Sporting the best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors have charged to the top of the standings on the strength of truly inspired team basketball. In the hours before arguably their toughest test yet against LeBron James and the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers at the ACC on Friday night, the organization took time to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela, the personal inspiration of the man at the helm, Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri. Marking the first anniversary of Mandela’s passing, The Giant of Africa presented by Bell was a pre-game celebration of the late former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Funds raised by the event will support both the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Giants of Africa, a not-for-profit organization founded by Ujiri in 2003 to continue to educate and enrich the lives of African youth. As he stepped to the front of the packed house gathered in the teams transformed upper level practice court (which had been rapidly transformed into a red carpet event space for the occasion), the first African-born General Manager in NBA history promised to refrain from firing up the crowd in advance of the impending game, recounting instead the way that meeting Mandela changed his life. Ujiri went on to share his personal reflections on Mandelas legacy, saying, I dont know where the world is going, but Mandela made the world a better place. And even though hes passed, he is going to continue to grow. Through whether it was poverty, diseases, or injustice, Nelson Mandela is a man that stood for us, and the world needs that. The world deserves that. Courtesy: Giants of Africa Twitter The GMs address was a prelude to a panel discussion moderated by TSN’s James Duthie featuring the evenings celebrity guests: a trio of NBA legends in Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Dikembe Mutombo, along with UN Goodwill Ambassador and 1999 Miss Universe winner Mpule Kwelagobe. Much of the panel discussion revolved around the guests personal memories of meeting Mandela, as well as his lifelong determination to create hope and encourage global harmony. Courtesy: Giants of Africa Twitter For me it was a dream come true to meet someone who lifted the world up, taught us so much, inspired me to do what I do every day: look after my people on the continent of Africa. I learned all those lessons from this great man, said Mutombo. It was a group of 14 of us, we had many NBA officials there, and the person he called the name of was Mutombo!!! The NBA legends also touched on the Raptors remarkable run so far this season. After Barkley complimented Toronto, calling the city a clean New York, Johnson commended the team for being a reflection of the tenacity of their GM, and built the case for the Raptors to find success going forward. Theyre a real team, and all they have to do now is build on what happened last season in the playoffs. You always have to gauge yourself on the best, you use that as a barometer to [measure], Okay, where are we against Cleveland, Chicago, Washington? And, Johnson added to the roar of the crowd, the fan base is crazy. That arena last year in the playoffs was one of the loudest arenas Ive ever seen. Other notable guests at the event included Raptors alumnus Tracy McGrady, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier, Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey, Toronto Argos legend Michael “Pinball” Clemons, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, and Amadou Fall, Vice President of NBA Africa. Courtesy: Toronto Raptors Twitter In conjunction with the evening’s theme, limited edition The Giant of Africa t-shirts were sold by the Toronto Raptors Store powered by Real Sports Apparel, with proceeds supporting Giants of Africa. The shirts display messages inspired by Mandela’s five pillars: being a leader, fighting for freedom, creating a better future, committing to the community, and using sport to inspire change. . Alexander was released last week by the Edmonton Eskimos, where he spent the past three seasons at safety. He had 121 defensive tackles, five special teams tackles and seven interceptions in 51 regular-season and three playoff games. . JOHNS, N.
https://www.cheaprocketsonline.com/157z ... ckets.html. Noah finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in 34 minutes. He was headed for his fourth triple-double of the season, but sat down with about three minutes left because of the lopsided score. Kirk Hinrich scored 19 points for Chicago, going 5 for 6 on 3-pointers, Carlos Boozer added 18 points, D. . -- The court fight over NFL concussions should heat up soon as a judge in Philadelphia weighs the fairness of the proposed $765 million settlement. . QUARTERBACKS Carson Palmer (vs Colts)Last week: 30/42, 419 yards, 2 TDsWinners of their last three and now tied for the final wild card spot in the NFC, the Cardinals are worth keeping an eye on.TOKYO -- Two-time world champion Mao Asada won the womens short program on Friday to take a huge step toward winning her fourth NHK Trophy. Asada two-footed her opening triple axel but was solid in all other elements to finish with 71.26 points, five ahead of second-placed Japanese compatriot Akiko Suzuki. "I missed the triple axel, but Im not worried about it. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad," said Asada, who won Skate America, the first Grand Prix of the season. Asada, the 2010 Olympic silver medallist , could secure a place at the GP Final in Fukuoka next month with a podium finish. The NHK and the GP Final are part of Asada s preparations for the Sochi Olympics but she said she wasnt thinking too far ahead. "I wasnt thinking about Sochi, I want to take it one competition at a time this season," Asada said. Gracie Gold of the United States and Elena Radionova were tied for third with 62.83 points. In the mens event, 2010 Olympic bronze medallist Daisuke Takahashi of Japan skated a near flawless routtine to "Sonatino for Violin" to take a commanding lead with 95.dddddddddddd55 points, more than 10 points ahead of Javier Fernandez of Spain, in second. Japans Nobunari Oda under-rotated his opening quad toe loop to "Cotton Club" and was third with 82.70. Takahashi is aiming to bounce back from a disappointing fourth place at Skate America. "After Skate America my coach (Nikolai Morozov) and other staff said my motivation did not look good," Takahashi said. "I have had to reset myself and show my motivation to make it to the Olympics." Fernandez, the defending European champion, touched the ice with his hand on his quad salchow, but still impressed the judges with the remainder of his program. Adam Rippon of the United States stumbled during his step sequence and was fourth. Russias Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov (82.03) lead the pairs, with Chinas Sui Wenjing and Han Cong (70.13) far behind in second. Peng Cheng and Zhang Hao of China were third with 65.09 points. ' ' '
