Monday, June 27, 2011

Tyson rights a wrong with Nick Charles




There are few things worse thank knowing you’ve wronged another person and then realize that it’s too late to make things right.

In the case of Mike Tyson, who marks his 45th birthday on Thursday, and sportscaster Nick Charles, who died at 64 from bladder cancer over the weekend, a past wrong was amended for while the former CNN Sports anchor and boxing lover was still breathing.

Not that Tyson’s bad deed was on the felony level but I’m sure Tyson feels some satisfaction that he went to visit the ailing Charles right before he died, a feel good story covered by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, appropriately enough on CNN.

On Saturday, on his Twitter page, Tyson saluted the universally popular Chicago native:

“Mourning the loss of a true warrior. My Friend & Brother, Nick Charles.”

It wasn’t really the Mellow Mike we see in the media today, the suburban Las Vegas father and husband of wife Kiki, who did something wrong to Charles.

No, it was the raging egomaniac named Iron Mike Tyson, back when we were in Los Angeles at the Century Plaza Hotel hyping Tyson’s first out of prison bout, his laugher against windy Hurricane Peter McNeeley.

Someone had assured the always diligent Charles that, if he jetted in from Atlanta, he was sure to land an exclusive, one on one chat with Mercurial Mike.

Tyson seemed to get into a foul mood, a bit of a rage, even at the presser when McNeeley tried to hold up his end of the brutal mismatch bargain by warning Tyson that he would take him “into my cocoon of horror.” (Only, with his thick Boston accent, it came out sounding like “hurrah.”)

Steve Brener, ex-Dodgers PR ace for 17 years, was handling fight pr on behalf of Showtime and he told me to ask if Tyson would carve out a few minutes for Charles and his camera crew.

Tyson answered negatively and Charles was rightfully irritated.

“I flew in from Atlanta just for this and am flying back right away, I can’t believe this,” the atypically furious Charles said to me and to Brener.

So Charles and his crew went back to Georgia with nothing special.

Charles, like I say, was a pro’s pro and not completing his assignment because of Tyson’s mood was something he surely brooded about for a while.

But, when Charles’ days on earth dwindled to a precious few, Tyson went to visit him.

This time, the cameras were rolling.

And, more importantly, Tyson’s 1995 one day, one interview blowoff was surely forgotten.

Tyson may have many regrets about how he treated some people when he boxing’s No. 1 attraction but his minor wrong to Charles was made up in a major way.

Happy birthday, Mellow Mike.

[Michael Marley]

Continue reading on Examiner.com Mike Tyson's minor wrong to Nick Charles was amended in major way before death - National Boxing | Examiner.com

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-national/mike-tyson-s-minor-wrong-to-nick-charles-was-amended-major-way#ixzz1QVwx9YOk

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup

The Boston Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 39 years, defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 Wednesday night in the seventh and deciding game of the National Hockey League's annual championship. 



Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Funny Lebron

Too funny not to post!

Suns’ Pietrus exercises player option on contract

PHOENIX (AP)—Phoenix Suns swingman Mickael Pietrus exercised the one-year player option on his contract Tuesday.

The 28-year-old Pietrus played in 38 games for the Suns, averaging 7.4 points and 2.2 rebounds. However, he missed the last 12 games of last season with a quadriceps-tendon strain.

Horry’s daughter dies after long illness

HOUSTON (AP)—The 17-year-old daughter of former NBA star Robert Horry died Tuesday after battling a rare genetic condition.

Ashlyn Horry was born in Houston in 1994 and eventually diagnosed with the 1p36 Deletion Syndrome, a rare chromosome disease that is characterized by intellectual disability, delayed growth, seizures and respiratory problems. Texas Children’s Hospital spokeswoman Nicole Terry says Ashlyn Horry died there.

Robert Horry and Ashlyn’s mother, Keva, set up a foundation in 2008 to provide support to families with children coping with similar illnesses. A message was left at the foundation’s office seeking comment.

Robert Horry won seven NBA championships with three teams in 16 NBA seasons. He earned the nickname “Big Shot Bob” for hitting several clutch shots in the playoffs and holds the record for 3-pointers made in the NBA finals (53).

The Houston Rockets selected Horry out of Alabama with the 11th overall pick in the 1992 draft. Horry helped the Rockets win NBA championships in 1994 and ’95.

“My deepest condolences go out to Robert and his family on the tragic passing of his daughter, Ashlyn,” Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said in a statement. “Ashlyn was born in Houston during Robert’s time with us and I know he shared a special bond with her. The entire Rockets organization is saddened by her passing and our thoughts are with Robert and his family during this trying personal time.”

Horry played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996-2003, and was a member of three more championship teams there. Former Lakers star Magic Johnson offered condolences on his Twitter account.

“My thoughts go out to Robert Horry and his family as they deal with the tragic loss of his daughter Ashlyn,” Johnson tweeted.

Horry finished his playing career in San Antonio, and won two titles with the Spurs to become the ninth player in league history to earn at least seven championship rings.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Doubters

Let's check who are the doubters of Dallas Mavericks. Adrian Wojnarowski is the worst, he predicted Dallas will lose against Blazers, Lakers, Thunder, and Miami and look what happened. Shame, shame, shame.

Mavericks top Heat 105-95 for NBA title

MIAMI – Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks captured their first NBA championship Sunday with a 105-95 win over the Miami Heat — the team that ended Dallas’ shot at a title five years ago.

Jason Terry scored 27 points and Nowitzki finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Mavericks won the best-of-seven championship series four-games-to-two.

Germany’s Nowitzki was named Most Valuable Player of the finals, finally securing the NBA’s biggest prize to secure his place among the NBA legends.

“This is unbelievable,” said Nowitzki, who turns 33 next Sunday. “We are a resilient bunch. This team has come back from huge deficits all season long.”

Terry ran the clock down in the final minute then passed to a wide open Shawn Marion who chose not to shoot as the seconds clicked down.

When the buzzer sounded Marion handed the ball to 17-year veteran guard Jason Kidd who tried twice before in the finals but failed to get a ring.

J.J. Barea had 15 points and five assists for the Mavericks, who clinched their first NBA championship in their 31 year franchise history.

LeBron James scored 21 points and Dwyane Wade finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Heat, who failed to send the series to a decisive seventh game despite having home court advantage.

“Hats go off to Dallas,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “There is an emptiness to it. It was a tough series. Sometimes you just come up short. Crunch time needed to be done, they made bigger plays than us.”

This year’s final was a rematch of the 2006 NBA championship series, which Miami took in six games for its first title in franchise history.

With Terry having a superb start to game six, the Mavericks led 53-51 at the end of the first half in what began as a game of runs by either side. Terry came off the bench to score 19 points in the first two quarters on eight-of-ten shooting.

James had his best start of the series by scoring nine points and dishing three assists in the first quarter.

Tempers flared halfway through the second quarter when the Mavericks’ DeShawn Stevenson and Miami’s Udonis Haslem got into a shoving match.

Haslem was celebrating an Eddie House three pointer when he brushed past Stevenson who shoved him. The Heat players came charging off the bench and Mario Chalmers made a bee line for Stevenson.

Chalmers, Haslem and Stevenson all received technicals but no one was thrown out because a timeout had already been called before the players left the bench.

Nowitzki struggled early, scoring just a single point in the second quarter, and finished with three points on one-of-12 shooting in the opening half. He finished strong, however, by scoring 10 of his 21 in the fourth.

Dallas’s Ian Mahinmi of France nailed a buzzer-beating field goal at the end of the third to give the Mavericks a nine point lead at 81-72. Dallas got their own rebound and Terry ran down the clock and then pump faked James before slipping a short pass over to Mahinmi who got nothing but net.

The Heat had almost twice as many free throw chances as the Mavericks but hit just 60 percent of them. They also had 16 turnovers.

Although the Mavericks had several players in foul trouble in the fourth, they built their biggest lead of 13 points in the final period.

Dallas Mavericks 2011 NBA Champions!!!

Dallas Mavericks 2011 NBA Champions!!!

Monday, June 6, 2011

High School Basketball Star Shot Dead

Ryan Royall, 17, of Lynwood, IL was shot dead while another teen was wounded. Royall was a basketball star player on his Hillcrest High School team.
He had just finished his junior year and was seeking an athletic scholarship so his mother would not have to worry about paying for his college education. 
All ofthat came to an end Sunday after shots rang out just before 1 a.m. outside the Ho Chunk Sports and Expo Center in south suburban Lynwood where a fight broke out. 


Heat up 2-1

The Miami Heat leads Dallas two games to one in the NBA Finals after last nights 88-86 win and regaining home-court advantage. Game 4 is tomorrow night in Dallas.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Nowitzki rallies Mavs to win that ties NBA finals

MIAMI (AP)—Any pain in Dirk Nowitzki’s left hand wouldn’t have hurt nearly as much as a 2-0 deficit.

So he put the ball there—torn-up finger and all—and hoisted the shot that gave the Dallas Mavericks new life in the NBA finals.

Nowitzki shook off an injury to his non-shooting hand and made the tie-breaking layup with 3.6 seconds left, and the Mavericks roared back from 15 points down in the fourth quarter to stun the Miami Heat 95-93 on Thursday night and tie the series at one game apiece.

“You can just sense it in us that we weren’t going to give up, we were going to be resilient,” Dallas guard Jason Terry said.

Capping a furious rally by scoring Dallas’ final nine points, Nowitzki made two late baskets left-handed—despite a torn tendon on his middle finger. He finished with 24 points, saying the finger felt fine.

“Definitely a huge comeback for us and we never gave up, and that was big,” Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki was hurt in Game 1 when he slapped at the ball trying to make a steal from Chris Bosh. He fiddled with various braces and splints over the last two days before settling on a small one that sat lower on the finger and allowed him to keep a good feel of the ball.

Dwyane Wade had 36 points for Miami, but his desperation 3-pointer was off at the buzzer.

Game 3 is Sunday in Dallas.

Seemingly out of the game when the Heat led 88-73 with 7:15 remaining, Dallas held the Heat to just one field goal from there, a 3-pointer by Mario Chalmers with 24.5 seconds that tied it just 2 seconds after Nowitzki’s 3 had made it 93-90.

But after a timeout, Jason Kidd ran the clock down before getting the ball to Nowitzki, who drove into the lane, spun back to the left and made the layup.

“We’re a veteran team and we don’t get too high with the highs and too low with the lows,” Nowitzki said.

Terry, largely silent since the first half of Game 1, fueled the comeback with a couple of jumpers and finished with 16 points. Shawn Marion had 20 points for the Mavericks, who had lost four straight finals games in Miami since taking a 2-0 lead in the 2006 series.

They were about to go down 2-0 this time before Nowitzki, who insisted his injured finger wouldn’t hinder him, led a rally even more amazing than the one that won Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, when the Mavs trailed Oklahoma City by 15 in the fourth quarter before pulling it out in overtime.

“Just a different series, but we always believe we can come back regardless of the score,” Marion said. “The game is over when the final buzzer rings.”

LeBron James scored 20 points for the Heat.

He and Wade were running by and over the older Mavs for three quarters, and it appeared the only thing that could slow them down was that big trophy they would soon be holding.

Not so fast.

Wade angered the Mavs, particularly Terry, when he held his follow through after his 3-pointer from the corner with 7:15 left capped a 13-0 run and made it 88-73. Though the Mavs said they were bothered by the Heat’s actions, James and Wade—who have already endured plenty of criticism for premature partying— denied that was the case this time.

“There was no celebration at all,” James said. “I was excited about the fact that he hit a big shot and we went up 15.”

The Heat suddenly went cold, holding the ball too long on possessions and forcing James and Wade to attempt long jumpers with the shot clock winding down, instead of playing to their strengths and driving into the lane.

“We just didn’t execute down the stretch,” Bosh said. “There’s no shock. There’s disappointment. But the reality is the reality. We might as well get used to it and focus on the next one.”

A series of those missed jumpers eventually ended with the Mavs getting possession, and Nowitzki making a layup that tied it at 90 with 57 seconds to play.

The Heat lost for the first time in 10 games at home in the playoffs and will have to win at least once in Dallas to force the series back here.

“That’s about as tough a fourth quarter as you can have,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “When it started to slide, it just kept on going.”

The Heat held the Mavs, whose offense was so precise in their victories over the Lakers and Oklahoma City, to one of their worst performances of the postseason in Game 1. Yet Miami didn’t expect to shut down Dallas the way it did Boston and Chicago in the last two rounds, with Spoelstra saying before the game the Mavs would “hit back.”

But Miami weathered the early storm and appeared to have nothing to worry about in the second half.

A 29-10 burst spanning halftime showed off the Heat at their athletic best: A dunk by James, a dunk by Wade, and a long alley-oop pass from Wade to James on the fast break that turned a 51-all halftime tie into a 57-52 lead.

And just when Dallas got it down to four late in the period, James drove right for a powerful slam that left Tyson Chandler throwing his hands up in the air as if to say “How do we stop that?”

Eventually they did.

And they turned the tables on the Heat, who pulled off a stunning comeback of their own to spark the turnaround in the 2006 series. Dallas had a double-digit lead midway through the fourth quarter of Game 3 of that one, Wade brought Miami back, and the Heat never looked back.

Considering he has more help now with James and Bosh, the Heat’s inability to put this one away is even more amazing.

“We didn’t play the way that we normally play, so they deserved it and we didn’t,” Wade said.

The focus was back on the Heat’s stars in a finals where some attention during Wednesday’s off day was diverted to a former Heat player when Shaquille O’Neal, the center on their 2006 team who announced on a Twitter video he was retiring from the NBA. Also a teammate of James in Cleveland, O’Neal posted another video Thursday encouraging the duo to “go get that ring.”

The Heat played a video tribute showing some of O’Neal’s highlights in Miami during a first-quarter timeout and received nice applause, but not a standing ovation.

The offenses showed up for this one after neither team found a flow in the opener. Mike Bibby quickly got in the act with two 3-pointers for the Heat after he and fellow starter Joel Anthony were scoreless in Game 1 and it was tied at 28 after one.

It got heated late in the half and Miami appeared set to lose its cool, with Mike Miller called for a technical but Wade spared one, when after appearing to be fouled by Chandler on a layup attempt, he bumped Chandler while trying to get at the referee to protest.

Yet down nine and with James on the bench with three fouls, the Heat held the Mavs scoreless the final 3 minutes and tied it at 51 on Wade’s 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Shaquille O’Neal announces retirement via Twitter

"I really, really thought about coming back," he said, "but this Achilles is very damaged and if I had it done the recovery would be so long we'd have same outcome as this last year -- everyone sitting around and waiting for me.
"I didn't want to let people down two years in a row. I didn't want to hold Boston hostage again.
"I'm letting everybody know now so Danny (Ainge) and the organization can try to get younger talent. I would love to come back, but they say once the Achilles is damaged it's never the same. I don't want to take that chance."

Heat take Game 1 over Dallas

The Miami Heat are three wins from the reason why the Big Three came together in the first place.
James scored 24 points for his first win in five NBA finals games, Wade scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half and the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks 92-84 in Game 1 of the title series on Tuesday night—holding the Western Conference champions to their lowest point total of the playoffs after a dominant defensive showing down the stretch.