The NBA Celebrity Game has evolved into an All-Star Weekend staple, like it or not. Sure, most fans really only look forward to All-Star Saturday Night, maybe the Rookie Challenge on Friday, and of course the main event on Sunday, but the Celebrity Game definitely flies under the radar as a must-see.

With the festivities this year being in L.A. — the hub of everything celebrity — the NBA had no choice but to incorporate a star-studded lineup. And does it really get any bigger than Justin Bieber, who apparently is an avid baller? Read More »

Norm Nixon isn’t walking through this door. Elgin Baylor isn’t walking through this door. Silk Wilkes isn’t walking through this door.

I was born in 1982, and I didn’t begin to understand NBA basketball until sometime around 1988. So before I roll out a list of my all-time favorite Los Angeles Lakers, I should point out that I missed a lot of the “Showtime” era (though ESPN Classic has helped rectify that), and I never watched Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain when they wore purple and gold. Read More »

If you’re not rolling with the media, your best place to see NBA stars in Dallas is over at the All-Star Jam Session. And tonight, in a schedule packed with player appearances from Deron Williams, Jason Terry, DeMar DeRozan and Stephen Curry, is an event that I certainly do not want to miss at Center Court: the Legends Shootout, featuring A.C. Green, Detlef Schrempf, Bruce Bowen and Mitch Richmond. Read More »

Dwight Howard is going to snap. I don’t know when it’s going to happen, exactly what it’s going to entail, or which sad soul will take the brunt of it … but it’s coming.

Last night, Howard made 22 trips to the free-throw line in a win over the Pacers, three days after he shot 17 free throws in a loss to Phoenix. In both games, the defensive strategy was clear: Don’t let Dwight dunk on you at a 98 percent clip when you can send him to the line and take your chances 50/50. Read More »

“The finals were simply amazing, a real spectacle… VBL is powerful, a must see for anyone who visits Los Angeles… real streetball, great games, love the music… the announcers are fantastic, I come every week with my family and stay for six hours.” These are just some of the things that people said to Nick Ansom, Director of the Venice Basketball League, this past weekend. And if you’ve ever been, you’d know why. Read More »

I just listened to A.C. Green on the radio promoting the 3BA, where he’ll be coaching a game this weekend at Portland’s Rose Garden against a team coached by Dan Dickau.

During the interview, the host asked A.C. if he thought the ’08 Boston Celtics could hang with the “Showtime” L.A. Lakers, with whom A.C. of course won a few rings. Normally the diplomatic and humble type — just a minute earlier he’d graciously declined to compare 3BA to AND 1 or any other “alternative” version of basketball — Green didn’t even hesitate in saying the Lakers would have whupped Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and crew.

“We would have worn them down,” A.C. said, adding that the Lakers were deeper and just an overall better team.

What do you think? Could today’s Celtics knock off the ’80s Lakers?