Miami celebrates
Shaquille O’Neal had the microphone, which meant the public address announcer had little chance of getting a word in edgewise.
This was Shaq’s moment, the one he promised two years ago. He rapped. He led cheers. He chanted “one more year” to Alonzo Mourning, who’ll contemplate retirement. He wasn’t done, either.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,” O’Neal said when someone tried to interrupt him as the Miami Heat’s championship rally started Friday afternoon. “We all know Coach Riley’s a great motivator. Who wants to see Coach Riley dance? Who wants to see Coach Riley dance?”
With that, Pat Riley danced.
Miami’s newly crowned NBA champions hoisted the trophy in South Florida in front of an estimated 250,000 fans, fulfilling an 11-year quest by Riley and the vow O’Neal made when, as his first formal act as a member of the Heat, he said, “I will bring a championship to Miami.”
That championship is here, after the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks in six games for the title.
“That’s something you can’t experience until you win it all,” finals MVP Dwyane Wade said after the parade. “Our fans have been great. That experience right there was, just like Zo said, overwhelming. I wanted to go again.”
Knicks: Brown violated policy
The New York Knicks contend Larry Brown broke Madison Square Garden policy with his roadside interviews, a decision the team believes could wind up saving them millions.
The Knicks fired Brown on Thursday after one season as their coach and replaced him with team president and general manager Isiah Thomas. Brown has four years and a reported $40 million left on his contract, but the Knicks say the Hall of Fame coach is not entitled to all of it because of his disregard for team policy.
Since James Dolan became owner of the Knicks and the NHL’s Rangers, Madison Square Garden policy specifies that any interviews must be done with a public relations official present – with no exceptions, according to a person familiar with the policy, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because this matter has not been resolved.
Kings hire assistants
New Sacramento Kings coach Eric Musselman hired five assistants, including former NBA players Scott Brooks and T.R. Dunn.
Musselman, hired three weeks ago to replace Rick Adelman, also hired Brendan O’Connor, Mark Hughes and Jason Hamm as assistants. Clay Moser was named an advance scout.
Brooks, an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets for the past three seasons, will be Musselman’s lead assistant. He played 11 NBA seasons, including 1994 when he was with the league champion Houston Rockets.
Dunn will return for his third season on the Kings bench after working for Adelman since 2004.
Adams injured in workout
Former Arizona basketball player Hassan Adams suffered a stress fracture in his foot which could be a possible setback to his preparations for next week’s NBA draft.
Adams sustained the injury when former Texas player P.J. Tucker accidentally stepped on his foot in a workout in New Jersey on Wednesday.
Arizona coach Lute Olson confirmed the injury and said Adams should be out about two weeks.
The draft is Wednesday.