QUOTES OF THE DAY
“Ben Wallace got his success the hard way — he had to eat soup with a fork.” — Charles Oakley.
“The Bulls are getting an architect and a strong builder in Ben Wallace. They’re getting a guy who can design, draw, build and make things better.” — Charles Oakley.
THE LINKS…
• I wrote about it last night, and there’s still no word from LeBron‘s camp. If I was Danny Ferry I’d be camped out on Bron’s doorstep right now.
• This whole Hawks fiasco just keeps getting worse. The devil went down to Georgia, alright…and then he filed a series of lawsuits in Maryland.
Now Steve Belkin, the man who wants to own the Hawks, got a judge to rule that while the people who actually own the Hawks are appealing Belkin’s hostile takeover attempts, they’re not allowed to sign any players to long-term contracts. No, really. I’m not kidding.
My question is, what the hell does Belkin think he’s doing? Look Mr. Belkin, speaking as a Hawks fan: We know you want to own the team, and we know you have good lawyers, but — and this is huge — for the last year you’ve done your best to try and hurt the team’s chances of being succesful. And now you’re trying again. Just leave us alone! Please.
Can someone start stayinbostonbelkin.com?
• The Rockets feel like they have a good shot at signing Mike James. And so do the T-Wolves.
• Horrible news for the Warriors, where Monta Ellis injured his knee and things don’t look positive. Mario Elie said, “It’s like the curse of the Bambino,” which doesn’t make any sense but is at least funny.
• Interesting stuff in San Antonio, where the agents for Luis Scola are ripping the Spurs for making Scola a “prisoner” and not allowing him to sign with them, even though they hold his rights.
• Looks like the Bulls might not be finished. Next on their wish list: Chris Wilcox. Great signing, if they can get him.
• Andrea Bargnani started his NBA career with a bang last night. In Portland, they’re planning on using Brandon Roy as a point guard, which is the first I’ve heard about that. And the Charlotte people are thrilled that Adam Morrison scored 28 points in a practice.
• The NBA’s surprise sought-after free agent? Anthony Parker, from Maccabi Tel Aviv. If you didn’t know, his sister is current NCAA star Candace. (This story also reports that Bryan Colangelo had a stain on his golf shirt. See, I’m not the only one obsessed with his clothing.)
• Paul Pierce talks about wanting to win a championship and understanding he might have to leave the Celtics sooner rather than later.
• Despite being a second-round pick, our man James “Flight” White signed a guaranteed two-year deal with the Pacers. Let’s just hope he’s on the roster long enough to get an invite to the Slam Dunk contest.
