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Wait, we didn't annex Canada?
Several of the Jazz players are already looking forward to catching another sporting event considerably closer to British hearts. Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko could hardly contain their excitement when talking about a planned outing to a Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool.
Several of the Bulls, including Deng are also going. As for the basketball game, Jazz guard Deron Williams considers it a recruiting possibility. The Jazz already have a strong following in Turkey (Okur) and Russia (Kirilenko).
The exposure in The O2 Arena may help convert a few new English followers. "It'll be a chance for fans in another country to see the Utah Jazz play," Williams said. And for some NBA players to do the same. "I've never been out of this country," Jazz forward Paul Millsap said. With respect to Canada, cheers.
So why wasn't the game broadcast when we they obviously had all of the video coverage? They couldn't even put it on NBA.tv?
Highlights of the Jazz/Nuggets Game.
Never trust a big butt and a smile...
Chalk up Andrei Kirilenko as one guy who wants no part of the Cleveland Cavaliers this year. That's because the Utah Jazz forward called the Cavs' combo a "poison union" in a telephone interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday: "That's the poison union. I mean poison in a good way. They're going to poison the rest of us...Shaq's definitely going to be a huge motivation, not only for LeBron but for the team...I just don't know how they're going to find time for Zydrunas [Ilgauskas]...But that's not my problem, that's coach [Mike] Brown's problem."
Memo down for Turkey
SALT LAKE CITY (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Mehmet Okur says there has been no fallout between himself and Turkey coach Bogdan Tanjevic and insists that he is committed to playing for the national team on home soil at the FIBA World Championship next year.
Okur did not play for his country at this summer's EuroBasket amid reports of a major breakdown in communications with Tanjevic, but the Utah Jazz center is adamant the only issue was an injury. "I wasn't able to play at the end of the season because I got hurt," he said to FIBA.com. "I wasn't able to go out there and help my team. I had to take some time off and I missed Poland, but I'm looking forward to playing Turkey in 2010. "I have no problem with anyone. I just couldn't play because I was hurt."
We owe everything to Milt.
"Milt Palacio, he helped me out a lot," Williams said. "He'd been in the league for six or seven years, played on a lot of teams. He helped me out a lot." At that, someone joked that Williams was so appreciative he took Palacio's job midway through the season. And with another smile, Williams added: "Maybe I don't need to be helping Eric out."
Guess the league is hurting for cash if they need to do this. And what's immediately? Is there an official with a stop watch timing these things? If it's a 1-point game with :20 left, are they allowed to stand?
The League also informed teams that they’ll start issuing fines this season for players who stand up in front of the bench — because they’re blocking the view of fans sitting in those pricey front-row seats. No lie, the official memo actually said players were allowed to stand up to "spontaneously react to a notable play," but then "immediately" had to sit back down.