Smack / Jun 5, 2007 / 12:12 am

Billy Ball

Last week it was Kobe. This week it’s Billy Donovan owning the title as basketball’s most indecisive man. A few days after taking the Orlando Magic job, Donovan changed his mind and wants to go back to the Gators. Last we heard, he was waiting to hear back from Orlando’s owner on whether the team will let him walk with no strings attached. As of this morning though, there are reports of a potential NBA ban for Donovan. No matter what, this isn’t a good look for the Magic, the NBA, or Billy - and if Donovan didn’t hold G-O-D status in Florida, it could have been a bad look for the University, since they’re dropping any coaching search to welcome back the guy who bounced in the first place. Cass gives his take on the situation right here, adding that Orlando is now forced to go after another NBA re-tread coach like Stan Van Gundy. Which, according to reports we read during the day, is exactly who has become the front-runner for the job … You also have to feel kinda bad for Anthony Grant. The Virginia Commonwealth coach was the odds-on favorite to take Donovan’s place at UF, but now that opportunity is likely gone. On the positive side, Grant gets to coach Eric Maynor for another couple years. Maynor, if you forgot, is the kid who took out Duke almost single-handedly in the Tournament and might be our favorite college guard in the country … Rasheed clearly didn’t deal with Detroit’s conference finals collapse very well (Do the 7 techs mean he’d be suspended for one game in next year’s playoffs?), but Antonio McDyess is taking it the hardest of any Piston: “I feel like I’m at the end of my career and it just ain’t gonna happen,” McDyess told the Detroit News after Game Six. “Tonight, I accepted that I’m never gonna win. I felt this team was the one to get us there. We had all the chances in the world and we blew it. It seems like it’s over for me now.” … Chauncey Billups doesn’t seem to be taking the loss as hard. He just sounds like he’s closer to denial. “I believe [we’re better than Cleveland], I really do,” Smooth told the Chicago Tribune. “There’s nobody on that team who is better than ours. And maybe I’m crazy, maybe I’ve got too much confidence in these guys, but I believe in us. I believe we’re the better team. Did we back it up? No, we didn’t. But I still think we’re better.” … In a way, Chauncey had a dual-contract year going; of course he’s got free agency this summer, plus Billups was also in the last year of his adidas endorsement contract this season. One of those is taken care of now, though, as adidas announced yesterday that they have inked Chauncey to a lifetime endorsement deal … Meanwhile, Converse inked Alando Tucker to a multiyear, seven-figure deal. Seven figures seems kinda high for a guy projected to go late-first round, but Tucker was a killer at Wisconsin; he could be a Josh Howard-type, both in game and impact, and could be one of those guys who goes way lower than they should on draft day and makes everyone look foolish later on … Apparently no one thinks Zach Randolph will suit up for the Blazers next year. Not even Zach Randolph. He told the Oregonian he wants to play for a ring, and could do so in Chicago. “I’d like the chance to compete for a championship, and if I was able to be with the Bulls, I think I would be able to compete for a championship,” Z-Bo said. Sticking around and playing with Greg Oden ain’t a bad way to get a ring, either; it just might take a little longer … The Sonics were reported to be real impressed after interviewing Spurs assistant GM Sam Presti for their GM opening, but are apparently a little worried that the 29-year-old Presti may be too young for the job. We don’t get it. Since when is it a bad thing to bring in some fresh blood - one who had a hand in building the League’s best team - when you’re a franchise that has been Lottery-status for so long? Of course, Lenny Wilkens (who’s doing the hiring for Seattle) is probably looking at it like, “This guy is as old as my grandkids,” so we can see why he’d be hesitant … Meanwhile, after Mark Jackson was reported over the weekend to be the favorite to replace Jerry West in Memphis, now it looks like Boston GM Chris Wallace is the leader for the Grizzlies job … Muggsy Bogues was part of the crowd on hand to watch the Charlotte Coliseum implosion Sunday morning. Here’s a clip. Back when the Hornets played at the Coliseum, they had some of the best fans in the L; they’d sell out every single game and the place was rabid, just like the Warriors today and the Kings a few years ago. Off top, our favorite Coliseum moment has to be Alonzo hitting the playoff game-winner on the Celtics in ‘93. There was also the “40 Minutes of Hell” Arkansas squad, who won their NCAA chip in that building over Duke when Scotty Thurman gave the Blue Devils buckets. That was way back when Corliss could still be called “Big Nasty” … We’re out like Billy …

7 Responses to “Billy Ball”

  1. TheJed says:

    Love the Alando Tucker signing by Converse. A Wade type personality, Tucker’s a good dude who is nba ready right now. I’d bet he makea an impact next year.

  2. D.Nicest says:

    Eric Maynor has 2 years left in college. HE IS ONE OF THE BEST GUARDS IN THE COUNTRY..

    if you could go back and check, i said on this site that he would give Duke Mad Problems and VA Commonwealth will upset them in the 1st round!!!

    D.Nicest

    Va Commonwealth Universith Alumni

  3. Frank F says:

    I currently live in Gainesville and go to UF, and a lot of people really took it hard that Billy D. was leaving. However, I felt differently then most people. My feeling was good riddance, because if money was that important to Donovan, then I didn’t want him coaching our b-ball team anymore. He’s in the process of building a legacy here in Gville, and he was ready to give it all up for more money. I was actually looking forward to him leaving because his indecisiveness was becoming a distraction to the team and the university, and I was also really looking forward to UF hiring Anthony Grant. Grant is ready for a prime-time program, and I really don’t think UF would have missed a beat under his leadership. Unfortunately Billy’s return means another opportunity for a qualified African-American coach has been taken away. Now that Donovan is reportedly coming back, I’m not quite ready to welcome him with open arms.

  4. Patrick Cassidy says:

    Frank

    do you really think it was all about money? everything that’s been written about Billy the last 2 weeks has touched on his dream of coaching in the League. couldn’t a big part of it been that he was looking for something new? a great situation came up in his backyard and ton of $$ happened to be part of it.

    i don’t think you have to worry about Anthony Grant missing an opportunity. dude’s a star. whether it be with UF or another big time program, he’s gonna get his shot sooner rather than later.

  5. Andy Buckets says:

    Donovan should stay at UF. Regardless of what penalty the Magic hit him with. He is a college coach with a GREAT reruiting class coming in. Players trust him and that chemistry is important.

  6. mjax says:

    Wow, Scotty Thurman! I am telling you, you guys should do a “What Ever Happened To?” and see if you can find Scotty, and “May/Day”. Anderson Hunt, Walter Berry, Dallas Comegy’s, Roy Marble and the likes.

  7. Veezie says:

    RIP Charlotte Coliseum, a part of my childhood went down when it did on Sunday. I remember going outside the tunnel in the arena and getting the players autographs during shoot around…LJ, Muggsey, Dell Curry, Eddie Jones, Glen Rice Gary Payton, Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd, Dominque Wilkins..ect. Gates would open at 6 and you’d run as fast as you could to get a front row spot on the gate. Good times..also I was at the 1997 NBA Draft and saw Tim Duncan, TMac, Chauncey get drafted. We sat right in front of Brevin Knights extended family. Good Times…GOOD TIMES. I hate its gone. I miss my Hornets.

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