NBA Notebook
Published 11:10 pm Friday, September 25, 2009
Beasley: Rehab ‘lowest hour,’ apologizes to Heat
MIAMI — Michael Beasley said that an offseason stay in a rehabilitation facility was his “lowest hour,” denied that he has a substance abuse problem and apologized Friday to the Miami Heat organization.
Beasley would not reveal any specific details of the treatment he received in Houston, other than acknowledging that he became “pretty upset” upon learning his stay would be considerably longer than first planned. That anger, he said, sparked a wave of troubling messages posted on his now-closed Twitter feed.
“Being locked down for as long as I was gave me a chance to really get my life organized and get back in touch with myself,” Beasley said. “I think over this past year, I’ve got caught up in the NBA life, as most of us do. I think this gave me the perfect opportunity to just sit down and evaluate my life and get the good separated from the bad.”
In a 17-minute session with three reporters, Beasley was asked if has a substance abuse issue. “No, sir,” was the response.
He also does not expect to face further NBA sanction, though acknowledged that he expects any further violations of the league’s substance abuse program would bring a suspension.
Beasley said he was able to spend between 60 and 90 minutes daily working out at the rehab facility. The Heat shuttled many staff members to Houston to work with Beasley daily, including head coach Erik Spoelstra, who personally saw the second-year forward three times.
“In my worst hour, in my lowest hour, to know that my team and my organization backed me up 100 percent, it gives you comfort,” Beasley said. “It gave me confidence in myself that I might have lost and that might not have been there first. It’s just making me feel a whole lot better as a player and a person.”
Beasley returned to South Florida last weekend and resumed workouts with teammates Monday. The team opens training camp officially next Tuesday and is expecting plenty from Beasley, Miami’s second-leading scorer a year ago behind Dwyane Wade.
Wade has offered his support to Beasley often throughout this process, doing so again Friday.
“He understands what he did, that just wasn’t the right thing to do,” Wade said. “As a young kid, he’s only 20 years old. He understands that he’s in the limelight like he didn’t even know. It’s not just Michael Beasley he has to think about. It’s the Miami Heat.”
Details of Beasley’s rehab saga came to light Aug. 21, when a photo of the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NBA draft was posted to his Twitter account. In the image, Beasley is showing a new tattoo across his shoulders. The photo also showed what appeared to be a small plastic bag on an adjacent table, the contents of which were unclear.
Beasley said he did not know the full story behind the now-infamous photo.
“I didn’t know what was in the picture,” Beasley said. “Had I have known, the picture wouldn’t have gone up. I saw the picture. I tried to analyze the picture myself. I couldn’t tell what was in it. To this day, I don’t know what was in it. But it wasn’t mine. That was just me not being aware of my surroundings. I have to get better than that.”
That was around the time Beasley found out his rehab stay would last another month. Angrily, he posted comments like “Feelin like it’s not worth livin!!!!!!! I’m done” and “I feel like the whole world is against me I can’t win for losin” on Twitter.
His account was closed shortly afterward, and Beasley said it’ll stay that way.
“I can definitely say, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, any social network I’m pretty much done with,” Beasley said. “I put my career and my livelihood in jeopardy. That’s something I worked day in and day out, hour after hour, for basically my whole life for. And to lose it over some Internet social network, garbage network, it’s not smart at all.”
Beasley said often last season that he was “just a kid,” almost using that as a crutch to justify some less-than-mature situations he found himself in. He was fined $50,000 by the NBA last September after security officers at the league’s rookie symposium detected the scent of marijuana in a hotel room that he was in.
Through this process, Beasley says he’s vowing to be more accountable in his second season.
“That chapter is behind,” Beasley said. “Later for the immaturity. Later for me blaming it on my age. I’ve come to realize I’m a professional, no matter if I’m 38, no matter if I’m 19 or 20. I’m a professional.”
Bulls’ Rose says he took SAT
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is facing fresh questions about the SAT test he says he took before going to Memphis.
The NBA’s Rookie of the Year last season, Rose found himself at the center of a scandal over the summer when the NCAA ruled Memphis must vacate its 38 wins and national championship game appearance during the 2007-08 season.
The NCAA said the school used an ineligible player that is believed to be Rose.
Rose was at Bulls media day Friday and said he took the test, dismissing suggestions that someone else took it for him.
Knicks bring back Lee, Robinson
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The New York Knicks have re-signed restricted free agents David Lee and former University of Washington star Nate Robinson, two of their most popular and productive players.
The Knicks didn’t disclose terms of either deal Friday, though Lee’s agent said his contract was for one year and about $8 million.
Lee averaged career highs of 16.9 points and 11.2 rebounds last season while leading the NBA with 65 double-doubles. He was third in the league in rebounding and seventh in field goal percentage.
Robinson’s 17.2 points per game were also a career high. He finished third in the voting for the sixth man award and also won his second slam dunk competition.
Owner: Sale of Nets means new home
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New Jersey Nets owner Bruce Ratner says the sale of the NBA team to Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov is the final piece to building an $800 million arena and moving the Nets to Brooklyn.
Ratner says in a telephone interview Friday with The Associated Press that the joint Russian-American venture still requires that he sell almost $600 million in tax-exempt bonds by Dec. 31, but he sees no problem in getting that done.
The Nets owner says he does not believe a pending legal challenge to the state’s use of eminent domain to assemble land for the arena will succeed. Ratner says ground will be broken on the new Barclay’s Center by the end of the year.
Pacers extend O’Brien’s contract
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers have signed coach Jim O’Brien through the 2010-11 season.
O’Brien initially signed a three-year deal in 2007, with an option for a fourth year. The team did not disclose terms Friday’s announcement.
Pacers president Larry Bird said he feels the team is moving in the right direction.
The Pacers have missed the playoffs in the first two years of O’Brien’s tenure, with identical 36-46 records.
The Pacers already have All-Star forward Danny Granger. They have drafted Roy Hibbert, Brandon Rush and Tyler Hansbrough the past two years in hopes of building a young nucleus around Granger.
Raptors F Bosh expected to miss start of camp
TORONTO — Raptors forward Chris Bosh is expected to miss the start of training camp because of a strained left hamstring.
The team made the announcement on Friday.
The four-time All-Star first felt soreness during a training session at home in Dallas last week. The pain returned during a workout in Toronto on Wednesday.
The Raptors are scheduled to open their five-day training camp Tuesday in Ottawa. They begin exhibition play Oct. 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Bosh averaged a career-high 22.7 points and 10.0 rebounds last year. The six-year veteran will be a free agent at the end of the season.
He will be reevaluated when the team returns to Toronto after the camp.
Wolves give Daniels permission to seek trade
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves say they have given veteran guard Antonio Daniels permission to seek a trade. If Daniels and his agent cannot work out a deal, the Timberwolves will buy him out.
Daniels is in the final year of his deal that will pay him $6.6 million this season. He was acquired from New Orleans in a trade for Darius Songaila earlier this month that gives the Wolves more salary cap flexibility for 2010.
The Timberwolves are rebuilding this season and committed to playing younger players Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions in the backcourt. Team president David Kahn says he knows Daniels wants playing time and “the opportunity for Antonio to play would have been unlikely.”
The Timberwolves made a similar deal with center Mark Blount earlier this week.
Associated Press
