Lakers' Bryant, Gasol team up to buy horse

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are more than just teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA stars have partnered in owning a racehorse.

Bryant and Gasol bid against each other for an ownership stake in a 4-year-old gelding named Siempre Mio as part of a Lakers Foundation fundraiser at Riviera Country Club on Tuesday night.

Santa Anita Park chief executive officer Mark Verge donated a 25 percent stake in the gelding along with a day at the races as part of a live auction.

"Pau Gasol bid first, but then he and Kobe got into a little bit of a bidding war. Kobe won the bidding at $8,000," Doug O'Neill, who trains the gelding, said Wednesday.

Verge then offered Gasol a chance to buy a 25 percent interest in the horse in exchange for a donation to the Lakers Foundation. Part of the deal was that the new owners pay no expenses in the horse's care and training.

O'Neill said he spoke to Jeanie Buss, the daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss, about having silks designed similar to the Lakers' jerseys.

"Pau was really excited," O'Neill said. "He told me he loves horses and it was just a matter of time before he bought a racehorse. Kobe can't wait to see him run, barring playoff conflicts."

Siempre Mio has two wins and a second in five career starts, including winning his most recent race on March 31 at Santa Anita. The gelding is also owned by Verge, who owns WestsideRentals.com and Chris Quinn, vice president of sales and marketing at Santa Anita.

Bryant and Gasol aren't the first among the Lakers organization to be involved in thoroughbred racing. Jerry Buss has co-owned horses over the years, while son and team executive Jim Buss was a licensed trainer for several years in California.

Source: http://www.nba.com/news/

Michael Jordan-owned Charlotte Bobcats could become worst team in NBA history

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest NBA player ever, is poised to become the owner of the worst team in league history.

His embarrassingly bad Charlotte Bobcats have one more shot to avoid the title.

Heading into Thursday night's regular-season finale, the Bobcats are teetering on the verge of the worst winning percentage (.106) ever and could clinch the dubious distinction with a loss at home to the New York Knicks in the lockout-shortened season.

Charlotte is a woeful 7-58 and its record-setting futility would eclipse the 39-year-old mark held by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. That team finished 9-73 (.110) in a full regular season.

Jordan led Chicago to six NBA championships, but his Bobcats get no respect -- Charlotte has become the butt of jokes.

"It has been tough, but we are just trying to move forward," guard D.J. Augustin said. "Many people are laughing at us and making (the streak) as a joke, but we take it very seriously. We are just trying to stay positive and play hard until the end."

With a loss to the Knicks the Bobcats would finish the season with a 23-game losing streak -- ironically the same number Jordan wore with the Bulls. The streak is a franchise record, topping the 16-game skid from earlier in the season.

The NBA record is 26 straight losses set last season by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Coach Paul Silas certainly would like to avoid the embarrassment of being known as the coach of the worst team ever.

"If we get a win it will be the best thing that has happened to us all season," Silas said.

While Jordan was known as an intense competitor on the court, his team hasn't been very competitive this season.

The Bobcats have lost 21 games by 20 or more points and nine by 30 points or more. Staggering numbers but not surprising considering Charlotte is last in the league in scoring and shooting percentage.

Jordan told the Charlotte Observer on Wednesday that he knew this was going to be a trying year, but didn't expect it would be this bad.

"But did we want to chase the most pingpong balls (in the May 30 draft lottery)? No way," Jordan told the newspaper. "Ever since I've owned the team I think we've made some very positive moves on the business side. We had to make a difficult decision to turn over the talent. This year the talent we had didn't respond, but that doesn't cause me to turn my back on the plan."

The top six players from the Bobcats' lone playoff team two season ago -- Stephen Jackson (San Antonio), Gerald Wallace (New Jersey), Raymond Felton (Portland), Boris Diaw (Sacramento), Nazr Mohammed (Oklahoma City) and Tyson Chandler (New York) -- all are gone, having either been traded or waived under Jordan's watch.

The Bobcats' current roster is full of inexperienced players.

"I keep reminding myself it's a young team," Silas said.

Jordan has asked fans to be patient. The Bobcats should be more than $20 million under the salary cap, which means they could make some noise in free agency.

They also have a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick in the draft, likely to be Kentucky's Anthony Davis.

Still, that means little to this group of players who are focused on avoiding being tagged as the worst team in NBA history.

Swingman Gerald Henderson called this year a learning process.

"Nobody in here is used to losing like we have lost this year," he said. "It just kind of humbles you and teaches you a lot about what it takes to be successful in this game. It also teaches you what it takes to have a good team in the NBA.

"Hopefully we will come out with a win" against New York.

The Knicks have already clinched a playoff spot and cannot enhance their seeding, so it's possible they may rest several starters against the Bobcats.

"If we play like we played (against Orlando in Wednesday night's 102-95 loss) I think we'll have a chance," Silas said.

Jordan doesn't seem to be taking the losing too hard.

He attended a Chicago Blackhawks playoff game on Monday night rather than watching his Bobcats play on the road at Washington.

Perhaps one of the NBA's greatest winners is tired of losing.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/04/26/michael-jordan-owned-charlotte-bobcats-could-become-worst-team-in-nba-history/

NBA roundup: Bulls closing in on No. 1 overall seed

INDIANAPOLIS -- Kyle Korver scored 20 points to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers, 92-87, Wednesday night and inch closer to the top overall seed in the NBA playoffs.

The Bulls ended the game needing just a win over Cleveland tonight or a loss by the San Antonio Spurs to clinch the league's top spot.

Carlos Boozer scored 16 points, and Joakim Noah had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago. Derrick Rose finished with 10 points in 27 minutes.

Lance Stephenson scored a career-high 22 points in his first career start for Indiana, which rested Danny Granger and Leandro Barbosa with the No. 3 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference locked up.

Denver 106, Oklahoma City 101: Ty Lawson scored 25 points as the Nuggets beat the host Thunder. The Nuggets ensured they won't be the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

New York 99, L.A. Clippers 93: JR Smith scored 21 points, including a rally-stopping jumper with 31 seconds left, and the host Knicks held on to beat the Clippers.

Philadelphia 90, Milwaukee 85: Evan Turner scored a career-high 29 points and the visiting 76ers got a win while resting some key players for the playoffs. Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young sat out for Philadelphia.

Washington 96, Cleveland 85: John Wall had 21 points and 13 assists as the visiting Wizards won their fifth straight.

Orlando 102, Charlotte 95: J.J. Redick had six three-pointers and scored a career-high 31 points as the host Magic handed the Bobcats their 22nd consecutive loss. The Magic snapped a three-game losing streak and secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference but lost forward Glen Davis to a sprained right ankle.

Notebook: Commissioner David Stern said Metta World Peace's history, including his role in the "Malice at the Palace" brawl in 2004, weighed into the decision to suspend the Lakers forward. World Peace was suspended for seven games for elbowing Oklahoma City's James Harden in the head.

Atlanta All-Star center Al Horford said he's definitely out for the best-of-seven series against Boston, which begins this weekend. Horford, one of Atlanta's key players along with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, has missed most of the season recovering from surgery.

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120426/SPORTS03/204260510/nba-roundup-chicago-bulls-near-top-seed?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSports%7Cp

NBA - World Peace banned for seven games

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace has been suspended for seven games for delivering an elbow to the head of Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden.

Moments after his slam dunk in Sunday's game, World Peace was headed back upcourt when he ran into Harden. After pounding his chest in celebration, World Peace raised his left elbow and hit Harden flush, just behind his left ear toward the back of his skull.

Harden fell to the court and stayed down for about a minute and missed the rest of the game and World Peace was ejected.

"The concussion suffered by James Harden demonstrates the danger posed by violent acts of this kind, particularly when they are directed at the head area," NBA Commissioner David Stern said.

"We remain committed to taking necessary measures to protect the safety of NBA players, including the imposition of appropriate penalties for players with a history of on-court altercations."

World Peace, who changed his name from Ron Artest last September, has been suspended 13 times in his career for total of 111 games.

He will miss the Lakers' regular-season finale on Thursday and serve out the rest of his ban over the next six games he is eligible and physically able to play, including this season's playoffs.

The Lakers, who are 41-24 this season, said World Peace has for the most part been a model citizen both on and off the court since joining the Lakers in 2009 but that his behaviour on Sunday was not acceptable.

"His actions could have seriously injured another player, and his absence during this suspension will hurt our team as well," Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said.

"While we accept the league's decision, we will be supportive of Metta and try to help him be more professional on the court."

Reuters

Celtics G Rondo misses game with back injury

Image Source: NBA.com

BOSTON (AP) -- The Celtics are playing without Rajon Rondo after he hurt his back in Boston's game against New York the previous night.

Rondo was injured when he fell hard to the floor in the third quarter of the 118-110 loss to the Knicks on Tuesday night. He finished the game and had 13 assists, extending his streak of games with at least 10 to 23. Coach Doc Rivers said Rondo probably would miss Friday night's game at Atlanta.

The Celtics also faced the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night without guard Ray Allen, who missed his sixth straight game with an injured right ankle, and swingman Mickael Pietrus, who felt pain in his knee.

For the Magic, Dwight Howard was sidelined for the sixth consecutive game with a herniated disc.

Source: http://www.nba.com/2012/news/04/18/celtics-rondo-out.ap/index.html

NBA-Bobcats crash and burn against weakened Heat

The Miami Heat were without starters Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem but still feasted on the league's worst team, handing the Charlotte Bobcats a 15th consecutive loss in a 105-82 home romp on Friday.

LeBron James scored 19 points and Chris Bosh added 18 as the Heat won for the first time in three games to resume their chase of the Chicago Bulls for first place in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls lead by 3 1/2 games, although both teams have already secured playoff berths.

Standout guard Wade remained sidelined with an ankle injury while forward Haslem did not play because of a virus.

Despite coming up against a weakened Heat side, Charlotte (7-51) fell to within one game of a franchise record for consecutive losses.

Derrick Brown had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Michael Jordan-owned Bobcats, whose last win came on March 17, with the outcome never in doubt once Miami had rushed to a 33-19 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Source: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/14042012/2/nba-bobcats-crash-burn-against-weakened-heat.html

Derrick Rose game-time call

Chicago Bulls Guard Derrick Rose

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose fully participated in Thursday morning's shootaround and is likely to face the Miami Heat.

Rose missed Tuesday's win over the New York Knicks with a sprained right ankle he suffered in the second quarter of Sunday's loss in New York.

But Rose practiced Wednesday and said the swelling was gone.

 "He's made great progress with all his stuff, and he's feeling good," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Wednesday. "It was a freaky thing that happened to him and he's fine now."

Rose has missed a total of 23 games with a variety of injuries, including turf toe, back spasms and a groin injury. He missed the Bulls' win over the Heat on March 14.

"Take Rose off that team and they're still better than a lot of teams in the NBA," LeBron James said Thursday. "And you add him and they're very special."

The Bulls are 16-7 without Rose this season.

"They have one of those defenses that keep you in games," Chris Bosh said. "They have a really talented, very good team, and they have guys who have stepped up. At first we were surprised (how good the Bulls were without Rose), but after a while, it was all the same thing, you kind of expect them to play well. Whether he's in or not, they're going to be a tough team.

Source:  http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story/_/id/7805826/chicago-bulls-derrick-rose-hopeful-face-miami-heat