So much has been written about the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout these NBA playoffs that it’s difficult to find any new nuggets of information about the team and its city that aren’t already in cyberspace. But I’m going to give it a shot. I had the good fortune of working for the Thunder as its Web site writer from 2008 up until last season’s All-Star break, so I have my share of memories and experiences, both first-hand and from the reporting I
BOSTON _ Heat forward Shane Battier marvels at the daily scrutiny his teammate LeBron James endures in his everyday life. James can’t make a move on or off the court that is not broken down, streamed and beamed all over the world. Battier often points out that James “is human,” and humans can only take so much. But Battier will have a hard convincing any members of the Boston Celtics that the three-time MVP is anything but superhuman after he scored 45
Donald T. Sterling Sterling World Plaza Beverly Hills, Calif. 90210 Dear Donald, Welcome back! I know, you didn’t really go anywhere, even if your Clippers stopped being the Clippers we’ve known for all these years. I mean, welcome back as the Clipper owner that those of us who write NBA columns or lines for Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien knew and loved. Wasn’t this season fun, while it lasted? As hyped as your guys were after getting Chris Paul, and as forgotten as they were when the Lakers
Break up the Big Three? Maybe down in Miami, where the trio of so-called superstars have the collective toughness of your average 9-year-old girl. But not in Boston, where the Celtics are on the verge of a huge postseason upset, and Kevin Garnett looks like he is about to hand previously undefeated Father Time his first career loss. You don’t have to like Garnett. You don’t have to like the stream of R-rated language that comes from his mouth after every good play.
It appears Dwyane Wade's status as an elite NBA guard might be slipping a bit.
SAN ANTONIO – For the longest time, the San Antonio Spurs seemed so full of precision, so superior, so . . . invincible. Fifty days. That’s how long the Spurs went without losing a game. Before them, only three teams in NBA history had winning streaks of 20 or more games. They became the fourth. Included in that streak was eight straight in the playoffs. That number stretched to 10 when the Spurs handled the Thunder without significant problems in the first
There was a lot of talk about conspiracy theories this week. Seven years ago, the New Orleans Hornets’ outdated arena was underwater following Hurricane Katrina. They played two seasons in Oklahoma City, then returned to a city whose population had been dissipated and disenfranchised. Already one of the NBA’s smaller markets, they struggled to rebuild a consistent fan base. Their owner put the team up for sale, and the idea of relocation became a very real possibility. So the NBA gave New
While the Heat, Celtics, Spurs and Thunder have been slugging it out chasing an NBA title, teams from all over Europe have been battling to win their domestic league championships. With a stable of recent NBA draft picks, former NBA players and former NCAA stars currently playing high-pressure playoff games in Europe, now is a good time to check and see who has been stepping up this time of year. Spain (ACB) – Semifinals Regal Barcelona took a 2-1 advantage over Valencia