Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP Trophy Unveiled
Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the NBA will rename its All-Star Game MVP Award in honor of Kobe Bryant, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
“Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game,” Silver said. “He always relished the opportunity to compete with the best of the best and perform at the highest level for millions of fans around the world.”
Bryant was an 18-time All-Star selection and played in 15 of the games. He was named All-Star MVP four times, a record he shares with Bob Pettit (Twitter link from Ben Golliver of The Washington Post).
The league is still in shock over the death of Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people.
Silver explained that the NBA decided not to cancel its games on that day because fans were already at several arenas and the league wasn’t able to confirm Bryant’s death in time to call off the games. He adds that the decision to play was made after discussion with the Players Association (Twitter link via Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune).
Silver addressed a few other topics in his annual All-Star Weekend press conference:
- He expects a “return to normalcy” soon in the league’s relationship with China, but can’t predict when that will happen, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today. Silver adds that NBA games still aren’t being shown on CCTV and said that decision is “outside of our control.” The league won’t press China to begin showing them again (Twitter link). Silver added that the loss of business from China is only partially tied to the league’s revenue decline and expressed hope that the nation might host pre-Olympic games this summer or NBA preseason games in the fall (Twitter link from Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle). Silver expects the loss of revenue from China to be “substantial,” estimating it will be “less than $400MM.” (Twitter link) “We accept the consequences of our system and our values,” he added (Twitter link).
- Silver is still optimistic that the NBA’s Board of Governors will eventually approve a mid-season tournament, but nothing is currently imminent (Twitter link). He said discussions are being held with players and media partners about that tournament and a play-in tourney for the final playoff spots in each conference (Twitter link).
- The commissioner also discussed a Comcast/Altitude dispute that is preventing many Nuggets games from being shown in Denver. Silver said owners are examining the best methods for distributing their games (Twitter link).
Pau Gasol Aims For Olympics, Possible NBA Comeback
Pau Gasol hopes to represent Spain in the Olympics this summer and hasn’t given up on a return to the NBA next season, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
Before either of those things can happen, Gasol will need to fully rehabilitate the left foot injury that forced him to undergo surgery last spring. Gasol, 39, signed with the Trail Blazers in July, but was never able to suit up for the team. Portland waived him in November.
“I’m in rehab right now, just focusing solely on and prioritizing getting my foot healed so I can get back out there and try to play again,” said Gasol, who was wearing a walking boot during an interview with ESPN Radio.
He admitted that retirement remains “a possibility” if the foot doesn’t heal the way he hopes. Gasol said it was a mutual decision with the Blazers to release him so he could do rehab work independently.
“We just agreed that it was better for me just to focus on the rehab and not have to be under a team kind of a schedule,” he added. “Just focusing solely and prioritizing my health, and from then we’ll see.”
Gasol played 18 NBA seasons and won a pair of championships with the Lakers. He played a combined 30 games for the Spurs and Bucks last year.
Hasheem Thabeet Garnering Interest From Teams In Asia, Spain
Former No. 2 pick Hasheem Thabeet is evaluating interest from multiple teams in Asia and Spain, with the former UConn center hoping to resurrect his NBA career by proving his worth, agent Jerry Dianis told Hoops Rumors.
In addition to clubs overseas, several teams in the G League have maintained an interest in Thabeet, Dianis said.
Thabeet signed an NBA G League contract and started the season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate. He parted ways with the team last month after averaging four points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in fairly limited time (16.4 minutes per contest), appearing in nine total games.
Thabeet, 32, remains a valuable defensive asset for teams in need of rim protection. He’s established himself as an elite shot-blocker during his professional career, using his 7’3″, 260-pound athletic frame to contest shots and play strong defense.
Thabeet worked out for multiple NBA teams before being drafted by Fort Wayne in the fall, including Golden State, Denver and New York. He also attended two workouts with Milwaukee.
Thabeet, who spent three seasons at UConn from 2006-09, has shown impressive durability and worked hard on improving his body in recent years. He has made past stops with the Grizzlies, Rockets, Blazers, Thunder, Pistons and Lakers, which includes an array of G League stints.
Evan Turner To Work Out For Clippers
New Timberwolves swingman Evan Turner is scheduled to work out for the Clippers, with a buyout apparently in progress from Minnesota, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
After being moved from the Hawks to Minnesota at the trade deadline, there were strong overtures that Turner was not long for the Timberwolves when he did not appear at a team press conference celebrating the rest of the team’s new additions.
The 6’6″ Turner was a multi-positional ball-handling bench cog for playoff teams in Boston and Portland before being traded to the Hawks in the final year of a four-year, $70MM contract he inked in 2016. The Athletic’s John Hollinger notes (Twitter link) that buying out Turner’s final year, during which is earning $18.6MM, could save significant luxury tax coin for the Timberwolves.
The former No. 2 draft pick appeared in just 19 games for Atlanta this season, averaging only 13.2 minutes per contest, as the Hawks prioritized developing their youth. He could abet the Clippers as yet another skilled passing wing.
Basketball Hall Of Fame Selects Eight Finalists
The Basketball Hall of Fame has selected eight finalists for the 2020 class. This year’s Hall-of-Famers will be officially announced in April. Let’s take a look at the candidates:
Kobe Bryant
Bryant, who tragically passed away late last month, helped the Lakers bring home five NBA championships. He took home the Finals MVP on two of those occasions. He was selected to 18 NBA All-Star games during his career in Los Angeles.
Tim Duncan
Duncan, who is currently an assistant coach with the Spurs, brought San Antonio five NBA championships during his time in the league. He won Finals MVP three times and was named to 15 All-Star games.
Kevin Garnett
Garnett won a championship upon arriving in Boston. Over the course of his career, the big man was named to 15 NBA All-Star games and nine All-Defensive First Teams. He played for the Wolves, Celtics, and Nets in his career.
Tamika Catchings
Catchings won a WNBA championship during her time with the Indiana Fever. She was selected to 10 WNBA All-Star games and won four Olympic Gold Medals for Team USA during her playing days.
Rudy Tomjanovich
Tomjanovich is just one of three coaches to win an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal. He coached the Rockets to two championships in the early 90’s and had a nice career as a player prior to that, as he was selected to five NBA All-Star games.
Kim Mulkey
Mulkey is the first person to win a National Championship as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. She played point guard for Louisiana Tech in the early 80’s and has coached at both Louisiana Tech and Baylor.
Eddie Sutton
Sutton coached in the college ranks for 36 years. He was the coach of the year four times in his career and he took two different teams—Arkansas, Oklahoma State (2x)—to the Final Four.
Barbara Stevens
Stevens is only the fifth coach in NCAA women’s basketball history to achieve over 1,000 career wins. She has led Clark University, UMass, and Bentley throughout her coaching career.
Towns May Not Be Ready To Return After All-Star Break
Karl-Anthony Towns missed the Timberwolves‘ final game before the All-Star break due to a left wrist injury. At the time, the Wolves didn’t provide many details on Towns’ exact diagnosis or his return timeline, simply announcing that he’d be evaluated over the break.
The club still hasn’t issued a formal update on Towns’ status, but league sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic that the big man will likely need more than just the nine-day All-Star break before he’s ready to return to action. According to Krawczynski, Minnesota’s franchise player has been dealing with pain in his wrist for multiple weeks, prompting further testing.
With a 16-37 record this season, the Timberwolves won’t be incentivized to rush Towns back before he’s ready. The team currently has the fourth-worst record in the NBA, but is only separated from the league’s eighth-worst team by two games, as our reverse standings show. The Wolves still own their 2020 first-round pick and would benefit from improving their lottery odds this spring, so they’ll likely be extra cautious with their leading score and won’t be concerned if his absence costs them a couple wins.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves just overhauled their roster at the trade deadline, acquiring potential building blocks like D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley. The club presumably wants a chance to observe how those players mesh with Towns down the stretch — that’s especially true for guys like Beasley and Juan Hernangomez, who will be free agents at season’s end.
We’ll have to wait for official word from the Wolves on Towns’ recovery timetable, but based on Krawczynski’s report, it sounds like he may not be ready to go when the team resumes play next Friday against the Celtics.
Norvel Pelle Remains Hungry After Earning Promotion From Sixers
For Norvel Pelle, earning a standard contract with the Sixers took several years of hard work, dedication and passion, as the 27-year-old spent much of his professional career playing in the G League and in international leagues.
Pelle, who made his NBA debut this past November, took a rather unique path to the Association. Rather than attending college, he joined the NBAGL’s Delaware 87ers (now the Delaware Blue Coats) in the fall of 2013. He showed some promise as a 20-year-old, averaging 5.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in just 13.1 minutes per contest, but went undrafted in 2014.
Pelle would test his luck by signing in Taiwan later that summer before returning to the G League with Delaware in March of 2015. He appeared in four games during that second NBAGL stint and signed in Lebanon to end the year, seeking a sense of stability in his young, budding career. Pelle subsequently joined the Heat for two summer league stints, attempted a third overseas stint in Italy, then made a fourth trip to join Auxilium Torino in early 2018.
It was around that time when Pelle, a 6’10” defensive specialist, began to make a name for himself. He was added to Philadelphia’s 2018 summer league team and received his first invitation to training camp, spending the rest of the season in Delaware and a final overseas stint in Lebanon.
Unbeknownst to fans, the 76ers were keeping close tabs on Pelle as he continued to develop and improve throughout the 2018/19 season, eventually earning a spot on the G League’s All-Defensive team. Philadelphia decided to offer Pelle a two-way contract last July, with general manager Elton Brand showing a level of trust in the big man that other lead decision-makers hadn’t.
“That made me feel real good,” Pelle told Hoops Rumors in a phone interview.
Brand had a successful 17-year NBA career in his own right, going first overall in the 1999 draft and earning a pair of All-Star berths. Having Brand recognize his improvement was an important step for Pelle.
“We’ve gotten close, where I could just call him up and talk to him [if need be],” Pelle said of the Sixers’ GM. “It’s just amazing.”
Pelle accepted Philadelphia’s two-way contract offer, entering training camp last fall having improved significantly since attending camp with the team a year earlier. His progress made a strong impression with coaches and teammates alike, and he continued to make strides in the preseason. After all, playing alongside the likes of Al Horford and Joel Embiid — all while having Brand as the team’s GM — is sure to have a positive influence on a big man’s arsenal. Pelle’s focus on improving his touch and strength during the offseason paid off, earning respect from Horford, Embiid, and others.
“You get motivated competing against them every day,” Pelle said. “Al’s been in the league for so long, Joel’s been dominant over these years. It motivates me to just want to keep working.”
Pelle did exactly that, working tirelessly on his two-way deal this season. Earning that contract was a notable milestone, yes, but Pelle had his sights set on something greater: earning a standard contract with the franchise. Fast forward to early February, just after the trade deadline, and Pelle received the phone call he’s always dreamed of — the Sixers wanted to turn his two-way contract into a traditional, multiyear NBA contract, guaranteeing his salary for the remainder of the season.
“It definitely brings out a lot of feelings,” Pelle said of signing his first standard contract. “I tried to do something that I wanted to accomplish, and I accomplished it. Now it’s just about longevity — playing a long time in the league.”
Back in September, a member of the media asked Pelle what his primary goal was coming into the season. His response was fitting, short and sweet.
“To get better day by day,” Pelle said. “You know, learn from the people that have been in the league for a long time. Contribute to a championship.”
Pelle has unique athletic capabilities and defensive skills that are highly coveted by NBA teams. He leads all rookies in blocks per game (1.4), despite averaging just over 10 minutes per game. His rate of 5.0 blocks per 36 minutes is easily tops among players who have logged at least 150 minutes this season (Daniel Gafford is second at 3.6). Pelle has also chipped in 2.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG on 59% shooting. He remains a student of the game, soaking up as much information as possible from Horford, Embiid, and Philadelphia’s other vets.
Horford came off the bench at center for the first time on Tuesday, and if the Sixers stick with their new lineup going forward, Pelle’s path to more playing time could become challenging. But he remains a talented defensive player with high upside, possessing the necessary tools to be a handful for defenses around the rim, a threat for alley-oops, and a physical screen-setter on offense.
“Just high energy off the bench, blocking, shots, protecting the rim,” Pelle said of what he brings to the team. “Just an actual spark. I feel like that’s really what my role on this team is, to just come in for however long I’m in for and provide a quick burst of energy — a quick spark.”
There’s no question that earning a standard NBA contract was an important breakthrough for Pelle, but it hardly represents the end of his journey. His salary for 2020/21 becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster beyond July 6, and those closest to him not only insist that his hunger remains — they’re adamant it has increased.
“This season has been amazing,” Pelle said. “It’s like a dream come true. Everything that’s happened, every experience as far as being in the NBA — it’s just been amazing.
“The next step is to keep growing as an individual, both on and off the court. It’s just soaking up as much information as I can throughout the years, however long I stay in the league. Just keep soaking up information each year, learn something new. It doesn’t have to be Hall or Fame or nothing — just to know that Norvel Pelle did this is great.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Damian Lillard Suffers Groin Injury, Out Through All-Star Weekend
FEBRUARY 13: An MRI confirmed that Damian Lillard has a groin strain. The anticipated recovery timeline will range from one to two weeks, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 12: Damian Lillard was set to be a major part of All-Star weekend. He was lined up to participate in the 3-point contest and put on a rap performance on Saturday before playing in the actual game on Sunday. All of that seems unlikely to happen after the point guard suffered a groin injury on Wednesday.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links) reports that it’s a grade 1-2 right groin strain for Lillard. Dame will spend All-Star weekend recovering in preparation for a second-half playoff push.
Lillard is averaging 29.5 points while dishing out 7.9 assists per game this season. He’s taking an absurd 10.0 shots from three per game, which somehow is only second in the league behind James Harden (12.8 shots per game).
There’s no word yet on who will replace Lillard in the All-Star game and three-point contest. Who do you believe should be Lillard’s replacement? Take to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Devin Booker Replacing Lillard In All-Star Game, 3-Point Contest
The NBA has announced that Suns guard Devin Booker will replace injured Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard in this weekend’s All-Star Game and 3-point contest. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 first reported (via Twitter) that Booker would be Lillard’s replacement for both events.
Booker, 23, was widely considered the most notable Western Conference snub when the 2020 All-Star reserves were revealed last month. He took the exclusion hard, publicly suggesting the picks were about entertainment, drama, and politics rather than rewarding the NBA’s best players. Now, after Lillard suffered a groin injury that will sideline him through the break and specifically endorsed Booker as his replacement, the Suns star will get a chance to play in his first All-Star Game.
In 52 games (35.9 MPG) this season, Booker has averaged 26.4 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 4.2 RPG with a shooting line of .496/.358/.920. Considering his scoring numbers are more impressive than those put up by several All-Stars, Booker presumably didn’t make the initial cut due to Phoenix’s poor record and his limitations on defense. Bradley Beal, the biggest snub in the Eastern Conference, was omitted from the list of All-Star reserves for similar reasons.
Beal was ineligible to step in for Lillard since the replacement had to come from the Western Conference, despite the fact that the All-Star Game won’t actually pit the East vs. the West. Booker will join LeBron James‘ team, since LeBron selected Lillard in last week’s All-Star draft.
Lillard had also been scheduled to put on a rap performance during Saturday night’s festivities in Chicago, but it’s safe to say Booker won’t be replacing Dame D.O.L.L.A on stage as well. Lillard still intends to perform, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Suns Sign Jonah Bolden To 10-Day Contract
5:00pm: The signing is now official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
2:40pm: The Suns have agreed to sign free agent big man Jonah Bolden to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Phoenix has an open spot on its 15-man roster after releasing Tyler Johnson, so no corresponding roster move will be required.
Bolden, 24, was the 36th overall pick in the 2017 draft and joined the Sixers for the 2018/19 season after spending one year as a draft-and-stash prospect. He showed signs of promise in his rookie season, averaging 4.7 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a .494 FG% and .354 3PT% in 44 games (14.5 MPG). Suns head coach Monty Williams was a 76ers assistant at the time.
However, Bolden was not part of Philadelphia’s rotation in 2019/20, appearing in just four games and logging 14 total minutes. When the Sixers decided to promote two-way player Norvel Pelle to their 15-man roster following the trade deadline, Bolden was the odd man out. He was waived last Friday and became an unrestricted free agent on Sunday.
Phoenix is currently dealing with some injuries in its frontcourt. Frank Kaminsky (knee) and Aron Baynes (hip) have been out for weeks, Dario Saric (ankle) has been ruled out for Wednesday, and Deandre Ayton (ankle) is banged up as well. As such, Bolden should get the opportunity to have an immediate role for the Suns.
Because 10-day contracts must cover at least three games, Bolden’s will run through February 22, technically making it an 11-day contract, assuming it’s officially finalized today. He’d be eligible to play against the Warriors tonight, the Raptors following the All-Star break next Friday, and the Bulls next Saturday.