Tag Archives: TNT

Kenny Smith, Marv Albert believe native New Yorkers still into All-Star game in spite of stuggles by Knicks, Nets

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Kenny Smith/Photo by ESPN.com

 

Analyst Kenny Smith and play-by-play man Marv Albert are from New York City – Smith from Queens, Albert from Brooklyn. The two were part of a TNT conference call Thursday morning promoting the Feb. 15 All-Star game, which will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Clippers Blake Griffin and Chris Paul will be representing the Western Conference.

One subject broached centered on the notion that since the New York Knicks (10-39) and the Brooklyn Nets (20-28) are struggling, that could lessen the interest in the game in the greater New York area? Neither Smith nor Albert buy that.

“Being a New Yorker, regardless of what the Knicks or the Nets are doing, the city is the mecca of basketball,” said Smith, who played 10 years in the NBA. “There are basketball courts every four blocks throughout the city. Everyone plays the game and everyone thinks they have knowledge of the game. It’s a city game. We own that, and we relish the fact that we are that.”

Albert spoke in similar tones.

“It’s still the mecca of basketball and players get excited about playing there,” said Albert, who will be working his 20th All-Star game. “The place, the site, has such a rich history and the fans are so knowledgeable; although this is not that type of game; it’s more schoolyard with guys throwing stuff off backboards until it gets interesting.”

 

TNT’s Marv Albert wants All-Star rosters expanded, which could help players like DeAndre Jordan make the team

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DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan would likely benefit from if All-Star rosters expanded/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

Play-by-play man Marv Albert and analysts Grant HIll and Kenny Smith – the TNT team that will work the Feb. 15 All-Star game in Madison Square Garden in New York City – hosted a conference call Thursday morning. They answered a variety of questions, one of which was about perhaps enlarging the All-Star rosters from 12 to 15. This, of course, would help players like DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers, who  has yet to make his first All-Star team.

Albert is all for it.

“I would propose a change in the system,” said Albert, who will be working his 20th All-Star game. “I would change to a 15-man roster for each team. It’s an All-Star game. Why stay with 12? It’s an expanded league with 30 teams. There would still be unhappy players (who don’t make it), but I think it’s better for the NBA in terms of marketing to have more representation of cities in the game and that would lead to even more interest.”

Smith never made an All-Star team even though he averaged more than 17 points in two of his 10 seasons. He has mixed feelings.

“I like Marv’s proposal, but I also like the debating about players who don’t make the team,” he said. “Like when a guy like Damian Lillard (of Portland) doesn’t make the All-Star team, that always leads to a lot of speculation.”

Shaquille O’Neal gives Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan his All-Star endorsement

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DeAndre Jordan, left, will have to rely on Western Conference coaches to pick him as a reserve for the Feb. 15 All-Star game in New York City/Photo by Associated Press

 

Chances are DeAndre Jordan will not be participating in his first All-Star game Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Jordan finished 12th among frontcourt players in fan balloting, which means his only chance would be to get picked by the coaches of the Western Conference; reserves will be announced Jan. 29.

But TNT studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal gave Jordan his personal endorsement Thursday night, saying Jordan should be selected as a reserve. Jordan was stoked to hear of it after the Clippers’ 123-84 demolition of Brooklyn on Thursday night at Staples Center.

“So he did get the hundred bucks I sent,” Jordan said, drawing laughter from reporters in the post-game news conference.

He got serious.

“It’s pretty humbling,” Jordan said. “To me, Shaq is the most dominant player ever to play the game. For him to even think of me in that light is pretty cool. Especially to have someone like him giving me some credit. It’s always nice to hear and it makes you work hard.”

 

Nuggets will have a chance to snap another long Clippers winning streak

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The Clippers’ 11-game winning streak is impressive, to be sure, but still well short of a franchise record.

That was set last season when they won 17 consecutive games, a streak  that began with a 101-95 victory over the Timberwolves on Nov. 28, 2012. It was snapped with a 92-78 loss on Jan. 1, 2013 against the Denver Nuggets.

And, of course, tonight’s opponent is Denver. The Clippers will play there at 7:30 (on Prime Ticket) in search of their 12th victory in succession.

The longest winning streak in NBA history belongs to the Lakers, who won 33 in a row during the 1971-72 season. The Heat won 27 consecutive games last season for the second-longest.

Only three other teams – Houston (22), Washington (20) and Milwaukee (20) – have had winning streaks of at least 20 games.