We’re going quick, fast and in a hurry with Smack this morning; some of the Dime crew has to catch an insanely early flight to the West Coast for major, magazine-related business, which you’ll all get a good look at in the near future. Besides, there were only two games anyone was really paying attention to last night … The first was at Madison Square Garden, where LeBron James took his turn destroying the Knicks on the heels of Kobe‘s Monday night epic. The final damage for ‘Bron: 52 points, 10 boards, 11 assists — depending on what you appreciate as a basketball fan, arguably more impressive than Mamba’s 61-pointer. As Dime’s Pat Cassidy put in after the game: “A 50-point triple-double? That’s absurd. The two best players in the world having their own little pissing contest at the expense of the Knicks.” … LBJ insisted beforehand he wasn’t trying to one-up Kobe, but it didn’t look that way once the game started. ‘Bron was in attack mode early, dropping 20 points in the first quarter as the Knicks announcers even pointed out that Cleveland’s offense was a little more standstill than usual as LBJ took his time picking out his spots. Read More »

Industry secret #723 — The February cover is always major. Coinciding with All-Star Weekend, which is basically Super Bowl week for the NBA, every basketball magazine wants to make sure its February issue not only hits newsstands just in time for All-Star, but that it’s also an issue worth remembering. With basketball’s V.I.P. class all in the same place at the same time for a few days, this is your chance to stunt in front of advertisers, players, sneaker company reps, competitors and everyone else. In other words, you always want to put your best foot forward with the All-Star issue.

At the risk of sounding cocky, that’s what we’ve done here at Dime. Last year we hit a home run with Kobe and the “MVP” headline/prediction. This year it only seemed right to go with the man currently leading the way in the ’09 MVP race, the most complete ballplayer in the game, LeBron James. Read More »

Milwaukee fans might want to forget about the playoffs and focus on winning the race for Blake Griffin. With Michael Redd (knee) already out for the season, the Bucks learned today that Andrew Bogut will miss at least eight weeks with a stress fracture in his back.

Bogut had recently returned to the lineup after dealing with back spasms for the last month or so, but sat out last night’s loss to the Nets. He’s averaging 11.7 points and 10.3 boards this season. I’m in the camp that thinks Bogut is underrated; because of the guys drafted behind him (Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Danny Granger, Andrew Bynum, etc.) and the fact that he plays for Milwaukee, he doesn’t get enough credit as one of the better centers in the League. But chronic back problems for a 7-footer isn’t a good sign.

In New York City, when you think of champions and the New York Knicks, legendary NBA champion Willis Reed often comes to mind. The architect behind the Knicks’ first NBA Championship, Reed was incredible. Rookie of the Year in 1965, a seven-time All-Star and two-time world champion, and one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, Reed was also the first player in NBA history to win the NBA Regular Season MVP, All-Star Game MVP and NBA Finals MVP in the same year. Read More »

The gym is open in Miami. Converse Open Gym is back in the 305. If you’re in the Miami metro-area you should definitely swing through and come play. Read More »

I’m not hating, but even if Ray Allen is ultimately named to replace Jameer Nelson, the 2009 East All-Star roster isn’t exactly overloaded with Hall of Famers. After the likes of LeBron, KG, D-Wade and a couple others, guys like Devin Harris, Danny Granger, Rashard Lewis and Joe Johnson still have a long way to go before reaching that “all-time great” level.

I bring this up because, as I write this, I’m watching a replay of the 1990 All-Star Game on NBA TV. And quite honestly, the East squad from that year might be the most stacked non-Olympic team EVER. Believe it. Check out this roster: Read More »

The field has finally been announced:

Jason Kapono (two-time defending champ), Mike Bibby, Daequan Cook, Danny Granger, Rashard Lewis, Roger Mason.

Who do you got?

The run is on again down in Philly. Converse’s Philly Run is back for another installment. If you’re in the Philadelphia metro-area you should definitely swing through and get your game on. Read More »

He thinks so. In fact, there’s no doubt in Carmelo Anthony‘s mind that he’s the best three in the West.

“I’m the only one out here in the West,” Anthony said Tuesday. “Can you name one better?”

To say that he’s the “only one” in the West is a bit of a fallacy. Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest, Josh Howard, Kevin Durant, and Rudy Gay might not be better than ‘Melo, but they’re elite small forwards too. Read More »

There’s a detailed breakdown of how Ray Allen got so open to steal Philly’s heart at the end of the Sixers/Celts game on Philly.com today.