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

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. 

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.

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.