Ashton Gibbs won’t have much time to make a decision that will determine the rest of his life.
Gibbs, a sophomore guard at Pittsburgh from Scotch Plains, N.J., is one of 44 draft-eligible players who will work out this weekend in front of coaches and personnel executives from 26 NBA teams at the Nets facility in East Rutherford, N.J.
At least Gibbs can give thanks that he isn’t one of the players working out Sunday — because by midnight Sunday underclassmen must decide whether they will remain in the draft or pull out and return to campus.
“The whole decision is kind of a train wreck,” said veteran NBA agent Mark Bartelstein. “If the goal is for players to get really accurate information on where they stand and make a good decision, I think the May 8 date is certainly not benefitting [them]. (more…)
NEW YORK — In addition to his supersonic speed and killer instinct, it turns out John Wall may also possess a photographic memory.
So says Washington Wizards coach Flip Saunders.
“He’s got an extremely high basketball IQ and it seems like he’s got a photographic memory,” Saunders said before Wall put up 19 points, six assists and five rebounds in the Wizards’ 92-90 loss to the Knicks Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. (more…)
NEW YORK — John Wall’s life will change forever Thursday night.
Not only is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, but Wall’s sneaker commercial will make its television debut during the draft.
“To have your own commercial is a dream come true,” Wall said Wednesday during a meeting with the media.
Yahoo! Sports reported that Wall inked a five-year, $25-million deal with Reebok.
The “ZigTech Slash” is part of the company’s ZigTech collection. (more…)
SECAUCUS, N.J. – Mikhail Prokhorov looked a little like an Austin Powers villain even before the NBA draft lottery began.
Once it was announced that Prokhorov and his Nets would not get John Wall with the first pick in the Draft, the brow of the Russian billionaire furrowed even more.
Whether you call him Mike or Michael, as NBA Commissioner David Stern said we should now that Prokhorov has come to America, one thing you should call him is confident.
“If everything goes as planned, I predict that next season we will be in the playoffs and as championship, minimum in one year, maximum five,” he said.
Imagine John Wall furiously pushing the ball in transition and then dishing off to LeBron James on the wing for a windmill dunk to finish.
If you’re a New Jersey Nets fan, is this pure fantasy or is it within the realm of possibility?
After their 12-70 finish last season, the Nets are in position to acquire both Wall and James to bolster their team as they begin a new era under the ownership of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.
The Nets will learn during Tuesday night’s NBA Draft Lottery in Secaucus whether they will secure the rights to use the No. 1 pick on Wall, the 6-foot-4 freshman point guard from Kentucky.
NEW YORK --After winning the NCAA championship last month in Indianapolis, you wouldn’t think Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski would want to change too much.
But Coach K says the addition of a single player to the 2010-11 version of the Blue Devils will transform the team’s entire offense.
“We’ll change our whole offense, the way we play because of Kyrie,” Krzyzewski said Wednesday at the New York Athletic Club, referring to incoming freshman point guard Kyrie Irving of Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick High School.
The NBA Board of Governors on Tuesday approved Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s acquisition of a controlling interest in the Nets.
“We are pleased that the NBA’s Board of Governors approved Mikhail Prokhorov’s purchase of majority ownership of the Nets, welcoming into the NBA ownership ranks the league’s first majority investor from outside of North America,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “We anticipate that his passion for the game and business acumen will be of considerable value not only to the Nets franchise but to the entire NBA.”
Prokhorov will become the NBA’s first non-North American owner as well as the second-wealthiest owner in the league after Paul Allen of Portland.
John Wall, the projected No. 1 pick in next month’s NBA Draft, has signed with agent Dan Fegan of Blue Entertainment Sports Television, according to multiple reports.
The 6-foot-4 Wall is seen as a transcendent personality who can captivate fans and also sell a variety of products, including sneakers. BEST will collaborate with another firm to handle Wall’s marketing rights.
Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo! Sports reported that LeBron James’ fledgling marketing company, LRMR, was in talks to bring Wall aboard, but DraftExpress.com said LRMR will not be BEST’s collaborative partner. (more…)
The No. 1 high school prospect in the nation could be close to announcing his college choice, setting the dominoes falling for the top prep point guards.
Brandon Knight of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest on Wednesday told the Orlando Sentinel he plans to announce “sometime soon.”
The 6-foot-4 Knight lists Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, UConn, and Miami as his final five.
“I’m pretty ready. I want to make sure I make the right decision,” Knight told the Sentinel after scoring 25 points in a 77-63 victory over Williston in a Florida Class 3A semifinal. (more…)
“Adam Zagoria sees the story behind the daily happenings.”
~ St. Anthony Coach Bob Hurley
Zagoria covers the New York Knicks and Big East hoops for NBA.com and SNY.tv. He also appears as a Big East Basketball Insider on SNY and 1050 ESPN Radio.
He is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, SI and Basketball Times.
Ashton Gibbs won’t have much time to make a decision that will determine the rest of his life.
