It’s always been known that Knicks owner James Dolan loves Isiah Thomas, almost more than Dolan loves Cablevision. Thomas coached the Knicks into the Eastern Conference basement, got in legal trouble and generally sullied the name of one of the most famous franchises in all of sports, and yet the former Bad Boy floor general hanged above the heads of NYK execs and coaches all the time like a threat. Dolan even tried to hire Thomas back when he was still employed as a coach somewhere else (talk about a fall from grace — he was at Florida International) to be a consultant. Read More »

Nothing gets the blood flowing and the hype percolating like a conversation about the greatest basketball players ever. At this point, it’s not fun anymore to debate the G.O.A.T. We all know the main suspects – MJ, Wilt, Bill Russell, Magic – and everyone’s arguments have been driven into the ground so many times, we don’t want to hear them anymore. Plus, if you go against the gospel of Michael Jordan, you’re basically committing basketball heresy. But go a little further down in the top 50-100, and it starts to get interesting. Former NBA point guard and current Golden State coach Mark Jackson stepped into the fray yesterday when he said Reggie Miller was as good as any two guard ever as long as you discount Jordan and Kobe. Read More »

Words. Lucas Shaprio & Sean Sweeney

Every year, the real first two days of the NCAA tournament bring a bushel of crazy scenarios, upsets and just outright great games. This year will be no different. You know one of the five-seeds will lose. You know you almost assuredly will see a buzzer-beater. And you know some team everyone had as a Final Four sleeper will be sent home. The Dime crew decided to break it down for you, picking our nine favorite matchups from this year’s first round. Read More »

More often than not, a reliable warning sign that a power conference is struggling is if its signature program is having a hard time. Last season was a bad year for the SEC; and in a completely related story, Kentucky missed the NCAA Tournament.

I’ve argued before that the Pac-10 isn’t as bad as most experts are saying, but if UCLA’s play is any indication, the conference is headed for a season more jacked up than the “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew” cast. Read More »