A WALKING TIME BOMB

Lo and behold, "Starbury" is coming to (bean)town! Yes, disgruntled guard Stephon Marbury had finally agreed for a contract buyout with the New York Knicks and is headed for Boston. Now, the question is what will he bring to the defending champs camp? Will it be headaches and more headaches or the great individual talent that he had displayed as one of the premiere point guards during his early years in the league?

The Celtics, in a desperate maneuver to retain their NBA title, had been busy lately in raiding the free agent market as they signed erstwhile Sacramento King slotman Mikki Moore and now, Marbury. Last campaign, the magic of mid-season signing of veteran free agents PJ Brown and Sam Cassell worked wonders during the Celtics run towards winning the championship. Now the men in green are keeping their fingers crossed hoping that history repeats itself. But did they made the right choice in Marbury? "Starbury" had been an enigma during his stint with the Knicks in recent years. Additionally, he had been branded as a loser, as he had not won a regular season game in more than a year, a playoff game in five years and a playoff series in six years.

At best, Marbury will be the lead backup of the team’s starting point guard Rajon Rondo. Again, another interesting question here is how long will he accept his role of coming off the bench? This guy is a notorious and is also well known for crying out loud like a baby, just ask his former Knicks teammates.

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, the “Big Three” and their able back-up men had been very serious in their bid for a back-to-back title campaign and the very least that they needed at this point is a destruction, much less a walking time bomb, who is ready to explode anytime, called Stephon Marbury. Truly is Danny Ainge will risk his head if everything bombs out. Then that would be really a pitiful sight considering that only a year had been removed since winning their first championship in 22 years.

*****

Another sad news had hit the NBA family anew as former Chicago Bull great and current Comcast Chicago Net broadcaster for Bulls games Norm Van Lier passed away at the age of 61 yesterday.

Van Lier is one of the most popular Bulls stars in the mid and late 70s. I remember watching him in the Philippine TV broadcast of the NBA games on IBC 13 anchored by the late Frankie “Ka Kiko” Evangelista. I also read articles about him on Quinito Henson’s NBA column during the TV Times era in the 1970s.

Van Lier played 9 years in the NBA and had seen action for the Cincinnati Royals, Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. He was a three-time all-star. He finished his career in 1979 with 8,770 points and 5,217 assists.

ALL THAT JAZZ

While we were having dinner last Sunday, celebrating my dad’s 89th birthday, my brother-in-law, Dr. Jess Marin, one of the country’s best ophthalmologists, came in late and joined me in the table I shared with my wife Lorna and my other bro-in-law Arnold. He immediately asked me if there were any game schedule for his beloved Los Angeles Lakers for the day. Of course he is happy with the Tinseltown outfit presently leading the league with the best over-all win-loss record. But he told me he is wary of one team and that is the Utah Jazz. I asked him why and he explained to me that the Jazz are now more potent with the reactivation of Carlos Boozer and Andrei (AK47) Kirilenko. That kept me puzzled and thereafter I began to fully understand him realizing that the Jazz kept afloat for so long even without Boozer and Kirilenko.

The Jazz currently sits at the third spot in the Northwest Division with a 34-23 card. They are on a five-game winning streak and is tied with the Dallas Mavericks for 6th place over-all in the Western Conference. Boozer played his first game yesterday in a 108-89 rout of the Atlanta Hawks after missing 44 games due to injury. Coach Jerry Sloan must be very happy nowadays with the Jazz being all-healthy, this coming off after losing 140 games to injury and played fifteen different starting lineups for the season.

Come playoff time, the team’s own version of the “Big Three” in Boozer, Kirilenko and the ever-consistent Deron Williams, will be at full strength and this could derail the hope of the Lakers for an encore in the NBA finals. It is really scary to see the Jazz in full throttle and definitely, is not a good news for the rest of the Western title contenders. Larry Miller, the team’s late owner, for sure is all smiles somewhere up there in the big sky.

BUSY MONTH

The month of February is considered the busiest month in the NBA calendar. There is the just-concluded annual all-star weekend in Phoenix and now almost the entire NBA family are involve in last-minute maneuvering as the trade deadline approaches zero hour.

Herewith are the transactions completed thus far for the month of February 2009, viz :

• February 19 – 3-Way Trade: PG Rafer Alston to the Orlando Magic, PG and F Kyle Lowry and F Brian Cook to the Houston, Rockets and a future first round pick from Orlando to the Memphis Grizzlies;

• February 19 – 3-Way Trade: C Patrick O’Bryant to the Toronto Raptors, PG Will Solomon to the Sacramento Kings and future draft pick from Sacramento to the Boston Celtics;

• February 19 – Minnesota Timberwolves traded G Rashad McCants and C Calvin Booth to the Sacramento Kings for F Sheldon Williams and G Bobby Brown;

• February 19 – New York Knicks traded C Jerome James, PF Tim Thomas and SG Anthony Roberson to the Chicago Bulls for SF Larry Hughes;

• February 19 – New York Knicks traded PF Malik Rose and cash to the Oklahoma City Thunder for C Chris Wilcox;

• February 18 – Chicago Bulls traded F Andres Nocioni, F/C Drew Gooden, F Cedric Simmons and F/C Michael Ruffin to the Sacramento Kings for C/F Brad Miller and G/F John Salmons;

• February 18 – Portland Trailblazers traded F Ike Diogu the Sacramento Kings for F/C Michael Ruffin;

• February 18 – Los Angeles Lakers traded C Chris Mihm to the Memphis Grizzles for a conditional 2013 2nd round pick;

• February 17 – Rescinded trade: Due to failed physical examination, the trade that sent New Orleans Hornets C Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder for F Joe Smith, F Chris Wilcox, and draft rights to Devon Hardin had been rescinded;

• February 17 – Boston Celtics traded PG Sam Cassell to the Sacramento Kings for a conditional 2015 2nd round pick;

• February 16 – Detroit Pistons traded G Alex Acker to the Los Angeles Clippers for a conditional 2013 2nd round pick;

• February 13 – Miami Heat traded SF Shawn Marion, PG Marcus Banks and $3M cash to the Toronto Raptors for C Jermaine O’Neal, SG Jamario Moon and conditional 1st round pick;

• February 6 – Charlotte Bobcats traded F Adam Morrison and G Shannon Brown to the Los Angeles Lakers for F Vladimir Radmanovich; and

• February 5 – Milwaukee Bucks traded G Tyronn Lue to the Orlando Magic for F Keith Bogans and cash.

Those were 13 completed trades and one rescinded transaction so far. The names of Shaquille O’Neal, Vince Carter and Amare Stoudemire are still up in the air as everyone keenly awaits the closing time of the trade deadline.

ONE FINAL RUN

After Lex Luthor (in the form of a Nate Robinson) finally defeated Superman (disguise as Dwight Howard) in a memorable clash in the slam-dunk finale and the return of Batman and Robin (aka Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant) to power the West over the East in the annual mid-season classic, all 30 teams will now gear up for one big push in the final half of the regular campaign.

With the trading deadline just a few days away, big name stars like Amare Stoudemire, Vince Carter and Tyson Chandler to name a few, may find themselves sporting new team uniforms by next week. The Phoenix Suns had been keeping their lines open to all 29 other clubs on what they can offer for Stoudemire. However, with the recent firing of erstwhile Suns head coach Terry Porter, Stoudemire, one of the most feared frontliners in the league, might have a change of heart and decides to stay for good in the Desert City. Carter is being eyed by perennial powerhouse San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans are weighing their options on Chandler.

The Suns must be very careful in dealing Stoudemire. They are presently in 9th spot and just a game away from Utah Jazz for the last slot in the race for the Western Conference play-offs. Actually it is a very close fight thus far in the West for the 4th to 8th playoff slots. With the present win-loss cards of Portland (32-20), Houston (32-21), New Orleans (30-20), Dallas (31-21), Utah (30-23) and Phoenix (28-23), it will be very tough to predict on who will be in and who will be out of the play-offs come April. The Suns must know by now that Stoudemire can make or break their season.

The battle for the best over-all record and homecourt advantage throughout the post-season play is likewise so tight among the LA Lakers (42-10), Boston (44-11), Cleveland (40-11), Orlando (38-13), San Antonio (35-16) and Denver (36-17).

It will be interesting in the next few days as it will not only be the players and coaches who will play vital roles in the jockeying for positions among the aforementioned teams but of equal importance are their respective front offices, who will definitely do everything to just to come up with a monumental or blockbuster trade that can give their teams advantage for the final run.

TRIVIA #3

It’s time for part three of our trivia series about the game that we love most, basketball. This time it’s about the rules of the game from the book “Basketball’s Most Wanted” by Floyd Conner.

• NAISMITH RULES

“The 13 rules devised by James Naismith formed the basis for basketball. The rules first appeared in The Triangle, the newspaper of the School for Christian Workers, on January 15, 1892. Many of the rules are still in use, such as how baskets are scored, the prohibition against running with the ball, and the calling of fouls by an official. However, several of Naismith’s rules have also been eliminated over the years. According to Naismith, a basket could be scored by throwing the ball into the basket or by bouncing it into the hoop. A team was awarded a goal if the opposing squad committed three consecutive fouls. A player was disqualified if he committed two fouls and was not permitted to return to the game until the opposition scored a goal. A player could be charged with a foul if he struck another player or if he struck the ball with his fist. If a game ended in a tie, a sudden-death period followed in which the first team to score a goal was declared the winner.”

• CLARA BAER

“In the late nineteenth century, when basketball was invented, athletic contests were considered unladylike and inappropriate for women. In 1895, Clara Baer, a teacher at Newcomb College in New Orleans, wrote James Naismith and asked for a copy of his instructions on how to play the game. He responded by sending her a court diagram showing where each player should be positioned. Baer misinterpreted the rules and thought that the players could not leave the areas in which they were stationed. As a result, players were confined to three areas on the court, creating frontcourt and backcourt players. Women also were not allowed to grab the ball from other players. These restrictions hampered the development of the women’s game for decades.”

• BASK-O-LITE

“Baskets and backboards have come a long way since the peach basket of the first game in 1891. The original baskets were not open at the bottom, so after each goal, the game had to be stopped so someone could climb up and retrieve the ball. Open baskets were not legalized until 1913. The Narragansett Machine Company of Providence, Rhode Island, manufactured a basket which was operated with a pulley and chain. When the chain was pulled, the basket tipped, allowing the ball to drop. Other baskets had chains which could be pulled by the referee to open the bottom. Another invention, the Bask-O-Lite, featured a light bulb which lit up when a basket was made. While a similar device was adopted in hockey to signify goals, the Bask-O-Lite never saw widespread use.

The backboard was not introduced until 1895. The main reason that it was installed was to prevent spectators standing on the elevated running tracks in gymnasiums from interfering with the flight of the ball. Early backboards differed greatly in size and shape, and were made of wood or metal. Glass backboards were introduced in 1909 but were briefly banned in 1916 because of a rule requiring white paint on all backboards.”

• POINT REDUCTIONS

“In 1896, the scoring rules were changed, reducing a field goal from three points to two and the free throw from three points to one.”

• DRIBBLING

“Originally, the dribble did not exist in basketball. The ball was moved down the court by passing. The dribble was introduced by players from Yale University. At first, two-handed dribbling was permitted. In 1904, a rule was instituted which forbade the dribbler from shooting the ball. The rule was not rescind until 1915.”

More to come in the next part of our trivia series.

2009 ALL-STAR WEEKEND

It’s all systems go for the 2009 NBA All-Star weekend on February 14 to 16, 2009 (Manila time) in Phoenix, Arizona. The annual festivities which is the league’s way of paying tribute to it’s worldwide followers is now on it’s 59th edition of gathering the best players in the World’s greatest basketball league.

Herewith is the complete schedule of the NBA All-Star Weekend (all Manila time):

February 14, 2009

• NBA Cares - A highlight of All-Star 2009 activities takes place on Friday, Feb. 13 with the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service. Members of the NBA Family, including current and former players, business and media partners, and guests will roll up their sleeves and participate in an afternoon of hands-on service, refurbishing places where kids and families can live, learn or play in the Phoenix community.

• McDonald’s All-Star Celebrity Game

• T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam

Sophomore Team Line-up:

1. Aaron Brooks – Houston Rockets
2. Wilson Chandler – New York Knicks
3. Kevin Durant – Oklahoma Thunder
4. Jeff Green – Oklahoma Thunder
5. Al Horford – Atlanta Hawks
6. Luis Scola – Houston Rockets
7. Al Thornton – Los Angeles Clippers
8. Rodney Stuckey – Detroit Pistons
9. Thaddeus Young – Philadelphia 76er
Head Coach – To be announced
Assistant Coach – Dwight Howard

Rookie Team Line-up:

1. Michael Beasly – Miami Heat
2. Rudy Fernandez – Portland Trail Blazers
3. Marc Gasol – Memphis Grizzlies
4. Eric Gordon – Los Angeles Clippers
5. Brook Lopez – New Jersey Nets
6. O.J. Mayo – Memphis Grizzlies
7. Greg Oden – Portland Trail Blazers
8. Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
9. Russell Westbrook – Oklahoma City Thunder
Head Coach – To be announced
Assistant Coach – Dwyane Wade

• NBDL Dream Factory

Dunk Contest Participants:

1. Keith Clark – Tulsa
2. Patrick Ewing – Reno
3. Brent Petway – Idaho
4. James White – Anaheim

3-Point Shootout Participants:

1. Blake Ahearn – Dakota
2. Gary Forbes – Tulsa
3. Trey Johnson – Bakersfield
4. Ernest Scott – Rio Grande Valley

H.O.R.S.E. Participants:

1. Lance Allred – Idaho
2. Joe Crawford – Los Angeles
3. Erik Daniels – Erie
4. Bobby Jones – Sioux Falls

February 15, 2009

• NBDL All-Star Game 2009

Blue Line-up:

1. Will Conroy – Albuquerque
2. Walker Russell – Fort Wayne
3. Cedric Bozeman – Anaheim
4. James White – Anaheim
5. Malik Hairston – Austin
6. Ronald Dupree – Utah
7. Antonio Meeking – Reno
8. Josh Davis – Colorado
9. Chris Hunter – Fort Wayne
10. Chris Richard – Tulsa
Head Coach – Quin Snyder

Red Line-up:

1. Blake Ahearn – Dakota
2. Maurice Baker – Dakota
3. Derrick Byars – Bakersfield
4. Trey Johnson – Bakersfield
5. Cartier Martin – Iowa
6. Luke Jackson – Idaho
7. Richard Hendrix – Dakota
8. Brent Petway – Idaho
9. Courtney Sims – Iowa
10. Lance Allred – Idaho
Head Coach – Nick Nurse

• Haier Shooting Stars

• Playstation Skills Challenge

Participants:

1. Devin Harris – New Jersey Nets
2. Jameer Nelson – Orlando Magic
3. Tony Parker – San Antonio Spurs
4. Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls

• Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout

Participants:

1. Mike Bibby – Atlanta Hawks
2. Daequan Cook – Miami Heat
3. Danny Granger – Indiana Pacers
4. Jason Kapono – Toronto Raptors
5. Rashard Lewis – Orlando Magic
6. Roger Mason – San Antonio Spurs

• Sprite Slam Dunk

Participants:

1. Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic
2. Rudy Fernandez – Portland Trail Blazers
3. Rudy Gay – Memphis Grizzlies
4. Nate Robinson – New York Knicks

February 16, 2009

• 2009 NBA All-Star Game

East Line-up:

1. Allen Iverson – Detroit Pistons
2. Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat
3. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics
5. Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic
6. Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
7. Ray Allen – Boston Celtics
8. Danny Granger – Indiana Pacers
9. Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
10. Chris Bosh – Toronto Raptors
11. Devin Harris – New Jersey Nets
12. Rashard Lewis – Orlando Magic
Head Coach – Mike Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers)

West Line-up:

1. Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers
2. Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
3. Tim Duncan – San Antonio Spurs
4. Amare Stoudemire – Phoenix Suns
5. Yao Ming – Houston Rockets
6. Dirk Nowitzki – Dallad Mavericks
7. Shaquille O’Neal – Phoenix Suns
8. Brandon Roy – Portland Trail Blazers
9. Chauncey Billups – Denver Nuggets
10. Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
11. David West – New Orleans Hornets
12. Tony Parker – San Antonio Spurs
Head Coach – Phil Jackson (LA Lakers)

*****

The NBA All-Star weekend can be seen live over C/S-9 on regular TV while expanded coverage of the festivities including behind-the-scene sidelights will be covered by Basketball TV (BTV) over cable TV.

KG TOP EARNER FOR 08-09 SEASON

Boston Celtics starter Kevin Garnett holds the largest annual salary for the 2008-09 season. The Beantown outfit is obliged to pay KG05 $ 24.7M this year. Of course, that is just the basic pay and we are not talking yet of other perks in his contract which includes playoff incentives.

Seven other stars joined Garnett in the $ 20M and above bracket for this season which are Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks ($21.3M), Jermaine O’Neal of the Toronto Raptors ($ 21.3M), Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers ($ 21.2M), Allen Iverson of the Detroit Pistons ($ 20.8M), non-performer Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks ($ 20.8M), Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs ($ 20.5M) and Shaquille O’Neal of the Phoenix Suns ($ 20.0M). Surprisingly, leading MVP contender LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers will only take home $ 14.4M this campaign second only in the team to Ben Wallace, who will get $ 14.5M.

The New York Knicks had the biggest payroll for 2008-09 season with $ 97M while defending champions Celtics and last season’s runner-ups, the Lakers, had $ 80.7M and $ 81.8M total team salaries, respectively.

Herewith is the complete player salaries of all 30 NBA clubs for 2008-09 season:

ATLANTA HAWKS

Player 2008-09

Mike Bibby $14,983,603
Joe Johnson $14,232,566
Josh Smith $10,000,000
Speedy Claxton $5,757,818
Marvin Williams $5,636,142
Al Horford $4,023,720
Zaza Pachulia $4,000,000
Maurice Evans $2,500,000
Acie Law IV $2,071,680
Ronald Murray $1,500,000
Randolph Morris $797,581
Solomon Jones $797,581
Thomas Gardner $711,517
Mario West $711,517
Othello Hunter $442,114
Josh Childress

TOTAL $68,165,839

BOSTON CELTICS

Player 2008-09

Kevin Garnett $24,751,934
Ray Allen $18,388,430
Paul Pierce $18,077,903
Kendrick Perkins $4,078,880
Brian Scalabrine $3,206,897
Eddie House $2,700,000
Tony Allen $2,500,000
Rajon Rondo $1,315,080
Sam Cassell $1,262,275
J.R. Giddens $957,120
Leon Powe $797,581
Patrick O'Bryant $797,581
Gabe Pruitt $711,517
Glen Davis $711,517
Bill Walker $542,114

TOTAL $80,798,829

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

Player 2008-09

Emeka Okafor $9,537,500
Gerald Wallace $9,500,000
Boris Diaw $9,000,000
Nazr Mohammed $6,049,400
DeSagana Diop $5,585,000
Raja Bell $5,000,000
Adam Morrison $4,159,200
Raymond Felton $4,148,715
Sean May $2,661,026
D.J. Augustin $2,208,960
Alexis Ajinca $1,276,320
Juwan Howard $1,062,158
Shannon Brown $797,581
Jermareo Davidson $711,517
Sean Singletary $442,114
Linton Johnson III $125,379
Andre Brown* $107,908
Dwayne Jones* $102,068
Cartier Martin $26,007

TOTAL $62,500,853

CHICAGO BULLS

Player 2008-09

Larry Hughes $12,827,676
Kirk Hinrich $10,000,000
Luol Deng $9,385,000
Andres Nocioni $8,000,000
Drew Gooden $7,151,183
Ben Gordon $6,404,749
Derrick Rose $4,822,800
Tyrus Thomas $3,749,880
Joakim Noah $2,295,480
Thabo Sefolosha $1,931,160
Cedric Simmons $1,742,760
Michael Ruffin $1,141,838
Lindsay Hunter# $1,136,048
Aaron Gray $711,517
JamesOn Curry* $100,000
Demetris Nichols $87,893

TOTAL $71,487,984

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Player 2008-09

Ben Wallace $14,500,000
LeBron James $14,410,581
Wally Szczerbiak $13,275,000
Zydrunas Ilgauskas $10,841,615
Mo Williams $8,353,000
Eric Snow $7,312,500
Anderson Varejao $5,784,480
Sasha Pavlovic $4,696,250
Delonte West $3,850,000
Daniel Gibson $3,700,000
J.J. Hickson $1,329,480
Lorenzen Wright $1,262,475
Tarence Kinsey $797,581
Darnell Jackson $442,114
Jawad Williams $239,311

TOTAL $90,794,387

DALLAS MAVERICKS

Player 2008-09

Jason Kidd $21,372,000
Dirk Nowitzki $18,077,904
Erick Dampier $11,553,000
Josh Howard $9,945,000
Jason Terry $9,696,000
Jerry Stackhouse $7,000,000
Matt Carroll $5,050,000
Antoine Wright $1,800,000
Devean George $1,600,000
Shawne Williams $1,572,960
Jose Juan Barea $1,500,000
Ryan Hollins $972,581
Gerald Green $826,269
Brandon Bass $826,269
Nick Fazekas* $711,517
James Singleton $711,517

TOTAL $93,215,017

DENVER NUGGETS

Player 2008-09

Kenyon Martin $14,431,818
Carmelo Anthony $14,410,581
Chauncey Billups $11,050,000
Nene $9,680,000
Antonio McDyess $6,813,050
J.R. Smith $4,985,001
Steven Hunter $3,862,600
Johan Petro $1,939,893
Linas Kleiza $1,824,493
Renaldo Balkman $1,369,920
Anthony Carter $1,147,533
Chris Andersen $998,000
Dahntay Jones $926,678
Sonny Weems $442,114
Juwan Howard* $51,976

TOTAL $73,933,657

DETROIT PISTONS

Player 2008-09

Allen Iverson $20,840,625
Rasheed Wallace $13,680,000
Rip Hamilton $10,812,500
Tayshaun Prince $9,500,000
Kwame Brown $4,000,000
Amir Johnson $3,666,667
Walter Herrmann $2,000,000
Jason Maxiell $1,877,752
Rodney Stuckey $1,687,320
Arron Afflalo $1,015,440
Antonio McDyess $950,419
Will Bynum $711,517
Alex Acker $711,517
Walter Sharpe $442,114

TOTAL $71,895,871

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Player 2008-09

Monta Ellis $11,000,000
Andris Biedrins $9,000,000
Jamal Crawford $8,640,000
Corey Maggette $8,600,000
Stephen Jackson $7,140,000
Adonal Foyle* $6,900,000
Ronny Turiaf $4,500,000
Kelenna Azubuike $2,900,000
Brandan Wright $2,497,320
Kosta Perovic $1,944,000
Anthony Randolph $1,709,280
Marco Belinelli $1,446,720
Marcus Williams $1,262,520
C.J. Watson $711,517
Anthony Morrow $442,114
Richard Hendrix* $442,114
Rob Kurza $425,939
Jermareo Davidson $418,539
DeMarcus Nelson $182,047
Dion Dowell* $25,000

TOTAL $70,187,110

HOUSTON ROCKETS

Player 2008-09

Tracy McGrady $19,614,000
Yao Ming $15,070,550
Ron Artest $7,400,000
Shane Battier $6,373,900
Rafer Alston $4,900,000
Luis Scola $3,150,000
Carl Landry $3,000,000
Luther Head $1,962,378
Chuck Hayes $1,933,750
Brent Barry $1,910,000
Justin Reed* $1,573,000
Aaron Brooks $1,045,560
Joey Dorsey $816,500
Von Wafer $797,581
Dikembe Mutombo $787,066

TOTAL $70,334,285

INDIANA PACERS

Player 2008-09

Troy Murphy $10,126,984
Mike Dunleavy $9,000,000
Rasho Nesterovic $8,400,000
T.J. Ford $8,275,000
Marquis Daniels $6,864,200
Jamaal Tinsley $6,750,000
Jeff Foster $5,500,000
Danny Granger $2,329,805
Jarrett Jack $2,002,623
Maceo Baston $1,976,400
Eddie Jones* $1,976,400
Brandon Rush $1,799,160
Travis Diener $1,620,000
Roy Hibbert $1,465,440
Stephen Graham $826,269
Josh McRoberts $711,517

TOTAL $69,623,798

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Player 2008-09

Zach Randolph $14,667,000
Baron Davis $11,250,000
Marcus Camby $10,000,000
Chris Kaman $9,500,000
Eric Gordon $2,623,200
Jason Hart $2,484,000
Ricky Davis $2,300,000
Al Thornton $1,776,240
Brian Skinner $1,262,275
Mardy Collins $1,034,760
Steve Novak $797,581
Paul Davis $797,581
Cheikh Samb $711,517
Fred Jones# $616,658
DeAndre Jordan $550,000
Mike Taylor $500,000
Hassan Adams $301,348

TOTAL $61,671,827



LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Player 2008-09

Kobe Bryant $21,262,500
Pau Gasol $15,106,000
Lamar Odom $14,148,596
Vladimir Radmanovic $6,049,400
Sasha Vujacic $4,524,887
Derek Fisher $4,700,000
Luke Walton $4,420,000
Trevor Ariza $3,100,000
Andrew Bynum $2,769,300
Chris Mihm $2,500,000
Jordan Farmar $1,080,000
D.J. Mbenga $880,658
Josh Powell $854,957
Sun Yue $442,114

TOTAL $81,838,415

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

Player 2008-09

Antoine Walker* $9,052,460
Darko Milicic $7,020,000
Marko Jaric $6,575,000
Greg Buckner $4,010,005
O.J. Mayo $3,875,040
Mike Conley $3,630,480
Marc Gasol $3,093,333
Steve Francis* $2,634,480
Rudy Gay $2,579,400
Hakim Warrick $2,119,102
Damon Stoudamire $1,630,719
Hamed Haddadi $1,572,221
Kyle Lowry $1,163,520
Darrell Arthur $977,160
Quinton Ross $797,581
Darius Miles# $593,165
Shaun Livingston $359,670

TOTAL $51,683,606

MIAMI HEAT

Player 2008-09

Shawn Marion $17,810,000
Dwyane Wade $14,410,581
Mark Blount $8,513,916
Udonis Haslem $6,575,000
Michael Beasley $4,314,960
Marcus Banks $4,260,000
James Jones $4,000,000
Dorrell Wright $2,612,835
Smush Parker* $2,430,000
Daequan Cook $1,273,200
Jamaal Magloire $1,141,838
Chris Quinn $972,581
Yakhouba Diawara $800,000
Alexander Johnson $797,581
Joel Anthony $711,517
Mario Chalmers $700,000
Jason Richards* $442,114
Stephane Lasme* $300,000
David Padgett* $35,000

TOTAL $72,101,123

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Player 2008-09

Michael Redd $15,780,000
Richard Jefferson $13,200,000
Luke Ridnour $6,500,000
Andrew Bogut $6,294,307
Dan Gadzuric $6,250,195
Damon Jones $4,460,186
Charlie Villanueva $3,448,050
Charlie Bell $3,354,480
Tyronn Lue $2,500,000
Joe Alexander $2,403,120
Francisco Elson $1,700,000
Malik Allen $1,500,000
Awvee Storey $826,269
Ramon Sessions $711,517
Austin Croshere* $527,185
Luc Mbah a Moute $442,114

TOTAL $69,897,423

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Player 2008-09

Al Jefferson $11,000,000
Mike Miller $9,128,575
Brian Cardinal $6,300,000
Jason Collins $6,200,000
Juwan Howard* $5,172,414
Troy Hudson* $5,042,400
Ryan Gomes $3,500,000
Kevin Love $3,163,680
Randy Foye $2,815,560
Corey Brewer $2,725,920
Mark Madsen $2,630,000
Rashad McCants $2,620,126
Craig Smith $2,500,000
Sebastian Telfair $2,300,000
Rodney Carney $1,655,760
Calvin Booth $1,147,533
Kevin Ollie $797,581

TOTAL $68,699,279

NEW JERSEY NETS

Player 2008-09

Vince Carter $14,724,125
Bobby Simmons $9,920,000
Devin Harris $7,800,000
Stromile Swift $6,200,000
Trenton Hassell $4,350,000
Keyon Dooling $3,300,000
Eduardo Najera $3,250,000
Yi Jianlian $2,986,080
Brook Lopez $2,098,560
Jarvis Hayes $1,910,000
Sean Williams $1,522,920
Ryan Anderson $1,225,200
Josh Boone $1,212,120
Maurice Ager $1,042,440
Chris Douglas-Roberts $442,000

TOTAL $61,983,445

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

Player 2008-09

Peja Stojakovic $12,528,000
Tyson Chandler $11,400,000
David West $9,862,000
Antonio Daniels $6,200,000
James Posey $5,585,000
Morris Peterson $5,400,000
Chris Paul $4,574,189
Rasual Butler $3,630,000
Hilton Armstrong $2,032,800
Julian Wright $1,869,600
Sean Marks $1,141,838
Melvin Ely $998,398
Devin Brown $998,398
Ryan Bowen $797,581

TOTAL $67,023,804

NEW YORK KNICKS


Player 2008-09

Stephon Marbury $20,840,625
Eddy Curry $9,723,983
Al Harrington $9,226,550
Quentin Richardson $8,685,500
Cuttino Mobley $8,425,000
Malik Rose $7,647,500
Jerome James $6,200,000
Jared Jeffries $6,049,400
Tim Thomas $6,049, 400
Chris Duhon $5,585,000
Danilo Gallinari $2,873,520
Nate Robinson $2,020,179
David Lee $1,788,033
Wilson Chandler $1,173,480
Anthony Roberson $797,581

TOTAL $97,085,751

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Player 2008-09

Chris Wilcox $6,750,000
Nick Collison $6,250,000
Earl Watson $6,200,000
Donyell Marshall* $5,950,894
Desmond Mason $5,400,000
Joe Smith $4,795,000
Nenad Krstic $4,778,548
Kevin Durant $4,484,040
Robert Swift $3,579,131
Russell Westbrook $3,493,680
Jeff Green $3,284,640
Chucky Atkins $3,240,000
Damien Wilkins $3,100,000
Mouhamed Sene $2,252,400
D.J. White $964,080
Kyle Weaver $806,452
Steven Hill $423,909
John Lucas III* $32,842

TOTAL $65,785,616

ORLANDO MAGIC

Player 2008-09

Rashard Lewis $16,447,871
Dwight Howard $13,041,250
Jameer Nelson $7,600,000
Hedo Turkoglu $6,864,200
Tony Battie $5,746,000
Mickael Pietrus $4,900,000
Brian Cook $3,500,000
Keith Bogans $2,550,000
J.J. Redick $2,139,720
Anthony Johnson $1,900,000
Adonal Foyle $1,300,000
Courtney Lee $1,176,240
Mike Wilks $1,040,000
Dwayne Jones $826,969
Jeremy Richardson $769,431
Marcin Gortat $711,517

TOTAL $70,512,498

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Player 2008-09

Elton Brand $13,757,844
Andre Iguodala $11,300,000
Samuel Dalembert $11,138,564
Andre Miller $10,233,333
Reggie Evans $4,640,000
Louis Williams $4,500,000
Willie Green $3,388,000
Thaddeus Young $1,968,120
Marreese Speights $1,542,600
Jason Smith $1,326,360
Donyell Marshall $1,262,375
Theo Ratliff $1,262,375
Kareem Rush $998,398
Royal Ivey $854,957
Justin Reed $826,269

TOTAL $68,999,195

PHOENIX SUNS

Player 2008-09

Shaquille O'Neal $20,000,000
Amar'e Stoudemire $15,070,550
Steve Nash $12,250,000
Jason Richardson $12,222,221
Leandro Barbosa $6,100,000
Grant Hill $1,976,400
Goran Dragic $1,700,000
Robin Lopez $1,623,720
Jared Dudley $1,222,320
Matt Barnes $1,200,000
Alando Tucker $1,001,880
Louis Amundson $797,581
Dee Brown* $58,596
Courtney Sims $41,854

TOTAL $75,275,122

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Player 2008-09

Steve Francis* $15,730,000
Raef LaFrentz $12,722,500
Darius Miles* $9,000,000
Joel Przybilla $6,310,150
Greg Oden $5,011,680
LaMarcus Aldridge $4,631,400
Steve Blake $4,590,000
Travis Outlaw $4,000,000
Martell Webster $3,771,133
Channing Frye $3,163,769
Brandon Roy $3,084,240
Ike Diogu $2,912,822
Jerryd Bayless $1,993,560
Sergio Rodriguez $1,048,800
Rudy Fernandez $1,047,840
Nicolas Batum $1,040,640
Shavlik Randolph $826,269

TOTAL $80,884,803

SACRAMENTO KINGS

Player 2008-09

Brad Miller $11,375,000
Kevin Martin $9,260,335
Kenny Thomas $8,562,000
Shareef Abdur-Rahim* $6,200,000
Bobby Jackson $6,090,000
Mikki Moore $5,784,480
Beno Udrih $5,585,000
John Salmons $5,104,000
Shelden Williams $3,395,760
Spencer Hawes $2,180,760
Francisco Garcia $1,983,453
Jason Thompson $1,893,840
Quincy Douby $1,427,040
Donte Greene $971,160
Bobby Brown $442,114

TOTAL $70,254,942

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Player 2008-09

Tim Duncan $20,598,704
Tony Parker $11,550,000
Manu Ginobili $9,905,248
Kurt Thomas $4,200,000
Bruce Bowen $4,000,000
Farbicio Oberto $3,600,000
Roger Mason $3,500,000
Matt Bonner $2,983,500
Michael Finley $2,500,000
Jacque Vaughn $1,262,275
Ime Udoka $1,080,000
George Hill $1,006,200
Ian Mahinmi $841,000
Malik Hairston $299,077
Blake Ahearn* $205,084
Anthony Tolliver* $187,248
Desmon Farmer* $83,708
Austin Croshere* $74,251

TOTAL $68,014,857

TORONTO RAPTORS

Player 2008-09

Jermaine O'Neal $21,372,000
Chris Bosh $14,410,581
Jose Calderon $7,348,018
Jason Kapono $5,784,480
Andrea Bargnani $5,176,440
Anthony Parker $4,550,000
Jorge Garbajosa* $4,250,000
Kris Humphries $3,200,000
Joey Graham $2,449,184
Roko Ukic $1,250,000
Jake Voskuhl $835,491
Will Solomon $711,517
Jamario Moon $711,517
Nathan Jawai $442,114

TOTAL $72,491,072

UTAH JAZZ

Player 2008-09

Andrei Kirilenko $15,106,000
Carlos Boozer $11,593,817
Mehmet Okur $9,000,000
Matt Harpring $6,000,000
Deron Williams $5,069,449
Kyle Korver $4,881,818
C.J. Miles $3,700,000
Jarron Collins $2,074,302
Brevin Knight $2,000,000
Ronnie Brewer $1,834,680
Ronnie Price $1,188,000
Kosta Koufos $1,129,320
Morris Almond $1,081,440
Kyrylo Fesenko $810,000
Paul Millsap $797,581

TOTAL $66,266,407

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Player 2008-09

Gilbert Arenas $14,653,466
Antawn Jamison $9,923,285
Caron Butler $9,249,980
Etan Thomas $6,864,200
Mike James $6,244,083
Brendan Haywood $5,500,000
Darius Songaila $4,234,000
DeShawn Stevenson $3,616,071
Andray Blatche $2,739,669
Nick Young $1,602,960
Oleksiy Pecherov $1,446,720
JaVale McGee $1,392,240
Javaris Crittenton $1,381,560
Juan Dixon $998,398
Dominic McGuire $711,517
Dee Brown* $184,157

TOTAL $72,742,306

*****

As the league enters the crucial mid-season phase, the Orlando Magic’s campaign for a better finish this year took a big blow as all-star guard Jameer Nelson suffered a dislocated right shoulder in their 95-85 loss to the Dallas Mavericks last Monday (Tuesday morning, Manila time). Nelson had been declared out for the rest of the season. The 6-0 guard out of St. Joseph College is currently submitting norms of 16.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 5.4 apg in 42 outings with the Magic this season.

Orlando is leading Southeast Division with a 37-11 win-loss card. With Nelson gone, can Dwight “Superman” Howard and sharpshooter Rashard Lewis lead the Disneyworld outfit to greater heights for the remainder of the regular season and post-season play? One thing for sure, they will be hard-pressed to overtake the Celtics and the Cavaliers.

OUT FOR REVENGE

The Boston Celtics are making sure that lightning will not strike twice as they gear up for their much-awaited rematch with arch rivals Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday (Friday morning, Manila time) at their den, the TD Banknorth Garden.

Before meeting KB24 and the LA boys, the Beantown outfit guns for their 12th straight win as they visit the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night. There are some apprehension going into the big game against the Lakers. During their first meeting last December 25, the Celtics went into the Staples Center riding high on a franchise-best 19 straight wins but alas, they were beaten by the Tinseltown squad, 92-83. Before that Christmas day game, their last opponent were the 76ers too. That painful loss to the Lakers triggered an unexpected Celtic slump wherein they lost seven of their next nine games. A Celtic diehard will truly feel eerie given those circumstances. But aside from their current winning streak and league-leading 40-9 win-loss card, the Celtics will enter the game as heavy favorites to even up their season series with the Lakers. For one, starting center Andrew Bynum will not see action with the Lakers due to injury and most importantly, the game will be played in their home turf.

Celtic coach Doc Rivers feels some relief with Bynum’s absence come game time. “He makes you change the shot,” Rivers said. “We had three or four of them where we double-clutched for no reason – other than the fact that in the left of your eye he was coming. Size makes you miss layups.”

With or without Bynum, expect another humdinger of a ballgame between two of the league’s most storied franchises and all roads lead to Boston as this could be the preview of another titanic final series come June.