DYK: Carmelo Anthony

(Boulder-CO) There is so much public knowledge about the one they call 'Melo that I feel it would be best to only include the least known facts about him. So, with no further adieu...

-Carmelo's middle name is Kyam and his son's name is Kiyan.

-'Melo is a fan of the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles, and Texas Longhorns football.

-He led Oak Hill Academy to a 32-1 record and the #3 final ranking in USA Today in '01-02.

-Carmelo released a children's book in 2004 entitled "It's Just the Beginning".

-'Melo is a major contributor to the Family Resource Centers of Colorado.

-He has hosted "A Very 'Melo Christmas" each year in Denver where hundreds of kids participated in a festive holiday party.

-Carmelo started his own record label and entertainment company Krossover Entertainment.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 10th, and on this day:

'72- Bob McAdoo made his debut for the Buffalo Braves at home against Atlanta. The Hawks won 120-109.

'80- Kevin McHale made his debut for the Boston Celtics against Cleveland. Boston won 130-103.

'00- Dick Klein, who founded the Chicago Bulls in 1965, died in his sleep in Greenville, S.C. at age 80.

Enjoy your day!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 9th, and on this day:

'93- The first 10 players on the USA Basketball Dream Team that would compete at the 1994 World Championship of Basketball in Canada were named: Dominique Wilkins, Joe Dumars, Mark Price, Derrick Coleman, Tim Hardaway, Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle and Steve Smith.

'01- Milwaukee coach George Karl was named coach of USA Basketball’s 2002 World Championship team that would compete in the FIBA World Championship for Men, beginning Aug. 29 in Indianapolis.

Enjoy your day!

DYK: Anthony Carter

(Boulder-CO) AC is without question the most unsung when it comes to what actually makes the Denver Nuggets motor run. But did you know...

-AC started his collegiate basketball career at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, California before attending the University of Hawaii.

-Anthony donated $100,000 to the University of Hawaii in 2002 to create the Anthony Carter Men's Basketball Scholarship Fund.

-Carter went unselected in the 1998 NBA Draft, and began his professional career with the Miami Heat, after having spent one season with CBA's Yakima Sun Kings.

-In 2003, his agent misread a part of his contract which would have enabled him to get an extension, and more money, with Miami but it was too late as he had already signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs, which completely voided his rookie contract. The agent was later fired.

-He is the National spokesperson for the "I Have a Dream" organization, which sereves disadvantaged youth.

-In the future, AC sees himself coaching youth basketball.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 8th, and on this day:

'75- The San Antonio Spurs, then members of the ABA, defeated the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks 109-107 in the first basketball game ever played in the Louisiana Superdome.

'99- Los Angeles Lakers Co-Owner/Vice President Earvin "Magic" Johnson, the legendary point guard who directed the great Showtime Lakers of the 1980s, is the subject of ESPN's SportsCentury series. Johnson was selected by a distinguished panel of 48 journalists, historians, observers and administrators as #17 on the list of the greatest North American athletes of the 20th Century.

Enjoy your day!

DYK: Steven Hunter

(Boulder-CO) We didn't see much of Steven Hunter last year, but that's not a good enough reason to not know about Steven Hunter. Did you know...

-Steven wears size 17 shoes.

-He is an avid Chicago Cubs fan and still follows his former DePaul Blue Demons.

-Steven lists "The Cat in the Hat" as his favorite book as a child.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 7th, and on this day:

'87- Scottie Pippen made his debut for the Chicago Bulls against the Philadelphia 76ers. Chicago won, 104-94.

Enjoy your day!

DYK: Linas Kleiza

(Boulder-CO) It's no secret that Linas Kleiza is a budding star. He plays with aggression, style, and swagger but I'll bet you didn't know...

-Linas has an older brother named Zilvinas.

-He is the second Lithuanian-born player to play for the Nuggets, joining Sarunas Marciulionis.

-Linas also attended Marciulionis' basketball school as a youth and then attended Merkurijus.

-LK speaks five different languages: English, Lithuanian, Russian, German, and a little bit of Spanish.

-He likes watching movies and TV in his spare time and lists "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Friends" as his favorite shows and "Gladiator" as his favorite movie.

-Robert De Niro is LK's favorite actor.

-While Linas likes all kinds of music, he lists Eminem and 50 Cent among his favorites.

-Kleiza moved to the states at the age of 16.

Go Nuggets!

Stop Talkin' Tinsley Trade!

(Boulder-CO) Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said, "It's erroneous." And it's not like Nuggets' brass to keep things a secret from fans, media, and even the team itself...

Go Nuggets!

NBA Blog Previews: Atlantic Division

(Boulder-CO) They're back and better than ever! That's right my fellow basketball brethren, the NBA Blog Previews are back and we are getting things started with the Atlantic Division. Be sure to read these previews carefully as they have been painstakingly created by those who know their teams best!

Boston Celtics

Jeff Clark: CelticsBlog.com

Jim Weeks: Green Bandwagon

FLCeltsFan: LOY's Place

John Karalis: Red's Army

Dustin Chapman: Celtics 24/7

New Jersey Nets

Dennis Velasco: About Basketball

New York Knicks:

Joey: Straight Bangin'

Seth Rosenthal: Posting and Toasting

Philadelphia 76ers

Dannie & Pete: Recliner GM

Jon Burkett: Passion and Pride

Toronto Raptors

Franchise: RaptorsHQ.com

Ryan McNeill: Hoops Addict

Cuzzy: Cuzoogle

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

Now go read!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 6th, and on this day:

'93- Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls announced his retirement from the NBA at a news conference in Deerfield, IL. Jordan’s retirement after nine seasons came less than four months after he helped lead the Bulls to their third consecutive NBA Championship with a six-game victory over Phoenix in the 1993 NBA Finals. His nine-year totals included 21,541 career points, seven straight league scoring titles (1987-93), an NBA record-high career scoring average (32.3 ppg), and three regular season and three NBA Finals MVP awards. Jordan announced his return to the NBA on March 18, 1995 and 24 hours later played in a game against Indiana at Market Square Arena, scoring 19 points in the Bulls’ 103-96 overtime loss.

'98- The NBA announced that all 114 preseason games for this year have been canceled because of the stalled collective bargaining negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association.

Enjoy your day!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 3rd, and on this day:

'74- Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers, dubbed “Mr. Clutch” for his performances on the court, retired after playing 14 seasons in the NBA. West scored 25,192 points during his career, along with averaging 29.1 ppg in 153 playoff games.

Enjoy your day!

Rumor is Juwan Howard to Sign

(Boulder-CO) In yet another perplexing move, rumor has it the Nuggets are going to sign Juwan Howard to a non-guaranteed contract and he will practice today. Howard played with the Nuggets in 115 games from 2001-03 with an average of 18.3 points and 7.8 rebounds over that duration, but since then has seen his averages drop dramatically. Last season in 50 appearances with the Mavericks, Juwan averaged seven minutes of playing time with a meager stat line of 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.

Howard is a 14-year veteran of the league, another 6'9" foward, and yet another perplexing addition/invitation to Nuggets' training camp. The question isn't can he play, because I'm sure he can but rather will he play?

Because the way I see it...

There's a handful of players his size with more youthful legs already on this team!

DYK: Allen Iverson

(Boulder-CO) You've got questions? I've got Answers! Here are some surprising things about Allen Iverson that you may not have known.

-His number "3" jersey was retired by Bethel High School in Hampton Virginia on February 13, 2003 at a halftime ceremony honoring the school's 1993 State Championship.

-Allen enjoys drawing and reading Sports Illustrated during his free time.

-Iverson's favorite actor is Samuel L. Jackson.

-His favorite food is lasagna.

-Allen founded the Cross Over Foundation and hosts an annual Allen Iverson Celebrity Classic.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is October 1st, and on this day:

'86- Several NBA stars and other members of the league’s family gathered in New York for the taping of a special series of anti-drug public service announcements entitled “Don’t Foul Out.”

'99- Boston Celtics legend and current Minnesota Timberwolves VP Kevin McHale, Cleveland Cavaliers president and COO Wayne Embry and late Fort Wayne and Detroit Pistons owner Fred Zollner lead a class of five basketball immortals who are enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

'99- Boston Celtics legend and Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who led the franchise to 11 NBA Championships in his 13 seasons from 1956 until 1969, is the subject of ESPN's SportsCentury series. Russell was selected by a distinguished panel of 48 journalists, historians, observers and administrators as #18 on the list of the greatest North American athletes of the 20th Century.

Enjoy your day!

Nuggets 2008-09 Season Officially Starts

(Boulder-CO) We have all been waiting patiently (or in my case im-patiently) for the 2008-09 season to start and it has finally happened. Today, the Denver Nuggets opened up their training camp and there was a few surprise additions to their preseason roster. Nick Fazekas is a local product from Arvada, Ruben Patterson is an old familiar friend- a friend that was benched in the playoffs of 2006 against the Clippers, point guards "Smush" Parker and Mateen Cleaves, and rookie longshot from Clemson, James Mays.

Click here for the full training camp roster and preseason schedule.

Go Nuggets!

DYK: Kenyon Martin

(Boulder-CO) We're at it again with another perception altering gaggle of information and this installment of DYK is all about Kenyon Martin. Who, I'd guess you didn't know...

-Kenyon's collegiate number "4" was retired by the University of Cincinnati on April 25th, 2000.

-He was also named Conference USA's Athlete of the Decade that same year.

-Kenyon is a Board Member and active participant in the American Institute of Stuttering.

-He majored in criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati.

-Kenyon enjoys watching movies and playing video games in this spare time.

-He spoke at an assembly at Montbello High School in September 2006 as part of the school's "Pass on Violence" campaign.

-Kenyon is also a spokesman for the March of Dimes.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is September 30th, and on this day:

'00- The USA Olympic Men’s Basketball Team captured its 12th gold medal in 14 Olympic basketball competitions with an 85-75 victory over France in the gold medal game in Sydney, Australia. The U.S. team, comprised of NBA players, had a close call in the semifinals, defeating Lithuania 85-83 in the semifinals when a three-point attempt by Sarunas Jasikevicius of Lithuania missed at the buzzer.

Enjoy your day!

DYK: J.R. Smith

(Boulder-CO) Here is the next installment of DYK. The player underneath our microscope is J.R. Smith, who did you know...

-J.R.'s full name is Earl J. Smith.

-J.R. also played football and baseball in high school.

-J.R.'s favorite sport other than basketball is football.

-J.R.'s favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys.

-J.R.'s favorite food is baked ziti.

-He enjoys playing video games in his spare time, especially Madden and NCAA College Football.

-J.R.'s favorite movie is "Love & Basketball".

-He lists being named MVP of the McDonald's High School All-American game in 2004 as his greatest achievement.

-His favorite musical artist is Jay-Z.

-J.R. funded two adult literacy scholarships through HANO and was on hand for the ribbon cutting of the Pecan Grove Resource Center.

-He started the J.R. Smith Foundation, which helps children get accepted into St. Benedict's Prep where he attended high school in Newark, N.J.

Go Nuggets!

DYK: Nene

(Boulder-CO) Over the next two weeks I will be bringing you little known facts about each of your 2008-09 Denver Nuggets in a series of DYK articles. On the block first is Nene, who did you know...

-Nene's given birth name was Maybyner Rodney Hilario.

-Nene plays bass guitar.

-Nene has nearly a 7'5" wingspan.

-Nene's favorite meal is feijoada- a Brazilian black bean stew.

-Nene's favorite actor is Jackie Chan.

-Nene's favorite sports teams are Sao Paulo (Brazilian soccer) and FC Barcelona and his favorite players are Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.

-Nene''s favorite movie is "The Protector".

And...

-A "Nene" is also the endangered Hawaiian state bird!


Go Nuggets!