Watching this year’s NBA playoffs is a little bit of tantalizing experience. Typically Clippers fans can get away with adopting another team to root for (Oklahoma City, anyone?) and enjoying a refreshing brand of basketball that shines in comparison to the 82-game trainwreck they just endured. But this year, things are a little different.
Archive for April, 2010
Window Shopping
On April - 28 - 2010
Eric Gordon Checks in with the Hometown Crowd
On April - 27 - 2010
Eric Gordon was in Indianapolis at a high school basketball tournament and exhibition that’s actually named after him: The Eric Gordon Super Shootout.
Among his many other ceremonial duties, EJ served as a judge for the slam dunk contest. He also caught up with Jeff Rabjohns on the Indianapolis Star:
The Clippers have long been one of professional basketball’s worst franchises, but Gordon said he sees a better future. He said he’s looking forward to getting on the court with last year’s top draft pick Blake Griffin, sidelined by injury in what would have been his rookie season.
Behind Enemy Lines
On April - 26 - 2010
A picture from the Sparks men's scout team tryout. I'm the circled goober on the left.
As I pull up to the parking lot of the Lakers and Sparks practice facility in El Segundo, I finally allow myself to face the question I was avoiding all throughout my commute: Why am I trying out for the Los Angeles Sparks male scout team?
Kim Hughes: Not Finished Yet
On April - 24 - 2010
From Marc J. Spears at Yahoo! Sports:
“The Los Angeles Clippers have brought back former interim coach Kim Hughes to work for the franchise a week after firing him, an NBA source told Yahoo! Sports.
The Clippers announced April 17 that Hughes was relieved of his duties as coach and that the franchise was beginning its search for a replacement. This week, the Clippers asked Hughes to return to help with the draft and take part in player development. Hughes was back working out players in the team’s practice facility Wednesday. He remains under contract through June 30, but has yet to sign a new deal.
Dunleavy and Clippers in Arbitration
On April - 22 - 2010
Since being fired earlier in the year, Mike Dunleavy has not received any of the money owed to him from his guaranteed contract, which reportedly totals upwards to $12 million dollars.
This isn’t exactly new territory for Donald Sterling. The Clippers fired Bill Fitch after the 1997-1998 season and proceeded to pay Fitch only $200,000 of the $4 million dollars owed to him. Fitch of course had to pursue legal action against the Clippers, which led to Sterling giving this deposition (via a story by Peter May in the Boston Globe in January 2003):