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Tag: Basketball

  • LeBron James: Will He Be On Mount Rushmore?

    LeBron James: Will He Be On Mount Rushmore?

    LeBron James of course knows that there is no Mount Rushmore of the NBA. However, if there was, the Miami Heat superstar thinks that his face should eventually be carved into it. A clip from an interview with NBA TV’s Steve Smith asking King James who his personal Mount Rushmore was leaked online. James told Smith that the easy three would be: Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. The fourth Mount Rushmore face took James a few extra seconds to consider, in the end he went with Oscar Robertson.

    Then Smith asked the easy layup question about whether he thought he would be considered one of the four greatest NBA players and deserve to bump off one of men that he listed. King James responded with a yes, he explained his thought process. “Because I’m going to be one of the top four to ever play this game, for sure. And if they don’t want me to have one of those top four spots they better find another spot on that mountain. Somebody’s gotta get bumped, but that’s not for me to decide. That’s for the architects.”

    The 29 year old does have a good case. He’s been in the league now ten full years. He has four MVP awards, two consecutive NBA Championships, two Finals MVP awards, seven All-NBA first-team selections, five NBA All-Defensive first team considerations, and 10 All-Star selections.

    Plus, he can put down an impressive dunk.

    The clip has captured a lot of attention and has even gone viral. Of course, every basketball fan has their own opinion regarding the legacy of the game and their own opinion of the man that refers to himself as “King.”

    You can see the full interview on Monday, February 17th at 9 PM ET on NBA TV.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Awesome Uncle Turns Kid’s First Points into SportsCenter Highlight

    If you really want a kid to get into sports, you have to make them excited about playing. Editing a kid’s first-ever bucket and overlaying the SportsCenter top 10 graphics is a damn fine way to start.

    Via reddit, one uncle decided to do just that. “My nephew just made his first shot in little league basketball last night. I tried to make it memorable for him,” says the poster.

    “I can only imagine what he is going to think when he sees this…he wouldn’t stop watching when i first showed it to him and that was when the video only had 10 views!” says the proud uncle.

    I really hope this kid becomes a star one day and we can all look back at this and smile. A lot.

    NOT POSSIBLE!

    Image & video via Taylor Stephens, YouTube

  • Sasha Vujacic Signs With Los Angeles Clippers With 10-Day Contract

    In a search to obtain more depth for their roster, the Los Angeles Clippers have signed Sasha Vujacic. He is a native of Slovenia, and will join a group of talented veterans that are continually being added to the Clipppers roster.

    It will be homecoming for Vujacic in terms of location, as he was once a star for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he has not played in the NBA since the 2010-2011 season. He spent time overseas and last played for the Turkish Euroleague team Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2012-13.

    The 29-year-old veteran guard will join the Clippers with a 10-day contract, who will look to add him as yet another shooting option on a team that continues to build. While playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Sasha Vujacic was on a team that won the NBA Championship in 2009 and 2010.

    The Clippers have continued to look to find more options to assist at the point guard position with Chris Paul injured, although luckily they have not gone on a losing streak as a result of that injury. In fact, the Clippers are 11-4 since their star player was sidelined with a separated shoulder. He has been out since January 3rd.

    In recent weeks, Stephen Jackson, Maalik Wayns and Hedo Turkoglu were also signed, although Turkoglu is the only player who has remained with the team.

    Sasha Vujacic’s is simply another addition to a team that continues to rebuild, and started with the signing of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, along with Doc Rivers, who hopes to continue to turn the team around and make a run at a championship with his new squad.

    The Los Angeles Clippers are currently 34-16 and sit at the No.4 spot in the western conference, behind the Thunder, Spurs and Blazers, respectively. Sasha Vujacic is just one of several other guards who have recently been signed, although whether he will stick around is yet to be determined.

    The Clippers continue to sign old veterans, and are going with the immediate solution as they fill the space that Chris Paul has left. Turkoglu is a 34-year-old veteran who has played with several teams, and Sasha Vujacic joins the pack of older players on the team, possibly making them one of the oldest teams in the league.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Michelle Obama and LeBron James Team Up in Videobomb

    We all know that Michelle Obama has a playful side. After all, who can forget when the First Lady did the “Dougie” dance with some students or the time she did the “Mom Dancing” video with Jimmy Fallon? This time, however, Michelle has outdone herself by joining forces with LeBron James to videobomb his Miami Heat teammates.

    Members of the Miami Heat took a trip to the White House to work with the First Lady on her “Let’s Move!” campaign, which is an effort to encourage healthy eating habits and exercise in kids. The NBA has worked with Michelle Obama on the campaign in the past and also sponsors NBA Fit, a program that offers advice on exercise and nutrition.

    Everyone knows that James is an avid videobomber–he and Dwyane Wade made headlines for videobombing Heat teammate Chris Bosh just last month–but Michelle? Apparently she has some videobombing skills herself. While Wade and Ray Allen were being interviewed, Michelle and James did a little videobombing that included the First Lady doing a slam dunk.

    Check out Michelle’s skills below.

    The video has been viewed almost 1 million times and has earned Michelle the new nickname “Air FLOTUS.” As you can tell from some of the Twitter comments, people are loving seeing the First Lady’s silly side come out again.

    If you enjoyed the Michelle Obama slam dunk video, check out some more of her funny videos below.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kevin Durant Scores A Career High 54 Points In Big Win Against The Warriors

    Kevin Durant is doing a good job of showing why he is the leading scorer in the NBA. The All-Star bound Oklahoma City Thunder star put delivered in a huge game against the Golden State Warriors by scoring 54 points in their win.

    The Oklahoma City Thunder won in an important game as the Warriors were on a streak, and are rising as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Kevin Durant came up big with his career high as the Thunder defeated the Warriors 127-121.

    As a leader in the NBA since being drafted from Texas in 2007, Kevin Durant has been the league’s leader in scoring during three seasons. His big night on Friday also marked the most points scored by a single player during the 2013-2014 season.

    After his big night, Kevin Durant was interviewed about the performance and said “My teammates were throwing me the ball with two or three guys on me and I still tried to make a play. Those guys sacrificed their bodies setting screens for me, to get me open, it’s my job to finish for them. I saw the bench jump up every time I hit a shot, that’s one of the best feelings.”

    It was one of the most impressive performances in recent history, and the best of his career. In addition to Durant’s 54 points, he also had six assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block in 44 minutes.

    The last time someone scored 54 points in a game, it was done by Stephen Curry, who plays for the Golden State Warriors. It occurred on February 27th, 2013 against the Knicks.

    The game was also the third time in Kevin Durant’s career that he has scored over 50 points in a game, but this was the first time that he had done it in regulation. His previous career high of 52 points was set on January 18th against the Dallas Mavericks.

    After defeating the Warriors, the Oklahoma City Thunder have improved to 30-10 on the season, and are currently sitting in third place in the conference, behind the Spurs and the Trailblazers.

    Following his last explosive performance with 54 points, Kevin Durant leagues the lead in scoring, and averages 30.6 points per game. The crowd was chanting “MVP” during the end of his wild performance and if his average continues, there is no doubt that he will be in the running for the award, and would likely get it.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Wilt Chamberlain: Extra Footage Of 100-Point Game May Exist

    University of Memphis head of basketball Josh Pastner has surprisingly revealed that there may be a video of one of the most famous NBA basketball games ever played.

    Basketball fans have long savored the meager video footage of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point-game on March 2, 1962. That night, the Philadelphia Warriors beat the New York Knickerbockers 169-147. If you weren’t one of the lucky fans in attendance that night there was no chance you would ever see one of the most incredible feats in all of sports…until now…maybe. There may finally be a full film of the game after all.

    Pastner told the Delaware County Daily Times that his father, who was a ball boy for Philadelphia Warriors in 1962, taped the game reel-to-reel that night when he realized that the game might be a special one. Apparently, the tape might be misplaced somewhere or lost.

    “They started when he had like 30-something; they thought it was going to be a special night. They gave it to Wilt — the 100-point game — and Wilt gave it back to my dad and my dad’s dad. He gave it back to them, they boxed it up, and he’s still trying to find it. He’s got all kinds of boxes, and he doesn’t know if he lost it.” Pastner said.

    Pastner also revealed that Chamberlain believed someone was trying to poison him and that is why he had to make his father (Pastner’s) taste the drinks before he drank any of them.

    “Wilt always felt someone was trying to get him by poisoning his drinks and he always drank 7-Up or Sprite. So he made my dad taste (his drink) before he would take it and make sure my dad didn’t conk out.” Pastner said.

    Wilt Chamberlain is the most dominant basketball player in the NBA. Ever.

    Watch the video.

    http://youtu.be/U7HsrqY3DP4

    Image via YouTube

  • J.R. Smith Helps Lead Knicks To Victory After Suspension

    Throughout his career, J.R. Smith has been known as one of the most problematic players in the league. His on and off-the-court incidents are catching up to him again, and most recently, he was fined $50,000 for attempting to untie the shoelaces of multiple opponents.

    After returning from his suspension, J.R. Smith had an excellent performance against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Knicks were down when Smith entered the game, and he eventually led them to a 102-92 victory. He is constantly criticized for what he does wrong, but Smith is a great scorer too.

    Punishing him may have worked this time as he returned to the court with authority, embarrassing the 76ers and outscoring them by 20 points when he was on the floor.

    Things were certainly not going to his way coming into this game since he averaged only 11.3 points per game while shooting 34.8 percent from the field.

    After the game concluded, J.R. Smith had 14 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists during 27 minutes of action. He shot 5 of 8 from the field, and made 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.

    Before the game, there were talks of trading the scoring guard, and whether this performance is enough to silence those rumors is a mystery, but Smith is doing what he can to stick with his team.

    Speaking about the game, he said “I’m still trying to find myself, trying to find the right way to be a professional. It’s a short span we get to play this game and I can’t be selfish with it, got to think team first.”

    J.R. Smith also came out with a serious tone in this game and played as if he truly cared about basketball, leaving behind his goofy lightheartedness, and perhaps showing that he cares about being a member of the New York Knicks.

    The Knicks have been struggling all year, but after two wins in a row, their season may begin to turn around along with J.R. Smith’s attitude as a player. Next up, they play the Phoenix Suns at home.

    Image via Facebook

  • Dennis Rodman – A Fool For Kim Jong Un

    With all of the controversy surrounding Former NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman’s visits to North Korea claiming a “friendship” with Kim Jong Un, you have to question first – his motives – and second – their relationship.

    What does Rodman see in this proven vicious and unpredictable leader of one of the U.S.’s enemies and what on earth does this leader see in Rodman?

    You have to wonder if there is some motivation other than friendship for Jong Un, after all – he has an entire nation at his fingertips.

    Turns out Fox News wonders that too – with their recent headline, Rodman being used as doormat, not diplomat, say North Korea defectors.

    You have to chuckle at that headline and the impetus – here is Rodman, looking like a blubbering fool to Americans – running to North Korea for an “evil” dictator’s birthday, to entertain him with basketball.

    Escapees of the Hermit Kingdom, a name given to North Korea, have said that he is more of a doormat than a diplomat.

    “You think Kim Jong Un is your friend, but he is just using you,” Jo Jin Hye, a North Korean refugee who has become a human rights advocate working with U.S.-based North Korea Freedom Coalition and is founder of NKinUSA told FoxNews.com in a message directed at Rodman.

    “He’s friendly with you just so he can mislead his people,” she said. “He wants to make them think that the outside world accepts their leader.”

    Rodman actually thinks he is making friends and initiating some sort of connection from the U.S. to N. Korea as he indicated in previous statements. When he was asked, since he is the only U.S. citizen that has been able to gain such tremendous access to Un, if he would check into the notorious labor camps and find out about its prisoners, he replied, “That’s not my job,” he said. “The only thing I am doing right now, I am only doing one thing: this game is for his birthday. It’s for his birthday.”

    “And I hope that if this opens doors and we can actually talk about certain things, then we can do certain things, but I am not going to sit there and go in and say ‘hey guy, you’re doing the wrong thing’.”

    “That’s not the right thing to do. He’s my friend first. He’s my friend. I don’t give a ****. I tell the world: he’s my ******* friend, I love him.”

    No, he won’t investigate the 200,000 plus political prisoners locked in labor camps where torture is the norm – but he’ll travel thousands of miles to entertain the worst dictator alive today.

    It’s doubtful that Kim Jong Un is going to tolerate much more of this moron.

    Image via YouTube

  • He Got Game Sequel? Spike Lee and Ray Allen Are Considering It

    Does anyone remember the 1998 Spike Lee movie He Got Game starring shooting guard Ray Allen? Well if you didn’t see the first one, you may have a chance at seeing the sequel, because Lee and Allen are seriously mulling over taking the film back to the big screen.

    According to the Associated Press, the fictitious basketball phenomenon Jesus Shuttlesworth could be lacing up his sneakers to hit the basketball court again in the near future.

    Allen has even stated that he and the famed film director have spent time discussing the potential film over the past few months, making a collaborative effort to come up with storylines and concepts for the film.

    ESPN reports that Allen briefly touched on the subject of the possible file before the Heat-Pelicans game last night. “Sequels to most movies are always fluff and not as good as the first,” said Allen. “But it’s something we’ve been talking about for the last couple months. If we get a really good story line and are able to bring everybody back, then it would be something worth doing.”

    Lee has even hinted toward a ‘Jesus Shuttlesworth return’ with several pictures he’s posted on his Instagram account. Back in Dec., the Jungle Fever film director shared a picture of a customized Miami Heat jersey with Allen’s #34 on the back. However, the name ‘Shuttlesworth’ was stitched on the back of it.

    The picture’s caption read, “For A Few Select Games My Main Man Ray Allen Will Wear JESUS SHUTTLES WORTH On THe Back OF His Jersey. The Legend Of HE GOT GAME Continues To Grow.Da Greatest Joint About BALL Ever Made.YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF.”

    Back in October, Lee posted an image of Allen holding up the fictitious Lincoln High School jersey from the movie. He stated that he and Allen were having dinner. The picture was posted twice with two different captions. The captions read, “Ray”Jesus Shuttlesworth”Allen Holds Up The Jersey He Wore In He Got Game. Dinner With Jesus Shuttlesworth In New York.”

    However, the Instagram picture Lee posted back in August was a definite hint that the two are considering the sequel film. The “Malcolm X” director said, so himself. The caption read, “Jesus And I At The US Open Tonight. We Talked About The Possible Sequel To HE GOT GAME.”

    Fans of the original film will have to wait how the details unfold over time. But, it looks as though the sequel may definitely be a go!

    Image via Wikimedia Commons | He Got Game (Movie)

     

  • Dennis Rodman Has Angry Interview With CNN’s Chris Cuomo

    Former NBA player Dennis Rodman strongly rebuffed claims that his trip, to North Korea Tuesday was political, amidst an emotional torrent.

    Rodman, along with 10 other former NBA players, were in North Korea to play in an exhibition basketball game against a North Korean basketball team. The game will be played Wednesday and coincides with the birthday of the country’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

    The CNN interview, aired via satellite, turned out to be quite interesting when Rodman was asked whether the trip was political. Rodman was surrounded by the former players during the interview and the point he seemed to be making was that the trip was purely for the purpose of basket diplomacy. “One day, one day this door is going to open because of these 10 guys here,” he told Chris Cuomo, CNN reporter.

    But things got emotional when Cuomo asked Rodman whether he would defend Kenneth Bae, an American, who is being held by the government for unknown reasons.

    “Do you understand what he did?” an agitated Rodman asked Cuomo. “You tell me! You tell me! Why is he held captive?”

    Rodman then added by saying that it wasn’t his business to know what Bae did. All he cared about was that he and the former NBA players had “dared” to go to North Korea.

    The heated interview seemed to make the other players surrounding Rodman uncomfortable. One of the players, Charles Smith tried to cool down tensions by saying the purpose of the game was outside politics.

    “We’ve said numerous times that we’re not here for any political aspects,” Smith said.

    Essentially, Smith was echoing Rodman’s sentiment but in a calmer manner. Smith also said that the date of the game and Kim’s birthday were purely coincidental.

    Image via YouTube

  • Luol Deng Acquired by Cleveland Cavaliers in Trade

    Luol Deng Acquired by Cleveland Cavaliers in Trade

    Ever since LeBron James left the city of Cleveland, Cavaliers fans have been bitterly disappointed. The team tried to resurrect its franchise by drafting point guard Kyrie Irving but has failed to add the necessary pieces to create a playoff-caliber team. The Cavaliers hope to change that situation with their most recent acquisition, Luol Deng.

    Following failed negotiations from the Bulls to extend Deng’s contract, the Bulls decided to trade the small forward to the Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum and 3 draft picks (1 protected from the Sacramento Kings, and 2 acquired by the Cavaliers from the Portland Trail Blazers).

    In picking up Deng, Cavaliers’s GM Chris Grant has clearly indicated what his intentions for his team are – win now, not later. Deng has played for the Bulls for 9.5 seasons (his entire career), alongside the core of Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, and Joakim Noah. Despite playing next to more highly touted players throughout those years, Deng has been voted to 2 NBA All-Star teams (2012 and 2013) and has also been named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2012).

    This season, Deng is averaging a career-high 19 points per game, along with 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while shooting 45% from the field.

    That being said, Deng is in his 10th NBA season. His already lengthy tenure in the NBA, along with the fact that Deng has played more minutes than anyone else in the league the past 2 seasons (38.7 minutes per game over the past 5 seasons), means that Deng is not the long-term solution to Cleveland’s woes. However, Deng does offer a great short-term solution to Cleveland’s pathetic production from the small forward position, with Earl Clark and Alonzo Gee combining for 9.8 ppg at that position thus far this year.

    While the Cavaliers made the trade to secure immediate, short-term success, the Bulls pulled the trigger as a matter of simple economics. As has been previously stated, Deng turned down a 3 year, $30 million contract extension with the Chicago Bulls, indicating that his wishes were to fully explore his free-agency at the end of this season.

    In order to get something instead of simply losing everything, Chicago thought it would make most sense to trade Deng. By moving Deng and waiving the recently acquired Bynum, Chicago cleared enough salary cap to get below the luxury-tax limit of $71 million. With Chicago unlikely to make the playoffs this year due to the injury of Derrick Rose, it made the most sense for them to clear salary room to acquire players which will help the Bulls move forward – something they have been struggling to do with their core players of Rose, Boozer, Noah, and Deng.

    Image via YouTube

  • Portland Trail Blazers Set New 3-Point Record Against Charlotte Bobcats

    The Portland Trail Blazers routed the Charlotte Bobcats 134-104 during a Thursday night thriller. The Blazer’s victory gave the Bobcats its fifth straight loss this season after being whipped by the Clippers 112-85 the previous night.

    Wesley Matthews made 25 points and contributed to 5 of Portland’s 21 3-pointers. “Making shots is contagious,” said Matthews. The Blazers made a record 63.6 percent of their 33 3-point attempts.

    The 21 3-pointers also matched the team’s 3-point record against the Philadelphia 76ers, who they beat 139-105 on Dec. 14. Both wins make Portland the first NBA team to have two games in one season with 20 or more 3-pointers. The current NBA record in a single game is 23 3-pointers.

    Portland now ups its record to 26-7 to move to the top spot in the Western Conference.

    After Thursday’s loss, Bobcats team coach Steve Clifford said that the team lacks solid defense.”Our team is thinking too much about offense, we have individual guys who need to build their games around their defense, and they’re worried about their offense,” said Clifford. If we’re not going to commit to defense and rebounding, then we’re limited in how good we can be.”

    On the other hand, Portland played great defense and offense throughout the game. They led from the start, making  four straight 3-pointers to lead 23-9 in the first quarter. By the fourth quarter they were up 100-77 against the Bobcats but never allowed themselves to lose momentum. At the final buzzer the Portland Trail Blazers won by 30 points.

    Watch The Blazers Rain On ‘Em

    Image via YouTube

  • Tony Parker Apologizes For Offensive Gesture

    Tony Parker is a French basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs, but he has recently found himself under the spotlight not because of his basketball prowess, but because of an accidental offense off the court. After French soccer star Nicolas Anelka made an offensive gesture after scoring a goal during one of his games, an old picture of Parker from three years ago resurfaced, where the basketball player and a French comedian are depicting making the same gesture. The gesture is referred to in France as a “quenelle,” which has been likened to an “inverted Nazi salute,” and has faced critique because of its anti-Semitic undertones.

    Parker claimed that he had no idea that the gesture was offensive, and came forward with an apology, saying, “While this gesture has been part of French culture for many years, it was not until recently that I learned of the very negative concerns associated with it.” He continued, “When I was photographed making that gesture three years ago, I thought it was part of a comedy act and did not know that it could be in any way offensive or harmful. Hopefully this incident will serve to educate others that we need to be more aware that things that may seem innocuous can actually have a history of hate and hurt.” He went on to apologize for any harm or misunderstanding her caused. Meanwhile, Anelka is facing trouble at the hands of the English Football Association, which is looking into investigating the offense and possibly punishing the soccer player with a five game ban. Anelka has also apologized and stated that he will no longer make the gesture.

    Spurs coach Gregg Popovich chimed in on the issue, saying that he felt bad for Parker in the wake of the controversy. Popovich made a statement, where he went on to say, ““I talked with Tony. I felt bad for him. Tony doesn’t have an anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim or anti-Christian bone in his body. That gesture was made three years ago and at that time he thought it meant something totally different. Which it did, to him. It’s morphed into something else over time. But it’s a tribute to his maturity and his leadership to understand it has morphed, as he found out, into something pretty hateful. He realized he needed to say something, that’s it not appropriate. There’s enough bigotry and racism and hatred in the world already. That thing has been taken too far. When he was informed of that and understood it, he was very quick to denounce it and understand what he had to do. So I was proud of him.”

    A French interior minister said that an investigation is being made into the comedian in the photograph with Parker. The comedian has been in trouble previously on counts of breaking hate speech laws in France, and is renown as an anti-Semite.

    Image courtesy of Tony Parker’s official Twitter.

  • Cleveland Cavaliers Excuse Andrew Bynum

    Cleveland Cavaliers Excuse Andrew Bynum

    The Cleveland Cavaliers have indefinitely excused mystifying center Andrew Bynum for “conduct detrimental to the team,” after temporarily suspending him on Saturday. Bynum was subsequently banned from all team activities, which hints at an end to his two-year, $24.79 million contract he’d signed with on July 19. Cleveland will seek to trade the 7-foot center.

    Bynum got off to a rocky start with the Cavaliers, scoring only 3 points with 3 rebounds in 8 minutes during his October 30 debut. On November 30, Bynum logged his season highs with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in a 97-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

    Bynum’s indefinite status isn’t too shocking, considering his lackluster, seemingly disinterested play – Bynum didn’t play at all during his stint last year in Philadelphia, and had spoken openly about retirement, due mainly to troublesome knee injuries.

    Bynum displaying a glimmer of reclaiming dominance as a center with the Cavs against the Bulls:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_r-8z-QQXg

    Bynum, of course, will still be paid by Cleveland, while not actually playing:

    The Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat are rumored to be interested in acquiring Bynum:

    NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has something to say about the Bynum situation, but one has to check his Facebook page, as 140 characters isn’t enough:

    Cleveland coach Mike Brown commented on Byrum’s status, “He’s on an indefinite suspension and I’m not trying to be funny, but you know what indefinite means – We’ve got 14 guys in that locker room who are very focused and determined and ready to take on any challenge that’s in front of them. They’re great guys, they’re focused guys and they know how to play the game the right way and that’s what I’m focused on, just helping those guys win.”

    The 26-year-old Byrum spent 7 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, after being selected 10th overall in the 2005 NBA draft. Though with the Cavs, he is averaging only 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24 games this season.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Dennis Rodman Back In North Korea

    You have to wonder, what on earth does Dennis Rodman see in North Korea, a cruel communist country. He can’t be going just to appease their love of basketball. What is he doing there?

    After all and in typical backward manner – Kim Jong-un, just last week ordered his uncle Jang Song-thaek to be executed by machine gun. And, according to Fox News, he recently sent his deceased Uncle’s family to prison camps!

    What is the attraction to Kim Jong-un and North Korea for this former NBA Basketball star? Is he just literally, insane?

    In a recent article by CBS News titled “Dennis Rodman back in North Korea to visit buddy Kim Jong Un,” to try to “help the world.” Hu?

    Rodman, after arriving at Pyongyang’s airport was met by Vice Sports Minister Son Kwang Ho. He made no public comments, but told a mob of reporters earlier at Beijing’s airport that he expected, as on previous visits, to meet with Kim and make final arrangements for a Jan. 8 exhibition game in Pyongyang marking the leader’s birthday.

    “I know (Kim) is waiting for me to come back. So hopefully we will have some conversation about some things that’s going to help the world,” Rodman said.

    When reporters asked Rodman about the execution, he said that had nothing to do with his visit. He said he wasn’t worried about his personal safety, despite the recent detentions of two Americans there, one of whom, Kenneth Bae, has been held for more than two years.

    Rodman said that he planned to return to North Korea in two weeks with a roster of 12 American basketball players, but offered no names.

    “I hope this game brings a lot of countries together, because as I said, sports it is so important to people around the world,” Rodman said. “So I hope this is going to engage American people, especially (President Barack) Obama, to just to try to talk to them.”

    North Korea and Kim Jung-un hold the world’s worst human rights record by activists, defectors and the U.S. State Department. Korean defectors have testified loudly – about the government’s alleged random killings, rapes, beatings and prison camps with as many as 120,000 people who are suspected opponents of Kim, the third generation of his family to rule.

    Go figure.

    Image via Wiki Commons

  • Lebron James Victimizes Ben McLemore With Aggressive Dunk [Video]

    Lebron James has gained quite the reputation in the NBA as one of the best players. He has had his fair share of outstanding and legendary dunks, but one that he recorded recently against a member of the Sacramento Kings is worth adding to the record books.

    The all-star forward for the Miami Heat completely posterized Ben McLemore and made him a victim to another amazing play in Lebron James’ history as a player.

    James took off from the floor on one of the most impressive dunks of the NBA, and what followed would embarrass anyone who got in his way.

    Sadly, Ben McLemore is only a rookie, and what a way to be introduced to the league, and playing against Lebron James than being crushed in a dunk like that.

    With less than five minutes to go in the first quarter, and the Heat leading 21-19, James used a screen from Mario Chalmers in order to turn the corner on Derrick Williams and attack the paint. The Heat won the game with a final score of 122-103 on Friday night.

    As he saw this happening, Ben McLemore tried to move toward Lebron James and take the charge, but anyone who has ever tried to do that to him should know that it is not going to end well. What was he thinking? McLemore is a rookie out of Kansas, and was introduced to Lebron James in a very dramatic fashion on Friday night.

    James admitted that he felt bad that it was McLemore falling victim to his vicious dunk, and said after the game “It sucks that it’s him because I like him. I knew I could get to the launching pad.”

    On the play, James’ thigh was connecting with McLemore’s shoulder, and sending the rookie to the ground. The dunk certainly qualifies for his personal dunk of the year, and he joins a growing list of people who will compete for such a thing, including Jeff Green of the Celtics, Xavier Henry of the Lakers, and Victor Oladipo of the Magic.

    Relive Lebron James’ outrageous dunk over and over with this amazing gif.

    (image)

    Images via Youtube and Heat.com

  • P.J. Hairston’s Career At UNC Is Over

    P.J. Hairston’s Career At UNC Is Over

    P.J. Hairston, one of the top players on the team until this year, will not be reinstated by the University of North Carolina’s basketball team.

    He has sat out for the first 10 games of the season, and in a hard decision for the team to make, they announced that his career as a Tar Heel is officially over.

    Hairston sat out for the first part of the season due to an investigation into potential violations of team rules, and throughout the process, it has been very hard on the team, and Roy Williams as a coach.

    Williams also said that the decision to let P.J. Hairston go from the team was possibly the saddest, and most difficult thing that he has gone through as a coach. That is saying a lot, when considering how long Roy Williams has been a college basketball coach, and the quality of teams that he has coached.

    The NCAA and UNC have both been investigating Hairston for off-the-court drama that occurred before the season starting, and have tried to resolve eligibility questions stemming from the use of cars linked to a felon and party promoter earlier this year.

    As the leading scorer for UNC prior to the 2013 season, and one of the top players in the league, and it is sad for the team to see him leave in this way.

    Bubba Cunningham, the athletic director of UNC said “We’ve taken a long time to get to this point. It’s very disappointing for P.J. and his family. He has been terrific, as Roy has said, in the past six months in this entire process. … We are not going to seek reinstatement for him.”

    His family followed up with a statement that said “This process has been long, and for (it) to end without having a final decision from the governing body is a shame. Ultimately this affects P.J., and his eligibility to play Division 1 colligate (sic) basketball for the remainder of this season, as well as next season.”

    Despite not having P.J. Hairston on the court, North Carolina has had an up-and-down season, although they have won when it counted, beating big-name teams such as Michigan State, Kentucky, and Louisivlle, who were all ranked high at the time that the Tar Heels beat them.

    P.J. Hairston was a guard for UNC, and led the Tar Heels in scoring last season, finishing his college career with 707 points, and 127 3-pointers.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAJrx3TdmRo

    Image via Youtube

  • Kobe Bryant: Is All The Greatness Done?

    Kobe Bryant: Is All The Greatness Done?

    After playing in just five full games this season, Kobe Bryant will miss another six weeks due to a fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee, according to a Tweet from the Los Angeles Lakers. And this comes after Bryant tore his Achilles’ tendon in April while playing against the Golden State Warriors.

    It’s been a season plagued with injuries for the legendary Los Angeles team and Bryant’s knee fracture only contributes to the bleak outlook that many fans have about the Laker’s playoff chances. But these days there’s more than just doubt in the hearts of fans, there’s also been frustration pointed towards Bryant, because many fans simply didn’t like the fact that he received a two-year contact extension for a whopping $48.5 million.

    Many fans said the high salary and the two-year contract extension was too much for a player that may not be healthy for two straight season. Plus, at the age of 35, it’s unlikely that Bryant will be able to play with the same force as he did before the injuries.

    But last month Bryant stuck up for himself and said he had no problem accepting the lucrative deal.

    “Most of us have aspirations for being businessmen when our playing careers are over,” said Bryant in an interview with Yahoo Sports. “But that starts now. You have to be able to wear both hats. You can’t sit up there and say, ‘Well, I’m going to take substantially less because there’s public pressure,’ because all of a sudden, if you don’t take less, you don’t give a crap about winning,” he said.

    And if we know anything about Bryant, he always wants to win and he seemingly gives 100 percent each and every night. However, sheer desire isn’t enough in professional sports, because there are some things, physically, that a player has no control of–like aging and getting slower. Sure a person can train and try to physically prepare for getting older, but the longer one plays and the longer one trains, the chances of receiving yet another injury only get bigger.

    So was it a smart move for the Lakers to spend so much money for a player that might not play? Or should the money have been used to build up the team’s future? Time will certainly tell, but for now, fans will have to wait at least six weeks to see if Bryant show’s even a glimpse of his former self.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Lamar Odom: Is Failed Marriage His Fault?

    As earlier reported by us, Khloe’ Kardashian has officially filed for divorce– adding another link to the long chain of professional and personal trouble Lamar Odom has been experiencing these past few years.

    Lamar Odom started a promising NBA basketball career in 1999 with the Los Angeles Clippers. There he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and gained great strides with the Clippers before leaving to play a brief stint with the Miami Heat. His most notable performances were during the following eight Laker seasons, in which he helped bring two NBA championships home as well as a Sixth Man of the Year Award.

    He got chummy with a well-known family during this time with the Lakers, and soon we were keeping up with him and Khloe’ Kardashian’s whirlwind relationship that quickly resulted in marriage.

    A fairy tale romance was not destined to be, however; in the words of Andre 3000– it looks like the couple’s love is ending in a Hollywood Divorce.

    Who is to blame for another marriage gone wrong? While the public tries to decide (as if it is our business, and not theirs), many blame Lamar Odom’s publicized troubles for the divorce. Here are a few of his trouble’s highlowlights:

    -On July 17, 2011, Lamar Odom was a passenger in a car that killed a 15-year-old pedestrian. Divorce-worthy? Probably Not.

    -Lamar takes time off from NBA to care for seriously ill father in April of 2012. Divorce-worthy? Hopefully the reduction of income to care for his father wasn’t a cause of disgruntlement for Khloe’.

    -Lamar is arrested for a DUI on August of this year and immediately checks into rehab only to leave almost immediately. Denied rumors of drug abuse run rampart via “trusty and reliable news sources.”

    Has the kitchen gotten too hot for Khloe’ and she wants out, or was it just not meant to be?

    This recent freestyle video of a shirtless and wasted Odom rapping about maybe cheating on his wife doesn’t help anything:

    and Khloe’ is understandably staying quiet about the divorce right now.

    Do you think Lamar should be blamed for the divorce? Arsenio Hall isn’t buying it,

    fans seem to be nearing a breakdown:


    and we all know that rarely is just one person to blame for a divorce. For whatever reason that it has happened, it’s hard to see another dream of living happily together fall apart.

    [image: twitter]

  • Pau Gasol Unhappy As A Laker, Continues To Blame Coach Mike D’Antoni

    Pau Gasol has had a great deal of success in the NBA as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, earning himself a couple of national championship rings, although things have turned sour as of lately.

    He has continued to have troubles with his coach, Mike D’Antoni, and after they supposedly worked out their differences during last season, Gasol continues to wonder if he fits within the Lakers system.

    The trade of center Dwight Howard was supposedly going to help Pau Gasol in the way that he is utilized in Los Angeles’ game-play, but that has not happened, and continues to frustrate him. His contract is expiring, and while the Lakers would consider re-signing him, they would only do it on a budget.

    Pau Gasol understands that he is not being utilized in the way that he should, and would like to see something change. However, he is not sure how that will happen, saying “This year hasn’t been ideal, certain things are not ideal for me, but that’s not going to change any time soon.”

    His numbers have also been struggling, and as he is unhappy with his current situation, a trade in the near future may be what the veteran needs. Gasol is struggling on the offensive end, and having his worst shooting season of his career and is hitting 41.7 percent of his shots through the Lakers’ 10-11 start. It is by far the worst shooting percentage that he has had throughout his career, and to compare, he shot 46.6 percent from the floor last year.

    The Los Angeles Lakers have also been without their star player, Kobe Bryant, for much of the season, causing them to have such a bad record to start the year. Bryant returned to the team last Sunday, but after not playing since his injury in April, he found it tough to score, and they lost to the Raptors in that game.

    While once one of the best big men in the league, Pau Gasol has had trouble working wtih the system that Mike D’Antoni has created in Los Angeles. D’Antoni has fired back with some comments of his own, saying that Gasol’s comments are simply an excuse to not play hard.

    After the back and forth between Pau Gasol and Mike D’Antoni involving his role on the team, where do fans think the NBA star will end up next? He has already mentioned that he is open to the idea of returning to the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that has improved greatly since he left.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons