No one can accuse Derrick Rose of lacking self-confidence. “Why can’t I be the MVP of the league,” Rose famously asked last September, before becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history last season. This year, he’s still not concerned with anybody else, and is now talking about bringing multiple championships to his hometown. Read More »

This season, college basketball is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the three-point shot. The three-ball forever changed the game of basketball. It made a place for the Steve Kerrs and Kyle Korvers of the world, who have the ability to get three points for what is seemingly a layup to them. It also changed the game among mid-major teams. Mostly all of the best men in the nation attend big name schools, leaving the mid-majors with little size to scrounge over. With limited power on the block, these squads have no choice but to consistently hoist three-balls to be competitive. Just take a look at VCU, whose torrid shooting pace brought them all the way to the Final Four last season. Read More »

The other day, our friends at Converse held an event in NYC to showcase their two new basketball sneakers – the Converse DEFCON and Converse Pro Leather 2K11. Hosted by Bobbito Garcia, Converse athletes Chris “Birdman” Andersen, Lou Williams and Kyle Korver were there to represent. After about a 30-minute Q&A with Bobbito, the athletes had the opportunity to interact with the media, and I got the chance to catch up with Birdman and Sweet Lou. Read More »

Next up for fantasy basketball discussion: the Chicago Bulls. There’s a good deal to like here from a fantasy perspective – a first-round stud, some decent value in the middle rounds and a few fill-in guys to watch on the waiver wire when need be. Without too many free agents for the Bulls, fantasy owners shouldn’t expect too many things to change in the upcoming season. But if Brian Scalabrine isn’t re-signed, all bets are off. Read More »

Just when you thought it was going to be a quiet offseason, Deron Williams and Kyle Korver return to Utah later this month for their third-annual Dodge Barrage Tournament. Yes, for a good cause, you can get your Patches O’Houlihan on in style.

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It’s crazy the difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the media attention swirling around the NBA was actually picking up steam. Game 7 of the 2010 Finals was an afterthought compared to the free agency craze. Atlanta got so hyped up, they threw Birdman money at Joe Johnson. Cleveland got so hell bent, they were ready to tear down buildings. We were throwing July 8th office parties. Miami was throwing “We are gonna win 10 championships” parties. And LeBron nearly ruined himself. Read More »

The most common criticism that people have had against the Bulls this season has been their lack of a true scorer outside of Derrick Rose. Never was that more evident than in the last five minutes of regulation and overtime of Game 4, when Rose essentially went one-on-one with a much bigger LeBron James because nobody else on his team could create any shots without his help. The most glaring weakness is at the two guard spot, where the Bulls currently have a flawed three-man rotation there. Read More »

When ballplayers from the West Side of Chicago meet up against Southsiders, it’s always more than just a game. It doesn’t matter if it goes down on a playground in the Windy City or in all-star setting like it was the other night as part of the inaugural Chicago United Hoops Classic – it will be a collision of neighborhood pride marked by the smash-mouth style of ball that makes Chicago hoop a beast unlike any other in the world. Read More »

Just when you thought the high school basketball season was over, some of Chi-Town’s finest decided to hold a game. Tomorrow, the inaugural Chicago United Hoops Classic will feature premier prep school players from Chicago’s South and West Sides at the Sullivan Athletic Center on the campus of DePaul University. Here are the rosters: Read More »

One thing about the playoffs, if you watch enough games, you can begin to expect what’s going to happen next. That’s not to say they aren’t fun, but sometimes things can get very predictable. After a weekend of basketball sent from the gods, we couldn’t really expect a repeat. Yet that’s not even what we’re talking about. Miami and Chicago both nearly lost Game 1s at home against inferior opponents. If you know anything about the NBA Playoffs, Game 2 blowouts from the higher seeds were completely expected. The Heat did their part, but Indiana refused to throw the white flag in Chicago … Read More »