Michael Jordan is real big on staying relevant to the new generation of kids who have never seen him play live. In recent years, we’ve seen him become the first former player to become majority owner of an NBA team; he currently graces the cover of NBA 2K11 (which allows us to replay some of his biggest games); and now with the release of Michael Jordan to the Max on Blu-ray today, we finally get to see his game in HD. Read More »

NBA All-Star Weekend is in full effect for the basketball world. The rookies, sophomore and celebrities are set to put on a show tonight. Blake Griffin has the world anticipating this year’s Slam Dunk contest like it’s Dr. Dre‘s Detox album. The main course in this basketball feast is the All-Star Game itself. We get to see the best 24 basketball players in the world competing under the lights of the Staples Center. This is sure to satisfy your basketball appetite.

At around the same time the NBA was crowning its 2011 All-Stars, the best high school players in the country were hearing their names called for the McDonald’s All-American Game. Read More »

Life is all about change, but there are still some things we always expect to be the same. I cannot imagine the day when Coach K leaves Duke. It will be surreal when Joe Paterno is not on the sidelines for Penn State. And I’m sure, for most of us, the same can be said for Jerry Sloan‘s absence from the Utah Jazz bench.

After 23 years in the same place, what could make the Hall of Fame NBA coch resign in the middle of a season? The rumors are swirling that Sloan’s relationship with Deron Williams was the culprit. Read More »

Last night was almost a perfect night for basketball in Philadelphia. Up in North Philly, the Temple Owls scored an upset win over No. 9 Georgetown — coach Fran Dunphy‘s 400th career victory — that ended with the home fans storming the court. Had the 76ers been able to hang on for one last defensive stop and beat the Celtics in their first national TV home game in what seemed like forever, Philly would be the talk of the basketball world this morning.

College or pro, Ramone Moore was the city’s star of the night. Temple’s 6-4 junior guard dropped 30 points against G’town, hitting 12-of-18 from the field and scoring 44 percent of the Owls’ total output (68 points). Read More »

Last night’s Heat/Cavs game exemplifies why I’m obsessed with sports. It was the ultimate reality show, an unscripted drama. Within every game and every matchup, there are compelling stories developing.

While the basketball world is still analyzing LeBron James‘ homecoming in Cleveland, I wanted to touch on why exactly he left in the first place. Cavaliers’ management just couldn’t bring LeBron a good sidekick. Read More »

The NBA is all business – both literally and figuratively. Players are shipped around from team to team and sometimes viewed more as commodities than human beings. With that unchangeable fact, players have to be all business with their play on the court, and are forced to become heartless go-getters in order to keep their jobs.

A lot of the times emotions are rattled, forcing players and organizations to develop animosity towards one another. For example, Dan Gilbert’s slaying of LeBron James will add extra anticipation to the Cavs/Heat game on Dec. 2, and in David Lee’s return to the Garden he dropped 28 points and 10 rebounds. If there’s anyone that knows about getting even with a former employer, it’s Al Harrington. Read More »

“Look, if you had, one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted. One moment. Would you capture it, or just let it slip?”

This is the questioned posed by one of the greatest rags to riches stories of my generation. Eminem was faced with this choice when it came to stepping in front of the mic, but now with the NBA season underway and some key players injured, some guys are faced with this question on the hardwood. Read More »

With the NBA season underway and the college basketball season right around the corner, the Dime office was engaged in a debate yesterday over which is more entertaining: College or pro ball.

I’m on the fence in this argument. I love the atmosphere and drama of the college game. No matter how good or bad each team is, in general I will always watch a Duke/Carolina over a Celtics/Lakers game. However, when it comes to the actual play on the floor, the pro game is simply better. Read More »

Landing a glamor job in professional sports is a numbers game. With so many talented athletes, so many great players just do not receive the opportunities to shine at the highest level. Every year on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” we see examples of deserving players lose their jobs due to lack of roster space, even if they might be pound-for-pound better than another guy on the same team who plays a different position. Read More »

It’s crazy to think that the NBA season is just over one week old. We’ve already seen triple-doubles by Rajon Rondo and Brandon Jennings, as well as two 40-point games courtesy Monta Ellis and Luol Deng, who were making more buckets than a KFC drive-thru crew.

While the elite teams are off to good head starts in the standings, a lot of star players are compiling their cases for All-Star and other award consideration. (Chris Paul for MVP?) Read More »