NBA Commissioner David Stern, along with current and
former NBA players, will be in Orlando for a groundbreaking
ceremony Thursday to "unveil the name and other long-awaited
plans for their NBA-theme restaurant," according to Jerry
Jackson of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. The restaurant is a joint
venture with Hard Rock Cafe Int'l and is the NBA's "first
foray" into the industry segment (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/22).
HOOP DREAMS: More media examination on the quality of
play in the league: In DC, Steve Wyche writes that only one
of the NBA's 29 teams -- the Kings -- is averaging more than
100 points this season, with 10 averaging under 90. Wyche:
"The ball is still round. The baskets are still 10 feet
high. And yes, for the most part, these are the same NBA
players." NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik: "Teams just
haven't had that much chance to practice together"
(WASHINGTON POST, 2/23). In N.Y., Mike Wise writes under
the header, "N.B.A. In '99: League That Can't Shoot
Straight." NBA Senior VP/Basketball Ops Rod Thorn: "Well,
we're not scoring a bunch of points, are we? ... It's still
early." Wise: "Either there is some incredible defense
being played or N.B.A. players have suddenly become more
proficient at chipping paint off the rim" (N.Y. TIMES,
2/23). NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay writes that the NBA's "cloying
'I Still Love This Game' promos ... come[s] off as staged
and phony" and adds that by the third quarter of Sunday's
Bulls-Knicks game, "I wondered if anybody else was wondering
if Duke could beat the Bulls? In Cameron? Probably"
(NEWSDAY, 2/23). In Philadelphia, Bill Lyon: "We waited
through the lockout for this shabby, inferior product?"
(PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/23). On ESPN's "SportsCenter,"
David Aldridge said that NBA games are "taking a little
longer than usual" because there is "an extra timeout per
half. A practice normally reserved for nationally televised
playoff games." Aldridge: "The reason? It may be to allow
local television stations airing the games to make up some
of the millions in lost advertising revenues that they
suffered during the lockout" (ESPN, "SportsCenter," 2/22).
ARE THERE BABY STEPS IN CANADA OR NOT? In Vancouver,
Lowell Ullrich examined the NBA in Canada and wrote that
"while the teams have grown, well, slowly on the court,
awareness of the sport in the populace has been even more
pedantic." Ken Derrett, NBA Canada Managing Dir, said, "We
see more people playing the game and that's got to be a good
indicator. In some provinces we have more people playing
basketball than hockey." Stern: "We know that basketball
has a ways to go here" (VANCOUVER PROVINCE, 2/21).
WOMEN GOING INTO LABOR TALKS: In Orlando, Tim Povtak
writes that early labor talks between the WNBA and its
players union "have not been productive," although no one
"expects the kind of problems that resulted from the NBA's
labor impasse." NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter, who is
representing the WNBA players: "It's been slow, real slow
going. There has been very little progress." As a result,
Miracle season-ticket sales "have slowed considerably at
approximately" 4,300. WNBA President Val Ackerman: "I'd
have to say the next six to eight weeks are beginning to
look critical for us" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/23).
