All-Star Saturday Night 2010 winners

(Nash, Pierce, Robinson shine on All-Star Saturday)

Dunkers, sharpshooters and skilled ballers all arrived in Dallas for Saturday night. That's when the NBA stars of the past, present and future make their way onto the courts for NBA All-Star Saturday. The annual events include the All-Star Skills Challenge, 3 Point Shootout and the crowning of a new Slam Dunk champion.

Haier Shooting Stars contest

The Haier Shooting Stars contest kicked off the events, where teams of three players from different cities competed in a timed shooting event which required shots from different spots on the court. The teams consisted of a current WNBA player from that city, an NBA player from the city and then a former player as well. This year's teams included Los Angeles (Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Brent Barry & Pau Gasol), Atlanta (Angel McCoughtry, Steve Smith & Joe Johnson), Sacramento (Nicole Powell, Chris Webber & Tyreke Evans) and the hometown Texas squad (Becky Hammon, Kenny Smith & Dirk Nowitski). In the early going of the contest, two former players hit half court shots for their teams (Brent Barry, Steve Smith). LA had the time to beat of 1:00 minute flat in the early round. Team Sacramento had to beat a time of 1:47 and just did so by 1 second on Nicole Powell's half court shot. Kenny Smith's half court shot made the third by a former player/TNT analyst in the opening round. LA & Texas advanced to the finals where the Texas team finished in an impressive 34 seconds behind some sharpshooting including a Dirk Nowitski half court shot. The Dallas fans were definitely pleased with the win.

Taco Bell Skills Challenge

(Nash's pinpoint passing comes in handy for Skills challenge)

In the Taco Bell skills challenge, last year's champion Derrick Rose sat out this year's contest due to a nagging injury. Taking his place was Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Also competing were Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash, the 2005 winner, and Derron Williams, the 2008 winner, which is just the way things worked out for the finals of the challenge. Steve Nash put up a time to beat of 29.9 to open the finals, putting the heat on 2008 champion Derron Williams. Williams messed up one of the final 2 passes that went in and out. It took him several more tries after that to get the pass through the hoop, giving Steve Nash the 2010 Skills Challenge victory.

After an intro from Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade, as well as a video message from former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton it was a special halftime performance. Grammy Award-winning recording artist and Dallas native Erykah Badu performed her rendition of the James Taylor classic "You've Got a Friend" at halftime to represent the spirit of the NBA cares program.

Foot Locker Three-Point contest

(Pierce leaves the Dallas arena as 3-Point Champion)

This year's 3-Point contest competitors featured the likes of Paul Pierce, Channing Frye, Danilo Gallinari of the Knicks, Chauncey Billups, rookie Stephan Curry, and the defending-champ Daequan Cook of the Miami Heat. Defending champion Daquean Cook was eliminated early as Stephan Curry put up a score of 18, while Chauncey Billups and Pierce both had 17's. Pierce and Billups had a mini-shootout between the two to determine Curry's opponent for the finals, with Pierce getting a score of 20 to make the it. Curry and Pierce faced off for the crown, with Pierce's scoring of 20 besting Curry's score of 17. The commentators were surprised by Pierce's victory, despite him being the top scorer for Boston as they said he's not generally known for 3-point shooting. Pierce said he feels he's one of the better shooters in NBA history.

2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest

(Robinson makes 2010 dunk history, 3-time winner)

The main event most years is the Slam Dunk contest. This year the defending champion Nate Robinson looked for a repeate as he battled Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown of the Lakers, and the first-ever "Dunk-in" winner DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors. The "Dunk-in" was a contest held at halftime of the Rookies vs. Sophomores game between DeRozan and the Clippers Eric Gordon. Each did a variety of dunks and fans were able to text in their votes for whose dunks they preferred with DeRozan getting the nod.

In the dunk contest, each contestant got two minutes for each of their 2 dunks in the first round, with the top two scorers advancing. Dunks were judged by a panel of five judges consisting of former NBA players, several of whom won the dunk contest before. Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Derek Harper, Dominique Wilkins and Spudd Webb were the judges for the 2010 dunk contest. In the final round, fans were able to vote via text message or NBA.com

DeMar Rozan's windmill dunk from his teammate Sonny Weems' bounce pass off the side of the backboard wowed the judges enough to get the first perfect 50 score of the night to move him forward into the next round with a 92. The defending champion and crowd favorite Nate Robinson also advanced with a two round score of 89.

The 2010 dunk contest may not have held too many thrills, but thanks to the fans, Nate Robinson repeated as Slam Dunk champion with 51% of the vote going in his favor. Robinson may have won it with his use of props including the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. After his finals dunk, which was a double clutch reverse dunk, he grabbed a set of pom poms to celebrate, getting the Dallas crowd revved up. Nate posed with his trophy in front of the Cowgirls to celebrate his victory.

See Nate Robinson's winning dunk here

Wizards Mavs 7-player trade swaps Howard & Butler

The city of Dallas is looking ahead to the 2010 All-Star game to be played Sunday, but meanwhile the Mavericks swung a trade Saturday while not many were looking. It was speculated that Caron Butler would be dealt from the Wizards and he was on Saturday. Dallas traded away Dwight Gooden and Josh Howard as well as two other players in exchange for Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson and cash. The Mavs are looking to build up momentum for their 2010 playoff run by bringing in Butler, who president of operations Donnie Nelson calls a good fit for their team. He also admitted it was a tough decision to give up Howard, but said you've got to "give quality to get quality".

The Wizards meanwhile are hurting with a record of 17-33 and low expectations since losing Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for the season following their gun incident in the locker room. The team president expressed their needs in the current season:

"We're all disappointed in how our season has gone. We need some freshness and we're getting proven players who will help us, and it gives us some flexibility down the road," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "We want to remain competitive and maybe this group can provide a spark. The group had gotten stale, and we needed a change." (NBA.com)

Also involved in the deal were James Singleton and Quinton Ross who the Wizards acquired. This marks the 8th new team for Drew Gooden who is becoming a journeyman of sorts, while Howard has spent all his career since 2003 in Dallas. The Mavs will now acquire the additional skills of Butler who is averaging about 17 points and 7 rebounds per game, while Haywood was averaging around 10 rebounds a game.

There may be more moves in the days ahead, as the NBA Trade deadline officially hits on February 18, 2010.

Read more about today's trade 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.

2009 Draft Lottery Results

Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were on the court getting ready to try to take out the Denver Nuggets and move one step closer to the NBA finals. Meanwhile, their in-state rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers won the draft lottery on Tuesday night, possibly securing a franchise player in the process. Blake Griffin from Oklahoma was interviewed by Mark Jones of ESPN, and asked about the possibility of him coming to LA as the #1 pick. Griffin said he plans to try his best to learn on the fly and make an immediate impact wherever he's drafted to. Other top draft picks will include the likes of Johnny Flynn, James Harden, Stephen Curry and Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut.

2009 Draft Lottery order:

1) LA Clippers
2) Memphis Grizzlies
3) Oklahoma City Thunder
4) Sacramento Kings
5) Washington Wizards
6) Minnesota Timberwolves
7) Golden State Warriors
8) New York Knicks
9) Toronto Raptors
10) Milwaukee Bucks
11) New Jersey Nets
12) Charlotte Bobcats
13) Indianapolis Pacers
14) Phoenix Suns

Several of the representatives in attendance for the draft lottery selection show on ESPN wer either current or former players, as well as coaches. Chris Webber was there on behalf of the Kings, while Kevin Love was there for the Timberwolves. Former Knick Allan Houston was in attendance for New York. Scott Brooks represented his Oklahoma City Thunder, while Larry Bird represented the Pacers.

The 2009 NBA Draft will take place on June 25, 2009.

NBA's Paul Davis on Millionaire Matchmaker

Former NBA player Paul Davis, a college basketball standout center and previous member of the LA Clippers roster, is currently looking for the perfect female partner. To get the assist he needed to score in the game of love, Paul Davis appeared on Bravo's reality documentary show "The Millionaire Matchmaker". The show features professional matchmaker Patti Stanger who attempted to help Davis find the right female for him. Her team of helpers includes personal shoppers, date coaches and therapists who give two wealthy clients bigtime makeovers and then send them on handpicked dates especially tailored to the individuals' personalities and expectations.

On the new episode 8 which aired April 2, 2009 on Bravo TV, Patti tried to help a successful Harvard graduate named Alex by giving him a physical makeover to propel his dating success. She also helped NBA player Paul Davis with a major personality makeover. According to reports on the episode Paul had some pretty high expectations when it comes to love but his date on the show with Kimi was successful. The two went to an upscale bowling alley and wagered over who could bowl better. Davis won the bet which gave him the prizes of Kimi cleaning his condo dressed as a french maid, making him sushi and then making him French toast the next morning. Shoot...Score!

According a Chicago Sun Times blog, Davis said the following about the date:

"I would definitely go out with her again. I think, you know, she's a great girl, great personality. And she definitely is somebody, regardless of what happens down the line, just to have a friend in your life -- I really think she would be one of those people."

See photos from the show here

In case you're wondering about Paul Davis' NBA career, he played just 2 years professionally after playing his NCAA college basketball for Michigan State Spartans and finished the 2005 season as leading rebounder. Lindy's College Basketball ranked him as the number 3 center at the time. By his senior year he was averaging a near double-double with 17.5 points and 9.1 rebonds. He was awarded Mr. Basketball of Michigan. In 2006, he went at the #34 draft pick in the NBA draft's second round to the Los Angeles Clippers, wearing the #40. Once the 2007-08 NBA season had ended, Paul Davis became a restricted free agent. The Clippers renounced his rights but resigned him in August 2008. Paul Davis was released from the LA Clippers in January 2009. In 2008-09 he averaged 4.0 points and 2.50 rebounds per game with the Clips. View Paul Davis' NBA.com bio info page.

D-Wade: The Good..The Bad, & the Ugly?

In a recent ArmchairGM Op/Ed piece, an author examined the recent nasty allegations and rumors surrounding Miami Heat superstar, Dwyane Wade. The recent allegations may shock those who have come to know and cheer for the former NBA Finals MVP who has always been considered a class act and role model from the league.

According to the various allegations, Wade's wife (soon to be ex) Siohvaughn is claiming Wade infected her with an STD he contracted while having sex with another woman during their marriage. In addition, she claims that Wade goes for days and weeks without speaking a word to his children. Additionally, Richard Von Houtman, a former business associate of Wade's, has reportedly filed a contract suit against D-Wade because the superstar hasn't met promotion requirements for various D Wade's Sports Grills. Von Houtman also alleges that Wade rented an apartment in Miami for smoking pot and having wild sex parties.

This is definitely some surprising stuff to read about one of the "good guys" in the NBA. But as we all know allegations are just that, and NBA players have bounced back despite rumors and court cases. Let's hope that this is a plot by two suspect characters against D-Wade rather than the truth coming to light.

Read the full article here.

2009 All-Star Rosters Set

(2009 All-Star Logo from NBA.com)

The 2009 NBA All-Star rosters are official for this year's game in Phoenix. There will be several first-timers making the trip to play in the mid-season NBA classic, with guards Devin Harris of the Nets and Jameer Nelson of the Magic suiting up in the East along with Forward Danny Granger of the Pacers. The West continues to follow tradition with its lineup which includes all returning players, as well as newcomer to the West, Denver's Chauncey Billups. Billups makes his 4th trip to the game after 3 appearances with the Pistons, while the hometown hero, Steve Nash was not selected for the first time since 2004. Pau Gasol, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy and David West all make just their 2nd appearance in the game, while starters Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan have been at least 10 times each. Phoenix Suns Center Shaquille O'Neal, who was named to the bench, makes his 15th All-Star appearance. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has more trips to the game with 19.

Starting players were voted on by fans via the internet and paper ballots, while the reserves were chosen by the league's 30 head coaches. Coaches were asked to choose two guards, two forwards, one center and two other players regardless of position from their conferences.

Eastern Conference Starters:

Allen Iverson (G) (Detroit)
Dwyane Wade (G) (Miami)
Lebron James (F) (Cleveland)
Kevin Garnett (F) (Boston)
Dwight Howard (C) (Orlando)

Eastern Conference Reserves:

Devin Harris (G) (New Jersey)
Jameer Nelson (G) (Orlando)
Joe Johnson (G) (Atlanta)
Danny Granger (F) (Indiana)
Rashard Lewis (F) (Orlando)
Paul Pierce (F) (Boston)
Chris Bosh (F/C) (Toronto)

Western Conference Starters:

Chris Paul (G) (New Orleans)
Kobe Bryant (G) (Los Angeles)
Tim Duncan (F) (San Antonio)
Amare Stoudamire (F) (Phoenix)
Yao Ming (C) (Houston)

Western Conference Reserves:

Chauncey Billups (G) (Denver)
Pau Gasol (F) (Los Angeles)
Dirk Nowitzki (F) (Dallas)
Tony Parker (G) (San Antonio)
Brandon Roy (G) (Portland)
David West (F) (New Orleans)
Shaquille O'Neal (C) (Phoenix)

Coaching the East squad will either be Mike Brown of the Cavs or Stan Van Gundy of the Magic, depending on which team has the best winning % through this weekend's games. Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson takes charge of the West. The All Star game will be the 58th edition, played in Phoenix at the US Airways Center on February 15th, 2009.

Lebron's Latest Magazine Cover

(GQ February 2009 issue)

Add another achievement to the career of young phenom Lebron James! For the Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine (GQ), their February 2009 issue features Lebron on the cover along with an inside interview. In the interview Lebron discusses his latest endorsement deals, his two young sons and Barack Obama as the first African American president.

The GQ story also had Lebron suit up for a casual pickup game with the GQ magazine editors and writers in Cleveland. For the cover, Lebron dons a gray suit, pink shirt and gray tie. The cover can be added to his resume along with the likes of Fortune, Sports Illustratde, ESPN Magazine and Vogue. Lebron was the first black male to appear on Vogue in its 116-year history.

Lebron had the following to say regarding his scoring the cover of GQ and about who shaped his fashion sense most:

"It's great," he said of his GQ cover. "It shows that I'm fashionable. I never thought I would be on the cover of GQ. But I've done some things I never thought I would do."

"I have to thank (NBA commissioner) David Stern," James said. "Ever since he put in the rule about having to get dressed for the game, I had to get dressed."

(Source: WashingtonPost)

Forbes Ranks NBA Franchise Values

What's your favorite NBA organization worth? According to a recent Forbes ranking of NBA Franchise Values the average NBA franchise is worth about $379 million. Topping the list, the New York Knicks are the Most Valuable at $613 million. Their overall value rose 1 percent from last year. Their value will most likely rise even more if they can land Lebron James and/or other big names in the coming free agent war of 2010. One of the report's authors feels we could see NBA franchise values drop should the current recession be a lengthy one for the US economy.

Here's the top 10 NBA Franchises by Value:

1)New York Knicks
2)LA Lakers
3)Chicago Bulls
4)Detroit Pistons
5)Cleveland Cavaliers
6)Houston Rockets
7)Dallas Mavericks
8)Phoenix Suns
9)Boston Celtics
10)San Antonio Spurs

From Bloomberg.com:

The value of the Knicks rose 1 percent over the last year, with $29.6 million in operating income last season and revenue of $208 million. The Knicks are owned by Cablevision Systems Corp.

The Los Angeles Lakers ranked second for the fourth straight year, gaining 4 percent to $584 million. The Chicago Bulls were third at $504 million, the Detroit Pistons fourth at $480 million and the Cleveland Cavaliers fifth at $477 million.

The three teams with the biggest gains were the Portland Trail Blazers, NBA champion Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who moved from Seattle during the offseason.

The Thunder surprisingly moved up on the list due to the fact they moved out of Seattle. The team now plays in a soldout arena (for now) and the owners keep all the revenue. The franchise moved up to 24th on the list at $300 million.

Even NBA real estate is hurt by the credit crisis. According to the article, the New Jersey Nets are the franchise most effected by the economy right now. They've been trying to borrow money to build a new $950 million arena which would allow the team to move to Brooklyn.

Read the full Bloomberg article here.

See the full list of NBA Franchise Values here.

In a related Forbes.com piece, they discuss the best clutch players for the buck. The survey only considers player who average 5 or more points in the 4th quarter. Coming in at the top spot, the San Antonio Spurs guard, Manu Ginobli who made $9 million in 2007-08 and has a 57.4 % clutch shooting percentage. Coming in at #2 and #3 were Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns and of Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe's clutch-time shooting % is 44.8 when the games on the line and his 2007-08 pay was close to $20 million. While these numbers might not give you an edge in fantasy hoops leagues, they definitely might help you place bets or choose your team in NBA Live.

See the Best Clutch Players slideshow at Forbes.com.

In Honor of Magic Johnson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Official Magic Johnson Foundation Website

Magic Johnson Wikipedia

Redd D Rising

According to the November 10, 2008 edition of Sports Illustrated, new Milwaukee Bucks coach, Scott Skiles, has instituted a new policy. No sleeping on the other end of the court. According to the article, Skiles believes the team would just give up when they were behind and stop trying, but he's saying the Bucks will no longer be allowed to do so. Case in point, he benched center Andrew Bogut for 10 minutes after he blew a defensive assignment and fouled Jermaine O'Neal.

One player who's made a serious effort to adhere to Coach Skiles new policy is lead scorer, Michael Redd. Redd's been considered one of the deadliest shooters in the league for some time, along with players like Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant and Peja Stoyakovic. Redd put in major work at the Olympics in China, as he was forced to defend Kobe Bryant during practices. Redd admits he then realized just how intense Kobe is on the defensive end, saying Kobe never took a possession off. Since Skiles wants the same from Redd and is requiring him to guard the perimeter players better, Redd also worked with his trainer. David Pritchard helped Redd go from 230 pounds and 20% body fat down to 216 pounds and 7% body fat.

The new Redd should have better footwork, flexibility and strength allowing him to put in the tougher defensive work Skiles asks of him. Luckily he can also now defer to Richard Jefferson as well to help with the scoring load should he tire on the defensive end. The Bucks could be a playoff team should they seriously commit to D like coach is asking, and may take on the look of the Detroit Pistons team of old.

Josh Smith - Fantasy Player's Dream

This morning, NBA TV's Rick Kamla did a run down of the best 8 category players in Fantasy basketball so far. While the season is still very young, you might get a good indication of who to swing an early trade for. Or if you're just entering a league, who to draft high. One name is Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks. The dunktacular star from the Hawks does it all during the games except selling popcorn to the fans in the stands. Kamla of NBA TV said he even heard some fantasy leagues had Smith drafted above Kobe, and now you see why.

Will Smith make the All-star team in 2009? If he keeps up with these performances and numbers, the coaches will have no choice but to vote Smith in 2009. Although he's had just 2 games in this young season, Mr. Smith is 2nd in the league in steals and 2nd in the league in blocks. 3 of his blocks came against the imposing force down low, Dwight Howard. To cap it all off, Smith had a horrible preseason and sprained his ankle, but came into this season on fire. He's very similar to Shawn Marion who also does everything from end to end on the court. These are the types of players you want on your team, whether you're an NBA GM or a Fantasy GM!

LA's Hopes Rest with Kobe's Knee

With the 2008-09 NBA Season just around the corner (next week), the biggest question mark is on the reigning MVP, Kobe Bryant. This past Tuesday, Kobe collided with teammate Josh Powell in a preseason game against the Charlotte Bobcats, hyper-extending his knee. The injury forced him to sit out a Thursday night exhibition game, also against Charlotte. According to LA Times, Kobe feels the injury doesn't require an MRI:

"I've got a little bit of puffiness in the back of the knee, which was just from the trauma of landing the way I landed," Bryant said. "So we're just going to knock that out, make sure the swelling is out of there, which it should be soon, then I'm OK."

Bryant still hasn't had an MRI exam on the knee to determine the severity of it and sounded as if he won't get one.

"If I can run, if I can jump, if I can do lunges, if I can do leg curls, if I can do leg extensions, chances are there probably is no structural damage," Bryant said. "If I don't have to walk with more of a bop than I normally walk with, it's fine. So, I'm good. No need of wasting their money."

Coach Phil Jackson seems to want more caution taken regarding the injury and for good reason: Kobe's the team leader that brought them on a 2008 NBA Finals run. Similar injuries have forced other sports mega stars out of action. The Patriots' QB Tom Brady suffered a knee injury during the 1st week of the NFL season. The reconstructive surgery occurred too soon after the injury, and now Brady is dealing with a severe infection. In golf, the biggest start on the planet, Tiger Woods also left for a remainder of his season to get surgery. Will Kobe be following suit? Luckily, it seems like Kobe will be ready for the start of the season, but he definitely needs to guard against a season-ending injury.

Read the full story on Kobe at the LA Times.

Ellis Moped Incident = 30 Day Suspension

The Golden State Warriors high-scoring guard, Monta Ellis, was injured in a motor cycle accident this past summer, hurting his ankle. While that is bad news in itself, Ellis then chose to lie to the team about the incident. Ellis told the Warriors he hurt himself playing pickup ball in Mississippi, but then came clean about the injury days later. Due to his lie, Ellis has now been suspended 30 games by Owner Chris Cohan, which will cost the guard a cool 3 million dollars.

When you see a headline about Ellis being suspended, you'd assume it was due to a fight in a preseason game, using drugs or some sort of off-court arrest/fan altercation. But for something that could have easily been avoided, Ellis has benched himself for almost half of an NBA season. Will the team be hurt by this? They might have been, as he was the second-leading scorer for the NBA's highest-scoring team last season, averaging 20.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists, helping his team try to make the final playoff spot. Ellis underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament and wouldn't be able to return to action to mid-December anyways.

In case you're wondering about the rule book, according to NBA.com: "Ellis violated Paragraph 12 of the NBA's uniform player contract, which prohibits a player from engaging "in any activity that a reasonable person would recognize as involving or exposing the participant to a substantial risk of bodily injury," including "driving or riding a motorcycle or mo-ped."

Other past motorcycle incidents in sports that are well known include Pittsburgh Steeler QB Ben Rothleisberger, and former Chicago Bulls/Duke guard, Jay Williams. Rothleisberger was able to recover from injuries he sustained, while Williams attempted to rehab but never was able to make an NBA return.

Read more about Ellis' Suspension by the Warriors at NBA.com

Celtics KO Pistons en Route to NBA Finals

It will be a renewal of a classic rivalry in the 2008 NBA Finals as the Boston Celtics will face the Los Angeles Lakers. The two dynasties are storied in their histories as championship teams, and now the newest versions will do battle. Boston took care of business Friday night, winning their second road game to eliminate the Detroit Pistons.

The Luck of the Irish showed up in Detroit for sure. In the second half the Celts shot an amazing 67% field goal percentage. Rajon Rondo's shot with about 2:30 to go in the 4th put Boston up 7. Detroit had an 8 point lead just moments earlier. Billups was able to respond with a three point play to get the Pistons back into it. Posey had a huge steal from Prince after Rondo missed a three, and Pierce followed up by knocking down 2 free throws. Pistons fans began to leave the building as the Celtics had a 85-79 lead with about a minute to go. However, KG missed two free throws with 36 seconds to go, leaving signs of life for Detroit. After a drawn up play, Rasheed missed a three attempt and Pierce came down with the rebound. Pierce hit 1 of 2, and then another Pistons missed three lead to Ray Allen free throws. Celtics win 89-81 and return to the Finals for their first time since 1987. Pierce was jubilant during his post-game interview with ESPN's Michele Tafoya, saying it's been "10 long years" and "bring on the Lakers!" All-time Celtics legend John Havlicek presented the Eastern Conference Championship trophy to a highly charged Boston team who will now begin their 11th matchup with the Lakers in the Finals.

The Celtics-Lakers is definitely an exciting matchup as two squads with a trio of amazing stars will face off. The Lakers not only have the MVP Kobe Bryant but also its two versatile Forward/Center swingmen in Gasol and Odom. The Celtics of course feature the Big 3 with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Should be a very fun finals to watch, so let's hope it goes the full 7!

Kevin Durant is 2007-08 NBA ROY

Congrats to the young fellow. On Thursday, the Seattle Sonics (possibly the Oklahoma City Sonics) Kevin Durant was named the 2007-08 NBA Rookie of the Year. The standout 1st year player led all rookies in scoring (20.3) and total assists, despite his team missing the playoffs. Durant was one of the few rookies constantly showing up in ESPN Sportscenter highlights with rim-rattling dunks. Second place went to the Hawks Al Horford who is currently enjoying a nice debut in the playoffs against the Boston Celtics. During his ROY award ceremony, Durant reflected on a fallen mentor, his AAU coach Charles Craig who died 3 years ago.

This for Charles Craig, he said.

"Yesterday when I found out that I won it, that was the same day three years ago that my AAU coach died," Durant said. "I just want to give it to him to show how much I worked hard."

Craig, Durant's former AAU basketball coach, was shot and killed April 30, 2005. He was 35 when he died, and Durant wears the No. 35 to honor his memory.

Read more at Seattle Times.

Durant may soon be adding another jersey to tear off under his Seattle one in his latest NBA store ad. The team is still in litigation to move to Oklahoma City where Mr. Durant will be the team leader next season. In good news the coach PJ Carlesimo has vowed to return to the sidelines next season, wherever the team may be playing.

Now questions are raised if Trailblazer Greg Oden is a lock for the award in 2008-09. Oden missed the entire past season due to knee/leg surgery. Next season will officially be his rookie year in the league, and it's hard to see any other drafted players outplaying the towering force in Portland.

Dennis Rodman Jailed!

The original "bad boy" himself, former Piston, Spur and Bull Dennis Rodman can't keep himself out of trouble. The rebounding champ and former All-Star Rodman was arrested this past Wednesday night for an incident in LA involving charges of domestic violence. A stay in jail followed.

Associated Press had the following report about Rodman's recent tangle with the law:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was arrested for allegedly hitting a woman at a Century City hotel.

He was arrested Wednesday night after officers answered a report of a domestic dispute, police said. The woman sustained injuries to her arm, police added.

The 46-year-old former rebounding champion was jailed for investigation of felony domestic violence and freed on $50,000 bail early Thursday.

Rodman manager Darren Prince told TMZ.com, a celebrity Web site, that his client grabbed the woman's arm - leaving a bruise - after the pair drank too much and argued. Prince said Rodman's drinking has escalated because of a divorce and he plans to enter rehab.

Hopefully Dennis can rehab and rebound from all this mayhem. In honor of the multi-colored hair, trash-talking, can't stay out of trouble, rebounding monster known as Rodman, here is a video dedication, "Born to be Wild" at YouTube.

Playoff Trash Talkers Never Win

Talk is cheap in these 2007-08 NBA Playoffs. Mike Bibby was the latest to learn this lesson the hard way on Wednesday night in Boston. Bibby decided to make comments that called the Celtics fans "fairweather fans" and said he remembered them wearing bags over their heads when he played there last year with Sacramento. Bibby's comments were in reference to last year's lackluster season for the Celtics. Unfortunately when you talk bad in Boston, the fans let you know it. Bibby was loudly booed every time he touched the ball during Wednesday's game. The result was another poor performance for Bibby and a bigtime win in Game 2 for the Celts.

The Wizards are also learning this lesson the hard way. Gilbert Arenas stated before their series against the Cavs that it would be hard for a team to beat them 3 straight years in the playoffs. Gil also said this year's Cavs team just wasn't as good as last year's. Then his teammate Deshawn Stevenson decided to get into it by calling out King James himself, saying Lebron is overrated. And Lebron and the Cavs have responded with a win in game 1, followed by a convincing Game 2 win to go up two games to nada.

The last case for trash talkers never winning in the playoffs is Dirk Nowitzki. While Dirk didn't exactly call Chris Paul overrated or say New Orleans isn't good, he said this was the team they'd rather play. Dirk said he was glad they didn't have the Lakers first round since they're on such a hot streak, and also said the Mavs would match up with the Hornets better. Well as NBA nation can see, Dallas hasn't matched up well against New Orleans either.

Talk is cheap, and it goes to show that the guys making the real statements are the players doing so by scoring points, playing well and winning playoff games.

Manu Ginobili is 2007-08 NBA 6th Man

Congratulations go out to the San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili. According to NBA.com, the valuable reserve has won this year's Sixth Man of the Year Award.

From NBA.com:

As part of its support of the Sixth Man Award, Kia Motors will donate a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven-passenger SUV on behalf of Ginobili to Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives of San Antonio which is committed to caring for children in crisis. Each winner of the four year-end awards presented by Kia Motors will receive a Borrego on behalf of the player’s charity of choice.

A sixth man in 51-of-74 games played this season, Ginobili led the Spurs in scoring with a career-high average of 19.5 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.47 steals. He increased his scoring nearly 6.0 points over his career average entering this season (13.7 ppg). He is also the only player in the NBA to average at least 17 points in under 32.0 minutes per game.

Ginobili is the only player in the NBA ranked in the top 31 for points per game (31st), steals (16th), assists (28th), three-point field goals made (156, 16th), three-point field goal percentage (.401, 28th), free throws made (380, 16th) and free throw percentage (.860, 16th).

Top 10 Players in 2007-08 6th Man Voting:

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio
Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix
Jason Terry, Dallas
Kyle Korver, Utah
Ben Gordon, Chicago
Josh Childress, Atlanta
J.R. Smith, Denver
James Posey, Boston
Jason Maxiell, Detroit
Travis Outlaw, Portland

Not only did Ginobili win, but he did it unanimously, receiving 123 1st place votes. No other player received any first place votes, except Leandro Barbosa of Phoenix who received just 1.

Read more about Ginobli and the Sixth Man Award at NBA.com.

Kansas Jayhawks' = 2008 NCAA Champs!

Monday night's NCAA Men's basketball final game was definitely the opposite of what I expected. Looking at the Final 4, I figured we'd be seeing a North Carolina vs. UCLA historic type matchup for the ages. However, it was their opponents who prevailed to make it to the big game, with the Memphis Wildcats knocking off UCLA and the Kansas Jayhawks dethroning what seemed like an unstoppable UNC team.

The two #1 seeds met up in San Antonio in a great final game Monday night. Memphis seemed in relative cruise control until the final 2 minutes of the game. It was Memphis' free throw troubles that truly hurt them in regulation though, as they missed several down the stretch which could have sealed the game. The Jayhawks' Chalmers hit a huge 3 with just under 5 seconds left in regulation, to send it to OT. Analysts are also noting that Memphis could have fouled the Jayhawks and not allowed them to take the 3 to tie things up. The Kansas Jayhawks pulled away from Memphis in the Overtime session to win the title 75-68.

So now the coach Bill Self and his Kansas Jayhawks cut down the nets and are the reigning NCAA Men's champions. Self noted that it was the anniversary of Kansas' last NCAA title win, back in 1988 when it was "Danny Manning and the Miracles". Manning, the former NBA star and Kansas Jayhawk now serves as an assistant coach on the team, and was shown cutting his piece of the coveted net following the win.

Congrats to the Kansas Jayhawks for claiming the title in 2008!