Hooped Up

Howard led the Orlando Magic to the Eastern Conference title in May, at the expense of the Cleveland Cavaliers, whopromptly acquired O’Neal to even the low-post scales and add a new dynamic to the battle.

But the hype dissolved quickly Wednesday, amid foul trouble for both players and a lopsided game, which the Cavaliers won by 102-93 after leading by as many as 22 points. It was not much of a game, nor much of a gauge, but it was another significant step for the Cavaliers (5-3) as they work to find their footing with a retooled roster.
NY Times

At the end of a seven-minute media session at Amway Arena before the Cleveland Cavaliers played the Orlando Magic, a reporter asked, “LeBron, what do you think about the possibilities of playing with Dwyane Wade?”

James, who had New York  Yankees headphones hanging in his locker, answered calmly, but his comments became a little bit more forceful with each word.

“I think honestly this free agent talk is getting old,” James said. “It’s getting old and I think tonight will probably be the last time I answer any more free agent questions. I think I owe it to my teammates, I owe it to myself. It’s just getting old. I’m focusing on this season.

“It’s going to be a really good season for us and I don’t want to have any more distractions to my teammates, to myself, to my organization and to my family so this’ll be the last time I answer a free agency question for the rest of the year.”
Orlando Sentinel

Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, but already the countdown to Christmas has begun. This year, the Christmas season might mark the season debut of a certain 7-foot Spaniard to the Lakers’ lineup.

That’s right, Christmas.

After giving daily updates and forecasts about when All-Star forward Pau Gasol and his stubborn right hamstring might finally be fit enough to play, Lakers coach Phil Jackson teasingly said Wednesday that Gasol might not play until Christmas.
Los Angeles Daily News