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LOVELOCK, NV – JULY 20: O.J. Simpson attends his parole hearing at Lovelock Correctional Center July 20, 2017 in Lovelock, Nevada. Simpson is serving a nine to 33 year prison term for a 2007 armed robbery and kidnapping conviction. (Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images).
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Fireworks after a baseball game between the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals at National Park (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images).
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LAS VEGAS – The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved rules changes pertaining to timeout format and procedures for administrating free throws and halftime.
NBA made several moves to cut down time outs and improve flow of play (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images).
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Effective with the 2017-18 season, the maximum number of timeouts per game will decrease from 18 to 14. In addition, during the last three minutes of a game, teams will be limited to two team timeouts each instead of the previous rule that allowed three per team in the last two minutes.
“These changes will help us fulfill our goal of improving game flow and pace of play,” said Byron Spruell, NBA President, League Operations. “Fewer stoppages and less time without action, especially at the end of a game, will further enhance the viewing experience for our fans.”
The rule modifications for timeouts are below:
The NBA also made the following changes regarding game flow:
In addition, the Board of Governors approved moving the trade deadline from the Thursday after the NBA All-Star Game to the Thursday 10 days before the All-Star Game. With the new placement of the trade deadline, teams will be able to settle their rosters before the All-Star break and avoid the disruptions that result from players joining new teams just as practices and games are beginning to resume following the All-Star break.
The NBA’s Competition Committee unanimously recommended the rules changes before the Board of Governors’ vote.
LAS VEGAS – Ron Rothstein, a loyal and innovative assistant coach for five different NBA teams and winner of three NBA championships during his illustrious career, was named the recipient of the 2017 Tex Winter assistant coach Lifetime Impact Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced during the NBA Summer League events in Las Vegas.
“Ron Rothstein is most deserving of this prestigious recognition,” said Dallas Mavericks Head Coach and NBCA President Rick Carlisle. “Over several decades, Ronnie has helped countless players and coaches become their very best while continually helping promote the NBA game. I had the privilege to work with Coach Rothstein during the 2003-04 season. As an assistant for me in Indiana that year, Ron was a high impact contributor to our Pacers team that set a franchise record with 61 wins. More recently, Ronnie was top assistant to Erik Spoelstra during Miami’s run of back-to-back Championships in 2012 and 2013,”
Then Head Coach of the Miami Heat Pat Riley (L) and Assistant Coach Ron Rothstein helps lead his team against the Utah Jazz on December 22, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami (Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images).
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“I would like to thank the NBCA for the honor of being chosen as this year’s recipient of the Tex Winter assistant coach Lifetime Impact Award. This is not only an honor, it is also a truly humbling experience,” said Rothstein in accepting the award.
“Over the course of my 22 years as an Assistant Coach, I have been fortunate enough to work for seven outstanding Head Coaches. It all started in 1979 when Mike Fratello recommended me to Hubie Brown, then Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks. Hubie hired me as a part-time regional NBA scout while I was still a high school teacher and coach. My first full-time Assistant Coaching job was with Mike Fratello and the Atlanta Hawks. Following that, I joined Chuck Daly and the Detroit Pistons. Next, I rejoined Mike Fratello with the Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by Rick Carlisle and the Indiana Pacers, and then finished the last 10 years of my coaching career with the Miami Heat, working for Stan Van Gundy, Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra. Not many Coaches get as lucky as I did to work with and for so many brilliant and successful Head Coaches. I can’t thank them enough for all that they have done for my family and me over the course of my career,” he continued.
“Thanks, also, to the GM’s I have had the privilege to work for: Stan Kasten (Atlanta Hawks), the late Jack McCloskey (Detroit Pistons), Wayne Embry (Cleveland Cavaliers), Donnie Walsh/Larry Bird (Indiana Pacers) and Pat Riley (Miami Heat). Not many Coaches can put together a list like that. What a privilege it was to work for them.
“To all the players I have had the good fortune to work with, thank you for all that you have done to contribute to my success. Obviously, none of this was possible without your dedication, hard work, talent, and professionalism.
“I have been fortunate enough to have lived and worked in the NBA through the golden years, all the way to the wildly successful years of today’s new NBA era. All my family and I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Last but not least, a huge thank you to my beautiful wife of 51 years, Olivia, who has been by my side every step of the way, and to my children and grandchildren, as well, for all their love and support.”
Rothstein, who has spent over 50 years in the game and 26 years on an NBA bench, began his NBA career in 1979 as the northeastern U.S. regional scout for the Atlanta Hawks. In 1982, he moved to a similar position with the New York Knicks before becoming an Assistant Coach with the Hawks in 1983. After spending three seasons on the Hawks bench, Rothstein joined the Detroit Pistons coaching staff as an Assistant Coach in 1986 where he was credited with establishing the defensive mindset and principles that helped the Pistons reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 1987 and the NBA Finals in 1988.
He was the Miami Heat’s first Head Coach in 1988 and led the team for three years, increasing the team’s victory total each year. He also served as Head Coach of the Detroit Pistons and General Manager and Head Coach of the WNBA’s Miami Sol for their three years of existence.
Rothstein spent the last 10 years of his renowned coaching career as an Assistant Coach for the Miami Heat. After helping win the 2006 NBA Championship as an Assistant Coach for Pat Riley, he transitioned to Erik Spoelstra’s staff where he was a part of two more championship teams. Overall, he coached in 9 Eastern Conference Championships and 6 NBA Finals.
Prior to joining the NBA, Rothstein was a high school coach for 19 years and was selected Westchester County (NY) Coach of the Year in 1979 while at Eastchester High School in New York.
Rothstein was inducted into the University of Rhode Island (his alma mater) Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989 and in 2010 he received the Ram Legend Award from U.R.I. Additionally, he was inducted into the Miami Sports Hall of Champions in 2005 and the Westchester County (NY) Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
The National Basketball Coaches Association Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award honors the tremendous achievements and commitment of Hall of Fame Tex Winter, who over an outstanding NBA coaching career set a standard of integrity, competitive excellence, loyalty, and tireless promotion of NBA basketball. The Lifetime Impact Award is selected annually by the Award Selection Committee. This Committee is comprised of some of the most respected coaches and basketball executives in the game, including Rick Adelman, Hubie Brown, Doug Collins, Wayne Embry, Danny Ferry, Mike Fratello, George Karl, Doc Rivers, Rod Thorn, and Lenny Wilkens.
This year’s nominees included Assistant Coaches Ron Adams, Jim Boylan, Hank Egan, Jim Eyen, Tim Grgurich, Frank Hamblen, Dick Helm, Brian Hill, Jim Lynam, Brendan Malone, Bob McAdoo, Brendan Suhr and Bob Weiss.
Phil Johnson was the inaugural winner of the award, presented for the first time in 2016.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced a partnership with IMG and its collegiate sports marketing wing to focus and stage a series of premier basketball events for both men and women at the collegiate level. As a non-profit institution committed to promoting and celebrating the game of basketball at all levels, the Basketball Hall of Fame is attempting to elevate its roster of collegiate events and through this new partnership, IMG College and the Hall will collaborate on existing events in the portfolio – with a focus on event planning, sponsorship sales, television and ticket sales – while seeking to create new events in locations of mutual interest.
“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate college basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Our partnership with IMG will support expansion of our portfolio of events, providing memorable experiences for athletes and fans from coast to coast.”
“We are happy to partner with the Basketball Hall of Fame on this exciting slate of college basketball events,” said Tim Pernetti, President, IMG College. “Through this relationship, we will help to elevate the Hall of Fame’s existing portfolio and also provide new solutions for schools across the country in the event space.”
As part of this partnership, which begins with the 2017-18 season, the Basketball Hall of Fame will collaborate with IMG on previously staged and announced events hosting 14 teams at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, six teams at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and four teams at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami in the 2017-18 basketball season.
James Harden of the Houston Rockets (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images).
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NEW YORK – (wire Service Report by The Sports Xchange) – Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was fined $10,000 for “using inappropriate language on social media,” the league announced Saturday.
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers (Michael J. LeBrecht II/NBAE via Getty Images).
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Embiid unleashed an obscenity aimed at LaVar Ball, the father of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, in an Instagram Live video earlier this week. The 23-year-old Embiid was heard to say, “(Expletive) LaVar Ball.”
The elder Ball was quick with a response to TMZ Sports.
“He’s got three words. His vocabulary is limited,” Ball said. “You gotta use cuss words when you don’t have no intellect. He’s not intelligent at all. He shouldn’t worry about me, he should be worried about playing.”
Embiid has been quite vocal on social media in regard to LaVar and Lonzo Ball. He answered the elder Ball’s claim that the Lakers would be playoff-bound in 2018 with a tweet asking teammate Ben Simmons to “Please dunk on him so hard that his daddy runs on the court to save him.”
The NBA issued a memo to all 30 teams in February emphasizing rules prohibiting “mocking and/or ridiculing” opponents or officials by official team social media accounts
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JUNE 13: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady walks off the field at the end of practice at the Gillette Stadium practice field in Foxborough, MA on Jun. 13, 2017. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys looks to pass during the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on January 15, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. The Packers defeated the Cowboys 34-31. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images).
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BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report by The Sports Xchange) – Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins is hoping NFL players can get bigger paydays after watching the first day of NBA free agency with many stars agreeing to megadeals. The 24-year-old Watkins, the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL draft out of Clemson, took to Twitter on Sunday to push NFL players getting paid like their counterparts in the NBA.
ORCHARD PARK, NY – DECEMBER 18, 2016: Wide receiver Sammy Watkins #14 of the Buffalo Bills catches a pass prior to a game against the Cleveland Browns on December 16, 2016 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo won 33-13. (Photo by: Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
“We gotta get paid more I’m pretty sure 2014 class will change the market,” Watkins tweeted.
Watkins also retweeted NFL player promoter Jake Steinberg, who wrote: “NFL players have the right to be (ticked off). They get the smallest piece of the pie. NFL has $12B in annual revenue; NBA has $5B.”
NBA free agents agreed to deals totaling nearly $1 billion in the first 24 hours of free agency alone, according to USA Today.
Watkins has been greatly overshadowed in the 2014 NFL Draft class by fellow wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants and Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, partly because of his multiple injuries.
Watkins caught just 28 passes for 430 yards and two scores in 2016, and then the Bills in May declined to pick up his fifth-year option for 2018 that would have paid their top receiver $13.258 million. Over his four-year rookie contract, Watkins will earn $19.9 million, all of which was fully guaranteed.
The team’s decision means Watkins will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2017 season.
Watkins has experienced injury issues during his first three NFL seasons and played in just eight games last season due to a foot injury.
Head coach Sean McDermott said the Bills are going to continue to “be smart” regarding Watkins as he comes back from his second foot surgery in January.
Watkins resumed practicing during minicamp last month after missing the majority of offseason workouts while recovering from surgery.
Watkins caught 65 passes for 982 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games as a rookie. He set career highs of 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in his second season when he had 60 receptions in 13 games
