CLEVELAND -- At 7-foot-3, Zydrunas Ilgauskas towered over everyone yet stayed completely down to earth. Tamba Hali Womens Jersey . Soft-spoken and doggedly determined, Ilgauskas, who overcame serious injuries and personal tragedy to become one of Clevelands best and most beloved players, will have his No. 11 jersey retired Saturday night during an elaborate halftime ceremony certain to be emotionally poignant. The seventh player in team history to receive the honour, Ilgauskas joins Austin Carr, Nate Thurmond, Bobby "Bingo" Smith, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty and Mark Price in having his number raised to the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena. All of them have career credentials worthy of the tribute, but the celebration for Ilgauskas goes far beyond any statistics. "Throw basketball stuff out the window," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "Hes a terrific human being." Ilgauskas will be joined at the celebration by his wife, Jennifer, and their adopted sons, Deividas and Povilas. Hell be surrounded by family members, friends, former coaches and teammates, including LeBron James, who was invited by Ilgauskas and wanted to support the player known simply as "Z." "Probably one of the most talented guys I ever played with," James said. Ilgauskas conquered career-threatening foot injuries to become a two-time NBA All-Star as well as the Cavs career leader in rebounds (5,904), games played (771) and blocks (1,269). Hes second on the scoring list, behind only James. A gentle giant off the floor, Ilgauskas accomplished it all through hard work, enduring endless hours of grueling rehab and treatment to fulfil a dream that began as a small boy playing soccer and volleyball in Lithuania. Ilgauskas spent 12 seasons with the Cavs, and for a long stretch of his tenure he was the only good thing about the franchise. That all changed when James arrived in 2003, and along with Ilgauskas -- an odd couple if there ever was one -- they led the Cavs to their only NBA finals appearance in 2007. One of the enduring moments in Cleveland sports over the last 30 years was James and Ilgauskas wrapping their arms around each other to celebrate the Cavs win over Detroit in the Eastern Conference finals. After being traded, Ilgauskas followed James to Miami and played one season with the Heat. Ilgauskas retired in 2011, but returned to the Cavs the following year and has been working as a special assistant to the general manager. Hes always been special. Ilgauskas connected with Cleveland fans like few pro athletes. Big Z endeared himself with his perseverance, resilience, loyalty and a dry, self-deprecating sense of humour. Shortly after undergoing his second major foot surgery, Ilgauskas quipped he "had as much hardware as Home Depot" in his feet. The Cavs selected Ilgauskas with the 20th overall pick in 1996, and after a promising rookie season in 1997-98, he encountered the first of many medical obstacles. Shortly after signing a six-year, $71 million contract, he broke his left foot just five games into the 1998-99 season. It didnt heal properly and Ilgauskas sat out the entire 1999-2000 season. Ilgauskas seemed poised to become one of the leagues top centres, but felt a sharp pain in his left foot during a game in Miami. Ilgauskas took himself out, and broke down in the locker room after, knowing his playing days might be over at 25. After visiting foot specialists across the country, Ilgauskas underwent a risky operation to have his left foot radically reconstructed. He tortured himself during workouts to get back, and spent countless hours getting treatment on his feet, which required extensive icing before and after he played. It all paid off when Ilgauskas was named an All-Star reserve in 2003. There were other hardships, the most challenging in 2007 when he and Jennifer lost the twins she was carrying. Through it all, Ilgauskas was the consummate teammate. "Zs like a big brother to me," Cavs centre Anderson Varejao said. "He helped me a lot in this league, with everything, basketball, on the road. When I got here I didnt speak any English. He put me under his wing and took care of me. Hes a big part of my life." And in Cleveland, Ilgauskas has always been so much more than big. Ben Grubbs Youth Jersey . Votto had an MRI on his left knee Friday in Cincinnati and wasnt with the team in Philadelphia for the start of a three-game series against the Phillies. Marcus Peters Womens Jersey . -- The Golden State Warriors are taking another chance on a television analyst and former NBA guard who has never been a head coach at any level.St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Alexander Steen had two goals and one assist in his return, helping the St. Louis Blues post a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders at Scottrade Center on Thursday. Steen, who missed the previous two games with a lower-body injury, provided an immediate spark and his second tally ignited four-goal third period that carried the Blues to their third straight win. T.J. Oshie had a goal with two assists and Jake Allen made 25 saves. John Tavares and Mikhail Grabovski scored in the second period for the Islanders, who have lost three games in a row. Former Blue Jaroslav Halak allowed five goals on 32 shots. Steen gave the Blues a 3-2 lead at 4:32 of the third when he came in as a trailer on a rush fired a rebound past Halak. Oshie scored from the bottom of the left circle off Patrik Berglunds pass from behind the net with 4:13 remaining. Kyle Okposo lit the lamp for the Islanders 28 seconds after Paul Stastnys power-play goal made it 5-2 with 2:12 remaining, but an empty-net goal by Jaden Schwartz with 1:04 left sealed St. Louis fifth straight win in the series. Steen scored a power-play goal 5:58 iinto the game. Christian Okoye Jersey. . He beat Halak on a blast from the point after nice puck movement gave him plenty of room to wind up. Barret Jackman gave St. Louis 2-0 with 5:42 remaining in the first period when he fired a slap shot off a pass from Steen past Halaks glove. The Islanders battled back with two late goals in the middle stanza. Tavares moved to the middle following a faceoff win and fired a wrist shot through Allens five-hole with 3:57 remaining. Grabovski then beat the Blues to a loose puck after another faceoff and scored on a wrist shot from the slot with 5.3 seconds left. Game Notes Stastny has four goals in the last three games ... The Islanders have been outscored 20-6 during a four-game road skid in the series ... St. Louis improved to 10-1-1 in its last 12 home games ... Oshie has four goals and eight assists during a six-game point streak against the Islanders ... Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (groin) was activated from injured reserve after missing eight games. Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson (concussion) was placed on IR to create room on the active roster for Bouwmeester. Cheap Jerseys nfl jerseys cheap authentic wholesale jerseys jerseys from china authentic Cheap Jerseys wholesale stitched jerseys ' ' '
