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Tag: NBA

  • WWE Championship Belts From LeBron to the Heat

    The 2013 NBA Champs the Miami Heat now have a belt to add to their winning collection.

    LeBron James got the idea to buy a WWE Championship belt for himself when he saw Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy sport one during a post game interview after an Eagles win.

    James, who confessed to being a huge professional wrestling fan in his youth, went to the source and asked Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena where he could get one.

    James wound up receiving a belt for his birthday last month.

    Of course King James couldn’t wait to show it off.

    It looks like James was so enamored with the belt that he wanted to share. Flash forward to yesterday and the whole Miami Heat team now have customized WWE Championship belts etched with the Heat logo compliments of King James. The special belts are even personalized for every player.

    Here’s the pic of the team wearing the belts taken from James’ personal Instagram account.

    LeBron and the Heat are looking strong to defend their Championship. They are once again contenders to win it all. They have a 40-14 record and are tops in the Southeast Division. They square off tonight in Miami against the struggling New York Knicks who are 21-36.

    If you’re interested in your own WWE Championship belt, you can order a replica belt online. Here’s the link for the official WWE shop.

    Image via LeBron James, Instagram

  • Jimmer Fredette Close to Becoming Free Agent

    According to NBA sources, Jimmer Fredette and the Sacramento Kings are close to finalizing a buyout agreement on Fredette’s contract.

    Once the buyout is finalized, Fredette still needs to clear NBA waivers. If that happens, though, he’ll soon be a free agent.

    Despite his outstanding college basketball career at Brigham Young University and being the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, Fredette has struggled to find his place with the Kings.

    Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro said he has been working with Fredette’s representatives on the buyout agreement after trying unsuccessfully to place the third-year guard elsewhere prior to the NBA’s annual trade deadline last Thursday.

    He said that Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé “loves Jimmer and wants to do the right thing by Jimmer. We’re just talking about things at this point. There’s nothing done at this point.”

    “I think Pete D’Alessandro and Vivek Ranadivé, our owner, deserve a lot of credit,” head coach Michael Malone said prior to Tuesday night’s match up with the Houston Rockets. “Because we could just hold on to him and he could kind of finish out the season, go into free agency. But we’re trying to do this to help him out, to get (him) with a team where maybe he can get on a playoff roster and showcase his abilities in a different scenario…”

    Fredette didn’t play Tuesday night. The Kings lost 129-103 on home court.

    “His three years here have not gone the way he would have hoped obviously,” Malone said. “But I have a lot of respect for him as a man and how he’s carried himself through some difficult times, so hopefully this will all be resolved soon and I always wish Jimmer nothing but the best.”

    Among the teams rumored to be looking at signing Fredette should he become a free agent are the Memphis Grizzlies and the New York Knicks.

    Fredette boasts a loyal fan base that has carried over from his glory days at BYU. “Jimmermania” is still going strong, with the hashtag #freejimmer making the rounds on Twitter.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • New York Knicks Set To Add Two Free Agents To Roster

    It is no surprise that the New York Knicks are shaking up the roster as they go through yet another disappointing season. They recently waived two players, and are working on acquiring two more to replace them.

    In the past few days, the Knicks have waived Metta World Peace and Beno Udrih, two players who have not done much for the franchise recently. They are aiming to pick up a forward and guard to replace them, and reports say that the team is looking to get Earl Clark and Shannon Brown.

    Both Clark and Brown have been in the league for a handful of years, but have never been able to become stars for any of the teams that they have played for. The New York Knicks are in need of some help at almost every part of the game, but especially a big man, a part of the game where Earl Clark would come in.

    The New York Knicks are desperate, and will do just about anything at this point in order to obtain different players on their roster, with the hopes that somehow they will be able to improve. Despite having Carmelo Anthony, who is one of the best players in the NBA, who performed better than most at the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, the team continues to struggle.

    Anthony has continued to show his disgust with the team’s losing, and although he continues to perform at a high level, without the help of others, it is not enough to win. After Monday’s last second loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks star said “You kind of ask yourself, ‘Is it worth it?’ I’m not going to stop what I’m doing. This was a tough one. We fought. We gave all our effort, man. … We did everything besides win the basketball game.”

    Brown has been in the league for seven years, while Clark has played for five seasons, although he has bounced around between four different teams in that time. Both players are set to receive 10-day contracts, and it will be officially announced by the team on Thursday, which will give both players the opportunity to be under contract for seven games.

    Shannon Brown had played 10 games with the San Antonio Spurs this season, but was released after the second of two 10-day contracts. However, last season was much better for him, and he averaged 10.5 points and pulled down 2.5 rebounds in 59 games for the Phoenix Suns. Meanwhile, Earl Clark averaged 5.2 points with the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded, and subsequently waived.

    The New York Knicks currently have a record of 21-36, which places them at 11th in the conference. Could adding a couple veteran players help the team at all? After several years of struggling, it seems that they will need all the help that they can get.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kendrick Perkins Out For Six Weeks

    Kendrick Perkins Out For Six Weeks

    Oklahoma City Thunder just caught a bad break (or a break depending on how you look at it). Center Kendrick Perkins just underwent surgery to his left groin.

    Perkins needed the surgery after he injured his groin early in the second half of the Thunder matchup against the Miami Heat on February 20.

    While Perkins is recovering he will be out for six weeks, meaning he could potentially miss 20 games.

    If recovery goes will for Perkins he could possibly be in the last few games of the regular season.

    The most likely replacement for Perkins at center will be Steven Adams, who started in place of Perkins during the Thunder’s Sunday game versus the Los Angeles Clippers.

    The Thunder took to their Twitter to update fans of Perkins and the team.

    Even after surgery, Perkins took to Twitter and he seemed to be in high spirits.

    Of course, when he realized his mistake, he took to Twitter to better explain and make a correction to his previous tweet.

    Members of the NBA also took to Twitter to wish Perkins a speedy recovery.

    You can watch Perkins get hurt and then limp off the court in the videos below.

    Image via Kendrick Perkins, Twitter.

  • Jason Collins Signs with NBA’s Nets

    Jason Collins became the first openly gay athlete in one of North America’s four major professional sports Sunday, when he signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets in the afternoon and then appeared in uniform hours later against the Lakers, for the first time since announcing he was openly gay last season.

    The N.B.A. center played 11 scoreless minutes in the second quarter at the Staples Center and was met with applause from the crowd.

    “Sometimes in life something happens and there’s an opportunity,” Collins said shortly before taking to the court Sunday night.

    “I’m very thankful for this opportunity. That’s why I work so hard, why I train the way I do so that when I do have an opportunity physically I’m not worried about my conditioning or cardio or anything along those lines,” he said.

    The 35-year-old player announced last spring that he is gay, but he was a free agent and remained unsigned. Sunday marked Collins’ first time appearing on the court since April 17, 2013, when he appeared with the Washington Wizards. He had been training on his own in Los Angeles after failing to receive an offer from any of the basketball league’s 30 teams since his revelation of his sexual orientation to Sports Illustrated last year.

    Until Sunday, no publicly gay participant had played on the court for the N.B.A. North America’s other three major sports leagues – the N.F.L., N.H.L. and Major League Baseball – had never had an openly gay player.

    Collins played 11 minutes in the Nets’ 108-102 win, finishing with no points, two rebounds, a steal and five fouls.

    Collins will wear No. 98 for the Nets, but was unable to wear it Sunday because it was not available in time for the game against the Lakers, so he wore No. 46 instead.

    His choice of the No. 98 is in honor of Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student who died in a notorious anti-gay hate crime in 1998. Collins also wore the jersey number when he played with the Celtics and Wizards.

    The California native said he was ready to be back in the game.

    “I’ve played for 12 years in the league so I know how to play basketball,” Collins said. “It’s just about getting timing back in the NBA game, so I’m ready. Let’s do it.

    Image via Wikipedia Commons

  • Jason Collins: 1st Openly Gay NBA Player Re-Signed

    Although Jason Collins should be admired for his courage to be the first openly gay NBA player, he should be ever more applauded for joining the slightly ramshackled Brooklyn Nets today.

    While already proven brave, Collins shows that he may also be of the shrewd athlete as well. Sports Illustrated tells us that he and the Nets have agreed on a 10-day contract, and we’ll see him play later today in a Nets jersey against the Lakers.

    Granted, the team is not doomed to failure– Despite being unceremoniously dumped by one of the most famous Brooklynites and pretty much the spokesperson of the team, Jay-Z, the team is currently doing average at best with a 25-28 record while clinging to the last playoff spot for dear life. Now, adding Jason Collins to the team is an additional plus; Collins has already played with the two power players of the Nets, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, in Boston. He was also teammates with Nets head coach Jason Kidd in the earlier 2000s.

    Jason Collins ranked first in Stanford’s field goal percentage history, and is a 13-year NBA veteran in great shape. Strangely though, Collins hasn’t been signed to a team in close to nine months. Is it just a coincidence that it has also been almost nine months since he publicly announced his homosexuality? It would be hard not to connect the two.

    Despite the issues that still seem unavoidable in today’s time, we congratulate Jason Collins as well as the Brooklyn Nets. Collins is a 7-foot defensive power player who has stifled some of the strongest centers such as Dwight Howard, and his experience and added size to the Brooklyn Nets roster might be exactly what the team needs to boost their rankings. Be sure to check him out tonight.

    Image via NDN

  • Danny Granger Traded From Pacers To 76ers, Pacers Get Evan Turner

    As the trade deadline for NBA approaches, several teams have made decisions to shake up their rosters, and add new players. In a trade that could end up hurting at least one team in the trade, Danny Granger was traded from the Indiana Pacers to the Philadelphia 76ers.

    Granger has struggled with injuries for the past couple of seasons, and as someone who has not been able to play much, the Pacers are likely to see the trade as a favorable one for them. The Pacers got away with a big one when trading away an aging forward in exchange for two other forwards.

    The Pacers were able to acquire Lavoy Allen and Evan Turner in exchange for Danny Granger. Evan Tuner can easily be looked at as one of the best, if not the best, of the players for the 76ers.

    In other trading news, there have been plenty of rumors surrounding the Lakers, and whether Pau Gasol would finally leave after his continued problems with their coach. However, Steve Blake is the one who has been traded so far.

    Rajon Rondo has also been mentioned along with Luol Deng, who was just acquired by the Cavaliers earlier this season. Several other high profile candidates are in the market for a possible trade, meanwhile star players like Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony will also become free agents in the upcoming season.

    The ex-Pacers forward has only played in 29 games this season, and only five games in the 2012-2013 season, after continually battling with a knee injury. Despite his recent injury problems, when he is healthy, Danny Granger can be a franchise player.

    At one point in his career, he had averaged over 20 points per game in three consecutive seasons, which included a career high of 25.8 points per game during the 2008-2009 season.

    Meanwhile, Evan Turner is averaging 17.4 points, six rebounds, and 3.7 assists for the 76ers this season. Turner was the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft by the 76ers, and has been one of their best players since, even though the team has been having one of the worst records in the conference, even after joined the franchise.

    The Indiana Pacers are already the best team in the Eastern Conference, and after their recent trade involving Danny Granger, many people would argue that they just got even better. Meanwhile, the 76ers made a decision that turned them from bad to worse, as they simply try to not be in last place in the conference.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lakers Rumors: Pau Gasol Ending Season With Lakers?

    Lakers Rumors: Pau Gasol Ending Season With Lakers?

    Many guys in the NBA enjoyed their All-Star break maybe spending time with family and friends, watching the Olympics, catching up on some reading, or watching Oscar nominated movies so they can get caught up before the awards show. Others spent this time wondering if they would be wearing the same jersey once the break was over.

    In less than 24 hours all possible NBA trades will be over and done with.

    The team that many people are paying attention to and talking about is the Los Angeles Lakers.

    The possible Lakers trades include Pau Gasol, Jordan Hill, Chris Kaman, and Steve Blake. The most talked about possible trade is that of Gasol.

    Rumors started circulating that the power forward/center might be leaving the Lakers after he made some disparaging comments about Coach Mike D’Antoni.

    Gasol addressed the trade rumors after practice on Tuesday,”It fills up a lot of pages and f—— airtime. It’s something that’s there and there’s potential that it might happen. Who knows? We might be saying that it’s been great to see you guys [in the media] and we’ll see you around. But hopefully that won’t be the case because it’s always hard and I think if it ever happened, it would be tough.”

    While Gasol is in his last year on his contract with the Lakers, many speculated that he could be traded to the Phoenix Suns, but that idea seems to be a thing of the past now.

    It looks like many people are ready to see Gasol leave the Lakers. (Wonder how bummed they’ll be if he doesn’t get traded?)

    There is one fan who doesn’t want to see Gasol go.

    A major get for the Lakers would be the Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love. The only issue with this possible trade is the Timberwolves aren’t getting enough from the Lakers to make such a trade.

    Other Lakers who could be wearing a different jersey after the trade deadline include Jordan Hall, Chris Kaman and Steve Blake. Hall is rumored to be receiving interest from the Brooklyn Nets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Phoenix Suns, and the Dallas Mavericks. Kaman could be heading to Cleveland. And Blake could be wearing the royal blue and gold of the Golden State Warriors.

    All the rumors will die down after 3:00 pm on Thursday, the trade deadline.

    Image via Pau Gasol, Twitter

  • Lamar Odom Continues Basketball Career In Spain

    Lamar Odom, 34, has just signed a two-month contract with Spanish basketball team Laboral Kutxa.

    The former forward for the Los Angeles Lakers also has the chance to extend the contract for the remaining season which allows him to fill in for an injured player. Details for these types of contracts typically give veteran players the chance to go back and play for the NBA if an opportunity comes knocking. According to reports, Odom is committed to playing the remainder of the season with Spain before going back to the NBA.

    Joseasn Querejeta, president for Laboral Kutxa, stated that they are happy to have Odom on their team. They have been working on recruiting the player for the past few days and feel that he is the perfect player to help them win.

    Laboral Kutxa currently places ninth among the 18 teams in the Spanish league, and is presently in last place in the Euroleague. Other NBA players who have played for the Spanish team include Tiago Splitter, Jose Calderon, and Goran Dragic.

    Odom nearly got the chance to return to the NBA last November when Doc Rivers, the new coach for the Los Angeles Clippers, approached him and assessed his playing. However, the Clippers signed off with three other players – Sasha Vujacic, Hedo Turkoglu, and Stephen Jackson – leaving Odom out of the game.

    Odom has been out of the NBA since last summer. He was the talk of the town with rumors circulating about his mental state, sobriety, and his recent divorce from reality television star Khloe Kardashian, which was finalized late last year. The basketball star also pleaded guilty to a DUI charge last December.

    The new recruit for Laboral Kutxa will make his debut on the court when the team plays against Valladolid.

    http://youtu.be/WfbKkda17lM

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • NBA All-Star Game: 2014’s Game Sets Multiple Records With Big Performances

    Last night’s NBA All-Star Game was quite a sight to see, and each of the players on the court made it a point to show the fans why they were chosen to be all-stars. All the best players were out, and it was apparent with all of the great plays that were seen throughout the game.

    The game was filled with constant offense, and set a number of records in terms of scoring numbers, for both individual players, and the teams.

    The teams combined for the most points ever scored at the halftime of the game, and then made it the highest scoring NBA All-Star Game of all time with a total of 318 points, with the previous record being 303, which was set in 1987.

    During the game, it seemed that the commentators were announcing a new record being broken every few minutes, throughout the course of the outrageously played game filled with offense, and hardly any fouls or blocks.

    The game went back and forth throughout, and while the West dominated at one point with an 18-point lead, the East came away with the victory, and ended the West’s three-game winning streak. The final score was 163-155 in favor of the Eastern Conference, while the top players continued to dominate for both sides.

    The game was also significant because Kobe Bryant, a 16-time NBA All-Star Game performer, was forced to watch from the sideline after battling injuries for the past year. While it looked like Dwyane Wade may have to sit out as well, he was able to play, but only for limited minutes, allowing for Kyrie Irving to give a star performance.

    Kyrie Irving was selected as the MVP of the game, after scoring 31 points, and registering 14 assists. Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin both put up impressive performances for the Western Conference, and if they would have won, one of them would have certainly earned the award.

    Speaking on his first MVP for an NBA All-Star Game, Kyrie Irving humbly said “It’s a great honor. We had a few MVPs. Everyone out here today is an MVP.” He is the first player for the Cleveland Cavalievers to win the award since Lebron James did it in 2008.

    Durant and Griffin each had 38 points, and were both 4 points shy of beating the all-time record set for points scored in an NBA All-Star Game, which was set by Wilt Chamberlain. However, after losing three straight, the East was determined to win, and scored the final 10 points of the game, securing the victory.

    Blake Griffin set a record for most field goals made–a total of 19. Griffin also scored 18 points in an explosive first quarter that was filled with multiple alley-oops.

    While the NBA All-Star game is hailed as the “ultimate pick up game,” this year truly made that the case with dunks, layups, and three-pointers being executed at a constant pace throughout the game.

    Image via Youtube

  • John Wall Claims NBA Slam Dunk Throne, But Fans Are Confused

    Whenever East meets West, there is a battle to be won. John Wall of the Washington Wizards showed off his impressive skills during All-Star Saturday’s 2014 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest in New Orleans. Wall’s reverse dunk move, which he did after taking the ball from the Wizards mascot G-Man and moving it between his legs, will definitely be the talk of basketball-crazed fans for weeks to come. The move cemented Team East’s win over the West, and was enough to make fans vote for him as the Sprite Dunker of the Night.

    The extraordinary feat was probably the best thing the contest had, because after Wall was declared as the night’s top dunker, the contest ended, leaving fans somewhat dazed. Many of the viewers felt that the competition ended too soon, calling the new format “whack,” which is slang for awful, shocking, or sickening—or all of the above.

    The contest’s new format was hoped to give players and fans a boost, but only resulted in confusion and frustration. What the NBA did was to give each conference a 90-second freestyle round, after which the one-on-one battles would ensue. Players can only use one type of dunk in the man-versus-man battle, judges vote which player executed it better, and the team gets a point. As there are only three players for each team, the first team to get three points wins. The new format, instead of reinvigorating the contest, had fans clamoring for the old one.

    Before the new format came along, individual players were given the stage to shine. It was something the fans enjoyed watching, as they could see their favorite players perform solo slams. Now, with the team element making up half of the competition, what used to be an entertaining night—a basketball-themed talent show, if you will—has turned into something that may be considered monotonous and lacking inspiration and the feeling of seeing one man against all odds, something that the old format had and the new one obviously does not.

    Watch John Wall’s impressive slam dunk

    http://youtu.be/GIz-TwKciY8

    Image via YouTube

  • David Stern Makes It To Basketball Hall Of Fame

    With the NBA’s All-Star weekend here, it’ll be interesting to see how many people notice the absence of David Stern, the league’s former commissioner who retired recently, as Stern has been running the league since 1983.

    During that time, he’s made some positive changes in the NBA, which is why he’s been elected to the basketball Hall of Fame. The announcement came on Friday while Stern was on vacation with his family.

    Adam Silver, who took over for Stern as league commissioner, attended a press conference about the Hall of Fame honor, and said he wanted to be there for Stern when the announcement was read.

    “I wanted to be here for David, because I knew he wasn’t in New Orleans this weekend,” explained Silver. “Just to be here to share the experience and then relay it back to him what the feel in the room was.”

    In addition, Silver said that Stern would probably be embarrassed about the award, because he’s a guy who doesn’t like to look in the past or talk about yesterday’s accomplishments.

    “As I said earlier, while David is a modest guy, I know he was moved by the fact this was all happening so quickly, and he has always told me he doesn’t like to reflect back sort of on his life or his career, but this will certainly force him to. And I know this is an emotional moment for him and it’s an emotional moment for everybody who has worked with him over these years.”

    For the most part, the 71-year old Stern was well-liked by the leagues’s players, however some believed he focused on the wrong things, like the whole dress-code controversy that happened a number of years ago, or the accusation that there wasn’t enough diversity in terms of team ownership, but all and all, the former commissioner did make some wonderful changes in the NBA, and took it from an underground sport in the 80s to a television mainstay, and for that, he definitely deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kobe Bryant Will Miss NBA All-Star Game Due To Injury

    Kobe Bryant, although he continues to be a fan favorite and was voted on to the Western Conference All-Star team, will not be able to compete in the NBA All-Star game in New Orleans this weekend.

    He has only played six games this year after recovering from an Achilles injury, and then injuring his right knee upon returning to the court. Bryant has been sidelined since December 17th, and will be reevaluated following the All-Star break, with no clear timetable for him to return to the Lakers’ lineup.

    Bryant finished second among Western Conference back-court players in the fan vote, with a total of about 988,000 votes. It has been reported that he is likely to be replaced by James Harden of the Houston Rockets. He finished in fifth place in the fan voting with about 470,000 votes, behind Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Jeremy Lin.

    Harden, 24 years old, would be making his second All-Star Game appearance, and this would mark his first time as a starter. Harden is averaging 23.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game in his fifth NBA season. In addition to James Harden, the starting lineup of the Western Conference team will consist of Stephen Curry, Thunder forward Kevin Durant, Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, and Clippers forward Blake Griffin.

    While being led by their star in James Harden, the Rockets have won seven games in a row and are 36-17 at the break, good enough for third in the Western Conference playoff standings.

    Serious injuries have continued to plague the veteran stars of the NBA, and it was also announced recently that Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade will likely miss out on the All-Star game because of multiple injuries, and most recently was diagnosed with foot drop, giving him an inability to lift the front part of his foot.

    At the age of 35, Kobe Bryant may need to start thinking about retirement soon, and after an incredibly successful career with the Los Angeles Lakers, his best days seem to be behind him. He made his debut this season on December 8th, but shortly after he was injured, and has been prevented from playing since.

    Since the injury to their star player Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have struggled greatly, and are not in good shape in the Western Conference.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Dwyane Wade May Miss Out On All-Star Game Due To Injury

    Dwyane Wade has been no stranger to injuries throughout his all-star career, and this season has been no different. He has been struggling with a sore foot, and most recently missed a big game against the Golden State Warriors.

    The Heat have dealt with injuries throughout the 2013-2014 to some of their biggest stars, with Dwyane Wade falling victim to a foot and knee injury, and even Lebron James was forced to sit out for a couple of games.

    The big NBA All-Star game that has been anticipated for months is coming up this Sunday, and his injury may force him to sit out of that game. He has played in the All-Star game multiple times, and was selected as a starter for the Eastern Conference for the 2014 game.

    If he is not able to play, a replacement will be assigned to the team, while Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers may be a likely possibility to replace him after his outstanding first half of the season. The Pacers remain at the top of the conference with a record of 40-12, and despite the multiple injuries to the Heat, they are still in second place with a 37-14 record.

    When speaking about the injury, Dwyane Wade said “First, I want this to calm down a little bit and get back to feeling regular and I will go from there…I’m not optimistic, I’m not pessimistic. I just wanna get better.”

    The issue of Dwyane Wade’s health is a consistent issue for the Miami Heat, and has caused Lebron James to step up and take much of the load during their recent games. When Wade is healthy, he and James are one of the best duos in the league, but with his health in question, Lebron James’ free agency also comes into question. James wants to continue to win championships, and may not be able to do that without the help of another star.

    At 32 years old, the best days of Wade’s career may be over, and Wednesday’s game was the 15th game that he was forced to miss out on during the current season. He was most recently diagnosed with foot drop, which causes an inability to lift the front part of the foot.

    Dwyane Wade is still planning to fly to New Orleans with the possibility of the playing in the 2014 NBA All-Star game, but it is likely that he will continue to rest, and not take the chance of making anything worse. He will continue getting treatment from the team trainer while in New Orleans.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • The Space Jam Game You Always Wanted Is Now A Mod For NBA 2K14

    NBA 2K14 isn’t a game you’d normally associate with mods, but the PC version gets mods nonetheless. Most aren’t exactly newsworthy, but they are when every child’s favorite basketball movie from the 90s is involved.

    MGX, a modder on the NBA 2K series of games, has released a Space Jam mod that adds the characters from the classic Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes crossover to the game. With the mod, you can relive that classic game that pitted the Toon Squad versus the Monstars sans Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd.

    The fun thing about the mod is that it has to work within the confines of the game’s engine. That’s why all the Looney Tunes characters are freakishly tall while the faces are just grafted onto player faces that were already in the game. It’s at times horrific, but it’s mostly funny.

    If you want to recreate Space Jam on your own, you’ll need a copy of NBA 2K14 on the PC and the mod which you can find here. Here’s hoping Bill Murray gets added at a later date as a late game substitution.

    [h/t: Kotaku]
    Image via MkEliteWorksX/YouTube

  • Michael Jordan And Wife Yvette Welcome Twin Girls

    Michael Jordan and his wife have welcomed two new girls into the world. The former basketball star’s wife gave birth to twins, Victoria and Ysabel, on Sunday in Palm Beach, Florida.

    The identical twin girls mark the fourth and fifth kids for Michael Jordan, but the first two with his current wife, Yvette. His other three children-Jeffrey Michael, Marcus James, and Jasmine, all came from his previous marriage to Juanita Vanoy. The two of them divorced in 2006.

    It was previously announced that the couple were expecting twins, and the couple, who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina are excited about the two new members of their family. They met six years ago, and were married on April 27th of last year.

    They were married in West Palm Beach, while the reception took place at a private golf club. The wedding had around 300 guests, and included former NBA star Patrick Ewing, Spike Lee, Tiger Woods, and others. Jordan owns a home nearby, where the family will spend much of their time.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9re8mjzZP0k

    Michael Jordan’s spokesperson reported the news, saying, “Yvette Jordan and the babies are doing well and the family is overjoyed at their arrival.” Jordan will be 51 years old next Monday, while his wife is 35 years old.

    He also made headlines recently with the Charlotte Bobcats, and as the team owner, he has been heavily involved with the team since their creation. Before that, he was known for his lengthy career in the NBA as a star for the Chicago Bulls, where he won six NBA championships and was a 14-time NBA All-Star.

    It was recently announced that the team in Charlotte would be returning to their old name of the Charlotte Hornets, and they would also be bringing on a new logo, one that looks much tougher than before.

    The name became available again after the New Orleans Hornets changed their name to the Pelicans. The Bobcats are also currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a chance to make the postseason for the first time.

    The former basketball star and model are happy with the arrival of their two new babies, and had previously done a good job of hiding the fact that they were expecting twins.

    Image via Michael Jordan, Facebook

  • 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

  • Maurice Cheeks Fired As Head Coach of Pistons

    With NBA All-Star Weekend quickly approaching, marking the league’s halfway point, most teams are taking a look at what they’ve accomplished in the first half of the season.

    And while some teams like Oklahoma City and the Indiana Pacers are playing extremely well, and probably won’t make too many changes, other teams are doing poorly and are switching things around a lot.

    One team that’s made a big switch from the top down is the Detroit Pistons, as they’ve just let go of their head coach Maurice Cheeks.

    Joe Dumars, president of basketball operations for the team, said it was incredibly tough to let Cheeks go, but he had to. “This was a difficult decision for the organization to make but we needed to make a change,” he said. “We have great respect for Maurice and appreciate his hard work.”

    However, team owner Tom Gores wasn’t as kind when talking about Cheeks and the job he did this season, and he started out by criticizing the team’s record to make his point.

    “Our record does not reflect our talent and we simply need a change,” he said in a statement. “We have not made the kind of progress that we should have over the first half of the season. This is a young team and we knew there would be growing pains, but we can be patient only as long as there is progress.”

    And with a current record of 21 and 29, most would probably agree that the Pistons had to make a change and bring in someone who the players responded to a little better, because sometimes it’s best to just make a clean break and bring in a head coach with fresh ideas, so he can build a new level of respect between him and the players.

    But Gores was quick to point out that it’ll take more than just getting a new head coach to turn things around. “The responsibility does not fall squarely on any one individual,” he said. But right now this change is a necessary step toward turning this thing around. I still have a lot of hope for this season and I expect our players to step up. I respect and appreciate Maurice Cheeks and thank him for his efforts, we just require a different approach.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Sasha Vujacic Signs with Clippers After Stint in Turkey

    Sasha Vujacic Signs with Clippers After Stint in Turkey

    Sasha Vujacic, a Slovenian professional basketball player, will return to Los Angeles under a 10-day contract with the Clippers.

    Vujacic played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2004 to 2010.

    In an interview on Monday prior to suffering a painful 115-116 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Clippers coach Doc Rivers was noncommittal regarding Vujacic: “Just adding another player … no deep thinking to it. He’s another shooter … we’ll see what he’s got.”

    Vujacic is part of a recent spate of short-term signings by the Clippers as they seek to mitigate the loss of point guard Chris Paul, who has sat out 16 games with a shoulder injury.

    “[Vujacic] had a good workout with us about three to four weeks ago,” Rivers said. “We felt like getting another guard … we’ve got a lot of our guards banged up right now.”

    Post by Sasha Vujacic.

    Where has Vujacic been since he left the Lakers in 2010?

    He went to the New Jersey Nets in December of that year as part of a three-team trade also involving the Houston Rockets. At the time Nets General Manager Billy King called Vujacic a “a veteran NBA player who will add depth to our backcourt rotation.”

    Vujacic saw success with the Nets, tying his career high of 22 points in January 2011 and following up with a new career high – 25 points – the following month when the Nets defeated the New Orleans Hornets.

    In July 2011, Vujacic returned to Europe when he signed a one-year deal with Anadolu Efes, a Turkish professional basketball team based in Istanbul. In June 2012, it was announced that Vujacic would play one more season with the team.

    He was joined in Turkey by Jordan Farmar whose time with both the Lakers and the Nets overlapped Vujacic’s. Farmar took advantage of the post-season opt-out clause in his Anadolu Efes contract to return to Los Angeles. In July 2013 he signed for a season with the Lakers.

    It remains to be seen if Vujacic’s 10-day contract will turn into something more permanent. In the meantime, fans have mixed feelings about the deal:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • 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

  • Tracy McGrady May Attempt Baseball Career

    Tracy McGrady May Attempt Baseball Career

    It looks like Tracy McGrady may be considering a career in baseball after retiring from the NBA last year.

    ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy set off a swirl of rumors during a telecast of Friday night’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

    “I think he’s going to play independent league baseball as a pitcher this year,” Van Gundy said. “I’m being serious. I’ve heard from sources in Houston — seriously — that he’s throwing over 90 miles per hour.”

    Van Gundy, who has coached for the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets, hinted that McGrady may join the Sugar Land Skeeters. The team – located in the greater Houston metropolitan area – is a member of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

    Randy McIlvoy of KPRC-Houston echoed Van Gundy’s prediction:

    McGrady, known in the sports world as T-Mac – retired last year after playing for numerous professional teams throughout his 16 years in the NBA.

    A seven-time All-Star, McGrady entered the NBA straight out of high school in 1997, starting his career with the Toronto Raptors, and moving on to Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons. His stint in Houston was actually the longest time he spent with any one team, playing there from 2004 to 2010.

    At the time of his retirement, he was playing for another Texas team – the San Antonio Spurs.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_qk-NAMeiI

    When McGrady announced his retirement on ESPN’s First Take, he said he was excited and happy about what was to come. He said his run in the NBA had been a great one.

    But he alluded to the fact that his time with the Atlanta Hawks, Qingdao Eagles (of the Chinese Basketball Association), and the Spurs had not lived up to his expectations: “I can’t allow myself to settle. The last three years have mentally ejected me from the game,” McGrady said.

    At one point, McGrady called baseball his first love:

    That may explain why he joined forces with his friend Tim Bennett, president of Jackson, Mississippi-based Overtime Sports to fund a minor league baseball team in Biloxi, MS.

    The team will be a Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The stadium groundbreaking took place in January.

    Bennett was instrumental in getting the Atlanta Braves to move their Double-A team to the Jackson suburb of Pearl from Greenville, SC back in 2004.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons