Mourning for Mamba

Meryl Streep had a simple message on Instagram following the death of a former National Basketball Association superstar: “RIP Kobe Bryant #mrylstreep #kobebryant #50cent”

The award-winning actress added a photo of her, Bryant and rapper 50 Cent taken courtside in 2014 during a Los Angeles Lakers game against the New York Knicks.


Eerily, the photo posted on Instagram by 50 Cent was taken on Jan. 26, 2014, a Sunday and carried by People on Jan. 27, 2014, a Monday. Bryant’s helicopter crashed on Jan. 26, also a Sunday, killing him, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others.

The rapper captioned the photo, “Things got a little gangsta.” He said of another shot of him and Streep sitting courtside: “Man, I got a good life lol.”

Somber Degeneres

The usually ebullient talk-show host Ellen Degeneres was serious, subdued and fought hard not to cry the day after Kobe Bryant’s death. Jan. 26 was her birthday. Here are excerpts from an Instagram video of the opening for her Monday show:“Yesterday was supposed to be a celebratory day, then we got the tragic news about Kobe Bryant and everything changed in a second. And that’s what I want to talk about. Life is short and it’s fragile, and we don’t know how many birthdays we have … (if) you don’t have a birthday to celebrate just celebrate life and if you haven’t told someone you love them, do it now. Do it. Tell people you love them. Call your friends. Text your friends. Hug them. Kiss them.”

Hurting

Kaley Cuoco, who starred on television’s hit sitcom “Big Bang Theory,” posted on Instagram: “Been sitting here for a few hours completely gutted by this news… Kobe–this one is gonna hurt for a long, long time. I feel so lucky being able to witness your brilliance courtside so many times, including your record-scoring game. I loved basketball because of you. I compared every athlete to you. You made your mark on this earth and will always be the GOAT. My future children will know it was you! Deepest prayers for Kobe, Gigi, Vanessa, their three daughters, the entire Bryant family, and the additional lives that were also lost in today’s tragedy.”

Prayers for Kobe

Stage and screen actor Rita Wilson, wife of Tom Hanks, posted: “My prayers go out to @kobebryant’s wife Vanessa, his surviving daughters, their parents and families. Prayers also to the other families who lost loved ones in the crash. Heartbreaking. Psalm 23:4 ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’”

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Bryant leaves All-Star Game a winner as West rolls over East

TORONTO — Kobe Bryant said his NBA All-Star Game goodbye and the next generation of the West’s best sent him off a winner, rolling to a record-setting 196-173 victory over the East on Sunday night.

The first All-Star Game outside the U.S. was the highest-scoring ever, with both teams scoring more than any team had ever managed. Bryant didn’t provide much of the offense but many of the memories.

He finished with just 10 points, so few that he lost his career lead in All-Star Game scoring to LeBron James, even though James also had a quiet night.

But Russell Westbrook scored 31 points in his second straight All-Star MVP performance, Stephen Curry added 26, Anthony Davis 24, and Kevin Durant 23.

Paul George finished with 41 for the East, tying Westbrook’s total from last year in New York that was one off Wilt Chamberlain’s record. John Wall added 22 points.

James finished with 13 points, just enough to move ahead of Bryant for most ever in the All-Star Game. He has 291, while Bryant, who is retiring after this season, leaves with 290.

He checked out with 1:06 left to cheers and hugs from his fellow All-Stars who now put up points in bunches the way Bryant did for so long.

Bryant had seven assists and six rebounds, but shot just 4 for 11 in a game where there isn’t really much defense and had never been less. The 369 combined points were 48 more than last year’s record, and both clubs blew away the previous individual team record of 163.

But people just wanted to see Bryant play, not necessarily play well.

The pregame was a celebration first of Canada, then of Bryant.

A video message from Canadian Dr. James Naismith, basketball’s inventor, was followed by player introductions by two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and Grammy winner Drake. Canadian Nelly Furtado sang her country’s national anthem.

Then it was time for two video tributes for Bryant, whose 18 All-Star selections are second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant thanked fans who have given him more than 30 million votes in his career, and as he finished speaking all the All-Stars lined up in the background to salute him.

He took the opening jump ball against James — neither team had a true center voted to the starting lineup — and each East starter took a turn early covering Bryant.

Toronto hosted the very first NBA game on Nov. 1, 1946. Neither Naismith nor anyone who saw that game would recognize the way it looked Sunday.

Curry and Durant launched shots from spots where only buzzer-beating heaves were once attempted, and Westbrook put together another combination of speed and force that turned it into a rare All-Star blowout in the second half.

The West has won five of the last six even without longtime mainstay Bryant, who hadn’t played since 2013 because of injuries. But players like Westbrook, Durant and Curry are more than ready to shoulder the load.

At 37, Bryant has trouble keeping up with the youngsters — especially the real young ones. Chris Paul’s son stole the ball from him as Bryant warmed up for the second half.

But he was the star without playing a starring a role. He had said he didn’t want players forcing him the ball in an effort to make him the MVP — he’s already got four of them in this game — but he was never far from the center of attention.

James crouched in his defensive stance and pounded the floor when he found himself covering Bryant out on the wing in the second quarter. But come on, nobody is really here to play defense, at least that early.

The West led 92-90 at the break, both teams surpassing the previous record of 89 points in a half.

The game goes back to the U.S. next year, and for the first time since 1997 won’t have Bryant. He made his All-Star debut in New York in 1998, a game also remembered for Michael Jordan’s last with the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan, now chairman of the Hornets, was on hand Sunday for a ceremonial passing of the All-Star torch from Toronto to Charlotte, the 2017 host.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Bryant sinks to new low in his likely final season

As the Golden State Warriors steamrolled Los Angeles Lakers to a historic start on Tuesday, aging star Kobe Bryant sank to a new low in a trying season expected to be his last.

Bryant, slowed by age and past injuries, has looked like a shadow of his former self this year and that was never more apparent then against Golden State who blasted the Lakers to improve to a record 16-0.

Bryant scored four points and managed to make just 1-of-14 shots to tie the worst shooting night of his 20-year career when he has attempted at last five shots.

The Oracle Arena crowd, hoping to see a vintage Bryant performance amid their team's inevitable win, seemed to deflate with every miss from the 37-year-old player.

The misses have piled up as high as the Lakers' (2-12) losses for Bryant this campaign as he entered the night shooting just 33 percent from the field.

"He's struggling right now to make a shot. I think he'll be the first to tell you that," Los Angeles coach Byron Scott told reporters following his team's 111-77 defeat.

"You can see that he was getting pretty frustrated at himself."

Bryant has indicated that unless something changes this will likely be the final chapter of a career that has included five championships and countless memorable moments. —Reuters

NBA: Bucks coach banned one game for slapping ball from official

Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd has been suspended one game for an on-court outburst that saw him slap a ball out of a referee's hands in a game earlier this week, the National Basketball Association said on Friday.

The incident occurred while Kidd was arguing a call and resulted in a technical foul and ejection from Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings, which the Bucks went on to lose 129-118.

Kidd needed to be restrained by several members of his team before being escorted off the court.

Kidd, a former player who won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, will serve his suspension without pay later on Friday when Milwaukee visit the Orlando Magic.  — Reuters

Joel Anthony stays with Pistons for $5M

Free agent center Joel Anthony is staying with the Detroit Pistons, reaching agreement with the team on a reported two-year, $5 million contract.

The second year of the deal is not guaranteed, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday. The contract won't become official until the NBA moratorium period on free agency signings ends Thursday.

The 6-foot-9 Anthony came to the Pistons in an October trade with the Boston Celtics for Will Bynum. In 49 games for Detroit last season, Anthony averaged 1.8 points and 1.9 rebounds and shot 58.1 percent from the field. - Reuters

Top pick Towns vows to deliver for Timberwolves

Karl-Anthony Towns is a young man with many gifts, but the 19-year-old top pick of the National Basketball Association Draft vowed to give all he can to help turn around his new team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 19-year-old Towns, who has thrived academically and aspires one day to become a doctor, is focused on helping to cure the ills of the Wolves, who have missed the playoffs for the last 11 years.

"That's going to be the main goal of the season for me, making the playoffs," said Towns, who helped Kentucky to a 38-0 record as a freshman forward-center last season.

"I know the one thing I have to do is I have to live up to the expectations and goals and lofty expectations that people are going to have for me for being the number one pick.

"But through my life, there's always been expectations and goals set against me, and I've just always had to meet them ... and also jump over the goals and the hurdles."

The versatile big man honed his game on a homemade basketball court at his New Jersey house that was promised to him by his father after a Christmas when they had no money for presents.

All the early training with his father paid off.

He won New Jersey state high school titles and played on the Dominican Republic national team as a 6-foot-10 (2.08m) ninth-grader, representing his mother's home country.

Towns said it was special to share his NBA Draft moment with close to 50 friends and family from neighboring New Jersey on hand at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

"I mean, I'm home. This is home to me," he told reporters.

"My sister started crying immediately. My mom started crying. My dad was just very ecstatic. All those times me and him were in the gym, and you see the end result." - Reuters

Cavaliers' Irving has successful surgery on fractured kneecap

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving had surgery on Saturday to repair his fractured left kneecap, a procedure described as successful by the National Basketball Association team.

Irving underwent surgery as the injury-depleted Cavs prepared to face the Golden State Warriors in Game Two of the NBA Finals on Sunday.

Already trailing after losing Game One of the best-of-seven series, the Cavs will be without two of their three regular starters, Irving and the previously injured Kevin Love, and must depend even more on four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James.

"Irving's return to basketball activity is projected to be in three to four months and appropriate updates will be issued as he moves through the recovery process," the Cavaliers said in a statement.

Irving, 23, who has been bothered with tendinitis in the same knee for the past six weeks. He incurred the fracture in an awkward fall during overtime of Game One on Thursday.

He had 23 points in the game along with seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocked shots. His timely block from behind on Stephen Curry late in the fourth quarter helped the Cavs force overtime.

Despite the absence of Irving and Love, four-time NBA most Valuable Player James, who had a game-high 44 points in the loss, is nonetheless talking up his team's chances.

"The good thing about it, we've been in this position before," James said.

"It's something that's not new to us. So next man up, and guys will be ready for the challenge." - Reuters

Kevin Love finally lands in Cleveland

The Cleveland Cavaliers have sent top overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins and former number one pick Anthony Bennett to the Minnesota Timberwolves for prized All-Star forward Kevin Love as part of a blockbuster three-team deal.

Cleveland also sent a protected 2015 first-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers, who will acquire guard Alexey Shved and forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute from the Timberwolves in exchange for veteran forward Thaddeus Young in the multi-player trade.

The addition of Love, who will team up with recently-signed four-time league most valuable player LeBron James and exciting young talent Kyrie Irving, further solidifies the Cavaliers as a favourite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

"Kevin joining the Cavaliers represents a very special and unique opportunity for our team," Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said in a statement after the three-way trade was formally announced on Saturday.

"At only 25, Kevin has already firmly established himself as one the NBA's elite players and his talent, versatility and fit are major parts of our team's vision for success."

The Love deal was announced in principle earlier this month but could not be finalized until Saturday because Wiggins, who was taken first overall by Cleveland in June, could not be traded until 30 days after the signing of his rookie contract.

Bennett, the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, had a rough start to his rookie campaign with Cleveland but improved as the season progressed. He averaged 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 52 games.

"We are excited to add three young, talented and athletic players to our team in Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Thaddeus Young," said Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders.

"With the additions of Wiggins, Bennett and Zach LaVine this summer, we have brought in three exciting young athletes who all have the potential to have an impact in this league.

"I appreciate all that Kevin, Luc and Alexey have done for our organization and wish them the best of luck with their new teams."

According to local media, the Cavaliers made the deal with Minnesota with a firm agreement that Love will opt out of his contract in 2015 and re-sign with the Cavaliers on a five-year, $120 million-plus contract extension.

Love averaged 26.1 points per game, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists last season for a Minnesota team that went 40-42 and was nine games back of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com