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Tag: NBA

  • 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

  • Brook Lopez, Center For The Brooklyn Nets , Out For The Season

    In the next chapter of the Brooklyn Nets’ nightmare of a season, Brook Lopez has been severely injured. Lopez is the center for the Nets, and as a team that recently acquired hot talent from the Celtics, they were being predicted to win a title this year. Instead, they are struggling in the Eastern Conference, and only have a record of 9-17.

    Brook Lopez broke his foot during their last game, and it is being reported that he may miss the rest of the season. The Stanford graduate also missed all but five games during the 2011-12 season after breaking the same bone in his right foot twice in quick succession.

    It is unclear when he sustained his injury, since he played throughout their last game against Philadelphia, and recorded 22 points and 7 rebounds, playing through the fourth quarter and overtime.

    The Nets ended up winning the game in overtime, 121-120, but that overshadows the fact that their star, Brooke Lopez, fractured the fifth metatarsal of his right foot during the game. Soon after, it was reported that he would be out for the rest of the season.

    Despite his past injuries, Lopez is a key member of the Brooklyn Nets, and losing him for the season will be a huge blow to the team. As their only real center, Brook Lopez plays much of the time, and as a leader on the team, he is averaging a team-high 20.7 points, six rebounds and two blocks per game this season.

    On a veteran team with stars such as Deron Williams, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, Lopez is also the only starter under the age of 29, and at age 25, he has been in the league for six years. He is the only true center on the team, and as a result, Kevin Garnett will be forced to play the center position, under their new coach, Jason Kidd.

    Lopez is 7 feet tall, and added muscle mass while rehabbing from injuries, getting him up to 290 pounds in the summer, which made him a completely different player than he was before.

    Brook Lopez played most of last year, but was again sidelined for eight games, due to his ongoing ankle injury. After breaking his foot for the third time in his career, this will raise questions about his future, and reminds fans of other centers who have had short-lived careers due to injures, such as Yao Ming and Zydrunas Illgauskas in recent years.

    Image via Facebook

  • 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

  • Zach Randolph Gives Shirt Right Off His Back

    Professional athletes have received a bad rap over the past decade due to the advent of 24/7 news stations and continual ESPN coverage. Many sports fans perhaps know more about their favorite athletes than their family due to the inane amount of coverage these athletes receive. Unfortunately for athletes, the media attention they do get is usually of the negative variety. Zach Randolph, forward for the Memphis Grizzlies, has been no stranger to negative media attention over the years. Randolph has been implicated with drugs and drug dealers, holds a checkered past during his youth, and has been known for his obscene antics on the court during his stint with the Portland TrailBlazers.

    However, Randolph has since matured and developed into an NBA player worthy of having many admirers. This month, Randolph received the November Kia Community Assist Award for his charity work with underprivileged children during the month of November:

    “As a part of the NBA’s Season of Giving, Randolph distributed 900 Thanksgiving food baskets at Booker T. Washington High School and Hamilton High School in Memphis. At both events, select families received tickets from Randolph to attend an upcoming Grizzlies game. Randolph also donated 500 turkeys and 500 spiral hams to be given away to 1,000 people at the Clarence Faulkner Community Center in Marion, Ind. In addition to Thanksgiving meals, he contributed 300 winter coats to students at Memphis’ A.B. Hill Elementary.”

    But it’s not these actions which have put Randolph in today’s spotlight. This time, it was Randolph’s actions on the court that brought a smile to a child’s face. During last night’s losing effort against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Randolph found himself riding the pine and chatting with a nearby fan. The fan, however, wanted more than a simple chat with the Grizzlies big man; he wanted Z-Bo’s shirt. Feeling the giving mood of Christmas, Randolph obliged and handed the kid the shirt right off his back.

    While many professional athletes use their positions of influence and authority to look out for numero uno, there are those who remember their upbringings and give back to those who need. Zach Randolph may have not been one of the giving kind at the beginning of his career, but recent actions prove that the All-Star NBA forward is becoming less of a Grinch and more of a Who – a trend which hopefully gains traction with professional athletes and millionaires worldwide.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Kobe Bryant Returns To The Lakers, Still Lose To Raptors

    Despite the return of their star player, and one of the best people to ever play the sport of basketball, the Lakers could not win even with Kobe Bryant. The eastern conference as a whole has been lacking in quality this season, but somehow the Raptors were able to pull out a victory against a Lakers team that had gained its star back.

    Kobe Bryant was playing in his first game since he tore his Achilles tendon in April. He returned with his star power as a player, but was unable to make a statement as an athlete. The Lakers lost in a disappointing fashion to the struggling Raptors with a final score of 106-94.

    After coming off the injury many people talked about how he may be getting too old to play in the NBA, and this game may be a sign of that. However, it could just be that it is hard playing after sitting out for such a long time, and he could have a big game soon.

    It can certainly take a while to adjust to things after being on the bench for eight months. Speaking on Kobe Bryant’s performance, coach Mark D’Antoni said “It’s going to take a while. I know everybody thought he could, but there’s no way you can come out and be in mid-season form. It’s just going to be a little while to get his legs and get his timing back.”

    The fans kept cheering for him throughout the game, wanting to see their favorite player on the court, and performing the way that he used to. Unfortunately, he was not able to play to his full ability, and his teammates had trouble playing around him.

    He admitted his problems, but knows he has time to improve when saying “My rhythm is completely out of sync. But this is a start, and I guess a start is good.”

    He was even played into the game with the imperial march from Star Wars, channeling Darth Vader as he entered the game hoping to have a big presence, but it simply did not work. Despite all of the mythical hype behind his opening music and chanting his nickname of “Black Mamba,” fans were brought back to reality after seeing Kobe’s lackluster performance on Sunday night.

    After the win, the Toronot Rpators improve to 7-12, and the Lakers fall to an an even record of 10-10. The Raptors were able to snap a five-game losing streak, despite playing without Rudy Gay, who is expected to be traded to the Sacramento Kings shortly. Bryant only scored nine points in the game, and delivered eight turnovers during his 27 minutes in the game.

    Kobe Bryant returned to the court for the first time in eight months, and while receiving a very warm welcome from fans, was unable to perform as the high-caliber player that he has been throughout his career.

    Image via Facebook

  • Obama Wants To Host ESPN’s “SportsCenter”

    Perhaps you want to get the latest coverage on your favorite sports team; you flip the channel over to ESPN, and bam! There he is, your former president. Because in the future, it’s very possible that Americans may get another four, five, even six or more years with Barack Obama. That’s because he wants to be the host for ESPN’s SportsCenter. Can you imagine that?

    On November 26th at Jeffrey Katzenberg’s DreamWorks Animation campus in Glendale, Barack Obama met with various entertainment moguls including Disney’s Alan Horn, Fox’s Jim Gianopulos, Sony’s Amy Pascal, and CBS’ Leslie Moonves. Before the president delivered his speech, he put in his request to Disney CEO Bob Iger about potentially hosting ESPN’s SportsCenter.

    Iger didn’t respond, he just giggled.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter:

    “At the end of the conversation — which touched on a myriad of topics, from piracy to Iran — Obama revealed what’s at the top of his bucket list post-White House: “At least I know what I want to do when I retire … host ESPN SportsCenter‘s Top 10 list,” Obama quipped as he turned to Disney’s Robert Iger, whose empire includes ESPN.

    The highlights countdown can feature everything from major sports to bull fighting to high school basketball. Other than having a good laugh, Iger apparently didn’t respond.

    “Everyone had a good giggle,” says one person who attended”

    In his speech to the entire DreamWorks Animation Staff and others in attendance, Obama held high regards to the entertainment industry, stating that it was an “engine” for America’s economy and “diplomacy.”

    Obama also said that DreamWorks Animation got their inspiration for Shrek due to the president’s ears.

    SportsCenter is a daily sports news television channel that first broadcasted on September 7, 1979. The show has more than 50,000 episodes and includes highlights featuring everything from major sports like the NFL, NBA, or MLB, to college football, to international football, to high school basketball, etc.

    Obama wrapped up his two-day trip in Southern California at DreamWorks Animation with two fundraising events, one which was held at the home of Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie.

    Would the president’s appearance as host on the ESPN’s SportCenter provide a niche to where more viewers would watch, or would the program decline in ratings?

    (Picture via WikiCommons)

  • Rajon Rondo Could Be Joining The Knicks

    After the Boston Celtics continue to struggle, and continue to work on rebuilding the team, it looks like Rajon Rondo may be switching teams after this season. Rondo has been injured for part of the season, preventing him from contributing to the team and having a presence as the star player that he is.

    Both the Celtics and the Knicks, along with most of the Eastern Conference have had trouble winning games this season. Recently, Carmelo Anthony has been in talks with Rajon Rondo in order to recruit him as a member of the New York Knicks starting in 2015.

    Rajon Rondo will be forced to undergo ACL surgery, and his return to the court as of right now is unknown. However, Rondo has been injured before, and is one of the tougher players in the NBA, especially for his size. Whether he will remain in Boston will is to be determined in the future, but his contract is set to expire after the 2014-2015 season, making him a free agent during that season.

    Steve Smith, who coached both Carmelo Anthony and Rajon Rondo at Oak Hill Academy, said of the situation, “Whether he stays in Boston or not who knows. I know, talking to Melo, he’s recruiting Rajon to come to New York. Melo thinks he’ll come too. You never know about that stuff though. I think either way, Rajon will be fine.”

    After 18 games, the Knicks are only 5-13, and could certainly use some improvement on their roster. The 2014-2015 season may be a rebuilding year, since only five players on the roster have been signed for the next season.

    In addition to the idea of recruiting Rajon Rondo to join the team, Carmelo Anthony’s contract will also be coming up soon, and after 10 years in the league without playing for a national championship, Anthony wants to make sure he is in the right place.

    He came into the league at the same time as Dwayne Wade and Lebron James, and everyone knows the success that they have had. Due to their success, Anthony has received a lot of criticism about not being able to win in the playoffs. After next season, there is no doubt that the rumors will resurface and with New York’s available salary cap space, Rondo could be the best option to turn to.

    Bringing Rajon Rondo into the Knicks roster may be a healthy addition for the team, and Anthony’s shot at a national championship. It certainly couldn’t hurt, considering the success that Rondo has had with Boston, and his experience winning a championship already.

    Image via Facebook

  • Lebron James Is Set To Make His Film Debut

    Lebron James has become quite the superpower as a player in the NBA, and even nicknamed himself “The King.” What’s next for the basketball superstar? He is planning to be the star of a new film, something that he has been planning for a number of years, but has not been able to get going until recently.

    The film will not feature him in some serious dramatic role, but in fact James will star as a basketball player, something that he has plenty of experience doing. The film will be titled Ballers, and after becoming a close friend to Lebron James and other members of the Miami Heat over the past few years, Kevin Hart has been attached to the project.

    Kevin Hart, the well-known stand-up comedian, and comedy actor, will be writing the script, as well as co-starring in the film with James. Hart will appear in the film as the lesser known brother of the NBA star played by Lebron James. He lives in the shadow of his superstar brother, constantly getting all of the attention. His character gets a chance to prove himself when he and some friends attend a fantasy basketball camp in Miami, hosted by James’ character.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwuM3IhsdQs

    Despite being in the early stage of development, Hollywood media outlets have already been comparing the film to Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito. It will be quite the pairing for the NBA star and actor, with James being 6’8, and Hart only 5’3.

    The film will be a comedy about an adult fantasy basketball camp. The idea has been brewing since 2008 when he played for the Cavaliers, and has been in various stages of development since then. Lebron James, and his business partner, Maverick Carter, will serve as executive producers on the film.

    Lebron James has appeared in a film once before, being the subject of a documentary called More Than A Game, focusing on his years as a high school basketball player.

    The worlds of comedy and basketball will collide for the new film, and pairing Kevin Hart with Lebron James will make for quite the comedic sports film. Production on Ballers begins in the summer of 2014.

    Image via SB Nation

  • Anthony Davis Is Out, Suffers Hand Injury

    Anthony Davis Is Out, Suffers Hand Injury

    Anthony Davis, one of the new stars of the NBA, injured his hand in a game on Sunday night. Davis is a forward for the New Orleans Pelicans, and a recent graduate of Kentucky. He was chosen as the top player in the 2012 draft, and up until this point, he has been one of the league’s top performers of the season.

    Davis, the young 20-year-old star, suffered a hand injury in the Pelicans’ game on Sunday night against the New York Knicks. As a rising star for a young team, Davis will certainly be missed on the Pelicans roster.

    During the game, Davis suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand. The injury occurred during the first quarter, and he left the game with 1:32 remaining in the quarter, without being able to return. He is out indefinitely until a timetable can be determined for his return in the future.

    As the NBA season is starting to heat up with its young star, it is unfortunate to see Davis go out this way, but hopefully for the sake of the Pelicans, the injury will not keep him out too long. It is still to be determined how long Anthony Davis will be sidelined, but it was reported that what caused the injury was hitting his hand on the rim. He was attempting to complete an alley-oop at the time.

    If Anthony Davis is out for an extended period of time, then the team will be forced to replace him, and are likely to turn to their power forward Ryan Anderson to start in his place. Davis is certainly hoping for the best, and after the game, he said “I haven’t found anything out yet. Most definitely I hope it’s a short-term thing.”

    Monty Williams, the coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, was unable to give any further comments, and the fate of Anthony Davis is still to be determined in the coming weeks. Entering the game on Sunday, Davis led the league in blocks with 3.9 per game, and also averaged 19.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

    Despite losing Anthony Davis during the first quarter, the New Orleans Pelicans were able to win the game, and defeated the New York Knicks 103-99.

    Image via Twitter

  • Michael Jordan And Wife Expecting First Baby

    Basketball icon, Michael Jordan, and his wife Yvette Prieto, a Cuban American model, are expecting their first child together. The couple got married seven months ago in an extravagant wedding ceremony in Florida. Jordan, 50 and Prieto, 35, have been together for five years now and live in Southern Florida.

    Jordan and Prieto met on the dance floor of a Miami nightclub in 2008.

    The couple exchanged vows at the Bethesda-by-the Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida in April of this year. This is the same place where Donald and Melania Trump married in 2005. The couple’s wedding ceremony was attended by over 500 guests and a reported 1500 guests were at the reception. The wedding was a Who’s Who of  celebrities. In attendance were Scottie Pippen, Spike Lee, Tiger Woods, Usher and Robin Thicke to name a few.

    Jordan is already a father of three other children- Marcus, 22,  Jeffrey, 24,  and Jasmine, 19  from his previous marriage (17 years) to Juanita Vanoy which ended in divorce in 2006. This will be Yvette Prieto’s  first child and the first for the couple. Before Pierto met Jordan, she dated Spanish singer, Julio Iglesias Jr, the  brother of Enrique Iglesias. Iglesias described Prieto as “loving, simple and a very good person” to Hola! magazine in 2003.

    Jordan is best known for his  six championship wins with the Chicago Bulls as well as being a 5-time Most Valuable Player for the NBA.

    (main image via YouTube)

  • Dwyane Wade Videobombs LeBron James With Cartwheels

    Dwyane Wade left teammate LeBron James speechless momentarily following the Miami Heat’s 107-92 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday. While LeBron was giving a post-game interview, Dwyane decided to do a couple of cartwheels. (Some people question whether or not what Wade did was really a cartwheel, but we won’t get into that.)

    The look on LeBron James’s face was priceless when he noticed Dwyane doing the cartwheel out the corner of his eye. Just as LeBron turned around, Dwyane did another cartwheel. LeBron is known for photobombing people (Dwyane Wade included), but it’s safe to say that Dwyane is the now the reigning photobomb/videobomb champ after that stunt.

    “Yo, we’re going to a whole ‘nother stratosphere tonight with that one,” James said of the cartwheels. Check out the video of Dwyane Wade’s cartwheels below.

    Both Dwyane and LeBron posted about the cartwheels on Twitter (and if you’re one of those people who don’t think that what Dwyane did constitutes a cartwheel, he throws down the gauntlet):

    The reactions to Dwyane Wade’s videobomb have been varied. Most people were just as amused as LeBron, but others either weren’t amused or weren’t very impressed with Dwyane’s cartwheel skills.

    Is this the best videobomb you’ve seen? Discuss your opinion in the comments section below.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Derrick Rose Is Out For The Season, Another Knee Injury

    Well, Derrick Rose just can’t seem to stay in the game. He missed all of last season due to a knee injury, then came back this season, and injured his other knee. The recent injury occurred in Portland against the Portland Trailblazers on Saturday night.

    There were recent reports that Derrick Rose had been injured, but it was hard to determine how serious the injury was until now. While his coach and teammates were all hoping for the best, but with his history, it was hard to think too positively on the situation.

    Derrick Rose is one of the star players, and the point guard for the Chicago Bulls. It is easy to tell how much of a difference he makes on the team, after missing most of last season, and causing the Bulls to make the playoffs, but struggled greatly without him.

    It was announced today that Derrick Rose would be out for the rest of the season, a fear that has teammates, coach, and many fans around the country had after witnessing him going down on Saturday.

    He will miss the remaining games in the 2013-2014 season, after completing a successful surgery on Monday morning to repair the torn medial meniscus in his right knee. The team is certainly different without him, and he will be missed by each of his teammates.

    Luol Deng spoke about his injury, and is excited for the day when he is able to return when saying “It’s not going to change anything. He’s still going to be Derrick. He still is going to work hard and come back even better. I really believe that he was better coming back from that ACL. It’s unfortunate that it happened. I have no doubt he’s going to come back and play great.”

    The NBA suffered a great loss when he got injured and was forced to have reconstructive surgery on his left knee last season. In Saturday’s game, he was injured during the third quarter, and this time it is his right knee that has been hurt.

    With Derrick Rose out for another season, the Chicago Bulls will have to count on their other star players such as Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer to get the job done. Chicago is currently 6-6, putting them in second place in the Central division behind the Indiana Pacers.

    Hopefully after another season of recovery, Derrick Rose will finally be able to make it back to the NBA, and have an impact on the Bulls’ 2014-2015 season.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neUsomakNC8

    Image via Youtube

  • Derrick Rose Is Injured Again, Needs Surgery

    Derrick Rose, the star player for the Chicago Bulls, has been injured again. He just can’t seem to catch a break. Rose, one of the best players in the NBA missed most of last season due to a knee injury, and upon coming back, he has injured his other knee.

    He is the Bulls’ point guard, and missed all of last season while recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left knee.

    He injured his right knee during the third quarter of Friday night’s game against the Portland Trailblazers. He did not return to the game, and it looks like he may be out indefinitely again.

    The Bulls saw a return from Rose in the season opener against the Miami Heat, and in a big statement for Miami, the Bulls struggled and lost the game.

    Derrick Rose is set to have an MRI on the knee on Saturday in Los Angeles, after flying there with the team. Coach Tom Thibodeau did not want to speculate on the seriousness of the injury and simply stated “But I don’t want to speculate until we get more information for you guys. We’ll have more [Saturday] for you guys.”

    His teammates Luol Deng and Taj Gibson also showed their concern for their teammate, and as a team that struggled throughout last season, he will clearly be missed again if he is to be out for an extended period during this season.

    Deng attempts to look on the bright side, knowing that they have been in this situation before, when saying “Obviously, it’ll be a setback not having him. But we’ve been there before. We just have to play together.”

    Rose is likely to opt to have the meniscus reattached, which would be better for the long-term, but sideline him longer. He suffered his most recent injury when cutting on a non-contact play Friday night in Portland, Ore., and left the arena on crutches.

    After being the top pick in the 2008 draft, Derrick Rose has had a successful career that has unfortunately been plagued with injury recently. He is averaging 15.4 points per game this season, and the hope is that he will be able to return as soon as possible, and not have to miss much of the season as he did last year.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neUsomakNC8

    Image via Youtube

  • Andrew Wiggins Leads Kansas to Victory Over Duke

    Last night was the night college basketball fans and NBA scouts had been waiting for since April. The Champions Classic, a three year agreement between Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State, featured the three most-touted college freshmen in America – Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, and Andrew Wiggins. All three athletes had received a fair bit of attention before the season began with a plethora of media interviews, television appearances, and magazine coverage. Despite all the early attention and speculation, there could be no true measure of each star’s talent until they were all featured in a national spotlight. And while Jabari Parker and Julius Randle stole the stat-lines with their explosive offensive performances, Andrew Wiggins stole the night by leading the Jayhawks to victory – the only one of the three freshman to come away with the W.

    Wiggins was the Number 1 recruit for this incoming freshman class, a class that has been considered by many to be the best of all time. Yet, Wiggins was perhaps the most mysterious of the three super-stars coming out of high school due to his calm, mild-mannered demeanor. Sure, everyone had seen the highlight reels of Wiggins absolutely killing his high school opponents and breaking legs left and right. But fans, NBA Scouts, and even Bill Self questioned whether that same level of talent would show in the college game, especially given Wiggins’s commitment on every play. One NBA scout stated that Wiggins “is not always playing hard and motivated. That scares people. That scares me a little. You need a gym rat, someone that absolutely loves it. It’s 82 games. It’s tough. Those guys are harder to win with than guys who love it.”

    Following Kansas’s game against Fort Hays State, even Bill Self commented on Wiggins’s lack of hustle, stating that Wiggins “didn’t seem as engaged as he should be.” Tuesday night, however, that was not the case.

    The Champions Classic match-up presented the perfect opportunity for Jabari Parker to showcase why he should have been the number one recruit out of high school – Not only had Parker outplayed Wiggins in their respective first games as collegiate athletes, but Parker was returning to his hometown of Chicago. And for the first 30 minutes, it was Parker who owned the head-to-head contest against Wiggins. In the first half, Parker made an outstanding case to be the first pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. Parker showed a variety of skills, slashing to the basket with ease, pulling up for the mid-range jumper over his defenders (a la Kevin Durant), and stroking the 3 with ease. Parker’s first-half performance was so outstanding that it prompted Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to use such words as “terrific” and “sensational” to describe the performance. Oh, and there was also this:

    (image)

    So where was Wiggins while Parker was going off? On the bench with 2 fouls. In total, the Duke vs. Kansas game saw 53 fouls. Sitting for a long stretch in the first half may have been the medicine Wiggins needed to spark that hustle NBA scouts were lamenting about. After passively watching Parker torch the nets for 19 in the first half, Wiggins came out in the second with abandon. After only scoring 6 points in the first 20 minutes, Wiggins had 16 in the second half, including 4 points on consecutive plays – a step back jumper which reminded many of Jordan’s for UNC in 1982, and a break-away dunk that also saw Parker pick up his fifth and final foul with just over a minute left in the game.

    While Wiggins had a more than satisfactory second half effort offensively, it was his poise and defensive effort which really made his performance stand apart. Early in the game, Wiggins had implored Bill Self to allow him to guard Parker. However, due to foul trouble, Self was wary of making said decision: “People have made a lot about Andrew’s personality, because he’s so mild-mannered and non-demonstrative. But he is competitive. That dude wanted [to guard Parker],” stated Self. Despite his eagerness to go mano-a-mano with Parker, Self was still reluctant.

    Understanding the necessity of the decision, though, Wiggins decided to put matters in his own hands and started guarding Parker without Self’s approval: “I didn’t put him on Jabari. He just went over to guard him, and I think got a piece of his shot. I thought, ‘Maybe I should have listened to him.’ ” By the end of the game, the maybe was a definitely. Over the last 10 minutes, Parker was essentially non-existent on the floor, finishing the second half with a total of 8 points.

    When asked about his unilateral decision to guard Parker, Wiggins replied, “It’s just all pride. You take pride in what you do, if it’s offense or defense.” It is this attitude from Wiggins that makes him one of, if not the, premiere athletes in college basketball. Raw athletic talent and physical attributes are good, but a humble attitude and willingness to work on both sides of the ball make greatness.

    Overall, Tuesday night’s Champions Classic proved one thing – College basketball is back and as amazingly awesome as ever.

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  • Steve Nash Can Not Elude Injuries

    Steve Nash Can Not Elude Injuries

    There is a belief that as you get older, you have a harder time recovering from an injury. Steve Nash might believe that sentiment right about now.

    The Los Angeles Lakers all-star point guard is still trying to recover from last year’s broken leg he suffered in the second game of the 2012-13 NBA season. Nash, who was part of the Lakers attempt to regain their place as one of the game’s elite teams, has not been the same player he was back in his days as a Phoenix Sun.

    Nash will miss the second of back to back games and be limited in minutes, like he was in Sunday’s win and tonight’s loss in Dallas. The Lakers are already without fellow all-star guard, Kobe Bryant, who is still weeks away from his return. If the Lakers are to turn things around, they will need Nash to start to play like he did in his Phoenix days.

    The problem with that is Nash, 39, is having a hard time getting back his groove. As stated when asked about his injury, ” I’m still extremely optimistic,” Nash said. ” I just think maybe the level of health is different. It is going to be a day to day struggle for me and thats something I’m up for though, and I’m optimistic that if I don’t have any freak situations again, I can try to get on top of all these things.”

    After tonight’s loss to Dallas, the Lakers fall to 2-3 and hope that Nash and his teammates can hold the fort until their superstar, Bryant, returns. By then, will Nash return to form or will his body continue to break down. As mentioned on Twitter, Laker fans are concerned about that prospect:

    The Lakers will go only as far as Nash and Bryant can take them. Will their legs hold up to that challenge remains to be seen.

    Image via Twitter

  • Denver Nuggets Mascot Passes Out While Being Lowered to Arena [IMAGES]

    The mascot for the Denver Nuggets gave fans quite a scare on Friday night. During the pre-game festivities, mascot Rocky was being lowered onto the court as part of a stunt, but it was quickly obvious that something was wrong as his seemingly lifeless body descended.

    After Rocky was lowered to the floor, he slumped over. Officials for the Denver Nuggets say that Rocky got the wind knocked out of him while in the harness, but that he is okay now. Check out a video of the scary scene involving the Denver Nuggets mascot below.

    The scene was very frightening, especially for younger Nuggets fans. “Can’t lie, seeing Rocky’s lifeless body being lowered was kinda creepy,” one fan said.

    The incident caused quite a stir on Twitter, with many fans inquiring about the mascot’s condition. A few commenters described the incident and photos as “funny” and “hilarious,” but most comments were well wishes for the mascot.

    The Denver Nuggets mascot made a tweet on his official Twitter page yesterday thanking fans for their concern.

    Denver Nuggets went on to lose their home opener against the Trail Blazers 113-98, but that didn’t seem to matter much as most were concerned about the mascot. Rocky hopes to be back on the court in the next Nuggets game.

    [Image via Twitter]

  • Allen Iverson Is Retiring From The NBA

    Allen Iverson Is Retiring From The NBA

    Allen Iverson announced his retirement on Wednesday, October 30. He made the announcement during a press conference in Philadelphia, and it was also publiczied during the first game for the 76ers, when highlights of his career were shown on the screen.

    It has been a while since anyone has seen him playing on the court, but Iverson has officially declared his retirement now, as a member of the 76ers were he spent much of his career. He played on the all-star team a total of 11 times, and was selected on the All-NBA team seven times. He was highly popularized throughout his career, being given multiple nicknames including “A.I.” and “The Answer.”

    For Allen Iverson’s official retirement, he gave a speech that ran more than 10 minutes, thanking his family, coaches, teammates, and he also gave reflections as to how he had an impact on the game, and its culture.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2STsAPK87Iw#t=1

    Essentially, the NBA had already given up on him, since it had been four years after his last game. Allen Iverson played in the league for 14 years, after graduating from Georgetown. He most recently played with the Nuggets, and a season with the Pistons, before returning to the 76ers to finish out his outstanding career.

    Speaking on his decision to finally retire, Iverson said “I never imagined the day coming, but I knew it would come. I feel proud and happy to say that I’m happy with my decision and I feel great.” Iverson was a shooting guard for the 76ers, and was one of the best players in the NBA throughout the mid-90’s and early 00’s.

    Every player has to retire at some point, and some people probably think that it would have been wise for Allen Iverson to retire years ago, when he still seemed relevant. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft by 76ers.

    Allen Iverson, at 38-years-old, is ranked 19th on the career scoring list with 24,368 points. He singled out Michael Jordan as his inspiration, and also thanked both his Georgetown coach John Thompson, and Larry Brown, who coached him in Philadelphia.

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

    Image via Youtube

  • Charles Barkley Takes Shots at Melo and LeBron

    These days, one can find Charles Barkley nestled comfortably between the likes of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal on the set of TNT’s Inside the NBA. Once upon a time, though, Barkley was an elite NBA forward, finishing in the top 8 in player efficiency ratings for 14 consecutive years and earning the ridiculous moniker, “The Round Mound of Rebound.” (Poking fun at Barkley’s portly stature.) Due to his experience both as a player and as an analyst, one can make the argument that Barkley’s opinions on basketball are perhaps more legitimate than others’. Thus, when Barkley criticizes Carmelo Anthony for wanting to explore the free-agency market and leaves LeBron out of his top 5 NBA players of all time, people take notice.

    In a statement to the New York Observer, Anthony stated, “I want to be a free agent. I think everybody in the NBA dreams to be a free agent at least one time in their career. It’s like you have an evaluation period, you know. It’s like if I’m in the gym and I have all the coaches, all the owners, all the GMs come into the gym and just evaluate everything I do. So yes, I want that experience.”

    Carmelo’s statement of wanting to explore the waters of free-agency blew up when commentators from Inside the NBA heard wind. Charles Barkley took special offense at the utterance: “He owns the city, he should be trying to get guys to come here and not like `I’ll stay here a couple of years – I forced my way here, No. 1, I got here, now I want to leave.’ That’s just not cool at all to be honest with you.”

    Barkley’s partner-in-crime, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, agreed with his analysis: “What happened to the law of attraction? Like, you’re good enough where you can attract guys that want to play with you. And that’s what’s missing, I think from the Knicks, and I think what’s missing from Carmelo, is just the law of attraction. Like, there aren’t a lot of guys saying they want to come to New York and play here with this guy.”

    Smith would go on to add that “What he should say is, `The Knicks have to, they’re going to give me the max. I’m going to be in New York.’” Many people believe that Anthony’s decision to test free-agency is linked to obtaining the largest contract he possibly can, which makes sense. If the Knicks really want to keep Carmelo around, then they would be forced to cough up more money due to bids coming from other teams. This factor seemingly doesn’t matter to Barkley, who is “ticked off” that Anthony is seeking free-agency when he practically begged to come to New York.

    Barkley’s barbs did not end with Carmelo Anthony, though. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Barkley stated that LeBron James would not be included in his Top 5 NBA players of all-time. When asked if LeBron was a Top 10 all-time player, Barkley responded:

    I have him there. But he can’t get any higher than where he is. I have Michael [Jordan] at No. 1. Oscar [Robertson] at No. 2. Then Wilt [Chamberlain], Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and [Bill] Russell. I have Kobe [Bryant], LeBron, Tim Duncan, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor after that. Those are my top 10. Those second five fluctuate, but who do I take off my top five? LeBron can get to No. 6 on my list, but here’s the thing that bothers me about the whole LeBron debate: I want to know why y’all killed Kobe Bryant! Y’all don’t even compare him to LeBron anymore. You are skipping him for LeBron and going right to Michael. I’m still going to take five [titles] over two.

    Barkley’s argument is a fair one. At this point in James’s career, could one legitimately make the claim that he is better than Jordan, Oscar Robertson (who averaged a triple-double), Wilt “The Stilt”, Kareem, or Bill “11-Time NBA Champion” Russell? I think the short answer is no.

    Barkley’s ranking of Kobe above LeBron makes sense as well. When one compares their achievements side-by-side (Kobe left, LeBron right), it’s easy to see that Kobe is more deserving of the 6th spot on Barkley’s list than LeBron:

    (image)

    Barkley is not the only former NBA player to leave LeBron off of an all-time starting five. When asked to name his all-time starters, Jason Kidd also snubbed LeBron James in favor of Scottie Pippen, a move that was seconded by Karl Malone. However, Malone perhaps proved himself to be even more insane than Barkley by leaving Michael Jordan off his own list.

    While one can make the legitimate argument to leave LeBron off of an all-time NBA top 5 list (He is still playing and has room to improve his standings), anyone who tries to argue that Michael Jordan is not one of the greatest of all time is simply delusional. It appears that after all these years, Karl Malone is still bitter about the 1998 NBA Championship.

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  • Greg Oden Makes His Debut For The Miami Heat

    Greg Oden, who has been plagued with injury ever since being drafted, has been given new life as a member of the Miami Heat. Last night, he saw his first NBA action since December 5, 2009.

    The Heat won their preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans 108-95. He has been out for a total of 1,400 days, which can certainly be hard on any player coming back.

    Oden, who was the No.1 overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Ohio State, is still struggling and suffered minor setbacks during training camp due to swelling in his surgically-repaired knee.

    After being released by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012, he has been working on rehabilitating from multiple knee surgeries, including a second microfracture surgery on his left knee in February 2012 and arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

    Before the game, coach Erik Spoelstra had not revealed his intentions for playing his new center, Oden, in his first game of the preseason. However, Oden was aware that he would be making his debut. Shortly after checking into the game during the second quarter, he was able to complete a two-handed dunk on his first touch of the ball.

    Oden understands that it will take a while to get back to his full potential but is happy to be back in the game. After the game, he said “I know the guys were happy for me. I definitely felt love. And I’m excited that they were there for me.” Lebron James showed his excitement for playing with his new teammate, and was excited to see him back on the court.

    Greg Oden ended up picking up two points, two rebounds, a turnover, and a foul in his four minutes during the game. The Miami Heat are one of the elite teams in the league, and have won the previous two NBA championships. As a result, they will not have to use Oden as much as another team might, and are able to ease him back into the game slowly.

    Pat Riley, owner of the Miami Heat also made a statement about the addition of Greg Oden, saying “It was just a really great confidence builder for him. He’s not in shape yet but he’s getting there. We just have to keep him healthy.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix64QPX7xY8

    Image via Youtube

  • NBA Finals Format Changes For 2014 Season

    NBA Finals Format Changes For 2014 Season

    Previously, the team with the home court advantage would get the first two and potentially, the last two games played at home, and play at the opposing teams home court for games 3, 4, and 5. Now, the team with home-court advantage still gets the first two games of the Finals at home, the next two away and then the teams with alternate cities of the last three games, if played. Clearly, if four games are won by either team by game 4 or beyond, the finals will be done.

    NBA owners voted today to restore the NBA Finals format to 2-2-1-1-1, starting this season, and unanimously replaced the previous 2-3-2 format used since 1985.

    Not just the playoffs, but the first three rounds of the playoffs follow the 2-2-1-1-1 format. Another change is that if the Finals goes seven games, there will be an extra day between Games 6 and 7. For example, if Game 6 is on a Monday, Game 7 will be on Thursday.

    “There has been an abiding sense amongst our teams,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said, “and they’ve stated two things: One, in a 2-2 series, it’s sort of not fair for the team with the better record to be away. And two, it’s difficult for the team — the better team in terms of record to spend as many as eight days on the road away from home. So for all those considerations and many others, the Competition Committee voted, it was explained to the owners, and they voted to make the change.”

    Stern is stepping aside on February 1 after 30 years, this being the final meeting with owners as commissioner was able to announce the changes on Wednesday.

    The concern of the owners translated by the committee was the team with home-court advantage playing Game 5 on the road. Statistics show that the Finals have been tied 2-2 11 times since 1985, and the winner of Game 5 has won the championship eight times.

    But the home-court advantage is 21-8, since 1985. It could just be that these teams were ACTUALLY better teams regardless of where they play, but NBA owners want to keep it fair.

    Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, who will take over for Stern in February, said that it was unfair that a team didn’t have home-court advantage for Game 5. The format won’t likely change the outcome, but Game 5 at home has a significant edge, and could extend the length of the series. When it comes down to it, extending a series puts more money in the owners pockets and is good for business.

    “You’re more likely in a 2-2-1-1-1 format to get a Game 7,” Silver said, “but you’re not more likely to get a different outcome.”

    Images (via) Youtube