Archives › Kurt Helin
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UPDATE 8:48 PM: Friday after practice, Ron Artest would not admit if he made these tweets. His brother, Daniel, had tweeted later in the day that Artest’s account has been hacked. When asked about it, Artest was vintage Artest. He wouldn’t answer the question, challenged the assembled reporters to quote the posts exactly, then said…
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Grant Hill will be back with the Suns next year. Did you know he is old?
May 7, 2010, 7:13 PM EDT
Grant Hill thinks it’s pretty funny that there seems to be a law requiring announcers to say his age every time they say his name. “It’s 37-year-old Grant Hill with the three.” “Look at how Grant Hill fill the lane on the break at age 37.” “Look at Grant Hill, still able to take a…
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John Wall, Evan Turner show everyone doesn't want to be like LeBron
May 7, 2010, 2:52 PM EDT
In the 1990s, Michael Jordan ruled on the court, his agent David Falk ruled off it. Falk had around 40 clients and those included most of the big names of the decade, guys like Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning. He bullied around the Players Association in the 1995 lockout, and was involved behind the scenes…
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Spurs go "loco," read whatever political statement into that you want
May 7, 2010, 2:38 PM EDT
In the wake of the “Los Suns” controversy –and if you don’t think it was controversial, check out our commenters on the story — the Suns/Spurs series shifts to San Antonio. Another former part of Mexico. Another city with a lot of Mexican influences. Another city with a large Hispanic population. Another city where immigration…
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This wasn’t old-school Vinsanity. The old Vince Carter won games by taking them over and just outscoring the other team nearly single-handedly. That is not how you win a title. You do that by getting your points in the flow of the offense, making the other team respect you and that opens up good looks…
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We’ve heard directly from LeBron’s elbow today. Turns out he’s pretty funny. But we’ve also got the actual LeBron talking seriously about his elbow, too. Courtesy Brian Windhorst writing for ESPN: “If it’s hurting throughout the game; there’s no way it can stay off your mind,” James said. “You want to be conscious about it,…
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The Basketball Jones was able to obtain this exclusive interview with LeBron James’ elbow. He is branching out from his twitter account. Aside the bone bruise, it has a few other issues. That’s all I’m saying.
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Gilbert Arenas has served his debt to society — which apparently involved playing a lot of basketball at the halfway house where he was assigned. I think we all feel safer now. The Washington Post has the details. The Wizards star, who pleaded guilty this year in D.C. Superior Court to a felony handgun violation…
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I’ve missed Bill Walton. He was a larger-than-life person and personality, a great player and a broadcaster who made the game fun with hyperbole. He rubbed some people the wrong way — I’ll admit he annoyed me at times — but he always a reminder that this is a game and supposed to be fun.…
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While the coaching carousel is just starting to spin for this summer, the list of guys getting interview has become pretty standardized. Tom Thibodeau, Dwane Casey, Doug Collins, Mark Jackson, Byron Scott — these guys all get calls. Except in Philadelphia, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 76ers do not plan to contact Byron Scott…
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There are a lot of teams looking for a head coach for next season, and most are taking their time. Chicago Bulls staff said as much, while the Los Angeles Clippers have been stone silent. Not the New Orleans Hornets. They are on it. Five interviews in three days, including two more on Thursday, according…
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While his former teammates struggle to find a way to deal with Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and the rest of the Orlando Magic, Josh Childress is basking in the limelight in Paris. His team, Olympiacos, is in the EuroLeague Final Four taking place this weekend in the city of lights. He is a key part…
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The Bucks are just trying to keep the band together. They liked the way last season ended. Well, except for that Andrew Bogut injury thing. But they were one of the hottest teams going to last month of the season and even without Bogut they pushed the Hawks to seven games. Next season Brandon Jennings…
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Owning an NBA Franchise no longer a license to print money.
May 6, 2010, 11:54 PM EDT
here was a time when owning and NBA franchise (or really most professional sports franchise) was seen as a can’t-miss proposition. For a couple decades starting in 1980, the expansion of ways to make money on sports (fueled by the rise of cable television, new stadiums with luxury boxes and a society more accepting of…
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David Lee would like to stay in New York, but really would like to get paid
May 6, 2010, 5:55 PM EDT
Donnie Walsh has done a good job cleaning up the dung pile — and an expensive one at that — of a roster he was left with. New York is not a city renowned for patience, but it was warranted in this case as there was a lot of shoveling to do. Fans understood that.…
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NBA Playoffs, Lakers Jazz Game 3: Andrei Kirilenko says he is ready to play
May 6, 2010, 5:18 PM EDT
The Jazz are desperate for some size and another weapon to confront the Los Angles Lakers — and for Game 3 they will have one. An AK-47. Andrei Kirilenko said Thursday that he will be ready to go on Saturday, as reported by the fantastic Ross Siler in the Salt Lake Tribune. “I’m good, I’m…
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One time super agent David Falk lands a big one — Evan Turner
May 6, 2010, 4:12 PM EDT
Back in the 1990s, David Falk was the man. He was Michael Jordan’s agent, and everyone wanted to be like Mike. Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, it seemed everyone was a Falk client (he had more than 40). He was in the middle of the 1995 lockout trying to decertify the players union. His fingerprints were…
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Nobody is healthy, everybody going to play in Cavaliers/Celtics Game 3
May 6, 2010, 3:51 PM EDT
LeBron James’ elbow. Kevin Garnett’s foot. Anderson Varejao’s back. Kendrick Perkins knee. Four injuries, one report: They practiced today and are all expected to play on Friday night in the big game three between Boston and Cleveland. See, that wasn’t so hard. Brian Windhorst handled the whole thing on twitter. If this were the regular…
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This season at a Clippers/Thunder game, my media row seat was next to two advanced scouts checking out the Thunder for upcoming games for their teams. Three times during the game, Kevin Durant did something that had these scouts — jaded guys who have seen more basketball than you and I ever will — look…
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Man wrongly imprisoned for 29 years to sit courtside for Cavaliers/Celtics Game 5
May 6, 2010, 1:54 PM EDT
I can’t imagine what it would be like. I doubt, — no, I know I couldn’t handle spending 29 years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit with the grace that Ray Towler did. He was happy upon his release. He was accused of a heinous crime (raping a 12- and 13-year-old) only to…
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Jeff Van Gundy: What's so wrong about a serious head coach?
May 6, 2010, 1:23 PM EDT
“We need a guy who can relate to today’s player.” You here variants of that sentence in so many coaching searches, teams looking for a guy who can relate to, joke around with and get through to players that way. Jeff Van Gundy wants to know why? In talking about why Boston assistant coach Tom…
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Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge got caught up in the heat of the moment and forgot that at the NBA League Office, this is fining season. Ainge has been fined $25,000 by the league for throwing a town in the air to distract the Cavalier’s JJ Hickson at the free throw line during the Celtics…
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Amare Stoudemire is a force of nature, and when Steve Nash is feeding him passes on the pick-and-roll he is an unstoppable one. That combo, that play is the most pure thing in the NBA right now. Now is the time to look like a force of nature, what with Stoudemire able to — and…
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Celtics benched Nate Robinson, saved themselves a cool $2 million
May 6, 2010, 11:54 AM EDT
Nate Robinson came over to the Celtics with some hype bordering on the delusional — this was going to be the guy to change the Boston bench, provide that much-needed scoring punch, change the dynamics. The reality is that Nate Robinson was Nate Robinson — he scores a lot some days but he shoots a…
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Dallas learning from playoffs: Cuban says Beaubois could start next year
May 6, 2010, 11:10 AM EDT
Rodrigue Beaubois is a little ball of energy. When he was on the court the energy of the Dallas Mavericks changed — they attacked with penetration. Their tempo increased. They broke down defenses. And it was all done with a little flair. Then throughout the playoffs, Beaubois sat. And sat. And when he got his…
