Hooped Up

Courtside basketball seats have their privileges. You get to see the raw power the athletes are blessed with, people get you stuff, you get to hear players swear (KG I’m looking at you), plus you can take pictures with your iPhone as a souvenir and — oh yeah, you get to ogle the derrière of Tony Parker’s wife Eva Longoria too like these “gents” did at the France vs. USA game for the World Basketball Festival in Madison Square Garden.

If you ask these dudes who won the game they would respond “they did” I bet.

H/N Sports Crackle Pop

While future majority Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is planning to expanding his empire to North America. New Jersey Nets part-owner Jay Z is said to be kicking the tires on extending his empire to Europe, with an investment in the mighty Arsenal Gunners of the English Premier League.

Hova says he’s been a Gunners supporter since Thierry Henry left North London as the top goal-scorer of all time and has remained a fan despite Henry’s move to Barcelona of the Spanish La Liga.

“When Thierry Henry was at the club. I just thought he was an amazing player. Ever since then I have been a big fan of the club and still today you play the beautiful football that Thierry did. I think he had a real long term-effect on the team.”

Who knows if anything will materialize, but since Jay-Z is worth an estimated $500 million (£333m) like Kevin Garnett said, anything is possible.

For the second straight year, Steve Nash and US soccer legend Claudio Reyna are teaming up for some fun in Chinatown on the soccer pitch to benefit charity. The Showdown in Chinatown is free to the public, and it all goes down on June 24 at Sarah D. Roosevelt Park in Lower Manhattan.

NBA players such as: Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns), Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Grant Hill (Phoenix Suns), Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors) and Raja Bell (Charlotte Bobcats) will all be in attendance displaying their football skills for charity. Read More »

Several NBA players, and some of the best soccer players on the planet — will be playing a soccer game tomorrow afternoon in New York City to raise money for charity.

It’s free and open to the public. It will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Nike Field in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. The game is just off Chrystie Street (between Rivington and Stanton Streets) south of Houston.

Among those expected to participate are Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa, Joakim Noah, Thierry Henry, Claudio Reyna, Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman, Jozy Altidore, Juan Pablo Angel, and Gregg Berhalter.

What Stein’s story does not mention, however, is that Marc Stein himself will be playing. He’s a die-hard soccer fan who plays regularly.

He has a tactic in mind to look good in such a high-level game: Stay close to the NBA players like Kidd and Davis who did not grow up with the sport.

Davis, however, reportedly wants to get around his inexperience with his feet by playing goalie.

ESPN