NBA Off-Season Discussion Thread

[Kairi]

NBA Lays Off Roughly 114 Employees <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->
Associated Press


NEW YORK -- The NBA laid off about 114 people over the last two days, planned cost-cutting moves that a league spokesman said Thursday are "not a direct result of the lockout."

The laid off employees represent about 11 percent of the league office workforce in New York, New Jersey and internationally.

Spokesman Mike Bass told The Associated Press the layoffs are "not a direct result of the lockout but rather a response to the same underlying issue; that is, the league's expenses far outpace our revenues."
"The roughly 11 percent reduction in headcount from the league office is part of larger cost-cutting measures to reduce our costs by $50 million across all areas of our business," Bass said.

The league said it lost $300 million this season after losing hundreds of millions in each previous year of the collective bargaining agreement that expired at the end of the day June 30.

Owners locked out the players after the sides remained far apart in their final proposals. Commissioner David Stern said at the time it was too early to think about how it could affect staff, but acknowledged that the league would "have to go back and look at everything now with our operations."
But the reductions had already begun. The NBA and teams had trimmed staff by about 275 since October 2008, either through layoffs or by leaving positions vacant when employees departed.

The league has also cut administrative costs, travel and new technology. It consolidated offices in Europe and Asia, closing offices in Paris and Tokyo, and is shutting down the studio in Secaucus, N.J. where it annually holds the draft lottery. The NBA Store on 5th Ave. in New York has been closed, though the league has said it will reopen in another location.

Already at least two teams, Detroit and Charlotte, have cut staff since the work stoppage was announced exactly two weeks ago. Stern said that day a lockout "has a very large impact on a lot of people, many of whom or most of whom are not associated with either side."

 

[Killswitch]

Oh, poor poor delusional Khan

Two names at the top of the Timberwolves' list for a new head coach are Don Nelson and Rick Adelman.

 

[SAL]

Reports are saying Nelson's interested. And why not? He'd be in another place where he wouldn't bother teaching defense and it wouldn't make a lick of difference.

 

[PHX]

They are more suited to be a run and gun offense than anything with Rubio and all so go with Don Nelson I say.

 

[Kairi]

KFC Offers Dwayne Wade a Job During Lockout <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->

Kentucky Fried Chicken is using the NBA lockout to drum up some goodwill by offering Dwyane Wade an opportunity to work at a drive-thru window in exchange for a $250,000 donation to the company’s Colonel’s Scholars program in Wade’s name.
Once the lockout was enacted, Wade, presumably with tongue in cheek, tweeted, "Any1 hiring?"

KFC noticed the tweet and recalled that Wade worked at one of its restaurants as a teenager in Chicago.
So, in an open letter to Wade, KFC U.S. General Manager John Cywinski wrote:
We couldn't help but notice your recent tweet about looking for a new line of work in light of the lockout. We're always looking for folks with precisely your qualifications — initiative, teamwork and the ability to make buckets in a hurry.
We've always been proud to call you a former KFC employee and, it goes without saying we'd love to have you back on our team dishing out the World's Best Chicken, like you dish out assists on the court.
Our offer: Come serve as an honorary captain at a local KFC drive-thru window. And, while we can't match your most recent salary, we'll honor your KFC service by making a donation in your name to Colonel's Scholars, a charity providing young people with much needed college scholarships, if you accept. How's that for a slam dunk?
So let us know if you're ready to suit up for our squad (as you'll remember, we've got some pretty cool uniforms). Our original coach, the legendary Colonel Sanders, knew a thing or two about buckets. And who knows, if you make a KFC-team comeback, we might just share some of his secrets with you.
We'll keep your headset waiting.
Sincerely,
John Cywinski
General Manager, KFC U.S. ​

KFC offers Dwyane Wade a job during lockout - NBA - Sporting News​

Read more: KFC offers Dwyane Wade a job during lockout - NBA - Sporting News​

 

[No More Sorrow]

The Turkish team that recently reached an agreement to sign All-Star guard Deron Williams if the NBA lockout drags on has placed its pursuit of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant on hold, according to an overseas report.

Turkey's NTV Spor reported Monday that Besiktas' basketball funds have been tied up by the match-fixing scandal that has ripped through the Turkish soccer world, forcing Besiktas to search for outside funding to help with the further pursuit of NBA players.

According to NTV Spor, Besiktas was initially prepared to offer Bryant a monthly salary of $500,000. But Bryant, according to the report, is seeking a monthly salary of $1 million to join Williams. Sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard earlier this month that Williams' overall deal with Besiktas is worth $5 million.

DraftExpress.com first reported over the weekend that Besiktas and Bryant's camp were exchanging financial figures before the growing soccer crisis intervened.

Any further Besiktas basketball moves, according to the NTV Spor report, will depend on finding a wealthy outside sponsor. It remains to be seen, though, whether Bryant's own endorsement deal with Turkish Airlines can eventually help him land a deal with Besiktas or another Turkish club to give him a temporary new home should the lockout extend into October.

Williams tweeted a picture Friday of his signed Besiktas contract. There has been no indication yet that the financial problems suddenly confronting Besiktas because of the soccer scandal will impact Williams' deal with the Istanbul club, which has faced FIBA sanctions as recently as the 2009-10 season for not paying American players (Lonny Baxter and Kevin Fletcher) on time.

The deals Besiktas has offered Williams and Bryant include an out clause permitting the players to return immediately to the NBA once the lockout is lifted.

ESPN

Had no idea they were trying to get Kobe also.

 

[Kairi]

MIAMI -- Shaquille O'Neal's debut as a full-fledged NBA analyst had him raving about LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
As for Chris Bosh?


Apparently, Shaq's not a big fan of his work.


During NBA TV's show Tuesday to announce the league's schedule for the 2011-12 season -- one jeopardized by a lockout -- O'Neal referred to the Heat as having a "Big 2." Since Bosh, Wade and James teamed up in Miami, they've been called the "Big 3" in many circles.


"The Miami Heat, they've got a lot of great players, the `Big 2.' They will be back," O'Neal said from Louisiana during the broadcast, when discussing the NBA finals and how Dallas was able to beat Miami for the title. "LeBron James is taking a lot of criticism, but I know LeBron very well. He hears everything that everyone is saying, so I think he's going to come back and have an MVP year this year."


After the discussion turned to O'Neal's health and his decision to retire, the talk was steered back to his "Big 2" comment.


O'Neal laughed off the notion that a controversy was already getting started.


"Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, you know, they're great players, they're probably the greatest backcourt ever assembled," O'Neal said. "And you know, they're going to get back. They're going to get back. They play well, they went through a lot, they put a lot of pressure on themselves. That's how they like it. And they will be back."


O'Neal was a teammate of James and Wade in the past. Wade and O'Neal were starters for Miami's 2006 NBA championship team.


He said he expects the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic and the Heat to have strong seasons but suggested an "underdog" will emerge as the next NBA champion.


"There's a lot of great teams out there," O'Neal said.

 

[Kairi]

Fan Gets LeBron James Leg Tattoo <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->
<table id="ncode_imageresizer_warning_4" class="ncode_imageresizer_warning" width="480"><tbody><tr><td class="td1" width="20"> </td><td class="td2" unselectable="on">This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 575x370 and weights 46KB.</td></tr></tbody></table>
Quote:
<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="6" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1px inset currentColor;" class="alt2">Meet King James' superfan Nathan Blackhall of South Florida (@AyYoNateOh; at right, above), who recently got inked with the basketball superstar's bust on his leg. Who would go under the gun for a tattoo of a professional athlete? Well, a guy like Blackhall who really, really likes LeBron James. Although the tattoo looks as much like a younger version of Michael Wilbon as it does the Heat forward.


Predictably, the haters have swarmed online, but it appears Nate has deflected his critics with a powerful hate-shield. But Nate has at least one admirer of the tattoo: LeBron James himself. We all know how much LeBron likes LeBron, so it's no surprise that he approves of a dude who got a tattoo with this mug. LeBron responded to the picture of Nate's tat: "Oh damn! That's how u feel. I appreciate the love."


Rumor has it that Nate got a sick deal on a tattoo that size and only paid 75 percent the retail price. The fourth quarter was free. ZING! </td></tr></tbody></table>
Fan Gets LeBron James Leg Tattoo; LeBron Impressed » Clutch Blog

 

[Kairi]

Home Shawn Marion Dancing with the Stars TMZ Sports
TMZ Sports7/31/2011 12:40 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF.

NBA Star Shawn Marion TURNS DOWN "Dancing with the Stars"

Dallas Mavericks star Shawn Marion isn't taking any chances with the NBA lockout -- in fact, he just turned down "Dancing with the Stars" ... to make sure he's free to practice with his team this fall.

Sources close to Shawn tell TMZ, "Dancing" sent him an official offer to appear on the show, but the NBA champ wants to make sure he's 100% available in case the lockout ends early ... so it's a no go.

"Dancing" would end in November and NBA season usually starts in October -- which could put Marion in a difficult position if the upcoming season isn't put on ice.

We're told Shawn is adamant ... he just doesn't wanna be caught with his pants down -- or in this case, his leotard.

 

[No More Sorrow]

NEW YORK -- With locked-out NBA players threatening to file an antitrust lawsuit, the league beat them to court.

The league filed two legal claims Tuesday against the NBA Players Association -- an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board and a lawsuit in federal district court in New York.

The NBA accused the players of being uncooperative in negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement by making "more than two dozen" threats to dissolve their union and sue the league under antitrust laws in order to secure more favorable terms in a new CBA.

NFL players decertified their union after the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement earlier this year, though they ultimately resolved a 4.5-month labor dispute with the league's owners.

Players' attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who also represented the NFL players, was named in the NBA's lawsuit for his use of what the league called an "impermissible pressure tactic" that has had a "direct, immediate and harmful" effect on CBA talks.

"For the parties to reach agreement on a new CBA, the union must commit to the collective bargaining process fully and in good faith," NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Adam Silver said in a statement released by the league.

Billy Hunter, executive director of the players' union, said "the litigation tactics of the NBA today are just another example of their bad faith bargaining and we will seek the complete dismissal of the actions as they are totally without merit."

After a labor meeting Monday in New York -- the first session since the lockout began July 1 that included commissioner David Stern as well as leaders from both the owners and the players -- a downcast Stern said the sides were "at the same place" as they were a month ago in the hours before the old deal ran out.

Owners are seeking significant changes to the league's salary structure, claiming $300 million in losses last season and hundreds of millions more in each year of the previous CBA, which was ratified in 2005.

Players have acknowledged the losses but disputed the size of them, and they've balked at the league's push for a hard salary cap and reduction in salaries and maximum contract lengths.

The NBA's lawsuit is essentially preventative legal medicine.

It seeks a declaration from the court that the lockout does not violate antitrust laws, in case the union breaks up to file an antitrust lawsuit. It also cites legal backing for the lockout itself, invoking Depression-era legislation known as the Norris-LaGuardia Act designed to prevent court intervention in a labor dispute.

Finally, the league's lawsuit also makes an attempt to secure support for virtually apocalyptic salary reform should the union dissolve. The NBA asked the court to declare that such a decertification would in turn void all existing player contracts, because they're guided by the union's involvement in the old CBA.

Without a union and a collective bargaining relationship, the league argued, the terms and conditions of those previously negotiated contracts would not apply.

"The NBA Players Association has not made any decision to disclaim its role as the collective bargaining representative of the players and has been engaged in good faith bargaining with the NBA for over two years," Hunter said in Tuesday's statement. "We urge the NBA to engage with us at the bargaining table and to use more productively the short time we have left before the 2011-12 season is seriously jeopardized."

ESPN.Com

 

[No More Sorrow]

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena will be sold to California developer and pizza chain owner Alex Meruelo, but the NBA team will remain in Atlanta, a person familiar with the deal said Sunday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because no official announcement has been made. The deal, subject to the approval of the NBA, is to be announced on Monday.

Meruelo confirmed the deal to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, saying "I'm a person who doesn't give up. I want to bring a championship to the city of Atlanta."

The Hawks ownership group, led by Michael Gearon Jr. and Bruce Levenson, also recently sold the NHL Atlanta Thrashers to a group that has moved the team to Winnipeg. The Thrashers deal was for a reported $170 million.

Meruelo would become the first Hispanic owner of an NBA team, according to the Journal-Constitution. He will have controlling interest of more than 50 percent of the Hawks. He founded La Pizza Loca, which has more than 50 franchised and company-owned restaurants in Southern California.

Meruelo also heads The Meruelo Group, a Downey, Calif.-based investment firm, which recently acquired the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nev., for a reported $42.45 million.

A tearful Gearon said at the news conference to announce the sale of the Thrashers on May 31 that the owners failed in attempts to find someone to keep the hockey team in Atlanta. Gearon said no local buyer emerged with a serious offer for the Thrashers.

The ownership group, called the Atlanta Spirit, also had to look outside of Atlanta to find a buyer for the Hawks. This time, there was no threat of moving the team.

The group bought the Hawks, Thrashers and operating rights to Philips Arena, where the teams play, in 2004. There was almost immediate dissension among the owners.

The ownership split began in 2005 over Boston-based co-owner Steve Belkin's objection to the Hawks' trade of Boris Diaw, two first-round draft picks and a $4.9 million trade exception to the Phoenix Suns for guard Joe Johnson in 2005.

The dispute led to a long legal battle that ended when Levenson and Gearon announced on Dec. 22, 2010, they had bought out Belkin's 30-percent share.

Gearon, the son of former Hawks executive Michael Gearon Sr., grew up with the team and has said he would like to retain a minority share of the ownership if the team was sold. Those details were not available on Sunday.

The Hawks have made the playoffs the past four seasons, including three straight second-round appearances.

While the owners were criticized for failing to keep the Thrashers' stars, including Ilya Kovalchuk, in Atlanta, the group was aggressive in re-signing Hawks stars Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.

 

[Killswitch]

The legend grows

[video=youtube;6SWfJe9dLG8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SWfJe9dLG8[/video]

 

[Killswitch]

I think Stern has a good enough track record to give him more than just a few months to figure stuff out. But I feel sorry for the NBA in a way, because lockouts choke the life out of sports

 

[Killswitch]

2 more weeks expected to be cancelled in days...

 

[No More Sorrow]

Hate this shit