A few quick updates to tide you over until game time:
1. For those Canada basketball geeks in the audience, this release about their new faces on the board of directors is very, very impressive, and further proof that Executive Director Wayne Parrish has pulled his weight. New president Therese Quigley has done great raising money and profile for McMaster University Athletics and then introducing Bryan Colangelo – no introduction necessary, I presume; Ron Foxcroft, formerly a world-class referee, now an observer on behalf of the NBA and a very successful entrepreneur; Jim Hunter – a Bay Street power broker who hooped at UVIC back in the day and Tom Anselmi, one of the top executives at MLSE Ltd.
In one fell swoop Canada Basketball brings in loads of basketball acumen and credibility , and more importantly some serious financial reach and backroom clout. See the full release below.
2. To answer Jason Lee's question in the comment section the other day, yes the Raptors were in attendance at the Reebok Camp in Italy last week and yes Nicolas Batum is on their short list of players they have interest in. Don't have much more than that.
3. Chris Yang correctly points out that after writing about Chris Bosh being in Boston on assignment for the tonight show I neglected to link to the outcome. For those interested who haven't seen it, here you go. It's not bad.
4. Does LA tie the series tonight? I say yes they do. Kobe explodes (again) and KG implodes. Watch for it.
5. Richard Pincay contributes this item, which is pretty funny, providing you like David Letterman's Top-10. I'm guessing David Stern wasn't laughing:
Top Ten Signs an NBA Game Is Fixed:
- Game begins 20 minutes before visiting team arrives
- Tip-off always goes to the player with the largest salary
- At the end of the first quarter, the score is 179 to 2
- Missed three-pointers count for two points if they're "pretty close"
- One of the Laker Girls looks suspiciously like Pete Rose
- Whenever he's open, referee takes a shot
- Scoreboard has disclaimer: "All Scores Approximate"
- The team loses even though it led in points, delegates and the popular vote
- Jack Nicholson scores 25 points from his seat
- The Knicks win
6. And here's the full Canada Basketball release:
CANADA BASKETBALL NAMES ANSELMI, COLANGELO, FOXCROFT AND HUNTER TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TORONTO, Ontario – Canada Basketball announced today the appointments of Tom Anselmi, Bryan Colangelo, Ron Foxcroft and Jim Hunter to its Board of Directors.
“This is a very exciting day for the organization,” said Therese Quigley, President of Canada Basketball, in making the announcement. “We are extremely proud to be able to attract directors with the combination of business and basketball acumen that Tom, Bryan, Ron and Jim all bring to the table.”
Colangelo, the President and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association since February 2006, is a two-time recipient of the NBA's Executive of the Year award, once with the Raptors and on an earlier occasion with the Phoenix Suns, with which he served 11 years as general manager and seven as president.
The Raptors' executive is a strong believer in the potential for Canada's only NBA team and Canada Basketball to work closely in order to fuel the growth and development of basketball across the country. “Our two organizations are aligned in our vision and commitment of developing the sport in all corners of Canada, especially among young players. Teaming with Canada Basketball will certainly enhance our efforts to grow this great game” said Colangelo.
Anselmi is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Raptors' owner, Maple Leaf Sports + Entertainment. An accomplished sports and entertainment business leader, he has been with MLSE since 1996 and is responsible for the business operations of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and Toronto Marlies. A Toronto native, he formerly headed up Arena Operations for Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment in Vancouver.
Hunter is Chief Executive Officer of NexGen Financial Limited Partnership, one of Canada's fastest-growing fund companies. Formerly CEO of Mackenzie Financial Corporation, he played four years of intercollegiate basketball at the University of Victoria, captaining the Vikings in 1974. In addition to his director position, Hunter will assume the role of Director of Finance for Canada Basketball and will join Quigley and director and Vice President Jacques Miqueu on the Executive Committee.
Foxcroft is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fluke Transportation Group and founder and CEO of Fox 40 International, the globe's largest maker of whistles. Invented by Foxcroft, the Fox 40 “pea-less” whistle is sanctioned for referees and officials in the NBA, NFL, NHL, FIFA and NCAA, and is also used by police, fire and rescue professionals in 130 countries. A long-time referee in international and NCAA basketball – he refereed the gold medal game at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and was a Sweet 16 fixture – and an Evaluator of Officials for the NBA, Foxcroft was recently named by Referee Magazine as one of the 52 most influential persons in North American Officiating History. He was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
The four new directors will join existing board members Quigley, Miqueu, John Mills of Vancouver, David Pecaut and Brian Cooper of Toronto, Joe Ralko of Regina and Caroline Bouchard of San Francisco.
