First Cup: Tuesday

• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "The Golden State Warriors spent their summer conducting a national search for a new president and chief operating officer. Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver called this month to tell them who they should hire -- his outgoing president and CEO. Eleven days after his nine-year stint of running the Suns' business ended, Rick Welts accepted a job to run the Warriors' business operations. The hire came a week after his first conversation with new Golden State owner Joe Lacob. 'He (Sarver) really was the one who initiated the conversation on my behalf,' Welts said after the hiring was announced Monday night. 'I had been looking forward to doing different things but the opportunity with this team and this market worked so well for me geographically. I was not able to pass that up and I couldn't be more ecstatic.' Welts, 58, announced he was leaving the Suns on Sept. 9 to get his professional and personal lives aligned. He said he was asking out of his Suns contract 10 months early in order to be closer to his partner, who has joint custody of two children in Sacramento."
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: "Zach Randolph insists that collecting on the first year of a deal that pays $66 million guaranteed with $5 million in incentives isn't his main concern regarding the league-imposed lockout. Randolph says he's willing to miss the 2011-12 NBA regular season and a big payday rather than accept a bad deal. ... 'If that's a sacrifice we have to make (in order) to make it better for the future then, yeah, I'm OK with it,' Randolph said in a telephone interview. 'I'm definitely prepared financially.' Randolph will not attend the union's regional meeting today in Miami. But he's sticking by players association executive director Billy Hunter. 'I sent a text to Billy Hunter two weeks ago and told him he has my full support,' Randolph said. ... Asked what he planned to do if the regular season doesn't start on time, Randolph said he'll attempt to join whatever team center Marc Gasol plays for."
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "Should Kevin Durant be able to diss OU? Tony Jefferson is right. This state supports Durant. And not all, but a good majority of sports fans around here cheer for the crimson and cream. But is that enough to prohibit Durant from being able to rag on OU? Absolutely not. Durant has the freedom, like all of us, to say what he wants. There are always consequences, of course. And if he ever gets cornered by the wrong cut of crimson and cream crazies, pray for him. But we’ll just have to hope it never gets to that. Even if Durant didn’t go to UT, he should be able to voice his opinions, even if they’re negative, about OU. It’s sports. That’s how it works. ... My advice is to let Durant do what he does. He plays his heart out for the Thunder and that should be all that matters. As for the rivalry, and Durant’s needling, just wait for that special weekend in October. Wait until the Sooners smack the Longhorns so good Durant doesn’t want to leave the house. Then let him hear about it. That’s how you handle it. Should Kevin Durant be able to diss OU? You bet."
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: "There were plenty of famous Bucks at the Ozaukee Country Club on Monday for the franchise's annual golf outing. ... Members of the current Bucks coaching staff also were in attendance, including head coach Scott Skiles and assistants Jim Boylan, Joe Wolf, Anthony Goldwire and Bill Peterson. And Sidney Moncrief doubled up as an alum and the newest member of the coaching staff. Don Nelson hired Moncrief for coaching jobs in Dallas and Golden State and said he was delighted the former Bucks star was back with the franchise. 'It was a great hire by the Bucks,' Nelson said. 'He's worked for me two different times. I cried when he left me, but he had to go to another job because they paid more. But I really enjoyed working with Sid and he's an outstanding coach. He demands respect because of what he's done, and he's a great leader.' "
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: "Pistons forward Austin Daye made news last week for signing a two-month contract with Russian basketball team BC Khimki. Before that, he was in the headlines for a scoring binge at the Impact Sports competitive training series, where players gathered for games while waiting for the NBA labor impasse to end. So how does all of this help the Pistons? Whenever the season resumes, it will be time for the 6-foot-11 scorer to start living up to his promise in his third season. Daye told Slam Online at the competitive series in Las Vegas he will be trying to improve in one specific area. 'My rookie year I shot a better percentage from (two-point range) than I did my sophomore year, so I didn't like that at all,' Daye said. 'I've been focused in on that this summer.' "
• Erin Durkin of the New York Daily News: "Jay-Z took a tongue-in-cheek shot at NBA superstar LeBron James on Monday as he christened the NBA team that will soon call his home borough home - the Brooklyn Nets. The New Jersey Nets will take on their new name when the team moves next fall from Newark to the still-being-built Barclays Center on Atlantic Ave. in Prospect Heights. Brooklyn-born Jay-Z, a part owner of the club, will rock the mike to open the new digs, but the rapper wouldn't say how many concerts he will be giving. 'Maybe one. Maybe two. Maybe three,' he said, adding a little joke, 'I sound like LeBron.' The rap mogul was making light of James' declaration of how many NBA titles he would win when he joined the Miami Heat. Sources told the Daily News that Jay-Z will give eight shows during a blowout opening of the new arena."
• Janis Carr of The Orange County Register: "Christmas is around the corner give or take three months and here’s a suggestion for those hard-to-buy for people on your list: a Kobe Bryant signature car. Bryant’s signature Smart car, the limited-edition 'Black Mamba' Fortwo (only 500 were manufactured) recently was released in China. The car features a fully blacked out exterior and interior Brabus wheels. Topping it off is Bryant’s signature 'Kobe Edition' written on the hood. The cost? A mere $19,412. Make that special someone happy and get one before they are gone."

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/32110/first-cup-tuesday-174

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