They say the mainstream playground fad is dead (Where have you gone, Hot Sauce?), but in the NBA — and really in this whole major pro sports thing — the essence of the park still thrives: It’s a constant proving ground.

Maybe it’s because today’s media is quicker than ever to judge, jury and execute; a few public missteps (or just one if it’s big enough) and we’ll gladly anchor you with a label that will take years to erase. Read More »

Good news for the Orlando Magic: Winning last night’s Game 3 puts you right back in the NBA Finals, and with two more home games in a row, in position to stretch this thing to six or seven games and pull off an upset. Bad news: You played about as flawless a game as possible (at least offensively) and still just barely got the W … Orlando came out scorching in the first quarter, hitting like 75 percent of their shots, but were still mostly playing from behind due to Kobe Bryant single-handedly destroying their defense. Read More »