Monday, August 1, 2016

Report: Amar’e Stoudemire To Play In Israel Next Season

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Last week, Amar’e Stoudemire announced his retirement from the NBA but that doesn’t mean he’s done playing for good.

Reports are circulating that STAT will join Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel. Stoudemire is part owner of the team. Amar’e is holding a press conference in New York tomorrow (August 1) and is expected to officially announce the decision.

In 2014, the 14-year NBA vet told the New York Post that “it would be great” to play in Israel after he’s done in the League. ““We’ll see,’’ he said. “You can’t rule anything out. The future is unknown and so if I have an opportunity to [play in Israel] and am still in great health, it would be great. I have one more year left on my deal and we’ll go from there.’’

The big man identifies as “culturally Jewish” and observes Jewish holidays. He has spent time in Israel in the past.

More from David Pick and the Jerusalem Post

Hapoel Jerusalem is confident of signing Stoudemire, who has an ownership stake in the club since the summer of 2013. The 33-year-old forward has said in the past that it would be “great” to play for Jerusalem and Hapoel owner Ori Allon has always hoped he could convince him to come to Israel.

 

Stoudemire claims he has Jewish roots on his mother’s side and has visited Israel in the past. He is set to arrive in the country once more next week as part of the joint initiative between the Omri Casspi Foundation and NBA Cares, the league’s global community outreach initiative, aimed at presenting Israel in a positive light across the world. Jerusalem is hoping to make the most of the opportunity and officially unveil Stoudemire while he’s in the country.

The post Report: Amar’e Stoudemire To Play In Israel Next Season appeared first on SLAMonline.


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Kevin Durant: James Harden is underappreciated outside of NBA

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Kevin-Durant-James-Harden

James Harden is a year removed from nearly winning MVP, but Kevin Durant feels that his former teammate doesn’t get his due from observers.

On Sunday, Durant said that Harden is one of the best players in the game and bemoaned his absence from All-NBA consideration.

“Nobody really appreciates what he does except for the players in our league,” Durant said, via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “Everybody on the outside doesn’t really appreciate what he brings. Anybody that can put up 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and not make the All-NBA team, that’s like a sin to even think about not putting a guy like that on the All-NBA team.

“As a player and someone that played with him and a fan of the game I was (angry) because somebody is right here in front of you and you can’t appreciate him. If he were to retire tomorrow, we would have so many stories and videos about how great he is, but he’s here right now doing it. Appreciate what he brings.”

Durant is right that Harden is an elite player who stuffs the stat sheet. It’s his defensive struggles and some criticism of his intangibles, however, that have kept him from being recognized as a consistent, consensus All-NBA talent.


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Joe Maddon has great reaction after bold Travis Wood move works to perfection

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Joe Maddon

Joe Maddon had a splendid reaction Sunday after one of his unconventional managerial maneuvers produced magical results.

Maddon went to his bullpen early after the Seattle Mariners scored six runs over the first three innings off Cubs starter Brian Matusz. In the sixth, he had Travis Wood relieve Joe Nathan, who had put runners on second and third with nobody out. Wood walked the first batter he faced before getting two strikeouts and a popup to escape the bases loaded jam without allowing a run.

After Wood did his job in the sixth, Maddon decided to pitch Pedro Strop in the seventh, but he did not remove Wood from the game. Instead, he had Wood play left field. The move worked out perfectly when Wood made a brilliant catch on a ball hit by Franklin Gutierrez with one out:

Maddon’s reaction was perfect:

And how well did Wood track that ball? Let’s just say much better than someone like Kyle Schwarber probably would have.

But the story doesn’t end there. Maddon brought Wood back in to pitch with two outs in the top of the eighth. Wood picked off the runner at first to end the inning. He was finally removed from the game when Mike Montgomery came in to pitch the ninth.


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Camp Notes By KRL – 07/31/16

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Jalin Marshall

General Notes

– Practice was held in the fieldhouse and players were in full pads.

– Practice ran 2.5 hours.

– Brant Boyer (STC) was back to using trash cans as he went over wedge blocking assignments with the cans representing defenders.

– Revis was starting to test his wrist as he did some individual DB drills.

– The defense worked on causing fumbles today by setting up four stations where they worked on different situations.  One was strip sacks and another was two men tackling the ball carrier where one would secure and the other would strip the ball.

– The defense won the day today.  They worked on installing their sub-packages and bringing blitz pressure out of them.

Players Who Continue To “Stack” Practices

– Jordan Jenkins (OLB) had a sack and two tackles for loss.  At this stage he seems to play “older” than his age let’s see if it continues.

– Jalin Marshall (WR) is getting increased reps with the #1’s.  He had a TD in the red zone portion of practice.

– Juston Burris (CB) continues to show good coverage skills and had multiple pass breakups.  And with the pads on he also showed good run support.

Player Notes

– Doug Middleton (S) showed excellent range by getting an INT of Bryce Petty.  From media reports it seemed like he stood out on Saturday so he continued his good play today.

– Darron Lee (LB) and Bruce Carter (LB) really stood out today as they displayed their speed.  In 1 on 1 coverage drills against RB’s they were fast enough to undercut the routes and knock down passes.  And in 11 on 11’s Lee shined bringing blitz pressure from the middle by getting a sack.

– The rust continues to fall off of Ryan Clady.  He’s had impressive battles against Lorenzo Mauldin (winning some, losing some).  And today in 11 on 11’s he was able to engage multiple defenders when the defense blitzed.

– Mauldin is bringing pressure off the edge but he’s not being a “one trick pony”. He’s not just trying to use his speed and run around the OT, he’s stringing together moves.  Also, he’s being attentive to setting the edge in the run game.

– With the pads on Calvin Pryor had a good day.  He had a TFL on a run blitz and a sack.

– Jace Amaro showed up today in blocking and pass catching.  He had a nice seal block that allowed Powell to get a 20+ yard run.  In 11 on 11’s he made an excellent diving catch of a throw by Petty and stretched the seam by catching a 15+ yarder from Fitzpatrick(?)

– Buster Skrine had an INT and sack of Fitzpatrick during 11 on 11’s.

QB’s

Nothing really stood out about the QB’s today other than a few highlight plays:

– Fitzpatrick hitting Decker on a 35+ yard throw over Milliner

– Hackenberg hitting Kyle Williams on a 40+ yard TD

Daily Standouts

– Darron Lee
– Bruce Carter
– Doug Middleton
– Calvin Pryor
– Jordan Jenkins
– Juston Burris
– Lorenzo Mauldin

Be sure to visit our forums to read more about New York Jets training camp.


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Olympics soccer preview and transfer rumors: World Soccer Talk Podcast

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olympics-rio

Welcome to the latest episode of the World Soccer Talk Podcast, the longest running soccer podcast on the planet (since 2006).

In this episode, host Nipun Chopra is joined by Kris Heneage to briefly preview the Olympics soccer tournament that starts later this week, as well as to discuss the latest transfer rumors and signings including Paul Pogba and Gonzalo Higuain.

This episode of the World Soccer Talk Podcast is sponsored by SeatGeek.

Listeners get a $ 20 dollar rebate off their first SeatGeek purchase.

SeatGeek has taken all the work and hassle out of shopping for tickets.

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• Download the FREE SeatGeek app
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• Enter promo code WSTPOD
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Listen to the show via the player above or via this link.

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The post Olympics soccer preview and transfer rumors: World Soccer Talk Podcast appeared first on World Soccer Talk.


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Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler wait around to hug Jimmy Walker after winning the PGA

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A couple American superstars and likely upcoming Ryder Cup teammates wait around for more than an hour to greet the new PGA Championship winner.


Jimmy Walker is not the biggest superstar in golf. He stays pretty even and deadpan at all times, and those who don"t follow the game closely had probably not heard much about him before Sunday"s major championship win.

But he"s definitely one of his colleagues" favorites, so it was not surprising to see superstars everyone knows, such as Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, wait around an hour or more after their rounds ended to greet Walker as he came off the 18th green as a new major champion. Walker and Fowler are particularly close, the two spending time off the course together since they were partners at the 2014 Ryder Cup. Spieth was also a part of the house they all rented a few weeks ago for The Open at Royal Troon.

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Kevin Durant Says ‘Nobody Appreciates’ James Harden Except His Peers

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james harden, kevin durant

USA TODAY Sports




James Harden is a veritable lightning rod for criticism. He’s been called selfish. He’s been accused of being a bad teammate and a coach-killer. And reveling in his lackadaisical defensive efforts has become one of America’s favorite pastimes. He’s quickly become one of the most unlikable stars in the league, and playing alongside the equally-unlikable Dwight Howard the past few seasons hasn’t helped his cause.

But it’s gotten so bad that some folks want to diminish his accomplishments on the basketball court. And it’s not just the fans. Despite posting up huge numbers this season, Harden failed to make an All-NBA team, and this after finishing second in MVP voting last season after logging eerily-similar numbers. But the Rockets were one of the most disappointing teams in 2016, and many saw that litany of aforementioned faults as one of, if not the, root cause of it.

It’s a different story, however, when it comes to the people who actually have to play against him on the basketball court. In fact, Harden was voted MVP by his peers at the first annual Players Awards last summer, and one former teammate now more than ever still thinks he doesn’t get his due.






Harden, however, appears poised for a bounce-back season. After jettisoning Howard, the organization didn’t make much of a splash in free agency this summer, but they added a few solid pieces (namely long-range sniper Ryan Anderson) who should help them in the win column.

With Harden recommitting to the team on a long-term contract extension and a new coach in Mike D’Antoni to revitalize a stagnate offense, the Rockets should rediscover at least a little bit of that swagger they showed two seasons ago when they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

For Harden, winning will likely be the only way to silence his critics.

(h/t Pro Basketball Talk)

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China"s Olympic Men"s Basketball Team Shows Promise Against Team USA

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2016-07-28-1469666102-4058598-basketball400906_1280.jpg

On Tuesday night, the Chinese Olympic Men"s Basketball Team played its second game in three nights against Team USA. The game result, as many expected, was one-sided against China.

Although both games were lopsided, 106-57 and 107-57 respectively, each was an opportunity for the young Chinese team to take away valuable lessons learned against a highly skilled opponent.

After a film session, Beijing coaches likely reiterated that they played within a team concept and worked hard. These two components were echoed by Team USA and Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, and are certainly key if the Chinese squad is to do well at next month"s Olympics in Rio. Chinese Head Coach Gong Luming has seen talent in-action and likely stressed these warm-up games against Team USA were like any other games. After all, Gong played a part in the Chinese team"s magical run in the 1996 Olympics where the Beijing beat Angola and Argentina only to fall to then host Team USA featuring Shaquille O"Neal, Charles Barkley, and Grant Hill.

"Before the game started, we kind of knew the result," Gong told USA reporters after the first loss. "The result for us was not important. More important is the process."

While the Chinese squad cannot substitute out 1st-team NBA All-stars for fresh All-stars like Team USA, it does play within the system which has some NBA talent.

Arguably the most known Chinese basketball player outside Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, the Milwaukee Bucks number six overall selection in the 2007 NBA draft, played in the first game, but did not participate in the second. Yi played five seasons in the NBA with four teams, before he returned to play in the Chinese Basketball Association.

NBA front offices selected two Chinese players in this year"s draft. Huston Rockets picked Zhou Qi, a 7"2" center, who averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks with Xinjiang Tigers in the CBA. The Memphis Grizzlies drafted another center, Wang Zhelin, who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds the over three seasons, but saw production decline due to injuries last year. One or both draftees are expected to stay in China to hone and mature their basketball skills.

Aside from these three players is former NBA prospect Chinese guard Guo Ailun. "It"s just a game," Guo told FIBA.com in July, speaking about the opening Olympic round game against Team USA. "I"m a player and will just play game by game."

While Team USA is loaded with world-class talent, the Chinese squad should not be starstruck. Many former NBA all-stars have played or are playing in the Chinese Basketball Association. Stephon Marbury, Gilbert Arenas, and Michael Beasley, are just some of the former NBA All-Star talent playing in China. Even Jordan Crawford, former Washington Wizards guard, scored 72 points in a CBA game earlier this year.

The Chinese Men"s National Basketball Team is a rising team in the basketball world. It beat France in July in an international friendly in which Yi scored 28 points. Such a victory demonstrates the competitive nature of the Chinese team which is 14th in the FIBA world rankings (as of Oct 2015), and on the rise. While Beijing has dominated the FIBA Asia Championships, winning 19 times (16 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze), competition is more competitive than ever. Iran and The Philippines have challenged China in recent years. Both these squads have had at least one current or former NBA player on their squad. Hamed Haddadi and Arslan Kazemi played for Tehran. Andray Blatche, who averaged 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists last season as a member of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, became a Filipino citizen last year, making him eligible to play on his new country"s national team.

Although China plays Team USA in the opening round of the Olympics, group play should be a solid determiner where they stand in international competition. The games should also prepare Beijing to host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, in which 31 other teams will compete.

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PGA Championship purse 2016: $1.8 million in prize money awaits winner

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There"s a lot more than glory to play for this week at Baltusrol.

The winner of this week"s PGA Championship at Baltusrol will earn $ 1.8 million out of a total purse of $ 10 million.

The PGA Championship bumped its purse to $ 10 million in 2014 to quell any notion that it was somehow lesser than the sport"s three other major tournaments. The move was made in conjunction with the PGA Tour in a showy press conference touting both the PGA and The Players. It tied it with The Players Championship for a short time, before that tournament"s purse jumped to $ 10.5 million this year. The three other majors -- The Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship -- have all moved their purse up to the same $ 10 million as the PGA"s in the intervening year. So the arms race has momentarily slowed down this year, as the sport"s governing bodies compete for status and prestige over whose tournament doles out the most cash.

Returns diminish quickly at the top of the leaderboard -- even a difference of one or two places can mean tens of thousands of dollars. After the winner"s $ 1.8 million, second place gets $ 1.08 million, third place gets $ 680,000, fourth place $ 480,000 and fifth place $ 400,000. Finishing 10th on the board is worth $ 253,000. Finishing 20th is worth $ 116,000, and finishing 30th is worth $ 65,000. The drops are most pronounced at the top.

The top earner on the PGA Tour so far this season is Dustin Johnson, the U.S. Open and Bridgestone winner, whose earnings heading into the PGA Championship were better than $ 7.2 million. Next is world No. 1 Jason Day at $ 6.5 million, then Adam Scott at $ 5 million, Jordan Spieth at $ 4.6 million and Phil Mickelson at $ 3.6 million. Some of the tournament"s top contenders to this point are far lower on the list, including Jimmy Walker at $ 1.5 million and Robert Streb at $ 666,000. For those players, they could roughly (or more than) double their earnings with a win. You can see a full season money list here, on the tour"s official website.

Here"s the complete purse breakdown, from the highest finishers through the last player to make the cut. The payout for players who missed the cut is $ 3,000 apiece, and the payout for cut-makers who finish worse than 70th comes in diminishing intervals of $ 100, starting at $ 17,900. These amounts can change with ties, but there"s a lot of money to be made, no matter who finishes where.

1st -- $ 1,800,000
2nd -- $ 1,080,000
3rd -- $ 680,000
4th -- $ 480,000
5th -- $ 400,000
6th -- $ 335,000
7th -- $ 313,000
8th -- $ 293,000
9th -- $ 273,000
10th -- $ 253,000
11th -- $ 233,000
12th -- $ 213,000
13th -- $ 198,000
14th -- $ 184,000
15th -- $ 172,000
16th -- $ 160,000
17th -- $ 148,000
18th -- $ 136,000
19th -- $ 126,000
20th -- $ 116,000
21st -- $ 106,000
22nd -- $ 96,000
23rd -- $ 91,000
24th -- $ 86,000
25th -- $ 82,000
26th -- $ 78,000
27th -- $ 74,000
28th -- $ 71,000
29th -- $ 68,000
30th -- $ 65,000
31st -- $ 62,000
32nd -- $ 59,000
33rd -- $ 56,000
34th -- $ 53,000
35th -- $ 50,000
36th -- $ 47,400
37th -- $ 44,800
38th -- $ 42,400
39th -- $ 40,000
40th -- $ 38,000
41st -- $ 36,000
42nd -- $ 34,000
43rd -- $ 32,000
44th -- $ 31,000
45th -- $ 30,000
46th -- $ 29,000
47th -- $ 28,000
48th -- $ 27,000
49th -- $ 26,500
50th -- $ 26,000
51st -- $ 25,500
52nd -- $ 25,000
53rd -- $ 24,500
54th -- $ 24,000
55th -- $ 23,500
56th -- $ 23,000
57th -- $ 22,500
58th -- $ 22,000
59th -- $ 21,500
60th -- $ 21,000
61st -- $ 20,600
62nd -- $ 20,200
63rd -- $ 19,800
64th -- $ 19,400
65th -- $ 19,000
66th -- $ 18,800
67th -- $ 18,600
68th -- $ 18,400
69th -- $ 18,200
70th -- $ 18,000
71st -- $ 17,900
72nd -- $ 17,800
73rd -- $ 17,700
74th -- $ 17,600
75th -- $ 17,500
76th -- $ 17,400
77th -- $ 17,300
78th -- $ 17,200
79th -- $ 17,100
80th -- $ 17,000
81st -- $ 16,900
82nd -- $ 16,800
83rd -- $ 16,700
84th -- $ 16,600
85th -- $ 16,500
86th -- $ 16,400

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The Internet Caught Fire Over Draymond Green’s Alleged NSFW Pic On Snapchat

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Getty Image




Draymond Green seems intent on male genitalia being a defining element of his NBA reputation. Following a postseason in which he was suspended a game for repeatedly attacking the opposition’s lower jewels, Green got caught in the internet’s crosshairs again on Sunday when an alleged picture of his own member circulated around on Twitter and elsewhere.

Green tweeted that he was “hacked,” which is the go-to thing to say these days when you do dumb stuff online:



The internet, predictably, went off.



























More on this as the story develops.

(H/T Bro Bible)

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