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.

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

This week in sports blogs and news:

• Angels pitcher killed in car accident after debut - Fox Sports
• Michael Jordan still thinks he can still play - Deadspin
• Bears Fund 4-Year-Olds Flight to Heart Surgery - SportsByBrooks
• Jennifer Aniston is after David Wright - Larry Brown Sports
• ESPN needs some better grammar - Sports Hernia
• Top 7: Baseball Streaks of the Past 20 Years - Joe Sports Fan
  

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “I want to be on his rehab program”
• Shots Fired at Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen Wedding
• National Champions: UNC Tar Heels
• Cheryl Miller and Scott Pollard Feud on NBA TV
• Jack Elway, Son of John Elway, Quits ASU Football
• John Daly Selling Merchandise from Bus on PGA Tour

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First it was the rumors about him being unfaithful to his wife and now this.

A former business partner of Dwayne Wade, Richard Von Houtman, has said that he has seen the married Wade and his entourage hold sex parties and doing drugs at a Miami Beach apartment rented by the NBA player.

Of course, Wade’s publicist says that these allegations are just “fairy tales” and why shouldn’t they? With the rumors of Wade cheating on his wife, and if these rumors do have any truth to them, the squeaky clean, religious image of Wade would be ruined.

But really though, should this come as any shock? What famous, star athlete hasn’t made some of these mistakes. It’s just like when we found out Michael Jordan was getting a divorce from his wife for infidelity. We were shocked, but at the same time, not so much.

To read more about this, click here.

This week in sports blogs and news:

• Let the Beijing Olympic Games begin! - CNN
• Top 7: Cards/Cubs Moments of the Decade - Joe Sports Fan
• Brett Favre didn’t want to go to the Jets? - Sports by Brooks
• The Headlines You Didn’t Read from Brett Favre’s Trade - The Sports Hernia
• Was Brett Favre Going to the Bucs? - Larry Brown Sports
  
• Kobe Would Take $50 million to Play in Italy - Boston.com
• Tom Brady Doesn’t Talk about Diapers - The Big Lead

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “They have to be staring at the award…Right?”
• Trouble Continues for Rampage Jackson
• Michael Jordan Says Kobe Would Not Even be a Contest
• Top Ten Things to Look Forward to this NFL Season
• LeBron James Price to Play in Europe: $50 Million a Year
• Packers Trade Brett Favre to the New York Jets

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We’ve all tried to compare basketball greats of yesterday, with those of today. Who would win in a 1-on-1 matchup? Lucky for our generation, we were able to witness arguably the greatest basketball player Michael Jordan play. And in this recent clip, someone yelled out and asked the question, who would win, Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan? His Airness replied:

“Kobe would win because I’m older. In my prime? Not even a contest. Lets just say I have a better chance of stopping him, than him stopping me.”

Check out the clip of Jordan performing in front of this group of kids at UCSB.

Finally when someone asks Jordan to dunk, he gives the people what they came for. It’s a bit long, but you’ll live.

YouTube - Watch 

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I try and I try, but NBA general managers just don’t seem to listen.

The Detroit Pistons pulled off a move of McHalean proportions Monday, signing Kwame Brown to a contract believed to be for two years and eight million dollars.

I have just one question … what in the heck are you thinking Joe Dumars?

First of all, one of the Ten Commandments in basketball operations is to never give money to anyone drafted by Michael Jordan. Secondly, while Brown came into the league as a number one overall draft pick with no ceiling, he is now a journeyman at best.

When did it become a good idea to give a NBA journeyman who will never be one of the seven best players on a championship team four million dollars a year? I know teams usually pay a premium for big men, but let me run down a list of overpaid centers and forwards that teams are currently wishing they didn’t have on their books (salaries rounded off):

Nazr Mohammed, $6 million; Ben Wallace, $14.5 million; Rasho Nesterovic, $8.4 million; Mark Blount, $8.5 million; and I could go on and on.

When the Lakers traded away Brown, it was one of the greatest moments in the life of a Lakers fan. Brown was an underperforming player who all too often played small in big moments. He was allergic to the rim, had poor hands, and left much to be desired.

At the same time I can’t help but feel sorry for him. After all, it isn’t his fault that he was drafted too high and put in a situation where it was nearly impossible to succeed. It’s not his fault that he wasn’t forced to play at least one year of college ball, which may have shown him that he needed more time to develop or at the very least let scouts know he shouldn’t have been a number one pick.

Still, I can’t help but hate the move. The Lakers tried desperately to move Brown and were lucky enough to land Pau Gasol. The Grizzlies, who gave away Gasol to get him, dropped him faster than you can say salary dump.

The Pistons, well, apparently they believe in charity. The only kudos I will give to Brown; apparently he is smart enough to take it.

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When Brett Favre announced his retirement at the end of last season, we all had one thing on our mind: How long until the old gunslinger flirts with a comeback?

Well, whoever had their money on the beginning of July, proceed directly to Go and collect your two hundred dollars.

Watching the press conference of his retirement, you can’t question Favre’s love for the game. To see a grown man crying in front of a national TV audience, seemingly trying to justify his departure from the game on the spot, is a sight that should remind us all of why we love sports in the first place.

It is easy for people to label athletes as money hungry, selfish or disloyal, but at one time in their lives they were all just kids on the playground playing a game they loved. They spend their entire lives watching game film, fine tuning their bodies and preparing to entertain the millions of us who love the game just as much as they do.

So while the media will criticize Favre for toying with us once again – after all he has flirted with retirement and has held us all hostages for a few years now – I say Favre should do whatever he wants. If he wants to play, the Packers should let him play. If they don’t want him, they should release him and allow him to play somewhere else. Nobody likes to see legends fall from grace, but after all the time they spent working for us, don’t we owe it to them to let them have one last hurrah?

As a child, I was obsessed with Michael Jordan. I watched him win 6 championships in Chicago and more than anything I wanted that shot over Byron Russell in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals to be how I remembered Jordan forever. Then a couple years later, even though I didn’t want him to for my own selfish reasons, he played a couple forgettable seasons with the Washington Wizards.

And you know what? I still remember Jordan for that memorable shot. I still admire his game, and if he wanted to, I’d watch him lace up his shoes one last time.

Brett Favre has been the face (not to mention the arm) of Green Bay for 16 years. He brought them an NFL championship, racked up several awards, and brought hope and joy to millions in the process. Could you walk away from all that?

If your favorite NFL franchise called you right now and said they wanted you to be their starting quarterback, could you say no?

Brett Favre isn’t my favorite quarterback (Joe Montana) and Green Bay isn’t my favorite team (49ers), but this summer I’ll be rooting for both.

Brett Favre is a living legend. If he is has the “itch” to play again, I say we let him decide if he wants to scratch it.

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With that debacle known as the NBA finals behind us, teams are already looking towards next season and beyond.

That’s right folks … the 2008 NBA free agency period has begun! With the uncertainty that comes with draft prospects, GM’s are now turning their heads to already proven NBA talent. The dream of winning the NBA championship is alive in all 30 NBA teams, probably with the exception of the Charlotte Bobcats, who for some reason let Michael Jordan make important personnel decisions.

Free agency is always one of my favorite times of the year. Not only does it provide the drama of high-priced athletes potentially leaving their team quicker than you can say mercenary, but we get to see floundering teams pillage other team’s rosters with the hopes of taking one team’s trash and turning it into another team’s treasure.

Really, what can be more entertaining than seeing historic mistakes like the Heat giving Brian Grant $84 million? Even Grant must have laughed hysterically when he got a call from his agent, which probably went something like this.

“Hey Brian, it’s your agent. You’ll never guess what happened.”

“You’re freaking kidding me! They know I only averaged 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, right?”

“I’m serious. I sent it as a joke, but they’re sending the paper work over right now.”

The 2008 free agent pool isn’t being touted as particularly strong, but I wouldn’t write it off so quickly. Although it’s true that it doesn’t feature MVP caliber names like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade (likely to be free agents in 2010), here are a few star players and intriguing storylines to keep an eye on.

Baron Davis, who was due to make a handsome $17.8 million next year, opted out of his contract somewhat unexpectedly. While Davis is an extraordinary talent who helped the Warriors end a 12 year playoff drought, with few teams under the cap and able to afford a player of Davis’s caliber, his options are fairly limited unless he wants to take a hefty pay cut. One possibility being discussed is a possible deal to land with LA’s other team, the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Los Angeles Clippers face a few difficult decisions this off-season. Elton Brand left the final $16.4 million he was due on the table, as did teammate Corey Maggette, who was set to make $10 million next year. Brand has said that he wants to see the Clippers sign a quality free agent and Baron Davis is said to be a player the Clippers are honing in on. This leaves Maggette, a favorite of owner Donald Sterling and the subject of many trade rumors over the years, likely to be left out of the Clippers’ future.

Restricted free agents may make the biggest splash of the year. Players like Jose Calderon of Toronto, Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis of Golden State, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng of Chicago, and Emeka Okafor of Charlotte can receive contract offers from any team. While each players current team has the right to match any offer, these players are sure to garner a lot of interest from teams looking to inch their way closer to the NBA finals. Many of them are unlikely to be signed away outright, but look for a lot of action in the way of sign-and-trades this summer.

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According to Dave Black, free throws were getting too easy, so he had to make shooting a little more creative and challenging. If this guy can really shoot a basketball like this in real life, I’m sure he could find a roster spot on the Sonics.

After watching him  shoot the ball off rafters, it made me think of the ol’ Michael Jordan/Larry Bird Commercials of the past. You remember don’t you? The “nothing but net commercials.”

YouTube - Watch 

Source: College Humor