In a business move seemingly made to bring the New Jersey Nets one step closer to Brooklyn, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has agreed to invest $200 million into the team, acquiring 80 percent ownership of the NBA franchise, as well as 45 percent stake in the team’s proposed arena at the Atlantic Rail Yards.
“We are delighted to join in this exciting project and to participate in the landmark development of global sports in this entertainment arena in the heart of New York City,” said the president of Onexim Group, a private investment company. “I have a long-standing passion for basketball and pursuing interests that forward the development of the sport in Russia.”
If all goes well, Prokhorov would become the first owner of an NBA franchise from outside North America.
Possibly inspired by fellow teammate Shaquille O’Neil’s recent television success with “Shaq vs.”, will Lebron be anchoring his own television network after he becomes a free agent this year?
Well according to New York Daily News sports writer Frank Isola, rumor has it the New York Knicks, which are owned by media giant Cablevision, are preparing to give James his own channel as part of a free-agent package to lure him to Madison Square Garden in 2010.
The terms of such a media marketing ploy by the Knicks would circumvent NBA salary cap rules and intrigue King James enough to play in the Big Apple. Isola is pretty confident of this, saying, “As of today, I say there is a 90 percent chance LeBron is coming to New York.”
Queensbridge baller and newly signed Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest donated his $45,000 diamond watch to an underprivileged 15-year old Chinese teenager to further his education this past Wednesday while visiting the city of Wuhan.
Zheng Fengyu, who is also captain of his school team, received the generous timepiece after playing basketball with Artest, whose popularity has skyrocketed in China since playing with Chinese basketball icon Yao Ming last season for the Houston Rockets. Artest is one of a handful of NBA players who have visited China in recent weeks.
According to ESPN, the Boston Celtics have offered guards Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen to the Detroit Piston for Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey. Although the Pistons are unlikely to trade two of their core players for Rondo and a 34-year-old Allen, there may be little doubt that Celtics GM Danny Ainge is shopping Rondo around to move up in Thursday NBA Draft.
Rumors are Rondo’s attitude has rubbed teammates off wrong; he’s been accused of being stubborn, hard to coach and a bit selfish. We’ll see how this plays out.
It appears that the National Baskeball Association may be going global in a big way in the near future. Not with an expansion of franchises to other countries, no sir, but by allowing foreign ownership of its’ multiple franchises here on the American continent.
As AP reported today, “The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed an agreement with an investment group from China to become minority owners of the NBA franchise and its arena, a partnership that could impact superstar Lebron James future with the team.
The Asian conglomerate, which includes JianHua Huang, a Chinese businessman who has brokered sponsorship deals with the New York Yankees and other sports franchises in the U.S., could acquire up to 15 percent of Cavaliers Operating Company, the entity that owns the team and operates Quicken Loans Arena.”
Considering the xenophobic protectionist measures taken by Congress in the name of “national security” a couple of years ago when a Chinese company legally tried to acquire UNOCAL, and when a Dubai based conglomerate attempted to procure several East coast ports in a similar deal, this is surprising news indeed. Who knows, maybe Carlos Slim will become the new owner of the New York Knicks and take them out of the Eastern Conference gutter at long last?
LeBron James was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player today at the tender age of 24 – damn that younger than this scribe. King James averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebound and 7.2 assists per game with seven triple-double during the season.
In what was thought to be a close MVP race with the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade, James ran away with the ballot, collecting 109 out of 121 first place votes.
A humble James credited his teammates for his individual success saying, “Individual accolades come when team success happens. You look at those 14 guys over there; I got the award because of them. They put in the work.”
The 6’8, 250 lb James is the third youngest player to win the award in league history. James is now focused on adding another trophy to his mantel as his Cleveland Cavaliers prep for their second round playoff matchup with the Atlanta Hawks after easily discarding the Detroit Pistons in a four game sweep.
Something tells me this won’t be King James last MVP trophy this year. I guess we’ll have to tune in.
Now I thought the New Orleans Hornets/Denver Nuggets playoff series was going to be the most exciting and intriguing of all the NBA’s first round series because of the Chris Paul/Chauncey Billups point guard matchup.
Unfortunately the 32-year-old Billups has pretty much had his way with CP3 and the Hornets through the first two games as Denver leads 2-0 in the best of seven series. With games 3 and 4 back in the Big Easy, I’m pretty certain that Paul and the Hornets will get back on track. But here’s a look at the point guards’ averages through games 1 and 2:
