Sports Buzz: Kobe Bryant Would Shut Down Season If Lakers Asked
Plus, Austin Rivers to play for his dad's Clippers.
1 / 37
Kobe Bryant Would Shut Down Season if Lakers Asked Him To - Responding to talks that the Los Angeles Lakers would consider shutting him down early this season, Kobe Bryant said he'd do whatever the organization wants him to. "I will do what they ask of me, but it's very, very hard for me to miss one game," Bryant told ESPN on Thursday. "I'm not going to be here much longer, so the games that I play, I want to make sure that I'm playing and enjoying it and appreciating it." He added: "If they want to shut me down, if they decide to sit me out, I will do what's asked of me. It's that simple." Bryant is averaging 22.6 points, 5.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game this season. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
2 / 37
Kobe Bryant Calls LeBron James an 'Old Head' - Kobe Bryant and LeBron James shared a laugh Thursday night after the latter missed an uncontested alley-oop dunk. After the Cleveland Cavaliers scored a 109-102 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers, James told TNT that Bryant, 36, had called him an "old head" and he replied, "You know what, he's right." James turned 30 last month and had missed nine games due to knee and lower back strains. James had a game-high 36 points to Bryant's 19 points and 17 assists.(Photo: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
3 / 37
David Blatt Downplays Cavs' Disconnect - Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt is tired of hearing about reports, insinuating that he doesn’t have control of the team. On Thursday, he downplayed reports of his assistant coach, Tyronn Lue, calling timeouts for the team this season. "Ty, if you know Ty, he's a very vocal and active guy — an assistant can't call a timeout in an NBA game, if you didn't know that," Blatt told ESPN. "Now, if he sees something, he feels something and he yells something out to alert me what he thinks, I don't have a problem with that. I listen to what I think I need to listen to and what I don't think I need to listen to. That's a lot of — I'm trying to find a nice word for it because I'm talking to the public — well, that's a lot of nonsense and I think it's kind of cheap, to be honest with you. I really do." (Photo: David Maxwe...
4 / 37
Austin Rivers to Play for Dad Doc Rivers - Austin Rivers will become the first son to play for his father, Doc Rivers, after a three-team trade Thursday sent him to the Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN is reporting. The Clippers acquired Rivers by sending Reggie Bullock to the Phoenix Suns and Chris Douglas-Roberts and a 2017 second-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics. Rivers, 22, was averaging nearly seven points per game for the New Orleans Pelicans before being traded. (Photos from left: Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images, Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
5 / 37
Nets Interested in Trading for Lance Stephenson - Could “Born Ready” be returning to his old Brooklyn stomping grounds? According to ESPN, the Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder are involved in trade discussions that would send Stephenson to his hometown of Brooklyn and Nets center Brook Lopez to the Thunder, while Charlotte would land Jarrett Jack from the Nets and Jeremy Lamb and Grant Jerrett from OKC. Thunder center Kendrick Perkins could also reportedly be involved in the deal, being moved to Brooklyn. (Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
6 / 37
Rockets Bury Thunder With 40-Point First Quarter - That’s one way to destroy the competition. The Houston Rockets flooded the Oklahoma City Thunder early Thursday night by dropping 40 points in the first quarter. James Harden scored 15 of his 31 points in the first and the Rockets never looked back, cruising to a 112-101 home victory. Harden, who also had 10 assists and nine rebounds to go along with his 31 points, was one board shy of notching a triple-double. The win marked Rockets coach Kevin McHale’s 200th victory as a coach. (Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
7 / 37
Cowboys Owners Says it Will Be Hard to Re-Sign Bryant, Murray - The harsh reality of the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason is they may very well not be able to re-sign running back DeMarco Murray and wide receiver Dez Bryant to long-term deals. "It's going to be a challenge," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told ESPN on Thursday. "Is it financially reasonable? No. Is it possible? Yes. But if you just looked at it from dollars and cents, it probably doesn't look reasonable. You have to figure out how you get there, but at the end of the day you realize it's going to be costly to have both of those players." Murray led the NFL in rushing with 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Bryant’s 16 receiving TDs also marked a league-high this season.(Photos from left: Rob Carr/Getty Images, Mike McGinnis/Getty Images, Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
8 / 37
Giants Return Spagnuolo as Defensive Coordinator - Steve Spagnuolo served as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants’ Super Bowl team of 2007-08. After stints as head coach of the St. Louis Rams, defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints and defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens, Spagnuolo is once again taking over the Giants’ defense in a return to Big Blue, the team announced Thursday. "I was hoping to take the next step, God willing, and be a coordinator again. I'm ecstatic that it's with [Giants head coach] Tom Coughlin," Spagnuolo told ESPN. "Tom is the highest-character guy I know. The feeling I have is one of excitement. We're going to work our butts off, and hopefully we will do great things together." (Photo: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
9 / 37
Bud Selig Emotional in Final Owners' Meeting - Bud Selig held his final owners meeting as Major League Baseball’s commissioner on Thursday, which was followed by a gala in his honor. Afterwards, he admitted that the ordeal was quite emotional. "A remarkable collection of speakers," Selig told the Associated Press. "There was a lot of emotion, a lot of history, and it was more emotional than I thought. I have to admit that. It was really just a wonderful night." Selig has served as MLB commissioner since 1998. His replacement, Rob Manfred, will officially take over as baseball’s new commissioner on January 25. (Photo: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
10 / 37
Oregon's Marcus Mariota to Enter NFL Draft - Marcus Mariota is going to test the NFL waters. The Oregon redshirt junior quarterback declared his eligibility for the 2015 NFL Draft on Wednesday two days after his Ducks fell to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. "After meeting with my family I have decided to forgo my final year of eligibility and apply for the 2015 NFL draft," Mariota said in a statement to the media, including ESPN. "My four years at the University of Oregon have been an awesome experience." Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner, threw for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns this past season. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
11 / 37
San Francisco 49ers Name Jim Tomsula New Coach - The San Francisco 49ers promoted from within their organization, naming their defensive line coach Jim Tomsula as the franchise's new head coach Wednesday. Tomsula has been the Niners' defensive line coach since 2007 and briefly served as the team's interim coach at the end of the 2010 season after then-head coach Mike Singletary was fired."After conducting a thorough coaching search, and meeting with a number of outstanding candidates, Jim Tomsula clearly is the right man to lead this team," Niners CEO Jed York said in a statement to ESPN. Tomsula takes over a team that went 8-8 this season and failed to make the playoffs. (Photo: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
12 / 37
Raiders Hire Jack Del Rio as New Coach - The Oakland Raiders didn't have to look far to find their new head coach. They tabbed Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio as their new coach Wednesday. According to ESPN, Del Rio has already reached out to ex-Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman to offer him the Raiders offensive coordinator position. (Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
13 / 37
Clippers Rally to Edge Blazers - Jamal Crawford dropped 25 points to help rally the Los Angeles Clippers to a 100-94 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. The effort held save a 37-point, 12-rebound performance from LaMarcus Aldridge. (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
14 / 37
Hawks Win 10th Straight - The Atlanta Hawks are the hottest team in the NBA right now, notching their 10th straight victory Wednesday night via a 105-91 road win over the Boston Celtics. Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 22 points and six assists. The last time the Hawks had a 17-game winning streak it was 17 years ago. At 31-8, the Hawks sit atop the Eastern Conference standings and hold the second-best NBA record after the Golden State Warriors.(Photo: Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
15 / 37
Joakim Noah Leaves Bulls' Game With Sprained Ankle, Walking Boot - Joakim Noah left Wednesday night's Chicago Bulls-Washington Wizards game after suffering a sprained right ankle in the first half and did not return. Noah left the United Center with a walking boot on and is scheduled to be re-examined Thursday, according to ESPN. Without Noah, the Bulls fell to the Wizards 105-99, despite a game-high 32 points from Derrick Rose. (Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
16 / 37
New York Jets Hire Todd Bowles as New Coach - The New York Jets have a brand new coach, hiring former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles on Tuesday night, a few hours after also naming Mike Maccagnan as their general manager. ESPN is reporting that Bowles will reportedly sign a four-year contracting, paying him just over $4 million per season. Bowles, known for his defensive mindset much like ex-Jets coach Rex Ryan, helped guide the Cardinals to an 11-5 record and NFC wildcard berth this season. He's a New Jersey native and was a former Jets assistant coach in 2000. (Photo: Rich Schultz /Getty Images)
17 / 37
LeBron James Returns to Cavaliers, Pushes Coach - The King is back! After missing nine games due to knee and lower back strains, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup on Tuesday night in Phoenix. However, despite James scoring 33 points, the Cavs fell to the Suns 107-100, marking their sixth straight loss. They've now fallen back under .500 at 19-20. In the second quarter of the game, James pushed Cavs coach David Blatt away from a referee, as they both argued an offensive foul against the superstar. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
18 / 37
Miami Upsets Duke - Two days after losing to unranked North Carolina State, No. 4 Duke was upset again, this time by Miami on Tuesday night. The unranked Hurricanes shocked the Blue Devils, beating them handedly 90-74 behind Angel Rodriguez's 24 points, five assists and five steals. With the win, Miami improved to 12-4, while Duke dropped to 14-2, both of their losses coming in ACC action.(Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
19 / 37
Cowboys, Coach Garrett Reach Five-Year Extension - Jerry Jones has seen enough of Jason Garrett to keep the Dallas Cowboys' coach via a new five-year, $30 million extension Tuesday, according to ESPN. Garrett earned the extension after guiding the Cowboys to a 12-4 record, making the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Dallas failed to make the NFC title game after losing to the Green Bay Packers in a divisional playoff game this past Sunday. (Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
20 / 37
John Elway Hopes Peyton Manning Returns - John Elway, the Denver Broncos' executive vice president of football operations and general manager, wants Peyton Manning back as the team's quarterback next season, but wants to give the veteran some time to make his own decision. "I told him in four or five weeks — I'm going to stay in touch with him — we'll get back together and see where he is because the career that he's had, what he's done not only in the NFL but in the short time he's been here with the Denver Broncos, what he's meant to us is tremendous," Elway told ESPN on Tuesday. (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
21 / 37
Dwyane Wade Strains Hamstring - Dwyane Wade strained his left hamstring early in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night and left game. Wade is also likely to miss the Miami Heat's game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, according to ESPN. Wade is listed day-to-day with the injury. Without him, the Heat still scored a 78-75 win over the Lakers. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
22 / 37
NBA Suspends Kevin Garnett After Head-Butting Dwight Howard - The NBA has suspended Kevin Garnett for one game without pay and fined Dwight Howard $15,000 Tuesday for their altercation on Monday night, Yahoo Sports is reporting. KG head-butted the Houston Rockets center during the first quarter of the Rockets-Brooklyn Nets game on Monday night and was instantly ejected. Howard earned a technical foul for throwing a light punch at Garnett's chest. After the dust-up, the Rockets wound up destroying the Nets, 113-99 behind James Harden's 30 points through only three quarters. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
23 / 37
John Fox and Denver Broncos Part Ways - Well, that didn't take long at all. After the Denver Broncos fell to the Indianapolis Colts in AFC divisional playoff action Sunday, the Broncos and head coach John Fox agreed to part ways on Monday, ESPN is reporting. After a 12-4 regular season, the Broncos' loss to the Colts marked a disappointing finish to the year.(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
24 / 37
Peyton Manning Played With Torn Quad Last Month of Season - Was Peyton Manning playing hurt during the stretch run of the 2014 season and into the playoffs? Sources tell ESPN that the Denver Broncos quarterback played Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game and part of last month with a torn right quadriceps, an injury he suffered on December 14 against the San Diego Chargers. As of now, Manning is undecided about whether he will return to the Broncos or not.(Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
25 / 37
LeBron James Practices, Game-Time Decision Tuesday - LeBron James could return to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup on Tuesday after participating in the team's practice on Monday, ESPN is reporting. King James has missed nine games due to a strained lower back and knee and the Cavs have gone 1-8 in his absence. After practicing with the Cavs on Monday, James and his friends reportedly boarded a private jet to witness his hometown favorite Ohio State defeat Oregon for the college football national title on Monday night in Texas.(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
26 / 37
President Obama Roasts Spurs in White House Visit - President Obama honored the San Antonio Spurs on Monday for their 2013-14 NBA championship win last June. And as usual, the ceremony quickly turned into a roast. "Let's face it, just a little while back, people were saying that the Spurs were past their prime, not just old but kind of boring," Obama said, as reported by ESPN. "Now they're fresh and exciting, which is basically the exact opposite of what happens to presidents." He added: "It makes me feel good to see that folks in advancing years can succeed in a young man's sport."(Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
27 / 37
Jay Z Signs Todd Gurley to Roc Nation Sports - Another big athlete has signed with Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports agency. According to TMZ Sports, Georgia running back Todd Gurley has inked a deal with Hov. Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury in November Gurley is expected to be selected in the 2015 NFL Draft.(Photos from left: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images, James Devaney/GC Images)
28 / 37
Controversial Call Helps Green Bay Get by Dallas - The Green Bay Packers got some major help defeating the Dallas Cowboys 26-21 in their NFC divisional playoff game Sunday. That's because referees reversed Dez Bryant’s leaping catch on the Packers’ one-yard line with 4:06 remaining in the game, ruling that the Cowboys star wide receiver didn't have complete control of the football during the catch. That crucial call helped Aaron Rodgers and the Packers hold on for the victory. The Packers will visit the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC title game this Sunday after the defending Super Bowl champion scored a 31-17 rout of the Carolina Panthers this past Saturday. (Photo: Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
29 / 37
Luck, Colts Upset Manning, Broncos - Big upset victory. Andrew Luck threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns to lead the visiting Indianapolis Colts to a 24-13 road win over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in AFC divisional action Sunday. The Colts never looked back following a 14-point second quarter. "I'd like to think I am a better quarterback and would like to think we're a better team" now, Luck told ESPN. "We are well equipped to handle the unknown, the unforeseen." The Colts will now visit the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium at Foxboro for the AFC title game this Sunday. The Pats rallied behind Tom Brady’s 367 passing yards and three touchdowns to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 35-31 in the AFC’s other divisional match up this past Saturday. (Photo: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
30 / 37
Jets Chris Johnson Arrested for Carrying Gun - New York Jets running back Chris Johnson was arrested Friday night in Orlando for openly carrying a gun, ESPN is reporting. The weapon was supposed to be concealed. Johnson, 29, was stopped after driving through a stop sign and police reportedly found the gun on the vehicle's floor between seats. Johnson was released on $250 bond. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
31 / 37
NC State Gives Duke First Loss - Duke will not finish the 2014-15 season undefeated. Unranked North Carolina State upset the No.2 Blue Devils 87-75 on Sunday. NC State (12-5) shot a sizzling 55 percent to defeat Duke (14-1) and overcome Jahlil Okafor’s dominating 23 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. (Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
32 / 37
Ex-Dallas Mavericks Roy Tarpley Dies - Former Dallas Mavericks center Roy Tarpley died Friday afternoon at the age of 50. Although the exact cause of his death wasn't listed, Tarpley did have noted bouts with drug and alcohol abuse earlier in his life. "The Dallas Mavericks organization is deeply saddened upon hearing the death of former Sixth Man of the Year Roy Tarpley," the team said in a statement, as reported by ESPN. "Our deepest condolences go out to his family. Mavs fans everywhere will remember him fondly." (Photo: Mike Powell /Allsport)
33 / 37
Bills to Hire Rex Ryan - Rex Ryan is staying put in the AFC East. According to ESPN, Buffalo is nearing a five-year deal with Ryan to become the Bills' new head coach. He will reportedly earn $5.5 million per season. The report comes two weeks after Ryan was fired by the New York Jets, an AFC East division rival of the Bills. Buffalo’s coaching job became vacant once Doug Marrone opted out of his contract last month. Ryan, who inherits a solid Bills defense, is expected to hire San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman.(Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
34 / 37
Jets Targeting Seahawks Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn - The New York Jets are reportedly waiting until the Seattle Seahawks’ season is over to offer defensive coordinator Dan Quinn their head coach gig. According to ESPN, the Jets were prepared to fly to Seattle on Saturday night, had the Seahawks lost their NFC divisional playoff game to the Carolina Panthers, to hire Quinn. NFL rules stipulate that a coordinator can’t be offered a job until his team’s post-season run is over. Quinn grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, which is close to the Jets’ facility. (Photo: Joe Barrentine/Tacoma News Tribune/ MCT /LANDOV)
35 / 37
Terrell Owens: Jameis Winston Should Learn From Johnny Manziel - Terrell Owens thinks Jameis Winston could learn a little something from Johnny Manziel’s troubles off the field — late night partying. “[Winston] has the measurables…all he gotta do is keep his nose clean,” TO told TMZ Sports. “He can learn a thing or two from probably Johnny Manziel, not to make those mistakes.” (Photos from left: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images, Jason Miller/Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
36 / 37
Hank Aaron Among Hawks Bidders - He’s already an Atlanta sports icon and now the former Braves home run king has joined a group of owners trying to purchase the Atlanta Hawks. ESPN is reporting that Aaron is joining an investment group, including Memphis Grizzlies vice chairman and minority owner Steve Kaplan and former Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien. (Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for NAACP Legal Defense Fund)