Tag: the NBA

Creating a monster: Olajuwon trying to refine LBJ’s inside game

The rest of the NBA should be very afraid.

The news that LeBron James has turned to postgame guru Hakeem Olajuwon could help refine one of the league’s very best players in an area of his biggest weakness.

Forget about the perimeter game and the passing. If James ever added a consistent inside component, he might fulfill the promise of becoming “The King” for the NBA.

It was almost painful at times to watch James attempt to score against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

Give him credit for .

“Right now I’ve just been focusing on being a better player, working on my game every single day,” James told the Associated Press in comments reported by Pro Basketball Talk.com. “Like I said, the Dallas Mavericks were a great team and they deserved to win that championship. And I’ll just use that as motivation coming into this season.”

That has taken him to Houston, where he’s working with the Hall of Famer Olajuwon to bolster his inside play.

Olajuwon practically refined post play during his career, which included an MVP in 1994 and two NBA titles.

“I look at what he was able to do throughout his career,” James said. “Unbelievable talent. Multiple champion. Just to see how he was able to dominate in the low post, for me as an individual, I just try to look at some of the things I feel I need to get better at and hit home at it. Our team becomes better if I continue to get better and that’s what it’s about.”

Finesse added to James’ bullish strength could be a deadly combination.

Consider the rest of the NBA to be duly warned if the work with Olajuwon improves James’ game.

Stern rips players, remains pessimistic after negotiating session

NBA commissioner David Stern didn’t come away with much hope after Monday’s negotiating sessions between players and owners.

Stern didn’t take the high road after the first session, as players union president Derek Fisher did. Instead, the NBA  commissioner blasted his players after telling the Associated Press that “nothing” in a nearly three-hour meeting .

“I don’t feel optimistic about the players’ willingness to engage in a serious way,” Stern said.

It’s no surprise that the players are entrenched on their position. It is still very early in the negotiations and we’re still a long way from missing any games.

The owners want a much larger piece of the “basketball related income” pie, a hard salary cap and shorter contracts that aren’t guaranteed.

The players aren’t willing to budge much on what they have now. It looks like both sides remain are adamant.

Stern told CBS Sports.com that the , which limits any real negotiating in his opinion.     

“I think it’s fair to say that we’re in the same place as we were 30 days ago,” Stern said. “And we agreed we’d be in touch to schedule some additional meetings … But right now, we haven’t seen any movement.”

Spurs majority owner Peter Holt was one of two NBA owners who were present Monday in New York City for the negotiating session. Holt was joined by Minnesota’s Glen Taylor among other NBA owners.

We likely won’t see any more constructive negotiating for the next several weeks. The next milestone will be when the players receive a ruling on their complaint with the National Labor Relations Board in the next 30 to 60 days on whether the owners are negotiating in good faith or not.

If the board agrees with the players, they can go the courts to end the lockout giving them a huge boost in negotiating leverage.

But if not, it should be a long, long wait. 

Don’t look for much in the next several weeks — except for the occasional NBA player signing a contract with an overseas team.  

‘The Matrix’ nixes chance to appear on ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Shawn Marion is convinced the NBA lockout will be settled sooner than later.

TMZ.com reports that the Dallas forward’s confidence that the work stoppage will end soon was one of the major reasons that he turned down an opportunity to appear on next season’s “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC-TV.

Show officials sent Marion an official offer to appear in the 13th compeitition of the popular reality show, butlater this fall.

“Dancing with the Stars” would end in November and the NBA season usually begins in October with training camp starting several weeks later.

So it’s probably a wise decision.

Marion won’t be following in the footsteps of his owner, Mark Cuban, who was eliminated fifth in the autumn of 2007.

Other NBA-affiliated “Dancing with the Stars” participants have included Clyde Drexler (eliminated fourth, spring 2007) and Rick Fox (eliminated seventh, fall 2010).

Only one active athlete in a major North American team sport has participated in the show. Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward won the most recent “Dancing” competition that was settled earlier this year.