NBA mulls not sending top stars to Olympics

                              

    The NBA is proposing to withdraw its top players from Olympic basketball after the London Games and instead model the competition on the under-23 tournament used for football.
    NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday the plan would be discussed with world basketball authorities,nike air foamposite one womens pink,  due to fears from players and teams about potential burn-out from too many games.
   "We are taking a very close look at whether it makes sense from an NBA standpoint and the global standpoint for the top players to be playing at that level on a year-round basis, summer after summer," he told a news conference in New York.
   Silver stressed they were "all in" for the London Olympics, nike air foamposite one womens pink for sale, which start on July 27, but he added: "Post-London Olympics, we want to step back... we want to take a long-term view of whether it makes sense for the NBA and for the game."
   The involvement of top NBA players has been a major draw at Olympic basketball tournaments ever since the USA's so-called 'Dream Team' participated in the Barcelona Games in 1992.
   The side, which won gold, included Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and is credited with increasing the popularity of the game and the NBA across the world.
    NBA commissioner David Stern said he was of the view that Olympic basketball should be about developing a new generation of players.
    Sixteen men's and 12 women's teams will compete at football at the London Games. The men's tournament is for under-23s, nike air foamposite one womens pink on sale, although each team is allowed to include three older players. There is no age restriction in the women's event.

Spurs silence Thunder to notch 20th straight win

                                                                  

   (Reuters) - The San Antonio Spurs continued their perfect run in the playoffs, marching to a record-breaking 20th straight win as they fended off Oklahoma City Thunder 120-111 to take firm control of the Western Conference Finals.

   The top-seeded Spurs surpassed the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers' 19-game winning streak from the regular season into the playoffs,air jordan 10 chicago, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series on the back of four-game sweeps of the Jazz and the Clippers.

   The 1971-72 Lakers hold the longest winning streak of 33 games in the regular season.

   Tony Parker exploded for 34 points and eight assists,air jordan 10 chicago 2012,  sixth man Manu Ginobili netted 20 to follow up his 26-point effort in the series opener, and San Antonio treated their fans to yet another triumph since their last loss on April 11.

   However, the Spurs seemed less than satisfied with their latest success and coach Gregg Popovich could be seen yelling at Parker in the third quarter even with his team up 16.

   "He's been yelling at me for 11 years,air jordan 10 chicago for sale, " Parker told reporters after making 16 of his 21 shots. "We were playing sloppy and OKC (the Thunder) came back on us. He wanted to make sure I kept pushing the ball."

Magic announced cut Yao teammates ready to leave for Howard?

                          

    According to the official website of the NBA (microblogging) messages, the Orlando Magic officially announced to cut the team Houwei Fan - Wafer. Wafer and magic left a two-year non-guaranteed contract.
    The Magic are currently busy determine the team as manager and coach candidates under busy being bitterly. Why the team you want to cut Wafer at this point? nike lebron 9 p.s. elite away black metallic gold, HOOPSWORLD "expert analysis, because Dwight - Howard left the team this summer. If Howard is leaving the team, the team certainly will spare no effort to renew dunk.
   Wang Jiesen - Richardson. Wafer position overlapping with the Richardson. Wafer this season's performance in the Magic do not have too many bright spots, a total he played 33 games for the Magic, averaging 14.2 minutes of playing time, nike lebron 9 p.s. elite away black metallic gold for sale, only 5.9 points and 1.4 rebounds. Non-reusable, he also hopes to leave Orlando to get a better space for development.
   Wafer played for the Houston Rockets in the 2008-09 season, his teammates did with Yao Ming. The best performance of his career, he played in that season of the rocket and the presence of not to 20 minutes of playing time, 9.7 points, nike lebron 9 p.s. elite away black metallic gold for cheap, 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 44.7%, and thus he was Chinese fans are familiar with.
   

Just being here is achievement, says Venus

                             

    Venus Williams insisted on Sunday that just being at the French Open was an achievement after an energy-sapping illness almost sabotaged her Olympic dreams.
    The 31-year-old American was off tour from the US Open until Miami in March this year after being diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome.
    As she fought to recover, air jordan 10 stealth, her ranking slipped to 134 in the world before she rekindled her hopes of making the London Olympics with impressive quarter-final runs in Miami, Charleston and Rome.
   "It's a huge accomplishment just to be here. The biggest challenge was to learn how to live with it and that the key is to be here and to try my best right now," said Williams.
   "Sometimes I think is this all my fault. Did I do something wrong to cause it?"
   The American has tasted Olympic success before, air jordan 10 stealth release date, winning the singles in Sydney in 2000 where she also teamed up with sister Serena to take the women's doubles.
   The sisters won a second doubles in Beijing in 2008.
   Coming into Paris, Williams was well-placed to claim a spot at the London Olympics where the tennis tournament will be staged at Wimbledon, scene of five of her seven Grand Slam wins in 2000, 2001, 2005, air jordan 10 stealth 2012, 2007 and 2008.

   Each nation can have a maximum of four players in their team at the Games but with a ranking cut-off of 56.
   

Venus still learning to cope with illness

  

   PARIS (Reuters) - Venus Williams, who says she is still learning to live with a chronic illness, battled into the second round of the French Open on Sunday with a 4-6 6-1 6-3 victory over Argentine Paula Ormaechea.

   Seven-times grand-slam champion Williams, who returned to the tour in March after dropping out with Sjogren's Syndrome, air jordan 10 stealth, a fatigue-inducing autoimmune disease, looked to be struggling early in the match but found the resources to win.

   As the day cooled on Philippe Chatrier Court, both Williams and Ormaechea struggled to hold serve in the final set but the American gained the upper hand and, with some superb service returns, won the ninth game to love to take victory.

   Asked how she was coping with her illness, air jordan 10 stealth release date,  a subdued Williams gave a deep sigh.

   "My perspective changes every week," she told a news conference. "I just want to do my best and not be overwhelmed.

   "It is definitely an adventure and a journey, and it is just life happening. I already know I can play (tennis), that is not a doubt...everything else is just up in the air."

   Williams said she took inspiration from sister Serena and hoped to play doubles with her at the London Olympics in July and August.

   "A lot of it I have to figure it out,air jordan 10 stealth 2012, " she said of the illness. "It's physical and emotional and all kinds of different things, mental. So it's just something that you can only get if you live it. So I have to learn to laugh sometimes.

Djokovic bid for history off to winning start

                              

    Roger Federer may make Rafael Nadal his favourite to lift a seventh French Open crown, but Novak Djokovic's historic bid to become the first man in 43 years to hold all four Grand Slam titles is on track after Monday's first round win over Italian Potito Starace.
   After a tough opening set forced him to go the distance in the tiebreak, air jordan 10 stealth, Djokovic won his encounter on the main Phillipe Chatrier Court 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-1 in 2hr 04min to book a meeting with Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia.
   World number one Djokovic already has the Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open crowns under wraps and a first French Open triumph in two weeks' time would make him the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the sweep.
   Of the seven men to win all the four majors in their careers, only Don Budge and Laver (twice) have held all four at the same time.
   Since Laver's 1969 achievement,air jordan 10 stealth release date, only Pete Sampras, Federer and defending Roland Garros champion Nadal have had opportunities to complete a non-calendar year Grand Slam.
   Djokovic has yet to reach a Paris final, having fallen three times at the semi-final stage - yet he insists the pressure is not on him any more than if he were not the holder of the three other Slams.
   "Pressure is always present, and the way I look at it, it is a privilege and, you know, it's a challenge. I believe every professional athlete feels the pressure,air jordan 10 stealth 2012," the Serb insisted.

Wins give Federer and Djokovic food for thought

air jordan 10 stealth

 

    PARIS (Reuters) - First-round victories at the French Open put Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in reflective mood on Monday, air jordan 10 stealth, with the Swiss chalking up a new landmark and the Serbian world number one considering the pressure of always trying to win.
    Federer equaled Jimmy Connors's record of 233 grand-slam match wins with a 6-2 7-5 6-3 defeat of German Tobias Kamke, the first step, he hopes, on the road to a record 17th title at one of the big four tournaments.
    Djokovic, though, has a record of his own on his mind and, after a mostly straightforward, 7-6 6-3 6-1 win over Italian Potito Starace, turned his thoughts towards trying to complete his grand-slam collection and becoming the first man in 43 years to hold all four titles at once.
   "The situation that I found myself in this year before Roland Garros is to make history eventually if I go all the way through,"air jordan 10 stealth release date, Djvic told a news conference.
   "But, look, it doesn't give me an extra negative pressure; I really think it's a challenge and something to embrace and to enjoy."
    Djokovic will now play Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia, who ended former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt's tournament with a 7-6 6-3 6-7 6-3 win after the injury-hit Australian had been given a wildcard.

    Federer took time to look back on his long career as he began his 50th consecutive grand slam event.
    "I obviously love the big tournaments," the Swiss said. "I have been so successful for such a long time and to already tie that (Connors's) record, (at) 30 years old is pretty incredible,air jordan 10 stealth 2012, so I'm very happy.

LEBRON

 

   People say LEBRON LeBron James (December 30, 1984 -), American professional basketball player, the functional small forward, played for the NBA Miami Heat.nike lebron 9 p.s. elite away black metallic gold, James is one of the NBA is the history of the most versatile player, its dominant, powerful and almost no one in the active NBA. 2003 NBA Draft, the 18-year-old James, nike lebron 9 p.s. elite away black metallic gold for cheap, the identity of a draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers selected, after seven seasons has been played for the Cavaliers, and broke the league series of the youngest record. In 2010, James joined the Miami Heat as a free agent, nike lebron 9 p.s. elite away black metallic gold for sale,  and fought side by side with the same session, friend Devon Wade, Chris Bosh.