Once upon a time, I was playing at a camp called Hoop Mountain as a junior-to-be. For the week, my team ran away with the championship, and I met a close friend. At the time, he wasn’t even in high school yet, was only 13 years old but stood about 6-2, 210 pounds and was playing up with us (catching lobs and everything). That kid went on to become Aaron Hernandez, the tight end for the Patriots. I thought he was a monster on the hardwood, but the Class of 2013′s Aaron Gordon (he was 15 years old in this video) out of San Jose, California is just ridiculous.
Just ask Bob Cousy to see his championship rings and this question may answer itself. In a tremendous 14-year career that spanned from the late 1950s to the dominant Celtics of the 1960s, Cousy won six championships alongside 12 (Heinsohn, Russell, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Ramsey, Sharman, Macauley, Havlicek, Lovellette, Risen, Andy Phillip and Houbregs) other Hall of Famers and created a long standing legacy.
In the time since he retired, the NBA has seen some amazing point guards take control of the game, mastering it with wizardry and elegance. One of the best since then – not often mentioned in these conversations – is Steve Nash. Read More »
I can remember the times in Portland, the skinny 12th man coming in for a few possessions every night, only to get pulled even if he did play well; The kid who had more of a baby face than Babyface. He’s gotten a little older, copped a few more tattoos and put a few more miles on his body. Now he’s 16 years in and one of the more accomplished veterans in the game. It all seems crazy and the time just flew by, but Jermaine O’Neal was always articulate and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Read More »
Derek Fisher was said to have text messaged some of his fellow NBA players last week telling them to be physically ready in case the season starts on time. Whether that’s true or not, the sentiment of that supposed message is one fantasy basketball fans should take to heart. The 2011-12 NBA season might start on time, or it might not. The point is that you don’t want to be the guy scrambling to get his act together in hasty preparation for a fantasy draft that has come quicker than expected. Read More »
Just a few days into “The Lockout League” and we’ve already seen a handful of highlights. But does it get any better than dunking on someone twice in one game? Marreese Speights sized up JaVale McGee and both times found a way to finish over one of the most athletic bigs in the game. Speights finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds while McGee had 19 and 10.
According to the New York Daily News, Isiah Thomas has been working behind the scenes in an effort to bring Chris Paul to the Knicks. Though Thomas doesn’t have an official position with the Knicks, apparently he’s doing his best to form the next “Big 3.” The New York media got hold of this CP-to-NYC thing and just won’t let it go, huh? Read More »
If you played as much NBA JAM as I did, both as a five-year-old with my babysitter and as a freshman in college, then you would know that the game is all about the unlockable teams and characters. Eventually, all those hours of two-dimensional razzle-dazzle dunks, on-fire streaks, and shoving actually pay off. So on the eve of the release of the newest game, NBA JAM: On Fire Edition, the geniuses at EA Sports have unleashed even more secret teams, including the phenomenon that has already swept the Internet: the honey badger. And yes, he’s pretty badass. We caught up with the game’s product manager, Jeff Appleby, to tell us a little bit more about how the honey badger found its way into the game, and what else NBA JAM fans have to look forward to. Read More »
Last night after work, I headed over to the Cooper Square Hotel with great expectations. Polk Audio, the award-winning designer and manufacturer of high performance audio products for the past 40 years, was introducing the industry’s first line of headphones designed specifically for athletes. And so it only made sense for the Baltimore-based company to tab Rudy Gay as a brand ambassador. Read More »
Not all NBA players – even someone who works as hard on his skills as Rajon Rondo – lock themselves in a gym during the summer. Sometimes that’s the worst thing you can do. Cross-training has benefits for everyone. When Rondo isn’t in the gym at Kentucky hooping with LeBron, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and the rest, he’s out with Nazr Mohammed on the track. At one point, we get to see Rondo do a few 30-yard sprints (hit the jump for the second video). Anyone out there still think he could take Chris Johnson in the 40?
The fact that Joe Johnson is a member of Team Jordan already lets you know that his sneaker collection is nice. But after getting a peek inside his closet in the new issue of ESPN The Magazine, it appears Joe Jeezy has taken the game to a whole new level. What can a six-year, $119 million contract buy you? How about a fingerprint sensor to get into your 500-square-foot sneaker closet. Read More »
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