Back when Nick “Swaggy P” Young was still rocking a Trojans’ cardinal and gold uniform from 2004 to 2007, the USC athletic department was on top of the world. On the gridiron, the ’04 squad, led by Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, cruised to the BCS National Championship. One year later, the Trojans returned to the title game where they fell to Texas.

Meanwhile, USC wasn’t doing too shabby on the hardwood, either. After finishing 12-17 during Young’s rookie season, the Trojans steadily improved, going 17-13 the next year. Then, in 2007, Young and Gabe Pruitt led the Trojans to its first NCAA tournament appearance in five years, taking them to the Sweet Sixteen. Read More »

It’s safe to say that the sneaker game has changed. Just as NBA players want to play in big markets, guys are bucking the trend and joining up-and-coming sneaker companies in order to make a name for themselves. First we saw this with the influx of Chinese brands such as Li-Ning, PEAK and ANTA, and have recently seen it from the likes of Under Armour and Above The Rim. Now, getting back in the game, is Spalding. Read More »

Last week, John Wall hit the streets of New York City to celebrate the release of his new signature shoe, the Reebok Zig Encore. After all the commotion died down, we got a chance to catch up with John to chat about his new kicks, the Wizards and Kentucky’s chances this season. Read More »

The Washington Wizards rounds out our rundown of fantasy basketball analysis for each NBA team. The Wizards are led by a talented point guard who supposedly has an improved shot, along with two big men who’ve struggled so far to truly break through in any real way. Though the rest of the roster’s fantasy potential is a bit hazy, one thing is certain: a rookie’s girlfriend is about to take the NBA by storm. Read More »

Sometimes when you’re putting together an issue it takes on a life of its own. That’s definitely the case for Dime #66. Typically this would be our NBA Preview Issue, looking at all the stars and storylines for the upcoming year. But with the 2011-12 NBA season indefinitely on hold until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, a central theme began to arise while we were planning. Read More »

We will be keeping a running blog, breaking down the NBA Draft post-lottery pick-by-pick. Check in with us for any comments, trade rumors/sleepers/Kahn stuff or questions. We will be here all night. Read More »

Remember last fall when new Warriors owner Joe Lacob, fresh off writing the biggest check in NBA history, hired his son Kirk, a 22-year-old Stanford grad, as Golden State’s Director of Basketball Operations? Just eight months later, the younger Lacob has finished his first season in professional basketball management, including a thrilling (albeit unyielding) trade deadline, the firing and hiring of a new coach and an interview with The Logo himself. This week’s draft however, might be his biggest challenge yet. Read More »

Can you believe it, the 2011 NBA Draft is under 36 hours away and most teams have an idea of what they are going to do. A few picks seem locked in, but other than that, this is going to possibly be the wildest and most unpredictable draft in recent memory. With new information and chatter, here is how things look to shake out on June 23rd at the Prudential Center in New Jersey: Read More »

Picks 11-20 of the NBA Draft are tainted. Damaged goods. George’s fabled red dot-ruined cashmere sweater. There’s just something wrong, something incomplete. That’s why they fall out of the top 10. Last week I covered the sacred teachings of “Seinfeld” as they relate to picks 1-10 of the Dime Mock Draft 3.0. Luckily, the knowledge of NBC’s greatest comedic creation is never ending. So let’s dive in and see what the Jewish prophets can teach us about picks 11-20. Read More »

If defense is what you need, then Chris Singleton is your guy. The 6-9 forward with a freakish 7-1 wingspan wowed NBA scouts during his time at Florida State with his ability to play lockdown perimeter defense. Considered the best overall stopper in the country, Singleton led the Seminoles in 2011 to an 8-3 start in ACC play, including a gutsy 66-61 win over then-No. 1 Duke. But in mid-February, Singleton fractured his right foot, which forced him to watch from the bench as FSU limped to a 3-3 finish heading into the NCAA tournament. Read More »