Ticking News

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Former lightweight champion Edwin Valero was detained Sunday on suspicion of killing his wife, the gravest in a string of problems that have threatened to derail his career. [1]

Former lightweight champion Edwin Valero was detained Sunday on suspicion of killing his wife, the gravest in a string of problems that have threatened to derail his career. [2]

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Former WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero was detained on suspicion of killing his wife on Sunday, police said. [...] Venezuelan Federal Police Chief Wilmer Flores said Valero was arrested after police found the body of his 20-year-old wife in a hotel in the city of Valencia. [3]

Venezuelan Federal Police Chief Wilmer Flores said Valero was arrested after police found the body of his 20-year-old wife in a hotel in Valencia. [...] FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2010 photo, Venezuela’s Edwin Valero is seen during a WBC lightweight title fight with Mexico’s Antonio DeMarco in Monterrey, Mexico. [2]

He had been having difficulty obtaining a visa to fight in the United States, basically ruling him out of the most lucrative opportunities. [4]

Valero, with a record of 27-0 as a boxer, was replaced as WBC lightweight champion in February after he expressed a desire to challenge for the championship in a higher weight division, said World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman. [5]

He accused the U.S. government of discrimination, saying he had completed all the necessary paperwork for the visa but his application wasn’t approved because of his sympathy for Chavez, a fierce critic of the U.S. government. [4]

The 28-year-old fighter is a household name in Venezuela and he has a huge image of President Hugo Chavez tattooed on his chest, along with the country’s yellow, blue and red flag. [...] He was replaced as WBC lightweight champion in February after he expressed a desire to campaign in a higher weight division, WBC president Jose Sulaiman said. [1]

Valero entered a Venezuelan rehabilitation center under on March 28 for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, Mora said at the time. [5]

The 28-year-old boxer has been in trouble with the law before. [3]

Valero left the hotel room around dawn on Sunday and allegedly told the hotel’s security personnel that he had killed Jennifer Viera, Flores said. [5]

Last month, Valero was brought up on charges of harassing his wife and threatening medical personnel who treated her at a hospital in the western city of Merida. [1]

Sources:
[1] Police: Boxer Valero Suspected Of Killing Wife - CBS News
[2] Police: Boxer Valero suspected of killing wife - Baseball …
[3] Police: Boxer Edwin Valero suspected of killing wife - SI.com …
[4] Police: Boxer Valero suspected of killing wife - Yahoo! News
[5] Police: Boxer Valero Suspected Of Killing Wife - cbs2.com

Oklahoma City Thunder Forum - Talk about Oklahoma City Thunder news, trades, games, signings, and more. [1]

Page 2’s Scoop Jackson thinks the Thunder could cause major problems for the Lakers if they meet in round one. [2]

Welcome to the Oklahoma City Thunder Forum! [1]

As the NBA playoffs begin, Kobe Bryant has already had to overcome a year’s worth of bumps and bruises. [2]

Oklahoma City recalled Weaver from the D-League on Saturday, the Thunder’s official site reports. [3]

We are not affiliated with the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, or any related parties. [1]

Jamal Mashburn discusses whether Chris Bosh deserves a maximum contract and where Kevin Durant ranks on the list of the top players in the NBA. [...] Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash drive around Oklahoma City Thunder’s Etan Thomas, left, in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, April 9, 2010. [2]

The Thunder’s NBA Development League affiliate is the Tulsa 66ers, which it also owns. [4]

The big game is Monday night in Portland to determine seeding. [5]

Oklahoma City clinched a playoff berth ensuring that Thunder basketball will be played in the Ford Center this postseason. [...] From excitement on the court to generosity off the court, Kevin Durant is a true star. [6]

In the last 20 years the only other players to score 30-or-more points in each of their last seven games of a season were Shaquille O’Neal (11 straight 30-point games to end the 2000-2001 season) & Kobe Bryant (nine in a row to finish the 2005-2006 season). [2]

The Thunder was represented at All-Star weekend by Kevin Durant in the All-Star game and the H.O.R.S.E. competition and Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the Rookie Challenge. [6]

The increasing leadership of Kevin Durant, along with the growing experience of the team’s younger players, were encouraging signs that the Thunder were improving. [4]

Sources:
[1] Oklahoma City Thunder Forum ‘ Message Board
[2] Oklahoma City Thunder - ESPN.com
[3] Oklahoma City Thunder Basketball Team Home Page - FOX Sports …
[4] Oklahoma City Thunder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[5] Oklahoma City Thunder
[6] Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. [1]

The Thunder will need to find another scoring option besides Durant and Russell Westbrook (23 points) or they’re going to lose three more close games in a row. [2]

A virtual no-name in his freshman year, averaging 3.4 points per game, his stats and his potential exploded in his sophomore year, when he averaged 12.5 points per game. [1]

Stay connected with your favorite player with NBA mobile player alerts. [...] By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. [3]

Impact: The emerging point guard made up for a sloppy eight-point outing in his previous game with Sunday’s performance. [4]

Westbrook is a beast, a combination of Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and an early Steve Francis, however the key to his fantasy value rising is how much his jump shot improves. [...] Thunder general manager Sam Presti turned heads by reaching for Westbrook, and in retrospect once again looks like one of the best decision-makers in the league, as the rook put up 15, 5 and 5 right out of the gate. [...] Most likely, his fantasy value will rise at a lower rate than his development as a NBA player. [5]

In December, Westbrook averaged 15.5 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 5.1 RPG. [...] At Leuzinger High School, Westbrook led the team to a 25-4 overall record and to a CIF-SS Div. [1]

No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. [...] You can now create additional alerts without reconfirming your phone. [3]

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. [5]

He was the starting point guard for the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team while Darren Collison was injured. [1]

Sources:
[1] Russell Westbrook - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[2] Russell Westbrook
[3] NBA.com : Russell Westbrook Info Page
[4] Russell Westbrook, Point Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA …
[5] Russell Westbrook Stats, News, Photos - Oklahoma City Thunder …

Page 2’s Scoop Jackson thinks the Thunder could cause major problems for the Lakers if they meet in round one. [...] As the NBA playoffs begin, Kobe Bryant has already had to overcome a year’s worth of bumps and bruises. [1]

Oklahoma City recalled Weaver from the D-League on Saturday, the Thunder’s official site reports. [2]

Jamal Mashburn discusses whether Chris Bosh deserves a maximum contract and where Kevin Durant ranks on the list of the top players in the NBA. [...] Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash drive around Oklahoma City Thunder’s Etan Thomas, left, in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, April 9, 2010. [1]

The Thunder’s NBA Development League affiliate is the Tulsa 66ers, which it also owns. [3]

Oklahoma City clinched a playoff berth ensuring that Thunder basketball will be played in the Ford Center this postseason. [4]

In the last 20 years the only other players to score 30-or-more points in each of their last seven games of a season were Shaquille O’Neal (11 straight 30-point games to end the 2000-2001 season) & Kobe Bryant (nine in a row to finish the 2005-2006 season). [1]

The big game is Monday night in Portland to determine seeding. [5]

The Thunder was represented at All-Star weekend by Kevin Durant in the All-Star game and the H.O.R.S.E. competition and Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the Rookie Challenge. [4]

The increasing leadership of Kevin Durant, along with the growing experience of the team’s younger players, were encouraging signs that the Thunder were improving. [...] Formerly the Seattle SuperSonics, the Thunder were established in 2008 after a dispute between owner Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle, Washington. [3]

As Tulsa 66ers head coach Nate Tibbetts walked out of the locker room following his team’s 107-102 loss to the Iowa Energy on Friday night, the lights in the underbelly of the Tulsa Convention Center were turned off. [1]

Early in their history they appeared in two consecutive Finals against the Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards), losing in seven games in 1978 and winning in five in 1979. [...] In the 1995′96 NBA season, the Sonics established the franchise mark for most wins, 64′18 (.720) and earned their third NBA Finals berth. [3]

Sources:
[1] Oklahoma City Thunder - ESPN.com
[2] Oklahoma City Thunder Basketball Team Home Page - FOX Sports …
[3] Oklahoma City Thunder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[4] Oklahoma City Thunder
[5] Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant youngest scoring champ ever: Kevin Durant scored 31 points to finish the season as the youngest NBA scoring champion, as the Oklahoma City Thunder in a win Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. [1]

– Phil Jackson doesn’t understand why Kevin Durant was upset with his comments about the Oklahoma City Thunder star getting superstar treatment from the referees. [2]

NEW YORK, Apr. 16, 2010 ‘ Kevin Durant today was named the Western Conference Player of the Month presented by Kia Motors, for games played during April. [3]

Stay connected with your favorite player with NBA mobile player alerts. [4]

The Los Angeles Lakers coach’s line about the referees earned him a $35,000 fine from the NBA on Thursday. [2]

Durant went from impressive rookie to superstar in just his second season, and after an offseason in which he wowed the coaches of USA Basketball, his ascendance should continue. [5]

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988 in Washington, D.C.) nicknamed Durantula, is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. [6]

Durant is a top-5 fantasy choice this season, whose upside is perhaps the highest of any player in the game, or maybe any player alive. [5]

By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. [4]

Earlier this week, Jackson was asked about Durant, who led the league in free throws, and he said in part, “I think a lot of the referees are treating him like a superstar. [2]

KD finished with an average of 30.1 points, 0.4 ahead of LeBron James, supplanting 22-year-old Max Zaslofsky of the 1947-48 Chicago Stags as the youngest scoring champ in NBA history. [...] This season, Thunder players James Harden, Jeff Green and Thabo Sefolosha treated local families in need to food shopping sprees and gift cards as part of an ongoing Thunder initiative. [3]

It became a certainty when Cleveland decided to rest reigning MVP LeBron James, the only player with even an outside shot at catching Durant. [1]

ESPN analyst Dick Vitale praised Durant as the “most prolific offensive skilled big perimeter” ever and proceeded to compare Durant’s game to those of current NBA stars like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki. [6]

“He shot the most free throws in the league, he made the most free throws in the league, he shot the most shots in the league, he made the most shots in the league. [2]

Sources:
[1] Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA - CBSSports.com …
[2] Phil Jackson, Kevin Durant continue war of words - NBA - SI.com
[3] The Official Home of Kevin Durant
[4] Kevin Durant - NBA.com
[5] Kevin Durant Stats, News, Photos - Oklahoma City Thunder - ESPN
[6] Kevin Durant - Wikipedia