NBA

[hades]

that guy they got was a waste.

[Go Cavs!]

wow i just heard Ben Wallace signed with the Bulls.. no joke.

[Blu]

wow i just heard Ben Wallace signed with the Bulls.. no joke.

He was going to, b/c they lacked post muscle.

[bobby]

wow i just heard Ben Wallace signed with the Bulls.. no joke.

here come da bulls......again O0

[hades]

wonder if he can help the bulls that much.

[Blu]

wonder if he can help the bulls that much.

The Bulls damn near beat Miami in the playoffs. They got out muscled...Ben willl help A LOT.

[hades]

depends if he steps it up.

[Blu]

depends if he steps it up.

LoL Why wouldn't he? His entire game is muscle. Today's trade for PJ Brown adds more post help. Bulls can win the East.

[bobby]

they have a good enough team to at least make it to the conf. finals O0

[hades]

watching him play..hes always been a moody player and played to his moods.

[Blu]

watching him play..hes always been a moody player and played to his moods.

If this is moody, then I'll take moody.
# 2006 All-Defensive Team
# 2005-06 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
# Selected to fourth All-Star team 02/09/06
# Surpassed 7,000 career rebounds and 1,500 career blocks on 01/18/06 vs. Atlanta
# 2005 All-Defensive Team
# 2004-05 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
# Finished the season as the only NBA player ranked in the Top-5 in blocks and Top-25 in steals in 2005
# Became the fifth player in NBA history to record 100 blocks and 100 steals in five consecutive seasons in 2005
# Became the franchise's all-time blocks leader vs. Seattle (3/16/05), surpassing Terry Tyler
# 2005 All-Star Reserve
# 2004 All-Defensive Team
# 2004 All-NBA Second Team
# Three-time NBA All-Star
# 2003 All-NBA Second Team
# 2002-03 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
# Won NBA Player of the Week honors (3/17-3/23) in 2002-03
# 2002 All-NBA Third Team
# Named the 2001-02 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
# Named to the NBA All-Defensive team in 2001-02
# Named by USA Basketball as a member of the USA team that will compete at the World Basketball Championships in Indiana during the 2002 summer
# One of four players in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and blocks during the same season (01-02) - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1975-76, Bill Walton 1976-77 and Hakeem Olajuwon 1989-90
# Won NBA Player of the Week honors twice (2/24 and 3/31) in 2001-02
# Led NBA in rebounds and blocks in 2001-02
# Set a franchise record for blocks (278) in a season (2001-02) - Bob Lanier had 247 in 1973-74

[Tara]

I can be moody. Wanna see? <a href="http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZS" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_6_214.gif" alt="Moody" border="0"></a>

[hades]

never said he wasnt a good player. but when he has his lil mood swings he doesnt show up at all. mostly in big games tho.

[Monkey]

The Celtics are actually starting to play decently again  :ooo

Too bad they couldn't have started two months ago  :(

[Homer]

The Celtics are actually starting to play decently again  :ooo

Too bad they couldn't have started two months ago  :(

Yeah...I wanted the #1 draft pick.

[Monkey]

The Celtics are actually starting to play decently again  :ooo

Too bad they couldn't have started two months ago  :(

Yeah...I wanted the #1 draft pick.

:))

[gator8_24]

 :'(( :'(( we lost our head coach to the Magic!! :'(( :'((

[gator8_24]

  OOPS! Maybe not!

  DONOVAN'S DECISION: GATORS VS. MAGIC

2nd thoughts better late than never for Donovan
Mike Bianchi
SPORTS COMMENTARY

June 4, 2007

So David Whitley thinks coaching in the NBA is better than coaching in college?

Apparently, even Billy Donovan disagrees with not only Whitley, but Billy Donovan himself.

With reports surfacing Sunday night that Donovan wants out of his Magic contract and has second thoughts about leaving the Gators, he has proven the pull of the college ranks is stronger than $27.5 million.

Sure, it looks bad for Donovan and worse for the Magic. Perhaps even staggering for the local roundball team. But for all concerned, it's probably the best to expect in this situation.

Imagine if this surfaced midway through the season? How bad would that be?

There's all the downside surrounding the NBA -- the paternity suits, personal nutritionists and the 82-game grind of the pros.

Don't get me wrong, I thought the Magic had pulled off a miracle when it appeared they hired Billy Donovan. He must have snorted a little bit too much pixie dust when he first made his decision to jump from college to the NBA.

The second thoughts began to take hold over the weekend. It's like I've written many times, in college Donovan could go down as a mythical figure like a Dean Smith, Bob Knight or Mike Krzyzewski. In the NBA, he'd become the next Dick Motta.

The argument of pro vs. college sports can be boiled down to two names -- Bobby Bowden and Bill Parcells. Bowden is a beloved icon in his sport; Parcells is a great coach, but he's reviled more than he's revered in his sport.

See, pro coaches are known but not loved. Coaching in the pros is about building your bank account; coaching in college is about building your legacy. If you stay in college basketball long enough, you become a legend. If you stay in the NBA long enough, you become a retread.

In college basketball, the great coaches are the kings of their fiefdoms. They are the all-knowing gurus who teach fundamentals, build character and mold boys into men. In the NBA, the coaches are the guys in the slick suits who massage player egos and program their cell phones.

Let's look at the perceptions of some college and NBA coaches:

- College coach with the most national titles -- John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood, the ultimate teacher of the game.

- NBA coach with the most titles -- Phil Jackson, the guy who was lucky enough to coach Shaq and MJ.

- Best current college coach -- Krzyzewski, Coach K, one of the ultimate teachers of the game.

- Best current NBA coach -- Gregg Whatshisname, the guy lucky enough to coach Tim Duncan.

- College coach with the most wins: Bob Knight, the General, one of the ultimate teachers of the game.

- NBA coach with the most wins -- Lenny Wilkens, who has been fired more times than Lindsay Lohan's driving instructor.

Donovan apparently fears some serious culture shock.

In college, he can threaten to pull a player's scholarship if the player gets out of line. In the NBA, his only leverage is to call the concierge and threaten to take away Dwight Howard's pillow mint.

At Florida, the Gators are cheered on by the "Rowdy Reptiles." In Orlando, the Magic are cheered on by the "Sleeping Suits."

At Florida, Gators fans camp out for tickets the night before big games. In Orlando, there are no big games.

At Florida, they play at a 30-year-old arena and nobody complains. In Orlando, they play at a 17-year-old arena and the fans complain because the seats don't come with a chilled-wine decanter and a cheese tray.

At Florida this year, a fan started a Web site -- keepbillydonovan.com. In Orlando this year, a fan started a Web site -- firebrianhill.org.

At Florida, Donovan continued to get contract extensions and raises even when he was losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In Orlando, Hill got fired for losing in the first round of the playoffs.

Money not withstanding, ask Hill how great the Magic job is.

He was fired twice, in part because the players didn't like him. If you don't think player unrest had anything to do with Hill's recent departure, check out this quote from Howard after Donovan was apparently hired: "Basketball is going to be fun again here."

Let's face it, the only thing better about the NBA is the money. And even that wasn't enough for Donovan. He would have earned about $27.5 million to coach the Magic. Now, he still has a chance to go down as the greatest college basketball coach of the modern era if he gets out of his Magic deal and goes back to Gainesville.

Otherwise, he'll just be another NBA coach with a mediocre team.

Mike Bianchi can be reached at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/gators/orl-bianchi0407jun04,0,7446129.column?coll=orl-home-headlines

[Monkey]

The Cavs better do something this game  ::)

LeBron can only carry that team so far. They'd be even more hopeless right now if they didn't have him.

I'm sick of the Spurs winning everything  >:D

[Monkey]

Last night's game was interesting until the 4th quarter at least.  ::) :( :/o\