In last night’s 18-point Suns debacle at the hands of the Thunder, a baffling exchange took place with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter when Phoenix guards Zabian Dowdell and Aaron Brooks were both ejected from the game by official Ken Mauer.

According to KTAR Sports Radio Talk Show host John Gambadoro, Mauer told Dowdell to “stop being a little bitch.” Read More »

While at the Knicks-Magic game a couple nights ago, I was privileged to experience firsthand a rookie hard at work. No, it wasn’t Landry Fields‘ three-point, four-rebound performance in the OT thriller; I’m talking about work of a different variety. Away from the hardwood, in the Magic locker room after the game, 6-10, 255-pound rookie Daniel Orton – draped in his Sunday’s finest – was doing his best impression of Geoffrey, the butler from Fresh Prince. Not only was he cleaning out the locker of Gilbert Arenas, carrying Earl Clark’s tote bag and moving chairs out of the way for reporters, but he even waited ‘til the bitter end to collect Dwight Howard’s Louis Vuitton toiletry bag after he was finished his postgame interviews. A spectacle to say the least. Read More »

The ability to progress forward or move backward; the chess rook and the NBA rook both follow a similar path. With the regular season nearing its end, teams are either gearing up for the playoffs, fighting to get in or prepping for the NBA Draft. With that said, now may be as good a time as ever for teams to take stock on their first-year experiments and weigh-in on their overall impact. Although the Rookie of the Year is all but wrapped up for Blake Griffin, I decided to bestow some unconventional awards on rookies who – like the aforementioned chess piece – either made strides forward or submitted to retreat this season. Read More »

I’m coming home. I’m coming home. Tell the world I’m coming home.

These lyrics are forever etched in Knicks’ fans memories after the numerous commercial plugs on the MSG Network for the return of Carmelo Anthony to New York. What you don’t know is that the ad was also intended – whether knowingly or not – for another guy who came over in that trade. I’m talking about Staten Island-native and 2006 Knicks draftee Renaldo Balkman. Read More »

With his arsenal of shot-fakes and pass-fakes that leave defenders clueless, the NBA thinks that Rajon Rondo would be the ultimate player to use in any basketball video game. We might not disagree…

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If you’re a 6-0, 180-pound, Wall Street intern, having pro dreams to play in the NBA may not seem like the most realistic of goals. Just don’t tell that to Brian Kortovich. Having got his start on the hard-court as a youngster in Cleveland, Ohio, Brian quickly rose the ranks to become one of the best young talents in the city. Read More »

The butler did it…again. Yesterday’s miraculous buzzer-beater lay-in by Matt Howard to beat Old Dominion had me reminiscing over Butler’s miraculous run last year to the national championship game as a five-seed. Does this mean we’re in for a repeat performance? Not so sure. You see, there’s a certain breadstick-eating, prepubescent-looking piece missing from this year’s team that was crucial in the Bulldogs’ triumphant run last year. That boyish charm I’m referring to is none other than Gordon Hayward, who bolted to the NBA after his epic sophomore season in Indianapolis. Read More »

Sitting in a cab on the way to the Bronx at 3:30 in the afternoon is not typically how I spend my Sunday afternoons. I had just got back from Scranton, Pa. where I was visiting my cousins and was exhausted from the car ride back – which may or may not have included a carsick dog named Betty. But hey, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to get a firsthand glimpse at young Kobes in the making. Read More »

The bracket is out, let the hysteria begin. It seems like everyone around the country is amped about the Big Dance this year. Who wouldn’t be? With the tournament as wide open as it is, it really could be anybody’s year. (I’m looking at you, Long Beach State.) With many NBAers having their respective alma maters back in the tourney, we thought it’d be dope to get their insight into this year’s madness. With that, we caught up with David Lee, Anthony Morrow and Sundiata Gaines to discuss some bracketology. Read More »

Logging his fourth 20-plus point performance in a row, and coming off the best game of his short pro career (29 points, eight rebounds), Tyler Hansbrough seems to be carving himself a niche in the Pacers rotation. Despite his recent surge with the navy and gold, it’s still difficult to get used to him donned in anything but Carolina Blue. Not too far removed from his playing days as a Tar Heel – where he was regarded as a deity – you would think UNC would be the only No. 2 seed he’d be cheering for in this year’s tourney. Think again. Read More »