There’s perhaps no bigger statement that one can make than getting a tattoo. Sure, you can get rowdy on Twitter or Facebook, but eventually those posts will trickle down your timeline and newsfeed into obscurity. That’s not the case for Dwayne Collins. After getting drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 60th pick this June, Collins decided to get some relevant ink to remember it by. Check it out after the jump. Read More »

After the Lakers beat the Celtics in Game 7 of this year’s NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant once again gave supporters and critics a reason to compare him to Michael Jordan. Not with the fact that he’d won one ring for the thumb, but in the post-game press conference, when he showed some of that same never-ending competitiveness for which MJ was famous.

Asked how it felt to win his fifth ring, Kobe simply stated, “I just got one more than Shaq. You can take that to the bank. You know how I am. I don’t forget anything.” Read More »

There has been speculation from Jazz fans concerning whether or not Deron Williams wants to stay in Utah anymore. After losing teammates Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Wes Matthews and Kyle Korver, is there any reason not to believe that Deron would want out? D-Will had an interview with David Locke (the new radio voice for the Jazz) a couple weeks ago, and he stated that he no longer lives in Salt Lake City during the summer months. Is this a sign? Read More »

To the basketball critic, dunking is like fashion or art: It’s all about personal preference and aesthetic opinion. If you truly believe Mehmet Okur is a better dunker than Rudy Gay, I can’t tell you you’re wrong, because obviously Okur’s dunks appeal more to you. Still, I’m not getting how Dominique Wilkins is currently last-place in today’s DimeMag.com poll: “Who was the better in-game dunker?” behind Vince Carter, Michael Jordan and Shawn Kemp. If you ask me, ‘Nique should at least be ahead of MJ. But that’s just me.

On the summer’s last major stage for high school basketball, the Kentucky Wildcats again couldn’t stay out of the headlines.

During halftime of the nationally-televised Elite 24 showcase at Venice Beach, Calif., Kyle Wiltjer announced his commitment to UK. The 6-9 forward from Portland, Ore., then went on to win co-MVP of the game, scoring 20 points.

If recruiting is more than half the battle in college basketball, John Calipari is setting himself up to win a war (or at least a national championship). Read More »

Selected by Milwaukee with the 36th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Ersan Ilyasova (pronounced air-san ee-lee-a-SO-va) didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he entered the League. After spending the entire 2005-06 season with the Tulsa 66ers in the D-League, he appeared in 66 games (14 starts) with Milwaukee the following season, but played under 15 minutes a night. Opting to head back overseas, Ilyasova spent the next two seasons playing for FC Barcelona before giving the NBA another shot. Read More »

While there have been a ton of mixtapes that dropped this summer, when it comes to showcasing the Class of 2011, there are none more comprehensive and exhaustive than this. Thanks to our boys at YAY AREA’S FINEST, you can see the best of the best in terms of rising seniors from around the country.

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One way or another, there are going to be a lot of broken hearts in Miami this year. Either the new-look Heat don’t win a championship, or they do, and three guys who signed this summer don’t end up getting a ring. Now that Miami has inked former West Virginia star Da’Sean Butler, the 42nd pick in this year’s NBA Draft, he becomes the team’s 18th player under contract going into training camp. So while it’s going to be an uphill battle for Butler as he works to come back from a torn ligament in his left knee, let’s look at the roster and try and figure out who will be on the outside looking in this year. Read More »

As the saying goes, one door closing means another door is opening somewhere. Or something like that.

While the immediate future looks bleak for the Cleveland Cavaliers without LeBron James, one of the few people set to benefit in the new era is All-Star point guard Mo Williams, who becomes the go-to guy on a team that’s used to being in the playoff mix. Like Homer Simpson, Mo (who got his first chance to shine in the pros when T.J. Ford got hurt in Milwaukee) is again realizing the greatness of the word “default.” Read More »

In the spring of 2000, Bloom High School in Chicago advanced in the state playoffs after “beating” Brother Rice on a last second tip-in. The game’s been a point of controversy ever since.

Was the shot good or did time expire before it left the shooter’s hand? Well, on September 10th, ten years after the fact, the two squads will meet again and replay their historic game to settle once and for all who will have bragging rights moving forward. Read More »