For athletes, statements are like free throws: you can make all you want because nobody is playing defense. On Monday, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol lined up on opposite ends of the court – Howard with Stephen A. Smith and Gasol with T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times — and took some freebies. Only, they just weren’t physically at the free throw line. Let’s take a look at what they said, and what they were saying. [Read more…]
Warriors and Nuggets continue to surge: Any which way you want to put it, the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets are playing like legitimate threats that no top team would like to see in the playoffs. Do the Warriors have the postseason experience to really make some noise? Probably not. But if you’re the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers or Grizzlies do you really want to find out? Probably not. The Warriors have found the last piece of the puzzle, and it’s one that
Good Westbrook, Bad Westbrook will certainly be the title of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of our time. The only problem is that Russell Westbrook is the one that’s writing it. He’s at it again, and while the root of the incident itself is relatively minor, the bigger picture looms large over the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship quest. Teams as cohesive and talented as OKC die from internal – not external – wounds, and as long as Westbrook continues to ride like
The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed in principle to trade Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors, and details are still being worked out according to ESPN’s Marc Stein: “The Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors have agreed in principle on a trade that will send leading scorer Rudy Gay to the Raptors, according to sources with knowledge of the deal. Sources told ESPN.com that the Grizzlies will acquire forward Ed Davis and veteran guard Jose Calderon from the Raptors and then move Calderon on to a third team to ultimately make this a three-team
What isn’t there to be excited about in Chicago right now? OK, the weather. But as far as the Bulls … If last week’s three overtime games in a row – 2-1 in those contests – weren’t enough to put the Bulls on the map, just take a look at this week. [Read more…]
Fans in the San Francisco Bay Area are glowing with gold pride, even if just for a moment it hardly has anything to do with their beloved 49ers. With Golden State’s exhilarating 104-99 win over the NBA best Oklahoma City Thunder late Wednesday night, the Warriors moved to 26-15, and became the only team this season to post W’s over the Miami Heat, Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers – frequently regarded as the leagues three best teams. [Read more…]
The Miami Heat celebrated their 2011-2012 championship today with a parade, thanks in large part to LeBron James’ monstrous performance throughout the entire playoffs. James posted pedestrian numbers (for his standards) in his playoff run last season, averaging 23.7 points on 46.6 percent shooting, 8.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists. This postseason, however, his performance level returned to his do-it-all Cleveland days, minus the fourth quarter disappearances. With an improved offensive game and a willingness to play closer to the basket, James
MIAMI – Crown him again. LeBron James, the most scrutinized athlete on the planet, is, indeed, The King. King of the Miami Heat, that is. He proved it again Saturday while leading his Miami Heat (yes, His Miami Heat) to a 101-88 Game 7 victory against Boston in the Eastern Conference finals. Step aside, Dwyane Wade. This is now LeBron’s team, and that’s not a bad thing. “He’s the best basketball player in the world,” Heat forward Chris Bosh said. James finished Game 7 with 31