Facebook is about to go public with its IPO, which has everyone in a buy/sell mood and streaming “The Social Network” soundtrack on Spotify. It leads to conversations about how big the company can become. If you’re a hoops fan looking for a steal, it’s time now, at nearly a third of the way through the season, to see what teams you should invest your hopes in and who to sell off quick while you still can.

I don’t know anything about tech stocks but here’s who you believe in and what teams, if bought too aggressively, could ruin your portfolio. Read More »

“I can stand in a room full of dead people and make it exciting.”

Gilbert Arenas told us this once back in Dime #29, when he was plastered on the cover with the headline “Who’s Better Than Me?”

It’s a tired cliché but yet it’s true. Gilbert Arenas isn’t what he once was. Neither are Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Allen Iverson and all the rest of the once 30-point scoring, magazine-covering, teammate-aggravating, crossover-dropping stars the league put through the gauntlet and then filtered back out. Read More »

Tuesday brought another Portland victory, this time over the Clippers, at the Rose Garden, where the Trail Blazers are undefeated at home this season. After Brandon Roy‘s retirement, news that LaMarcus Aldridge underwent heart surgery in the fall and another Greg Oden injury setback, things in Portland are perhaps unforeseeably sunny right now after an early December of discontent. Read More »

The long, drawn-out courtship of Jamal Crawford appears to be over. Sources are reporting the former Sixth Man of the Year will sign a deal with Portland, deciding to go with the playoff team closest to his hometown after spurning Sacramento and New York. The Blazers have been hot on the offensive dynamo’s trail ever since this summer when LaMarcus Aldridge voiced his love for Crawford and began recruiting the two guard away from Atlanta. That continued throughout the free agency period, until it came down to two teams last night: Portland and Sacramento. Read More »

Okay, so let’s recap. First, Chris Paul was going to be a Laker, to team up with Kobe and start a domino effect that would eventually land Dwight Howard in Hollywood and reconfigure the world. Then Dan Gilbert donned his five-year-old cap again, David Stern took the advice of Stu Jackson – only the worst basketball GM ever – to cancel the deal, and it was voided. Then the Clippers came swooping in with the best offer you could possibly hope for to get a 26-year-old point guard who already has knee issues. Read More »

On Friday, when we posted the unfortunate news about Brandon Roy being forced into medical retirement, we were moved by the instant outpouring of love for B-Roy from our readers. So we thought today was as good as any to post Roy’s national magazine cover debut from Dime #48. Read More »

If the lockout goes down as expected, the Portland Trail Blazers will enter the summer having answered one of their biggest personnel questions and practically set its starting lineup in June.

Point guard Raymond Felton joins from Denver in a draft-day switch with Andre Miller. Unlike Miller, Felton doesn’t need the ball in his hands on every possession to be effective as a scorer and is an equal at distribution. And on the day he was introduced by interim GM Chad Buchanan along with draft picks Nolan Smith (No. 21) and Jon Diebler (No. 51) on Monday, Felton put the ball in the Blazers’ court about making him a franchise point guard. Read More »

Trevor Ariza is only 25 years old, but in his seven years in the NBA he’s been through more experiences than a lot of 35-year-old veterans.

Drafted at age 18, Ariza had to fight for a roster spot as a second-round pick. He has played for five pro teams since then, having been traded three times and signing one contract worth nearly $35 million. He has lived in New York City and Los Angeles. He has played with Kobe and Penny and Grant Hill. He has won an NBA championship and played for Lottery teams. He has been an NBA Finals hero and a little-used benchwarmer. Read More »

There’s no one that screams training more than Bo Jackson. And tonight, the man himself is inviting you to celebrate the athletes, the designs and the art of the new Nike Trainer 1.2 with the release of the limited Edition “All For One” pack. Retailing for $350, the pack includes one pair of player edition shoes in a premium footwear box, as well as framed artwork that ties back with the players. (Only 12 prints of each athlete poster were made.) Check out the shoes and art below for Brandon Roy and Amar’e Stoudemire, as well as artist statements about their work. Read More »

In an NBA offseason where certain fan-friendly stars — e.g. LeBron, Carmelo, Chris Paul — have had their images altered in public opinion via free-agent moves and rumored trade demands, the last guy you’d expect to cross over to the “me” side is Brandon Roy.

The franchise superstar of the Portland Trail Blazers has been one of the NBA’s signature “good guys” ever since he burst onto the scene as the 2007 Rookie of the Year and brought his team back to prominence and likability following the “Jail Blazers” era. Read More »