Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
The Los Angeles Clippers and their fans could not presently be any happier. Last week, they added an outstanding player in Blake Griffin, who was, of course, the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. In this FanHouse exclusive, we talk to Blake about his new team and his expectations. We also hear from Eric Gordon, former NBA stars Sean Rooks and Michael Cage, and Clippers assistant general manager Neil Olshey.
Earlier this week, I lived out a dream by standing on the New York Liberty's home court inside an empty Madison Square Garden. I know, some guys have all the luck.
Oh, I also got to attend the 2009-10 Knicks City Dancers auditions. That was pretty exciting, as well. If you aren't familiar with "KCD," you should know that they are one of the most popular cheerleading squads in all of sports, for obvious reasons. Check out the video of my day with 80 KCD hopefuls below.
He may not be willing to lace up his sneakers for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Spanish point guard prodigy Ricky Rubio won't hesistate to become an American pitchman. Via Canis Hoopus, the young Mr. Rubio appears in what would appear to be his first stateside ad campaign, joining the likes of Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer in a spot for Gillette.
Kobe Bryant is on top of the world, enjoying one of his best years ever as an NBA player after his impressive haul of hardware -- the NBA championship, Finals MVP, co-MVP of this year's All-Star Game. And don't forget about the Olympic gold medal from last summer.
So how does he top it all off? By starting a new charity in China. In this FanHouse exclusive we catch up with Kobe at an awards ceremony as he was being honored by the Asia Society Southern California. We also hear from T-Mac and Tim Leiweke, the CEO of AEG, who was also honored on this night.
If I told you that, "Kobe Bryant grew up idolizing MJ," you would undoubtedly nod your head and say, "Yes. I can easily see how Michael Jordan was a big influence on Mamba." But, as it turns out, 24 was also heavily influenced by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Which seems weird, but, as Holly MacKenzie put it, also makes total sense: Jackson, for all his eccentricities, was a brilliant performer and the best at what he did. So it's not irrational at all to think that his work ethic and dedication to his craft inspired Bryant.
Shaquille O'Neal going to the Cavaliers to play alongside LeBron James seems like a positive way for the future Hall-of-Famer to finish out his career, right? Well, it seems that Shaq himself is a little bit conflicted about it emotionally, as evidenced by the following video he tweeted to his many followers after the deal became official on Thursday afternoon.
Brandon Jennings was a mystery to those that are in the business of putting together mock drafts. Some had him going somewhere in the top five, while others had him dropping out of the lottery altogether. Because of the apparent uncertainty surrounding his draft position, Jennings turned down his green room invitation and decided to wait things out at a local Manhattan hotel.
As it turned out, Jennings didn't have to wait long to hear his name called -- he was selected 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He wasn't there to greet David Stern initially. But he did make it down to Madison Square Garden just four picks later, in plenty of time to make a surprise entrance and get that ceremonial handshake from the commissioner.
What does it say about the 2009 NBA Draft class that the sure-fire No. 1 overall pick -- one Mr. Blake Griffin, who is a spectacular guy to talk with on the phoneand/or in person, I might add -- is getting beat in a game of S-U-B-W-A-Y by former fatty turned sub-spokesman Jared Fogel? (Aside: how long can one guy drag out 15 minutes?) It doesn't say good things, I'll tell you that much. Of course Blake might have just gotten "Five! Five-Dollar! Five-Dollar-Footlongs!" stuck in his head or something. And yeah, I just ruined your day. Sorry. (Handpound to Ethan at NESW for the vid.)
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Toby Bailey was a huge star at UCLA, scoring 26 points as a freshman and leading the Bruins to the 1995 NCAA Championship. But after playing two years with the Suns, he headed to Spain where he later faced a young Ricky Rubio. In this FanHouse exclusive hear what Toby has to say about Ricky and why he calls him "The Truth." We Also hear from former UCLA Star Billy Knight who now stars overseas.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Meet Joe Odom, father of NBA Champion Lamar Odom. In this FanHouse exclusive, we get an inside look at the life of young Lamar. Though Lamar was a huge part of the Lakers' successful championship run, his life has been far from easy. Our talk with Joe will give you a look into's Lamar's inspirational story.
The Los Angeles Clippers and their fans could not presently be any happier. Last week, they added an outstanding player in Blake Griffin, who was, of course, the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. In this FanHouse exclusive, we talk to Blake about his new team and his expectations. We also hear from Eric Gordon, former NBA stars Sean Rooks and Michael Cage, and Clippers assistant general manager Neil Olshey.
Earlier this week, I lived out a dream by standing on the New York Liberty's home court inside an empty Madison Square Garden. I know, some guys have all the luck. 
Kobe Bryant
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
