During lockout, Denver Nuggets' Nene stays in shape playing soccer

They play soccer on Thursdays, Denver's melting pot of footballers from Brazil, Argentina, Peru. It's a hodgepodge of muscular men, lithe ladies and one 6-foot-11 dude who somehow seems to fit in like he is 5-foot-11 — except when there's a header battle. Then, yeah, he's definitely 6-11.
"I'm like a normal person," Nene said. "Everyone is the same. I'm not special."
For the big Brazilian, soccer is his national pastime. And the longtime Nuggets center has been playing pickup matches in Denver parks this summer, a man-child playing his favorite childhood game.
"I feel more close to Brazil (when I play)," said Nene, a native of São Carlos, Brazil, who joined the Nuggets in 2002. "I miss it so much, and my friends live there. But I can come here and play soccer and enjoy it. It's a sport I love. I grew up playing soccer. And I just get to have some fun."
Last Thursday, Nene was in two natural habitats. He was playing soccer — while posting up a smaller, scrappy defender and demanding the ball near the goal.
It was a beautiful night for what they call the beautiful game. The air cooled as the sun slowly crept behind the mountains. Players shouted strategy to teammates in mutual languages, as if they were inadvertently talking in code to deter defenders.

"In Brazil, you're born and raised playing," said Nene's friend Felipe Eichenberger, also on the pitch that evening. "So this is just fun — and at the same time, you get some cardio."
They played the game passionately — like a street basketball game with cred on the line — and they played beautifully, with touch passes and savvy defense, including Nene, who showcased some pretty passes with his size 16s. Instead of using goalies, they play with smaller, movable goals to make it more difficult to score, as Nene discovered. With the ball glued to his boot, he spun his body to the right, faced the goal and unleashed a laser shot — which sailed over the goal, postponing the game while a poor sap retrieved the ball.
Nene, of course, has some free time.
"Right now, I have no job," he said with a little grin.
Indeed, the NBA players are locked out, and there aren't any signs this thing will be resolved anytime soon. Nene is exercising and even doing some martial arts workouts to stay in shape. And, of course, he gets in some cardio while playing soccer, though this ain't running up and down the court with Tim Duncan.
Whenever the NBA gets going again, Nene will be a free agent, after opting out of the final year of his Nuggets contract ($11.6 million). He reiterated that it's possible he could return to the Nuggets but suggested that one of the reasons he wants to play elsewhere is for a more immediate chance at a championship.
"After nine years, I have goals and I'm a team player," said Nene, who has averaged 12.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in his career. "I'm very competitive. I want to accomplish everything. It's a big opportunity, and it's the only one in my life to be a top free agent. So I want to enjoy this moment. If people think it's about money, they're wrong. I've saved my money. I could retire today. I don't need to prove points. I like it a lot here."
Indeed, the big guy has become part of the local mountain range. He even married a Colorado girl, and the couple had their first child, a baby boy, this summer.
"I stare at him all the time," the proud papa said. "It's just so cool."
Asked about possibly playing overseas, Nene said no.
"I'll do my cardio here, see my baby," he said. "I saved my money. I don't want to go to Europe. I want to enjoy my offseason. It's a magical time (with the baby)."
But on Thursdays and occasionally some other nights, the center slips away to play some striker.

Renteira's slam lifts Reds over Astros

 Wandy Rodriguez is Houston's career leader for strikeouts by a left-hander. Unfortunately for Rodriguez and the Astros, one bad inning put a damper on milestone.

Rodriguez gave up five runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by Edgar Renteria's ninth career grand slam, and the Astros lost 5-1 to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

Cincinnati was struggling offensively before two doubles, two walks -- including one to Reds starter Homer Bailey -- and Renteria's second homer of the season put the Reds ahead 5-0 and led to Rodriguez's departure after just 78 pitches.

Rodriguez (7-8) said he felt soreness in his back toward his right shoulder before the game, but the discomfort did not factor into his performance.

"That's not an excuse," said Rodriguez, who did not bring up the back issue until asked. "I threw my first four innings. I felt sore earlier in the bullpen, but that's no excuse. I felt sore all game, but I could throw the ball."

Astros manager Brad Mills agreed with Rodriguez's assessment.

"That one inning did him in," Mills said. "The first four innings he gave up one hit and was throwing the ball extremely well. That fifth inning, the big at-bat was the one to the pitcher, ended up walking him on nine pitches. He is OK. He had a little knot or something in his right side (of his back).

"He said he was fine and through the first four innings threw the ball really well."

A day after edging the Reds 4-3 in extra innings, the Astros' new-look lineup mustered just one run and five hits, going 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Houston lost for the ninth time in 12 games but did get four innings of two-hit ball from relievers Aneury Rodriguez, David Carpenter and Enerio del Rosario.

"It was nice to see the bullpen again come through with four shutout innings," Mills said.

Bailey (6-5), who grew up about 100 miles west of Houston in La Grange, allowed one run and five hits in eight innings. He struck out four and walked three.

Recently acquired Luis Durango singled in Jimmy Paredes in the fifth for Houston's only run.

"Two of the times he's thrown really well have been here, and I know he's from Texas," Mills said of Bailey. "So that might have something to do with it; I don't know."

Rodriguez, who has played his entire major league career with the Astros, struck out Drew Stubbs with his signature curveball in the third inning for his 947th career strikeout, passing Bob Knepper for the team's lefty lead.

Chris Heisey and Ramon Hernandez sparked Cincinnati's big inning with consecutive doubles, making it 1-0. After Todd Frazier grounded out, Bailey and Stubbs walked to load the bases for Renteria, who hit a 1-0 fastball into the Crawford Boxes in left field.

Renteria entered the game hitting .357 against Rodriguez, who left after the fifth.

"In the fifth inning you see I threw a lot of close pitches to home plate and (the umpire) didn't call them," Rodriguez said. "When I got behind I tried to throw strikes and the guys hit the ball."

The at-bat that irked Rodriguez the most was the one against Bailey.

"I threw a lot of fastballs and he got a little contact for foul ball, foul ball, foul ball," Rodriguez said. "On 3-2, I tried to make it like a breaking ball for a strike and I threw a little bit down, and he didn't swing."

."I wanted to make the out in this situation."