Knicks make moves, score T-Mac & cap room

In a blockbuster 3-team deal, the New York Knicks have not only landed Houston Rocket Tracy McGrady, but also have cleared cap room for the upcoming 2010 free agent wars. It was reported earlier on Thursday that the Rockets and Kings were working out a deal to trade Kevin Martin and several players in exchange for McGrady and other players. Right before the NBA trade deadline struck, the Knicks managed to acquire Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez (Kings).

The Knicks have now traded away Nate Robinson, Darko Milicic and Jared Jeffries, freeing up plenty of cap space to sign two max free agents. That could mean their #1 choice Lebron James will suit up as a Knick starting in 2010-11, and that another player such as Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade will join him in the lineup. The Knicks may have upped their status as potential title contenders for that next season with these moves, which at first appeared odd with them simply trading away Nate Robinson to the Celtics for bench player Eddie House.

The Houston Rockets now acquire Jared Jeffries (Knicks) along with Kevin Martin from the Kings. Also, Sacramento picks up Larry Hughes (Knicks), Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey both from the Kings. Tracy McGrady will be a member of the Knicks but has an expiring contract as well, and has mentioned a desire to play for a playoff contender like the Lakers or Cavaliers. However, the Cavaliers wouldn't exactly be a contender if King James is long gone.

Confused yet? The important things to note are that Kevin Martin is now a Rocket, and Tracy McGrady is now a New York Knick. Oh and that the Knicks just might be able to woo King James with enough money to have him switching from a red-maroon Cavs jersey to Knicks blue and orange for 2010-11.

Read more about today's trade here at NY Daily News.

Greg Oden out for Season, again...

It's another unfortunate injury for Greg Oden and the Trailblazers. This time it was a left knee cap injury that will have Oden likely to miss the rest of the 2009-10 season. Although the Blazers won the game, they definitely lost a lot in terms of size and power.

The injury occurred Saturday night in the Blazers-Rocks game when Oden fractured his left knee cap. He was down on the floor clutching at his left knee. The incident happened after the big man collided with the Rockets Aaron Brooks. Trainers and physicians immediately huddled around the Portland center to attend to his injury. He was down for at least 7 minutes, and fans at the Rose Garden let out a "Oden!" chant in support.

Eventually, they moved Oden to a stretcher and wheeled him off court to get have an MRI performed. The report already says Oden will need surgery for this latest setback.

"I'm obviously disappointed having worked so hard to get to where I was. This is a setback but I'll be back. It's in God's hands now," Oden said in a statement released by the team. "I want to thank the fans, my teammates and everyone in the Blazers family for all of their good thoughts."

The early knock on Oden was he might be the #1 pick, but he may mirror the path of another Portland big man, Bill Walton. Walton is still heralded as one of the greats, but found himself plagued by injuries to his legs as well. Similarly, another big man, Yao Ming from the Houston Rockets, has been out this season due to foot problems. It might be true, the bigger they are, they harder they fall...

Story Source: The Associated Press

Yao Ming's Foot Injury Could End Career

The Houston Chronicle discusses the notion that Rockets All-Star Center, Yao Ming, could miss all of next season and possibly even end his career. The problem is that stubborn foot injury which kept him out of the playoff series against the Lakers. Yao is having no symptoms or physical signs due to the injury, but CT scans said otherwise. Apparently the foot's not healing as it should and may require Yao to be benched again next season. The team doctor, Tom Clanton, said the likeliness that Yao plays again depends on the success of whichever treatments are used.

Apparently, Yao had a pin inserted in his foot back in 2006 and played in the Olympics less than six months after that. This current situation while not as serious an injury as in 2006, may require more serious treatment.

From Houston Chronicle:

The surgical treatment options could include placing a pin inside the foot, a bone graft or even realigning the foot to operate differently. Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas underwent similar procedures, reducing his high arch to a flatter foot position, an option that could be considered for Yao, Clanton said, though his arch is not as high as Ilgauskas’ was.

The Rockets enjoyed a tremendous 2008-09 NBA season and unfortunately met up with the eventual NBA Champs (minus Yao) in the postseason. They still possess a nicely formed, talented group including Ron Artest and Shane Battier, but T-Mac has been an injury question mark as well. Yao's had a plethora of foot injuries during his stellar career, but let's hope this latest one heals and allows the phenom to continue play. If not, the Rockets may have to consider shopping in the free agent market to pickup a new star.

Celtics & Lakers prepare for Game 7's

The two teams in last year's finals both find themselves on the ropes this Sunday as Boston and Los Angeles have both been taken to their limit. Houston & Orlando have both managed to stretch the series to the fullest, and now we will see two enjoyable Game 7 matchups.

Orlando's Dwight Howard has guaranteed his team will beat Boston, and he just may be right. Boston's glaring weakness is the lack of KG's inside presence, while Orlando's strength is Dwight Howard. Howard had a monster Game 6 in Orlando with over 20 points and over 20 rebounds. Meanwhile, Ray Allen struggled to find his sharpshooting touch from the 3 point line. If Boston wants to win, it's going to need Paul Pierce to step it up once again in Game7 and be the hero. Regardless of who wins this one, Lebron James and the Cavs are sitting back, relaxing and awaiting the winner. Game 7 between Boston and Orlando will start at 8PM EST on TNT.

Meanwhile, Houston and Los Angeles have had some tense moments, including a game that featured over 5 players getting technical fouls. Artest seems to be doing his best to jaw with Kobe Bryant and get under his skin, but Kobe's a tough act to stop. Expect the Lakers to bounce back under the leadership skills of Phil Jackson, en route to the next round matchup with the Denver Nuggets. The Rockets try to bounce Kobe and the Lakers from the playoffs at 3:30PM EST on ABC.

When all's said and done it should be a Lakers-Cavs finals, and seeing Kobe vs. Lebron for a potential 7 game series may be many fans' dream. Any of the final teams matched up would be great, including Carmelo vs Lebron with the Nuggets taking on Cleveland. Play on!

Suns-Rockets Basketbrawl Punishments

You may have seen the highlights as a pretty-good sized fight broke out during the Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns game just a few nights ago. According to AZCentral.com:

Just moments after Steve Nash clutched his shoulder after slamming into a McGrady screen, Suns forward Matt Barnes lowered his shoulder into a high screen set by Houston guard Rafer Alston as McGrady made the 3-pointer. Alston came back at Barnes in the middle of the floor, where Nash soon showed up as he raced out of the lane. McGrady shoved Nash out of the area, prompting Shaquille O'Neal to push down McGrady and give more-gentle pushes to Yao Ming and Alston as well. The dust-up carried crosscourt, with Suns coach Terry Porter trying to get between the combatants.

The incident definitely drew the attention of the league, as any instance of on-court violence has following the Pistons-Pacers melee years ago. Today the league handed out an assortment of punishments to the various individuals involved.

The main individuals behind the altercation, Raefer Alston of the Rockets and Matt Barnes of the Suns each received 2 games off from the league. The Suns will also miss their floor general, as Steve Nash was given a 1 game suspension. Suns center Shaquile O'Neal was fined $35,000 while T-Mac of the Rockets had his wallet lightened by $25,000.

In other Shaq news, despite the fine, he recently surpassed legend John Havlicek to become #10 on the all-time scoring list making for quite a milestone in the Big Aristotle's career.

In other fine news, the Sacramento Kings and their coach Reggie Theus were each fined $25,000 for their comments following a recent loss to Detroit.

Video footage of Suns-Rockets fight at USA Today blogs.

In Honor of Magic Johnson

Today, Love & Basketball NBA blog honors Magic Johnson, All-star, Hall-of-Famer and American hero.

Seventeen years ago to the day, a bombshell announcement was made that shocked not only the NBA world, but the world in general. Lakers guard and All-star player, Magic Johnson, informed the World that he had contracted HIV. The shocking news was delivered with his wife Cookie nearby, who was carrying an unborn child. It was announced that both Cookie and the child did not have HIV, but the fact that a sports hero had it was unfathomable at the time. The news brought quick allegations that Magic was homosexual, and it actually helped to change the stereotype that AIDS/HIV were only contracted by homosexuals. ESPN named Magic's revelation as the 7th most memorable moment in sports, and US President George Bush proclaimed Magic was a "hero". Other players might become discouraged and angry, or even try to hide the news, but Magic overcame the adversity and used it as away to inspire others.

Magic made an early retirement due to having HIV as well as possible concerns from the league and other players. Again due to stereotypes, not too many people were educated on how HIV or AIDS were contracted. There were some concerns over whether or not you could contract HIV from someone else's blood, for example should Magic start bleeding during a game. Despite the retirement, Magic was voted an All-Star by fans in 1992 and ended up being named MVP of the All-Star game. A memorable moment had him and Isiah Thomas embracing on the court.

Magic went on to also be part of the legendary Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics which won Gold. During his time there, he played very little due to knee problems. He still received many ovations from the crowd, and used it as a platform to try to motivate other people with HIV. Magic attempted a comeback in 1992-93, but after several preseason games and practices he put that idea to rest, citing controversy over his decision from some active players. He chose to write a book on safe sex, start running business ventures and touring Asia/Australia with a team of former NBA players.

In 1993-94, Magic took on the role of coach of his beloved Lakers, but after losing his first 6 games, he hung that up, and purchased a 5% stake in the team. Another comeback attempt ensued in 1994-95, with Magic at age 36. He played in the final 32 games of that season averaging about 15 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. The Lakers lost in Round 1 of the playoffs to Houston and Magic decided to retire from the NBA permanently.

Magic Johnson is a true testament to sportsmanship, health and humanity. He's shown the triumph of human spirit to overcome his adversity, to continue living each day as if it's his last, and to cherish all that's good in his life. Magic continues to work as an analyst and correspondent at TNT, and owns several businesses today including movie theaters and TGI Fridays. He's been inducted into Basketball's Hall of Fame, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and continues to educate and assist the fight against AIDS/HIV through his Magic Johnson Foundation.

Official Magic Johnson Foundation Website

Magic Johnson Wikipedia

NBA Movers & Shakers: Childress & Artest

Two interesting moves have gone down recently in the NBA, with the former Hawk Josh Childress deciding to play overseas, and with the Houston Rockets trading for Ron Artest.

First up is the move Josh Childress made as he moved away from the NBA to play ball in Europe. Childress liked the amount the European team was offering and he was soon packed and ready to go. While Childress isn't exactly the best player on the Atlanta Hawks, he definitely brought them a lot of his talents in the playoffs. The Hawks took it the full 7 games before losing to eventual NBA champs, the Celtics. There was recent rumors that Ben Gordon might head overseas as well, as the Bulls may not be able to pay him what he wants either. According to the latest ESPN magazine, we may see even more NBA players make the move overseas, while the NBA brings in more European players.

The other interesting move was a trade with the Houston Rockets acquiring star defender and former fight-starter, Ron Artest. Artest brings Houston even more defensive toughness now, as they have Yao Ming manning the middle and then Artest and Battier down low for rebounds and scrappy plays. With that sort of solid defensive trio, the Rockets have a great shot to go deep in the 2008-09 playoffs out West. Of course that is if Yao Ming can remain healthy enough to give them some help in the playoffs...

Celtics & Hawks To Be Continued...

On Friday night, two teams were sent home from the postseason while 2 will play on in a Game 7. Cleveland defeated Washington to advance to Round 2, while Utah defeated the Rockets. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks continued to test the mettle of the top team in the East as they beat the Celtics, setting up a game 7 in Boston.

Atlanta had yet another impressive game against the C's, with a rowdy Atlanta crowd to back them up. The Hawks were up by as many as 7 down the stretch, with the C's battling back. Rajon Rondo threw up an airball near the buzzer in the 4th which could have been the game tying 3. Ray Allen also had several missed 3 attempts down the stretch. Even more debilitating was the technical foul called on Paul Pierce in the 4th. It was Pierce's 6th foul, which sent him to the sidelines to helplessly watch his team lose the game 103-100. Shelden Williams had 18 for Atlanta while Bibby had 17 and Joe Johnson had 15. The two teams will battle it out in Game 7 Sunday to decide who advances to Round 2.

It was deja vu in the other 2 series which ended Friday night. Cleveland sent Washington out of the Playoffs for the third straight season, while Utah ended Houston's postseason for the 2nd straight time. Another disappointment for T-Mac who has yet to win a 1st round playoff series. A dejected Yao Ming was shown on the bench, and you'd have to think if the big man had been manning the paint, Houston could have enjoyed victory. Utah will now face off with the LA Lakers starting Sunday.

As for Washington, they did have impressive performances this past season from All-stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, who had to step up when Arenas was injured. Arenas decided to sit out the remainder of the playoffs due to problems with the surgically repaired leg that hampered him this past season. Despite Antawn Jamison playing great on Friday, the Wiz just didn't have enough to compete with Lebrons' triple double performance. The Cavs now get to rest up and await the winner of Atlanta vs. Boston. This could spell real bad news for the Celtics as they will beat beaten up and facing last year's NBA Finals rep from the East.

Home Sweet Home!?

It pays to play at home in the NBA playoffs. The only teams to have successfully taken away some of the "home court advantage" factor in the playoffs have been Philadelphia and Utah. Utah of course owns a 2-0 lead over the slightly higher seeded Rockets, as they won both games in Houston. Philadelphia stunned the NBA nation by going into Detroit and pulling off a game 1 win. That series is tied at a game a piece now.

On Thursday night, several teams took advantage of being back home so they could get themselves back into their playoff series. Washington had quite an impressive win over Cleveland, blowing them out 108-72 for the Wizards' biggest playoff win ever. DeShawn Stevenson and Caron Butler figured big in the game, with Stevenson leading the way and using a "you cant see me" hand gesture after several big baskets. The crowd was on Lebron all night, chanting "over-rated" which as we and they all know is untrue. Kevin Duarant, Clinton Portis, Soulja Boy & Colin Powell were amongst the celebrity spectators for the game in DC.

Toronto was also back home Thursday night, hosting the Orlando Magic. Toronto stayed ahead in this one and won 108-94 behind 21 points from point guard TJ Ford. Jose Calderon wasn't too shabby either. The Raptors are now back into the series, down just 2 games to 1. I still don't see the Raptors taking this one, but the NBA is where amazing happens.

Houston traveled to unfriendly Utah for their Game 3. The Rockets had guard Raefer Alston back from injury which was good news. As mentioned before, the Rockets were down 0-2 to Utah, and it could become yet another first round loss for Tracy McGrady. We finally got an exciting, down to the wire contest here, amongst all the recent playoff blowouts (Celtics, Pistons, Cavs, Wizards, Hornets, etc). Houston ended it by pulling off a 94-92 win in Utah, which they really had to do. Houston had their backs against the wall as T-Mac said afterwards. T-Mac had 27 points and 7 assists. The returning Raefer added 20 points as well. Carl Landry had a huge block on Deron Williams to protect the Rockets lead and win. Unfortunately, Landry also took a shot during the game and lost some of his teeth...

(Note: If you're a member of the website "Twitter", you can now follow Love and Basketball!)

2008 NBA Playoffs Day 3

Just two games on the NBA Playoff slate Monday night with Washington and Cleveland resuming their series, and Utah going back into Houston for their Game 2.

Cleveland gave the most dominant performance of the playoffs so far winning by 30 points over the Wizards. Lebron racked up 30 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds in the impressive victory. Cleveland had a 13 point lead at halftime, then pulled away in the 2nd half. Clevleand now leads 2 games to none over Washington, who thought it would be a good idea to trash talk Lebron and the Cavs before the games began.

Cavaliers Top Wizards 116-86 for 2-0 Lead in NBA Playoff Series

On the other hand, any of the Utah Jazz could have talked trash about T-Mac before their series and been ok. Utah did more of the same against Houston tonight, picking up a win to go 2-0 in the series. T-Mac was 1 assist shy of a triple double, playing a brilliant game despite the losing effort. A dejected McGrady was shown leaving the court prior to Deron Williams giving his postgame interview to Craig Sager. Game 3 is Thursday night at 10:30 PM. This could be yet another disappointing early exit for T-Mac in the playoffs.

NBA playoffs: Jazz take 2-0 series lead

A look at Tuesday's Playoff schedule:

Toronto Raptors vs. Orlando Magic 7:30 PM (NBA TV)
Atlanta Hawks vs. Boston Celtics 8:00 PM (ESPN)
Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Hornets 7:00 PM (TNT)
San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns 9:30 PM (TNT)

Also of note, Brendan Haywood had a hard foul on Lebron James during their Game 2 and was ejected. TNT also decided to jump all over the Lebron James comments towards Deshawn Stevenson who called him "overrated". Lebron had said Stevenson calling him out was like Soulja Boy calling out Jay-Z. TNT analyst Marv Albert discussed it during Monday night's game, then later TNT's genius staff superimposed Marv's head on a dancing figure while Soulja Boy's hit "Crank Dat" played.

Celtics Land the Rockets

Last night Houston had a problem. As the luck of the Irish continues, the Boston Celtics were able to use tight D to finally ground the Rockets, with a 94-74 triumphant victory. It not only crashes T-Mac and his crew to the earth, but also continues to prove just how tough and good a contender the Celtics make for NBA champions. According to a Wall Street Journal blog, the last time the Rockets lost, the New York Giants were underdogs in the Superbowl. From there the Giants won an impressive game over the Patriots to become champions, and the Rockets began their ascension into the stratosphere, winning 22 straight. Yao Ming was also lost for the season along the way, but that didn't stop the Rockets from winning 12 games without their Great Wall. The streak lasted for an impressive 48 days and really revved up Houston fans for their team's hopes at winning a title.

Chris Sheridan of ESPNprovided the following about the streak:

“The Rockets did, after all, write their own little piece of history with the streak, accomplishing something the NBA hadn’t seen in nearly four decades,” “But that made it all the more surprising to see them wilt in the toughest test they’ve faced during the streak, a night when a national-television audience tuned in to see what all the buzz about the Rockets was about, then switched their TV sets off shaking their heads at how good the Celtics looked.”

So what we have learned is Houston can succeed without their man in the middle, Yao, and that T-Mac and his supporting cast are definite West coast contenders. We also learned that the Celtics are capable of beating any team, in any place, at any time. This will go a long way towards their momentum and championship hopes. The loss puts Houston into a tie with the Lakers for first, not too depressing for fans of the Rockets. Unfortunately, another loss or two could push them back down to the bottom tier of the Western Conference playoff teams.

Rockets Keep Soaring Higher

The Rockets continued to fire on all cylinders on Sunday as they achieved their 22nd straight win, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers by a score of 104-92. The Rockets now have the 2nd longest win streak in NBA History. The team they beat, the Los Angeles Lakers own the #1 all time streak at 33 straight games won.

On Sunday, Kobe Bryant didn't have it in him to overcome the intense D of Shane Battier and the great 3 point shooting displayed by Houston. Kobe shot just 11 of 33 from the field thanks to Mr. Battier. The Rockets have won 10 games in a row since Yao Ming's departure, making them one of the most interesting 2nd half success stories.

Next up for the Rockets is a tough 2 games facing first the Celtics and then the Hornets.

See more about the Rockets-Lakers game here.

The Other NBA Win Streak

Another team which has been left in the shadow of the Houston Rockets' recent blastoff is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics as of Wednesday night defeated the Sonics 111-82 to extend their own win streak to 10 games. While it's only half the total of Houston's winning streak, it still shows the Celtics are a team to be reckoned with in the East.

The Celtics are far from forgeotten, as they've been the talk of the town and the NBA since the big 3 was formed. As stated before, there's really just 4 teams to consider potential champions in the East: Boston, Detroit, Cleveland and Orlando. Each of the 4 teams has a legitimate shot at winning a spot in the NBA Finals. After those 4, it's hard to say the Sixers, Nets, Bulls or Raptors will be getting to the Finals. Orlando will be riding on the hopes of their man in the middle, Dwight Howard. The other 3, Detroit, Boston, and Cleveland will most likely be duking it out.

Meanwhile the Rockets continue their rise out West, but have a tough game coming up this weekend against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant is a man who loves to "rise" to challenges, so don't be surprised if he's the man to bring the Rockets back down to Earth.

When Will Rockets Land?

Just over a week ago, I discussed here at the Love and Basketball blog how the injury of Yao Ming would ground the Rockets, who were on an impressive run. Since then, they've continued their winning ways, thanks to the power of superstar Tracy McGrady. As of Saturday night, T-Mac and his Houston crew are now on an 18 game winning streak, one of the more impressive streaks in recent sports history. Last night T-Mac put on a show scoring 41 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds to lead his team over a very good New Orleans squad in the West.

According to the Houston Chronicle:

If this wasn't a perfect game, it was close. McGrady was on the floor for all 48 minutes, scored 41 points, handed out nine assists and grabbed six rebounds.

Years from now when someone asks you why McGrady was special, tell him to watch this game. Whenever New Orleans seemed about to get back in it, McGrady delivered.

"We also had Tracy McGrady, and it didn't matter what they did," Rafer Alston said.

When it was over, when the Rockets had beaten the Hornets 106-96 to become just the seventh NBA team to win 18 games in a row, they acted like a bunch of high school kids.

Full Houston Chronicle article

T-Mac is definitely one of the top stars of our beloved b-ball league, but the problem will come when they have to win a series of consecutive games against a San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix or even Lakers. That's not to say the Rockets aren't capable. According to the Chronicle article, the Rockets do all the intangibles necessary to scrap and win games. You'd have to attribute that to a guy like Shane Battier, who's always been a defensive stalwart and the type to get splinters by taking charges or diving for loose balls.

Houston may have a problem. Playoff time may be a reality check, when the Rockets are brought down to earth. For now it's fun to watch them continue to blast off into the stratosphere, and engrave their names into the NBA history books.

The Rise and Fall of Houston's Yao Ming

The Rockets continued their impressive winning streak on Tuesday night as they dropped the Wizards. However, the Rockets may soon be landing. Unfortunately for Houston it's big man, Yao Ming went down with a serious foot injury which will keep him out for the rest of this NBA season as well as the 2008 Playoffs.

According to USA Today and ESPN, Yao has suffered a stress fracture of his tarsal navicular bone, aka the foot. TNT analyst Doug Collins had the same type of injury in both his feet when he was a player. Due to limited technology it was misdiagnosed as tendinitis. Yao's dealt with the injury bug for the past 3 seasons now, limiting his games play drastically.

USA Today's recent article discussed how Yao "doubts his durability" and how his dynasty as a top center may soon be in jeopardy. The article also discusses how the Rockets have always gone sub .500 when either Yao or T-Mac is hurt. See the full USA Today article here.

It's a shame because the All-star Yao Ming definitely has talent and this season analysts claimed he was becoming quite the imposing defender in the lane. The Rockets had blasted off in the West and appeared unstoppable. Now, yet again Houston's chances to make the NBA Finals seem to have fallen with its big man.

Friday's NBA Numbers

In the words of Mos Def from his song Mathematics, "it's really just a numbers game". Stats rule everything around the NBA, just ask ESPN Sportscenter. Counting down from 15 here's a look at how numbers figured into Friday night's NBA contests.

15 assists by guard Jason Kidd against Memphis
14 rebounds for new Phoenix Suns center, Shaq
13 games total on last night's schedule
12 losses now for the Boston Celtics
11 straight wins for the Houston Rockets
10 is number of Carlos Boozer's rebounds or Deron Williams' assists
9 Pacers players suited up for a win (Nets)
8 Cavs players suited up for a win (Wizards)
7 turnovers for Knick Jamal Crawford who also had 43 points
6 game losing streak snapped by Hawks, 117-110 win over GS
5 fouls a piece for Ben Gordon & Kirk Hinrich, Bulls still win
4 points total scored by Phoenix Sun, Shaq
3 technical fouls called in Hornets vs. Rockets
2nd straight game between Portland and Seattle, Sonics win it.
1 point, the difference in the Cavs win over Wizards

Just 7 games on Saturday's slate, but more numbers to come...

NBA China, Kobe & KG

As of yesterday, the NBA has increased its marketing overseas. NBA launched a new extension to its company, "NBA China". According to The Boston Herald:

For now, though, NBA China will serve as an umbrella company for the league’s already substantial marketing and business ventures in China. The NBA currently has deals with 51 Chinese telecasters to rebroadcast NBA games, including the Celtics. The league has also organized hundreds of touring basketball events for Chinese fans and has 16 marketing deals with Chinese companies and with U.S. companies that have Chinese (Source: Boston Herald)

A logical move as popular players Yao and Yi have been helping get games televised in China large audiences. In the past year the Magic played a two game series with the Cavs in China, and in 2004 the Kings and Rockets won a game a piece versus each other. See more about NBA China

In other news, Kobe Bryant had an amazing 48 point game last night, and KG is the leader amongst NBA jersey popularity with his new Celtics green.

Mr. Jackson, are you for real?

Phil Jackson is not one who holds back when making statements to the media about his teams and players. But he decided to take things a bit too far with his comments following the Lakers loss to the San Antonio Spurs last night. The Lakers suffered a 107-92 loss in San Antonio despite poor play from team leader Tim Duncan (5 points). Jackson compared the way his team lost to the award-winning movie, "Brokeback Mountain", saying that there was a lot of "penetration and kickout". Members of the media had a chuckle after his comment, but a day later there's not as many people laughing.

David Stern was most likely not amused and may be handing out a fine for the post game comments. Jackson will probably make a public apology for his comments, as he is a Hall of Fame coach. Hopefully Phil understands that his remarks went just a bit too far and he recoils on the statement.

The Lakers will play the red-hot Houston Rockets Wednesday night at 9PM on ESPN.

In other news, the Stephon Marbury MIA story continues. The Knicks guard has been fined a whopping 195 grand for missing the Suns game and rumor is he won't be a part of the next game versus the Clippers. Please donate that money to the deserving NBA fans, or a charity for this holiday season.

Yi vs. Yao: The Global Good & Bad

Friday night marked a historic sporting event which may have had over 200 million witnesses, making it possibly the "most watched sports event" ever, according to ESPN's Sportscenter. The game was the Milwaukee Bucks visiting the Houston Rockets, meaning China's two NBA stars were facing off. It was the rookie Yi, vs the established veteran Yao, making it a contest of global proportions.

Yao got the better of the stats matchup and the Rockets won the game. Apparently fans in China were tuning in during early morning about 9AM or so there to check out the live game which was quite exciting for them. Globally this represents a great thing for the NBA, as it has attracted a very large foreign fan base. It's been the talk of NBA for several years now too, the global expansion and how more European players have started to take over. Cases in point are Germany's Dirk Nowitski, Canada's Steve Nash and Spain's Pau Gasol. Yao and Yi bring even more appeal on a foreign level with a large fan base coming from overseas.

The interesting thing will be to see if this will tarnish the All-Star game even more. While Yi is having a respectable rookie season (even better than Yao's), he is definitely not one of the top 5 players in the East and probably will not be (think KG, Bosh, O'Neal, etc). But with China's population and so many people rooting him on, you'd have to think he will get a lot of their votes come All-star time. Yao has definitely benefited from this and Yi will as well, possibly ousting a more deserving player from the East lineup.

NBA Season Begins...

Last night the NBA season opened with just 3 games on the schedule. Here's a quick look and some thoughts.

Jazz defeated the Warriors 117 to 96

Carlos Boozer scored 32 pts along with 15 boards. I expect him to be in the top 10 maybe even top 5 scorers this season and to have a big All-star season for the Jazz this year. Deron Williams added 24 points and should continue to become the star player h was looking like last year.

Spurs defeat Blazers 106 to 97

Opening night action was supposed to see the big rookie Greg Oden match up against the champion Spurs. However, Oden is out for the season, so Mr. Duncan reigned supreme with 24 points and 13 rebounds, after getting his championship ring.

Rockets 95 to Lakers 93

The closest game of the night, Kobe Bryant showed his usual scoring prowess with 45 points total. T-Mac went off for 30 points and added 6 rebounds. Big man Yao added 25 points and 12 boards. It was Shane Battier who hit a tiebreaking 3 pointer with just 2.5 seconds left in the 4th quarter. A close contest, but the Rockets should be one of the top 5 or 6 teams in the West, and the Lakers may be as well.

Eight games on Halloween night, which include the Bulls taking on the Nets, Seattle vs. Denver, Dalls visiting Cleveland, and Milwaukee facing Orlando. See the full lineup here.