Basketball

No update about Yao Ming’s retirement

Yao Ming, one of the pivotal figures in the NBA globalization, sent nothing about his retirement to the Houston Rockets and NBA, confirmed by Rockets official on Friday.

“We have not got any news about Yao’s retirement,” said Talung Lin, China’s market manager of the Rockets. “We were surprised by the news spreading around here today.”

According to the reports from Houston Chronicle, Yahoo Sports and ESPN on Friday, 30-year-old Yao, who has a stress fracture in his left ankle early this year, has decided to retire and has informed the Rockets and NBA about his retirement. Read more…

Chicago Bulls beat Nets in NBA

Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 15 rebounds to help the Chicago Bulls beat the New Jersey Nets 90-81 on Friday for their 12th victory in 14 NBA games.

Briton Luol Deng and Derrick Rose each added 19 points for the Bulls as Chicago improved to 21-10, third in the Eastern Conference and best in the Central division.

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 19 points while Stephen Graham and Travis Outlaw each added 16 points for New Jersey, which fell to 9-24 with a fourth consecutive loss.

Boozer, who missed the first month of the NBA season with a broken hand, made 8-of-14 attempts. The Bulls are 11-4 since Boozer, obtained in the off-season from Utah, joined the lineup.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson determined to retire

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said on Wednesday he is about to retire but will not make a final decision until the end of next week.

“I’ve made up my mind — I’m leaning towards retiring, but I have not made up my mind,” about a final decision, Jackson told reporters at the team’s El Segundo headquarters in Los Angeles.

Jackson said he needs to receive medical treatment. The 64-year-old coach has had a series of medical issues in recent years.

He said he would undergo additional medical tests today and Thursday. Jackson missed the team’s victory parade Monday because of a previously scheduled medical appointment.

Jackson said he will drive to his off-season Montana home Friday, then talk with his doctors next week.

Jackson has won a record 11 NBA championships as coach, the most recent coming Thursday when the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics, 83-79, in Game 7 of the NBA Finals at Staples Center.

Jakarta 2011 South East Asian Games to have 40 sports events

Forty sports, 15 more than those contested last year in Laos, have been initially approved by the Southeast Asian Games Federation to be included in the calendar of events to be disputed in the 26th edition of the biennial conclave next year in Jakarta.

This was reported Friday by athletics president Go Teng Kok, who represented the Philippine Olympic Committee in the SEA Games Federation meeting held May 29 in Jakarta during the SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.

“There actually 42 sports that was recommended and approved by the assembly, but futsal was placed under football and soft tennis under lawn tennis, thus reducing the number to 40,” the controversial sports leader said during the public service form.

As in the past Games, disciplines to be contested have been categorized into three – compulsory sports athletics and swimming under Category I, other sports played in the Olympic Games and Asian Games under Category II, those not played in the Olympics and Asiad under Category III and those indigenous events but played in several countries in the region.

Bodybuilding, which was listed under Category III, was also approved for inclusion although on condition that all the cases brought to the Federation for settlement because of rampant drug abuses perpetrated by many athletes.

“In other words, body building can only be officially included upon positive reports on the investigations that are on-going,” Go said, adding that the total number of sports can still be increased as host Indonesia intimated it wants as many sports as possible,” he said. Read more…

Sun’s Put the Hurt on all the Doubters

After immediately dropping two games to the Lakers in the Western Finals, the Suns weren’t surprised to hear people saying the series was over.

It’s nothing they haven’t heard before, plenty of times.

The Suns are used to people not believing in them as they tied the Western Conference finals at 2 all with Tuesday Night’s victory 115-106 in Phoenix.

Two crushing performances by the Lakers in Los Angeles began the perceived demise of the Suns and the Lakers predicted return to the finals.

Never mind that the Suns still had games to play on their own turf.

Suns coach Alvin Gentry gently reminded us that nobody counted out San Antonio after Phoenix won the first two games of the West semifinals.

We shall see!

Magic take Game 5 and have Boston on their Heels

Just like that, the Orlando Magic are back on their feet.

The hurt from Wednesday’s game was all in the Boston locker room with Davis and Daniels suffering concussions, and Kendrick Perkins earning an automatic suspension for game 6 on Friday night after picking up seven technical fouls.

All of the sudden, the Celtics are really not looking like the mean machine they were in the first three games of the series.

It’s not an elimination game for Boston, but they need to treat it as one.

The last thing they want to do is lose and have to come back to Orlando and possibly be the first team out of 94 to blow a 3-0 lead and lose the series.