Bettman is being inducted into the U.S. Hockey HOF for his efforts growing the game in the countryGETTY IMAGES
NHL Commissioner GARY BETTMAN will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey HOF Class of '19 alongside BRIAN GIONTA, TIM THOMAS, KRISSY WENDELL and youth coach NEAL HENDERSON. Bettman's induction "comes as a result of the NHL's impact, and his influence, on increasing the visibility and the involvement" of the game in the U.S. (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 9/4).
THREE-POINT PLAY: JERRY COLANGELO "spearheaded a fundraising effort" for the Basketball HOF that has reached $31M. The HOF building is "under construction and in Phase 2 of its overall renovations and redesign." Colangelo, who serves as Chair of the HOF's BOG, is "targeting the Phase 3 completion to be before" the '20 ceremony when KOBE BRYANT, TIM DUNCAN and KEVIN GARNETT will be eligible for enshrinement. He said, "It'll be totally done and I'm going to tell you, it's going to be a knockout" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/4).
BACK TO BUSINESS: T'Wolves Owner GLEN TAYLOR has "retaken the helm" of his communications-services company Taylor Corp. for the "second time in nearly a decade after announcing that his niece, DEB TAYLOR, has stepped down." Taylor in a statement said that he was "assuming leadership responsibilities from Deb Taylor 'with a heavy heart.'" The reasons for her departure "are unknown" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/4).
HELPING HANDS: Heat Owner MICKY ARISON and wife, MADELEINE,through their family foundation, have pledged $1M in "funding and in-kind support for relief efforts in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian" (MIAMI HERALD, 9/4). NBA Kings G BUDDY HIELD is also "organizing a relief effort in the Bahamas" after the storm "ripped through his home country." Hield created a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $1M and donated $100,00 himself (OKLAHOMAN, 9/4).
NAMES: Former NHLer Tim Thomas has “never returned to the TD Garden for any Bruins events since a split with the team” back in ‘12 that “wasn’t really all that amicable.” Though Thomas “did let one personal nugget slip when he mentioned that his daughter earned an internship with the Bruins for this coming year, proving that perhaps the ice has thawed a little between the player and organization all these years later” (NBCSPORTSBOSTON.com, 9/4)....JENNIFER LOPEZ and ALEX RODRIGUEZ attended MAGIC JOHNSON and his wife, COOKIE’s, “starry 60th joint birthday party" in St. Tropez, France. Also attending were SPIKE LEE, actress ANGELA BASSETT and BEYONCE's mother, TINA KNOWLES (N.Y. POST, 9/4)....Bruins RW DAVID PASTRNAK and D CHARLIE MCAVOY joined golfers SMYLIE KAUFMAN and DOC REDMAN in watching the U.S. Open in N.Y. (BOSTON HERALD, 9/5).
