News From Around The World: September 10

09/10/12

Written by: DHawes22

September 10

Trail Blazers TV: Bill Schonely 2012 Curt Gowdy Award Acceptance Speech

Trail Blazers TV: Meet BlazerDancer Ashley

Trail Blazers: Trail Blazers Weekend: Jeffries Kills A Gator, Matthews Hangs With Ducks
"Training camp starts in a few weeks and a lot of players are already back in the area preparing for the 2012-13 season. But the guys are also squeezing in some off the court activities in their last days of vacation before turning their full attention to basketball. Here's what some of them were up to this weekend ..."

Blazersedge: Transcript: Blazers GM Neil Olshey Interviewed On KGW
"I'm ecstatic. It's great. It was a little tough for awhile. The gym was empty after free agency and summer league. We had a great day today. We had about eight or 10 guys in here today. They got to play some full court. We've got a great coaching staff. The guys have been on the court active every day working guys out. All the young guys are excited. LaMarcus [Aldridge] did a great job, he's a real leader. He's the one who orchestrated these voluntary offseason workouts so I'm excited about him kind of taking over the locker room and being a solid voice of leadership for the young guys."

Trail Blazers: Transcript: Bill Schonely Accepts The Curt Gowdy Award
"Each and every night, every day, there was always a story: the beginning, the middle and the end and you never knew how it would turn out. And as I mentioned, this would be my 43rd year with the Trail Blazers. My thanks to the coaches, the players, all of the broadcasters who are enshrined already, and there are a great list of outstanding voices in the game. Curt Gowdy, of course. Marty Glickman, the great Johnny Most, Dick Enberg, Marv Albert, Bob Wolfe, Bob Costas. Dick Vitale, Al McCoy (Phoenix) Joe Tate (Cleveland), Hubie Brown, who is here tonight, and of course my dear friend, the late Chick Hearn. And there are many, many more. I am so proud to be a part of that enclave in the Hall of Fame."

Trail Blazers: Bill Schonely Recieves 2012 Tom McCall Award
“I have a great deal of respect for Tom McCall and what he did for our industry,” said Schonely. “He was truly a pioneer. To receive an award with his name on it is quite an honor.”

Trail Blazers: Bill Schonely Recieves Curt Gowdy Award From Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame
“This is the pinnacle for any basketball broadcaster,” Schonely said. “There are no words to describe how it feels to win this award. I am thoroughly honored to be included with the class of individuals who have received the Gowdy award in previous years.”

Trail Blazers: The Schonz' Gives Thanks At The Hall Of Fame
"Talking of the sacrifices his wife and children made for his career were as close at Schonely got to taking credit for his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He spoke mostly of gratitude for the people and opportunities that paved the way for his winning the Curt Gowdy Award. He only mentioned his coining of "Rip City!" in passing and chose not to remind the audience "Bingo Bango Bongo" or "Lickety brindle up the middle." But in closing, he did get in his most famous piece of advice."

Trail Blazers: Meet BlazerDancer Kelly
“Opening night my first season, I think that will always be,” Kelly said. “For the first time, I mean there’s preseason, yes, but finally when everything was started and opening night came it was like ‘Wow, this is real. I actually made it this year!‘ The feelings I got were exciting, overwhelming, I can’t even describe it."

Trail Blazers: Trail Blazers Participate in Second Annual Green Sports Alliance Summit
"As one of many NBA teams dedicated to a sustainable future, we are proud of the leadership our owner Paul Allen, our corporate leader Sarah Mensah, and Commissioner Stern has shown during this movement. Without this visionary leadership, our accomplishments and future wins would not have been possible. Tonight, we honor MLB Commissioner Bud Selig for his leadership within the greening of sports in professional baseball. Like Commissioner Stern, Selig has shown us how our leaders can initiate change. "

CSNNW: Blazers reopen Stampede coaching search, Dickau out
"The former NBA point guard/Gonzaga standout joined the Trail Blazers staff last offseason and his main duty was the skill development of the guards. Trail Blazers guards Elliot Williams and Nolan Smith credited Dickau for the countless hours of help improving their shooting mechanics as well as helping perfect their pick-and-roll game."

Blazersedge: Transcript: Blazers GM Neil Olshey Interviewed On KGW
"I'm ecstatic. It's great. It was a little tough for awhile. The gym was empty after free agency and summer league. We had a great day today. We had about eight or 10 guys in here today. They got to play some full court. We've got a great coaching staff. The guys have been on the court active every day working guys out. All the young guys are excited. LaMarcus [Aldridge] did a great job, he's a real leader. He's the one who orchestrated these voluntary offseason workouts so I'm excited about him kind of taking over the locker room and being a solid voice of leadership for the young guys."

Blazersedge: Hope for the Trail Blazers in the Near Future: Part 1--Five Arguments that Don't Work
"We need to invoke a semi-Charlotte Rule here, as technically only the Lakers and Heat don't apply. But even if it's really, really, really true and nobody knows about you, there's usually a reason for that. 98% of the time that reason is because you suck. Even in the other 2%--even if the surprise factor hits full force--shock only gets you so far. By the time you've played a team the third time they're over it and ready for you. That's why teams flying under the radar almost always get shot down as soon as they gain enough altitude to become a blip."

NW Sports Beat: Damian Lillard: Best, worst-case NBA comparisons and realistic PDX predictions
"Westbrook is a great, young point guard, but his decision-making skills have been questioned for good reason in the past, and Lillard has spoken time and time again about getting his teammates involved. Rose is the ideal fit for Lillard, but he must continue to elevate his game if he’s ever going to reach such a high comparison."

Washington State: WSU officials, donor dedicate home for global animal health
"Paul G. Allen and representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were joined today by Washington State University officials and other donors and special guests to formally dedicate the Paul G. Allen Center for Global Animal Health in Pullman. The recently completed 62,000-square-foot, three-story flagship research building is a first-of-its-kind research facility that will house a state-of-the-art infectious disease research center for investigating emerging diseases throughout the world. "

Ball Don't Lie: Dwyane Wade is improving his shooting by working on his catching
"By "catch," Wade is referring to more than just catch-and-shoot situations — the issue is really more about how he brings the ball up into his motion in all shooting situations. It's similar to how a hitter in baseball must work on both his step as well as the swing itself. When we talk about shooting, we typically look at the most obvious elements of the play: squaring up, elevating, releasing, following through, etc. What Wade recognizes, though, is that athletic motions are interrelated. In other words, a player can't shoot properly if he doesn't first get himself in a good position to shoot, just as a point guard can't make a good pass if he doesn't first get himself a usable passing lane. It's a holistic view of the sport, not one where skills can be isolated as if one didn't affect the other."

Ball Don't Lie: The Memphis Grizzlies are offering free game tickets in exchange for turned-in firearms
"I absolutely adore the city of Memphis, and have vacationed there a pair of times over the last few years. It's a wonderful city with unendingly cool things to visit and revisit, perched on an absolutely picturesque portion of the Mississippi delta. It's also one of the most violent cities in America, "with a crime rate more than three times the national average" last year, according to U.S. News and World Report. This is an area just two years removed from the disappearance and brutal gun slaying of former Grizzlies center and Memphis native Lorenzen Wright; and though exhibition game tickets aren't the most highly coveted asset to exchange goods for, every little bit helps."

Ball Don't Lie: Isiah Thomas might be re-joining the New York Knicks. Officially, at least
"This — and the early September blahs that tend to mark every NBA offseason — are why Knick fans greeted the Thomas/Dolan meeting with a collective shrug over the weekend. The Knicks don't have many pieces to move, no cap space to waste, no exceptions to toss at those who deserve half as much. The damage, both good and bad, has been done; and even if that chemistry never comes about a healthy Knick team should be expected to eclipse 50 wins."

Ball Don't Lie: Chris Bosh appears to have the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy on his slippers
"In recognition of Bosh's strong weeklong showing, GQ.com's Ben Ferrari featured the 6-foot-11 forward in a Fashion Week photo journal highlighting "the daily wardrobe wizardry of New York's sharpest show-goers." And like another famous traveler who once had a run-in with a wizard, Bosh wore some fancy slippers for the shoot — ones that appear to have the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy stitched onto them, in celebration of the Heat's 2011-12 NBA championship win."

Ball Don't Lie: Jazz center Enes Kanter finishes kids’ huge pool alley-oop (VIDEO)
"When he's not performing monstrous pool dunks, the sophomore big man is working out to prepare for the season in Venice Beach, Calif., which apparently includes actual working out plus The Joker-and-Spongebob-infused beach fun and being a human flagpole, I guess? We're past Labor Day and rocketing headlong toward fall, but kudos to Kanter for keeping summer's wild, carefree spirit alive in his heart."

The Basketball Jones: Kevin Willis would return to the NBA if someone seriously asked
"No offense to Kevin Willis, who is one half of the legendary “Did you mean Otis Thorpe?” joke and 100 percent of the even more legendary “Look how short this guy’s arms are” joke, but I have a feeling that none of the teams in the NBA are going to be serious. Maybe I am crazy and there is a market for 50-year-old journeymen power forwards who made one All-Star team literally 20 years ago and have been retired for five years, but I suspect that is not the case. If it were, Otis Thorpe would have got a job years ago. (Still works.)"

The Basketball Jones via Seattle Weekly: ‘Mommy, What’s a SuperSonic?,’ a children’s book
"As my interest and hope for the return of the NBA to Seattle began to regenerate, I thought about putting out something simple and quick about the Sonics, in hope of renewing fan interest and discussion about who the team was and why they left. And the fact is, it’s pretty sad that kids growing up in Seattle today will literally be asking their parents the question of who the Supersonics were and why they left,” says Gall. “I thought that I could create something that would be a nice way for parents to be able to take a trip down memory lane, through the good AND tragic times, at the same time teaching their kids an important civic history lesson about what was among many Seattleites’ fondest memories–the Sonics.”

The Basketball Jones: Video: Watch the Raptors get punked in the new NBA 2K13 trailer
"But watching the trailer, I couldn’t help but noticing just how many highlights there were against the Toronto Raptors. So I did what any bro with a rudimentary knowledge of video editing would do — I made a compilation of all the anti-Raptors moments in the new spot. Andrea Bargnani gets some particularly rough treatment."

The Basketball Jones: Enes Kanter is loving Los Angeles
"The offseason is a time for players to recuperate, relax and rebuild their bodies. After a lockout smashed a whole bunch of games in to not much time, NBA players really needed to take advantage of their time off to get ready for the 2012-13 season. Perhaps no player has done a better job of this than Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter, who just spent a weekend in Los Angeles working out, taking hilarious pictures and then posting them to Twitter. It’s the perfect summer fitness regiment."

The Basketball Jones: The NBA really went for it at New York Fashion Week
"Honestly, at this point I am used to Russell Westbrook looking like this and have maybe even been brainwashed a little in to liking his outfits. Well, not that black shirt with a jellyfish or whatever that is that’s on the far right, but everything else is fine. For him, at least. I guess this what Westbrook is going to look like for a little bit, so we might as well embrace it. And even though he got called some pretty horrible things, he looks like he’s having fun, so that’s nice."

The Basketball Jones: Brad Miller and Jared Jeffries killed an alligator
"Even in retirement, Brad Miller is still the best. Maybe not at knowing the exact spelling of his hunting buddies’ names, but definitely at everything else including but not limited to wearing a camouflage Chicago Cubs hat and Nikes for a hunting excursion with a random NBA guy who I didn’t even know was a hunter but is indeed a hunter. Brad Miller is the gift that keeps on giving."

DIME: Andrew Bynum Is Going To Blow Up In Philly
"Malone is the basketball parallel to Will Smith’s Fresh Prince in all this. He spent his first six seasons, made two All-NBA teams, and won a ring elsewhere before getting traded to the Sixers; Bynum was a Laker for five years, where he was named to one All-NBA selection, and won two titles. Malone’s breakout seasons came prior to his time in Philly, when he averaged 27.8 and 31.1 points a night, and led the league in rebounding twice with almost 15 boards a game. Meanwhile last season, Bynum had career highs in scoring (18.7 points a game), rebounding (11.8 a night), and finished third in field goal percentage (55.8). Their biggest nights – Malone’s 53 points on the San Diego Clippers or 21 offensive boards versus the Seattle SuperSonics … Bynum’s 21 points/22 boards against the Houston Rockets or his 30 boards on The Big Fundamental’s Spurs – just showcased their talent."

SLAM: The Bomb
Let Reggie Miller tell it… “I know I’m not the best player around.” Agreed. “I’m lucky to be here.” True. “But I’ve been able to make a lot of things work for me.” Bullshit. The only thing that works for Reggie Miller is luck. Maybe, fate. It’s not his fault that he happens to score at will on teams in the closing moment of HUGE games. Playoff games. Knick games. Something else beside skill is involved here. He can’t be that good. He can’t be that clutch, that “fourth quarter.” Imfk’n possible. His shot looks so awkward and off he needs to thank the basket for getting in the way every time he lets one go. He’s a pure shooter with a contaminated release. He has game only his sister could love because her’s is better."

SLAM via CBS Sports: Chris Bosh Gaining Weight to Play Center
"When the Triad was formed in 2010 in Miami, Chris Bosh almost immediately let it be known through the press that he didn’t want to play center. Bosh is a stretch four in nearly the purest sense, and he’s never been the type to go to the block and do the dirty work. He has finesse game, which isn’t a bad thing, it’s a good and rare thing, and he didn’t want to mess with his timing or rhythm by having to add weight. He actually lost weight for the 2010 season. But after winning the title in 2012 with a model that saw Bosh used most often in the center role, or at least “in the least guard role” on a team redefinining traditional position elements, Bosh is starting to accept things. After all, it worked last year. The Miami Herald reports that Bosh has started adjusting his conditioning and training to prepare for a full-time center position."

SLAM via Mass Live: Kevin Garnett: ‘I Will Retire as a Celtic’
"As translated by HoopsHype, Garnett said, ‘I will retire as a Celtic for sure.’ For the past three years in Boston, the Celtics’ future was murky. The team vacillated between brilliance and disappointment, miserable January performances against the Toronto Raptors and long playoff runs that more than counteracted the rough days. Danny Ainge dangled his stars on the trade market and weighed whether to start a rebuilding process. The Celtics existed in a state of basketball purgatory, never fully sure whether they should add pieces with dreams of a Larry O’Brien trophy or shed them in hopes of improving their long-term stability."

SLAM via Mass Live: Kevin Garnett: ‘I Will Retire as a Celtic’
"As translated by HoopsHype, Garnett said, ‘I will retire as a Celtic for sure.’ For the past three years in Boston, the Celtics’ future was murky. The team vacillated between brilliance and disappointment, miserable January performances against the Toronto Raptors and long playoff runs that more than counteracted the rough days. Danny Ainge dangled his stars on the trade market and weighed whether to start a rebuilding process. The Celtics existed in a state of basketball purgatory, never fully sure whether they should add pieces with dreams of a Larry O’Brien trophy or shed them in hopes of improving their long-term stability."

Sports Illustrated: Which players nearing the end of the road will get the Hall call?
"Wallace is No. 8 in the NBA in rebounding rate, won a ring as part of a Detroit team that played in six straight conference finals, made five straight first-team All-Defensive teams and guarded Shaquille O’Neal decently during the 2004 Finals. But his career got off to a slow start, with three fairly low-minutes seasons in Washington, and it has ended with unspectacular (but solid) play in Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit again. Wallace was a horrid free-throw shooter and less of an offensive threat than Camby, but he made up for it to some degree with nasty screen-setting and decent passing."

Trail Blazers: Weekend Plan: Specially Designed For Families And The Busy Nine-To-Fiver
"Built for the family-oriented fan with a busy work-week, the 12-game Weekend Pack maximizes the thrill-factor while keeping the competitions to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A smattering of Western Conference rivals and Eastern Conference visitors during one-offs and key home stands, you can get your hands on this schedule-friendly pack for as low as $11/game and $52/game in the lower bowl."

Trail Blazers: The Rivals Plan: Two LAs, Oklahoma City And The Return Of Roy
"The smallest of the four big ticket plans, the eight game Rivals Pack packs a big punch. You’ll be in the building and eating a corndog while others are wondering how to get their hands on a way to see the return of Brandon Roy and the sure to sell out L.A. Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder."

Trail Blazers: Why The Value Plan Makes 'Cents' For You
"The Value Pack starts at just $5 a game. That’s 12 games for as low as $60! Talk about some serious bang for your buck. But that’s not even the best part about this ticket plan. Four of the 12 games take place in the month of January. And there is absolutely no better place to be during an Oregon winter’s night than inside the raucous Rose Garden. Not to mention this pack gets you into the arena to see some of the league’s biggest names and brightest young stars such as Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and Rudy Gay."

Trail Blazers: Big Games Plan: 12 Of The Biggest Games
"This game has it all. Season opener, at home, against the loathe-inducing Lakers, in Steve Nash's first game in purple and gold and it's on Halloween night! Any game against the Lakers at the Rose Garden is going to be a lively one, but the confluence of circumstances in this particular game sets the stage for one of the all-time season openers in Trail Blazers history."