It was just a little over a year ago when the lockout forced a group of NBA rotation players overseas in search of employment. The Chinese Basketball Association opened their doors to a handful of players under the condition that those players finish out their contracts in the league no matter when the lockout ended. Guys like J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler and Kenyon Martin all came “home” after stints in the CBL and joined playoff contending teams to finish out the season last March. Read More »

The Oklahoma City Thunder laid the smackdown on the Bobcats on Monday night, winning 114-69, and negating the positive work new head coach Mike Dunlap had done with the Bobcats to start the season. The Thunder’s 45-point rout of the Bobcats was highlighted by their early 79-25 lead, which prompted DailyThunder blogger, Royce Young, to tweet: “It’s time like these where I really miss Cole Aldrich.” Hasheem Thabeet even recorded his first career double-double (!) in some prolonged garbage time. Read More »

It’s a new season in the NBA, the Heat and LeBron James have new championship rings, and yet nothing has changed. You still got the haves and the have-nots, which was easily apparent switching back and forth between the freshman ball (Wizards/Cavs) and the varsity (Celtics/Heat). The fans still don’t understand the concept behind the MVP chant (Seriously? In the first game of the season?) And Kevin Garnett is still super ornery. Read More »

Give NBA uber-dork Daryl Morey some credit. The Houston general manager somehow took the Rockets through the final bitter months of the Tracy McGrady era, beyond the retirement of Yao Ming, and even on past the whole Dwight Howard saga. All along, the Rockets stayed competitive. No one’s talking championships in H-Town, but they’re always a solid team, and that’s more than the have-nots in Charlotte, Sacramento and New Orleans can say. Read More »

Eddy Curry wasn’t good enough to be San Antonio’s 15th man, but he will start tonight for his new team, Dallas, in its preseason finale. There’s a good chance when the Mavericks face the Lakers in the season opener on Oct. 30 — exactly one day before the 11th anniversary of his NBA debut — he could start opposite Dwight Howard. If it’s startling to realize Curry could be even a spot NBA starter until Chris Kaman and Brandan Wright return to the Mavericks’ lineup from injury, there are 10 seasons of underwhelming performances to act as evidence. Is it time, however, to realize that Curry may be the man for the (small) job in Dallas? Read More »

By the time David Stern retires as commissioner of the NBA on Feb. 1, 2014, the dueling eulogies and celebrations of his reign will have long been written. Hell, still 15 months away, many have been written today after he announced he’ll retire on that date while at the NBA Board of Governors meeting. Read More »

It didn’t officially hit us that the Lakers have Kobe Bryant…Pau Gasol…Steve Nash…AND Dwight Howard until we saw pictures from the team’s media day yesterday. It must be fun being a Lakers fan. Howard is having himself a grand ol’ time as one of the newest additions. According to ESPN LA’s Dave McMenamin, he spent last night at the Time Warner Cable Sportsnet launch party hanging out with David Beckham. Before that, he spent the day holding court with the media, and even told them he wants to be Kobe. Read More »

There’s something everyone needs to know about Mario Chalmers: his confidence is bordering on movie star-level. He really believes he’s one of the best big moment players in the game. Trust us. We’ve asked him before. Now, he’s saying he’s not just one of the best point guards in the world, but that he’s in the “front end of the top 10.” We’re not even sure Rajon Rondo would reach that far, and what’s funny about this is that Chalmers’ proclamation came from a question about Rondo’s standing in the game. Read More »

We didn’t know Manu Ginobili wrote a column for a Spanish-language newspaper, La Nacion, but in his latest he wrote today that he’s not playing in the FIBA Americas Championships in 2013. But wait — it’s not exactly the end of Argentina’s golden basketball generation quite yet. Read More »

The New York Knicks refused to match the Houston Rockets’ offer sheet for Jeremy Lin, which totaled $25.1 million over three years. The decision was in part financial, but many have argued that the Knicks could have moved Lin and his $14.8 million expiring contract before the poison pill year kicked in, or at the very least released him after year two via the “stretch provision” and taken $5 million in dead cap space for three seasons following. Read More »