Random Leftovers From NBA Western Conference Finals

Even though it did not go the full seven games, this year's Western Conference Finals did not disappoint. The series featured spectacular plays, drama and controversy. But when it was all said and done, I believe most people--including the Spurs--would say that the best team won.

So before we head to the NBA Finals, I thought I would drop a few random leftover thoughts.

1) Kobe Bryant Is Really Good: I know. I know. Duh, right? Kobe has been the best all-around player in the league for several years now, so it's not like I'm making any historic comment here. I'm just saying. Any comparisons to LeBron James, Dwayne Wade or Chris Paul always fall short.

But having said that, this year's MVP may have surpassed most expectations yet again. He took over portions of the games against the Spurs anytime he wanted, and there was absolutely nothing anyone could do about it. Bruce Bowen be damned.

Now Kobe finds himself just four more wins away from achieving his number one goal since the Lakers shipped Shaq to Miami. He wants to bring a championship to LA with him as the team's centerpiece. And with his 31.9 scoring average in the postseason, maybe the NBA is indeed Kobe's world and everyone else is just standing behind the velvet rope hoping they are on the guest list.

2) The Spurs Are Old: Yeah, it's another obvious statement. Just about everyone knew San Antonio represented the old guard in the league, but I think this year's squad was closer to winning an AARP championship than the NBA title. No disrespect to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and company, but I think Utah would have beaten the Spurs if they faced them in the playoffs. So even though they finished runners-up in the West, I don't think the Spurs were the second-best team.

You can expect some serious roster turnover for next season. San Antonio desperately needs to get younger and more athletic if they want to compete with the likes of LA, Utah, and New Orleans. And oh yeah, don't sleep on Portland next season either.

3) Thursday Night Throwdown: I went out to Hollywood after Game 5. Charles Barkley told me to meet him at Goa after the game. Little did I know at the time that the club was co-owned by LA Clippers guard Cuttino Mobley, who was holding court at his own table. I won't divulge all the names of the people kicking it with us, but I will say it did include some current Lakers and a couple of "Girls Next Door".

4) Let's Go Celtics: I know as a respected--if only in my own mind--member of the media, I am supposed to be impartial when it comes to the outcomes of games and/or series. And if you have ever seen me working a game, you know that I never cheer even if the game features one of my favorite teams. Although I cannot say that about all reporters who cover games. But I digress.

Even though I'm not supposed to, I find myself openly rooting for the Celtics to knock off the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, and my reason is strictly selfish. I do not want to go to Detroit for the NBA Finals. I want to go to Boston. It's not as if I have anything against Detroit. In fact, when I traveled there for the 2004 NBA Finals, I had a great time and met some great people. But in the words of Dr. Dre, I've been there. I've done that. Now I want to do something else, and that means a maiden voyage to Beantown. Yeah, that's right. I have never been to Boston. It's a city I have wanted to visit for sometime now, but actually making it there never worked out. So with an opportunity to hang out in Boston for a few days well within my grasp, and on the company dime, I cannot help myself but to root for the Celtics. Come on, Boston. Don't let me down!

Your NFL Labor Questions Answered

With the news last week that the NFL owners had voted to opt out of the final year of the collective bargaining agreement with the Players Association, there's been some confusion in the minds of fans. So in an effort to help educate the league's fan base, the NFL issued this following news release. Enjoy!

CBA-RELATED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q. When does the CBA expire should there be no extension to the agreement?

A. After the 2010 NFL season.

Q. Will there be a college draft in 2011?

A. Yes.

Q. What is the “Final League Year” in the current agreement?

A. The “Final League Year” is the term used in the CBA to refer to the last year of the agreement. Without a further extension of the CBA, the “Final League Year” would be the 2010 League Year.

Q. What are the differences between the “Final League Year” and any other “League Year?”

A. The principal differences are that in the “Final League Year,” there is no salary cap and there are substantial additional restrictions on player free agency.

Q. Now that 2009 is the last capped year, are there rules that impact player contract negotiations and a club’s salary cap planning?

A. Yes. Here are the key differences:
§ After the last game of the 2008 regular season, signing bonus proration is reduced from a maximum of six years to a maximum of five years.
§ In 2009, there is no June 1 rule for Signing Bonus acceleration. If a player is removed from the roster or his contract is assigned via waivers or trade at any time in the 2009 League Year, any unamortized signing bonus will be immediately included in Team Salary.
§ There is no year-end netting of incentives in 2009. Not-likely-to-be-earned incentives are charged to team salary immediately when earned, and likely-to-be-earned incentives are deducted when they are no longer possible to earn.
§ Guaranteed salary from 2010 and beyond is reallocated to capped years unless the entire 2009 salary is guaranteed.
§ 50% of guaranteed salary in any League Year beyond 2012 is reallocated to capped years.
§ The 30% increase rule restricts salary increases from 2009 to 2010. For example: a player with a $500,000 Salary in 2009 would be limited to annual salary increases of $150,000 ($500,000 x 30%) beginning in 2010.
§ A team can include only three veteran team incentives in a player contract covering 2009 and beyond. These incentives must also be coupled with a playtime requirement. Previously, clubs were limited to eight team incentives and no playtime requirement.

Q. Are current player benefits affected in the uncapped year?

A. We expect player benefits to decline in the uncapped year. The union agreed that in the uncapped year, clubs would be relieved of their obligation to fund numerous benefit programs. Examples include second career savings (401K), player annuity, severance pay, and tuition assistance. The total league-wide contributions to such plans in 2009, the last capped year, are expected to be in excess of $225 million, or more than $7 million per club.

Q. What are the categories of free agents?

A. Players are either “restricted” or “unrestricted” free agents. Within these categories there are also “transition” and “franchise” players.

Q. What determines an unrestricted free agent in the uncapped year?

A. In capped seasons (2008 and 2009), a player whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent if he has four or more accrued seasons. In the uncapped year (2010), a player whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent only if he has six or more accrued seasons. An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any club with no compensation owed to his old club.

Q. What determines whether a player is a restricted free agent in the “Final League Year?”

A. In capped seasons (2008 and 2009), a player whose contract expires becomes a restricted free agent if he has three accrued seasons. In the uncapped year (2010), a player whose contract expires becomes a restricted free agent if he has three, four or five accrued seasons. The rights of restricted free agents remain unchanged in the uncapped year.

Q. What constitutes an “accrued season?”

A. Six or more regular-season games on a club’s active/inactive, reserved-injured or physically unable to perform lists.

Q. In addition to the right to designate a Franchise (or Transition) Player each capped year, can clubs designate additional players in the uncapped year?

A. Yes, one additional player can be tagged. In capped years (2008 and 2009), a club may designate a Franchise Player or a Transition Player. In the uncapped year (2010), a club may designate one additional Transition Player. A Transition Player must be offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of the prior season at the player’s position or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater. A Transition Player designation gives the club a first-refusal right to match within seven days an offer sheet given to the player by another club after his contract expires. If the club matches, it retains the player. If it does not match, it receives no compensation.

Q. What determines a Franchise Player?

A. A club can designate one franchise player in any given year. The type of franchise player depends on the amount of the old club’s offer. An “exclusive” franchise player – not free to sign with another club – must be offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position for the current year as of a predetermined date (April 18, in 2008), or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, or the average of the top five salaries at his position as of the end of last season – whichever of the three is greatest. If the player is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries of last season at his position, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, he becomes a “non-exclusive” franchise player and can negotiate with other clubs. His old club can match a new club’s offer, or receive two first-round draft choices if it decides not to match the new club’s offer.

Q. What is the Final Eight Plan?

A. During the uncapped year, the eight clubs that make the divisional playoffs in the previous season have additional restrictions that limit their ability to sign Unrestricted Free Agents from other clubs. In general, the four clubs participating in the Championship Games are limited in the number of free agents that they may sign; the limit is determined by the number of their own free agents signing with other clubs. For the four clubs that lose in the Divisional playoffs, in addition to having the ability to sign free agents based on the number of their own free agents signing with other clubs, they may also sign players based on specific financial parameters.

Q. Is there an Entering Player Pool in the uncapped year?

A. There may be. The CBA provides that the league has the unilateral right to make that determination in an uncapped year.

Q. Is there a Minimum Team Salary in the uncapped year?

A. There is no Minimum Team Salary in the uncapped year. The Minimum Team Salary in 2008 is $100,224,000, meaning each team is required to spend $100 million this year on player costs (not including benefits). The team salary cap in 2008 is $116 million.

Q. Are there individual player minimum salaries in the uncapped year?

A. Yes, but they rise at a rate somewhat slower than player minimum salaries rise in capped years.

One More Win Puts Lakers In NBA Finals

Controversial finish or not, the Lakers now find themselves up three games to one on the defending champion Spurs with a chance to close out the series at Staples Center Thursday night.

But as Kobe Bryant told me, "closing out a team in a playoff series is one of the most difficult things to do in sports."

For those of you who find trends interesting, consider this little note: the last time the Lakers were up three games to one in a playoff series, they lost the final three games to the Suns in the first round back in 2006.

However, the Spurs have never rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the postseason.

One other good note for the Lakers: they haven't lost at home since March 28th--that's 13 straight wins at Staples Center.

Game 5 tips off Thursday at 6pm pacific (9pm eastern) on TNT.

LAKERS CENTER ANDREW BYNUM HAS SUCCESSFUL KNEE SURGERY

El SEGUNDO--Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today in New York, it was announced today by the team.

The procedure, which took 30 minutes and was performed by Dr. David Altchek, consisted of removing some cartilage debris and smoothing some rough spots on the underside of the kneecap.

Bynum is expected to make a full recovery by the start of training camp.

McCain Adviser Keeps Vow Not To Oppose Obama

As I have stated before, I have been fascinated by politics since junior high school. I even minored in political science in college. I have studied and paid close attention to every presidential election since 1984, but the following story seems to be a first to me. It's not uncommon for high ranking campaign officials to relinquish their duties or be forced to do so prior to the election. But I cannot recall a time that a senior adviser would leave one campaign simply because he/she did not want to campaign against one particular candidate, especially one from an opposing party. I'm really at a loss for words as for what this move means for John McCain, and better yet, Barack Obama.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (Reuters) - A senior adviser to Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Tuesday that he was stepping down to keep a commitment he made not to campaign against Democrat Barack Obama.

Mark McKinnon, who was in charge of the McCain campaign's advertising message, said he was still backing the Arizona senator, but that he was simply moving from active campaign participant to cheerleader.

"I'll still be around occasionally in my lucky hat," said McKinnon, who often wears a distinctive hat.

McKinnon, who was a key aide in President George W. Bush's two election victories, has expressed admiration for Obama and pledged not to campaign against the Democratic front-runner if he became the party's presidential nominee.

A McCain campaign official said McKinnon had notified the campaign of his decision to leave but declined further comment. The McCain campaign had been expecting McKinnon's move for some months and was not surprised at his decision.

Obama, an Illinois senator, remains locked in a battle with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination and the right to face McCain in the November general election.

Projections showed him losing the Kentucky primary to Clinton on Tuesday, but he was favored to win the later Oregon contest. His showing on Tuesday was expected to give him a majority of the elected delegates to the party's nominating convention in August.

Neither of the Democratic candidates have enough elected delegates to win the nomination, leaving the race to be decided by so-called superdelegates -- party leaders and elected officials who can vote for the candidate of their choosing.

The Cox News Service reported that McKinnon told McCain last summer that he would not work for him in the general election if Barack Obama became the Democratic nominee, saying

"I just don't want to work against an Obama candidacy."

At the time, Obama and McCain each looked like long shots for nomination.

On Sunday, McKinnon told the news service that he will continue to support McCain.

"I will still show up from time to time (and) talk to the candidate still, but not about Obama."

(Writing by JoAnne Allen; editing by David Alexander)

Spurs Spend The Night On Plane

Talk about a jacked up way to spend the night. This story was all the talk today at Lakers practice. A reporter asked Kobe Bryant if he had any sympathy for a team having to spend the night on an airplane fresh off a Game Seven win on the road, to which Kobe shook his head and said, "Nope!"

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs' departure from New Orleans after winning Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals was delayed several hours after their plane had mechanical problems, the team said Tuesday.

The team could not find hotel rooms in the city, so the players had to sleep on the plane, team spokesman Cliff Puchalski said.

"We slept on the plane — as much as you can sleep," Puchalski said. "We tried to keep some normal semblance of order."

The Spurs eliminated the Hornets 91-82 in Game 7 Monday night, then went straight to Los Angeles, where they play the Lakers in Game 1 of the conference finals on Wednesday.

Puchalski said the team slept on the plane with the mechanical problems before boarding another plane that was brought in from Minneapolis. The team took off about 6:30 a.m. Central time, Puchalski said, and landed in Los Angeles about four hours later.

The team was not practicing Tuesday.

Lakers And Spurs Renew Their Postseason Rivalry

When Game One of the Western Conference Finals tips off Wednesday night at Staples Center, it will mark the sixth time since 1999 that the Lakers and the Spurs have met in the playoffs. LA has won three of the previous five meetings.

And of the 9 NBA Finals played since 1999, eight of them have featured either the Lakers or the Spurs with San Antonio winning four championships versus three for the LA.

Of course the last time the Lakers and Spurs met in the postseason was the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals. When in the closing second of Game Five, Derek Fisher hit one of the most unforgettable clutch shots in Lakers playoff history.

"I was reminded by some of my teammates of that shot before the Spurs/Hornets game ended," said Fisher after practice on Tuesday. "But hopefully none of the games this year will come close to needing something like that."

As far as this season is concerned, the Lakers and the Spurs split the season series with each team winning on its home court.

And when you think about it, it’s fitting that these two teams would meet in the Western Conference Finals as the Lakers are trying to climb their way back to the NBA mountaintop. As Kobe Bryant told me, "in order to be the best, you have to beat the best."

And right now the defending champion Spurs are definitely the best in the NBA.

MRI Shows Torn Knee Cartilage For Andruw Jones

The LA Times is reporting that Dodgers centerfielder Andruw Jones has torn cartilage in his right knee and may need surgery. It's hard to say how much this injury has to do with his struggles at the plate, but it could definitely lead to some bad swings if his back leg is either constantly hurting or if it's unstable.

However, as we pointed out on Dodgers Live last week, this slump Jones is suffering through dates all the way back to the end of the 2006 season. I don't think his knee has been hurting that long.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodrep20-2008may20,0,1780798.story

NFL ROOKIES TO VISIT PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN NEW ORIENTATION PROGRAM

I think this is a great move, and it's something other professional sports leagues should institute. It seems as though with each passing year, younger players have less appreciation and respect for those who came before them. Getting a serious dose of history before entering the league should go a long way in reminding these rookies just how fortunate they are to be professional athletes.

Visits To Take Place May 28-June 23

All NFL rookies will visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, as an expanded element of their annual orientation program, it was announced today. The trips are designed to teach incoming players about the history of pro football and give them a greater appreciation of the NFL and the opportunities and responsibilities ahead.

Each team's tour will be headed by its player development director and will include speakers representing former NFL players, Pro Football Hall of Fame personnel and others.

The idea was inspired by 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee MICHAEL IRVIN in a conversation with NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL last August in Canton.

NFL Player Development and the Pro Football Hall of Fame are coordinating the visits to Canton, which will take place from May 28-June 23. Rookies will learn about the NFL's history and heritage, focusing on the achievements of NFL greats who paved the way for today's players. This experience will help prepare rookies for their own careers while stressing the importance of their role as NFL players.

"Some of the most valuable lessons for our young men can be learned from those who played before them," said NFL Vice President of Player and Employee Development MIKE HAYNES, who was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1997. "The rookie orientation activities at the Pro Football Hall of Fame are a great way to provide a look at the rich history and tradition of our game."

The trips to Canton are part of several rookie orientation initiatives designed to ease new players' transition to the NFL. Draftees also will attend the annual Rookie Symposium in San Diego, California, from June 29-July 2, and rookies at 19 teams will participate in the first NFL Player Brand University, learning how the choices they make in business and in the community shape their overall image.

NFL Owners Opt Out Of Labor Deal

NFL owners voted unanimously today to opt out of the final year of the collective bargaining agreement. The NFL Players Association had expected this move for a while, and the good news is that the owners did not wait until the November deadline to make this move allowing them an earlier start for negotiations with the players.

If a deal is not reached by the end of the 2009 season, the 2010 season could be played without a salary cap, and the 2011 season could start with a lockout.

Here's the official NFL release on the news:

NFL STATEMENT ON CBA EARLY TERMINATION DECISION

What happened?

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement, initially negotiated in 1993, has been extended on several occasions, most recently in March 2006. The 2006 extension, which could have continued through the 2012 season, gave both the NFL and the NFLPA an option to shorten the deal by one or two years.

NFL clubs today voted unanimously to exercise that option and to continue negotiating a new agreement for the 2011 season and beyond that will work better for both the clubs and the players.

What does this mean to fans and games on the field?

Even without another agreement, NFL football will be played without threat of interruption for at least the next three seasons. The 2008 and 2009 seasons will be played with a salary cap. If there is no new agreement before the 2010 season, that season will be played without a salary cap under rules that also limit the free agency rights of the players. If not extended, the agreement would expire at the end of the 2010 league year.

We are resolved to do our best to achieve a fair agreement that will allow labor peace to continue through and beyond the 2011 season.

What are the issues?

A collective bargaining agreement has to work for both sides. If the agreement provides inadequate incentives to invest in the future, it will not work for management or labor. And, in the context of a professional sports league, if the agreement does not afford all clubs an opportunity to be competitive, the league can lose its appeal.

The NFL earns very substantial revenues. But the clubs are obligated by the CBA to spend substantially more than half their revenues – almost $4.5 billion this year alone -- on player costs. In addition, as we have explained to the union, the clubs must spend significant and growing amounts on stadium construction, operations and improvements to respond to the interests and demands of our fans. The current labor agreement does not adequately recognize the costs of generating the revenues of which the players receive the largest share; nor does the agreement recognize that those costs have increased substantially -- and at an ever increasing rate -- in recent years during a difficult economic climate in our country. As a result, under the terms of the current agreement, the clubs’ incentive to invest in the game is threatened.

There are substantial other elements of the deal that simply are not working. For example, as interpreted by the courts, the current CBA effectively prohibits the clubs from recouping bonuses paid to players who subsequently breach their player contacts or refuse to perform. That is simply irrational and unfair to both fans and players who honor their contracts. Also irrational is that in the current system some rookies are able to secure contracts that pay them more than top proven veterans.

Our objective is to fix these problems in a new CBA, one that will provide adequate incentives to grow the game, ensure the unparalleled competitive balance that has sustained our fans’ interest, and afford the players fair and increasing compensation and benefits.