Kobe Bryant is Lakers new All-Time Scorer

LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant further added to his legend on Monday night when he became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Bryant surpassed legendary Lakers star Jerry West, albeit in a losing effort to the Memphis Grizzlies. Bryant finished the game with 44, but oddly wasn't the one taking the final shot for his team. Instead he kicked the ball out to Ron Artest for a missed three as time expired. Rudy Gay had 25 points including a 3-pointer with 29.5 seconds remaining. New All-Star, Zach Randolph, had 22 points and 17 rebounds to lead Memphis to the victory, 95-93 over Los Angeles.

Bryant set the new Lakers scoring record against the former Vancouver team now playing in Memphis. Ironically, Bryant's all-time scoring record in a game, 81 points, was set against another Canadian NBA franchise, the Toronto Raptors. Bryant's record-breaking basket was a light dunk late in the third quarter.

Kobe was gracious towards the former Lakers all-time scorer:

"It's a great honor to say the least," said Bryant, who broke the record of the man who later drafted him as the Lakers' general manager. "[West] taught me so much when I was 17 years old. He showed me a lot about the game, the jump shot and spin moves and all the others." - ESPN.com

Pau Gasol's younger brother, Marc had a kickout pass to Rudy Gay for the 3 that helped the Grizzlies under 30 seconds. The Grizz continue the hunt for a possible playoff spot this season, while the Lakers look to bounce back from the loss. And despite a Lakers loss, a few important points were made. Kobe's now got 25,193 for his career.

Allen Iverson retiring after 14 seasons

Former MVP, scoring champ and 10-time All-Star Allen Iverson is reportedly retiring from the game he loves. He initially played 3 games with the Memphis Grizzlies this season before taking a leave of absence for personal matters. Soon after he and the team agreed to part ways. Now today according to Stephen A. Smith Iverson is hanging up the high tops.

For last season, Iverson was part of a Detroit Pistons team considered to be NBA title contenders. Iverson was upset at the role he was given as a reserve for the team. The Knicks considered signing the guard after he was waived this season, but decided against it because they felt Iverson would take time away from younger players they wanted to develop.

According to a statement that Stephen A. Smith published on his website, Iverson said "I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level." and that he still has tremendous love for the game. Iverson's former coach George Karl of the Denver Nuggets was shocked at the news, offering the following:

"I think he still has something left to give some team out there. If that's his decision, he'll go down in history, I think, as the greatest little guard ever to play the game of basketball," Karl said.

"I was happy to have him for a couple years and hopefully our paths will cross. But I have a sneaky feeling that somewhere along the way an injury or a circumstance with a team will open that window back up."

(Story Source: The Associated Press)

List of Current NBA Teams 2009-10

Entering the 2009-10 season (the league's 64th), here's a look at the current list of all 30 NBA Teams, as well as a bit of a history lesson. The oldest franchises listed which have kept their original names are the Boston Celtics and New York Knickerbockers (shortened to Knicks), while the Oklahoma City Thunder is technically the newest squad, since the team used to be the Seattle Supersonics until a few years ago. Technically, Toronto Raptors or the Memphis Grizzlies are the newest expansion teams, while the Charlotte Bobcats and New Orleans Hornets merely moved around a bit.

The original NBA Team list when the league was founded back in 1946 consisted of just 11 squads:

Boston Celtics
Chicago Stags
Cleveland Rebels
Detroit Falcons
New York Knickerbockers
Philadelphia Warriors
Pittsburgh Ironmen
Providence Steamrollers
St. Louis Bombers
Toronto Huskies
Washington Capitols

As you can see several of the cities above have survived into 2009-10, yet with different names for their teams. Chicago, Detroit, Philly, Toronto and Washington all exist today but with different names. In 1948-49 several of the ABL franchises were added into the mix including the Minneapolis Lakers and Denver Nuggets.

NBA Teams list 2009-10

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Jersey Nets
New Orleans Hornets
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

NBA Summer League Las Vegas 2009 Edition

The NBA's Summer League 2009 kicked off in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 10, 2009. The schedule includes 21 teams participating and 55 games total, wrapping up on July 19th. You can expect to see the likes of top NBA draft prospects and D-Leaguers in action. The top NBA draft picks will be in action: Blake Griffin of the Clippers, Hasheem Thabeet of the Grizzlies and James Harden of the Thunder. Some of the vets in the summer league include the Thunder's Keith McLeod and Spurs' George Hill.

#1 pick Blake Griffin expects to have a busy summer, according to NBA.com:

“I’m going be to be working out as hard as I can,” Griffin said. “You know, Summer League, I'll be there, and I'm also going to the USA trials at the end of July in Vegas.”

There's also a summer league going on down in Orlando, and according to NBA.com, the Thunder are one team that is competing in both of the leagues. Guard Russell Westbrook will be in Orlando, while James Harden and BJ Mullens will play in Vegas. Several other second year players and some international prospects from their team will also make the trip to the desert. Unfortunately, Blazers rookie Patty Mills suffered a broken right foot and won't be participating in the league.

NBA.com has also picked out 10 games of note, including a July 12th battle between the #2 and #3 picks, Memphis Grizzlies' Hasheem Thabeet and OKC Thunder's James Harden. One of the final games of the schedule features Blake Griffin in action against the Phoenix Suns.

On day 1 of the league, Pistons #35 pick DeJuan Summers scored a monstrous 24 pts against the Kings, including many dunks, and seven rebounds as well. The Warriors' young phenom, Stephen Curry, scored 16, missed 10 out of 14 shots and had 7 fouls (I guess the rules change in a summer league).

All in all, the 2009 NBA summer league will provide a fresh look at some of the top prospects to possibly gauge who will be making some noise during the regular season, possibly propelling their team to greater success.

Also see: 2009 NBA Draft Results, Round 1

2009 NBA Draft Round 1

The 2009 NBA draft lottery picks started off just as expected as Oklahoma phenom Blake Griffin was selected first overall. The Grizzlies snatched up imposing Connecticut defensive player Hasheem Thabeet to man the middle in Mephis. From there the Thunder took James Harden who many continue to be the most talented overall player in the draft. Minnesota had two picks in the top 5, and took Tyreke Evans of Memphis followed by Ricky Rubio from Spain.

Here's a look at the first 13 picks in the 2009 NBA Draft:

#1 Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) drafted by Los Angeles Clippers
#2 Hasheem Thabeet (UCONN) drafted by Memphis Grizzlies
#3 James Harden (Arizona St.) drafted by Oklahoma City Thunder
#4 Tyreke Evans (Memphis) drafted by Sacramento Kings
#5 Ricky Rubio (Spain) drafted by Minnesota Timberwolves
#6 Johnny Flynn (Syracuse) drafted by Minnesota Timberwolves
#7 Stephan Curry (Davidson) drafted by Golden State Warriors
#8 Jordan Hill (Arizona) drafted by NY Knicks
#9 DeMar DeRozan (USC) drafted by Toronto Raptors
#10 Brandon Jennings (USA-Intl.) drafted by Milwaukee Bucks
#11 Terrence Williams (Louisville) drafted by New Jersey Nets
#12 Gerald Henderson (Duke) drafted by Charlotte Bobcats
#13 Tyler Hansborough (UNC) drafted by Indiana Pacers

As usual, the local NY Knicks fans booed their teams pick Jordan Hill, but according to the commentators he was the best pick available at that spot. Of course, the NY fans have quite a bit to be unhappy about with their team failing to make the playoffs yet again, and possibly losing out on the Lebron James sweepstakes with the news Shaquille O'Neal had been traded to Cleveland earlier in the day.

In other trade news, New Jersey Nets All-Star forward, Vince Carter, was dealt to the Orlando Magic, in what appears to be a rebuilding effort for NJ. Orlando definitely added to its lineup now with Dwight Howard having the shooting services of Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis.

More draft coverage at NBA.com

75 Cent Nets Tickets?!?

If you're a New York/New Jersey native and want to see some pro basketball for a dirt cheap price, the Nets have a deal for you. Right now the New Jersey Nets are amongst those contending for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 16-17 record. While they've dealt both Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson away, Vince Carter still remains and has rising point guard Devin Harris with him. Harris has been a pleasant surprise this season for the Nets and may be amongst those chosen for this year's East All-Star Reserves.

In a previous report on what franchises are worth, a comment was made that the Nets are hurting most as they try to secure loan money to get the team moved to Brooklyn. Wiht the team's record below .500, and J-Kidd & Jefferson out of town, ticket sales must really be hurting, as the Nets have offered the following $0.75 cent ticket deal for select games.

Fri, 12/26/08
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Charlotte Bobcats

Mon, 12/29/08
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Chicago Bulls

Mon, 01/05/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Sacramento Kings

Wed, 01/07/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Mon, 01/12/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Thu, 01/15/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Tue, 02/03/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Fri, 02/20/09
08:00 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Washington Wizards

Your Complimentary* Nets Tickets Await!

Join us to see the Nets battle Gilbert Arenas & the Wizards, cross-river rival NY Knicks, Chris Bosh & the Raptors OR Carl Boozer & the Jazz!

As part of the Nets Tickets on Us Program, you are receiving this one time, complimentary* ticket offer to see the Nets take on some of the NBA's best at the IZOD Center. Simply select one of the home games listed below and you can receive up to two tickets to the game. It's about taking a break and enjoying a night out, courtesy of the Nets.

Valid on tickets regularly priced at: $110 $80, $76, $40, $20, and $15.

To take advantage, enter the following code in the Paperfast Offer box: ONUS

You're not dreaming, because these are real 2008-09 regular season NBA games for 75 cent admission! That's cheaper than going to the movies, or even renting a movie at Blockbuster! The opposing teams might not be the NBA's best, but the Portland Trailblazers are nothing to shake a stick at. Last year's Rookie of the Year, Brandon Roy, as well as big man Greg Oden and phenom LaMarcus Aldridge make that one exciting team to see. You've also got Memphis with Rudy Gay and then Oklahoma with Kevin Durant. Once again, not the cream of the crop for the NBA, but for 75 cents and the chance to see some future All-star phenoms, why not?

Head over to Ticketmaster at this link and use promo code: ONUS in the Paperfast Offer Box. You can print tickets directly to your printer to avoid shipping and handling. There will most likely be at least a $3.50 or so convenience charge though.

2 NBA Stars Flying High

In addition to Portland's Trailblazer, Brandon Roy, there appears to be two other rising stars in the NBA this season. Both men are aerial assassin/high-flyer types who have the ability to score in bunches and win games. They are Atlanta's Josh Smith and Memphis' Rudy Gay.

Gay already hit a game-winner this season to help defeat the San Antonio Spurs. The play was amongst the top NBA plays of 2007. Rudy had the Spur's Tim Duncan in his mug, yet rained a three pointer to seal the deal. Grizzlies win and Rudy's a hero. He's also been amongst top 10 plays all season for his impressive throwdowns. Many questioned his abilities when he first entered the league, as he came from a University of Connecticut team that didn't meet expectations. However, Gay is proving he's well worth the money as he keeps improving. The Grizzlies will begin to succeed, in time.

Josh Smith hit the NBA straight out of high school. He's the typical sink or swim player. Either he's going to prosper like several other straight from high school stars have, or he'll fall to the bottom of the bench. So far Smith has been swimming, well above water, and well above the rim. He used to be most known for impressive dunks, but now they go hand in hand with his scoring prowess and outside shooting. The Hawks are surprisingly considered in talks for the Eastern conference playoffs too. Thanks can go to Josh Smith as part of its talented group of young stars.

It would be great to see both players in a dunk contest showdown. While this isn't a measure of success in the NBA, they both provide a lot of excitement. and will surely continue to make their teams better.

Bottom of the NBA Barrel

A look at the worst teams in the NBA currently. From Worst to Best, the 5 worst NBA teams are:

Seattle Sonics 5-16
Minnesota T-Wolves 3-15
Miami Heat 5-15
Memphis Grizzlies 6-14
New York Knicks 6-13

No big surprises other than the Miami Heat here. The Knicks' fans have been chanting for Isiah Thomas to be fired or thrown in jail for weeks now. It's tough for them to be fans right about now. You could say that the Knicks and Grizzlies who round out that list have talented rosters but something just isn't gelling. You could blame it on coaching or that they aren't using their talent properly.

Perhaps the worst division is either the Northwest or the Central, where just two teams in each have winning records. Northwest of course holds many of the teams that have been scrapped or are in rebuild mode (Portland, Seattle and Minnesota). The Central is a surprise although you would expect Cleveland to fall below .500 without King James. The Bulls and Heat continue to remain enigmas, and you can't count either out for a push to the playoffs.

The best division in the NBA may be the Southwest. There you have the world champion Spurs and then New Orleans, Dallas and Houston with winning records. The Southeast may hold the most potential for a surprise or sleeper team in the playoffs as you have Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami all capable of making it, with the right effort, other teams' misfortunes and maybe luck.

View the full NBA Standings.