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.

Fixing the NBA Slam Dunk Contest

(Gerald Wallace almost can't bear to watch..)

This weekend's 2010 All-Star events and activities made one glaring statement: the Slam Dunk contest needs serious revision. This year's contest was simply lackluster and the looks on the faces of other players and celebs witnessing it had to make David Stern just a bit uneasy about his product. You really have to wonder what former dunk champions Dominique Wilkins and Spudd Webb were thinking as they judged the young guys out there failing to do dunks that everyone's seen before. Even Spike Lee had trouble hiding the frown on his face as he was up close to witness a whole lot of nothing this year. TNT's Charles Barkley said it best before the winner was announced "Maybe no one will win". Spectators surely lost their time.

We all know now that the Knicks Nate Robinson was crowned the winner, via the fan vote, and wisely has announced he will retire from the competition now as its first 3-time winner. Robinson's gimmick was just like Spudd Webb's: he's a small dunker who has the crowd behind him due to his size. Nate didn't exactly bring anything groundbreaking beyond that. In year's past he used more creativity, but faltered in 2010. Now that his gimmick is over with, it's time to overhaul this annual favorite and bring back the prestige of the dunk contest.

1) Guys need to get serious - Several of the competitors looked like they just showed up to show up, but didn't bring it. Gerald Wallace did some powerhouse dunks but nothing new and seemed like he was bored to be there. DeMarcus DeRozan had the only 50 of the bunch, and even his dunk had been seen before. Shannon Brown showed up to the delight of Lakers fans, but then generated the most excitement when Kobe Bryant stood near the basket to toss the ball for an ally-oop. It seems that the use of props is the way to go, and Nate Robinson sort of did that, but it could have been better. Dunkers, bring your A game dunk material. Put a 10 scorecard over the basket, jump up pull the card off and jam. Study up on the previous legendary contest winners and put a new spin on their classic dunks. Much like Hollywood is rebooting and remaking various movie franchises, the NBA guys may need to look deep to generate interest in the contest.

2) Change format a bit- Over the years the format of the dunk contest has seen all sorts of changes, from having them spin a wheel to determine the dunk they had to do, to making them use a teammate, or making them dunk to music. The current time and rounds format aren't so bad, but adding two more dunkers could make it interesting. It's unknown why they've made it just four players, when in the past there were more dunkers to watch do their thing. Also, they had a "Dunk-in" this year to add the fourth guy, but those two guys are relatively unknown to the mainstream. It worked out this year, since DeRozen made the finals, but why not just have a list of ten prospective dunkers, and the fans vote on NBA.com. The six with the highest vote totals are in the contest. And having the fans vote on the finals is ok, but when it's an unknown player versus a major market former dunk winner, who has the advantage there?

3) Add in some non-NBA dunkers? It was recently suggested that they should maybe add in a guy out of the D-League who can do a 720 dunk, or even a street baller, a random fan who has some incredible dunking ability. Good ideas. Let them compete in a dunk-off, and make the prize money worthy. In relation to point #1, if a non-NBA guy is in there and showing his stuff, with prize money and pride on the line an NBA player will want to get serious to represent. Last thing the NBA dunkers want is to lose to "mere mortals" from outside their league. Maybe even add a legend who still has some hops (no not Shawn Kemp).

4) Hold an All-Star caliber dunk contest - Once again, it's time to get serious. As we all see in the All-Star game, that tends to be the real dunk contest on display as Lebron, Wade, Kobe and others woo the crowd with their skills. Over the past several years, the Skills Challenge has featured guys who have those skills and are all-star caliber players. This year's finals came down to Nash and Williams, and past winners have included Derrick Rose and D-Wade. The dunk contest should feature the game's best dunkers. Jason Richardson, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant are just five names that come to mind. Vince Carter is another, but has aged beyond the contest. I'm not sure if they need to prove it, but it would be great for the fans. These are the elite dunkers of the league and they probably feel they have nothing to prove to the rest of the league, outside of winning games and rings. However, the fans are antsy and the dunk contest needs to be re-born. NBA, dunkers, and commish Stern, let's get serious!

Feel free to leave your own ideas on how to fix the slam dunk contest, or comments on whether it even needs fixin'!

NBA All-Star game 2010 results: East outlasts West 141-139

(MVP D-Wade's 28 points gives East the 2 point win)

On Sunday night, the largest crowd ever to witness a basketball game, let alone the All-Star game was on hand in Dallas. The Dallas Cowboy Stadium held 90,000 plus as they watched the 2010 NBA All-Star game. The previous record for a basketball game was back in 2003 with over 78,000 watching Michigan St. battle Kentucky at Ford Field. For an NBA All-Star game, 44,735 packed into the Houston Astrodome in 1989. And to further illustrate the large scale nature of the stadium, an 11,000-plus foot HDTV Jumbotron hung over the court to show the action. The court was set around the 50-yard line and raised up about 30 inches so the coaches and bench players could sit below it on the sides.

Intros were flashy, but nothing like Shaq dancing with the Jabberwockeez at a previous All-star affair. This time around, pop R*B star Usher did a mini-concert on a stage behind the court, then lowered into the set with his dance crew, before each squad was introduced. As guessed, the Mavs Jason Kidd and then Dirk Nowitski received the biggest applause of the bunch, although Kobe and Lebron didn't do so bad.

In the first quarter, the East shot 53% from the floor and closed out with a 37-34 lead. There weren't any particular flashy plays for a surprise start to the game, with both squads seeming to play some tight defense early on. It almost seemed like the absence of AI and Kobe may have made things a bit dry in the earlygoing, as the 90,000 plus crowd didn't seem to wake up much.

In the second half there were plenty more dunks and "ahhh" moments from the crowd, including some fancy passes and breakaways. At halftime, the East had jumped out in front by a score of 76-69 behind double digit scoring from Lebron (11), Howard (11), Wade and Bosh (10 each). Meanwhile, the Western squad was lead by Carmelo Anthony's 17 points with 8 rebounds, as well as 10 points from Kevin Durant off the bench. Hometown favorite Dirk Nowitski had 8 points despite some flat shooting early on. Steve Nash provided his own leadership in the form of 7 assists for the West.

Halftime performances made the Who's Superbowl 44 gig pale in comparison as a sexy Shakira opened with her She Wolf hit in a cage. Kenny Smith called it "sensory overload". Her performance was followed by Miss Alicia Keys who did a medley of hits including a version of "Empire State of Mind" using All-Star in place of "New York".

Dwight Howard's rebound followed by taking it all the way down the court for a one-handed jam, highlighted the third quarter as the East continued with their double digit lead. Lebron had two impressive reverse slams to get the crowd oohing and ahhing heading into a commercial break. At the 7 minute mark, the East was up by 11, after Amare Stoudemire's tip-in. Carmelo Anthony continued his hot-scoring streak to get up to 25 points in the third. TNT's Craig Sager spoke to Kobe Bryant on the sidelines who was out due to his ankle injury. Kobe mentioned it was disappointing to be just watching, and Craig Sager joked how a woman said to Kobe she had payed 8g's for his seat at the All-Star game, then was thrown out. It's unknown exactly what that incident was about. Kevin Durant's 3-point shot as time expired brought the West to within 10. The East lead 118-109.

The West closed the gap significantly in the fourth, as it was as close as 1 point. Down just two points at the final minute, "Mr Big Shot" Chauncey Billups tied it at 137 a piece with his fallaway jumpshot. Lebron lost the ball on the next possession but it went off Melo as Stan Van Gundy called a time out to draw up a play. James missed a catch-and-shoot opportunity, and his possible new teammate Amare Stoudemire fielded the rebound. Thinking the West was down by 2, Derron Williams made a big mistake fouling Dwyane Wade, putting the Heat star at the line with 12.7 to go. Wade hit both to put the East back ahead by 2. Howard fouled Nowitski on the West's play out of a timeout, putting the hometown hero at the line. The 90% shooter tied things up with 7.7 left, making for an exciting potential finish to the game.

In the closing seconds, Chris Bosh was tripped up on the inbounds play, sending him to the line. The Raptors star hit both, and once again the East was up 2. With 5 seconds left, the West gave the ball to Carmelo Anthony for an attempted 3 at the buzzer. Guarded by D-Wade, Melo's shot drew iron and bounced off the rim. The Eastern Conference takes the game 141-139, with the MVP trophy handed out by Commissioner David Stern to Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. Wade's 28 points and 11 rebounds helped the East win the game, and gave the star his first ever All-Star MVP award.

A massive crowd of over 108,000 witnessed tonight's close game in Dallas to set a new attendance record for a basketball game. David Stern noted it was a new Guiness Book of World Records record. They really did it BIG in Dallas, TX for All-Star Sunday night...

See more 2010 NBA All-Star game coverage at NBA.com

All-Star game 2010 roster changes

Kobe's out. So is AI. Chris Paul's on crutches. So who exactly is playing in Sunday's game? Starting for the Eastern Conference will be Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard and recent addition, Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks. On the Westside of the equation, Dirk Nowitski gets the start in place of the injured Kobe Bryant (sprained ankle). He'll be the hometown hero since the game is to be played in Dallas, Texas. Joining Dirk will be the familiar All-Star faces: Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and Tim Duncan.

As for reserves we've got Derrick Rose, Chris Bosh, Al Horford, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace and yes last minute replacement, David Lee of the New York Knicks. Lee received a call earlier this past week that he had just 20 minutes to go catch the NBA charter flight to Dallas so he could play in his first ever All-Star game on Sunday.

On the Western bench will be MVP candidate Kevin Durant of the OKC Thunder, Pau Gasol from the Lakers, and the Clippers Chris Kaman replacing the injured Kobe. Other reserves include Derron Williams of the Jazz, Zach Randolph (Memphis), and Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups (replacing Paul).

The big stories are the fact that Kobe and Iverson won't be part of the game. Kobe's got a legitimate injury he's been sitting out with from regular games. Iverson has been missing games recently due to an undisclosed family matter. Some are starting to speculate that Iverson will officially retire soon due to the fact he was a no-show for the big game after the fans voted him to start.

Other news is that Derrick Rose will battle through injury to play because this is a dream of his. There's been some contentions that Jason Kidd doesn't deserve a spot on the reserves with his current stats, while maybe rookie star Tyreke Evans does. The best reasoning for the Kidd inclusion is the fact the game's in Dallas where the fans will root for Kidd, and he's been amongst the All-Stars for several years, with league-leading assist numbers. Also, the Kings aren't exactly getting it done record-wise, while the Mavs are among the playoff contenders in the West. The best case for Tyreke Evans may be the fact he picked up the MVP award in today's Rookie's vs Sophomores game to prove just how good he is as the Rookies actually won.

Could this be the year Dirk picks up the All-Star MVP award? Or will a newcomer like Kevin Durant or Brandon Roy snag the honor? Don't count out the East either with Lebron and the rest of the crew.

Feel free to leave your comments about the new additions to the All-star game lineups, and your predictions on who will win the game and MVP award below.

2010 NBA All-Star starting lineups revealed

According to NBA.com, the Eastern and Western starters have been announced as voted on by the fans for the NBA All Star game 2010 edition. Both teams will feature some familiar faces who have been commonplace on the squads over the past several years, including the return of AI in the East.

This year's Eastern Conference squad will feature a starting lineup which includes guards Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade, forwards Lebron James and Kevin Garnett, and center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. Many have questioned the selection of Iverson during his worst campaign of his career, as he's returned to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the fans have spoken and Iverson will be amongst the competitors.

For the West, two Phoenix Suns have been voted onto the starting team, with guard Steve Nash and forward/center Amare Stoudamire. Joining them will be Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Tim Duncan of the Spurs and Carmelo Anthony of the Nuggets. Anthony struggled in year's past to get onto the team, but now seems to have become a fan favorite.

Last year's game went down in Phoenix with a reunion of former teammates, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal sharing the MVP honors, despite their recent feud. The West crushed the East by a score of 146-119, so the East will be looking for some possible revenge out in Dallas.

They're doing it up big for this year's 2010 NBA All-Star game too. The game is to be held in Texas at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Estimates have put the crowd at near 100,000 fans. The game will be played the night of Sunday, February 14, 2010, and most likely with the game in Dallas, Mavs GM Mark Cuban will make sure the night is full of entertainment for all.

See ticket information for NBA All-Star 2010 here.

For more on this year's All-star game visit NBA.com

Christmas Day 2009 NBA Schedule

Christmas day 2009 offers NBA fans a nice selection of basketball games featuring the top teams and superstars in the league. This year Santa delivers us Kobe versus Lebron in an always hot matchup, as well as the Boston Celtics battling the Orlando Magic in a rematch of last year's playoff series. These are the last two teams to make the NBA Finals from the East, and both have added new personnel to compete at that higher level.

Earlier in the day, Dwayne Wade will take his high-flying scoring act into MSG to take on the New York Knicks. No word yet on whether Spike Lee will be watching from the front row on Christmas day.

In the nightcap games we'll get to see several more top superstars in action, as the LA Clippers visit Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and the Phoenix Suns at 8PM, while Melo and the Nuggets take on Portland in the late game at 10:30 PM. Unfortunately, the two young superstars in those games are both out of action (Greg Oden, Blazers; #1 draft pick, Blake Griffin, Clippers).

Here's a look at the full NBA schedule for Christmas Day 2009:

Miami Heat at New York Knicks 12PM EST on ESPN
Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic 2:30PM EST on ABC
Cleveland Cavs at LA Lakers 5PM EST on ABC
LA Clippers at Phoenix Suns 8PM EST on ESPN
Denver Nuggets at Portland Trailblazers 10:30PM EST on ESPN

Looking forward to any of these games in particular? Who do you think will win? Feel free to comment below!

Lebron - No More #23 NBA Uniforms

NBA All-Star Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is making a gesture for the goodwill of all basketball-kind. At the end of the 2009-10 season, King James will no longer wear the #23 on his Cavs uniforms, but will instead change to the number 6, his Olympics jersey number. Lebron says he is making this move in an ultimate show of love for NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who is the most famous #23 in basketball history. Jordan entered the hall this year and gave an emotional and inspired speech on his journey to the hardwood as well as all those who made him who he was.

According to NBA.com:

James first made his comments during an on-air interview on TNT following the Cavaliers' victory over the Heat. Jordan was at the game in Miami -- where Heat president Pat Riley retired the number in 2003 even though he never played for the franchise. No Miami player has worn No. 23 since Cedric Ceballos in 2001.

In a rather humble yet bold move, Lebron is urging other players to do the same and stop wearing #23. They would have to make the decision and notify the league by March 2010. While this isn't a league rule or anything, there are 12 other guys active on rosters wearing the famous number. Included in those twelve are several rookies and no real superstars beyond James. Rookie Byron Mullens of Oklahoma City took the number due to the fact his preferred #32 was retired by the Seattle Supersonics organization. Knicks rookie Tony Douglas wasn't sure he wanted to change over from the #23 due to the fact he's idolized MJ growing up and has worn the number on his person since age 3.

One such player who said he will follow suit by dropping the jersey number is Jazz rookie Wesley Matthews. According to Salt Lake Tribune, Matthews said:

"I'm on board," Matthews told The Salt Lake Tribune . "I mean, Jordan has influenced everybody that plays this game and he was my idol growing up. I'm ready. Whenever that time comes, I'm on board with that."

This has been done before. In the MLB, they retired Jackie Robinson's #42, and in the NHL it was the Great One, Wayne Gretzky's #99. It's yet to be done in the NFL or NBA. On its face this seems like a great tribute, but is Michael Jordan really concerned when a player wears #23 and claims he's doing so because Jordan is his idol? Does Jordan feel disrespected by seeing a guy who isn't an all-star on the court bearing his famous numbers?

Knicks fans are upset after shelling out big bucks for Lebron hype gear in the form of #23 silk screened Knicks clothes. However, as mentioned before they already have rookie Tony Douglas displaying the famous numbers on his New York jersey.

It's unknown whether any of the soon to be extinct Lebron jerseys bearing #23 will be a collector's item. There's also no word yet on how many guys wear the #45 on their uniform and do well playing basketball.

2009-10 NBA Season now playing!

The 2009-10 NBA Season is now in full swing! The latest National Basketball Association season kicked off Tuesday October 27th, 2009 with four games on the schedule. Opening night featured plenty of stars including Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Shaq, Lebron James and Gilbert Arenas. Here's a look at some of the top stories, stats and scores from the opening night's action on the hardwood.

The marquee matchup of Tuesday night featured the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Boston Celtics. It was the debut game for new Cav Shaquille O'Neal, but the Celts played spoilers as they won 95-89 behind a combined 52 points from the Big 3 of Pierce, Allen & KG. Garnett had 13 in his first regular game since last March while Pierce led with 23 pts. Lebron James scored 38 points along with eight assists, four blocks and two steals. His new frontcourt teammate Shaq added in 10 points and 10 rebounds. In other Celtics' news, Glen "Big Baby" Davis is out with a thumb injury caused by an altercation involving a former college teammate. The Celtics have reportedly suspended Davis for the injury as well. He received surgery on Tuesday for it and is out indefinitely as of this writing. More on that story here

The NBA champion Lakers started their season off with a nice home victory over the local rival Clippers, 99-92. Kobe put in 33 points with 8 rebounds and 4 steals, and center Andrew Bynum added 26pts and 13 boards. Ron Artest had 10 points in his debut for LA. The Clips were lead by Gordon's 21 point performance and helped by Chris Kaman's 18 points / 16 boards. Unfortunately the Clippers were without their prized rookie Blake Griffin who suffered a broken kneecap during the past few weeks. Griffin is reportedly out for 6 months and watched his team lose by 7 to the NBA champs.

Agent 0, Gilbert Arenas, is officially back in effect on the court. The star guard had been saddled by injury last season. Last night, his 29 points and 9 assists helped the Washington Wizards defeat the Dallas Mavericks 102-91.

The Portland Trailblazers look to build upon last season's success as they opened with a win against the Houston Rockets who are without Yao Ming for this season. Brandon Roy led the Blazers with 20 points. Former #1 draft pick Greg Oden recorded just 2 points but 12 rebounds in the win, while Houston was led by Aaron Brooks' 19 points.

Wednesday night will feature more teams in action with 12 games on the slate. A doubleheader on ESPN will see the Hornets take on the Spurs while the Jazz face last year's Western Conference runner-ups, the Denver Nuggets. See full schedule here.

Lebron James on The Daily Show

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Lebron James was a special guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart a few days ago. The appearance was brief yet comical. The reigning NBA MVP was there in conjunction with a new book coming out called "Shooting Stars" which he co-authored with Buzz Bissinger.

Lebron spoke about the new book which covers his meteoric rise to basketball fame while he was playing high school ball for St. Vincent Mary's. Stewart asked how Lebron's former teammates are handling his success, and Lebron said they are excited for him. James said they've all kept in touch and his friends still got to see him play.

Stewart also ribbed Lebron about coming to New York when he presented him with an "I love New York" coffee mug, Shake Shack burgers and then a Tyranosaurus Rex vertebrae from the Natural Museum of History. Stewart then mentioned they have a great team called the Knickerbockers, and said all they get you in Cleveland is into the "Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame".

Watch video footage of Lebron James' appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart below.



Check out more information on Shooting Stars by Lebron James & Buzz Bissinger at Amazon.com!

TMZ Shows Lebron Dunk Video

The highly-searched for Jordan Crawford dunk on LeBron has finally come to see the light of day. Several websites including TMZ and ebaumnation.com are now showing the Lebron dunk video that had seemingly been confiscated by Lebron James' people and Nike. The dunk occurred during Lebron's summer basketball camp pickup game as a virtually unknown player, Jamal Crawford, threw it down on James during the game.

The dunk incident occurred at the LeBron James Skills Academy several weeks ago during a summer basketball camp game. College player, Jamal Crawford, who will be playing for Xavier this coming season, scored the two handed jam on King James. Various cameramen caught the footage including some from CBS. A high school player who was at the event Soon afterwards, all tapes of the "incident" were confiscated. Apparently some footage was not taken care of, as several websites were able to present the video footage as of Wednesday night.

Check out the links below to see the video footage of "The Dunk" we thought we'd never see!

TMZ's presentation of Lebron dunk

Detroit Free Press shows Lebron getting dunked on

Lebron James Getting Dunked On Video?

(Jordan Crawford exists, but did the dunk happen?)

Just days ago, Lebron James getting dunked on was a blazing hot search on the internet. The story is interesting in that it was a college player who dunked on Lebron named Jordan Crawford. Apparently, all videotaped highlights of that dunk incident were confiscated by a Nike representative. According to reports, Lebron made the call himself to have the tapes confiscated. Skip Bayless of ESPN's "1st and 10" called it the height of "image and damage control" saying Lebron is literally becoming a "Nike puppet". (YouTube video) Bayless said Lebron's now refused to shake hands after the Orlando loss, wears T-shirts advertising New York as if he and his entourage are headed there when free agency hits. Whether Bayless' case against Lebron is a good one that he's insecure over his perception, this story almost seems like basketball highlight censorship by the King and Nike...

According to ESPN, one of the freelance cameramen, Ryan Miller, said the following about what happened:

Miller said he had been filming all day and had his tapes confiscated only after Crawford's dunk over James.

"LeBron called Lynn over and told him something," Miller told CBSSports.com. "That's how I knew his name was Lynn. LeBron said, 'Hey, Lynn. Come here.' "

Minutes later, Miller said Merritt demanded his tape.

"There's nothing I can think of besides LeBron just not wanting it online," Miller told CBSSports.com. "It's a good story to tell people, I guess. But then again, I'm kind of pissed. I lost my tape."

Sorry NBA fans and Lebron hecklers, but the Jordan Crawford dunking on Lebron video is not found on the internet, as the only 2 videotape copies were taken by Nike. Still, some jokester fans have tried to pretend they have the leaked video, just so they could make silly highlight videos and grab YouTube traffic. So while you won't see Jordan Crawford's actual dunk on Lebron James, you can see Jordan Crawford talk about the dunk he did here at YouTube. Jordan states he's 6'4" in height and it was exciting to dunk on The King.

See more about this story at ESPN.com

Shaq & Lebron United in Cleveland

It's official- the Diesel is now a Cleveland Cavalier. The Cavs are not only working to solidify their championship run for 2009-10, but they're also looking to keep megastar Lebron James in town. So to do this they decided to bring another superstar to town to appease the King. That superstar is the very large and still in charge man in the middle, Shaquille O'Neal. On Thursday AM it was made official in a multi-player deal that would bring Shaq to Cleveland. Cleveland center and former defensive player of the year, Ben Wallace was one of those traded to Phoenix. NY Times explains just how the move might keep Lebron true to his original team, the Cavs:

The trade could reverberate right into next summer. James is expected to become a free agent in July 2010. At least a dozen teams — including the Knicks — have been clearing salary-cap space to pursue James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, among others.

If O’Neal, who won titles with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles and Wade in Miami — can help James secure his first ring, it will make it harder for James to leave his home state. At a minimum, the Cavaliers’ owner, Dan Gilbert, and General Manager Danny Ferry have again demonstrated to James that they will go to great lengths to win a title and keep James happy.

Read more about the trade, Shaq and Lebron at NyTimes.

The Cavs make for Shaq's fifth team in 17 years time. He started with Orlando, made the big move to Los Angeles Lakers to win 3 titles, then teamed up with Dwyane Wade to win #4. From there he was dealt to Phoenix to attempt to propel the Suns to their first Finals, but it never worked, despite Shaq putting up impressive numbers at this late stage in his career. Thursday night will be the 2009 Draft and could make several teams into 2009-10 playoff contenders, but most likely the Cavs will remain in the upper eschelon now with Lebron and Shaq able to contend with the likes of Dwight Howard of the Magic and the Big 3 of Boston.

Lebron & Kobe's MVPuppets ads by Nike

They didn't have the dream 2009 NBA finals that everyone expected this postseason, largely due to Dwight Howard and the Magic knocking the Cleveland Cavs out of this year's Playoffs. However, Nike still has some downright clever and hilarious ads featuring muppet or puppet versions of Lebron & Kobe. The Nike commercials are called "MVP's" Most Valuable Puppets featuring Lebron, Kobe & a few others. In the latest one you may have seen, the 2 superstar NBA friends & foes are asked to watch Mrs. Lewis' kid "Lil' Dez" from downstairs. Dez is one inuqiring mind when it comes to Kobe & lebron....Check it out below as well as links to several other of these ads, including Lebron's Chalk and the Car Jump...



Kobe & Lebron Nike Chalk ad

Kobe & Lebron Nike 3 Championship Rings ad

Kobe & Lebron Unstoppable Nike ad

Kobe & Lebron in Nike Car Jump ad

Kobe Lebron Nike Mrs Lewis puppet ad

Lebron's 3 at Buzzer beats Magic

This is the stuff NBA legends and MVP's are made of. On Friday night, the Orlando Magic seemed to have the Cavs down against the ropes, facing a possible 0-2 deficit in their Eastern Conference Finals series. However, where there's a second left, there's a Lebron, and King James delivered in Game 2 with a last second 3 pointer. Moments beforehand, the Magic's Hedo Turkoglu hit a runner in the lane to give the Magic a 95-93 lead. Things seemed somewhat gloomy for Cleveland, but never in their building when you've got the MVP and premiere superstar in the league. Mo Williams waited it out on the inbounds and eventually found Lebron James up at the top of the 3 point line. Lebron caught and released in a fluid movement, hitting an amazing 3 pointer over Hedo Turkoglu in his grill. In Game 1 it was Rashard Lewis hitting a game winner, and now Lebron has matched it. Lebrons finished the game up with a game-leading 35 points. Fans were silent with a second left, but after the shot was official, the placed went wild. Fans were still celebrating in the streets outside the Q. Lebron saved the day and the series as they now will head to the Magic Kingdom to duke it out in the next 2 games, which promise to be just as compelling as the first 2.

We now have two very even pace starts to both the East and West series. In Game 2 out West, Denver was able to steal a 3 point win against the LA Lakers evening that series up. Orlando and Cleveland are also knotted up at 1-1. Stay tuned as this weekend will offer some very intriguing and hopefully equally as thrilling Game 3's!

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!

James is King of NBA - 2008-09 MVP

Lebron James was crowned with the NBA's prestigious MVP award on Monday May 4th, 2009, giving him yet another achievement worthy of his superstar resume. The King received 109 of 121 possible first place votes, getting 1,172 total points from media members in both the United States & Canada. Coming in second was last year's MVP, Kobe Bryant, followed by Dwyane Wade, Orlando's Dwight Howard and New Orleans Hornet, Chris Paul. What makes this award so impressive is that King James the new MVP has achieved it at the very young age of 24.

James was scheduled to receive his MVP award in the same high school gym where he began his famed career. The media were already placing heaps of responsibility and accolades upon the young man before he even laced up his signature Nikes or shot a jumpshot as a Cleveland Cavalier. Now, James and his Cavs are poised for a possible run at the NBA title.

Lebron also joins two other high school ballers turned pro and won the MVP award: Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant. Bryant & James continue to be compared by basketball fanatics as to who the current best in the game is. For this moment in time and the regular season, it may be Lebron, but that question may be restated if there's a Lakers-Cavs NBA Finals.

2009 NBA Playoff Brackets & Matchups

The 2009 NBA Playoff brackets are officially set! Matchups have been announced along with game times, locations and channels for viewing. In the East, Lebron and his Eastern Conference leading Cavaliers will battle it out against Rip Hamilton, Allen Iverson and the Detroit Pistons. The defending champion Boston Celtics will open on Saturday when they host the Chicago Bulls at 12:30 PM EST. An intriguing matchup between Atlanta and Miami kicks off on Sunday.

Meanwhile out West, Kobe and his Showtime Lakers will welcome the Utah Jazz to Los Angeles for Game 1 on Sunday. Also on Sunday, Chris Paul and New Orleans will travel to Denver to challenge Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets. On Saturday, Dallas and San Antonio begin their battle for Texas supremacy, while the Portland Trailblazers make a long awaited return to the playoffs when they challenge the Houston Rockets.

Here's the full 2009 NBA Playoff Schedule:

Eastern Conference
Cleveland vs. Detroit
Game 1 - Sat April 18 Detroit at Cleveland 3:00PM ABC
Game 2 - Tue April 21 Detroit at Cleveland 8:00PM TNT
Game 3 - Fri April 24 Cleveland at Detroit 7:00PM ESPN
Game 4 - Sun April 26 Cleveland at Detroit 3:30PM ABC
Game 5 * Wed April 29 Detroit at Cleveland TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 Cleveland at Detroit TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 Detroit at Cleveland TBD TBD

Boston vs. Chicago
Game 1 - Sat April 18 Chicago at Boston 12:30PM ESPN
Game 2 - Mon April 20 Chicago at Boston 7:00PM TNT
Game 3 - Thu April 23 Boston at Chicago 8:00PM TNT
Game 4 - Sun April 26 Boston at Chicago 1:00PM ABC
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Chicago at Boston TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 30 Boston at Chicago TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Chicago at Boston TBD TNT

Orlando vs. Philadelphia
Game 1 - Sun April 19 Philadelphia at Orlando 5:30PM TNT
Game 2 - Wed April 22 Philadelphia at Orlando 7:00PM NBATV
Game 3 - Fri April 24 Orlando at Philadelphia 8:00PM ESPN2
Game 4 - Sun April 26 Orlando at Philadelphia 6:30PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Philadelphia at Orlando TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 30 Orlando at Philadelphia TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Philadelphia at Orlando TBD TNT

Atlanta vs. Miami
Game 1 - Sun April 19 Miami at Atlanta 8:00PM TNT
Game 2 - Wed April 22 Miami at Atlanta 8:00PM TNT
Game 3 - Sat April 25 Atlanta at Miami 6:30PM TNT
Game 4 - Mon April 27 Atlanta at Miami TBD TBD
Game 5 * Wed April 29 Miami at Atlanta TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 Atlanta at Miami TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 Miami at Atlanta TBD TBD

Western Conference
L.A. Lakers vs. Utah
Game 1 - Sun April 19 Utah at L.A. Lakers 3:00PM ABC
Game 2 - Tue April 21 Utah at L.A. Lakers 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 - Thu April 23 L.A. Lakers at Utah 10:30PM TNT
Game 4 - Sat April 25 L.A. Lakers at Utah 9:00PM ESPN
Game 5 * Mon April 27 Utah at L.A. Lakers TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 30 L.A. Lakers at Utah TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Utah at L.A. Lakers TBD TNT

Denver vs. New Orleans
Game 1 - Sun April 19 New Orleans at Denver 10:30PM TNT
Game 2 - Wed April 22 New Orleans at Denver 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 - Sat April 25 Denver at New Orleans 1:00PM ESPN
Game 4 - Mon April 27 Denver at New Orleans TBD TBD
Game 5 * Wed April 29 New Orleans at Denver TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 Denver at New Orleans TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 New Orleans at Denver TBD TBD

San Antonio vs. Dallas
Game 1 - Sat April 18 Dallas at San Antonio 8:00PM ESPN
Game 2 - Mon April 20 Dallas at San Antonio 9:30PM TNT
Game 3 - Thu April 23 San Antonio at Dallas 8:30PM NBATV
Game 4 - Sat April 25 San Antonio at Dallas 4:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Dallas at San Antonio TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 San Antonio at Dallas TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 Dallas at San Antonio TBD TBD

Portland vs. Houston
Game 1 - Sat April 18 Houston at Portland 10:30PM ESPN
Game 2 - Tue April 21 Houston at Portland 10:00PM NBATV
Game 3 - Fri April 24 Portland at Houston 9:30PM ESPN
Game 4 - Sun April 26 Portland at Houston 9:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Houston at Portland TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 30 Portland at Houston TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Houston at Portland TBD TNT

* if necessary

View the NBA Playoff brackets here

2009 Free Agency = Possible Paycuts

(Will Bibby need a bailout in 2009-10?)


In 2010, one of the biggest NBA Free agent situations in some time, if not ever, will be the talk of the league. Eligible players like Lebron, Wade, Chris Bosh and many others will be highly sought after. The New York Knicks are amongst one of several teams interested in a franchise player as they dealt many stars away this past season to clear cap room. But prior to 2010, there's still 2009 and free agents. The NY Daily News takes a look at the 2009 Free agent class and how they may come up empty when it comes to a big payout from some team. The author reminds everyone about the tanking economy and how many NBA teams will be looking to shed salaries rather than add new pricey contracts.

"Teams are going to be looking to shed salaries, not take on contracts," said one Eastern Conference executive. "There's already a huge concern about next season in terms of ticket sales, suite sales and corporate sponsorships. Those are the three areas, primarily. With the way the economy is going, pro basketball will be no different than the rest of the business world. Teams' salary budgets and coaching budgets are going to drop. So this is not a very good summer to be a free agent."

The article mentions Mike Bibby, guard from the Atlanta Hawks, and says that his $15 million deal with the team runs out this season. Bibby's 31 and while Detroit, Oklahoma City and Memphis will all have cap room, none of them really need a point guard. That's not to say a playoff contender team won't make a move towards a player of his caliber. Still, Bibby may be forced to take a drastic paycut and stay with the Hawks, or consider the popular option players have started taking recently: bring their skills overseas to make more money- foreign money that is.

Read full article: Hard Times! With economy tanking, 2009 NBA Agents may come up empty at NY Daily News

NBA Action: Marbury Debuts for Celts

Stephon Marbury has finally returned to NBA action after a year or so riding the bench, and staying in the controversial news headlines of New York. On Friday, the newly signed guard made his debut in a game for the Boston Celtics as they hosted the Indiana Pacers. Ray Allen led all scorers with 30, while Marbury contributed 8 points in a close game which saw the Celtics win it by just 5. The Pacers were one of the first teams to defeat the Celtics back in their red hot start to the 2008-09 season and continue to pose a problem for the Eastern Conference leaders. Rajon Rondo put in 17 assists during the contest, and you'd have to believe he's going to have more nights like this with a handful of great scorers to dish to.

Also Friday night, big Shaq Diesel returned to form of his yesteryears when he scored an impressive 45 points and pulled down 11 rebonds, as Steve Nash watched from the bench. The Suns who beat Toronto 133-133, recently learned they would be without Amare Stoudamire for the remainder of the season due to a detached retina. Dirk Nowitzki scored 41 points in an Overtime win against Oklahoma City which saw the Thunder lose star player Kevin Durant to a sprained ankle. Lebron tallied up his 16th double double of the season with 30 points and 14 boards for Cleveland. The Cavs bounced back from their loss a night earlier to the Rockets with a convincing win against the Duncan-less Spurs. Chris Paul racked up 20 assists in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks, won by a Tyson Chandler last second tip in shot. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama dropped by a Wizards home game, but to watch his hometown favorites, the Chicago Bulls lose to one of the worst, if not worst team in the league. Despite that, it was all love for Obama as he shook hands with fans on his way out of the arena.

**In tragic news, the NBA very recently suffered the loss of two all-time greats in Johnny "Red" Kerr and Norm Van Lier, both former members of the Chicago Bulls. Kerr was known as a passing big man, the first coach of the Bulls when they were an expansion team, and also notable as the former Bulls broadcaster. Kerr received an honorary statue at the United Center earlier this month, at a ceremony which featured taped messages from Barack Obama, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Norm Van Lier was a three time All-Star who began his career with Cincinnati back in 1969. He was given the name "Stormin' Norman" for his fiery play and was one of the most popular players in Bulls' history. Van Lier was scheduled to work as a TV analyst for Wednesday's Bulls game. His body was discovered at his home with no cause of death known at this point. Read more about Johnny Red Kerr & Norm Van Lier here.

Askmen Predicts NBA Finals Rematch

Popular online men's magazine, Askmen.com, has a recent article up entitled "Top 10: Reasons Why It Will Be a Lakers-Celtics Final". Included in their reasoning for this rematch are things such as the fact that the Houston Rockets are injury-prone and the Hornet's haven't improved since last season. Also a valid point made may be, that no other teams' offseason moves will make a big enough difference in terms of pushing a team into title contention. So far, it's seemed to be only a handful of teams mentioned in 2009 title talks, with the Celtics and Lakers always considered hot, and the Cavs and Magic capable of catching serious fire in the playoffs...

Here's Askmen.com's 10 reasons we'll see Lakers-Celtics this June:

No.10 - None of the off-season moves had noticeable impacts
No. 9 - The Denver Nuggets are a paper tiger
No.8 - The Houston Rockets are injury-prone
No.7 - The New Orleans Hornets haven't improved
No.6 - The Dallas Mavericks & the Phoenix Suns have regressed
No.5 - The Detroit Pistons have fallen off
No.4 - The San Antonio Spurs lack proven depth
No.3 - The Cleveland Cavaliers & the Orlando Magic are a step behind
No.2 - The Los Angeles Lakers' depth can't be matched
No.1 - The Boston Celtics are a year older

Number 1 reason makes plenty of sense, as the Big 3 are a year older and wiser with their first title under wraps. But as you can see from the above, several teams were basically dissed by the online men's mag, especially the Cavs and Magic who have been amongst the top 4 teams most of this season. Lebron James showed 2 years ago he's got the skill, poise and raw talent to lead a squad to the promised land (although not the title per se). Dwight Howard has taken on the role of the new-age Shaq, providing the Orlando Magic with the most dominant big man in the game today. Don't count either out just yet...

Several analysts have recently picked what could be a more realistic Finals matchup, with the Lakers in the West meeting the Cavaliers from the East. It would make for another NBA dream matchup, which would feature the two best players the NBA has to offer going head to head for the title. Kobe vs. Lebron, center stage...

Read full article - Top 10: Reasons Why It Will Be a Lakers-Celtics Final at Askmen.com