Hooped Up

Want to meet Michael Beasley? Need some new kicks? Well I’m about to kick-start your already good Miami Friday.

Today adidas is putting Beasley to work as a Champs Sports employee at Aventura Mall in Miami to get fans amped up about the new, Official NBA Shop at Champs Sports.

That’s right, Supercool Beas is gonna trade in his Miami HEAT duds for a Champs uniform to be your personal shopper, work the register, heck — maybe he’ll even upsell you some insoles too and everybody’s invited to come out. Read More »

After failing to acquire Stoudemire, Miami Heat turns focus to keeping Dwyane Wade
Having come up short in its battle to acquire Amare Stoudemire by Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the Heat is preparing for a bigger fight heading into free agency.

At stake: Dwyane Wade.

Although the Heat was unable to swing a deal amid a flurry of movement at the deadline, the focus shifts to protecting its biggest asset in Wade from an expanded field of suitors flushed with cash.

The New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings made moves in recent days to join the New Jersey Nets as teams that cleared enough salary-cap space to make maximum offers to Wade and other top-tier free agents.
Miami Herald

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After declaring he was done with his knee problem and the accompanying brace on Friday, Beasley not only was back in the brace by halftime of that night’s Rookie-Sophomore game, he was also in it for Monday’s practice.

Beasley wants no part of the brace and feels that it is slowing him down at this point. The Heat believes he needs to protect his hyperextended knee for at least a few more games.

The semi-power struggle played out behind the scenes during Friday’s game. Actually, it wasn’t a power struggle at all. The moment team president Pat Riley saw Beasley flying through the sky and dunking with naked knees, the call went out from and ultimately got to Sophomore team coach Patrick Ewing. Read More »

Moves like this makes everybody (including myself) believe that Michael Beasley can be a star in the NBA one day. That was some flashback James Worthy / Steve Smith type ‘ish to the hole.

The knee injury that knocked Michael Beasley out of Wednesday’s loss at Toronto might sideline the Heat’s power forward for the rest of the trip.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday the team’s medical staff considered sending Beasley to Miami but decided to keep him along in hopes he might soon return.

Beasley hyperextended his right knee in the first quarter against the Raptors and is doubtful for Friday’s game against the Pistons. He hopes to play Saturday against Milwaukee to close out the Heat’s three-game trip.

Miami Herald

I’ve watched a ton of NBA basketball games in my day, which also means I’ve seen a ton of epic fail intros in my day too. This gem of an intro for the Miami Heat is without a doubt the best player intro video I have ever seen to date.

As far as intros go, it just doesn’t get any smoother than this.

Yesterday you got a look at the Adidas Cut Creators and today you’ll get another look at the Adidas TS Commander LTs. Not only are they light and made for big dudes, but they’ll have you pop lockin’ like a mutha in no time too.

Just ask Josh “O-Zone” Smith.

After they jump, watch a TS Commander wearing Tim Duncan pick on a plasticized Dwight Howard and a TS Commander wearing Michael Beasley getting sky high — on Adidas product.

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Another van glorious season of NBA basketball is about to begin and Hooped Up does a quick and dirty preview of all 30 clubs.

Everybody wants to pay Dwyane Wade a ton of money to leave the Heat when he becomes a free agent in 2010. The Heat need to save a ton of money to keep him past 2010. Either way, look for Wade to have a spectacular season with a suspect supporting cast,followed by a ridiculous contract offer in the summer from team X. Read More »

Michael Beasley Sr. said Saturday that his son is scheduled to leave a Houston rehab center today and expects the Miami Heat to experience a more mature player upon the second-year forward’s return to the practice court.

“He said he learned a lot about himself in this process,” the elder Beasley said by phone, “and it was a wake-up call for him that he needs to take his career more seriously.”

The younger Beasley has been in inpatient treatment since last month, after committing a violation while in the NBA’s substance-abuse program.

“He’s OK. He’s got his head together. He’s happy,” Michael Beasley Sr. said. “He talked about the decisions he made that got him where he was. And once he took responsibility for that, then he took the program more seriously.”

Boston Herald

Attitude issues, suspicion of drug use and paranoia over his future in Miami all contributed to a path that recently led Heat forward Michael Beasley to a Houston rehabilitation center, multiple sources confirmed Monday. Beasley, the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, has been in counseling at the undisclosed facility to address psychological issues and apparent drug use for as many as two weeks.

Details of Beasley’s attendance emerged Monday in the wake of several disturbing comments and a controversial photo recently posted on his Twitter account. The Heat had strongly encouraged Beasley, 20, to seek help and received backing from the league.

Miami Herald