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Legendary basketball coach Rick Pitino’s office at St. John’s University was broken into by a pair of thieves who ransacked it for memorabilia, cops and sources said. Two as-yet-unidentified men ran off with $375 worth of goods, including a basketball and bullhorn, during the Tuesday burglary in Carnesecca Arena, where Pitino’s office is located a floor above the basketball court, sources said.
Bernie Lee: Happy to announce the client signing of 2015 Draft eligible D'Angelo Harrison from St John's University. http://youtu.be/ix0oPMW18cs
Adam Zagoria: St. John's officially names Chris Mullin head coach. Presser at 1:30 tomorrow. Chris Mullin: 'It’s a surreal experience coming home and returning to St. John’s Univ. This is a role I have been preparing for all of my life. I look forward to mentoring our current and future players, passing along knowledge and aiding in their development to help them reach their goals, similar to the impact Coach Carnesecca had on me thirty years ago."
Brown went on to make public that Watson has already turned down one coaching opportunity. “If he did not sign with Portland for this season, he would have signed at St. Johns University and would have been an assistant coach with Lavin this year,” Brown revealed to CSNNW.com. “So other people have seen the potential in him to be a coach.”
Dunlap was an assistant at St. Johns University and had no head coaching experience before he was hired. Lawrence Frank won just 29 games in Detroit, but lasted the season before he was fired. Brown’s former player LeBron James was miffed at the Lakers firing, but Mike Brown exited with class. “Yea, it was rather shocking. I mean, I take a team without a training camp into the second round of the playoffs and then I’m gone.”
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Stoudemire spent part of his summer working with Hakeem Olajuwon in Texas, getting some one-on-one tutelage in an attempt to become more adept at navigating down low. Just the thought of the added dimension that might give the Knicks' offense has Anthony beaming. "It's not like he didn't have those moves. I guess he just didn't feel comfortable down there, or whatever it may be," Anthony said Friday during a break at his two-day youth camp at St. John's University. "But him going down there and putting me on the wing, now I get to play off of him rather than me going down there and him playing off of me, which could be a deadly weapon if it all works out."
Carmelo Anthony wants the Knicks to have a gold medal mindset. The Knicks forward said that he wants to bring the mentality that Team USA had during its gold medal-winning effort in London to Madison Square Garden this season. “I’m excited to get this thing going,” Anthony said during a ProCamps event at St. John’s University. “Especially coming off this run we just had with the USA team and all the fun we had. To be able to put that team together and still be able to accomplish something. I want to bring that mentality back here to the Knicks.”
The Bobcats, whose top priority is to find a coach capable of developing young players, are interviewing Mike Dunlap Wednesday. Dunlap, a well- respected basketball mind in both college and pro circles, is the associate head coach to Steve Lavin at St. John's University.
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“I thought it’d be fun to get involved and see what I could do to polish up the playing, make it look more authentic and sharpen the choreography for Broadway,” said Mr. Mullin, who was born in Brooklyn and piled up basketball awards and records through school, including at St. John’s University in Queens. “I also have great respect for theater. When I was at St. John’s, my coaches would refer to Broadway dancers and performers and talk about how they would practice and practice and practice. I always remembered that.” Mr. Mullin, who lives in the San Francisco area, said he was a fan of musicals but didn’t see as many as he would like; his last Broadway show was “Jersey Boys.”
Mullin, an ESPN analyst, laughed and said, “Well, there are a lot of people I do need to thank.” Where does Mullin begin with such a crowded inner circle, an extended basketball family that could pass for a small army and with a fair share of folks who have been with him every step of the way now planning to attend the ceremony in Springfield, Mass.? “The people you will see there for him at the induction are the same ones who were there 30 years ago,” said Mark Jackson, who played with Mullin at St. John’s University and with the Indiana Pacers. “That’s the beauty of Chris Mullin.”
The Los Angeles Lakers star, who recently officially changed his name to Metta World Peace, I’m sure isn’t first on the list of stars NBA commissioner David Stern wants as the poster boy for his league. But for all of Artest’s faults and off-the-wall tendencies, the Queensbridge native has always remained true to himself and his roots. While other NBA players are likely enjoying the summer and the holiday weekend, Artest was on the blacktop courts of New York City playing – for free. The 6-foot-7 forward, who starred at St. John’s University and LaSalle Academy, makes a yearly stop on the streetball circuit. What makes this special is he shows no favorites and plays hard. His week started Tuesday with a stop at Nike Pro City to play with his Queensbridge team. Wednesday he was at Dyckman to help a star-studded Ooh Way club beat Team 914. Friday he headed to Rucker Park to propel Bingo’s All Stars to an 85-82 win against rival R2K. On Saturday, Artest played not just once, but twice. He took the court again for coach Bingo Cole in the afternoon at Hoops in the Sun and later that night was back at it at the Tri-State Classic.
The Yankees-cap wearing LeBron James might have snubbed New Yorkers, but Mets fans can take solace in the fact that one N.B.A. star is in their corner. And unlike James, theirs has a championship ring. The Los Angeles Lakers tough guy Ron Artest, of the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City and St. John’s University, is an aspiring rap artist and has made a video, “MetropoliTons of Fun.” It’s safe to say that “Meet the Mets” will remain the team’s theme song. And Artest doesn’t have anything like, “we’ve got the teamwork to make the dream work.” But his loyalty runs deep as evidenced by references to Keith Hernandez, Mike Piazza and Kevin Elster, and lines like, “Born in Queens, raised in Shea, grab a Shake Shack with my man Jason Bay.”
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