story in the Bay Area.Wades move to Chicago weakened a challenger t

Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant. Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.Players synonymous with their cities and their franchises are now gone in a summer of upheaval the NBA has rarely seen before, and the teams left behind begin their searches for new identities after saying the hardest of goodbyes.You never wouldve been able to convince me a couple years back that Wade wouldnt finish his career in Miami or Durant would have moved on in his prime from that great Oklahoma City team, or Rose after his MVP year, four years later hes not in Chicago anymore, ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy said. It just shows you. Its a hard league. Its hard to keep your group together. And when it is able to stay together, stay relevant, stay competitive, youre very, very fortunate.Count the San Antonio Spurs among the chosen few. Duncan fell in their lap when the Spurs won the draft lottery in 1997, and coach Gregg Popovich has long credited that bit of luck for the franchises unprecedented run of success.Five championships, two MVPs for Duncan, the most enduring success story in American sports.Leadership can come from many different areas, but when your best player is the best leader, its amazing how everybody else falls in line, said Timberwolves GM Scott Layden, who was an assistant GM with the Spurs for the previous four seasons. The other thing is how hes done it with such humility and modesty. Not looking for any attention and accolades. Its more of what is good for the team. ... Both on and off the court, he set the tone day-in and day-out.Bryant beat Duncan out of the door by a couple of months, ending 20 colorful seasons with the Lakers with a 60-point outburst in his final game. The consistency wasnt the same as Duncans, but the Lakers captured five titles as well during Bryants time and vaulted back into the leagues hierarchy.Wade left the Heat for his hometown Bulls after 13 brilliant seasons and is perhaps the biggest sports hero in Miami history, having delivered three championships to South Beach and serving as an ambassador for the glitzy city by the bay.Moments like this, it sucks, Wade said on Saturday after taking a two-year, $47 million deal from the Bulls over Miamis offer of two years and $40 million. The business side of the sport, sometimes it just sucks. Thats what were dealing with.Durant stunned the NBA by leaving his beloved Oklahoma City for the juggernaut in Golden State, ending a nine-year love affair between the low-key superstar and a city he and Russell Westbrook put on the basketball map.Kevin was a part of the renaissance, Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett told ESPN last week. This city has come so far, so fast, probably further, faster than any city in American history. Kevin was right there along with us. Theres a slight sense of panic.And finally, the Bulls traded Rose, a former MVP and one of the citys favorite sons, to the New York Knicks. Noah followed his friend to the Big Apple in free agency, meaning two of the players who embodied the franchises grit and determination are now elsewhere.The departures came under different circumstances and by different means, but they have served to upend the NBA. Player movement is one of the leagues hallmarks, but Dwyane Wade in a Bulls jersey?All players see their careers end eventually. But Kobe and Timmy in the same summer?Injuries to Rose and Noah no doubt forced Chicagos hand. But both of the proud fighters wearing blue and orange?It will take some getting used to for everyone involved, and it stands to have a major impact on the playoff chases in both conferences.Duncan may not have been the force of nature he was for the Spurs in his earlier days, and he may have passed the torch to Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge last season. But his loss in the locker room, and in the paint, will be hard for the Spurs to overcome.With Leonard, Aldridge, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and now Pau Gasol in the fold, the Spurs should still be able to hang near the top of the Western Conference. Without No. 21 in the middle to keep things calm, it wont be easy.I think it goes way beyond the championships and the winning, said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, a longtime Spurs assistant. I think the culture that really, hes kind of the pillar its been built around. It is almost impossible to quantify.In some ways, things have only gotten easier for the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, who have met in the NBA Finals the last two seasons.Durants move to Golden State gutted the Warriors chief rival in the West and assembled perhaps the most potent starting lineup in league history in the Bay Area.Wades move to Chicago weakened a challenger to LeBron in the East.Maybe the only question left to answer going into next season is not who will be there in the end, but how each of these proud franchises will handle their new beginnings. Ecco Shoes Sale Clearance . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Ecco Shoes Sale Uk . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. http://www.cheapeccouk.com/ .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Ecco Outlet Uk . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Ecco Shoes Clearance Uk . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. MIAMI -- Atlanta Braves right-hander Aaron Blair and Miami Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen are looking for redemption for seasons gone terribly wrong.They will face each other on Saturday when the Braves (63-91) take on the Marlins (76-78). Even though the Braves are in last place, they are one of the hotter teams in baseball, having won seven games in a row for their best win streak in two years.Blair, a 24-year-old from Las Vegas who played his college ball at Marshall, was acquired by the Braves in December in the deal that sent star pitcher Shelby Miller to the Arizona Diamonbacks.The Braves also got shortstop Dansby Swanson and center fielder Ender Inciarte back as part of that deal.Swanson and Inciarte have worked out well so far, but Blair (1-6, 7.71 ERA) has been a disaster.Blair started the season ranked No. 4 among Braves prospects, and he made his major league debut on April 24.But Blair, after making 11 starts and going 0-5 with a 7.99 ERA, was sent back down to Triple-A Gwinnett on June 25. While in the minors, Blair injured his knee and didnt pitch well there, either, sporting a 5.98 ERA.The Braves, though, gave him another chance, and -- on Sept. 19 against the New York Mets -- Blair finally earned his first major league victory, allowing just two runs in six innings.Braves manager Brian Snitker said Blair changed his delivery, an improvement that led to victory.All the work he put in, making changes, its nice to see that being rewarded, Snitker told the media after his win.In essence, Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell worked to keep Blair more upright during his delivery. By eliminatting a turn in his motion, Blair kept his weight on his back leg longer, and that has made a difference.ddddddddddddGiving up a run per inning wasnt great, Blair said, exaggerating only slightly his poor performances this season. I was open to any changes.Chen, a 31-year-old native of Taiwan, may want to make some adjustments as well because he is just 5-4 with a 5.04 ERA this season.Much more was expected from Chen when the Marlins signed him to a five-year, $80 million contract.He was supposed to be the Marlins second-best pitcher behind Jose Fernandez, but he hasnt been.He was supposed to be a fly-ball pitcher who benefits from the spacious dimensions at Marlins Park, but that hasnt been the case either.His numbers were really good the past two years with the Baltimore Orioles -- 16-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 2014 and 11-8 with a 3.34 ERA in 2015.The expectation was that those numbers would get even better in a big ballpark and in a league with no designated hitter. Chen figured to have the element of unfamiliarity to his advantage since few NL batters had faced him consistently as had their AL counterparts.None of those theories worked, however, and Chen also missed two months due to an elbow injury. He returned on Monday against the Washington Nationals, allowing three runs in 4 1/3 innings.I felt pretty good overall, Chen said. But in the fifth inning, I couldnt get outs.He will need to do so on Saturday as the Marlins extremely remote playoff chances are hanging by a thread. ' ' '