#ClutchBasket Notas del baloncesto Boricua e Internacional

Mourning, Arcain and Tanjevic among 11 top basketball personalities making up 2019 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame

MARCH 26, 2019 MIES (Switzerland) - Alonzo Mourning (USA), Janeth Arcain (Brazil) and Bogdan Tanjevic (Montenegro) are among the 11 top basketball personalities that make up the FIBA Hall of Fame's 2019 Class of Inductees. After being a part of the USA team that finished third at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 1990, Mourning helped the Americans reclaim the title four years later and then went on to add an Olympic gold medal at the Sydney Olympics. On top of these achievements for his country, he also had an illustrious 16-year NBA career. Arcain is widely considered one of the best players in the women's game and as such boasts an impressive list of accomplishments. The biggest among these are helping Brazil to win the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in 1994 and follow that up with an Olympic silver medal two years later in Atlanta. Tanjevic led Italy to the title at FIBA EuroBasket 1999 and helped Yugoslavia finish second at the 1981 edition of Europe's biggest basketball competition. He also famously steered Turkey all the way to the Final at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010 on home soil. Mourning and Arcain are two of eight players being enshrined. They are joined by: Margo Dydek (Poland - posthumously), Atanas Golomeev (Bulgaria), Fabricio Oberto (Argentina), Jose "Piculin" Ortiz (Puerto Rico), Mohsen Medhat Warda (Egypt) and Jiri Zidek (Czech Republic).  Joining Tanjevic among the coaches rounding out this impressive class are Natalia Hejkova (Slovak Republic) and Mou Zuoyun (China - posthumously). These 11 basketball greats, from 11 different countries across three continents, were selected from a list of more than 150 candidates. Combined, they have won 2 FIBA Basketball World Cups and 6 Olympic medals. The 2019 Class will be enshrined into FIBA's Hall of Fame during a special ceremony taking place in Beijing, China, on August 30, on the eve of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 tipping off. They will be presented at half-time of the opening game in Beijing on August 31. Arcain said: "I'm very happy to be a part of the 2019 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame Inductees. It means a lot to get an honor like this from FIBA, which does so much for the game of basketball. All of my life, I have done everything I could to represent myself, my family and my country as best as possible. It's also been very important to me to serve as a role model for the children who look up to me. As a Brazilian, to be joining in the FIBA Hall of Fame, some of the greats from my country like Hortencia (Marcari), Magic Paula (Maria Paula Silva) and Oscar Schmidt... I don't have the words to describe that feeling." FIBA President Horacio Muratore said: "It's a tremendous pleasure and honor to announce the 11 basketball personalities that make up the 2019 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame Inductees. Through this class, we are proud to say we now have our first-ever inductees from China, Czech Republic, Montenegro and Slovak Republic. These eight players and three coaches have performed on the biggest stages and achieved success at the highest level. In doing so, they have also helped grow and develop our game by inspiring new generations of players and coaches. We look forward to paying tribute to them and having them be a part of the FIBA Hall of Fame." Here is the full list of inductees that make up the 2019 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame: Players Janeth Arcain (Brazil) Margo Dydek (Poland - posthumously) Atanas Golomeev (Bulgaria) Alonzo Mourning (USA) Fabricio Oberto (Argentina) Jose "Piculin" Ortiz (Puerto Rico) Mohsen Medhat Warda (Egypt) Jiri Zidek (Czech Republic) Coaches Natalia Hejkova (Slovak Republic) Bogdan Tanjevic (Montenegro) Mou Zuoyun (China - posthumously)

TORONTO RAPTORS’ PASCAL SIAKAM RECEIVES
FEBRUARY NBA CARES COMMUNITY ASSIST AWARD 

PRESENTED BY KAISER PERMANENTE 

– NBA and Kaiser Permanente to Donate $10,000 to Right To Play –

NEW YORK, March 22, 2019 – Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has received the February NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of his efforts to empower and inspire youth in both local and global communities, the NBA announced today.  The award recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities.

Kaiser Permanente and the NBA are honoring Siakam for his efforts to engage youth through the game across Canada and Africa.  Siakam visits numerous schools in Toronto and throughout Canada as an ambassador for Right To Play, encouraging students to rise above adversity through sports and education.  As a representative for the Sun Life Dunk for Diabetes program, he also inspires children to lead healthy and active lives.  Utilizing his fluency in English and French, he has empowered youth in many marginalized communities to overcome obstacles and become leaders. 

In August, the Cameroon native played in the NBA Africa Game 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa and visited the 16^th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa, where he mentored campers in oncourt development and life skills training as an alumnus of the program.  Throughout the week, Siakam participated in a series of events that left a lasting impact in Johannesburg, including a Habitat for Humanity service project, a training camp for the Jr. NBA World Championship Africa & Middle East teams and a visit to the Nelson Mandela Centre for Memory.  In December, he represented Cameroon at the Giants of Africa Gala in Toronto, part of a two-day celebration honoring Nelson Mandela and his vision that sports have the power to inspire and change the world.

  

“I am excited and honored to receive the Community Assist Award for February.  My passion is basketball and I’m so lucky to be able to use this sport to give back to my community,” said Siakam.  “Basketball is bigger than just a game.  It’s an opportunity to give back to my new home of Toronto as well as Cameroon.”  

Before the Raptors’ home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday (6:00 p.m. ET), NBA Canada Managing Director Dan MacKenzie and Toronto Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster will present the award to Siakam during an oncourt ceremony.  In addition, Kaiser Permanente and the NBA will donate $10,000 on Siakam’s behalf to Right To Play.

The NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente honors the standard set by NBA legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece.  At the end of the 2018-19 regular season, the Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award winner will be announced at the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia.  To learn more, please visit http://www.nba.com/communityassist/.

BOSTON’S MARCUS SMART FINED

NEW YORK, March 21, 2019 – Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been fined $50,000 for forcefully shoving Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid to the floor, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Smart’s fine was also based on his repeated acts of unsportsmanlike conduct during NBA games, including two prior incidents this season which have resulted in fines.

The incident, for which Smart received a Flagrant Foul 2 and an automatic ejection, occurred with 7:06 remaining in the third quarter of the Celtics’ 118-115 loss to the 76ers on March 20 at Wells Fargo Center. 

To view the incident, click on the following link:

https://www.nba.com/video/2019/03/21/celtics-76ers

NBA 2K LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 2019 SCHEDULE

- New NBA 2K League Partner AT&T Named Presenting Partner of

THE BANNER CHAIN Tournament Series -

- 2019 Season Begins on April 2 with THE TIPOFF Airing Live on Twitch at 5 p.m. ET -

NEW YORK, March 19, 2019 – The NBA 2K League today announced the schedule of regular-season matchups and tournaments for the league’s second season, which begins April 2-6 with THE TIPOFF powered by AT&T.  THE TIPOFF, THE TURN, and THE TICKET are the three tournaments that feature all 21 teams competing for banners that link together to form THE BANNER CHAIN powered by AT&T.

This year, each team will play a total of 16 regular-season games, which will now be on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.  All regular-season games will take place at the NBA 2K League Studio Powered by Intel in Long Island City, New York, and will be livestreamed on the league’s Twitch channel.

The 2018 NBA 2K League Champion Knicks Gaming will begin its title defense on Tuesday, April 2 when the team hosts NetsGC in their first-ever NBA 2K League game at 8 p.m. ET.  On Wednesday, April 3, T-Wolves Gaming will make their NBA 2K League debut when they take on Grizz Gaming at 5 p.m. ET.  Hawks Talon GC and Lakers Gaming begin their first seasons on Thursday, April 4, with Atlanta facing off against Pacers Gaming at 6 p.m. ET, and Los Angeles playing Celtics Crossover Gaming at 9 p.m. ET. 

In addition to being named presenting partner of THE BANNER CHAIN, AT&T will create branded content for select NBA 2K League Twitch streams and will also run the “AT&T Game Day Show,” which will air in connection with THE TIPOFF, THE TURN and THE TICKET, the NBA 2K League Playoffs and the NBA 2K League Finals. 

“Being part of the NBA 2K League’s second season is an exciting new opportunity for us as we look to connect with the passion of esports players and fans,” said Shiz Suzuki, assistant vice president of Sponsorships & Experiential Marketing for AT&T Communications.  “Supporting The Game Day Show is another way our official multiyear marketing relationship will allow us to bring the gaming action closer to fans.”   

The weekly matchups during the regular-season will determine playoff seeding.  THE BANNER CHAIN tournaments staggered throughout the season help generate rivalries as teams compete for prize pools and one guaranteed spot in the playoffs for the winner of the final tournament, THE TICKET.  The NBA 2K League will award $1.2 million in prize money throughout the 2019 season, with the largest prize pool reserved for the 2019 NBA 2K League champions.

The 2019 NBA 2K League Playoffs will tip off Wednesday, July 24 and will take place over three days of gameplay.  Each playoff round will be a best-of-three series.  The seven teams with the best regular-season records and the winner of THE TICKET are guaranteed playoff spots.  The playoffs will culminate with the 2019 NBA 2K League Finals on Saturday, August 3, and the Finals will be a best-of-five series.

For more information, fans can follow the NBA 2K League on Twitter (NBA2KLeague), Instagram (nba2kleague), Facebook (NBA 2K League), YouTube (NBA 2K League) and visit NBA2KLeague.com.

JDC BASKETBALL LEAGUE SUB-24

LIGA SUB-24 ABRE INSCRIPCIONES PARA TORNEO FEMENINO

El torneo Sub-24 femenino de JDC Basketball League anunció hoy que las inscripciones para el venidero campeonato 2019 ya están abiertas.

Todo equipo, municipio o liga que desee participar en la temporada tiene que comunicarse con el Sr. César Hernández al (787) 608-4809 en o antes del viernes 31 de mayo.

En la venidera competencia iniciará en junio, pueden participar jóvenes que hayan nacido en o antes del 1995. El costo de franquicia será $1,200 dólares, incluye uniforme.

Las Juanas de la Universidad de Puerto Rico recinto de Mayagüez fueron las campeonas en el 2018 al vencer en el mínimo de dos encuentros a las Tigresas de la Universidad Interamericana.

Jugadoras de la talla y experiencia en el Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino como Kiara Quiñones, Madelyn Velázquez, Keiry Huertas, Ashley Torres, Frances Lee Flores, Lyannis Torres y Daneichka Canales fueron algunas de las que participaron en el último torneo.

Para mayor información pueden visitar la página oficial en Facebook: JDC Basketball League.

NBA Digital Launches New 10-Minute Pass for Live Games

10 Minutes of Access to NBA League Pass Available via NBA.com and NBA App for $0.99

NBA Digital, co-managed by the NBA and Turner Sports, today announced the launch of NBA 10-Minute Pass on NBA League Pass beginning Saturday, March 16.  NBA 10-Minute Pass will provide fans the option to purchase 10 minutes of real-time access to live out-of-market NBA games for $0.99 by tapping “Watch” from any game page on NBA.com or within the NBA App.  As part of the new offering, fans can watch as many live games as they choose during the 10-minute window.

“NBA 10-Minute Pass offers unprecedented flexibility for fans to watch live NBA games when it is convenient for them,” said Chris Benyarko, NBA Senior Vice President, Direct to Consumer.  “This new offering on NBA League Pass is an important step toward reaching and engaging the widest possible audience.”

“We’re committed to providing choices within our NBA League Pass product, and this new feature offers even more options for our passionate fans,” said Mark Johnson, SVP/GM Digital, Turner Sports.  “With the launch of this 10-Minute Pass, fans can watch live NBA games on their time.  We’re excited to partner with the NBA as the first major sports league to open up this live digital opportunity.”

At the start of the 2018-19 NBA season, NBA League Pass began offering the ability to purchase a single game from the end of the third quarter to the conclusion of the game for $1.99.  In December 2018, NBA Digital launched quarter-by-quarter pricing on NBA League Pass, giving fans the option to purchase a single game at reduced prices after each quarter.  Single games are available for $6.99, with the option to pay $4.99 at the end of the first quarter and $2.99 at the end of the second quarter. 

#ClutchPUR Puerto Rico logra su pase al Mundial de Baloncesto en China 2019

6ta Ventana Clasificatoria FIBA

Por Daniel “Mr. Clutch” Mercado Castro

Puerto Rico sudó, luchó y celebró su pase al Mundial de Baloncesto 2019 en China. A pesar de que Puerto Rico jugó sus dos partidos como local dentro de la catedral del baloncesto boricua, el Coliseo Roberto Clemente, ninguno de los partidos fueron fáciles. Ambos juegos tuvieron finales de péliculas que mantuvieron a todos al borde de sus respectivas sillas. Así son las cosas con el equipo de Puerto Rico, el cual contó con 12 guerreros, que a pesar de no ser los mejores jugadores de la Isla, demostraron tener el corazón, la garra y el orgullo patrio de ir a las batallas de frente. Por eso salieron victoriosos en la guerra. Un aplauso mayor al coach Eddie Casiano por su labor excelente durante todas las ventanas y el poder barejar las fichas correctas para lograr el pase. Gracias!

En esta ventana Puerto Rico le ganó 87-86 a la escuadra de Argentina en tiempo extra. Argentina no contó ni con Scola o Campazzo, pero de igual forma batalló ante Puerto Rico como si estuvieran buscando la clasificación. John Holland salvo a Puerto Rico con un clutch canasto de 3 puntos. Holland anotó 14; pero el hombre grande de los boricuas fue Gian Clavell con 21 puntos. Ramon Clemente aportó 11 puntos y Jorge Bryan Diaz anotó 10 con 7 rebotes y 2 tapones. El juego fue uno cerrado de principio a fin, lento ofensivo al principio, pero mejorando en la 2da mitad. Puerto Rico lanzó 50% en tiros de 2 puntos (40-20), 27-10 de la línea de 3 puntos y 21-17 del tiro libre. Ambos equipos cometieron 17 turnovers. Los mejores por Argentina fueron Brussino con 16 puntos, Redivo con 16 puntos y Delia con 10 puntos. El talento joven de Argentina sigue progresando y dejando una buena impresión en cancha.

Puerto Rico luego ganó su pasaje a China en juego de muerte súbita ante la peligrosa escuadra de Uruguay al vencerlos 65-61. La clave fue un 2do parcial que ganaron 23-7 junto con un Carlos “Yao” López que aportó 4 puntos, 6 rebotes y un tapón viniendo del banco para batallar con Batista. Gary Browne antonó 16, Gian Clavell 13 con un clutch bombazo y Holland anotó 11 puntos. Puerto Rico solo cometió 11 turnovers y su defensa logró 7 robos de bálon con 2 tapones. El mejor por Uruguay fue Esteban Batista con 19 puntos junto a 9 rebotes; pero se le vio cansando en los minutos claves. Cometieron 19 turnovers en el juego, algo devastador que le costó el pase. Gustavo Barrera anotó 14.

Otros juegos del grupo E incluyeron la victoria vía paliza 111-80 de USA sobre Panamá con Cameron Reynolds anotando 26 puntos y el apretado triunfo de USA sobre Argentina 84-83 con un canasto al sonar la chicharra de Reggie Hearn. Michael Frazier II anotó 23 por USA. México venció 88-77 a Uruguay gracias a 23 puntos de Lucas Martínez y 20 puntos de Víctor Alvarez. México también derrotó 78-61 a Panamá con a 17 puntos y 11 rebotes de Lucas Martínez.

En el grupo F Canadá derrotó 85-46 a Chile liderados de 14 puntos de Brady Heslip y 12 puntos con 14 rebotes de Kyle Wiltjer. Canadá también dominó 95-55 a Venezuela con Kyle Wiltjer anotando 19 puntos con 8 rebotes. Brasil venció 104-80 a Islas Vírgenes con 22 puntos de Marquinhos Sousa y 20 puntos de Vitor Benite. Leandrinho Barbosa anotó 19. Brasil también venció 71-63 a República Dominicana con 13 puntos y 12 rebotes de Anderson Varejao. República Dominicana venció 72-67 a Venzuela con Eloy Vargas anotando 13 y Sadiel Rojas 10. Islas Vírgenes venció 64-59 a Chile con un 4to parcial que ganaron 21-12 junto a 26 puntos, 11 rebotes, 7 asistencias, 6 robos de balones y un tapón de Georgio Milligan.

El grupo E terminó: USA (10-2), Argentina (9-3), Puerto Rico (8-4), Uruguay (6-6), México (5-7) y Panáma (4-8). Con el pasaja a China USA, Argentina y Puerto Rico. El grupo F terminó: Canadá (10-2), Venezuela (9-3), Brasil (9-3), Républica Dominicana (7-5), Chile (2-10) e Islas Vírgenes (3-9). Con pasaje a China están Canadá, Venezuela, Brasil y la República Dominicana. Solo los mejores 7 equipos de las Américas ganan su entrada al Mundial de Baloncesto en China 2019.

El Mundial de Bloncesto en China se jugará del 31 de Agosto al 15 de Septiembre del 2019 y pronto se sabrá en que grupo estarán cada uno de los 32 equipos que ganaron su pase. Aquí los 32 equipos.

• Host-China.
• Africa-Angola, Cote d’ Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal y Tunisia.
• Américas-Argentina, Brasil, Canadá, República Dominicana, Puerto Rico, USA y Venezuela.
• Asia-Australia, Irán, Japón, Jordán, Corea, New Zealand y Filipinas.
• Europa-República Checa, Francia, Alemania, Grecia, Italia, Lituania, Montenegro, Poland, Rusia, Serbia, España y Turquía.