Oklahoma City’s new NBA franchise has finally set a date to announce its name and team colors. The team said Wednesday that it would unveil the name and colors simultaneously on its Web site and at a downtown event Sept. 3. Clay Bennett’s ownership group has applied for trademarks for six names: Thunder, Energy, Wind, Marshalls, Barons and Bison.
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors will travel to China in October to play two exhibition games, the NBA and Chinese Basketball Association said on Wednesday. The NBA China Games tips off with the Bucks and Warriors meeting on Oct. 15 in Guangzhou and Oct. 18 at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena.
Joe Crawford, the Los Angeles Lakers’ only selection in the NBA draft last June, signed a contract with the Western Conference champions on Wednesday. Crawford, the 58th overall pick, averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in four years at Kentucky, where he played in 127 games, 76 of them starts.
Oregon officials say an autopsy shows former Portland Trail Blazers center Kevin Duckworth died when his enlarged heart failed. Duckworth died Monday at 44 on the Oregon coast, where he was on a goodwill tour for the team. The Oregon State Police said Wednesday the autopsy was done by Dr. Larry Lewman, a state medical examiner who concluded that Duckworth died of “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with…
Former NBA player Wayman Tisdale had part of his right leg amputated Monday because of bone cancer. Tisdale, 44, revealed on his Web site that the surgery was scheduled for Monday. His wife, Regina, told The Associated Press on Tuesday night the surgery had taken place as planned. “Everything went well,” she said.
Former Portland Trail Blazers center Kevin Duckworth, a “gentle giant” with a feathery touch from the paint, has died. He was 44. Duckworth, part of a Trail Blazers goodwill tour, was scheduled to hold a basketball clinic on the Oregon coast when he died Monday night. The Depoe Bay Fire Department said it responded about 10 p.m.
The Boston Celtics signed their first-round draft pick J.R. Giddens on Tuesday. The 6-foot-5 point guard, the 30th pick in the draft, averaged 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds for New Mexico during his senior season. The 23-year-old Giddens brings a reputation as a strong defender to the defending NBA champion Celtics.
The Phoenix Suns traded guard D.J. Strawberry to the Houston Rockets on Monday for rookie guard Sean Singletary. “Sean gives us depth at the point guard spot,” Suns general manager Steve Kerr said. “We like his instincts and his ability to run a team. He also puts a lot of pressure on the ball.” Singletary was the 42nd overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Sacramento Kings, who quickly sent him along…
The Dallas Mavericks re-signed forward Devean George on Monday, nearly six months after the veteran player blocked a trade to the New Jersey Nets. George played his first seven seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers before signing with the Mavericks in 2006. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.
The 2008 Olympic celebrations were barely under way and Jerry Colangelo was already thinking about work. “They forgot this was a six-year commitment,” USA Basketball’s managing director said at the press conference following the U.S. Olympic team’s 118-107 victory against Spain on Sunday in the gold-medal game.
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