Los Angeles Lakers Superstar Kobe Bryant Gets Offer To Play in Italy

While the NBA lockout is still not over, plenty of NBA players are being offered to play for different countries. Even a superstar like Kobe Bryant has also been given an offer from Italy to play. Kobe Bryant has been offered a $6.7 million, one season contract to play for the Italian team Virtus Bologna, appealing to his childhood memories of growing up in the country.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar spent part of his youth in Italy while his father played there. He speaks Italian, prompting Bologna to hope he might return if there's an NBA lockout.

Virtus Bologna general manager Massimo Faraoni tells that he's been on conference calls between Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, Bologna president Claudio Sabatini and main sponsor Canadian Solar, which would provide the cash for such a deal.

"I Think the fact that he's lived in Italy makes this appealing to him," Faraoni said.

Virtus has given Bryant four different contract options, stretching from the 1 year deal to two month and one month options, and a per game deal that would come out to $739,640 per home game.

All of the offers are pretax and would allow Bryant to return to the Lakers immediately if the lockout ends.

Time Cone Retires: Joel Banal is Aces New Head Coach

Whoaaa, when I first saw PBA, Jawo was still playing, Ginebra was for me the Bad Boys of the PBA, I think purefoods at that time look like the glamour boys of basketball - as for Alaska, I always say to my self the team with the American coach, who always wear sleeves and ties.

There were many coaching change during those year's and Tim Cone remained as an Alaska coach for so long, and now HE'S RETIRING OR PLANNING TO RETIRE?

I first saw this in a newspaper. Tim Cone will no longer be the head coach of the Alaska Aces as he will retire soon. His retirement will be announced by Mr. Fred Uytengsu, the President of the Alaska Milk Corporation. The possible replacement of Cone will be coach Joel Banal who steered the Ateneo Blue Eagles to a championship in 2002.

Some of the Alaska fans doesn't want coach Tim to leave. They are saying that Alaska could no longer give the salary that Cone wants that's why he's leaving the team. But apparently, they are all wrong because Mr. Uytengsu said that it's about coaching fatigue. Here's what he said:

"Coaching fatigue. He wanted to do something different. Tim's assistant, Joel Banal, will replace him"

FATIGUE? All I know is if you loved your job, you wont even feel fatigue. But hey, that's just me.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz Both Tested Clean for Drug Test

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz both tested clean for their commission mandated drug test, one month before that are set to face each other in Nevada. Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) chairman Keith Kizer said that the results of the urine tests for both Ortiz and Mayweather came out clean and free of banned substance.

Ortiz, the WBC welterweight champion, is set to face the undefeated Mayweather on September 17. It will be Mayweather's first boxing bout in 16 months.

Manny Pacquiao Meets Sexy Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton, the sexy American socialite is a big Manny Pacquiao fan. Paris, along with her sister Nicky Hilton, trooped to the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday to watch Pacquiao's bout with Shane Mosley.

On Twitter, Paris praised Pacquiao for being "an incredible fighter" following his victory over Mosley. Manny Pacquiao won the fight via unanimous decision.

The Hilton sisters stayed after the bout to attend the post fight news conference. Paris also got to meet Manny's wife Jinkee. Paris tweeted:"Hanging out with @Manny Pacquiao and his beautiful wife Jinkee. They are such a sweet and down to earth couple! Love them! :)"

Paris reportedly had a hard time leaving the room as Filipino fans mobbed her. Paris also announced that she is coming to the Philippines this year, and she is planning to visit the country's prized fighter and his family.

IT'S ALASKA AGAINST THE BEERMEN FOR THE FIESTA CONFERENCE FINALS

Whoaaaa, my wish come true heheheh, I have posted before that I really wanted an Alaska SMB finals match, and bot it came true. I just see Alaska as the much better team to face a powerhouse SMB Beermen. After defeating a star studded TNT team last Wednesday 90-81 winning their series 4-3. They will go up this Friday against another star studded team the Beermen, the defending champion for the Fiesta Conference.

Diamon Sompson led the Aces with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Which will be a good match against last year best import Gabe Freeman.

Can't wait this Friday for their match.....

ALASKA MILK SIGN SAMIGUE EMAN

This was no surprise, Samigue Eman can't improve himself just by being a bench warmer, in San Miguel he simply can get enough playing time since the Beermen are loaded with plenty of superstar, in his position alone he will have to fight it out with the likes of Danny Ildefonso, Danny Seigle, Dorian Peña, Mick Pinissi, Jay Washington. So i think going to alaska might benefit him.

Alaska Milk signed Eman to a 3 year contract worth 11 million pesos, which gives the Aces a potent triple tower combination, with Joe Devance, and Sonny Thoss. (looks familiar? much like the dreaded triple tower of the Lakers Gasol, Bynum and Odom).

I just hope Eman will have more playing time with Alaska although its impossible for him to play in this conference which is already in the semis phase, but maybe in the next conference. And wish he can improve in his game. I saw him play before when he was still in college at Davao, at he was a sore to watch, people sometimes would laugh cause here is a 6 foot 9 guy, who gets push around by other schools centers who are way smaller than him. But i know that he only lacks a good trainer and a coach that will guide him. Good Luck to you Eman hope you can make us Davaoeños proud.

Nate Robinson defends his title as Slamdunk Champion

My favorite part of was the skills challenge and the 3 point shootout. The slam dunk competition for me has become a bit too boring or too predictable. Gone are the excitement that MJ or Wilkins or Spudd brings to the floor.

New York Nate Robinson became the 1st 3 time Slam Dunk Champion. Although he barely won against Toronto rokkie DeMar DeRozan. Although i did like some of their dunks especially DeRozan dunk where in his teammate bank the ball of the sideboard then DeRozan caught it at the side of the backboard and slammed it with his right hand on the other side of the hoop.

PACQUIAO VS CLOTTEY ON MARCH 13

There will be a fight on March 13, but it won't be against Floyd Mayweather. It will be against Josjua Clottey ina welterweight bout.

Since the Mayweather fight didn't push through, Arum moved to the next opponent, and landed a lucrative fight for Pacquiao.

Arum said he has finalized the deal to match Pacquiao against Joshua Clottey.

THE PACQUIAO VS MAYWEATHER FIGHT IS OFF

I posted last year that this mega fight is on, and it will be the fight of the decade. But to my dismay, it did not. Sorry for all my readers who read that post, maybe it was just the excitement in me to have read in a newspaper that the fight is on. But who else wont be excited about this fight, the whole world want to see this match. But as of my readers Mel Avila Alarilla commented

It is not yet officially on per se. Although Manny Pacquiao and Bob Arum agreed on principle to stage the fight on March 13, 2010. As long as no official contract has been signed by Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., we can never say that the fight is already on. For all we know, Mayweather may chicken out and wriggle out of the match. Thanks for the post. God bless.

And yes you're right Mel, It looks like Mayweather did chicken out, because of his outrageous demands. His just making those demands as a scapegoat not to fight Manny Pacquiao.

As for Manny he said in a newspaper that “I am very disappointed that we could not make this fight for the fans and I am angered because of the false accusations from Golden Boy and the Mayweather camp that I used some type of drugs and that is why I have instructed our American lawyers to proceed with the lawsuit to clear my name,” said Pacquiao.

Well said Manny.

PACQUIAO DEFEATS COTTO IN 12

It was a quite day yesterday November 15, 2009. There were no traffics, not much people at the streets or supermarkets. Almost all people was watching in their TV for Manny Pacquiao's fight against Miguel Cotto. And once the fight began I can hear yells from our neighbors house, since all of them are watching the fight too, and cheering for the pound for pound king. I never imagine Manny Pacquiao to dominate Cotto yesterday, since plenty of analyst said that this will be a fierce battle. Fierce indeed, but only on the first half of the fight, but as the fight goes on, you just can see how dominating Manny Pacquiao was.

Pacquiao used his speed and power from both his hands to win his seventh title in seven wieght classes and cement his stature as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Cotto took such beating that he was force to back pedal and not engage Pacquiao. Cotto's face was a mess with river of blood flowing on his face from the fury of punches from Pacquiao.

Pacquiao manage to dropped Cotto in the 3rd round but Cotto wasn't badly and manage to come back strong to finish the round. But after Pacquiao drop Cotto again with a big left on the forth round, it was their that Cotto wasn't the same again.

Cotto on the later rounds was just trying to survive as blood flowed down his face as the "Pacman" kept coming at him relentlessly.

Referee Kenny Bayles stopped the fight after seeing Cotto being pummeled by Pacquiao at the ropes.

"Miguel Cotto is one tough opponent. He took a lot of punches but still wouldn't go down that easily," said Pacquiao after the fight.

Pacquiao collected his 7th world title with the win getting Cotto's WBO(World Boxing Organization) welterweight crown and the diamond studded WBC(World Boxing Council) Diamond Belt, an honorary championship given to elite boxers.

VILORIA WILL COME OUT STRONG AGAINST IRIBE

Brian "The Hawaiian Punch" Viloria, intends to come out strong and be the aggressor when he defends his IBF(International Boxing Federation) light flyweight title against Jesus "Azul" Iribe of Mexico on August 29 at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Viloria who is making his first defense said his fight plan focuses on pressuring Iribe, a fighter who's not fond of mixing it up, and breaking him down to set him for the kill.

"Ive seen his fights, hes quick handed. I think he likes to fight from the outside. I don't think he likes to tangle it up in the middle," Viloria said in an interview.

Vilorias record is (25-2, 15 KOs) while Iribe has a (15-5, 9 KOs).

TOP 10 MOST GAMES PLAYED IN THE NBA

PLAYERS / YEARS / GAMES

1. Robert Parish / 1976-97 / 1,611

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar / 1969-89 / 1,560

3. John Stockton / 1984-2003 / 1,504

4. Karl Malone / 1985-2004 / 1,476

5. Kevin Willis / 1984-2007 / 1,424

6. Reggie Miller / 1987-2005 / 1,389

7. Clifford Robinson / 1989-2007 / 1,380

8. Gary Payton / 1990-2007 / 1,335

9. Moses Malone / 1976-95 / 1,329

10. Buck Williams / 1981-99 / 1,307

BERNARD HOPKINS: PACQUIAO WILL WIN

Bernard Hopkins, a future Hall of Famer, does not see Miguel Cotto defeating Manny Pacquiao. The two will clash on November 14 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hopkins said that Cotto will be coming strong in strong during the fight but states that Pacquiao is a "sharpshooter" who punches in angles.

"He is a legitimate pound for pound fighter now until something else happens" Hopkins added of the power punching Filipino boxer.

Hopkins assessed that it is going to be Pacquiao who come out the winner come fight night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

PACQUIAO VS COTTO

Its final. Manny Pacquiao has finally agreed to face Miguel Cotto at 145 lbs. Mike Koncz, Pacquiao's adviser said "adjustment were made" in the other provisions in the contract and the fight is good to go at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 14. Pacquiao is currently busy attending to his showbiz commitments.