NBA FanHouse

Bynum Expects to be All-Star Starter

Chris Tomasson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Lakers, Nuggets, Suns, NBA All-Star Game

DENVER -- Andrew Bynum was talking to his brother early this week when he got the news.

Amare Stoudemire, despite being Phoenix's starting power forward, was listed on the All-Star ballot at center for the Western Conference. That happens to be the same position played by the Lakers' Bynum, and many had considered him the favorite to be the starter after Houston's Yao Ming was lost for the season due to injury and Shaquille O'Neal was traded from Phoenix to Cleveland of the East.

"I was definitely surprised,'' Bynum said in an interview with FanHouse about Stoudemire being listed at center even though he's started every game this season at forward, with Channing Frye having opened at center for the Suns.

But Bynum is determined not to let this ballot business keep him out of his first All-Star Game.

"I'm going to go out there and play the way I need to play,'' Bynum said. "I don't think (it will be hard to be named the starter) if I play well.''

Bynum has done that so far. Entering Friday's game at Denver, he was averaging 21.0 points and 11.3 rebounds, better than the 18.1 points and 7.9 rebounds Stoudemire is putting up.

But Bynum's stats figure to go down a bit after Lakers power forward Pau Gasol returns in a few weeks from a hamstring problem. And Stoudemire has proved to be quite popular before in the fan voting.

Stoudemire last season was named a West starting forward when he accumulated more than 1.46 million votes. Bynum was third among centers with more than 549,000 votes, but has improved greatly since last season, when he suffered a knee injury shortly after the final votes were announced and missed 2 ½ months.

"He looks so big,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said of Bynum, listed at 7-foot, 285 pounds. "I don't know if he grew. (The Lakers have) got another (key) piece.''

JORDAN'S NUMBER GETS LOTS OF DISCUSSION

Much of the discussion before Friday's game was about whether the NBA should retire No. 23 for all teams in honor of Michael Jordan. Cleveland's LeBron James, who wears No. 23, made that suggestion Thursday while saying he plans to switch to No. 6.

Lakers boss Phil Jackson, who coached Jordan to six NBA titles with Chicago in the 1990s, called James' idea "great,'' and said it would be like the NHL having retired No. 99 for Wayne Gretzky. But Jackson did acknowledge there would be ample debate.

"We haven't seen this happen in basketball so it's kind of unique,''he said. "It would maybe be a little step on the toes for a guy like Magic (Johnson) and (Larry) Bird, who made this era a bigger era that Michael could come in and dominate and he had a commercial appeal. But it's up to other people (whether James' idea is heeded).''

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony is under contract with Brand Jordan. But he's not fully committed to James' suggestion.

"I don't have a problem with it,'' Anthony said. "But I don't wear No. 23 so it's kind of easy for me to say that. You ought to ask them who wear No. 23. It doesn't matter to me either way.''

Anthony jokingly was asked what it would take for his No. 15 to one day be considered for NBA-wide retirement.

"Six (titles),'' he cracked. "(Jordan) got six.''

Chris Tomasson can be reached at fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

Bynum Expects to be All-Star Starter originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 NBA All-Star Ballot Announced

Chris Tomasson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Clippers, Grizzlies, Lakers, Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Timberwolves, NBA All-Star Game

I wrote in September that perhaps there would be no worthy center to start for the West in the All-Star Game.

But this isn't the way I want to see that solved. Do it on the court, not with the ballot.

When the All-Star ballot came out Tuesday, Phoenix power forward Amar'e Stoudemire strangely was listed as a center. Yes, Stoudemire has played center before, but he's started all eight games for Suns this season at power forward, with Channing Frye being the starting center.

It is true the ballot, which was selected by six media members from around the country, had to be decided upon before the season began in order to provide time for printing. But it has been apparent since at least September that Frye would Phoenix's starting center, with Stoudemire at power forward.

Yes, the crop of centers in the West is not strong, with Shaquille O'Neal having departed from Phoenix to Cleveland in the East and Houston's Yao out for the season due to injury. Still, I don't think it's proper to move players on the ballot to positions at which they don't start.

Anyhow, so much for the Lakers' Andrew Bynum or Minnesota's Al Jefferson getting the starting nod at center for the West. Stoudemire figures to win the fan voting for the Feb. 14 game in Dallas in an election that conjures up memories of Nixon over McGovern in 1972.

Omissions on the ballot were Yao and New Jersey big man Yi Jianlian, but I have no problem with either. Yao is obviously hurt, so it would have been ridiculous to have listed him -- especially because he probably would have won. As for Yi, a 9.8 scoring average last season does not guarantee inclusion on the ballot.

Of course, let's find out now if Chinese-American relations have been damaged.

It was interesting to see two centers listed on the ballot for Boston in Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace. NBA teams love to tell their fans to vote for all their players, but a Celtics fan won't be able to vote for both Perkins and Wallace or else the ballot will be tossed.

Still, that was a difficult problem to solve. Wallace comes off the bench to play center and forward, and listing him at forward would have given the Celtics three forwards. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are the others, and they're obviously not going anywhere.

Ballot results will show how popular guard Allen Iverson continues to be. Iverson has been named a starter in nine of the past 10 years (he was a reserve in 2007 after having been traded in December 2006 from Philadelphia to Denver). That includes last season when, with Detroit, he was one of the most unworthy players in All-Star history to get a starting nod.

But now that Iverson is squabbling with Memphis and could be sent packing, could he become the first player chosen for the All-Star Game who doesn't have a team? Probably not since it would be stunning if he is voted as a starter again, but it certainly is worth following the results.

And more surprising things have happened before in elections. Don't dead people vote in Chicago?

Plenty of complaints have been coming out of Clipperland with the ballot omissions of guard Eric Gordon and center Chris Kaman, just named Western Conference Player of the Week. I can understand Kaman, who was hurt much of last season and is on a team that has another solid center in Marcus Camby, being left off. But the Gordon omission is a tough one.

Still, it must be noted it's not easy to put together an All-Star ballot. Gordon is more deserving to be on the ballot than Minnesota's Ramon Sessions. But each team must be represented three times, and Sessions was the third man for the Timberwolves.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

2010 NBA All-Star Ballot

Eastern

Guards
Ray Allen, Celtics
Gilbert Arenas, Wizards
Mike Bibby, Hawks
Jose Calderon, Raptors
Vince Carter, Magic
Jamal Crawford, Hawks
Chris Duhon, Knicks
Raymond Felton, Bobcats
T.J. Ford, Pacers
Ben Gordon, Pistons
Richard Hamilton, Pistons
Devin Harris, Nets
Kirk Hinrich, Bulls
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Courtney Lee, Nets
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Michael Redd, Bucks
Nate Robinson, Knicks
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Derrick Rose, Bulls
John Salmons, Bulls
Rodney Stucky, Pistons
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Mo Williams, Cavs

Forwards
Michael Beasley, Heat
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Elton Brand, Sixers
Caron Butler, Wizards
Luol Deng, Bulls
Boris Diaw, Bobcats
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Danny Granger, Pacers
Al Harrington, Knicks
Udonis Haslem, Heat
Andre Iguodala, Sixers
LeBron James, Cavs
Antawn Jamison, Wizards
David Lee, Knicks
Rashard Lewis, Magic
Troy Murphy, Pacers
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Tayshaun Prince, Pistons
Josh Smith, Hawks
Hedo Turkoglu, Raptors
Anderson Varejao, Cavs
Charlie Villanueva, Pistons
Gerald Wallace, Bobcats
Hakim Warrick, Bucks

Centers
Andrea Bargnani, Raptors
Andrew Bogut, Bucks
Tyson Chandler, Bobcats
Samuel Dalembert, Sixers
Al Horford, Hawks
Dwight Howard, Magic
Brook Lopez, Nets
Brad Miller, Bulls
Jermaine O'Neal, Heat
Shaquille O'Neal, Cavs
Kendrick Perkins, Celtics
Rasheed Wallace, Celtics
Western

Guards
Leandro Barbosa, Suns
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Aaron Brooks, Rockets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Baron Davis, Clippers
Monta Ellis, Warriors
Manu Ginobili, Spurs
Josh Howard, Mavericks
Allen Iverson, Grizzlies
Stephen Jackson, Warriors
Jason Kidd, Mavericks
Kevin Martin, Kings
O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
Tracy McGrady, Rockets
Andre Miller, Blazers
Steve Nash, Suns
Tony Parker, Spurs
Chris Paul, Hornets
Jason Richardson, Suns
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Ramon Sessions, Wolves
Jason Terry, Mavericks
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Deron Williams, Jazz

Forwards
LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Trevor Ariza, Rockets
Ron Artest, Lakers
Carlos Boozer, Jazz
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
Jeff Green, Thunder
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Grant Hill, Suns
Richard Jefferson, Spurs
Kevin Love, Wolves
Shawn Marion, Mavericks
Kenyon Martin, Nuggets
Paul Millsap, Jazz
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Lamar Odom, Lakers
Anthony Randolph, Warriors
Luis Scola, Rockets
Jason Thompson, Kings
Al Thornton, Clippers
David West, Hornets

Centers
Andris Biedrins, Warriors
Andrew Bynum, Lakers
Marcus Camby, Clippers
Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
Spencer Hawes, Kings
Al Jefferson, Wolves
Antonio McDyess, Spurs
Nene, Nuggets
Greg Oden, Blazers
Emeka Okafor, Hornets
Mehmet Okur, Jazz
Amar'e Stoudemire, Suns

2010 NBA All-Star Ballot Announced originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Kareem Played in Record 18 All-Star Games

Tom Ziller — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:50:00 EST

Filed under: NBA All-Star Game

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Friday, there are 18 days remaining.

Most current players don't last as long as the stars of the 1970s and 80s did. As the game becomes faster and stronger, players who reach their 30s have a tougher time keeping up (with some obvious exceptions). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had no such problem.

KAJ was selected for all but one NBA All-Star Game between 1970 and 1989, and he played in an NBA record 18 of them. By my count, there's only two current stars who can catch him.

... and one of them is not Shaquille O'Neal, who sits second all-time in All-Star Game selections at 15. But Shaq has missed three ASGs due to injury, so he has only played in 12. I don't think O'Neal has six more All-Star appearances in him, especially considering that he barely made it in the center-light Western Conference last year and missed the ASG completely in 2008.

But LeBron James has a shot at knocking Kareem off the top of this record (if not also the NBA points scored record). LeBron has been selected to and played in five All-Star Games already ... at age 24. Health is a tricky aspect to bet on, but something tells me LBJ can remain at an All-Star level for another 13 seasons, especially considering he's a perennial MVP candidate just entering his prime.

Dwyane Wade also has five ASGs, but he's two years older than LeBron and has a more worrisome injury history. Kobe Bryant, however, has played in 11 All-Star Games. Being a Laker and being popular all over the world will help in fan voting over the next decade, and while betting on Kobe getting into every ASG between now and 2016 seems like a reach, I'm not ready to claim Kobe won't be an excellent player at 37 years old. Few players work harder to keep themselves in great shape, and Bryant is such an excellent shooter that he should be a star for another few years. His reputation and name can carry him from there.

Tip-Off Timer: Kareem Played in Record 18 All-Star Games originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Stockton and Malone Rule 43rd NBA All-Star Game

Tom Ziller — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, NBA All-Star Game

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Monday, there are 43 days remaining.

While Karl Malone's ring-chasing with the Lakers prevented the most prolific Jazz teammates from going into the Hall of Fame together, John Stockton and the Mailman have been honored as a pair before.

At the NBA's 43rd All-Star Game in Salt Lake City -- back in 1993, before the Jazz had ever made the Finals -- Stockton and Malone shared the MVP award as the West won 135-132. While home cookin' was certainly involved in Utah in Stockton's case, it was a nice touch for the media to split the award between the inseparable stars.

There have been previous instances of home players winning the All-Star MVP. In fact, last year Sun Shaquille O'Neal split the award with ol' buddy Kobe Bryant in Phoenix's hosting of the ASG. O'Neal's previously win, as a Lakers in 2004, came as the ASG was held in Los Angeles. Michael Jordan won the Chicago ASG MVP of 1988. Jerry West took 1972's MVP award after the game was played in L.A. It even extends to the ABA, where Dan Issel of the Kentucky Colonels won the ASG MVP in Louisville in '72.

Malone is a sure-fire HoFer when he's eligible for induction next year. Here's to hoping Springfield leaves room next to Stockton's booth for the Mailman, since these two dudes clearly should be remembered together.

Tip-Off Timer: Stockton and Malone Rule 43rd NBA All-Star Game originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: '83 Was a Decent Year to Get It on Through the Grapevine

Will Brinson — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: NBA All-Star Game

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 NBA season. On Wednesday, there are exactly 83 days left.

In honor of the 83 days, I was going to bring you the 83 best National Anthems ever sung, in YouTube form. Then I remembered that all of them are dull and stupid and boring and horrible compared to the sensual heat that Marvin Gaye wrought on our ears in 1983. But it's important to put this important musical moment in some historical perspective -- on February 13, 1983, Gaye stepped into the Forum and shattered America's mind with his performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner." You know that. But do you realize that this was less than six months before he ever performed again?

Or that it was just over a year before Gaye was tragically shot by his father? Or that, just two years before, he had been washed up, finished, etc., and managed a pretty improbable comeback to win his first two Grammys? Well, now you do.

And that's why his All-Star Game performance means so much: It was a special moment in the life of a special performer that the NBA happened to catch at the perfect time.

Now, it would be impossible to ignore, as well, the amazing quality of a recent Team USA commercial, filmed to the same performance (if you're strictly audio and the kind of jerkstore who somehow doesn't want to listen to this twice, feel free to skip):

And finally, just because I love music and I love Marvin Gaye, his 1983 performance from the Grammys (again, his first ever win, WTF!) where he shredded Sexual Healing during the same month of R&B fire as the ASG.

Tip-Off Timer: '83 Was a Decent Year to Get It on Through the Grapevine originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Cuban 'Not Worried' About Dirk Nowitzki Opting Out

Gary Washburn — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:40:00 EST

Filed under: Mavericks, NBA All-Star Game, Summer League

LAS VEGAS -- Mark Cuban enjoys the attention at Summer League. As he sits in the front row of Cox Pavilion watching games, a horde of kids ask for autographs. This is an unusual occurrence for NBA owners.

Cuban is hoping that his brotherly relationship with his players and relentless desire to bring Dallas an NBA title will encourage Dirk Nowitzki to stay with the Mavericks. Nowitzki has a $21 million player option for the 2010-11 season that Cuban would prefer he accept. If not, Nowitzki will be an unrestricted free agent and part of the elite class that will include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Cuban has signed Jason Kidd to a three-year deal, traded for Shawn Marion and continues to chase available free agents instead of rebuilding. All of that is a play to convince Nowitzki to stay.

"I've got a good relationship with Dirk," he said Thursday. "I'm not worried about it one way or another. You try to rebuild while you're winning. You try to add a young piece here and a young piece there and see what happens. We've been doing this for nine years, 10 years now and every couple of years everybody say well its time to rebuild and we don't, so we'll see."

There has been major questions about the three-year, $25 million deal signed by Kidd, who will be 39 by the time the deal ends. Many NBA pundits said there was no other club interested in signing Kidd to a three-year deal. Cuban said those types of long-term deals for veterans are customary.

"That's just part of the drill. You don't expect him to play at the same level all three years," he said. "You hope so, but at the same time, that's just the way NBA contracts work. It gives us a lot of flexibility. But Jason's a special athlete. And we have a young point guard so a lot of times you can add value beyond on the court."

Yet, there is a level of excitement in Cuban, even more than usual. His city is hosting the 2010 All-Star Game at the new Cowboys Stadium, which promises to be the biggest Texas spectacle since "Who shot J.R?"

And Cuban said he's excited about working with one-time adversary NBA Commissioner David Stern on the All-Star project. Stern has fined Cuban on several occasions for his antics regarding officials.

"I always work with commissioner Stern, we get along great," Cuban said with wry smile. "People think we don't get along. There's just times when he has to fine me and there's times I have to yell back. Other than that, we get along great.

"Oh boy it's going to be an event. Every All-Star Game is always a special week but you know everything's bigger in Texas and we're going to try to do it up. We've got a lot of great events planned, the traditional things and it will be the world's biggest ever basketball/all-star game at Cowboys Stadium, so we're definitely going to tear it up."

Mark Cuban 'Not Worried' About Dirk Nowitzki Opting Out originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orlando Will Follow Los Angeles With All-Star Weekend in 2012

Tim Povtak — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Magic, NBA All-Star Game

ORLANDO -- Commissioner David Stern made the announcement Sunday that Los Angeles would be hosting the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2011. What he left unsaid was that Orlando will have it in February of 2012.

You can start making reservations. It's only a coincidence that the Lakers are playing the Magic in the NBA Finals this year.

Although no one was talking on the record about it Monday, two sources with knowledge of the talks said that the league has assured Orlando that it would be following Los Angeles in the All-Star Weekend rotation of warm-weather cities. The only thing that could stop it would be a major construction delay of the new downtown Events Center.

The Magic are expected to be playing in the Events Center - just a few blocks from the current Amway Arena - at the start of the 2010-11 season. Stern hinted at the site of the 2012 Weekend, but he left out the specifics.

"I think Orlando is very much a candidate for an All-Star post in the very near future,'' he said. "But we never play in a half-finished building.''

The All-Star Weekend will be on the 20th anniversary of the last time Orlando hosted the event, which has grown considerably since. It was in Orlando when Magic Johnson was voted into the starting lineup and played a starring role, even though he had announced his retirement as an active player.

Orlando's new arena is expected to have 20,000 seats and encompass 750,000 square feet, doubling the size of the Magic's current facility to include all the amenities found in today's palatial sites.

Although the city of Boston had expressed interest in the 2012 weekend, the league has turned its focus to warm weather cities in the future. In addition to a new arena, Orlando the almost limitless hotel space to host a major event like All-Star Weekend.

The Weekend is expected to have a $100 million economic impact on Orlando. Although the All-Star Game is the major attraction, it also includes a Rookie Challenge, Youth Jam and an All-Star Saturday night. The All-Star Jam Session, an interactive fan experience, is usually staged in close proximity of the basketball facility.

Latest NBA Finals Photos

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates beating the Orlando Magic in overtime in Game 2 of their NBA Finals in Los Angeles June 7, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Reuters

Orlando guard Courtney Lee (11) shoots over Los Angeles center Pau Gasol (16) with .5 seconds left in regulation of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Lee missed the shot, and the Lakers went on to defeat the Magic in overtime, 101-96, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Sunday, June 7, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis (9) laments in the fourth quarter after the Magic miss a shot with .06 left, as the Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher looks on. The Lakers defeated the Magic, 101-96, in overtime of Game 2 of the NBA Finals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Sunday, June 7, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

MCT

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 7: Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan and father Danny Kwan attend Game Two of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michelle Kwan;Danny Kwan

Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 7: Producer Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs attends Game Two of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sean Combs

Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Jameer Nelson #14 of the Orlando Magic shoots against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jameer Nelson

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Luke Walton #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers defends against Rashard Lewis #9 of the Orlando Magic during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rashard Lewis;Luke Walton

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic #12 shoots against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dwight Howard

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Kobe Bryant #24 and Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers hug against the Orlando Magic during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lamar Odom;Kobe Bryant

NBAE/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks during the post game press conference after Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jon Soohoo/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lamar Odom

NBAE/Getty Images

Orlando Will Follow Los Angeles With All-Star Weekend in 2012 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Los Angeles Will Host 2011 NBA All-Star Game

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:44:00 EST

Filed under: NBA All-Star Game

The NBA has scheduled a press conference before Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and with such heavy hitters as David Stern, Tim Leiweke, (President & CEO of AEG) and Antonio Villaraigosa (Mayor of Los Angeles) in attendance, you knew it had to be something big -- and obviously, something to do with the city of Los Angeles.

Some had speculated it might be the confirmation of the rumors that the Draft was relocating to Los Angeles, but that's not it: John Ireland is reporting on his blog that the 2011 All-Star game is coming to Los Angeles, and will be played at Staples Center.

The last time Los Angeles hosted the big weekend was back in 2004, when Shaquille O'Neal -- who was still a member of the Lakers at the time -- took home the game's MVP trophy.

Report: Los Angeles Will Host 2011 NBA All-Star Game originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Taylor's Dunks Are Simply Unholy

Will Brinson — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Fans, NBA Media Watch, NBA Videos

The legend of Mike Taylor began with a casual little under the rim, windmill throwdown in the middle of a game the other night. The announcers, at the time, mentioned Taylor was unleashing dunks like that in warmups. They weren't kidding, either. Via Bethleham Shoals at The Sporting Blog comes this clip of Taylor during warmups. Shoals touches on Taylor emerging "organically" (I would point out that "virally" applies here as well) which is a pretty cool concept compared to "expectations" and what not. Consider me doing my part to help over-expose him.

Mike Taylor's Dunks Are Simply Unholy originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KG, Durant Dance With JabbaWockeeZ

Will Brinson — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Suns, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Media Watch, NBA Videos, Thunder

Shaquille O'Neal stunned the world (in a "wow, now I remember why I freaking love Shaq" kind of way) when he broke out in freestyle dance with the JabbaWockeeZ during the All-Star Game lineup introductions. But he wasn't the only one breaking it down with the hip-hop (?) stars (??) over the weekend. Turns out, Kevin Garnett and Kevin Durant both got down too.

Via NESW Sports, courtesy of Mission G ... who has yet to offer me a G Blogger package. Ahem ... No, seriously, Gatorade folks. Hit me up. I'm easy.

KG, Durant Dance With JabbaWockeeZ originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fakes of Nate Robinson's 'KryptoNate' Shoes Sell for Over $22K at Auction

Brett Pollakoff — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:41:00 EST

Filed under: Knicks, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Fans

Nate Robinson's "Kryptonite Dunk" was not only the dunk that won him the contest, but also one of the highlights of All-Star weekend. So it's not surprising that memorabilia collectors would be willing to pay top dollar to own a piece of the event's history. It's also not surprising that someone would try to sell fakes in an attempt to cash in.

An auction appeared on eBay earlier this week, and it claimed to be selling the actual green Nike Flightposite Lites that Nate wore in the dunk contest. But once a little digging was done, it turned out the shoes were fake, but not before the auction ended with a final bid of $22,300.

Sporting News's First Cuts had tried to verify the authenticity of the kicks by contacting first the seller, and then a rep at Nike, but things were starting to look a bit shady. Later that evening, the site Kix and the City confirmed the fact that they were fake, by getting Nate himself to pose for the picture you see atop this post.

Nate still has his game worn/contest worn KryptoNate Nike Foamposite Lites in his hands, literally, as you can see in the pic above that was taken about 10 minutes ago. As a matter of fact, they haven't gone anywhere since the contest, and Nate wore them earlier today for the taping of tonight's David Letterman show.

So if you won the eBay pair, the final bid was above $20K, and have paid already, you got got. Sorry.

If you've spent any time perusing eBay auctions for these types of items, then you know that a) there are plenty of fakes out there, and b) there are even more phony bidders that have no intention of ever paying if they win the item that they're bidding on.

Let's hope the unscrupulous seller never got paid, and/or that the sucker optimistic bidder on this one was one of the phonies. Judging by the fact that the listing has been removed from eBay altogether, I'll go ahead and take a wild guess that no money actually changed hands.

UPDATE: Looks like SneakerFiles.com were the ones who made the calls to eBay to alert them these were fake and get the auction pulled. Good lookin' out, fellas.

Fakes of Nate Robinson's 'KryptoNate' Shoes Sell for Over $22K at Auction originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nate Robinson on Late Show with David Letterman

Nate Jones — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Knicks, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Videos

Nate Robinson has been all over the place since his 2009 Slam Dunk Contest win. Thursday he stopped by the set of the Late Show with David Letterman to show off some of what he did during the dunk contest. Here are the highlights:

Video: Nate Robinson on Late Show with David Letterman originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LeBron: Dunk Contest Needs to Be 'Cleaned Up'

Will Brinson — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:10:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Mavericks, Eastern, Western, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Fans, NBA Rumors

LeBron James made arguably the biggest noise of the entire All Star Weekend during the dunk contest when he told Cheryl Miller that he was "preliminarily" committing to the 2010 Dunk Contest in Dallas. He followed that up the next day by throwing down an absolutely Earth-shattering, off-the-backboard yimyam that got everyone thinking about the future possibilities.

And, lest you think he was bluffing, he confirmed his early entrance to the contest while explaining that the whole process needs to be "cleaned up."

"It's got to be cleaned up, they have to go back to maybe the '80s with [Michael Jordan] and Dominique [Wilkins]," James said. "You can't have so many chances at dunking the basketball. The whole anticipation of a dunk contest is one or two tries and that's it. If not you get (a score of) 30 or 35. Guys are getting 10 opportunities to do the same dunk, by the time they complete it, it is like ... 'OK, we've seen it.'"

I couldn't agree more, frankly. While it's almost never possible to have every dunk go smoothly on the first try, limiting contestants to one or two attempts is a vastly superior solution to letting Pau Gasol try his behind-the-back flip pass to Rudy Fernandez 40 times. Or watching Nate Robinson awkwardly win (in 2006) after attempting his dunk approximately 452 times before actually hitting it.

James went on to elaborate on his entry, stating that as of right now "I am going to be in it" and taking some prelim steps to entice other "big name" contestants by making sure we know he will "get a few guys." Yes, it's a little early to get too enthusiastic, because plenty of things could derail the 2010 contest. But as of right now, there's no reason to think that it won't be the best one we've seen in 20 some years, "cleaned up" or not.

LeBron: Dunk Contest Needs to Be 'Cleaned Up' originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Bosh Comments on Marion Trade, Answers 'Kobe or LeBron' Question

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Raptors, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Transactions, Interviews, FanHouse Exclusive

PHOENIX -- In the final segment of my interview with Chris Bosh, we discussed the important stuff: how his current season is going with the Raptors. Bosh is very candid in admitting that this isn't exactly how he imagined the season would play out, but with the recent trade that sent Jermaine O'Neal out of town to Miami for Shawn Marion, there might be time to turn it around.

Bosh also told me when he's planning on coming back from his knee injury (hint: soon), and answered one of the hot topics this season: Kobe or LeBron? Our conversation, after the jump.

BP: How are you feeling, and when is it looking like you'll be back on the court for the Raptors?

CB: Shoot, hopefully Wednesday. That's what I'm shooting for. You know, I have to practice first. I would feel more comfortable practicing first, you know I've been injured before, and going right to the games is not good.

BP: It's a different speed, right, than just say, running on a treadmill?

CB: Oh yeah. It's nothing like playing games until you play in the game. I want to get a practice in and test the leg out and see how it feels.

BP: What do you think the issue with your team has been this year? Obviously it's been a little bit disappointing, you guys lost a coach pretty early on, and you got Jermaine O'Neal in the offseason. Is it a similar situation to what's going on here in Phoenix in that, when Amare and Shaq are both down there, there's not a lot of space to operate. Is it kind of like that with you and J.O.?

CB: I wouldn't credit it to that, I mean, it's like, our problems aren't in that category. Our problems are rebounding and defense. So like, yeah, that would be an easy thing to assume, but it's all about defense and rebounding really. We haven't gotten better in those areas. There's still a lot of time to fix things -- well, not a lot. But there's some time, you know? I really had a vision of how the season was going to go, and it didn't happen like this. You see how Orlando, Cleveland, and Boston are doing, I kind of was thinking like -- in there (laughs). I'm thinking in there. I'm not talking about fourth, fifth, I'm talking about top three in the East, and we want to advance in the playoffs. That's what I was thinking, I wasn't thinking "fighting to make the playoffs." But you just have to deal with your reality and see how things can be fixed now.

BP: But you think there's still time left, right?

CB: Yeah, there's always time left. BUT -- it has to happen now. It can't be next week, it can't be next month, we have to take the attitude that it has to happen now. We can't keep being passive and saying "it's okay, it's okay." It is okay, but we need to show a sense of urgency. And that's one thing I can work on to get better and my teammates too.

BP: Your thoughts on getting to play with Shawn Marion now, since that trade went down?

CB: Shoot, man. I just want to win, man. I hope he shares the same ambition. You know, we really just want to get some wins. I know he can help us out, and we just have to be professional. We're going to welcome him with open arms and everything, make him feel comfortable, and try to get this thing going.

BP: Nothing against Jermaine O'Neal, but do you think the trade improves your team?

CB: I hope so. (laughs) I hope so. You know, sometimes you can get a very good player and things just don't click, and I think that's what happened. I know he had high expectations, I did too. And I hate that it didn't work out for either side. But hopefully it will now.

BP: As far as USA Basketball, which teammates, which guys did you really enjoy playing with the most? I mean obviously it's an All-World team, but ...

CB: You know what? I enjoyed playing with everybody. It's hard just to single out one guy in a pool of guys that talented. I mean, just everybody. Everybody was such a great fit, everybody was cool, nice, we all hung out. It was a family feeling, a good team feeling.

BP: Alright, if you had to pick one: Kobe or LeBron?

CB: That's the question of the time, isn't it? I'd go with Kobe. He has championships, so you have to go with experience sometimes. Because talent-wise, it's right there. But the thing that takes Kobe over the top is that he has more post-season experience, and he's done a lot more. Now, with that said, it's gonna be tough to answer that question, because LeBron's 24 years old, and there's a six-year difference. That's an insane difference -- ask me in six years and let's see what the difference is. Give it some time.

Previously on FanHouse:

All-Star Talk With Chris Bosh
Tech Talk With Chris Bosh
Mo Williams Thanks Chris Bosh for His All-Star Spot
Dwyane Wade Comments on the Shawn Marion for Jermaine O'Neal Trade

Chris Bosh Comments on Marion Trade, Answers 'Kobe or LeBron' Question originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-Star Weekend: Winners and Losers

Shane Bacon — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: NBA All-Star Game, NBA Press Box

PHOENIX -- It wasn't "one of those" weekends for the NBA All-Star game. Nobody shot anybody (that we know of), there weren't any amazing plays in the All-Star game, and the biggest storyline was two players that we, as the media, have hyped up as hating each other reuniting for co-MVP awards. But the weekend did give us some highs and lows and, all in all, was a pretty good time in the desert.

Winners

Media Members -- Sitting in our little press row watching the All-Star Game, my coworker Brett Pollakoff was struggling for a storyline in a defensive-minded All-Star Game. I guarantee he wasn't the only one in that position.

But with Shaquille O'Neal coming out in the second half and having a little fun (Phil Jackson said after the game, "That's the first time I have seen an MVP that played 11 minutes in an All-Star Game.") and Kobe Bryant looking like a man on mission, the co-MVP awards gave all media members around this great land something to submit to their editors.

Kevin Durant -- Does this kid have a little Kobe in him? A stealthy performance in the Rookie game followed by a HORSE victory that was basically a victory rooted more in "I don't want to lose" than "I want to win," the second-year player out of Texas is starting to look just like the kid we thought he may be.

Wait for him to get in the big game over the weekend. It might be a battle to see who takes home the hardware at the end of the game.

Shaq's Personality -- He might be one of the more unique people in the world right now, a 7-footer with an even bigger personality that resounds with all people, no matter age or race. His dance during the introductions was absolutely fantastic and exactly what we've come to expect, and although it seems we've seen it all before with the big man, he pulls more cards from his pocket.

If more people in sports had his attitude, the world would be more jokes and less sighs. He is a giant "For the Win" advertisement and this video is just another example of how great he is. Whatever TNT has to pay O'Neal when he retires to be on their broadcast team, it will be worth it.

Losers

The Phoenix Suns -- It was basically a "Favre meets the NBA" move for the Suns, leaking the news that Terry Porter was fired as head coach while the All-Star game was going on in Phoenix! Talk obviously surrounded the event the last two days because of the news, and it took away from the real reason all the media members were around -- to cover the greatest of the NBA. When asked after the game on Sunday about all the Suns news, Phil Jackson took the high road. "I really hesitate to talk about it. This is an All-Star break."

The Fans -- Personally, I have never attended an All-Star Game until this weekend, but I have watched them on television, and none have seemed as lackadaisical as Phoenix. Players seemed to mope through the Skills Challenge, they struggled in the 3-point shootout, and the slam dunk contest ended with a guy overstepping the obligatory free-throw leap by at least a foot.

If that wasn't enough, the All-Star Game seemed more like a regular-season NBA game than an exhibition. Players were fouling when guys got past them. Free throws attempts were more commonplace than a crowd shaking dunk, and it looked like nobody got the memo to avoid playing lock-down defense so the fans could see high-flying action.

All-Star Weekend: Winners and Losers originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No 'Steel Magnolias' for Kobe and Shaq

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:55:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Suns, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Videos, NBA Press Box

PHOENIX -- Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were co-MVPs of this year's All-Star game, and the fact that they were back on the same team playing together had to have brought back some great memories. But you wouldn't know it by listening to the two speak about it afterwards.

While Shaq admitted that he did indeed miss those old times, Kobe would have none of the nostalgia talk; he said it simply wasn't his cup of tea. He went on to explain that while the two had fun out there on the court, that's as far as things would go, and that they wouldn't be sharing a good cry later that evening over a sappy movie. Video of these hilarious comments, after the jump.

No 'Steel Magnolias' for Kobe and Shaq originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: LeBron Gives KG an All-Star Gift

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Videos, FanHouse Exclusive

PHOENIX -- At the beginning of All-Star weekend, our own Shane Bacon told you about the gift that LeBron James was handing out to his Eastern Conference teammates. He even got a nice photo of it, too: a beautiful glass trophy that listed all of the East players' names on it.

It was a thoughtful gesture on James' part, but when he tried to give the gift to Kevin Garnett, KG wasn't so sure. He had just been ambushed a few minutes before by Chauncey Billups, so you can understand why he might have needed some convincing. Video of all of this, after the jump.

Video: LeBron Gives KG an All-Star Gift originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shaq Explains Planned All-Star Dunk, Kobe's Not Buying It

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Suns, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Videos, NBA Press Box

PHOENIX -- This year's All-Star game was mostly lacking in outstanding highlights -- at least ones that didn't take place during the introductions. Matt Watson did a nice job of breaking down a big reason for this, which was the West's choice to play a zone defense. Not exactly the best way to see a lot of high-flying dunks at the rim.

The East was just as guilty, however, and there was one play late in the third quarter where Paul Pierce needlessly reached in and fouled Shaquille O'Neal to prevent him from converting an uncontested dunk. Why? This is the All-Star game; uncontested dunks are what we're here to see.

Shaq was asked what he would have done had he not been fouled, and his response was something that his co-MVP Kobe Bryant believed could only have happened in Shaq's dreams. Video of the exchange, after the jump.

Shaq Explains Planned All-Star Dunk, Kobe's Not Buying It originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do Not Question Paul Pierce's Lack of HD

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:49:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Videos, FanHouse Exclusive

PHOENIX -- Media availability for the All-Stars is kind of the NBA's version of the circus that goes on in the week leading up to the Super Bowl. There aren't quite as many people and the craziness factor is a little lower, but it's a media frenzy that's really unparalleled at any other time throughout the season.

Paul Pierce was named to his eighth All-Star team this season, and this time, he wanted to capture the experience on home video. He was walking around the media availability (and a lot of other places) with his Flip video camera, and since I was shooting video of him with a similar camera, well, we had something to talk about. Video of our exchange, after the jump.

Do Not Question Paul Pierce's Lack of HD originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Devin Harris, Chauncey Billups Set World Records at All-Star Practice

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nets, Nuggets, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Videos, FanHouse Exclusive

PHOENIX -- A season ago, followers of the NBA were all abuzz about Chris Paul's Guinness World Record for half-court shots in a minute, set during Saturday morning's All-Star practice session. At the time, I thought that things seemed a little contrived -- and after seeing it go down in person this weekend, I can tell you it absolutely was.

The Guinness World Record reps have placards and certificates already made to give to the record-setters-in-waiting, and they choose things like "longest shot sitting down" and "blindfolded free-throw shooting" that aren't exactly special talents. But still, records were set, man. So head on past the jump, where you can see video of how Devin Harris and Chauncey Billups were able to etch their names in the record book.

First up is Devin Harris, who set the (inaugural, I guess) record for quickest baseline-to-baseline dribble (or something). He does it in 3.9 seconds, but the best part is the false start, which is why the clip is almost three minutes.

Two things happened there that make me think that these things aren't the greatest idea. One, the fans didn't even cheer when he finished, because they didn't know if there was a pre-existing time he needed to beat, or if they just made up something for him to set a record at -- the latter is what actually happened. And two, the fact that when Harris was asked "hey, are you satisfied with your record?" he was like, "I'm good, thanks." As in, "I'm done with this [stuff]."

Now we have Chauncey Billups, who tied the record for "most made free throws in one minute while blindfolded." Yeah, not exactly an everyday activity. My camera angle's not as good on this one, but trust me, that's Chauncey at the line, he's really blindfolded (as you'll see by all the airballs), and he gets some advice from Shaq, which is always good for a laugh.

So there you have it: world records are world records I guess ... even if they're ones that are set by doing completely made-up activities.

Devin Harris, Chauncey Billups Set World Records at All-Star Practice originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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