No one wants to come out and admit it right now, but is there a race going on between Dwight Howard and Chris Paul to get to Hollywood? Some believe so. How it came to this, we aren’t sure. But it suddenly feels like the two biggest pieces in this new age NBA and are both privately gunning for the same team. The only problem is, most likely, only one of them gets there. As Yahoo! Sports reported, the Lakers and Hornets have already talked deals. With Howard not coming out one way or another and with the Hornets’ front office determined not to have a repeat of what happened in Cleveland, the focus shifted to CP, and the Lakers reportedly offered New Orleans their pick: Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol? Who do you want? Read More »

With no return date in sight for the 2011-12 NBA season, there are at least 10 current players that wake up every morning during this lockout and check their watch, clock or calendar to see what day it is. Because unless they can channel Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, each 24 hours means their internal NBA clock is ticking closer to the zero. Not everyone can be John Stockton or Karl Malone and play into their 40s. As we saw at the end of last season with Shaquille O’Neal‘s retirement, all good things must come to an end. With that, we evaluate the future of the NBA’s 10 oldest players: Read More »

We were soooo close. Imagine if the proper etiquette when you went out to eat or hit up happy hour was to tip two percent. That would feel like nothing. Well in what was considered to be the biggest day thus far of the lockout – the first one where a good percentage of those involved legitimately believed a deal could get done – the guys ended where they started: with nothing. The talks broke down on the dreaded BRI when neither the players nor the owners would move off their stances. The players wanted 52 percent; The owners were at 50. Of course, it’s pretty stupid to compare tipping $6 with a CBA for the NBA but still in the context – with millionaires fighting billionaires, you get our drift. You are two percent away. You want to know how easy it is to fix that? Each side give up a point. Read More »

The Phoenix Suns remain an offensive machine in the NBA, which makes the squad likable for fantasy purposes. However, with the face of the franchise is slipping into the sunset as he approaches the deep end of his 30s, it’s time for the emergence of new stars in Arizona. A certain hammer of Polish origin will lead the way for this new movement in Phoenix. Read More »

We need you Michael. More than ever. It must be hard for so many of today’s stars, living in Jordan’s shadow. Let’s face it, he’s still a dominating presence in the game, and still holds the attention of the general public. When he says something, people listen. Players might not wilt in the face of the GOAT anymore, but they still love him and they still respect him. As Reggie Miller said recently, he was perhaps the biggest factor in ending the last lockout in 1998-99. When he got involved, everyone listened, from smitten players to hardened owners. They knew his value, his prestige. So where has he been this whole offseason? Read More »

Nothing ever stabs as deep as a career cut short. In particularly with Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway and Tracy McGrady, three similarly-sized players who were meant to redefine the point guard, shooting guard and small forward positions, it feels like someone brought the edge of a sword into out guts and twisted. They were all so young, and with so much potential. But between knees, backs and ankles, all three suffered through injury-riddled primes. Looking at the glass half-full, we still have a few years, and memories of when T-Mac, Penny & Grant were some of the most exciting players the NBA had ever seen. Read More »

Brandon Jennings says it’s back to basics this offseason and we’re glad he’s tending to his weak points. Brandon can be quite exciting to watch but aspects of his game leave much to be desired. He never looked comfortable after nursing his foot last year so here’s to him bouncing back. Jennings has a tendency to chuck anything at the iron in hopes of hitting the bottom of the net. It’s all good when he’s actually hitting shots but his itchy, misguided trigger finger stalls Milwaukee’s offense. A smarter shooter’s sense will go a long way for his mid-range game since he already has the quickness to skate by defenders. Read More »

The world is evil. God might be good, but the world we live in is undoubtedly evil. For an athlete, there’s nothing worse than an injury. Some are lucky enough to never experience a real one. Others are never challenged. But two players, two people with enough talent to one day make the Hall of Fame, dealt with one break after another, one tear after another, one debilitating surgery after another.

Before the Allen Iversons, the Carmelo Anthonys, before the Dirk Nowitzkis, there was a question. And we all thought we had the answer. Read More »

There’s nothing funny about an NBA lockout, but that’s not to say that it can’t inspire some hilarious TV commercials. Back in 1998, Nike and Sprite stepped up to the plate with two campaigns that brought some levity to a pretty dreadful situation. Nike’s 15- and 30-second spots featured celebrity basketball fans Spike Lee, Dyan Cannon, Jackie Chan, Steve Guttenberg and Samuel L. Jackson seeking alternative basketball outlets, while Sprite had Grant Hill and Tim Duncan (somehow in NBA jerseys) looking for work. Read More »

Here we are again. It feels like just yesterday when a lockout starved fans of most of the 1998-99 season. Since then, there have been too many storylines to keep complete track of, but some things never change. The players and the NBA management butting heads is happening all over again.

Though some parts of human nature – greed – never change, pop music doesn’t stop and wait for David Stern to give in to demands. Looking back, here’s some top hits of 1998 and what the song titles can lend in knowledge about the basketball world comparing then and now. Read More »