It’s official: Pelicans fire GM Dell DempsIt’s official: Pelicans fire GM Dell Demps
Amid the swirl of Anthony Davis, New Orleans has parted ways with its general manager.
Day: February 15, 2019
Report: Pelicans fire GM Dell DempsReport: Pelicans fire GM Dell Demps
Amid the swirl of Anthony Davis, New Orleans has parted ways with its general manager.
Q&A with Kevin Garnett: Raptors, free agency drama and the Yao Ming bountyQ&A with Kevin Garnett: Raptors, free agency drama and the Yao Ming bounty
Kevin Garnett talks travel, why the Raptors should be feared, how to handle free agency drama and the $1 million bet Team USA had at the 2000 Olympics.
Kuchar statement: ‘I want to apologize’Kuchar statement: ‘I want to apologize’
A statement from Matt Kuchar: “This week, I made comments that were out of touch and insensitive, making a bad situation worse. They made it seem like I was marginalizing David Ortiz and his financial situation, which was not my intention. I read them again and cringed. That is not who I am and not what I want to represent. My entire Tour career, I have tried to show respect and positivity. In this situation, I have not lived up to those values or to the expectations I’ve set for myself. I let myself, my family, my partners and those close to me down, but I also let David down. I plan to call David tonight, something that is long overdue, to apologize for the situation he has been put in, and I have made sure he has received the full total that he has requested. I never wanted to bring any negativity to the Mayakoba Golf Classic. I feel it is my duty to represent the tournament well, so I am making a donation back to the event, to be distributed to the many philanthropic causes working to positively impact the communities of Playa del Carmen and Cancún. For my fans, as well as fans of the game, I want to apologize to you for not representing the values instilled in this incredible sport. Golf is a game where we call penalties on ourselves. I should have done that long ago and not let this situation escalate.”
Charles Barkley heaps praise on Nuggets, laments state of the NBACharles Barkley heaps praise on Nuggets, laments state of the NBA
CHARLOTTE – Consider Charles Barkley old school. In a sprawling, riveting, sometimes hilarious conversation, TNT’s Inside the NBA star praised what the Denver Nuggets have built in the era of superteams. “I love what they’ve done,â€� said Barkley. “I always like it when it’s done organically
Sources: Pelicans fire GM after Anthony Davis falloutSources: Pelicans fire GM after Anthony Davis fallout
Dell Demps is out as Pelicans GM, sources have told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
NBA unveils the ‘smart jersey of the future’ that allows fans to change the name and numberNBA unveils the ‘smart jersey of the future’ that allows fans to change the name and number
The lifespan of an NBA replica jersey may be getting longer thanks to new concept apparel that would allow fans to digitally change the name and number on the back to reflect the roster moves of their favorite teams. NBA commissioner Adam Silver presented the demo of the concept shirt at an off-the-record
Source: Falcons won’t tender RFA PooleSource: Falcons won’t tender RFA Poole
The Atlanta Falcons will not tender restricted free-agent cornerback Brian Poole, which will allow him to become a free agent, a source confirms to ESPN.
Source: Severino, Yanks reach 4-year dealSource: Severino, Yanks reach 4-year deal
The Yankees and Opening Day starter Luis Severino avoided arbitration by agreeing to a four-year, $40 million deal, a source tells MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand. The deal, which is pending a physical, buys out his arbitration years and has a club option for a fifth year. The team has not commented.
Spieth form no surprise to HickokSpieth form no surprise to Hickok
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Kramer Hickok looked at the leaderboards around Riviera Country Club and was very surprised. Surprised to see his own name near the top that is – not to see his close friend and former roommate Jordan Spieth two shots ahead of him at the Genesis Open. Spieth has been in somewhat of a slump of late so his 7-under 64 to lead the first wave of players in the opening round was a surprise to some. The former FedExCup champion hasn’t had a top-10 on the PGA TOUR since last season’s Open Championship in July and currently sits 178th on the season long points list. But Hickok – who is in the midst of his rookie PGA TOUR season and shot a 5-under 66 to be T2 in the same wave – knows Spieth better than most. They were at the University of Texas together as freshman in 2012 when the Longhorns won the national title… at Riviera no less. “Of course I’m not surprised to see him up there. Jordan’s a stud,â€� Hickok said. “Everyone gives him such a hard time because his standards are so high, and they’re just as high for himself, but he’s one of the best in the world and he can go shoot 7, 8 under at any moment.” “If the putter heats up, his driver heats up, he’ll be just fine.â€� The 11-time PGA TOUR winner had an impressive time with the putter and his short game in general, going eight of eight in scrambling and chipping in twice. But he knows his striking off the tee still remains a work in progress. “With the conditions we had, that was a great scoring round, and looking forward to the rest of the week, trying to improve on kind of the way I’m striking it,â€� Spieth said. “From San Diego to Pebble was significant progress, from Pebble to here has been significant progress just in the way I feel hitting the ball.” “Whether the scores reflect it or not, I know how I feel striking it so I know when it’s close. I’m looking to try and make progress each day in the way that feeling sustains this week because it didn’t sustain through the weekend at Pebble.” “But I know what went off and I know what to fix. It’s just kind of a little bit of trial and error right now.â€� The fixes come with the help of coach Cameron McCormick, who incidentally also works with Hickok. And it is the Australian coach who gets plenty of credit for Hickok’s opening round, the second best of his season thus far. Prior to this week Hickok’s best result was a T23 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. He’s made just three of nine cuts in his rookie season. “It’s kind of been a struggle. We hit balls for about four hours just working on some lower body movement, something I’ve been struggling with,â€� Hickok said of a pre-tournament coaching session. “We seemed to grind it out and basically I’ve played really well with this feel before, I’ve won with it in Canada, I’ve won with that feel on the Web last year in the Finals, so it’s a feel that I know I can go out and trust under pressure and play good golf.â€� Unlike Spieth, Hickok wasn’t part of the Texas playing squad in 2012. So his memories of that famous week where Spieth took down Justin Thomas and Alabama in the final at Riviera are limited. “I remember Dylan Frittelli making a 30‑footer to win the national championship and running to jump on him. That’s about it,â€� Hickok smiles. “That’s really my experience with Riviera. I’ve only played 54 holes now around this golf course. So I got to watch a little bit of golf back then, kind of pick up on a few things, but I’m trying to learn as much as possible every day.â€� Part of that learning was a practice round with Spieth earlier this week and some advice already played dividends. Hickok was looking at the drivable par-4 10th hole with lay up in mind until Spieth talked him into driver. But Spieth wasn’t advocating over aggression. In fact he was trying to disassociate the notion of needing to get at the infamous hole. “Everyone thinks of 10 as a birdie hole because you can hit 3‑wood at the front edge, and he’s like it’s not, it plays 4.5,â€� Hickok explained. “So it plays just as hard as some par fives do this year and it’s having that sort of mentality going into the hole, it makes it a lot easier.” “I was actually planning on laying up this week, but talking to him, he kind of convinced me into hitting driver. Made par today, so I guess it worked out.â€� While it is certainly early days, this could just be the week both friends bust out of their so called “slumpsâ€�.