Category: NBA

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Look for Irving and Durant to rest during Nets post season; Antetokounmpo willing to commit to Milwaukee; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant (35) and Kyrie Irving (11) are anxious to get to it in the NBA Playoffs once all the preliminaries are settled to start the season (si.com image)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie how do you see the returns of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant coming aboard with the Brooklyn Nets just in time for post season?

#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo said recently in an interview that there is no reason not to stay in Milwaukee for 10, 20, 25 years as long as they have a plan to win championships, stay competitive he’s willing to commit to the Bucks does that pour water on the Golden State Warriors hopes in picking up a Antetokounmpo?

#3 De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings just recently tweeted a rebuttal from radio talk show host Laura Ingram comments telling LeBron James and Kevin Durant to “shut up and dribble” and praising Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Fox tweeted that no one should be surprised that Ingraham told basketball players to shut up and dribble and white player is entitled to his view.

#4 In baseball the players are interested in a 82 game season down from the 114 game proposal they previously offered MLB but the owners are offering a 50 game season and are only willing to agree to a longer season if the players are willing to take a pay cut.

#5 MLB said that if local governments allow fans in the stadiums they would be willing to work with the local policies. That said the state of Texas is allowing 50% capacity for the Texas Rangers at the Ball Park in Arlington and at Minute Maid Field in Houston. Is this a safe idea seeing that their is no vaccine, a recent finding of two Japanese players who contracted Corona, and how safe distancing will work at the park?

Charlie joins us every other Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: How bad is the damage after looting in downtown Sac?; Was Napear tone deaf in his tweet to Cousins; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

A Rite Aid store on K Street in downtown Sacramento was damaged over the weekend (abc10.com photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Tony R:

#1 We wanted to open with asking you about the recent riots in downtown Sacramento feeling are very fragile over the loss of George Floyd that said peaceful protesters have made it clear that the violent attacks in downtown were disgraceful and it was not what the recent protests were truly about.

#2 Former Sacramento Kings play by play announcer Grant Napear who resigned this past week sent out a tweet to former King DeMarcus Cousin saying “All lives matter” in response to Cousins question “what do you think of Black Lives Matter” former King Matt Barnes tweeted that Napear was a “closet racist” was it a matter of Napear being tone deaf or was he being racist in his tweet to Cousins?

#3 With the NBA inviting 22 teams to Orlando to most likely play some tournament style scheduled basketball with eight regular games to determine the eighth seed. There will be 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams.

#4 The NBA regular and playoff campaigns get off the ground on July 12th and finish with the NBA Finals October 12th isn’t this schedule an overlap into when the NBA starts it’s pre season schedule traditionally in October?

#5 The New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson will be summoned to the 11th District Circuit Court of Florida by Judge David Miller. The discovery case will require Williamson to answer whether or not his family received benefits from Duke University where he played in college. This is the second of two lawsuits against Williamson who is also being subpoenaed after he signed a deal with Ford. Attorneys for Williamson said that Ford and Prime Sports Marketing and their deal with Williamson wasn’t valid because Ford wasn’t a registered agent in North Carolina and the contract didn’t include protecting amateur athletes from unscrupulous agents.

Tony is down for Headline Sports podcasts every other Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Headline Sports podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Grosscup and Starkey had a great working relationship; Attles and Unseld battled during NBA Finals in 75; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Lee Grosscup who quarterbacked for Utah and was a color analyst with play by play announcer Joe Starkey for Oakland Invader games 1983-1985 and the Cal Bears from 1986 to 2004 passed away on Monday (photo Kelly L Cox KLC photos)

On Headline podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry talk about former Cal Bears color announcer Lee Grosscup who called games with play by play announcer Joe Starkey. Joe said that “the Cupper” was always prepared and had all his notes down in his head and put on a fantastic broadcast game after game.

#2 Grosscup and Starkey worked Cal broadcasts from 1986 to 2004 and was a post game analyst from 2005 to 2018 and retired and came out of retirement and contributed to Bears broadcasts last season.

#3 A lot of people didn’t know this but Grosscup and Starkey both called Oakland Invaders of the USFL games on KGO Newtalk 810 during the 1983 to 1985 seasons and they had great ratings for the games until the league started to fold in 1986.

#4 He was chosen number 50 as one of the NBA’s greatest players in history, won a NBA title with the Washington Bullets in 1978 and remembered for his brawl with Golden State Warriors coach Al Attles in the 1974-75 NBA Championship game, Wes Unseld one of the NBA greats passed away at age 74.

#5 Jerry under the NBA’s 22 team playoff format the oddsmakers have the Boston Celtics as the best chance to win it all. The Celts are loaded with players such as Jason Tatum (ppg 23.6), Kemba Walker (ppg 21.2), Jaylen Brown (ppg 20.4 )and Gordon Hayward (17.3 ppg).

Join Jerry for Headlines podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: NBA Commissioner speaks out about police brutality; JR Smith chases down truck vandal; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

newsday file photo: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement he condemns discrimination which is effecting communities of color

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wrote in a memo that he condemns racism and police brutality saying, “Just as we are fighting a pandemic, which is impacting communities and people of color more than anyone else, we are being reminded that there are wounds in our country that have never healed.”

#2 TMZ showed a video of former Cleveland Cavaliers star JR Smith who caught a vandal breaking his window of his truck and got him on the ground and kicked him there. Smith said this was not a hate crime (vandal was white) this was about his window being broken into and he chased him down the vandal and opened up a can on him.

#3 Some of the players have talked about the risk of basketball coming back. If someone was to catch Corona then they would have to shut down the league all over again. Also the players have said they won’t see their families again until September. Are these issues the players are considering before starting the season again?

#4 Barbara is it time to take a knee now? Los Angeles Laker LeBron James is asking “Why doesn’t America love us?” LeBron was tweeting the question as the US was still facing protests in many cities across the country.

#5 More concerns are coming from Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey who said he worries about his eight year old son following some of the George Floyd protests. Casey remembers as an eight year old boy walking into a white school where he said he was not welcomed or wanted. It was an abuse that he remembers to this day and hopes his son will not have to live through.

Join Barbara for Headlines podcast each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Napear resigns as Kings play by play announcer over Black Lives Matter remarks

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

NBC Sports California Grant Napear, right, shown with Doug Christie, has been placed on administrative leave by radio station KHTK 1140 Sacramento (photo from mercurynews.com)

Charlie O on Headline Sports:

#1 Charlie O your a full time beat reporter for print and radio covering the Sacramento Kings how surprised were you that 1140 KHTK talk show host Grant Napear tweeted to former Sacramento King DeMarcus Cousins “All lives matter” that has been interpreted as a racist retort said by racist people regarding #BLM.

#2  Napear under heavy criticism from the players and public at large resigned did this come as any surprise?

#3 Former Sacramento King Matt Barnes tweeted that Napear is a closet racist. Cousins asked the question to Napear what he thought about Black Lives Matter and it seemed like Cousins wasn’t surprised about Napear’s answer?

#4 Some of the reporters knew Napear can be standoffish, wouldn’t engage in too many conversations with those covering Kings basketball can you confirm these descriptions from various reporters.

#5 Do you think the fans at large had any inkling about Napear and what Barnes meant when he said Napear was a closet racist?

Charlie O covers Sacramento Kings basketball for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Stanley Cup Playoffs on the NHL drawing board; Lillard won’t play last four regular games

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Portland Trailblazers Damion Lillard says he wants to sit out the last four NBA regular season games because it would be like an exhibition game since the Blazers are already in the playoffs (USA Today file photo)

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica:

#1 The NHL is back and their aiming to get the Stanley Cup Playoffs started either in June or July with 24 teams participating. There’s always nuances to every new format there will be 12 teams in the East and 12 in the West. Seven NHL teams didn’t make the cut.

#2 NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that health and safety issues is up next after getting an agreement from the players on the playoff format and how the draft will work.

#3 In principal Bettman and the players have agreed that the regular season is done and they will go for the playoffs as soon as everyone is tuned up after some practice sessions. The games will be played in front of empty arenas.

#4 Jessica, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers said that the NBA wants to play four regular season games to make up the difference before starting with the playoffs. The reasoning for that is to fulfill the NBA contract obligation to television. Lillard says he wants no part of that because what is the purpose of playing in a game that’s really an exhibition game and taking the chance of getting hurt before the playoffs.

#5 There have been some voices out there saying the NBA should just scrap the season and playoffs and start all over again in October when pre season basketball followed by the regular season gets going. The owners are anxious to get the television revenue question is will they get the kind of ratings they want with empty arenas and playing at this stage in the season?

Jessica does Headline Sports podcasts every other Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Former Sac Bee Kings beat writer Marty McNeal dead at 64; MLB 67 page proposal to players

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Marty McNeal, sports reporter for the Sacramento Bee, squeezes between two other journalists to interview Shaquille O’Neal at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta. Hector Amezcua Sacramento Bee photo file 

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred and MLB presented MLB Players Association representative with a 67 page operations manual to Player Representative Tony Clark which included health and safety issues there was nothing about the 50-50 sharing revenue issues.

#2 We’ll go over some of the proposed safety rules, no spitting, no sitting next to each other in the dugout or in the bull pens it may sound simple but in the Show that’s some old habits that’s tough to break.

#3 One of the key things to get the players interest is the 50-50 gate revenue split as Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell said “I want my money” the other thing he said “I risk my life” can MLB get a deal done with such stringent policies from the Commissioners office?

#4 Our former colleague former Sacramento Bee beat writer for the Sacramento Kings Marty McNeal passed away from Leukemia at age 64 on Thursday. He was surrounded at a Dallas Hospital by family. Marty as we knew very well in covering Kings games for 13 years was a friendly and knowledgeable writer he was very funny and he was just great with the TV-radio reporters. He will really be missed.

#5 There were so many stories about Marty a favorite as told by the Sacramento Bee in Thursday’s edition that Marty was involved with not only covering the team but almost was like an assistant coach former King Mike Bibby was having a bad night as the reporters were seated at courtside. As Bibby was walking off the court Marty would say to him “What the hell is wrong with you” Bibby and Marty would end up talking.

Charlie O is a Sacramento Kings beat writer and podcasts every other Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Kings will return to practice facility on Monday with strict guidelines

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Sacramento Kings D’Aaron Fox will he be one of the four players who will attend the practice session for the Kings on Monday at the practice facility? (forbes.com file photo)

On Headlines pod with Charlie O:

#1 Sacramento’s ABC 10 reports that the Sacramento Kings are opening up their practice facility on Monday but under stringent orders from the Sacramento Public Health Order. Lots of temperature taking, social distancing and no fans in the building.

#2 With the Kings opening up their practice facility to players on a voluntary basis does this open a light at the end of the tunnel and that the Kings and NBA Basketball could very well be back very soon?

#3 This will be the first time since March 11th when the Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert tested positive for Covid-19 triggering a shutdown for the Kings and the NBA to get the green light to start practicing again.

#4 The NBA set very strict guidelines for the practice, no coaches whatsoever watching or participating in the practice, only four players can be at the facility at the same time, players can not shoot at the same basket, and everyone must wear a mask.

#5 There are a awful lot of precautions for this practice drill but looking past all of that what are some of the things the Kings hope to gain from the players showing up for drills and what benefits will there be?

Charlie O is a Sacramento Kings beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Covid 19 Sports podcast with Matt Harrington: It’s a matter of time people will be mandated to quarantine

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

photo from narcity.com: Chase Center sits empty in San Francisco during the NBA Coronavirus epidemic all operations ceased since March 12th

On the Sports Quarantine podcast with Matt:

#1 Matt first weekend in history that all of sports is froze out due to the nationwide policy of banning of crowds

#2 As a reporter who covers the San Jose Sharks and also works for the Sharks and formerly the Oakland Raiders what’s it been like for you not to go to work there

#3 Speaking of work taking a look at the Golden State Warriors and San Jose Sharks day of game staff operations many employees who depended on income will now not only suffer through this pandemic but also will not receive a check and can’t pay bill up to 15,000 employees just the ones who work at Chase Center

#4 Warriors owner Joe Lacob did address there will financial hardships and this is the time that the employees who keep things going at NBA and sports sites going need help

#5 Matt it’s March 14th and on Friday the 13th players and staff from the San Francisco Giants were seen loading up equipment and going to their homes hanging up baseball for at least two weeks in a pandemic that could last until the hopefully the very latest end of May.

Matt Harrington will be updating us for all the latest on the pandemic of 2020 for the Sports Quarantine podcast every Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq part 1: March Madness many students will never get another chance; Pro Sports suspends all games going forward

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

photo from lafc.com: Covid 19 breifing from LAFC and advice to fans and media

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 London there will be no games going forward as the NCAA cancelled all it’s games for March Madness.

#2 MLB, MLS, NBA, and the NHL all have suspended all games in an unprecedented situation unheard of. The NBA has said they will allow players to work out.

#3 Two Utah Jazz players Rudy Cobert and Donavon Mitchell who contracted Coronavirus was the starting point to end the NBA season. Cobert today apologized for touching everything and possibly passing the virus to his teammate.

#4 Economically this has effected thousands employed in professional and college sports who work the games including much of our own staff

#5 London you covered the MLS and the San Jose Earthquakes this is a weekly game for the most part this has to be disheartening and scary for people who work at the MLS and have to make house payments and now there is no work there.

Join London each Friday for an of Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com