The 2009-10 season for Clipper Nation was one to bury deep in the depths of forgotten memories, where most seasons for the Clips consider home. The team went a disappointing 29-53 during last year’s campaign, and once again was an NBA wasteland as the team was in the lower half of the NBA’s attendance. Although we all expect mediocrity and a trip to the Lottery in June, this year will be different. This year, the Clippers will make some noise in the West and bid for a playoff berth. Read More »

We already know that Gilbert Arenas has traded in his No. 0 for No. 9 this season. And if you don’t remember, we’ve even already given Agent Zero a new nickname. But with the departures of former teammates Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and Antawn Jamison during the 2009-10 season, it became evident that more changes were ahead.

The rebuilding process started with the Wizards drafting John Wall this June, and with the rookie becoming the new face of the franchise, many questioned what new owner Ted Leonis would do with Arenas. Would he be traded? Would he be released? What exactly would the Wizards do with him? With so many questions came so few answers, and like it or not, Arenas is going to play a major role this season in helping restore this franchise. Read More »

Once upon a time, USA vs. Russia in any competition — chess, table tennis, soccer, Street Fighter: Tournament Edition — would have been a big deal as a bitter sports rivalry.

That’s because it went beyond sports. With politics and propaganda involved, the USA/Russia beef gave us immortal moments like the “Miracle on Ice,” and corny moments like the last scene in Rocky IV.

Today? It’s not that serious. But with a spot in the Final Four of the FIBA World Championship on the line, today’s USA/Russia basketball game could measure up to a little of that old ’80s intensity. Or it could just be another USA blowout in what has been a tournament full of them. Read More »

The most distinct difference in the High School Hoop/2K Sports national Top 50 player ranking and everyone else’s is that we disregard class. To us, a baller is a baller; doesn’t matter how old you are or when you’re slated to graduate. And topping this list is Austin Rivers, the Winter Park (Fla.) rising senior two-guard who was No. 2 on the previous list under reigning Dime/2K Sports Player of the Year Jared Sullinger. Now that Sullinger is preparing to start his freshman season at Ohio State, Rivers takes over top dog status. Check out the definitive mixtape of the 6-3 scorer who is currently at the center of a recruiting battle between Duke, Florida and Kentucky.

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I guess Ron Artest wasn’t kidding when he gave a shout out to his psychiatrist. In his next life, Artest may devote his whole life to mental-health awareness. So maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that after playing 11 seasons in the NBA and finally winning a title, he’s planning on auctioning the championship ring as a fundraiser to put more psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists in schools. Read More »

Call ‘em whatever you like: Thrillers, classics, epics, or just games with so many balls on display they’d make the Borat director’s cut. Either way, after the last couple of days of World Championship goodness, we don’t wanna see Team USA in another sloppily vicious 30-piecing when they face Russia today. Tip-off is at 11 a.m. EST, so make sure you’re on DimeMag.com to check out our live blog of the action. The biggest X-factor in this game for the U.S. will be Derrick Rose. Read More »

Every hero has a villain. LeBron James and the Miami Heat have turned themselves into the most hated team in the NBA after their orchestrated moves during free agency, a title they took from — depending on whom you ask — the Celtics or the Lakers.

Villains of the NBA seem to thrive when they’re loathed, not loved. The “Us against the world” mentality adds more fuel to the fire, but there have been plenty of villains throughout the years in the NBA other than the revamped Heat. Read More »

Milos Teodosic is the king of Serbia right now. Earlier today, the man who many think is actually the best player on the Serbian national team (over Nenad Krstic) knocked down a three to beat defending world champion Spain. How do you say “From the PARKING LOT!” in Serbian?

Unless you want to watch the entire last minute of the game, go ahead and skip to the 3:30 mark in this clip to watch the game-winning possession.

For a guy who has been willingly choked out by a professional MMA fighter and annihilated at the hands of Detroit Lions’ rookie Ndamukong Suh, John Brenkus is a surprisingly chipper guy. It might be due in part to the lifetime Washington, D.C. area sports fan being rewarded with the crown jewel of the 2010 NBA Draft, John Wall, this summer. More lasting however, is that Brenkus’ creation, “Sport Science,” has gone from an imaginary flicker in its master’s mind, to a full-fledged national hit on both ESPN and Fox Sports Net. Read More »

Ladies and gentleman, the Oklahoma City Thunder have arrived. After starting their inaugural season in OKC with a 3-29 record and finishing 23-59, Year 2 saw a marked improvement, as Kevin Durant led the NBA in scoring and the Thunder won 50 games on their way to a playoff berth.

The transition from small-time to showtime has been one of the quickest turnaround the NBA has seen, and keep in mind the Thunder didn’t make any major roster changes. Coach Scott Brooks just let his young players mature and learn from their early struggles. Read More »