The Finals are finally here. Every fan of the game knows this, of course, but after a season that almost entered a “nuclear winter,” to borrow Commissioner David Stern‘s phrase, the simple fact of its existence is something to be happy about. It’s not the only thing to be excited about, however. Read More »

*Who is the best big three in NBA history? Think it through because the best comments/responses below will be printed in the next issue of Dime.*

The issue of teaming up – star players coming together to corner the market – only really became a problem when a certain three schemed their way to South Beach. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh went from universally loved, or at least respected, to the evil Empire of the NBA, the black hats. Three All-Stars playing together in their primes isn’t exactly some new notion that Pat Riley stumbled upon in the midst of slicking back his hair. The NBA’s long been a place where the best become the best… because they play with the best. Read More »

Athletes tell lies. Agents tell damn lies. And sportswriters use statistics.

It’s been three long weeks since Paul Pierce eased on by Larry Bird on the Boston Celtics career scoring list and tucked comfortably behind John Havlicek into second place – a moment that, although hastily swept away in the avalanche that is/was Linsanity, still marks the high point of Boston’s so-far sluggish Atlantic Division title defense. Read More »

*Who was the best rookie point guard in NBA history? Think it through because the best comments/responses below will be printed in the next issue of Dime.*

Somewhere along the way Kyrie Irving picked up a few haters. Maybe it’s the Duke pedigree or the too-fast college career or the fact that he doesn’t jump out at anyone the way 2010′s No. 1 pick John Wall did. But either way, as the saying goes: With success comes the haters. You’ve made it once the snakes show. With his college career being so short, Irving had plenty of doubters heading into his rookie season, but so far he’s done what he can to shut them up. Through six games, he’s averaging 14.2 points, 5.3 assists and even 3.7 rebounds… all in under 26 minutes a night. Even more impressively, the Cavs are a rock solid 3-3. Read More »

Just ask Bob Cousy to see his championship rings and this question may answer itself. In a tremendous 14-year career that spanned from the late 1950s to the dominant Celtics of the 1960s, Cousy won six championships alongside 12 (Heinsohn, Russell, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Ramsey, Sharman, Macauley, Havlicek, Lovellette, Risen, Andy Phillip and Houbregs) other Hall of Famers and created a long standing legacy.

In the time since he retired, the NBA has seen some amazing point guards take control of the game, mastering it with wizardry and elegance. One of the best since then – not often mentioned in these conversations – is Steve Nash. Read More »

Daaaaaaamn. That’s all a fourth grader could say. And it wasn’t even like I actually spoke the words either; my nine-year-old cheeks would’ve gotten smacked if I had. I was young, but I wasn’t stupid. Still, I knew special when I saw it. Allegany Community College. Cumberland, Maryland. Steve Francis was ill even before the NBA, even before Maryland. Back then, in case you forgot, The Franchise was just beginning his takeover. Read More »

Who do you want your offense to run through with the game on the line? Counting down from 30th to 1st (one per team), I’ve ranked the League’s go-to guys…

DERRICK ROSE, Chicago Bulls The end of the era was about four years ago. The funeral was held over the past week.

Once upon a time, “score-first” point guards ran the NBA. At a time when quickness became more coveted than size, and the influences of Michael Jordan (long-term) and the AND 1 Mix Tape style (short-term) took hold, men like Allen Iverson, Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury and Baron Davis thrived. Read More »

With the Celtics and Lakers facing each other for the 12th time in NBA Finals history, it is time to look back on the best players in each franchise’s history. We compiled the best team ever from each franchise, and pit them against each other in a mock NBA Finals. Read More »

LeBron James did what legends do. After his Cavaliers got smoked on their home court by the Celtics in Game 2, with talk turning more toward his injured elbow and odds starting to swing in Boston’s favor in the eyes of some, LeBron set the record straight in last night’s Game 3. Boston never had a chance in front of their home crowd: LeBron outscored the Celtics by himself in the first quarter (21-17), on his way to a 38-point, 8-rebound, 7-assist effort while handing the Celtics their worst home playoff loss ever, a 29-point beating … Think about that. They’ve been hosting playoff games in Boston since Abraham played point guard, and in all those years of Russell, Cousy, Cowens, Bird and Pierce, they’d never taken an L that bad … Read More »

Last night you saw reasons A-thru-Z why — even with Manu Ginobili out of the picture — nobody wants to draw the Spurs early in the playoffs: Tim Duncan. Needing a win over New Orleans to secure the 3rd seed in the West and win another division title (a loss could have dropped them to 5th place), Duncan turned into the bad guy from No Country For Old Men in overtime. Read More »