The Air Jordan X “Chicago” drops tonight at midnight, and is no question a coveted sneaker simply because it hasn’t been around in a while. Until tonight, it hadn’t been released in 17 years, and OG pairs fetch a pretty significant premium on the secondary market. Simply put, a lot of Jordan aficionados have been waiting a long time to get a fresh version of Chicagos. Read More »

Let’s thank Andrew Bynum for pointing out the obvious: the Lakers were steamrolled in the playoffs by Dallas because they were tired, mentally and physically, they were overconfident and cocky, they didn’t totally respect the Mavs (who seriously did?) and they felt they could turn it on and off. The three-peat didn’t happen, it ended ugly, and now no one really knows what their future holds. Bynum wants everyone to be more accountable. He called out the whole team, including himself. For the Lakers to get back to the apex, Bynum needs to not only stay healthy, but also mature. Read More »

We’ve got a birthday today. Nostalgic for some, painful for others. No matter what direction your biased heart strings guide you, it’s hard not to appreciate John Starks. He was short but he could score. He walked around with a swaggering bravado that compelled him to think a left-handed dunk, over two Chicago Bulls, with 40 seconds left in the game, in the playoffs, was a good idea. There’s just something about the Marv Albert call, the crowd – it’s momentous. It’s not about Jordan not even getting totally posterized, or Patrick Ewing blatantly shoving the guy he set a pick on. When something like this happens, you subconsciously make a mental note and add it to the goose bump memory bank. You know, when you’re surfing YouTube, hoping to vicariously relive someone else’s glory. I do it all the time with this Steve Gerrard goal that allowed Liverpool to advance in the Champions League. Read More »

By now you’re familiar with our “Pass the Mic” series – a feature where he give the pen and pad to some of our best readers to let them drop knowledge on the NBA. We’ve had previous posts on everything from game-saving rule changes to essays on how money is ruining the world’s greatest game to imagining what life would be like without Mike. Today, we’re turning the space over to Michael Kochan, who reflects on what REALLY happened in the 1994 NBA Finals. Read More »

We’ve seen it far too often in the NBA. Corporate elites married to their BlackBerrys occupy the best seats in the house, relegating the beer-drinking, obnoxiously chanting fans to the inaudible back corners of the arena. At first it brought tears to my eyes, watching the heart of the NBA, the fans, being pushed away from the action. But now that it’s an undeniable facet of every NBA arena, we have to accept it. Read More »

Upon leaving New York City for All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, we knew there was a very good possibility that either the Knicks or Nets would pull off a deal, most likely involving Carmelo Anthony. But what transpired last week for both New York teams (yes, the Nets will soon be in Brooklyn) has been nothing short of astounding. Read More »

On the night after another wild NBA trade deadline — before which almost 50 players were traded — Chicago looked like the big winner for not doing a damn thing. Trailing Miami by 11 in the third quarter, the Bulls may have been starting to regret not pulling off a deal for somebody like J.R. Smith or O.J. Mayo. Instead, Derrick Rose brought them storming back and the Bulls handed the Heat another loss to an elite team … Chicago was up three with 1:30 to go in the fourth as Rose (26 points) and LeBron James (29 points, 10 rebounds) matched up head-to-head. Read More »

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN — Carmelo Anthony delivered the blow, full-impact right in the face of his opponent, then broke into a speedy yet awkward backpedal, looking like a man built to play defensive end trying to imitate a cornerback.

And the New York crowd, at their loyal and passionate best, gave him a wild standing ovation. Wait … what?

There were plenty of surreal moments during Carmelo’s first game as a Knick, but for me, that was the standout. Read More »

As one of the anchors for a 90s Knicks team that saw eight straight playoff berths during his tenure – including a visit to the NBA Finals in 1994 – John Starks can definitely relate to the recent success the Knicks are having. Known for his clutch shooting, tenacious defense and a dunk heard ’round the world, Starks (minus the high-top fade) is still involved with the NBA at an executive level, as the Alumni and Fan Development Advisor for the New York Knicks. I got up with Starks at a press conference for Ektio Shoes (footwear designed to prevent ankle injuries) to talk Knicks basketball, covering Michael Jordan and the NBA’s best golfers. Read More »

If Carmelo Anthony keeps playing like this, he might as well keep up the rent payments on his property in Denver, because he won’t be going anywhere until at least Summer 2011. ‘Melo dropped 30 points (17-19 FT), 14 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals on the Clippers at Staples Center last night, carrying a Nuggets squad that was without Chauncey, K-Mart and Al Harrington. Denver was up three with five seconds left when ‘Melo stepped to the line and iced the W after Eric Gordon missed a potential game-tying triple … Read More »