Why would LeBron want to join the Knicks when he has such a good time destroying them? Hosting NY last night, ‘Bron turned in another “I own these fools” performance, dropping 47 points (17-31 FG), six threes, eight boards, eight dimes and five steals. Whoever Mike D’Antoni threw at him — Wilson Chandler, Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries, Jake Sully, Jigsaw, etc. — got their eyebrows singed with a steady stream of jumpers. During one stretch in the first half LeBron scored 24 straight points. For anybody who still claims LeBron is limited to putting his head down and bull-rushing his way to the rim, watch this game … Read More »

The LeBron/Dwyane Wade matchup started off well, didn’t it? Despite the fact that ‘Bron came out doing his Kobe “facilitator” thing for most of the first quarter (he started at PG because Daniel Gibson missed the beginning of the game to be with his pregnant fiancée at the hospital), he and Wade both locked in and got down to attacking the hoop. James finished the first half with 19, Wade with 18, and it looked like the second half would be a shootout … Not so much. Wade couldn’t by a bucket ‘til late in the fourth, and by then Miami was down double-digits. The game turned into a yawner and the Cavs rolled to an easy 102-86 win. James finished with what felt like an easy 36 points, seven boards and eight assists, and Wade ended up with 24 and nine dimes … With the guys who were being trotted out to the slaughter by being assigned to guard LeBron Read More »

As the NBA trading deadline approaches, no name has been thrown around more than Amar’e Stoudemire. An All-Star starter two years running and once thought to be the future of the Phoenix Suns, now it appears certain that if Amar’e isn’t traded this month, he’ll sign with another team in free agency this summer.

Back in Dime #52 (Oct. 2009), Amar’e talked about facing criticism, injuries, falling short of a championship, as well as the trade rumors that have followed him for the last year. Read More »

Ranking the League from worst to first…

30. New Jersey Nets (3-40) Last week: Lost at Phoenix; lost at Golden State; lost at Utah. You know how some teams can play any style and win? The Nets have become adept at losing with any style. Last week they lost trying to run. They also lose in the halfcourt, lose when they go big, lose when they go small, lose with a youth movement, lose with vets, lose at home, lose on the road … their company softball team probably stinks, too.

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-36) Last week: Lost to Oklahoma City; lost to New Orleans; lost at Milwaukee. If you’re into moral victories, the Wolves can be proud of at least taking the Thunder and Hornets down to the wire. The talent and competitiveness is there; you just see the execution failures that come with a young team. Read More »

On the basketball court and in the corporate arena, Dwyane Wade’s potential appears limitless. As the perennial MVP candidate and newest Air Jordan pitchman confronts off-court distractions and constant speculation about his future, he’s not close to giving up his spot on the medal stand as one of the undisputed top three players in the game.

Earlier this season, Wade posed for the cover of Dime #54 (on newsstands now) and sat down to interview for this story. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Aaron Brooks exploded for 43 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 turnover, while chipping in 6 threes, shooting 47 percent (14-30) from the field and 75 percent (9-12) from the line. True, he was helped by an insane triple-overtime match, but Brooks has been having himself a nice 2010 so far. It’s still likely that he’ll hit a rough patch in the near future, but it’s clear that the little man won’t be flying under any radars next season. Read More »

In one of the NBA’s most recent – and unnoticed – moves, the Golden State Warriors signed forward Cartier Martin to a 10-day contract; making him the fifth Gatorade call-up from the D-League this season. Cartier, who had spent some time with the Charlotte Bobcats last season, was averaging just over 14 points and four boards a game for the Iowa Energy. Not only does Martin bring some much-needed relief to the injury-ridden Warriors, he has a chance to catch on for the remainder of the season. Read More »

Gilbert Arenas’ locker may have been cleaned out and his gigantic billboard outside the Verizon Center may have been taken down, but Arenas is still the top focus in the world of the Washington Wizards. Not only does the team have to play without their best player for awhile, they’re going through hell having to deal with the media scrutiny and having to also answer to law enforcement officials regarding the locker room gun incident. Read More »

It’s been discussed to death and some of you are probably sick of hearing about it, while others probably can’t get enough. While much has been said and written about the Gilbert Arenas situation, it’s time to grapple with the fantasy implications of the situation, which could eventually spill over and affect teams other than the Wizards. Read More »

For the second night in a row, Cavs/Hawks played out with postseason-type intensity, ratcheted up a notch because it came 24 hours after their last physical down-to-the-wire contest, and with an extra spotlight due to it being LeBron’s birthday … The Hawks led by as much as 17 in the third quarter, but midway through the fourth, Cleveland cut it to three on Anthony Parker’s Wade-esque spinning no-look layup where the replay showed he tapped the ball in from waist-level rather than release an actual shot. “Wow, no foul!” cried Cavs announcer Austin Carr, forgetting that LeBron pretty much manhandled Josh Smith while going for the loose ball that set up AP’s shot. Read More »