CVV News l July 3, 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed 2024 draft selections Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka. Terms of the deals were not released.
Selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Knecht (6’5”, 212) averaged 21.7 points (45.8 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 77.2 FT%), 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 36 games (all starts) last season at the University of Tennessee. The 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year earned First Team All-America honors and ranked third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage last season. In 103 career Division I games (79 starts) across one campaign at Tennessee and two seasons at Northern Colorado (2021-23), the guard averaged 16.9 points (46.1 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 76.8 FT%), 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
James (6’2”, 210), drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick, averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games (six starts) in his lone season at the University of Southern California in 2023-24. Born in Akron, Ohio, the guard attended Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles where he was named a McDonald’s All-American following his senior season where he averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals.
Knecht will wear jersey No. 4 for the Lakers, while James will wear No. 9. Both will be in action for the Purple and Gold’s summer league team later this month.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James lead in 3rd fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T
January 18, 2024
CVV News
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo continue to lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the third fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T.
NBA All-Star Voting will conclude on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 19) will be the final “3-for-1 Day,” when each fan vote counts three times.
Below are the top 10 vote-getters by position group in the third fan returns.
n the third fan returns, James is followed in the West frontcourt by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić in second place and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant in third place.Jokić is 31,642 votes ahead of Durant.
At West guard, the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić and the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry are in first and second place, respectively. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in third place and trails Curry by 285,041 votes.
In the East, the top three frontcourt spots are held by Antetokounmpo (No. 1), Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (No. 2) and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (No. 3). The difference between Embiid and Tatum is 3,691 votes.
The Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton leads among East guards and the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young is in second place. The Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard is in third place, 85,862 votes behind Young.
Fans account for 50% of the vote to determine the starters for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. Current NBA players and a media panel account for 25% each.
TNT will reveal the NBA All-Star Game starters on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. ET.
NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T
NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T, the Official 5G Wireless Network of the NBA, tipped off on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 7 a.m. ET and concludes on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 11:59 p.m. ET, allowing fans to vote for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game starters via the NBA App and NBA.com.
The 73rd NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, airing on TNT in the United States and reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 50 languages.
Fans can vote on the NBA App or NBA.com with NBA ID, the league’s global membership program. Voters in the United States will be automatically entered into the NBA ID All-Star Voting Sweepstakes presented by AT&T for the opportunity to win a trip to Indianapolis for NBA All-Star 2024. Additionally, fans with an NBA ID traveling to Indianapolis for NBA All-Star 2024 can access in-venue seat upgrades, member-only prizing and more. NBA ID, which offers fans benefits and rewards from the league and its partners, is free to join here.
Throughout the voting period, fans with NBA ID may submit one full ballot each day via the NBA App and NBA.com. One full ballot comprises three frontcourt players and two guards from both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. All current NBA players will be available for selection.
NBA players and media will continue to join fans in selecting the NBA All-Star Game starters. Fans will account for 50 percent of the vote, while all current players and a media panel will account for 25 percent each. Players and media will be able to complete one ballot.
Fan voting updates are shared on the first three Thursdays in January (Jan. 4, 11 and 18). TNT will reveal the NBA All-Star Game starters on Thursday, Jan. 25 during TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax. TNT will also announce the reserves, as selected by NBA head coaches, on Thursday, Feb. 1 during TNT NBA Tip-Off.
After all votes are tallied, players will be ranked in each conference by position (guard and frontcourt) within each of the three voting groups – fan votes, player votes and media votes. Each player’s score will be calculated by averaging his weighted rank from the fan votes, the player votes and the media votes. The two guards and three frontcourt players with the best score in each conference will be named NBA All-Star Game starters. Fan voting will serve as the tiebreaker for players in a position group with the same score.
Mike Brown Named Unanimous 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year
FDR Media l April 19, 2023
The NBA announced today that Sacramento Kings Head Coach Mike Brown has been named the unanimous 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year. Brown is the third head coach in franchise history to win the yearly award, joining Cotton Fitzsimmons (1978-79) and Phil Johnson (1974-75) and is the first to receive the honor in the Sacramento era.
Brown received (500) points (100 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. The honor marks the second time Brown has been named Coach of the Year during his coaching career, including his first since the 2008-09 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since the award’s inception in 1962-63, Brown is the 11th coach in NBA history to receive the Coach of the Year award at least twice in his coaching career.
In his first season as head coach of the Sacramento Kings, Brown led the club to one of the best seasons in franchise history. Brown guided Sacramento to the seventh-best record in the NBA this season and helped the Kings secure the third seed in the Western Conference, marking the Kings best finish in the West since the 2002-03 season. Behind Brown, Sacramento finished with the third-most wins in the Western Conference (48-34) and matched a franchise record for most wins on the road (25-16), which also ranked first in the Western Conference. He is the second coach in the Sac era to finish above .500 in a single season, joining Rick Adelman.
Brown coached the Kings to the highest offensive rating in NBA history (118.6) with the team scoring the most points per game by an NBA team in 40 years, which was last done by the Denver Nuggets (1983-84). For his efforts, Brown was selected as the Michael Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year after the Kings earned its first Pacific Division title since 2003.
Among league leaders, the Kings led the NBA in offensive efficiency and points per game while finishing second in field goal percentage (49.4%), third in assists (27.3), fifth in three-pointers made (1,128) and ninth in three-point percentage (37.3%). Sacramento also ranked first in true shooting percentage (60.8%), second in effective field goal percentage (57.2), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.02), eighth in net rating (2.6) and seventh in assists percentage (62.6%).
In February, Brown was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the month as the Kings led the NBA with seven games where they scored 120+ points, which included a 176-175 win in double overtime against the LA Clippers on Feb. 24, marking the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. During the stretch, the Kings ranked first in the NBA in points per game (125.8) and offensive rating (121.2) and went a perfect 7-0 in February in games where they scored 120 points or more.
Fifth Installment of Team Up for Change to Focus on Contributions of Women in Social Justice Movement
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento Kings announced that the team will host the fifth installment of Team Up for Change, an award-winning initiative to inspire, unite, and activate around a call for social justice and racial equality. The 2023 Team Up for Change summit will take place during Women’s Empowerment Month and highlight the contributions of women leaders working in the social justice movement. This half-day event tips off a Week of Action in Sacramento from March 13 to 17 and the debut of The Huddle, a unique dialogue using basketball to connect with youth.
“The 2023 Team Up for Change Summit is an important opportunity to reflect on the steps we’ve taken over these past five years to address racial inequality and promote social justice through education, advocacy and policy change,” said Sacramento Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “This year, we are particularly proud to use our platform to amplify the contributions of women at the forefront of the social justice movement. The work continues, and the Kings remain as committed as ever to partnering with local leaders, advocates, and policymakers to promote positive community change.”
Team Up for Change Summit (March 13)
The Team Up for Change summit will bring together movement builders and changemakers across industries to discuss the intersection of sports, race, and the pursuit of more equitable communities. Programming is designed to provide insight into the social justice movement, strategies to combat systemic racism and practices to promote sustainable change by advancing equity and inclusion. The audience will be composed of approximately 200 high school and college students, community leaders and nonprofit partners.
The day will feature the following dynamic speakers: (in alphabetical order)
- Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner (via video)
- Adiyah Obolu, Inderkum High School Student and Spoken Word Artist
- Angie Franklin, Afro Yoga Founder, CEO and Visionary
- Assemblymember Akilah Weber (CA-79)
- Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs, NYT Bestselling Author, Sociologist, and Researcher
- Archana Sahgal, Hyphen Founder and President
- Carmen Perez, The Gathering for Justice President and CEO
- Gianna Hearn, Sports Anchor
- James Cadogen, National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Executive Director
- John Horst, Milwaukee Bucks General Manager
- Marc Spears, Andscape and ESPN Senior NBA Writer
- Marianna Sousa, Emotional Hygienist, Edutainment Specialist and Author
- Matina Kolokotronis, Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer
- MC Lyte, American Rapper, DJ, Actress and Entrepreneur
- California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber
- Dr. Vajra Watson, Sacramento State Associate Professor
- Vivek Ranadivé, Sacramento Kings Owner and Chairman
View an agenda of the program HERE.
Team Up for Change Week of Action and The Huddle (March 13-17)
During the Week of Action, the Sacramento Kings will host events in the community focused on mentorship, career exploration, leadership training, and economic opportunity for future generations. These events and activations include connecting Kings female team members with young women at the Youth Detention Facility for mentorship, unveiling a community ROOT garden in partnership with Raley’s at Mather Veteran Village and volunteering at local women-focused and run nonprofit organizations. At the end of the week, the Kings will introduce the second young person to take part in The Huddle, a unique conversation using the game of basketball to connect the team with a young person engaged in transformative work in their neighborhood.
Team Up for Change Background
Team Up for Change is a social justice initiative formed in partnership between the Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018 in response to community tragedies impacting both teams – the police-involved shooting death of an unarmed black man in Sacramento, Stephon Clark, and the wrongful police stop of Bucks player Sterling Brown, violating his constitutional rights. Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé took to the court and made a commitment that the Kings would work alongside the community to help prevent future tragedies. The first Team Up for Change summit was held in Sacramento in 2019 (video recap).
In February 2020, the two teams once again partnered and hosted the second Team Up for Change in Milwaukee. The NBA recognized the Kings and Bucks for the initiative by honoring the teams with the 2020 NBA Inclusion Innovation Award, which spotlights a program across the league that advances inclusive practices.
In October 2020, the Kings, in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Indiana Pacers and Fever, Dallas Mavericks and Wings, and Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the third Team Up for Change virtually (full summit).
In January 2022, the Kings, in partnership with twelve NBA and WNBA teams hosted the fourth Team Up for Change which expanded and evolved to include The Huddle, and Week of Action featuring community activations across the country in each team’s market.
For more information, visit Kings.com.
Fifth Installment of Team Up for Change to Focus on Contributions of Women in Social Justice Movement
— Sacramento Kings Host In-Person Summit at Golden 1 Center on Monday, March 13 —
— Award-Winning Initiative Features Week of Action in Community and The Huddle Conversation —
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, the Sacramento Kings announced that the team will host the fifth installment of Team Up for Change, an award-winning initiative to inspire, unite, and activate around a call for social justice and racial equality. The 2023 Team Up for Change summit will take place during Women’s Empowerment Month and highlight the contributions of women leaders working in the social justice movement. This half-day event tips off a Week of Action in Sacramento from March 13 to 17 and the debut of The Huddle, a unique dialogue using basketball to connect with youth.
“The 2023 Team Up for Change Summit is an important opportunity to reflect on the steps we’ve taken over these past five years to address racial inequality and promote social justice through education, advocacy and policy change,” said Sacramento Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “This year, we are particularly proud to use our platform to amplify the contributions of women at the forefront of the social justice movement. The work continues, and the Kings remain as committed as ever to partnering with local leaders, advocates, and policymakers to promote positive community change.”
Team Up for Change Summit (March 13)
The Team Up for Change summit will bring together movement builders and changemakers across industries to discuss the intersection of sports, race, and the pursuit of more equitable communities. Programming is designed to provide insight into the social justice movement, strategies to combat systemic racism and practices to promote sustainable change by advancing equity and inclusion. The audience will be composed of approximately 200 high school and college students, community leaders and nonprofit partners.
The day will feature the following dynamic speakers: (in alphabetical order)
- Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner (via video)
- Adiyah Obolu, Inderkum High School Student and Spoken Word Artist
- Angie Franklin, Afro Yoga Founder, CEO and Visionary
- Assemblymember Akilah Weber (CA-79)
- Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs, NYT Bestselling Author, Sociologist, and Researcher
- Archana Sahgal, Hyphen Founder and President
- Carmen Perez, The Gathering for Justice President and CEO
- Gianna Hearn, Sports Anchor
- James Cadogen, National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Executive Director
- John Horst, Milwaukee Bucks General Manager
- Marc Spears, Andscape and ESPN Senior NBA Writer
- Marianna Sousa, Emotional Hygienist, Edutainment Specialist and Author
- Matina Kolokotronis, Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer
- MC Lyte, American Rapper, DJ, Actress and Entrepreneur
- California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber
- Dr. Vajra Watson, Sacramento State Associate Professor
- Vivek Ranadivé, Sacramento Kings Owner and Chairman
View an agenda of the program HERE.
Team Up for Change Week of Action and The Huddle (March 13-17)
During the Week of Action, the Sacramento Kings will host events in the community focused on mentorship, career exploration, leadership training, and economic opportunity for future generations. These events and activations include connecting Kings female team members with young women at the Youth Detention Facility for mentorship, unveiling a community ROOT garden in partnership with Raley’s at Mather Veteran Village and volunteering at local women-focused and run nonprofit organizations. At the end of the week, the Kings will introduce the second young person to take part in The Huddle, a unique conversation using the game of basketball to connect the team with a young person engaged in transformative work in their neighborhood.
Team Up for Change Background
Team Up for Change is a social justice initiative formed in partnership between the Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018 in response to community tragedies impacting both teams – the police-involved shooting death of an unarmed black man in Sacramento, Stephon Clark, and the wrongful police stop of Bucks player Sterling Brown, violating his constitutional rights. Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé took to the court and made a commitment that the Kings would work alongside the community to help prevent future tragedies. The first Team Up for Change summit was held in Sacramento in 2019 (video recap).
In February 2020, the two teams once again partnered and hosted the second Team Up for Change in Milwaukee. The NBA recognized the Kings and Bucks for the initiative by honoring the teams with the 2020 NBA Inclusion Innovation Award, which spotlights a program across the league that advances inclusive practices.
In October 2020, the Kings, in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Indiana Pacers and Fever, Dallas Mavericks and Wings, and Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the third Team Up for Change virtually (full summit).
In January 2022, the Kings, in partnership with twelve NBA and WNBA teams hosted the fourth Team Up for Change which expanded and evolved to include The Huddle, and Week of Action featuring community activations across the country in each team’s market.
For more information, visit Kings.com.
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