Archive for October 5th, 2007
Stromile Swift, Hakim Warrick, Brian Cardinal, Tarence Kinsey and TNT basketball analyst Kenny Smith visited Hospital Materno Infantil de Malaga as part of the NBA cares program.
Brian Cardinal
Cardinal signs an autograph
Stromile Swift
Cardinal poses
Swift poses
Cardinal with Tarence Kinsey
Kinsey with Hakim Warrick and TNT’s Kenny Smith
Unicaja Malaga’s Daniel Santiago and Smith with hospital staff
No Comments | Category: Grizzlies/NBA
Anticipation is building for the Grizzlies’ game against Unicaja Malaga Tuesday in Palacio de Deportes. Both teams practiced Friday morning with the Griz using the practice court, and Unicaja working out on the main floor. The NBA confirmed more than 130 media credentials for the game. The Commercial Appeal is the only American media outlet represented, according to an NBA spokesperson.
Malaga is buzzing about the NBA’s presence, and the chance to see Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro. Proof, though, that it’s indeed a small world: A lady from California stopped Griz general manager Chris Wallace before he entered the hotel elevator, and she just wanted to express her excitement about knowing that her vacation included a stay with an NBA squad.
Video Postcard
Rookie point guard Mike Conley had never visited Europe to play basketball, and he’s already committing a bunch of turnovers. In other words, Conley can’t seem to handle local cuisine. Fortunately for Conley – and many of the Griz players – there is a McDonald’s restaurant just around the corner from the hotel. Conley discussed the food and other topics Friday after the team’s second practice.
Sneak preview
It wasn’t long after the team returned from practice that Conley took a stroll to Mickey D’s. We’ve got the evidence.
Odds and Ends
* The practice setup is the same as in Memphis. Media is allowed to watch the final 30 minutes of each workout. Griz coach Marc Iavaroni ran a nearly three-hour practice Friday, working on a variety of offensive sets, free throws and side out-of-bounds scenarios.
Second-year point guard Kyle Lowry appeared 100 percent in his first practice since suffering a left ankle sprain.
“Kyle looked pretty good. I couldn’t get him off the floor,” Iavaroni said. “He was great. He was still his physical self, very aggressive and being a leader out there.”
* Veteran forward Stromile Swift finished practice with a sore left knee. His condition isn’t considered serious.
* Friday was the first day that Spanish media were allowed to attend practice, and they mobbed Gasol.
* Swift, Hakim Warrick, Brian Cardinal, Tarence Kinsey and TNT basketball analyst Kenny Smith were in the NBA entourage that took a Friday evening trip to a local hospital. As part of the NBA cares program, the players spent time with children at Hospital Materno Infantil de Malaga.
* On Saturday, the Griz will allow more than 1,000 children to watch practice and interact with players. Following the workout, Griz players will host a Special Olympics basketball clinic.
* On a personal note, it helps to have Slingbox (the device that allows you to watch your cable or DirecTV on a computer or cell phone anywhere with a high-speed connection). Well, I should say that it’s a bittersweet deal.
With only Spanish-speaking stations on the room television, I’m able to watch ESPNews so that I can keep track of Chicago Cubs highlights. Only the Cubs trail the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 in their playoff series. Ouch!
1 Comment | Category: Grizzlies/NBA
Fox Sports is the first national media to actually predict the Grizzlies make the playoffs. While hedging their bets a bit by saying they made not end up in 7th place you have to like hearing at least one media type realizing that the team has made some good moves this season. This is also the first publication I have seen that didn’t have the Grizzlies in the cellar of the Southwest Division.
Dark Horse
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No Comments | Category: Grizzly fans
When is it the right time to go back to a normal routine after a tragedy? I wonder about this kind of thing. You don’t want to disrespect the memory of someone lost but you also want to move on. So I’m going to try to do just that.
With the Tigers off for the second straight weekend, we Tigers fans have had time to appease our spouses or significant others. The old “honey do” list has a few items on it for this Saturday. A fall Saturday without football and tailgating just seems kind of empty to me.
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THE BIG STORY
Florida receiver Andre Caldwell, who has missed almost all the last three games with a sprained knee, told the Gainesville Sun that there’s no way he’s sitting out Saturday’s game at LSU.
“I’ll be going, you can’t stop me this week,” Caldwell said. “It’s written in stone. It’s a done deal. I wouldn’t let them sit me out this game. I’m going regardless. This is one of those games where if there’s something wrong with you, you’re going to get over it and do whatever it takes to get on the field. I’m going to do that. But I’m good now.”
Caldwell has been practicing this week and says his knee is about 90 or 95 percent. He vows it will be 100 percent by kickoff. Even if it’s not, he’s playing, he said.
He didn’t return for his senior season to hobble around on the sideline, to miss games, to miss this game against No. 1 LSU. He’s had to sit out three games already and that’s more than enough, he said.
“I think this is my time and our team’s time to show the world we’re still in this chase (for the national and SEC titles),” Caldwell said. “I plan on putting up big numbers and showing up some of these DBs. I want to win. I want to see these guys who have worked so hard to reach all their goals and achieve stuff. I was hurt not being able to help them do that. By the end of the week, I should be 100 percent and doing everything. I’m ready to play.”
A look at the league: Read the rest of this entry »
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