Smiling Boozer Takes Return To Cleveland, Boos In Stride

Carlos Boozer smiled easily before his first game back in Cleveland. He was ready for whatever Cavaliers fans had to dish out.

"With every 10 fans that miss me there are probably 10 or more that wish they could shoot me," he said.

Boozer played at Cleveland on Saturday night for the first time since he bolted nearly three years ago for more money in Utah.

Fans booed Boozer during his introduction and a derisive chant broke out in the opening seconds. There were more boos when he scored, rebounded and even when he inbounded the ball.

Via AP

Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers

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LeBron: Ex-Cav Boozer's Return Will Be 'Terrible'

It's been nearly three years since Carlos Boozer spurned the Cavaliers to make more money in Utah.

Boozer hasn't returned to Cleveland since he left in the summer of 2004. Injuries kept him from playing the Cavaliers when the Jazz visited the last two seasons.

But he's expected to make his long-awaited return Saturday night. Everyone in town knows the reception won't be warm.

A sports talk radio station was getting fans primed for Boozer's return with a contest Friday to see who could come up with the best jeer. Another element that could make for a raucous atmosphere Saturday night is that it's St. Patrick's Day.

"Terrible," Cavaliers star LeBron James said. "It's going to be pretty bad for him tomorrow."

Boozer was a young, upcoming star in Cleveland when he sat down with former owner Gordon Gund to negotiate a new deal after his second season.

A second-round draft pick out of Duke, Boozer was due to make $695,000 in the option year of his contract.

The Cavaliers declined to exercise the option -- making him a restricted free agent -- in the belief he would accept a six-year deal worth about $38.6 million to remain in Cleveland.

Boozer signed a six-year, $68 million offer sheet from the Utah Jazz. The Cavaliers refused to match the offer, saying they had an agreement with Boozer that if they declined his option, he would remain with the team.

"I decided to trust Carlos and show him the respect he asked for. He did not show that trust and respect in return. That's what happened," Gund said then.

Via ESPN

Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz

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Amaechi Now Seeing Endorsement Dollars

John Amaechi has gone from forgotten NBA player to a household name due to the disclosure of his orientation and now he is set to receive an endorsement from a company that sells men’s grooming products.

Amaechi “is the perfect storm,” said Todd Greene, chief executive at the HeadBlade Company in Culver City, Calif., which specializes in products for bald men, because “he’s African-American, a basketball player and gay, and those are all huge demographics for us.”

“And he uses the product,” Mr. Greene said, adding that he learned Mr. Amaechi was a “HeadBlader,” as Mr. Greene calls his customers, while deciding whether Mr. Amaechi would make an effective spokesman.

“You want to do due diligence on who endorses your stuff,” is how Mr. Greene described the research process. Other HeadBlade endorsers include the singer Chris Daughtry, who appeared on “American Idol”; Toney Freeman, a professional bodybuilder; and Howie Mandel, of NBC’s “Deal or No Deal.”

Via New York Times

Utah Jazz

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