Date post: | 31-Mar-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | wm-doc-jones |
View: | 215 times |
Download: | 0 times |
sports504 MAGA
ZINE
504 in the zone VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
W W W . 5 0 4 s p o r t s m a g . C o m
DrewBREES504 sports magazine Bring to youDrew Brees
Featured Interviews:Drew Brees Anthony DavisLarry FitzgeraldDwright howraderic hillAustin Rivers
504 SPORTS MAGAZINEComing Soon to local TV
504 in the zone sits with nBa #1 Draft pick anthony Davis
504sportsmag.com
2013 SUPERBOWL COMING TO
NEW ORLEANS L0UISIANA
“GO SAINTS”
breaks Unitas’ record
504 SportsmagcONTENTS
For customer service, change of address, and subscription inquiries,
please visit www.504mag.com
Up close with Drew Brees
30
5
5Dwright Howard Traded to LA Lakers
14Eric Hill formal NFL star is doing great in NOLA
16R-Kal Truluck Inside the Trences
20NOLA #1 Draft PickAnthony Davis
30 Drew Brees Stays with Saints
36Barkley Thinks Lebaron Can Be Better Than Jordan
42New Orleans is in for a big surprise with Draft pick Austin Rivers
36
20
42
14
16
5 0 4 M A G A Z I N E 4
THE NEW NEW ORLEANS“This magazine is dedicated toward building the New NEW ORLEANS”
- Doc Jones -
All cONTENT AND phOTOGrAph MATErIAl ArE cOpyrIGhTED TO ThEIr rESpEcTED OwNErS. TO cONTAcT OUr EDITOrIAl TEAM plEASE EMAIl US AT [email protected]
Eric Hill
Bill Summers
NBA #1 Draft Pick 2012
Labron James
5 0 4 M A G A Z I N E 5
32Tom Benson Make Deal to buy Honets
504 The most effective way that Dwight Howard can return the Los Angeles Lakers to the summit of NBA basketball is with his remarkable defen-se. There’s a good chan-ce that Howard could win his fourth defensive player of the year award next season, which would tie him with Ben Walla-ce and Dikembe Mutombo for the most all-time. Former Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who was part of the Howard trade this summer, was a good defender but doesn’t have an-ywhere near the athleticism that Howard does.
Howard will be able to give Los Angeles the league’s best inte-rior defense and force players to think twice before entering the paint and having to face him and power forward Pau Gasol. Howard blocked 116 shots last season, which was the same total as Bynum, although the former Magic star played in six fewer games. Howard is always one of the league’s pre-mier rebounders, and grabbed 14.5 of them per game last year, while Bynum led the Lakers
with 11.8 rebounds per game. Howard is going to prevent the Lakers from having to defend multiple pos-sessions at a time be-cause he will domina-te the defensive glass and help the Lakers’ fast break get started. The Lakers were 15th in opponents’ points per game last season and ranked ninth in
opponents’ field-goal percenta-ge. Howard will help the Lakers improve in both of these areas next year.
Los Angeles wasn’t able to de-fend well enough in the paint during its second-round se-ries loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA pla-yoffs. Since many of the top teams in the NBA are very athletic, such as the Thunder, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, the Lakers needed a more athletic center like Howard to have a stronger chance to beat these teams in the playoffs. De-fense will ultimately determi-ne how much better Howard makes the purple and gold in the 2012-13 season. His offen-sive contributions will still be important, but his defense could make the difference for the Lakers next spring.
DwrIGhT hOwArD NOw A lAkEr
504 Sportsmag Interviews New LA
LakerDwright Howrad It’s finally done
5 0 4 M A G A Z I N E 5
NBA fans have wondered when Los Angeles Lakers star Dwight Howard would be ready to play after having season-ending back surgery last year. The latest report from Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski has the center targeting opening night as his return date. The Lakers open the sea-son against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 30 at the Staples Center, and nothing would sell the start of their new year like an appearance and start from their newest acquisition. The rationale for the Lak-ers essentially trading
Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard remains simple. “We got the best,” Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said this offseason.But there’s also an-other issue. The Lakers may have had a healthy Bynum, but they rid themselves the risk in absorb-ing another one of his long-term injuries. To do so, the Lakers took the short-term hit that they may play without
Howard to open the season as he rehabs his surgi-cally repaired back. Considering he’s only missed seven games in his eight-year career prior to his back injury last March, it’s understandable the Lak-ers expect this won’t be a long-term issue. No one should fret because Howard won’t play in the pre-season opener Oct. 7 against Golden State (except for Lakers fans attending the actual Wojnarowski reports that Howard is saying privately that his progress has been outstanding so far, claiming “his back has returned to
85 percent strength.” Los Angeles hasn’t said much about Howard’s timetable, but it is safe to say the organization will be playing this situation close to the vest in hopes of protecting its huge investment. With so many new pieces in place, it is impera-tive that the team gets as many games together as possible so they can build an early rapport. If the Lakers want a chance at NBA championship glory, they need Howard to get healthy and stay that way all season. The 26-year-old star had surgery on a herniated disc in April, and he missed the remain-der of the regular season and Orlando’s run into the playoffs. Howard was traded to the Lakers after one of the worst contract disputes in NBA history.
Dwight Howard Reportedly Prepar-ing to Play in Lakers Opener
The Super Bowl is the annual championship
game of the National Football League (NFL), the high-
est level of professional American football in the United
States, culminating a season that begins in the late sum-
mer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses
Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the
year in which it is held. For example, Super Bowl I was
played on January 15, 1967, following the 1966 regular
season, while Super Bowl XLVII, which will determine the
champion of the current 2012 season, will be played on
February 3, 2013.
The game was created as part of a merger agreement
between the NFL and its then-rival league, the American
Football League (AFL). It was agreed that the two leagues’
champion teams would play in an AFL–NFL World
Championship Game until the merger was to officially
begin in 1970. After the merger, each league was redesig-
nated as a “conference”, and the game was then played
between the conference champions. Currently, the NFC
leads the series with 25 wins to 21 wins for the AFC.
The day on which the Super Bowl is played, now consid-
ered by some a de facto American national holiday,[1][2]
is called “Super Bowl Sunday”. It is the second-largest
day for U.S. food consumption, after Thanksgiving Day.
[3] In addition, the Super Bowl has frequently been the
most watched American television broadcast of the
year. Super Bowl XLV, played in 20o association football
(soccer)’s UEFA Champions League final as the most
watched annual sporting event worldwide.
Because of its high viewership, commercial airtime during
the Super Bowl broadcast is the most expensive of the
year. Due to the high cost of investing in advertising on
the Super Bowl, companies regularly develop their most
expensive advertisements for this broadcast. As a result,
watching and discussing the broadcast’s commercials has
become a significant aspect of the event.[6] In addition,
many popular singers and musicians have performed
during the event’s pre-game and halftime ceremonies
because of the exposure. For four decades after its 1920
inception, the NFL successfully fended off several rival
leagues. However, in 1960, it encountered its most serious
competitor when the American Football League (AFL)
was formed. The AFL vied heavily with the NFL for both
players and fans, but by the middle of the decade the
strain of competition led to serious merger talks between
the two leagues. Prior to the 1966 season, the NFL and
AFL reached a merger agreement that was to take effect
for the 1970 season. As part of the merger, the champions
of the two leagues agreed to meet in a “world” champi-
onship game for professional American football until the
merger was effected.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD, BUT DON’T COUNT US OUT!
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD, BUT DON’T COUNT US OUT!
5 0 4 M A G A Z I N E 1 5
Eric Hill Nissan is your new Nissan dealer-ship in New Orleans, Louisiana. Located
at 13050 I-10 Service Road, Eric Hill Nissan is centrally located and ready to serve the New Orleans and sur-rounding communities; including Slidell, Metairie, Kenner and Baton Rouge. Search our new Nissan ve-hicle inventory online, Build your Nissan online, or come in today, browse our huge in-ventory, and take a test drive with one of our experienced salespeople. Eric Hill Nissan also maintains a huge inven-tory of pre-owned vehicles. We have an amazing Nissan Service Department to meet all your service and parts needs - we carry genuine Nissan Parts. That new Nissan is waiting for you, and we work with a vast array of lending sources to make sure you will get the most com-plete and comprehensive financial
package available in New Orleans, LA. Our Eric Hill Nissan service depart-ment strives for 100% customer sat-isfaction. From general maintenance such as oil changes to major repairs, let Eric Hill Nissan service your ve-hicle. Our dealership is one of the pre-mier dealership’s in the country. Our commitment to customer service is second to none. We offer one of the
most comprehensive parts and service departments in the automotive indus-try.Our primary concern is the satis-faction of our customers. Our online dealership was created to enhance the buying experience for each and every
one of our internet customers. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (866) 621-5785.
ErIc hIll fOrMEr prO fOOTBAll plAyEr
5 0 4 M A G A Z I N E 1 4
Eric Hill scores a touchdown in New Orleans
Eric Hill (born November 14, 1966 in Blytheville, Ar-kansas) is a former profes-sional American football
linebacker who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League. He is current-ly owner of Eric Hill Nissan in Eastern New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, Eric Hill purchased a Nissan dealership and became the 1st dealer in New Orleans to completely rebuild after the Hurricane hit. Alexey and Bill Summers has a seating capacity of 200 plus and is equipped with one of the best sound systems available to lounge/night club venues. They have been featured in several noteiud magazines, such as, Essence, Travel & Leisure, USA Today, and now 504Maga-zine. Sweet Lorraine’s jazz Club is known as one of the top 10 Jazz clubs in the country.
5 0 4 M A G A Z I N E 1 5
ErIc hIll fOrMEr prO fOOTBAll plAyEr
Truluck attended Spring Valley High School, where he let-tered in football three
times and was an all-state and all-County linebacker in his senior year. He spent his high school years grow-ing up at the Lakeside Family & Chil-dren’s Center in Rockland County, New York, a group foster home that he still visits in the off-season. Truluck attended SUNY-Cortland, where he played in 35 career games with 27 starts. He recorded 238 tackles, 121 solo tack-les, 21 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble re-coveries and seven passes defensed. As sophomore, Truluck recorded 64 tackles, six sacks, seven tackles-for-losses and two blocked field goal attempts in 10 games as a defensive end. As a ju-nior, he started 10 games at outside linebacker and recorded 105 tack-les, 6.5 sacks, five tackles-for-losses and two blocked field goal attempts. He was a Division III All-America second-team selection and named an ECAC Upstate New York All-Star. As a senior, he recorded 64 tackles, nine sacks, three tackles for loss and four blocked field goal attempts while earning second-team All-East honors. He was also was named an ECAC Up-state New York All-Star in addition to being named team MVP by his team-mates and coaches. Truluck gradu-ated with a degree in health sciences. After playing at Division III SUNY-
Cortland, Truluck was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Washing-ton Redskins of the National Football League. He signed on to the team’s practice squad but was released in Oc-tober 1997. In April 1998, he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughrid-ers of the Canadian Football League, where he played from 1998 until 2000. In his rookie year there, Truluck
recorded nine tackles and three sacks, winning the Defensive Player of the Week award for his debut. His season was cut short after four games due to post-concussion syndrome Truluck signed with the AFL’s Detroit Fury, where he played from 2001 to 2002. In 2001 Truluck amassed 9.5 sacks and becoming the “Rookie of the Year,” following that season in 2002 Tru-luck became Arena Football’s “Line-man of the Year” with 10.5 sacks. Truluck became well known for his speed, strength and quickness many scouts began to make comparisons of Truluck’s ability to late great Der-rick Thomas. Which conicidentally,
landed Truluck a return to the NFL to play with the Kansas City Chiefs (2002–2004). In fourteen games of the 2003 season, Truluck recorded 17 tackles and six sacks. He was traded to the Green Bay Packers for a fifth- and a sixth-round draft choice during the 2004 preseason. Over the course of the season, he played in 10 games, recording 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He
was released by the Packers and signed with the Ari-zona Cardinals before the 2005 season. In 10 games with the Cardinals, he re-corded three tackles before returning to the CFL for the 2006-2007 seasons, which he spent with the Montreal Alouettes. In 2008 Truluck returned to the Arena Foot-ball league through a dis-persal draft, being selected by the Georgia Force, dur-ing that season he amassed
30 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Truluck host’s his own live internet show with VoiceAmerica Sports call Inside the Trenches in Arizona. Don’t believe me, here are some recent commen-taries
R-Kal TRlucK FoRmeR NFl editor’s choice
5 0 4 M A G A Z I N E 1 6
R-Kal TRlucK FoRmeR NFl editor’s choiceR-Kal Trluck
504 SPORTS MAG A NEW NEW ORLEANS WAY TO ENJOY YOUR SPORTS NEWS
WWW.504MAG.COM
New Orleans Own’s
504 SPORTS MAG A NEW NEW ORLEANS WAY TO ENJOY YOUR SPORTS NEWS
PhOTO By SANDRiNe Lee
The New Orleans Hornets are set to reap the ben-
efits this season from Anthony Davis’ time with
Team USA. Instead of lifting weights and running
suicide drills this summer, the No. 1 overall pick
had the luxury of playing with and against the
greatest basketball players in the world. Davis
didn’t see a ton of action in London, but he gave
the world a little taste of everything in his arsenal.
He showed off the range on his jumper by nailing a
three in an exhibition game against the Dominican
Republic. He blocked a few shots here and there.
He showed off his athleticism by being on the re-
ceiving end of some nice lobs from Chris Paul and
Deron Williams. The former Kentucky Wildcat’s
best game came against Tunisia. He hit every shot
he took, going 5-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2
from the line. He finished with 12 points and added
three rebounds. He also displayed his defensive
prowess by blocking a shot and coming up with a
steal. However, the thing that Davis gained that
will be the most beneficial to the Hornets won’t be
found on a stat sheet. In an interview with NOLA.
com, Davis said that playing on Team USA did
wonders for his confidence. “Those guys on the
Olympic team treated me like I belonged and it
boosted my confidence. When I got in games, I felt
more confidence. They talked to me and told me
what to do, so it definitely was great.” Davis said.
“A lot of them shared their perspective on the game
and the whole team took me under their wings and
showed me the ropes.” he continued.
Anthony Davis, Jr. (born March 11, 1993)
is an American professional basketball player for the
New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball As-
sociation (NBA). He played as a power forward for
the University of Kentucky as a freshman before being
selected first overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by New Or-
leans. He plays power forward and center. He was a 2012
NCAA Unanimous First team All-American and was the
2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks
leader. He established Southeastern Conference single-
season blocked shots and NCAA Division I freshman
blocked shots records. He has also earned the national
Freshman, Defensive Player and Big Man awards. In
addition, he has been named the 2012 National Player
of the Year by various organizations, earning the Oscar
Robertson Trophy, the Adolph Rupp Trophy, the Associ-
ated Press Player of the Year, Naismith Award, Sporting
News Player of the Year and John R. Wooden Award. He
was the Southeastern Conference's player, freshman and
defensive player of the year. He helped lead Kentucky
to a undefeated 2011–12 Southeastern Conference men's
basketball season and was the NCAA Tournament Most
Outstanding Player when Kentucky won the 2012 NCAA
Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
As a high school basketball player for Chicago's Perspec-
tives Charter School, he was unknown nationally and
locally after three seasons of play in the lightly regarded
Blue Division of the Chicago Public High School League.
A "late bloomer", he emerged into prominence in April
2010 (the spring of his junior year) after a growth spurt
and exposure on an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
traveling team made him a blue chip prospect. Within
months, he was the top-rated player in the national class
of 2011 by Scout.com and ESPN.com and the num-
ber two player by Rivals.com. He was a high school
All-American by every major selector (ESPN, Jordan,
McDonald's, Parade, USA Today) and earned Co-MVP
honors at the 2011 Jordan Brand Classic.
THE GREAT LARRY FIZGERALD
Fitzgerald left the University of Pittsburgh after a
tremendous sophomore year in which he caught 92
passes for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was
drafted third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the
Arizona Cardinals, whose then coach, Dennis Green,
knew Fitzgerald from his time as a Vikings ball boy.
In 2004, Fitzgerald had 58 receptions for 780 yards
and 8 touchdowns. On December 12, 2004, Fitzgerald
became the youngest player at 21 years and 110 days,
to record at least 2 touchdown receptions in a single
game. In 2005 he led the NFL with 103 receptions for
1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns and was named to
his first Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald teamed with Anquan
Boldin to create one of the most dangerous wide
receiver tandems in the NFL. In 2005, they became
only the third duo from the same team to each catch
over 100 passes and also the third pair of teammates
to top the 1,400-yard mark.
In 2006, Fitzgerald was injured and missed part of
the season but still produced 69 receptions for 946
yards and 6 touchdowns. As part of his 2007 Pro
Bowl season, he caught 100 receptions for 1,409
yards and 10 touchdowns. Following the 2007 season
Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract
extension with Arizona. While still under contract
at the time, performance bonuses forced the team’s
hand into a massive extension.[7] Fitzgerald’s num-
bers earned him the nickname “Sticky Fingers” and
“The Best Hands in the NFL” in local media.[8]
During the NFC Championship for the 2008 NFL sea-
son, Fitzgerald tied an NFL record with three touch-
down receptions in a playoff game. His three touch-
down catches occurred in the first half; he became
the first player in NFL history to accomplish that feat
in a conference championship game.[9] Fitzgerald
also set a single postseason record with 546 receiving
yards, 30 receptions, and 7 touchdown receptions,
surpassing Jerry Rice’s records of the 1988–89 NFL
playoffs. He and the Cardinals represented the NFC
in Super Bowl XLIII.[10][11] During Super Bowl
XLIII, Fitzgerald caught two touchdown passes in the
Cardinals 27–23 loss to the Steelers.[12] Fitzgerald
followed up this performance by catching two more
touchdown passes in the 2009 Pro Bowl, earning him
MVP honors.[13] After the Pro Bowl was over it was
revealed that Fitzgerald had been playing at least the
whole postseason with a broken left thumb as well
as torn cartilage in the same hand. It is speculated
that Fitzgerald has had this injury since November 5,
2008, when he showed up on the injury report with
an injured thumb.[14] After his record-breaking post-
season, capped by his Pro Bowl MVP award, many
analysts, including NFL Network’s Jamie Dukes,
regarded Fitzgerald as one of the best receivers in the
NFL.[15][16]
Despite having about 300 yards less than the year
before, he set a personal record with 13 touchdowns
in 2009. He added two more touchdown catches in
the Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers in
a 51–45 win. However, the Cardinals were eliminated
the next week, beaten 45–14 by the New Orleans
Saints.
The 2010 season for the Cardinals was a major let
down from the previous two years, as the retiring of
Kurt Warner greatly affected their offense. Despite
this, Fitzgerald was still able to catch 90 passes for
1,137 yards, and 6 touchdowns. After the season he
was named to his 5th Pro Bowl, and his 4th in a row.
On August 20, 2011, Fitzgerald signed an 8-year $120
million deal with the Arizona Cardinals, tying him
with Richard Seymour as the 5th highest paid player
in the NFL. Fitzgerald would reward the Cardinals
by having another stellar season, catching 80 passes
for 1,411 yards and 8 touchdowns and setting a
personal record of 17.6 yards per catch. Fitzgerald’s
accomplishments were recognized by an All-Pro
second team selection as well as his 6th Pro Bowl
selection.
New Orleans, LA —
Drew Brees broke a 52-year-old record in the first
quarter and then orchestrated a 10-point come-
back in the second half as the New Orleans Saints
downed the San Diego Chargers, 31-24, on Sunday.
Brees completed 29-of-45 passes for 370 yards with
four touchdowns and an interception. He has now
thrown a touchdown pass in 48 straight games,
snapping Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas’
mark of 47 that had held since 1960. “You really
couldn’t have written a better script for tonight,”
Brees remarked. “To break the record, to get the
win, in the fashion in which we won, it was really a
complete effort all the way around. Marques Colston
caught nine balls for 131 yards and three scores,
while Devery Henderson had eight receptions for
123 yards and a score for the Saints (1-4), who avoid-
ed their first 0-5 start in 16 years. Philip Rivers went
27-for-42 through the air for 354 yards with two
touchdowns and an interception for San Diego (3-2),
which was looking to go 3-0 on the road this season.
Ryan Mathews carried the ball 12 times for 80 yards
and a score, and added 59 yards on six receptions in
defeat. The Saints received the ball to start the
the third quarter trailing 17-14, but Quentin Jammer was
able to intercept a tipped Brees pass on the third play from
scrimmage and return it to the New Orleans 25, resulting
in Mathews’ 13- yard touchdown run off the left side. San
Diego seemed to have increased its lead late in the third when
Demorrio Williams intercepted a Brees pass and returned it
for a touchdown, but Melvin Ingram was called for a rough-
ing the passer penalty on the play to give the ball back to New
Orleans.
The Saints took the ball back at their own 10-yard line follow-
ing a San Diego three-and-out, and Brees led a 9-play drive
that saw just one third down to take the lead, connecting with
Colston on a 5-yard jump ball on the left side of the end zone
with 8:50 remaining in the game. Faced with a 3rd-and-18 at
their own 41-yard line on the Chargers ensuing drive, Roman
Harper settled under a deflected Rivers pass and returned it 41
yards down to the San Diego 23. New Orleans would manage
just one first down, though, and were held to a 26- yard field
goal by Garrett Hartley to keep it a one-possession game with
2:56 left. The Chargers quickly moved the ball past midfield
on their next possession before a sack and a couple of offen-
sive holding penalties put the team in a 2nd-and-37 hole. The
Saints bailed San Diego out with an illegal use of hands pen-
alty that resulted in a fresh set of downs, and Rivers connected
on four straight passes to move the ball to the New Orleans
33-yard line. But Rivers then had the ball slapped out of his
hands during a sack by Martez Wilson, who recovered the ball
with 14 seconds left to seal the victory. “They are outstanding
offensively and they made plays when they had to,” Chargers
coach Norv Turner said of the Saints. “We had a couple errors
on our penalties that cost us obviously a great deal late in the
game. You can’t make those kinds of errors and we’ll learn
from them.” The Chargers struck first on their second posses-
sion of the game as Rivers twice found Malcom Floyd down
the right sideline for gains of 39 and 32 yards to move the ball
deep into Saints’ territory before Robert Meachem stole the
ball away from a defender during a 15-yard touchdown grab
on the left side of the end zone. New Orleans answered with
Brees’ record-breaking score to knot the game at 7-7.
dssds
Tom Benson bought New Orleans Hon-ets
Tom BensonMakes Deal NBA SALE OF NEW ORLEANS HORNETS TO TOM BENSON IS FINALIZED
Native New Orleanian Tom Benson is officially new owner June 15, 2012
The purchase of the New Orleans Hornets by Tom Benson was completed today after ha-ving been approved by the National Basketball Association’s Board of Governors. Per league policy, the terms of the transaction were not released. Tom Benson is now officially the new owner of the New Orleans Hornets.
In conjunction with the finalization of the ow-nership transaction, the Hornets’ lease exten-sion with the State has been approved by Gover-nor Bobby Jindal and the Louisiana legislature. The extension will keep the Hornets in New Or-leans long term, as well as provide funding for upgrades to the New Orleans Arena. The agree-ment also included the elimination of all exit options, attendance benchmarks, and financial inducements.
The announcement of the finalization of the sale comes on the heels of the Hornets receiving the #1 pick, as well as the #10 pick, in the 2012 NBA Draft on June 28. In April, it was announced that New Orleans will be the host city for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.
“I’m thrilled to have become the owner of the
Hornets,” Benson said. “There is a lot of excite-ment in the region about the franchise, especia-lly after winning the #1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. We have been successful with the Saints and I know we can translate that success to our NBA team as well. We have the best, most dedicated fans in the world and will need them along the way as we work as an organization to make them proud. Championship performance is tied to fan support and the passion of the New Orleans sports fan is second to none. We look forward to joining up with all of our valued cu-rrent fans and also introducing this great team game to many more residents of our city and region.
After agreeing to purchase the New Orleans Hornets back in April, Tom Benson officially became the team’s new owner on Friday, June 15. The NBA board of governors approved of David Stern’s decision to sell the Hornets to Benson. The $338 million sale also came with money for New Orleans Arena improvements and a lease extension through 2024.
Tom Benson
Now that he owns the Hornets and the New Or-leans Saints, Tom Benson has become the most powerful sports figure in the city’s history. In the past, Benson also owned our arena team the Voodoo and even a now-defunct minor league hockey team known as the Brass. By the way, if Benson does change the Hornets team name, look for them to become the Brass.
NBA Draft Lottery
One of my chief pleasures as a Yahoo! Contri-butor Network writer is seeing how good news for New Orleans aggravates the city’s detractors who live elsewhere. Never was this more in evidence than when the Hornets won the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery. Instantly, commenters lit up Yahoo! Sports articles with claims of foul play because the NBA still technically owned the Hornets.
The fact that the team with the most ping pong balls in the hopper almost never wins the NBA Draft Lottery didn’t stop conspiracy theorists from making ridiculous claims. If you look at the odds, the first place and fourth place teams are only separated by about 12 percentage points. I’ll never forget that night, seeing Tom Benson come on stage as I was jumping up and down celebrating.
Hornets staying in New Orleans
The best news about Tom Benson purchasing the Hornets is that they will be in New Orleans long term. Now maybe the national media will stop staying the Hornets should move to Seattle. If nothing else, I’ll get to hear Colin Cowherd whine about coming to New Orleans in 2014 for NBA All-Star Weekend.
Final note
By: Vince Beiser
5 0 4 M A G A Z I N E 4 8
Native New Orleanian Tom Benson is officially new owner of Honets...
NEW YORK -- Charles Barkley thinks LeBron
James can be better than Michael Jordan. Jordan is
considered by many the best player in NBA his-
tory, but Barkley believes his teammate with the
Dream Team can be surpassed by James. “I do
think he can be better than Michael,” Barkley said.
“I thought I would never compare somebody to
Michael Jordan. But this guy, LeBron James, he
does everything well. Michael did everything well.
LeBron James is just bigger, stronger, faster. That’s
the only difference. ”Barkley makes his comments
on the first episode of NBA TV’s “Open Court,” to
debut Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET. The series features a
round-table discussion of NBA TV and TNT com-
mentators. They include Shaquille O’Neal, Reggie
Miller, Kenny Smith, Steve Smith, Chris Webber,
Steve Kerr and Ernie Johnson. James won his first
NBA title and third MVP award last season, join-
ing Jordan as the only players to win the NBA
title, regular-season MVP, NBA Finals MVP and
Olympic gold medal in the same year. Jordan won
six championships during his Hall of Fame career.
“Unfortunately for LeBron, now that the monkey
is off his back, he is going to be compared to two
people: Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan,” O’Neal
said. “So now the question is how many champion-
ships can he get? We all know he is a competitor.”
Barkley: LeBron better than Jordan?
Few players taken in the 2012 NBA Draft are as
polarizing as Austin Rivers. Fans seem to pile
up on either side of the love/hate spectrum with
regard to Rivers, be it because he went to Duke,
because he plays with a demonstrable swagger or
simply because he has what some would consider
a punchable face.
The basketball world appears to be similarly di-
vided with regard to Rivers’ pro potential. Rivers is
at times lauded for his ball-handling and shooting
skills and at others derided for being too small or
lacking the athleticism to be a force on the wing.
He is praised for shot creation, yet also criticized
for hogging the ball, particularly among those who
have him pegged for the point as a pro. However
Rivers moves the needle going forward, the New
Orleans Hornets can only hope that he does so in a
positive direction.
Chances are, they wouldn’t have made him the
10th pick in the draft, and the presumptive “Side-
kick of the Future” for rookie sensation Anthony
Davis, if they didn’t think he would.
Scouting Report, Analysis and Predictions for Hornets Rookie Austin Rivers
Welcome to New Orleans504mag.com