http://nbaballers.org http://nbaballers.orghttp://nbaballers.org/img/mnm-rss.gif NBA Ballers.org Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:20:10 -0500 en http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Adidas-T-Mac-6-Shoes-Basketball-Mens-T-Mac-Shoe-Sale-TMAC http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Adidas-T-Mac-6-Shoes-Basketball-Mens-T-Mac-Shoe-Sale-TMAC Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:20:10 -0500 Store http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Adidas-T-Mac-6-Shoes-Basketball-Mens-T-Mac-Shoe-Sale-TMAC Tracy McGrady depends on this elite basketball shoe to dominate the game. With its five-pod Ground Control Systema„¢ the adidas T-MAC 6 gives him and you the stability to score at will.
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 » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wades-birthday-bash-Slam-Dunk-1 http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wades-birthday-bash-Slam-Dunk-1 Mon, 22 Jan 2007 09:03:15 -0600 Dwyane Wade http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wades-birthday-bash-Slam-Dunk-1 original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Nike-Basketball-2nd-Coming-AF25-Amare-Stoudemire-interview http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Nike-Basketball-2nd-Coming-AF25-Amare-Stoudemire-interview Mon, 22 Jan 2007 09:02:58 -0600 Amare Stoudemire http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Nike-Basketball-2nd-Coming-AF25-Amare-Stoudemire-interview
Check out Amare Stoudemirea€™s video interview along with the rest of The Second Coming at nikebasketball.com.

On his first game:
I had just moved back from New York, I moved to Florida, and my best friend asked me to play in this junior league. I think I was 13 or 14 at the time. And that was the first game I played in, that was the first game I got my dunk in. So ever since that point, ita€™s been amazing from that point on.


On drive:
My inner motivation. Thata€™s pretty much what drives me. Just being ready, staying focused on the game of basketball. I still want to reach my full potential. Ia€™m only 23 so I got a few more years ahead of mea€¦thata€™s my motivation.
On his style:
Relentless, passionate, courageousa€¦those three words right there pretty much explain my game. You know, I play with a lot of passion, I play with a lot of courage. I just go out there and give it 100 percent.


On tradition:
I think back then there was more pride being played with in the game of basketball. You know, back then with the Michaels, the Barkleys, with the Moses Malonesa€¦those were the guys who played with pride defensively. Offensively, they had one motive in mind and that was to win. Nowadays, some guys are more nonchalant, you know, not really playing with that kind of pride or that type of passion. But with this new generation, with this new Force group, wea€™re definitely bringing that passion back.


On his impact:
Just to leave a positive image, a positive influence to all my fans. Thata€™s probably the most important thing to me right now. Especially with the game of basketball, to have a positive influence on all the fans and win championships. I think winning and being positive are the two main focuses as far as any profession.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kobe-Bryant-Dunks-Amazing-Jumping-Ability http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kobe-Bryant-Dunks-Amazing-Jumping-Ability Sat, 20 Jan 2007 07:34:58 -0600 Kobe Bryant http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kobe-Bryant-Dunks-Amazing-Jumping-Ability  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=NIKE-Basketball--2nd-Coming-AF25-Kobe-Bryant-interview http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=NIKE-Basketball--2nd-Coming-AF25-Kobe-Bryant-interview Sat, 20 Jan 2007 07:34:44 -0600 Kobe Bryant http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=NIKE-Basketball--2nd-Coming-AF25-Kobe-Bryant-interview
Check out Kobe Bryana€™s video interview along with the rest of The Second Coming at nikebasketball.com.

On the game:
You know what? I just feel like ita€™s a blessing to be able to play basketball at this high level. As a kid growing up, I always dreamed about playing basketball, and never dreamed of basketball being able to take things to this levela€¦going to other countries, inspiring kids and things of that nature. Ia€™ve been truly blessed to have all of this take place around something I just love to do.


On tradition:
Ita€™s an honor to be a part of ita€¦theya€™ve inspired us, my generation and the generation before me, to play the game. Ita€™s our turn to step up and represent for this generation. And ita€™s an honor to be a part of it.

Today, you see a carryover of what wea€™ve picked up from the guys from the 80sa€¦A lot of the moves that you see now were revolutionary moves back in the 80s. We basically took what we saw on TV from them, the best of what we saw and what inspired us, and incorporated that into our game, so now ita€™s become part of our basketball culture. So ita€™s on us a€" hopefully wea€™re doing it currently a€" to take the game to another level. Then the next generation can then take our best and go from there.


On the future:
Ita€™s all about just enjoying the game and taking it a day at a time, a game at a time, and just appreciating what I have. I feel like Ia€™ve been blessed to play this game and blessed to be here. And I dona€™t want to shortchange that blessing. I want to make sure I go out there and maximize it to its fullest potential.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Unbelievable-White-Dunker-Better-than-MJ http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Unbelievable-White-Dunker-Better-than-MJ Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:10:02 -0600 Plyometrics http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Unbelievable-White-Dunker-Better-than-MJ  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=10-Things-that-NBA-teaches-us http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=10-Things-that-NBA-teaches-us Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:21:47 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=10-Things-that-NBA-teaches-us
1. The extremely fat Heat Players
2. Meet the new veeper = Larry Brown
3. Mavs spurred to another victory
4. Hot, Hot Cavaliers
5. T-Mack has his back on track
6. Hibachi - In your Face
7. Strife no problem for Wolverines
8. Don't count out Portland quite yet
9. Cutting down the New Jersey Nets
10.Sorry, Clippers, the Lakers are striving  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Unraveling-David-Stern http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Unraveling-David-Stern Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:21:36 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Unraveling-David-Stern
We have already discussed in this space the noxious 15 game suspension of Carmelo Anthony, but that's just the tip of the plunger.

This year, "Money" has executed a series of decisions so brazenly bizarre, so proudly unpopular, it makes me wonder if Donald Rumsfeld hasn't secretly taken over the NBA. Not since Josef Stalin insisted that the girls of the USSR wear pigtails under penalty of imprisonment, have we seen a leader stride so confidently off the deep end without any fear of reprisal.

Stern's long march from sanity began with his executive order for a new basketball a€" now being compared to the success of a€œNew Coke.a€. If there was one part of the NBA in perfect working order, it was the rock. For over 35 years, everyone from Kareem and Oscar Robertson to Jordan and LeBron has used the same leather sphere. Baseball would never switch from cowhide to Nerf, but Stern flushed tradition, moving from leather to some synthetic flubber called Cross Traxxion. The new ball was slicker than Pat Riley's do, and even worse, seemed to be making Vince Carter a good three-point shooter. Worst of all, it was causing a series of open cuts on players' hands, scraping them raw. Everyone despised it, but for half the season, Stern just said, "Let them smoke shake."

It caused a full scale players rebellion and pushed Stern to backtrack and go back to the old ball this week. The only people this upset by this decision were the folks at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA issued a homophobic rant where they wrote,


"As excruciating as these 'injuries' must be for a worldclass athlete, thousands of cows stand to suffer far worse if the NBA goes back to a leather basketball -- so we'd like to suggest a compromise. PETA would like to offer a lifetime supply of cruelty-free hand cream to any NBA siss ... excuse me, superstar who'd be willing to give the composite ball another shot. NCAA athletes have been using composite balls for years without experiencing scratches or scrapes -- but we understand that the delicate hands of pampered NBA superstars are far more sensitive than those of your average Joe who actually has to work for a living."



Gee. Thata€™s mighty progressive of PETA, rivaling their Pam Anderson photo shoots. But I personally believe that no one should dribble anything that didn't at one time have a face.

Yet the ball is nothing compared to the new "rules regarding player comport." Now no one can so much as look at the ref and think bad thoughts without drawing a technical. Stern, in yet another move of Kipling-esque paternalism seems to want players in a state of sedation, smiling up and down the court like they all had chainsaw lobotomies. He might as well put thorazine in the Gatorade. Granted no one wants to see Rasheed Wallace act-the-fool every time he gets whistled for a reach-in, but 122 techs were called through the first 51 games. Players are so putout the union has even threatened legal action to slow the whistles. (If you don't say shit, you must acquit?)

You know you've made some wrong turns when Mark Cuban has been handed the moral high ground. Cubes earned a black belt in sarcasm when he wrote on his blog, "No complaining. No backtalk. No taking off your warm-ups on the court. No arena sound system is too loud. The new ball. All changes for the better. Anyone who has seen me at the games knows it's a completely different ballgame, and I'm thankful."

This year, we should be buzzing about the greatness of a€œAgent Zeroa€ Gilbert Arenas and the best lefty shooter in history Michael Redd. We should be clucking about the emergence of Dwight Howard, and the resurrection of Amare Stoudamire. We should be analyzing how Zach Randolph morphed into a 300-pound version of Adrian Dantley. We should thank heavens that Grant Hill's ankle finally doesn't look like it was repaired with scotch tape and balsa wood. We should be wondering how Steve Nash, entering his mid 30s, just seems to getting better. Instead, we have Stern, tweaking the league, and leaving both fans and players with the purplest of nurples. Mr. Stern: a holiday plea. Please return the joy to Whoville. If you don't, we will have to assume that at long last, and after a great run, "Money" has finally lost his sense.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Finally-NBA-Rivalries-in-Making http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Finally-NBA-Rivalries-in-Making Sat, 13 Jan 2007 16:18:56 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Finally-NBA-Rivalries-in-Making
5. Lakers-Clippers - the battle for supremacy in Staples was never really a battle until last year, when the Clippers finally got their act together thanks in large part to their owner opening up his tight wallet and signing the ever so clutch Sam Cassell and the Cat (Cuttino Mobley.) For the first time in forever they finished ahead of the lakers in the standings and went deeper in the playoffs as well. This year so far has been won by Kobe and Co. but its still early. I'm sure Elton has something to say about it.

4. Mavericks-Suns - This budding rivalry has alot of subplots to go along with the fact they are two of the NBA's elite teams. The suns boast a very talented starting 5 lead by two time MVP and former Maverick, Steve Nash. The fact that he and Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki are best friends adds to the drama when these two face off. Of course, no rivalry is complete without a playoff history, and they have been building one for the past two years, with Pheonix knocking off Dallas in 6 in 04-05' while Dallas returned the favor last year in the conference finals in six. Look for another match up in May.

3. LeBron v. Wade v. Carmelo - I love watching these guys square off, the men of the fabled and legendary 2003 draft (correct me if I get the year wrong). For the rest of their careers these three will be compared to each other in all things, especially championships. Currently Wade is the leader having brought home a ring already. Next is the race for first MVP award. My predition, LeBron will get his first, and more than one, as well as be the next to get a ring.

2. Bulls-Pistons - I had a tough time putting this above Mavs-Suns, but I didnt want to appear west bias. This match has been compelling for years, but it got turned up a notch this off season with the defection of Big Ben Wallace from Detroit to Chicago. The Bulls are probably the most fun team to watch outside of Arenas's club out East. They have the flashy scorers (Gordon, Deng) to go with their hard nosed scrappy players (Hinrich, Wallace, Nocioni). And at least for me I love watching Hinrich play, he gives it his all and seems to always dig deeper than his opponent. The Pistons play the role of the team you love to hate, which seems to follow Rasheed Wallace around.

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks - This my seem like a homer pick, but I truly believe most unbiased observers would agree with me. After last years epic series in which the Mavs won on the road in OT to advance past the once dominate Spurs, this became the eminate rivarly in professional basketball. The subplots include the coaches (the student beats the teacher), Michael Finley, Mark Cuban talking BLEEP on the riverwalk and the city itself, the obvious proximity of the two teams, they play within the same division, and they routinely meet in the playoffs. What held it back until now is it used to be a big brother-little brother relationship with the Spurs bullying the Mavericks every year. With the hiring of Avery Johnson they Mavs have matched the Spurs and quite possibly surpassed them. Hopefully we all get to see them clash come May in what I anticipate as the Conference Finals.

If you have any additional rivalries I may have overlooked let me know. Obviously I left off Kobe vs. Shaq, but since the two didnt face off this year I feel like it lost some luster on christmas. Thanks for reading!  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Phil-Jackson-Get-BLANK-Check-from-Jerry-Buss http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Phil-Jackson-Get-BLANK-Check-from-Jerry-Buss Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:23:37 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Phil-Jackson-Get-BLANK-Check-from-Jerry-Buss
"Jeez, if it was just one season, I could think about it," he said. "Can you win 82 games next year?"

Lakers owner Jerry Buss gave Jackson, 61, the equivalent of a blank check before the season, saying that, "if he wants to coach longer, then we'll certainly want to have him."  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kevin-Martin-has-AllStar-potential http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kevin-Martin-has-AllStar-potential Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:23:34 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kevin-Martin-has-AllStar-potential
He toasted Washington for a career-high 40 points Dec. 21, and he's had five other games of at least 30 points. Despite his slight frame, he's also proved durable, logging 35.5 minutes a game.

He's in the top 20 in the league in ... More at True Hoop  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Inside-Mind-Gilbert-Arenas http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Inside-Mind-Gilbert-Arenas Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:23:31 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Inside-Mind-Gilbert-Arenas
The Takeover Continues
I mean, when I said it was going to be The Takeover, I really didna€™t know what I was really going for but, ita€™s like, a€œWow, I am taking the NBA by surprise.a€

Ita€™s kind of funny though. I dona€™t know. You know, ita€™s weird, but I did a lot of work this summer so ita€™s not like I just woke up in the morning and said, a€œIta€™s The Takeover.a€ You know, I actually worked hard, real hard, this summer to prepare for the time next year.

Don't Sleep on Caron
Carona€™s been playing great basketball. Hea€™s been playing All-Star basketball. Ia€™m not even gonna take anything away from him, hea€™s been playing All-Star basketball.

Last night, that first half, the man was 9-for-9. You know, hea€™s been doing all the little things a€¦ He had 30 and seven, eight, nine assists? Hea€™s just been playing phenomenal basketball and he has to be considered an All-Star the way hea€™s playing.

Caron Played With Kobe and D-Wade Also
I actually ask, a€œWhat do these guys do? How do they prepare?a€ I dona€™t try to compare myself with them guys. I like to learn from them. I just ask him, you know, a€œWhat were they like? You had Wade when he was younger, what did he do? What did he do different?

a€œAnd you had Kobe after Shaq left and he had that mentality where he wanted to take over the league. How was he? Like, what did he do?a€

And hea€™ll just break it down for me and it makes you respect those guys.

It helps me out more in work ethic. You know, most of those guys I dona€™t stick. Theya€™re bigger guards. Occasionally Ia€™ll stick Wade when I go to the two, but me matching up with Kobe is not a match-up. Because, you know, hea€™s 6-8.

But you know a€¦ their mindset.

If wea€™re going through a game and Ia€™m cruising, you know, I done did something in the first half and then Ia€™m cruising through the second half, hea€™ll say, a€œWell, D-Wade wouldna€™t be cruising right now a€¦ Kobe wouldna€™t be cruising right now a€¦ You need to step it up.a€

And thata€™s when Ia€™ll kick in my extra gear.

Altitude Tent Paying Off
I havena€™t been fatigued this season. My winda€™s been great.

I havena€™t slept in there in probably about three weeks now.

My wind is better than I expected. Ia€™ll go through games and feel like I can shoot the same shot at the end of the game that I do at the beginning of the game.

Three-Point Competition
Truly, I think I should be an automatic candidate because I was runner-up last year.

I think get a nod for that.

So, wea€™ll see. Hopefully I can win it this year. I dona€™t like using the word cheated, but I think I got snubbed last year on mine.

But ita€™s all right. I was just happy to be there.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kobe-Bryants-Jersey-1-Again-Kobes-Rehabilitation-is-Completed http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kobe-Bryants-Jersey-1-Again-Kobes-Rehabilitation-is-Completed Thu, 11 Jan 2007 08:55:57 -0600 Kobe Bryant http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Kobe-Bryants-Jersey-1-Again-Kobes-Rehabilitation-is-Completed
The only surprise with Bryant is how quickly they've forgiven and forgotten.

It wasn't all that long ago that Bryant was scorned as an admitted philanderer at best, a suspected rapist at worst. Bryant had used his celebrity to take advantage of a teenage girl, and faced the very real possibility of spending long years in a Colorado prison.

On the court, things weren't much better. Bryant sent one very large teammate packing, and his desire to always have the ball created such friction on the Los Angeles Lakers that Phil Jackson called him uncoachable.

He has stayed out of trouble since the charges against him were dropped at the last minute, and agreed to pay his accuser an undisclosed amount to settle a civil suit.

Bryant has changed his game, too. While he did score 81 points one night last year, he has seemingly dedicated himself lately to becoming something other than a selfish player who wants the ball all the time and will take a shot from anywhere.

In a game last week against Denver, Bryant actually had more assists (10) than points (eight). It was the first time since April 2004 that he scored less than 10 points in a game, and Bryant spoke afterward about how he simply wanted to make those playing with him better.

'It's about being a big brother, giving them encouragement, but also getting on top of them at times,' Bryant said.

Shaq probably gagged when he heard those words, but the truth is Bryant is comfortable now in his role as team leader. It shows on the court, where the Lakers were 23-12 and in second place in their conference going into Wednesday night's game with Houston.

He's comfortable in his new jersey as well. Bryant changed from his No. 8 to No. 24 this year, and the switch surely had a lot to do with his moving up from fourth to first in jersey sales at the NBA Store in New York City and in the league's online market.

Bryant passed the Miami Heat's Dwayne Wade in jersey sales in NBA stores, but Neil Schwartz, who tracks sporting good sales for SportsOneSource, said Bryant's shirt is still anywhere from third to fifth in popularity nationwide.

Oddly enough, Schwartz said Bryant's jersey sales were hurt more by his feud with Shaq and the breakup of the championship Lakers than the scandal. NBA fans can put up with a lot, but they apparently draw the line at being a bad teammate.

'I don't see this as a renaissance of his popularity,' Schwartz said. 'I see this as a great marketing ploy.'

Image rehabilitation can be a tricky thing, but so far Bryant has done everything right.

He seems to have changed the way a lot of people look at him almost as easily as he changed his jersey.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Michael-Jordans-Top-10-GameWinners http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Michael-Jordans-Top-10-GameWinners Thu, 11 Jan 2007 08:47:46 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Michael-Jordans-Top-10-GameWinners  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Source-Chris-Webber-is-getting-Bought-Out-by-76ers http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Source-Chris-Webber-is-getting-Bought-Out-by-76ers Thu, 11 Jan 2007 08:47:32 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Source-Chris-Webber-is-getting-Bought-Out-by-76ers
The source said that Webber, who will become a free agent, would give back less than $5 million in the deal. In his 14th NBA season, Webber is listed on the team's salary cap at $20,718,750 this season and is due $22,312,500 next season.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Jason-Kid-says-No-to-having-his-Kids-beaten-down-by-wife http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Jason-Kid-says-No-to-having-his-Kids-beaten-down-by-wife Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:45:23 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Jason-Kid-says-No-to-having-his-Kids-beaten-down-by-wife
Lesnevich would not comment further or discuss the details of the complaint, filed Monday in the domestic violence division of state Superior Court in Hackensack.

UPDATE: An AP account of the Phoenix incident I wrote about earlier:

Police said that Joumana Kidd was crying when they arrived following the 5:44 p.m. call to 911. She said she and her husband had been arguing since he got home.

About 5 p.m., Joumana Kidd said, she decided to go to the gym and asked Jason if he would watch and feed their 2-year-old son, T.J. Police said Kidd took a french fry from the boy's plate, and his wife told him not to eat the child's food.

"Jason then turns towards Mrs. Kidd and spits the french fry at Mrs. Kidd, striking her in the face," the police report said. "Mrs. Kidd turns away from Jason. Jason then strikes Mrs. Kidd in the face while holding a container of yogurt in his hand"

More at True Hoop  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=L-Lakers-score-Big-Kobe-Bryant-scores-more-Assists-Points http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=L-Lakers-score-Big-Kobe-Bryant-scores-more-Assists-Points Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:14:51 -0600 Kobe Bryant http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=L-Lakers-score-Big-Kobe-Bryant-scores-more-Assists-Points
But the Lakers looked fresh and energized from the start of Friday's game, as four starters scored in double figures in a 123-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.

And to the surprise of most of the 18,997 fans, Kobe Bryant didn't lead LA in scoring.

In fact, Bryant scored the fewest points of the starters -- eight, his lowest total since April 3, 2005, against Memphis. But he had 10 assists and five rebounds and was able to rest all of the fourth quarter along with the other starters.

After the game Bryant talked about how he enjoyed sharing the ball and seeing his teammates score, and how much better the Lakers are when that happens. He liked the idea of having most assists than points, of having to take just nine shots.

"It felt great, fantastic," Bryant said. "I told them ... 'I needed the night off. You guys are working me too hard. Double overtime, triple overtime, overtime.'

"In all seriousness, I'd much rather have this type of game where everybody is just playing, having fun."

Every Laker played in the blowout, and Smush Parker was the offensive force, coming up one point shy of his career high with 23 points. He was 9 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 4 from three-point range.

Andrew Bynum was solid in his second straight start, scoring 19 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking a career-high six shots.

Luke Walton had 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Brian Cook had 16 points and four rebounds.

The Lakers couldn't have asked for a better start.

They had arrived from Sacramento about 2 a.m. Friday, most of them still shaky from a flight that descended in heavy winds.

The Lakers didn't have their customary shootaround because they were too tired. But they came together at 5 p.m. for a film session to prepare them for the Nuggets.

It must have worked.

They then made 13 of their 14 shots, including their first 10, and 12 came on assists. By the end of the first quarter, the Lakers had 15 field goals on 13 assists. They finished with a season-high 39 assists on 47 field goals.

"We took a day off, as far as shooting, and just came to the arena to play, and it worked out well," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "But I warned them that's going to be nothing to count on. It doesn't happen -- despite good results."

The Lakers scored 35 points in the first quarter, and Bryant didn't have a single one.

He had nine assists and took just one shot. He took just two in the first half -- missing both. -- a sign of how much he trusted his teammates and how well they were able to play.

Bryant scored his first points with 39.7 seconds left in the half on two free throws.

"Kobe facilitated a lot of things tonight," Jackson said. "I know there were people out there that really wanted him to score ... But he did the right thing in the type of game that was being played. I think he felt very comfortable with that, too."  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=This-is-Shaqs-House-Fork-out-35-Million http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=This-is-Shaqs-House-Fork-out-35-Million Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:14:45 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=This-is-Shaqs-House-Fork-out-35-Million
We have no issue with Mr. Shaquille, his wife, or their family. We blame the decorator. After seeing how the decorator has blasphemed and insulted the house, Your Mama now understands why the O'Neals have being trying to unload this place practically since the day they moved in.

Written By: mactbone On January 9, 2007 11:48 AM
My mom ended up buying Travis Best's house in Carmel, IN. He built it and there was no carpet in the entire house. All wood flooring and tiles. Well, I think the movie room had a carpet. It was really interesting to see just what kind of place a lower tier guy like Best could afford. They all live very comfortably.

I went with her to check it out and we looked in the master bedroom closet and saw a ton of shoe boxes and some paraphenalia ..... True Hoop  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Rileys-ShapeUp-Plan--destruction--Miami-Heat http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Rileys-ShapeUp-Plan--destruction--Miami-Heat Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:00:34 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Rileys-ShapeUp-Plan--destruction--Miami-Heat
The Miami Heat are falling apart as fast as Riley's creaky knees and hips. Benching players for body-fat violations is going to be as effective in the long run as a crash diet.

Riley took a leave of absence this week to deal with his achy joints and had knee surgery Friday. Before he limped off, though, he deactivated Antoine Walker and James Posey after they missed their body-fat requirements by 1 percent.

If they don't meet the requirements by Jan. 15, Riley warned, they could be suspended.

'It's not a disciplinary statement,' he said Wednesday. 'This is simply about something I believe in. And I really don't care what they think. What I believe in is the bedrock of my philosophy, which is conditioning, first and foremost.'

'One guy who's at 8 percent might be performing optimally and a guy who's at 10 percent might be performing optimally,' she said. 'Body fat is one small factor in all the factors that go into performance.'

A player with excess body fat will tire faster, and his explosiveness _ jumping ability, first step _ will be limited, said Cedric Bryant, the chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise.

But Posey and Walker aren't anywhere close to being Oliver Miller, who ate himself out of the NBA.

The 6-8, 217-pound Posey said his body fat was measured at 9 percent. Walker, at 6-9 and 245 pounds, said he's at 11 percent. That's 1 percent above the marks Riley established for them but still within the healthy range for an NBA player. And well below that of the average male.

Body fat of 7 percent to 11 percent is considered healthy for elite basketball players. For the average population, the range is anywhere from 6 percent to 24 percent.

'You'd never look at them and say, 'Oh, they have a weight problem,'' Bryant said. 'Their body-fat levels are far below the average of males their age. Far below.'

And lowering their body fats by a percentage point isn't going to make one bit of difference on the court.

'You'd be hard pressed to find any scientific study that would show, with a difference in 1 percent in body fat, that performance would be adversely affected,' said Alan Utter, a professor at Appalachian State who followed more than 800 top collegiate wrestlers from 1999-2004 to see, in part, the relationship between performance and body fat.

There's one more problem with Riley's conditioning conditions: Body-fat numbers are only slightly more accurate than that weight most of us list on our driver's license.

The Heat won't say how they're measuring body fat. Mier said every method of measuring body fat has a margin of error of 3 percent to 4 percent. That means Walker's body fat actually might be 14 percent. Or he could be as low as 7 percent.

Or he just might be a perfect 10.

'My humble recommendation to him would be focus more on the level of physical conditioning as reflected by their endurance capabilities, their ability to perform on the court without the quick onset of fatigue,' Bryant said. 'That's going to be much more predictive of success in the sport of basketball. And it's going to be a more reliable measure.'

Better yet, worry about numbers that really matter.

Such as that four-game losing streak the defending champs were lugging when they started a tough West Coast road trip Friday night. Or their scoring average, field-goal percentage and turnovers. Or the 10 guys the Heat were down to with Walker and Posey deactivated, and Shaq and Wade ailing.

Holding players responsible for their fitness is one thing. In this case, though, it's little more than cosmetic surgery.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Can-Kobe-Bryant-win-MVP-Are-NBA-Fans-ready-this http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Can-Kobe-Bryant-win-MVP-Are-NBA-Fans-ready-this Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:00:29 -0600 Kobe Bryant http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Can-Kobe-Bryant-win-MVP-Are-NBA-Fans-ready-this
The Kings simply didn't have an answer for Kobe. Whenever they played man-to-man, Kobe repeatedly abused whoever was guarding him. And whenever they doubled him, he effortlessly found his open teammates.

Love him or hate him, you have to admit Kobe Bryant is the best player in the game. He is probably a better scorer than MJ, because of his range and superior 3pt shot.

When he wants to, he is by far the best passing shooting guard in the game. Defensively, no perimeter player is even close to him. And whenever his team needs a crucial rebound, he is there to contribute.

The one constant knock on his game before this season was that he sometimes forced too many bad shots. But you couldn't really blame him. His teammates were too young or inexperienced to step up to help him out.

Thus this season is completely different. His teammates have finally matured enough for Kobe to trust them. I think when Lamar and Kwame come back healthy, this Lakers team can really make some noises in the playoff. If everyone stays healthy, I boldily predict that the Lakers will win a championship within the next 3 seasons.

Now back to the real topic, can Kobe win the MVP this season?

I know Nash, Dirk, LeBron, and Duncan are all having great years. But I think so far Kobe has been more impressive than all of them.

Nash and Duncan have both won the award twice. So I think it's time to give it to someone else.

LeBron is doing great, but his team is not that good. If the Cavs play in the West, they would be a 7th or 8th seed.

Dirk is also doing great, but he has many talented teammates to help him out. Kobe, conversely, is now winning ball game with Brian Cook and Luke Walton as the main 2nd options.

Statistically Kobe is by far superior than everyone else (29.7ppg 5.7rpg 5.2apg on 47% shooting). And his team is one of the elites, with Lamar Odom missing a big chunk of the games.

If things continue the way they have been, I have to give my MVP vote to Kobe Bryant!

Read more on bbing168's Blog Can Kobe Bryant win the MVP?  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Lamar-Odom-packing-on-Weight http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Lamar-Odom-packing-on-Weight Mon, 08 Jan 2007 13:00:50 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Lamar-Odom-packing-on-Weight
I got the impression he didn't love the thing, not just because it makes him two pounds heavier. Some guys just don't want to look hippy, I guess.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Phil-Jacksons-900th-Win-Lakers-snap-Mavs-12-Game-Winning-Streak http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Phil-Jacksons-900th-Win-Lakers-snap-Mavs-12-Game-Winning-Streak Mon, 08 Jan 2007 10:27:21 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Phil-Jacksons-900th-Win-Lakers-snap-Mavs-12-Game-Winning-Streak
Kobe Bryant had 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists and Luke Walton scored 21 for the Lakers, who presented coach Phil Jackson with his 900th victory.

Jackson ranks ninth on the NBA's all-time wins list, and became the fastest to reach 900, doing so in 1,264 games. Former Lakers coach Pat Riley accomplished the feat in 1,278 games.

Dirk Nowitzki's jumper with 42 seconds remaining gave the Mavericks a 98-97 lead, but Vujacic's long jumper put the Lakers ahead for good. A free throw by Walton with 10.6 seconds to play completed the scoring.

Devean George, a former Laker, missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with four seconds left, and Bryant got the rebound. Time expired before the Mavericks were able to commit a foul.

The win was the fourth straight for the Lakers (23-11), who played without injured starters Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown. The loss was just the fourth in the last 31 games for the Mavericks, whose 27-8 record is the best in the NBA.

Ronny Turiaf added 13 points and Smush Parker scored 11 for the Lakers.

Nowitzki had 29 points and 13 rebounds, Josh Howard had 20 points and nine rebounds, and Jerry Stackhouse scored 14 for the Mavericks.

The Lakers shot 39-of-71 (54.9 percent) to 38-of-90 (42.2 percent) for the Mavericks.

Walton outscored Dallas 7-2 by himself to move the Lakers within two points with five minutes left.

Two free throws by Jason Terry with 1:29 to play gave the Mavericks a 96-92 lead, but Bryant made a three-point play with 1:21 left and two free throws with 55.9 seconds to go, giving the Lakers their first lead since the second quarter.

Terry scored four points to cap a 9-2 run and give Dallas a 69-58 lead midway through the third quarter, and the Mavericks led 77-68 entering the final period.

The Lakers took a 23-12 lead in the opening 8 1/2 minutes, but Stackhouse scored nine points and George added five during a 19-8 run by the Mavericks that tied it at 31.

Nowitzki, coming off a season-high 36-point performance, and Bryant, coming off a season-low eight-point effort, had four each at that stage.

A 3-pointer by Vujacic put the Lakers on top 36-33 before Nowitzki scored five straight points to give the Mavericks their first lead.

The Mavericks led by as many as seven points before settling for a 51-48 halftime lead. The Lakers trailed despite shooting 22-of-38 in the opening 24 minutes to Dallas' 20-of-49.

Notes: The Mavericks, who won 12 straight games after losing their first four, are the 20th team in NBA history with two double-figure winning streaks in the same season. The only team to accomplish the feat faster was the 1971-72 Lakers, who had a pair of 11-game streaks in their first 31 games. ... Odom sprained a ligament in his right knee Dec. 12, and Brown sprained his right ankle Dec. 31. Both are expected to be sidelined at least two more weeks. ... The Mavericks' latest winning streak began Dec. 13, when they beat the Lakers 110-101 in Dallas. That was the last time the Mavericks allowed an opponent to reach 100 points until this game. ... The Mavericks are 31-2 during the past two seasons when Howard scores at least 20. ... George played his first seven NBA seasons with the Lakers before signing with Dallas last summer. He scored nine points in 20 minutes.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=real-advantage-Home-Court-Advantage http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=real-advantage-Home-Court-Advantage Sun, 07 Jan 2007 13:03:38 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=real-advantage-Home-Court-Advantage
The question is where does this inherent advantage come from?

In the NBA it's partly a factor of scheduling issues - more teams play away without a day off, and you have the long trips and the brutal 'four games in five nights' sequences. Some argue that the officiating gives the benefit of the doubt to the home sides more often.

Then you have the "home cooking" notion that teams are familiar with the particulars/eccentricities of the home court. Finally there's the idea that the crowd can have a positive effect for the home team.

For starters, here is the split on home/away wins for the league as a whole:

Home Team Winning Percentage
(NBA regular season)
2005-06: .603 (742-488)
2004-05: .604 (744-486)
2003-04: .614 (730-459)
2002-03: .628 (747-442)
2001-02: .591 (703-486)

(The league had thirty teams the most recent two years (with the addition of the Bobcats), and twenty-nine the three before that.)

Does the home court matter more for some teams than others then with the NBA as well? Again, looking at the past five seasons this is what we find:

Home vs. Away Records by Team
(2001-02 through 2005-06 regular seasons)

Team Home % Away % Difference
Cleveland Cavaliers .571 .273 .298
Denver Nuggets .580 .298 .283
Milwaukee Bucks .610 .337 .273
Sacramento Kings .790 .522 .268
New Jersey Nets .717 .449 .268
Atlanta Hawks .459 .200 .259
Los Angeles Lakers .722 .463 .259
New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets .585 .341 .244
Washington Wizards .576 .332 .244
Indiana Pacers .698 .454 .244
Memphis Grizzlies .595 .356 .239
Orlando Magic .556 .317 .239
Golden State Warriors .517 .283 .234
Los Angeles Clippers .551 .317 .234
Minnesota Timberwolves .688 .463 .224
Charlotte Bobcats .378 .159 .220
Utah Jazz .595 .380 .215
Miami Heat .629 .415 .215
Chicago Bulls .502 .288 .215
New York Knicks .502 .288 .215
San Antonio Spurs .829 .620 .210
Portland Trailblazers .561 .356 .205
Phoenix Suns .649 .449 .200
New Orleans Hornets .528 .333 .195
Detroit Pistons .761 .566 .195
Dallas Mavericks .790 .610 .180
Seattle Supersonics .585 .434 .151
Boston Celtics .580 .429 .151
Toronto Raptors .459 .317 .141
Philadelphia 76ers .566 .434 .132
Houston Rockets .556 .424 .132
Charlotte Hornets .512 .561 -.049

It is interesting that the Denver Nuggets rank No. 2 in biggest home versus away record difference, since much has been made of the "high altitude" effect. MLB's Colorado Rockies have likewise had some notorious seasons of acceptable home records and terrible away efforts.

The aberration Charlotte Hornets is based on just one season, a year in which they were a lame duck team, on route to a new city. Speaking of the Hornets, the Oklahoma City fans have made perhaps a solid case for the city deserving a franchise, not just from good attendance but also from a better spike in home team performance (a .244 difference in NOK versus the .195 of NOa€¦admittedly just the one season of course so far for comparison).

It is however the Cleveland Cavaliers who top the charts for most pronounced difference in home versus away performance. It's also been remarkably consistent from year to year: .293 - .390 - .268 - .268 - .268 (although it doesn't prove an 'extra strength' home court advantagea€¦maybe the Cavs do something wrong on their road preparations)

At the other end of the spectrum, the Rockets, Sixers, Raptors, Celtics and Sonics might want to figure out how to improve that home court edge.

Still we haven't addressed the bigger question as to what ways this home court advantage manifests itself. Pulling together the home versus away stats from 2005-06 for the league as a whole it looks like this:

Home vs Away Shooting stats

Team FG % eFG % Ast'd Blk'd FTA FT%
Home .460 .496 27.0% 5.5% 27.0 .746
Away .447 .484 25.2% 6.4% 25.6 .744

So home teams do shoot 1.3% better on field goals, although virtually the same on free throws (so much for the random fan waving signs behind the backboard theory). Free throw attempts per game are higher for the home sides, as is the percentage of field goal attempts leading to an assisted basket. The percentage of shots blocked is lower for the home team, even though they take slightly more shots from close range.

On the rebounding front, the home team is noticeably better on both the offensive and defensive boards. Since rebounding constitutes a certain amount of hustle perhaps this is one area where the 'tired road team' effect is pronounced. You could also believe it comes from familiarity with the rim and the way the ball bounces off it at your particular court. The cynics might charge that refs let the home team get away with more pushing and shoving under the glass.

Now if you want to focus squarely on the refs, free throw attempts might be your zone, but that only adds about 1.3 points per game on the additional attempts, and the overall home court advantage last season was 3.4 points per game.

Let's break down the fouls called and turnovers a bit more.

Fouls Turnovers
Team Off. Shoot Pers. Loose Off. Pass
Home 2.0 10.3 8.5 1.3 2.0 5.9
Away 2.2 10.8 8.7 1.4 2.2 5.8

So away teams are called for more fouls per game in all four categories we show - offensive fouls, shooting fouls, personal fouls, loose ball fouls. The shooting fouls represents the largest difference with an extra 0.5 called per game.

On turnovers the home team actually committed slightly more passing turnovers, but the away teams were called for more ball handling violations (traveling, double dribbles, palming, etc). On the whole though you'd have to say the numbers are remarkably close and a testament to a solid effort to remove home bias from the officiating.

Indeed it could be argued that if anything the ref influence is probably stronger in what they let players get away with, eg the bumping on the rebounds, maybe a little movement on the screens and so forth.

Conspiracy theorists can always cling to the playoffs since this is just the regular season, but we'd say that there are a lot of factors that contribute to the home court advantage, so don't just blow the whistle on the whistle-blowers!  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Melo-Martin-plan-to-help-family-Darren-Williams http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Melo-Martin-plan-to-help-family-Darren-Williams Sun, 07 Jan 2007 10:51:29 -0600 Carmelo Anthony http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Melo-Martin-plan-to-help-family-Darren-Williams
"I don't know exactly what it's going to be," Melo said Wednesday. "I just think it's the right thing to do for his kids."

One of the ideas is to start a college fund for Darren Williams' children. Carmelo Anthony said he and Williams became friends the past two years as they saw each other around town. Anthony said he spoke to Williams before going into a party Sunday night and heard about Williams' murder the next day.

"I knew him pretty well," Anthony said.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Pro-basketballas-greatest-ball-hawks http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Pro-basketballas-greatest-ball-hawks Sat, 06 Jan 2007 13:46:42 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Pro-basketballas-greatest-ball-hawks
Since then, just 51 players have had at least 100 steals and 100 blocked shots in the same season, 26 of whom only accomplished the feat once.

Five players had 100-100 seasons in 2005-06: Kevin Garnett (104 steals, 107 blocked shots), Andrei Kirilenko (102-220), Shawn Marion (160-137), Ben Wallace (146-181) and Gerald Wallace (138-115).

Michael Jordan & Scottie PippenVincent Laforet/AFP/Getty ImagesMichael & Scottie are two of only four players in the vaunted "200/100" club.

How valuable is it to have a 100-100 player on a team? Could such a player actually be harming his team by gambling too much, resulting in defensive breakdowns? The careers of Julius Erving and Bobby Jones provide possible answers to those questions. Erving played against Jones in the ABA and then teamed with him for eight years with the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA.

During that time, the 76ers made it to the Conference Finals four times, advanced to the NBA Finals three times and won one championship; Philadelphia never ranked lower than eighth in ppg allowed and usually placed in the top five. That was not a result of playing at a slow pace, either, because the 76ers twice led the league in point differential and were always among the league leaders in that category.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Uncertain-about-Kevin-Garnett-status http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Uncertain-about-Kevin-Garnett-status Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:29:15 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Uncertain-about-Kevin-Garnett-status "I don't know why, but I always have mixed feelings with KG. In my opinion, he is best PF in the league (although I always wonder what would happen if KG plays at 3, but anyways...)

But I also get very frustrated with KG. He is such a talented player who can do anything on court - but I also believe that's also the reason why it is hurting him (a fade away jumper from 20 ft is just the same 2 points compared to a boring bank shot from 10 ft in, but it's a lot harder!!).

I think KG is a much more talented player than Ducan (sorry Spurs fans), he can do a lot more. And Ducan free throw shooting is horrible (I can never get over with NBA players who can't shoot free throw, yes, it involves some shooting touch, but more importantly I think free frow shooting is a great reflection to the player's commitment to the game). I just get really frustrated when KG start shooting long range jumpers.... if you really watch him played, he tends to do that more and more often towards the end of the games.... in fact, he will just get plain passive (the most positive word I can think of) in tight games.... KG is the worse clutch player ever (given his superb talent).... I always think if somehow KG can just play a simple game like Ducan..... he would have won a few championships even with his supporting casts (hey, remember he did have Cassell and Spree once)...

I think KG in a way is similar to Pippen... who is a great player but need a much greater player to lead.... and it's hard to find that someone in the league to lead KG, with him being a side-kick....

so for KG to win, i don't think it's a case of giving him a better supporting casts, but give him a leader so he can follow - and he will shine!! "  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Gilbert-Arenas-is-playing-like-MVP http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Gilbert-Arenas-is-playing-like-MVP Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:29:13 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Gilbert-Arenas-is-playing-like-MVP
So far this season, fans packing Verizon Center have not given Gilbert Arenas the MVP treatment. But those chants will come soon if Arenas continues to perform like he has for the last month.

"Who's playing better than him right now?" said Redd, who is in the midst of a career season himself. "He's been unstoppable. He's been on one of those rolls you dream about and they're winning."

Arenas's amazing shot Wednesday night was only the most recent proof that the Wizards have the franchise's first in-his-prime superstar since Wes Unseld dominated the lane for the Bullets in the 1970s.

Not only is Arenas averaging a career-high 30.3 points, but he's also shooting a career-best 40.2 percent from three-point range, he's averaging a career-high 6.4 assists and he's making 82.6 percent of his free throw attempts.

He's also carrying himself like an MVP, a player who knows he's the baddest man on the court -- as illustrated by the way he acknowledged his game-winning shot Wednesday night. As the ball fell through the net and the arena erupted, Arenas turned and strutted toward the bench as if the shot was no big deal. Arenas calls such confidence his "swag."

He has backed up such bravado this season by outdueling James in a win over the Cavaliers at Verizon Center, scoring 60 points on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a rare win in Los Angeles, dropping 54 in a win over Nash and the Suns in Phoenix and scoring 38 in a win over annual MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks in a win at Verizon Center.

Following Wednesday's 108-105 win over the Bucks, Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan even praised Arenas for his defense.

"I thought that was the one of the keys," Jordan said after Arenas and the Wizards strung together a series of much-needed fourth-quarter stops against the high-scoring Bucks.

Arenas's brilliance, along with Caron Butler's own career season and Antawn Jamison's steady play, has allowed the Wizards to win 12 of their last 15 games and moved them five games over the .500 mark going into tonight's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Verizon Center.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Iverson-Slapped-with-25000-Fine http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Iverson-Slapped-with-25000-Fine Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:29:09 -0600 Allen Iverson http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Iverson-Slapped-with-25000-Fine
Iverson was ejected late in that game, his first against his former team, after picking up his second technical foul with 1:44 remaining. The NBA penalized Iverson for "verbal abuse of a game official" and for postgame criticism of an official.

Iverson was critical of Javie's officiating after the game.

"I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought that he was calling the game personal, and he threw me out," Iverson said. "His fuse is real short anyway, and I should have known that I couldn't say anything anyway. It's been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad."  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Lebron-James-Checks-Out-Big-Breasts http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Lebron-James-Checks-Out-Big-Breasts Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:53:40 -0600 Lebron James http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Lebron-James-Checks-Out-Big-Breasts View Lebron James checking out the Rack  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Sprite-Launches-Search-LeBron-Jamesa-Theme-Song http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Sprite-Launches-Search-LeBron-Jamesa-Theme-Song Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:47:32 -0600 Lebron James http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Sprite-Launches-Search-LeBron-Jamesa-Theme-Song
Starting this week at www.LeBron23-23.com, one musically astute Sprite drinker will win the chance to do just that as part of Spritea€™s nationwide search for LeBrona€™s theme song.

a€œThe subLYMONal campaign has given Sprite an arresting, direct way to speak to people and cut through the monotony of ordinary advertising,a€ said Scott Hargrove, Brand Director, Sprite, Coca-Cola North America.

a€œIn 2007, we are taking it to the next level with new advertising and a one-of-a-kind promotion. In his latest Sprite ad, a€˜subLYMONal at Home,a€™ LeBron shows us his unique take on subLYMONal.

Sprite drinkers will be able to put their own musical stamp on the campaign and help create an exclusive theme song for LeBron by taking part in the new LeBron23-23 promotion.a€

The LeBron23-23 promotion will unfold over several phases. From January 1 through 22, consumers can enter codes found under the caps of specially marked 20-oz bottles of Sprite and Sprite Zero at LeBron23-23.com for the opportunity to create their own mix, which could become the score for LeBrona€™s theme song.

Tracks will be posted at LeBron23-23.com so that visitors to the site can vote on their favorites. Participants who embed their tracks onto customized Sprite Lymon digital a€œwidgetsa€ can also promote them on community networking sites and invite their friends to vote for them. During the voting period, a selection of the submitted tracks, as well as video clips of LeBron in action and subLYMONal images will be posted at NBA.com/2323.

Fans will be able to choose their favorite video clips and music mixes and combine them to create their own customized music videos that can be shared digitally with friends.

When the submission and preliminary voting period ends, an expert panel will review the top 100 vote-getters and select the 23 best tracks.

Then the contest judges, including LeBron and hip hop artists Paul Wall and Al Fatz, will choose their three favorite submissions to become finalists for the commercial track.

The overall winner -- whose track will be chosen by consumer voting -- will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join Paul Wall and Al Fatz in-studio as they fine-tune the music that will become LeBrona€™s theme song.

a€œTo have a theme song created by the fans of Sprite and the NBA is a real honor. The online world offers so many new and exciting ways for all of us to communicate and express ourselves,a€ said LeBron James. a€œLeBron 23-23.com will produce some great tracks and I am really looking forward to listening to and judging the best songs."

During NBA All Star 2007 in Las Vegas, LeBron and Sprite will host an exclusive event at the Bellagio Hotel to unveil the new ad, announce the three finalists and debut their soundtracks for the ad.

On February 17, three different versions of LeBrona€™s new ad, a€œsubLYMONal at Home,a€ each showcasing one of the finalist tracks, will debut on All-Star 2007 television programming. Viewers will be prompted to vote on their favorite track via text message or online at LeBron23-23.com between February 17 and March 2.

In a€œsubLYMONal at Home,a€ LeBron demonstrates his take on the ultimate subLYMONal experience. He and several buddies engage in a stylized game of a€œLymon Balla€ to refresh taste buds with thirst-quenching lymon pellets.

Like previous subLYMONnal ads, the ad uses distinctive lemon and lime imagery to reinforce the undeniable refreshment of Lymon. The new ad was created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky of Miami.

During the promotion, Sprite drinkers who enter codes at LeBron23-23.com will have a chance to claim one of 23 prizes that will be awarded every hour.

Among the instant-win prizes are signed LeBron jerseys, video iPods, noise canceling headphones and portable AM/FM stereo/CD player units.

The LeBron23-23 promotion will be supported through an extensive marketing campaign which will feature television, radio and digital advertising, media merchandising programs in 19 key markets, viral digital content seeding and distribution to key influencers of limited-edition LeBron/subLYMONal Nike sneakers.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wade-is-pure-Saint http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wade-is-pure-Saint Fri, 05 Jan 2007 08:56:54 -0600 Dwyane Wade http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wade-is-pure-Saint
Wade arranged for his Converse shoes and brand of clothing to be distributed Saturday at his mother's place of worship, the New Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church in southwest Chicago, and soon will be sending another 100 pairs of kids' sneakers to the same church for another giveaway.

He's sent shoes to soldiers in Iraq, and to people struggling after Hurricane Katrina.

He's helped others privately and, truthfully, he'd rather do it all without fanfare.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Podcast-Lakers-Phil-Jackson-on-Kwame-Browns-Angle-Injury http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Podcast-Lakers-Phil-Jackson-on-Kwame-Browns-Angle-Injury Fri, 05 Jan 2007 08:56:50 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Podcast-Lakers-Phil-Jackson-on-Kwame-Browns-Angle-Injury ion.

Phil Jackson, speaking first about the game and commenting on Kwame's injury:Download phil_jackson_12.31 on Philly game, Kwame injury.mp3

P.J. on how the team will work to replace Brown in the lineup.  Jackson said he doesn't know yet if he'll go back to Bynum as the starter, and might instead opt for Ronny Turiaf.  I'll believe it when I see it, and consider the comment a message to Bynum that he needs to work.  Nothing will be handed to him.  Download phil_jackson_12.31, on lineup without Kwame.mp3

Smush broke down the difference between lining up with Kwame and Bynum in the lane.  Pretty interesting.  Download smush_parker_12.31 on Kwame vs. Bynum.mp3

Not surprisingly, Ronny Turiaf said he'll be ready if Jackson calls on him to start, come off the bench, play heavy minutes or for thirty seconds.  Download ronny_turiaf_12.31 on Kwame, increased PT.mp3

Luke put in his two cents, and also mentions what went wrong on the botched alley oop.  Apparently, he was waiting for Kobe to throw it off the backboard, or something really flashy. Just kidding.Download luke_walton_12.31 on adjusting.mp3 Download luke_walton_12.31 on alley oop.mp3  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Pat-Riley-takes-indefinite-leave-Absense http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Pat-Riley-takes-indefinite-leave-Absense Wed, 03 Jan 2007 23:16:00 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Pat-Riley-takes-indefinite-leave-Absense
Antoine Walker and James Posey were de-activated, suposebly due to not passing the conditioning deadline for the month of January. The next conditioning benchmark will not be until January 15th.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=NBAs-Best-December-Kobe-Bryant-Gilbert-Arenas http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=NBAs-Best-December-Kobe-Bryant-Gilbert-Arenas Wed, 03 Jan 2007 22:06:04 -0600 Kobe Bryant http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=NBAs-Best-December-Kobe-Bryant-Gilbert-Arenas
Bryant averaged 30.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game in guiding Los Angeles to a 10-6 record. He had 58 points in a three-overtime loss to Charlotte on Dec. 29 and 53 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists in a two-overtime victory against Houston on Dec. 15.

Arenas averaged a league-best 34.1 points, 6.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game as Washington posted a 12-4 record during the month.

He scored 60 points in an overtime win over the Lakers on Dec. 17 and 54 points in an overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 22.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Deputy-Shaq-helps-Child-Porn-Raid-in-Virgina http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Deputy-Shaq-helps-Child-Porn-Raid-in-Virgina Wed, 03 Jan 2007 22:05:59 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Deputy-Shaq-helps-Child-Porn-Raid-in-Virgina
The Miami Heat center, who pursues his interest in law enforcement during the offseason, denied Tuesday taking part in serving the search warrant at the wrong house Sept. 23. However, Bedford County Sheriff's Lt. Michael Harmony confirmed to The Associated Press that O'Neal was there.

O'Neal, in Orlando to play a preseason game Tuesday, was asked about the raid and several times somewhat playfully responded, "It wasn't me."

The 13-time All-Star has expressed an interest in becoming a Bedford deputy or sheriff somewhere else after his NBA career ends. He also works as a firearms-certified reserve police officer in Miami Beach.

"Of course, being sheriff is a seasoned political position, so we're not going to be out there knocking down the wrong doors," he said. "We just have to do the right thing."

A.J. Nuckols, who said his family has filed formal complaints, wrote in a letter published in the Chatham Star-Tribune that the raid at his Gretna, Va., home scared him and his family "beyond description."

He described being "held at gunpoint, taunted and led into the house," and said the home was ransacked by a "paramilitary search-and-seizure team" that took computers, cameras, DVDs and VHS tapes.

Nuckols said in a phone interview that he heard O'Neal was at his home, but didn't specifically see the 7-foot-1, 325-pound All-Star in all the commotion.

Authorities later realized they had been given the wrong IP address, which Internet service providers can use to identify users, leading them to the wrong physical address, Harmony said. It was the Internet company's mistake, he said.

Harmony said the sheriff's office apologized, but Nuckols mischaracterized the incident. Harmony said officers were wearing bulletproof vests and may have been in dark or camouflaged clothing, but were not carrying assault rifles or wearing helmets.

He said the sheriff's office conducted a successful search on the correct home Friday, finding child pornography and securing a statement from a man saying he knowingly distributed it.

The Bedford Sheriff's Office enlisted O'Neal to be the spokesman and public face of its anti-child pornography and child predator campaign, making him a deputy last year.

Harmony said O'Neal had been on previous search warrant executions.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Best-NBA-Nicknames http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Best-NBA-Nicknames Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:27:39 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Best-NBA-Nicknames
To an extent, they have a point: modern nicknames are, for the most part, boring and unimaginative, a sea of T-Macs and A-Rods that seems to differ greatly from a past list that includes such classics as Cy, Schoolboy and Babe.

Still, Ia€™m happy to say that nicknames are not dead. There are many bad ones out there today, of course, but the last twenty years have seen some great ones as well, monikers that truly capture the essence of a particular playera€™s impact on his chosen sports.

These are in no real order, although an attempt was made to provide a general flow from the really good to the great to the all-time best.

4. Hibachi (Gilbert Arenas) a€" Not so much a nickname as a war cry used by the Wizards guard when he wants to let the world know that hea€™s on fire, its revelation in early December prompted The Mighty MJD to write on Deadspin, a€œGilbert Arenas is a fountain of awesomeness that will never run drya€¦I could dedicate the next week of my life trying to come up with something to yell when I take a jumpshot, and I couldna€™t come up with anything as cool as a€˜Hibachi!a€™a€

3. His Heinous (Bill Laimbeer) a€" a€œBill Laimbeer was one of the most notorious players ever to throw an elbow, thrust a hip, or feign being fouled.a€ And thata€™s from the leaguea€™s official bio on the former Detroit Pistons center, who helped lead the team to back-to-back championships in the late 1980s. The baddest of the a€œBad Boysa€, Laimbeer once fought Celtics Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Robert Parish in the same playoff series.

2. Magic (Earvin Johnson) a€" At 6a€™9a€, Johnson might have been the tallest point guard in NBA history, but he was also an extraordinarily talented athlete who proved capable of playing any position on the floor, as evidenced by his 42 point performance at the center spot in Game Seven of the NBA Finals his rookie season. His nickname was picked up as a young man, but can best be explained through the visual image of him leading the Lakers on the fast break, looking right before flipping a pass back to the left and making it all look easy.

1. Basketball Jesus (Larry Bird) a€" There is no better description for the way Boston Celtics fans viewed Bird in the 1980s than the nickname bestowed upon him by ESPN columnist Bill Simmons. The public views most professional athletes as talented physical specimens who possess a certain natural skill; not so with Bird, a player considered by many the hardest working player in league history. That work ethic stemmed from a fierce competitiveness and desire to win a€" the greatest Bird story ever is the time he walked into the locker room prior to the Three Point Shootout at NBA All-Star Weekend and casually asked, a€œSo, which one of you guys is going to finish second?a€  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=AI-has-no-Answer-Gets-tossed-Nuggets-lose-to-76ers http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=AI-has-no-Answer-Gets-tossed-Nuggets-lose-to-76ers Wed, 03 Jan 2007 08:37:02 -0600 Allen Iverson http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=AI-has-no-Answer-Gets-tossed-Nuggets-lose-to-76ers
Iverson was 10 of 24 before getting tossed for his second technical with 1:44 remaining.

After the morning shootaround, Iverson said he felt a player of his stature and tenure should have been listened to when he criticized the Sixers' style of play last month, a condemnation that led to his departure from Philadelphia after 10 tumultuous seasons.

"When you're losing basketball games, 12 of 14, 18 of 20 basketball games, you should listen to somebody because something obviously isn't working," he said.

The Sixers, who had lost 14 of 16 road games and 19 of their last 23 overall, scored 100 points for the first time in 16 games and improved to 4-4 since the trade that sent Joe Smith and Andre Miller to Philadelphia, along with two first-round draft picks in 2007, for Iverson.

Miller had 17 points and 10 assists against his former team and Smith scored 12 points.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wade-on-Letterman-Show-After-2006-Miami-Heat-Playoff-Win http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wade-on-Letterman-Show-After-2006-Miami-Heat-Playoff-Win Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:30:06 -0600 Dwyane Wade http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=Dwyane-Wade-on-Letterman-Show-After-2006-Miami-Heat-Playoff-Win  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=AK47spidermans-NBA-Power-Rankings-1207 http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=AK47spidermans-NBA-Power-Rankings-1207 Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:29:59 -0600 General http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=AK47spidermans-NBA-Power-Rankings-1207 2. Spurs - .742 - San Antonio Spurs + Health + Odd Year = Championship.
3. Suns - .724 - Lost a huge game against the Mavericks Thursday night on TNT.
4. Jazz - .710 - Seven of next 10 will be on the road. Big game in Denver coming up.
5. Lakers - .645 - Dropped five of their last 10 as their road trip comes to a close.
6. Bulls - .613 - Enjoying a three game win streak. The current longest streak in East.
7. Rockets - .613 - Won their last three with McGrady back in the lineup sans Yao.
8. Pistons - .621 - Lost their last three games, but still hold the best record in the East.
9. Cavaliers - .586 - Those Lebron James commercials are so lame. Nike can do better.
10. Nuggets - .571 - Iverson is having a field day in Denver. Will it continue with Melo?
11. Wizards - .567 - Hot Hot Hot. Stripped the Magic of the best record in the Southeast.
12. Magic - .563 - Started hot, but lost seven of their last 10. Now falling back to earth.
13. Pacers - .531 - Did you guys hear that Spielberg began shooting Indiana Jones 4?
14. Bucks - .516 - Won seven of their last eight, but still last in the tough Central Division.
15. Warriors - .500 - The only team in the NBA with a perfect .500 win percentage.
16. Timberwolves - .483 - KG is happy to have his leather ball back. Now he needs a new team.
17. Clippers - .467 - On a three game win streak, making a push for .500 after bad start.
18. Kings - .464 - The Ron Artest saga has lasted longer than I thought it ever would.
19. Nets - .419 - Win two, lose a bunch. Win two, lose a bunch. Same old Nets.
20. Heat - .433 - Just when you think they can reach .500, they drop three straight.
21. Raptors - .419 - In the Atlantic Division, even a 13-18 record can put you in first.
22. SuperSonics - .406 - Lost seven of their last ten. Not surprising after losing Reshard Lewis.
23. Trail Blazers - .406 - Tied with the Sonics for worst record in the Northwest Division.
24. Hornets - .400 - Add Chris Paul to the list of key injuries. They can't catch a break.
25. Celtics - .367 - Only team in history to play with different balls on back to back nights.
26. Knicks - .394 - Put together some exciting wins after The Brawl, but dropped last two.
27. Bobcats - .290 - Adam Morrison is the worst good shooter in the NBA.
28. 76ers - .267 - Finally put together a pair of wins sans Iverson. Time to move Webber.
29. Hawks - .310 - Seven game losing streak and lost nine of their last 10.
30. Grizzlies - .219 - Mike Fratello is out, but was it really his fault? Those damn Olympics.  » original news]]> http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=LeBron-James-substains-light-Ankle-Sprain http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=LeBron-James-substains-light-Ankle-Sprain Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:29:54 -0600 Lebron James http://nbaballers.org/story.php?title=LeBron-James-substains-light-Ankle-Sprain
With as often as he fearlessly drives into traffic around the basket, and as many times as he hits the deck in an average game, it is inevitable James is going to get banged up.

James, who ices his ankles after every game as a precaution, and the Cavs have been lucky so far that he hasn't suffered a more serious ankle injury.  » original news]]>