Maybe teammates had been so used to LeBron James needing his headband, whether it’s for comfort or appearance. Fighting for his life in these NBA Finals, fighting for his basketball stature, this accessory was the last thing James had on his mind in Game 6. Read More. Written by Shams Charania on Jun 19, 2013
Jerry Sloan maintains a close relationships with Jazz management, making his return to the franchise this summer an easy transition even without an official position as consultant to this point. Read More.
USA Basketball has chosen its final roster for the U19 World Championship Team in Prague beginning next week.
The team will be coached by Billy Donovan.
Michael Frazier Aaron Gordon Jerami Grant Montrezl Harrell Jahil Okafor Elfrid Payton Marcus Smart Jarnell Stokes Rasheed Sulaimon Mike Tobey Nigel Williams-Goss Justise Winslow
USA Basketball announced 27 players to participate in their minicamp this summer.
Ryan Anderson (New Orleans Pelicans) Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors) Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies) DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings) Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans) DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors) Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons) Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets) Derrick Favors (Utah Jazz) Paul George (Indiana Pacers) Taj Gibson (Chicago Bulls) Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz) Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia 76ers) Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers) Ty Lawson (Denver Nuggets) Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs) Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons) Chandler Parsons (Houston Rockets) Larry Sanders (Milwaukee Bucks) Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) Dion Waiters (Cleveland Cavaliers) Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats) John Wall (Washington Wizards) Tyler Zeller (Cleveland Cavaliers).
DeMarcus Cousins has been invited to USA Basketball's mini-camp in late July.
Jerry Colangelo said Cousins had "some growing up to do" when he was a member of a select team practicing against USA Basketball's Olympic team last summer.
Cousins took offense to the comments.
"You bury the past and go forward," Colangelo said. "He's invited and he's definitely on the list. New year, new summer, new opportunity."
Andrea Bargnani will compete for Italy in Eurobasket this September in Slovenia.
"I am always happy to play for the Italian National Team," said Bargnani. "Last summer I could not play because of my calf injury. Now, due to my elbow problems I miss playing games but I can't wait to start."
Bargnani was limited to just 35 games last season.
"I got injured for the second consecutive year: last year a calf problem, this season an elbow injury," said Bargnani. "Two probems which forced me to miss a couple of months. I have just started practice again."
The Raptors attempted to trade Bargnani last season, but he remains on the roster and will have a new general manager.
"Today I am a Raptor. Tomorrow we'll see. I am very happy for my years in Toronto. I love the city and in my first three seasons in the NBA we made the postseason. Personally, I think I have always performed well. I don't have any regret."
Nikola Mirotic would like to one day play for the Spanish senior national team.
A native of Montenegro, Mirotic moved to Spain as a teenager and played for the country’s U20 team at the 2011 European Championship.
"I had a great time playing with the U20," Mirotic said. "I have very fond memories. I am very happy. In Spain, I have felt like at home. We will see what the future holds."
Mirotic hopes to be selected to play for Spain's senior team at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
"One has to remember that I am a Spanish national and I want to play with them," Mirotic said. "Right now, I belong to them.”
George Karl offered an endorsement of Gregg Popovich as the next coach of Team USA.
"I hope he gets the USA job," Karl said. "I think he wants it. He's a military guy who, I think, brings a dignity to representing the United States, and he's also earned the respect of the basketball world."
Popovich has led the Spurs to fourteen straight 50-win seasons and has a .605 winning percentage in the playoffs.
"I think the one thing I respect about him is he puts as many quality possessions on the court, in the course of 82 games, as any coach in the NBA," said Karl, who is sixth all time with 1,123 wins. "He builds a team system that magnifies team but also magnifies stars, which is sometimes a lot more difficult to do than fans think it is. Incorporating the talent of your star into the team. I'm not sure in San Antonio if everybody is happy, but everybody seems to be."
LeBron James appeared in eight games (all starts) for Team USA and averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, a team-high 5.6 assists and 1.38 steals while shooting 60.3 percent from the field.
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol both suggested on Wednesday that the FIBA rule for international play of a warning for the first flop and then a technical foul for the next.