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Clippers, Cavaliers Have Closeouts on Their Minds

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, right, drives past Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series in Chicago on Sunday, May 10, 2015. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, right, drives past Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series in Chicago on Sunday, May 10, 2015. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Jon Krawczynski, ASSOCIATED PRESS

 
(AP) — As the stakes get higher in these NBA playoffs, LeBron James only seems to get better.

The best player in the world has found another gear as he tries to will the Cleveland Cavaliers forward, even as the injuries mount on his teammates and his own body.

“I don’t know if there’s a player anywhere that understands better what time it is,” Cavaliers coach David Blatt said Wednesday. “He just knows what time it is.”

It’s closing time. For his Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

James and the Cavaliers head into Chicago with a 3-2 lead over the Bulls in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals. The Clippers hold a 3-2 lead over Houston and can close out the Rockets in the Western Conference with a victory in Los Angeles in the other game tonight.

The Cavaliers and Clippers have arguably been the two most consistently impressive teams in the postseason to this point. The Clippers knocked off defending champion San Antonio in a stirring seven-game series to start the playoffs and have made the Rockets think twice about their hack-a-Jordan strategy in the semifinals.

And with Kevin Love out with a shoulder injury and Kyrie Irving trying to gut through injuries to both legs, James has again taken the team on his broad shoulders and carried them to the brink of the Eastern Conference finals. He had 38 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals, three blocks and no turnovers in Cleveland’s 106-101 victory over the Bulls in Game 5, a box-filling stat line the likes of which has never been seen in the NBA playoffs.

“We ask a lot of him and he delivers a lot,” Blatt said. “We’ve asked him to be aggressive and to be in attack mode and not to hesitate. He’s doing it.”

The last thing the Clippers or Cavaliers want is a Game 7.

Anything can happen in the final game of the series. A fluke bounce, a bad call, and especially in these playoffs, an injury to a key player. So James and Chris Paul of the Clippers don’t want to take any chances.

“There’s got to be a sense of desperation in a way that brings the best out of you, the most fight out of you, the best spirit and effort out of you. … But as far as anxiety or nerves, no,” Bulls forward Pau Gasol said. “Right now, we understand the position we are in. We’ve got to win two games to advance.”

Here is a look at the two games, with start times in EST.

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Cavaliers at Bulls, Cleveland leads 3-2, 8 p.m., ESPN

The Bulls got some good news Wednesday when Gasol’s strained left hamstring improved enough to list him as probable for Game 6.

Gasol has missed the past two games of the series, and the Bulls have sorely missed his presence on the glass and his ability to stretch the Cavaliers defense with his mid-range jumper. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds in their Game 1 win at Cleveland, forcing the Cavaliers to make major adjustments in how they defend the Bulls’ pick-and-pop offense.

The team that has won the rebounding battle has emerged victorious in each of the five games to this point, so getting Gasol’s instincts back on the court and perhaps allowing coach Tom Thibodeau to not have to play the struggling Joakim Noah as much should give the Bulls a boost.

“I feel like when we have lost a couple games in a row, we’ve always reacted well and we always play our best,” Gasol said. “We seem like we need that sense of urgency and desperation in order for us to have a great focus, a great intensity.”

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Rockets at Clippers, Los Angeles leads 3-2, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

The difference in Game 5 for the Rockets wasn’t their ability to keep DeAndre Jordan from destroying them on the glass or Blake Griffin from taking over the game. It was forcing the Clippers’ 3-point shooters, especially J.J. Redick, into off nights.

Redick was tremendous in the first four games of the series, but went just 1 for 8 on 3s in Game 5. Jamal Crawford was 2 for 10 from the field and Matt Barnes was 1 for 8, allowing the Rockets to focus more on attacking the glass and limiting second-chance opportunities.

“If we’re going to allow them to get into the paint the way they did then we’re going to struggle,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “That’s clearly an area where we have to improve on.”

Houston out-rebounded the Clippers 58-39, with James Harden grabbing 11 boards and Dwight Howard 15. They’ll need much more of that kind of production at Staples Center to stay alive in the series.

“I’vebeen waiting for that team to show up for a while, and that’s how we have to play,” coach Kevin McHale said. “We have to play downhill and attack.”

 

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AP Sports Writers Tom Withers in Cleveland, Kristie Rieken in Houston, Andrew Seligman in Chicago and Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Business

Sacramento Kings and Black-Owned Digital License Plate Firm Enter History-Making Partnership

Reviver founder and Chief Strategy Officer Neville Boston attended the Sacramento Kings’ season opener at Golden 1 Center, witnessing players debut the company’s patch. Reviver proudly supports the Sacramento Kings’ community and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media (CBM).

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Reviver founder and Chief Strategy Officer Neville Boston attended the Sacramento Kings' season opener at Golden 1 Center, witnessing players debut the company's patch. Reviver proudly supports the Sacramento Kings' community and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media (CBM).
Reviver founder and Chief Strategy Officer Neville Boston attended the Sacramento Kings' season opener at Golden 1 Center, witnessing players debut the company's patch. Reviver proudly supports the Sacramento Kings' community and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media (CBM).

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media 

Reviver, the world’s first digital license plate and connected vehicle platform, has entered into a history-making jersey patch partnership with the Sacramento Kings, team officials announced right before the team’s season opener on Oct. 24.

The collaboration establishes Reviver as the first Black-founded technology jersey patch partner in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The Reviver logo now appears on the left front strap of Kings’ uniforms.

Reviver founder and Chief Strategy Officer Neville Boston was in attendance to see the company’s patch worn by the Kings, during a game with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.

“It was an absolutely amazing night. More than I ever expected,” Boston told California Black Media (CBM). “The Sacramento Kings have been incredible. On a national, and maybe a worldwide level, this partnership raises the profile of Reviver with the assistance of (Kings chairman and CEO) Vivek Ranadivé and the Kings.”

According to the Kings’ brass, Reviver, supported by the Black Star Fund, a Black-led venture capital firm based in Sacramento, is now an official “innovation partner” of the Kings and Golden 1 Center; a presenting partner of “Capitalize Technology,” a King’s corporate social investment initiative; and the exclusive digital license plate of the Sacramento Kings.

Headquartered in Granite Bay, a suburb of Sacramento, Reviver was born from a vision to modernize and streamline the vehicle registration renewal process. On Jan. 1, 2023, the state of California joined Georgia, Colorado, Michigan, and Arizona as states that have approved digital license plates for use statewide, after Reviver completed a four-year pilot program that evaluated a replacement for metal plates.

About 10,000 California drivers bought digital plates during the pilot program. Vehicles registered with the state are eligible to adopt the new high-tech tags. Reviver existence was made possible when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 984 in September 2022.

Under that law, California vehicle owners can update their titles, registrations, and other records remotely. In addition, the digital license “RPlate” includes a flashing message if a vehicle is reported stolen or if there is an Amber Alert.

Ranadivé is spreading the news that Reviver has international potential.

“This jersey patch partnership with Reviver continues the Kings long tradition of using our global platform to promote innovation and technology,” Ranadivé stated. “It’s particularly exciting to showcase a homegrown company that was part of our Kings Capitalize program. This is just the beginning of our work together, and we look forward to helping Reviver in its mission to modernize the driving experience.”

The commercial use of patches in professional basketball all began in 2009 when the Women’s Basketball Association (WNBA) Phoenix Mercury removed its name to replace it with sponsor, LifeLock, an identity-theft protection company. The landmark deal netted a contract worth about $1 million annually.

Kindra Montgomery-Block, vice president of diversity, equity, and social impact for the Sacramento Kings, was the integral facilitator who assisted Boston and his team in connecting with the sports franchise that is boasting 40 years in the Capital City.

“This partnership between the Kings and Reviver, backed by the Black Star Fund, will invest in the Sacramento community to promote technology and innovation in the region,” Montgomery-Block stated. “Reviver will support the Sacramento Kings community and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.”

Editor’s Note: Neville Boston is a California Black Media board member.

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Black History

Martial Artist Victor Moore: An American Karate and Kickboxing Pioneer

Throughout his career, Moore defeated many national champions, including Joe Lewis, Mike Stone, and Bill “Superfoot” Wallace. Moore placed in every tournament he competed in from 1965 until his retirement in 1975, defeating renowned national champions such as Mike Foster, Chuck Norris, Fred Wren, Glenn Keeney, James Hawkes, and Jim Kelly. Moore emphasizes that winning or losing does not diminish a champion’s credibility — they are all champions in his eyes.

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Photo Courtesy of BlackPast.Org
Photo Courtesy of BlackPast.Org

By Tamara Shiloh

Victor Moore, born on Aug. 23, 1943, holds a 10th-degree Black Belt in Karate and is a four-time world karate champion.

As one of the chief instructors under Robert Trias in the Shuri-ryu Karate system, Moore was also among the first ten members of the Trias International Society. Over his 50-year martial arts career, he trained in various styles, including Chito-ryu with William J. Dometrich, Judo, Kempo, and Bondo karate.

Moore began his martial arts journey at the age of 7 in Cincinnati, lifting weights and reading Charles Atlas books to guide his training. By age 9, he had learned the basics of jujitsu and judo, and at 12, he began training in Kempo karate under Ronald Williams, who awarded him his first black belt after five years of instruction.

In 1961, Moore expanded his training by joining a judo school led by Ray Hughes and later trained in Gyu Ryu-karate under Harvey Eubanks. He studied Kempo with Bill Dometrich and continued exploring different karate styles. Instructors at the time, required students to start as white belts in each new style, even if they held black belts elsewhere, which shaped Moore’s adaptability.

Chung Ling, an exchange student from China, introduced Moore and others to Chuan Fa, enhancing Moore’s understanding of martial arts. He also took up judo at a school in Cincinnati, where he earned his brown belt, and trained in karate with Jim Wax, who had studied under the Shimabuku brothers. Moore’s toughness was further honed by his boxing experience at the 9th Street YMCA, where he became a sparring partner for Tiger Joe Harris.

At Central State University, Professor Barry Yasuto trained Moore in Shotokan karate, but Moore was denied entry to the Japanese Karate Association, possibly due to his race. After returning to Cincinnati, Moore opened his first karate school and began competing in national tournaments. He traveled across the U.S., eventually meeting Robert Trias, who became his mentor and helped him rise to the second-degree black belt level. Under Trias, Moore continued training in Kempo and Goju-Ryu styles.

Moore also trained under Dr. Maung Gyi, learning Bondo karate, stick fighting, and kickboxing. In 1973, Moore and Joe Lewis introduced kickboxing to America on the Merv Griffin TV show. Moore competed in the first kickboxing tournament in the U.S., facing Jim Harrison in a historic fight.

Throughout his career, Moore defeated many national champions, including Joe Lewis, Mike Stone, and Bill “Superfoot” Wallace. Moore placed in every tournament he competed in from 1965 until his retirement in 1975, defeating renowned national champions such as Mike Foster, Chuck Norris, Fred Wren, Glenn Keeney, James Hawkes, and Jim Kelly. Moore emphasizes that winning or losing does not diminish a champion’s credibility — they are all champions in his eyes.

Moore continues to teach martial arts, working with instructors and students nationwide. His daughters, Vickie and Vonnie, and his son, Vanceston, also train under his guidance.

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Bay Area

Cal State East Bay Athletic Department Holds Hall of Fame Gala

The university honored exceptional athletes, teams, and coaches at their annual celebration before 200 guests. The Class of 2024 included the 1999-2000 Pioneer Softball Team that won the Cal Pac Championship in 2000 and went on to win the first two games of the NAIA Region II Playoffs and combined 32-3 in CalPac over the two seasons.

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Honoree Lorenzo Hall of CSUEB's Men's Basketball Team 1986-1990 surrounded by his family at the CSUEB 2024 Pioneer Hall of Fame Gala at the Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, California. Photo Courtesy of Dr. LaQuitta Simms.
Honoree Lorenzo Hall of CSUEB's Men's Basketball Team 1986-1990 surrounded by his family at the CSUEB 2024 Pioneer Hall of Fame Gala at the Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward, California. Photo Courtesy of Dr. LaQuitta Simms.

By Carla Thomas

California State University East Bay Athletics (CSUEB) hosted their 2024 Pioneer Hall of Fame Gala at the Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The university honored exceptional athletes, teams, and coaches at their annual celebration before 200 guests.

The Class of 2024 included the 1999-2000 Pioneer Softball Team that won the Cal Pac Championship in 2000 and went on to win the first two games of the NAIA Region II Playoffs and combined 32-3 in CalPac over the two seasons.

The 1999 CalPac Player of the Year was Pioneer Hall-of-Famer Danielle Stines and also on the 1999 team was Pioneer Hall-of-Famer Angel Alcorcha.

In 2000, the Pioneers swept the premier CalPac Awards, and Rachel Abrams was named Player of the Year, Christy Smith was named Pitcher of the Year, and Karen Lee Yoder (Matteson) was named Coach of the Year. Their team record for batting average in 1999 still stands after 25 years with an amazing combined .347.

Lorenzo Hall of CSUEB’s Men’s Basketball Team 1986-1990 was recognized for his achievements as a two-time All-NCAC selection, ranking in the top-10 in program history for assists, steals, free throw percentage and scoring.

At the time of his graduation, Hall held NCAC records for assists and steals. He also served as an assistant coach for the Pioneers after his playing career and created the nonprofit First Step Basketball to guide the next generation of young athletes.

Inductee and Women’s Gymnastics Coach Dorie Krepton of 1971-1985 led the team through winning 145 of 171 meets, 84% of their competition.

Through her 14 years of leading the Pioneers, Krepton coached the program to five Golden Gate Conference Championships, and the team qualified and participated in six NCAA Gymnastics National Championships. She also coached 10 All-American Athletes, including Pioneer Hall of Famers Holly Moore Leonard and Janet Kramer.

The seven-time Coach of the Year honoree served as Kinesiology and Physical Education professor emeritus at Cal State East Bay, which offered a degree option in exercise nutrition in the Kinesiology Department.

Bob Olsen of the CSUEB Men’s Track and Field Team, 1976-1979, was a member of 1977 NCAA Division II National Championship team and the two-time Far Western Conference Champion in pole vault, 1978 and 1979. Olsen was a four-time All-Conference selection and in 1976, Olsen became the first freshman pole vaulter in Division II to clear 16 feet.

Olsen was in the top 10 in the pole vault at the NCAA Division II Championships four times in his career.

Honoree Kulwant Singh served as the men’s and women’s assistant soccer coach from 1983-1990. The women’s team won six straight conference championships from 1984 to 1989. Singh served on the coaching staff alongside Pioneer Hall of Famer Colin Lindores.

In 1985, Singh coached the women’s team to an undefeated regular season (18-0) and lost to UC Santa Barbara on a golden goal in the NCAA playoffs. Singh was assistant coach for the 1988 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship team and helped the 1989 men’s soccer team reach the NCAA Division II Championship semifinals.

Singh also played on the pitch as a Pioneer before coaching in Hayward and currently serves as commissioner for the Central Valley Conference.

The inductees also participated in several days of alumni activity, beginning with Pioneer Alumni Day on Thursday, Oct. 17.

With the addition of the new members, the Pioneers Hall of Fame now features 119 individuals and four teams.

During sports seasons, the Pioneer Gymnasium is open to the public, and guests can view the school’s Hall of Fame Wall.

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