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.

Michael Jordan's 2009 Basketball Hall of Fame Moment

(image source: NBA.com)

Finally, his Airness has taken his rightful spot amongst the greatest legends on the hardwood, ever. Many have called Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time, and on Friday, September 11th, 2009, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan's career made the #23, the Chicago Bulls and finesse basketball all part of the art form. His greatness extended from beyond the hardwood floors but to pop culture and mainstream commercials such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, Nike and others. MJ and his symbolic Jumpman logo became a iconic household symbol. Air Jordans by Nike became a status symbol, and basketball became the game everyone wanted to play. All thanks to inspirational players which included Michael "Air" Jordan.

The ceremony Friday night had to be moved from the traditional Hall of Fame venue to a bigger-capacity Symphony Hall which accommodates around 2,600 people. Jordan's Hall of Fame speech in Springfield, MA, was full of quips, comments and recollections of what made him the elite basketball player he became. He discussed being cut from his high school team in the 10th grade, and being restricted from appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a college freshman. Jordan also put everyone one notice "There's not going to be another Michael Jordan".

"You guys are constantly trying to find that next Michael Jordan," Jordan said. "First of all, you didn't find me. I just happened to come along and next thing you know, here I am."

Amongst Jordan's fellow Hall inductees were David Robinson, John Stockton and current Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Jordan was presented by another basketball legend and UNC alumni, David Thompson.

Of course the internet was also buzzing about Jordan's girlfriend, Yvette Prieto. Reportedly, Michael and Yvette, a 30 year old Cuban model, have been dating since 2008, with the duo rumored to be getting married soon. See a picture of the couple here. For years, Jordan had been married to Juanita, with the couple divorcing in 2002 due to "irreconcilable differences". Much like MJ's retire-return to the court career, the couple came back together, then officially ended the marriage in 2006. The couple has three children, sons Jeffrey Michael and Marcus James, and daughter, Jasmine.

Jordan joked at one point that he still loves the game and you just might see him one day playing in basketball shorts at age 50. The crowd laughed, but Jordan told them to:

"Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion."

While Jordan may have been joking during his suggestion of a possible third un-retirement at age 50, most fans are content with what Jordan has already given to the sport for many years. His legacy lives on as current players continue to hold their own careers up to Jordan's.

A key closing moment of Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech discussed exactly what the game meant to him:

"The game of basketball has been everything to me," Jordan said. "My refuge. My place I've always gone when I've needed to find comfort and peace. It's given me my most intense pain and my most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction."

Read more about Jordan and the Hall of Fame at Google AFP News

Converse Wade 4 MIA: D-Wade to Nike?

Last season, NBA superstar and champion, Dwyane Wade, was seldom seen rocking his Wade 4's by Converse on the court. Apparently, Wade has recently cleared up that issue, making it known he plans to jump to the Nike Jumpman line as part of the Team Jordan family. Wade, a Chicago native, will now be on board with other superstars in Jordan's team and the Nike brand including Richard Hamilton, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James (who has his own line), and Kobe Bryant.

Wade cites the fact that he doesn't know how good Converse will do in the basketball market, and it seemed the company didn't quite know what to did with him. They previously had the Flash campaigns but not much else. Comparing it to Nike's clever marketing for such pieces as "The Lebrons" and the "MVPuppets with Lebron and Kobe", Wade made the logical choice to sign with the top brand for ballers. Wade's T-Mobile commercials with Charles Barkley have also been amongst some of the best made and funniest basketball ads around.

It was reported from CBS4.com from Miami that Wade wore a pair of Converse sneakers at Zo's Summer Groove basketball game this past Sunday, but that may be the last time he's seen doing so.

Jordan Headed to Hall of Fame

(It's time...)

Michael Jordan is a six time NBA Champion, five time NBA MVP, won two Olympic Gold Medals and an NCAA Championship at University of North Carolina. Add to that multiple scoring titles, many all-star game appearances, retirement-comeback stories, taking a swing at a baseball career, playing ball with Bugs Bunny, lucrative endorsement deals as well as his own status as a CEO and brand. Now Jordan's impressive basketball resume has lead to him being named one of 16 finalists for the 2009 Hall of Fame. Was there any doubt?

A few of Jordan's Dream Team buddies have also been nominated. Former San Antonio Spur, David Robinson, one of the league's best assist-men in John Stockton (Utah Jazz), and sharpshooter Chris Mullin (Golden State Warriors) all were included as Finalists. Former Celtics great Dennis Johnson was nominated as were NBA Coaches Don Nelson and Jerry Sloan, and women's coach C. Vivian Stringer. The 16 finalists made a cut from 164 total choices.

According to Google News Associated Press:

Other finalists include former Golden State coach Al Attles, who was nominated as a contributor; Bob Hurley Sr., who has more than 900 wins at St. Anthony's High School in New Jersey; Vladimir Kondrashin, who coached the Soviet Union to the 1972 Olympic gold medal, defeating the U.S. in a controversial final; Pereira "Ubiratan" Maciel, a player known as "The King" in his native Brazil; Richie Guerin, a six-time NBA All-Star with the New York Knicks and a former player-coach with the St. Louis and Atlanta Hawks; and Johnny "Red" Kerr, a longtime Chicago Bulls commentator who was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1967 after leading the expansion Bulls into the playoffs in their first season.

The announcement of who gets in this year will be made on April 6th at the NCAA Final Four in Detroit. The official enshrinement comes September at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachussetts. While all 16 finalists can officially get elected are there any doubts over names like MJ, Stockton, Mullin, Bernard King and The Admiral making it?

70 Wins for Cavs or Lakers?

Jerry Crowe in his recent LA Times Sports column mentions the tough milestone of winning 70 games during an NBA season. It was last accomplished by the unstopa-Bulls back in the 1995-96 season, lead by of course Michael Jordan. The Boston Celtics tried to hit the 70 win mark ten years earlier during the 1985-86 season. That was the Celtics team which featured Larry Legend and Kevin McHale. They lost just 1 game all season at home, yet failed to achieve a 70 win season.

Looking at the NBA standings, there's three teams that have been considered legitimate contenders for 70 games in 2008-09; the Los Angeles Lakers (currently 28-6), the Cleveland Cavaliers (currently 28-6), and the aforementioned Boston Celtics (currently 29-8). As the season was steamrolling ahead for the Celtics not long ago, the talk was that this team had that milestone all but achieved. For some reason, the Celtics have been having a miserable time since losing to the Lakers, then the Warriors, then the Blazers, Knicks and most recently the Houston Rockets. The Celtics would only be allowed two more losses for the rest of the season to hit the 70-win mark. The injury bug has hit them, and many analysts continue to say they need some more depth, such as the problematic New York Knick, Stephon Marbury.

The Cavs and Lakers are allowed 6 more losses each, and if they hit the halfway point on that pace, it's a realistic goal for the two teams to get 70 wins each. Each has a Jordan-esque superstar with Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Both are considered lethal scorers capable of doing the other things needed to really take over a game. It's also been said each has vastly improved on their defense, especially Lebron who wanted to add to his repertoire. These are the sort of ingredients of a Jordan-type baller, hungry for MVP awards, NBA titles, and 70-win seasons. Judging by the competitive drive of both players to be the best in the league, and any team facing these two in the 2nd half of the season could be in for a rough game.

Redeem Team Strikes Gold in Beijing!

Team USA basketball now has its spot back on the World Map. Sunday at 2am EST the "Redeem Team" as they've been dubbed, ended their 3 year quest to capture the elusive gold medals. Spain was the final team to be taken out by USA, with a closer than expected 118-107 victory Sunday morning. D-Wade had 27 points with Kobe Bryant adding 20. Kobe's Laker teammate Pau Gasol scored 21 in a losing effort. Gasol's teammate Rudy Fernandez lead the way with 22. After the victory, Team USA was quick to extend hugs and obligatory handshakes and pats to their opposition. During their steamroller trip to the Gold medal game, Team USA took down various foreign opposition including familiar NBA players. Dirk Nowitski, Yao Ming, Manu Ginobli and others were among the casualties.

This team had been carefully crafted by NBA GM Jerry Colangelo, and practiced together for a solid 3 years to make sure they could co-exist. Initial cuts were made to wittle the team down into one capable of demolishing international opponents. Gilbert Arenas, Bruce Bowen, Amare Stoudamire and Kirk Hinrich were amongst those not part of this team that finally appeared in Beijing. The final roster read like a "who's who" of the current NBA, minus the 3 superstar Celtics who are definitely up there in age. Kobe and Lebron have been the 2 most talked up superstars in the league for several years now, with debates as to who's better. In this competition, they were teammates, setting up each other for layups and spectacular dunks. Add in players such as Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, and you've got the makings of gold medalists.

Of course the debates started as to whether or not this team eclipses Dream Team 1992. That legendary team consisted of the well-respected forefathers of today's basketball: Bird, Barkley, Jordan, Ewing, David Robinson, Malone, Stockton, Pippen. You'd be hard-pressed to find a player on the 2008 roster who doesn't choose one of these 92' stars as their idol growing up. Lebron, Kobe, Melo, D-Wade and others on this team will be those legends one day, but for now they continue to achieve more milestones.

Congratulations again to Redeem Team 2008 for achieving Gold in Beijing!

Read more about Team USA winning the gold including pictures at CBS News!

Larry Brown to Coach Bobcats

On Tuesday the Bobcats will make it official that they have hired a new coach to replace the recently fired Sam Vincent. Sources including Associated Press and ESPN are reporting that longtime NBA coach, Larry Brown will make his return to the sidelines. Brown has ties to North Carolina, making him a good fit for Michael Jordan's Charlotte team. The Bobcats will be the ninth team Brown coaches. He's had previous jobs in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Indiana, Detroit, New York, and San Antonio, with a championship run for the Pistons in 2004. Brown also achieved the NCAA championship in 1988 with the Kansas Jayhawks.

According to Associated Press:

Two years after his ugly exit as coach of the New York Knicks, Brown reached an agreement on Monday to return to the NBA as coach of the Jordan-led Charlotte Bobcats, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made, said Brown was expected to sign a contract on Tuesday. The Bobcats called an afternoon news conference for what they termed a "major basketball announcement."

"Michael never said that he was hiring coach Brown. He just said they were going to make some decisions that were in the best interest of the organization," Vincent said. "So I kind of assumed of going in the direction of hiring a veteran coach and someone who was very popular in the community."

Jordan and Brown both played at North Carolina under Dean Smith, and Brown's mother lives in Charlotte. So when Vincent was fired two days after Brown resigned as executive vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers, speculation immediately turned to their pairing in Charlotte.

"I wish coach Brown all the success in the world," Vincent said. "I think he'll have a great group of guys and I wish him nothing but the best."

Source: Associated Press.

While the Bobcats are one of the most recent expansion teams in the league, they have yet to qualify for the playoffs as "Bobcats". The team was previously the Hornets who left Charlotte for New Orleans. Michael Jordan took a minority stake in the team to help guide the ship. This big coaching move may be a strong effort by executive Michael Jordan to gain some respectability for his Charlotte Squad. Jordan's done all he can with the exception of ripping off his suit to reveal a Charlotte Bobcats jersey. Unfortunately another dunk contest winner and star, Jason Richardson wears his famous #23 already.

Where's the NBA Love?

The recent ESPN magazine pictures "Mr. NBA" himself on the cover, Michael Jordan. It offers a surprising revelation to some: that sports fans as a whole just aren't in love with the NBA like they were in Jordan's time. Let's face it, MJ really brought the league up and got mainstream America interested, as he transcended pop culture. He brought NBA into unison with everything from McDonald's to Coca Cola to Nike sneakers. American truly embraced Jordan, along with other stars such as Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, and Magic Johnson. They displayed great basketball feats and personality, so America showed them the love. According to ESPN's latest magazine, America doesn't share that love with the current roster of NBA talent. Jordan is featured in one article discussing his role in cultivating the NBA. Commissioner David Stern gives his usual spin on the league and its issues in another article. Stern is optimistic, despite recent trends and demographic polls.

I wouldn't sell the league short as the ESPN articles have hinted at. They've suggested that there's less love because there's no stars like MJ, which is true, as there will never be another Jordan. They've also suggested every next great star entering the league is immediately called the "next MJ" or "Magic" or "Bird" and so forth. Remember Penny Hardaway, Jerry Stackhouse, Grant Hill and Vince Carter were all tagged with the "Next MJ" stigma. None of these guys are Jordan, but they still delighted fans with some extremely skilled basketball. The other facet of the article is that there is not a good spokesperson/hype man for the league like Jordan, but if you check with Lebron James he may have a bone to pick there.

Also of interest is how the NBA is considered the "hip hop league" and problematic. I feel that's a matter of perspective and what we see in the news. In all of sports stories over the last few seasons, I'd easily take some of the worst NBA stories over what NFL, MLB and NHL have offered. There's been steroid scandals, congressional hearings, murders, and on ice incidents which lead to assault charges. And I hate to mention it, but there's also Michael Vick's dog fighting crimes. None of the aforementioned news involved the NBA. I'd say for the NBA to have a scandalous betting referee, a player-fan brawl in Detroit and strip club mayhem, that the NBA isn't looking as bad. A point made is that without helmets we get to see more personality from a basketball player than other pro athletes. If anything it shows the league with more personality.

It's interesting to see this sort of article, after Melo, Lebron and Wade were pictured on SI for a season preview issue a year or so ago. The point of that magazine's article seemed to be that these guys were renewing the love for basketball, which I still believe is there and can grow. The love is always there if you're an NBA fan. I feel for a sports fan, their love goes with the league where their heart is. I'm not the biggest NHL fan, but I enjoy NFL and MLB from time to time...When's it all said and done, my favorite sport remains basketball for its passion, intelligence and skill involved to play its fast paced game. So my sports love will be continue to be spent on basketball and the NBA.

Best of the NBA Commercials

Over the years the NBA, its players, and their advertisers have run some great TV commercials. Here's a look at some of the funnier and more memorable NBA player commercials from recent times and years past.

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It's Gotta Be the Shoes (Nike)

Mars Blackman (Spike Lee) discusses what makes basketball player Air Jordan so great. View Video here

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Nothin' But Net (McDonald's)

Jordan vs. Bird in a classic shootout over a Big Mac. The two try to come up with the craziest trick shots imaginable. Bird gives just one rule to Jordan.

View Video here

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Anfernee Hardaway & Lil' Penny (Nike)

There were quite a few of these and they mostly showcased Anfernee Hardaway's buddy Lil' Penny's love for basketball, partying and Tyra Banks. Lil' Penny is voiced by the hilarious Chris Rock.

Lil Penny dreams of Tyra

Outdoor bball game, Tyra

Lil Penny & Spike Lee

Also see the Intro Skit: 1996 Playoffs Bulls vs. Magic

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D-Wade & Barkley Fave 5 (T-Mobile)

Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley eat poolside, with Wade explaining why he should be included in Barkley's fave 5 for his T-Mobile phone.

View the Wade Barkley Youtube video

Barkley & D-Wade Golfing

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The Lebrons - Swimming Pool - Nike

Lebron pulls off an Eddie Murphy Nutty Professor type performance as he plays the roles of each of the Lebrons. This ad shows the suave Lebron taking a dive into the pool with the other Lebron's chillin'.

Watch the Lebrons ad on YouTube.


Also see:

Shaq Plays H-O-R-S-E

The Jordan XX3 Ad

The Nike Jordan XX3 Ad

There's a brand new Nike commercial out for the Air Jordan XX3 sneakers. It features a narrative by MJ himself with a montage of various sports stars doing what they do best. Included in the ad are NBA ballers like Rip Hamilton, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Joe Johnson and Ray Allen.

Here's the powerful words from the legendary Air Jordan:

It's not about the shoes,
its about knowing where you're going,
not forgetting where you started.

It's about having the courage to fail,
not breaking when you are broken,
taking everything you have been given,
and making something better.

It's about work before glory,
and what's inside of you.

It's doing what they say you can't.
It's not about the shoes, it's what you do in them.
It's about being who you were born to be.

Check out the YouTube video for Nike commercial.

Five Classic NBA Dunks

The other day ESPN Sportscenter flashed a stat about the 5 top dunkers in the NBA right now. They are Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, Amare Stoudamire, Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler. This is based on number of dunks they've had for the 2007-08 season. Love and Basketball tracked down 5 of the greatest dunkers and their dunks to consider from NBA history.

So here's 5 NBA dunks for the ages:

Jordan Dunks on Ewing

Jordan avoids several Knicks' defenders, then spins on the baseline and literally jammed the ball down Ewing's throat on this play. It's one of the sickest dunks and statements in NBA history. Watch the footage on YouTube here (*a bit choppy but you'll get the point).

Vince Carter Y2K Dunk Title

Everyone loves to talk up Vince's dunk over the 7'2 French Player during the Sydney Olympics, however Vince really became the household name in the Y2K NBA All-Star game festivities. Watch the footage here.

Shawn Kemp With the Double Point

A guy who unfortunately became lost in the league after drug and weight problems. During his hey day he was one of the best dunkers around. This one came back in the day when self-expression and finger pointing braggadocious b-ball was still ok. It came at the expense of Alton Lister and afterwards Kemp gave him the double point as Lister layed stunned on the hardwood. Talk about a statement! Watch the dunk here.

Kobe Scales a Mountain - Ben Wallace

Before he was known for his defensive prowess, Wallace was a no name, and became a quick poster child for a Kobe dunk. In this highlight footage set to Beatnuts' "No Escapin' This", see Kobe at his best, finishing off with the Wallace dunk. Kobe basically scales a mountain and stretches like Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four to throw it down. Watch the incredible Kobe dunk footage here.

Nate Robinson Clean Up the Miss

This one came just a day ago, and in all fairness there's a ton of other great NBA dunks from NBA history, including Lebron, Jason Richardson, Shawn Marion, KG, D-Howard, Melo..The list can go on and on. However, when a guy who is about the same height as most average men (5'9") gets up and throws down a missed shot, that's something of pure beauty. Check out Nate as he jams it down after the miss, you won't believe what you're seeing, but Robinson can fly! Watch Robinson's dunk here.

ESPN Greatest Highlight: BBall Choices

ESPN is doing yet another one if its crazy bracketology style tournaments. They previously had the "Who's Now" contest in which athletes from every sport battled head to head in brackets to determine the star that is "Most Now" aka popular and known and a man of the times. Well now it's time to determine the all time Greatest sports highlight. ESPN currently has a list of 100 highlights from various sports including the major 4 (NHL, NFL, NBA & MLB). Fans choose their 10 favorites from the list and the vote tallies will determine the head-to-head brackets. There's some great NBA, NCAA and even WNBA highlights to choose from as seen from the 20 or so below:

John Havlicek's steal seals Celtics championship (April 15, 1965)

Jerry West's half-court shot sends NBA Finals to OT (April 29, 1970)

Gar Heard's jumper in Suns-Celtics triple-OT NBA Finals game (June 4, 1976)

Julius Erving goes up and under to finish baseline move (May 11, 1980)

Larry Bird's follow and circus lay-up in NBA Finals (May 5, 1981)

Michael Jordan's jumper wins title against Georgetown (March 29, 1982)

Lorenzo Charles' dunk earns NC State title (April 4, 1983)

Keith Smart's jumper wins title against Syracuse (March 30, 1987)

Larry Bird's steal, pass to Dennis Johnson beats Pistons (May 26, 1987)

Magic Johnson's hook shot beats Celtics in NBA Finals (June 9, 1987)

Pittsburgh's Jerome Lane shatters the glass on dunk (Jan. 25, 1988)

Michael Jordan's jumper over Craig Ehlo beats Cavs (May 7, 1989)

Michael Jordan switches hands on lay-up against Lakers (June 5, 1991)

Magic Johnson caps All-Star Game with 3-pointer (Feb. 9, 1992)

Christian Laettner's shot beats Kentucky in regional final (Mar. 28, 1992)

Charlotte Smith's 3-pointer earns title for North Carolina (April 3, 1994)

Tyus Edney's coast-to-coast drive saves UCLA (March 19, 1995)

Michael Johnson breaks world record en route to gold in 200m (Aug. 1, 1996)

Bryce Drew's 3-pointer beats Ole Miss at buzzer (March 13, 1998)

Michael Jordan's jumper against Jazz gives Bulls title No. 6 (June 14, 1998)

Teresa Weatherspoon's half-court shot wins Game 2 in WNBA Finals (Sep. 4, 1999)

Vince Carter goes over Frederic Weis for Olympic dunk (Sep. 24, 2000)

The highlights include all sports, not just basketball and voting will end January 11th. On January 22 the Top 8 plays voted for along with Chris Berman's top picks will combine to form the Greatest Highlight of All Time bracket! Vote for your 10 favorite highlights here.

MJ Practices With Bobcats

Let the rumors start up again. The legend was back on the court, away from his role as observer and part owner. Yes, Michael Jordan decided it was time to practice with the team this past Tuesday. Something he did with the Washington Wizards before he decided he needed to come back to the game. Is this deja vu?

Jordan claims he took to the court to show the Bobcats the little things they were doing wrong. The team's lost 10 of its last 12 games and MJ felt he could lend a bit of wisdom. The Bobcats sit at 8-14 and are better than only a handful of Eastern Conference teams. They also seem to lack that "go to guy" that most teams have, despite adding the services of superstar Jason Richardson this past off-season.

According to Canadian Press, "I also told them yesterday that on this team we have no all-stars - none," Jordan said. "That means everybody has to rely upon each other to be successful. Until we develop an all-star that can take over a game, I think it's very important for them to understand that they have to play as a unit. I think that's the message that a lot of the guys got."

Jordan is 44 years old which definitely isn't anywhere near the average age for NBA players. So don't call it a comeback, just call it a practice and teaching session. Jordan should continue to man things from the sideline, but dropping by to share his wisdom isn't going to hurt the team by any means.

Read more about Jordan's return to the court here.

AI Technology: 51 Point Explosion!

Last night there was a pretty decent West Coast showdown on ESPN. It pitted Kobe's Lakers against AI, Melo and the Denver Nuggets. It stayed close through out and had an almost playoff feel to it. Kobe and Melo both hit the deck on different plays and came back from minor injuries to compete in the game. Kobe's team got the win 111-107, but Allen Iverson had the impressive stat of 51 points. He was having a "can't miss" kind of night as everything was falling for him. He'd hit shots as he fell back near the scorer's table, layups that looked easy for AI and hard for the rest of humanity, and jumpers from various spots all over the court. Iverson's total is the highest scoring mark for a player so far this season as he surpassed the feats of T-Mac, Kobe and Lebron James.

It goes to show this isn't just a big man's game. Iverson's already been a league MVP at such a short stature. He brought his Sixers team to the Finals one year against the Lakers and helped pull off a Game 1 upset. What is perhaps most impressive is he is the 3rd all time leader in NBA Scoring Average for his career. Above him at 1 and 2 are MJ and Wilt respectively. Now that's some amazing stuff for a little guy.

Now you also have to be curious about how far the Nuggets can go when they make the playoffs. They have 2 players who definitely want a title and who have the ability to completely take over a game. A Nuggets vs. Celtics finals perhaps? It would make for a nice treat, but the Celts already blew Denver out earlier this year..Time will tell.

Should NBA Players be Betting?

Charley Rosen of FoxSports.com with an interesting article regarding the NBA and betting. The article is a response to a reader who raises the question, should gambling be outlawed completely in the NBA? More specifically, the article cites the past gambling issues and losses of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley as well as "friendly wagers" that occur during shootarounds, games of HORSE and on the golf courts. Rosen discusses the many ways gambling by NBA players can hurt them overall.

Read the full article on the NBA's Gambling Problem here

Walker Unharmed in Robbery

Antoine Walker was the victim of a robbery at his offseason residence this past Monday night. Luckily the Miami Heat forward was not injured. According to ESPN.com:

"Authorities have not provided specific details about the robbery. The Tribune, citing an unidentified source, said the assailants entered Walker's $4.1 million home in Chicago's River North neighborhood through the garage, ordered Walker into the house, and held a handgun to his head as his ankles and wrists were bound with duct tape. The intruders reportedly were wearing masks and shielding their eyes.

"He acted as if he knew Antoine and was talking to him about knowing the consequences of the robbery," the source told the newspaper. Walker was able to free himself from the tape after the robbery.

The source also told The Tribune that Walker, a Chicago native, has been packing his belongings.

"He's gone, baby," the source said.

Riley said he's spoken to Walker's agent, Mark Bartelstein, who told the coach that Walker is OK.

"It's what it is. It had to be a terrifying ordeal for him," Riley said Tuesday night. "Until I speak with him, I don't have any knowledge other than what I've heard from other people."

The vehicle taken in the robbery was found, abandoned, in Chicago on Tuesday morning. Police have not announced any arrests in the case.

According to The Tribune, Walker's neighborhood includes multimillion-dollar residences owned by the likes of actor Vince Vaughn and Juanita Jordan, the ex-wife of Michael Jordan. High-tech security equipment, as well as regular Chicago police patrols, protect the area, the newspaper said."

This is the second time during his NBA career that Walker has been the victim of armed robbery. The previous incident occurred back in July 2000 when Walker and NBA center Nazr Mohammed were victims were robbed while sitting in a vehicle near a Chicago restaurant.

MJ & the Price of Divorce

Divorce sometimes includes a bitter price to pay, and in the case of Michael Jordan divorcing his wife Juanita, it will cost him a nice piece of pocket change, over $150 million. From ABC News:

"The basketball superstar's split last December from his wife of 17 years, Juanita, is No. 1 on Forbes.com's list of "The 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces."

Juanita Jordan could possibly "get more than $150 million in a settlement, making the Jordan divorce the most expensive in entertainment history," Forbes said"

A high price to pay, but one Jordan can definitely sustain. A show about the high price of celebrity divorces is set to air on E! tonight at 6PM EST.