Thamel reports that Tyler’s decision is at this point — which, to be fair, is very early in the process — not only regrettable but disastrous. Tyler is clearly immature and distracted by the potential of NBA riches, which he apparently considers a sure thing. His coaches and teammates do not like him. He is struggling to see minutes on the court. And if things keep getting worse, Tyler’s NBA draft status is likely to keep falling. These early returns are not promising. A key graph:
His coach calls him lazy and out of shape. The team captain says he is soft. His teammates say he needs to learn to shut up and show up on time. He has no friends on the team. In extensive interviews with Tyler, his teammates, coaches, his father and advisers, the consensus is that he is so naïve and immature that he has no idea how naïve and immature he is. So enamored with his vast potential, Tyler has not developed the work ethic necessary to tap it.
Of course, as one teammate reminds Thamel, Tyler has been a pro for less than 100 days, and he’s done so in a foreign country with few friends at an unusually early age. He deserves some slack this time last year; people were raising similar questions about Brandon Jennings (though those questions had far more to do with ability and playing time than attitude). Still, while Tyler’s situation is unique among hoopsters, he’s not the first 18-year-old to enter the workforce. He’s not even the first 18-year-old to enter high-level sports; by age 18, top-level soccer prospects are being thrust into intense club matches. 18 isn’t old, but it’s old enough to know when to shut up.
Anyway, Jennings’s situation worked out, and there’s no reason Tyler’s can’t either. So let’s avoid extrapolating Tyler’s situation into an indictment of the European option for recruits. For now, it’s just an indictment of Jeremy Tyler, and things aren’t looking good.
Williams — a 6-foot-8 small forward rated among the top high school players in the country — will become the first player to jump from high school to the NBA’s D-League.
Why is this such a big deal? Let’s back up one second:
A year ago, Brandon Jennings made his own history when he became the first prep player to spend the traditional “one-and-done” year not in college, but in Europe. So far, it’s worked out nicely.
Why did Jennings go to Italy? Well, he didn’t qualify academically for Arizona, for starters. And Italy presented a pretty good economic proposition. And the competition was very good — good enough that, despite his modest stats, it was a terrific preparation for the NBA.
Jennings had the right idea: Players with every intention of playing in the NBA — and no intention of spending more than a year in college basketball — have no business in college hoops. Their year — or even two — is cynical, as are the coaches who recruit them.
The reason why the top (i.e., NBA-ready-ish) preps spend that cynical year in college is not to get better it’s because they have no other viable options.
Jennings changed that, but it still wasn’t ideal: European basketball doesn’t want to be the one-and-done way-station for precocious American teen players that the NBA won’t let in. Jennings was talented enough, but a novelty. The Europe option simply doesn’t scale.
But what if there was a domestic alternative? A U.S.-based league whose entire reason for being was to train players to succeed in the NBA?
Oh, that’s right: It’s called the NBA, through their D-League.
And while the NBA has made it clear that they do not want players going straight from high school into the NBA Draft — LeBron, Kobe, KG, et al notwithstanding — the NBA has made it clear (if not in bright lights) it is in the business of supporting, directly, the training and development of future NBA players, straight out of high school.
This is a terrific development.
It is in the best interests of the player. Instead of playing for a college coach more concerned with winning games (or maintaining his job security) than the professional development of any individual player, the player is given instruction from pro coaches whose entire job and incentive structure is to prepare and develop players for the NBA. (Here’s a great piece of trivia: 1 in 5 NBA players have spent at least some time in the D-League, and the percentage is growing, not shrinking.)
And while the player won’t make European millions, it is payment to play basketball — and prepare for a year before entering the NBA Draft, presumably increasing their draft value and, ultimately, money they can make. (And, if the player is good enough, shoe money is there immediately.)
It is in the best interests of the NBA. The NBA is better off with a pipeline of the most talented prep players taught how to play and compete in the pro game (against pro players, most of whom have some pro future), rather than players with a year or two being taught how to play the college way (against college players, most of whom have no pro future).
The notion that the NBA needs college hoops to “market” the players through the NCAA Tournament is overblown; ask Bucks fans if, four games into the season, they are excited about Brandon Jennings, even though almost none of them had heard of him — let alone seen him play — before draft night.
Plus: With top preps going pro immediately, the TV exposure for the D-League will increase, and fans will have plenty of chances to see the best one-year wonders before they hit the NBA Draft.
It is in the best interests of college basketball. The one-and-done players might be supremely talented, but ultimately, their college careers are a short-lived — creating an unhealthy dependency on one-year wonders who really don’t care about college basketball. Instead, college coaches can focus on the players who want to play 3-4 years of college basketball — with a pro future an end-game for some, but a “normal” career the result for most.
Don’t worry: College basketball will always survive, thanks to its playoff format — it doesn’t matter WHO is playing; the bracket doesn’t care about the name on the back of the jersey … or the front, for that matter. And even if you remove the Top 50 most pro-worthy freshmen from each incoming class, there is plenty of star power that develops over time.
So let’s use an example: If John Wall’s No. 1 priority is a career in the NBA, he is better off spending a year in the D-League than he is spending a year at Kentucky, even if he wins a national title (which is irrelevant to Wall’s goal of a successful NBA career — just look at Kevin Durant’s Tournament experience).
It simply makes more sense: If your goal is an NBA career and the NBA is willing to give you an earnest path from high school straight into the NBA (albeit the NBA’s minor league), why would you spend a year (or even two) NOT doing that, instead going to college — where the priority is on a half-dozen things that end up as obstacles to your goal of a pro career?
For decades, college basketball has been the best available route to the NBA. But that wasn’t because college basketball actually IS the best route to the NBA; it was because there was a lack of any other viable (or superior) alternatives.
With the D-League, not only is there a viable alternative — I would argue it is superior. Maybe not on Day 1, but I think that as more players realize this is a viable alternative route, more will take advantage of it. You will see that college hoops will not implode, and the NBA development pipeline — through the D-League — will get much much stronger, translating into better prepared young players and a healthier future overall, for the NBA, for college hoops and especially for the top tier of prep players.
The talk of college basketball made his decision on where he’s going to play college ball. Harrison Barnes ended one of the top recruiting circuses of the season with an announcement to play basketball at North Carolina.
In a world of increased online communication and social media, this announcement hits Duke extremely hard. Recruiting in college basketball has become much easier to follow with incredible in-depth access to highly touted prospects just a year or two away from starring in the NBA.
In the moments following Barnes’ declaration to play for Roy Williams, thousands of tweets containing the word “Barnes” filled the social networking site. That’s thousands of people across the nation discussing Barnes. That’s thousands of users following those discussing Barnes instantly reading about Barnes’ decision. Barnes quickly rose into Twitters’ top 10 trending topics.
Twitter is giving other recruits instant feedback on Barnes’ decision to go to UNC. They get reactions from anyone and everyone and most of those reactions are praising North Carolina and trashing Duke. Not trashing UCLA or Iowa State or even Oklahoma and Kansas who were among the finalists for Barnes.
Duke looked like it finally was starting to gain ground in its never-ending war with North Carolina after bringing in a solid recruiting class this season and signing highly touted guard Kyrie Irving.
Barnes’ decision to go with the baby blue just ended that.
Instantly.
Then Barnes seemingly knowing his place in the rivalry already told ESPNU this, “I think it will be one of the greatest feelings to be able to play in front of the Cameron Crazies because I’ve been and I’ve seen the North Carolina rivalry and I think it will be absolutely great, and I think it will be a great game.”
Well yes Harrison, it will be a great game from your perspective when your Heels run-and-gun to an 18-point win.
Barnes joins two more five-star recruits, shooting guard Reggie Bullock and point guard Kendall Marshall in Roy Williams’ 2010 recruiting class.
The addition of Barnes to that class doesn’t just put North Carolina head and shoulders above Duke next season, but it should put UNC in a separate league from almost everyone else. We don’t know who from this current Tar Heels team will bail for the NBA after this season (my gut says just Ed Davis), but UNC will be close to having double-digit McDonald’s All-Americans.
With 2008 and 2009′s recruiting classes focusing on the frontcourt, the 2010 recruiting class gives Roy Williams a full complement of perimeter and wing players that will allow the Tar Heels to run two or three deep at every single position.
North Carolina will be the most versatile, talented team in the country next season.
The one thing North Carolina is probably missing this season is a dynamic long range shooter.
Harrison Barnes is that player.
Barnes is a player who may impact North Carolina directly on the court for one season, but his impact on Chapel Hill starts now. His decision will help lure other five-star McDonald’s All-Americans to Tobacco Road.
He’s not a lock to go pro after one season, but with his skill set and size it’s hard to imagine he won’t be a millionaire in 2011. He’ll be a perfect fit to play the wing in the NBA. Barnes stands somewhere in the neighborhood of 6’7” as now, but remember, Barnes isn’t even 18 years old yet. Barnes could still have two or three years of growing ahead of him.
A player in the position of heralded Kentucky freshman John Wall cannot play in games until his eligibility is certified, an NCAA spokesperson said Friday.
Quoting an NCAA bylaw, Associate Director for Public and Media Relations Cameron Schuh sent an e-mail message that read, “Enrolled student-athletes on campus may practice with the team while their eligibility status is being reviewed, but they may not participate in any competitions.”
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive told ESPN.com on Thursday that “amateurism issues” had to be resolved for Wall and Mississippi State freshman Renardo Sidney.
Mississippi State Coach Rick Stansbury said he had not checked the rule, but he would not play Sidney until all questions about the player’s eligibility had been answered.
While Stansbury has repeatedly acknowledged Sidney’s limbo status, UK officials have not confirmed that questions hover over Wall’s eligibility. Even Slive’s admission did not move UK beyond a vague non-declaration on Friday that all UK athletes “are considered eligible unless it is noted otherwise.”
Wall, expected to be UK’s point guard this season, participated in a practice opened to students on Friday. According to The Associated Press, some students in attendance said Coach John Calipari did not mention Wall’s eligibility during his remarks to fans before practice.Wall’s association with his AAU coach, Brian Clifton, casts doubt on his eligibility, ESPN.com reported. Clifton was a registered agent with FIBA, basketball’s international governing body, for nearly a year. The association can be interpreted as Wall accepting improper benefits from an agent.
To regain his eligibility, Wall could repay any expenses paid by Clifton. An NCAA rule says punishment can include an athlete withheld from at least 10 percent of a team’s games.
Wall, who grew up in Raleigh, N.C., played for Clifton’s Greensboro-based D-One Sports team from 2006 to 2008. Tony Edwards, a former D-One Sports coach, said he believed the issue involved a trip Clifton and Wall made to UK before Calipari became coach. Wall made at least two unofficial visits to Lexington before he committed.
D-One Sports and UK share at least one seemingly significant attribute: Nike, the shoe and sports apparel company, sponsors both.
Two high school coaches in North Carolina — Lee Reavis, the coach at Glenn High in Greensboro, and Fred Johnson, the coach at Greensboro Day School — said they did not want their players associating with Clifton.
When asked about Clifton, Reavis said, “Mother always told me, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I think he’s in it for the wrong reasons.”
Reavis described Clifton as a self-promoter who exploits players’ NBA ambitions.
In Wall’s case, Clifton had been quoted as saying the player should go to Baylor, which had hired Dwon Clifton, the coach’s younger brother, as director of player development. At the time, Wall told the Raleigh News & Observer that he thought Baylor made the hire to try to entice him. But, of course, Wall signed with Kentucky.
Reavis said Clifton tried in 2005 to persuade one of his Glenn High players, Eric Wallace, to transfer to LeBron James’ high school in Akron, Ohio.
Clifton failed to return repeated phone calls on Friday.
The Greensboro newspaper, The News & Record, reported that Wallace, who also played for D-One Sports, worked out with James.
Clifton suggested to the paper that basketball dreams dwarfed the college experience.
“Right now, Eric is at a school that they’re not set up to cater to a kid of his caliber,” Clifton said of Glenn High. “… The difference here is whether Eric is going to be a future pro-caliber player or whether he’s going to be a great high school player who is going to go on and play four years of college. That’s not where his aspirations lie.”
Wallace was a straight-A student. He ultimately went to Hargrave Military Academy. He then committed to Virginia, changed his mind and went to Ohio State and then transferred to DePaul.
Johnson said Clifton was an “AAU junkie who goes around and gets players from all around and puts them together. And unfortunately, he tries to control where they go to college. …
“There are lots of good AAU programs, and lots of people out there do what’s best for the kids. And people out there just try to latch on to two, three kids and try to guide them to certain programs.”
The ESPN.com report noted that Clifton told CBSSports.com in August of 2008 that he had been an FIBA agent. But he gave up that work to devote his time to D-One Sports.
What they don’t show during the game: Kobe Bryant Workout Plan
Once a gangly teen phenom entering the NBA, Kobe Bryant has developed an exercise regimen to make him an indomitable presence in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers guard has developed a formula for success that is not a well kept secret.
Kobe had admitted he wanted to be like Mike, who also made use of the gym to sculp one of the most fascinating forms to take flight in high tops. To emulate Michael Jordan, Bryant developed an exercise regimen known as the 666 which has shown remarkable muscle growth during his NBA maturity.
This perennial NBA all-star has bulked up since his emergence in the late 90s. Some say he added as much as 40 pounds to his frame through his workout regimen. But now that he is older, he is wiser. Bryant reportedly dropped 20 pounds coming into the 2007-08 season. It wasn’t fat that he trimmed, but cutting back on training that increases muscle mass.
Numerology aside, the 666 has helped elevate Bryant to the upper echelon of greatness. Essentially, the numbers mean that he worked out six hours a day, six days a week for six months out of the year. The break down for this routine is as follows:
DAY 1 & DAY 4 DAY 2 & DAY 5 DAY 3 & DAY 6
Bench press Lateral dumbbell raises Back squats/Front squats
Lat pull-downs Bar dips Leg curls
Incline press Triceps press-downs Leg extensions
Military press Bicep curls Calf raises
Abdominal crunches Abdominal crunches Abdominal crunches
It is said that this six-hour daily routine includes two hours of running, two hours of basketball, and an hour of cardiovascular training, either boxing or jumping rope. That leaves just an hour for weight training. It’s obvious Bryant doesn’t over train the muscles. It might also be noted that he puts a lot of emphasis on abs, where some might shy away and do crunches every other day.
Either way, this seems to be the formula for success for one superstar who has successfully followed in the footsteps of an NBA legend. Knowing he is such a fierce competitor, it is no wonder that a routine as dedicated as this has benefited Kobe’s game.
Bryant is a tenacious force on the court now with his physical toughness, and doesn’t appear to succumb to injury as much as in the past. It’s also been reported he sets the bar high for other players on the team. By demanding more of himself and others, it’s no wonder he is bearing down on another NBA championship this season.
Nike and Garnett are no longer, but that doesn’t mean that the shoes he wore will not return. Coming in October is the Nike Air 3 which is pretty much the Nike Air Garnett III minus any KG branding. This colorup is probably the most recognizable of the model and was worn by Garnett during his days with the Timberwolves. One slight change to this retro from the original is that the shoes have a Max Air heel unit rather than Tuned Air that was in the OG’s.
The shoes will be out in about a month, but you can pre-order now on eBay for just a few dollars over the retail price of $140.
Adidas created a new silhouette for Orlando Magic star, Dwight Howard which he will wear in the upcoming season. The Adidas TS Commander LT comes in Grey/Blue colorway inspired by Magic’s color. The sneaker’s perforated Grey base has Blue wrap ups on the side forming the 3-Stripes, with Blue ankle and inner liner.
More Than a Game – the LBJ Documentary – Review Release Date Oct.2, 2009
The title More Than a Game is more than a little cliché, and the most basic summary of this documentary’s premise does little to refute that initial impression: the story of five inner city youths who forge something beyond friendship while pursuing their high school hoop dreams. But the journey of the “Fab Five” who made up the core of the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team in Akron, Ohio earlier in the decade is not exactly your average sports saga, filled with extraordinary characters and equally extraordinary circumstances that Hollywood could craft no better in any feature script. Any filmmaker blessed with such serendipitous narrative riches would be content to simply recount the not-so-tall tale, but director Kristopher Belman takes it an added step: bringing the larger-than-life back down to a universally relatable scale.
Figures hardly come more larger-than-life than LeBron James, the Fighting Irish alum who (as the world over has come to know) first caught national sports media attention during his high school stint and has since become one of most celebrated and recognizable stars in all of sports, let alone in basketball. With the knowledge of James’s ultimate NBA fairy tale fate, the temptation would be to focus the film solely on his rise, but his story is duly treated as but one of the threads borne out of what was originally the “Fab Four”–James, “Little” Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, and Sian Cotton, whom we see in some rare home video honing their individual skills and team chemistry from way back when they were pre-teens. Playing in the Amateur Athletic Union, the quartet lived up to the “Shooting Stars” team name, building on their local Ohio successes to shock observers in a national tournament down in Florida; however, the four’s first taste of national success will turn out to be just shy of complete victory.
And, like most lives, that bittersweet experience reflects the greater journeys followed in More Than a Game. Given the presence of James, one expects this to be a film full of triumphs, but what make those resonate even more strongly in the end are the relatable setbacks, obstacles, and shake-ups that occur along the way. In fact, falling into that last category are two people who will come to complete the “fab” family and help lift the entire unit to new heights, Romeo Travis and “Little Dru”’s father, Dru Joyce II. But long before those heights, each initially enters the basketball picture under less than ideal circumstances: Travis in sophomore year at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, where his surly demeanor quickly clashes with the core quartet, who had just led the school to a championship the previous season; Joyce II in junior year, who takes over the head coaching position from a decorated predecessor despite minimal experience. How the four manage to evolve into a “Fab Five” and, above all else, a family of six headed by Coach Dru proves not so much a result of their hard work on the hardwood than of the growth they each must undergo as people.
The film’s structure reinforces that latter point. Instead of going the standard route of going through each person’s background at the top, Belman gives the individual histories at appropriate, organic moments within the overall narrative. While this approach does mean that some events early in the film unfold without a complete familiarity with or understanding of all of the players, spreading the stories out pays off in a couple of respects. Instead of blurring into a muddle, it allows each person to have their time to shine and their respective stories breathe and remain clear to the viewer. But even more effectively, the backstories are used beyond mere exposition to illuminate certain key events that affect the group as a whole–further underscoring the greater idea of how various circumstances seemingly centered on one person can cause repercussions for the collective. Chief among these developments, of course, is the hysteria and hype that arises around James after he is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, suddenly catapulting midwestern high school hoops into a nationally televised arena. The film admirably does not downplay any of the well-documented dramas and tensions that then sprung forth from James’s literally overnight fame, but instead of wallowing in sensational celebrity scandal, Belman keeps these developments in their proper perspective in regards to the bigger picture: how they affected the entire group and what they all aimed to accomplish.
That is an example of how and why More Than a Game works–showing the grounded, real-life terms and consequences of an increasingly surreal chain of events. Only a select few people can completely relate to being blessed with natural athletic ability and talent at such a young age; even fewer still would relate to being suddenly thrust into the media spotlight and scrutiny. But underneath that gloss and glamour is the classic tale of boys growing into men, of people learning the importance of the greater group glory over the individual shine, with the distinctly drawn personalities of each of the five offering a fairly diverse set of entry points for the viewer to understand and relate. Ironically enough, in balancing his attention between everyone on the team, Belman offers deeper, uncommonly intimate insight into the film’s marquee name; one is a witness what is perhaps James’s most critical, formative period through the eyes of those who not only knew him best, but had a huge hand in shaping the superstar “King James” so familiar to sports fans today. But if lifting-oneself-from-a-hard-knock-childhood-through-big-dreams is fairly commonplace film fodder, More Than a Game’s trump card comes in an arc that is not as commonly told and even more empowering: the story of Coach Joyce, as the film is just as much about him coming into his own. If James’s story confirms the prevailing contemporary notion that one’s opportunity for success comes–and then passes–only while one is young, that of the elder Dru counters that, rather poignantly proving that one does not have to settle for comfort and complacency, for one’s true calling and self-actualization may not arrive until later in life.
That statement may make More Than a Game sound pretentious, but such weightier ideas are delivered in a very accessible and entertaining package. The Fab Five make an affable and appealing, funny and fun group, and Belman accordingly has fun, fighting the trap of talking head-and-news-clip documentary monotony and keeping the film visually dynamic. Beyond some snazzy (but not overdone) graphic work that gives the documentary staples of old photos and newspaper headlines some motion and flair, Belman also manages to lend some variety to the basketball footage, with each pivotal game edited and presented in their own subtly distinct way; for instance, some visual repetitiveness is avoided by simply not shooting scoreboards in the same way. Belman even has a little fun with the standard closing “where are they now” text cards without resorting to overwrought editorializing or labored stabs at profundity.
While it certainly helps to be familiar with the game of basketball and a fan of the sport to enjoy More Than a Game, it is far from necessary. Basketball is what brought the Fab Five and Coach Dru together and was and remains a shared passion, but the game is almost incidental to the larger idea: not only that those from not exactly the most privileged of backgrounds can indeed dream and succeed, but that one doesn’t necessarily do it by oneself. Not looking out for number one but instead always looking out for each other is what made Coach Joyce and the Fab Five what they were as a team, who they have become as people today–and why their story and this film are so richly moving and inspirational.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Delonte West Arrested On Weapons Charges in Maryland
Cleveland Cavaliers guard, Delonte West, was arrested on Thursday (September 17) in Maryland, after police found two loaded handguns following a traffic stop.
According to the Associated Press, the 26-year-old NBA player was pulled over for speeding on motorcycle after cutting off an officer in Upper Marlboro at around 10 p.m.
When he was stopped, police found a handgun in his pocket, one in his pant leg, and a shotgun in a guitar case strapped to his back.
Prince George’s County police Sgt. Michelle Reedy told the AP that West “was very cooperative, there were no issues” during the incident.
West was charged with speeding and weapons counts. He was released on his own recognizance early Friday (September 18).
His team, the Cavaliers, are said to be monitoring the situation.
“We have been in communication with Delonte and his family,” general manager, Danny Ferry, said in a statement. “We are gathering more information and will not have further comment until the appropriate time.”
Online court records did not list an attorney for West.
Source: “BallerStatus.com By Randall Stevens” 9/18/09
James McAdoo said Sunday evening he’ll play basketball at North Carolina.
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound McAdoo, who is just beginning his junior year at Norfolk Christian, told Tar Heels coach Roy Williams of his intentions over the weekend, ending what had become a three-way race.
McAdoo, who had narrowed his choices to UNC, Duke and Virginia, was in Chapel Hill, N.C., over the weekend to attend a charity pro alumni game at sold-out Dean Smith Center. The game kicked off North Carolina’s celebration of its 100th season of basketball.
McAdoo and Williams met while he was on campus. Their conversation sealed the deal.
But all along, UNC had been the front-runner.
“Even if you take basketball away from the equation, I’d still love to go to that school,” said the 16-year-old McAdoo, who starred on the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental Team that won the FIBA Americas U16 championships this past summer. “At North Carolina, basketball is a brotherhood.”
McAdoo’s summer has been a quiet one: He tore the labrum in his left shoulder during the FIBA Americas tournament and the injury required surgery. McAdoo’s mother Janet said he suffered a “45 percent tear of the labrum, not a full tear, and he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery.”
He expects a full recovery by December. The Men’s Developmental Team has scheduled a mini-camp the second weekend of October and McAdoo will likely attend, although any participation will be limited.
A first-team All-Tidewater selection as a sophomore,
McAdoo averaged 25.2 points and 11 rebounds this past season and has been rated a top-five recruit in the class of 2011 by a variety of national scouting publications.
“We told James that if he was sure about where he wanted to play, then go for it and make the commitment,” Janet McAdoo said. “This should relieve a lot of recruiting pressure.
“He couldn’t go wrong with any of his final three choices. But now, he can relax.”
