NBA Capsules: LeBron tells GQ he isn't sure Gilbert ever cared
MIAMI (AP) — Adding a new layer to the rift between LeBron James and Dan Gilbert, the NBA's two-time reigning MVP and new Miami Heat forward has told GQ magazine that he isn't sure the Cleveland Cavaliers owner "ever cared" about him during their time together.
In an article released Tuesday, James spoke of how widespread criticism of his decision — and how he chose to make it a television event — is fueling him this offseason, plus reiterated how Ohio will always remain his home.
But perhaps his sharpest words were reserved for Gilbert, the owner who lashed out at him shortly after James announced that he would be joining the Heat.
"I don't think he ever cared about LeBron," James is quoted as saying. "My mother always told me: 'You will see the light of people when they hit adversity. You'll get a good sense of their character.' Me and my family have seen the character of that man."
Gilbert did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
James made similar remarks on the night Miami signed him to a six-year contract, doing so while sitting alongside the other two legs of the Heat superstar triangle, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Gilbert was clearly scorned by James' choice, firing off a now-infamous letter to Cleveland fans describing it all as "a shameful display of selfishness and betrayal." He called James "narcissistic" and "self-promotional" and vowed the Cavaliers would win a championship before "the self-titled former king."
Further, in an interview the same night with The Associated Press, Gilbert said he felt James quit on Cleveland during the 2009 and 2010 playoffs. Gilbert was ultimately fined $100,000 by the NBA for what commissioner David Stern said were comments that fell into the category of being "a little extreme."
In the GQ article, James took exception to the "quitter" tag.
"Every night on the court I give my all, and if I'm not giving 100 percent, I criticize myself," James said.
He added that he's looking forward to seeing the Cavaliers as opponents this season.
"I do have motivation," James told GQ. "A lot of motivation."
Among other highlights from the article:
— James said he wouldn't change any part of "The Decision," the made-for-TV event in Greenwich, Conn. where he announced his playing plans to an audience of about 10 million viewers. The hourlong show made $2.5 million for Boys & Girls Clubs. "When I found out I had an opportunity to do that for those kids, it was a no-brainer," James said.
— Despite his feuding with Gilbert, James thinks that if he could ever play for the Cavaliers again someday, it would be "a great story."
— James explained he's always had an uneasy relationship with Cleveland because he's from Akron, a half-hour away. "It's not far, but it is far," James said. "And Clevelanders, because they were the bigger-city kids when we were growing up, looked down on us. ... So we didn't actually like Cleveland. We hated Cleveland growing up. There's a lot of people in Cleveland we still hate to this day."
Cavs unveil new uniforms in post-Lebron era
CLEVELAND (AP) — Austin Carr fondly remembers his glory days playing guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1970s.
Under coach Bill Fitch, they didn't have as much talent as many other teams, but those wine-and-gold expansion Cavs had something special.
"We were 12 men deep," Carr said as he helped the Cavs unveil new uniforms for 2010-11. "You knew every night we were going to play 100 percent. Nobody was going to quit."
Realizing he had taken a shot at former Cavaliers' star LeBron James, Carr raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.
At this point, what else can be said?
Long before James announced he was leaving as a free agent for Miami, the Cavs planned to wear new uniforms next season and Tuesday they presented their "updated" look, a throwback to their early years in the NBA.
The uniforms include a "deeper" wine and "brighter" gold hue than the team's previous uniforms. They also include the word "Cleveland" written in a block-style lettering as opposed to the script of the past.
On Monday, owner Dan Gilbert said jokingly that the new uniforms would include the Comic Sans font. It's the style he used in his infamous letter to Cleveland fans on July 8 after James announced he was leaving Cleveland.
The Cavs insist they are trying to move on, but James was again in the news being quoted in an upcoming GQ interview that he feels Gilbert never cared about him and his hatred for Cleveland dates back to his days as a kid growing up in Akron.
Carr, who was the league's No. 1 overall draft pick in 1971 and Cleveland's first bona fide hoops star, remains disappointed in James' departure. The two-time MVP announced his decision in a prime-time TV special, breaking the hearts of his biggest fans.
"As an ex-player, I might have left myself," said Carr, a color analyst for the team. "So I don't begrudge him for that. But the way he did it was unprofessional and uncalled for."
After James announced his decision, Gilbert fired off his impassioned letter ripping James for being "narcissistic" and predicting the Cavs would win a championship before "the self-titled former king." Later, he told the Associated Press that he felt the superstar quit in this year's playoffs.
Although it seems the Cavs are trying to move on, James' magazine interview has reopened the issue. He's the one who can't seem to let things go.
"That's his problem," said Carr, who cried unashamedly the night the Cavs won the NBA draft lottery and the rights to draft James. "Not ours."
Carr was joined by former teammate Campy Russell at a launch party for the new uniforms. Both players laughed at the length of the shorts compared to the tight-fitting ones they wore.
"We wore Daisy Dukes," Carr said.
-- Tom Withers
Lakers owner still enjoying Hall of Fame induction
BELL GARDENS, Calif. (AP) — Relishing the afterglow of being inducted into the Hall of Fame last week, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss was candid, funny and reflective when sharing his thoughts on his life, his team and the Miami Heat.
Buss, a poker aficionado who plays an average of six times a month, discussed the topics before hosting the Mariani/Buss Charity Open poker tournament at the Bicycle Casino on Tuesday.
"I'm still on a very big high right now," Buss said. "I'm wearing my (Lakers championship) ring and the whole mysterious event (being inducted) continues to monopolize my thoughts.
"I've been very fortunate in being surrounded by Hall of Fame people."
He has been the one smart enough to spend the requisite money to acquire the talent required to be successful.
Since he took ownership in 1979, the storied franchise has won 10 NBA titles including this year's that ended by beating the archrival Boston Celtics.
This summer, the Lakers signed point guard Steve Blake, wing Matt Barnes and center Theo Ratliff, additions Buss thinks will help the team three-peat.
Buss said he was happy with the moves, but insisted the maneuvering wasn't done to counter the blockbuster signings made by the Miami Heat or any other team.
"Our intentions were to sign those players prior to Miami coalescing all of the talent that was leftover," Buss joked. "I don't think we reacted to them.
"Once the season is over we looked backwards in a season and say, were there any weaknesses? Could we do something to improve this team, and we did that quite independently of Miami, or Orlando or Chicago, all of whom are going to be very good. I think we just prepared ourselves for the general war, not specifically for anybody."
Yet Buss sheepishly admitted that he gave into watching the hour-long LeBron James television spectacle in which the former Cleveland Cavaliers star renounced his hometown and announced he would sign with the Heat even though he had previously decided against it.
"Like everyone else, I was curious so I did watch it," Buss said.
Given the devastating affect James' decision had on the team and the city, Buss had "mixed emotions" about James' departure and felt he "let down a lot of people and it seemed kind of sad."
As an owner and competitor, however, Buss was energized at the prospect of having to play the Heat, who also signed the two other biggest free agents on the market, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He also proclaimed that next June when the finals are played, the Heat might not be the team the Lakers have to worry about the most.
"Suddenly there's this juggernaut out there that we have a chance to play against and that excites me," Buss said. "That really excites me because quite honestly, I think we can beat them.
"I'm looking forward to playing them. I don't think it's automatic that Miami will be our biggest opponent come the end, but on the other hand I must admit they have the world's attention and that means we're going to be on center stage when we get a chance to play them."
The moves made in Miami weren't the only ones that caught Buss's attention.
Boston's recent acquisition of former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, who teamed with Kobe Bryant to win three rings, immediately spiced up the rivalry due to the stars' mercurial relationship.
"Shaq and Kobe have a little thing going as to who wins the most rings and so Shaq signing with Boston sets up a potential showdown," Buss said. "I like the drama.
"I think it's fabulous. You can't help but love Shaq. He's a very friendly man. Sometimes he gets a little carried away in his analysis of former employers, but that said, he's quite a guy and we look forward to it."
Searching for a coach to replace Hall of Famer Phil Jackson after this season isn't a task that Buss has been eager to tackle.
Though Jackson, who has led the Lakers and Bulls to 11 championships and been hampered by various health issues, announced that this would be his last season, Buss preferred to keep hope alive.
"I'm not one of those doomsday people that look forward to big problems," Buss said. "Hopefully he will go through this year and find out that he's discovered the fountain of youth and who knows, he may continue after that.
"He says no. But who knows?"
At the moment, there is one certainty in Buss's mind.
If everybody remains healthy, he feels this "could be the best team we've ever had" and anything less than winning a third straight championship will be a disappointment.
"You hate to say it, but that's what it comes down to," Buss said. "You get to a spot where, you have to win it all to be happy.
"Some time ago, talking to some people, they wanted a bonus if the Lakers made the playoffs. I said, 'Bonus? If we don't make the playoffs, you don't work here anymore.'"
Nuggets mull what to do about 'Melo
DENVER (AP) — Just how much longer will Carmelo Anthony play for the Denver Nuggets?
He can opt out of his contract after the upcoming season and become the headliner of the 2011 free agent class or he could play out the final two years of his contract and put off the wine-and-dine tour for a year.
He could sign a three-year, $65 million extension that's been on the table all summer and would keep him in Denver through 2015.
Or maybe he's already played his last game for the Nuggets, who don't want to be spurned like the Cleveland Cavaliers were when LeBron James went on national TV to divorce them for a fresh start in Miami.
The All-Star forward who won a national title as a freshman at Syracuse and a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics — but has been able to guide Denver out of the first round of the playoffs just once in his seven NBA seasons — could be dealt before the season starts if team owner Stan Kroenke decides to jump-start a rebuilding program.
With a sign-and-trade deal, 'Melo would get the money he may not be able to earn with a new collective bargaining agreement while the Nuggets land players to help them get on with life after 'Melo.
Kroenke might choose to deal the face of his franchise at the February trade deadline, too.
The secluded owner likes to operate out of the public limelight, so his intentions aren't clear.
Neither are Anthony's.
Some observers, however, see plenty of signs pointing toward his exit:
— He didn't jump at the chance to sign his extension.
— He's put his 25,000-square-foot mansion in suburban Denver up for sale.
— At Anthony's New York wedding to television personality LaLa Vazquez this summer, New Orleans point guard Chris Paul reportedly toasted the newlyweds by predicting a future Knicks dream team made up of himself, Anthony and Amare Stoudemire to counter the one in South Beach featuring James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Anthony, who grew up on the East Coast, dismisses the Big Apple speculation as "rumors."
"I've been hearing that for five years. So, rumors," he said last weekend at his annual basketball camp. "I'm a Denver Nugget. I'm here. I'm with the Nuggets. I don't become a free agent until next year, if I decide not to take that extension."
Like any competitor, Anthony wants to win a ring, and the Nuggets have slipped back into the pack a year after reaching the Western Conference Finals, where they had the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers on the ropes.
When coach George Karl had to take a sabbatical in March to fight throat cancer, the Nuggets floundered under assistant Adrian Dantley and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by Utah.
They parted ways this month with Mark Warkentien, the NBA's Executive of the Year in 2009 after engineering the Allen Iverson-Chauncey Billups trade, and Rex Chapman, vice president of player personnel, and they have yet to replace them.
Karl hopes to return to the sideline in September, his fitness and stamina permitting, and he'll find a team struggling to regain its own health.
The Nuggets don't know when Kenyon Martin and Chris "Birdman" Andersen will be recovered from offseason knee surgeries, so their desire for a big man took center stage this summer.
They were unable, however, to move back into the draft this summer to grab a big man, then struck out in their dogged pursuits of free agents Jermaine O'Neal, who went to Boston, and Udonis Haslem, who stayed in Miami.
So, they decided to change the way they play.
They signed Al Harrington, a power forward who likes to run and shoot and will start at power forward with Nene, who is coming off a leg injury in the playoffs, moving to center.
That means the Nuggets will have to play a run-and-gun style like Mike D'Antoni's old Phoenix Suns teams when the season starts.
In which case, they'd love to have Anthony's 28 points a game.
-- Arnie Stapleton
Pacers G Collison excited about new team
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — New Indiana Pacers point guard Darren Collison is thankful for the chance to lead an NBA team after just one year in the league.
Collison had an outstanding rookie season in New Orleans before being traded to Indiana last week. He averaged 18.8 points and 9.1 assists in 37 starts for New Orleans last season while All-Star Chris Paul was out with an injury.
Collison said Tuesday that he expected to back up Paul for years and was surprised by the trade. Now, he's the man.
"I didn't think it would come this fast," Collison said. "I could only imagine, in my eyes, playing behind the best point guard in the league and learning from him for so long and learning a lot from him."
Uncertainty ruled in New Orleans for much of the offseason. The team had a change in management and hired a new coach.
Collison never expected to be the one to get moved.
"I had no idea," he said. "I really thought I was going to be on that team for a long time. This trade came out of left field for me, but it's a good thing.
Collison will join forward Danny Granger and center Roy Hibbert to form the team's young nucleus. Granger averaged 24.1 points last season and is on the USA team that will play in the world championships in Turkey. Hibbert emerged last season as a rising star, averaging 11.7 points and 5.7 rebounds.
"Once I heard about the trade and the players I was going to be playing with, it definitely brought excitement to me," Collison said.
Pacers president Larry Bird described Collison last week as the missing piece the Pacers needed. Collison said he'll take such compliments in stride.
"Nothing's going to change for me," he said. "I'm always going to continue to work on my game and stay humble, and whatever happens, happens. With all these expectations, it's not going to change anything for me."
Collison toughened up last season while working with Paul.
"Anytime you play against one of the top players in the NBA and you practice against him every day, you're going to have to get better," he said. "My mentality was: 'I know I'm not going to beat him out for his spot, but if I can compete and play hard every day in practice, I'm going to get better.'"
The Pacers also got veteran forward James Posey in the four-team swap that sent Troy Murphy to New Jersey.
Posey wants to make it tough for the Pacers coaches to sit him down. He has won championships with the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, and wants to bring his winning approach to Indiana.
"I'm going to come in here, lead by example,work hard and compete at a high level," he said. "At the end of the day, it's about working hard and winning basketball games."
Collison and Posey join a team that pushes the tempo on offense — Indiana averaged nearly 101 points last season. Collison said his game is a perfect match for Jim O'Brien's system.
"It fits in real good," he said. "I like the style of play and the way he likes to coach. It fits in real fine with the way I play. All the pieces are falling into place for the organization and for me."
Collison hopes to bring the same approach that made him successful in New Orleans to Indiana.
"You can't really control what happens, but you can control how you get better as a player," he said. "When I did get the opportunity, I just seized the moment. I never looked back from there."
-- Cliff Brunt
Henry, Grizzlies remain in contract stalemate
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Xavier Henry slipped on a blue Memphis Grizzlies jersey with his name and the No. 13 on it.
Still to be determined is if he will wear it in games.
The first-round pick still hasn't signed his contract, with the Grizzlies not willing to guarantee the maximum salary allowable under the rookie scale.
Teams can pay players up to 120 percent of their scale amount, which this season is about $1.7 million for the No. 12 pick. However, the Grizzlies would like to tie the extra 20 percent to bonuses.
So the swingman from Kansas remains unsigned, saying Tuesday he is working out, but otherwise just waiting for a call and isn't sure what will happen.
"I'm letting my agent take care of the contract situation so I'm just sitting here waiting for the word," Henry said at the New York Knicks' training facility, where he was photographed for his Panini trading card.
"I talk to my agent all the time, he just calls and checks up on me, sees how I'm doing, and just says 'we're still working on it, we're sending them letters, they're talking to us, but nothing happening yet.' So I'm not sure what's going to happen."
The agent, Arn Tellem, said the Grizzlies are trying to make Henry meet performance bonuses, such as making the rookie challenge at All-Star weekend or being named to one of the all-rookie teams. He says only one player out of more than 450 since the rookie salary scale was instituted in 1995 has agreed to a performance bonus.
"Basic fairness and equality are fundamental aspects of every positive organization-player relationship, and those concepts are totally absent from the Grizzlies' current proposal to Xavier," Tellem said.
The Grizzlies also said Henry could meet the performance bonus requirement by playing in 70 games and averaging 15 minutes.
Tellem said Henry would agree to bonuses that are frequently offered to reach the full 120 percent, such as taking part in conditioning programs or playing in the summer league, but said no other team in this draft had asked a player to accept a performance incentive.
Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace agreed with Tellem that the performance bonuses are not something the Grizzlies have offered in the past, but noted other teams have put some bonuses in from time to time and the team decided to adopt the practice this year.
Greivis Vasquez, the Grizzlies' other first rounder, also hasn't signed for the same reason.
"We all would love to have all of our contracts done as soon as possible," Wallace said. "Every negotiation, whether it's these or something involving a big-name free agent ... they all take due time and go on their own course."
But Tellem said Henry has done nothing to deserve "disparate treatment" and that no player wants to be singled out. He merely wants Henry to be treated "in a manner commensurate with his peers and the value the Grizzlies associated him as the No. 12 pick. No better, no worse."
While Wallace and Tellem try to work it out, Henry continues to wait. And he seems to have no anger toward the Grizzlies organization.
"Whatever team I go to, I'm going to try to bring my best," he said. "If it is Memphis, I'm still going to try to bring my best even though this contract thing is going on, because I know the coaches have called me, they're saying it's just like the owner and the organization, so it's not them saying we don't want to pay you 120 percent. So I still know my coaches and my teammates want me there, so I'm going to give them my best effort."
-- Brian Mahoney
Music giving Arroyo a new level of satisfaction
MIAMI (AP) — Carlos Arroyo was headed to play a game with Puerto Rico's national team earlier this summer, when a song he particularly liked started blaring on the radio.
His own song.
The Miami point guard hasn't had much spare time this summer, what with playing for his country, working out a new deal to remain with the Heat — plus writing and recording his own music, a part-time gig that's turning into something more. Arroyo's new release is called "Se va Conmigo," which translates into "She's coming with me," and it's one of the hottest new songs on the reggaeton charts.
"It's my hobby, but like my wife said, at first it's a hobby and now you're doing music videos," Arroyo said. "It's a different satisfaction that I get out of it."
The single, which Arroyo recorded with fellow artist Yomo at a South Florida studio just after this past Heat season ended, recently was one of the top 20 offerings among Latin sales on iTunes. The music video will start getting sold on iTunes around the end of this week, and Arroyo says he's as proud of his off-court work as his real job.
And yes, there's plans for his music career to continue after his playing days end.
"I'll definitely do some more," Arroyo said. "The people have embraced the song very well back home. I'll be honest, I'm really happy with what the song has done on iTunes. It's been a blessing. And I'm moving forward with this."
Arroyo has been around music all his life, and this isn't his first foray into recording — which tends to make him susceptible to good-natured ridicule in NBA locker rooms.
He knows it's all in good fun, and expects it to continue this season, especially because "Se va Conmigo" has been a success.
"That's all part of it," Arroyo said.
Arroyo's ties run deep in Miami, where the Latin culture overshadows just about everything.
He played college basketball at Florida International, and after he joined the Heat, a number of fans showed up at every game either displaying the Puerto Rican flag or some other signs of his homeland.
Which makes this summer all the more significant for Arroyo.
He'll lead his national team into the world championships that begin later this month, and do so buoyed by the fact that the new song has made him even more popular — if that's possible — in his country.
"Reggaeton is the music of my country," Arroyo said. "This is what the people my age are listening to, my people. It's what I listened to growing up. Music and basketball, it's a great mix. I feel very fortunate that I can go to a national team game in Puerto Rico and on the way to the game I can hear myself on the radio. It's crazy. It's overwhelming. It's a blessing."
Really, the whole summer has been that way for Arroyo.
He appeared in 72 games and made 35 starts at point guard for Miami last season, then decided to return to the club after a brief stint as a free agent. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 assists, plus had a stellar 4.17 assist-to-turnover ratio.
So by coming back to the Heat, Arroyo gets to join the most-talked about team in the NBA this summer, after Miami not only kept Dwyane Wade but lured LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Florida — turning the team into an instant title contender.
"It's been a great summer for me," Arroyo said. "We've gotten to play in Puerto Rico, which we hardly ever do. People are getting to know the music side of me, and then with me signing with Miami, everybody in Puerto Rico might be more excited about that than anything. Right now, all eyes of the world are on that basketball team. So to have one of ours on that team, it's truly a great opportunity for our people."
-- Tim Reynolds
Stephenson knows Bird is upset, plans to chat
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Though he has not spoken to anyone from the Indiana Pacers, Lance Stephenson is well aware of Larry Bird's disappointment with his arrest.
Stephenson says he heard about Bird's strongly worded statement that was critical of his actions and plans to speak to the Pacers president.
"I'm just going to try to stay focused," Stephenson said Tuesday at the New York Knicks' training facility, where he joined other rookies getting photographed for their Panini trading cards. "I'm going to talk to him, see how he feels about it and I'm going to move forward from it."
Stephenson, 19, was arrested Sunday in New York on assault, menacing and harassment charges. Prosecutors said the Pacers' draft pick pushed his girlfriend down a flight of stairs, then grabbed her and hit her head on the bottom step.
On Monday, Bird called the arrest "very disappointing to the Pacers franchise and to me personally."
Bird added that the Pacers were still gathering facts but "regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Lance should not have put himself in the position he was in early Sunday morning. We have consistently emphasized to our players the importance of not putting themselves in situations where bad things can happen.
"Once all the facts are known we will deal appropriately with Lance so that he, the team and the entire Pacers community understands that this message cannot be ignored."
Indiana drafted Stephenson with the No. 40 pick. The league is monitoring the situation.
-- Brian Mahoney
