New NBA season, new NBA looks

With the NBA getting a makeover during the lockout, players have followed suit.

A couple guys are trying out new looks this preseason – for better or worse – including Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion and New Orleans Hornets newly-acquired center Chris Kaman.

Kaman looks like a ginger lumberjack with his beard-shaved head combo while Marion is rocking the Demolition Man like Rodman in the 90s.

I’ll let you be the judge on which new look is the best...

Hey NBA, don't ruin Christmas

When it comes to my favorite flavor of hoops, I’d always choose college over pro. And, with the NBA lockout threatening even more NBA games, it looks like every basketball fan will be down to one choice this winter.

However, while I prefer to watch more NCAA action than NBA, I do enjoy just how good the pro game is. Leave a guy open in the corner and it’s a sure-fire 3-pointer. Late to pick up the ball, they’re already in full stride and slicing through the paint.

I’m not missing the NBA yet, mostly because we’ve only lost preseason games so far and the original start to the season isn’t until November 1 (New start is Nov 15). But, talk about canning the season up until and past the Christmas Day games has me a little on edge.

The December 25 matchups are a holiday tradition in my family. As a kid, I can remember opening presents, eating a big breakfast, visiting family and then settling in for hours of classic Xmas Day NBA action.

I can take the loss of the first few weeks, and maybe even up to December. But for all that’s sacred, don’t take my Christmas Day games away!

Without the NBA, I’ll be forced to visit with relatives I haven’t seen in years, drink bad punch, and sit through endless stories about “How when we were kids, we got an orange for Christmas”.

And this year’s Christmas Day games are especially great: Bulls at Lakers, Celtics at Knicks, and Heat at Mavericks. They’ll all keep me parked in my La-Z-Boy from noon until ... [More]

Yao Ming's legacy is Hall of Fame worthy

Yao Ming was one of the best things to ever happen to the NBA.

But, with the international sensation suddenly retiring Friday, his legacy will be more about being an ambassador for the sport of basketball than his work on the court.

After being drafted No. 1 overall in 2002, and bringing in a massive audience to the NBA from his home country China, the 7-foot-6 monster took the sports world by storm. Unlike many 7-footers, who served more as gimmick projects than real prospects, Yao proved he belonged in the Association.


He went head-to-head with the finest big men in the Western Conference every night, holding his own against the likes of first-ballot HoF’ers Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan. For his career, Yao averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks, with his best season coming in 2006-07 when he scored 25 points and pulled down 9.4 boards a night, but only played 48 games due to injuries.

Yao would continue to slow down after multiple foot and knee ailment, having played in just 160 games between the 2005-06 and 2007-08 seasons. He came back strong in 2008-09, putting up more than 19 points per game and suiting up for the Rockets 77 times, but again foot injuries would limit him to only five games in the next two seasons and eventually force Yao to retire.

Yao’s accomplishments were impressive for such a short time in the NBA - eight-time All-Star (thanks in part to the large Chinese fan vote), two All-NBA Second Team nods, ... [More]

LeBron James is tired

It’s been an especially long year for Miami Heat – LeBron James in particular.

Starting with the circus surrounding his signing with the Heat last summer and spanning into Game 5 of the NBA Finals Thursday, James has been going non-stop since he dropped the bomb on the NBA last July.

It seems, looking at his performances versus the Dallas Mavericks, that LeBron may be running out of gas. He’s far less active on the offensive end compared to the previous series and mustered just 11 shots (hitting only three of them) in Game 4’s loss in Dallas Tuesday.

James is 26 for 56 from the floor in the finals, averaging just 14 shots over those four contests. Looking at the previous two series, it seems he’s sucking wind as the finals get into - to take a page from boxing - the championship rounds.

He was 42 for 94 in the five games versus the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals, averaging just under 19 shots a game. And, against the Boston Celtics in the second round, James went 51 for 108 during the five-game series, hoisting an average of 21.6 shots per outing.

Credit must be given to the Mavericks and their defense, which is the main reason they’ve been able to get over the hump in the Western Conference and complete so many miraculous comebacks this postseason. But scorers like LeBron don’t dip this low just because of guys like Shawn Marion and Deshawn Stevenson.

An elite scorer should score as many points from the field as the... [More]

Goodbye big guy: My favorite Shaq moments

I originally posted this blog last year once the Cleveland Cavaliers were bounced from the playoffs, thinking this would be the end for Shaquille O'Neal's amazing and entertaining NBA career. I was wrong.

Shaq went on to play (and I use that lightly) for the Boston Celtics in the 2010-11 season, managing to suit up for only 37 games and score just over nine points a night due to a laundry list of ailments. While many claim the extra few years bouncing around the league tarnished O'Neal's legacy, I believe it was just another example of how much he actually enjoys the game of basketball.

Shaq finished his career averaging 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and about 1 million memorable moments - on and off the court. You can be sure this isn't the last we'll hear from the great Wilt Chamberleezy, who will likely be sitting next to Charles, Kenny, and C-Webb in the near future.

So, in honor of Shaq, here are my favorite moments from his Hall-of-Fame career:

Shaq’s amazing personality was apparent as soon as he was drafted by the Magic. His “Who me?” act was the first of many charming and hilarious moments to come.


Remember when Shaq signed with Reebok coming into the league and those life-size cutouts of the big guy were at your neighborhood sporting goods shop, along with the size 22 original Shaq Attack? If you remember anything from this blog, it’s “Don’t fake the funk on a nasty dunk”. Just don’t.


We had seen guys rip do... [More]

Stop the excuses! The real reason why L.A. is losing

The Lakers are complacent. Kobe is banged up. Los Angeles is too old. Too many egos. Pau Gasol is soft. Phil Jackson doesn’t care anymore.

These are all good excuses for why the Los Angeles Lakers are down 0-2 to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals. But, unfortunately for the purple and gold, those excuses aren't the real reasons why the defending NBA champs have their backs against the wall.

As a Lakers fan, it sometimes stings to give credit where credit is due – especially when the person deserving said credit is destroying your team. Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is killing Los Angeles through the first two games.


Dirk scored 28 points in Game 1, along with 14 rebounds and three assists. Then, The Diggler went for 24, 7 and 2 in Game 2, helping Dallas bettors cash in as underdogs both times.

The cherry on top of those numbers is the fact that they’re coming against one of the top defenders in the history of the NBA, Ron Artest. And with Ron-Ron’s clothesline on Jose Barea and ejection from Game 2 leading to a possible suspension, Nowitzki could be faced with a lesser defender for Friday’s Game 3 in Dallas.

I still won’t count out my Lakers, as long as we have hope. But, with the way Dirk is playing and the history going against Los Angeles after dropping the first two games, I need to lineup some better excuses.

... [More]