Sports Blog

After a nearly five month break in the action, the 2009-10 NBA season is finally upon us as the Boston Celtics head on the road to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first of four games tonight. A lot has happened across the NBA since the Los Angeles Lakers took home the title last season, but one thing remains the same at the start of every season — all 30 teams start with the same record and have aspirations to be world champions.

And what better way to kick off the new season than with some fresh NBA gear and goodies. Whether you are looking to pick up a new jersey from a star that has changed teams (like Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, or Ben Gordon) or want to relive the season through an officially licensed NBA DVD, there are plenty of awesome NBA related items to check out.

Here are a few discounts from the NBA Store to help you get ready for the season:

While today may mark the start of a new season, there are still plenty of reasons to sport a Lakers’ championship t-shirt from last season. This “NBA Exclusive Collection Los Angeles Lakers “Got Rings?” T-Shirt proudly shows off the Lakers 15 championship titles and is currently on sale for $19.99.

Of all players that changed addresses this off-season, Shaq is literally the biggest. Some day he will end up in the hall of fame and be recognized as one of the best big men the game has ever seen, but this season all anybody will care about is whether or not he can help King James bring a title to Cleveland. Whether you are a fan of the Big Aristotle or the Cavs, make sure to grab his jersey while it is still on sale for $44.99.

One of the more memorable NBA stories of the summer was the induction of Michael Jordan into the basketball hall of fame. He is arguably the greatest player in NBA history and provided numerous breathtaking moments for fans throughout the years. Celebrate his greatness with the “NBA Ultimate Jordan: 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition DVD” ( and see how one of the greatest of the past generation stacks up against players from the current one.

Shop for discount NBA gear at Smarter.com.

Kobe Bryant will be doing work in Los Angeles for at least two more seasons, as he decided not to use an opt out clause in his contract that would allow him to become a free agent.  Kobe will turn 31 next month and there is talk that he will sign an extension that will keep him in Los Angles for even more years.  The Times reported Bryant would make a guaranteed $47.8 million over the next two years with his current contract and could earn another $86 million to $91 million with the extension, depending on NBA salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011.  If he signs the extension its safe to say that Kobe will be a Laker for the rest of his career, the way it should be.  This news comes as no surprise to me.  After the Finals, when asked if he would opt out of his contract early in interviews, Kobe has said things like: ”L.A. is home”, “where else am I going to go” and “why would I want to leave?”  L.A. is now Kobe’s city after winning the Title.  It’s amazing to see the love and support that all the Laker fans are giving him and the rest of the Lakers.  If Kobe wanted to run for mayor of L.A. he would win in a landslide.  The city just belongs to him, and I know he is enjoying all the love.

Not having to worry about Kobe, the Lakers could now focus on resigning Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza, two big contributors to the Title run.  They have both expressed their interest to stay in L.A. and defend the Title, but know that it is not up to them.  The only question is if the Lakers can afford them both with other teams bidding up their price.  That question will be answered very soon as free agency begins today.  My hope is the Lakers do resign them both so that they can repeat next year.  This team has good chemistry so they should keep it together and win more Championships.

Image Source: AP Photo

It was great to be a sports fan this weekend.  With the NBA and NHL Finals going on surrounded by many other great events and tons of baseball, one could have stayed home and watched sports all weekend. Let’s see what happened.  The amount of people doubting Tiger Woods would ever return to his great form, just got a little smaller on Sunday.

Tiger is back on form and his final round Sunday proved it.  Down after 3 rounds, Tiger came roaring back and found himself tied for the lead with two shots to go. It seemed like every shot was just perfectly placed and by this time I don’t think anyone though that anyone besides Tiger was winning this tournament.  And with two more clutch birdies on the final two holes, he did win.  It was just amazing and fun to watch.  Even the host of the tournament Jack Nicklaus was very impressed.  Saying that he expects Tiger to break his 18 career majors record, with his 15th coming in two weeks at the U.S. Open.  From what I saw on Sunday my moneys on Tiger too.

While Tiger was winning on the golf course another great player had a lot to prove on the tennis court.

Through Roger Federer’s greatness, he had still never won the French Open.  And with the much younger Rafael Nadal seemingly unbeatable on this surface, many wondered if he ever would win it.  But on Sunday he did it and in the process of winning the career Grand Slam, he also tied Pete Sampras at 14 Grand Slams.  Though he didn’t have to go through Nadal (was upset earlier in tournament) on this time, no one can take this victory away from him.   Even Sampras said that with this win it “solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game.”   I agree with him for right now, but I believe that Nadal will pass him by the time he’s finished.  Federer also got a little scare from a fan running on the court and trying to put a hat on him.  It was funny but kind of scary that it took so long for the security to chase this guy away.

On the ice there’s been a pretty good series going on that probably no one is watching between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings.  And I don’t think the NHL or NBC cares by the way they have scheduled the games.

Who plays back to back games in the Finals?  Hockey I guess.  The series was just tied up by the Penguins before they got blasted by the Wings 5-0 on Saturday.  That win gave them a 3-2 series advantage but the next game is in Pittsburgh and the home team has won every game in this series.  I expect it to go 7 games with the Penguins winning at home.   Game 7 will be a toss up that can go either way.

In the NBA Finals the Magic had a lot to prove to all the people saying the series was over after the blow out in Game 1.

Both teams came out slow in the first half missing many shots and just playing sloppy.  But in the second half a very entertaining competitive game broke out.   In the closing seconds both teams had a chance get the win.  Kobe was blocked from behind on his attempted for the win and the Magic then called time out with less than a second.   The Magic drew up an excellent out of bounds play that got rookie Courtney Lee a wide open alley-oop lay up.  He missed it though sending the game to overtime where the Lakers pulled out the win.   This game was a lot more competitive than the first game and there should be more of the same as the series shifts to Orlando.  Game 3 is going to be big for both teams.  If the Lakers win we could be looking at a sweep.   If the Magic wins then this series will most likely make it back to LA.  We’ll see this week.

10.  The Mega Stars off the court.

The Los Angeles Lakers have always been known for their star power off the court, but this year it’s the Magic that might have the biggest star at their home games.  Tiger Woods has been attending many Magic games this playoffs.  The only question is what side he will be rooting for.  Woods is a California native who now lives in near Orlando.  We’ll have to see!   The Star Power will be plenty in LA led by their biggest fan Jack Nicholson.  Go here for a list of stars that should be in attendance.

9.  It’s not the Magic/Nuggets!

Don’t get me wrong, they are both good teams.  But how interesting would that series really be to casual fans?  None at all!!!  I know the NBA executives were sweating this possibility.  Imagine how embarrassed Nike would be.  See the MVP (Most Valuable Puppets) commercials on YouTube.

8.  Return of an injured star?

There has been lots of talk that Jameer Nelson, who torched the Lakers in 2 regular season games, will try and make a comeback this series.  Whether he’s effective or not will be the question, but it’s still a good story line.

7.  TNT will not be covering Finals.

Hate or love TNT, I enjoyed ESPN’s coverage of this year’s playoffs a little more!  Maybe is because Barkley wasn’t speaking nonsense at half time.   Van Gundy and Mark Jackson have been excellent this year.  Hopefully ABC doesn’t change them.

6.  Offensive Basketball Rules!

Forget the old saying defense wins Championships!  It’s not going to happen these Finals!  Both of these teams are not know for their defense and have plenty of fire power.  That should mean some high scoring fun entertaining games to watch.  Also look for 3’s to be raining down from both teams.

5.  Phil Jackson tries to makes history.

With one more Championship win Phil will be alone at the top!  He will have the most rings of any coach in NBA history.  If Lakers win Game 1, it’s a guarantee that this will happen.  He’s only 43-0 when winning Game 1 of a playoff series.

4.  Everyone loves an underdog story!

This will be the 3rd consecutive series that nobody thinks the Magic can win.  (Even though they beat these teams in the regular season).  Can they pull off another one against these Lakers??  Anything is Possible!!!  Ask KG.

                          
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3.  Lakers try for Redemption.

Beaten in last year’s Finals, the Lakers made anything but a return to this point a disappointment.  Well they made it back.  Now can they win it?

2.  Dwight Howard

Yes, I know it’s not Lebron James, but Howard has proved in these playoffs that he is a star worth watching.  He should dominate in this series and it will be fun to see Superman dunk.  Can we do a do over for MVP?

1.  Kobe Byant

And…still the NBA’s top player!!  Kobe may not have won the MVP this year, but he’ll gladly trade that for another Championship.  He’s still the most dangerous player with the ball in his hands when you need a shot to win.  A win here will also give him a NBA Title without Shaq.  Then maybe we will never have to hear him rap again!

                         
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Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for Los Angeles Lakers memorabilia.
Discounts on Orlando Magic memorabilia.

Overview:

Though the NBA and Nike might not have received the Lebron James/ Kobe Bryant match up that everyone wanted to see, but it still ends up with a great match up.  It’s going to be an unstoppable force aka Kobe vs. an immovable object aka Howard.  See the Nike commercial below:

                             
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The Lakers got a taste of the NBA Finals last year, so they come in determined to avenge last years loss.  The Magic have only been to one other NBA Finals, so they need to show that they are not just happy to be there.  Kind of reminds me of this years Super Bowl between the traditional power Steelers and up and coming Cardinals.  I have a feeling that the results will be very similar.  A great competitive series with the more experienced team winning out in the end.

Match Ups:

Center - Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard:
Bynum has been in constant foul trouble through out the playoffs, that’s going to have to change if he is going to be any factor in this match up.  He also needs to be able to guard Howard one-on-one in the post so that the Lakers don’t have to double team opening up the Magic to their deadly 3-point shooting.  That being said, I don’t really see him slowing Howard who is playing out of his mind right now.

Advantage: Dwight Howard, Magic

Power Forward - Pau Gasol vs. Rashard Lewis:
Both players have a big offensive advantage against each other.  Pau is deadly in the post and Rashard is just too small to handle the 7 footer.  On the other end, Rashard is a deadly outside shooter that Pau is going to have to chase around and guard out on the perimeter.

It’s going to be tough for both, but if there is any big man in the NBA that has skill to guard out on the perimeter it’s Gasol.   He’ll also receive help from Lamar Odom off the bench.

Advantage: Pau Gasol, Lakers

Small Forward - Trevor Ariza vs. Hedo Turkoglu:
his is going to be a great match up.  The Lakers need Ariza to keep up his good play in the playoffs and keep knocking down shots.  He’s been a bigger addition to this years playoff Lakers than Bynum has.  Guarding Hedo will be a little easier than having to guard Carmelo Anthony, but not by much.   Hedo is the Magic’s go to guy whom they like to give the ball to when they need a big play.  He’s shown that he could be a playmaker in these playoffs and if his shot is falling then he is very tough to handle.  I think Kobe is going to be the one guarding him down the stretch.

Advantage: Hedo Turkoglu, Magic

Shooting Guard - Kobe Bryant vs. Courtney Lee:
Lee has been very good for the Magic playing big minutes and making shots.  That being said, he’s still a rookie and stopping a determined Kobe is impossible.  It’s safe to say Kobe will be doing work all Finals.

Advantage: Kobe Bryant, Lakers

Point Guard - Derek Fisher vs. Rafer Alston:
Fisher has been struggling in the playoffs to find his shot.  Alston has been playing well and is making some big shots.  The Lakers just need Fisher to play good defense, make an occasional open shot and mentor the other young PGs.  The Magic need Alston to keep hitting open shots and give solid minutes.  I don’t see an advantage here.

Advantage: Even

Bench:
The Magic are not a deep team but they have been getting stellar play from Mickael Pietrus and solid play from Anthony Johnson off the bench.  They need this to continue.   Other contributors off the bench are Marcin Gortat and J.J. Redick.  The Lakers are deep but the key factor will be how Lamar Odom plays.   If he plays like he did in games 5 & 6, the Lakers will win the NBA Championship.   They also get good contributions from Luke Walton, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic.

Advantage: Lakers

Prediction:

The Lakers have been talking all year about a chance to redeem themselves. Well, they have it and I think that experience that they gain from it will prove to be to much.

Lakers in 6

While the Los Angeles Lakers were busy beating the Denver Nuggets in game one of the Western Conference finals, the other Los Angeles basketball team was rewarded for yet another year of mediocrity.

The Los Angeles Clippers won the right to the first pick in the upcoming NBA draft despite the Sacramento Kings having the most ping pong balls and the best chance to win the lottery.  This will be the third time the Clippers have selected first overall, the most recent being in 1998 when they selected eventual bust Michael Olowokandi.

It was scary news for fans of Blake Griffin, the Oklahoma Sooners stud who has been widely considered the best player in the draft and the most likely number one pick.  Given the Clippers history of drafting — either selecting complete duds (Olowokandi) or letting solid picks get away (Lamar Odom) — one has to wonder what this does to the teams off-season strategy.

There have been rumblings that the Clips would love to unload Baron Davis back to the Golden State Warriors or shed salary by letting go either Marcus Camby, Zach Randolph or Chris Kaman.  However, with the injection of such a promising young star the Clippers may be able to reload instead of rebuild.  Owner Donald Sterling is notoriously cheap, though, so it is probably safe to assume he would like to shed salary and ride promising youngsters Al Thorton and Eric Gordon.

Of course any potential move may prove to be futile because Sterling refuses to give head coach Mike Dunleavy the pink slip even though his players did everything but submit letters of resignation last season.  The Clippers are one of the most disappointing and perpetually losing franchises in all of sports, so even the good fortune of leap frogging into a top pick leaves the basketball world waiting to see how they will mess this one up.

Sacramento, who dropped all the way to fifth, couldn’t have been too surprised by their bad luck as the team with the best chance to land the number one pick hasn’t actually walked away with the selection since the Orlando Magic took Dwight Howard in 2004.  The Washington Wizards also had a bit of bad luck, dropping from second to fifth.

With the NBA salary cap looking to go down for the first year since its inception, look for draft day (June 25) to be a busy day that could feature a swap of high picks and talented stars in their final years of their contracts.

And if you are a Clippers fan, well, it is never too late to become a Lakers fan.

Image Source: Sports Illustrated

Some people are a little down on this years NBA playoffs and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

I realize people are busy with school, work and American Idol, but this years playoff race has been absolutely amazing and the very definition of must see TV.  With so many different things competing for our precious attention, though, I have compiled a list of the top ten reasons why you should be catching the rest of the NBA playoffs:

1] If you grew up watching basketball in the ’80s and ’90s there is a good chance you have found yourself reminiscing while watching recent games.  The amount of hard fouls and seemingly genuine distaste between players has brought old school basketball back.  If only the NBA would stop fining/suspending the hell out everyone!

2] Jumping on the NBA bandwagon is the perfect excuse to go drinking with friends after work on a Tuesday night without feeling like an alcoholic.  Down a few Jäger bombs on an ordinary weeknight and you apparently have drinking problems.  Doing the same in conjunction with your team winning and you’re just celebrating like any good fan would.

3] There are a few bona fide superstars still alive in the playoffs and one of them is Kobe Bryant.  A staple of excellent play for the last decade, the still elite Bryant can’t last forever so you better get your fill while you can.  Plus, for you casual fans, there is always a lot of drama and intrigue surrounding the Lakers, so making the transition from day-time soap watcher to Lakers aficionado is a breeze.

4] Long time NBA watchers have had a lot to enjoy in this years playoffs.  For instance, anyone who watched Boston hoist up another banner last year has had two questions on their mind since the playoffs started this year: can the Celtics repeat and will Kevin Garnett go all Willis Reed on us if Boston goes deep into the playoffs?

5] While there has certainly been a number of blowouts thus far, there have also been some legendary overtime thrillers.  The Boston/Chicago series featured many nail-biting games and will be talked about amongst hoop-heads for years to come.  With a little luck both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will do the same.

6] Remember back in 2005 when the San Antonio Spurs beat the Detroit Pistons?  Not many people do because both teams were excellent on defense and struggled to score a lot of points.  This year is much more casual fan friendly because there have been a lot of fast paced, high scoring games.  Three teams still in the playoffs average at least 100 points per game, and all teams that have a chance to go to the conference finals average at least 94.

7] People who love to hear some solid trash talking are basking in the playoffs back and forth banter. Technical fouls have been dished out by the bushel as players try to get in each others heads. When an owner (Mark Cuban) gets into it with a player’s (Kenyon Martin) mom, you know the trash talking is top notch.

8] If the last decade belonged in part to Kobe Bryant, the next one will have its lion’s share held by Lebron James.  Voted this years regular season MVP, James somehow continues to get better despite already being one of the best players in the league.  In other words, he is reason enough to watch this years playoffs.

9] Most TV series are coming to an end, and while we will all miss our favorite shows (go Scrubs!), the playoffs can certainly help fill the void. There is plenty of action, drama, suspense and comedy (both intentional and unintentional) to help hold you over until fall.

10] The last reason is by far the most obvious: basketball is awesome.  Seeing some of the best athletes in the world go at it in one of the best sports to watch on TV is a real treat.  I defy you to not get excited when James throws down a monster dunk or when Dwight Howard swats a ball into the third row.

Take it from someone who watches a lot of basketball — it’s not possible.

Image Source: therundown.tv

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for the NBA apparel and memorabilia you need to support your favorite team.

If you have been watching the NBA playoffs you probably feel like the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers are destined to meet in the finals.  The reason so many people feel this way is simple — it is the only logical conclusion based on everything that has happened from the beginning of the season to now.  Well, that and the fact that it is David Stern’s dream scenario (kidding … sort of).

One thing that may be less clear, however, is what team is going to prevail.  So for all of you who are unsure about who is going to win it all, here are 10 reasons why the Lakers will be hoisting up another championship banner into the rafters.

1.  Revenge factor:  It is becoming increasingly unlikely that they will see the Boston Celtics should they make the finals, but avenging last years embarrassing game six performance is surely on the mind of everyone in the organization.  There is no way they let what happened then (or 2004 for that matter) happen again.

2.  Kobe Bryant:  Lest we forget amid the flurry of props for Lebron James and Dwayne Wade that Bryant is arguably still the best player in the game and certainly one of its best finishers.  A player of his stature, someone who is already in the top 20 all time and might retire in the top 10, can accomplish a lot on will power alone.

3.  Phil Jackson:  Some people refuse to give Jackson credit because all of his titles have come with either Bryant or Michael Jordan at the helm.  I am not one of those people. Jackson is a calming influence with championship experience and that will come into play during the Lakers run to the finals.

4.  Lock-down defender:  To get through the gantlet of quality players in the playoffs you need someone who can play shut down defense.  The Lakes have Trevor Ariza and he is a flat out beast.  He can guard multiple positions, run the break and knock down the three point shot.

5.  Weaker west:  This is the year the almighty Western Conference finally took a step back.  It still took a better record to get into the playoffs than it did in the east, but no one can argue it is as strong as it was last year.  Even traditional arch nemesis San Antonio is playing with a hurt Tim Duncun and without Manu Ginobli.

6.  Twin towers:  Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are one of the better front court combinations since Duncan/David Robinson won it all in 1999 (they did again in 2003 but Robinson had declined by then).  Bynum is coming off an injury, but if the two start clicking they can guard any front line in the NBA.

7.  Variety of styles:  The Lakers offense can play in half court sets or push it up-tempo.  Bryant and Derek Fisher execute Jackson’s heralded triangle offense to near perfection, making the Lakers the third highest scoring team in the regular season.  No matter who they play the Lakers will put plenty of points on the board.

8.  Team depth:  Part of what makes the Lakers so tough is the minimal drop off between the first and second units.  Their backup guards (Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Shannon Brown) and big men (Lamar Odom, Josh Powell and Luke Walton) are very capable and could start on some teams.

9.  Cavaliers match-up:  Assuming both teams make it the Lakers are best equipped to handle King James.  No one player can guard James, but a combination of Ariza’s quickness, Odom’s length, and Bryant’s all-around defensive efficiency could slow him down better than any other team.

10.  Hunger:  A lot of people in the franchise have something to prove despite the fact that none of them would admit it.  Bryant wants to win a title without Shaq.  Jackson wants to surpass Red Auerbach for all-time championships as a coach.  Gasol needs to prove his toughness.  Odom needs to show he can play a variety of roles in a contract year.  The list goes on and on.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop through a variety of Los Angeles Lakers’ gear.

Image Source: ftaconcept.com

If you don’t remember or know who Smush Parker is, we don’t blame you.

But in case you don’t, he’s the former NBA player who’s had stints on clubs such as the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. His stay with the Lakers is probably more well known, as it was rumored he had a falling out with the coach Phil Jackson, that led to his departure from the team.

Parker though claims it wasn’t his relationship with Jackson, rather it’s star player Kobe Bryant, saying “the problems start and end with him.”

Don’t believe me, watch for yourself.

YouTube - Watch 

Source.

Photo Source.

The NBA just released the top selling jerseys for 2008-09 season.  And guess who’s #1?   Yes, it’s Kobe!  Kobe returned to his rightful place at the top of the list replacing Kevin Garnett, who was tops in 2008, of the champion Boston Celtics. I guess winning the MVP, leading the Lakers to the NBA finals, and leading Team USA to gold makes you pretty popular.  Also making the list was his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Pau Gasol coming in at #6. Here’s the rest of the top 10:

1.) Kobe Bryant
2.) Kevin Garnett
3.) LeBron James
4.) Chris Paul
5.) Allen Iverson
6.) Pau Gasol
7.) Paul Pierce
8.) Dwyane Wade
9.) Derrick Rose
10.) Nate Robinson

*this is based off the start of the 2008-09 season till January

The only player I’m surprised is not in there is Dwight Howard.  I mean, didn’t he just receive the most votes for this year’s All-Star Game? What do you think about the top 10?

“K.G., you may have won the NBA title! But my jersey is kind of a BIG DEAL!!”

Source: ESPN.com and NBA.com