Go HARD.

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

No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.

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.

Meet The New Owner of the New Jersey Nyets.

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.

It's Time.

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.

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.

The Stanley Cup > Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

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.

The Many Faces of Jamaal Magloire.

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.

Camraderie

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.

Steroids In The NBA?

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.

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

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.

The NBA, Where Selling Your Soul Happens.

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.

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

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.

Want To Call Your Own Game? Now You Can.

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!!

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.

NBA Coaches: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

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."

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

Never Let Them See You...

I will admit, on the court, I'm a pretty profuse sweater. However, I always remember watching Patrick Ewing play when I was a kid, and marvelled how he had always looked like he stepped out of the shower with his uniform on, (during the first quarter no less). That was an era before DRI-Fit or any technologically advanced uniforms were developed, so nowadays, it shouldn't be as bad right?

Wrong. Players still sweat, but it's not as noticeable, that is unless they are posting you up. Which of course, if you play ball, you know all about that gross sharing of bodily fluids. Channing Frye of the Portland Trailblazers, who is a bit of a perspirer himself, was recently asked to name his 5 Sweatiest Players in the NBA. Here's his list from bottom to top: #6 because he just had to be included, Greg Oden, (Trailblazers), #5 Channing Frye, (Trailblazers), #4 Malik Rose (Kincks), #3 Zach Randolph (Knicks), #2 Shaquille O'Neal (Suns) and #1 drumroll Nick Collison (Thunder).

While he credits Collison with the number one spot as "he's just gross", Shaq gets the follow-up because it's like "a &#@!%*$ river coming off his head."

I don't know whether to laugh or cringe.

Thanks to Jason Quick with the drip drip at The Oregonian.

Late Pass: Kevin Johnson Is The New Mayor of Sacramento.

In the wake and excitement of America's new president, I neglected to mention that Sacramento has their first African-American mayor, Kevin Johnson. Yes, the same Kevin Johnson who ran the point for the Phoenix Suns from the late 80's to the late 90's, and dunked on practically everyone!

However, he wasn't just a little man that was able to dunk as his career averages of 17 points and 9 assists illustrate. Now he has a bigger challenge running the point of his home town, I hope he fares well.

Gilbert Arenas Is A "Changed" Man.

Well Gilbert has a new tattoo, with this one he's paying tribute to President-Elect Barack Obama, and his campaign for change. Interestingly enough, months ago, Gilbert explained his Republican status and his rationale for not voting... to get out of jury duty. So I just found it odd that he decided to get an interpretation of Obama's slogan on his body, when he likely didn't even vote.

Awesome. I must admit, I like it better than his other one.

I believe Dan Hellie of NBC is scouring the streets of Washington looking for a manicurist for Agent Zero.

Jordan Farmar 1 - Luke Walton 0.

If you've watched or been around enough interviews, you know players are always pulling pranks, jokes or just clowning with each other. Strolling through the locker room. (presuambly looking for his basketball game), Luke Walton tries to get cute with Jordan Farmar, only to get SONNED.