Category: In the News

Splitter hobbling with nagging thigh injury

Spurs center Tiago Splitter’s practice time with the Brazilian national team remains limited as he struggles with muscle spasms in his right thigh.

Project Spurs.com reports that in Brazil’s 79-57 exhibition victory over Mexico Thursday night.

Splitter likely will be back in Brazil’s lineup by the Tuto Marchand tournament later this month. Those games will be Brazil’s final tune-up before the FIBA Americas tournament begins in Argentina on Aug. 29.

“Worrying obviously concerned,” Splitter said in a story translated by Project Spurs. “If you do not worry, I would be playing. But not enough to be a headache for not playing Iin) the pre-Olympic (tournament.) Really , what I want is to arrive in Mar del Plata without having any pain.”

Considering that Splitter will be one of Brazil’s prime inside players in the FIBA tournament, it’s wise that the Brazilian team is allowing him to ease back onto the court.

Buford in the Middle East, preseason sked released (again): Get yer links here

Consider this entry your one-stop shop for Spurs-related stuff around the WWW today:

* Spurs general manager R.C. Buford recently completed a trip to the Middle East to conduct basketball clinics for an organization called PeacePlayers International. The charity uses basketball to bring together children from Israel and Palestine. B

* The NBA officially released its complete 2011 preseason schedule today, even though the lockout shows know signs of abating. The Spurs, however, were several steps ahead of the league. Their preseason slate, highlighted by games against Orlando, Oklahoma City and New Orleans, was released last month. You can , if you’re into such things.

* Stephen Jackson and Tony Parker, reunited for ASVEL? Don’t count on it., but basically quotes the French power’s general manager saying it isn’t going to happen.

* New Spurs strength and conditioning coach — er, Director of Athletic Performance — Matt Herring says one of his goals is to help

* about whether Wizards swingman Nick Young will participate in this weekend’s ballyhooed exhibition between All-Stars from the Drew and Goodman pro-Am leagues in D.C. The Drew League’s commissioner says Young is refusing to play because he wasn’t named that circuit’s MVP. Young’s reps say he’s still in. This doesn’t relate to the Spurs, per se, except that Gary Neal is definitely in. The Baltimore native will be playing for the Goodman League.

* The Georgetown men’s basketball team was involved . It ended with fans pelting the court with water bottles. Not that NBA players, like Parker, during the lockout, but fans’ unruly behavior might have provided one.

* A bit late on this link, but the boys at 48 Minutes of Hell poke fun at Ime Udoka .

LBJ and his ‘Rat Pack’ didn’t tip their casino servers at CP3′s wedding

It looks as even the richest of the NBA superstars are penching their pennies during the lockout.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke had an where he describes the penurious ways of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony at Chris Paul’s recent extended bachelor’s party last month in his city.

The group received complimentary benefits while partying at the Cosmopolitan Club and Palazzo. But Clarke reports they forgot about their servers as they allegedly failed to leave any gratuities while they were there. The exchange is about at the 8-minute mark of the interview.

“People at the Cosmopolitan said when Chris Paul had his bachelor party here last month, he had LeBron in and the whole gang,” Clarke said.  “They were comped well into the morning.  The word is that they never left a tip for any night that they were out getting comped.  We’ve heard that about LeBron, that’s been common.”

If the story is true, LBJ and his posse are following in the footsteps of some notable NBA superstars before him as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were similarly cheap on some of their Vegas trips.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the nicknames that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had out here,” Clarke said. “The dealers called him  ‘Hoardin’ Jordan’, and Pippen was ‘Scottie No-tippin’ Pippen’.”

It’s not a good way for today’s top basketball players to build much support among the public among their fans by stiffing their servers.

The economy is bad for them, too.