FanHouse

Stephen Jackson: Winning Wasn't a Priority for Golden State

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-20T16:45:00 00:00

MILWAUKEE -- Four months after Stephen Jackson arrived in Golden State in January 2007, the Warriors won their first playoff series in 16 years. They went 48-34 the following season, their best record in 14 years.

Jackson would like to take plenty of credit for it.

"The Warriors were (garbage) when I got there, so look what happened,'' Jackson said in an interview Friday with FanHouse. "So I love challenges.''

That's why the 10th-year swingman is ecstatic about his trade last Monday from the Warriors to Charlotte. Even though the Bobcats (3-8 entering Friday) never have made the playoffs since entering the NBA as an expansion team in 2004, Jackson believes it's "a great opportunity for me to be part of something great.''

Also: Don Nelson Opens Up About Issues with Monta Ellis

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Redd Wants to Remain with Bucks

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-19T21:45:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Bucks, USA Basketball

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee is cutting costs. With that being no secret, guard Michael Redd doesn't deny there is a possibility he could be traded before his contract expires in the summer of 2011.

But that's not what Redd wants.

"Oh yeah, absolutely,'' Redd said Thursday in an interview with FanHouse about wanting to remain with the Bucks through the life of his deal. "I've been here for 10 years. So I've enjoyed my time here, man, and the team keeps getting better.''

Redd, 30, is making $17.04 million this season and has an $18.3 million early-termination option for next season. It would be a shock if Redd, who has played his entire career with the Bucks since entering the NBA in 2000, opted out.

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How Low Will the Winless Nets Go?

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-19T02:00:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Clippers, Heat, Nets

MILWAUKEE -- As the New Jersey Nets are ringing up losses, Scott Hastings has a vested interest.

Hastings, you see, was on the expansion 1988-89 Miami Heat that set the record for most losses to start an NBA season at 17. So Hastings is hoping the Nets will knock the Heat out of the record book, right?

Try again.

"Absolutely not,'' Hastings said. "We were a bad team. We deserved our record, and I'm disappointed any time anybody gets close. Go Nets.''

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Bucks' Alexander Wants to Be Traded

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-18T23:10:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Bucks, FanHouse Exclusive

MILWAUKEE -- Two weeks after the third-year option on his rookie contract wasn't picked up, Milwaukee forward Joe Alexander says he wants to be traded.

Alexander's 2010-11 option for $2.76 million was not picked up by the Nov. 2 deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent next summer. In an interview with FanHouse before Tuesday's win over the Nets at the Bradley Center, Alexander was asked if he believes that means the Bucks could deal him as the February trade deadline approaches.

"They made it pretty clear that they don't see me having a future here,'' said Alexander, the No. 8 pick in the 2008 draft who averaged 4.7 points last season as a rookie. "So I'm assuming a trade would definitely be one of the options.''

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Bosh Will Consider Joining Wade

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-18T01:00:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Heat, Raptors, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- LeBron James is the first choice. But Chris Bosh certainly would be a solid backup for the Miami Heat next summer in free agency.

And he's willing to consider it.

The Heat, which figures to have more than $15 million of salary-cap room, is looking for a superstar to pair with Dwyane Wade. And Wade, who talked last week about possibly luring James to South Florida while also mentioning Bosh, is positioning himself as a recruiter.

"Anything is possible, I guess,'' Bosh, the Toronto star who can become a free agent next summer, told FanHouse in an interview before Tuesday's game at Denver about the possibility of going to Miami. "I guess that seems to be an attractive place, you know, playing with Dwyane and playing in Miami and everything. I guess if they had the right chemistry, the right guys, that they could persuade guys to get there. But we'll see.''

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Raptors Bring Pops Mensah-Bonsu Back

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-17T18:30:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Raptors, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- The Toronto Raptors have claimed forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu off waivers, his agent confirmed Tuesday to FanHouse immediately after the waiver period ended.

Mensah-Bonsu was let go by the Houston Rockets last Friday, and placed on waivers until 6 ET Tuesday, which is when Mensah-Bonsu's agent, John Greig, said he was awarded to Toronto.

Anticipating he would be picked up the Raptors, Mensah-Bonsu flew Tuesday to Denver, and was active for the evening game against the Nuggets.

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Allen Iverson Back To Denver? Karl Says It Could Happen

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-17T14:18:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Grizzlies, Nuggets

DENVER -- Allen Iverson back in Denver?

Don't completely rule it out. At least that's the word from Nuggets coach George Karl, who said Tuesday the team would consider bringing back the guard if there were to be an injury on his team.

"A.I. for us is an injury discussion,'' Karl said. "I don't think it's a discussion right now for us... But just say somehow (guard) Ty Lawson is out for the season, I think speed and quickness is what Ty gives us. A.I. would be on the list of speed and quickness.'

For now, though, Karl said the Nuggets aren't eyeing Iverson, who played for them from 2006-08, when he had his last two impressive NBA seasons.

More: Knicks a Possibility? | Circus Leaves Memphis | Fantasy Impact

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The Allen Iverson Circus Leaves Town

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-16T19:45:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Grizzlies

The sideshow has been shut down. And they never even put the big top up.

Everybody knew Allen Iverson was signed by Memphis in September in order to sell tickets and bring some buzz to a moribund franchise. Everybody knew Iverson wasn't going to crack the starting lineup.

Check that. Everybody knew except Iverson, who, at 34, has declined significantly as a player. He was in a disbelieving state that he was going to show up in Memphis, become a starter and average his usual 25 points per game.

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Defending Champs Fall in Conference Finals Rematch

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-14T03:45:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Cavaliers, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets

DENVER -- Final four week turned into a flop of finalists.

Meetings of last season's conference finalists got started Wednesday when Cleveland took a huge lead and clobbered defending East champion Orlando 102-93. An even bigger dismantling occurred Friday night at the Pepsi Center.

The way the Nuggets demolished the Lakers, you'd have thought they tried to smuggle coke into the building.

The Nuggets got some revenge against the defending West and NBA champions 105-79. It wasn't even that close.

"Hopefully, this is a big message, not just to the Lakers but to the whole NBA. We're a legit team,'' said Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, who scored a game-high 25 points and outscored Lakers star Kobe Bryant 18-0 in the second half (no, that's not a misprint).

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Kobe: LeBron Using Head, Not Mouth

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-14T02:34:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Cavaliers, Lakers, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- Do as I say and not as I do.

Or, at least not what Kobe Bryant once did.

While bound for free agency in the summer of 2004, the Lakers star openly spoke about teams he might consider. But Bryant now says Cleveland star LeBron James is making the right decision by deciding earlier this week to stop talking about his impending free agency.

"He doesn't need to,'' Bryant said in an interview with FanHouse while in Denver for Friday's 105-79 loss to the Nuggets. "He did the right thing by not talking about it. I mean, what can you say?''

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Brawl Will 'Spice Up' Movie About Artest

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-14T01:50:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Lakers, Pacers, Pistons, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- Five years after the "The Malice at the Palace,'' Ron Artest isn't showing remorse. In fact, one could say he is embracing his infamous place in history.

Artest, a Lakers forward, said in an interview Friday with FanHouse he's making a movie about his life. He said he made sure to touch upon the Nov. 19, 2004 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills in order to "kind of spice up the movie a little bit.''

In that basketbrawl, Artest, then with Indiana, charged into the stands in the final minute of a game at Detroit after a fight had broken out and a fan had thrown a cup of beer at Artest. The game was called, and there were nine players suspended for a total of 146 games. Artest got the worst penalty, being sat down for the final 73 games of the season.

Thursday marks the fifth-year anniversary, and Artest will play that night at home against Chicago. Artest, who celebrated his 30th birthday Friday, was asked if he's matured and is a different person since the brawl.

"Not really,'' he said before the Lakers were crushed by Denver 105-79 at the Pepsi Center. "I'm the same person.''

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Bynum Expects to be All-Star Starter

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-14T00:30:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Lakers, Nuggets, Suns, NBA All-Star Game

DENVER -- Andrew Bynum was talking to his brother early this week when he got the news.

Amare Stoudemire, despite being Phoenix's starting power forward, was listed on the All-Star ballot at center for the Western Conference. That happens to be the same position played by the Lakers' Bynum, and many had considered him the favorite to be the starter after Houston's Yao Ming was lost for the season due to injury and Shaquille O'Neal was traded from Phoenix to Cleveland of the East.

"I was definitely surprised,'' Bynum said in an interview with FanHouse about Stoudemire being listed at center even though he's started every game this season at forward, with Channing Frye having opened at center for the Suns.

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As Promised, Williams Puts on a Show

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-12T01:15:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Cavaliers

ORLANDO -- Mike Brown made like an emcee for a lounge act.

With his pregame interview Wednesday night running out of steam, the Cleveland coach suddenly saw his point guard, Mo Williams, walk by. Brown yelled for Williams to come over and say a few words to the assembled media.

Williams rolled out some early material about how his alma mater, Alabama, was going to continue to do some damage on the gridiron. Then he got to the good stuff.

"You all ready for a show tonight?'' he said. "Because I'm going to give you all one tonight.''

Cavaliers 102, Magic 93: Box Score

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Delonte West Speaks but Doesn't Make Much Sense

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-11T21:05:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Cavaliers, FanHouse Exclusive

ORLANDO -- It's hard to tell what's going on in the head these days of Delonte West. But FanHouse wanted to give Cleveland's mercurial guard an opportunity to explain some of his recent doings.

West, who is bipolar and is facing six weapons charges from a Sept. 17 incident in Maryland in which police say he was carrying on a three-wheeled motorcycle three loaded guns and an 8 ½-inch bowie knife, was asked after Wednesday's shootaround how he is progressing after having two leaves of absence during training camp to attend to personal matters. West ended up not playing in the first three games of the season.

"One plus one is two and C always comes out to A and B,'' West said to FanHouse.

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Cavaliers' Daniel Gibson Shows Texas Pride on His Head

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-11T13:30:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Cavaliers, NBA Hair Watch

ORLANDO -- If the state of Texas is planning on any commercials during NBA games over the next week, officials might want to hold off. Cleveland's Daniel Gibson will be a walking advertisement.

Just in time for Wednesday's big nationally televised game at Orlando, the guard has shaved onto the left side of his head a big map of Texas with a star on it. While it is the Lone Star State, Gibson, who is from Houston and a big baseball fan, calls it an "Astros star.''

"I'm the first one,'' Gibson claimed about being the initial NBA player with a state shaved onto his head for a game.

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2010 NBA All-Star Ballot Announced

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-10T17:30:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Celtics, Clippers, Grizzlies, Lakers, Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Timberwolves, NBA All-Star Game

I wrote in September that perhaps there would be no worthy center to start for the West in the All-Star Game.

But this isn't the way I want to see that solved. Do it on the court, not with the ballot.

When the All-Star ballot came out Tuesday, Phoenix power forward Amar'e Stoudemire strangely was listed as a center. Yes, Stoudemire has played center before, but he's started all eight games for Suns this season at power forward, with Channing Frye being the starting center.

It is true the ballot, which was selected by six media members from around the country, had to be decided upon before the season began in order to provide time for printing. But it has been apparent since at least September that Frye would Phoenix's starting center, with Stoudemire at power forward.

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A Tug of War Over Jim Thorpe's Remains

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-10T15:00:00 00:00

by Chris TomassonPRAGUE, Okla. and JIM THORPE, Pa. -- There is nothing too fancy where Jack Thorpe stands. It's in a rural Oklahoma graveyard surrounded by a chain-link fence and across the street from Garden Grove Church.

This is where Jack Thorpe wants his father, Jim Thorpe, perhaps the greatest athlete who ever lived, to be moved for burial 56 years after his death. There are no plans for an elaborate tomb or for any extras. He simply wants his father to be buried underneath a simple marker beside his father Hiram Thorpe and many relatives.

"We want to put him to rest where he wanted to be,'' Jack Thorpe said of the graveyard that is a few miles from where Thorpe was born May 28, 1888, and about 40 miles east of Oklahoma City. "We want him to have a proper Indian burial so his soul can be put to rest.''

Instead, Thorpe, a member of the Sac and Fox Tribe who was born on what was then Indian land and is now near the town of Prague, is entombed more than 1,300 miles away in Jim Thorpe, Pa., a town of 5,000 two hours north of Philadelphia. It's a place he never set foot in his life.

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At This Rate They'll Be New Jersey Nots

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-06T23:45:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Nets, NBA Coaches

PHILADELPHIA -- They just made a stop in Philadelphia, so why not be the first to throw it out. Can the New Jersey Nets make a run at the 1972-73 76ers' all-time futility mark of 9-73?

The Nets are the NBA's only winless team at 0-6 after Friday night's 97-94 loss to the 76ers and every day another player seems to get hurt. Call them the New Jersey Gnats the way they're dropping like flies.

OK, so it's way too early to think these Nets are going to make history for basketball badness. And, besides, Nets guard Rafer Alston gets upset when somebody calls his team the NBA's worse.

"That does (hurt) because you know you have a lot of pride,'' Alston said. "It hurts to be considered the worst ... when you know you have a lot of basketball and life in your game and there's a lot of pride in each man.''

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Could Nancy Lieberman Become the NBA's First Female Head Coach?

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-05T19:30:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Mavericks, WNBA, D-League, FanHouse Exclusive, NBA Coaches

The D-League today. The NBA tomorrow.

Why not?

If there ever will be a female NBA head coach in my lifetime, I'm thinking Nancy Lieberman has got a shot. Lieberman took the first step toward that Thursday when she was named head coach of the Dallas Mavericks' D-League team in Frisco, Texas, that will begin play next year.

"If I am successful, I'm sure that I will be looked at (by the NBA),'' Lieberman, while on her way to her press conference to be introduced, told FanHouse by phone. "If I'm not successful, I won't be.''

More: Lieberman Officially Introduced

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Wild East Shootout: Dwyane Wade Outguns Gilbert Arenas

Chris Tomasson — 2009-11-05T01:00:00 00:00

by Chris Tomasson

Filed under: Heat, Wizards

WASHINGTON -- Peel off the cobwebs. Get out the dust pan. One of the NBA's best shootouts is back.

There was a time in the middle of this decade when Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas conjured up some Wild West battles even though both play in the East.

In 2005-06, in the four games the two met, Washington's Arenas averaged 32.3 points to 31.3 for Miami's Wade. Arenas had a 47-point game against the Heat and Wade had games of 41 and 40 points against the Wizards.

But then injuries hit both hard. Wade missed 62 games in 2006-07 and 2007-08 due to shoulder and knee problems. For Arenas, it was even worse as he missed 149 combined games in 2007-08 and 2008-09 because of knee trouble.

So when the two squared off Wednesday night at the Verizon Center, it was their first meeting since April 8, 2006.

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