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 General Basketball WiretapEx-players decry what NBA has becomeEx-NBA player A.C. Green was asked whether he thought today's NBA compared to the game that he played in the 80's. "Today's game in this league isn't even comparable to 10 years ago, 15 years ago, by any stretch of the imagination," Green said. "The only common denominator is the ball is round. The athletes are more talented across the board, but it's not the same approach or respect for the game." Via Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Cooke injured in PBA gameFormer American high school star Lenny Cooke will miss the next six months of action for his basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association with a ruptured left Achilles tendon. On Wednesday, Cooke injured the tendon in the third quarter of the Purefood TJ Hotdogs' 84-80 victory over the Coca Cola Tigers. Cooke underwent surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital Thursday night to repair the damaged left ankle. Purefood's coach Ryan Gregorio plans to bring in former Providence basketball player Troy Brown to replace Cooke as the team's import player. Via Nelson Beltran of the Philippine Star Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Officials at Heat-Nets game don't protestEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The inside-out shirt protest by NBA officials over the suspension of referee Michael Henderson apparently ended after one day. Officials Dick Bavetta, Tommy Brown and Leroy Richardson all wore their shirts the conventional way as NBA play resumed Saturday with the Miami Heat on the road against the New Jersey Nets. Referees at all 10 NBA games Friday night were expected to take part in the protest, although officials Eddie F. Rush and Nolan Fine worked the Grizzlies-Bucks game in Milwaukee and did not. The third member of their crew, Rodney Mott, wore his shirt inside out with No. 62 magic-markered on the back. ``Last night's display was woefully inconsistent with the professionalism with which NBA officials normally conduct themselves,'' commissioner David Stern said in a statement released Saturday. ``There is nothing more to say at this time.'' Players and coaches from the Nets and Heat supported the officials ``I'm proud of them,'' Nets All-Star guard Jason Kidd said before Saturday's game. ``That's good, unity. They stayed together. It's freedom of speech. They have to deal with the league about that. Most of them turned their shirts inside out, that was pretty clever.'' Nets coach Lawrence Frank, who has received three technical fouls since taking in late January, respected the officials' action. ``There are times in life where you have to take a stand for what you believe, and as a group I have to have respect for it,'' Frank said. Henderson was taken off three job assignments after making a bad call at the end of Wednesday night's Lakers-Nuggets game. The NBA acknowledged on Thursday that Henderson missed a shot hitting the rim and erred making a 24-second violation call. ``You have to respect any group that pulls together and supports one of their own,'' Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. Neither Frank nor Van Gundy had opinions on the play. Miami forward Brian Grant said the ruling shows everyone is ultimately answerable to the league. ``If a call is made and the NBA reviews it and they said it's grounds for a suspension, it's the same way it's grounds for a suspension if we say something to a referee,'' Grant said. ``Nobody is above being policed by the NBA.'' While unaware of Friday night's protest, Heat forward Lamar Odom said the officials have a tough job. ``We sometimes get caught up, getting at them,'' he said. ``But I remember going to basketball camp and refereeing a game and it was really difficult, especially when you have people riding you all the time.'' Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Feb 2004 Archive
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