All Balls Don't Bounce

A Slight Change In Plans.

2010-08-29T16:29:00.004-04:00

Well you've probably noticed that I haven't blogged here for some time.
There's been a slight change in structure. I've started blogging again, but I've started a tumblr blog called By Duane Watson over at http://byduanewatson.tumblr.com/. Over there I'm writing about whatever comes to mind, as well as basketball related stuff too. I'll re-populate the hoops content over here as well, or you can just migrate yourself over there.

Just wanted to keep you abreast of things.

Thanks.
Management

Go HARD.

2010-04-10T09:11:00.001-04:00

Marcus Thornton gets a good one on Gerald Wallace... I mean G-Dub hits the ground so hard on this one. Jeez

The Bad Luck Bucks.

2010-04-05T11:31:00.003-04:00

I don't get what kind of curse the Milwaukee Bucks have incurred upon themselves.

First, Michael Redd, has a season ending injury.

Recently, Carlos Delfino takes a nasty fall.

Now, Andrew Bogut...

Two words stand out from this clip "Theisman category."
It's a shame, they were having a great season too.

No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.

2010-04-02T00:45:00.005-04:00

ESPN's awesome sports documentary, 30 for 30 series continues with a film on the enigmatic Allen Iverson. But the story here is his life in Virginia pre-Georgetown, pre-NBA, when one night changed a high school athlete's life and the after effects surrounding it.

The Secret Behind Nike Air.

2010-04-01T20:58:00.004-04:00

I love a good a commercial, or in 2010 we'll say viral video. This one breaks down the science that behind all of the air in the air bubbles, of your air max, zoom air, etc, is the actual (breathing) air of Nike athletes.

Toronto Media All-Stars Bounce For Youth.

2010-03-29T13:12:00.016-04:00

The fact that I'm considered a Toronto Media All-Star is somewhat funny I admit, but that doesn't stop me from getting my game on and representing. Especially when it's a good cause, the first time I played with this squad it was to raise funds for relief support in Haiti, this time it's for the community.

(Brampton, Ontario) Popular media and sport personalities bounced for youth this past weekend with an exciting all star basketball game against local high school players at Fletcher's Meadows Secondary School in Brampton.

With 33 seconds left in the game, the Youth Leadership Team representing One Voice One Team had 4 attempts to drain threes only to come up empty before an ever-excited crowd enabling the Toronto Media All Stars to pull out a 59 - 55 victory. Mike Kennedy, a personal coach and local TV basketball analyst led the way with 22 points while Matte Babel of CP24 and AOL - Sway Magazine writer Duane Watson chipped in with 10 points apiece. Contributions from Toronto Argonaut players Tyler Scott and Matt Black, WNBA bound 6'6 forward Katie Ward and Dana McKiel of Rogers TV rounded out the scoring. Darren Thomas, a Rogers TV colour analyst while rehabbing from a knee injury was on the bench in a coaching capacity.

The game was a pinnacle of a very active day for One Voice One Team, a youth leadership development organization founded by former CFLer Orlando Bowen which featured key note speakers and legendary football stars Chuck Ealey and Pinball Clemons. Among other recognizable faces in the crowd included ex-Argo all stars Clifford Ivory and Adrion Smith as well as Elite Model's Stacey Coke.

The game concludes the Toronto Media All Star season while assisting local school, community and charitable organizations with donations in excess of $240,000 since 1996.

Editors note: I dropped like 15 pts, 6 rebs and 7 assts in this game. There was no scoresheet, and the point that I was playing against high school kids means nothing, LOL.

Meet The New Owner of the New Jersey Nyets.

2010-03-28T21:45:00.029-04:00

Mikhail Prokhorov is the Russian tycoon that everyone is talking about and the man who will be getting the Nets to Brooklyn. With his cash infusion of a cool $200 M, he'll have an 80% stake in the worst team in the league, inheriting possibly the worst record in NBA history, (the Nets 9 wins, are currently tied for the lowest wins ever). Congratulations Mikhail.

Anytime you're on the Forbes list (#40), people are aware of how you earned your money, and likely even more interested in how you've been spending it. A recent story on 60 Minutes profiled Prokhorov and didn't really glean anything that you couldn't find online. Not that I'm knocking 60 Minutes, but what I really want to know is what he plans to do with the Nets, particularly with all their flexibility under the cap, how he plans on drawing free agents, a coach and possibly a GM. After being behind Euroleague Champions CSKA Moscow, the 6'8 oligarch can't really employ the money talks strategy to buy a team's success. The NBA has a salary cap... and David Stern will take your money, but he won't take any bull.

March Madness for Chill Magazine.

2010-03-23T08:06:00.008-04:00

What a great weekend for college hoops, the excitement and unpredictability is why we watch the tourney. I haven't filled a bracket out in a while and with good reason, sometimes its just too hard to call. Part of my assignment writing this story was to provide my Final Four picks as a sidebar ...at the end of January! I really wanted to go with 'Cuse instead of Villanova, but I didn't... now look at me, just as dejected as the Jayhawks and Wildcats. Two of my Final Four picks are already eliminated, but it's some great ball regardless. I also spoke with Chicago Bull and Syracuse alumni Hakim Warrick and Raptor PG and Georgia Tech grad Jarret Jack for some insight on their Final Four experiences. Peep it here and flip to pages 36 - 38.

Also, check out a great piece by one of my favourite writers Dave Zirin on NCAA and former UCLA standout Ed O'Bannon as the lead plantiff in a lawsuit to force the NCAA to pay royalties to its former players.

Jay Triano for Chill Magazine.

2010-03-21T16:49:00.005-04:00

I recently interviewed Jay Triano for Chill Magazine. My goal was to get a little more insight on the man behind the bench, who is the first and only Canadian coach in the league. With the Raptors recent slide, this season is definitely proving to be a disappointment for many. While Triano has graded himself a "C" on the season, he is still focused on bringing an NBA Championship to Canadian soil. Check out the story here and flip to pages 32 & 33.

Enjoy.

The ABDB Archives: EA Games - The Live Effect.

2010-03-21T14:50:00.017-04:00

Further to my previous post, I'm continuing my hoops video game stories that I dusted off. Over a year ago, I wrote a couple of stories for handle magazine out of Australia. Unfortunately, the magazine folded just as the issue was to be published, and the stories have been in my archives until now. But inspired by the recent return of NBA Jam, I'm sharing the story of NBA Live and an interview with the game's Producer Sean O'Brien.

Thirty years ago, Atari introduced arcade patrons to a black and white, 2-D, polyphonic tone scored video game, with two non-descript characters ingeniously named Basketball,. In 1983 a small developer named Electronic Arts released One on One which pitted Dr. J against Larry Bird with better graphics, a truer game experience on both sides of the ball and backboard shattering dunks, much to the dismay of the potty mouthed janitor who cleaned up the mess. This would be the beginning of EA setting the sports gaming world on it’s ear.

In 1998, One on One was succeeded by Jordan vs. Bird: One on One, which delivered better gaming intelligence, animation and added Slam Dunk and 3 Point Contests. EA debuted NBA Playoffs, their NBA licensed five on five game in 1989, which would then evolve into the most successful basketball video game of all time, selling over 20 million units to date… NBA Live.

NBA Live producer Sean O’Brien shares his introduction to the seminal game. “I went to college in Vancouver and played basketball,” he says. “My coach at the time was Jay Triano, (Toronto Raptors, interim head coach), who had a really good relationship with the Live production team. In 1996, my point guard and I were the first motion capture talent for NBA Live, which was for Live ’97. That was the first time motion capture was introduced into sports games. We spent 3 or 4 weeks that spring and I think they paid us $8 an hour and went back and did the same thing next year.”

Despite EA’s innovations, NBA players felt that the game hadn’t entirely done them justice. “We get feedback all the time,” O’Brien says. “When the Grizzlies were in Vancouver, Mike Bibby who’s a huge gamer, was choked that he couldn’t dunk in Live 2002 or 2003, and was telling me he can dunk and was quite serious about it, ‘I don’t do it in games very often, but I can throw down a one hander or a two hander.’ He went on this very serious discussion about why he should have a dunk rating in NBA Live and he was disappointed he couldn’t do it. Delonte West two summers ago was complaining about the same thing, but he took it a step further when he was dong motion capture in our studios. He was actually showing us he can dunk, which made it a little harder to argue when you see it first hand. We hooked him up a little bit.” NBA Live has once again taken steps to deliver a true to life gaming experience this year with the inclusion of Dynamic DNA. Synergy Sports Technology works with 25 of the 30 teams in the league providing hard current data on NBA players, teams and their tendencies. This information will be constantly updated online to give an accurate and up to the moment reflection of the league within the game itself.

While some NFL players are ducking the opportunity to be on the cover of Madden due to it’s history of cover athletes succumbing to injury, Live has NBA players lining up. O’Brien explains his theory why, “It’s kind of like the new age Wheaties box. The idea of back in the day seeing Jordan or your favourite Olympic athlete on the Wheaties box is pretty cool, and now the same thing holds true for video games. It’s an acknowledgement that they’ve arrived.” But don’t think just because you’re an NBA All-Star or because you can “whip anybody’s ass at NBA Live” you can make the cover, there are a number of different criteria. “Of course, how hot they are right now, how well they are playing and popularity is factored in. Often times we try and get ahead of the curve, if there’s an up and coming guy who may not have put in his 7 or 8 years in the league and received the accolades, but is someone to watch, that’s always good too. Ultimately, you really want someone who wants to work with you. Whether marketing and promotion is involved, you want a player who believes in your product, and knows a little bit about the space and understands his role in how to promote it.”

For quite some time the reputation of the brand promoted itself. NBA Live monopolized the basketball gaming world on the Play Station, Genesis, Dreamcast, Nintendo, Super NES and PC platforms, but things changed when NBA 2K came on the scene in 1999. Offering an alternative, the video game giant suddenly had stiff competition, many feel NBA Live has yet to recover. “Competition is always a good thing, it’s healthy, I like to know that there’s someone else out there that’s trying to kick our butts,” O’Brien says. “We both took two very different strategies when the 360 and the PS3 came about. Essentially, we rewrote a bunch of technology that is going to set us up for the future, we hope more so than 2K. They basically ported a lot of their tech and upgraded a lot of their art, and have done a great job and that’s why you’ve seen a more consistent offering in quality of game play over the last couple of years. I think when NBA Live ’10 ships this October we’re going to reap the benefits of all of the technology upgrades we’ve done. I hope that the trend moving forward is that Live is back and where it should be and gets stronger in the years coming.”

With EA’s short term strategy for a return to greatness, will the backboard shattering dunks make a comeback in NBA Live? “It was a pretty fun thing,” O’Brien says. “I don’t think the league is too pumped on us doing things like that now. I don’t know this for a fact, but the idea behind us showcasing deficiencies in a product that the league is partnered with is frowned upon a little bit.” So while the NBA are being bureaucratic killjoys, Live continues to strive to develop the most authentic gaming experience out there. “Just like anything, you get used to something one year, you want it better the next. When you get 10 plus years into something, the expectations have obviously grown tenfold,” O’Brien says. “When we started it was: ‘Hey it’s kind of cool that I can play a sports video game.’ To: ‘Hey I really want my sports video game to do everything I expect a sport to do.' Whether it’s a player in the sport or the options within it. We’ve come a long way in thirty years."

The ABDB Archives: NBA Jam

2010-03-21T14:26:00.016-04:00

A year ago, I wrote a couple of stories on basketball video games for handle magazine out of Australia. Unfortunately, the magazine folded just as the issue was to be published, and the stories have been in my archives until now. But as I'm excited about the return of one of the best video games ever, NBA Jam, I decided to bring them out.

It's actually an intro, but I feel the trailer for the new Jam game speaks for itself.

In the early 90’s the acquisition of the NBA license, with the inclusion of team names, logos, uniforms and player likenesses took video games one more step towards realism. NBA Jam and NBA Live pioneered arcade and console gaming respectively, opening the floodgates for others to follow.

Midway’s NBA Jam in 1993 was the first licensed NBA arcade game, offering a superhuman animated experience of sky high dunks and spectacular shots, with the only hold barred being goaltending… everything else was fair game. With two-man rosters of all the NBA teams, (minus Michael Jordan), the characters you controlled actually resembled the athletes, while the colour commentary, particularly, “He’s on fire”, was permanently ingrained into the basketball lexicon. Generating over 1 billion dollars in its original run, it crystallized basketball and video games’ rich history together.

If Jam was the pre-season, NBA Live was the Finals. EA Sports set a new standard for console gaming in 1995, building on the platform of 1990’s, Lakers vs. Celtics, with better graphics and game play. NBA Live ‘95 started the iconic franchise which has sold over 20 million copies globally, and offered all of the league rosters, players, and signature moves, becoming the truest five on five basketball simulator out there.

Tony Parker and Eva Langoria recreate Grease!

2009-12-26T10:59:00.008-05:00

OK folks, first of all, this is not a new video, apparently it's a couple of years old, yet still worthwhile. Now I must confess, one of my all-time guilty pleasures is the movie Grease. I've seen Grease more times than any other movie, even more than Menace II Society, Carlito's Way, The Killer or Usual Suspects.

This video was originally removed from the web, but the smart guys over at Fanhouse have it on their site (with no embed code, the bastards!), so you'll have to mosey over there to watch it. Still can't get over that hair, and no this doesn't make me like you guys any more... sorry.

Extreme Makeover: Don't Give Me Any Ideas.

2009-12-25T23:41:00.008-05:00

Dustin over @ Undercrown originally posted this pic. It's from the executive bathroom at the Rose Garden, (where the Trailblazers play). I would so get this popping in my bathroom.

...and please, no jokes about 3 point shooting.

A Christmas Carol.

2009-12-21T17:21:00.002-05:00

This video gets run every year, it's still a classic. "Jingle Bells" courtesy of Rasheed Wallace, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and Will Blalock.
Enjoy the holidays!

My Christmas Sweater.

2009-12-18T04:26:00.012-05:00

To tell you the truth, I'm not the most festive fella. You won't see me getting my Bing Crosby on, however, I will likely be dipping into the egg nog. But the good folks at Undercrown have something in their Holiday 2009 Collection that will definitely get me in the spirit.

The Pick & Roll hoody is only available in red, so take that Santa! The graphic is so fresh and so clean. Of course only the ballers know that this little play is the most surefire way to get 2 points, and really can't be stopped with the myriad of ways it unfolds. See: Stockton and Malone.

I guess I will have to see if I'm naughty or nice if I end up getting my Christmas sweater this year, but come on, what else would I rather be wearing on Dec. 25th when I'm watching Kobe vs Lebron, (I can see the puppet commercials already)?

I Know This Is Old But...

2009-12-17T01:35:00.005-05:00

I can only describe this in one word.

THUD

The sound Iverson makes when he goes down is like a dead body dropping. Even if you missed the action, you would still turn to the person next to you and ask, "What was that noise? What did I miss?"

Penny For Your Thoughts?

2009-12-12T05:17:00.000-05:00

Although my basketball season(s) are well underway I'm pretty stuck on which shoes I'd like to ball in. I always felt the Nike Penny 1/2 Cent was kinda slick when it dropped, and while it's well documented that I'm not a fan of hybrids, (the 1/2 cent is made up from five different Penny sneakers) these work.

While there is no Lil' Penny advertising campaign underway for these, if you're wondering what the real Penny Hardaway is up to now? Well our good man Charles Barkley has already posed the question.

"Where My Dogs @?"

2009-12-12T04:16:00.016-05:00

I'm a dog lover, I have a 2 year old Jack Russell named Blue and he's my guy. My love for sneakers almost rivals my love for my dog although sneakers have been in my life much longer. The joke around the house is that Blue is a destroyer, any chew toy put in front of him has a life expectancy of about 8 hours. Yet while he hasn't taken a penchant for chewing on footwear, I wonder what he would do with this?

The folks over at the London design collective Vinti Andrews took the Air Jordan 5 and re crafted it into a canine... none too shabby. Giving new meaning to "walking the dog" this purebred will not heed the words of the Dog Whisperer. Now can someone talk to Jordan Brand about making dog booties for the winter?
Bonus pic of the Air Max Dog.

Thanks to Freshnessmag for the tip.

New York Knicks Fans Are Being Entertained, But Not By The Knicks.

2009-12-01T00:33:00.004-05:00

Lawrence Frank gets fired today but really, what did the Nets expect with that roster and all of those injured players? The real coach who should be on the hotseat is Mike D'Antoni. The Knicks are 3-14 with a better roster and healthy bodies, however Knick fans seem to find themselves way more entertained then by watching an actual game. Take a look.

Thanks to Truehoop for the link.

It's Time.

2009-10-28T16:55:00.007-04:00

While the NBA season officially started yesterday, I'm taking in the Raptors home opener tonight. But you can always count on the good people at Brand Jordan to get your mind right. The new "Break to Build" spot features Team Jordan members Derek Jeter, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and the newest to the fam Dwayne Wade.

If you play sports on any competitive level this will get you amped, and if you don't, it will get you amped for the season. If the the editing, the score, the energy don't do anything for you, then... maybe you need to find another hobby.

10 Bold Predictions for the Raptors This Season.

2009-10-09T01:49:00.012-04:00

Fifteen years.

Fifteen years of NBA basketball in Toronto, it seems like just yesterday. With another season, comes another set of predictions and expectations. Are we settling for the same thing? Check out my top 10 boldest predictions for the Raptors on AOL.

Tammy Sutton-Brown > You.

2009-10-02T09:13:00.016-04:00

While much of the WNBA love is reserved for Candace Parker, there's someone from my backyard that needs to some shine. As a professional basketball player, Tammy Sutton-Brown has an occupation not too many Canadians (men or women) can brag about. Currently playing in the WNBA Finals she also plays in Europe during the offseason. I profiled her briefly previously in Sway Magazine, but recently travelled to Indianapolis to take in the WNBA Eastern Conference Championships as her Indiana Fever were playing against the Detroit Shock. Check it out here on AOL Sports Canada.

The Stanley Cup > Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

2009-09-21T23:26:00.002-04:00

For the uninformed, the Larry O'Brien Trophy is awarded to the NBA champions every year and was named after the former NBA commissioner. For the less informed the Stanley Cup is the trophy bestowed upon the best team in the NHL and is named after the former Governor General and hockey enthusiast. Growing up Canadian, the Stanley Cup is one of those iconic things you are just familiar with, like the golden arches. My earliest memory is Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders jubilantly hoisting the cup over his head in the early '80's. Conversely, Magic Johnson and the Lakers holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy and getting drenched by champagne is stuck in my psyche. While each trophy holds it's own significance with it's respective sport, the Stanley Cup only stays with the winning team for the year of their reign, they don't get to keep it, so it's time is limited. Furthermore, each member of the winning organization gets to have the Cup for one day, which makes up for interesting pictures like this...

The above photo was taken at Mario Lemieux's house this summer. Aside from being one of the NHL's best, he's also principal owner and Chairman of the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is how they get down folks! A book came out in 2001 entitled "Why is the Stanley Cup In Mario Lemieux's Swimming Pool?: How Winners Celebrate With The World's Most Famous Cup" which clearly illustrates that this isn't the first time the Cup has taken a dip in "Super Mario's" pool. A simple Google search of the Stanley Cup Trophy pulls up pics of players drinking out of or eating from the Cup, even sleeping with it, never mind the women posing suggestively with it, and those are the pics we have seen! When it comes to the Larry O'Brien it's mostly parade day pics and locker room stuff, nothing special, nothing risque. Is it because each NBA Champion gets their own trophy so there is no sense of urgency or significance? Or is it the hockey players passion to covet and obtain such an iconic symbol that drives them to go crazy?

With the Cup, there is only one, (or three rather), but if the Cup could talk, I'm quite confident there would be a number of NSFW stories and TMI to be shared. Can our good friend Larry O say the same? Likely not, which is why The Stanley Cup > The Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Kinda NOT Like A Big Deal - Jerry Stackhouse Gets Dunked On.

2009-08-10T22:20:00.009-04:00

When Lebron James got dunked on, aside from the fact the Nike reps handled it poorly, it was a big deal. But seriously, Jerry Stackhouse a 15 year NBA vet, who's at the end of his career and doesn't even have an NBA contract gets dunked on and it's news? He's a 35 year old man, who's knees have left him, trying to stop John Wall a young buck going to the hole. If this is Sports Centre worthy then allow me to send in my 1-on-1 video of my 12 year old nephew beating me at 21.

Please.

Don't Criticize... Hyperize!

2009-08-07T12:46:00.004-04:00

Another video I love. Mo Williams, Kevin Durrant, Rashard Lewis and Andre Iguodala are straight west coastin' on this one. Of course DJ Quik is behind the beats, (and lyrics I'm sure), but all these guys come off with a smooth delivery. Throw in some retro styling and I'm already on my fourth view. I wish Mo would rock that jheri curl this season! LOL

Complete & Utter Randomness 4.

2009-07-27T04:52:00.003-04:00

One of the best videos I've posted on this blog, not hoops related but when watching this video I was hit with an immense sense of serenity and peacefulness. Words are words, but the video speaks for itself.

Enjoy.

The Many Faces of Jamaal Magloire.

2009-07-24T00:13:00.005-04:00

Yours truly recently profiled Toronto's own and Miami Heat centre Jamaal Magloire for Sway Magazine. Aside from his commitment to giving back to his hometown and being a Caribbean culture activist, he recently re-upped with the Heat. Hopefully he can play next season like he did in the playoffs last year, if not I'll still have to write posts like this.

"Sugar" Ray Emery comes back swinging.

2009-06-28T05:56:00.003-04:00

Oddly enough, this is not hoops related, heck it's not even a ball that does or doesn't bounce, but yours truly has done another column for the fine folks at AOL Sports Canada. The subject? The goalie everyone loves to hate... Ray Emery. It's interesting how he gets booted out of the league for doing less than Sean Avery, but I don't touch on that in my piece. I'll use the intro that they put in front of my piece to speak on it. Feel free to rate, hate, vote, comment or what have you, thanks.

For Ray Emery, an underdog that no one is betting on to come out on top, a successful return to the NHL would be sweet redemption. But to quiet his doubters, the new Philadelphia Flyers goaltender can’t rely purely on his physical skills. Mentally the decisions and choices he makes on and off the ice, as opposed to the catlike instincts he utilizes in the net, will be far more important, writes Duane Watson.

Read it here.

If The NBA Had Late Night TV Writers Instead...

2009-06-08T04:20:00.016-04:00

Every time I see NBA players on late night television it's hilarious. Why? Likely as they generally have some great writers to make sure it's as funny as it should be. We all remember Chris Bosh on Jay Leno during last year's playoffs, this year Jimmy Kimmel steps up. With an NBA version of the Dating Game pitting Amare and Grant Hill of the Suns against Dahntay Jones and Chris Andersen of the Nuggets, it's The Team Mating Game in a battle of who knows their teammate better.

No need for me to break it down any further as you can just watch, but could you just imagine Kobe hosting SNL and doing some funny skits? Could he ever let it go for once and just have fun?

....Nah.

For my pre-draft workouts I'm training with Leroy Smith.

2009-06-03T18:59:00.001-04:00

I wonder if Tim Grover and the folks at Attack Athletics can compete with this?

Rajon Rondo be on that Red Bull.

2009-05-20T17:10:00.000-04:00

Rajon Rondo has elevated his game this year, particularly in the NBA Playoffs. Proving he belongs in the discussion of the league's elite point guards, we now have an idea on why he's so fast. Rondo is the first NBA endorsee for Red Bull energy drink.

Stephen Curry's Draft Stock Plummets.

2009-05-20T07:48:00.000-04:00

Despite the New York Knicks successfully winning the 8th pick overall in the NBA Draft Lottery last night, rumour has it they will not be drafting Stephen Curry as previously reported. The 6'3" guard's draft stock has recently plummeted due to new developments. A New York Knicks insider, speaking on condition of anonymity explained that concerns stem from Curry's off court activities and not the apprehension of his stature as an undersized shooter.

"We think Stephen is a great kid and an exceptional scorer but he really can't rap", he goes on to say. "If this were Utah or Minnesota even, this may not be an issue. However we're talking about New York city, the birthplace of hip-hop." While I wasn't aware that Curry's rap skills were even in question, I was directed to his little dalliance with the M.I.C. on Davidson's "I Love Commons" a remake of Asher Roth's "I Love College."

Curry is easily the worst rapper on the song, making everyone else in the video come off like Eminem and Jadakiss. With two simple verses he's cemented his place as the worst rapping basketball player ever beating out Kobe and Cedric Ceballos. Former NBA coach and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy agrees, "My man the Notorioius B.I.G. must be rolling in his grave right now" he says. "I've been down with hip-hop for a while, and that has to be some of the worst bars I've ever heard. New York won't stand for that, not when you have guys like Hova and Jim Jones sitting courtside at the Gardens."

Representatives for Curry were unavailable for comment.

Nike Hypermax Tennis Ball.

2009-05-17T11:04:00.000-04:00

The first time I saw these online I was going to post, but I've obviously been quite lazy lately. After seeing them again over at Kix And the City, I was reminded how "flavourful" these are. Yes that's a part of my lexicon, only because of these shoes, I never dug the Alife X Reebok "Ball Out's" as I thought they were a bit much, but sign me up for a pair of these. The new Nike Hypermax Tennis Ball, doesn't have the flywire but they've replaced it with extra flavour. There should be text on the bottom of the soles saying "Don't tread on me."

Kobe & Lebron: Most Valuable Puppets... FAIL.

2009-05-16T03:58:00.014-04:00

Not to throw disclaimers about like CP3 tossing alley-oops to Tyson Chandler, but I love Nike. For the most part, I love their kicks, their marketing is always on point and they don't joke around with the technology and R&D they put into their products. However, their recent campaign with the current and previous league MVP's is pretty much gar-bage. After seeing the first spot I felt they did little to capture the personalities of these two guys. I mean, maybe that was Lebron 5 years ago and possibly Kobe 5 years from now, but that's still being extreme. Yeah it's puppets and while the excessive chalk was funny, it all got tired after the first 30 seconds. I let things slide the first time as the swoosh got a pass on the strength of their previous track record.

Now, there's another spot with the two marionettes, if the puppetry looks familiar it's the same work you've seen in Kanye West's "Champion" video, (which I still believe is a Nike commercial). With this new Three Rings commercial, it leads me to believe there is a series of spots with Nike feeling their two posterboys will be facing each other in the NBA Finals. Not a radical idea, although the Houston Rockets seem to have missed that memo, maybe there's still time to create a Chris "Birdman" Andersen puppet?

What baffles me most is how much Nike has missed the mark here. While hardly funny, they are nothing like their real life counterparts, and don't need to be. But they could have played into some of their characteristics and made it more comedic. Or it could have been stronger if they actually voiced it, yet I'm actually surprised these were even approved. Especially in light of Kobe's alleged creative control demands on the Spike Lee directed Kobe Doin' Work documentary.

Who signs off on these? Lebron came off better in this one, yet Kobe looks like a clown, or better yet the Cookie Monster. I mean really, Jim Henson must be rolling in his grave right now.

Are You A Breadwinner?

2009-04-27T02:20:00.002-04:00

These guys make priceless TV. I don't know what I'm going to do when the playoffs are over.

Chris Webber's Bread Challenge.

Camraderie

2009-04-21T21:58:00.008-04:00

I managed to see one of the last Indiana Pacers home games this season which was against the Cleveland Cavaliers. What amazed me, aside from the fact the fans cheered almost as loudly for the Cavs as they did for the Pacers, was how much of a team the Cavs are. Prior to tip it seemed like non-stop hugs and daps between all players one through twelve, trainers... everyone got love. Aside from the Cavaliers league leading success this season and their penchant for having fun, this is a team that's a family and trusts one another. All of this starts with Lebron James and trickles on down, whether it's the bench rooting the starters or the starters rooting the bench this is a talented bunch to watch that you can't help but root for. Maybe that's why they get the love in every arena around the league.

Obviously the video is a play on the Heineken walk in fridge commercial, but if that many shoes showed up for me and my boys, that would be a likely reaction.

Good looking out to my man MaZe at Kixandthecity for the tip.

Mon-ey, Mon-ey, Mon-ey, Mon-ey, Mon-eeey.

2009-04-19T16:38:00.000-04:00

There are two things I find incredibly entertaining one obviously is basketball, the other is WWF wrestler Ted DiBiase, (I'm old school the "F" stays). For those unfamiliar with the "Million Dollar Man" he would always find ways to dehumanize people in the name of a dollar and then basically cheat them out of their potential winnings. Yeah it's cruel, but DiBiase pretty much steadily got his a** beat anyhow.

First Impressions: Nike Zoom MVP Trash Talk.

2009-04-18T14:48:00.054-04:00

Remember when the world first started to go green and restaurants started using napkins from recycled materials, yet they were as coarse as sandpaper? Well that's sort of how the Nike Considered project started in the spring of 2005. With a goal of reconsidering both design and environmental impact to deliver products that looked utterly different from anything ever created; Nike delivered footwear that lightened it's environmental footprint, but didn't necessarily rub people the right way, being a little too avant garde on the style spectrum. In our modern society, many want to be ecologically cognizant, but really don't want to sacrifice aesthetics or comfort to do so. Well as usual, the folks in Beaverton, Oregon have an answer for that with the newest edition to the Nike basketball family.

Even though Steve Nash won the NBA MVP Award in 2006, Nike is calling his newest signature shoe the Zoom MVP Trash Talk, I'm assuming the MVP stands for "most valuable planet". It's little secret Nash cares about the environment just as much as he does setting up his teammates with assists, they drop on Earth Day, April 22nd no less. With that in mind this edition reduces the fiber content by 30%, utilizes environmentally preferred materials and comes in a box made from 100% recycled fiber. So now that you can ball with a clear conscience, how do the shoes perform?

Despite the fact that the Zoom Kobe IV's set off a low cut basketball furor, Canada's finest baller has been sporting lows for a long time now. While the Trash Talks aren't as light as the Kobe's they don't tip the scales that much heavier. When I first slid my foot in, I was pleasantly surprised with the abundance of support. This is largely attributed to Nike's optimal motion midsole architecture which offers a solid base for the foot, yet still provides great lateral motion. Also within the heel of the shoe is an additional Dri-Fit lined sleeve with a pull tab to keep your foot in place. Conversely the toe box is strikingly comfortable with an increased sense of feel allowing you to get a great feel for the court when pushing off cutting or turning.

I'm assuming this is where Nash & Nike would say this was developed like a soccer shoe/football boot for that very reason and I would have to give them credit for it. Obviously designed for the spirit of play that Steve Nash typifies, I've played in them twice and while it offers the free flowing mobility to run, it definitely doesn't leave you second guessing the support or balance you would need to break, cut or turn.

While there is much hoopla over the Trash Talk's ecological merits, it's a solid performance shoe. If you were none the wiser you wouldn't have had a clue that the leather, suede, nubuck and patent patches on the shoe are scrap fabric from the cutting room floor or that the shoelaces are made from 100% recycled polyester. The Zoom MVP Trash Talk is a strong, yet light shoe that offers the mobility, feel and comfort for a top flight NBA athlete, and while I'm apparently not on that level, it came pretty close to feeling like it... at least my feet did.

March Madness!

2009-03-28T12:01:00.001-04:00

I will confess, I don't follow college hoops as closely as I used to. Throughout the season I check in on the rankings periodicaly, we always know who has the strong programs and who the top coaches are, but for the most part I don't buckle down until tourney time. This is when the cream rises to the top, when that college player they have been harping on all season really proves they have the grit and pedigree to carry their school to destiny. Honestly, there is no better basketball than March Madness, on any given night anyone can win, and it delivers some of the most exciting basketball the tournament so far has been a perfect example.

While there were upsets, no Cinderellas have been invited to the Final Four dance with the Elite Eight consisting of 4 number ones, 2 number twos and 2 number threes, the best of the best are here. I didn't complete a bracket at the beginning of the NCAA's, so it would be presumptuous to sit and pick a winner based on who's left. What I will guarantee though, is some exciting basketball and some great moments, however, you don't have to follow college hoops that closely to know all of that.

"Bosh Baby Drama" Is Poor Journalism By The Star's Feschuk.

2009-03-24T07:57:00.012-04:00

Well everyone loves drama and Chris Bosh is in the middle of it. Amidst allegations of abandoning the mother of his child and cutting off financial support during her pregnancy, the Raptors power forward is under a lot of scrutiny. I'm not one to comment on court cases before they've been ruled on, but regardless of fact or fiction this is news. Society wants to know everything about our athletes good or bad, however we tend to hone in on the bad. With the Raptors dismal season some people would love to have something to point to, or explain how it all unraveled yet I don't think this is the reason.

As a writer, and someone who is a fan of basketball, I consume all information on the sport and it's players. Unfortunately while it is newsworthy, I feel this story is not a story for a "sports columnist" to write. This is a personal matter, and Bosh's status by virtue makes it a public one, but there are no merits to this story being connected to his on court play or the Raptors performance. "sports columnists" shouldn't be trying to get their Maury Povich or TMZ on with sensationalist journalism making "deadbeat dad" comments.

Oh I know Feschuk, you didn't make the headline, "Your editor wrote it." You are a sports writer, not a celebrity insider, nor are you a family matters analyst. You're a reporter but you report on basketball, if a player murdered someone would you be writing the investigative story for the Star? I think this is in bad taste, I'm not saying this to absolve CB4 of the accusations he is facing, I just think that you should know better.

However I'm sure you'll find out next time you're at a Raptors practice, or in the locker room, or when you are trying to get any news or information from players. I'm sure they would be glad to sit and chat and have a latte with you, knowing any misstep they make off the court is just as fair game as any move they make on it. I think you'll really have to rely on twitter as a source for quotes as I don't think anyone will be talking to you.

If you are going to pin this crappy season on Bosh and his baby drama you really haven't been paying attention. I think you really need to take a bigger look at the picture here, and maybe you haven't been following this ball club as closely as you would have us believe. But then again, you are a sports columnist right?

Protect Ya Neck.

2009-03-19T20:50:00.002-04:00

Awesome yet scary at the same time, no more words necessary.

Steroids In The NBA?

2009-03-18T06:52:00.006-04:00

I just read an interesting story on Fanhouse posing the question if the NBA has a steroid problem, which I recommend you read.

A lot of the discussion centres around speculation on Golden State Warrior Stephen Jackson's 8th NBA season which is shaping up to be the best of his career. Jax is posting career highs in scoring (21.2), assists (6.6), rebounds (5.0) and most importantly minutes, clocking in at 40 a game, leading the league. Now no one has any knowledge or info that he has been taking any performance enhancing substances, the speculation comes from him performing at such a high level later in his career.

While I'm not here to put Stephen Jackson on the stand, I'm saying that it is entirely possible that players would do whatever is necessary to gain that competitive edge. With only so many spots available in the NBA and the "perception" that steroid usage is not a basketball thing, the league may want to stop worrying so much about what people are smoking, and start determining if people are injecting.

NBA TV, Where Objectivity Happens.

2009-03-17T23:37:00.002-04:00

I love this highlight almost for as much as the reaction by the hosts as much as what actually happens. Generally, I find C-Webb and Gary Payton to be a little extra most of the time. But here they are just some normal dudes loving watching a guy getting crossed over. I would be going off the same way with my boys.

Patrick Chewing.

2009-03-17T04:32:00.004-04:00

NBA great and Orlando Magic assistant coach, Patrick Ewing must have been paid handsomely to do this Snickers commercial. I found myself watching it over and over again, not sure if I'm in love but definitely entertained.

If only one lesson is learned it's never stop under the net on a basketball court if a 7', 275 pound beast is coming your way, (while eating a Snickers bar of course). You think Patrick was secretly wishing it was Michael Jordan?

Smush Parker Spits Venom At The Mamba.

2009-03-17T04:06:00.002-04:00

I don't really know how to call this one. First of all, I'm not sure when this interview went down, (likely after his time in Los Angeles), but Smush Parker calls out Kobe Bryant as the reason behind the Lakers problems. Now Smush definitely has been putting it down in NYC and has the rep and respect on the asphalt, but he doesn't come close to what he's accomplished on the hardwood.

As an NBA player, he has played on 6 teams in 5 seasons, and ironically his best career stats are in LA playing with the guy who he is dissing. I don't know where you are right now, (truthfully, it's not worth my energy to look), but as a player who is trying to find his place in the league you may want to think twice before shitting on one of the league's best. I'm just saying.

Thanks to SportsbyBrooks for the tip.

The Big Show?

2009-03-07T13:59:00.006-05:00

Shaquille O'Neal has been spouting off at the month on some dumb shit lately. Recently targeting Chris Bosh and Stan Van Gundy and even saving some choice words for Patrick Ewing. Now, most of the time he's kidding or he will just lay the facts down as they are, but I feel like now he's taking it to new levels of ignorance. Almost like he's trying to get his WWE on.

Yes Shaq, you are the most dominant player in the game and yes you're having a great season this year, but come on dude. Only because it was his birthday this week, and Outside The Boxscore came through with this classic video, I'll let it slide.

L.A. L.A. Big City Of Dreams.

2009-02-27T12:23:00.005-05:00

Ice Cube and Snoop are west coast rap icons and die hard hoops fans. Sitting courtside whenever possible, and players in the NBA Entertainment League, the two G's always represent for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Backstage on the set of Snoop's new TV show Snoop After Dark, they're discussing which Lakers jersey's should be hung from the rafters. But Kobe's #8 jersey? Not so fast my friends, I hope you guys haven't been enjoying too much of that Cali Cush. You can't hang up someone's jersey while they're still wearing it, and you can't retire Kobe's without retiring the Diesel's.

Fortunately this is definitely way better viewing than watching Paris Hilton's freestyle with the Doggfather.

Thanks to Peace Magazine for the tip.

Twit Happens.

2009-02-26T20:27:00.001-05:00

Some people have asked me about the irregularity with my blog posts? "Irregularity" would be putting it mildly actually, but getting bogged down with some poorly timed deadlines hitting simultaneously had a big deal to do with it. The other half of the story is my new lil friend Twitter. If you're not familiar with Twitter, here it is in their own words:

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

It's basically micro-blogging, or status updates and you're limited to 140 characters per post. You're able to include links to share information with others, and you can "follow" other people's feeds, or they can follow you. Shaq, and Chris Bosh are some of the more active twittering NBA players among others. By now, you've likely heard about Shaq's Twitter Diner adventure, but really it's a great place to connect with people, get information and share ideas with others.

At least you know where to find me when I'm not around. Feel free to follow me, www.twitter.com/thatguysweets.

Please Forward This E-Mail To Bryan Colangelo.

2009-02-25T11:48:00.008-05:00

Last night my best friend DG came through with tickets to the Raptors game.
The Raptors after a hard fought game eventually beat the Timberwolves 110 - 102, I lamented to him how everyone was getting excited about this victory. Beating a team without their best player that has an 18-38 record, despite how hot they have been lately is what they're supposed to do.

I thought his response was interesting and I'm posting it as it raises some good points and questions, honestly the e-mail may be better suited in Bryan Colangelo's inbox. Feel free to forward it along.

DG: Be grateful for the win, we lost to Oklahoma City.

Realistically speaking, can Calderon, Bosh, Bargnani and Marion(or other FA) constitute the core of a winner in the NBA? I like Marion but most championship teams have a guard or sf who can create off the dribble. I have seen Jose do that but not sure if he looks to beat his man as his first option.

So assume:

Bosh is a 20/10 guy every night
Bargnani is a 20/5 guy every night
Marion 15/10 guy
Calderon puts up 15 and gets 10 assists

The insert whoever else at the 2/3, Graham, Parker someone else.

So this is best case, your key guys are putting up 70 points a night, we know there is no depth so that’s a big problem if anyone is hurt.
Do you feel we can challenge in the East? On paper it looks good, but when I think about it, even with those numbers I don’t see us beating Cleveland or Boston, Orlando maybe.

So I think we have overlap in the 3 & 4 (Bosh, Marion, Graham), no real depth in the PG spot or even the SG spot. The other thing is Bargnani and Bosh have to show me they can step up and play against good teams.

Don’t want to start rebuilding again, but can we win around the three key pieces we have? If so what do we need to add, what will it cost?

Introducing... The Big Jabbawockee!

2009-02-15T23:09:00.000-05:00

The Postman Cometh.

2009-02-13T19:58:00.017-05:00

Got a little something in the mail today, well the box was a bit larger than a little. It's always nice to be thought of, and the good folks at Nike Canada looked out. I guess someone is reading my blog cause everything I've written about recently was in the box, a pair of Air Force 1's, pair of Air Jordan 2009's, and a pair of flip-flops. Ok, so I haven't written about flip-flops, and while I haven't started mentally making outfits I've figured out that they will likely all get worn on the same day, AF-1, (daytime), AJ2009 (gametime), flip-flops (post-game).

And no I'm not showing off, I'm just showing, if you have your own blog and people sending you stuff you can do it too. Big ups to Beleza!

Why Football/Soccer Is Better Than Basketball.

2009-02-08T23:30:00.003-05:00

While football, (soccer to you), is a fantastic sport, one thing I really love about it, is the celebrations after the goal. With basketball you score so often and there isn't really time to come up with a slick celebration, because you have to play defense. But could you imagine if Chris Paul did this to his teammates after hitting a game winning shot?

Awesome.

LOVE/HATE.

2009-02-08T04:09:00.001-05:00

I love watching people getting dunked on.
I hate Duke basketball.

Sweet.

The NBA, Where Selling Your Soul Happens.

2009-02-07T05:04:00.005-05:00

So the NBA has brought the game of H-O-R-S-E back and I was pretty excited to see it. You know, all those crazy shots that players work on at the end of practice that no one can top? Or like that old Jordan vs Bird McDonald's commercial with the trick shots, "off the floor, off the backboard, nothing but net." But I already have no desire to see this before it starts, as they've changed the name of the game to G-E-I-C-O. Yes, the unstoppable David Stern who would give up your auntie to Gatorade for some more G, has sold the name of the game to Geico for corporate sponsorship.

I don't think it gets, any worse than this folks, I thought all those movie promos tying in with the NBA Finals, were a bit of reach, but this time he's gone too far. It's likely that Steve Nash will come in and slaughter the competition with an array of soccer dribbles, flips and headers that likely no one could match, but I won't be watching. I understand the benefits, the dollars, but this is a breach of ethics Mr. Stern, you can have Craig Sager come out in a lizard print suit, you can have the Geico caveman, and the gecko doing colour commentary, but you can't change the name of the game.

Charles Barkley must be rolling in his grave.

Bruce Bowen... Inspiring America's Youth.

2009-01-31T16:32:00.008-05:00

Bruce Bowen is easily the dirtiest basketball player alive, I must have missed his edition of the Better Basketball videos, but apparently this little tyke hasn't. Playing around during a shoot for the new fan issue of EPSN Magazine, Kobe dribbles a soccer ball with the little guy, frustrated he can't get the ball from him, he throws a jab at his mamba, (check thee 50 second mark)!

Somewhere in a dark cave in San Antonio, Texas, Bowen is rubbing his hands and smiling with glee.

Complete And Utter Randomness Part 3.

2009-01-30T21:57:00.003-05:00

Really no justification for this, and it has absolutely nothing to do with basketball. Maybe it was watching Villanueva (sans eyebrows), scorch the Raptors tonight. I just enjoyed it, so sue me.

Think Pink: Nike Salutes Kay Yow.

2009-01-29T05:35:00.008-05:00

Under the pressure of crazy deadlines, I'm reposting my man MaZe from Kix And The City's post on First Cuts about the loss of Kay Yow and the WBCA Cancer Think Pack.

The basketball world lost a legend over the weekend. North Carolina State's Kay Yow, a member of the Hall of Fame, died at age 66 on Saturday, succumbing to the breast cancer that she so valiantly fought against for over two decades.

Though many would consider cancer a curse, Yow instead looked at the disease as an opportunity to help women around the world with the same problem. Yow, with the help of the Jimmy V Foundation, established her own cancer fund, the Kay Yow WBCA Cancer Fund, with the hopes of raising money to help find an answer to breast cancer.

Though she is no longer with us, she will always be remembered through the Kay Yow Court at N.C. State, in the basketball Hall of Fame, and in the hearts of those she touched. Prior to Yow's passing, Nike planned to release a Think Pink Pack of Nike Basketball sneakers to help support the Kay Yow WBCA Cancer Fund and help raise breast cancer awareness. The Think Pink Pack features a Pink/White Nike Hyperdunk and a White/Pink Nike Blue Chip Low. Both sneakers feature the Kay Yow WBCA Cancer Fund logo on the tongue. The release of the sneakers will coincide with several women's basketball teams wearing Pink versions of their uniform on the court this February.

The Return Of The Running Man.

2009-01-27T11:30:00.010-05:00

So yours truly did a little something for the folks over at AOL Sports Canada today, check it out. Since they wouldn't let me post YouTube videos and stuff about sneakers, I actually had to write something! I'm waxing poetic on the Toronto Raptors, Chris Bosh and his impending free agency. Feel free to share your thoughts.

An Exhibition Of An Icon: The Air Force 1.

2009-01-26T10:02:00.009-05:00

I used to be a crazy sneaker head, shopping, collecting, had to have, etc., now I'm just sneaker-selective. While my love affair with the Nike Air Force 1 was brief, there is something in that New York water that has those guys down there going nutty. Playmakers TV & Miss Info have the lowdown on what went on at the Air Force 1 Exhibition at Niketown NYC. Serious collectors, serious heat.

Peep my man Maze from Kix And The City in the clip.

Couldn't Have Happened To A Nicer Guy: Michael Redd Out For The Season.

2009-01-26T07:18:00.020-05:00

On Sunday, tests revealed that Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd tore ligaments in both his ACL and MCL finishing his NBA season. "I'm deeply disappointed but everything in life happens for a reason and this is God's plan for me," Redd said in a statement issued by the team. "I have faith in my teammates and coaches to continue to work together to make our fans proud. I will be supporting them wholeheartedly from the sidelines and working equally hard to return to the court in the best condition possible for next season."

As Redd was injured previously during the season it comes as a major disappointment to him and the Bucks, who at present are in 8th place in the Eastern conference. I sat down with members of the USA Basketball team last summer for 6 AM interviews after they flew in from Las Vegas the night before, and Redd's kindness stood out like a bad Craig Sager suit. He was head and shoulders the nicest and classiest guy on the squad, especially considering the circumstances. He treated me like a long lost brother, and his sincerity came across in everything he said and did. Here's some of what he had to say.

Would the gold medal be a career highlight?
I think even if I do win an NBA championship it would still not supersede a gold medal since you’re representing your country.

What do you want to take back to the Bucks from this experience?
The mentality of not settling for just making the playoffs, not just settling to be just good, but wanting to be great. That’s our philosophy for the Olympic team and that’s what I want to translate to the Milwaukee Bucks this year

What can people expect from the in Bucks 2009?
Our goal is to win a championship, that’s the tone we want to set in the summer as far as winning. Not settling for not being in the playoffs anymore and not winning at all. I’m excited for next year, I’m sure there are still some more moves that are going to be made this summer, but we definitely want to get better.

On dealing withe trade rumours...
You don’t worry about it all, you can’t control it. All you can do is just continue to get better as an individual and if the trade does happen, you did the best you could with that team when you could, and then it’s on to a new chapter.

Here's to wishing Michael Redd a speedy recovery.

Photo courtesy of Craig Boyko for Peace Magazine.

Delusions Of Grandeur.

2009-01-23T19:09:00.005-05:00

Tonight the Toronto Raptors look to end their seven game losing skid.
Some people looking long range, beyond this this dark patch have some designs on the post-season. I think it's more important we take stock and look at what sits in front of us.

In the immortal words of Tony Montana, "Say hello to my little friend" (Jim Mora).

If You Go Into The Stands Today, You're Sure Of A Big Surprise.

2009-01-22T02:26:00.031-05:00

After the Malice at the Palace in Detroit, starring Ron Artest, many fans re-evaluated how they interacted with NBA players when at games. Of course paying your hard earned money, or your company's money, allows you the right to sit, watch, enjoy or heckle whomever you wish... within reason. Nowadays players are very aware of the repercussions of entering the stands, it's pretty much a non-issue.

Conversely, fans know it's a no-no to venture on to the court, especially with the intentions of touching a player or maybe more. Like A) walking on to the basketball court to confront an official, or B) Attempting to apply a belly-to-belly suplex on a player that's trying to make a save on the ball... even if he is not a member of the team you're rooting for.

Note to NCAA, If you're not going to break off your student athletes with some of that TV money, the least you could do is insure there is adequate security for their safety. Just a thought.

Side Hustles: What's In Your NBA Player's Portfolio?

2009-01-21T01:32:00.021-05:00

Lots of NBA players are entrepreneurs nowadays, forming businesses and partnerships to re-invest their finances. After all how many Maybach's can a man own? While some have done the record label thing, a few have gone the filmmaking route, Carmelo Anthony and Elton Brand included. One player who definitely has been known for his Hollywood friends, (Cash Warren & Jessica Alba), is Baron Davis, who recently started his own production company Verso Entertainment. Davis is one of the producers of a new documentary entitled Crips and Bloods: Made In America.

Crips and Bloods is directed by critically acclaimed documentary filmmaker Stacy Peralta (yes the same from Powell & Peralta if you're on your skate game), and narrated by Academy Award winning actor Forest Whitaker. The film description states:

Combining unprecedented access into the worlds of active gangs, Crips and Bloods offers a compelling, character-driven documentary narrative which chronicles the decades-long cycle of destruction and despair that defines modern gang culture.

Davis had this to say, “When sitting down with Stacy, I could see an erupting energy and passion to make a statement in life. We shared a vision of creating social change within our Los Angeles community. Through his filmmaking he has created a path of reason to engage all into helping one another, something that is most needed in our society.”

The film was an official selection at 6 different film festivals including Sundance and it's been shortlisted for the Best Documentary Oscar. It will open in New York at the IFC Theater on January 23rd and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Sunset 5 on February 6th.

Want To Call Your Own Game? Now You Can.

2009-01-19T09:48:00.016-05:00

Matt Devlin drives me nuts, but his Will Solomon call on this particular play is a gem.

When Raptors play-by-play man Chuck Swirsky left last season, I know you were thinking that you could do a better job, and this was your chance, but they hired Matt Devlin instead. While most of us aren't truly ever happy with how games are called and some analysts should be put out to pasture, (see Billy Packer), web 2.0 has made up for it. With the ability to Twitter games, or even discuss in chatrooms or a liveblog, we have all been able to put our own personal signature on sporting events.

Now, Yoostar, a software company that established itself enabling users to insert themselves into famous movie clips via camera, software and green screen, has now announced a deal with the NBA. They will be offering game footage from the final minutes of memorable games from NBA teams as well as select top picks from NBA Drafts.

Want to make the play-by-play call when Jordan shoves Byron Russell? No problem.
Want to announce Sam Bowie as the #1 draft pick overall, over Michael Jordan? No problem.

Of course you have to pay for the system, ($149.95 Suggested retail price US), and pay to download content, but as we have seen, technology has a crazy way of circumventing some of these things. Or you can just splice your audio to any video highlight you want, not like it hasn't been done before. If you're tired of hearing "Killer B's" on Raptors telecasts, here's your quick fix.

With thanks to Sports Rubbish for the lead.

RU-DY, RU-DY, RU-DY!!

2009-01-19T08:48:00.010-05:00

So the NBA got all "interactive" this year with a fan vote for the last competitor in the NBA Slam Dunk contest. While the campaign was cute, I always questioned the highlights they used to showcase Fernandez, Joe Alexander and Russell Westbrook, really nothing spectacular. Granted they're all rookies, so their highlights may have been somewhat limited, (especially since Joe rarely gets burn).

However the clip above was seen by millions, and the newest Spaniard on the block will be competing in the Dunk Off this year, as voted by the people. If this wasn't a North American geo-targeted vote, the other guys were doomed from the start. I like Rudy, but I think his ability to dunk on people is his strong suit, and he won't have that luxury. Creativity is the key, not saying it's in question, but Dwight Howard has the market cornered right now, and he's my pick to take it, (again).

My vote was for Russell Westbrook, I like short guys not named Nate Robinson.

With compliments to The Oregonian.

Marion & Banks-for-O'Neal plus one more?

2009-01-18T10:22:00.039-05:00

Well as everyone has discussed the rumoured Jermaine O'Neal for Shawn Marion trade, I've decided to throw my two cents in. Due to on court chemistry with Bargnani and Bosh the experiment isn't working and while I like what JO brings (when he's healthy), it comes at a costly expense. As the aforementioned duo are the Raptors future, something's got to give.

I like this proposed trade for Toronto. While I understand the Raptors' need for size, defense and toughness hence the move for O'Neal, I was a fan of the rumoured TJ Ford for Gerald Wallace trade in the offseason, as we also needed a slasher that can rebound and defend. Since we're not going to make the playoffs anyway, we don't need to worry about having some interior size and toughness. We can slide Jamario and Joey back to the bench where they are more effective, and Marion will likely lead the team in rebounding, and become our defensive stopper.

Now for the other parts of the trade; as Marcus Banks is one of two players on the Heat's books past the infamous 2010, Riley will want to get rid of the journeyman point guard. Banks is an improvement over Will Solomon, and I say that with confidence as anyone is an improvement over Will Solomon.

However, here's the kicker... we need to get Joel Anthony in the trade. Not only because he rebounds, blocks shots, bangs and he's Canadian, but we've given up our best big man and still need a presence to compliment Bosh & Bargnani. Jake Voskhul and Kris Humphries are not going to do it for us, it's really just that simple.

You're thinking, "Why would Miami give up their starting centre when they're picking up injury riddled Jermaine O'Neal?" Because they already have big bodies in Udonis Haslem, Jamaal Magloire, Mark Blount and are awaiting the return of the heart or kidney, of the franchise Alonzo Mourning. Plus, Anthony's contract is negligible ($711,517), and comes off of the books this season, so it's not like the Heat are holding it to clear space. Unfortunately, the same can be said for Magloire, as he has a similar situation in terms of years and contract, ($797.581), but far less attractive in the production department. I'm sure Riley would like to throw Magloire in as the boobie prize.

Regardless the trade may not even happen, but the conjecture is always fun.

YouTube HD & The Air Jordan 2009.

2009-01-17T19:58:00.003-05:00

Not trying to give the AJ 2009 super duper love, but came across this viral video for the new shoe. Personally, the shoe appears to look better in the video than the pics, but more importantly have you checked out YouTube HD? You actually have to watch it on YouTube itself, but the quality is dramatically different. I mean Vimeo has been doing HD for a minute now, but this is impressive.

I'm just sayin'.

Lucy Liu, The Lakers and Rookie Lies.

2009-01-17T15:09:00.012-05:00

This isn't a new story, but it is new to me. It's more like a rookie prank, than rookie hazing. But when you start sounding off to the veterans on your team that Lucy Liu wants you. Don't expect people to sit by idly and indulge you.

The story goes like this...

In 2004-05, actress Lucy Liu was sitting in the front row at the Staples Center and Lakers rookie Tony Bobbitt fibbed to teammates that he knew Liu and she was looking his way.

Lakers veterans, spearheaded by Vlade Divac and Devean George, sprang into action. They had a ballboy bring a note to Bobbitt with a cell phone number that was said to be Liu's but really was Divac's.

A female Lakers employee recorded an outgoing message on Divac's phone. It wasn't long before Bobbitt was leaving voice and text messages for Liu.

Lakers players howled with laughter while reading Bobbitt's attempts at poetry. Messages were sent back that Bobbitt thought were from Liu.

"The whole team got involved," George said. "He said he went on a date with her, and we knew he didn't because it was Vlade's phone he was calling and texting." Soon, the veterans moved in for the kill. They sent a limousine to take Bobbitt to a restaurant, with Bobbitt thinking it had been sent by Liu for a meeting.

Hidden cameras recorded the entire episode. But while Bobbitt waited at a table with a bottle of champagne for his dream girl, Lakers teammates instead arrived.

"We jumped out, and he said, 'She's coming,' " George said. "We said, 'Quit lying.' It started as a small prank and grew since he had kept lying for three or four weeks. We got the whole thing on DVDs. When guys on other teams came through, they'd say, 'You got one of those DVDs?' We called it 'Bobbitt Gone Wild.' "

As it turned out, that was all Bobbitt was known for in his NBA career. He was waived in November 2004 after playing just two games and never was seen again.

This fine nugget of information was mined from the Rocky Mountain News.

Kobe Bryant on a H-O-R-S-E.

2009-01-16T22:15:00.004-05:00

The viral video. Sometimes they hit big, sometimes they flop hard. If this was 30 seconds shorter, it would have been classic. However, Kobe pedaling his ankle breaking insurance on an outdoor court... sitting atop a horse!?! Sorry, that's still jokes to me. It's somewhat ironic he's selling ankle insurance for such a low cut shoe, the Zoom Kobe IV, yet it's been a while since Kobe himself has broken anyone's ankles,(crash test dummy crossover victims excluded).

When Sneakers Are Like Soda-Pop.

2009-01-15T00:46:00.002-05:00

Remember when the diet craze happened with soda, (or pop, depending on which side of the border you lie on)? Everything was diet or sugar free, and there were like 10 different versions of Coca-Cola, each outdoing the first, Caffeine Free Coke, Diet Coke, Sugar Free Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke Plus, etc. It was like they were just frantically developing a new product, better than the one prior that you just had to have to help you lose that weight.

Now Nike continues to keep figuring out how to make the lightest shoe ever... again and again. Last year, it was the Hyperdunk, recently, it was the new Kobe Zoom IV, now it's the new Nike Hyperlite. it's the the lightest shoe ever... no really this time. Courtesy of your folks over at Kix and the City, is the lowdown and detailed looks on the new Nike Hyperlite.

Utilizing lighter Flywire panel material and a lower profile sole has allowed them to drop some ounces and they've also incorporated Zoom Air in the heel and Lunar foam in the forefoot, (like the Zoom Kobe IV). Obviously technology is key, as it hasn't taken them long to figure out how to reduce the weight yet again, the Hyperlite is slated for a late summer/fall release. I'm sure by Christmas they'll have a Nike Uberlite, in the quest to get quicker lighter and shed those extra ounces.

The All (Active) Ex-Raptors Team.

2009-01-11T21:12:00.025-05:00

Watching the Spurs vs Magic game last night, I noticed that San Antonio has two former Raptors in their starting line-up, (Matt Bonner and Roger Mason Jr). Of course players move for a myriad of reasons, salaries, chemistry, redundancy, free agency, what have you. While we've all mused about all of the great players that have ever worn our favourtite team's uniform, how would a squad of current ex's fare against your squad's starting 5?

Here's a list of former Raptors players and their respective teams:

Lindsey Hunter, Chicago Bulls
Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
Rafer Alston, Houston Rockets
Tracy Mcgrady, Houston Rockets
Maceo Baston, Indiana Pacers
TJ Ford, Indiana Pacers
Rasho Nesterovic, Indiana Pacers
Marcus Camby, LA Clippers
Brian Skinner, LA Clippers
Fred Jones, LA Clippers
Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee Bucks
Vince Carter, New Jersey Nets
Sean Marks, New Orleans Hornets
Morris Peterson, New Orleans Hornets
Donyell Marshall, Philadelphia 76ers
Juan Dixon, Washington Wizards
Mike James, Washington Wizards

My choice for a starting 5 from the cast-offs?
Chauncey Billups - PG
Vince Carter - SG
Tracy Mcgrady - SG/SF
Marcus Camby - PF
Rasho Nesterovic - C

Personally, I like the ex's chances, especially at the PG/SG/SF positions. More importantly, wouldn't you love to have some of these guys on the Raptors bench right now?

Just A Friendly Game Of Basketball: Featuring the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.

2009-01-10T12:12:00.005-05:00

If it's one thing North American basketball fans have learned, it's that fans on the other side of the Atlantic are ten times more passionate and ten times as loyal. Known to sing songs throughout the game, heckle and even throw foreign objects, the professional basketball environment in Turkey took passion to a whole new level earlier this week.

With the recent invasion of Gaza by the Israeli military, Turkish fans turned up to jeer and protest the visiting Israeli squad Bnei Hasharon. Their passion didn't lie solely in support of hometown team Turk Telecom, but also in support of the civilians of Gaza who are bearing the brunt of the military attacks.

The game never even got a chance to get underway as the fans in the arena sent a barrage of shoes and coins at the visiting team during warm-ups. If not for the awareness of the Turkish police, the scene could have been much uglier as over 2,000 fans tried to rush onto the court. As local authorities held back the crowd the Bnei Hasharon team rushed back to their dressing room post haste. Meir Tapiro, Bnei Hasharon’s captain, described it as a "hunting scene, they wanted to hurt us."

After 1,000 policemen had cleared the hall, in a dark twist of the spirit of sport, the referees wanted to restart the game. The visitors refused, which meant an automatic defeat for the Israelis. Tapiro then spoke to someone from the Israeli embassy, “They told us that we should leave the country as soon as possible.” I'm wondering if the embassy was referring to leaving Turkey or Palestine?

For another perspective from one of my favourite journalists check out Dave Zirin's Edge of Sports story.

The Air Jordan 2009.

2009-01-10T05:15:00.020-05:00

So there was a big event in New York this week that I wasn't invited to. It was the launch of the new Jordan shoe, the Air Jordan 2009. This isn't another team shoe, this is the flagship of the Jordan line. The last one was the XX3 (23), for a fitting reason, Jordan Brand will name subsequent Jordan's under the year of release.

I haven't been moved by the new Jordans of late as I'm partial to J's I-V, however the '09's actually look like a half decent performance shoe. I spotted them on Joe Johnson over the holidays in Atlanta, but couldn't quite make out what they were. Truthfully, I'm more surprised at the fact that Jordan Brand have finally signed their first female athlete in their 10+ years of existence. Paralympian, April Holmes (above), is a track and field athlete and the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400-meter races, I guess once they dumped Warren Sapp they figured they had an extra space on the roster.

Back to the shoes, the AJ 2009 wasn't designed by Tinker Hatfield, but by Jordan Brand's Senior footwear designer Jason Mayden. This time the shoe employs another "new, innovative technology" called Articulated Propulsion Technology, which is the carbon fiber prosthetic running technology used by paralympians, which allows for explosive forward movements. This all ties into the inspiration of the shoe... the sport of Fencing, where quick attacks, parries and defensive movements are key, much like basketball.

However all of that means nothing for the majority of people who will be purchasing the shoe for casual wear, all will be happy with the AJ 2009's clean aesthetics, there will be an exclusive limited release of the AJ 2009 on January 31st, with a wide release to follow for All-Star weekend on February 14th.

For a thorough fix by someone who was at the event, check out Kix and the City's coverage.

Dennis Rodman Sinks To New Depths.

2009-01-09T12:32:00.016-05:00

Dennis Rodman is one the best rebounders in the history of basketball without question. Unfortunately he's also one of basketball's certified nutbars, which has been well documented. Tattoos and dyed hair aside, Rodman has been an excellent shock doctor in dire need of attention with his tell-all books, bouts with depression, excessive partying, painted nails, and wedding dresses. Conversely, how many people can say they've had their own reality show, wrestled alongside Hulk Hogan and messed around with Madonna and Carmen Electra?

Despite his 5 NBA Championship rings, 7 time NBA All-Defensive First Team and 2 NBA Defensive Player of the Year selections, 2 NBA All-Star appearances and 7 consecutive years as the NBA Rebounding Champion, he's still hasn't figured out that he was born to play ball and not be an actor. You only need look at his resume making completely forgettable films like Cutaway, Simon Sez and Double Team alongside Jean Claude Van Damme.

He's now figured out another way to waste two hours of your life. In a true stretch of his acting skills, he plays a basketball player on a team with 4 "vertically challenged" teammates in The Minis. Nuff said.

I'm amazed that people don't tire of The Worm's post basketball career, I certainly have.

No No Delfino.

2009-01-09T09:24:00.005-05:00

With the recent reports of Bryan Colangelo exploring bringing back Carlos Delfino to fill the Raptors needs, maybe he read my post suggesting it last year? Well while it sounds like the ideal fix, apparently the likelihood of him leaving Russia for the balmy climes of Toronto are slim.

Apparently, Delfino isn't quite ready to jump ship yet. A top international scout and a person directly involved in NBA front-office dealings -- said Delfino is integral to Khimki BC's plans and loyal to its coach. Essentially, Delfino is committed to the team for the rest of the season and will re-evaluate his options afterward. I can think of one thing that would have the Argentinian set in staying aside from money, and that's playing time, one thing he wasn't getting consistently in Toronto.

I'm assuming that Colangelo isn't even interested in my second suggestion of Garbajosa, who can fill some rebounding needs and provide that energy and defense we lack, but one out of two ain't bad.

Thanks for CBS Sportsline for the info.

The Raptors Post-Game Report: Doug Smith Channels His Inner LL Cool J.

2009-01-04T19:44:00.015-05:00

I actually don't mind Doug Smith from The Star, so this is more clowning than hating. But for real, he licked his lips FOUR times in 60 seconds, I couldn't help but notice, so I counted. He could have possibly gone for a fifth if they didn't cut away to that stellar shot at the end of the ACC parking lot. Somebody get this man a drink.

Oh and kudos to the Raps for beating the Magic, one of the better teams in the east. Now they have to prove they can play at this level more consistently, (that means you Bargnani).

Delonte West Uncut... Unreal!

2009-01-04T10:44:00.013-05:00

With 2009 only four days underway, I can confidently say you are about to see the best and most entertaining video you will see all year. As it's definitely old, back when Delonte was playing on the Celtics, I'm amazed I haven't seen this before. So I'm late to the party, but now I'm inviting all of my friends.

There are too many highlights for me to point out, but I'll share the one he ended the segment with:

Who would I be for one day? It got to be Bugs Bunny. Bugs Bunny is the smoothest dude I ever met. I mean I ain't meet him, but I did meet him once. But you wouldn't even believe me if I told you. I swe.. I swear, my mother be... when I told her the story she told me I was dreaming whatever but I met... that's another story. Bugs Bunny cause he be chillin’ like it just be a normal day and he... it be cold just like how it is in Boston and he just want to dive in the ground, pop up, he be like 'Oh man this ain’t Albuquerque.' ...That's got to be the tightest life you just hop underneath the ground and go. No traffic, no Mass pike, no tolls, no lights, no taking Yankee hats off, just underneath the ground. Bam. Carrots. Albuquerque. ...I want to be Bugs Bunny, I would pay to be Bugs Bunny for one day.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, so now that you've watched that, you can fully appreciate Delonte and hear that Adam Sandler Waterboy drawl as he breaks down his ideal Valentine's Day date for ESPN's Page 2.

I found this gem, courtesy of my new favourite blog Club Trillion. Titus for Secretary of Defense.

What's G?

2009-01-03T03:23:00.003-05:00

My money says a new campaign for Gatorade. Not sure if I'm more amazed they have Lil Wayne doing the voice over or that they have Murs rapping in the viral spots. Meanwhile if my man Darren Rovell from CNBC Sportsbiz is correct, and he happens to know more than a thing or two about Gatorade, (he wrote a book on the story of the sports drink), then our friends at Pepsi may be taking a risky step.

And am I the only one that finds Dwayne Wade's incessant smiling a little unnerving?

2008: The Year In (three) Pictures.

2008-12-31T10:49:00.001-05:00

So I generally don't like doing these year in review things. Plus, with ADBD being about half a year old, that wouldn't make much sense would it now? So I was on AOL Canada and they had a photo thread on Sports Photos of the Year. Tons of great stuff there from every sport imaginable and some fantastic photography. There was over 230 AP images, approximately 20 of them were basketball related, including the pics of Jack Nicholson and Sam Cassell getting out of a chair, I decided to share 3 of the best.

nuff said.

2008 NBA Finals, my how the league can milk a rivalry.

DJ Augustin getting his Little Miss Giggles on as part of rookie hazing at the Charlotte Bobcats training camp.

Yes. That's it.
All the best for 2009!

Steve Nash Interview: NBC Sports Is That The Best You Could Do?

2008-12-29T17:54:00.012-05:00

Phoenix Suns point guard and Canadian hoops icon Steve Nash sat down with Graham Bensinger from NBC Sports recently. Call me ignorant, but I had no idea who Bensinger was until today, and didn't even think he interviewed athletes until I checked out his site. The segment where he asks Nash about all of his drunken adventures was painful and pointless. I also like how he asks Nash about the prospect of "going home" and playing for the New York Knicks. Doesn't going home constitute returning to the place of your upbringing? Bensinger should have just flat out said he didn't know where Victoria was.

Enough about the interviewer, Nash touched on the changes in Phoenix, being a point guard, his foundation, his drive and potential destinations once his contract is up, all in his signature laid back, earnest and honest style.

I think I would have just wanted to hear more out of Steve Nash than what said interviewer delivered, there is so much to this guy, but I guess I'll just save it for the ABDB interview.

To view all of the segments log on to NBC Sports.

We Have More To Thank China For Than Yao Ming... Streaming Pirate NBA Games Online!

2008-12-29T09:55:00.024-05:00

The Toronto Raptors incited an uproar when they sold 25 of their regular season games off to The Sports Network, (TSN). TSN in turn packaged the games onto their new digital satellite channel TSN 2, the kicker being that TSN 2 wasn't being picked up by practically every Canadian's cable provider, Rogers. Of course this wasn't in the public consciousness until just prior to the kick off of the season, making it a pain for many to change up their complete cable game. Meanwhile there are claims to resolve this situation with nothing really forthcoming.

So what has the alternative been to watching the games you just can't see on TV? Streaming them online. This is basically piracy though, many like myself would deem otherwise. The NBA definitely sides with the latter, and according to The New York Times is getting together with other sports leagues around the world to do something about it. An interesting article where they feel unlike the music industry, it doesn't make sense to sue the individuals that are streaming the bootleg games, but shutting down the sites and working with the local governments is the solution.

While I can understand the necessity for foreign countries that don't have the access to North American sports as we do, as well as the need to shut it down, a Rockets and Mavericks game last season streamed to over 1.1 million, (mainly in China). Can they really explain the bonehead moves made by local corporations to cash in on a deal and leave their fans and consumers hanging in the balance?
Can they?

Sorry...
Rant over.

The Best Missed Dunks Ever.

2008-12-29T01:21:00.002-05:00

We're not talking about Chris Andersen missed dunks, more like don't-try-this-at-home kinda stuff. Enjoy.

Vancouver, That Rocky Mountain High.

2008-12-25T13:40:00.020-05:00

Vancouver is one of my favourite Canadian cities, but for basketball? Not so much. The Vancouver Grizzlies joined the NBA with the Toronto Raptors in 1995, yet both franchises took decidedly different paths. If a team's destiny can be predicted by their initial draft picks you need only look at Damon Stoudamire, the eventual Rookie of the Year, and Bryant Reeves, who's career was cut short due to injury after 6 seasons. It's no secret the Griz packed up and left town for Memphis in 2001, there were a number of reasons between bad management and by virtue weak personnel, shady ownership and poor attendance. Meanwhile at GM Place, Vancouver hockey fans continue to wait 38 years for the Canucks to win their first Stanley Cup.

The Vancouver Courier's Rick Hasiuk laments, that part of the reason they are gone is that the NBA is a "ghetto gutter." (Oh no he didn't). Now before you go off on his asinine quasi-racist comments, please keep in mind his only other claim to fame is winning the Courier's first annual beard-growing contest. I'm not going to call out and comment on what he has said, many have done so already. I'm just extending an invitation to Mr. Hasiuk to articulate or possibly even take both feet out of his mouth, I'd love to give you a forum and speak with you on what you were trying to say, or just tell you how wrong you are. Seriously and in all honesty, hit me up.

In other breaking news Steve Francis was traded to the team that drafted him 10 years ago, as the Memphis Grizzlies acquired the injury riddled guard from the Houston Rockets for a draft pick and a box of cheesey poofs. While it's not quite Vancouver, the team he refused to play for after being drafted by them first overall, it's an ironic and fitting twist (or end), to his underwhelming career. Somewhere on Robson Street someone is lighting something up in celebration.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2008-12-25T11:32:00.010-05:00

Yeah, we all know Jordan is supposed to be getting married again, this time to Yvette Prieto, (hopefully Mike remembers a pre-nup this time. I'm not sure what Greg Oden is doing in this picture... Oh wait that's Charles Oakley, my bad. I'm not mad at the grey, although he does look like he's getting his Red Foxx on.

Amare... Meh.

2008-12-25T01:29:00.003-05:00

Amare has picked up the Chris Bosh Viral Video book on lobbying for the All Star Game, but I don't think he read the chapter on creativity. Based on STAT's words and behaviour this season, this could very well be a true-life video as opposed to a parody. Unfortunately, it's just not terribly entertaining, he'll likely make it though, the game is in Phoenix this year.

Do You Know This Man?

2008-12-24T04:05:00.016-05:00

It's not much to go by really, but you know those times when a face is vaguely familiar, but you just can't place it?

Well the story goes like this... Heading south for the holidays, I did the cost effective drive to Buffalo to fly out to Atlanta. Landing in the ATL terminal the gentleman in question disembarked and was being chatted up by a couple of dudes, he then posed for a picture and was on his way. I knew he wasn't a rapper, a notable producer, or a recognizable actor, and he wasn't much bigger than me, so I ruled out athlete. By the D&G denim and hoodie I pegged him as an R&B artist, and as my contemporary R&B game is real weak, it's likely I may not know his identity. so I left it at that.

Moments later, bored as we waited for our baggage to come up, I was trying to figure if some clue would tip me off, then one of the man-fans stepped up beside me. "Yo man, who was that dude you took that picture with?" I asked. "That's Will Solomon", he replied. "Will Solomon from the Raptors?" I said, amazed at myself for not recognizing him. I almost laughed out loud as one of my home team players had me stumped.

Two things surprised me: One, I clown Solomon every chance I get due to his ineffectiveness as a back up point guard and his penchant to shoot first and ask questions later. However he's never really on the court for more than 11 minutes a game which is why I probably didn't recognize him out of uniform. Secondly, why is an NBA player who makes over $700,000 a year doing the hour long drive from the T-Dot to the armpit of America at 7:00 AM? I mean I understand being fiscally responsible, but why not pay the extra $200 to fly out of Toronto? Unless maybe he's trying to duck haters like myself in Toronto.

Well in the spirit of the holidays, I didn't hate, just gave him a head nod and went about my merry way.

Happy Holidays from Rasheed Wallace and ABDB.

2008-12-23T22:15:00.003-05:00

Wishing you and yours all the best for the holiday season and the new year.

All Balls Don't Bounce Attacks The Airwaves: ABDB vs The NBA Breakdown.

2008-12-23T02:20:00.022-05:00

Today yours truly was a guest on the online radio show The NBA Breakdown, alongside my favourite hoopshead with three first names Peter Robert Casey. For the uninitiated, The NBA Breakdown is a weekly radio show on Blog Talk Radio hosted by Audley Stephenson and Dave Mendonca.

Kicking off in September of this year, it hasn't taken long for Audley and Dave to develop chemistry like Stockton and Malone and a playful and insightful rapport akin to Marv Albert and Mike Fratello. The vision for the show is a fun, high energy call-in basketball talk show which focuses on fantasy players, historical NBA moments and news from around the league through lively discussion. Today's episode didn't disappoint as it was effervescent, lively and a meeting of like minded basketball minds engaging on current issues and topics surrounding the league. There's no need for me to get into it, when you can just stream it online, but I will just let you know that a certain someone was victorious in the trivia challenge against Mendonca and Casey, *displays championship belt*.

The show has had a good panel of guests with former NBA players John Starks and Tracy Murray, SLAM Magazine Editor-In-Chief Ben Osborne, handle magazine Editor Brad Graham and former NBA guard and current Mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson among others on the show. Definitely check it out, not only as I was on the show, but despite their jokester nature, they're highly knowledgeable in their basketball and have quite plainly and simply developed a great show that fulfills their mantra "It's hoops talk, the way it should be"

The NBA Breakdown

Sneakers + Mike Epps + DJ AM + Kobe = 1:38 Seconds Of Fun.

2008-12-23T01:50:00.007-05:00

Do you have enough confidence to play for the kicks on your feet? Well it's only a Nike commercial but some Air Yeezy's, Kobe Zoom IV's, Penny's, and Air Force II Espo's plus a few more are up for grabs in a show no mercy game of Horse.

Thanks to Freshness for always keeping it fresh.

From Riches To Rags.

2008-12-19T20:48:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder how wild I would get if I fell into some money, not just some money, but NBA-superstar-money. We've all seen MTV Cribs, we know how the better half are living, but I'm not necessarily curious to see if I would change, but just doing weird/vain things with my home like my man Dwayne Wade.

WTF???

I'm not sure if it makes it better, but D-Wade sold the house in 2007, I'm sure the current inhabitants must take time out each day and wonder why this man has a sketch bust of himself on the wall...

The other side of the game is Derrick Coleman, a former #1 draft pick and NBA stud. Coleman had the pro game, but possessed a YMCA attitude. Never realizing his potential, and never really seeming to care, despite his gifts, he was an All-Star once in his 15 season career. Ironically the same amount of appearances he made on you-know-your-career-is-over TV show Pros vs Joes.

Now it seems that Coleman has fallen on tough times, liquidators are selling off his assets at 75% off.

Sherwood has been selected to handle the liquidation of the entire house of furniture and accessories from basketball star Derrick Coleman. All contents are in excellent condition and displayed at our warehouse for unbelievable savings.

While I hardly have any insight on Coleman's finances, it always makes me wonder when I see NBA player's excess, cars, exorbitant homes, etc. The kind of stuff that takes some players from rags to riches and back again.

D-Wade estate photos courtesy of The Hoop Doctors, Derrick Coleman bankruptcy news comes via Fanhouse.

Charles Barkley Doesn't Like Hard Bottom Shoes.

2008-12-19T13:48:00.015-05:00

When I first saw the clip of George Bush under fire from an Iraqi journalists shoes, I couldn't stop laughing. I wanted to post it here, but it had no relevance to hoops, I mean they weren't even basketball sneakers.

But now that the Emmy Award winning crew at Inside the NBA decided to re-enact the global incident and it's even funnier. What's more is Charles and his real life aversion to hard bottom shoes, (he's known to wear sneakers with his suits behind the desk). Witness below.

All Balls Don't Bounce Attacks The Small Screen: ABDB vs The Grill Room.

2008-12-18T19:05:00.021-05:00

So it would appear I'm on a mini promotional tour of sorts. You know how Tom Cruise is promoting his latest movie Valkyrie, and he's everywhere, TV shows, magazines, Bar Mitzvahs? Well I have the lite version of that, as by some scheduling happenstance, I'm doing television (Casino Rama Grill Room) and radio (The NBA Breakdown), within 4 days of each other, hardly a whirlwind tour, but lots of fun. What pray tell is it that I'm promoting? Nothing but my own humble opinion which I do each and every day right here.

Today was The Grill Room, alongside Gareth Wheeler, (the host), it was Glen Shiller from The Score, Sherman Hamilton from Raptors TV and myself. We talked a lot about the Raps, (Bosh and Bargs), as well as Tiger Woods and Brett Favre. I had a lot of fun, it was basically like talking sports with your friends, although no one is talking over you, and throw in some lights and cameras. I was a little nervous, but got a little better as it progressed, although I think I flubbed my money shot.

The topic came up about Kevin Mchale and his statement that bloggers have influence over general managers leading to a lot of coaches getting fired this season, (I'm paraphrasing, but I will get into this in it's own post, believe me). So as they posed the question to the resident blogger, I said it was pretty ridiculous, but if we did have that influence as I turned and looked into the camera, I said "Bryan Colangelo you have to make some trades." The only thing is, I turned and looked into the wrong camera. Insert the don't-quit-your-day-job jokes here.

Oh well, it was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out, expect a follow-up post with video, where you can throw darts, knives and comedic comments. The irony is that I've been in television studios countless times, but it's a completely different experience in front of the camera.

The Casino Rama Grill room is on tonight at 11pm on Sun TV (EST).
Next up radio...

Wipe Me Down.

2008-12-18T00:57:00.023-05:00

I really have nothing good to say about the Toronto Raptors newest acquisition Jake Voskuhl. Actually, it's not really Jake's fault, he was likely sitting in a truckstop somewhere in middle America when Bryan Colangelo called him to offer a gig. Yet it's somewhat like Who Want's to be a Millionaire? When you make that lifeline call, it should definitely be to someone who can assist, not the person who is going to say, "Hmm, you're right, that is a tough question." The answer may lie in the You Tube clip below entitled Shawn Marion uses Jake Voskuhl as a toilet paper.

One of Colangelo's first brilliant moves when he came to Toronto was ridding ourselves of Rafael Araujo. With Voskuhl's arrival it's almost as bad as bringing Araujo him back.

Thanks to Hoop Head North for the hidden gem.

One-Hundred Posts.

2008-12-15T23:03:00.010-05:00

Wilt Chamberlain's achievement of scoring 100 points in a game, will likely never be duplicated. But your bloggers favourite basketball blog has achieved a mini-milestone of sorts, as today is the 100th post on All Balls Don't Bounce. Really the genesis of this blog was some therapeutic self serving way to flex my hoops knowledge, not to get props or get on radio or TV shows, or in magazines. So to all of those that have commented or showed your support in any way, it has been greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, every time I want to just log out of my gmail and go to bed, I know that somebody, somewhere is actually curious about what I will write next.

So thanks, and here's to 100 more posts.

Breaking News: The World Isn't Flat & NBA Players are Balling In Low Cut Basketball Shoes.

2008-12-14T18:06:00.047-05:00

Maybe it's because of his competitive spirit, his confidence that comes off as arrogance, or his all-consuming desire to be the best, but the world has a love-hate relationship with Kobe Bryant. With the launch of the new Zoom Kobe IV this week, many have felt that Bryant and Nike have read too many of their own press clippings by introducing a low cut signature basketball shoe.

But lest we forget that Gilbert Arenas and Steve Nash have been rocking lows for some time now, and they're hardly lower tier players. Kobe is driven, I can see him in the Nike boardroom demanding "Everyone is wearing the Hyperdunk. I want my shoes to be the lightest sneaker you've ever made." He doesn't care about the aesthetic, as we've seen from his prior sneakers. He just wants to be the best, and any way he can get an on court advantage he will take it, the Zoom Kobe IV weighs 11.6 ounces.

Now they aren't horrid shoes, but I hardly think kids will be giving up their Jordans to rock these with their denim. According to analyst Matt Powell of SportsOneSource, fashion basketball is a $2 billion business, while performance basketball is a $500 million business. Furthermore, Nike owns 98% of the fashion market space, which Jordan Brand dominates at 87%, Nike is at 10% and Converse is at 1%.

While the Air Jordan campaign begged "Is it the shoes?" Kobe guarantees the IV will improve your performance. "The shoe will make you run faster, and jump higher because it doesn't weigh that much. It's simple math." Nike employs the Flywire technology that was used in the Hyperdunk with a Zoom Air unit in the heel and Lunarlite in the forefoot. If the Kobe IV is going to perform like a smaller and lighter Hyperdunk, expect it to be a popular pick amongst serious ballers. China will get first dibs on the Kobe IV on January 1st, with North America and Europe to follow in February 6th. There are going to be a number of exclusives and colourways, but he will be wearing them on the court for the first time this Tuesday against Miami.

Many make comparisons to Kobe's drive to win and that of Michael Jordan. While it's a worthwhile debate, the Air Jordan sneaker legacy versus any other shoe is not. But as often is the case with Kobe, he just really just wants the best sneaker to help him be the best, he doesn't really care about winning any popularity contests.

Thanks to Darren Rovell @ CNBC SportsBiz for the stats.

The Euro vs The U.S. Dollar.

2008-12-12T13:54:00.045-05:00

A co-worker walked up to my desk today, (*shakes fist at the open concept office*), and asked me "Howard, Ruffin or a D-Leaguer?" As I knew he was referring to the Toronto Raptors shortlist for stopgap interior options, my response was "No, no and no!" Why the hell are we even considering these guys? They will make zero impact on the squad and will be a complete waste of a roster spot. We already have borderline NBA players on our team, see Will Solomon and Hassan Adams.

The Raptors need players that will contribute and make a difference. Ironically, two players we severed ties with last season would fill gaping holes and fit the Raptors Euro-aesthetic. But would Colangelo swallow his pride and bring back Jorge Garbajosa and Carlos Delfino?

Garbajosa provides a bigger body that can rebound and defend, while Delfino is the slashing wing that we lack and also has the ability to handle some of the PG responsibilities. Because of the infamous World Championship incident, where Garbo insisted on playing for Spain before he was fully recovered and missed the season, Colangelo soured on the versatile bigman. While the prospect of going into the luxury tax and lack of consistent minutes is what allowed Delfino to go overseas. Ironically they're both playing for BC Khimiki in Russia, (along with former Raps Milt Palacio and Jerome Moiso), and getting paid handsomely. Regardless based on their history, we know what they can contribute to the team.

The Raptors have the roster space, and they know that having both of these guys on their roster is a marked improvement over having Solomon and Adams. I'm not one to call for it often, but this one of those times where it's better to have euros than greenbacks in the line-up. With little or no trade material, just pick these two guys up and take the luxury tax hit. Apparently the Knicks are already looking at Delfino, who does have an out in his contract.

After falling under criticism of late (particularly here), this is a move for Bryan Colangelo that can make his team better without sacrificing anything except some $$$.

The Nike Zoom Kobe IV.

2008-12-11T16:53:00.010-05:00

Kobe Bryant never one to accept anything less than perfection, defied conventional basketball wisdom when he unveiled the new Zoom Kobe IV today at Westchester High School in Los Angeles, California. Basically throwing all traditional basketball performance thinking out the window, his new signature sneaker is a low cut shoe.

Check out the sketch and photo below and expect a full story shortly.

Awkward Part II: I'm Gay For Gilbert Arenas.

2008-12-10T04:46:00.003-05:00

This video doesn't really need any words, but I'll just take the words straight out of the You Tube description. "Chris reveals his man crush and sexual fantasies for his favorite basketball player, Gilbert Arenas."

Nuff said.

NBA Coaches: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

2008-12-09T11:30:00.001-05:00

Nineteen games into the 2008-2009 NBA season, we have already seen 4 NBA coaches relieved of their duties, and while there are likely several mitigating factors, poor performance is the bottom line. PJ Carlessimo, Eddie Jordan, Sam Mitchell and Randy Wittman all get to work on their golf form early. Likely to be joined soon by a couple of their colleagues as Memphis, Philadelphia, Sacramento and the Clippers are all off to shaky starts. What's more, there are a number of viable candidates still seeking employment with Avery Johnson, Flip Saunders, Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Fratello on the open market.

What I find interesting in the NBA (and professional sports for that matter), is how the same coaches continue to get hired again and again. Almost like there is a big blue recycling bin of coaches, dispense with one and just close your eyes and reach back in to find another familiar face. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes a coach's dismissal is based on circumstance; a GM fielding a poor team, injuries to superstars or unachievable expectations. However, if the simple fact that the coach is inept or unable to communiate to their players, or just incapable of devising strategy then they should be fired and cast out of the recycling box. Plain and simple.

While there are some great veteran coaches in the ranks, there has to be room for the Eric Spoelstra's of the world (Miami). Riley gets kudos for stepping down, (even though he did Stan Van Gundy dirty by forcing him out so he could coach again). I'm just tired of seeing longtime coaches like Larry Brown getting another look in Charlotte. Particularly after the bronze medal squad at the Olympics and his Knicks debacle, I don't necessarily think he has the ear of the younger players. Not that Sam Vincent was an improvement either, but is it that difficult to find quality coaches for the NBA, or are GM's going to have to continue to keep taking in others trash?

"Sorry, I Have No Idea Who That Guy Sweets Is."

2008-12-09T03:43:00.008-05:00

I saw this pic and was thinking, "What were they asking Stern?"
The look on his face is priceless.