Rasheed Wallace a perfect fit with Celtics

The numbers told one story. Rasheed Wallace shot a career-low 41.9 percent from the floor last season, and his 12.0 ppg was his lowest average since his rookie year.

The eyes told another story. Wallace still had game. But heading into a 2009-10 season when he would be 35, the feeling around Detroit was that he simply couldn’t put said game on the floor for as long as he used to, that the intensity with which he played was draining him.

It also was rather clear that the Pistons’ fall from the top of the Eastern Conference and their mixed success in rebuilding on the fly were getting to everyone there.

So as much as the Celtics [team stats] needed Sheed, Sheed needed the Celtics.

“I think with a player like that, they need energy around them,” coach Doc Rivers said. “They need a reason to really play, and I think our group gives him that. “He picked the right place for him - and obviously for us. I do think it’s a terrific fit.”

Wallace concurs.

“At this point in my career, yeah,” he said. “I want to win, and this is a great place for that. We’ve got a lot of young, hungry guys and great veterans, and this group has already won a championship. They know what it takes, and they want to go back.”

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College Athletes Should Be Paid

 

 

The NCAA, which is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 'educational' organization, has come under fire recently for capitalizing on the commercialization of college sports. Many athletes have accused the organization of unfairly using them for financial gain.

Since 1995, the NCAA has spent more than $84 million on legal fees, including some settlements. Former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon filed a lawsuit on July 21 against the NCAA and its member schools, accusing them of illegally profiting from using the likeness of former players for commercial pursuits like video games, DVDs, and jersey sales.

Dr. Boyce Watkins, a finance professor at Syracuse University, has become a vocal critic of the NCAA, for what he calls its exploitation of the black community.

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Your Black Sports: NBA Championship or Gold Medal?

By Steven A. Gilley
Stevengilley15@aol.com

The U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team recently defeated Spain 118-107 to win the gold medal and redeem themselves after an 8-year hiatus in the Olympic Games. While on their journey to Beijing, the players fielded many questions from reporters and after nearly giving NBA Commissioner David Stern a heart attack after suggesting that they would be willing to leave the NBA to play overseas, many players discussed the importance of winning a gold medal for their country.

Many notable players have publicly stated that winning a gold medal is bigger than winning a NBA championship. Kobe Bryant, a 3-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers said, “I think winning a gold medal is more important because you’re playing for your country. You're not playing for a region or a state or a brand. You are playing for the United States of America.”

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lebron James echoed his teammate saying, “It's the biggest thing for me ever,” said James. “I got to the NBA Finals, and I thought it was pretty big for me. But winning an NBA championship never would compare to winning a gold medal for my country.”

While the importance of representing your country goes without saying, the glory and life long dream of winning a NBA championship cannot be matched. There is a reason many players have opted not to play in the Olympics over the years and to rest and prepare for a tumultuous and rigorous 82-game season in preparation of competing for an NBA title. Competing in the NBA playoffs and attempting to win 16 games is more of an achievement than the winning the 5 games necessary to win the gold medal.

Many pundits make the argument that any individual can win a NBA title and only elite players get the chance to win a gold medal in the Olympics. While this is true, there is a reason Karl Malone went to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, even though he already has a gold medal when he was apart of the 1992 Dream Team. He knew that winning a ring was missing, despite his hall of fame status already established.

These players are merely being politically correct and making it their duty as role models to stress the importance of the Olympics, which has been forgotten and taken for granted over the years by the players in the U.S. Players take salary cuts, move across the country and diminish their roles in order to win titles. These are sacrifices that are made for winning a ring, in which most players dreamed of winning since they were children.

Mayhem At WNBA: Candace Parker Throws Punch

(AP)—Candace Parker wanted to focus on all of the good parts of the Los Angeles Sparks’ win over the Detroit Shock.

Unfortunately, it will be the final 5 seconds that everyone else is going to remember.

Parker was one of three players ejected along with Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn after an ugly scuffle with 4.6 seconds left in Los Angeles’ 84-81 victory.

“To be honest, I don’t recall exactly what happened,” said Parker, who led Los Angeles with 21 points. “I’ll have to watch the tape.”

The skirmish started moments after Parker and Detroit’s Cheryl Ford had to be separated after Ford fouled Parker.

On the next possession, Parker got tangled up with Detroit’s Plenette Pierson and fell to the ground. As she was getting up, Pierson intentionally ran into her, setting off the melee.

Parker threw a punch at Pierson before being tackled by Detroit’s Deanna Nolan. Players and coaches from both teams joined in, and Mahorn knocked Lisa Leslie to the court at one point.

“I was trying to protect the whole game, the integrity of the game,” he said. “The WNBA is very special to me because I have four daughters. I don’t even raise my hand to them, and I would never push a woman. This game, I love this game too much.”

Mahorn was also involved in the 2004 Pistons-Pacers brawl while working as a Detroit broadcaster, going into the crowd to try to pull Ron Artest away from fans.

“Rick Mahorn is known as a peacemaker, from even the brawl we had here with Indiana,” Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said. “He went out there to get people off the pile, and to get people to stop the confrontation. That’s who he is, that’s what he does.”

Leslie did not talk to the media, but Los Angeles coach Michael Cooper also said he felt Mahorn was trying to stop the fight...

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