At this point, the same pieces keep getting mentioned, but GMs are just trying to figure out which move is the right one. Tracy McGrady, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood have been mentioned in trade chatter pretty much all season, but now a deal that includes Al Harrington could get it done. Read More »

I’ve seen some pretty crazy commercials in my day, but none as crazy as this. Watch Lamar Odom dunk on the moon thanks to new PowerBar Energy Blasts. I seriously might pick some up before my next game. What’s the worst that can happen?

Source: Hardwood Paroxysm via Ball Don’t Lie

True, Tiger Woods clearly has other things to worry about right now, but this is crazy. We were only in Dallas for NBA All-Star Weekend for a few hours when we spotted these for sale, not on the street or in some shady spot, but in the hotel gift shop! Read More »

With the world becoming more globalized every day, it was only a matter of time before sneaker companies from overseas started planting roots on U.S. soil. And what better place than in Sneaker Valley, otherwise known as Portland, Oregon. Li-Ning, one of the leading sports brands in China, has done just that with the opening of their first U.S.-based showroom located in the heart of Portland’s Pearl District. Home to a vast array of creative talent, especially in athletic footwear and apparel design, the brand – along with the help of Baron Davis – will host an exclusive group of local and national media (including yours truly) next Monday. Read More »

Like we said in Smack this morning, the records don’t matter when Duke and North Carolina get together. College basketball’s most storied rivalry tips off one more time tonight (ESPN, 9 p.m. EST), and while almost every expert would favor the ACC-leading Blue Devils over the struggling Tar Heels, we wanted to get predictions from some of the players who will become part of the UNC/Duke tradition over the next few years.

We caught up with a few of Duke and Carolina’s signed recruits, plus one high-profile undecided recruiting target — essentially a Who’s Who of the top high school ballplayers in the country — to get their take on who will win tonight’s big game: Read More »

When I wrote recently that Michael Beasley is still in the running to become a Top-10 player in the League, I made sure to leave room for the possibility that it could happen somewhere other than Miami. That address change could be coming sooner than I thought.

According to “an NBA source” cited by Yahoo! Sports, the Heat are in pursuit of Amar’e Stoudemire, and Beasley is at the center of their pitch: Read More »

Beast of the Night: Carlos Boozer seemed pretty upset about being snubbed for Brandon Roy’s vacant All-Star reserve spot. He beasted Chris Kaman (who took the All-Star honor) and the Clippers with 34 points, 14 boards, 4 dimes and 4 steals. He shot 77 percent (13-17 ) from the field, 89 percent (8-9) from the free throw line and had 2 turnovers. Boozer has bounced back very well after a scary calf injury, but remains prone to injuries. Read More »

USA Basketball released the names of the 27 NBA players who are candidates to play in this summer’s World Championships and the 2012 Olympics in London. Nine players return from the Olympic squad that took gold in Beijing – Kobe, LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, and Carmelo Anthony.

The rest of the roster looks like this: Read More »

If you don’t know about 6-3 freshman phenom Rodney Purvis, then you don’t know prep hoops. Check out some of the highlights posted over on HighSchoolHoop.com of the kid from Upper Room Christian Academy showing out against Wayne Country Day. Purvis is from the same hometown, Raleigh, N.C., as good friend John Wall, and you can already see the similarities in their game at just 15 years old. Thanks to our friends at Hoopmixtape for the clip.

A couple weeks ago I showed you what Nike did for Kobe Bryant‘s 12th NBA All-Star appearance, so you knew they were going to do something special for their boy in the East as well. Check out the shoes LeBron James will be wearing this weekend in Dallas. Read More »