down from anybody," Granger said. "And when you get that, you'll get some altercations. I think (Commissioner) David Stern has done a good job of making sure we know what the line is and what not to cross. "We won't cross that line. But we just want each other to know it's going to be an intense battle and it's going to be a fight." Indianapolis Star Shaun Powell: Frank Vogel, on Lance Stephenson choke sign: "I want enthusiasm on the bench. I don't want gestures that go over the top." Twitter Refreshed in body and spirit, the Miami Heat returned to practice reunited and refocused. There was no looking back. No heartfelt apologies given. No need for a detailed autopsy of Dwyane Wade's ugly sideline exchange with coach Eric Spoelstra in Game 3. What's done is done. All that's for another day. Right now, it's time to save the season. "We move on," Wade said. SI.com Wade, who scored just five points on 2-of-13 shooting and had five turnovers in Thursday's blowout, insists that any apparent problems with Spoelstra were overblown. He downplayed their fiery spat. "Things happen," said Wade, who refused to acknowledge his quarrel with Spoelstra following the game. "In a perfect world a lot of things would go differently, but it's not a perfect world. A lot of stuff in our game is in the heat of the battle, emotional-type things. When something happens, it happens and we move on as a team. "Me and coach have been together for nine years in some capacity. We've had many different conversations, some like that and some not. It wasn't the first, it won't the last. We know how to move on from things and we know each other wants the best for each other." "There's no harm done. We're a family." SI.com  Thunder G Russell Westbrook on his scary slip on Staples Center court before halftime: "I was trying to go out for the outlet. I stopped and slipped, did the splits. Kind of messed up my hip a little bit. It's the playoffs. Can't sit back and whine about it." Sulia Addressing reporters, GM Billy King confirmed that Lopez got a check-up on May 16 and said he's "making good progress" in his recovery. He still expects the team's starting center to be 100 percent healthy come training camp. "[The doctors] said everything's progressing nicely," King said. "He's on track. He's doing everything -- just no running and jumping at this point. It's good to see Brook shooting." ESPN.com The Cavs expect guard Daniel Gibson to be ready for training camp, even though there are no guarantees. He had foot surgery in April to repair a torn tendon. Until the Cavs find someone better, he'll be back for 2012-13. They'd have to pay him $2.5 million to go away, which doesn't really make sense with Donald Sloan, Manny Harris and D.J. Kennedy currently in their backcourt. News-Herald  Will Dirk Nowitzki be in the roster? Svetislav Pesic (Germany's head coach): “Nowitzki needs rest from everything, after the end of the season for Dallas Mavericks. We will have a meeting, if I am in Germany in June, about the possibility of him playing with us, this summer. We talked and we said we will be in touch in June. I will call him and we will meet to discuss, what he needs to do, if he is going to play with the national team or not”. EuroHoops.net Former Cleveland Cavaliers and CSKA Moscow guard Trajan Langdon, who retired last year after winning a sixth-consecutive Russian title, is considering coming back as a coach, he told RIA Novosti on Saturday. "I am missing basketball a bit," Langdon said. "But I don't want to return as a player, maybe as a coach or a manager. I still love basketball, but not as a player." RIA Novosti The Portland Trail Blazers have not asked for permission to speak to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak about their opening for the same position, team spokesman John Black said before Game 4 on Saturday night. An Internet report last month suggested the Trail Blazers had a strong interest in speaking to Kupchak about their GM vacancy. They have not asked the Lakers to speak to him as of Saturday evening, however. Los Angeles Daily News  "I hope your family gets murdered," tweeted one muttonhead toward Blake's wife. Mrs. Blake responded brilliantly, of course. She didn't hide under the bed or shudder in fear. Instead, she exposed the half-wit sicko. She re-tweeted the threat, adding, "Wow." And sure enough, the offender was so buried by the public response that he backed down, said he was kidding, and offered a "Go Steve!" in response. To that, I say, "Go away." Oregonian I once asked an NBA player why he didn't vote in elections and he said he didn't want his home address accessible via public records. Basically, the guy was well aware that if he exercised his basic democratic right and registered to vote (unless he successfully sought an exemption to keep his record private) he was potentially placing his family, his home and himself in danger. Minimally, he was inviting unwanted contact from angry fans if he ever missed a shot. I've spent the better part of a week listening to people say things such as, "Twitter is out of control." It's not Twitter, people. We live in a barnyard. Always have. The issue is us. Twitter has just given us an immediate and ugly look into the darkest, ugliest corners of the human psyche. Oregonian  But less than a month after his grandmother's death, Hardaway confirmed what he always suspected -- giving his time is more important than writing a check. First, he volunteered to coach a group of Lester Middle School seventh- and eighth-graders whose coach was battling cancer. The team not only won the state championship with a 27-3 record, but Hardaway's emphasis on academics and discipline resulted in the team grade point average improving from 2.5 to almost 3.0. Then, he became point man for Penny's Fastbreak Courts. It's his youth sports training program that's part of the Gameday Healthy Kids Foundation, which teaches athletics and life skills to underprivileged children. Hardaway is an investor and fundraiser for a proposed $20 million Fastbreak Courts facility in Cordova. A hoops Taj Mahal, the facility will have seven basketball courts, a 2,000-seat arena, a sports rehab clinic operated by Campbell Clinic, an auditorium and classrooms for tutoring children. Memphis Commercial Appeal "Penny has his life in perspective now," said Randy Wade, deputy director for U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen and one of Hardaway's closest friends and confidants for more than 20 years. "He knows what he wants to do and he's getting it done." Politicians and public officials such as Shelby County Commissioner Henri Brooks are taking notice. "I wish we could clone people like Mr. Hardaway, who came back to the community that gave him a start so that he could give socially and economically disadvantaged kids the same start he enjoyed," Brooks said. "I would encourage a public/private partnership of his Cordova venture. I think the city and the county should step up to the plate and work with Mr. Hardaway providing the resources to make this a reality." Memphis Commercial Appeal Penny Hardaway On the enduring popularity of his Nike shoe, Air Penny, which was re-issued two years ago and is now Nike's most popular basketball shoe, outselling Air Jordan: "A good basketball shoe to me is something you can wear on and off the court. Guys like to wear jeans, T-shirts and sneakers, and you can't do that with a lot of basketball shoes. Some shoes are made just for the court. My shoes and Michael's (Jordan) shoes can be worn on and off the court. The Penny V is dropping next year." Memphis Commercial Appeal |
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