Allen Iverson retiring after 14 seasons

Former MVP, scoring champ and 10-time All-Star Allen Iverson is reportedly retiring from the game he loves. He initially played 3 games with the Memphis Grizzlies this season before taking a leave of absence for personal matters. Soon after he and the team agreed to part ways. Now today according to Stephen A. Smith Iverson is hanging up the high tops.

For last season, Iverson was part of a Detroit Pistons team considered to be NBA title contenders. Iverson was upset at the role he was given as a reserve for the team. The Knicks considered signing the guard after he was waived this season, but decided against it because they felt Iverson would take time away from younger players they wanted to develop.

According to a statement that Stephen A. Smith published on his website, Iverson said "I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level." and that he still has tremendous love for the game. Iverson's former coach George Karl of the Denver Nuggets was shocked at the news, offering the following:

"I think he still has something left to give some team out there. If that's his decision, he'll go down in history, I think, as the greatest little guard ever to play the game of basketball," Karl said.

"I was happy to have him for a couple years and hopefully our paths will cross. But I have a sneaky feeling that somewhere along the way an injury or a circumstance with a team will open that window back up."

(Story Source: The Associated Press)

NBA 2009-10 Season Schedules

The 2009-10 NBA Season will kick off in style on TNT Tuesday Ocotober 27th with an NBA doubleheader. In game 1, last year's Eastern Conference Finals Runner-ups, the Cleveland Cavaliers will go up against the NBA Champs from 2 seasons ago, the Boston Celtics. Lebron James and Shaquille O'Neal will have their first regular season contest together while the Celtics look to welcome Kevin Garnett, and recent pickups, Rasheed Wallace & Shelden Williams. In the second game of the night, it will be a battle of the two LA's. Kobe Bryant's NBA Champion Lakers will be taking on the in-town rival Los Angeles Clippers with their #1 draft pick, Blake Griffin. Two other games will go down on opening night; Washington takes on Dallas, while Portland hosts Houston.

The next night will be yet another doubleheader, this time airing on ESPN. Game 1 will feature Tim Duncan, Richard Jefferson and the San Antonio Spurs battling Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor and the New Orleans Hornets. In the second game of the night, Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets will go into Utah to go against Deron Williams and the Jazz. October 28th features a total of 12 NBA games on the slate.

The NBA Champion Lakers won't see their NBA Finals opponent from 2009, the Orlando Magic until Monday, January 18th, 2010. The Magic will have to wait until March 7th to host the champs at home. There will be a Christmas day treat for NBA fans as Kobe's Lakers visit Shaq, Lebron and the cavs in Cleveland for an afternoon contest.

In addition to various local sports coverage of games around the country, the usual networks will air plenty of games this season, with ESPN, ABC and TNT all showcasing some of the top matchups.

The NBA season will wrap up on Wednesday, April 14th 2010 as the Playoffs will kick into high gear soon thereafter.

NBA Preseason schedules will also be announced withing the coming weeks.

View Team by Team schedules here for the NBA 2009-10 season

Mark Cuban's Blog Apology to K-Mart

During Game 3 Saturday between the Mavericks and Nuggets, always feisty and loud-mouthed GM/fan Mark Cuban took his ranting to a whole nother level. A questionable call occurred towards the end of the contest in which Cuban went off on the officials, a camerman, and of course the opposite team. On his way out, Mark Cuban also said something to Denver Nugget Kenyon Martin's mother Lydia Moore who was seated up in the stands. According to the guys on TNT, Cuban basically told K-Mart's mom that her son was a "punk & a thug". Mama K-Mart smiled at him as she was still beaming from the Nuggets' victory, but Kenyon Martin was obviously unhappy with the comments directed towards his mother. TNT analyst Charles Barkley noted that Cuban was wrong in what he said because you just don't direct comments at player's family members.

During Game 4, the Mavs pulled off a two point win, but Kenyon Martin decided to yell a few comments of his own at Mark Cuban which include some choice expletives. It was also reported that during the game, Carmelo Anthony's girlfriend was harassed by fans to the point she had to leave her seat.

A day later since the Cuban-Moore incident has continuously been televised and debated, Mark Cuban has issued a public apology on his blog. Cuban says:

So at this point I would like to apologize to you and your mom KMart for my comment. I should have not said anything and I was wrong. Hopefully you will accept the apology and we can move on.

When the series comes back to Dallas, your family, and the family of other Nuggets players are welcome to stay in my suite, with my family. Its amazing how tempers mellow when real people talk to each other and realize that its still just a game.

If that isn’t acceptable, I’m happy to provide a suite, free of charge to them as well and place whatever security is needed to make them feel comfortable.

Cuban goes on to discuss alternate arrangements, security details and more of the heartfelt apology here. The Mavs managed to stay alive in the series with their Game 4 win in Dallas, but following the game Kenyon Martin decided to prove to Cuban and everyone else he's not a punk or thug. There was reportedly amicable discussion between Martin's family members and a senior executive from the Mavs after the game. In case you're waiting for Round 3 of Cuban vs. K-Mart, Cuban wisely has an excuse to not be present at Game 5 as he'll be receiving a prestigious digital media award.

More about this story at NBAFanhouse.com

BuzzerBeaters & East Guards

Several great buzzer-beaters in Friday night's NBA action. The Oklahoma Thunder (former Sonics) were on cloud 9 after young superstar Kevin Durant knocked down a huge 3 to put his team ahead. With just seconds remaining though Carmelo returned the favor, hitting a three to give the Nuggets the win, coach George Karl's 900th. Can it get any worse for the Thunder? When it rains on them, it pours...

Vince Carter also hit a 3 to win the Nets game Friday night. The Nets continue to be amongst playoff contenders in the East behind the standout play of Guard Devin Harris, who was acquired in the Jason Kidd trade. Recently though the Nets were offering a ticket to any of 5 home games for just 75 cents. Maybe a move to Brooklyn and bringing the King to town will see better ticket sales.

As for guards in the East, ESPN NBA Analyst Jeff Van Gundy was saying he thinks PG's Jameer Nelson, Jose Calderon and Devin Harris are all deserving of All-Star spots. His co-analyst Mark Jackson let him know that they won't all be playing in Phoenix this February, so it will be interesting to see which guys get the nod. With Billups departure, Iverson is back east. Then you've got superstar guards like Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen, so the bench will be interesting.

Speaking of Ray Allen's Celtics, there's now rumors that Boston is interested in acquiring Stephon Marbury. Newsday reported:

On Friday, a source-based report on ESPN.com suggested that the Celtics are interested in signing Marbury once he completes a buyout with the Knicks, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday. Walsh, who has given Marbury permission to talk with other teams to find a new home, said he had no indications that the Celtics, or any NBA team, had a sincere interest.

The Celtics were caught off-guard by the report, and general manager Danny Ainge had no comment Friday about Marbury.

A KG-Starbury reunion would be something to see, but would it help or hurt the Champs? Marbury's been a star in the past but his on/off court problems are always a danger to teams he plays for. Read Newsday's full article here.

Iverson's Move to Detroit

At one time, Allen Iverson vowed that his pairing with Carmelo Anthony on the Denver Nuggets would bring a title to the squad. This came after Iverson spent many controversy-filled seasons in Philadelphia. He had incidents with coaches and teammates, the famous "Practice?" clips on ESPN, an MVP award and then a trip to the Finals where the LA Lakers eventually dismantled his Sixers. Denver seemed like a bit of a saving grace for Iverson as he mellowed out with Melo. AI made the All-Star squad and the team made the playoffs, but heightened expectations didn't translate into a strong playoff presence. Team D was blamed for the team not making a strong push.

Now just a day ago, Iverson has been traded to his third NBA Team, the Detroit Pistons. In exchange for AI, Denver picks up Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb. The questions of who got the best of the deal already start pouring out. Mr. Big Shot Billups would be a welcome addition to most squads, but will he fit in well with Denver and Melo? The same goes for AI, will he work in the style of play the Pistons use? The Pistons are not as much an uptempo run and gun type team as Denver has been. Iverson now plays alongside Rip Hamilton, but he'll most likely be the Pistons lead scorer and go-to-guy. His talents will be welcome but may disrupt Detroit.

Experience is a factor in the NBA, but age can be as well. It might not be the popular analysis, but Denver may have added more at this point than Detroit. Billups provides veteran playoff experience and leadership. He's won the title that Melo wants and can help guide the team in a playoff run. Not to mention he plays D and can knock down the big shots. McDyess helps in the defensive needs as well as rebounding, even though he's up there in age. He'll most likely defer to Melo as lead scorer and set him up with the shots he wants. At the same time, Iverson is on a squad with a few guys left over from that Pistons Championship Squad. Iverson, McDyess and Billups aren't exactly young though, and aging players don't always guarantee a team is going to win it all.

Read the Washington Post article on Iverson's trade

Don't Call it a Comeback...

The Phoenix Suns had a "must win" game on Sunday. Not so much to keep their playoff hopes alive (many feel the Suns are done), but more to keep their reputation in tact. At the start of the season, Phoenix was a favorite of many analysts to make the NBA Finals. They added Grant Hill during the offseason, then the monstrous but aged Shaq in the middle, while losing do-everything-player, Shawn Marion. The Suns had their ups and downs through the season, then drew the unfortunate short straw in the Western playoffs of having San Antonio in Round 1. They had a tough double OT loss to the Spurs in Game 1, and after two more games found themselves down 2-0 to the world champs.

Raja Bell said the Suns felt embarassed by their 3-0 deficit, and the team responded in Game 4 in Phoenix, with an impressive showing. Phoenix jumped up to an impressive lead in the first half of the game, playing with intensity and never looked back. Boris Diaw was the unlikely hero with 20 points. Despite Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni being booted in the 4th, the end result was a big win for Phoenix 105-86. While the Phoenix win makes them a bit more respectable, they will have to pull off the improbable and win 3 more games against the defending champions...

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets could soon be the only team swept out of the playoffs in round 1. It would be curious because the West was supposed to be ultra-competitive, so you'd expect if any team would be swept, it would be Philly or Atlanta. That's not the case, both teams are still alive in their series as of right now. (Philly 2-2 and Atlanta 1-2). After the Nuggets lost Game 3 in Denver, Carmelo Anthony accused his team of simply quitting. AI told TNT's Craig Sager after the game, this wasn't the case, because they gave what they had and it just didn't work out. Denver needs to show up Monday night at 10:30 and achieve at least 1 win for respect's sake. Their coach George Karl has told Denver news sources that he will return for next season as head coach. Nuggets, give your continuing coach something to build upon for next year.

2008 Western Conference Playoffs Set

The Western Conference playoff matchups have now been set in one of the most competitive races ever. Kobe Bryant's Lakers managed to capture the top spot in the West, and Phil Jackson has the hardware to show for it. Read more about Kobe's West playoff chase here. LA's first round opponent will be the Denver Nuggets who edged out Golden State as the season wore down. Kobe may be on his way to MVP award numero uno, but will the Lakers be on their way to the Finals?

A very intriguing matchup pits the New Orleans Hornets against the Dallas Mavs. Both teams will be hungry, Dallas has the experience, but New Orleans has Chris Paul who's been part of MVP talk all season long. Paul gets to go head to head with one of the all-time best at his position, in Jason Kidd, a recent acquisition via trade with the Nets.

In a playoff rematch, the Phoenix Suns, who now have the services of big man Shaq, will face the world champion San Antonio Spurs. It's tough to call this series yet, and it will be interesting to see if Duncan or Shaq prevails.

The Houston Rockets who had one of the most impressive win streaks in all of sports in some time, will open against the Utah Jazz, who nearly made the NBA finals last year.

Another interesting note here is despite the West being so competitive, the top 2 records in all of the NBA belong to Boston and Detroit respectively. As the playoffs go on it will now be seen which West coast teams have what it takes, and which trades really payed off. The Lakers added Gasol, Mavs added Kidd and Suns added Shaq, all to stay competitive out in the West. San Antonio will once again have a lot to prove to all the teams gunning for them.

Carmelo Caught by Cops

According to a story reported on AOL News, Denver Nuggets all-star Carmelo Anthony was arrested for a DUI charge. The NBA superstar was pulled over early Monday morning when his car was seen weaving and Melo failed to dim his lights. No fines or suspensions have been issued by the league as of this report.

More from the story:

Detective Sharon Hahn said Anthony, who was alone in the car, failed a series of sobriety tests. He was ticketed and released at the scene, but Hahn did not know how he got home. Denver police don't jail DUI suspects and Anthony was no exception, Hahn said.

Anthony is due in court May 14.

Mark Warkentien, the Nuggets' vice president of basketball operations, said the team was aware of the situation but declined comment.

Anthony apologized through his attorney, Dan Recht.

"Carmelo apologizes to his fans, the Denver community, his teammates and the Nuggets organization for the distraction this is causing them," Recht said.

He said Anthony consented to a blood test, but results won't be available for about two weeks.

In the meantime, "Carmelo will try to stay focused on his family and his team," Recht said.

Source: Anthony Arrested on DUI Charge

3 Teams & 2 West Playoff Spots

As of Tuesday night there are 3 Western Conference teams vying for the final 2 playoff spots. Dallas, Denver and Golden State are in the thick of the playoff hunt, and all 3 make for dangerous first-round playoff opponents. The records and standings are stacked up as follows:

7) Mavericks 49-29

8) Nuggets 47-31

8) Warriors 47-31

The Mavs currently have the 2 game lead on Denver or Golden State. All 3 teams were in action and picked up wins Tuesday to keep the playoff race competitive.

The Dallas Mavs defeated the Seattle Sonics 99-83 thanks to Jason Terry's 22 and Josh Howard's 17. Lead scorer for the Sonics was Earl Watson with 22. Durant had an impressive jam down the lane and also tossed a great ally-oop to his fellow rookie Jeff Green. Dirk Nowitzki was back from his home country of Germany to participate in the game, helping his team to the win. This marked Dallas' 13th straight victory over Seattle, and also marked Seatlle's 60th loss this season, a franchise record for them.

The Nuggets took out the Clippers to avoid their 3rd straight loss. Carmelo Anthony finished with 36 points and Allen Iverson had 21 to help the Nuggets win over the Clips 117-99.

Golden State was also able to keep pace by handling the Sacramento Kings 140-132. Then again most teams have this season. There was a sick behind the back no-look pass from Monte Ellis to Baron Davis amongst the top highlights in this one. In the Warriors' victory, scored 33 points to lead the way and Stephen Jackson chipped in 20. Andris Biedrins pulled down an impressive 17 rebounds.

All 3 teams have tasted the playoffs as of last season, with the Warriors playing spoiler as they took out the Mavs, shocking the NBA world. The Nuggets seem to have the better chance at landing a playoff spot based on their tie-breaker advantage. Denver heads into enemy territory in Oakland on Thursday which should decide the final playoff spot.

NBA Observations 03.05.08

Lebron drops 50 on the Knicks at MSG..It's not the first time the Garden's seen that sort of performance, and not the first time it was partly involving Spike Lee. This 50 point performance by James comes just days after Kobe Bryant had his own 50 plus point game.

The Suns are still a "Big Enigma" after adding Shaq. Tonight they lost to a Nuggets team who's been pretty inconsistent this season. It remains to be seen if this Suns team will have what it takes to get by the likes of Dallas, San Antonio or even the Lakers now.

Here's how the West Conference is stacked for playoff position as of right now:

1) Spurs 2) Lakers 3) Hornets 4) Jazz, 5) Rockets 6) Suns 7) Mavs 8) Warriors.

According to Sportscenter the West's 9th team (Nuggets) would be 4th over in the East. That's not to say the East is entirely bad, just the bottom half of their playoff teams right now will have a tough road and slim chance at the NBA Finals.

Mic Check for NBA Coaches

It's time for NBA Reality TV. The latest from the NBA is that coaches will now be required to wear mics during televised contests. There will also be a camera mounted in locker rooms to capture pregame, halftime and postgame time of players and coaches. ABC, ESPN and TNT games will be the scene for these latest A/V developments. In addition to that, coaches are required to give interviews to the broadcasting TV network between their 3rd and 4th quarters. Last night's Denver vs. Dallas game featured a microphone on Mavs coach Avery Johnson and Nuggets coach George Karl.

We all know how strict David Stern can be at times, but this seems like Big Brother to the fullest. The audio won't even be televised live and is for NBA review, edited possibly for later segments on sports shows. They might even pick up some sort of discussion of sports betting using this spy game. You really have to wonder if this is necessary and fair though.

I'd have to agree with Miami Heat coach Pat Riley who calls this an invasion of privacy. There's no need for the NBA to be hearing and seeing every piece of lecture or conversation between players and coaches. It's a time of strategy, and yes at times expletives and berating. Pistons coach, Flip Saunders even has suggested the idea that unedited clips will surface on YouTube, perhaps revealing the stuff coaches don't want the public to hear. Saunders also discussed how other pro sports leagues are more liberal in their approach to making coaches wear mics. See article here.

On the Flip-side, we all know if it's going to hurt your image or career then maybe you shouldn't have said it. In the heat of a game that can be tough though, as coaches chew out their players for poor execution or bone-headed mistakes. This could also give players recourse and possible evidence should they make a claim to the league office that they were mistreated, if it were during a televised game.

Here's a few articles discussing various coaches and their opinions of it:

Avery Johnson: The World is listening, Avery

Pat Riley: Riley not happy with wearing microphone

Scott Skiles, Flip Saunders: Coaches would love to pull plug on mikes

AI Technology: 51 Point Explosion!

Last night there was a pretty decent West Coast showdown on ESPN. It pitted Kobe's Lakers against AI, Melo and the Denver Nuggets. It stayed close through out and had an almost playoff feel to it. Kobe and Melo both hit the deck on different plays and came back from minor injuries to compete in the game. Kobe's team got the win 111-107, but Allen Iverson had the impressive stat of 51 points. He was having a "can't miss" kind of night as everything was falling for him. He'd hit shots as he fell back near the scorer's table, layups that looked easy for AI and hard for the rest of humanity, and jumpers from various spots all over the court. Iverson's total is the highest scoring mark for a player so far this season as he surpassed the feats of T-Mac, Kobe and Lebron James.

It goes to show this isn't just a big man's game. Iverson's already been a league MVP at such a short stature. He brought his Sixers team to the Finals one year against the Lakers and helped pull off a Game 1 upset. What is perhaps most impressive is he is the 3rd all time leader in NBA Scoring Average for his career. Above him at 1 and 2 are MJ and Wilt respectively. Now that's some amazing stuff for a little guy.

Now you also have to be curious about how far the Nuggets can go when they make the playoffs. They have 2 players who definitely want a title and who have the ability to completely take over a game. A Nuggets vs. Celtics finals perhaps? It would make for a nice treat, but the Celts already blew Denver out earlier this year..Time will tell.

How the NBA Gives Thanks

(Above: D Wade serves up Turkey meal courtesy of NBA.com)

The NBA and its players definitely lend a helping hand for Thanksgiving. Most NBA teams had their players serving food to those in need so they could enjoy a good traditional holiday meal. Here's how several of the teams give assistance to those in need during the Thanksgiving holiday.

- The Nets served Thanksgiving dinner at the Montclair Citadel Salvation Army.

- The TWolves served meals to Purple Heart recipients and military families of Minneapolis.

- The Pistons distributed meals throughout Pontiac, Michigan for Lighthouse charities.

- The Pacers gave holiday groceries and tickets to a Pacers game for families at the Pacers Academy.

- The Knicks are hosting food drives up until December 13 for NYC families in need.

- The Lakers served Turkey dinner to families at the LA Boys & Girls Club.

- The Bucks helped out at Milwaukee's House of Peace holiday dinner program.

- The Nuggets' Marcus Camby runs an annual "Cambyland Turkey Tour" and delivers dinners to families at the Boys & Girls Club.

You can check out a 22 image photo gallery of the above and more at NBA.com.