Over the past few weeks eight point guards took center stage to determine the best. The arguments were presented and I made my feelings known, but left you enough neutral data to formulate yours as well.

In the time spent researching these great players, some other players were seen and I want to make sure they are not overlooked. Some are champions of the record books and others are champions on the court. Either way, here are a few Golden Point Guard Nuggets of the past 60+ years. Read More »

An essential element in the cult of Michael Jordan is the fact that the man never lost an NBA Finals. It’s how we choose to remember him: Perfect. 6-0 in the endgame. Unassailable. In doing so, we place him in the tiniest of circles, that being multiple champions who never lost a title. Read More »

During one of the many Carmelo Anthony conversations-slash-arguments waged in the Dime office lately, one subject was how the Denver Nuggets would proceed should they lose ‘Melo in a (talent-wise) predictably lopsided trade.

Does the franchise start over and rebuild? Do they try covering the loss of ‘Melo like nothing happened and construct a contender for 2011 without taking a step back? Do they happily tread water and accept being first-round or second-round playoff chum for the real sharks of the Western Conference? Read More »

Perhaps you’ve heard about this thing we’ve got going on called the World Basketball Festival. No big deal, just a blockbuster four-day weekend dedicated to the greatest sport in the world, taking over the greatest city in the world, and attending by the greatest athletes and entertainers in the world. After Day 1 saw a Team USA scrimmage and Jay-Z performance at Radio City Music Hall, Day 2 was spent almost exclusively at historic Rucker Park in Harlem for a star-studded schedule … Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul got it started at the Jordan Breakfast Club clinic. Read More »

After Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley weighed in with their thoughts on Miami’s “Super-Friends” collaboration, now Magic Johnson is having his say:

“We didn’t think about (superstars teaming up) ’cause that’s not what we were about,” Magic told reporters during a visit to New York. “From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird.”

That’s following Jordan’s comments over the weekend that he never would have teamed up with Magic and Bird because, “In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys.” Read More »

While I missed the majority of Lakers/Celtics Game 6 for my cousin’s high school graduation, everyone I know who watched the game had to come up with something to talk about during L.A.’s cold-blooded beatdown.

During the third quarter, one of my boys texted me: “Best role player ever in the NBA? Pippen?”

Depends on how you define a role player. To me, Scottie Pippen doesn’t count because he was too good. Read More »

My New York people will hate me for this, but you can make a solid argument that Los Angeles is really the Mecca of basketball. The Lakers are one of the most popular pro sports franchises on the planet, UCLA has the most national championships in college history, L.A.’s high school powerhouses regularly crank out NBA players, and the playground scene is alive and thriving at spots like Venice Beach and The Hangar. Read More »

Although Jeff Van Gundy can be the most entertaining and humorous national-network NBA announcer working right now, too often he drifts into territory where it’s like watching a game with a hyperactive 9-year-old: “Why? … How come? … When are they gonna? … You know what? … I wanna …”

JVG was most recently doing his child-like act during Spurs/Lakers last Sunday, when talk turned to the incoming 2010 Basketball Hall of Fame class and he asked why coaches don’t have to wait five years after retirement to get H.O.F. consideration, but players do. Read More »

From 1976 to 1990, Dennis Johnson didn’t just play in the NBA. He left a mark. But now we can finally say DJ is a Hall of Famer. By earning his place among the 2010 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class this week, the late Dennis Johnson will finally be recognized for his contributions to the game of basketball, which were about so much more than numbers. DJ was a winner, a clutch player, and most importantly, a terrific teammate. Read More »

Under the list of ingredients that have become standard in the NCAA championship recipe — defense, momentum, chip on the shoulder, good coaching, depth, etc. — perhaps we should add one more: Ability to win ugly. Last night’s national title game between Duke and Butler wasn’t one for smooth flowing offense and highlight buckets, but it was nonetheless an instant classic with crazy intensity, where both sides played like their lives were on the line and put on a defensive clinic before Duke walked out of the octagon with its fourth national championship … Read More »