Hawks rookie Lucas Nogueira will stay in Spain

Atlanta Hawks first round pick Lucas Nogueira will be spending next season in Spain so he can get some meaningful minutes and develop his game with Asefa Estudiantes Madrid.

The seven foot center was taken by the Boston Celtics with the 16th pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft and quickly traded to the Hawks.

Nogueira would've found it hard to get minutes in a crowded frontcourt that includes Al Horford, Elton Brand, and Paul Millsap.

“We are very encouraged by what we’ve seen from Lucas this summer,” general manager Danny Ferry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday. “Going back to Estudiantes will allow him to continue develop while also playing meaningful minutes against very good competition. We will closely monitor his progress as he works towards his goals as a basketball player.”

Nogueira doesn't seem to mind, but last month he stated that he hoped to stay with the Hawks.

“If I stay here, I’m happy,” he said. “But if I need to go back I’m happy too because in Spain everybody believes in me. I’ve lived … in Spain and I know my club and everybody knows me. I’m happy. I know I can improve my game in Spain. I improved so much this year from last year. Right now, the most important thing is my body. I can’t improve my body in Spain. I’m perfect to stay here because the most important thing is to improve my body.”

Knowing that Danny Ferry cut his teeth in the San Antonio Spurs front office I'd have to say this is a Spurs type of move and could pay off for the  Hawks in the long run.

Tim Duncan gay rumors won't cease

The Tim Duncan is gay/bisexual rumors aren't going away.

 A New York radio station, 105.1 broached the subject recently with Spurs player Danny Green.

 Pretty good interview that's enclosed with the piece and if you watch it, the radio station mixes no punches, they get right to the goods.

Danny Green, a shooting guard for the Spurs, appeared on the morning show for New York's Power 105.1 earlier this week. The hosts then asked Green about these Tim Duncan gay rumors.

Green defended Duncan saying he doesn't care one way or another.

"Timmy is Tim," Green continued. "I'm not going to look at him any differently. He's my teammate regardless of his sexual preferences. I haven't heard anything about it and I definitely haven't suspected anything. He's going through some stuff, and that's what happens when you go through a divorce sometimes. It gets ugly."

Indeed, these Tim Duncan gay rumors first spread because of the Spurs star's impending divorce. An Internet report claimed that Amy Duncan believed her ex was cheating on her with his male friend.

"Amy treated Tim like a b*tch throughout their marriage because she knew he was f*cking his BFF," the source said. "Tim knows Amy was cheating on him, but he's willing to give her whatever she wants, because he doesn't want Amy to tell the world he's bisexual."

Tim Duncan reportedly met this alleged boyfriend while attending college at Wake Forest. The man even reportedly lived with Duncan and his wife for two years after they got married.

Of course, these Tim Duncan gay rumors are completely unsubstantiated at the moment. They are also just one piece of what has become a messy divorce for the Spurs star. Reports indicate that Amy Duncan may have cheated on her husband with her personal trainer. Tim Duncan reportedly hired a private investigator to follow Amy.

If Tim Duncan is gay, he would not be the first NBA player to come out as homosexual. Jason Collins revealed that he is gay in a Sports Illustrated interview earlier this year. Duncan was one of several athletes to support Collins following the announcement.

"Really hope people will RESPECT Jason Collins for his decision to come out," the forward wrote at the time. "Just glad he can now relax and not be afraid to be who he is."

You can watch video of Danny Green discussing the Tim Duncan gay rumors here.

Raptors' Andrea Bargnani finished for the season. Could amnesty be next?

The Toronto Raptors fans have had enough of former overall number one pick, Andrea Bargnani. They've had their wish granted because Bargnani is finished for the year with an elbow injury.  The same elbow that cost Bargnani some court action this year.

Bargnani missed 26 games earlier in the year with wrist and elbow injuries. He’s now suffered a new injury in the same elbow — an “avulsion sprain” — that will sideline him 3-4 weeks.

Fans would love to see the big man shipped out if town. General manager actively tried to trade Bargnani before the trade deadline but couldn't find any takers. It appears the Raptors might be stuck with a player who has disappointed them one too many times.

There could be hope though. The idea of Bargnani being waived via the amnesty clause has been floated out there. It might be difficult to part ways with a player once thought of to be a cornerstone of the franchise. But  the decision is made a lot easier since Bargnani has two years and $22 million left on his contract.

If Bargnani is set free during the offseason is there still a place for him in the league? While some may say he should go back to Europe, I think he could excel in a place where expectations for him to carry a team aren't so high.

In my opinion, I really think Bargnani would fit in well with the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have an international flavor plus he could play under Tim Duncan for a few years. Think about it, the Spurs have earned Nazr Mohammed a few extra paychecks. It damn sure wasn't his time in Detroit that did it.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls could possibly be a landing spot for Bargnani. More so the Bulls where he could come in as a sixth man.

No one knows what's going to happen but one thing is for sure. Bargnani more than likely is headed out of Toronto.

Captain Jack coming full circle

A few days ago Stephen Jackson was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Golden State Warriors. It was a homecoming of sorts as Jackson was going back to Golden State. Now a few days after that it looks like Jackson's career is coming full circle. The San Antonio Spurs are trading small forward Richard Jefferson for the volatile Jackson. Golden State will also receive a first round pick in the deal.

In a bland Spurs locker room Jackson has bee described as the ultimate teammate by Tim Duncan. I guess that can carry some weight since Jackson has worn out his welcome in lots of places since his first stint in San Antonio. With Manu Ginobili not being at full strength, this could turn out to be a coup for the Spurs as Jackson always states that he just wants to win.  

TJ Ford retiring from the NBA

Today San Antonio Spurs point guard TJ Ford decided that it was time to throw in the towel on his NBA career. By no means am I calling Ford a quitter. He succeeded in beating the odds for sticking around this long but sometimes enough is enough.

Ford told reporters that lying motionless March 7 on the court against the New York Knicks wasn’t the first time it had happened, and he decided to walk away while he still had a chance. He was playing just his 14th game in an injury-prone season when Knicks guard Baron Davis elbowed him in the back, knocking him to the ground.


“If it’s anybody else, it’s just a regular play,” Ford said at a Spurs practice before Monday’s game against Washington. “But because of me and my condition, a simple elbow in the back has a different outcome than hitting someone else in the back.”

Due to a surgically repaired spine, Ford never became the big star that may thought he would be when he came out of Texas after his sophomore year. There were flashes of the talent that made Ford a collegiate star, where he transformed Texas into a legitimate basketball school. But he was often injured which include a year on the sidelines after undergoing spinal fusion surgery.

The ever positive Ford doesn't look at his exit negatively. That's just the kind of person he is. He knows he played against doctor's advice and seems to look back fondly on his career.

“I think I succeeded at beating the odds, of being the little guy, making it to the NBA and lasting as long as I did,” Ford said. “I think I achieved a lot. I know I didn’t have the career I anticipated and everyone anticipated, me having been the player of the year (at Texas). But I think I still had a successful career.”      


It's sad to see that Ford will not leave the game on his own terms. The Ford I remember was a dazzling point guard leading the Texas Longhorns to the Final Four in a thriller of a game against the Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse team. I would like to see him stay around the game because I feel that Ford could make a smooth transition to the coaching ranks.

Good luck in the future TJ.

Alvin Robertson is a sick man

Former NBA all star guard Alvin Robertson has been charged with child trafficking,sexual assault of a child,and forcing a sexual performance by a child.Robertson has not yet been apprehended.  

   Robertson,whose NBA career spanned from 1984-1996 was a four time all star,the first NBA most improved player award winner and 1986 defensive player of the year.He played for the San Antonio Spurs,Milwaukee Bucks,Detroit Pistons,and Toronto Raptors.He was a solid all around player and one of the best defensive players of his time. Enough about his playing career.

  Authorities say Robertson was part of a sex ring that kidnapped a 14 year old girl from San Antonio and forced her to have sex with clients and dance at a strip club in Corpus Christi,Texas.Seven people have been charged,that also includes his girlfriend.He's the only one who hasn't been arrested.The girl escaped which prompted an investigation.Robertson,is best known in the Detroit area,for attacking,alledgedly choking player personnel director Billy McKinney,while he was a member of the Pistons.In 1997 he was charged with four misdemeanors for abusing a former girlfriend and sentenced to one year in prison.In 1990 he spent a month in jail for beating his then wife.He served that time in the off-season.In January of 2007,he was arrested on a variety of charges related to domestic violence.Now the sex ring operation,alledgedly.You can see the pattern of legal problems,namely domestic violence.If what has came out is true,he needs to be put away.I hate to wish the worse on anyone,but i hope he gets sexed up while he's locked up.With the legal pattern he's developed he deserves it.