BasketBall Connect

It all started when two-time NBA All-Star and Shreveport native Antawn Jamison decided he wanted to give back to children and their communities ... On Saturday, Jamison, and about 200 volunteers did just that by building a new playground for children at the Friendship House in Bossier City.

Rand Baker's day to select Thunder season tickets is Monday. There's one problem: It's the wrong Monday. September 15. Team officials said there is such a high demand for tickets Baker probably won't get the opportunity to walk into the Ford Center to select seats.

In the ARIZONA REPUBLIC, Paul Coro writes "If purple and orange can go "green," the Suns just might be able to turn defensive. The Suns' basketball staff descended from their US Airways Center offices Thursday to the Casino Arizona Pavilion for an announcement that the arena soon would be powered by solar panels."

In the STAR-LEDGER, Dave D'Alessandro writes "So did Brook Lopez read about what Eduardo Najera a few weeks back? Eddie says the rook has to get tougher. And yes, the rook gets it."

In Sports Illustrated, Marty Burns writes "It's only fitting that new Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro spent the Labor Day weekend back in Phoenix with his wife, packing up belongings for the move to their new residence in Chicago. Since his surprise hiring in June as the Bulls' new coach, the former NBA guard and Suns assistant GM has barely stopped moving as he goes about getting ready for his first season as a coach at any level."

In the NEW YORK POST, George Willis writes "Michael Jordan can't steal it with one of his double-nickel performances, and Reggie Miller can't take it away by raining down 3-pointers that cut like daggers. Even Hakeem Olajuwon is harmless, dressed in a suit with no Clyde Drexler to throw him the ball."

Coach Byron Scott and several New Orleans Hornets' players will participate in Chris Paul's day of service charity event on Sept. 19 in Winston-Salem (N.C.). The event is a city-wide initiative targeted to unite volunteers and organizations throughout Winston-Salem under the banner of Paul's ongoing mission to give back to his hometown. Scott participated in last year's Winston-Salem Weekend event, along with several Hornets' players.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Darnell Jackson to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

When Greg Oden last stepped into the national spotlight, he wore a tuxedo and comically oversize glasses and his lone teammate was a pop-music heartthrob. Justin Timberlake sang and danced, while Oden provided the piano accompaniment in a memorable number at this summer's ESPY awards.

with Frank Martin,
Kansas State Head Coach

Coach Martin's approach to the game starts and ends on the defensive end of the floor, and his defensive style has drawn national attention. In this on-court demonstration clinic, Martin shares his 10-drill defensive progression starting with the basics of individual defense and building into the entire team concept. Martin utilizes the ball line concept in his defensive system, positioning his defense in the passing lanes. His system features aggressive on-ball play, pass denial and relentless help side defense. Every major component of defense is evident in all of his drills and forms the foundation of limiting good shots by the opponent. This defense will benefit your team by smothering the ball and making every pass, dribble and shot a difficult task. With Coach Martin's 10-drill system, you can build a championship defensive attitude and post more wins

2008.

with Billy Donovan,
Head Coach University of Florida;
Back-to-back National Titles, 2006 & 2007

Billy Donovan's relentless work ethic and leadership led the Florida Gators to back-to-back National Championships. The foundation of this success is a commitment to individual improvement every day of the year. His ability to make players better, stronger and more efficient on offense has led to his impeccable reputation as true teacher of the game. Donovan uses 30-40 minute sessions outside of practice to teach shooting, dribbling, post play, and perimeter skills. This skill development series is based on five competitive, point-based drills. The five drills focus on individual shooting improvement, passing, cutting, individual moves, dribbling and ball handling, shooting efficiency, conditioning, pivoting on the perimeter and post play development. The secret to Donovan's success at Florida comes from this five drill series. This DVD provides a competitive, challenging, and proactive plan for player development.

2008.

Miss something from Friday's WNBA action? Catch up with Today in the WNBA.

In the WASHINGTON POST, an Associated Press story draws the parallels between Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing, rivals in college and the NBA and now inexorably linked as they entered the Hall of Fame together Friday.

On ESPN.COM, Andrew Marchand writes, "The Knicks have a trade proposal on the table with the Memphis Grizzlies that would see Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric dealt to New York in exchange for Zach Randolph. An executive with knowledge of the trade talks said Friday that Knicks president Donnie Walsh initiated the Randolph-to-Memphis talks with the Grizzlies recently and it's up to Walsh to sign off on the deal. But it appears Walsh has cooled to the idea of trading his player, the executive said."

On Friday, Lakers center Andrew Bynum met the media and discussed a number of topics including his complete recovery from the knee injury he suffered last season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed veteran center Lorenzen Wright to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In the DETROIT FREE PRESS, Mitch Albom writes "Bill Davidson is ready to go. He sits behind his desk, holding his arms, and before I can fully sit down, he grins and says, ‘OK, let's start.' At 85, Davidson needn't wait for anything or anyone. And those who know him suggest, at his age, he's not waiting around for the perfect words, either. He speaks his mind, honestly and frankly. He is at times impish, coy and painfully blunt. His profile is known: a most successful businessman, a philanthropist of a very high order, a father, a grandfather and, yes, the owner of the Pistons for the last 34 plus years -- and more recently the WNBA Shock -- for which he will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame tonight. "

In the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, Steve Luhm writes "think about Utah's sporting history, except that 30 seasons of NBA basketball are missing. Picture John Stockton not sending the Jazz to the Finals, or Karl Malone not winning two MVP awards. Imagine the 1993 All-Star Game that went overtime not being played in the Delta Center, or today's fans not being bedazzled by rising star Deron Williams. It could have happened that way, according to former coach, general manager and president Frank Layden, if Adrian Dantley had not spent seven of his 15 NBA seasons in Utah. ‘He played such an important role in those early years of the Jazz,' Layden said. ‘If not for him, maybe we aren't still here, in Salt Lake City.' On Friday night, Dantley joins the greatest players, coaches and contributors in the history of the game when he is inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Dantley's former teammates couldn't be more elated. ‘He carried us, he was the franchise,' recalled Mark Eaton. ‘He was the guy you could count on for 30 [points] every night - the one bona fide All-Star we had.'"

In the HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Fran Blinebury writes "before there was a monument outside the Toyota Center, before a Hall of Fame career, before two championships, before Phi Slama Jama, there was a skinny 17-year-old kid sitting on a gym floor one hot afternoon in Lagos, Nigeria. As the coach spoke, he listened to the instructions, but his eyes and his mind wandered. His gaze kept rising toward the rim. When the talk ended and his teammates began to stand slowly, stretching their legs and their arms before the start of practice, he rose like a shot. Gathering the leather basketball into both hands, he went up, up, up. Bam! 'My first dunk ever,' said Hakeem Olajuwon.'Oh, I remember, because the coach had been trying for weeks to get me to dunk the ball. I had never seen anyone do it. I didn't really think it was possible, the coordination of the jump and holding the ball.'"

Brian Mahoney of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS reports "Greg Oden definitely feels like a newcomer this week, joining a number of first-year players in the league's rookie transition program, a four-day event where players are counseled on issues they will face on and off the court. Players are given three years to complete the program, in case they are unavailable in the summer before they enter the NBA. Oden couldn't come last year because it started just days after he had microfracture surgery on his right knee."