NBA Oddities - And Other League Issues

[Bklyn]

He never had a significant impact on a team that mattered in the NBA. Fair or foul, I think that hurts him.

[hedge]

That's true...

[Simitar]

The New Orleans Pelicans?

Really?

[Bklyn]

No way.

[T Dot O Dot]

I liked New Orleans Brass better

[AlabamAlum]

Pelicans: horrible

[Simitar]

The New Orleans Hornets are expected to become the New Orleans Pelicans, perhaps as early as the 2013-14 season, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

Yahoo! Sports, citing numerous sources, reports the team also considered Krewe and Brass as potential nicknames.

The Hornets have planned to change their name since New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, who also owns the rights to the Pelicans nickname, bought the team in April.

Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan said in November he'd be interested in bringing the Hornets' name back to Charlotte.

"It's definitely an interest down the road, but right now it's the New Orleans Hornets," Jordan told the Charlotte Observer. "We would definitely entertain the opportunity. That's as much as we can say right now. We've heard the community ask the question, and we would listen."

The pelican is Louisiana's state bird and appears on both the state seal and flag. A New Orleans minor league baseball team held the Pelicans nickname in all but nine seasons from 1887-1959, and again in 1977.

The Hornets moved to New Orleans from Charlotte in 2002, and when Benson bought the team earlier this year, he said he would like to change the name to something more fitting of Louisiana. His wife, Gayle, reiterated that idea and added that the franchise also would like to change the team colors from teal and purple to red, gold and navy blue.

[Jungle Rat]

Good Lord. Crawfish would have been better. Hell,they'd be better off calling them the NO Slick.

[Owlman]

The Cracklins

[AlabamAlum]

Utah should return the Jazz name and become the Mormons or the Badlands or the Bryce Canyon Riders or the Weak Beers.

[Bklyn]

Badlands is kinda cool, actually.

[Bklyn]

Man, Bosh forever keeps it looking zesty...

[Johnette's Daddy]

It's not just the black guys?

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Form ... &tab=video

SEATTLE -- Former Seattle Sonic Robert Swift made a reported $20 million during his NBA career, but things haven't gone as well for the first-round draft pick in recent years.

Swift lost his home to foreclosure, but apparently refuses to leave.

"And it seems like a very sad story and I definitely feel for him," said the new owner, who wanted to hide her identity.

She thought she knew what she was getting when she bought the foreclosed home in January.

Cans of beer dot the grass outside the home. A bullet hole pierced the garage window at some point.

"Cars that don't look like they've moved in a long time," she noted.

Water festers in buckets outside of what was once a million dollar home in a wealthy Eastside suburb.

"And found out who the lovely, previous owner was," the owner said.

Property and court records show that owner was Robert Swift, the Sonics number-one draft pick in 2004.

He played for Seattle, Oklahoma City, and eventually in Japan. But despite making a reported $20 million playing hoops, the Problem Solvers found records showing Swift's home fell into foreclosure last summer.

The new owner bought it in January for nearly half the original price.

KOMO News tried to speak with Swift on Wednesday, and a woman who said she was his girlfriend said he couldn't come out because he was sleeping.

The new owner has gone to court and, according to records, Swift has gone past his grace period to leave.

He has one final deadline at the end of the month. After that, he faces possible eviction by force.

"He will have to respond to the sheriff I'm sure," the new owner said.

Swift was once a star on the hardwood. Now the new owner of the house wants the game to end.

"We feel like we're stuck until he moves."

Because the owner has filed a summons, Swift has one week to respond. The owner says she will go to the King County Sheriff's Office if the home isn't emptied.

[Bklyn]

Yeah, it's not a race thing, it's an education and expectation thing.

[Simitar]

Shocking...

Andrew Bynum has another setback
Updated: March 1, 2013, 3:44 PM ET
By Brian Windhorst | ESPN.com

Andrew Bynum doesn't want to play in pain. After yet another setback in his recovery from knee injuries, there's dwindling hope that he will play at all for the Philadelphia 76ers this season.

Bynum took part in just a few minutes of practice last week, a five-on-zero drill that wasn't even a full scrimmage. It was the first time he'd been able to be involved in any practice since the 76ers traded for him last summer.

Bynum experienced swelling and discomfort in his right knee after the practice, he told reporters in Philadelphia on Friday. Bynum had believed for months that rest and rehab on bone bruises in both knees would allow him to play this season. Just 10 days ago he declared he'd "definitely be back sometime" this season.

"It's getting late. I don't know [about playing this season]," Bynum said. "I don't want to play in pain. ... I'm 25, it's my life."

The 76ers, who are on a seven-game losing streak that has dropped them six games back from the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, have 26 games remaining.

After the brief and surprising appearance at practice last week, 76ers coach Doug Collins doused optimism by saying it looked as though Bynum was still far away from being able to play in games because of conditioning issues.

"I know it's tough on him, he wants to play," Collins said Thursday. "We traded for him to come in here and play, and he hasn't been able to and that's hard. Hard on him and hard on everyone, and so I feel badly."

Bynum played 72 of 78 games (including playoffs) for the Los Angeles Lakers last season before the 76ers traded for him in a blockbuster deal in August. After a procedure in Germany aimed at strengthening his knees, it was discovered that he had a bone bruise in his right knee in September. A similar bone bruise was discovered in his left knee in November following a night out bowling.

Bynum, who is earning $16.9 million this season, is scheduled to become a free agent in July.

[Johnette's Daddy]

Mitch Kupchak is a genius.

[Jungle Rat]

Not yet.

[tin mad dog]

I know he still has fewer rings but I'd say LeBron has now passed Kobe in the all-timer rankings. He's just better.

[Bklyn]

Interesting argument. So would you feel differently if San Antonio could have grabbed a defensive rebound?

[T Dot O Dot]

Or if they had left Manu in Texas, they would have won both games if he had not dressed