A former Husky from Northern Illinois University, Xavier Silas was one of the best players in the country in 2011, scoring more points than future NBA first-round draft picks MarShon Brooks and Jimmer Fredette. Seemingly at the top of the world, it seemed as if nothing could break his fall. Then, reality started to kick in. Read More »

The basketball world lost a true streetball legend last night when word broke that AND 1 Mix Tape star Tyrone Evans, aka “Alimoe,” aka “The Black Widow,” had suffered a seizure and passed away (a rumor confirmed by his close friend and fellow And 1 teammate Aaron “AO” Owens).

Alimoe was a legitimate playground icon – the Harlem native was one of the original pioneers at the head of the AND 1 Mix Tape revolution of the late ’90s/early ’00s. He was a phenomenon in his own right; one of the leaders in a movement that altered basketball culture forever. And he was in it before TV and corporations turned it into Clown Town (Luckily, Alimoe got out before it went that far south).

Standing 6-7 with wicked handles and an effusive personality, he was perfect for the cameras and a natural foil for the other AND 1 stars, especially Rafer Alston. The two of them even starred in their own “Skip vs. Alimoe: Battle Tape” (You can see clips from the tape after the jump). Read More »

In the new issue of Dime Magazine, we took a look at the best – and worst – the game has offered since the turn of the century. From the players to jerseys to sneakers to teams to even trends, you can relive the past 12 years by scooping up the new issue currently on newsstands nationwide. In those pages, you’ll find the following feature… Read More »

Lob City’s a Laker town again, if only for a night in this upside-down season where the Clippers are the supposed juggernaut in town. With Andy Garcia looking on with an, ahem, obvious Lakers’ interest, Metta World Peace was as much a factor tonight as he hasn’t been the rest of the season. His physicality and hesitation three, his only bucket of the night, with 3:30 left capped an 11-4 run and the Lakers put the game away from there, thanks to two key plays from Andrew Bynum (19 points). In the closing seconds, he caught a lob from Kobe and finished, and then snuffed DeAndre Jordan‘s layup. Was this truly the night the big kid finally grew up? Read More »

Words. Rob Kadivar

Late last week, Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall declared his intention to try out for either the Denver Nuggets or the Miami Heat should an NFL lockout go down in 2011. He made it clear he wasn’t joking by saying, “Not pursuing — I’m going to be on an NBA team. Seriously.”

This raises an interesting question: Which NBA players can say with equal confidence that, should they choose to, they will compete in the NFL? Read More »

Timing is everything. LeBron James bought a full-page ad in the Akron Beacon Journal, thanking his hometown fans, friends and family. “For all my life, I have lived in Akron — and for that, I am truly a lucky man,” the ad reads. “It was here where I first learned how to play basketball, and where I met the people who would become my lifelong friends and mentors. Their guidance, encouragement and support will always be with me. Akron is my home, and the central focus of my life. It’s where I started, and it’s where I will always come back to. You can be sure that I will continue to do everything I can for this city, which is so important to my family and me. Thank you for your love and support. You mean everything to me.” Read More »

While most NBA free agents this summer have been working out deals, Rafer Alston has decided to spend his summer vacation a little differently: He’s coaching. The New York City streetball legend has been on the AAU circuit coaching the New York Panthers. Last week at the Desert Duel Memorial Basketball Tournament in Gilbert, Ariz., Coach Skip and his squad (led by blue-chip prospect Maurice Harkless) took home the crown. Read More »

Fresh off his first NBA All-Star season, Zach Randolph wants a contract extension. He has one year left on his deal with Memphis at $17.3 million. He’s also a suspected drug trafficker without a great track record as a teammate and has a penchant for piling up stats on lousy teams. So basically, the Grizzlies will probably give him five years for about $75 million.

All jokes aside, Z-Bo’s value may be higher now than it ever will be again, so he’s looking to cash in before the predicted lockout in 2011. Read More »

Yeah, we’re talking about That Dude in Miami, but no, it’s not Rick Ross. For a brief moment on Sunday, Dwyane Wade took LeBron‘s spot as the NBA’s biggest lightning rod for criticism before avoiding the full brunt of an big controversy … Wade was initially quoted in an interview saying, “If we lose a couple in a row this season, it will be like the World Trade is coming down again.” Not long after that hit the airwaves, though, the news source in question retracted and admitted Wade was misquoted. Read More »

Kenny Smith has become one of the most visible NBA experts in the world. The 10-year NBA vet won two championships with the Houston Rockets after getting drafted No. 6 overall out of North Carolina, but his fame has grown more recently as a studio analyst for TNT. Smith and Charles Barkley have helped make “Inside the NBA” a must-watch on the schedule for a lot of basketball fans.

A few days ago I got up with Kenny “The Jet” to talk about his new promotional venture with Taco Bell, his favorite NBA rookies, and growing up playing ball in New York City: Read More »