Phil Jackson reportedly wants back in the NBA. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody, now that we’ve seen his “I’m Retiring/Moving to Montana/Now I’m Bored” routine already in the past. The fact that he raised his profile further by opening a Twitter account (and is actively interacting with players), is commenting on basketball strategy and has made himself more available to the media has only made his desire more clear.

So the Cleveland Cavaliers, in need of a coach, especially one who can handle superstars, have reportedly reached out to Phil. But does Phil want to coach? And does he want to do it in Cleveland? Read More »

It had been 19 years since Michigan had made the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. But dabble in a little Trey Burke, and add in some copious amounts of the Kansas Jayhawks — who have a history of this sort of choking — and it all adds up to the best comeback of March Madness … After overtime, the final score read, 87-85, Michigan, but make no mistake: it wasn’t the Wolverines that won the game. It was their point guard. Read More »

The NBA is synonymous with style. Whether it’s the prime kicks the players are rocking or the clothes they’re wearing before games, after games or on red carpets, basketball and fashion have teamed up more and more as the game has achieved a larger prominence in American popular culture (bizarrely, this has all happened under the dictatorial watch of David Stern, but that irony is a post for another time). With all that being said, NBA players aren’t limited to just the clothes and accessories most people associate with style. They’ve also used their own bodies to showcase individuality that can be lost when everyone is wearing the same uniform on the court. Read More »

The word “rival” is lost in the NBA today. Too often we see camaraderie between players on opposing teams. With the growing presence of AAU basketball, the players have gotten closer and closer.

AAU isn’t the only thing that brings the players together as one. The Olympic basketball experience has done it as well. Obviously when these guys are all on the same team, they must get along in some capacity, but the 2012 NBA champion Miami Heat were formed because of a rumored plan that was created during an Olympic run in 2008 by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Read More »

The 2012-13 NBA regular season is finally upon us. For fans, this means it’s time to re-up on your team’s merchandise. Anyone can go to the nearest sporting goods store and pick up a brand new jersey or hat, but what about the unique collectibles that separate the dyed-in-the-wool fan from the bandwagon supporter? These can be found on eBay. In the days leading up to, and after, NBA tip-off, Bidding Basketball will scavenge the online auction site’s “infinite inventory of NBA junk” for rare, memorable and/or quirky basketball memorabilia from every team around the league. Read More »

The next time Miami Heat president Pat Riley needs to sell a superstar free agent on all that South Florida can offer, he just needs to take him up to his new condo for the view. The stunning $11.75-million penthouse makes Kentucky’s eye-popping Coal Lodge look like a true college dorm. Read More »

We thought it, too. When the Lakers bowed out of the Western Conference Semifinals in 2011 in acrimonious fashion against the Mavericks, it was at the front of our mind: Phil Jackson can’t go out like this, can he? Jackson, with his children in the stands wearing hats commemorating his 11 NBA titles as a coach, had dominated with cool precision in Chicago and Los Angeles. But now the Lakers were frustrated, knocking over J.J. Barea and turning any thought of playing D in Big D into a joke. Read More »

Throughout his career in the NBA Pat Riley has won. Besides Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson, no coach has been more successful and certainly no man has won as much while wearing the tripartite hats: player, coach and now general manager. The only caveat to all that winning is attempting to duplicate the feat with everyone gunning for you in the next year. Riley has had three chances to repeat with the Lakers and once – before this year – to repeat with the Heat. The hard-nosed and dictatorial demeanor earlier in his coaching career has mellowed with time, and his front office tactics have allowed him both the distance and the experience to construct (rather than instruct) his teams. Now he’ll get another chance to repeat, and for once, he won’t be coaching. Read More »

It goes without saying that Jeremy Lin is a smart guy. Having Harvard on your credentials makes that sort of a no-brainer. When the new Houston guard visited Taiwan during his first visit to see where his parents were born, Lin — born and raised in the U.S. but clearly cognizant of international relations — slipped a question Sunday during press availability about whether he’s Chinese or Taiwanese like a bad halfcourt trap. Read More »

It was never a secret U.S. vs. Nigeria was never going to be close. The betting line grew to 42 points before the game, which seemed like it could be high even for a mismatch like this, the best team in the world against the team making its Olympic debut. First, the Team USA was totally off-mark shooting from the short international three-point line, a trend that looked worse with a pretty sluggish start to the first quarter against Tunisia. Then, you figured Nigeria was going to play inspired in its Olympic debut against the U.S. It turns out the line was ridiculous Read More »