NBA: 24-second clock

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Nov 2, 2003

After busting his front teeth on a Karl Malone elbow in a preseason game, the Clippers' Corey Maggette said, "Me, personally, I think it was intentional. But it's part of the game, and stuff like that happens."

Magic Johnson offered Malone his retired No. 32 jersey, but fans objected, so Malone chose No. 11. "You roll the dice," Malone said. "They say seven and 11 are lucky in Las Vegas. I wanted double digits, so I took 11."

Rockets may have problems, since new coach Jeff Van Gundy wants center Yao Ming to be the offensive focus, while guard Steve Francis has other ideas. "Steve offensively, right now, is trying to hit the home run every time down," Van Gundy said. Responded Francis: "I've been playing the same way for five years."

Rumors are flying that Kobe Bryant will play elsewhere next season, with the Clippers, Grizzlies and Nets the most likely destinations.

On the trade block: Donyell Marshall, Othella Harrington, Morris Peterson, Tony Battie.

Who really runs the Mavericks? "I saw Antoine (Walker) in L.A. during the summer and he said, 'Mark, you got to try to get me,' " Mavs owner Mark Cuban said. "I told him we tried and couldn't do it. But we finally got it done."

Nick Van Exel wasn't happy when Cuban didn't let him know he'd been traded to Golden State. "He's lucky I'm a nice guy," Van Exel said. "I got a lot of friends who wanted to get his address."

Celtics GM Danny Ainge won't miss Walker. "I talked to every team in the league and, believe me, there are people out there who, even if he averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and shot 50 percent from the floor, would not want him on their team," Ainge said.

More on Walker, from Don Nelson: "That's the beauty of life. I look at Antoine Walker and I see great things. Danny Ainge looks at him and sees warts."

Charles Barkley on the Mavs' all-offense approach: "They might win that street ball tour going around. But they should've learned by now, you can't win an NBA championship trying to outscore anybody."

Shaquille O'Neal, who will be 34 when his current contract expires after three more seasons, wants an extension. After a Laker exhibition game, he blocked a shot, then yelled toward Laker owner Jerry Buss, "Now you gonna pay me?"

Asked about it later, O'Neal said, "If it gets done, it gets done. If not, we understand . . . In the end, Shaquille O'Neal will be fine, because there is no other like me. I'm like Halle Berry; I'm fine and I'm in demand."

O'Neal also has problems with coach Phil Jackson. Asked a question about Jackson, O'Neal said, "Who? I had two Phils in my life. I only got one now." He was referring to his stepfather, Phil Harrison.

Shaq was unhappy about Jackson mentioning Tim Duncan's two straight MVP awards. "All I've said is that Shaq has got to be upset with the fact that Tim Duncan has been the MVP two years in a row," Jackson said. "His response is just, 'Give me the ball as much as Tim gets the ball.' "

Asked about training camp, Sixers' Allen Iverson said, "I don't think you have any guys uptight, like they used to be with coach (Larry) Brown getting on everybody to the point where everybody is scared to play basketball . . . You don't hear that much hollering and screaming and cursing as you did in past years."

On the other hand, Alonzo Mourning says he would have considered signing with the Sixers if Brown had remained as coach.

Houston's Maurice Taylor reported to camp 25 pounds lighter, saying, "I haven't weighed 254 since Krispy Kreme franchised."

Tim Floyd somehow landed a head coaching job with the Hornets, but former player Charles Oakley predicts he won't last. "I give Tim Floyd three months, maybe four at the most," Oakley said. "The man is not an NBA coach. He doesn't have a clue."

Give Pat Riley credit for candor when he stepped down from the Heat job. "I did nothing here," he said. "Everything I get credit for I did 14 years ago . . . Most coaches with most franchises would have been fired if they'd had the last few years I did."

Tony Parker complained when the Spurs pursued Jason Kidd in the offseason, so when Parker threw away a pass recently, coach Gregg Popovich shouted, "Jason wouldn't have done that." Popovich told reporters, "I want him to understand there is no crying in basketball."

After visiting the White House this offseason, some Spurs remembered a similar visit in 1999 to then President Clinton. After the president shook hands with each player, he looked at his watch, said he had another appointment and left. Minutes later the Spurs looked out a window and saw Clinton on the lawn, lofting golf balls with a 9-iron.

Paranoid Blazers have bought the rights to such domain names as JailBlazers.com and Ihatetheblazers.org.

Kenyon Martin is bitter that Nets haven't offered him a contract extension. "I guess making it to the finals twice, winning the East, winning the division twice, I guess that hasn't been good enough," he said.

Sonics center Jerome James, asked if Kings' Brad Miller is a tough opponent: "No, Shaq is tough to play against. Vlade (Divac) is tough to play against. Miller ain't tough to play against."