The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired 15-time all-star Shaquille O'Neal in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns that brings two of the NBA's biggest stars together for the first time.
The trade pairs O'Neal with LeBron James, who was voted the league's most valuable player last year.
In exchange for O'Neal, Phoenix gets centre Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic, Cleveland's second-round pick in the 2010 entry draft and cash.
"It is a really unique and rare opportunity to bring in a player of Shaq's calibre," Danny Ferry, Cleveland's general manager said Thursday. "We are excited to see how his presence, experience and play positively impacts our team.
"We truly appreciate all that Ben and Sasha gave to this team and community in their time here. They were good teammates, and we wish them nothing but success."
O'Neal, a four-time NBA championship winner and former first overall pick of the Orlando Magic (1992), is expected to become a dominant force for the Cavaliers.
"My numbers are not good enough to retire. Three more years left," O'Neal wrote on his social web page Twitter.
O'Neal is set to make 20 million dollars in 2009-10. Cleveland unloads Wallace's 14 million dollar contract and Pavlovic's five million dollar deal.
O'Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-2002. The Lakers traded O'Neal to Miami and he took the Heat to another title three years ago.
The 37-year-old giant centre won the most valuable player award in 2000.
He averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games last season as Phoenix missed the playoffs.
Cleveland hopes O'Neal can help the city break its championship drought. The Ohio city hasn't won an American sports championship since 1964, the year the gridiron Browns won the National Football League title.
O'Neal has career averages of 24.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game. He has played 17 seasons with Orlando, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Besides his league MVP award he has three finals MVP trophies, two scoring titles and a 1993 rookie of the year award.
Cleveland is hoping O'Neal can help them get the playoff hunt and provide an answer for players like Orlando centre Dwight Howard. The Cavs were eliminated from this year's playoffs by Howard's Magic in six games.
Former Detroit Piston Wallace, 34, averaged just 3.0 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.
Serbia's Pavlovic also struggled last season averaging 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 66 games.
Agence France-Presse
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Basketball: O'Neal joins James in Cleveland after trade with Suns
The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired 15-time all-star Shaquille O'Neal in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns that brings two of the NBA's biggest stars together for the first time.
The trade pairs O'Neal with LeBron James, who was voted the league's most valuable player last year.
In exchange for O'Neal, Phoenix gets centre Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic, Cleveland's second-round pick in the 2010 entry draft and cash.
"It is a really unique and rare opportunity to bring in a player of Shaq's calibre," Danny Ferry, Cleveland's general manager said Thursday. "We are excited to see how his presence, experience and play positively impacts our team.
"We truly appreciate all that Ben and Sasha gave to this team and community in their time here. They were good teammates, and we wish them nothing but success."
O'Neal, a four-time NBA championship winner and former first overall pick of the Orlando Magic (1992), is expected to become a dominant force for the Cavaliers.
"My numbers are not good enough to retire. Three more years left," O'Neal wrote on his social web page Twitter.
O'Neal is set to make 20 million dollars in 2009-10. Cleveland unloads Wallace's 14 million dollar contract and Pavlovic's five million dollar deal.
O'Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-2002. The Lakers traded O'Neal to Miami and he took the Heat to another title three years ago.
The 37-year-old giant centre won the most valuable player award in 2000.
He averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games last season as Phoenix missed the playoffs.
Cleveland hopes O'Neal can help the city break its championship drought. The Ohio city hasn't won an American sports championship since 1964, the year the gridiron Browns won the National Football League title.
O'Neal has career averages of 24.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game. He has played 17 seasons with Orlando, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Besides his league MVP award he has three finals MVP trophies, two scoring titles and a 1993 rookie of the year award.
Cleveland is hoping O'Neal can help them get the playoff hunt and provide an answer for players like Orlando centre Dwight Howard. The Cavs were eliminated from this year's playoffs by Howard's Magic in six games.
Former Detroit Piston Wallace, 34, averaged just 3.0 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.
Serbia's Pavlovic also struggled last season averaging 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 66 games.
Agence France-Presse
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The trade pairs O'Neal with LeBron James, who was voted the league's most valuable player last year.
In exchange for O'Neal, Phoenix gets centre Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic, Cleveland's second-round pick in the 2010 entry draft and cash.
"It is a really unique and rare opportunity to bring in a player of Shaq's calibre," Danny Ferry, Cleveland's general manager said Thursday. "We are excited to see how his presence, experience and play positively impacts our team.
"We truly appreciate all that Ben and Sasha gave to this team and community in their time here. They were good teammates, and we wish them nothing but success."
O'Neal, a four-time NBA championship winner and former first overall pick of the Orlando Magic (1992), is expected to become a dominant force for the Cavaliers.
"My numbers are not good enough to retire. Three more years left," O'Neal wrote on his social web page Twitter.
O'Neal is set to make 20 million dollars in 2009-10. Cleveland unloads Wallace's 14 million dollar contract and Pavlovic's five million dollar deal.
O'Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-2002. The Lakers traded O'Neal to Miami and he took the Heat to another title three years ago.
The 37-year-old giant centre won the most valuable player award in 2000.
He averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games last season as Phoenix missed the playoffs.
Cleveland hopes O'Neal can help the city break its championship drought. The Ohio city hasn't won an American sports championship since 1964, the year the gridiron Browns won the National Football League title.
O'Neal has career averages of 24.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game. He has played 17 seasons with Orlando, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Besides his league MVP award he has three finals MVP trophies, two scoring titles and a 1993 rookie of the year award.
Cleveland is hoping O'Neal can help them get the playoff hunt and provide an answer for players like Orlando centre Dwight Howard. The Cavs were eliminated from this year's playoffs by Howard's Magic in six games.
Former Detroit Piston Wallace, 34, averaged just 3.0 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.
Serbia's Pavlovic also struggled last season averaging 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 66 games.
Agence France-Presse
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Basketball: Bryant plans to be back with Lakers, Jackson not quite sure
Basketball: Bryant plans to be back with Lakers, Jackson not quite sure
Kobe Bryant indicated Friday he plans to stay with the National Basketball Association champion Los Angeles Lakers, but coach Phil Jackson's decision on another campaign will depend on his health.
"I'm not going anywhere," Bryant said Friday. "I know I ain't going nowhere, so it's just a waste of our breaths just talking about it."
Bryant, who has spent his entire 13-year career and won four titles with the Lakers, has the option to terminate the last two years of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
He met with Jackson and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to discuss the future on Friday.
Kupchak, speaking to reporters before Bryant did, said the team had "no indication of what he may or may not do."
Jackson said he'll decide about next season after taking care of some health matters.
He missed two road games this season because of pain and swelling in his lower legs related to plantar fasciitis. He has undergone two hip surgeries since October 2006.
"I'm feeling good," said Jackson, who inked a two-year contract extension last season and has the option on the second year.
While Jackson's contract specifies a date which he must tell the Lakers if he wants to opt out, Kupchak said the team were willing to give him time to seek medical advice.
"That date is fast approaching next week," Kupchak said. "We're talking about hopefully getting him to indicate to us in the next week or two or three his decision."
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Kobe Bryant indicated Friday he plans to stay with the National Basketball Association champion Los Angeles Lakers, but coach Phil Jackson's decision on another campaign will depend on his health.
"I'm not going anywhere," Bryant said Friday. "I know I ain't going nowhere, so it's just a waste of our breaths just talking about it."
Bryant, who has spent his entire 13-year career and won four titles with the Lakers, has the option to terminate the last two years of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
He met with Jackson and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to discuss the future on Friday.
Kupchak, speaking to reporters before Bryant did, said the team had "no indication of what he may or may not do."
Jackson said he'll decide about next season after taking care of some health matters.
He missed two road games this season because of pain and swelling in his lower legs related to plantar fasciitis. He has undergone two hip surgeries since October 2006.
"I'm feeling good," said Jackson, who inked a two-year contract extension last season and has the option on the second year.
While Jackson's contract specifies a date which he must tell the Lakers if he wants to opt out, Kupchak said the team were willing to give him time to seek medical advice.
"That date is fast approaching next week," Kupchak said. "We're talking about hopefully getting him to indicate to us in the next week or two or three his decision."
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Monday, June 15, 2009
Bryant, Lakers finish off Magic in five games for 15th championship
ORLANDO, Fla. -- After his jump shot cleared the outstretched hand of Hedo Turkoglu and buried itself in the back of the net, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant turned and pumped his fist. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy called a timeout. He should have waved a white flag. Though more than eight minutes remained, the smile on Bryant's face as he jogged to the Los Angeles bench explained everything. The Lakers were minutes away from clinching the NBA title, and Bryant had led them there.
Equal parts respected and reviled, Bryant finally emerged from Shaquille O'Neal's massive shadow Sunday. Bryant, the winner of three titles this decade as the sidekick to O'Neal, cemented his place in basketball history Sunday as the unquestioned on-court leader of a championship team and a Finals MVP. His Lakers stomped the Magic 99-86 to win the series 4-1 and claim the 15th title in franchise history.
"It felt like a big old monkey was off my back," Bryant said. "It felt so good to be able to have this moment. We tried not to envision it too much because you just get too excited. You try not to think about it, just think about playing the game, and for this moment to be here and to reflect back on the season and everything that you've been through, it's the top of the list, man."
After winning his 10th title, Lakers coach Phil Jackson finds himself atop another list. Jackson, who previously won six titles with Michael Jordan and the Bulls and three with the O'Neal-Bryant Lakers, broke a tie with Celtics legend Red Auerbach and set a new NBA record for championships by a coach.
"I'll smoke a cigar tonight in memory of Red," Jackson said after the Lakers received their championship trophy.
The Lakers, whether they were led by George Mikan, Magic Johnson, O'Neal or Bryant, have spent plenty of time atop the NBA. As the Minneapolis Lakers, they won the title in the NBA's first season in 1950. The 2008-09 title is the first since Bryant, Jackson and O'Neal teamed to lead Los Angeles to three consecutive titles from 2000-02. Jackson retired after the Lakers lost the 2004 Finals to Detroit, and the Lakers traded O'Neal to the Heat after electing to build around Bryant.
Jackson returned a year later, and the Lakers made the Finals in 2008, where they fell to Boston in six games. This year, the Lakers nearly mirrored last year's Celtics, winning the first two at home, dropping Game 3 on the road and storming back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit to win Game 4. The only difference? The Lakers didn't need a sixth game.
The Magic led for most of Sunday's first quarter, and they had a 40-36 lead in the second before Lakers guard Derek Fisher hit a three-pointer to launch a 16-0 run. Forward Trevor Ariza, whom the Magic traded to the Lakers in November 2007, scored seven of his 15 points during the run. The Lakers went into halftime up 10. They stretched the lead to 15 to end the third and seemingly put the game out of reach when Bryant hit the jumper over Turkoglu with 8:13 remaining to give the Lakers an 83-67 lead.
Bryant scored a game-high 30 points and finished with a 32.4-point average for the Finals. Pau Gasol, the 7-foot Spaniard whose arrival from Memphis late last season seemed to be the final piece in the Lakers' championship puzzle, scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 18 points, while Dwight Howard scored 11 and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Magic will be left wondering what might have happened had Howard made either of two free throws with 11.1 seconds remaining in Game 4 or if Van Gundy had ordered them to foul immediately after those missed free throws. Instead, Fisher drilled a three-pointer to force overtime. Later, Fisher hit another three to seal the win, and Van Gundy lamented his decision to avoid a free-throw-shooting contest. "That'll haunt me forever," Van Gundy said after Game 4.
If the Magic make prudent moves this offseason, they have the nucleus to return to the Finals next year. Howard will be just 24, and the Magic should have plenty of talent around him. "Certainly Orlando is very capable of coming back to the Finals," Jackson said Sunday. Jackson's team may have provided the motivation the Magic will need to return. Shortly after the game, Howard chatted with point guard Jameer Nelson about just that. "Just see how they're celebrating," Howard said. "It should motivate us. It's like what I told Jameer, 'We were right there at our goal.' Our goal was in reach."
But the Lakers wanted it more. As Fisher dribbled out the clock, Bryant turned and pumped both fists. Seconds later, the Lakers piled into a group hug. Bryant stood in the middle of it all.
"I just don't have to hear that criticism, that idiotic criticism, anymore," Bryant said of never having won a title without Shaq. "That's the biggest thing. I don't have to hear that stuff anymore. ... It feels like I'm dreaming right now. I can't believe this moment is here."
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Sunday, June 14, 2009
Magic need to believe they can win title, says Van Gundy
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The Orlando Magic will perform a quick vanishing act from the NBA Finals if they do not believe they can still win the title, coach Stan Van Gundy said Saturday.
With the Los Angeles Lakers holding a 3-1 advantage and hoping to win the championship on Sunday, Van Gundy abandoned the customary one-game-at-a-time approach.
"When you're in this situation, they key thing is if you still have belief that you can win the championship," Van Gundy said.
"If you don't think you can go to LA and win the championship, then even though you're saying one-game-at-a-time, it's pretty easy to let go if things aren't going well."
Should the Magic win Sunday, they would have to travel to Los Angeles for the next two games, if necessary. No team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the finals.
Orlando All-Star center Dwight Howard was unnerved after the Lakers' 99-91 overtime victory Thursday but he decided it was best to conceal his emotions.
"I couldn't let me team mates see me hurt because me being the leader, if they see the leader doubt, then they're going to have doubts.
"When my team mates have bad moments, they can always look to me for hope because I've never had a day where I've shown them that I was hurt about any type of situation.
"Basketball is a joyous occasion for us and I'm not going to let a loss or anything mess up what we have as a team."
Orlando, with a little luck, could have been in position to win their first title.
In game two, a game-winning shot by Courtney Lee glanced off the rim. On Thursday, the Lakers' Derek Fisher hit a three-pointer with four seconds left to send the game into overtime.
The Magic ended up losing both games and now the Lakers are staring at their 15th NBA title and first since 2002. Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson concedes it has not been easy.
"We've had to win some games in a very impossible fashion against this team and found a way to do it," said Jackson, seeking his record 10th title as a coach.
"We know there's just a trifle of changes between winning and losing."
Howard, who blew two crucial free throws that would likely have given the Magic a victory on Thursday, refused to dwell on what might have been.
"We've been in a lot of different situations during this series," he said. "Courtney makes the basket in LA... We come back down here and I make my free throws last game, series tied.
"It was meant for us to be in this situation and it's going to be on us to turn it around. I have a lot of faith in what we can do."
By Steve Ginsburg
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With the Los Angeles Lakers holding a 3-1 advantage and hoping to win the championship on Sunday, Van Gundy abandoned the customary one-game-at-a-time approach.
"When you're in this situation, they key thing is if you still have belief that you can win the championship," Van Gundy said.
"If you don't think you can go to LA and win the championship, then even though you're saying one-game-at-a-time, it's pretty easy to let go if things aren't going well."
Should the Magic win Sunday, they would have to travel to Los Angeles for the next two games, if necessary. No team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the finals.
Orlando All-Star center Dwight Howard was unnerved after the Lakers' 99-91 overtime victory Thursday but he decided it was best to conceal his emotions.
"I couldn't let me team mates see me hurt because me being the leader, if they see the leader doubt, then they're going to have doubts.
"When my team mates have bad moments, they can always look to me for hope because I've never had a day where I've shown them that I was hurt about any type of situation.
"Basketball is a joyous occasion for us and I'm not going to let a loss or anything mess up what we have as a team."
Orlando, with a little luck, could have been in position to win their first title.
In game two, a game-winning shot by Courtney Lee glanced off the rim. On Thursday, the Lakers' Derek Fisher hit a three-pointer with four seconds left to send the game into overtime.
The Magic ended up losing both games and now the Lakers are staring at their 15th NBA title and first since 2002. Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson concedes it has not been easy.
"We've had to win some games in a very impossible fashion against this team and found a way to do it," said Jackson, seeking his record 10th title as a coach.
"We know there's just a trifle of changes between winning and losing."
Howard, who blew two crucial free throws that would likely have given the Magic a victory on Thursday, refused to dwell on what might have been.
"We've been in a lot of different situations during this series," he said. "Courtney makes the basket in LA... We come back down here and I make my free throws last game, series tied.
"It was meant for us to be in this situation and it's going to be on us to turn it around. I have a lot of faith in what we can do."
By Steve Ginsburg
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Saturday, June 13, 2009
Lakers can breathe easy, as long as they play hard
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant steals the ball from Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu in Game 4 on Thursday.
Assistant coach Brian Shaw says there's a sense of relief at having taken a 3-1 lead in NBA Finals, but Lakers players mustn't relax now that they're so close to winning title.
By Broderick Turner
June 13, 2009
Reporting from Orlando, Fla. -- The door to the Lakers coaches' office opened and assistant coach Brian Shaw stepped out into the hallway with a smile across his face.
Shaw barely was able take a step before he got a pat on the back, a handshake, a hug and congratulations because of the Lakers' 99-91 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
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It was the first time Shaw had been able to smile during this best-of-seven series. He had reason to because the Lakers have a 3-1 lead and are on the cusp of winning the 15th title in franchise history.
"One more to go," Shaw said. "They've got to beat us three times in a row, and I don't know if we lost three games in a row all season."
In fact, the Lakers haven't lost three consecutive games since they acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 1, 2008.
If the Lakers don't finish off the Magic on Sunday here in Game 5, they will have two more chances (if needed) to accomplish the feat at Staples Center.
"It's not over, but it feels a lot better knowing that we have one more to go and that we can possibly end it on Sunday. That's all I'm going to say," said Shaw, who has scouted the Magic all season for the Lakers and now is in charge of putting the game plan together for the Finals.
"It's a seven-game series and the final two would be in L.A. I won't say that I'm happy. I'm relieved that we won [Game 4], but I'm not going to relax. We've got to put the nail in the coffin."
In Shaw's view, this is how to close out the series:
Don't relax
"The way Orlando shoots the basketball, you can never relax," Shaw said.
No team has ever rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals, plus the Lakers have the luxury of returning home for Games 6 and 7 if necessary. But Shaw has warned his team not to relax.
Play a complete game
"I want us, from the jump-ball tip, to play the game hard so we don't have a heart attack going on," Shaw said.
Shaw said the Lakers can't depend on rallying in the third quarter, as they did Thursday when they trailed by 12 points at halftime.
He wants the Lakers to put forth the same effort right from the start.
Compete better
"It's like we get down, and in the fourth quarter we get desperate, and that's the desperation that we play with," Shaw said.
Shaw reminded the Lakers of the 2000 championship team he played on that had a 3-1 lead over the Indiana Pacers but lost Game 5 in Indianapolis by 33 points because it didn't really compete.
Orlando may be down, but Shaw said the Magic will "fight."
"It's not a mistake, it's not an accident that they're here," Shaw said.
What the Magic must do better
Free-throw shooting.
The Magic was 22 for 37 from the line in Game 4. Dwight Howard was six for 14, including two misses with 11.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter with Orlando leading by three. Hedo Turkoglu was eight for 13, including three for seven in the fourth.
Take care of the basketball.
The Magic turned the ball over 19 times, seven by Howard.
By broderick.turner@latimes.com
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