What makes NBA games so special and electrifying are the epic in-game dunks. Of course, we love the flashy passing and heart wrenching buzzer-beaters, but to be capsulated in a moment where someone gets posterized is beyond blissful. Let’s start by saying shout out to Brandon Knight as he valiantly didn’t give up on the play last night when he could have. He could have dodged DeAndre Jordan and let Lob City get away with another alley-oop. He didn’t. It’s okay. Read More »

When it was unveiled Shawn Kemp was one of the newest screenshots for NBA 2K13 it was clinched for me: The first time I get on the game, I’m going straight to play as the Reign Man. There are dozens of better players included in the game to be sure, but none whose game was the video game template everyone strives for. Kemp is not just my choice but everyone’s, even if they don’t know it. The kind of mid-90s player Kemp was is now the player everyone unwittingly creates — unlimited hops, size and power — without realizing they just created essentially Shawn Kemp. The option to play as him means you can even try to restage his top 10 dunks. What are they? Glad you asked. Read More »

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the videos. In this era of technology, Twitter and 24/7 highlights, you probably heard about it not long after Pau Gasol felt it. It gives you an idea of how we value excitement in sports. The Clippers lost last night, Kobe Bryant hit a game-clinching shot and Andrew Bynum was going to work, and yet this morning it’s been all about Blake Griffin un-manning Gasol twice. As we wrote in Smack, he murdered him early, resuscitated him and then killed him again. Twice in one game he smashed all over the Spaniard. Kendrick Perkins and Timofey Mozgov breathed a sigh of relief somewhere. Read More »