Hooped Up

Kobe Bryant watched the game from the locker room after receiving treatment for a sprained left ankle. An MRI exam earlier in the day confirmed a sprain. The NBA doesn’t like its players sitting out the All-Star game, but if Bryant doesn’t play Wednesday at Utah, he probably has the option of sitting out Sunday’s game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

If he continues to stay off the court, Bryant will pocket a total of 10 days’ rest before the Lakers’ first game after the break, next Tuesday against Golden State.
Los Angeles Times

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New Orleans native Chris Duhon showed up to Knicks practice in his Drew Brees’ Saints jersey, but decided not to wear it on the court. Duhon is back as the Knicks’ starting quarterback and they need that Brees magic.

Mike DAntoni confirmed today Duhon will return as starting point guard with Nate Robinson going back to the bench in a shooting-guard role. The N8 experimented lasted two games, with the Knicks losing both, to Milwaukee and Cleveland. Robinson sat out of practice to rest his strained groin – perhaps for the Slam-Dunk Contest Saturday.

The Post reported in today’s editions the change was to take place and that Duhon and D’Antoni had a significant meeting Saturday in the Cleveland team hotel to get back on the same page as the coach sought input from his captain on how to change the club’s fortunes around.

“I think Nate is better as an off guard,” D’Antoni said. “He understands that. I think the team functions a little bit better with a true point.”

NY Post

Holy Shmoly, Chris Kaman has just been added to the western conference all-star squad to replace a hobbled Brandon Roy.

Los Angeles Clippers centre Chris Kaman will replace the Trail Blazers’ Brandon Roy in this weekend’s All-Star game.

Roy injured his right hamstring last month.

Roy, in his fourth season with the Blazers, made the All-Star team as a reserve for the third straight season.

Kaman will be making his first All-Star appearance.

Kaman is the first Clippers player to be selected to the all-star team since Elton Brand was in 2006.

via Press Release

Straight Outta Stu Jackson’s office, the B.W.A. tee from K1X gives some shine to the players in the league that take every single game they play personally. NBA fines are expensive, this t-shirt is not.

So buy one goody two shoes.

During the Super Bowl, Charles Barkley tried to sell me some Taco Bell by dropping lyrics with Lamar Odom and a dreadlock backing him up on the mic / teleprompter — it didn’t really rock.

While I was knee deep in my database and you were out laughing, dancing, drinking and watching the Super Bowl. LeBron James and Dwight Howard remixed a class much better than Will.i.am could and it made me almost want to eat McDonald’s — okay maybe it wasn’t that good, but it was still pretty good is all I’m saying.

Respect the 1993 McDonald’s original after the jump.

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Well, over the weekend my site went down and I was only able to get it back online last night. All I can say is if you haven’t backed up your database lately, now would probably be a great time to due so. A few of the galleries still need to be fixed, but the Hooped Up RSS feed is back in effect.

For an accurate depiction of how my weekend went with this issue. Picture my blog as Brook Lopez and my database as Jason Maxiell.

The departure of Del Harris Tuesday night came only two days after his agent, Warren LeGarie, approached Nets president Rod Thorn about the possibility that his client become the team’s head coach.

This exchange, according to two NBA officials privy to the conversation who requested anonymity because they are friendly with both sides, took place at Izod Center. Read the rest of this entry »

Stacey Dixon is a model / actress / tattoo artist from Nashville, Tennessee.

Since adidas is the official apparel maker of the All-Star game, that makes the best players in the world a brotherhood.

The snazzy 2010 NBA All-Star jerseys were inspired by the host city of Dallas and the symbolic Texas state flag. The star on the front of the jersey unites opposing east and west players forming one star when standing next to each other and the single star is divided into five pieces joining as one, representing five players on each team coming together.

Another nice tribute to the host city on these jerseys is the Dallas skyline pattern on the back.

Peep what the western brotherhood is sporting after the jump.

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