Former Cats in the NBA

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:06 pm

Derrick signed a 10 day contract with the Cavaliers! Playing tonight and will probably get decent minutes since LBJ, Love and Channing are resting

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Thu Feb 09, 2017 7:54 pm

whatisee · Post by **whatisee** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 7:54 am

Looks like DWill's career has new life. The Warriors have Wildcat's, so Lebroj needed some too.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 8:04 pm

EOCT · Post by **EOCT** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:24 pm

I'm feeling really selfish this morning. I dreampt the The Lakers picked up DW fast when/if the 10 days expires without a contract. Then they made a deal with the 76ers for TJ and Embid, giving DeAngelo Russell and Nick Young.

Embid healed fast and Luke then integrated the newbies immediately and made the Playoffs.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Fri Feb 17, 2017 1:51 pm

http://cavaliers.247sports.com/Bolt/Rep ... n-51341406" target="_blank

They are going to sign him to a minimum contract in approximately 11 more days. But there won't be a team option. Williams signed a $4.6 million deal with the Heat last summer. He's earned at least $26 million over his six seasons. So he doesn't "need" the security of a veteran's minimum contract. He will sign with the Cavs for the rest of the season and then seek a bigger payday as a free agent in the off-season.

Because of salary cap restrictions, the Cavs would only be able to offer him the mid-level taxpayer's exception, which this season is about $3.5 million. By the way, the Cavs will sign Williams to a second 10-day contract instead of inking him for the rest of the season Saturday so they can maintain ultimate roster flexibility through Thursday's trade deadline. But he's definitely in their plans. I mean, they think he'll help against Golden State, after all.

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 6:50 pm

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 6:58 pm

Jefe wrote:http://cavaliers.247sports.com/Bolt/Rep ... n-51341406
They are going to sign him to a minimum contract in approximately 11 more days. But there won't be a team option. Williams signed a $4.6 million deal with the Heat last summer. He's earned at least $26 million over his six seasons. So he doesn't "need" the security of a veteran's minimum contract. He will sign with the Cavs for the rest of the season and then seek a bigger payday as a free agent in the off-season.

Because of salary cap restrictions, the Cavs would only be able to offer him the mid-level taxpayer's exception, which this season is about $3.5 million. By the way, the Cavs will sign Williams to a second 10-day contract instead of inking him for the rest of the season Saturday so they can maintain ultimate roster flexibility through Thursday's trade deadline. But he's definitely in their plans. I mean, they think he'll help against Golden State, after all.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:47 pm

RichardCranium · Post by **RichardCranium** » Thu Mar 02, 2017 2:39 am

Chicat wrote:
Jefe wrote:http://cavaliers.247sports.com/Bolt/Rep ... n-51341406
They are going to sign him to a minimum contract in approximately 11 more days. But there won't be a team option. Williams signed a $4.6 million deal with the Heat last summer. He's earned at least $26 million over his six seasons. So he doesn't "need" the security of a veteran's minimum contract. He will sign with the Cavs for the rest of the season and then seek a bigger payday as a free agent in the off-season.

Because of salary cap restrictions, the Cavs would only be able to offer him the mid-level taxpayer's exception, which this season is about $3.5 million. By the way, the Cavs will sign Williams to a second 10-day contract instead of inking him for the rest of the season Saturday so they can maintain ultimate roster flexibility through Thursday's trade deadline. But he's definitely in their plans. I mean, they think he'll help against Golden State, after all.

So what's the salary cap situation at Cleveland now they have Bogut (who has what? 2 years max in his career?)?

TucsonClip · Post by **TucsonClip** » Thu Mar 02, 2017 11:54 am

RichardCranium wrote:
Chicat wrote:
Jefe wrote:http://cavaliers.247sports.com/Bolt/Rep ... n-51341406
They are going to sign him to a minimum contract in approximately 11 more days. But there won't be a team option. Williams signed a $4.6 million deal with the Heat last summer. He's earned at least $26 million over his six seasons. So he doesn't "need" the security of a veteran's minimum contract. He will sign with the Cavs for the rest of the season and then seek a bigger payday as a free agent in the off-season.

Because of salary cap restrictions, the Cavs would only be able to offer him the mid-level taxpayer's exception, which this season is about $3.5 million. By the way, the Cavs will sign Williams to a second 10-day contract instead of inking him for the rest of the season Saturday so they can maintain ultimate roster flexibility through Thursday's trade deadline. But he's definitely in their plans. I mean, they think he'll help against Golden State, after all.

So what's the salary cap situation at Cleveland now they have Bogut (who has what? 2 years max in his career?)?

Deep into the tax. Doesnt really matter the rest of the season, these guys all sign vet minimum deals.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Mar 02, 2017 4:23 pm

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 3:06 pm

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:30 am

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 4:43 pm

Jefferson filling out his bracket: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18845238" target="_blank

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:17 pm

Not NBA but NJ is getting 19 minutes a game averaging about 9 per

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Mar 30, 2017 1:55 pm

Puerco · Post by **Puerco** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 3:50 am

Jefferson had an interesting stat line in last night's game angainst Indy. 4 minutes, zeros across the board. Except in +/-. He was -12. How the hell does that even happen in 4 minutes? Lol...

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 7:53 am

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:25 pm

Start at 26 mins and finish this Jefferson/Frye podcast: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/features/road-trip-170214" target="_blank

At 31 mins Richard talks about Thursday/Saturday road games and how the players would really try to win on Thursday so they could party for 2 straight days. Hung over for Saturday games

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Mon Jun 05, 2017 1:51 pm

Click for the Elliott shot. Stay for the Stoudamire reax.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:04 am

I need that shirt.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:24 am

Chicat wrote:
I need that shirt.

I don't only need that shirt, I would vote for them in a heartbeat! (and not ironically)

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:26 am

Incredible Channing article on the front page of ESPN

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/pr ... -cavs-team" target="_blank

How longtime veteran Channing Frye bonded LeBron, Kevin Love and the Cavs

THE CAVALIERS' GROUP TEXT chain is aptly named BORED. Channing Frye's nimble mind requires constant stimulation, so he instituted BORED shortly after he joined Cleveland in February 2016, contacting the entire roster and encouraging all of his new teammates to share random thoughts.

Last week's BORED text chain, on the eve of the NBA Finals, tackled the burning question of which muscle man is the most iconic.

"The Rock or Arnold Schwarzenegger?" Frye texted. "I'll take The Rock."

The rebukes were fast and furious. LeBron James and Kevin Love, fervent Schwarzenegger backers, immediately fired back with a slew of insults directed at Frye.

"They were killing me," Frye said, grinning. "So let them have a little fun at my expense. It gives them common ground.

"And that's good."

There was a time when neither James nor Love could have envisioned joining forces as a tag-team texting tandem. Their relationship was stilted, uneven, awkward. It wasn't a matter of dislike, but more a disconnect between two talented players who were struggling to establish a healthy communication on and off the court.

Cavs players say Frye is the one who changed that.

"We were a good group before Channing got here, but he came in and connected some important dots," said Cavs forward Richard Jefferson, who signed with Cleveland in August 2015. "He found a way to have LeBron and Kevin see each other in a different manner."

Just days before the NBA trade deadline in February 2016, James got word that the Cavaliers planned to swap one of his favorite teammates, Anderson Varejao, to acquire Frye. Though Varejao had played sparingly that season, James had concerns about losing such a positive locker room presence.

"Hey, RJ," James asked Jefferson. "What about Channing Frye? How's he going to fit with us?"

"Man, you are gonna love him," Jefferson said. "He will bring us all closer. You'll see."

"That," James says now, "was all I needed to hear."

Frye, a stretch big man, proved to be a valuable role player in the rotation, but his influence extended far beyond that. He quickly emerged as the "glue guy" in the Cavs' locker room, a man who bonded the team and helped lead the Cavs to the first championship in franchise history last June.

"Channing is the middle man," LeBron says. "He bridges the gap. He's perfect for our culture.

"We needed him."

GLUE GUYS TAKE ON many forms. Sometimes they are the best players, redoubtable both in performance and preparation (see: Tim Duncan). Sometimes, more than one player cements team chemistry. The 2015 Warriors, for instance, relied on the whimsical lightness of Leandro Barbosa to infuse the team with energy and play the role of the Draymond Green whisperer. Golden State also leaned on the experience of Andre Iguodala, who, when situations called for a little more gravity, exhibited an invaluable edge.

More often, though, glue guys are the veterans who have been there and done that, imparting their wisdom, toughness or positivity to a team.

James says Udonis Haslem kept the Miami Heat on course during their 2012 and 2013 title runs. Haslem endeared himself to teammates, James says, with an unparalleled work ethic and a willingness to challenge everyone, including the elite stars. "Guys like him are so important," James says now. "When UD spoke, we listened, because it always came from the heart."

It wasn't Haslem's first Heat rodeo. Shaquille O'Neal also singles Haslem out as the player who kept the 2006 Heat champions in line. Shaq recalls a 24-point, late-season loss to Chicago that led to a "mini-tussle" in the locker room. Haslem and Alonzo Mourning, Shaq says, quickly called a meeting. "We had some guys -- Antoine Walker, GP (Gary Payton) -- who were partying a little too much in the streets," O'Neal says. "Udonis told us, 'Hey, knock it off. You guys better get serious or we're not going to win anything.'"

The glue that held the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks together? Veteran point guard Jason Kidd, says Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle. During a nine-game stretch when Dirk Nowitzki was sidelined with an injury and the team went 2-7, Kidd called a players-only meeting, scolded his teammates for feeling sorry for themselves, and then galvanized them going forward. "He was already acting like a coach, both on and off the floor," Carlisle says.

James Posey cemented his status as the glue guy of the 2008 Celtics when, during the team's preseason trip to Rome, the players were scrimmaging in a tiny gym and the second unit scored a string of baskets. Kevin Garnett, Posey says, cheated the second-teamers out of a point and declared the starting five the winners. Posey called him out and wound up chest to chest with Garnett. "I don't care how good you are," Posey growled, "you have to be accountable like the rest of us."

"It was the moment," says former Celtics coach Doc Rivers, "that set the tone for the entire season."

Posey, now an assistant coach with Cleveland, says he was impressed with how deftly Frye was able to engage James and Love in dialogues ranging from the pick-and-roll to the latest blockbuster film -- or the science of the human spirit.

"Channing didn't hesitate to tell LeBron and Kevin, 'We need you guys on the same page. We need that trust,'" Posey says. "Their relationship improved so much after that. They stopped taking everything so personally. It became: How can we win together?"

WHEN CLEVELAND ASSEMBLED its championship core in August 2014, it centered on three alpha males. James, the undisputed leader, was the extrovert. Kyrie Irving, the young upstart, was the introvert. Love, who came from Minnesota where he was the focal point of the offense, was the newcomer who initially kept to himself.

"There was a lot of pressure on all three of them," Jefferson says. "You have this situation where LeBron and Kyrie have the ball in their hands. Kevin is dependent on others to get him the ball. It was difficult in the beginning for him to navigate that."

On Feb. 7, 2015, after Love scored just 5 points on 2-of-8 shooting, James famously tweeted, "Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be a part of something special! Just my thoughts." James later confirmed the comments were directed toward Love.

After a sweep of the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals that May, LeBron celebrated by frolicking in a hot tub with a bottle of champagne, mimicking Chedda Da Connect's lyrics in "Flicka Da Wrist." JR Smith and Iman Shumpert joined him, with Irving flexing his biceps behind them and veteran Kendrick Perkins, wrapped in a towel, holding fast to a pair of ice packs on his knees. The video went viral, with the chatter revolving around Love being noticeably absent from the scene.

"Kevin [Love] used to say, 'Man, all I do is shoot 3s.' Then Channing comes in and says, 'This is awesome! All we do is shoot 3s!' So now Kevin stops and realizes, 'Yeah, I guess we do get a lot of open 3s.'"

Nearly nine months later, when Frye joined the Cavs, he walked into team film sessions and plopped down in the middle of LeBron and his trusted friends Smith and Tristan Thompson. "Who's sitting here?" he'd ask, then motion to Love, "Hey, Kev, there's a seat next to me." Frye rotated his position daily, elbowing up to Irving one day, Shumpert the next.

Frye was puzzled, he says, by the tenor of the group as a whole. He asked Jefferson, his friend of two decades, why the Cavs were so serious all the time.

"Channing says to RJ, 'We're the No. 1 team in the East. We have an opportunity to fight to compete for a title every year. Why aren't these guys having fun playing together?'" Love says. "RJ stepped back and said, 'You know what? He's got a point.'"

Frye was incredulous to learn the team had never gone out together for a pre-playoff meal. So, shortly before the 2016 postseason started, he booked a restaurant in the Flats on the Cleveland waterfront called Alley Cat and instructed everyone via BORED to be there at 8.

The Cavs boasted perfect attendance that night, noshing together on steaks, fish and salads, trading basketball stories and drowning out the NBA game on the flat-screen television behind them with laughter. When dinner ended at 10, RJ turned to the team.

"What do you guys want to do?"

Hanging in downtown Cleveland is a major hassle for LeBron, who is swarmed wherever he goes, but on this night he joined his teammates at the Punch Bowl Social a block away for a nightcap. One drink led to another, and soon the team, in unison, dropped in on another local bar.

"It was a great night," Frye says. "Guys walked out asking, 'When are we doing this again?'"

The BORED text chain continued to grow. Frye, whose corny jokes made him an easy target, managed to engage and unite the best players on his team by happily serving as their foil. No matter what subject he picked -- a favorite song, a favorite car, a favorite breakfast pastry -- his new teammates gleefully reveled in denigrating him for his choices.

Frye inundated the team with a stream of GIFs in the BORED text chain. The video clips ranged from a scene from "The Office" ("That's what she said!") to a cartoon of a skunk to footage of LeBron flopping.

The BORED chain became a place to vent after a bad game or to brag after a good one. If a Cavs player suffered an embarrassing miscue, there was a good chance it would pop up with sarcastic reassurances from teammates, such as, "Don't worry. You don't suck all the time!" Nobody was immune, but there was no doubt who wore the biggest bull's-eye on his back.

"LeBron, me, RJ, we all started feeding off the texts and turned into a 'bash Channing' session," Love says. "That was something we could all join in on."

Frye became a regular visitor to Love's house. If they made dinner plans for 7, he showed up at 3 and ate much of the food Love planned to serve. He became Love's trusted friend and convinced Love to view his role on the team in a different light.

"Kevin used to say, 'Man, all I do is shoot 3s,'" Jefferson says. "Then Channing comes in and says, 'This is awesome! All we do is shoot 3s!' So now Kevin stops and realizes, 'Yeah, I guess we do get a lot of open 3s.'"

After the opening round of the playoffs in April 2016, when the Cavs swept the Celtics, LeBron posted an image of himself, Smith and Thompson lounging on the couch in James' Akron home, smoking a celebratory cigar. The tag read, "Enjoying the fruits of our labor."

Frye, who was at Love's house that night with Jefferson, decided to counter. They squished onto Love's couch, filled their wine glasses and responded, "Enjoying the fruits of OUR labor."

Love came up with an idea: What if the whole team celebrated every series win at his house, where his chef could prepare them a private meal?

This year, after series wins over Indiana, Toronto and Boston, the team convened at Chez Love for its postgame revelry.

"It's been a real treat to have Kev open up his home to us," LeBron says. "He's a great guy."

Love insists his relationship with James was never as bad as it has been portrayed, but acknowledges the team's chemistry "is so much better now because of Channing."

Thompson, for his part, points to Cleveland's 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals last June as evidence for why this matters.

"Because Channing helped our team come together, when we got in some tough situations, like being down 3-1, we were able to band together and get through it," he says.

"Normally," Jefferson says, "guys in that situation start to splinter, they point fingers, which is 100 percent natural. But we collectively said, 'No, we're not doing that. We're getting out of this mess together.'"

Teammates agree that Frye has changed the chemistry of the Cavs for the better. And they have a championship to show for it. John Minchillo/AP
AND SO IT IS that the Cavaliers find themselves in a 2-0 hole against the Warriors as they return to Quicken Loans Arena -- same as last season -- having been badly outplayed in both losses.

It has been a difficult season for Frye. Both of his parents died, within weeks of one another, leaving the man who has held up his teammates in need of uplifting himself.

Frye did not play in the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics. He didn't play a minute in the Cavs' Game 1 loss to the Warriors and logged just 11 minutes in their Game 2 loss.

The glue guy would like to play more.

But in many ways, Channing Frye's work is already done.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:34 am

That was awesome.

Always loved Channing.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:57 am

Gets me a little misty thinking of the fact that the culture Lute brought to Arizona has resulted in a whole bunch of really amazing people who now represent The A professionally in such quality ways. When I hear Kerr speak his mind or Andre interviewed about finance or Channing get articles like this written about him, it brings a tear of pride to my eye.

pokinmik · Post by **pokinmik** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 10:17 am

Shows the az guys know how to kick ass on the court and have fun while doing it.

Bangkok Wildcat · Post by **Bangkok Wildcat** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:13 pm

Wow, thanks for posting that Jefe or I'd have missed it.

Yep, always loved Channing as well as Rj and Kerr. So cool to see these classy guys of the Lute era get the love they deserve. Bear Down.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 9:32 pm

Chicat wrote:Gets me a little misty thinking of the fact that the culture Lute brought to Arizona has resulted in a whole bunch of really amazing people who now represent The A professionally in such quality ways. When I hear Kerr speak his mind or Andre interviewed about finance or Channing get articles like this written about him, it brings a tear of pride to my eye.

Well said as always and agree 150%

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:37 am

Anyone catch the Big3 Tournament on FOX/FS1? Former NBA players competing in a 3on3 tourney in different cities every week. Gus Johnson commentating

Rules: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2716 ... ing-format" target="_blank

Rosters: https://big3.com/league-philosophy/teams" target="_blank

Bibby played against White Chocolate last night. Bibby got cut a few minutes into the game but came back and hit two 4 pointers. Jason Williams went down with a leg injury but should be back soon. Iverson made an appearance as well

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 12:46 pm

Yes. The Big 3 tourney had such a distracting camera angle that even though I'm hard up for basketball, it was hard to watch.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:25 pm

Not a fan of chucking 4 point shots.

Also

For example, say Team A scores on Team B. At that point, Team B will return to the top of the key and switch to offense. In other words, it follows the losers-take format, not the winners-take version.

Played decades of 3 on 3, it's always winner's outs!

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 8:28 pm

Merkin wrote:Not a fan of chucking 4 point shots.

Also

For example, say Team A scores on Team B. At that point, Team B will return to the top of the key and switch to offense. In other words, it follows the losers-take format, not the winners-take version.

Played decades of 3 on 3, it's always winner's outs!

I think 3-on-3 will be an Olympic sport at the next games. I wonder if they'll go with winner's outs. Especially since the USA team will be renowned street ballers instead of NBA players.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Wed Jun 28, 2017 9:14 am

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 8:01 am

Big 3 needs Lavar Ball badly. That dude would bring in so many viewers, and it's not like the dude couldn't beat Jordan.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 8:36 am

rgdeuce wrote:Big 3 needs Lavar Ball badly. That dude would bring in so many viewers, and it's not like the dude couldn't beat Jordan.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:29 am

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:52 am

84Cat wrote:

Arizona Wildcats are taking over!

RichardCranium · Post by **RichardCranium** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 4:36 pm

Chicat wrote:
84Cat wrote:

Arizona Wildcats are taking over!

Congrats, Miles. I lurves me some Wildcats doing well, and you and Luke are doing us proud.

But I hate the Lakers.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Fri Jun 30, 2017 10:21 am

http://tucson.com/news/local/ex-busines ... dfd6d.html" target="_blank

Ex-business manager indicted in $7M defrauding of former UA standout Richard Jefferson

A federal grand jury in Tucson has indicted the ex-business manager of Richard Jefferson, a Cleveland Cavaliers player and former University of Arizona basketball standout, on charges of defrauding Jefferson of $7 million.

Theodore Kritza is charged with 22 counts of bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, according to a June 14 indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning, June 30.

Kritza forged Jefferson's signature on bank documents in 2005 to give himself power of attorney over Jefferson's finances, according to the indictment. Kritza made legitimate payments for Jefferson's bills, but also used millions of dollars for his own benefit.

Jefferson discovered the alleged fraud in 2012 when he bought a home and learned of an outstanding loan and several other loans initiated without his knowledge, according to the 30-page indictment.

Prosecutors said Kritza used his fraudulent power of attorney to renew lines of credit, open new lines of credit, transfer money from Jefferson's accounts into his accounts, and take out a business loan in Jefferson's name.

The indictment said Kritza fraudulently transferred $6.99 million from Jefferson's accounts to his own accounts from 2004 to 2013, when Jefferson froze the accounts. If convicted of the wire fraud charges, prosecutors asked the court to force Kritza to forfeit those funds. They also ask that Kritza forfeit $3.8 million if convicted of the bank fraud charges.

The indictment said Kritza asked Jefferson in 2004 to allow him to use a line of credit, with Kritza's house as collateral. Jefferson gave Kritza verbal permission, thinking Kritza, who was a business partner and friend, would make the payments until the scheduled end of the line of credit.

Instead, Kritza renewed the line of credit without Jefferson's knowledge, and used it for his own personal gain. He did not use his house as collateral, the indictment stated.

As part of the scheme, Kritza deposited millions of dollars obtained from the lines of credit into Jefferson's bank accounts, but then distributed the money among his own bank accounts, according to the indictment.

Kritza also used $980,000 from Jefferson's bank accounts to make payments on American Express Platinum cards in the names of Kritza and his wife between 2009 and 2013, according to the indictment.

The business relationship between Jefferson and Kritza described in the indictment began in 2001, when Jefferson was preparing for the NBA Draft after leaving school a year early. Jefferson hired Scottsdale-based Stratosphere Sports, where Kritza worked, to represent him.

Jefferson gave an agent with Stratosphere Sports, identified in the indictment only by the initials "TE," power of attorney a few months later. He did not give Kritza power of attorney, but Kritza was responsible for organizing Jefferson's finances, paying his credit card bills, and helping him buy cars, among other day-to-day duties.

Kritza started his own company, the Gilbert-based Stratosphere Management, in 2005. Jefferson kept TE as his agent and continued to pay Stratosphere Sports.

Jefferson also agreed to pay Stratosphere Management between $90,000 and $250,000 annually for Kritza’s services in organizing Jefferson's financial accounts and ensuring his bills were paid.

Kritza helped Jefferson open checking and money market accounts at the Tucson branch of Alliance Bank of Arizona. Kritza also opened 18 accounts at Alliance Bank, Bank of America, Mutual of Omaha, and JP Morgan Chase that prosecutors said he used to conceal the fraud scheme.

A public defender is scheduled to appear at Kritza's arraignment Friday, according to the court calendar. The Federal Public Defender’s Office declined to comment. Kritza did not respond to a voicemail and email from the Arizona Daily Star.

Jefferson declined to comment for this story.

The indictment names the victim as "RJ." Jefferson and Kritza have been involved in civil litigation over allegations of multi-million dollar fraud since 2014, state and federal court records show.

Western Alliance Bank sued Jefferson in 2014 in Maricopa County Superior Court for not paying $455,000 owed from a line of credit Jefferson took out with the bank.

In a counter claim filed after the case was removed to federal court in Phoenix, Jefferson said he had no knowledge of the line of credit and alleged Kritza forged his signature. The lawsuit remains ongoing.

The alleged fraudulent activity occurred just as Jefferson’s NBA career was becoming more lucrative. Jefferson earned about $4.5 million over his first three seasons under the NBA’s rookie salary scale, then signed a six-year, $78 million contract extension with the Nets before the 2004-05 season.

Jefferson went on to earn seven-figure salaries for seven seasons in the NBA. He has made $112 million in earnings while playing 15 seasons for seven different teams. Now a 37-year-old veteran, Jefferson remains under a guaranteed contract with the Cavaliers that will pay him $2.5 million next season.

Jefferson averaged 11.2 points, 5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game over three seasons at the UA, and played in the 2001 national championship game.

He remains a popular figure around campus. Arizona's basketball and volleyball teams practice in the Richard Jefferson Gymnasium, which carries his name after he donated $3.5 million to its construction. Jefferson is a Phoenix native who attended Moon Valley High School.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:09 am

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 10:11 am

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Fri Oct 06, 2017 2:59 pm

woops

Kadeem(Celtics) played 2 mins on Monday with no points. Plays against TJ/Bayless tonight

Lauri still hasnt played due to back spasms. Likely to play Sunday

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Fri Oct 06, 2017 4:38 pm

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:50 am

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 7:23 am

Damn...he gonna rep Arizona good in the league.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:05 am

Saw a billboard this morning for the Bulls with him on it.

TucsonClip · Post by **TucsonClip** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:40 am

I still rip into those who proclaimed him a slightly better Channing Frye. They clearly never watched him play.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:43 am

TucsonClip wrote:I still rip into those who proclaimed him a slightly better Channing Frye. They clearly never watched him play.

Check out Channing and Richards reaction on the bench. Surprised by the young fella

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:48 am

I cant find DWill on anyone's roster. Where is he?

Anyone interested in splitting NBA League Pass?

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