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07/06/2010 -
MIAMI (AP) -After a week, there are now real signs that the NBA's waiting game might soon be ending.
LeBron James has reportedly blinked.
Now Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh almost certainly are near the end of their free-agent roads as well.
ESPN's Chris Broussard, citing anonymous ``independent sources,'' reported Tuesday night that James will announce his future NBA plans during a one-hour special on the network at 9 p.m. Thursday, with proceeds from ad revenue going to charity. Broussard said James' ``representatives'' contacted ESPN and asked for the unusual arrangement, which neither the network nor the two-time MVP's circle would confirm.
Still, that was the clearest indicator yet that what might go down as the most celebrated free-agent period in the history of sports - built entirely around the incessant speculation about James, Wade and Bosh - is nearing a dramatic end.
``It's either going to happen quickly,'' Bosh told The Associated Press on the eve of free agency, ``or it's not.''
It hasn't happened quickly.
But now that James has apparently circled a date on his calendar, things would figure to start moving that way. That would be fantastic news, not only for the team or teams that land the members of the NBA's juggernaut trio, but the 150 or so other free agents who are essentially hostages in this tete-a-tete between stars and suitors.
``I think, obviously, we know who the guys are who are the biggest free agents,'' said guard Chris Quinn, who ended last season with New Jersey before hitting the open market. ``A lot depends on what they do. There's a lot of other players who are free agents who are looking for jobs and working hard and want to get on a good team and win.''
Through Tuesday night, only one so-called marquee guy had picked a new team, Amare Stoudemire leaving Phoenix for the Knicks.
Even something like that didn't register a giant blip across the NBA.
Instead, the waiting game reigned. And by the time James' news broke Tuesday night, Stoudemire almost seemed like ancient history.
``Getting closer,'' is the cryptic message on James' website.
Unless it's the Heat, Cavaliers, Bulls, Knicks, Nets or Raptors, there seems to be almost a sense of ennui across the rest of the league when it comes to the sweepstakes involving James, Bosh and Wade.
It's certainly an unusual time: One corner of the league is waiting to see what the Big 3 will do, and the rest are just trying to improve their own teams.
``It's been going on for a year, guys,'' Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith said. ``It's kind of hard for me to pay attention this week.''
Kind of hard for many teams not to, either.
``I'm tired of hearing about all that, to be honest with you,'' New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams said. ``It's overblown, and we've been talking about it for two years.''
Monty, the end could be near.
Bosh said just before the July 1 start of freeagentmania that he was eager to get the process over with, even indicating that he could reveal his decision before Wade or James announced theirs. Which, now, almost makes sense, in that both Wade and James would like to have Bosh alongside them for years to come in Cleveland, Miami or some other NBA city.
His decision clearly affects both, which even the casual NBA observer surely has realized in recent days.
If Bosh picks Miami, it would immediately ensure that Wade takes the Heat offer of a six-year deal that could be worth around $127 million. If Bosh decides he wants to go to Cleveland and play with James, that might send Wade looking to play in Chicago. If Bosh picks a wild-card city - say Houston - both James and Wade would start recruiting someone else to team with, possibly each other.
And then there's the chance that they all could play together, a scenario that almost certainly could only happen in Miami.
``This summer,'' Wade said back in April, ``is about sharing.''
Sharing the spotlight, perhaps?
Agent Henry Thomas, who represents both Bosh and Wade, says his clients are ``getting closer'' - the exact wording James has on his website.
``We are all becoming weary!'' Thomas wrote in an e-mail to The AP.
Wade didn't make any statements about free agency when he appeared at his youth basketball camp on Tuesday. James hasn't said much of anything in weeks, although nearly 200,000 people signed up for his newly launched Twitter feed on Tuesday.
``Hello World,'' is how James' first Tweet began.
The rest of the NBA might have preferred a ``Hello, Unnamed Team That I Will Sign A Contract With'' Tweet, though.
This much is known: Bosh, James and Wade have all talked about playing with each other. How those conversations went was a mystery, one that would figure to be solved soon enough.
``These guys are all talking to each other,'' Knicks president Donnie Walsh said this week, ``so my feeling is they would all want to play with each other.''
That's all anyone has at this point: A feeling.
``Predicting any of that,'' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said, ``is almost impossible.''
With each day that passes, the anticipation grows. At least now, a summit is in sight.
``It's just a big summer in general for the NBA,'' Quinn said. ``A lot of excitement for different teams and different players going different places.''
Soon, the big picture will become much clearer.
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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York contributed to this story.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Clippers reportedly decide on Del Negro
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers have decided to
hire Vinny Del Negro as their next head coach, according to a Tuesday night
report by Yahoo! Sports.
Del Negro and Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Dwane Case
<< Berkman leads Astros over Pirates in Houston
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lance Berkman homered and drove in three runs
to back seven sturdy innings from Wandy Rodriguez in Houston's 6-2 win over
Pittsburgh in the opener of a three-game set.
Michael Bourn had two hits and sco
<< Damon hits game-winning homer on historic night
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnny Damon capped off a historic night with a
two-run home run in the 11th inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 7-5 win over
the Baltimore Orioles in the second of a three-game set.
Damon hit a single under
<< LeBron reportedly to announce decision Thursday in primetime
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The biggest prize in NBA free agency, LeBron
James, is expected to announce his decision regarding which team he'll play
for next during a prime-time television special Thursday night.
Sources told ESPN
Smith's homer caps incredible 9th inning comeback as Rockies top Cards >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seth Smith capped an improbable nine-run rally
in the ninth inning with a game-ending three-run homer, and the Colorado
Rockies recorded their largest ninth-inning comeback in franchise history
with a
Royals edge Mariners, win fourth straight series >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zack Greinke pitched seven dominant innings and
Wilson Betemit drove in all of Kansas City's runs, as the Royals held on to
edge the Seattle Mariners, 3-2, in the middle contest of a three-game series.
Grein
A-Ram leads Cubs over D'Backs >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aramis Ramirez belted a pair of two-run homers,
and the Chicago Cubs secured back-to-back road wins for the first time since
late May with a 6-4 decision over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle
install
White Sox edge Angels; Peavy leaves with injury >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rios homered and finished with two RBI, as
the Chicago White Sox edged the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 4-1, in the
continuation of a four-game series.
Chicago starting pitcher Jake Peavy left the g
Two playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count.
New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend.
His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates.
HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game.
The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup.
RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day.
First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08.
The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition.
These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years.
New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5.
You can find these lines and all of the NFL betting lines , so be sure to login and get your wagers down before kickoff!
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