As it stands now, Kobe Bryant has five NBA championship rings. If his L.A. Lakers were to win it all again this upcoming season, that would give Kobe the illustrious sixth ring and fuel another round of Michael Jordan comparisons. And while Kobe has always dealt with critics saying he’ll never live up to Jordan’s standard, a sixth title puts him in serious consideration to be recognized as equal to — or better than — the man they call “G.O.A.T.” Read More »

It’s funny how people start pitching trade ideas and forget that both teams would actually need a reason to pull off said trade.

For example, with everybody trying to figure out the best trade for Carmelo Anthony, some of the ideas are just terrible: ‘Melo straight-up for Andrei Kirilenko (why would Denver do that?), ‘Melo for Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum (why would L.A. do that for a one-year ‘Melo rental?), etc. With some of the crazy offers being considered, I began to think about some of the all-time worst trades in NBA history: Read More »

Xavier Henry and Greivis Vasquez were both at the NBA Rookie Photo Shoot yesterday wearing their blue Memphis jerseys with their name and number on it, but will the two currently unsigned rookies be rocking those when the season starts? Read More »

In the NBA, summer is the time for optimism. Every bad team thinks they might have a shot at the playoffs, every good team things they might have a shot at a championship, and every coach assumes his players are hard at work in the gym getting better for next season.

We can’t confirm whether or not the following five players are working as hard as their coaches would like, but based on how they ended last season and the way their teams look on paper, these young guards look to be on-track for a breakout season: Read More »

Pretty much every wing player — i.e., a two-guard or small forward, typically someone who can play both — in the NBA is athletic. It’s one of the job requirements. And if they’re not very athletic, they can at least compensate by shooting your face off. So simply being able to do a YouTube-friendly dunk or knock down a rack’s worth of threes isn’t always enough to make an impact in the League.

The key is expanding your game. Here are five wing players who have added pieces to their original arsenal and are poised for a breakout season in 2010-11: Read More »

Potential is probably the most over-used word in the NBA. When teams are making draft picks, signing free agents, engineering trades and shuttling players in and out of the starting lineup, potential can be just as — if not more — important in earning minutes as actual production.

It’s especially that way with big men. NBA teams are always looking for the next great 7-footer, or the next 20-and-10 anchor at the four, or the next KG-type hybrid freak. Here are five young big guys poised for a breakout season in 2010-11: Read More »

LetShannonSign.com

After weighing reported offers from the Knicks and Bulls, Shannon Brown has decided to re-sign with the L.A. Lakers, for a reported two years and $4.6 million.

Having made a name for himself as a backup with the Lakers for his high-wire act full of highlight dunks, Brown opted out of his deal — which had him slated to make $2.1 million this season — seeking a more lucrative contract on the open market. Read More »

You don’t need puppets to tell you that Kobe and LeBron are the two main contestants battling for the title of NBA’s Best Player. The reigning two-time MVP (LeBron) and the reigning two-time Finals MVP (Kobe) are pretty much interchangeable at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, despite what brand-new LeBron haters want to believe with LBJ going to a loaded team in Miami.

But who is the third-best player in the game? During last night’s NBA schedule unveiling on NBA TV, Kenny Smith surprised the panel by naming Kevin Durant No. 3, ahead of Dwyane Wade. Read More »

With HBO’s new season of “Hard Knocks” premiering August 11 — and focusing on the New York Jets — the show has been a big topic of conversation in the Dime office and NYC in general.

While Major League Baseball has begun capitalizing on the (well-produced) reality TV genre with “The Club,” which follows the front-office/managerial arm of the Chicago White Sox, the NBA has yet to really get on board. Read More »

What happens to former stars once they pass their prime? Unfortunately in professional sports, most become ring-chasers.

Let me define a ring-chaser: An older player, usually a former superstar or at least an All-Star, who is past his prime and decides to join a championship contender knowing he won’t be a major factor in his new team winning a title. Read More »