Tim Duncan announces retirement

LOS ANGELES -- San Antonio Spurs star power forward Tim Duncan, one of the best players in NBA history, announced his retirement Monday, ending a brilliant 19-season career that included five league titles.

The 40-year-old Duncan, who was selected as the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, spent his entire career with the Spurs -- an anomaly in a league where players often change teams.

The Spurs reached the playoffs in every one of his 19 seasons.

#ThankYouTD, for everything.https://t.co/tsjN4go8Rk

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 11, 2016

"Tim Duncan is one of the most dominant players in NBA history," National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver said, adding that Duncan's "understated selflessness made him the ultimate teammate."

"For two decades Tim represented the Spurs, the city of San Antonio and the league with passion and class."

Duncan, together with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, formed one of the most successful trios in NBA history. They hold the league record for regular season wins (575) and postseason wins (126).

Duncan and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also formed a dynamic duo, accounting for the most wins ever by a player-coach duo at 1,001.

Duncan, a three-time NBA Finals MVP and a two-time regular season MVP, led San Antonio to titles in 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2014.

The Spurs posted a 1,072-438 regular-season record since drafting Duncan -- the best 19-year run in league history.

News about Duncan quickly began trending on Twitter, with the hashtag #ThankYouTD taking hold.

"Nineteen seasons. Five rings. One team. #ThankYouTD," the Spurs tweeted on Monday.

He averaged 19 points and 10.8 rebounds per game during his career. But last season's campaign was disrupted by a knee injury and he played in only 61 games.

San Antonio was eliminated in the playoffs this past season by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Duncan's final game was a 113-99 loss to the Thunder in game six of the Western Conference semi-finals on May 12. In his career finale, he scored 19 points, with five rebounds and a block in 34 minutes.


- Talk of retirement -

At the end of June, Duncan had exercised a $6.4 million player option for next season, but talk of retirement loomed large.

Spanish star Pau Gasol, who during his career has played power forward and center, has reportedly agreed to join San Antonio on a two-year deal worth $30 million, after spending the last two seasons with the Chicago Bulls -- and it now looks like he will help fill the void left by Duncan.

Ginobili, 38, has said he plans to take his time in deciding about playing a 15th season for the Spurs for $2.9 million next season.

He was emotional about Duncan's departure.

"Even tho I knew it was coming, I'm still moved by the news. What a HUGE honor to have played with him for 14 seasons! #ThankYouTD," Ginobili said on Twitter.

Parker said: "Greatest Power Forward Ever! It was an honor to play with you !! #spursfamily."

Kobe Bryant -- who like Duncan won five league titles over a two-decade career with the same team, the Los Angeles Lakers, before retiring -- tweeted: "Congrats TD #19yrs #GoSpursGo."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bryant built Hall of Fame career with tireless work ethic

LOS ANGELES --- For 20 long seasons, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant lit up the National Basketball Association with a work ethic and closing ability matched by very few until he finally ended his stellar career on Wednesday.

At the age of 37, he realized that time was running out and last November he announced that the 2015-16 season would be his last as his battered body was no longer able to withstand the rigors of protracted campaigns.

Five-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer Bryant was sidelined for nearly eight months in 2013 with a torn Achilles' tendon, then played just six games during the 2013-14 season because of a severe knee injury.

Last season, he played 35 games but increasingly suffered soreness in his knees, feet and back, prompting coach Byron Scott to cut back significantly on Bryant's playing time going forward while altering his on-court role.

His 2015-16 campaign has effectively been a farewell tour, his time on court significantly cut back though he ended up playing in 66 of 82 games, particularly on the road, to give fans one last chance to say goodbye.

Popularly known as "Black Mamba," Bryant made a living by making the seemingly impossible possible for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Until age finally caught up with him, he made a habit of draining game-winning shots despite being double or triple-teamed, establishing a reputation for being one of the best ever closers in the NBA as a shooting guard.

At times, Bryant has been accused of being a ball-hog, though he has frequently excelled as a facilitator and is unrivalled in the modern game when it comes to basketball IQ.

"Every night you played, I couldn't wait to watch knowing that I would witness an unbelievable shot or move that I had never seen on the court," fellow Lakers great Magic Johnson wrote about Bryant on his website on Wednesday.

"I marveled at the skills and loved the energy you brought to the game wearing that purple and gold uniform. You never disappointed the city, Laker fans and basketball fans worldwide. All you cared about was winning games and championships and that's why so many people love you.

"Very few people have changed the game of basketball but you will be recognized as one of them alongside my 'Dream Team' teammates, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan."

Cut of beef
Named Kobe by his parents after they spotted the popular Japanese cut of beef on a restaurant menu shortly before his birth, Bryant is a five-times NBA champion having won titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.

He was drafted out of high school with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets but was traded shortly after the Lakers for Serbian Vlade Divac.

He has appeared in 18 All-Star games, was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2007-08 regular season and landed MVP honors in the 2009 and 2010 Finals when he led the Lakers to consecutive championships.

Bryant has also won gold medals with the U.S. basketball team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Twice NBA champion LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who is widely regarded as the best player currently competing in the league, pointed to Bryant's work ethic as a significant motivation for him.

"I knew I had to be better because of Kobe Bryant," said James. "I knew he was in the gym and I knew he was working on his game. And I knew he was great.

"So every day that I didn't want to work out or every day I felt like I couldn't give more, I always thought of Kobe. Because I knew that he was getting better."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Future impact the perfect legacy for Bryant

LOS ANGELES - For all the NBA titles and All-Star selections he has piled up during an illustrious career, Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant wants his legacy to be judged on how he has impacted the sport's future not the past.

The 37-year-old shooting guard has already established himself as one of the greatest players ever in the National Basketball Association and will be retiring from competition after the 2015-16 season, his 20th in the league.

"I try to look at my legacy and how it impacts the future of the game," Bryant said on a conference call with international media on Monday. "I'm not looking at my legacy from the standpoint of where I fit in with the greatest of all time.

"For me, it's a moot point and a shallow argument. I think the most important thing and the most beautiful thing is how does your legacy impact the generation of players to come?

"If what I've done and what I've stood for these 20 years has impacted the players today and the players tomorrow in a positive way, in a way they can then carry that legacy on themselves and impact the generation to follow, that's much more significant than where I stand in history."

A five-times NBA champion who has appeared in 17 All-Star games, Bryant has done it all on the court yet even as he prepares to take his final bow there are goals to be achieved.

Though slowed by age and a slew of injuries, Bryant has set his sights on making his competitive farewell at next year's Rio Olympics.

"That's something I am actually pressing for," said Bryant, who won gold medals with the U.S. Olympic team in 2008 and 2012. "Being part of the Olympics is such a beautiful experience.

"I grew up overseas, I grew up in Italy, so to be able to see how basketball became such an international sport first-hand, it would be a beautiful thing personally to finish my career on an international stage."

Bryant was sidelined for nearly eight months in 2013 with a torn Achilles' tendon, then played just six games during the 2013-14 season because of a severe knee injury.

Last season, he played 35 games but increasingly suffered soreness in his knees, feet and back, yet he feels that overall he has enjoyed "a really good relationship" with the basketball gods.

"I think we understand each other really well," laughed Bryant, who began his Lakers career as an 18-year-old in 1996.

"Our responsibility as athletes is to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves ... good, bad or indifferent.

"I am absolutely able to pivot and handle those situations. The injuries that I've had, I've always been able to look at those in a positive light and learn from those things, and also take advantage of opportunities that come as a direct result."

Bryant is also looking forward to expanding his role as a mentor for emerging talent in the league while helping to grow the game among youth worldwide.

"I will always be around, not just from a Lakers standpoint but also for players around the league, just to be a mentor," he said. "I've done that for a while now and I will continue to do that.

"I definitely plan on helping the game spread and helping kids all around the world understand kind of the metaphors that come along with the game ... everything that surrounds the game of basketball."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Steve Keating)

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Warriors 24-game winning streak ends with loss to Bucks

Golden State's record 24-game winning streak to start the season came to an end on Saturday in a 108-95 loss to the Bucks in Milwaukee.

A night after barely beating Boston in double overtime, the weary National Basketball Association champions succumbed in Milwaukee in the final game of a seven-game road trip.

Golden State's winning streak, the longest to start a season in NBA history, is the third longest in a single season behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 in a row in 1971-72, while the Miami Heat won 27 straight in 2013.

The Bucks also stopped the Lakers' winning steak in 1972.

Stretching back to the end of last season, Golden State won 28 consecutive regular season games.

The normally sharp-shooting Warriors struggled offensively, shooting barely 40 percent from the floor, with guards Stephen Curry (10-for-21 for 28 points) and Klay Thompson (four-for-14 for 12 points) struggling to find their range.

Milwaukee improved to 10-15 with the win.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Retiring Bryant receives high praise from peers

LOS ANGELES -- The NBA fraternity reacted quickly to Kobe Bryant's announcement Sunday that he would retire at the end of the season, with some calling it "sad" while other spoke of his incredible legacy.

Bryant, 37, one of the greatest US basketball players ever, will retire after spending his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was one of the first to respond to Bryant's announcement.



"With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP (2008), five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game," Silver said.

"Whether competing in the NBA finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game. I join Kobe's millions of fans around the world in congratulating him on an outstanding NBA career and thank him for so many thrilling memories."

Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott spoke to reporters about Bryant's decision before Sunday's 107-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"I thought he at least had another year in him," Scott said. "It kind of shocked me when he told me. Sad more than anything. Somebody I care about, have a lot of respect for, it's always hard when greatness like Kobe decides to hang it up."

It's a unique situation for a Lakers team that lost iconic center Shaquille O'Neal to a departure for Miami, and past legend Magic Johnson to his announcement that he had the HIV virus.

"We're all sad," Lakers president Jeanie Buss said. "This era of Lakers basketball has been one of the most fun, exciting prosperous eras we could imagine."

Johnson told Yahoo Sports that the five-time NBA champion Bryant leaves a lasting legacy.

"He's the closest thing we've seen to Michael Jordan," Johnson said. "He'll probably go down as the second-greatest scoring guard. You couldn't stop him. His will to win was incredible and he stayed in the gym like no other."

Indiana star forward Paul George said the 37-year-old Bryant will always be an inspiration to him.

"He's still my idol regardless of him aging and his game changing," George said.

Shane Battier, who won two NBA titles with the Miami Heat and is now retired, paid Bryant the highest compliment.

"Kobe is the greatest competitor I have ever faced," Battier said. "I am glad he found peace, I don't know if we will see another like him. Enjoy the last 66."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kobe Bryant to retire at end of 2015-16 season

Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, arguably the best player of his generation, announced on Sunday he will retire after the 2015-16 National Basketball Association season.

Bryant, who is struggling through the worst season of his illustrious 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, said in a piece posted on the Players' Tribune website that "I'm ready to let go." (http://www.theplayerstribune.com/dear-basketball)

The decision was not totally unexpected as the 37-year-old Lakers guard has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons and had recently said he was considering retirement.


"I can't love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give," wrote Bryant. "My heart can take the pounding, my mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it's time to say goodbye."

Bryant, a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer who is third on the NBA's all-time scoring list, has a career-worst 31.5 shooting percentage through his first 12 games of the season on a Lakers team that has the second worst record in the league.

Named Kobe by his parents after they spotted the popular Japanese cut of beef on a restaurant menu shortly before his birth, Bryant is now a five-times NBA champion having won titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.

He was drafted out of high school with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets but was traded shortly after the Lakers for Serbian Vlade Divac.

He has appeared in 17 All-Star games, was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2007-08 regular season and landed MVP honors in the 2009 and 2010 Finals when he led the Lakers to consecutive championships.

Bryant has also won gold medals with the U.S. basketball team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

'THRILLING MEMORIES'

During his career, Bryant made a habit of draining game-winning shots despite being double or triple-teamed by opponents and has established a reputation for being one of the best closers in the NBA.

In his essay, Bryant talked about being a boy who would use his father's rolled-up socks to shoot imaginary game-winning shots at the Great Western Forum, where the Lakers played from 1967 to 1999.

"I'm ready to let you go," wrote Bryant, who trails only Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone on the NBA's scoring list.

"So we both can savor every moment we have left together. The good and the bad. We have given each other all that we have."

Bryant was sidelined nearly eight months in 2013 with a torn Achilles' tendon, then played just six games during the 2013-14 season because of a severe knee injury.

Last season, he played 35 games but increasingly suffered soreness in his knees, feet and back, prompting coach Byron Scott to cut back significantly on Bryant's playing time going forward while altering his on-court role.

Lakers head coach Byron Scott, who was Bryant's teammate during the latter's rookie season, said he was shocked when his player told him of the decision on Saturday.

"I think he still loves this game. He still has a passion for it. He's still a competitive young man," Scott said on Sunday. "His purpose is to finish out this season and play."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in a statement released moments after Bryant's news surfaced, called the Lakers guard one of the greatest players in the game.

"Whether competing in the Finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game," said Silver.

"I join Kobe's millions of fans around the world in congratulating him on an outstanding NBA career and thank him for so many thrilling memories."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Both/Greg Stutchbury)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Warriors beat Lakers, set NBA record with 16-0 start

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 111-77, to set the NBA record for the best start to a season.

The defending champions have won their first 16 games, surpassing the previous record of 15-0 set by Washington in 1948-49 and by the Houston Rockets in 1993-94.

Reigning Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 24 points while Draymond Green chipped in 18 points and 7 rebounds.

The Warriors are looking to extend the winning streak to 17 against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday (Manila time).

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Former 76ers basketball star Darryl Dawkins dies

Former National Basketball Association star Darryl Dawkins, known as "Chocolate Thunder" for his powerful dunks and flamboyant personality, died on Thursday of a heart attack, his family said. He was 58.

An explosive center whose dunks shattered two glass backboards in 1979, Dawkins got his nickname from musical great Stevie Wonder. In a 14-season NBA career he averaged 12 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, statistics that were dwarfed by an outsized personality.

"Darryl touched the hearts and spirits of so many with his big smile and personality, ferocious dunks, but more than anything, his huge, loving heart," the family said in a statement.

Always a fan favorite, Dawkins gave names to his dunks, such as "Dunk You Very Much," "Yo Mama," "Spine Chiller Supreme" and "In Your Face Disgrace."

Thanks to his high-flying game and his size and strength, the NBA was forced to adopt breakaway rims and impose fines and suspensions for breaking backboards during games.

In 1975, the 6-foot-11, 255-pound Dawkins became the first player taken directly from high school in the first round of the NBA draft. A year earlier, Moses Malone went to the rival American Basketball Association after being drafted out of high school by the Utah Stars.

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Dawkins with the fifth overall pick and he went on to play with the team for seven seasons before moving to the New Jersey Nets for five years. He played four games for the Utah Jazz in 1987-88 before ending his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons in the 1988-89 season.

"We've lost a dear friend and an iconic figure, both on and off the court," 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil said. "We remember fondly not only his thunderous dunks, but more importantly his powerful presence and personality.

"His endearing charm, infectious smile and unparalleled sense of humor will be sorely missed. 'Chocolate Thunder' will always have a special place in our hearts."

Dawkins averaged in double figures in points nine times in his career but never lived up to his massive expectations.

Dawkins used to joke that he was an alien from the planet "Lovetron" who spent the off-season practicing "interplanetary funkmanship." After leaving the NBA in 1989, he played two seasons in Italy and then with the Harlem Globetrotters.

After several coaching stints, he retired from basketball in 2000. But he remained visible at events like the NBA's All-Star Weekend, where he served as a judge of this year's Slam Dunk contest.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Dawkins "played the game with passion, integrity and joy, never forgetting how great an influence he had on his legions of fans, young and old." (Additional reporting by Alden Bentley; Additional reporting by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Alan Crosby and David Gregorio)

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Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose, two others, accused in lawsuit of rape

Derrick Rose, the 2011 National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player, is being sued by a former girlfriend who alleges he and two friends drugged and gang-raped her in 2013.

Rose's accuser, identified only as Jane Doe, said she and the three-time All-Star Chicago Bulls guard dated from 2011 to 2013.

In August 2013, she said, Rose and two friends invited her to Rose's home in Beverly Hills, California, where they slipped a drug into her drink with the aim of raping her.

The woman said she escaped the house but that Rose and his friends broke into her apartment later that night and gang-raped her while she was incapacitated, it said.

Rose's accuser, who is seeking unspecified damages, said she waited for two years to file the suit because she was "ashamed and embarrassed" of what happened.

"I am just focusing on staying healthy and getting ready for the season," Rose, 26, said in a statement on Thursday. "I am not going to comment other than to say: I know the truth, and am confident I will be proven innocent."

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A spokeswoman for Rose said in a statement the "plaintiff's allegations are completely false and without any factual basis."

"This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shake down a highly respected and successful athlete," the statement said. "Mr. Rose was in a non-exclusive, consensual sexual relationship with the plaintiff for over two years."

"We have complete confidence that the case will be dismissed and that Mr. Rose will be vindicated. This lawsuit is outrageous."

Rose, who missed a portion of last season because of a knee injury, averaged 17.7 points, 4.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game in 51 games.

"We just learned about this matter and do not know all the facts," the Bulls said in a statement. "It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time." (Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Peter Cooney)

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Lin says he will join Hornets

CHARLOTTE -- Jeremy Lin has agreed to a contract with the Charlotte Hornets, the free agent point guard announced on his Facebook page Wednesday night.

Lin spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 11.2 points and 4.6 assists per game.

"Going into my first true free agency as an NBA player this offseason, the one thing that mattered to me the most was finding a team that would be a good fit for me," Lin wrote on Facebook.

"I wanted to be on a team where I would be able to play freely and truly play the game I love with joy again.

"That has always been the most important thing to me. After a LOT of prayer and long discussions with family and friends, I wanted to personally let you guys know I'll be joining the Charlotte Hornets."

Free agents are allowed to sign contracts after midnight Thursday when the NBA lifts its moratorium.

In five NBA seasons with Golden State, the New York Knicks, the Houston Rockets and the Lakers, Lin has career averages of 11.7 points and 4.8 assists per game.

He appeared in 74 games with the Lakers last season but played just 1,907 minutes, his lowest total since he played 34 games and 940 minutes with the Knicks in the 2011-12 season.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NBA: Wade apparently staying put in Miami

Star guard Dwyane Wade reassured the Miami Heat faithful on Thursday that he's sticking with the only NBA team he's ever represented.

"Let's Get it! Heat Nation," the 33-year-old Tweeted, posting a short video captioned "My city My Home My House."

Wade has played his entire NBA career in Miami, winning three league titles.

But after he opted out of the second year of his two-year contract to become a free agent Heat fans feared he'd be tempted to try a new challenge, and team up with his great friend and former Heat colleague LeBron James in Cleveland.

Speculation that such a move was in the offing were fueled on Wednesday by social media reports that the two players had been seen vacationing together in the Bahamas.

However, multiple US media outlets reported Thursday that Wade had agreed to a one-year deal worth $20 million to stay in Miami.

No free agent contracts can be signed until July 9, but a welter of deals were reportedly in the works on the second day of the free agency negotiating period on Thursday.

The Portland Trail Blazers have reportedly agreed on a five-year extension worth more than $120 million with star point guard Damian Lillard.

Lillard, the 2012-13 NBA Rookie of the Year, has continued to mature, earning All-Star nods in each of the past two seasons.

His extension comes as the Trail Blazers prepare for the likely departure of free agent LaMarcus Aldridge. Power forward Aldridge is among the most coveted free agents on the market this year, and is reportedly being courted by the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Heat.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

1 million people in Oakland celebrate NBA champion Warriors

OAKLAND, California - A crowd estimated at 1 million people in Oakland celebrated the NBA champion Golden State Warriors at a parade and rally on Friday, where league MVP Stephen Curry remarked on how things have changed since he went unrecognized in the city.

The street party came three days after the Warriors won the National Basketball Association title four games to two over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Warriors, who are NBA champions for the first time since 1975, along with team executives and invited guests rode through downtown Oakland streets before onlookers 25 rows deep, many of whom had staked out positions the previous evening.

The crowd, which enjoyed a bright and cloudless day, was estimated at 1 million people, said Oakland police spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson.

The procession wound to Lake Merritt, a small expanse of water adjoining Oakland's downtown, where team members addressed the crowd clustered along a plaza and the lake's shoreline.

"I remember six years ago when I was drafted, I lived right here on Lake Merritt and I could walk around and not be recognized," Curry, a Warriors guard who was voted this year's league Most Valuable Player, told the crowd.

"Now we’re world champs. I’m so excited to be a part of this group."

More than two hours after the celebration began, a shooting erupted just outside a zone that had been secured for the parade and rally, Watson said.

Responding officers found three men with gunshot wounds, she said. Two were critically injured and the third was in stable condition, she said.

It appears the men had an argument with another party before the shooting, Watson said. The shooter was still at large.

The streets near the rally, many of them blocked off by Oakland police, overflowed with revelers and vendors hawking T-shirts, caps and food.

James Penn, a 34-year-old resident of Sacramento, said fans and the team deserved the victory, especially after many disappointing seasons.

"This year the feeling is different," Penn said. "They're looking out for each other. They give us something to root for.”

(Reporting by Emmett Berg; Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Eric Beech)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nike to replace Adidas in NBA clothing deal

NEW YORK -- Sporting goods giant Nike reached an eight-year deal Wednesday to become the exclusive on-court apparel provider for the NBA.

The contract takes effect in the 2017-2018 season, replacing a deal between the National Basketball Association and Adidas, which expires after the 2016-2017 season.

"This partnership with Nike represents a new paradigm in the structure of our global merchandising business," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

"As our exclusive on-court apparel provider, Nike will be instrumental in our collective efforts to grow the game globally while applying the latest in technology to the design of our uniforms and on-court products."

Nike has targeted basketball as a major growth business due in part to surging interest in the sport in major emerging economies, especially China.

In 2014, Nike's revenues from basketball rose 19 percent to $3.1 billion, about 11 percent of total sales.

Nike already sponsors many leading basketball stars, including LeBron James, who Tuesday led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals against the Golden State Warriors.

In after-hours trade, Nike shares rose 0.8 percen to $104.19.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NBA MVP Curry disagrees with flopping fine

NEW YORK -- National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry was fined $5,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for "flopping," but the Golden State Warriors guard insisted he didn't fall to try to draw a foul.

Curry was fined for an incident in the fourth quarter of the Warriors' 110-106 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday in game one of the Western Conference finals.

He had just drained a three-pointer that gave Golden State a 106-97 lead when he was bumped by Houston's Terrence Jones and fell to the court.

The league judged the fall violated rules against "flopping" -- falling to draw a foul.

"I don't agree with it," Curry said Wednesday. "I watched the play over and, transition play, so obviously balance is not very good in that situation."

Added Curry: "That play happens countless times. I wasn't even looking for the foul. I was just reacting to the contact."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr also disagreed with the fine -- not because Curry's move wasn't a flop, but because such falls, from minimal contact, are so common.

"Are we just choosing one time to do this?" Kerr said. "You can pick out flops every single game from half the guys on the floor."

The Warriors, who posted the best record in the NBA in the regular season, will try to extend their lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals on Thursday when they host the Rockets in game two.

The winners of the series will face the Eastern Conference champions in the NBA finals.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cavs apologize for 'insensitive' domestic violence video

The National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers apologized on Thursday for airing a video during a playoff game that depicted an incident of domestic violence.

The video, which ran during Wednesday's game against the Chicago Bulls, was intended to be a humorous spoof on a popular commercial centered on the popular song and dance routine from the 1987 movie "Dirty Dancing", the team said.

In the one-minute video, a male Cavaliers fan picks up a woman, a Bulls fan, and slams her to the ground when he realizes she is a fan of the visiting Chicago team. Later, the woman is shown holding an ice pack to her head and wearing a T-shirt with a Cavaliers logo on it.

"Domestic violence is a very serious matter and has no place in a parody video that plays in an entertainment venue," the Cavaliers said in a statement.

"We sincerely apologize to those who have been affected by domestic violence for the obvious negative feelings caused by being exposed to this insensitive video."

Professional leagues, including the National Football League and NBA, are taking a harder stance on penalties toward domestic abuse given a rash of high-profile cases in the past year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Ex-Knicks player Anthony Mason dead at 48

Anthony Mason, a former player with the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks, has died at the age of 48, the team said on Saturday.

The 13-year NBA veteran had severe heart problems, his son, Anthony Mason Jr., said in a statement quoted on the Knicks' web site.

"As you all would expect our father - Big Mase - put up an incredible fight," Mason Jr. said.

Mason was a 6-foot, 7-inch (two-metre) forward from Tennessee State University, who played with the Knicks from 1991 to 1996. A fan favorite, he was a key player in the 1993-1994 Eastern Conference Champion team.

"As a competitor, there was none fiercer than Anthony Mason," said Knicks President Phil Jackson in the team statement. A former Chicago Bulls coach, Jackson said he remembered how Mason, wearing number 14, always stood out in the great Chicago-New York battles of the 1990s.

"On behalf of the entire Knickerbocker community, our condolences go out to his family. Rest in peace, Mase," Jackson said.

Mason won the NBA's Sixth Man Award in 1995 as a member of the Knicks.

He also played with the Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. In 2001, Mason was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star squad.

(Reporting By Frank McGurty and Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Stephen Powell)

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Leonard nets 22 as Spurs crush Suns

Spurs 101, Suns 74

Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points and the San Antonio Spurs held the Phoenix Suns to the lowest-scoring first half in franchise history on the way to an easy 101-74 win.

Aron Baynes, Danny Green and Boris Diaw all added 12 points for the Spurs, who led by as many as 34 points and ended their nine-game "Rodeo Road Trip" at 4-5 with back-to-back wins in Sacramento and Phoenix.

Markieff Morris had 19 points for Phoenix, who scored just 24 points in the first half. It was the lowest scoring half in the 47-year history of the franchise, eclipsing a 25-point second half in a 100-89 loss to the Sacramento Kings in 2001.

- - -

Nets 104, Mavericks 94

Deron Williams scored 25 points that included a season-high four three-pointers in a victory over Dallas.

Brooklyn (24-33) desperately needed the victory in their last of eight consecutive road games, and after playing so well at Houston on Friday only to allow the Rockets to steal it late.

Dallas (39-22), playing without injured starters Tyson Chandler and Chandler Parsons, have lost consecutive games.

Dirk Nowitzki finished with 20 points for the Mavericks.

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Knicks 103, Raptors 98

The New York Knicks won for the second time in as many nights, turning back the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors.

Tim Hardaway Jr led the Knicks (12-46) with 22 points. Center Andrea Bargnani scored 19 points against his former team.

Lou Williams came off the bench to score 22 points for the Raptors (37-22), who have dropped a season-high five straight games.

Toronto's leading scorer, point guard Kyle Lowry, took a game off for the first time this season due to fatigue and nagging injuries.

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Jazz 82, Bucks 75

Reserve guard Trey Burke sparked the Utah Jazz to a hard-fought win over the Milwaukee Bucks in a defensive battle.

Burke scored a game-high 23 points with six assists and three rebounds to help the Jazz improve to 23-35.

The Bucks (32-27) only shot 39.2 percent while falling for the second night in a row to begin a four-game road trip.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls' Rose to undergo knee surgery

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will undergo surgery for a torn meniscus is his right knee, the National Basketball Association team said on Tuesday.

The 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player, who was averaging 18.4 points per game this year, reported pain in his right knee earlier in the day, the Bulls said in a statement.

"An exam and subsequent MRI confirmed a medial meniscus tear of the right knee," the team said.

The Bulls said a timeline for recovery would be determined after the surgery.

The knee surgery will be the third for Rose since 2012. Those injuries have knocked him out of most of the last two seasons.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NBA launches official LINE account

MANILA, Philippines – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and LINE Corporation announced a digital content partnership Wednesday, making the NBA the first major U.S. professional sports league to unveil an official LINE account.

The NBA's official account on LINE will be available on a range of devices, including mobile, tablets, and PCs, the league said in a statement.

"We are very pleased to announce that the NBA, one of the world's leading sports leagues, is the latest addition to LINE's list of official account holders," LINE chief executive Akira Morikawa said.

"Through its partnership, the NBA will be able to connect with LINE's more than 181-million monthly active users and communicate with NBA fans all over the world," Morikawa added.

"LINE also looks forward to expanding its user base outside Asia into other regions where basketball is also extremely popular, such as Europe and the Americas."

Adding the "@nba_global" account on LINE as a friend will give fans access to real-time news updates and information on local NBA events, off-the-court happenings, and more.

The NBA will also expand its content on the LINE platform by releasing NBA-themed LINE stickers of active players and legends for fans to share with their friends.

"As a leading communications platform, LINE has entrenched itself into the daily lives of millions of users across the globe," said Scott Levy, NBA Asia's Managing Director. "The NBA enjoys a large international following and, through this partnership with LINE, we will provide our tech-savvy fans with another way to enjoy and engage with NBA, wherever they may be."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kobe Bryant out for season after surgery

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant had successful shoulder surgery on Wednesday, the third-straight year he has undergone a season-ending procedure, the National Basketball Association team said.

The two-hour surgery, to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, was performed by doctors Neal ElAttrache and Steve Lombardo at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

The 36-year-old Bryant is expected to be out nine months and doctors said with proper rehabilitation he would be able to return to the Lakers in time for his 20th season.

"I expect Kobe to make a full recovery and if all goes as expected, he should be ready for the start of the season," ElAttrache said.

For the last three years Bryant has endured a season-ending injury, after a torn Achilles tendon in April 2013 and a broken bone in his knee last season.

The 19-year veteran and five-time NBA champion suffered the injury in last Wednesday's 96-80 loss at New Orleans.

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, is the league's highest-paid player at $23.5 million.

The Lakers made a point of giving a specific timeline for Bryant's expected return Wednesday to reiterate that they don't expect him to retire.

He injured his shoulder while dunking the ball against the Pelicans and on Monday the team announced he had opted for surgery.

"In my mind right now, he's coming back next year, unless he tells me something different," said Lakers coach Byron Scott on Wednesday.

"But I think the biggest thing with Kobe, as long as [people] are saying that he's done, he's going to come back.

"I think he proved his point this year that he still has a lot left in the tank."

Bryant averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 35 games this season.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com