Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Millburn, N.J. police say Bobby Gonzalez, 47, was arrested Monday after reporting to police headquarters and was charged Tuesday with shoplifting and criminal mischief.
He is accused of taking a $1,400 men’s satchel from the Polo Ralph Lauren store in the Short Hills Mall on June 29.
He plans to plead not guilty, said defense attorney Gerald Krovatin, who also is representing Gonzalez in a lawsuit over his dismissal. He called the accusations a miscommunication and a series of misunderstandings.
“Bobby had no intention of stealing anything,” Krovatin said Tuesday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
The Indiana Pacers are trying to find out if Brooklyn’s Lance Stephenson can run the point for them.
So far, so good.
The 6-foot-5 rookie out of Cincinnati scored 21 points, adding four rebounds and three assists, to spark the Pacers to an 86-77 victory over the host Magic Monday in the Orlando Pro Summer League.
Indiana faces the Nets and No. 3 overall pick Derrick Favors at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
“We were very pleased with what Lance did at both ends of the court,” said assistant coach Frank Vogel. “We know he can score the basketball but he had a lot of very nice passes. He only had three assists but he probably set up his teammates seven or eight times. And defensively he did a nice job.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Amar’e Stoudemire is headed to the Knicks, and both sides are hoping he’s not coming alone.
The Knicks said Monday they intend to sign Stoudemire to a contract later this week when the free agent moratorium period ends. Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters, said the deal is for the maximum allowed, which would be nearly $100 million over five years.
Wearing a blue Knicks hat, Stoudemire said he looked forward to rebuilding a franchise and bringing the Knicks back to the top — maybe with a player such as LeBron James or Dwyane Wade with him.
“I feel great about being a pioneer and showing my leadership,” he said at Madison Square Garden, where signs throughout the entrances showed the player pictured in a Knicks uniform and reading “Welcome, Amare Stoudemire.”
As LeBron James contemplates the biggest decision of his life, he took a break Monday to play some five-on-five against college players at his Nike Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio.
Wearing a New York Yankees cap and white T-shirt, James strolled into Rhodes Arena just before 3 p.m., according to The AP. He was accompanied by former Cavaliers teammate Damon Jones and others.
James asked for the main locker room to be opened so he could dress.
After stretching out with a trainer, James shot jumpers as New Orleans star guard Chris Paul, his closest friend in the league, looked on.