Timberwolves still unsure of Kevin Garnett’s plans for next season

http://i2.wp.com/www.truesportsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/kevin-garnett.jpg?fit=600%2C367

Kevin Garnett has had an entire summer to decide whether or not he plans to retire, but apparently he still needs a little more time.

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said on Thursday that the team is still awaiting word on Garnett’s plans for the 2016-17 season.

“Kevin hasn’t told me or informed me yet if he’s coming back to play or if he isn’t coming back,” Taylor told Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. “I can only assume I’ll be hearing from him in the next three weeks.”

The 40-year-old Garnett would be entering his 22nd NBA season and is currently the second-oldest active player in the league behind veteran guard Andre Miller. Having entered the league straight out of high school in 1995, Garnett is also easily the longest-tenured current NBA player.

The 15-time All-Star witnessed contemporaries Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan hang up their sneakers in the last few months. He also averaged just 3.2 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in 38 appearances for Minnesota in 2015-16, so there’s definitely a solid argument for Garnett to call it quits.

But Garnett has settled into a nice mentorship role for the team that drafted him, particularly for fellow big man Karl-Anthony Towns. For a guy who has always been famous for it, Garnett’s passion for the game seems like it could easily sway him to suit up for one more year.

We last heard in July that Garnett was still wrestling with the decision, and he doesn’t appear to have made much progress on that front. But the former MVP has earned the right to take as long as he needs and can’t be faulted for what he chooses to do, one way or the other.

H/T Rotoworld

Basketball – Larry Brown Sports
http://wp.me/p59zQO-8v3
#GarnettS, #Kevin, #Next, #Plans, #Season, #Still, #Timberwolves, #Unsure - #Basketball

Mets GM Sandy Alderson: ‘No present plans’ to fire manager Terry Collins

http://www.truesportsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/terry-collins-mets.jpg

The struggling New York Mets have come under fire recently, but for the moment, their issues are not going to cost manager Terry Collins his job.

General manager Sandy Alderson gave a rather evasive statement Thursday in which he gave Collins something of a vote of confidence.

“Do I ever make any statement unequivocally?” Alderson said, via ESPN’s Adam Rubin. “There are no present plans to make any changes.”

Alderson had to deal with a heckler calling for former Padres manager Bud Black, and he understands the criticism.

“We all have an expectation of winning,” Alderson said. “None of us uses injuries as an excuse. That’s true inside the organization. That’s true for our fans, as well. That’s why I understand the frustration.”

Collins isn’t happy about how things are going either, as evidenced by this recent press conference. If it’s any consolation, his job doesn’t seem to be in peril.

Baseball – Larry Brown Sports
http://po.st/78RWMa
#Alderson, #Collins, #Fire, #Manager, #Mets, #No, #Plans, #Present, #Sandy, #Terry - #Baseball

Mariners announce plans for Ken Griffey Jr. statue

http://i2.wp.com/www.truesportsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ken-griffey-safeco.jpg?fit=600%2C354

The Seattle Mariners held a ceremony on Saturday night to honor Ken Griffey Jr. as they retired the former center fielder’s No. 24 jersey. The team also announced another cool surprise: They will be making a statue of “The Kid” that will be placed outside Safeco Field next year.

It"s official. #Mariners President Kevin Mather announces there will be a Ken Griffey Jr. statue outside Safeco Field next year.

— #24EVER (@Mariners) August 7, 2016

The Mariners may have slipped to just two games over .500, but that didn’t impact the crowd for the game. Safeco Field was packed:

Griffey jersey and number retirement ceremony. pic.twitter.com/Un1DRQxCHH

— Chris Cwik (@Chris_Cwik) August 7, 2016

Griffey was drafted first overall by the Mariners in the 1987 draft, made the bigs in 1989 at age 19, then proceeded to make 10 straight All-Star Games and win 10 straight Gold Gloves, all with the Mariners. He led the league in home runs four times, RBIs, runs and slugging percentage once, and won an MVP — all with Seattle. Those were by far the best days of his career, so the statue honor is well deserved.

Baseball – Larry Brown Sports
http://po.st/rr9vXM
#Announce, #Griffey, #Mariners, #Plans, #Statue - #Baseball