NBA: Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell agrees to a 3-year, $150.3M extension

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Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell reacts after a basket against the Boston Celtics during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell isn’t taking his talents anywhere. Not yet, anyway.

The five-time NBA All-Star guard has agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Mitchell’s choice to commit to the Cavaliers had been expected for some time. Still, there was plenty of anxiety inside Cleveland’s fanbase, which cannot forget LeBron James leaving the franchise as a free agent in 2010 for Miami.

The 27-year-old Mitchell spent much of this past season saying he’s happy playing with Cleveland, which acquired him in a 2022 trade from Utah. The Cavs have made the playoffs in both seasons with Mitchell, one of the league’s best all-around guards.

He agreed to the extension in Los Angeles over the weekend, according to the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the NBA prohibits deals from being announced until its moratorium ends on Saturday. ESPN was first to report Mitchell’s agreement.

READ: NBA: Kenny Atkinson confident Cavaliers can take next step

The extension includes a $54 million player option for the 2027-28 season, the person said. Mitchell was under contract for one more season. Technically, Mitchell’s new deal means he can become a free agent in three years, raising the Cavs’ urgency to compete for a title.

The new deal also allows Mitchell to reach a 10-year criteria, making him eligible for a next extension worth $380 million.

Shortly after word of Mitchell’s extension emerged, he posted a video on social media from the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” in which actor Leonardo DiCaprio profanely announces to his colleagues, “I’m not leaving.”

Mitchell also went on Instagram to reiterate his commitment to Cleveland with a video of him driving and discussing his extension.

“All year I’ve been saying the same (stuff),” Mitchell said while driving. “I’m saying how much I like it every day. It’s like, ‘Oh, he going to do this. He going to do that.’ I don’t get it. I don’t understand it. I think it’s hilarious.

READ: NBA: Donovan Mitchell’s future bigger priority for Cavaliers

“It’s what it is, but I’m glad I got this (stuff) done, man. Glad I got this (stuff) done in Cleveland. Now to get focused. You know what I’m saying? Let’s get to it.”

Mitchell was in LA hosting his “Spida Elite” basketball camp for some of the nation’s top high school guards. He was visited by Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman and Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson, who was formally introduced by the team at a news conference on Monday.

Atkinson, who was Golden State’s top assistant the past three seasons, said he and Mitchell chatted mostly about family during their time together. Altman said Mitchell reaffirmed his commitment to the Cavs.

“We feel good about Donovan,” Altman said Monday. “He’s in a great space mentally. He’s healthy. Really enjoyed the fact that him and Kenny could sit down and talk about the future, talk about the team.

“He’s invested. He’s really invested in what we’re doing. Hopefully soon we’ll have more of a decisive answer on that for you, but he’s been great. He’s been super involved and super collaborative and very, very much pro-Cleveland.”

The Cavs’ bold move — they traded three unprotected first-round picks, forward Lauri Markkanen and guard Collin Sexton to Utah — to get Mitchell two years ago was a surprise.

It appeared he was on his way to play for his hometown New York Knicks before Cleveland swooped in. Mitchell’s arrival accelerated the Cavs’ rebuild, which began when James left as a free agent for the second time in 2018 for the Lakers.

Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds this past season, but he was limited to just 55 games because of a left knee injury. Mitchell was slowed by the injury in the playoffs and pushed through before sitting out Cleveland’s final two games in the Eastern Conference semifinals with a calf injury.

The Cavs were eliminated in five games by the eventual champion Boston Celtics and fired coach J.B. Bickerstaff a week later.

In two seasons with Cleveland, Mitchell has averaged 27.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds. He scored a career-high 71 in his first season in a game against Chicago.

Atkinson understands his charge is to get the most out of Cleveland’s “Core 4” of players — Mitchell, guard Darius Garland, forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen. He also believes there’s another level to Mitchell’s game and wants to make him one of the league’s top five players.



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“Why not?” Atkinson said. “With the skill level and the athleticism and the human being, I don’t see why we can’t.”

Bahamas tops Finland in OQT opener, Slovenia falls to Croatia

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Bahamas’ guard #07 Buddy Hield drives the ball against Finland’s guard #34 Jacob Grandison during the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament basketball match between Finland and Bahamas in Valencia, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)

Buddy Hield and the Bahamas are a step closer to the Paris Olympics. Luka Doncic and Slovenia are now facing an uphill battle to get there.

Hield scored 24 points, Valdez Edgecombe Jr. added 20 and the Bahamas beat Finland 96-85 on Tuesday in the first game of the Olympic qualifying tournament at Valencia, Spain.

“We grinded it out. Grinded out a win today,” Hield said. “Staying together, figuring it out. Game of basketball is a game of runs. First half, we didn’t quite figure it out.”

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

The tournaments in Spain and Greece were two of four that started on Tuesday to determine the last four spots in the men’s basketball field for the Paris Olympics. Other tournaments are being held in Latvia and Puerto Rico, both of them also starting on Tuesday. Group play at all four sites continues through Thursday, with semifinal games Saturday and four games with Olympic berths on the line set for Sunday.

The Bahamas closed the game on a 44-21 run over the final 17 minutes, erasing what was a 12-point second-half deficit.

But for Slovenia, there was no comeback. At Piraeus, Greece, Croatia led by as many as 29 points and rolled to a 108-92 win. Doncic had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Slovenia, while Croatia had a its own triple-double — 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists — from Dario Saric, along with 21 points from Goran Filipovic and 18 points in 19 minutes from Ivica Zubac.

Luka Doncic Slovenia vs Croatia Fiba OQT

Slovenia’s Luka Doncic reacts during the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament basketball match at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens on July 2, 2024. (Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP)

Croatia can qualify for the semifinals on Wednesday with a win over New Zealand. Slovenia must beat New Zealand on Thursday to have any chance of keeping its Olympic hopes alive.

“Croatia played great,” Doncic said. “They outplayed us. … I’ve got to play way better than this and we’ve got to play with way better energy.”

Doncic was dealing with injuries during the NBA Finals when Dallas lost to Boston, and he was clearly laboring at times on Tuesday as well. But he insisted he would keep going.

“It’s an honor for me to play for my country,” Doncic said. “A lot of times, there’s going to be injuries. But I just see a big honor for me to play for my country. We’re 2 million people and to represent my country, it means everything to me.”

READ: Doncic, Antetokounmpo shoot for last shot at Paris Olympics

Deandre Ayton scored 19 and Eric Gordon added 16 for the Bahamas, who can advance to the qualifier’s knockout round by beating Poland on Wednesday. It is an interesting mix for the Bahamas; three starters are NBA players, but the starting point guard is Lourawls Nairn — a former Michigan State player and now the associate head coach at Bowling Green.

“He’s a coaches’ dream and I think the players love playing with him,” Bahamas coach Chris DeMarco said. “He definitely belongs and he could be doing this for a living, but he pursued a different career.”

Mikael Jantunen and Edon Maxhuni each scored 20 for Finland, which faces Poland on Thursday.

Spain 104, Lebanon 59
At Valencia, host Spain rolled behind 17 points from Santi Aldama, 15 from Usman Garuba and 14 from Jaime Pradilla. Spain can wrap up a spot in the semifinals with a win over Angola on Wednesday.

Youssef Khayat scored 20 for Lebanon, which faces Angola on Thursday.

Brazil 81, Montenegro 72

At Riga, Latvia, Brazil trailed for most of the game but outscored Montenegro 29-16 in the fourth quarter to pull off the comeback.

Bruno Caboclo had 25 points and nine rebounds for Brazil, while Marcelinho Huertas added 17 points.

Nikola Vucevic led Montenegro with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Montenegro must beat Cameroon on Wednesday to keep hopes of reaching the semifinals alive. Brazil faces Cameroon on Thursday.

Latvia 83, Georgia 55

At Riga, host Latvia outscored Georgia 28-11 in the second quarter to take complete control and rolled to the opening win.

Arturs Strautins scored 18 points on 5-for-5 shooting to lead a balanced Latvian scoring attack, while Mareks Mejeris scored 11 (also shooting 5-for-5) and Rolands Smits finished with 10.

Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 14 points.

Latvia can clinch a semifinal spot by beating the Philippines on Wednesday. Georgia and the Philippines play on Thursday to close the group round.

Dominican Republic 90, Egypt 77

At Piraeus, Jean Montero scored 17 points, and the Dominican Republic used a 14-0 run spanning the end of the second quarter and start of the third quarter to pull away.

Chris Duarte scored 14 points, Victor Liz had 12 and Angel Nunez finished with 11 for the Dominican Republic.

Ahmed Metwaly led Egypt with 24 points.

The Dominican Republic can clinch a semifinal spot if it beats Greece on Wednesday. Egypt plays Greece on Thursday and must win to have any hope of advancing to the semifinals.

Italy 114, Bahrain 53

At San Juan, Puerto Rico, Danilo Gallinari and Nicolo Melli each scored 14 points and Italy finished with seven players in double figures.

Ahmed Haji scored 12 points to lead Bahrain, which gave up the game’s final 19 points.

Bahrain must beat Puerto Rico on Wednesday to have any shot at the semifinals. Italy plays Puerto Rico on Thursday.

Lithuania 96, Mexico 84

At San Juan, Lithuania opened the second half on a 27-7 run that carried it to an opening win.

Marius Grigonis led the way with 21 points for Lithuania, while Tadas Sedekerskis added 12. Domantas Sabonis finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Joshua Ibarra scored 18 for Mexico.



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Lithuania would reach Saturday’s semifinals with a win over Ivory Coast on Wednesday. Mexico plays Ivory Coast on Thursday, likely to decide another semifinal berth.

New-look Akari taps American import Oly Okaro

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Oly Okaro will be the Akari Chargers’ import for the upcoming PVL Reinforced Conference.–Photo from Akari

MANILA, Philippines — New-look Akari will be parading American import Oly Okaro in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference, which opens on July 16 at Philsports Arena.

The Chargers, who will be under a new coach in Taka Minowa, on Wednesday unveiled the 28-year-old opposite hitter as their reinforcement in the upcoming conference.

Akari will be banking on Okaro, who played in Greece for the last two seasons with Zaon Kifisias and ASP Thetis.

READ: PVL: Choco Mucho acquires Dindin Santiago-Manabat from Akari

The 6-foot-1 Okaro, who played for San Francisco University and Arizona State University in college, last saw action in Greece where she appeared in two seasons. She also had a stint in Finland.

Okaro will be teaming up with Akari newcomers Ivy Lacsina and Kamille Cal as well as returnees Dani Ravena and Cams Victoria, who were shipped from Nxled with Minowa.

Alas Pilipinas players Faith Nisperos and Fifi Sharma are unlikely to see action due to their commitments to the Philippine women’s volleyball team, leaving bigger shoes to fill in for mainstays Ced Domingo, Grethcel Soltones, Eli Soyud, and Michelle Cobb.

Akari holds the sixth overall pick in Monday’s inaugural PVL Rookie Draft at Novotel.

The Chargers debuted in the 2022 Reinforced Conference, placing eighth with PVL scoring record holder Prisilla Rivera. They haven’t reached the semifinals with back-to-back seventh-place finishes in the past two All-Filipino Conferences.

READ: PVL: Ricky Palou says reported Akari-Nxled trade ‘not allowed’

Akari, slated in Pool B with Choco Mucho, Petro Gazz, Cignal, and ZUS Coffee, starts its campaign against Capital1, which has Russian import Marina Tushova, on July 18 at Philsports Arena.

Meanwhile, Galeries, which has the No. 3 overall pick, will be banking on Brazilian import Monique Helena.



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Nine of the twelve PVL teams have already unveiled their imports with Cignal bringing back MJ Perez to Manila, Choco Mucho welcoming Greek Spiker Zoi Faki, ZUS Coffee signing Japanese Asaka Tamaru, Capital1 banking on Tushova, Creamline tapping  American spiker Erica Staunton, Chery Tiggo being reinforced by Khat Bell, and PLDT running it back with its previous Russian reinforcement Elena Samoilenko.

Defending champion Petro Gazz, Nxled, and Farm Fresh have yet to announce their reinforcements.

Doncic, Antetokounmpo shoot for last shot at Paris Olympics

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Slovenia’s Luka Doncic during the Fiba World Cup.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are about to get one last chance at reaching the Paris Olympics. Same goes for Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Vucevic. And Rudy Fernandez is about to get his shot at making history.

The last four spots in the 12-team Olympic men’s basketball field for the Paris Games start getting decided on Tuesday, with the beginning of winner-take-all qualifying tournaments in Spain, Latvia, Puerto Rico and Greece.

Each site is playing host to a six-team tournament that runs through July 7, and the four winners get the last four spots in the Olympic field.

READ: Latvia’s Porzingis to have surgery, out of OQT and Paris Olympics

“We are in the best possible place,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about getting to play qualifying games at home in Greece.

It’s likely that he and Doncic will go head-to-head at some point; Slovenia is in Greece for that qualifier. Meanwhile, in Spain, the perennial Olympic medal contenders aren’t just trying to get to Paris — there’s also a quest to make Fernandez, the Spanish great, the first six-time men’s basketball Olympian.

“We want to see that dream happen,” Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said.

The format has two groups of three teams at each tournament. For group play, which runs Tuesday through Thursday, each nation plays the other two teams in their group. The top two teams in each group — so four total from each site — advance to semifinals that will be held on Saturday. Championship games at all four sites are Sunday.

READ: LeBron, Steph Curry ‘excited’ to join forces for Paris Olympics

A look at the qualifiers:

Spain

Site: Valencia, Spain.

Group A: Lebanon, Angola, Spain.

Group B: Finland, Poland, Bahamas.

Outlook: Spain is at home and that’s a big edge, but the Bahamas believes it can surprise for three very good reasons — Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon, all of whom are on that nation’s roster for the qualifiers.

Latvia

Site: Riga, Latvia.

Group A: Georgia, Philippines, Latvia.

Group B: Brazil, Cameroon, Montenegro.

Outlook: The host Latvians didn’t get the easiest draw in the world, especially with the Philippines now coached by Tim Cone — a former Miami Heat summer league assistant with more than two dozen championships during his time in the Philippines. Montenegro’s hopes rest largely on Nikola Vucevic.

Greece

Site: Piraeus, Greece.

Group A: Slovenia, New Zealand, Croatia.

Group B: Egypt, Greece, Dominican Republic.

Outlook: The potential for a Greece-Slovenia final seems high, and that would be great theater — Doncic vs. Antetokounmpo for a spot in the Olympics. Doncic played through injuries in the NBA Finals for Dallas in its five-game loss to Boston, and the fact that he’s playing here shows how much the Olympic shot means to him.

Puerto Rico

Site: San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Group A: Mexico, Ivory Coast, Lithuania.

Group B: Italy, Puerto Rico, Bahrain.



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Outlook: Danilo Gallinari headlines the roster for a very experienced Italy team, one that has to face host Puerto Rico in the group stage but could still advance to the semifinals even with a loss. Lithuania seems to have the most experience in Group A, and it would be a surprise not to see that squad in the semifinals.

Ownership group of Boston Celtics putting team up for sale

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Majority owner Wyc Grousbeck of the Boston Celtics holds up the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after Boston’s 106-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images/AFP

BOSTON — The ownership group that controls the NBA champion Boston Celtics says it intends to sell all its shares of the team.

In a statement released Monday, Boston Basketball Partners LLC said it intends to sell the majority of its shares in 2024 or early 2025. The balance of its shares would then close in 2028.

Wyc Grousbeck, whose family leads the ownership group, is expected to remain the team’s NBA governor until the sale is complete.

“The controlling family of the ownership group, after considerable thought and internal discussion, has decided to sell the team for estate and family planning considerations,” the statement said.

The Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals last month to capture the franchise’s 18th championship.

READ: NBA: Celtics’ Brad Stevens expects only roster tweaks in repeat bid

Boston Basketball Partners — led by venture capitalist Grousbeck, his father and investor H. Irving Grousbeck, along with venture capitalist Steve Pagliuca — purchased the Celtics for $360 million from the Gaston family in 2002. The Gastons had owned the team since 1983.

One of the NBA’s original and storied brands, the Celtics were valued at $4.7 billion last year by Forbes, placing them behind only the Golden State Warriors ($7.7 billion), New York Knicks ($6.6 billion) and Los Angeles Lakers ($6.4 billion).

The current ownership group was in charge when the Celtics won the NBA title in 2008.

READ: Boston salutes Celtics’ record 18th NBA championship with parade 

In an email to Celtics staff that was obtained by The Associated Press, Wyc Grousbeck wrote they are “committed to finding a worthy incoming ownership group who will guide the Celtics to more decades of success.”

He added: “There will be a thoughtful and thorough process to find a buyer that recognizes the importance of Celtic Pride on the court and in the community.”

Last year, the Phoenix Suns were purchased by mortgage firm owner Mat Ishbia for $4 billion. That was followed by the sale of the Milwaukee Bucks to Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam for $3.5 billion. Last November, Mark Cuban agreed to the sale of the majority of his Dallas Mavericks’ ownership shares to Miriam Adelson and son-in-law Patrick Dumont, who operates the Las Vegas Sands casino company, for $3.5 billion.



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Mangliwan vows to keep away from wrong lane

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FILE–Jerrold Mangliwan—TEAM PH PHOTO

Jerrold Mangliwan frantically pushed his wheels and unintentionally crossed the adjacent lane, automatically dashing all hopes of landing a medal.

Mangliwan is now driven not to commit a similar lapse in the coming 2024 Paris Paralympics.

“It’s hard to control it when you’re at full speed. I hope I don’t cross to the wrong lane again,’’ said Mangliwan.

The Filipino wheelchair racing ace will battle the world’s best in his third consecutive Paralympics—this time, in the French capital from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.

He will race in the men’s 400-meter T52, three years after committing a lane infringement in the final where he achieved a personal best.

“I’ve been practicing daily to avoid committing that mistake,’’ said Mangliwan, ranked No. 6 in the world in the event.

Podium contenders

But a lot has changed since that inadvertent fault as Mangliwan refined his skills while navigating at full acceleration on the track.

The 44-year-old pride of Tabuk, Kalinga, is the current Asian Para Games champion in the 400 m after beating Japanese Hirokazu Ueyonabaru in Hangzhou, China, last year. Ueyonabaru was the bronze-medal winner during the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics.

Mangliwan also brought home a silver medal from the 100-m T52, another event where he could figure prominently in Paris.

“The competition (in the Paralympics) has become stronger, but there’s a chance (for a medal),’’ said Mangliwan.

Podium contenders Raymond Martin of the United States, Japanese Tomoki Sato, Yuki Oya and Ueyonabaru count as his possible foes along with Mexico’s Leonardo de Jesus Perez Juarez.

And then there’s Maxime Carabin of Belgium, a 23-year-old who won a pair of gold medals in the 400-m and 100-m T52 during the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.



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Carabin became much bolder in the worlds early this year in Kobe, Japan, where he won golds in the 100 m, 400 m and 1500-m T52 events. INQ

Ateneo farewell points Amos to La Salle; UP signs Gilas prospect

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Mason Amos is leaving Ateneo Blue Eagles after just one UAAP season with the team and is reported to be moving to La Salle. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Mason Amos traveled over 9,000 kilometers to get to Riga, in Latvia, from Manila for his national team career.

His college career took a shorter trip—just about 20 km—but that voyage looks headed to a destination farthest from the minds of basketball fans.

Amos, the Ateneo big man who has become some sort of a regular in the Gilas Pilipinas pool, announced he was leaving the Blue Eagles, with multiple reports tagging him in a transfer to the other end of Philippine basketball’s greatest and longest-running rivalry.

“To my teammates—with a heavy heart I would like to express that you guys have been a huge part of my life. I am thankful for everything that we were able to share. I have no regrets having fought by your side,” Amos wrote on his Instagram account. “I am thankful that you guys taught me lessons and that we were able to create memories I will cherish forever. I love you guys and that’ll never change.”

The shock announcement, which was made public late Monday night while Amos was with Gilas Pilipinas in Latvia for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, caught almost everyone by surprise especially since the stretch big was marked as a cornerstone for the Blue Eagles.

Instead, he will reportedly begin his residency at La Salle as the UAAP arms race continues at a frenzied pace.

The Citadel product

On Tuesday, University of the Philippines (UP) announced that it had secured the services of Gilas Pilipinas talent target Quentin Millora-Brown, who will suit up for the Maroons in Season 87.

The 6-foot-10 center from The Citadel in the US NCAA Division 1 averaged 11.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 blocks for the same school that produced former PBA guard Noy Castillo.

“We have been talking with Quentin for a time now. We’ve visited him a couple of times since 2019,” UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development director Bo Perasol said in a statement released to the media. “We are beyond happy and really excited to finally have him in the team for next season.”

Amos, the 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 8.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16 games for the Blue Eagles in what now turned out to be his lone season in Katipunan.

Amos helped anchor Ateneo’s 7-7 (win-loss) record in Season 86, where the Blue Eagles were eliminated by Final Four foe UP.



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La Salle and Ateneo have yet to respond to requests for a comment on the transfer. INQ

Bronny James ready for pressure after ‘surreal’ Lakers move 

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EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 02: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a photo after a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on July 02, 2024 in El Segundo, California. The Lakers selected Bronny James and Dalton Knecht in the 2024 NBA Draft.  (Getty Images via AFP)

LOS ANGELES – Bronny James said Tuesday he is ready to deal with the pressure of playing alongside his NBA superstar father LeBron as he was formally unveiled by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 19-year-old former University of Southern California player, chosen by the Lakers last week with the 55th pick in the NBA Draft, will form the first father-and-son double act in NBA history when he suits up for the Lakers next season.

The Lakers’ move for the teenager has been greeted with skepticism in some quarters, with pundits questioning whether the Lakers would have drafted him if he wasn’t LeBron James’ eldest son

Bronny James, with dad LeBron standing in the background, addressed those criticisms head on in Tuesday’s press conference at the Lakers training facility at El Segundo.

It’s for sure an amplified amount of pressure,” Bronny said.

“I’ve already seen it — social media and … the internet and stuff talking about how I might not deserve an opportunity.

“But, you know, I’ve been dealing with stuff like this my whole life. So it’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure. But I’ll get through it.”

James, who was unveiled along with fellow draftee Dalton Knecht, was handed his signature yellow and purple Lakers jersey for the first time.

He will wear a No.9 shirt next season emblazoned with “James Jr.” on it.

“Everything has been surreal, trying to take it all in,” Bronny said about the whirl of emotions he has experienced since being drafted by the Lakers last Thursday.

Bronny said he had not gone into detail about his hopes for his rookie season in talks with his father, who will turn 40 in December in what will be his 22nd season in the NBA.

‘Work ethic’

We haven’t gone too deep into that stuff yet, especially since we haven’t even started summer league yet.

“But just stuff that he’s been telling me my whole life, just having that work ethic and getting your work in and listening to your coaches and being coachable — something he’s driven into my head my whole life.”

Bronny appeared with Lakers new head coach J.J. Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka, and expressed gratitude to the front office for “everything (they) have given to me.”

That drew a clarification from Redick, who himself was controversially appointed to the Lakers head coaching hot seat last month despite never having coached in the league.

“I want to clarify one thing that you just said, which is Rob and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said, insisting that the younger James had been recruited on merit.

“Bronny has earned this. Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work,” Redick said.

“We view Bronny as like Case Study 1, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing, there is a lot to like about his game.

“He’s going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.

“Bronny James, who in July last year suffered a cardiac arrest while practicing with USC in pre-season, said the possibility of playing alongside his father was not a “main focus” of being drawn to the Lakers.

“Rob has told me there’s a great development system here, so I just want to come in and put my work in and get better every day,” he said. “I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad, but that’s always there … but that wasn’t a main focus.”

He said the health scare last year, which restricted his appearances in college basketball, had made him determined to make a success of his NBA move.



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The time that I had off I feel like I could have been perfecting my game more,” he said. “Yeah, I just feel like I’ve been given an opportunity to showcase what I can really do, because I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at USC.”

Missing players, reassigned roles hit Alas Pilipinas with reality check

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Bella Belen.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Coming off the high of a historic achievement, Alas Pilipinas is beginning to feel some of the problems of maintaining a high-profile national pool.

Luckily, the women’s program has a few reinforcements coming its way.

National University (NU) ace and UAAP two-time MVP Bella Belen and multi awarded spiker Jema Galanza will bolster Alas Pilipinas when it takes on Vietnam on Thursday in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenger Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The development took place as the playing status of vital players such as Eya Laure and Jen Nierva remains questionable with Chery Tiggo no longer allowing the two to attend the practices of the national team.

“But we are still waiting for them,” coach Jorge Souza de Brito told the Inquirer over the phone on Tuesday. “It’s OK. If [they are no longer suiting up] we’re gonna fix the problem that we have with the good players [from] our lineup.”

The national squad is coming off a historic bronze-medal performance in the previous AVC Challenge Cup.

Alas Pilipinas is also awaiting opposite spiker Alyssa Solomon, who declined the national team call up stating her need for more time to recover after leading the Lady Bulldogs to a golden run in the UAAP Season 86. De Brito said that Alas can expect Solomon to join and start training before the SEA V.League and addressed the absence of Tots Carlos.

“Rebisco (Creamline’s parent company) is supposed to release a statement regarding her condition and what happened [to her], why she’s not [in training], De Brito said as fans will have to wait more before seeing the Creamline mainstay in an Alas uniform. “It’s out of my control.”

Carlos was recently added to the Alas’ player pool even as the Cool Smasher was experiencing some injury after Creamline’s eighth Premier Volleyball League (PVL) championship earlier this year.

No shortage of talent

“Of course it [has] a huge [impact] because we are just beginning [our journey] with them and they are [possible] first six [selections],” De Brito said. “[But] every time you miss starting players, [it] also gives a chance for other players [to step up].”“In fact, they are right there so they are fighting for their place [which the missing players] should be the first one to get the spot for this competition,” said the newly re-signed mentor, who had agreed to extend his stay with the national team for two more years after his contract expired in June.

There is no shortage of talent in the Alas pool that still has opposite spikers such as Faith Nisperos, NU’s Arah Panique and Challenge Cup best opposite hitter Angel Canino of La Salle.

Middle blocker Fifi Sharma, veteran Dell Palomata and prospected top PVL pick Thea Gagate will still man the net while outside hitters Vanie Gandler and Sisi Rondina continues to backstop Alas now with Belen under the leadership of Jia de Guzman and back up playmaker Julia Coronel, another PVL aspirant.

“It’s really hard but also we [will] give other players more chances, more spots to play and show up in the national team—hard but it’s the reality right now,” De Brito added.

Galanza, however, might be seen playing a different role than her usual offensive position to fill up the libero spot left by Nierva.



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“Right now, it’s undecided. It can be because she’s a really good receiver, she has a good defense and since we have a problem we have to fix it with what we have,” De Brito said. “But it’s still not 100 percent.” INQ

Tim Cone dismisses notion that Gilas not big, fast, strong enough

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There will be plenty of questions and realities that Gilas Pilipinas will tackle in the few days left leading up to the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

There will be plenty of questions and realities that Gilas Pilipinas will tackle in the few days left leading up to the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

Fortunately, the squad’s mental fortitude and size won’t be among those things.

Despite an 11-man crew and a lowly No. 37 ranking, national coach Tim Cone has been steadfast in his belief that the Filipinos are not going to be outmatched in Riga, where one of the four OQTs for the remaining berths in the Paris Summer Olympics will be contested.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

“They see the potential in themselves,” he previously told the Inquirer. “We are not going to be overwhelmed by anybody.

“It has always been a size factor—that we’re not big enough, we’re not fast enough, we’re not strong enough to play on the international [stage],” he added. “But we are.”

Cone’s optimism stems from the squad’s composition, which boasts length and athleticism aside from smarts and versatility.

This edition of Gilas Pilipinas is easily one of the biggest ever assembled, with 6-foot-4 Dwight Ramos serving as a point guard, youngsters Carl Tamayo (6-8) and Mason Amos (6-7) taking turns at the wings, and 6-10 June Mar Fajardo and 7-3 beanpole Kai Sotto patrolling the middle.

READ: Tim Cone ‘not satisfied’ until Gilas Pilipinas reaches optimal OQT form

“They’re gonna be more physical than us, maybe, but they’re not gonna outsize us. And I think that always gives us a possibility [of winning],” he said of the field in Riga that is littered with higher-ranked foes.

The Philippines is set to battle world No. 6 Latvia and 23rd-ranked Georgia in a 20-hour span in Group A of the short meet that will send one winner to the glitzy French capital later this month.

Both early opponents will be backstopped by NBA-caliber talent. Davis Bertans of the Charlotte Hornets is set to reprise his role for the hosts, while Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs and Goga Bitadze form a ferocious frontline for the Crusaders.

Pulling through that tough stretch would send Gilas to the knockout stage where the Nationals could go up against Brazil, Montenegro, or Cameroon.

“For us, I think, to have any success in this thing is to get to the crossover,” Cone said in a separate interview. “We’ve got to go out and beat either Latvia or Georgia to really feel we’ve had success—and then we’ll see where we go from there.

“If we can beat one of those two teams, that means we can compete in the crossover, [and] you never know from there. And that’s going to be our kind feeling—just go there, and I keep saying, it’s not impossible,” he added.



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“If we can bring our best version of ourselves, we can beat anybody. Whether we can do that or not is the big question.”