1) Andray Blatche gets his own colouring book for children.

The title of this cute little book is – “Get ready, get set, get healthy by Andray Blatche”. This sure seems strange. Maybe he is also the author of the goofy cover art which can be seen in the picture above.

 
2) Delonte West applies for a job in a furniture store.

Even though it is obvious that nobody likes being without a job, it is still hard to imagine that someone who has earned more than 14 million dollars in salary over the past few years would apply for a job in a furniture store. I am still not sure if it is for real or not but it is definitely hilarious.

 
3) Marcus Camby continues the Jail Blazers traditions.

It seemed like the Bad Boy image of the Portland Trail Blazers has been starting to fade but Marcus Camby made sure that it doesn’t stay that way. Police found marijuana in his car which was reeking of it, so it seems funny that Camby acted like he was surprised about the pot in his car and said that he has no idea how it got there.

 

4) Steve Nash shoots a freaky commercial.

This one is Nash at his best. The commercial is strange but also very funny. The best line is – nash the f*** up!

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The layup is one of the key shots when playing basketball. It’s also one of the first techniques that players learn. It’s sometimes called the easiest shot, but this isn’t necessarily true. You need to have the ability to block the players of the other team and perfect timing to make a good layup. When executing a layup, push off the ground with the opposite foot from the side of the hoop you’re approaching. So if you’re doing a layup from the right side of the hoop, push off with your left foot. Following this rule will help you have the best balance and momentum for your shot. Also, focus your eyes on the square above the hoop and not on the ball. Back aches and body pain are a common problem for every sports person and visiting a massage therapist or spas can possibly be a pricey matter. This is where a back massager can be an ideal purchase and it can offer you a great massage at your suitable time and place. So what are you waiting for? Go and buy one.

Although basketball is an extremely powerful and physically demanding game, you can learn to shoot better by becoming more comfortable and controlling the ball in more gentle manner. Quite naturally, you want possession of the ball so that you are holding it tight enough so that no one can rip it from your hands. However, when they are taking a shot, plenty of players will apply too much pressure or hold it too tightly when they are making a basketball shot. You can see evidence of this when the ball bounces hard off the rim. Try to give the ball spin and follow through with your fingertips. This is so that your shot lands where you want it to and not just in any area.

While shooting a basketball involves your whole body, the position of your hands and arms is especially important. Use your fingertips when shooting because that is what really gives you control over the ball. Using your palms gives you less control which will make it hard to shoot accurately. Another thing to keep in mind is keeping your arm as straight as possible, with the elbow under the ball. You can distort the shot and send the ball veering off in the wrong direction if your elbow sticks out to the side, even a little. Use a fluid motion when shooting the ball, with your fingertips, arm, and elbow forming a single unit.

In summary, there’s no simple way to instantly become a great basketball shooter. It requires plenty of hard work and practice. Identify the areas where you need the most help and focus on those. You will start to see improvement in your shooting skills when you use the above tips to help you.

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Miami big 3 enjoying the spotlight (picapp.com)

 
Who likes the Miami big 3 and who hates them?

You are about to find out!

 

 

Let’s start with the Van Gundy brothers because their opinions are very similar. Both Jeff and Stan think that the Miami Heat is not just a very strong team and a serious championship contender. They expect them to become one of the best teams in the history of the NBA. Jeff says that they are going to break some NBA records while his brother compares them to the legendary 1996 Chicago Bulls.

Jeff Van Gundy

“They will break the single-season win record of 72 and I think they have a legit shot at the Lakers’ 33-game winning streak in 1971-72, as well. And only the Lakers have even a remote shot at beating them in a playoff series. They will never lose two games in a row this year. They have put together a much better roster than anybody could ever have expected. There is now no good way to defend them. They are unguardable. They are indefensible. They are just too good and have added so much shooting and are so versatile that they will score at will. And with Erik Spoelstra coaching, they will be in the top three defensive teams in the league, as well. The other 29 teams better hope the lockout gets moved up a year.”

Stan Van Gundy

“If I look at what the Bulls did winning 72 games and I look at the Heat roster, I am going to tell you that the Heat roster is better than any roster that Michael Jordan played with the Bulls. I don’t think that people predicting them breaking the win total and being in the 70s and the whole thing, I don’t think those are expectations that are out of line based on their roster… Dwyane Wade is certainly, in my opinion anyway, as good as he was, is better than Scottie Pippen. Chris Bosh is better than Toni Kukoc. Mike Miller is every bit as good a shooter as (John) Paxson or (Steve) Kerr or anybody they put there. Plus, he’s 6′8″. If you start going down the list, I don’t think there is any question that the roster the Heat have is as talented a roster if not more so as any roster there has ever been in the NBA.”

Eddie House is also excited but he plays for them so his thoughts could be biased. It would be interesting to hear his opinion if he played on another team (especially if he had stayed with potentially Miami’s biggest rival – the Celtics)

Eddie House

“I’m extremely excited about this opportunity. In Boston, everybody was after us every single night. We were playing hard-fought games every night. This is going to be even crazier. We’re anointed champs from the beginning, and we’re not the champions. I compare it to the year I went to Boston when the Big Three got together in 2007, but this is going to be even bigger. This is going to be Boston on steroids.”

Another person who is excited about this situation is …………
none other than rapper Lil Wayne. Being in jail didn’t stop him from expressing his thoughts.

Lil Wayne

“I believe that this Miami team will be explosive as intended. Anything less than an NBA championship title will be uncivilized. 72-10 anybody?. Well with Wade at the 1 and Lebron at the 2 or vice versa even, or Mario Chalmers at the 1, Wade at the 2, and Bron at the 3… Wow! Not to mention that I didn’t mention Bosh, who can live at the 4 or 5. Zone defense will be a must against this team. That’s 3 players on the court that commands a double team. Just imagine those guys on a fast break, the defender back peadaling… Wade can take it to the hole or throw it up and you know Bron. Bron is going to get it… or dish it back to a trailing Chris Bosh who will definitely finish at the rim… again, wow! Or how about Wade at the 3-point line, Bosh setting the pick, and Lebron in the passing lane. And if you collapse on them, don’t forget that Chalmers can knock down the shot. I bet that they lead the league in alley-oops. And they’re all young! Scary! Hey, what if Pat Riley returns to the sidelines and it ends up being the Lakers vs. Heat in the finals? Riley vs. Jackson! Epic! Gasol on Bosh, Ron-Ron on Bron-Bron, and Kobe on Wade… wow!”

Steve Kerr believes they are going to be good but he doesn’t want to believe that they are going to beat the 1996 Chicago Bulls 72-10 record (obviously because he was on that team).

Steve Kerr

“I’m not trying to be Mercury Morris and root against anybody, but I don’t think it will happen again. There are too many variables, too many meaningless games, too many bad shooting nights, too much playoff preparation.
If anybody has a shot to do it, Miami does. If everything comes together perfectly, maybe they get to 70.”

Not everyone is predicting that Miami will take the league by storm but there are many who are happy with this situation and think that the new-look Heat can get it done. Ramon Sessions for example.

Ramon Sessions

“I was happy for those guys. I mean, LeBron, he’s been in the league for a while and has done everything that’s been asked of him. It was his decision and I’m not mad at him, ending up with D-Wade and Chris Bosh. I’m happy for them. Miami is gonna be really good. Fan-wise they’re probably the favorite, but they’re going to have to work for it. It’s gonna be a great season, man. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Jason Kidd is on the same page with Sessions but he still thinks the Lakers are the favourites.

Jason Kidd

“Well, I think it can work you know. Everybody is going to sit back and wait and watch but the big thing is we are all professionals so for us we have to be ready to play in Miami. I think everybody knows they will be the favorite but you cant look past the Lakers. I mean they are the champs and LeBron, Wade and Bosh got together and came up with this idea and we will all sit back and wait and see if this idea works.”

Just like Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson

“You got to give him credit. He wants to win a championship. When you put LeBron James with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, you put yourself in a position to do that. The Lakers still have the most talent. They’re the best team in the NBA. You’ve got to remember they’re going to have new guys. They lose this year; Lakers win. I think that team may win two or three in a row” later.”

But when he was asked whether he would have joined with Bird to form a superteam back in the days:

“We didn’t think about it because that’s not what we were about. From college I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird”

Jerry Reinsdorf (the owner of the Chicago Bulls) defends the Miami super-trio but he is not afraid of them and believes that his team is more than able to beat them.

Jerry Reinsdorf

“Those three guys apparently had a dream where they wanted to play together and it’s their privilege to do it. I don’t side with the people who are critical of them for getting together. I think it was clearly their privilege to do it and I don’t think there was any obligation on LeBron’s part or Chris Bosh’s part to stay where they were. I believe we will be better than Miami this year”

Pudge Rodriguez is excited. He doesn’t talk about wininning a championship (championships) though.

Pudge Rodriguez

“I’m a Heat fan and I love to watch the games, and I go to the games. To see LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh there on the same team it’s going to be unbelievable games to watch. For me, and the whole city of Miami, it’s great. It’s great for basketball.
When you’re at that level, when everybody wants to hear from you so those things (criticism) are going to happen. Tiger Woods get some coverage like that, A-Rod, Jeter. Big-time players get some coverage like that. He’s a superstar. He’s an unbelievable player. Everybody around the globe knows who LeBron James is, and wants to hear from him so I was fine with it.”

Then there are some who are trying to stay polite with their statements and just admit that the Heat is good but we should wait for the season to actually start. Paul Pierce is one of them.

Paul Pierce

“You know it could come together right away for them, like it did when we brought our whole new team together, but it’s all about the sacrifice, it’s all about dropping the egos, and it’s all about communication.”

Kevin McHale kept it as short as possible

Kevin McHale

“There’s every bit a chance this doesn’t work as it does.”

Then there is Spike Lee who is upset that the Heat has the super-trio but his team has not. He, just like many others NY residents, thought that Bron should have chosen the Knicks.

Spike Lee

“This is nothing but a pure Corleone gangster move. It was laid out. This didn’t happen by happenstance. They made people look like idiots. They had the thing planned out two years ago.
The man did not want to come, so how can you be disappointed? He wanted to be in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. These guys get in front of Pat Riley, and he shows them those rings and they lose their mind. Pat Riley gets people in his spell, and it’s, ‘Whatever you want to do, Coach.’
He’s a self-appointed king. We’re not bowing down. Uh-uh. Not bowing. I don’t care who they got.”

While Clyde Drexler, who has never won a championship, isn’t surprised about what happened in South Beach. He says that these kind of things are nothing new and similar trios are the reason why he never won a ring back in his playing days.

Clyde Drexler

“Basically what they’ve done is what the Celtics and Lakers have done for years, assemble four or five great players at the same time who can compete in the prime of their careers. If you look back on that, history will tell you that those are the team that have the most championships. I used to tell Magic all the time in the ’80s and ‘90s, when they were ‘Showtime,’ that if we switch teams, you would see what it’s like over here. I told Bird the same thing. … They had four or five Hall of Famers playing with them at the same time. C’mon. You gotta win when that happens. That’s what Miami has done. There’s nothing new about it.”

Gary Payton talks about his experience playing together with both Wade and Bryant. I guess he is not overly optimistic about Miami’s chances but he is not bashing them.

Gary Payton

“The pressure is on Dwyane, LeBron and Chris to show it was worth all the trouble of getting them together. I’ve played with Dwyane and it’s no knock on him but if you compare him with Kobe , there’s a big difference in their work ethic. I played with Kobe, too, and he’d be more from my era. Kobe knows how to be humble. If Kobe loses a game, you’ll see him the next day in the gym, working extra hard to make sure he’ll be better. I don’t know if it’s the same with Dwyane. They’re both great players but Dwyane is more the show type. There are high expectations for the Heat. It’s up to the Big Three to show they deserve to be up there with the best.”

Former NBA super-stars like Micheal Jordan and Larry Bird are stating that they would have never done anything like that.

Micheal Jordan

“There’s no way, in hindsight now, I would have never called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and say, ‘Hey, let’s together and play on one team,’ but things are different. I can’t say that’s a bad thing. That’s the opportunity these kids have today.
I mean, in all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys. I don’t know if they would have been on my team. If they had been on my team … then obviously, if you look at the dream team, they were on my team and it wasn’t too much of a competitive thing.”

Larry Bird

“There is no way I would have joined Magic or Michael and play with them. The only time I ever wanted to play with Magic was on the Olympic team, and even then our practices were hard, and we beat each other up in practice.”

Current Boston Celtics players don’t seem to be intimidated by Miami’s new team…

Ray Allen

“We look forward to playing Miami. We feel like we’re the better team – the team to beat in the East. We definitely look forward to that matchup.
That’s what happened here, and so much is being pointed to what we did here. The question is are they ready to sacrifice, make the ultimate sacrifice. It’s not about numbers. It’s not about accolades. When we did this in ’07. That’s what we all knew. That’s what we all said.”

Rajon Rondo

“As far as the East, we’re the champs. I do look forward to playing against them.”

Nate Robinson

“I don’t think anything of The Big Three. We have the original Big Three. We got a nice solid team. WORD AAPP!”

…just like Dwight Howard…

Dwight Howard

“The Miami Heat is another team like any other, and they all need to win games. They put together an amazing team, and they’ll win a lot of games, but nobody in the league is a sure winner.
You don’t build teams to beat a single team (like Miami). You build teams to win championships.”

…and Jerry Buss (Lakers owner).

Jerry Buss

“The Lakers aren’t scared of LeBron James and his Miami Heat Superfriends. I didn’t pay much attention to (Thursday’s announcement from James). I was curious to see where he went, and once I found that out that was that…
Somebody in the East will come out, and our job is to beat them, whoever it is. There are a lot of good teams over there. I don’t automatically hand them the title. I think Orlando is very good. I think Chicago is going to be better. Boston, certainly, is tough. We know about that. So let’s wait until things get going.”

Wally Szczerbiak is even more negative with his statements and he predicts that this Heat team will fail.

Wally Szczerbiak

“Wade/James pairing is not going to work. No way. When Wade’s dribbling the ball up top, calling for a high pick-and-roll, and LeBron’s standing in the corner, no one’s going to guard LeBron. He’s not a floor spacer. He’s not a guy you have to pay attention to at the three-point line. He needs the ball in his hands . . . and there’s only one basketball. As an opposing player, I would be so motivated to kick these guys’ butts.”

And then there are some who are very upset with what LeBron has done, for example, Nick Saban.

Nick Saban

“The way (LeBron James) managed what he did just speaks volumes about who he is and whether he is a team guy – not because he left Cleveland, but the way he did. That’s not the kind of trust and respect you’d like to have in a team organization.”

And most notably – Charles Barkley.

Charles Barkley

“He’ll never be Jordan. This clearly takes him out of the conversation. He can win as much as he wants to.
There would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland and trying to win it as ‘The Man’ … LeBron, if he would’ve in Cleveland, and if he could’ve got a championship there, it would have been over the top for his legacy, just one in Cleveland. No matter how many he wins in Miami, it clearly is Dwyane Wade’s team.

I heard about LeBron’s little tweet today that he’s remembering everybody who said anything bad about him. And he said ‘everybody.’ Well, I want him to make sure that he puts my name on that (list) … I thought that his little one-hour special was a punk move. I thought them dancing around on the stage was a punk move, and I thought he should’ve stayed in Cleveland. Him joining Dwyane Wade ‘s team was very disappointing to me.

He’s got enough people kissing his ass with his family and all the people who work for him. We don’t have to tell him what he wants to hear all the time … That one-hour special, them jumping around on stage like punks, that wasn’t cool to me. From a basketball standpoint, I wish he had stayed in Cleveland, and if he takes that as criticism, so be it. He knows where I’ll be, I don’t run. I’m on TV every week, I’m easy to find.”

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#15
This number didn’t have any weird logic to it and he was wearing it for many years. This was his uniform number in college, in Chicago and in Indiana. He was wearing it in honour to his father. So why did he change it? Here comes the funniest part – he was wearing it for many years until his dad told him that he in fact wore a different number (#51). I guess they don’t talk very often.

 

 

#23
So after Ron Ron found out that he has worn #15 all those years for nothing, he chose to honour Micheal Jordan. That’s obviously a very popular choice and many players wear number 23 on their jerseys. Back then he just wasn’t as creative as he become later.

 

 

#91
Ron was still playing for Indiana when he chose to change his number for the second time. This time he decided to wear number 91 in honour of Dennis Rodman. This number suited him for obvious reasons – Rodman was the bad boy of the 90`s and Ron was his descendant. He sticked to his image and got into a brawl.

#93
Ron was traded to the Sacramento Kings in the 2005-06 season and that meant it was time for a new uniform number. This time Artest chose #93, as a tribute to his roots. Artest was born in one of the toughest NY neighbourhoods – Queensbridge. He thought number 9 looked similar to letter q and number 3 looked similar to upper case B. Well there are some similarities between 93 and qB but still it’s a strange choice. There are also other theories. Once in an interview Ron Artest said that he chose this number because of the hip-hop album Souls of Mischief- “93 ‘Til Infinity!” as the album was a symbol for unlimited future. I have also heard people saying that he had the number because he signed a deal with the German shoe brand K1X, founded in ‘93. You can just choose the explanation which you like the most.

#96
When Artest left the Kings he went to Houston. Of course he wanted to change his number once again. This time he took number 96. This is also linked to his native projects of Queensbridge. Apparently it was the numbers-letters thing again as the 96 looks like qb. Or maybe number 96 symbolizes the number of buildings in the Queensbridge Projects? Or maybe he just loves the 96 bulls very much? He had already worn #23 and #91, so now he just grabbed the #96 which represents the whole team.

#37
Last summer Ron changed his jersey for the fifth time as he joined the Los Angeles Lakers. We all expected he will come up with something new, not Queensbridge related when choosing his new uniform number and he didn’t dissapoint. Micheal Jackson had recently passed away and he wanted to honour him and so he chose to wear number 37. I guess even for hardcore Micheal Jackson fans it would take a while to figure out how number 37 is associated with their idol. It turned out that Micheal’s album “Thriller” was on top of the pop charts for exactly 37 weeks. That’s a very strange tribute indeed.

 
So that’s the story and let’s hope Ron Artest will change his jersey number at least a few more times because he makes NBA more fun. Not just this jersey thing but also his other activities (you know, running naked around the town and stuff). Keep it up Ron Ron!

 
P. S. Special thanks to thesportcount.com!

 

 
nba, ron artest, indiana pacers, sacramento kings, houston rockets, los angeles lakers

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Jan 5th 2010 – Sundiata gets called up from the Idaho Stampede of the D-League to join the Utah Jazz.

Jan 6th 2010 – He plays in his first NBA game against Memphis and scores his first points. He also dishes out 5 assists.

Jan 14th 2010 – In his 5th NBA game Sundiata Gaines scores 9 points in the fourth quarter against the Cavs including this amazing buzzer beater

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Pistons was a force to reckon with during the 00's

It was never a one man show in Detroit and Pistons roster was very balanced. It also didn’t change much during the whole decade. Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace formed the core of the team for many years.

Detroit was a serious championship contender as recently as 2008. 59 wins in the regular season gave them high expectations in the postseason. In the third round of the playoffs Pistons faced the new-look Boston Celtics and they lost. They lost but it was a close battle and even though Pistons main players were getting older no one thought that this is the end for this team model.

At the beginning of 2008-09 season everything changed because of the Billups-Iverson trade. Chauncey paired nicely with Carmelo Anthony in Denver and immediately after the trade Denver started to improve it’s record. This Nuggets-Pistons deal had the exact opposite effect for Detroit. Iverson couldn’t fit in and it resulted in Detroit barely making the 2009 playoffs as the 8th seed. They got swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers and it marked the first time the Pistons had been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs since 2000.

Pistons franchise has experienced some more changes since the end of the last season. Sheed signed with Boston and McDyess signed with the Spurs so Detroit’s roster is now quite different from their roster before the Billups-Iverson trade. Where does this franchise go from here?

It’s start of a new era in Detroit. Pistons signed two relatively young but experienced guys in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva during the off-season and they’re decent players to build around. Pistons could continue to build team the way they have done it before – that means build a balanced team with no real superstars but with many borderline All-Star type of guys. They have the shooting guard and power forward positions covered with Villanueva and Gordon. They shouldn’t worry about the point guard position either because young Rodney Stuckey is showing

Will Prince and Hamilton stay in Detroit?

It’s obvious that Detroit has to make some moves if they want to bring back the glory days. They should sign a very good big man but obviously in order to get him they must give something back. They could trade a package of players which may involve Hamilton or/and Prince but the question is are these players going to be attractive to other teams. However one thing is for sure – Pistons have too much good guards to keep them all.

Right now Pistons are in the middle of the pack in the Eastern conference but they have potential. They are not the bad boys Pistons or the Billups-Sheed Pistons but their future could be bright if Joe Dumars makes the right moves. Detroit is rebuilding and if they do it the right way then in a few years the Pistons could become a perennial championship contender again.

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Let’s look at the 4 teams that I mentioned which were hot a few weeks ago. Atlanta and Phoenix have each won 6 out of last 10 games which is not bad but that’s certainly not elite. Miami Heat record throughout the last 10 games is 4-6, Milwaukee Bucks record is 3-7.

So is everything falling into place? Yeah, Atlanta has improved and they have a great young team and I could go on and on and on…. but I still think that they will finish 4th in the Eastern conference when everything is said and done. Same with Phoenix Suns – don’t expect them to be higher than LA or Denver at the end of the regular season. Miami is a 2nd round team at max even though Wade is brilliant. And if Milwaukee doesn’t make the playoffs at all – I wouldn’t be very surprised.

There are always some teams that start way better than expected but in 90% of the cases these teams soon cool down. Until a team makes some noise in the playoffs it is hard to call it a serious championship contender. Only exceptions are when there have been a huge and I mean HUGE trade during the offseason. Like when Celtics created their big three by acquiring Garnett and Allen in the summer of 2007. I wish Phoenix and Atlanta all the best but I’m 95% sure that none of these two teams will make it further than the conference finals and even that would be a nice accomplishment for them.

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So here we go!

Sacramento kings

The team that many expected to be at the rock bottom of western conference standings is actually over 0.500 and their home record is 8-2 what is among the best of the league. And guess what, Kevin Martin has played only in 5 of the 17 games. Rookie Tyreke Evans is leading the show for Sacramento, he is in the second place in the espn Rookie of the Year Watch. He averages 19.3 points and team best 4.8 assists. Kings 2nd year forward Jason Thompson has improved his game and he can give you 15 points and 10 rebounds every night. Beno Udrih is shooting 0.538 % from the field and that ranks him in third place among guards behind only Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo if we count only those who have taken at least 100 shots. This Sacramento team is very balanced and besides Udrih, Thompson and Martin there are 3 more players who average more than 10 points – Hawes, Nocioni and rookie from Israel Omri Casspi who has been surprisingly good so far.
Are Kings ready for playoff basketball? Yeah, I know, it sounds unreal and it is highly unlikely that they will make the playoffs this year but if kings continue to play at current level I can assure that they won`t be the laughing stock of the league. They have been playing great lately and right now are on a 4 game winning streak and kings schedule is not very tough if we look at the next 10 games. However their next opponent is Phoenix and getting a W against them would be the best way to boost their confidence and continue the streak.

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