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Notre Dame freshman guard and former Penn High School standout Markus Burton is declaring for the NBA Draft, but leaving the door open for a return to the Irish.
Pat Connaughton: I'd love to play for the Irish national team someday
NBA Champion Pat Connaughton isn’t ruling out the possibility of playing for Ireland, while inspiring the next generation of Irish basketball players to make it to the world’s biggest stage alongside him. Connaughton made the comments at the University of Galway, while hosting the first of three days of clinics with Basketball Ireland’s Academy. “I’d love to play over here,” said the 30-year-old. “I’d love to play for the Irish national team someday."
'The Last Dance' producer has been filming footage of LeBron James, Lakers
Ireland, who co-hosts a radio show with Steve Mason on ESPN Los Angeles, in addition to calling Lakers games, is the latest guest on the Awful Announcing Podcast. During the interview, which will be released in its entirety Friday, May, 12, Ireland was asked about the possibility of Kobe Bryant getting his own version of The Last Dance and the radio announcer shared news of a potential LeBron James docuseries.
“So while I get to sit there, I always try to remember that I’m creating memories for the audience like Chick created for me,” Ireland told The Athletic via email on Monday. “… Chick is the keeper of all of the great calls in Lakers history. If I can add a few, it’s a huge honor.”
As the clock hit zero on the Lakers’ 106-93 Game 6 triumph over the Miami Heat on Sunday night, Ireland knew what he wanted to convey, and now his chance finally arrived. “In a year we all thought we wanted to forget,” Ireland said over the 710 ESPN airwaves, “the Lakers give us something to remember forever: their 17th NBA championship. “The Lakers are the world champions.”
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The NBA did provide the broadcast team with several sound feeds, including crowd noise, some on-court mics and the refs. But Ireland and Thompson had to generate the energy and emotions of the playoffs themselves without being in the arena or surrounded by fans. “We were so happy just to get the games back that we would have broadcasted from a broom closet if they would have let us,” Ireland said. “… It’s a little different, and we all wish the fans were there, but Mychal and I had no problem getting energized. We were genuinely excited to help bring basketball back to the fans.”
Speaking to BBC News NI the 58-year-old smiles as he recalls: "I have fond memories of Dungannon. I took a trip to Ireland with my wife, my son who was six months old at the time and my parents. I'm Irish on my dad's side, so we wanted to trace his roots and while I was there I was asked would I make a stop at the camp."
“Everybody became inconsolable,” Ireland said on his radio show on 710 AM in Los Angeles. “Whole plane was crying, praying that we somehow had it wrong or, because we were in a confined space, that somebody was playing a very elaborate, well-executed practical joke.” It fell to Frank Vogel, the head coach, to tell the players, Ireland said. The rest of the long flight, he suggested, passed in an emotional daze.
Elie knows all about out-of-the-way. He played in Ireland, Argentina and Portugal, not to mention the minor league backwoods of the USBL (Miami Tropics) and CBA (Albany Patroons) before he ever got a sniff at the NBA. So to be back on the sidelines barking out orders as summer league coach and member of Scott Skiles' new staff with the Magic feels better than silk sheets. "You can't possibly know how much I missed it," said the 11-year veteran swingman who earned three championship rings during his playing career. "I've been doing this all my life. I can't be a lawyer or a doctor. Basketball is in my blood. I love everything about the game. I played overseas. I played in all the farm leagues. And I made it to the NBA. I appreciate it. That's why when I took the floor in the NBA I didn't take it for granted. I played hard every night."
BT SPORT have announced that they have reached a multi-year agreement for exclusive live television coverage of top NBA games and programming in the UK and Ireland.
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The Lakers announced Monday they signed radio play-by-play announcer John Ireland and color analyst Mychal Thompson to multi-year contract extensions. Ireland just completed his first season at the mic after serving as a TV sideline reporter for many seasons. Thompson, who played on the Lakers' NBA championship teams in 1987 and '88, will begin his 10th season as a radio analyst in 2012-13.
Ireland said on ESPN Radio Tuesday that Dan Fegan, Howard’s agent, told him that he would not be interested in a long term deal with Los Angeles. Howard is considered to be one of the biggest targets as the NBA trade deadline approaches, however, teams are not likely to be willing to deal for him unless they know that they can keep him for the long term. Prior to this season, Howard told the Orlando Magic that he would like to be traded, and he gave the club a short list of team’s that he would sign an extension with if he were dealt there. The Magic still believe that they will be able to sign the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year to a long-term contract.
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