NBA Basketball...

NBA Basketball...Plenty of NBA Action. Highlights: Detroit snapped an 8 game skid, while L.A. lost for just the second time in February. Who got off: Shaq went into Diesel mode, hitting the Raptors for 45 points and 11 boards....Dirk had 41 in the Mavs' win over OKC in OT...CP3 had 20 dimes...LBJ had 30 and 14 boards in 32 minutes. Wow. A handful of Celtics: Ray Allen - 30 points, 6 treys. Rajon Rondo - 17 dimes. 

Stephon Marbury - 8 points in 13 minutes. So far so good, and expect more of the same.

Well look who was at the Bulls/Wizards game...

I love it. Any true hoops fan can appreciate what it means to have our president at an NBA game.

Via: ESPN

NEWBOs = New Black Overclass

Stop What Your're Doing and PAY ATTENTION!!!

It's an American success story. Self-made black multimillionaires, many of whom grew up poor, 
have made vast fortunes in the sports, entertainment and media industries.   

The new moguls made their millions under the age of 40, primarily by taking more ownership and control over their brands than their predecessors. Collectively, black athletes in the NFL, NBA, and in Major League Baseball earned nearly $4 billion last year and the nation's 20 highest-paid hip-hop entrepreneurs brought in more than $500 million.   Now, with their newfound wealth come responsibilities to their family, friends, and community.

Based on Lee Hawkins' forthcoming book of the same title, NEWBOs: The Rise of America's New Black Overclass examines the growing responsibilities of black celebrities in the Obama age. The project features personal stories and interviews with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment.  It's an inside look into how each successful NEWBO surmounted challenges to achieve the American Dream.

Baby...

 

LBJ...

Bob Johnson...

T.O...

Knowledge. Inspiration. Whatever you wanna call it. Straight-up brilliance on the behalf of Lee Hawkins.  

Via: dimewars

Fresh Kicks...

In Stores Tomorrow...

Jordan continues their "Road To The Championship Pack" series with the Phoenix Suns colorways of the Jorda Six Rings and the Jordan 1 Low...

Available at most Jordan retailers.

Something For The Hoopers...

CP3.II - White/Black/Teal...

Nice. The designs are making the CP's grow on me.

Release Date: TBD

Nike Foamposite Lite - Neon/Royal...

Nike just don't stop. They are out to drain everybody's pockets and doing a pretty good job. Sick.

Release Date: TBD

Jordan Dub Zero - Black/Red...

 

One of the best Dub Zero colorways.

Release Date: Summer 2009

Retro A.I.'s!!!!!!!

Ok. You knew it would only be a matter of time before we started getting retro's from the popular Iverson line. The Questions have dropped before. Now we get Answer 1's.

Reebok Answer 1 Retro - Black/Red...

Release Date: TBD

Via: nicekicks & sneakernews

New Music...

Cam'ron - I Used To Get It In Ohio...

Reppin' the GO to the fullest. And the whole midwest for that matter. Dope. KILLA!!! 

Gucci Mane - Stoopid

Wow. This is just plain ignorant, but what do you expect. LMAO...Gucci!

Max B - Westcoast Freestyle

Owwwwwwww.....Off the Quarantine Mixtape that dropped last week. 

New Joints:

Mickey Factz - Sensibility

Pacific Division - Pac Div

"We're stickin up your business, my niggas finna win this, the only thing you get's more minutes on the benches"

"You think you in a zone till we go into that press"

I fucks wit these niggas.

2/3 of The LOX go in over "I Get It In"

Sheek Louch & Styles P - I Get It In Freestyle

"I used to move the rock and dish it off like Rondo"

"These niggas be rappin on so-so, singin' on these records like K-Ci and Jo-Jo, skinny jean wearing niggas shoppin at SoHo"

"Beef we get it in, hit em on the chin, size of the slug like the lug on the rim"

BODIED. That's called hip-hop.

Via: nahright

NBA Basketball...Marbury Officially A Celtic

Former New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury cleared waivers Friday, paving the way for him to sign with the Boston Celtics.

Marbury, who hasn't played a regular-season game in more than a year, was expected to be in uniform for the Celtics' home game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

"I believe all systems are go and we will have Stephon on the roster later today," Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck said in an e-mail to The Associated Press about an hour after Marbury cleared waivers.

The former All-Star, who alienated Knicks management, teammates and fans, agreed to a buyout of his $20.8 million contract with the Knicks. He was expected to sign for a pro-rated share of the veteran's minimum.

Full story here.

Ok, without question, talent-wise, this is a MAJOR upgrade for Boston, who've been playing Eddie House at PG (lol). Even though he hasn't played a game this season, Marbury's got G. Period. What we'll have to be seen is how he affects the chemistry of the tight-knit Celtics. This will be interesting...Big ups to Boston, who, just like last year, has made key moves after the trade deadline, to bring in vets - they signed F Mickey Moore earlier this week - who can contribute.

Check Out The Bulls Hangin' With The Prez...

President Obama will be in attendance as the Bulls take on the Wizards in D.C. Friday night.

Scores From Around The League..2/27/09

Cavs 74, Rockets 93

Suns 106, Lakers 132

P.S. Houston's won 6 straight - without T-Mac. And they D'd up King James.

Via: ESPN

NCAA Basketball...

Honestly, I was expecting a UAB upset. But man...#4 Memphis looked so damn good. Their 71-60 victory over the UAB Blazers, even more so than their victory over Gonzaga earlier this month, proves that the Memphis Tigers are for real. Offensively, they received a balanced effort that included 4 guys scoring 13+, including Doneal Mack, who led the way with 17. After jumping on the Memphis bandwagon back in the Darius Washington era, I had to leave last season due to the hypes. I'm back on after Thursday night's performance. 

While there's no way to say whether they can beat the likes of Pitt, UCONN, or UNC, they do have to be in the conversation. If the Tigers were to have their 54-game conference winning streak snapped, it was expected to happen in their trip to Birmingham. But Memphis stepped up to the plate as tournament-ready teams do. On the road. Hostile environment. Hungry, desperate, and most dangerous conference foe. And the Tigers got it done. For a while it seemed like UAB had Memphis on the ropes with chances of completing the upset, but Memphis always had an answer. 

Although Memphis critics point out their poor shooting, lack of offensive sets, and turnover-prone freshman PG Tyreke Evans as major downfalls for the Tigers, they fail to mention their experience and defense. The departures of Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts left many under the impression that the Tigers would fall off a bit. However, they still have the one variable that trumps all in college basketball: experience. Seniors, G Antonio Anderson and F Robert Dozier have seen legit PT every year at Memphis, as have Junior Gs Doneal Mack and Willie Kemp, and F Shawn Taggart. Combine that with Coach John Calipari's history, and there is nothing the Tigers haven't seen in terms of defenses, game situations, and so on. And it was Mack and Anderson who provided the daggers to stop the Blazers efforts on Thursday. 

Furthermore, the Tigers defense is one of the most underrated in the nation. While they aren't great on defensive principles a la Pitt. or UCLA, it's their length and athleticism that make them so effective. Thursday, the Tigers held UAB sharpshooter, to 0 points, and 0-15 from the field. What's more, they've got huge guards, meaning they can switch onto just about anybody, and maintain extreme ball pressure at all times. They're second in the nation in opponent field goal%, holding competition to just 37% shooting, and 13th in points allowed, giving up just 59 points per night.

Lastly, as elementary as it may seem, the 25-3 Tigers win and are used to it, which means a lot. They've won 19 straight this season. 46 straight regular season conference games (54 straight conference games including the post-season tournament). And they've been to 3 Elite Eight's in the past three years, including the National Championship game last season. 

Plain and simple: Memphis is some Dogs.

Top 25 Scores From Around The Nation...2/26/09

#4 Memphis 71, UAB 60

#11 Arizona St. 70, #21 Washington 73 (OT)

NC St. 78, #14 Wake Forest 85

#16 Purdue 78, Michigan 87

#17 Gonzaga 81, Santa Clara 73

#19 UCLA 76, Stanford 71

Minnesota 41, #20 Illinois 52

#2 Xavier 68, St. Joe's 64

Youngstown St. 57, #23 Butler 78

Via: ESPN

Sporting News...Two Bulls' Legends Pass Away

R.I.P. Norman Van Lier & Johnny "Red" Kerr

Norm Van Lier, one of the most popular players in Chicago Bulls history and one of the NBA's top defensive players in the 1970s, was found dead in his home just blocks away from the team's arena Thursday. He was 61.

The cause of death was not immediately known, authorities said.

Van Lier's death was discovered on the same day that former Bulls coach Johnny "Red" Kerr died.

Kerr, 76, coached the Bulls to the playoffs in their inaugural 1966-67 season and spent more than 30 years calling their games on local broadcast outlets.

Van Lier, who most recently worked for Comcast SportsNet Chicago, had been scheduled as a pre- and post-game analyst for Wednesday night's Bulls game with the New Jersey Nets.

Comcast officials became concerned when Van Lier did not show up for work and could not be reached Thursday. An employee was sent to his apartment near the United Center on the city's near West Side, said Jim Corno, president of Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The employee tried unsuccessfully to get inside.

Authorities responded to a subsequent well-being check and found Van Lier unresponsive shortly before 1 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Quention Curtis said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed Van Lier's death but said a cause was not immediately known.

"Norm Van Lier was one of the all-time greats ever to put on a Chicago Bulls uniform," team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "Along with Jerry Sloan, he set a standard for Bulls defense and toughness which we will never forget and which we will always strive to replicate."

Full story here.

Johnny "Red" Kerr, the former Chicago Bulls coach who spent more than three decades as a broadcaster for the team, died Thursday. He was 76.

Kerr died at his home after a battle with prostate cancer, Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said.

"His name was synonymous with basketball, both here in Chicago, and throughout the entire NBA," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. "Those that were fortunate enough to have known Johnny were touched by both his tremendous compassion for people, and his lifelong passion for the game of basketball. We will miss him greatly."

Full story here.

NBA Bailout Plan???

The NBA has lined up $200 million to distribute to teams interested in additional cash, which the league considers a sign it remains strong in a slumping economy.

Between $13 million and $20 million will be available to each of 12 teams that have expressed interest in the funds, commissioner David Stern said Thursday. The money can be used for any purpose, including helping teams deal with operating losses incurred because of the economy.

It should not, Stern said, be construed as a bailout. At a time when credit markets have been frozen, investors saw the NBA as a safe bet.

"It's exactly the opposite" of a bailout, Stern told The Associated Press "This was a show of strength in the creditworthiness of the NBA's teams."

The NBA declined to name the teams interested in the money.

The league has an existing $1.7 billion credit facility, essentially a line of credit established by lenders from which teams can borrow. The league had been interested in growing the facility when the credit markets seized up last fall.

"They told us there's no chance of any additional funds being raised for any sports league, and indeed, the credit facilities that had come up for other leagues were being termed out rather than renewed," Stern said.

JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America recently approached the league to say $150 million might be available, a figure that eventually grew to $200 million.

"It's a great sign of confidence in us and that's wonderful that the market is opening up, so we'll take it," Stern said. "And we turned to our teams and said, 'OK, we've got this much more to distribute under the facility for those of you who want it now.'"

Full story here. 

Just Manny Being Manny....

Manny Ramirez has rejected yet another offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers announced Thursday night the star outfielder's agent Scott Boras had declined a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. It was the club's fourth offer to Ramirez this offseason.

"We want Manny back, but we feel we are negotiating against ourselves," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said in a statement. "When his agent finds those 'serious offers' from other clubs, we'll be happy to restart the negotiations."

Full story here.

Mike Vick Update...

 

Imprisoned NFL star Michael Vick will be allowed to serve the last two months of his sentence under home confinement because there is no room at a halfway house for him, a government official told The Associated Press Thursday.

Vick is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia's Surry County. He also admitted to participating in the killing of several underperforming dogs.

Vick's lawyers have said they expected him to be moved any day into a halfway house in Newport News. But because of a lack of space, Vick will be released instead to his home in nearby Hampton at some point on or after May 21, said the official, who has knowledge of the case but requested anonymity because the individual was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Full story here.

Yankees Address A-Rod Issue...

Alex Rodriguez was told by the New York Yankees to keep his cousin away from the team.

The message was given to the star third baseman on Thursday, said a person familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team did not make an announcement. The message applied both to spring training and the regular season, the person said.

Rodriguez was also told the cousin should not be anywhere the team congregates, which presumably includes the team's hotel when it travels and the ballpark.

Speaking at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., general manager Brian Cashman said only that the matter of Rodriguez being picked up from his spring training opener Wednesday by his cousin "has been handled."

Rodriguez took a similar tone following New York's 5-1 victory on Thursday over the Tampa Bay Rays.

"It's been addressed," he said. "And, no further comment."

A day earlier in Dunedin, Rodriguez homered and walked twice before getting into a SUV driven by Yuri Sucart. He's been identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs obtained in the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez admitted using them while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001-03.

Rodriguez acknowledged to the Yankees that having the cousin meet him at the ballpark in Dunedin was a mistake, the person who told The Associated Press about the situation said.

Full story here.

Via: ESPN