NBA

[makaveli]

MIAMI ? There isn't a hotter team in the league right now than the Miami Heat.

"Incendiary" is the word.

"The summer has been outrageous," team president Pat Riley gushes. "It's been great for the franchise. We want to thank Shaq for that. He's the most sought out player in the league. His impact on the box office has been as dramatic as I've ever seen."

Riley isn't exaggerating. There is no hotter ticket in the NBA right now than the Heat. Season tickets are sold out for the season. Only a handful of nosebleed seats are available for selected games the rest of the year.

Black Heat jerseys with a red "32" on the back are flying off the shelves. Before Shaq's first exhibition game in Miami on Monday, Heat fans were worked up into such a froth that you'd swear the team was gearing up for a Game 7 in the playoffs. And when Shaq was introduced, American Airlines Arena earned its name. It sounded like a 747 was taking off inside.

Shaq gave one of those cock-eyed grins he's famous for, grabbed the microphone at center court and told the adoring throng that he's coming to deliver a championship.

The crowd ooooh-ed and aaaah-ed every time he touched the ball. Shaq destroyed Hawks center Jason Collier with his patented smash and dunk inside power play. Six minutes into the game, Shaq had 11 of the Heat's 13 points -- despite the fact that he was playing for the first time in a week because of sore hamstring.

When Shaq took a seat with a few minutes to go in the first quarter, the grin got even wider. For the first time in years, everything in Shaq's world was good again.

The Heat are the perfect team for Shaq. He is the sun in the center of the NBA solar system. He shines brighter than any star in the league when everything revolves around him.

Maybe we should start calling Shaq the Big Copernicus.

"I'm not really happy," Shaq said after the game. "It's not really time to be happy. But I like all my players. I like the organization. I like the city. So, I'm at peace."

He should be. After undergoing the messiest divorce that the NBA has seen in some time, it looks like Shaq has found himself a home big enough to accommodate his huge game and ego.

"I'm very happy to be here," Shaq said. "I chose these guys as much as they chose me. It's a professional marriage. Hopefully I can end my career here."

That will depend on how his teammates react to playing with the Diesel.
[Shaquille O'Neal]
Miami and Shaq (with watergun) are enjoying the honeymoon.

Shaq enjoyed long honeymoons in Orlando and Los Angeles, too, before a young guard with superstar aspirations started chipping away at his touches and his popularity.

Shaq's feuds with Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant are just as much a part of his legacy as his dominating play in the paint. When things went south in Orlando and LA, Shaq did the only logical thing -- he fled.

So it's interesting that he "chose" to play for team that has, you guessed it, a young guard with superstar aspirations in Dwyane Wade.

Some claim that Shaq is setting himself up for another nasty divorce two or three years from now. With the way Shaq clogs the lane, the conventional wisdom is that a slasher like Wade will struggle to adjust his game.

But the people making those accusations don't know Wade.

Wade is the anti-Kobe.

The only thing more striking than his talent is how tiny his ego is. While Team USA head coach Larry Brown pulled out his hair and ultimately benched two of last year's rookie superstars in the Olympics ? LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony ? because of their on- and off-the-court antics, he praised and played Wade throughout the entire tournament.

That doesn't surprise Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy.

"He's going to play the game well not matter what," Van Gundy said. "He's a known quantity. We know what we're going to get from him every night."

Wade did struggle to find his rhythm in his first preseason game with Shaq on the floor. But by Monday's game against the Hawks, the two seemed to quickly developing a nice chemistry both on and off the court.

At the start of Monday's game, Wade was forcing the action a bit, trying too hard to get to the basket. It led to several turnovers before Shaq stepped in and calmed the second-year point guard.

"I told him to let the game come to him and just relax," Shaq said after the game. "Instead of trying to score every time, get everyone else involved and then the opportunities will come."

Wade took the criticism, settled down and ended up leading the team in both scoring and assists. In the process he hooked up with Shaq on several spectacular plays.

"I just listened to my teammates," Wade said. "They won't steer me wrong. Shaq's got my back. He's going to give me more opportunities than I've ever had playing basketball.

"We've never had no problem clicking. I know what he likes and he knows what I like after just a couple of weeks together. I know he's very unselfish and he's a big target. It's a lot of fun playing with him.

"He's clicking with a lot of guys early because he came in and told guys 'this is how I am,' and he said 'do this' and 'do that' and everyone listened. It's going to be easy to gel with Shaq ... He's here to help us and we're here to help him."

After trying to tutor Hardaway and Kobe to no avail, the receptiveness from Wade (and the rest of the team for that matter) is a fresh change of pace for Shaq.

"The good thing about D. Wade is that he's a guy who knows he doesn't know it all and I can give him tips and he listens," Shaq said. "He turned it around and had a fabulous game
Shaq enjoyed long honeymoons in Orlando and Los Angeles, too, before a young guard with superstar aspirations started chipping away at his touches and his popularity.

Shaq's feuds with Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant are just as much a part of his legacy as his dominating play in the paint. When things went south in Orlando and LA, Shaq did the only logical thing -- he fled.

So it's interesting that he "chose" to play for team that has, you guessed it, a young guard with superstar aspirations in Dwyane Wade.

Some claim that Shaq is setting himself up for another nasty divorce two or three years from now. With the way Shaq clogs the lane, the conventional wisdom is that a slasher like Wade will struggle to adjust his game.

But the people making those accusations don't know Wade.

Wade is the anti-Kobe.

The only thing more striking than his talent is how tiny his ego is. While Team USA head coach Larry Brown pulled out his hair and ultimately benched two of last year's rookie superstars in the Olympics ? LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony ? because of their on- and off-the-court antics, he praised and played Wade throughout the entire tournament.

That doesn't surprise Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy.

"He's going to play the game well not matter what," Van Gundy said. "He's a known quantity. We know what we're going to get from him every night."

Wade did struggle to find his rhythm in his first preseason game with Shaq on the floor. But by Monday's game against the Hawks, the two seemed to quickly developing a nice chemistry both on and off the court.

At the start of Monday's game, Wade was forcing the action a bit, trying too hard to get to the basket. It led to several turnovers before Shaq stepped in and calmed the second-year point guard.

"I told him to let the game come to him and just relax," Shaq said after the game. "Instead of trying to score every time, get everyone else involved and then the opportunities will come."

Wade took the criticism, settled down and ended up leading the team in both scoring and assists. In the process he hooked up with Shaq on several spectacular plays.

"I just listened to my teammates," Wade said. "They won't steer me wrong. Shaq's got my back. He's going to give me more opportunities than I've ever had playing basketball.

"We've never had no problem clicking. I know what he likes and he knows what I like after just a couple of weeks together. I know he's very unselfish and he's a big target. It's a lot of fun playing with him.

"He's clicking with a lot of guys early because he came in and told guys 'this is how I am,' and he said 'do this' and 'do that' and everyone listened. It's going to be easy to gel with Shaq ... He's here to help us and we're here to help him."

After trying to tutor Hardaway and Kobe to no avail, the receptiveness from Wade (and the rest of the team for that matter) is a fresh change of pace for Shaq.

"The good thing about D. Wade is that he's a guy who knows he doesn't know it all and I can give him tips and he listens," Shaq said. "He turned it around and had a fabulous game

[makaveli]

Ex-agent suing All-Star for breach of contract

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Associated Press

TORONTO -- Vince Carter will miss the Toronto Raptors' next two preseason games while he fights a lawsuit from a former agent.

[Vince Carter]
Carter

Carter wasn't available for Tuesday night's game at Denver and Wednesday's game at Portland because he's being sued by William "Tank" Black for breach of contract.

Legal proceedings were scheduled to begin Tuesday in Columbia, S.C., but the judge wasn't available, delaying the start for a day. Black, who was sent to prison for five years in 2002 for bilking about a dozen NFL players out of millions, is seeking $14 million from Carter. Carter is countersuing.

"The timing of this is unfortunate because I want to be with my teammates preparing for the season, but it's something I don't have control over," Carter said in a statement. "This has been an issue that has hung over my head for a number of years and I'm going to take care of it once and for all this week."

Carter hopes to return for Toronto's final preseason game against Cleveland on Friday.

Black was Carter's agent from June 1999 to March 2000. Carter cut ties with Black shortly after Black was charged. Black's clients included Fred Taylor, Ike Hilliard and Duce Staley.

[makaveli]

he Charlotte Bobcats celebrate their first win in franchise history. (NBAE / GettyImages)

The 111-100 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night was historic. The gesture from his players was downright special

"That showed a lot of class," said Johnson, who appeared to have tears in his eyes. "They played their heart out, and if they continue to play like that every game, I think we're going to win a lot."

The Bobcats wrestled for rebounds, scrambled after loose balls and outhustled the Magic en route to the win.

Primoz Brezec, quickly emerging as Charlotte's star player, had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bobcats. Gerald Wallace, who landed face first on a slide off the court, added 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Steve Smith had 14 points, and Jason Hart had 14 points and 11 assists.

Cuttino Mobley led the Magic with 23 points. Grant Hill, playing in his first back-to-back games since Dec. 15-16, 2002, scored 16 for the Magic. Hedo Turkoglu also had 16.

Hill said the Magic will forever carry the burden of being the first team to lose to the Bobcats.

"To this day I know who Orlando's first win was - the Detroit Pistons," Hill said. "We don't want to be their first win. It goes down in history."

[makaveli]

Rockets rally late to beat Kings in overtime

HOUSTON (AP) - Charlie Ward made two 3-pointers in overtime, Yao Ming scored 33 points, and the Houston Rockets rallied late for a thrilling 104-101 win over the Sacramento Kings in their home opener on Saturday night.

Tracy McGrady added 23 points in his Houston debut, giving Rockets fans their first glimpse of the inside-outside combination that many believe could replace Shaq and Kobe as the NBA's most dominant duo.

Yao scored 16 points after the third quarter, making nearly all the key shots down the stretch to help the Rockets hold off Sacramento. He converted only 2 of 6 free throws in the final minute, however, keeping things interesting even as the Kings went cold in overtime.

Mike Bibby led the Kings with 31 points and seven assists, but it wasn't enough to keep them from going winless during their season-opening, three-game swing through Texas. Peja Stojakovic added 23 points, and Chris Webber had 20.

Bibby and Brad Miller opened overtime with a couple of quick scores, but Yao hit a basket to cut the Kings ' lead to 2. Then Ward nailed back-to-back 3s to give Houston its first lead since midway through the second, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Ward finished with 14 points, going 4-of-11 from behind the arc.

Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki and San Antonio's Tim Duncan each had 30 points against Sacramento in the Kings' first two games.

Yao did that and a little more on Saturday, even as he deferred to McGrady early.

McGrady was the last starter introduced during pregame introductions instead of Yao, who usually gets the honor. The sellout crowd of 18,003 responded with its loudest cheers, and a rocket was set off as McGrady skipped onto the court.

However, McGrady and Yao were just barely the best 1-2 combo at the Toyota Center on Saturday night.

Bibby repeatedly weaved his way into the lane and Stojakovic knocked down jumpers from all over as the Kings finally found their rhythm.

The Kings led 39-37 at halftime despite shooting just 31 percent from the field. Their lead twice swelled to 14 in the third quarter, once on Bibby's 3-pointer from more than 30 feet out.

But Yao scored 12 points during the Rockets' fourth-quarter rally, including two free throws to tie it at 93 with 1:23 left. The Rockets had one final chance to win in regulation, but McGrady slipped on his drive to the basket and Tyronn Lue missed a 3 from the corner as time expired.