LOS ANGELES — After weeks of negotiations and intrigue, Doc Rivers has officially left the Boston Celtics for the Los Angeles Clippers. LA Clippers finalize Doc Rivers’ move from Boston ADVERTISING LOS ANGELES — After weeks of negotiations and intrigue,
LA Clippers finalize
Doc Rivers’ move
from Boston
LOS ANGELES — After weeks of negotiations and intrigue, Doc Rivers has officially left the Boston Celtics for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Rivers will be introduced as the Clippers’ new coach and senior vice president of basketball operations at a news conference Wednesday at their Playa Vista training complex, capping a lengthy process by completing a rare trade involving a championship-winning coach.
The Clippers and Celtics finalized the move Tuesday when the NBA approved the deal. Boston will get an unprotected first-round pick in 2015 from the Clippers for Rivers, who went 416-305 and won the 2008 NBA title during nine seasons with the Celtics.
Boston’s front office mostly had warm words for Rivers after he took off for his exciting new team on the West Coast, apparently not eager to stick around for the aging Celtics’ rebuilding process.
“We don’t have a championship without Doc Rivers coaching,” said Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations. “He did an unbelievable job. He has a long history of great success with us in the last nine years, and we wish him the best in Los Angeles.”
Cubs designate closer Carlos Marmol for assignment
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs designated former All-Star Carlos Marmol for assignment on Tuesday, parting ways with the struggling reliever.
Chicago has 10 days to trade or release him or send him outright to the minors if he clears waivers. The 30-year-old Marmol was 2-4 with two saves and a 5.86 ERA in 31 appearances this season, striking out 32 while walking 21 batters.
An All-Star as a setup man in 2008, Marmol became the team’s closer in late 2009 and compiled 117 saves, third on the Cubs all-time list. He was 23-32 with a 3.50 ERA in 483 appearances in parts of eight seasons with Chicago and is just the fifth player in franchise history with 20 or more saves in three straight seasons, along with Ryan Dempster, Randy Myers, Lee Smith and Bruce Sutter.
His best year as closer was 2010, when he finished with 38 saves in 43 chances. He posted a 2.55 ERA with 138 strikeouts and 52 walks that season and followed that up with 34 saves in 2011. But he blew 10 chances that year and posted a 4.01 ERA.
Canucks hire
fired Rangers coach John Tortorella
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — New Vancouver Canucks coach John Tortorella was surprised the subject of his famous temper didn’t come up in the first question of his introductory news conference on Tuesday.
But he didn’t get angry or yell.
The 55-year-old Boston native admitted his reputation needs some work, and he vowed to improve it as he attempts to give Vancouver a long-awaited Stanley Cup title.
The Canucks hired the fiery Tortorella as the replacement for Alain Vigneault, the winningest coach in franchise history. Known for being abrasive, Tortorella is perceived as a bench boss who can lose his temper quickly, sometimes blasts players in public, and has little time for questions from reporters.
Vigneault, who was hired last week by the New York Rangers to replace the fired Tortorella, was known more as a cerebral coach who laughed on many occasions and had a rapport with the media.
But Tortorella, dressed in a dark suit and tie and smiling at times, turned on the charm on Tuesday, and even thanked a reporter for her question.
AP Source: Grizzlies negotiating
with Joerger
Memphis is negotiating with assistant Dave Joerger to become the Grizzlies’ head coach, said a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the final deal hasn’t been reached yet.
ESPN.com first reported the negotiations.
This would be Joerger’s first NBA head coaching job. He had been an assistant the past six seasons with the Grizzlies under coach Marc Iavaroni and later Lionel Hollins, who whose contract was not renewed earlier this month despite leading Memphis to a 56-26 record and a Western Conference finals appearance.
The Grizzlies also interviewed George Karl, the NBA coach of the year before being fired by Denver, Chicago Bulls assistant Ed Pinckney and former Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry.
Keeping Joerger would help the Grizzlies maintain some continuity in the locker room with Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph. He was the lead assistant coach and helped coordinate a defense that helped Memphis allow a league-low 89.3 points per game this season.
Documents sealed
in death near
Patriot TE’s home
ATTLEBORO, Mass. — A Massachusetts court said Tuesday it has sealed documents related to the killing of a semi-pro football player found dead a mile from the home of Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.
Attleboro District Court officials said documents related to the case, including search warrants, have been impounded, meaning the public can’t see them. No charges have been filed.
State police have searched in and around Hernandez’s home in North Attleborough several times. At least three search warrants have been issued in connection with the investigation.
Odin Lloyd, who played for the semi-pro Boston Bandits, was found slain June 17. The 27-year-old’s relatives said he was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee and that the two men were friends.
Stranahan, amateur great, dies at 90
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —Frank Stranahan, the premier amateur of his era who contended for majors and was the first notable player to make fitness a regimen in golf, has died. He was 90.
Stranahan, who died Sunday in Hospice of Palm Beach County, was regarded as the best amateur since Bobby Jones. Quattlebaum Funeral Home, which did not disclose his cause of death, said a memorial service was planned July 2.
From wire sources
