Uncontested Shots: The Latest on LeBron’s Movie, Tim Duncan Retiring, the Kings Moving, and More

Media days are behind us. Two-a-days are underway. Pre-season games have even started. I couldn’t be happier. The NBA season kicks off in four weeks and storylines are popping up aplenty.

It’s Friday so that must mean it’s time for my latest round of Uncontested Shots, or should I say, things I was thinking about while wondering if some of these training camp invitees really think they have a shot at making a squad (I’m talking to you, Michael Fey).

More Than A Movie

I was lucky enough to get into an American Film Institute screening last night of More Than A Game—the Kris Delman-directed documentary about LeBron James and his four best friends. The story chronicles how four kids (and eventually five) from Akron, Ohio came together through basketball at 13 and remained united through their senior year of high school.

Delman and I went to Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film & Television together and I couldn’t be more proud to share the association. The film is heartwarming at times, gut-wrenching at others, and worth every bit of it’s 105 minute running time.

Delman started the film as a 10-minute short for a documentary class and would travel back to his hometown of Akron for three weeks at a time to shoot more footage of the team.

The bond between the five kids is something that will last a lifetime. It got me thinking that the easiest way for the Knicks (or any team for that matter) to snag LeBron from Cleveland would be to sign the other four kids and just let them suit up and travel with the team.

I can’t imagine that LeBron could resist the temptation of reuniting with these guys.

I give Delman a lot of credit for not making a movie about LeBron and giving equal time to each of the kid’s stories, as well as head coach, Dru Joyce II. You get the impression that if every inner city had a Dru Joyce to steer kids in the right direction then this country would be a much better place.

The movie opens in Los Angeles, New York, Cleveland, and Akron on Friday. Hopefully it will be well-received enough to convince LionsGate to go wide with the release—if just so the rest of the country can see one of the single-greatest performances in high school basketball history (and it doesn’t belong to LeBron).

Check here for showtimes and/or tickets.

Speaking of LeBron’s free agency, The New York Daily News has debuted it’s LeBron Countdown—reminding us that LeBron’s 271 days from hitting the free agency market (courtesy of Scott at WFNY).

What’s Up With All the Hyphens?

Am I the only one who noticed how many more hyphenated last names there are in sports now or am I just the only one who cares? There’s Maurice Jones-Drew, Lorenzo Mata-Real, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Nik Caner-Medley, Tully Banta-Cain, etc.

Now we can add the newest training camp invitee to the Houston Rockets camp, Rashad Jones-Jennings.

It’s not like I have a problem with it. I’m just curious why it’s happening? Are these kids the sons of divorced parents who are forced to take on both surnames. I know that Jones-Drew is paying homage to his deceased grandfather and Mata-Real wanted to pay tribute to his mother. But what about the rest of these kids?

You know who I really feel bad for are the equipment managers who have to stitch on all the extra letters to their uniforms.

Delonte Reports

Happy to hear that the Cavs’ Delonte West showed up for training camp on Thursday. It’s never good to hear about someone who won’t leave his apartment or answer his phone.

The good thing for West is that he’s got one of the best teammates in Shaq to protect him and help him get through this—regardless of Shaq’s motives.

Let’s not forget that Shaq was the same guy who used a post-game interview to offer to pay for George Mikan’s funeral instead of doing so privately. He’s also the same guy that shows up to Toys R’ Us every Christmas to buy toys for the less fortunate—while bringing a camera crew along for the ride.

If Shaq does provide any help to Delonte during this rough patch you can bet he’ll let us all know about it. Maybe he’ll try to excuse his tardiness to a press conference by telling us he was picking up West’s prescription for Zoloft or buy him a puppy and hand it to him during pregame introductions.

Duncan Thinking About Retirement?

ESPN.com’s Marc Stein did a story on Tim Duncan and the new-look Spurs. Duncan mentioned to Stein that he envisions playing just a couple more seasons before calling it a career.

Duncan, 33, is signed for two more seasons after this upcoming one.

I guess the huge revelation from the piece is that up until this past off-season, the Spurs were stocking cap space with the intention of throwing a big-money offer next summer at Texan Chris Bosh.

It seems as if the team’s health issues last season forced owner Peter Holt and GM R.C. Buford to scrap those plans and focus on the present with the additions of Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Theo Ratliff, and Keith Bogans.

Regardless of when Duncan decides to hang them up, he will go down as one of the best and classiest to ever play the game. If the worst thing people can say about you is that you’re boring then it’s time to stop hating.

Great News For Remaining Sacramento Kings Fans—All Six of Them!

Sacramento Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof told the Sacramento Bee that the team will not file relocation papers with the NBA by the March 2010 deadline:

“”No, no, no. There’s no way,” Maloof told The Bee Wednesday, waving his arms emphatically. “We love the market. We love our fans. This is the only place we want to be.””

The Kings have been trying to build a new arena but the economy has definitely hurt the chances of that happening anytime soon. The good news for the Kings is that the payroll for the 2010-11 season is currently at only $35.2 million. That’s when the horrible contract of Kenny Thomas will finally expire (he was part of the Chris Webber to Philly trade) and the contracts of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Mikki Moore will finally come off their cap.

The team’s only free agent worth mentioning next summer is newcomer Sergio Rodriguez. So if the Kings can find a taker for Beno Udrih, Andres Nocionio, or the oft-injured and overpaid Kevin Martin they could be major players in next summer’s free agent market.

I know that Sacramento isn’t amongst the most desired destinations of free agents, but cash is king. In fact, the only free agents the Kings have been able to sign since 1999 are Vlade Divac, Abdur-Rahim, and Mikki Moore.

Other than that, the list is filled with guys like Udrih, Jon Barry, Scot Pollard, Tony Delk, Bill Wennington, Keon Clark, Damon Jones, Jim Jackson, Anthony Peeler, Greg Ostertag, Maurice Evans, John Salmons, Desmond Mason, and Sean May. Not exactly All-Stars.

I doubt that the Kings could find a taker for Udrih and the remaining four years and more than $28 million left on his deal but it shouldn’t be hard to find someone to make a play for Nocioni, who has three years and about $22 million left plus a team option for a fourth year in 2012-13.

Quick Hits

• Can you name all 30 NBA arenas in six minutes? Try here. I got 28 out of 30 and one of the ones I missed was because of a word I missed from the title.
• Check out Chris Paul’s off-the-ceiling trick shot (Ball Don’t Lie).
• Craig Ehlo has some advice for fellow MJ-victim, Bryon Russell (AOL Fanhouse).
• Eddie Johnson talks about what training camp was like in the 80s and 90s compared to the star treatment today’s NBA players get. (HoopsHype).

Uncontested Shots will debut every Tuesday and Friday from now until at least the start of the season. For up to the minute updates on all free agent happenings and random brilliant thoughts and observations follow Andrew Ungvari on Twitter.