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.

TRULY MAGICAL

Who would have ever thought that a team coached by a Mario Brothers look-alike, and led by a self-proclaimed superman plus his gritty bunch of overachievers is among the top three teams in the current NBA season?

But that’s what the Orlando Magic had done so far, thus surprising lots of basketball pundits. The Disneyworld outfit is presently at 3rd spot over-all with their Southeast Division leading 33-9 win-loss slate. They had won eight of their last ten games and is fresh from sweeping their recent western road swing wherein they humbled Division leaders San Antonio Spurs, LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets in succession. That was a truly remarkable feat indeed for a club which was not given that much of a chance to figure prominently in the Eastern Conference race in the pre-season previews of various pro basketball publications.

So what makes the Magic thick? Head Coach Stan Van Gundy had transformed his squad from a middle-of-the-pack team to a consistent, unselfish and well-disciplined championship-caliber battalion. Star center Dwight Howard continues to dish out an outstanding performance with his team-high 20.2 ppg, 14.1 rpg and 3.2 bpg in 39 games to date. But it is not only “Superman” Howard who is doing his share for the Magic but the team had four other players averaging in double digits in scoring so far in swingman Rashard Lewis (19.1), veteran warrior Hedo Turkoglu (17.2), point gem of a guard Jameer Nelson (17.1) and new recruit Frenchman Mickael Pietrus (11.7). The maturity in the game of Nelson is another vital factor in the improved play of the Magic. The more than ten points a game scoring average of Howard, Lewis, Turkoglu and Pietrus can all be attributed to Nelson’s superb tending of the backcourt, wherein he dishes out 5.4 dimes an outing.

With their current form, they had become one of the major stumbling blocks (together with Cleveland and Detroit) to defending champs Boston Celtics bid for a title-repeat in the suddenly-tough Eastern Conference.

*****

The oldtime warrior had finally called it a day. Alonzo Mourning announced his retirement from pro basketball and would not return for a 16th season. Mourning, one of the hardest-working and best defensive players in NBA history, had career averages of 17.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 2.8 bpg in 838 games with Charlotte Hornets, New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat. In a press conference, Mourning with Heat owner Micky Arison and team president Pat Riley seated beside him, emotionally said, ''After 16 years, I feel it's best I retire from the game of basketball. When you've got something you love and you're passionate about, it's hard to let that go. It truly is. It's not a sad day. It's a day to celebrate.''

So long Zo, we wish you the best in life and thanks for the memories.

*****

Rumors, rumors, rumors………………. Jermaine O’Neal to Miami Heat a done deal?….. Stephon Marbury to Greece?….. Mike Miller to New Jersey Nets?….. Miami Heat ready to trade Shawn Marion? ….. Larry Hughes to New Jersey Nets? Expect a lot more as the February 19, 2009 trade deadline approaches.

TRIVIA #2

Herewith is the second part of our trivia series on basketball from the book “Basketball’s Most Wanted”, written by Floyd Conner.

• TRENTON MASONIC HALL

“The first professional basketball game, a contest in which players were paid, may have taken place in 1893 at the Fox Opera House in Herkimer, New York. The first documented professional game was played in 1896 at a Masonic hall in Trenton, New Jersey. Players received $15 each.”

• MINNESOTA STATE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE

“On February 9, 1895, the Minnesota State School of Agriculture defeated Hamline College of Minnesota 9-3 in the first intercollegiate basketball game. As with Naismith’s first game, there were nine players to a side.”

• YALE

“The first five-on-five basketball game was played on January 16, 1896. Chicago University, coached by Amos Alonzo Stagg defeated the Iowa City YMCA 15-12. In March 1897, Yale defeated Penn 32-10 in the first intercollegiate five-on-five basketball game.”

• TRINITY LEAGUE

“The first formalized college basketball league was formed in 1900. The Trinity League consisted of three Connecticut schools: Yale, Trinity College and Wesleyan. Shortly thereafter, other basketball leagues were formed throughout New England.”

• OSSIE SCHECHTMAN

“New York guard Ossie Schechtman owns the distinction of being the first player to score a field goal in a National Basketball Association game. The first game of the Basketball Association of America, which later became the NBA, was played between the New York Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies on November 1, 1946. Schechtman made a lay-up in the opening moments of the game to earn his place in professional basketball history. Schechtman played only one season in the league, averaging eight points per game. He finished the season with 162 field goals and a shooting percentage of only 27 percent.”

Watch out for the third part of this series, which will tackle trivia on the rules of the game.

SURGING WOLVES

The first chapter of the post-Kevin Garnett era in the Twin Cities did not look promising until a coaching change took place last December as erstwhile Minnesota Timberwolves VP for Basketball Operations Kevin McHale was named as head coach of the team for the remainder of the 2008-09 season. Randy Wittman was fired as T-Wolves mentor after steering the Wolves to a poor start with a 4-15 win-loss card.

McHale immediately felt the heat as he lost his first eight outings with the T-Wolves. As the team slowly adjusted to the system of the former Celtic great, things began to shine bright for McHale and the Timberwolves as they won seven of their next nine games and is currently on a five game winning streak.

The sudden turn around surprised a lot of cage pundits and eyes are keeping a close watch on McHale and his T-Wolves as the season progresses. McHale took time to sit down with Don Seeholzer of the Pioneer Press and candidly shared his views on the Wolves’ present form. Herewith is the full-length interview:

Q: You've been on this job for a while now. Has it been what you expected?

A: How we started off, it was really taxing. Just not having a lot of practice time and stuff. But I tell you what, the assistant coaches have been great and the players have been great. They've carried me way more than I've helped them.

Q: Any times of self-doubt when you were 0-8?

A: It was a tough stretch. I knew it would be a tough stretch. Yeah, you do kind of go through some periods, but I talk to the players all the time about having faith, and I have a lot of faith. You just keep saying, "I've got to persevere through these tough times. If we keep doing the right things, it'll turn." That's how I feel. You have to believe that if you keep on doing the right things, eventually it will turn in our favor.

Q: How personally rewarding has it been to see that happening on the court in the past couple of weeks?

A: It's been rewarding to see the guys smile. It's been rewarding to see them play better. It's been rewarding to see guys I really care about do well because it makes me feel good that they're doing well.

Q: Do you ever miss your old job?

A: I've been too busy to miss too much. I still find myself watching college games and looking at players and stuff like that. I guess I've been too busy to think about that at all.

Q: Is going back to the front office after this season an option? Have you and Glen Taylor talked about that?

A: We haven't talked about anything. We're just trying to get this thing going. I haven't thought about it. I've just been too busy with the team.

Q: Do you see yourself coaching beyond this season?

A: I'm more concerned about the next game and practicing and getting better. Everybody in their life has a plan, and we're not driving the bus all the time, so you know what? I'm just going to see what transpires and which way everything goes.

Q: You said on the day you took the job that this team appeared to be beaten down. Was getting the players back emotionally as important as the X's and O's?

A: My biggest fear, and I said this, was we were in the midst of a really rough time. My prayer was that they would be able to just maintain some confidence through that tough, tough time. That's what I mean when I say we're lucky to have these guys. They were able to bounce back, maintain some confidence, keep battling, keep coming to practice and staying positive. When you take over, you're worried about screwing them up more than you're helping them. ... Every coach will do things differently. If right now I was to step down and one of the assistants was to take over, they'd do things their way. That's the way you have to do it because that's what you believe in.

Q: But you're still committed to coaching this full season, right?

A: Yeah, yeah.

Q: You said from the start that you weren't looking forward to the travel. Has that been the worst part of the job?

A: You know what, I've found one thing with the travel. There is some quiet time for me to spend some time doing things I enjoy. So I've tried to use some of the down time on the road just to be more productive, and that makes it easier.

Q: Now that the team is back on track, what are the expectations for the rest of the season?

A: I haven't seen any team go 82-0, and I haven't seen a team go 0-82. There are ebbs and flows in a season, and you've got to be able to play through it. You'd like to see your team grow from adversity and learn from it. You'd like to see your team grow from success and learn from that. I personally feel that this team is a very talented team. The guys are great guys. They work hard. There's a good bond. There's a good chemistry. As I said when I took over, this team is still poised with good players here, multiple draft choices coming in, cap space coming up. This is very positive, but one of the things that's got to happen is this team has to improve every single day.

Q: What about Kevin Love? Do you see him moving into a starting role this season?

A: I could care less who starts. That's not something I really worry about. I see him playing better and better and better. The kid is a phenomenal rebounder, edging in on ridiculous. Competitive ... good instincts ... and he's 20 years old. Two years ago right now, he was playing at the Target Center about this time in a high school game. I couldn't be happier with him or happier for him that he's able to go out there and perform the way he has at his age.

Q: So he's performed up to expectations?

A: He's actually exceeded what I thought he could do, and he's only scratching the surface of what he can be. So that's good stuff.

Q: How satisfying has it been to see the team go through this transformation?

A: It's the players. It's not me. I'm just trying to help them as much as I can, but they're the ones that have to go out there and play. It's a credit to them as players. These guys are very intelligent players. I think the sky's the limit what this team can achieve. When you add into the equation cap space, picks and all that stuff, the future is very bright.

DILEMMA

The Boston Celtics had finally arrested their four game losing skid as they defeated the Toronto Raptors, 94-88 yesterday. The defending NBA champions actually had lost seven of their last nine game prior to the Raptors contest. What is mind boggling in the Celtics’ tailspin is that the sudden slump came after winning a franchise record 19 straight victories.

The men in green which had the league’s best record going into their Christmas day game with last year’s finalist and arch rivals Los Angeles Lakers, had now found themselves occupying only the third best win-loss card to date right behind the Lakers and the LBJ-powered Cleveland Cavaliers. Basketball experts throughout the cage world had come up with various opinions on the disintegration of the Beantown outfit.

Celtics guru Doc Rivers had time and again reiterated that for them to repeat as league winners, Boston must perform better than the team did last season. But how can the Celtics exceed their 2007-08 form when their so-called “Big three” (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) are lacking firepower support in all positions. Garnett, Pierce and Allen comprise more than fifty percent of the team’s average points per game. Aside from the Big 3, only guard Rajon Rondo is submitting double digit norm in points per game.

The Big 3 won the title last year for Boston no doubt about it, but not to be discounted is the able support from the bench most notably from clutch shooter and defensive whiz James Posey and veteran PJ Brown. Both Posey and Brown are now gone and while other teams had strengthened their arsenal during the past summer, GM Danny Ainge did not bother to offset their absence thinking otherwise that the Big 3 can salvage the season for the Celtics. Ainge must know that the Big 3 can only do so much and they are no spring chicken anymore. A deeper bench will definitely preserve Garnett, Pierce and Allen come play-off time. Now the question is does the Big 3 had enough gas from their tank when post-season starts?

So unless the Celtics can sign at least two free agents, who can ably fill the void left by Posey and Brown or make a decent trade before the February deadline, they maybe in a for a very rough road ahead comes the second half of the season. And worst, they may kiss their bid for a title retention goodbye. That would be tragic.

ON RED ANED GREEN

Ageless warrior Dikembe Mutombo finally made his comeback in the NBA not in a green uniform as many speculated but in his old fiery red Houston Rockets jersey. Months before his re-signing with the Rockets, Mutombo was being seriously courted by the Boston Celtics, who badly needs a veteran presence to back-up the “Big Three” just like what P.J. Brown did last season. But in the end, the 7-2 veteran pivotman just can not turn his back on the team which he had played for in the last four campaigns.

Despite limited minutes of playing time, Mutombo, 42, was an effective back-up to Rocket’s starting slotman Yao Ming last season after posting decent stats of 3.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 1.2 bpg in 39 games including 25 starts. Before joining the Rockets in 2004-05, he also saw action for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks. He had a career averages of 9.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 2.7 bpg in 1,187 outings.

The 17-year vet is happy to return to the Rockets and reunite once again with Ming and Tracy McGrady. He is also excited to play with the team’s two key additions in Ron Artest and Brent Barry. "I feel like it was something I had to do. I was getting pressure from my friends and of course from Yao and Tracy. They wanted me back on the team and I am happy to come back to the Rockets", Mutombo said.

It’s finger-wagging time again for the Rockets!


*****

Talking about color green, the defending champs Boston Celtics are presently on a crisis. Not the global economic crunch but in the way of an unexpected slump. They had won only five of their last ten outings and lost their last two games against lowly teams.

The Beantown's tailspin all started with the heartbreaking defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas day. Then they won only one game in their four-game western road swing and the recent setbacks to the New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats are bitter pills to swallow for this proud franchise. The losing spell brought down the men in green to a 29-7 win-loss card and surrendered the over-all league leadership to the Lakers and the surprising Cleveland Cavaliers, both with 27-6 slates.

The Celtics must make their move now and put their acts together. They better do something quickly to arrest this losing skid before anything else becomes too late, which may put their bid for a back-to-back title run in jeopardy.

TEAMS TO WATCH

The time may not be now but for sure it will not take too long before the Portland Trail Blazers and the Memphis Grizzlies become the new powerhouse teams in the NBA. These two teams had continue their massive rebuilding which is very promising as of now and the potential is likewise very intriguing indeed. Their current win-loss records this season does not truly reflect what is in store for both the Blazers and Grizzlies in the near future.

Between the two, the Rainy City squad seems on track for a better finish in the 2008-09 campaign. Portland is presently running second to the Denver Nuggets in the Northwest Division with a 20-14 slate. The Blazers had become a must-watch team in the league due to its exciting brand of play anchored on several young turks led by the ever-improving Brandon Roy. Coach Nate McMillan had assembled a young team which will be a force to reckon with in the near future. All the bases had been covered and it seems just a matter of time when they will figure prominently in the changing of powers in the Western Conference.

The Blazers had reloaded with the proper tools in all positions. Last year’s number one draft pick over-all Greg Oden starts at the pivot with veteran Joe Przybilla as the prime back-up. They had a young slew of dynamic frontline men in LaMarcus Aldridge, Channing Frye, Travis Outlaw, Nicolas Batum and Ike Diogu. Then they have a strong backcourt brigade composed of Roy, Steve Blake, Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez, Jerryd Baseless and Martell Webster. Oden, Batum, Fernandez and Baseless are the rookies in the team.

So far, Roy is the key to the team’s sudden uprising this season. He had displayed an outstanding consistent performance on and off the court. His leadership too had incredibly improved not to mention his penchant for gutsy clutch plays which resulted into some big games won by the Blazers early this season.

On the other hand, the Grizzlies are struggling in the current season. They are occupying the cellar in the Southwest Division with an 11-23 mark. But the basketball pundits likes what they see in this young squad. It’s hard to believe but Memphis had three rookies on their starting five. Marc Gasol is the leading pivotman (in lieu of the injured Darko Milicic), Darrell Arthur is the starting small forward and the sensational O.J. Mayo is the permanent fixture at the off-guard spot. For sure, these three newbies will represent the face of the Grizzlies for the next several seasons. Mayo, who is the leading candidate for the Rookie of the Year honors, had surprised many with his veteran-like attitude towards the game. He has an A-game that is truly refined. His only weakness thus far is his shot selection in which he forces the issue sometimes.

Besides the freshmen, the Grizzlies had in their possession one of the most athletically-gifted pair of wingmen in the league in Rudy Gay and Hakim Warrick. Both of them are a throwback from the old school. Watching these two high flyers in action is like seeing the NBA in the 80’s all over again wherein the likes of Julius Erving, David Thompson and Dominique Wilkins dominated the air waves with their electrifying hangtime, above-the-rim showtime and human highlight film acts.

Obviously, the only drawback of the Grizzlies is the lack of a locker room voice or in short, a leader. Someone to help nourish the development of Mayo, Gasol and Arthur. They had employed the services of Steve Francis and Darius Miles this season but clearly they do not fit to be leaders.

Once they find that missing link, beware of the Grizzlies as they will for sure contend not only for the Southwest Division title but as well as the Western Conference crown.

HOOPS FOREVER

As I turned a ripe 43 last month, I can’t imagine myself still deeply immersed in the world of basketball. Not anymore as a player as my gimpy knees would not oblige to its ever demanding physical contact but as a diehard fan and follower. Without any hesitation, Basketball had become an integral part of my life. I’ve seen the best and the worst ever since I was introduced into the game I truly loved as a wide-eyed eight year old boy.

My two greatest NBA heroes were Rick Barry and Chris Mullin which incidentally made their mark as members of the Oakland-based Golden State Warriors, respectively. Barry during my pre-teen years in the 70’s and sweet-shooting Mullin during the 80’s and early 90’s. But I also do have other NBA favorite players through the years as I admire the likes of Julius “Doctor J” Erving, Bernard King, George “Iceman” Gervin, Joe Barry Carroll, Larry “Mr. Mean” Smith, Wes Unseld, Ralph Sampson, Joe Hassett, Rex Chapman, Tracy Murray, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, JJ Reddick and Vince Carter to name a few.

During my elementary and high school days when internet is still is an alien word and cable TV is totally non-existent, I would only rely on the daily broadsheets and sports weekly magazines to follow the NBA. I can still recall in my high school class that I’m the only one who can name all the NBA teams and their respective homecourts even when I’m asleep.

In the local front, I’ve witnessed the many battles during the MICAA days at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, the prestigious National Seniors Championships and the annual Dona Josefa Cup at the Loyola Center and the eventual birth of Asia’s first play-for-pay loop, the PBA at the Araneta Coliseum in 1975. I’ve seen the four PBA grand slams (Crispa 1976 & 1983, San Miguel Beer 1989 and Alaska 1996), the emergence of Manila Bank, Imperial Textile Mills (ITM), APCOR and YCO in amateur caging and the countless free-for-all fights between Toyota and Crispa in the mid 70’s.

My ultimate hero is Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez and I considered myself a true-blooded Toyota fan. Other great pinoy cagers which caught my fancy in the PBA includes Ompong Segura, Fort Acuna, Francis Arnaiz, Abe King, Arnie Tuadles, Emer Legaspi, Abet Gutierrez, Abe Monzon, Bert Dela Rosa, Rudy Lalota, Jess Migalbin, JB Yango, Frankie Lim, Ricardo Brown, Chip Engelland (he is a naturalized pinoy then), Jojo Lastimosa, Alvin Patrimonio, Jun Papa, Gary Vargas, Itoy Esguerra, Ed Cordero, Naning Valenciano, Cho Sison, Joel Banal, Manny Victorino, Jojo De Guzman, Rudy Hines, Rudy Kutch, Arthur Herrera, Danny Florencio, Bong Alvarez, Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc and Fritz Gaston.

Among the coaches, Tim Cone is my all-time fave but not far behind were Dante Silverio and Chot Reyes.

Andy “The Dip” Fields remains as my number one PBA import but there are others whose exploits can not be easily forgotten like Byron “Snake” Jones, Bruce “Sky” King, John “Doctor I” Irving, Carlos Terry, Stan Cherry, Jim Hearns, Frank Gugliotta, George Trapp, John Q. Trapp, Perry Moss, Jeff Collins, Harry Rogers, Butch Hays, Jose Slaughter, James Lister, Jimmy Allen, Ansley Truitt, Paul Mills, James “Cowboy” Cornelius, Carl Bird, Larry Pounds, Otto Moore, Jim Zoet, Stewart Granger, Ron Anderson, Carlos Clark, Sean Chambers, Devin Davis, Byron Houston, Russell Murray, Bernard Harris, Dan Knight, Lee Haven, Howard Smith, Dean Tolson, Larry McNeil, Paul McCracken, Jeff Wilkins, Glenn Hagan, James Hardy, Donnie Ray Koonce, Ira Terell, Charlie Floyd, Norman Black, Bobby Parks, Dexter Shouse, Michael Young, David Thirdkill, Donnie Ray Koonce, Lamont Strothers, Michael Phelps, Darren Queenan, Andrew Moten, Don Collins, Kenny Fields, Lewis Lloyd, Kenny Redfield, Tony Harris, Rob Williams and Andre McKoy.

I was oozing with excitement when an NBA-Salem selection in 1974 led by the diminutive Calvin Murphy and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe played the then Teheran Asian Games-bound RP team, which also saw action against the visiting University of North Carolina Wolfpacks powered by David “Skywalker” Thompson and towering center Tom Burleson in a series of tune-up matches. Then came the barnstorming 32-man NBA squad led by Walt “Clyde” Frazier which played in a mini-PBA tournament in 1975. How about the World Basketball Championships which was done simultaneously with the ABC youth cagefest in Manila in 1978. Yugoslavia featuring Drazen Dalipagic won the World tourney at the expense of the USSR team anchored by 7-4 behemoth Vladimir Tkatchenko in a thrilling finale at the big dome. The 1979 one night stand of the Washington Bullets led by legends Elvin “Big E” Hayes, Wes Unseld and Kevin Porter, which played against a PBA selection reinforced by imports. Next came the 1980 Philippine tour of a ragtag NBA selection organized by Raymond Townsend, the only Fil-Am to play in the NBA.

I also saw the winning campaigns of the RP Nationals during the 1973 ABC at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum against the Shin Dong Pa led- South Korea team and the big upset of the RP Youth squad mentored by Ron Jacobs against China in 1982 at the big dome. 1974 also saw the first-ever international game played by the then People’s Republic of China in a friendly series in Peking (now Beijing) against the Philippine team.

Now if you think that the first ever trading cards featuring pinoy cagers was that of Purefoods in 1988, you are absolutely wrong. In 1974, Coca Cola released trading cards featuring the players of the RP National team in action during the World Basketball Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Memories, memories, memories… Basketball maybe just a game for others but it is also a religion to many.