O'Neal, Diawara exercise options to return to Heat
Forwards Jermaine O'Neal and Yakhouba Diawara of the Miami Heat have exercised options to remain under contract for next season.

I'm pretty sure his 20 mil is better than the MLE (which is what he'd get if he opted out this year).

Paul Westphal, lol.

I wouldn't laugh too hard, Pistonfan.

Sources: Cavs squash Brown job report

ESPN.com news services

Mike Brown in danger of losing his job as Cleveland Cavaliers coach? That's news to his bosses.

Multiple sources in the organization discounted a report from Web site Pro Basketball News, which on Thursday cited "several sources close to the situation" as saying the Cavs front office was in "disarray" and "divided" over whether Brown should continue as coach.

"All rumors are completely false. Mike Brown will be the Cavaliers head coach next season," a team source told Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine.

The Cavs lost the Eastern Conference finals to the Orlando Magic in six games after winning a club-record 66 games in the regular season, spoiling a widely anticipated Cavs-Lakers NBA Finals matchup.

The 39-year-old Brown was a runaway winner as the NBA's coach of the year. In his fourth season with the Cavs, he led them to a franchise-best 66-16 mark, and his 211-117 career regular-season record is the best of any Cavs coach.

Has a coach of the year ever been fired the same season? I know Bezdelik (spelling?) got fired pretty soon after his good year.

Doc in Orlando?

Mateen/CWebb to open a restaurant in East Lansing.

That liquor license is key, I bet they'll have stolen 40 oz'ers.


Former MSU basketball star Cleaves plans E.L. restaurant
By Zack Colman
The State News
Published: June 15, 2009

It’s perfectly legitimate to question whether Mateen Cleaves has ever truly left East Lansing and MSU.

The 2000 men’s basketball national champion plays for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA’s D-League, yet he often makes East Lansing trips to participate in basketball camps, visit the Spartans men’s basketball team and meet with head coach Tom Izzo.

But Cleaves is trying to make his stay in East Lansing more permanent, as he plans to open a restaurant in East Lansing with the help of former Michigan Wolverine and NBA star Chris Webber, who owns and operates Center Court with C-Webb in Sacramento, Calif.

“We could have done it in Detroit or in Flint, but I wanted my first one in East Lansing, where it all started for me,” Cleaves said. “I’m excited about putting it in East Lansing. I told Chris before he comes he better put in a reservation.”

Although Cleaves hasn’t picked a location or filed any paperwork with the city, he and Webber said the restaurant will be established in the near future.

Cleaves plans on making the restaurant an homage to MSU past, present and future. There will be as much MSU memorabilia from hockey and baseball as from football and basketball.

“There were some nice places (when I was at MSU). I don’t want to say there was a lack of places; we just thought it would be a good idea to put one there,” he said. “We want to bring some new, young energy back to East Lansing. I’m tried and true with Michigan State. I want to be in that area for the rest of my life.”

Picking East Lansing
Cleaves said when he drives down Grand River Avenue, he is saddened when he sees empty storefronts. But he also sees opportunity.

“You really feel bad because when you see a building closed you know jobs were lost,” he said. “But with me, I’m not really worried about that because if you’re scared to take chances you’ll never win. Just like in basketball, if you’re scared to take the shot, you’ll never make it.”

Andy Deloney, vice president of public affairs for the Michigan Restaurant Association, said it’s never been more difficult to operate a restaurant, which means more restaurants are closing. Given Cleaves at one point earned an NBA salary, he doesn’t need to attract as many investors as other independent restaurateurs. Also, many failed restaurants are trying to sell equipment at low prices, real estate is cheaper and restaurants need to get out of their liquor licenses by offering them at low prices, he added.

Cleaves said he plans on adding a liquor license to his restaurant. The city of East Lansing has one liquor license available, according to the Liquor Control Commission.

East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis, however, said there is a “sufficient” number of restaurants with liquor licenses in downtown East Lansing, which could make it difficult for Cleaves to gain the city’s approval.

“My attitude has been if we can get different venues and get something in downtown we don’t currently have, then it’s something worth taking a look at,” Loomis said. “But if the applicant has a proposal and brings it to us, we judge it upon its merits or lack thereof.”

But Michael Rogers, vice president of communications with the Small Business Association of Michigan, said a liquor license would help expand the appeal of Cleaves’ restaurant to different and more diverse clientele.

“(It) will give him more options for profit because you can attract diners over the age of 21 and a lot of people at mid-range types of restaurants who want a glass of wine or beer with their meal,” Rogers said.

Rigors of a restaurant
Whether Cleaves’ restaurant will stick in East Lansing for the rest of his life depends on many factors.

Cleaves said he, much like Earvin “Magic” Johnson, is focused on making the transition from player to businessman. Johnson opened up several Starbucks coffeehouses, including one at 401 E. Grand River Ave., and has taken on other business ventures.

Deloney said about three of four new restaurants fail in their first year. Cleaves, though, has the advantage of Webber’s tutelage, which could help the restaurant weather the problems new restaurant owners face.

“There’s a certain way they have to be run,” Webber said. “He’s being smart. He wants to put one on his campus because he’s actually going to be there at a lot of these events to make sure students are involved and teams are involved.”

Deloney said name recognition helps for start-up restaurants, and putting a restaurant in East Lansing where Cleaves has celebrity status will help his restaurant. He said that strategy worked for Michael Jordan in Chicago, as people identified with Jordan by visiting his restaurant.

Mikos Jenkins, a computer engineering junior, said he would eat at Cleaves’ restaurant because of his MSU connection.

“He was in the NBA and he came from here,” Jenkins said. “It’s all about showing support I guess for a fellow alumni.”

Whether people come for the name or not, Webber, who played with Cleaves in Sacramento, said Cleaves’ work ethic from the basketball court will translate to the restaurant business and ensure success.

“He has to treat this as a sport,” he said. “Just like how he worked hard all his life in basketball and stayed late at practice and researched other teams, he has to do the same for this.”

Cleaves’ life isn’t all about basketball now, though. And by sticking to his MSU roots, Cleaves has plenty of role models to follow in taking that first step into the business world.

“I idolize guys like Magic Johnson who can show the world that they’re more than basketball players,” Cleaves said. “And that’s what I’m trying to do now.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Aujm_bVfgQaTsT78Q6YxPdS8vLYF?slug=aw-yaorockets062909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

big man over 7'2 doesn't seem to able to play professional basketball for a long time...

Time to move TMac's expiring deal for a center?

Does this effect Artest's decision to re-sign?

The big danger IMO is if Cleveland deals Big Z and parts for McGrady.

Not only would the Cavs have some serious wing help for the playoffs but think of the cap room they could have by renouncing McGrady and Shaq!!!

Dudes would be lining up to play with Lebron. It also fucks every other team who had designs on LBJ because now he gets to choose who his sidekicks are.

Imagine Bosh or Amare with Lebron?

Or imagine both of them signing in Cleveland!

Fuck!

And Houston wouldn't give a fuck, cause they got Big Z and parts to team with Scola and co. I think Scola and Z compliment each other...

unless they have some foreign rivalry I'm unaware of.

That's some good message boarding right there.

B.J. Mullens is now referred to as Byron Mullens.

I think that makes him sound like more of a stiff than B.J. Mullens

I'm guessing people are still gonna call him Blow Job.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard Patrick Mills breaks right foot in summer league.

rumor

Amar'e needs another eye surgery

Mills is probably the best Aussie PG at the moment. He's super quick.

He shouldn't have left college IMO, but I still hate that he's injured.

DeJuan Blair has signed a guaranteed three-year contract with the Spurs for $2.7 million, Jonathan Givony has learned.

rumor

Amar'e needs another eye surgery

I can't figure out their plan in Phoenix. They send Shaq packing to save money (but only this year). Don't know if they are extending Nash. They resign Hill.

Are they going young, trying to contend, going to let Amare and Nash walk? What is their plan there?

I'd like to come up with an Amare trade, but I have no idea what they'd really want.

I think theyre waiting to see if Amare is fully healthy...and Nash...I have no idea...maybe he wants to play for the Kniicks with Bron and d'antoni?

I think they just knew that Shaq wasn't the answer for them, so why pay him all that money when they can save it. I don't think the Shaq trade had anything to do with their future plans.

Yao Ming has bought his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks.

I wonder if he...

I wonder what kinds of games an NBA player could pull with the establishment if they owned their own serious pro franchise.

I had the same thoughts when Divac bought KK Partizan...

Blake Griffin had 5 assists in the Clips' summer league game last night. I'm pretty sure he had less than that all of last season in college.

He's gonna be a beast in the post. I'm thinking he's got some Elton Brand in him.


(If you know what I mean)

You think he and Elton had sex?

No, silly. He thinks Griffin is going to have a freak injury and the 76ers are going to sign him then change their logo.

... and there will be trade ideas floating around on a certain site involving him and RIp.

NO GUYS, I THINK GRIFFIN AND ELTON HAVE A SIMILAR STYLE OF PLAY, THAT'S ALL

WOW, WHAT A MISUNDERTANDING!!

RE#30: you forgot the green text

Houston Rockets (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=hou) center Yao Ming (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1722) has elected to have extensive surgery on his fractured left foot that almost certainly eliminates his chances of playing next season but offers hope that he can resume his NBA career and not fracture the foot a career-ending third time.



After consultation with a battery of doctors, Yao, 28, has decided to undergo a bone graft to heal the existing fracture and have his arch surgically lowered to reduce the stress on his foot.
Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=362) had a fracture in the same part of the foot, had a similar combination of surgeries and has played the last eight seasons without suffering another fracture...


Rest of story (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4336553)

Gossip?

couldn't find a thread to put it in (the other ones are trades and FA)

Nash signed an extension with PHX

I wonder what kinds of games an NBA player could pull with the establishment if they owned their own serious pro franchise.

I had the same thoughts when Divac bought KK Partizan...
I was thinking too small. What if a player owned an entire country?

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/yao_ming?utm_source=onion_rss_daily
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/star_athlete_signs_contract?utm_source=onion_rss_d aily

The Celtics NBDL affiliate franchise hired Danny Ainge's son as their Head Coach.

Isn't that convenient?

The Celtics NBDL affiliate franchise hired Danny Ainge's son as their Head Coach.

Isn't that convenient?



Who cares?

Apparently, the Toronto crowd boos Vince Carter every time he touches the ball in "NBA Live 10." — http://bit.ly/Hwwnh

that's great

BUT WHO WILL BE RATED HIGHER, RODNEY STUCKEY OR DERRICK ROSE??

We ranked NBA reporters based on the number of times they get their stories featured in HoopsHype's frontpage. - http://hoopshype.com/reporters.htm

Jonathan Bender, formerly of Indiana Pacers, plots NBA comeback: Former Indiana Pacers teen prodigy Jonathan Ben.. http://bit.ly/hpAEF

lol

OMFG!!!!! JONATHAN BENDER IS COMING BACK TO THE NBA!!!!! I THINK I WILL SHIT MYSELF AND DONATE THE SHIT AS FILLER FOR HIS ABSENT CARTILAGE!!!!! SWEET!!!!!!!!!!

Teen Prodigy - that's great stuff.

We need another SG.

i thought he was dead...you can't never have enough SGs!

Can he shoot threes?

At 6'11" he just drops 'em in Joe.

Imagine our line-up when they all reach their potential. We'll have:

C: Bender - most athletic C of All-Time
F: Jonas - The Walls of Jerebko
F: Summers - Coming and it's Sooo Hot
G: Stuckey - not Suckey
G: Daye - Is better than (Brevin) Knight

NOTE: even in this line-up Stuckey plays SG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daye could be his backup there. Extreme athleticism at the 5.

Stuckey can't shoot threes, trade his ass

What's his wingspan guys? He worked his way up to 40% on 3s in his last "healthy" season. With an extra-long wingspan, he's a Joe-type for sure!