NBA MVP Race as of January 16th, 2009

I have to agree with hollinger's top 4 picks, but not the particular order he has them in right now. Obviously, LeBron is number one in almost everyone's mvp poll. I cannot agree with Chris Paul being number two. I saw him in action Friday night versus LeBron and company. CP3 did not compare to be on the same level as LeBron. maybe James is that good right now, but Paul is not close to number two on my ballot. Kobe should be number two and should of gained some votes after the thumping they put on the Cavs. Everyone I agree with, but I would give Danny Granger some props right now for MVP.


John Hollingers Picks for NBA MVP as of Jan. 16th. www.espn.com
Choose this season's All-NBA team, and it's pretty much cut and dried which five names you'll settle on: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Sure, you could nitpick about the lack of a true power forward and argue for Tim Duncan or Chris Bosh, and you might hem and haw for about 0.8 seconds about somebody like Brandon Roy for the backcourt, but ultimately, these are the five on which you'll settle. Since we're almost halfway through the NBA season, it seems like a good time to examine the MVP race -- because these four are likely to be 1, 2, 3 and 4, in some order, on nearly every MVP ballot come April.
Here's how I size it up at the halfway post:

4. Kobe Bryant, Lakers. Right now, he's No. 4, but it comes with one big, fat asterisk we'll talk about in a moment.
First, the facts: Bryant is fifth in player efficiency rating going into Friday's games, with the three other players on this list all outpacing him, and while he's been an asset at the defensive end, he hasn't been the imposing force Orlando's Howard (or, I would argue, James) has become.
The best line on his résumé right now is 31-7 -- that's L.A.'s record, the best in the league. Should the Lakers beat Orlando on Friday night and Cleveland on Monday, they'll have a strong leg up in the race for the top overall playoff seed.
On the other hand, the Lakers are only fourth in the power rankings, which is a nice way of saying they probably need to play better if they want to keep the Magic and the Cavs in their rearview mirror.
Now, about that asterisk -- one reason Bryant has a shot at repeating as MVP is his strong second-half trend throughout his career. Check out his splits over the past several seasons, and you'll see he consistently plays much better from January to March than in the first couple of months.
As much as any player in the league, Bryant manages himself during the season and slowly dials it up as the season progresses, then takes it down a notch in April to warm up for the playoffs. If he follows that trend this season, and if the Lakers finish with the league's best record, he has a shot at repeating.

3. Dwight Howard, Magic. Howard is ahead of Bryant in PER by a smidgeon, but the bigger reason to rate him ahead of Bryant is his defense. While three of Orlando's five starters aren't exactly renowned for being shut-down defenders, the Magic are third in the league in defensive efficiency.
That's a tribute to Howard's ability to shut down the middle and dominate the boards -- he is second in rebounding and leads the league by a wide margin in blocks. Plus, he's been able to do it while avoiding fouls and staying on the court. Howard averages 36.2 minutes per game -- just as many as Bryant -- which is rare for a big man.
And of course, he's as important to the offense as to the defense. Even when he isn't scoring, he's allowing the Orlando 3-point brigade to bomb away because of all the attention he draws in the middle. Now if he could just make foul shots -- that 58.0 percent from the stripe might keep him from the MVP award.

2. Chris Paul, Hornets. I felt a little weird about this one because the Hornets haven't quite lived up to the expectations some had for them this season … and because the three other players on this list are on the teams with the league's three best records … and because Paul, defensively, isn't on par with the three other players, even though he leads the league in steals.
But I have to put him here anyway, because he's been so spectacularly good in carrying the Hornets to what might be the No. 2 seed in the West -- even though the bench is terrible, Tyson Chandler is having a bad season and he has no backup. The Hornets somehow are No. 5 in the power rankings despite all that, and while it's a distant fifth, it would be more like 20th if Paul weren't around.
He is second in the league in PER and, in fact, his 30.53 mark will be among the best of all time if he can maintain it the entire season. In addition to leading the league in assists and steals, his true shooting percentage of 60.1 is phenomenal, considering how much offensive responsibility he has, while his 8.8 rebound rate is unbelievable for a 6-0 point guard -- he's outrebounding Danny Granger, Bryant, Wade, Ron Artest, Vince Carter, Roy, Thaddeus Young, Hedo Turkoglu, Richard Jefferson and Josh Howard, among others.

1. LeBron James, Cavaliers. Because James is playing fewer minutes than usual, people might not realize what a historic season he's having. The decline in playing time has resulted in a dip in his per-game averages, but in terms of efficiency, he's never been better.
In fact, one could argue nobody has ever been better.
At 32.09 going into Friday's games, James is on pace to put up the best PER of all time. Yes, better than any of Michael Jordan's seasons (his 31.70 in 1987-88 is the current gold standard). We're halfway through the season now, so we can't just write it off to a hot start -- James has a serious shot at setting a new mark.
He also is the lone star on the team that is No. 1 in the power rankings, tops in the Eastern Conference standings over the NBA champs and set to post one of the top all-time scoring margins (the Cavs currently are winning by 11.9 points per game; Jordan's 1995-96 Bulls and the 1971-72 Lakers were at plus-12.3).
The Cavs also are the league's top defensive team, and James has been a huge part of the success there as well -- he is averaging 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks, and has improved by leaps and bounds as an individual defender, as everyone saw when he shut down Paul Pierce in the showdown against Boston on Jan. 9.
So while his team doesn't have the league's best record at the moment, and while James' scoring average is down nearly three points from last season, don't let it fool you. Both he and his team have posted a truly historic first half of the season, and if they keep it up for three more months, there's little doubt who will be the MVP.

Top 50: Kobe or not Kobe? That is the first question ...

Top 50: Kobe or not Kobe? That is the first question ...

Who would you rather have, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James?
What about between LeBron and Chris Paul? And so it goes.
Here, then, is who we'd rather have -- our top 50 NBA players:

1. Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers: It's a tough call taking Bryant ahead of LeBron, but Kobe gets the nod because he's more skilled than James and because he has had more professional success.

2. LeBron James, Cleveland: James remains the future of the league, but he still needs work on his 3-point and free throw shooting. Yes, we're nit-picking, but that's what you do with the greats.

3. Chris Paul, New Orleans: Paul had every right to garner MVP votes last year. You could make the case that Paul is every bit as important to his team as anyone on this list.

4. Tim Duncan, San Antonio: Duncan is barely holding on to this spot. He's on the downside of his career, his team seems to be at a crossroads and he can't play the minutes he used to. We'll still take him on our team anytime.

5. Deron Williams, Utah: No doubt, many will think this is too high for Williams. As great as Paul is, we're still not giving him the long-term nod over Williams. Not yet anyway.

6. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix: If new coach Terry Porter can get Stoudemire to buy in on the defensive end, Stoudemire is likely to end up in the MVP discussion.

7. Yao Ming, Houston: All indications are that Yao will bounce back fine from the stress fracture in his left foot. If he does, he goes right back to being one of the most dominant big men in the NBA.

8. Kevin Garnett, Boston: With an NBA title, his résumé is complete. The real question is how long K.G. can play at this level. Garnett is only 32, but it's an old 32 -- with 13 seasons under his belt and more than 70 playoff games.

9. Dwight Howard, Orlando: He might be the NBA's most dynamic specimen, but there are concerns about whether he'll ever have the skill level to be a consistent offensive player in the low post.

10. Chris Bosh, Toronto: All signs are pointing to a big year for Bosh. He was terrific in Olympic play and seemed to play a leadership role on that team. Will he be able to help Jermaine O'Neal get his career back on track?

11. Paul Pierce, Boston: Pierce might not be the best player on the Celtics, but he's the toughest. Pierce makes a lot of big plays -- and shots -- for Boston, and he seems to come through late in the game most of the time.

12. Dwyane Wade, Miami: Wade sure looked healthy during the Olympics, but the issue is whether the knee and shoulder can hold up for an entire season.

13. Steve Nash, Phoenix: He's not as good as he was two or three years ago, but he's still better than most point guards. Nash has never been great defensively, and he has gotten worse lately. Nash has another year or two of open window.

14. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas: Nowitzki is still in full recovery mode after consecutive first-round playoff eliminations. He was exposed in the postseason two seasons ago against the Warriors, and he still hasn't made it back to where he was.

15. Carmelo Anthony, Denver: You get the sense Anthony is at a turning point in his career. Let's hope he feels the same way. With Allen Iverson fading, it's Anthony's time. Can he go from star to superstar?

16. Tracy McGrady, Houston: When he's good, he's good. When he's not good, it's usually because he's hurt. Injuries, ailments, aches and pains are the story with McGrady, and everybody knows it. If he can play 70-plus, it's all good.

17. Andrew Bynum, L.A. Lakers: We go back to the initial question: Who would you rather have? Bynum was starting to show some scary potential last year before his injury. Offensively, he's well ahead of Dwight Howard.

18. Gilbert Arenas, Washington: If the old Gilbert shows up after his surgeries (how many have there been now?), then move him up to No. 10 on this list. But this many procedures at this age isn't a good thing.

19. Baron Davis, L.A. Clippers: Both Don Nelson and Chris Mullin referred to Davis as a "top 15" player on Thursday. When Davis is clicking, he's very close. We'll put him in the top 20.

20. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio: There are other shooting guards who get more attention than Ginobili. Iverson and Michael Redd would be two, for example, but they have nothing on Ginobili.

21. Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix: In the 52 regular-season games that O'Neal plays this year for the Suns, he'll be a top-five center. Seems like you can't read a sentence about O'Neal anymore that doesn't begin: "When he's healthy, O'Neal can ..." Of course, that's the issue: When is he healthy?

22. Tony Parker, San Antonio: Parker is a top-level point guard, but he's not quite in the class of the ones above him. Those other guys carry more of a load. In other words, Parker represents the top of Tier 2 when it comes to PGs.

23. Joe Johnson, Atlanta: Johnson is one of the purest shooters in the NBA, and he's capable of playing three positions. With Mike Bibby at the point, he'll get most of his minutes at shooting guard this season.

24. Brandon Roy, Portland: Few players can give you all the things Roy can. He can score for you, run your offense if need be and pick up some rebounds along the way. And there's a nasty streak under the surface.

25. Carlos Boozer, Utah: Boozer is one of the league's most consistent power forwards, but he lacks that something special to get to the next level. Twenty and 10 every night is nothing to scoff at. But everyone higher on this list does more.

26. Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers: Gasol is pretty darn good, but you keep wanting him to be a little bit better. He was never quite dominant in Memphis and, of course, he's less so with the Lakers.

27. Greg Oden, Portland: We have yet to see Greg Oden play in an NBA game. Still, if the scouting reports are correct and he can in fact rebound, defend and block shots, then that makes him one of the game's best centers.

28. Elton Brand, Philadelphia: Only one playoff appearance in nine years. If Philly doesn't make the postseason this year, then the "Brand Curse" is official.

29. LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland: Even without Oden by his side, Aldridge has been effective for the Blazers. If you match up against Aldridge with a center, he'll face you up on the perimeter. If you match up against Aldridge with a smaller player, he'll go down to the block.

30. David West, New Orleans: One of the strongest low-post players in the league, West complements that part of his game with a reliable 16- to 18-foot jumper.

31. Chauncey Billups, Detroit: Billups seems to have lost a step and a bit of his hunger. But would you bet against him making a potential game-winning 3 at the buzzer? Didn't think so.

32. Caron Butler, Washington: This guy is good. His reputation took a hit when he was with the Lakers because he didn't necessarily take to playing alongside Bryant.

33. Rasheed Wallace, Detroit: You might not like the scowl, but Wallace is among the most unselfish players in the league. He's a solid individual defender, above average team defender, and on top of it, his teammates love him.

34. Monta Ellis, Golden State: Fingers crossed, Ellis comes back the same player he was before his ankle injury. If not, take him off the list.

35. Josh Howard, Dallas: It's not the admitted marijuana use, it's not the dissing of the national anthem. It's more that all these "distractions" are probably going to chip away at his effectiveness as a player.

36. Lamar Odom, L.A. Lakers: Odom's as skilled as they come, big-man wise, and he helps the Lakers in different ways. If you're calling him a natural small forward, then he's one of the best rebounders in the league at his position.

37. Richard Hamilton, Detroit: Hamilton is in the upper half of shooting guards when it comes to offense, and he's in the upper half of shooting guards when it comes to defense. That puts him here.

38. Josh Smith, Atlanta: There are few players in the NBA with his athletic ability. Now that he has his contract, it's time for him to get to work and take more responsibility for the Hawks' fortunes.

39. Al Jefferson, Minnesota: Yes, he should be higher on this list, but he was held back because his team was so lousy. Jefferson scores and rebounds, but he also isn't much of a passer and turns the ball over too much.

40. Michael Redd, Milwaukee: Redd is one of the best shooters in the league, with one of the quickest releases. Let's face it, he's a scorer. Until he's in on some Bucks' success, though, he'll never put himself in the class of two guards above him.

41. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia: He earns this ranking only if he begins to solidify himself as one of the league's better perimeter defenders.

42. Allen Iverson, Denver: Nobody in the league plays harder on a more consistent basis. But facts are facts, and he's getting up there (33). Not to mention those are hard miles he has put on that body, with the amount of punishment he has taken over the years.

43. Shawn Marion, Miami: Marion was higher on this list when he played alongside Steve Nash. Marion is a nice player but not nearly as good when he isn't getting spoon-fed easy stuff.

44. Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando: Turkoglu finally had that breakthrough year in 2007-08, winning the NBA's Most Improved Player award. If he has another good season, with more defensive focus upon him, then he will have arrived.

45. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: He has the potential to make significant strides up this list. But Durant got a little loose with his game during his rookie season, and it remains to be seen whether he can become more efficient.

46. Antawn Jamison, Washington: If you want Jamison to be your second- or third-best player, he won't disappoint. Jamison will score and rebound for you on a consistent basis, and he'll never -- ever -- be a problem in the locker room.

47. Stephen Jackson, Golden State: Jackson isn't the prettiest player in the game, but he helps you win. When he's on his game, Jackson can be a factor at both ends of the floor. Hard as it is to believe, he will have even more offensive freedom with Davis gone and Ellis out.

48. Mike Miller, Minnesota: Need one guy to knock down a deep 3-pointer? Miller has to be in the discussion. You just don't know he's good because he has been in Memphis.

49. Kevin Martin, Sacramento: Martin has an uncanny ability to score and get to the line. But he hasn't shown enough of a willingness to pass and do some of the other things.

50. Ron Artest, Houston: He's a top 15 talent, with little history of success. Interestingly, his on-court issue -- dominating the ball -- will likely be more of a problem than anything that happens off the court.

REDEEM USA BASKETBALL IN 2008

THE REDEEM TEAM
Great article from CBSSPORTSLINE.COM

If Jerry Colangelo had doubts that his vision would take, they began to evaporate in the fall of 2005, shortly after Milwaukee Bucks swingman Michael Redd walked into a Chicago hotel suite for an interview with Colangelo, the man appointed to reverse the slide in the global fortunes of U.S. basketball. Dressed in sweats and with a garment bag slung over his shoulder, Redd greeted the former Phoenix Suns owner, then asked to duck into the john. Moments later he emerged -- in a suit and tie.
It's a story worth noting in part because Redd, a shooter of cane-sugar sweetness, will provide Team USA with a skill essential to success at the Beijing Olympics. But it's most notable because it shows that representing the land of the sport's invention is once again an honor worth getting gussied up for.
After decades of sending coaches overseas to stage clinics, the panjandrums of USA Basketball are now letting knowledge flow in the opposite direction. For the past three years Colangelo has presided over the first standing U.S. men's national team, using as his model the stable programs that have helped countries such as Argentina (at the 2004 Games) and Spain (at the '06 world championships) win the gold medals that Americans once took for granted. "It's a total 180," says guard Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat, a returnee from Athens, where the U.S. was lucky to win a bronze. "In '04 we spent [three weeks] in training camp, then shot off to Greece. This team has been together for three years. We know the system and respect the system. We're just picking up where we left off [last summer]."
The U.S. program maintains a pool of 33 pros, all committed for a three-year cycle that includes a worlds and an Olympics. The team itself is chosen by a committee of one, Colangelo, who defers readily to coach Mike Krzyzewski. And an attitude overhaul is evident in all sorts of subtle ways. The USA on the uniforms pops in red, while players' names are writ in muted blue. Coaches and players all but pack copies of Fareed Zakaria's The Post-American World with their playbooks, hewing closely to talking points that ban arrogant references to hoops as "our game." Even the team's official slogan [United We Rise] and unofficial nickname [the Redeem Team] imply room for improvement.
An autopsy of the debacle in Athens turned up a number of causes. The team featured only three holdovers from the group that had qualified the previous summer, and seven of the original nine invitees withdrew. In the end some 14 players turned down Uncle Sam, invoking excuses from family obligations to lingering injuries to the security situation in Greece. As a result, coach Larry Brown took charge of a team with an average age of 23.6 years, and it showed. Behind the scenes, problems of dress and punctuality festered, and on the eve of the Games, Brown wanted to send several players home. Body language is the Esperanto of basketball, and both Stateside and in Athens people didn't like what they saw. Some players heedlessly inflated expectations -- as camp opened, Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, then 20, guaranteed a gold -- while others tried to pooh-pooh the poor results. "It's not like it's the end of the world," a 19-year-old LeBron James said in the aftermath of a loss to Puerto Rico.
Technically, LeBron -- or LeBronze, as he came to be known -- was right: The loss to Puerto Rico merely signaled the end of uninterrupted U.S. Olympic basketball hegemony dating back to the 1992 Dream Team. After losing to Lithuania in pool play and Argentina in the semifinals, Brown pronounced himself "humiliated," and the Americans headed home in a fog of alibis, citing the fouls whistled on center Tim Duncan and the zones they weren't used to shooting over. In fact, the U.S. sank the second-fewest 3-pointers of the dozen teams in the tournament, a performance that recalls an old chestnut about as American as they come: "There are only two great plays -- South Pacific, and put the ball in the basket."
Enter Colangelo, 68, who over a half century has been a player, coach or executive at every level of the game. "The way they conducted themselves left a lot to be desired," he says of the 2004 team. "Watching and listening to how people reacted to our players, I knew we'd hit bottom." Colangelo told NBA commissioner David Stern that he'd only assume duties as managing director if he was given autonomy. It's a measure of how abysmal the situation was that he immediately got what he asked for.
In 2005 Colangelo arranged face-to-face sit-downs with every prospective national team player, to hear in their own words why they wanted to represent their country. The few good men to set things right wouldn't be paid or guaranteed playing time, much less a starting spot. Still, Colangelo says, "I got buy-in. Halfway through my talk with him, LeBron said, 'I'm in.' " Indeed, among the nearly 30 players he approached, only the San Antonio Spurs' Duncan and then Minnesota Timberwolves foward Kevin Garnett turned him down.
With its star power and the smell of success, the expanding player pool became a recruiting tool in its own right; USA Basketball no longer found itself in the role of supplicant, and veterans such as Jason Kidd (now of the Dallas Mavericks) and Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) signed on. The prospect of exposing oneself to the Chinese market, home to more NBA fans than the U.S. has people, surely helped too. Says USA Basketball executive director Jim Tooley, "It's in vogue again to be playing for your national team."
There have been stumbles along the way. Two summers ago at the world championships in Japan, Greece, a team without a single NBA player, beat the U.S. in the semifinals with a flurry of high pick-and-rolls, an NBA staple. "It's been overanalyzed," Colangelo says of that game. "There were six minutes [during which] they made every shot and we missed free throws. But it might have been the best thing to happen to us. We kept pounding on our guys that the international gap had closed and we needed to respect every opponent."

2008 U.S. Olympic Team
Player Position Height Weight Team
Carmelo Anthony Forward 6-8 230 Nuggets
Carlos Boozer Forward 6-9 258 Jazz
Chris Bosh Forward 6-10 230 Raptors
Kobe Bryant Guard 6-6 220 Lakers
Dwight Howard Center 6-11 265 Magic
LeBron James Forward 6-8 240 Cavaliers
Jason Kidd Guard 6-4 212 Mavericks
Chris Paul Guard 6-0 170 Hornets
Tayshaun Prince Forward 6-9 205 Pistons
Michael Redd Guard 6-6 215 Bucks
Dwyane Wade Guard 6-4 212 Heat
Deron Williams Guard 6-3 205 Jazz

The coaching staff learned too. "We didn't know the international game well enough," says Krzyzewski, the coach at Duke since 1980. "[Greece] played with a physicality and intensity that our guys weren't accustomed to, and because we were young, it knocked us back. We now have the athletic ability and versatility to handle that." Krzyzewski will consider playing more zone, and he'll be deploying players who are more rugged, versatile and experienced. The additions of Kidd and Bryant have helped nudge the team's average age up to 26.1.
But even at the 2006 worlds, Colangelo and Krzyzewski could point to a remade culture. In contrast to the crowds in Athens, the Japanese cheered the Americans. And the U.S. players in turn cheered each other. "From Athens we learned we need time to develop camaraderie," Krzyzewski says. "We have to be committed to one another before we can be committed to the team. We're developing a program, not 'selecting a team.' No one ever 'selects a team'; you select people and hope they become a team."
That process continued last summer, as the third-place finish at the worlds forced the U.S. to qualify for Beijing. What at first looked to be a chore seems more and more like a blessing. Outside shooting, ball movement and a sense of urgency went missing in Athens; during the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament last July, the U.S. shot 47 percent from beyond the arc and collected assists on 68.3 percent of its baskets, feeding off the keynote struck when, on the first possession of the first game, its most celebrated player, Bryant, hit the floor for a loose ball. The Americans won all 10 games, by an average of 39.5 points. "We have the infrastructure, the buy-in, the changed culture," says Colangelo. "The bottom line is on us: We need to finish the job and win. "
The U.S. will never be able to duplicate the continuity and stability of some other national-team programs. When Argentina won the gold in Athens, 10 of its players had been together for at least five years. But, says Tooley, "we're getting as close as we can." Compared with the 15 practices and six exhibitions the 2004 team logged before the Games, the core of the '08 team will have worked out at least 70 times and played 29 games when it faces China in its opener on Aug. 10. Last summer's starting lineup of Kidd, Bryant, James, Anthony and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard returns intact.
"Our goal is to win a gold medal and be humble about it," says Kidd. "And if we do win by 50, to make sure it's because we're playing the right way."
During the Olympic qualifier last summer, after Bryant hit the floor for that loose ball, he was whistled for traveling, in accordance with FIBA rules that are strict on that point. "Our tendency the summer before would have been to start yelling, 'Hey, we're getting screwed,' " Krzyzewski says. "But instead of bitching and moaning, we were more like, 'Well, that's a travel. We didn't know that.' "
There's something to be said for humility. Until an athlete bows his head, after all, no one can hang a gold medal around his neck.

NIKE "AIR MCFLY" RELEASED, KOBE'S GOT EM, DO YOU????

Air McFly
Are you willing to pay up to 1500 for a pair of shoes that don't have auto shoelaces, or auto dry? Some people obviously are. These shoes are on ebay just starting out at 1000 bucks!!! Think of everything you could buy for 1500 to 2000 dollars?????????????

1989 was a big year. The Berlin Wall fell. The Exxon Valdez spilled its guts. And there were protests in China's Tiananmen Square. But those were just side attractions to the year's most memorable moment—the debut of Nike's "Air McFly" sneakers in "Back to the Future 2."

The film, which largely took place in the year 2015, introduced viewers to many a futuristic wonder, but none were so iconic as the light blue high-tops worn by Michael J. Fox. Ever since the film premiered, folks have been begging Nike to produce the shoes for the masses. Now, Nike has finally obliged... sort of.

The shoes were recently reveled at an event headlined by Kobe Bryant. Ever the showman, the hoopster even arrived in a DeLorean. Fans lined up way in advance, but according to Wired, many went home disappointed. Nike only made 350 pairs of the specially designed kicks, not nearly enough to satisfy the fans.

The shoes were released in a very limited quality, but for hardcore fans who were shut out, there's always the capitalist slaughterhouse that is eBay. Pairs are currently going for up to $1,000 (power laces not included). As Doc Brown would say, "Great Scott!"

Videos of Shaq rapping about Kobe, Imus dissing Pacman Jones, Scott Kalitta's fatal crash and Candace Parker's 1st WNBA dunk!!

Videos of Shaq rapping about Kobe, Imus dissing Pacman Jones, Scott Kalitta's fatal crash, and Candace Parker's 1st WNBA dunk!!!!

2008 U.S. OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM

Bryant, James to lead US team
By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer
CHICAGO (AP)—MVP Kobe Bryant has a shot at another big prize after falling short of the NBA championship, and he’ll have plenty of help along the way.
LeBron James is there. Dwyane Wade, too.
They will lead a U.S. Olympic basketball team that was announced Monday and hopes to capture the gold medal in Beijing in August after a third-place showing in Athens four years ago.
The team already has “re-established itself” on an international level, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said during a news conference.
The next step is to bring home the gold, and the U.S. will send a deep, versatile team to China. Carmelo Anthony and Jason Kidd were also among the 12 players chosen from a pool of 33. They were joined by the Detroit Pistons’ Tayshaun Prince, along with Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Deron Williams. “It was a very difficult selection process,” Colangelo said. “When you have as many outstanding players as we have in this country—to select a group of 12 is obviously going to leave out a number of outstanding people.”
The Pistons issued a statement from Prince in which he said he was “honored to be selected.”
“I take great pride in being given the opportunity to represent my country, and I strongly believe that with the team that has been assembled, the United States will be represented well,” Prince said.
The team was selected without a tryout. It will have a minicamp this week in Las Vegas and meet there July 20-25 to train and play an exhibition against Canada before heading overseas. The Americans open Olympic play against China on Aug. 10.
Although the Americans captured the gold at the Sydney Games in 2000, they no longer dominate international play as they once did. The talent gap has narrowed and many top players have chosen to not play for the national team in recent years.
Now, the U.S. team appears loaded. Then again, the Americans went 5-3 in Athens and lost for the first time since NBA players started competing in 1992 even though they had James, Anthony, Wade and Tim Duncan. That group got routed by Puerto Rico before losing to Lithuania and Argentina, but this one is confident it will take the gold.
“It’s really the world’s game. We think we’re the best at playing that game,” said coach Mike Krzyzewski, warning that “unless we show the respect to the rest of the world that it is the world’s game” there will be no gold medal.
Wade and Anthony said they didn’t know what to expect in Athens.
“I’ve always seen greatness in the Olympics, but that was never one of my dreams,” Wade said. “I never really expected to be on the Olympic team, especially in my first year. I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into. … Now, we respect the game so much. We respect the team basketball that they play internationally so much.”
Anthony saw the 2004 Games as a chance to have “some of the best workouts in the summertime with the best players in the world” and went there thinking “the USA is supposed to win everything.”
“Going through that experience really helped me to learn the international game,” Anthony said.
He’s part of a team that includes one of the best shooters (Redd) and defenders (Prince). There are role players and scorers, including the two biggest.
Bryant will play in his first Olympics after winning his first MVP while leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the finals. James averaged 30.0 points, just enough to beat Bryant for the scoring title.
Those two, along with Anthony, Kidd and Dwight Howard, started for a team that went unbeaten in the Olympic qualifying tournament last year. Eight of the 12 players headed to Beijing played on that team and six played in the 2006 world championships.
“We’re a team already,” Krzyzewski said. “The thing that this program has done is … provide continuity and relationships. … We’ll hit the ground running.”
Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire withdrew from Olympic consideration, apparently concerned about pushing his body too hard after knee surgery in 2005 and 2006. So did Detroit’s Chauncey Billups, who would have had a tough time making the team given the backcourt depth.
Wade’s season ended in March because of a sore left knee that had been bothering him since surgery in 2007. He started working out in his hometown Chicago in May, and James and Paul joined him to help sharpen his game. Colangelo visited recently and left convinced the 6-foot-4 guard was healthy.
“This was to see how far along he had come in his rehab,” Colangelo said. “That was the whole thing. Plus, I had a little conversation I wanted to have with him. We took care of that. I watched him work. I saw him do a few things in terms of explosiveness that showed me that he was pretty much back.”
Trainer Tim Grover has been working out with Wade. Colanagelo said Grover assured him the Miami Heat star will completely ready when the team gathers in Las Vegas next month.
“I feel great,” Wade said.
And he’d feel even better with a gold medal dangling from his neck.
Now ask yourself, where are all of the big men? Will this haunt the US later on in the final rounds? Tayshon Prince???? Come on, there has to be a big, like Tyson Chandler. I hope this mix of players works out for the US to win GOLD!!!

THE TOP NBA JERSEY'S OF THE PAST 10 YEARS, best and worst!

Top 10 most (and least) popular jerseys from the past 10 years
http://yahoo.com
The NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York tipped off their 10th anniversary celebrations yesterday by unveiling the store's Most Popular Jerseys sold from the past decade. Here's a look at the list:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Allen Iverson
4. LeBron James
5. Shaquille O'Neal
6. Tracy McGrady
7. Dwyane Wade
8. Jason Kidd
9. Vince Carter
10. Tim Duncan

Nothing too surprising, really. I'm pretty sure most of you would've slotted Jordan, Kobe and Iverson somewhere in the top three spots. With that said, I'm just as perplexed as the Sports Biz's Darren Rovell about Tim Duncan cracking the top ten. I mean, who in the world is buying a No. 21 Spurs' jersey in downtown Midtwon Manhattan? Seriously. Damn, tourists. I disagree with his top 3. I would move Lebron James, in the top 3. Look for Dewight Howard to crack the top 10 very soon.
But enough about the most popular jerseys; you're more interested in the least popular jerseys, right? Of course you are! So, after the jump, a look at the NBA Store's worst selling jerseys from the past ten years.

10. Clay Bennett, Sonics ... 9. David Stern, Sonics ... 8. Rod Strickland, Bullets (half-smoked lettering)
7. Jerome James, Knicks ... 6. Any 2008 All-Star Game jersey ... 5. Michael Jordan's #12, Bulls (story)
4. Rudy Gay, Grizzlies ... 3. Vince Carter, Team Canada ... 2. Chris Andersen, Hornets (special edition)1. Chris Quinn, Heat

Kobe Bryant Jumping Over the Car.......

Real or fake? You make the call!

NBA All-Star Starters Announced

The starters have been announced for the 2008 NBA All-Star game in New Orleans. Some surprises, some snubs. At least there was no players voted to start who are out. (INJURED) Some disagree with Allen Iverson and Jason Kidd, Dwane Wade, but I think Iverson deserves it, Kidd and D-Wade I would have to question some, especially with all of the guards in the league.

East Starters

Dwane Wade

Jason Kidd

Dwight Howard

Lebron James

Kevin Garnett

West Starters

Kobe Bryant

Allen Iverson

Yao Ming

Carmelo Anthony

Tim Duncan

- Garnett led all vote getter's with 2,399,148

Snubs???? How about Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Baron Davis, Dirk Nowitzki, and Josh Howard. I am sure there are more, but those are mine. Let me know what you think and add more snubs to the list.

The Early Race for NBA MVP is ON!

Here are these guy's early picks for MVP. I have to go with LeBron. The Cavs are on the right track and the talk of him leaving are gone because he would be stupid to start over somewhere else. I think D-Wade is right there in the hunt, but his team isn't in the title hunt. The same goes for Dwight Howard and the Magic. It should be interesting as they get to the all-star break, but I see LeBron James at the top of everyone's list.

1. We're about one-third of the way through the regular season. How would you assess the MVP race?

Ian Thomsen: LeBron James is the front-runner. He has never played better or been more valuable. His Cavaliers have the second-best record in the league and look for the first time like true championship contenders. Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett are going to be in consideration, but this is shaping up to be LeBron's year.

Jack McCallum: There isn't much assessing to be done -- it's LeBron. Team is improved. He's improved. Kobe isn't having an MVP year. The Celtics' Big Three has too much balance. The main comp comes from Wade, and the Heat aren't good enough to make him a viable candidate.

Chris Mannix: Very tough race to call. LeBron, Kobe, Wade, and Paul have been filling stat sheets, and you can take your pick between Garnett and Paul Pierce in Boston. But let me ask this: Who among us expected Denver to be only 4½ games out of first place in the Western Conference two days before Christmas? Anyone? I know I didn't. The lion's share of the credit goes to Chauncey Billups, who has reenergized the franchise with his toughness and leadership. Billups will rarely put up gaudy numbers, but the way he has single-handedly turned Denver into a cohesive unit has been nothing short of remarkable.

Steve Aschburner: Got to go with LeBron here. He organizes and orchestrates Cleveland's offense. He is asserting himself defensively like never before. Pluck him off that team and Cleveland would plummet more in the standings than the Lakers without Bryant, the Magic without Dwight Howard or the Hornets without Paul. James is ready for his MVP close-up.