Logue Down: Michelle Timms' Kobe tribute; Will Magnay attracts NBA interest; LaMelo’s harbour lunch
The death of Kobe Bryant hit Michelle Timms particularly hard. As a father of four girls, he devoted endless hours to promoting female hoops. ‘He was quite simply the greatest supporter of the WNBA of any NBA player.’
Basketball
Don't miss out on the headlines from Basketball. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Opals legend Michele Timms will never forget the day she met basketball great Kobe Bryant.
The year was 1999 and Timms was playing in her one and only WNBA All-Star game at Madison Square Garden in New York.
She was heading back to the team hotel after finishing a players’ induction meeting when she was approached by Bryant and his entourage.
Watch LIVE coverage of the 2019/20 NBL Season plus up to 7 live NBA games every week with ESPN on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
“Kobe said, “Timms, you got game girl“- something I’ve never forgotten - a superstar like that had seen me play,” Timms recalled.
“I met him a few times and he always went out of his way to talk to me.
“He was quite simply the greatest supporter of the WNBA of any NBA player.
“He went to games, tweeted about games he was watching on TV, sent messages to WNBA players of encouragement and coached his young girls - just a tragedy.”
Bryant has been globally celebrated for his significant impact on basketball following his tragic death this week.
Beyond his five championships and multiple scoring records, Bryant’s most underrated legacy is his influence on the women’s game.
As a father of four girls, the legendary Los Angeles Laker devoted endless hours to promoting female hoops through the WNBA and his late daughter Gianna’s junior basketball teams.
Former Australian WNBA player turned Opals coach Sandy Brondello also met Bryant in May last year.
The Lakers legend went out of his way to visit the Phoenix Mercury franchise, where Brondello has been the head coach since 2014.
“It was such a pleasure to meet and chat to Kobe Bryant today,” Brondello tweeted.
“So down to earth and all round great guy. Thanks for the visit.”
Brondello was devastated to hear of Bryant’s death when I contacted her this week.
“Kobe will be missed terribly,” she said.
“It still feels so surreal.”
NBA SALIVATES OVER MAGNAY
Boom Brisbane centre Will Magnay has been inundated with interest from NBA franchises following his brilliant form this season.
The New Orleans Pelicans and the Philadelphia 76ers have attended Bullets’ training this season while the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks have flown to Australia to watch his games.
Magnay is closing in on securing a new deal at the Bullets, which will include an NBA-out, after starring this season.
He was particularly impressive in a win over South East Melbourne last week, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds and a whopping seven blocks.
Bullets owner and ex-NBA forward Kevin Martin confirmed that Magnay was on the club’s radar for an extension.
“We keep all negotiations confidential, but we value Will at the highest regard,” Martin said.
BALL’S LAST SUPPER
It is the lunch on NBL owner Larry Kestelman’s holiday boat in Sydney Harbour that secured LaMelo Ball’s ticket home to the US before the Illawarra Hawks knew that the rising star was leaving.
Kestelman met with Ball in the Harbour City earlier this week to thank him for his service to the league and wish him all the best for June’s NBA draft.
He gifted the potential top three draft pick with his plane ride home.
Ball informed Kestelman of his decision to return to the US a few days before their boat meeting, but he failed to inform members of the Illawarra franchise that he was departing on Wednesday.
This angered Hawks owner Simon Stratford while captain Todd Blanchfield said he was shocked by Ball's sudden departure, which he learned about when ABC Illawarra contacted him for comment after reading News Corp Australia’s exclusive story.
“It's news to me, but (Ball's camp has) got an agenda they have to take care of,” Blanchfield said.
Kestelman believes Ball’s brief NBL stint was a resounding success and he wanted to pass on his gratitude to the future NBA star.
“I think that is a ridiculous statement (to say that Ball’s stint was a failure),” Kestelman said.
“LaMelo was never meant to be the saviour of the Hawks on the court.
“He is an 18-year-old kid that came here to improve his game and contribute as much as he can.
“I don’t think he was here as someone that they should have hung their hat on.
“The fact that he turned out to be as good as he was to me is a bonus.
“LaMelo was a huge success. When Barack Obama starts following the Illawarra Hawks through social media, I think he has done his job.
“There were more searches for Illawarra online than in the franchise’s history.
“LaMelo single-handedly put the Hawks on the map, so I think it is a little harsh to suggest his stint was a failure.
“He delivered great exposure for us and great attention globally, so it was a beautiful partnership.
“We certainly wish he would have played a few more games, but that is sport and he got injured.
“I totally understand why he didn’t play in the last few games. If I was his management I would have done the same thing.”
TIME TICKING ON HOBART
Kestelman has warned that the proposal for a new Hobart franchise in the 2021-2022 season could fall over if a deal isn’t finalised in the coming weeks.
Tasmania’s return to the league was imminent before Premier Will Hodgman announced his intention to resign earlier this month.
Hodgman had been leading negotiations with Kestelman, along with Sports Minister Jeremy Rockliff and Treasurer Peter Gutwein – a duo who formed a ticket to make Gutwein premier.
Despite the change in leadership, Kestelman is pushing hard for a Hobart deal to be finalised.
“But if it doesn’t happen in the next two or three weeks we will simply run out of time,” Kestelman said.
“Hobart is at the pointy end and I’m still very confident that it will happen.
“But for it to happen it needs to happen in the next two to three weeks at the latest.
“We are deep in discussions with the new premier and his team. They are very supportive and we are hopeful of getting this deal done.”
NBL FOCUSED ON HAWKS
The NBL is fully committed to the long-term future of the Illawarra Hawks.
That is the emphatic message from Kestelman following reports that owner Simon Stratford had been hit with a show cause notice by the NBL.
The suggested notice revolves around money that Stratford allegedly owes the NBL, which could force the league to take back ownership or offer it to other buyers.
Regardless of any financial pressures, Kestelman insists the Illawarra franchise isn’t going anywhere.
“While I’m running the league, whatever clubs we have will continue to operate,” he said.
“As a league we believe in the long-term future of the Hawks.
“It does not mean that there doesn’t need to be evolution, changes, morphing or how a club progresses forward.”
FENDING OFF HOBART
Melbourne United is confident of retaining captain Chris Goulding despite interest from the NBL’s purported next franchise, Hobart.
Goulding has been linked to the Hobart team, which is set to be unveiled for the 2021-22 season.
United CEO Vince Crivelli has heard about the interest in Goulding, but he is confident that the club can retain the champion guard on a long-term deal.
“Chris is a priority – he is our championship-winning captain,” Crevelli said.
“He has been at the club for a long time and he has played over 300 games in the league.
“We’ll wait until the end of the season to talk properly about his future. I’m sure at the right time we will be able to make it all come true and I don’t see many barriers.”
It will be a big winter for United with eight players’ off-contract at season’s end, including stars Shawn Long, Melo Trimble and David Barlow.
KINGS SWEAT ON SKIPPER
Sydney Kings captain Kevin Lisch must play in the club’s remaining three regular season games to be eligible for the finals.
Lisch hasn’t played since October after fracturing his ankle, relegating him to just four games this season.
Under NBL rules, a player must play a percentage of games to partake in the post-season.
This means Lisch has to play against Perth, South East Melbourne and Illawarra.
The skipper will travel to Western Australia for Saturday’s game against the Wildcats, but his playing status is yet to be confirmed.
Originally published as Logue Down: Michelle Timms' Kobe tribute; Will Magnay attracts NBA interest; LaMelo’s harbour lunch