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Tag: san antonio spurs

  • LeBron James Likely Preparing To Dump The Heat

    Watching pundits and sports fans trip over themselves to explain and clarify Lebron James’s decision to terminate his contract with the Miami Heat and become a free agent is entertaining to say the least.

    There’s a lot of blubbering about it not meaning he intends to tuck tail and run following the humiliating 4-1 defeat his team suffered at the hands of the ruthless San Antonio Spurs.

    Said one writer, “James’ goal…is to win championships, and free agency gives James a chance to see what team can offer him the best chance to win another championship.”

    I see.

    So how does that NOT make LeBron James a glory-hunting mercenary?

    James is often classed with the great NBA pros of the past, most especially Michael Jordan. And yet the past NBA greats like Jordan are known for building long-term franchises. They are also readily associated with one particular team.

    If James makes a move to yet another city with still more promises about all the NBA titles they will win with him on their team, it just wouldn’t look good.

    It’s sort of like how a guy dumps a girl and insists to the new girl that the ex was crazy and dragging him down. Then when things don’t go exactly as planned, he’s looking for the exit, no doubt preparing to explain how the current girl is entirely responsible for what went wrong and things will work out for sure next time.

    In short, a move would only demonstrate that Lebron James may have commitment issues.

    Oh, but don’t worry Heat fans! You’re team is nothing like the bitter Cleveland Cavaliers. The Miami Heat has been far more successful. Surely James will appreciate what he has and what has been won and stay put!

    ….If you believe that, then please meet me in Brooklyn as I have a bridge to sell you.

    In all seriousness, the Miami Heat was an outstanding team before “King James” and the promise of winning NBA championships without him (or even before him, should he move) will not be a hollow threat should it be made.

    Image via YouTube

  • San Antonio Spurs Win 2014 Championship, Claim Fifth NBA Title

    Ending Miami Heat’s two year winning streak, the San Antonio Spurs claimed their fifth NBA title. The games were won 5-1, and the score of the final game was 104-87.

    “It makes last year OK,” player Tim Duncan told CBS.

    Miami Heat received a crushing defeat in the final game. After losing four games to the Spurs, Miami Heat needed to make a major comeback and win the next three games.

    What ended up happening? They lost. One could say that the San Antonio Spurs got their revenge for Miami beating them last year 4-3.

    Or it could be the tide simply rising in the favor of the Spurs once more. Their last title was claimed seven years ago, and their four previous titles were won within a ten year time period.

    Although fans of Miami Heat may be disappointed. Some commentators like Rob Oller from the Collumbus Dispatch found the game beautiful. “The Spurs’ artistry of play is refreshing, considering basketball no longer is known for its poetry of motion,” Oller wrote, “The game has turned, for the worse, from something resembling geometric simplicity — perfectly angled bounce passes, 45-degree back-door cuts and triangular ball movement — into a display of power dunking, three-point gunning and one-on-one clear outs.”

    The Spurs, instead of shooting first, passed during their game, something Oller recognized as an aesthetic revitalization of the sport. Is he right? See for yourself:

    Who takes the credit for this win? Perhaps coach Gregg Popovich would be a good candidate. It was he, after all, who chose to pursue effective team building instead of attempting to recruit major stars.

    Regardless, the coach remains gracious in victory. When asked about Miami Heat player LeBron James, Popovich replied, according to Westport News, “LeBron James is a great player. He’s a great competitor. He’s a class act. And I know he’s feeling what we felt last year, and I don’t wish that on anybody. It’s tough. Most people never even have that feeling. Either the feeling of elation or the depression that goes with a loss.”

    Image via NBA Playoffs, YouTube.

  • Patty Mills: First Indigenous Australian To Win An NBA Championship

    Patty Mills made Australian sporting history by helping his team, the San Antonio Spurs, defeat the Miami Heat. The San Antonio Spurs now have five championships under their belt since their first win in 1999.

    Mills, 25, an indigenous Australian, showed off his skills in the second half of the game to help the Spurs win the championship with a score of 104-87. In the third quarter, Mills was on fire. He scored 14 points which included making four baskets from three-point range.

    Overall, Mills was able to score 17 points in only 18 minutes of play on the court. He was also added two assists and a rebound to help the Spurs defeat the Heat.

    After the game, Mills talked to reporters and said, “The support has been great all year.”

    He also addressed the fans, saying, “You’re part of this win, as much as anyone. I can’t tell you how nice and genuine the people of San Antonio are compared to anyone else, it reminds me a lot of Australia. This one is for you [the fans] and thanks for all your support.”

    Other Australians that have won NBA championships include Luc Longley (Chicago Bulls), Andrew Gaze (San Antonio) and his Spurs teammate Aron Baynes. Mills, however, is the first indigenous Australian to win an NBA championship — his mother is Aboriginal and his father is a Torres Strait Islander.

    His outstanding performance in the finals may now lead to greater opportunities in the league. Last year, he played just 13 minutes in the NBA finals. After last year’s season, Mills went as far as to hire a personal chef to help improve his nutrition and give him an edge on the court.

    Gregg Popovich, the San Antonio Spurs’ head coach said, “His energy has been important all season long. That energy, that team sense he has, has become infectious for everyone.”

    Now that Mills is off contract, he can expect more profitable offers during the off-season given his exemplary performance in the 2013 to 2014 season.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • San Antonio Spurs On Top: Can Miami Heat Come Back?

    The Miami Heat are on the verge of being blown away by a dominant San Antonio Spurs. With only one win from four, the NBA Finals have thus far been a shocking blow to the defending NBA champions.

    This is the same team that won the NBA title two seasons in a row. Last year it was the Heat besting the Spurs 4-3 after seven games played.

    It is possible for the Heat to somehow dig deep enough to make this scoreline a reality once more.

    The team would have to light the kind of fire under their own asses that leads to three game winning streaks at the last possible minute. At the same time, the Spurs would have to suffer one HELL of a blow to their confidence and game play to allow it to happen.

    Make no mistake: This Spurs team is on a mission. This must not be forgotten, however unexpected their thrashing of the Heat happens to be.

    This is a team dreaming of a return to glory, one that was dashed by the Heat last season. A fact they have obviously taken quite personally judging by their ongoing ruthlessness in this series.

    The Spurs were a force to be reckoned with from 2002 to 2007, having secured 3 NBA titles during that window of time.

    Over the past several years the Spurs have felt the empire they worked so hard to build in the early 2000s sliding downhill. Meanwhile, the Heat’s fortunes have drastically improved with the coveted LeBron James regularly touted as the team’s talisman. Winning the NBA Finals would give this team three back-to-back NBA titles.

    Following the 2013 final, many dreamed of a rematch. How many predicted it would happen again so soon?

    Probably the same number of people that foresaw the Spurs trampling over the Heat. The Heat may win their next game. They may win the next TWO games. But three games?

    The odds are not in their favor.

    Waiting for San Antonio to slip just isn’t an option, not when they’re one game away from winning it all. For the Miami team, it’s now or never.

    Image via YouTube

  • Dwyane Wade Flops In NBA Finals, Gets $5000 Fine

    Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is the latest recipient of a $5,000 fine after he exaggerated a foul on Game 2 of the finals.

    The flop happened in the second quarter when Wade reacted excessively on a play where Manu Ginobili from the San Antonio Spurs was fouled. Ginobili took a swipe at the ball that Wade was controlling, and Wade exaggeratedly spun backwards, as if he had been hit.

    Wade’s reaction resulted in boos from fans of the Spurs. He got two free throws from the foul, and Ginobili was benched for his third foul on the play.

    The game ended with a score of 98-96 in favor of Miami.

    The irony is that Ginobili is considered a “master flopper,” but he has not received any warnings this season.

    “He took a swipe and he hit me,” Wade said on Monday before the fine was announced. “It was a late call by the ref, but he called it,” he said.

    The game was reviewed and it showed an over-exaggeration on Wade’s part, as Ginobili only made light contact with Wade’s hand and the ball.

    Dwyane Wade’s flop is the fifth flopping violation of the playoffs. Reports said that players are not fined for flops in the regular season until their second flop of the year, but in the playoffs, every flop gets a fine.

    According to sources, Wade has already accumulated a whopping $19 million in salaries for this season alone. The $5,000 fine surely won’t put a dent in his pockets. Retired NBA Commissioner David Stern said that the fine isn’t enough. “You’re not going to cause somebody to stop it for $5,000 when the average player’s salary is $5.5 million,” he said.

    Other players who have been slapped with a fine for flopping include Indiana’s Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert, and Spurs’ Tiago Splitter.

    Image via YouTube

  • NBA Standings 2014: Playoffs Are Approaching, Teams Start To Clinch Spots

    The NBA the playoffs are quickly approaching, and as teams continue to rise, and fall, the fates of each team will soon be known. There should be no surprise with who the top teams are toward the end of the year, but teams have been moving around slightly.

    The San Antonio Spurs continue to rule the NBA, and are currently on a thirteen-game win streak. The Spurs have been one of the top teams for several years, and made it to the NBA championship last year before losing to the Miami Heat.

    Following the Spurs’ first place spot are the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and the Indiana Pacers to round out the top five.

    The Miami Heat, who won last year’s NBA championship, follows closely behind in sixth place. They were in fifth last week, but lost recently, and have been showing signs of struggle.

    It is no surprise to see that the West is dominating, although when comparing overall records, the Pacers are third overall, and were ranked third in the power rankings last week. The full NBA standings, showing their rankings in the conference can be seen here.

    The Heat and Pacers are the two teams that have already clinched in the East, but due to tougher competition in the Western Conference, the only team that has clinched is the Spurs. The Mavericks just slipped from 8 to 10, and the Suns have risen from 11 to 9, placing them only one game behind the Mavericks.

    Even the Brooklyn Nets, who looked amazing on paper to start the season, but struggled earlier, are on a four-game winning streak, and are likely to gain the fourth seed in the playoffs. Another surprise in the Eastern Conference in 2014 is the Toronto Raptors, who are currently in third place, although they are only half of a game ahead of the Bulls.

    It is unclear where every team will land, and who they will each be paired with, but as the NBA season comes to an end, some teams have been improving, while others are falling. The Pacers are in first in the East, while the Spurs lead the way in the west. They almost met in the NBA finals last year before the Heat edged the Pacers out, could it happen this year?

    Image via Twittter

  • Tracy McGrady May Attempt Baseball Career

    Tracy McGrady May Attempt Baseball Career

    It looks like Tracy McGrady may be considering a career in baseball after retiring from the NBA last year.

    ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy set off a swirl of rumors during a telecast of Friday night’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

    “I think he’s going to play independent league baseball as a pitcher this year,” Van Gundy said. “I’m being serious. I’ve heard from sources in Houston — seriously — that he’s throwing over 90 miles per hour.”

    Van Gundy, who has coached for the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets, hinted that McGrady may join the Sugar Land Skeeters. The team – located in the greater Houston metropolitan area – is a member of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

    Randy McIlvoy of KPRC-Houston echoed Van Gundy’s prediction:

    McGrady, known in the sports world as T-Mac – retired last year after playing for numerous professional teams throughout his 16 years in the NBA.

    A seven-time All-Star, McGrady entered the NBA straight out of high school in 1997, starting his career with the Toronto Raptors, and moving on to Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons. His stint in Houston was actually the longest time he spent with any one team, playing there from 2004 to 2010.

    At the time of his retirement, he was playing for another Texas team – the San Antonio Spurs.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_qk-NAMeiI

    When McGrady announced his retirement on ESPN’s First Take, he said he was excited and happy about what was to come. He said his run in the NBA had been a great one.

    But he alluded to the fact that his time with the Atlanta Hawks, Qingdao Eagles (of the Chinese Basketball Association), and the Spurs had not lived up to his expectations: “I can’t allow myself to settle. The last three years have mentally ejected me from the game,” McGrady said.

    At one point, McGrady called baseball his first love:

    That may explain why he joined forces with his friend Tim Bennett, president of Jackson, Mississippi-based Overtime Sports to fund a minor league baseball team in Biloxi, MS.

    The team will be a Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The stadium groundbreaking took place in January.

    Bennett was instrumental in getting the Atlanta Braves to move their Double-A team to the Jackson suburb of Pearl from Greenville, SC back in 2004.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Arrested For DUI

    Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Arrested For DUI

    When the Atlanta Hawks hired former San Antonio Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer as their head coach back in May they must have has something a little different in mind.

    Budenholzer was pulled over by a Georgie State Patrol trooper for not having tail lights. Upon confronting Budenholzer the officer claims to have smelled alcohol and administered a field sobriety test. Budenholzer, who refused to take a breathalyzer test, was arrested for DUI shortly afterward and taken an Atlanta jail.

    Even worse for the Hawks is that Budenholzer was also said to have been in possession of illegal substances, although just what those were has not been released. While a DUI looks bad, it looks worse when it becomes driving under the influence of alcohol AND illegal drugs. The coach was released around 3:45 a.m. on a $1,524 bond.

    It’s not unheard of for a player to be tagged with a violation such as this, but a coach is virtually unheard of. There was a lot of buzz around Budenholzer’s arrival in Atlanta and fans saw him as the answer to taking their franchise to the next level. However, these charges could bring those aspirations to a violent halt. Not only will Budenholzer face disciplinary action from the NBA, but it is completely feasible that he could be fired by the Hawks. The coach may have already blown this huge opportunity, and he would have no one to blame but himself.

    [Image via the Atlanta Hawks YouTube channel]