Tag: Adam Silver

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Former Angel pitcher Harvey suspended for 60 days after admitting taking pills with Skaggs; Tiger and McIlroy regret Mickelson out for Championship; plus more

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Los Angeles Angels Matt Harvey shown pitching against the Houston Astros on Jul 18, 2019 at the Big A in Anaheim the same year he was to have taken oxycodone pills with the late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs (AP file photo)

On Headline Sports with Jessica:

#1 Former New York Met and Los Angeles Angel and current Baltimore Oriole pitcher Matt Harvey has been suspended 60 days stemming from his taking oxycodone pills with former and late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

#2 Skaggs died from  asphyxiating on his own vomit and had oxycodone and cocaine in his system. Eric Kay the Angels former Communications director was convicted for distributing the drugs as five former Angels players testified. Kay is looking at 20 years in jail.

#3 Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods said it was “unfortunate” and “sad” that Phil Mickelson is not attending the 2022 PGA Championship. Mickelson is taking some time away from golf. Mickelson said that he was going to join the Saudi Super Golf League and had said even with the knowledge that the Saudi King was alleged to have ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi Mickelson said he would still be interested in joining the Saudi Super League and got a lot of criticism for that decision and has been quite since.

#4 Jessica, the NBA is working with the WNBA on Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner’s release from a Russian prison. Griner had been imprisoned since February and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert are working side by side. Silver said that he’s been working with the White House, State Department, and hostage negotiators for Griner’s release. The Russian Government has offered to release Griner for the Merchant of Death Viktor Bout.

#5 Jessica, the Boston Celtics played last night against the Miami Heat in game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in Miami. The Celtics were without Al Horford health and safety issues and Marcus Smart is out with a foot injury both are day to day and could return Thursday night.

Join Jessica for Headline Sports podcasts every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Commissioner’s double down talk freezes out NBA in China; Raiders play good enough to win two on the road

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Photo credit: forbes.com

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony, without a doubt, the top headline story is China’s withdrawal from doing business with the NBA because of Houston GM Daryl Morey’s tweet to stand with Hong Kong.

#2 NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that free speech is vital and the NBA is not apologizing for Morey’s tweet. Meanwhile, China has suspended all NBA TV coverage, all NBA sponsorship, and all NBA brands in China.

#3 Talk about the Oakland Raiders’ win in London. They might have been the home team, but it’s on the road and they won their second straight game.

#4 The San Francisco 49ers remain perfect at 4-0. They face the Los Angeles Rams (3-2) in LA. This could very well be San Francisco’s biggest challenge so far.

#5 The Sacramento Kings, who returned from two preseason games in Mumbai, are back in Sacramento this Thursday to host the Phoenix Suns. No doubt head coach Luke Walton and the Kings are glad to be back and anxious to get started at Golden 1 Center.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria is heard each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Chinese state media cancels all NBA preseason telecasts

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photo from sfgate.com: Fans wait outside a hotel to catch a glimpse of players from the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers in Shanghai on Wednesday.

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

CCTV (China Central Television) is China’s state television. They announced they are suspending all preseason games of the NBA in China. At the same time, they said they will immediately investigate all exchanges and co-operation involving the NBA. I’m not certain if the regular season games will also be suspended at this time.

This happened just days after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came to the defense of Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who tweeted in support of the Hong Kong anti-government protests.

DEMONSTRATIONS: Why are people in Hong Kong protesting? They are also called the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill, and residents in Hong Kong were concerned that bill could subject them to extradition to the mainland by the Chinese communist central government. The Chinese government has described the protest as the “‘worst’ crisis in Hong Kong” since the handover in 1999 when the United Kingdom handed the colony of Hong Kong and returned control of that territory to China.

CHINA’S GOVERNMENT: China is ruled by a communist central government, they are among the biggest human rights violators in the world. Amnesty International has documented widespread human rights violations in China. Demonstrations and free speech is not allowed in China. Obviously, the Chinese government is very concerned with the demonstrations in Hong Kong as demonstrators have been killed, injured and arrested.

HUGE MARKET: As of 2018 the total population of the United States was 327 million people

According to official statistics, about 800 million Chinese watch NBA programming on TV and digital media in China.

Over 300 million people in China play basketball. Online engagement with the NBA is six times more popular in China than the three largest European soccer leagues

BIG BUSINESS: This is big business for the NBA, as no other country is more obsessed with the NBA and basketball than China, the most populous country in the world with 1.4 billion people.

DIFFERENCES: While here in the US, we have the rights to free speech, demonstrations against our government and many other freedoms that we have enjoyed for over two centuries — freedom that sometimes we take for granted — that is not allowed communist China.

One example: The environment is very much an issue worldwide. While China is the world’s biggest polluter, you will never see a pro-environment demonstration in that country. They are not allowed.

I do agree with what Mr. Daryl Morey said on his original tweet when he supported the demonstrations by the people in Hong Kong against the Chinese government as well as the recent statement by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Anybody who likes and enjoys freedom definitely agrees with both gentlemen.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and was a Spanish play by play announcer for the Golden State Warriors, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

OMG! The Kings win second consecutive game downing the Mavericks 98-87

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–Here is your 2:20 Game Wrap from the Kings 98-87 win over the Mavericks

It is that time of year when winning can be losing and losing can be winning

If you are an NBA team that is not headed to the Playoffs, there is very little incentive for your management to encourage your team to win games. The fact is – the more games your team loses – the better your chances are in the NBA Draft Lottery and the NBA Draft.

The 2017 NBA Draft has been labeled as one of the most talent-laden drafts in a decade or more. Non-playoff teams want to have the best possible selection positions as possible for this once in decade or more event. The question becomes how do you tell your players and fans that their team needs to lose games now to make things better in the future.

“Tanking” is a word that no one in NBA HQ wants to hear or acknowledge exists. The whole concept of a professional sports team doing less than its best to win a game is repugnant to sports fans everywhere, but yet, the current draft system totally encourages teams to “tank” after they are eliminated from Playoff contention.

Commissioner Adam Silver and his staff need to come up with a plan that rewards non-playoff teams for winning rather than losing as they head into the Draft Lottery. It would be better for the fans, players and the game overall. The game cannot have a system where winning is losing.

The Kings won the game because of their 3-point shooting and rebounding

The Kings shot an incredible 54.5-percent (12-for-22) from beyond the 3-point line on Tuesday night. Ben McLemore was a perfect 5-for-5 from downtown. Buddy Hield hit 4-of-7 from long range. Langston Galloway converted 2-of-4 three point attempts.

The Mavericks attempted 43 three-point shots. They were successful just 12 times(27.9-percent).

Sacramento outrebounded Dallas 50-39. The Kings grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and 40 on defense.

The Kings outscored the Mavs in the paint 38-30.

Ben Mac was on fire

Ben McLemore scored 11 points in the final 4:02 of the third quarter. He would go on to lead the Kings in scoring with 22 points. McLemore went 5-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Buddy Hield – the Western Conference Rookie of the Month – finished with 16 points. Four of his five field goals were 3-point baskets.

The Kings converted 12-of-22 (54.5-percent) from 3-point land in the game.

Game snapshot

  • Biggest lead: Kings 12 Mavericks 7
  • Lead changes in game 10
  • Number of times the game was tied 9

Coach Joerger’s final analysis of the game

Up next for the Kings

The Kings will have two days to rest and regroup before they have to fly to Southern California to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.