News » see how big the impact

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Kemba Walker has seen NBA basketball in Charlotte at its worst. Hes willing to stick around to see it at its best.The diminutive point guard said thats why he agreed to a contract extension Thursday which allows him to remain with the Hornets instead of testing the free agent market.Now that were a good team, I want to keep us good, Walker said Thursday at a press conference at the teams downtown arena. I want to be in the middle of that.Walker signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension with the Hornets, a person familiar with the deal said Tuesday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the deal had not been announced publicly.The Hornets drafted the 6-foot-1 Walker with the ninth pick in 2011. He has started 180 games in three seasons and averages 16 points, 5.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.After agreeing to the contract late Tuesday night, Walker immediately began paying dividends for the Hornets. He hit two huge shots, including the game-winner with 5 seconds left in overtime to propel the Hornets to a 108-106 win over the Bucks in the season opener on Wednesday night.Its been unbelievable, Walker said of the past few days.It wasnt always so great.Walker endured a 7-59 season as a rookie, the worst winning percentage (.106) in NBA history after leading Connecticut to the national championship as a senior.But things have turned around in Charlotte and he and centre Al Jefferson — one of the players Walker helped recruit to the team — are two of the big reasons why.Charlotte won 43 games last season and reached the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. They were swept by the Miami Heat, but are expected to better this season with the addition of another top free agent in Lance Stephenson.From day one we werent so good and you see us now, Walker said. Everyone is talking about us and we come into the season with high expectations. A few years ago it wasnt like that. Im happy to say Ive been a part of this whole rebuilding process. Nike Air Max 90 Fake Kaufen .com) - Maria Sharapova reached her 10th career grand slam final after beating Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets at the Australian Open on Thursday. Nike Air Max Günstig . Its a blessing and a burden for nine sons of former NHL players who are all expected to be taken in the first four rounds of the draft this weekend. https://www.schuheshopschweiz.ch/billige...tellen-d86.html. At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Nike Air Max 97 Günstig . Make that, almost always subjective. Saturday at Carrow Road, the spirit of fair play trumped the rulebook, costing Norwich City three points. Nike Air Max Kaufen Schweiz . Switzerland faces Belgium or Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals in April. Serbia dropped into the World Group playoffs in September. A confident Chiudinelli and Lammer defeated veteran doubles player Zimonjic and young Krajinovic 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2.In a short time at the helm, Tim Leiweke has made a massive impact on Toronto FC and his upcoming departure as president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment will likely lead to some uncertainty as to how the club will move forward. After seven years of failure at TFC, Leiweke started the job of dragging the club off its knees and giving it relevance again in the countrys biggest media market. He has made big progress, but the task is nowhere near finished, and the departure of Leiweke will raise questions about Torontos future ability to compete as one of the top two or three power brokers in Major League Soccer. In MLS, you dont necessarily need to spend mega bucks to bring success – look at last years two MLS Cup finalists, Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake for example - but with Leiweke in charge the goal wasnt just to be good in MLS, it was to become a "super club." He made big, bold promises, and he certainly delivered. On a cold, January day Toronto FC made one of the biggest splashes in Major League Soccer history, introducing not one, but two Designated Players arriving in the league from Europe. The signings of Jermain Defoe from Tottenham Hotspur and Michael Bradley from Roma marked a day in the clubs history that can only be matched in importance by the day the franchise was launched. "A very simple saying we will steal from the Kennedys is appropriate today," Leiweke said when opening the press conference on that day back in January. "Some people see things as they are and say why. Others dream of what can be and they say why not. Today is why not. Why cant we be great?" It was a day that made a big impact within the city of Toronto, but also changed the landscape across Major League Soccer. Those deals set a new standard for MLS, but they also saved the club from obscurity. Toronto had to commit what Leiweke called "financial suicide" to make the signings, but it was the only option att the time.ddddddddddddIn Leiwekes own words, "the patient was dying." The club was on "life support." You cant put a price on saving a club. Since bringing David Beckham to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007, Leiweke shown he has the ability to operate superbly in the global football environment. That ability is something Toronto FC lacked in the past, and will need to ensure they establish post-Leiweke if they are to compete on the biggest stage. Without Leiweke there is no Defoe in Toronto. Without Leiweke there probably wouldnt be the signing of Michael Bradley either. It was his contacts, negotiating skills and sales charm that made those moves a possibility. Having him in charge of TFC opened doors. He also managed to convince the board of directors to splash out enormous sums of money to make those deals a reality. Leiwekes arrival in Toronto was a big win for the MLS team because of his soccer background. He had already achieved a lot within the sports and entertainment business, but he also had a track record in MLS. His interest in the team and the league meant he invested a lot of time into fixing the club. While others in that role may give more time and energy to the Maple Leafs and Raptors, Leiweke was just as invested in getting things right at Toronto FC. He fired TFCs vastly experienced president and general manager Kevin Payne and appointed rookie GM Tim Bezbatchenko from the league office. He stuck with head coach Ryan Nelsen. Its still too early to say whether those moves will prove to be a success, but at this stage the club is on course for its first ever playoff appearance. So as Leiweke exits, it will be intriguing to see how big the impact will be on Toronto FC. Will they still choose to go after the big names with the "anything is possible," approach? Or will they be much more reserved in their ambitions? Either way, Leiweke has laid a foundation and there is still much building to be done. ' ' '