Hooped Up

It was a real bitter sweet day for Carmelo Anthony.  Getting named to team USA sweet, getting suspended 2 games for a DUI bitter.  Ouch!

The Denver Nuggets suspended NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony for the first two games of the next season as punishment for his April arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.

The announcement by the team Monday comes a day before he is scheduled to enter a plea in the case. Anthony was also named to the U.S. Olympic team Monday.

Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said in a written statement the team will continue to support Anthony as he “strives to live up to the high expectations” set by the Nuggets and by Anthony.

CBC

Team USA is official and here are the members selected by the USA basketball comitee.

Carmelo Anthony
Carlos Boozer
Chris Bosh
Kobe Bryant
Dwight Howard
LeBron James
Jason Kidd
Chris Paul
Tayshaun Prince
Michael Redd
Dwayne Wade
Deron Williams

This is an awesome squad but, who is going to take a back seat to who and who leads this team?

The Pistons really want Carmelo but, why not take Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby if it’s on the table?

The Pistons recently offered Billups and Tayshaun Prince for Anthony, but the Nuggets weren’t interested. Denver countered with an offer of Allen Iverson or a package with Marcus Camby, but the Pistons are only interested in Anthony.

Detroit Free Press

Carmelo Anthony has been named a member of the US Olympics squad for Beijing.

Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball managing director, confirmed Friday Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony will be among 12 players selected later this month to play in Beijing, The Rocky Mountain news reported.

“Yes, he will be,” Colangelo said of Anthony, who was a member of the 2004 Olympic team.

Colangelo hopes Anthony in Beijing will be the same player who has been one of Team USA’s top players the last two summers.

ESPN

If the Pistons pull off this trade without completely ripping the team apart it would give Carmelo Anthony and the Detroit Pistons new life.  But who would the Pistons give up?

It’s no secret NBA front-office executives have tried to measure if the Nuggets might actually be willing to part ways with the 24-year-old Anthony, despite assurances to his agent that Denver is not actively shopping the high-scoring forward on the trade market. Look for the Pistons, who fell just short of reaching the NBA Finals for the third straight season, to be among the teams putting out feelers in regard to Carmelo Anthony’s availability, according to a league source. 

Denver Post 

Nice move “Melo”! So by now, everybody’s heard about Carmelo Anthony’s run in with de law last Sunday night. Today LaLa is denying reports that she refused to pick him up from the thug jug.

Basketball star Carmelo Anthony and his fiancée LaLa Vazquez are speaking out about his DUI arrest – denying Internet reports she was unsupportive and wouldn’t pick him up from the police station.

“I want to make sure the public understands that I fully support my fiancé, Carmelo Anthony, and stand by him through this ordeal. I will always have his back and never refused to pick him up from the police station. In fact, they offered to bring him to me.”

The NBA star reiterated his love for Vazquez in his own statement: “LaLa continues to be a rock in my life, she’s always been there for me through thick and thin.”
People

Sure LaLa…sure.

Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson of the Nuggets are heading to the NBA All-Star Game as starters, sources confirmed today. The official announcement is set for 6 MST tonight on TNT. Anthony’s selection is no surprise since he had been a comfortable second in the previous fan voting at West forward. But Iverson surprisingly moved from third to finish second in the voting at guard to overtake Houston’s Tracy McGrady.

Rocky Mountain News

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony became a father Wednesday afternoon when his fiancee, actress La La Vazquez, gave birth to a son, Kiyan.

Kiyan (pronounced kai-ann) weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long.

Anthony stayed in Denver and will not play against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

Yahoo

Allen Iverson has been in Denver just 2 1/2 months. He already knows he’d like to re-sign in 2 1/2 years.

“I want to be here,” the Nuggets guard said Sunday. “I want to finish my career right here.”

Iverson, 31, admits he’s disappointed with Denver’s play since his Dec. 19 acquisition from Philadelphia. But he believes the future remains bright.

Iverson is under contract next season for $19 million and indicated he has no plans to opt out of the $20.8 million he’s due in 2008-09. When the summer of 2009 arrives, Iverson is hopeful of re-signing.

“I would love to do that,” Iverson said. “Hopefully, that’s the way it will work.”

Rocky Mountain News