The butler did it…again. Yesterday’s miraculous buzzer-beater lay-in by Matt Howard to beat Old Dominion had me reminiscing over Butler’s miraculous run last year to the national championship game as a five-seed. Does this mean we’re in for a repeat performance? Not so sure. You see, there’s a certain breadstick-eating, prepubescent-looking piece missing from this year’s team that was crucial in the Bulldogs’ triumphant run last year. That boyish charm I’m referring to is none other than Gordon Hayward, who bolted to the NBA after his epic sophomore season in Indianapolis. Read More »

We argue. You decide.

CARLOS BOOZER Carlos Boozer is a beast. Attitude; toughness; well-manicured beard; he has it all. Say what you will about his injury problems and his “conniving” ways (refer to Cavs ’04), the dude can flat-out play. Having been groomed by arguably the best two coaches in basketball history for the majority of his career — Mike Krzyzewski with Duke/USA Basketball, Jerry Sloan in Utah — Boozer was molded into the disciplined, hard-nosed, high-IQ player he is today. Read More »

Of course it was the Clippers. Before you could look at the schedule and imagine a scenario where the Cavaliers never win another game until Jared Sullinger comes to save the day, you had to remember there is still one NBA franchise out there that can out-pathetic Cleveland. And don’t let the Blake Griffin hype overwhelm you — ultimately the Clippers are still the Clippers … The streak is over at 26. After the final buzzer sounded in overtime of the Cavs win over the Clips, the camera panned to Antawn Jamison, deep in another zone, staring ahead as confetti and chaos exploded around him. Read More »

Life is all about change, but there are still some things we always expect to be the same. I cannot imagine the day when Coach K leaves Duke. It will be surreal when Joe Paterno is not on the sidelines for Penn State. And I’m sure, for most of us, the same can be said for Jerry Sloan‘s absence from the Utah Jazz bench.

After 23 years in the same place, what could make the Hall of Fame NBA coch resign in the middle of a season? The rumors are swirling that Sloan’s relationship with Deron Williams was the culprit. Read More »

If we really thought Kobe Bryant is the most cold-hearted villain in professional sports and deserving of a role opposite Tobey Maguire in the next Spider-Man flick, here’s what we would have said happened last night: Kobe let Ray Allen have the first half, then spent the second half ruining Ray’s shining moment, then used the final minute to stick the proverbial rusty ice pick in Ray’s ribcage on national TV and in front of Ray’s girl and his Moms. But that’s only if we thought Kobe is really, truly cold like that. Surely everything that happened last night was mere coincidence … Read More »

A little piece of Utah died today. The announcement that Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan is resigning after 22 and a half seasons with the team came as a shock to those outside of the organization and marks the end of an era for the NBA. We will likely never see a coach who sticks around with one team as long as Sloan, not to mention one who defines his team’s identity as much as Sloan.

When Sloan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, Dime reader and Jazz fan/blogger Amar penned this piece on the legacy of a true pro’s pro: Read More »

After 23 years as head coach of the Utah Jazz, making him the longest tenured coach in any of the four major pro sports, it appears Jerry Sloan‘s career has come to an end. According to a report in the Deseret News, Sloan will resign later today along with his long-time assistant, Phil Johnson. Here’s what’s been reported: Read More »

Need a reason why the Utah Jazz agreed to a one-year contact extension with Jerry Sloan yesterday? Watch this. From Al Jefferson to Kyrylo Fesenko to Raja Bell in 1.7 seconds, it doesn’t get any prettier from an X’s and O’s standpoint.

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The Utah Jazz are struggling. Last night’s 29-point loss to the Lakers was the team’s 5th straight defeat, and while Deron Williams and Co. are still only a game and a half behind the Thunder in the Northwest Division, they have dropped to 6th place in the Western Conference.

Utah could use a little help going into tonight’s tip-off with the West-leading Spurs (ESPN, 9:30 p.m. EST). Last time I looked, Karl Malone and John Stockton are both in pretty good shape and wouldn’t need to re-learn the playbook, but Jerry Sloan will probably explore some other options first.

With the NBA set to announce its All-Star starters tomorrow, this is the time of year where blaming the game’s fans for ultimately meaningless travesties is at its peak. You’ll see what I mean once Yao Ming‘s name is revealed as the Western Conference starting center.

NBA fans are safe from blame, though, when it comes to the League’s regular-season awards. If we end up with the wrong MVP or Coach of the Year, that falls on the media members who vote. The idea is that those of us who cover the League for a living are more objective and know what we’re talking about, that we’re not going to reduce things to a popularity contest. Read More »