http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/90260.html
NBA Beat: For Mourning, the title was worth the trouble
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, December 10, 2006
Alonzo Mourning loaded this sparkling, satellite-dish-like thing on his finger late Thursday night in the spartan visitor's locker room at Arco Arena and stood to finish dressing. He muttered something under his breath about aching knees.
The ring is obviously the problem -- the diamond-laced Miami Heat championship ring earned last season, big enough that each should have come with a label warning of potential shoulder problems for anyone who dares wear it without proper conditioning.
But just try getting Mourning to take it off.
He was supposed to be retired by now, or worse. He had a kidney transplant three years ago next week, with his cousin as the donor, and missed all that season and most of the next. Then, in place of a farewell tour, came the rest of a full career.
Mourning, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Star, played a key reserve role with the Heat during the title campaign. A season later, 2006-07, he is replacing the injured Shaquille O'Neal as the starting center by averaging a stone-wall 4.29 blocks over seven games -- capped by his three against the Kings, elevating the 36-year-old Mourning to third in the league entering Saturday.
Big dreams
Somewhere between the reality of the moment and the curiosity of what could be, Sun Ming Ming is out of the hospital and back to working out in Greensboro, N.C., and teams are back to wondering about a 23-year-old from China who hasn't been good enough to get drafted or signed as a free agent. But he's 7-foot-8 3/4, so they can't stop wondering.
Agent Charles Bonsignore hopes to have Sun placed with one of the U.S. minor leagues as soon as January, even if it means the lower levels of the Continental Basketball Association or the American Basketball Association, as long as a team is willing to guarantee the kind of minutes that will allow him to play into the necessary game shape that can't come with practices.
If not, Bonsignore will schedule an individual workout for NBA teams to scout Sun, similar to the one in January 2006 in Ventura that drew representatives from nine clubs.
Sun is the ultimate project, with doubts about his speed and strength and health in general after undergoing surgery Nov. 30 to treat a tumor on his pituitary gland that doctors say is responsible for his height and some of his physical limitations. On the other hand, he has a shooting touch, is not uncoordinated and would have to bend down to headbutt with Rockets center Yao Ming.
Or as one general manager said when asked if he will continue to track Sun: "Of course. He's 7-foot-9. We're still playing basketball, aren't we?"
Clip and save
The longer the Los Angeles Clippers and Mike Dunleavy go without finalizing a contract extension, with Dunleavy working in the final season of his deal and with more power than any coach in team history, the more speculation increases that Larry Brown will become an option.
Returning to Southern California long has appealed to Brown, who coached the Clippers and UCLA and had agreed to terms to return for a second tour on the Bruins' sideline before becoming persona non grata on campus by backing out as the welcome news conference was being planned. The greater lure now is that Dunleavy has control of most personnel decisions, ahead of general manager Elgin Baylor, the very perk Brown was unable to clench during his season and a half in the early 1990s.
Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling, his spendthrift ways a thing of the past, remains equally enamored with Brown. It all becomes nothing more than misplaced intrigue the moment Dunleavy signs a new deal, but that hasn't happened after reports the sides had agreed on the parameters of a deal and needed only to hammer out a few bonus clauses.
Miles to go
The Portland Trail Blazers are saying all the right things about losing Darius Miles to a knee injury, likely for the season, but they're privately welcoming the departure, an emotion that could turn to outright celebration if Zach Randolph continues to build All-Star credentials as a talented power forward finally playing to his potential.
Although Randolph has never been confused for a model citizen, with his share of scrapes that fed into the "Jail Blazers" image, his biggest shortcoming is seen more as being a follower and allowing himself to be influenced by the wrong people.
It was not lost on the team that, conversely, he took off as soon as Miles ceased daily interaction, all the way to where Randolph was the only player in the league as of Saturday averaging at least 25 points and 10 rebounds.
"He's beating single and double coverage," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "He's so quick, he's hard to double-team. Just because you're double-teaming, he always thinks he can score."
Sitting-room only
The NBA's new protocol emphasis -- a crackdown on complaints during games, jerseys must be tucked in, etc. -- has stretched all the way to Dallas management being told its players had to reduce the amount of time they spent jumping up in front of the bench at exciting moments. The Mavericks were blocking the view of customers behind them in the expensive seats.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com
NBA Beat: For Mourning, the title was worth the trouble
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, December 10, 2006
Alonzo Mourning loaded this sparkling, satellite-dish-like thing on his finger late Thursday night in the spartan visitor's locker room at Arco Arena and stood to finish dressing. He muttered something under his breath about aching knees.
The ring is obviously the problem -- the diamond-laced Miami Heat championship ring earned last season, big enough that each should have come with a label warning of potential shoulder problems for anyone who dares wear it without proper conditioning.
But just try getting Mourning to take it off.
He was supposed to be retired by now, or worse. He had a kidney transplant three years ago next week, with his cousin as the donor, and missed all that season and most of the next. Then, in place of a farewell tour, came the rest of a full career.
Mourning, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Star, played a key reserve role with the Heat during the title campaign. A season later, 2006-07, he is replacing the injured Shaquille O'Neal as the starting center by averaging a stone-wall 4.29 blocks over seven games -- capped by his three against the Kings, elevating the 36-year-old Mourning to third in the league entering Saturday.
Big dreams
Somewhere between the reality of the moment and the curiosity of what could be, Sun Ming Ming is out of the hospital and back to working out in Greensboro, N.C., and teams are back to wondering about a 23-year-old from China who hasn't been good enough to get drafted or signed as a free agent. But he's 7-foot-8 3/4, so they can't stop wondering.
Agent Charles Bonsignore hopes to have Sun placed with one of the U.S. minor leagues as soon as January, even if it means the lower levels of the Continental Basketball Association or the American Basketball Association, as long as a team is willing to guarantee the kind of minutes that will allow him to play into the necessary game shape that can't come with practices.
If not, Bonsignore will schedule an individual workout for NBA teams to scout Sun, similar to the one in January 2006 in Ventura that drew representatives from nine clubs.
Sun is the ultimate project, with doubts about his speed and strength and health in general after undergoing surgery Nov. 30 to treat a tumor on his pituitary gland that doctors say is responsible for his height and some of his physical limitations. On the other hand, he has a shooting touch, is not uncoordinated and would have to bend down to headbutt with Rockets center Yao Ming.
Or as one general manager said when asked if he will continue to track Sun: "Of course. He's 7-foot-9. We're still playing basketball, aren't we?"
Clip and save
The longer the Los Angeles Clippers and Mike Dunleavy go without finalizing a contract extension, with Dunleavy working in the final season of his deal and with more power than any coach in team history, the more speculation increases that Larry Brown will become an option.
Returning to Southern California long has appealed to Brown, who coached the Clippers and UCLA and had agreed to terms to return for a second tour on the Bruins' sideline before becoming persona non grata on campus by backing out as the welcome news conference was being planned. The greater lure now is that Dunleavy has control of most personnel decisions, ahead of general manager Elgin Baylor, the very perk Brown was unable to clench during his season and a half in the early 1990s.
Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling, his spendthrift ways a thing of the past, remains equally enamored with Brown. It all becomes nothing more than misplaced intrigue the moment Dunleavy signs a new deal, but that hasn't happened after reports the sides had agreed on the parameters of a deal and needed only to hammer out a few bonus clauses.
Miles to go
The Portland Trail Blazers are saying all the right things about losing Darius Miles to a knee injury, likely for the season, but they're privately welcoming the departure, an emotion that could turn to outright celebration if Zach Randolph continues to build All-Star credentials as a talented power forward finally playing to his potential.
Although Randolph has never been confused for a model citizen, with his share of scrapes that fed into the "Jail Blazers" image, his biggest shortcoming is seen more as being a follower and allowing himself to be influenced by the wrong people.
It was not lost on the team that, conversely, he took off as soon as Miles ceased daily interaction, all the way to where Randolph was the only player in the league as of Saturday averaging at least 25 points and 10 rebounds.
"He's beating single and double coverage," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "He's so quick, he's hard to double-team. Just because you're double-teaming, he always thinks he can score."
Sitting-room only
The NBA's new protocol emphasis -- a crackdown on complaints during games, jerseys must be tucked in, etc. -- has stretched all the way to Dallas management being told its players had to reduce the amount of time they spent jumping up in front of the bench at exciting moments. The Mavericks were blocking the view of customers behind them in the expensive seats.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com
