If you’re a fan of Jackie Moon and Semi-Pro, then you’re going to love this. The Miami Heat will pay tribute to the ABA this season as part of the NBA’s “Hardwood Classics Nights” by hosting a series of 1970′s retro-themed games. Leave your Heat jerseys at home this weekend, because starting tomorrow night the Miami Floridians will take the hardwood at AmericanAirlines Arena against the Philadelphia 76ers. Read More »

Buy Low: DeMar DeRozan has just about flatlined since his hot start to the season. Since Jan. 6, DeRozan has averaged 11.4 points, 2.9 boards, 1.0 assist, 1.0 steal, 0.6 steals, 0.2 threes and 2.8 turnovers per game, while shooting 35 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free-throw line. That’s good for top 300 value, which is nothing to write home to Compton about. This makes DeRozan a low-risk buy-low candidate, the best kind. Andrea Bargnani’s nearing return will help take some pressure off of DeRozan, who still has an appealing ceiling. If he finds that touch he had in the first handful of games in 2011-12, it’ll be well worth spending 50 cents on the dollar for. Read More »

Is there any team in the league that pisses off basketball fans more than Atlanta? In reality though, why should we get so aggravated when they struggle? As Reggie and Charles pointed out, you’re only as good as your best player. Despite that, with LeBron and Dwyane Wade dressed up (What the hell was that shirt ‘Bron had on?) on the sidelines, the Heat rode Chris Bosh (33 points, 14 rebounds) and a bunch of role players to a surprising 116-109 win in triple OT. Read More »

The rich keep getting richer. The Heat have a new toy and last night, he dropped 14 points in the fourth, drugged the crowd into chanting MVP for him at the line and used his Sam Cassell in ’94-sized balls to hit two straight jumpers in the final minute against the Celtics. Boston had to endure the wrath of D-Wade (24 points, eight assists, four blocks) and LeBron (26 points) for three quarters, but some great shooting and a zone defense brought them all the way back. Too bad Norris Cole wasn’t having it. Read More »

Are you making some bets and need help deciding who to take this Christmas Day? Check out the simulations from NBA 2K12. Okay, I wouldn’t do that, but as the most realistic sports video game yet, these videos are a good start. In anticipation of opening day in the NBA, 2K12 simulated all five scheduled games in an attempt to predict who will come out on top. While you might disagree with the results, the means are justified. The game recently released an update with pretty much every roster move that took place over the course of this offseason, including adding rookies, free agent signings, foreign players and even Metta World Peace. Read More »

Two amazing alley-oops, but which one was better? We’ll let you be the judge.

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It’s safe to say that the sneaker game has changed. Just as NBA players want to play in big markets, guys are bucking the trend and joining up-and-coming sneaker companies in order to make a name for themselves. First we saw this with the influx of Chinese brands such as Li-Ning, PEAK and ANTA, and have recently seen it from the likes of Under Armour and Above The Rim. Now, getting back in the game, is Spalding. Read More »

Last season, there were two holes on the Heat roster surrounding Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh: point guard and center. And while they had some serviceable pieces, they were always looking to upgrade. At center, they tried Juwan Howard, Erick Dampier and Jamaal Magloire. That didn’t work, and it’s unlikely that any of those guys (except maybe Howard) will return. At point guard, a late-season acquisition of Mike Bibby was supposed to be the answer, but ask J.J. Barea how that turned out. So with just Eddie House and rookie Norris Cole on the roster at the PG spot, it appears Miami has turned to a familiar face to handle the rock. Read More »

Dwyane Wade comes strolling into the back-alley gym that sits in the shadows of I-95 with that familiar Jordan gait – pigeon-toed, swagged-out – looking like an oversized red and black hospital patient with all of the mics and wires hanging off him. “We’re going to add four more,” someone immediately says as they start outfitting Wade again. One here. One there. The All-Star smiles. It’s all he can do with his arms outstretched, foreign hands fidgeting to add more technology all over his body. Read More »

Even EPMD and James Brown never went this hard. The Drew League was in it to win it, to get revenge for “Capital Punishment,” and mainly because of James Harden, they got what they came for: “The Big Payback.” The L.A. squad pulled away from the Goodman League in the final moments, winning 151-144 even as John Wall (55 points) and Kevin Durant (50 points) dropped a couple of bombs on them. Harden, who hit for 48 and was completely unstoppable at times in the first half, led a somewhat-balanced attack, even with his beard being nearly overshadowed by whatever that crap is on Nick Young‘s head. Whereas most celebrity games like this inevitably fall into a routine of you take it, I take it, this one was dominated by three players. Read More »