Nba

NEW YORK (AP) The NBA has fined New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins $25,000 for directing inappropriate language toward a fan. The league says Saturday that Cousins was penalized for his actions that came with 50 seconds remaining in the Pelicans’ 103-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Cousins was also called for a technical foul as part of the incident, and the NBA says that has been rescinded. … [Read more...] about Cousins fined $25,000 by NBA for language toward fan

NEW YORK (AP) Former NBA Commissioner David Stern believes medicinal marijuana use by players should be allowed, but the league says it won’t allow it for recreational use. Stern was interviewed by ex-NBA player Al Harrington for the website Uninterrupted’s documentary ”Concept of Cannabis.” Stern said he thought there was ”universal agreement that marijuana for medical purposes should be completely legal.” Adam Silver, who replaced Stern as commissioner in 2014, has said he is interested in studying more about the safety of medicinal marijuana. But Stern, who spent 30 years as commissioner, seemed ready to go a step further in his interview. ”I think we have to change the Collective Bargaining Agreement and let you do what is legal in your state,” he said. ”If marijuana is now in the process of being legalized, I think you should be allowed to do what’s legal in your state.” Marijuana is listed as a prohibited … [Read more...] about David Stern calls for NBA changes of marijuana rules

As a child growing up in Israel, Omri Casspi would do whatever he could to get any glimpse of the NBA.“I remember waking up early in the morning to watch Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s,” said Casspi, not knowing if he would ever get a chance to play there.That day has almost arrived and now young Israeli kids will want to be like Omri. Casspi is set to make his NBA debut on Wednesday when the Sacramento Kings take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.When Casspi steps onto the court, he will be the first Israeli ever to play in the NBA, a designation that comes with as much fanfare as it does pressure to succeed. Players from more than 60 other countries have made it to the NBA before Israel has its first.“I’m behind that now,” he said. “I’m comfortable now. I played for the biggest club in Israel. Of course, it’s a responsibility, but at the end of the day, it’s still basketball.”That’s what Casspi does well … [Read more...] about Casspi set to make history as first Israeli in NBA

The NBA is taking another step in its plans to expand its presence in India, sending Dikembe Mutombo to take part in a pair of events this week.The former All-Star center, recently hired as the league’s global ambassador, was in Mumbai on Wednesday to unveil two refurbished courts, along with a learning center, which the league said will benefit more than 1,500 children.He will take part in a groundbreaking ceremony for another new court on Friday in Chennai, then remain there to run a coaching clinic over the weekend.Much as it previously did with China, the NBA has tried to capitalize on its popularity in India. The league has held a number of events there the last two years, including a Basketball without Borders camp last summer. … [Read more...] about NBA sends Mutombo to India for court dedications

There’s still no reason to think that a fourth consecutive NBA Finals matchup between Golden State and Cleveland cannot happen, even though both teams have been often less than razor-sharp to start this season. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, frankly, isn’t surprised by some early struggles. Golden State has had uncharacteristic issues with turnovers and defense to start this season – though the Warriors started to look like themselves again in a 141-113 romp past the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Cleveland has dealt with defensive lapses as well, and the Cavaliers went into LeBron James’ annual Halloween party this week on a three-game losing streak. Kerr has seen this before. He played for the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98, part of a team that was coming off two straight titles but started just 8-7. ”Everybody was fried,” Kerr said. Those Bulls figured things out, eventually finishing off a repeat threepeat by getting their sixth title in eight … [Read more...] about NBA Finals hangovers? Steve Kerr says they can be very real

MIAMI (AP) Brooklyn’s Jeremy Lin was horrified to see what happened to Gordon Hayward, whose season almost certainly ended in a most disturbing fashion five minutes into the Celtics’ season-opener. A night later, Lin met a similar fate. Here’s some of what should be celebrated from the opening nights of the NBA season: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had a 37-point game, Cleveland’s LeBron James was one assist away from a triple-double, Houston beat Golden State on the Warriors’ ring night and Miami’s Hassan Whiteside went for 26 points and 22 rebounds. It all seems overshadowed by injuries. No, this is not the start the NBA wanted. ”It’s tough watching that happen to anybody in the NBA,” said Golden State guard Shaun Livingston, whose horrific knee injury from 2007 – so bad that doctors originally thought he could lose his leg – was compared to the grotesque nature of Hayward’s injury Tuesday night. … [Read more...] about Hayward, Lin out for year, and many others in NBA are ailing

Maybe it’s the 3-ball. Perhaps it’s all about small ball. Whatever the reasons, NBA teams had few problems putting the ball in the basket and piling up points through the first week of the regular season. A third of the league is averaging 110 or more, and the Brooklyn Nets became the first team to score 115 in their first four games in 32 years – and they only won half of them, because they were giving up more than 120 a night. The floor is open and offenses are flowing – with ease. ”The game has changed. Offense has changed in the last 10 years radically just because the players are getting better, they shoot the ball better, offense has opened up, 3-point line, everybody shoots now,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. ”So the offense has changed radically. Defense traditionally has not changed that much.” It’s advantage offense in a big, entertaining fashion. D’Antoni ran the NBA’s most potent offense when he was … [Read more...] about Early theme to NBA season: You score, I score, we all score

PHOENIX (AP) The NBA has fined Phoenix Suns rookie Josh Jackson $35,000 for ”making a menacing gesture” on the playing court and ”directing inappropriate language at a fan.” The incident occurred in the Suns’ 130-88 loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles last Saturday night. Video appeared to show Jackson forming his fingers as a pretend gun and pointing it at the fan, but Jackson disputed that characterization. Jackson said the fan had been heckling him loudly and aggressively throughout the game and that he wrongly decided to respond. Jackson said at first he intended to flip his middle finger at the heckler but decided against it and that indecision led to his hand appearing to be a pretend gun. … [Read more...] about NBA fines Suns’ Jackson $35,000 for ‘menacing gesture’