Sħãlïq™

Will do. <_<

http://globoesporte.globo.com/globo-esporte/videos/t/globo-esporte-rj/v/ronaldinho/2175904/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=globoesportecom

Yeah, where's that guy??

^ What in the world is Neymar doing in that??!! And when's that pic from?

http://i.imgur.com/N1R8i.jpg

Kobe misses 2 Lakers practices with foot woes EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- Kobe Bryant sat out both of the Los Angeles Lakers' practices on Friday with soreness in his right foot. Bryant practiced on the Lakers' first four days of training camp, but skipped the morning session Friday. The Lakers expected him to practice in the evening session, but the superstar was held out after further evaluation. The fifth-leading scorer in NBA history is beginning his 17th season with the Lakers. He is a five-time NBA champion and a 14-time All-Star. The Lakers will practice at their training complex Saturday before traveling to Fresno, Calif., for their preseason opener Sunday against Golden State. New center Dwight Howard won't play in Fresno while recovering from offseason back surgery, but is participating in nearly every part of Los Angeles' camp practices. Source

Back in L.A., Odom seeks rejuvenation, and deeper Clippers could benefit http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/basketball/nba/img20462737.jpg Odom (7) went from elite to bust in under a year, but that may not be the end of his NBA story. (Getty Images) PLAYA VISTA, Calif. -- Chris Paul's eyes light up often, because he is one of the most expressive, dynamic stars we have in basketball. Whether it's the sight of Blake Griffin diving to the rim for an alley-oop or the sensation of a gold medal being draped around his neck, Paul gives of himself in this sport -- gives you talent and emotion and more thrills than you think you deserve. So to see Paul's eyes open wide at the mere mention of the name Lamar Odom was something to behold. Here was Paul answering questions Thursday at the Clippers' extravagant practice facility in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a city he has made his home and a place that is home to Odom like no other since his youth as a New York City kid -- a kid born and raised 2,500 miles away who has found comfort here, again. "Just talking to him every day and seeing how excited he is just to be back," Paul said, not finishing the thought and not needing to. "At times, he says he almost feels like a rookie all over again. So I'm excited for him most of all just because he's ready to go." Full Story

I'd say 15 PPG and 5 APG!! BTW, here's a good read on how Roy ended up in Minny: Full Story

Related story -- Rockets' White a no-show for camp, cites anxiety issues McALLEN, TX. (AP) -- Houston Rockets first-round draft pick Royce White is a no-show at training camp and said he and the team are working on a plan to address his fear of flying. The 6-foot-8 White was the 16th overall pick after one season at Iowa State. White suffers from anxiety and fear of flying. He says on Twitter that he's working with the team on an "innovative plan" to balance treatment with the NBA schedule. "Anxiety isn't keeping me from camp," White wrote, "taking a Proactive approach to my mental illness instead of reactive is.(hash)StayingAheadOfMyDisorder." White said he has an agreement with the team to take a bus to select games. KRIV-TV reported that the agreement is pending league approval. The Rockets would not comment beyond a statement that said they "are committed to Royce's long term success and we will continue to support him now and going forward." White said he offered to buy the bus himself. "I will not travel every game via bus," he wrote. "It was decided that the less flying the less stress." The Rockets opened training camp this week in McAllen, near the Texas-Mexico border, the home of their developmental league affiliate. White averaged 13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and five assists at Iowa State last season. He initially enrolled at Minnesota, then left the program last year and eventually transferred after pleading guilty to theft and disorderly conduct in an incident at the Mall of America. He's been open about his anxiety throughout his career and bluntly broke it down for reporters at his introductory press conference in Houston in June. "Here's how it goes," White explained. "I'm scared (going) to the airport, I'm scared going up, I'm uncomfortable in the air and I feel like a million bucks when we hit the runway." http://www.nba.com/2012/news/10/04/rockets-white-training-camp.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

76ers Pick Up 13-14 Option On Doug Collins The Philadelphia 76ers have picked up their option on head coach Doug Collins' contract for the 2013-14 season The Philadelphia 76ers have picked up their option on head coach Doug Collins’ contract for the 2013-14 season. Collins was named the 23rd head coach in franchise history on May 21, 2010 and has led the Sixers to the playoffs in each of his two seasons.

 “Doug Collins has repeatedly proven that he is one of the best head coaches in the NBA and we consider ourselves very fortunate to have him here in Philadelphia,” said Sixers Managing Owner Josh Harris. “We look forward to Doug’s continued leadership, passion and dedication to this organization and our fans, and know that he will work tirelessly in order to put our team in the best position to succeed every time they step on the court.” My link

Heat pick up the 2013-14 option on Norris Cole The team had until Oct. 31 to make the decision Norris Cole will be at least on the three-year plan for the Miami Heat. The team announced Tuesday night that they have picked up the 2013-14 option on the 2011 first-round pick. The team had until Oct. 31 to make the decision, otherwise he would have become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Source

Sherron Collins is no more a part of training camp roster The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have waived guard Sherron Collins, who was signed by the team on Oct. 1. San Antonio’s roster now stands at 19. http://www.nba.com/spurs/

2014 World Cup stadiums progression info: http://br.esportes.yahoo.com/fotos/como-andam-os-est%C3%A1dios-para-a-copa-de-2014-slideshow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BxpHiOLpG8

Carmelo Anthony, discusses the progress the New York Knicks are making at training camp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h40F2VD4L5o ************************************************************* Knicks, Pistons to play regular season game in London How about this for a road trip? The New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons are traveling to London for a regular season game Jan. 17, the league confirmed Thursday. The game will be a homecoming to the O2 Arena for the Knicks Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, who won gold there with Team USA this summer in the London Olympics (most of the games were played in “the marshmallow” but the big games moved to the big arena). This is all part of the international branding of the NBA as the premiere basketball league in the world. So are the Olympics, even if Mark Cuban is pissed he doesn’t directly get a cut of that. “London was the epicenter of global sports this summer, and the Olympics were a tremendous showcase for basketball,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “Playing our third regular-season game in the city in three years and having historic franchises like the Knicks and Pistons serve as our ambassadors provide extraordinary opportunities to further the game’s growth and development in the UK and throughout Europe.” This is not the first time the NBA has gone to London for a regular season game, the Raptors and then New Jersey Nets played a pair there in 2011. This should at least be a better game. No details yet on where and when the game is televised. Both teams have a few days off on either side of this to keep the jet lag to a minimum. Source

Source

Speaking of putting on size -- Durant is bulking up too… relatively: Kevin Durant is getting bigger with age The Thunder star looks bigger, stronger. But Durant said nothing special was done during the offseason. http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/w620-b9a267ca05c6d826aa6b04cf900b72fe.jpg From his lower body, through his midsection on up to where it’s as clear as ever — his upper body — Durant has bulked up. As with everything else that defines his skills, Durant isn’t overly interested in discussing the matter. That he said as much as he did hints that he has indeed gotten stronger and is darn proud of it. “I hope so,” Durant said when told he looks bigger and asked if he got stronger over the offseason. “I guess we’ll know when we start banging during the season. But I feel a little bigger, and coach is going to put me down low a little bit more at the 4, so I’ve got to be stronger to guard those guys. I’m just looking forward to doing as much as I can to help this team.” Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-kevin-durant-is-getting-bigger-with-age/article/3715821#ixzz28UlhMJRR

Thought I'd post this good read on Iggy here: Andre Iguodala "a stopper" in coach George Karl's eyes When describing the Nuggets' defense last season, one is reminded of golfing great Ty Webb, who in "Caddyshack" consoled his struggling playing partner by explaining: "You're not, uh, you're not (pause), you're not good." But the Nuggets weren't, like, that bad — if you look at differential stats. Yes, Denver allowed the second-most points of any NBA team (allowing an average of 101.2 per game). But the differential stats show that Denver averaged 2.9 more points per game than its opponents (ninth-best in the NBA) and shot 1.96 percent better than its opponents (eighth-best). But coach George Karl believes the Nuggets' overall defense can improve, so he got himself a differential difference maker. "With Andre Iguodala, I think we have a stopper," Karl said of his new starting shooting guard, an all-star last season. "I don't think we're going to be statistically high in a lot of traditional defensive categories. But I think differential is the key for us — field-goal differential, points differential, turnover differential. How we control the other team. Can we have moments of defensive momentum rather than offensive momentum? Can we have moments when we intimidate with our presence on the defensive end on the court? "And, in the fourth quarter, I still believe you win most games with stops, extra possessions, offensive rebounds, making free throws. I just think defensively you win so many close games with intimidation." The Denver Post

Thaddeus Young day-to-day with sprained ankle It’s not that serious, nothing that would likely cause a player to miss more than a game in the regular season. However, in the preseason teams tend to be more cautious. Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young sprained his ankle and is day-to-day, tweets Bob Cooney of the Daily News. He didn’t take part in a team scrimmage. These things linger if not allowed to fully heal, but there is no reason to push him back in the preseason. A couple other notes from Cooney out of the scrimmage — Evan Turner was attacking the rim with more power and less finesse, and Jrue Holiday looked like the star. Pair that kind of wing production with Andrew Bynum when he gets back and it’s going to be a fun year to watch the Sixers. My link

Phil Jackson talks in a Zen way about new Lakers http://nbcprobasketballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/113539872.jpg “It’s finding a role that each player can move towards and be comfortable in,” Jackson said. “I think that’s how you want to feel. You want Steve to have the ability to have the ball with confidence that he is doing the right thing and feeling like he can run the team and getting the ball to Kobe in critical situations is important because that’s what his best role is standing out in the moments of crisis or the moments that are critical. And the inclusion that you have to have to make Howard feel a part of it. So all those guys have to find a little role…. “(Nash) is a guy that can kinda make it easier for Howard to be a player inside,” Jackson said. “As Pau can move around in the post and move up to the high post and he can be an outside defender that can help out in a variety of screen-roll activities that maybe Howard might get himself in foul trouble having to defend all the time. So they’ll be able to do a lot of things with a more mobile and quicker Pau Gasol. This is a team that you have to find an offense that is going to work and include everybody because Kobe dominates the ball and Steve Nash dominates the ball." LA Times

J.R. Smith says he would prefer to start for Knicks J.R. Smith may get his wish, but not for a full season. Smith has been one of the best sixth men in the NBA for years — he comes off the bench, can score, picks up the defensive intensity. He can be a gunner, he can be erratic, but the energy can’t be questioned. And he’s expected to play that role for the Knicks once Iman Shumpert return. But what Smith really wants to do is start. That’s what he told Jared Zwerling. “I would prefer to start. I would rather be a starter,” he said. “My goal was to come in here and be a starter, and play with those other four guys on the floor. It is frustrating after a while that people see me as a sixth man, sixth man, sixth man, when you believe you’re a starter. But at the same time, you have to understand this is a team game and you have to put individual goals aside.” Source