Category: In the News

Boston mayor wants All-Star return for his city

The All-Star Game has become the NBA’s prime mid-season exposure for the nation. It’s a fitting tribute to the league and the events off the court are as attractive as the game itself.

Boston mayor Thomas Menino for his city.

The All-Star Game hasn’t been played in Boston since 1964. Menino told the Boston Globe he’d like to get the city in the rotation when the league starts divving up future All-Star Game site after the lockout.

Houston is exected to be formally announced as  the home for the 2013 game as soon as the lockout ends.

But Menino touts a unified power base and new Celtics ownership as reasons why the city would be a good host for a future game.

“We haven’t had it since ’64 and I think we’re ready for it,’’ Menino said. “We have new ownership, new enthusiasm, the fan base out here for it, and I just think we have the facility and everything ready to go.

“I hope that the NBA makes the decision in the near future to bring the All-Star Game to our city.’’

The league has directed the All-Star Game to warm-weather sites for recent games. The Celtics would have to file a formal proposal to host the game and Boston co-owner Wyc Grousbeck has told the Globe he’s interested in joining the league’s rotation.

“The Celtics would have to be the applicant for it, and as a city, I would endorse the idea,’’ Menino said. “As a city, I would endorse the idea of bringing it here with the Convention Center folks, get all the entities in our city working together to make sure the All-Star Game is a first-class game that people participate in and neighbors could participate. I just think it’s long overdue.

“The change in ownership, the change of attitudes, the change of spirit in our city – I look forward someday to having the NBA All-Star Game here and I hope the Celtics in the very near future make the application for it.’’

The league’s 2012 All-Star Game is planned for Orlando — if the lockout is ever settled.

Ginobili saves day, lifts Argentina

By Mike Monroe
mmonroe@express-news.net

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina — With a berth in the 2012 Olympics on the line and down by eight points to Puerto Rico early in the third quarter, Manu Ginobili felt something in his gut he had not experienced in six years.

“It can be compared only to (NBA Finals) Game 7 in 2005,” said Ginobili, who helped the Spurs come from behind against the Detroit Pistons to win the NBA championship that year.

The star guard was at it again on Saturday, sparking a rally for Argentina that produced an 81-79 victory at Malvinas Argentinas Arena in the semifinals of the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament.

As he had for the Spurs in the second half of that Game 7 in San Antonio, Ginobili fueled Argentina in the third quarter. This time, he made four 3-pointers in a stretch of less than five minutes, erasing Puerto Rico’s lead and setting up Argentina’s victory.

In the end, it took an errant 3-pointer by Puerto Rico’s J.J. Barea of the Dallas Mavericks at the final buzzer before Ginobili could savor victory.

“It was one of the toughest games I’ve ever played,” he said, “a game where you have no tomorrow, no revenge.

“Imagine what it would have been like to be eliminated at home in front of these amazing fans, my family and friends. It would have been really, really tough, probably one of the toughest losses of my career. So when I saw Barea’s shot hit the rim, I was so emotional. I lifted a big, huge backpack off my side.”

Ginobili scored only four points in the first half but had 19 in the second, with 12 of them coming on his 3-pointers in the third period. Overall, he made 6 of 7 shots from deep range.

Ginobili called the Olympic berth “an obligation” he and his teammates had made for themselves when they gathered for training camp for the tournament.

“We had everything on this, and we won our trip to London. Everything is beautiful. We have another game (today) and we want another championship. I haven’t won one since 2007.”

Argentina will play Brazil — an 83-76 winner over Dominican Republic in the other semifinal — in today’s championship match.

Spurs center Tiago Splitter, in foul trouble all game, played barely 11 minutes in the Olympic-clinching game. He scored only three points to go with three rebounds. In the end, it didn’t matter that he had a sub-par game.

“Personally, I didn’t make my best performance, but I am very happy,” he said. “This is something that I needed in my life, to play in the Olympic Games, not just for me, but also for Brazil basketball.”

Unraveling the Kawhi Leonard mystery

LAS VEGAS — There is perhaps no bigger mystery surrounding the Spurs’ roster-in-progress right now than Kawhi Leonard.

The Spurs acquired the former San Diego State star on draft night, using Gregg Popovich favorite George Hill as bait to lure the 15th pick away from Indiana. They had Leonard in town for a week, then bid goodbye to him July 1 when the league locked out the players. By executive order of commissioner David Stern, Spurs coaches and other team personnel have seen neither hide nor hair of their prized rookie since.

While Spurs fans (and, it is assumed, coaches) have been able to watch other pieces of that draft-day package play in international competition this summer — point guard Cory Joseph for Canada, big man Davis Bertans for Latvia and shooting guard Adam Hanga for Hungary — Leonard remains an off-the-grid enigma.

Leonard is the Spurs’ highest draft pick since taking Tim Duncan first overall in1997, and yet he remains something of an unknown.

For a scouting report on Leonard, how he is progressing and what he might contribute to the Spurs if and when the 2011-2012 season commences, we went to James Anderson, the second-year guard who has been training with his new teammate off and on since draft day.

Anderson’s take on Leonard, a the 6-foot-7 small forward: ”He’ll definitely add more energy and youth to our team. He has a lot of defensive skills. He can also get out and run the floor, and help us bring in more rebounds. He’ll help us out on both ends.”

Leonard’s offensive game remains a work in progress, according to those who have seen him this summer, but he did use a rebuilt shooting stroke to hit two of the four 3-pointers he attempted in a limited engagement at the Impact Basketball Competitive Training series in Las Vegas. Then, like Bigfoot, he disappeared into the mist (or home to San Diego) before most of the gathered media had descended on Sin City.

Joe Abunassar, a former college assistant coach turned trainer who has been working with Leonard at Impact Basketball since before the draft, says his protege is improving through playing.

“Kawhi’s an energy guy, very athletic,” Abunassar said. “His offensive game is constantly improving. He’s going to take some time to get used to the NBA system, but he’s going to be fine.”

Anderson says Leonard’s most readily recognizable NBA skill might be his rebounding. In two seasons at San Diego State, Leonard averaged 10.2 rebounds to go with 14.1 points, logged 40 double-doubles in 70 games, and had coach Steve Fisher calling him one of the most natural rebounding talents he’s ever had.

“He has a knack for the ball, you can already see it,” Anderson said. “His defensive tools will help us out. His youth, getting out and running the floor, it will bring us more firepower.”

What Leonard could use now is a training camp. By all accounts, Leonard has done well keeping in shape and improving individually during the lockout. None of that, however, is any substitute for the one-on-one indoctrination he could be receiving from Spurs coaches, if not for the labor impasse.

“We can teach him the general principles, but we’re not the Spurs’ coaching staff,” Abunassar said. “I think he can develop individually and get more confidence, but it’s going to take team practices to get him mentally ready to play.”

Eventually, the lockout will end and the Spurs’ prized draft pick will be allowed into the team’s training facility. Only then will Spurs coaches be able to judge for themselves how far Leonard has come.