Cleveland Cavaliers 2009-10 Thread

[Lebron23]

Shaq O'Neal wants to bring kung fu to NBA

10 hours, 26 minutes ago

BEIJING (AFP) - NBA All-Star centre Shaquille O'Neal(notes) has said he hopes to bring his martial arts skills to the basketball court, during a visit to China's Shaolin Temple—the birthplace of kung fu.

"When I was a kid, I saw a lot of Shaolin kung fu performances," O'Neal told Titan Sports, China's top sports newspaper, as he toured the temple in central Henan province on Monday.

"I always wanted to know if Shaolin kung fu was real or not. Now, at last I know—the Chinese kung fu I saw on television, it was all real," the four-time NBA champion said in remarks translated into Chinese.

"When I go home I will study this and hopefully even use it when I'm playing basketball."

O'Neal—who earlier this month signed a contract to play with LeBron James(notes) and the Cleveland Cavaliers—has visited China numerous times and signed several endorsement deals here.

Known to the Chinese as the "Big Shark," the 37-year-old O'Neal has practised martial arts in the off-season for years.

On Monday, he met with the temple's top monks and watched a group of warrior monks performing martial arts exercises.

"I am really interested in snake-style kung fu," Titan quoted O'Neal as saying.

"When I retire, I hope to come back to the Shaolin Temple to study for a year. To come here just this one time is not enough."

State television showed crowds surrounding O'Neal, as he mimicked the hand movements that give snake-style kung fu its name.

When asked if he would be comfortable playing in Cleveland where the weather is colder than anywhere else he has played during his 17-year NBA career, the centre answered: "I think I can adjust to any kind of weather.

"In China you call me the big shark—now you can call me the polar bear. I will be like a polar bear when it comes to fighting the cold."

I am going to miss Shaq when he retires in the NBA. Love him or Hate him Shaq is one of the coolest player in the league.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=afp-basketnbachncavaliersshaq&prov=afp&type=lgns

[rikhardur]

Better not mess with Yao again then

[donmar]

Better not mess with Yao again then

Don't worry... Shaq should be fine... we took care of him (Yao Ming) already

[Lebron23]

Don't worry... Shaq should be fine... we took care of him (Yao Ming) already

Mini Taulava >>> Yao Ming and Shaq

:

[donmar]

Shaq O'Neal wants to bring kung fu to NBA

10 hours, 26 minutes ago






I am going to miss Shaq when he retires in the NBA. Love him or Hate him Shaq is one of the coolest player in the league.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...=afp&type=lgns

I agree.. he is one of my all-time favourites and he will be miss.. hopefully, he get to win another ring...

[donmar]

Mini Taulava >>> Yao Ming and Shaq

:

hehehehe its funny... someone post the pic in another thread before and its been one of my favourites ever since

[Lebron23]

I agree.. he is one of my all-time favourites and he will be miss.. hopefully, he get to win another ring...

Lamar Odom will not re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. I like the Cavaliers chances to win the NBA Championship next year.

[Lebron23]

Cavs set to offer LeBron a 3 year 65 million extension.

http://twitter.com/Cavs_Insider

I hope LeBron sign a contract extension with the Cavaliers.

Shaq ($20,000,000) and Ilgauskas ($11,541,0740) contract's expires next season.

Anthony Parker is going to be the only 30 yrs.old on our roster.

[Lebron23]

Sources: Cavs ink Moon to offer sheet

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By Marc Stein

ESPN.com

The Cleveland Cavaliers have continued their offseason remodeling by signing restricted free agent Jamario Moon to an offer sheet, according to NBA front-office sources.


Although the full details of the offer sheet are unlikely to be known until Monday, when the contract is submitted to the league office, sources told ESPN.com that the deal Moon signed Friday spans at least two years.

The Miami Heat will have seven days to match the offer once it's formally processed, but Cleveland would appear to have a good chance of landing Moon given Miami's well-chronicled desire to avoid new contracts longer than one year to protect its 2010 salary-cap space.

There are exceptions to that policy, as evidenced by Miami's well-chronicled attempts to sign Lamar Odom away from the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat, though, have multiple players at Moon's position -- Daequan Cook, James Jones and Yakhouba Diawara -- even if they don't land Odom, raising doubts about their ability to keep him.

After trading for Shaquille O'Neal and signing Anthony Parker to take their payroll beyond the $80 million mark, Cleveland has spent the past week looking for free-agent bargains as it tries to add depth at the wing positions and find a power forward that can stretch the floor with his jumper. The Cavs had been linked in recent days to forwards such as Rob Kurz and Sean May before signing Moon.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4339432

[michren]

I still cant believed why Brown is still there after what happened to them on their finals appearance.

[Lebron23]

Cleveland Cavaliers also added Leon Powe, and Rob Kurz.


Major News: Tons Of Celebrities Set To Host WWE RAW

Date Added: August 16, 2009
Story By: Brian Cantor

A Monday report in entertainment trade journal Variety discusses WWE's guest hosting gimmick on RAW, noting that WWE RAW has effectively become part of the "talkshow circuit" for celebrities to promote projects.

The article, which acknowledges the mainstream publicity WWE has already received for episodes featuring Jeremy Piven and Seth Green, quotes Stephanie McMahon in saying that the program raises the company's awareness in Hollywood and will hopefully translate to new viewers.

The Variety report deems the program successful thus far, saying that RAW viewership is up 10% since introducing the program.

Planned to last until early next year--possibly through WrestleMania 26--the program has attracted many recognizable Hollywood and sports names. According to the article, Bob Barker, Al Sharpton, Nancy O'Dell, Floyd Mayweather and LeBron James have been booked for future episodes. Freddie Prinze, Jr. hosts Monday's edition.

Meanwhile, Pete Wentz, Ashlee Simpson, the Osbournes, Danny DeVito, Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa, Jimmy Fallon, Rachael Ray, MC Hammer, Woody Harrelson, Serena Williams and Ashton Kutcher are all in talks to host.

http://www.prowrestling.com/article/news/13588

[Lebron23]

Cavs Expected To Sign Danny Green Soon


Aug 16, 2009 10:08 AM EST



The Cavaliers are expected to sign second-round pick Danny Green soon.

Green will likely make the team, meaning that Rob Kurz, Darryl Watkins and Jawad Williams will fight for the final spot on Cleveland's roster.

Kurz and Watkins recently agreed to non-guaranteed deals with the Cavaliers.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/61156/20090816/cavs_expected_to_sign_danny_green_soon/

Source: Cavs Sign Kurz To Non-Guaranteed Deal

Aug 15, 2009 6:10 PM EST

The Cavaliers have signed guard Rob Kurz to a non-guaranteed deal, according to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"Source tells Plain Dealer Cavs have agreed with combo forward Rob Kurz on a nonguaranteed contract. Quality shooter who can play 3 & 4," Windhorst wrote on his Twitter page.

In addition, sources tell the Plain Dealer that the Cavaliers have also signed center Darryl Watkins to a training camp contract.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/61148/20090815/source_cavs_sign_kurz_to_non_guaranteed_deal/

[LordOfLeyte]

LeBron Documentary premieres in Akron

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns



LeBron hosts documentary screening

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer 9 hours, 13 minutes ago

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AKRON, Ohio (AP)—LeBron James(notes) went to the movies on Thursday night and brought 1,000 guests with him.

A few miles from the high school where he became a phenom, the NBA’s reigning MVP hosted an advance screening of the documentary, “More Than A Game,” a film about James’ ascent to superstardom and the four childhood friends who helped him get there.

Shortly after severe thunderstorms blasted through the downtown area, chasing the marching band and cheerleaders from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School inside, James arrived at the historic Civic Theatre along with his girlfriend Savannah Brinson, New Orleans All-Star guard Chris Paul(notes), TV host Nick Cannon and a few of the film’s co-stars—high school buddies Willie McGee and Dru Joyce III.

James will visit China, London and make other stops abroad to promote the film, but none of them will compare to showing it in his hometown.

“It means everything,” the Cleveland Cavaliers megastar said. “This is where I was born, and I like to give back to the city where I came from. I wouldn’t be the person I am without this city. The hardships and the great things that I have gone through have all built LeBron James.

“So to be able to come back and premiere a movie like this in a building I have seen my whole life is great.”

The screening begins a busy three days in Akron for James. He will team up with Nike, one of his corporate partners, on Friday to salute young athletes in the area for their work in the community. On Saturday, James will ride through the city’s streets along with Paul, Cavaliers teammate Mo Williams(notes) and Cleveland coach Mike Brown in his annual charity bike-a-thon.

The documentary, directed by Kris Belman, recounts how James and his friends pursued their dream of winning a national championship. Beginning in a decrepit inner-city gym, the five friends embarked on a journey that would be illuminated by a national spotlight as James’ fame grew.

The film incorporates home video, personal photos and footage taken during James’ final two years of high school.

James said he could have never imagined the finished product.

“We had a cameraman following us around. It was one more camera in my life, but we were just helping a guy do a school project,” he said. “We never thought that six years after we graduated high school that it would turn into this.”

James hopes those who see it come away inspired.

“The message, especially to inner city kids, is to just have a dream,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re a kid, you don’t believe that your dream can become a reality. All five of us had a dream of winning a national championship and we didn’t let anything stand in our way until we made it a reality.

“There’s more ways out than just basketball, but at the same time, we used the game, we didn’t let the game use us. By doing that we created a loyalty, we created a friendship and a brotherhood that was going to last forever. We’re still best friends.”

================================================

I saw LeBron on a Jay-Z Music Video.

[Lebron23]

Cavaliers trading Ilgauskas?

By Mark Miller

When the trading deadline comes in February, you may be hearing the name Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) a whole lot.

Why? Because he's got an expiring contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers worth $11.5 million this year and teams would love to have that kind of contract to dump off the books next summer and open up a lot of salary-cap space to spend on the likes of LeBron James(notes), Chris Bosh(notes), Amare Stoudemire, Dwyane Wade(notes), and a slew of others. General managers can dream, right?

So the word is that even though the good folks of Cleveland really like Ilgauskas and he's got a nice personal friendship with GM Danny Ferry, it will be business before pleasure when the trading deadline comes. And that means Ilgauskas will likely be exiting stage left.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/post/Cavaliers-trading-Ilgauskus-?urn=nba,184651

Ilgauskas's Future Raised

In terms of NBA news, the Cleveland Cavaliers matter in just about every facet in which a team can matter. They've got two of the most popular and entertaining players in the league in LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal, they are legitimate contenders for an NBA title, they're active on both the free agency and trade fronts, and everyone and their mama wants to know every little tidbit about where James might end up one year from now.

They're a virtual treasure trove of fan interest, yet somewhere in all the hoopla of the last few months the future of Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been somewhat overlooked. It may be that compared to everything else, Cavs fans just don't have the capacity to care much about what happens to their long-time aging center, but, as Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer points out, there's more to the Ilgauskas situation than just how well he plays and how healthy he is.

As an $11.5 million expiring contract, "Z" might be the best chance Cleveland will have to acquire another big piece to the championship puzzle this season. Keeping in mind that Ilgauskas has been in Cleveland for his entire 11-season career, and is by far the longest-tenured Cav on the roster (LeBron James is second with six straight seasons), moving him at a time when just about every team in the league is looking for 2010 cap flexibility could yield them a pretty solid piece.

Further aiding in the idea of a big move is the redundancy Cleveland has at the shooting guard spot this season. Many believe that new Cav Anthony Parker, with his defense and height, could eventually take the starting shooting guard role away from Delonte West, and with those two and Daniel Gibson it would appear that somebody could be on the move. Either West or Gibson could get stuck into a package with Ilgauskas to sweet the pot even further.

Keep in mind that this is essentially the same team that posted the league's top home record last season, only know they've got Shaq, Parker, Jamario Moon, and Danny Green. They're bringing back their six top scorers, too, meaning this is a very deep team with a whole lot of options.

Some may ask if trading that expiring contract means that Cleveland would have $11.5 million less in cap space to retain James, but that would only be a concern if the Cavaliers weren't already pretty well set towards paying the luxury tax for the foreseeable future (at least the way the current CBA defines it—who know how that will change in years to come). Don't forget that O'Neal's $20 million deal expires after this season, too, meaning that he could be the one to go, instead. Between Cleveland's two centers they should have well over $30 million in freed-up salary by June. There's some space to work with here.

And why not build for life for LeBron, just in case? If Toronto or Phoenix implodes and the Cavs can get a guy like Chris Bosh or Amar'e Stoudemire, it softens the blow for Cleveland fans should King James depart next summer. And if he stays, well, both those guys are complementary pieces that LeBron would surely love to play with. If anything, bringing in one of those guys gives James all the more reason to stay put.

Is Ilgauskas the big news for this team right now? No, of course not, but come February, when the Cavaliers are one of five or six teams that could seriously contend for a ring, Z's big expiring deal is going to start looking mighty tasty to space-hungry franchises looking to offload talent for financial freedom. Cavs GM Danny Ferry loves the guy, as Windhorst points out, but if it's a homerun deal and Shaq is panning out, the business side of basketball may force Ferry to move Ilgauskas along. The bottom line is that this is a very good team with quite a very good options to get even better, easily keeping Cleveland one of the league's biggest news-makers for the remainder of this season and well beyond.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13650

[Lebron23]

Cavs sign rookie Danny Green


Posted Aug 26 2009 10:07PM



CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed rookie forward Danny Green, their second-round pick in this year's NBA draft.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 6-foot-6 Green finished his college career at North Carolina as one of the most versatile players in ACC history. He is the only player in conference history to record at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 3-pointers, 150 blocks and 150 steals.

Green averaged a career-best 13.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in 38 games while helping the Tar Heels win the NCAA title this year. He averaged 8.2 points in five games for the Cavaliers in the Las Vegas Summer League.