The NBA is full of incredible athletes. Some are more athletic than others, but most of them can handle and play against each other without feeling completely overwhelmed by one another, at least in terms of physicality. Among them, however, are some freak-of-nature types that no one can really contain. Shaquille O’Neal was one of these freaks. There’s no one quite like him these days, but we do have physical specimen like Dwight Howard and LeBron James, who are pretty much unstoppable
At the Michael Jordan statue outside the United Center How do you rank Michael Jordan’s career achievement list? The answer: It’s nearly impossible. The G.O.A.T., as he’s so often referred to (by those who never saw Wilt Chamberlain play) has done so much for the game that ranking his performances simply doesn’t do justice to his illustrious career. [Read more…]
With Amare Stoudemire due back any day now for the New York Knicks, there has been plenty of chatter about what his return may do for the chemistry of the best team in the Eastern Conference. Even before the long awaited return, the issue of whether the power forward can fit in with Carmelo Anthony has constantly been questioned by the media and fans alike, with good reason. The two simply have yet to prove that they can both be highly productive
(This entry begins a series of 30 guest columns that will run during October, when optimism reigns supreme across the NBA. The theme will be “Five Reasons to Feel Positive About … ” We encourage you to follow the authors on Twitter and visit their sites. – CS) The squeak of vulcanized rubber against newly finished hardwood once again signals the return of the NBA. As training camps open around the league, veterans are refreshed, rookies are nervously ambitious and new
LOS ANGELES — I didn’t set out to major in Kobe Bryant, having long since graduated when he showed up here at 17. Things just led that way. I covered his father, Joe, whom he called Jellybean, as a 76ers rookie in the 1970s. I knew the family from Baker League games, where I met Joe’s gregarious father, Big Joe. After not having seen Joe for decades, I ran into him at the 1995 Adidas camp at Fairleigh Dickinson where his