Hooped Up

The NBA playoffs start April 17th and to further torture us fans, the league has released another track as a follow-up to the “Defense track” that was already remixed. What do you guys think? Are these tracks getting better or worse?

Personally I just want the playoffs to start, NBA tracks be damned.

One of the biggest benefits of winning an NBA championship last year, is the obligatory visit to the White House to meet the President the this year. Especially if the President in office is Barack Obama and not that other guy that use to “run things” before.

Being a huge hoops fan, Barack Obama was probably the first President to actually watch the playoffs and finals with interest and he commended the defending champion Lakers on defeated Orlando in last year’s NBA Finals for their 15th NBA title. When they visited the White House to meet me.

“Nobody exemplifies excellence in basketball better than the Los Angeles Lakers,” Obama said. “I want to congratulate everybody who helped make this team what it is, from the assistants to the front office staff to the trainers and the ticket-takers, all the fans back in LA who bleed purple and gold. You all should be very proud.”

The President also commended the Lakers on their efforts to help earthquake victims in Haiti.

See video of the Lakers visit to the White House after the jump.

Read More »

The NBA is celebrating the decade that was, and you should too. It wasn’t that long ago that everything was Y2K mania and planes were supposed to drop out of the sky and the rise of the machines would actually happen.

Anyway, the NBA is kicking of the celebration by letting you pick who had the Best Individual Playoff Performance of the decade. Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Shaq, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade or LeBron James?

With out a doubt, my vote goes to Allen Iverson with his 48 point performance against the Lakers in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals. Watching him step over Tyron Lue after nailing a trey bomb like Lue was an arthritic old guard dog napping was a classic moment.

Puppet Kobe finally won his 4th championship and he’s celebrating every chance he gets. Just not in from of puppet LeBron proving that even puppets have etiquette.

Now crank up the Montell Jordan and dust off that two step.

According to reports, Rihanna is all over Rashard Lewis like the Lakers defence was on Dwight Howard during the finals.

In Game 4 of the series Rhianna showed up to watch Lewis play at the behest of Magic forward Rashard Lewis, whom she’s currently crushing on. Says a pal of the singer, “Rihanna is trying to get to know Rashard. She’s digging on him, and she hopes the feeling is mutual.”

Of course, back in February Rihanna’s ex-boyfriend Chris Brown who also attended game 4, was charged for allegedly assaulting Rihanna and the former couple and their lawyers, are due in court to discuss the matter further after Rihanna was subpoenaed days ago to testify in court.

A) I hope Rashard Lewis and Rihanna hook up so I have an excuse to post more Rhianna pics and B) I hope the courts throw a hardcover Triangle Offense playbook autographed by Tex Winters at Chris Brown and then Rashard Lewis dunks on him.

Innocent until proven guilty my sweet basketball lovin’ @ss!

Via NY Daily News + Ball Don’t Lie

Kobe Bryant is officially one of the best players in the NBA of all-time. He’s won four NBA titles, an MVP trophy, a slam dunk title, two scoring titles, named an All-Star 11 times and even brought Brandy to his prom when Moesha was just about to jump off. Yet, Kobe Bryant may also be one of the most hated athletes in sports today.

Well, on Sunday after he won his first NBA finals MVP award handed to him by and named after Bill Russell and raised his first Shaq free Larry O’Brien trophy. More haters were born.

So if being one of the best is reason to hate somebody, you can officially hate Kobe Bryant now. If you’re a player congratulator, then cop the “You Can Hate Me Now” tee by K1X and let those haters choke on that Haterade they be guzzlin’ daily.

Oh sweetest NBA basketball, it’ll be hard to accept that the season is over and basketball action is dead for a few months. And let’s not count the summer league and pre-season weeks, because that’s not basketball it’s punishment. However, I will accept free tickets to either (reluctantly).

Anyway, here are the top 5 plays of the NBA finals and you’ll notice how every single top 5 play was in the Amway Arena and only one of the five clips was an Orlando Magic highlight. Kinda sums up the whole series, don’t it.

Wheaties has been apart of the NBA finals since pimpin’ been pimpin’ and before the champagne was done in the Lakers locker room. Wheaties unveiled  their latest box on the championship cereal track. Sun Yue and Adam Morrison should be happy that this was a team picture, otherwise everybody would assume they got their championship rings via eBay.

Somehow, I don’t think the General Mills marketing team had pre-printed Orlando Magic cereal boxes ready in the warehouse just in case.

Via Ball Don’t Lie

Lamar Odom has been one of my favorite players in the league since he was drafted by the Clippers 4th overall in the 1999 draft. He’s the only player in the league that can play all five positions at anytime (good)  and if LeBron James was 6′10″ and could play center, he would be the only other player on that list too.

I’m a sucker for swooping lay-ups and this lefty Dr. J like bucket gave me a chill. This ball was nowhere near the magic square on the backboard to ensure it dropped, but Odom had so much english on the ball it went in from a near impossible angle. If I could use a lay-up as a ring tone, this is the lay-up I’d be using.

See kids, sometimes fundamentals can be show stopping too.

Being isolated on the wing with Kobe Bryant staring you down with no dribbles used up is a defenders worst nightmare. Even for Mickael Pietrus who has guarded Andre Iguodala, Paul Pierce and LeBron James during the playoffs very well.

As soon as Bryant put the ball on the floor it was a done deal. BTW, the co-star of this play is Pau Gasol. Watch how Gasol regains the attention of Gortat who wants to collapse on the drive by sliding out and down to prevent Bryant from being blocked from the weak side.

That’s some grown man ish too!