NBA 2011 All Star Game recap:

Here's a recap of the NBA 2011 All-Star game courtesy of ESPN.com :




We haven't had a Kobe versus LeBron battle in June yet, but we got a preview of what it might look like here in February. The West's wild 148-143 win in the 2011 All-Star Game at Staples Center -- the highest-scoring regulation game in history provided a harbinger of how exciting such a showdown might be as each dominated long stretches of the game.

And that's where the fun begins. Because when you look past all the spectacle of the NBA All-Star Game, the really interesting part is when it gets a little nitty-gritty. Combining the Kobe-LeBron battle with the close finish, and spiking it with lingering Lakers-Celtics bitterness and the Staples Center location, all the necessary ingredients were there.

More on the L.A.-Boston animus in a bit, but let's start with the finish. There were only two players apiece on the court from Los Angeles and Miami during the stretch run, but it turned into a Lakers-Heat battle anyway with the final score serving as a sort of proxy war for the MVP honors between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. And unlike most years, the crowd had a genuine preference, pulling for the West enough that at times it felt like a "road" game for the East.

Bryant ultimately prevailed, with game highs of 37 points and 14 rebounds. But not before James almost single-handedly brought the East back from a 17-point deficit with a series of full-speed end-to-end bursts that ended with him hurtling toward the basket and drawing fouls, scoring or both. James had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in the fourth quarter alone, bringing his side within two before Kevin Durant quashed the rally with back-to-back jumpers.

James finished with only the second triple-double in All-Star Game history with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists; Michael Jordan was the first. Unfortunately, his lone error in the stretch run may have been the costliest -- down four with 45 seconds left, he passed up an open 3-pointer to kick the ball to Miami teammate Chris Bosh, who missed a wild 3 of his own that effectively ended the East's rally.

However, within the East comeback lay another interesting subplot the dogs-and-cats-playing-with-each-other aspect of four Celtics on the bench cheering enthusiastically as LeBron blew up in the fourth quarter. Leading the charge was Kevin Garnett, who was up off the bench making typical maniacal Garnett faces, pointing out defensive coverages and generally cheerleading.

"That's just KG," said East coach and Boston coach Doc Rivers. "He wanted to win. You don't really know how guys are going to interchange ... but it's really neat trying to adjust what the people interact and I think you do learn a little bit about different guys."

"Actually we all got into a fight in the locker room before the game, arguing and stuff," cracked Paul Pierce. "What did you want us to do? We're on the same team. It's the All-Star Game."

Rivers also did his Miami rivals a favor by immediately calling a timeout when Dwyane Wade came up hobbling after stepping on Deron Williams' foot. Wade, who had been troubled by his right ankle in recent games and reinjured it on the play, didn't return but said he could have if it had been the regular season.

Although the four Celtics -- Pierce, Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen were bit players in the game itself, they were front and center at the start. At times it felt that we were back for Game 8 of the 2010 NBA Finals. L.A. fans heartily booed the Boston foursome in introductions, although they saved their worst vitriol for Miami's LeBron James. When four Celtics checked into the game for the East late in the first quarter, at the same time Bryant and Gasol were on the floor for the West, it seemed the L.A.-Boston subplot would rule the day. On cue, the crowd cheered when Pierce and Allen each air-balled jumpers.

"You knew they would not get a rousing ovation," said Rivers. "I think our guys expected it. [They] got a good laugh out of it."

Kobe Bryant avoided the Chasedown King this time.
Of course, it wasn't just the Lakers, Heat and Celtics out there. Kevin Durant made two game-icing free throws with 5.2 seconds left allowing Bryant to leave to a huge ovation from the Staples Center crowd and finished with 34 points. And the East's surge got a major boost from Amare Stoudemire, who scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. Interestingly, Stoudemire was matched up against potential future teammate Carmelo Anthony to start the game. However, neither made a huge impact until Amare's late burst.

Nonetheless, the story of this one was Kobe doing just enough early to offset LeBron late. Bryant exploded early with a 21-point first half, going retro on a baseline drive that led to a twisting reverse jam and later, to the delight of the locals, dunking on James.

"I wanted to see if I could avoid the LeBron chase-down," said Bryant. "So I just tried to be quick ... I kind of snuck it by him."

Bryant achieved his point total by playing, how can we say this ... aggressively. Especially in the first half, he stopped the ball to look for his shot every time he caught it. Bryant admitted he knew coming in what the record was for points in the game (42 by Wilt Chamberlain in 1961) and had hopes of breaking it before the home crowd until he ran out of gas down the stretch.

"He wanted to get the MVP," said Stoudemire. "He was not passing the ball, at all. But that's Kobe."

You could tell it was Bryant's night when he missed a free throw midway through the fourth quarter and it bounced straight back to him off the back rim, leaving an open 15-foot jumper that he drained easily. It was one of his few jumpers, as Bryant showed shades of his game as a much younger player by making repeated forays to the rim. Eleven of his 14 field goals came from inside five feet.

However, the fortuitous bounce off the free throw provided his only points in the final stanza. It was his teammate Gasol who helped hold off the East's charge, blocking a Derrick Rose shot at one end and tipping in a Bryant miss at the other to seal the win after Durant's jumpers had provided some breathing room. For his efforts in preserving Bryant's MVP trophy, Gasol got to spend 10 minutes on the podium with Bryant without being asked a single question.

It was also Bryant's record-setting fourth All-Star Game MVP award, tying the mark held by former Hawks big man Bob Pettit.

"He played great," James said. "He definitely deserved it."

Whether he would also prevail in a June matchup remains purely a matter of conjecture. Maybe, just maybe, this is the year we'll find out.

here's the "Black Mamba" himself after winning MVP:

New York the Victor in trade battle to acquire Carmelo Anthony

Couple days late posting this but whatever lol.

The Denver Nuggets have finally completed their long-awaited trade to send Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.

The Knicks are sending Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick, two second-round picks New York acquired from the Golden State Warriors in the David Lee sign-and-trade and $3 million. The Knicks will also trade Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry’s expiring contract to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will send Corey Brewer to the Nuggets. The Knicks will receive Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams and Renaldo Balkman.
The Nuggets requested on Saturday that the Knicks also include center Timofey Mozgov in their trade package and New York complied.

“I’m extremely happy for ‘Melo,” said Anthony’s agent, Leon Rose. “We are very appreciative to the Denver Nuggets organization for their efforts in assisting ‘Melo to get to New York. ‘Melo is excited and looking forward to playing for the Knicks.”

The Nuggets want to reroute two Knicks to the New Jersey Nets as part of a separate deal, including Felton and Mozgov, sources said. The Nets badly want to get rid of Devin Harris and have discussed a three-team with Denver and Dallas that would send Harris to the Mavericks, and bring Felton and Mozgov to New Jersey, sources said.

The Nets are considering sending Harris and Troy Murphy to Portland for Andre Miller and Joel Przybilla, but sources say that deal’s on the backburner. New Jersey would prefer Felton over Miller, sources say.

Nuggets president Josh Kroenke and general manager Masai Ujiri had initially preferred the Nets’ offer for Anthony, which was built around rookie forward Derrick Favors and four first-round draft picks, but Anthony was unwilling to commit to signing a contract extension with the Nets.

Nuggets coach George Karl had pushed team officials to make the deal with the Knicks over a straight trade with the Nets because it would better position the Nuggets to contend for the playoffs this season, a source with knowledge of Denver’s plans said.

Congrats to Melo for making the move back home ! But you woulda got a Championship with the BULLS sooner !!! lol

Kobe Bryant is, "The Black Mamba". Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Here's the full short movie if you havent seen it by now:

Blake Griffin Wins 2011 NBA All Star Dunk Contest: Footage of his dunks + highlights of the rest of the 2011 Dunk contest

Last night Blake Griffin went on to win the 2011 sprite dunk contest !

Here's your Dunk contest winner's Highlights:


and here's the rest of the highlights from last night's dunk contest:



CONGRATS BLAKE !! WE SEE YOU PIMP !!

Hot or Not ??? Nike Air Max Griffey 1 ‘Cincinnati’ colorway

The secret ingredient in Cincinnati-style chili is cinnamon but this Cincy-inspired sneaker looks like it’s covered in cayenne. The Nike Air Max Griffey 1 ‘Cincinnati’ represents the second half of Junior’s career when he chose to be closer to his family by signing with the hometown Reds. These stay true to OG form by featuring 24 instead of the 30 Griffey wore in honor of his father’s time with the same team some twenty years earlier. It’s kinda perfect really, the shoe being ‘off’ by a tiny margin in the way the Kid’s career seemed to turn after he left Seattle. A bittersweet retrospective on perhaps the greatest baseball player of the last two decades told by an undeniably sick retro trainer, the Sport Red AGM1 will hit retailers on February 26th

So we ask you guys & gals, HOT OR NOT ???

Dwayne Wade Throws A Monster 90-Foot Alley Oop To Lebron James!

Check out this MONSTER play by D-Wade to his partner in crime on the court King James in a game a couple days ago against the Indiana Pacers



From one end of the court to the next... CRAZY !!!!!

FRESHNESS: Dave White x Air Jordan 1 Retro

Jordan Brand launched its “WINGS for the Future” program with the goal of motivation and inspiration of today’s youth using education, sport, and creativity – with Inglewood High School as its first partnering school. As part of the WINGS program, Jordan Brand employees will conduct weekly workshops and participate in activities involving graphic designs, essay writing, and career planning while providing a complete refurbishment of the school basketball court and classrooms. To commemorate this honorable partnership, Jordan Brand has collaborated with well-known artist and sneakerhead Dave White of the UK, who is best recognized for his amazing canvas paintings of classic sneakers. This time around, he gets to work with the original Air Jordan shoe that is the foundation of Jordan Brand – the Air Jordan 1.

The Dave White x Air Jordan 1 Retro features White’s sublime graphic touch on the upper, using red brush strokes and copious floods of metallic gold in White’s personal style of layers and splatters. Premium canvas, call-out to White’s ‘canvas’ of choice’ can be found on the tongue tag, with a pristine lasered inner lining. Environmentally Preferred Mesh is also utilized on interior walls of the shoe. White furthers his reach beyond the shoe with a special Air Jordan ‘Wings’ logo on the box painted in his trademark motif as well. Just twenty-three pairs of the Dave White x Air Jordan 1 Retro exist, and will be auctioned off at http://solecollector.com/ . The Air Jordan 1 is a perfect way to launch the Jordan Brand WINGS for the Future, and no other than Dave White can exemplify the creativity and artistic talent that the WINGS for the Future program aims to promote. The auction is live now, and you can check out an interview with Dave about the project over on SC.

The Cavs could look to trade most of their valuable pieces

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a terrible basketball team of historic proportions, what with their record-breaking 26-game losing streak and the general stink that comes with losing a one-time franchise savior. They're painful to watch, and most people probably wouldn't complain if they just forfeited the rest of the season.

In a way, that might be exactly what they're about to do. While better days are surely ahead, the Cavs rightfully don't seem convinced that it will happen with this group, so they're looking to make a few trades. According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via PBT), they might be ready to trade as many people as possible:

Hornets GM Dell Demps is said to be seeking a big man who can give New Orleans a little more post presence on the offensive end, and executives are openly wondering if Demps will be so bold as to chase Cleveland's Antawn Jamison(notes). [...]

The Cavs are aggressively testing the waters to see what kind of assets they can expect to accumulate by volunteering to use their $14.6 million trade exception from LeBron's departure as a parking lot for other teams' unwanted contracts. Cleveland is seeking to use that cap space to acquire draft picks and young players -- a sound strategy, especially considering that the Cavs can use all the room without putting themselves in luxury-tax jeopardy. [...]

Sources say the Bulls and Celtics are widely expected to make a move before the deadline, and each is seeking wing help. The Cavs' Anthony Parker(notes) would be an ideal fit in both places. [...]

The Hawks are looking for guard help, and sources say they may be interested in the Cavs' Ramon Sessions. The feeling among rival execs is that the Hawks may be willing to spend up to or perhaps even a bit beyond the luxury-tax threshold if there's a deal that would significantly improve their chances in a playoff series with Boston, Orlando or Miami.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Makes His Return To The WWE After 7 Years On Monday Night Raw !!!

Even if you're not a huge wrestling fan, CERTAINLY you've heard of THE ROCK !!! One of wrestling's most entertaining & popular wrestlers of the late 90's and early 00's made his return yesterday to Monday Night Raw to announce he was gonna host this year's "WrestleMania" !!! Check it out here



Keep up with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson via his facebook & twitter links posted below:

http://www.facebook.com/DwayneJohnson
http://twitter.com/#!/therock

Lebron James Responds To A Fan Disrespecting His Mother And Rightfully So Goes At Him! "I Dont Give A Fxck What You Say"

Last week a fan got out of line with King James' mom, BIG MISTAKE, as Jack Slader (Arnold schwarzenegger's character from "Last Action Hero" ) would say !!! Check it out...

Ray Allen Makes history !!!

Tonight in the Celtics lost to the Lakers, Ray Allen broke Reggie Miller's 3 pt record. Here's footage of it going down:

Hot or Not ??? Premio Bin 23 Air Jordan 5

Shout out to www.sneakernews.com

Now We’ve already seen four Air Jordan Retro Premios hit retail, and although opinions have varied on the designs, the Bin 23 collection has had no trouble clearing out nearly instantaneously each time around. A few months back, we got our first look at the Air Jordan V installment, by far the closest of all the Premios to replicating an original colorway. Inspired by a 48-point MJ performance in which Michael wore a pair of black Air Jordan V’s with white laces, the Premio V seems to have taken a slightly different design approach than its predecessors. Some may have wanted something a little crazier, while others are drooling at the thought of getting their hands on a super-lux leather version of the classic Black/Metallic Silver color scheme. If you’re among the latter, get ready to pounce, because JB has just confirmed that the Bin 23 AJV will be hitting shelves next Friday, February 18th at select retailers.

Hot or Not ??? "Think Pink" Lebron 8 V2 GS

Shout out to www.lbj23.com
When LeBron James announced his decision to relocate to Miami, all that went through the minds of basketball fans was ‘Think Punk’. The dust has settled and even now, it appears the Cavaliers and their departed superstar have mended fences. LeBron has extended an olive branch of sorts, publicly wishing the best for his former team, shedding that punkish aura. Now it’s time to ‘Think Pink‘, as the hot pink/black colorway of the LeBron 8 V2 GS is now available in Nike Basketball retailers. While these aren’t officially part of the ‘Think Pink’ line Would you cop these if they released in men’s sizes?

SPORTS : Melo, A LAKER ?!?!?!

ACCORDING TO ESPN,
The Lakers and the Denver Nuggets have had preliminary discussions about a blockbuster trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to Los Angeles, according to league sources. The Lakers' package would be built around Andrew Bynum.
Talks are in the preliminary stages, but it appears that another option besides the New York Knicks has materialized for the Nuggets.
"There have been discussions between the two teams," one of the sources said. "The Lakers are definitely an option."
ESPN NBA Insider Chris Broussard shares the latest news surrounding the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors. Broussard says the Knicks will look terrible if they don't get Anthony. Plus, Anthony would sign an extension with the Lakers.
It is believed that the Lakers have not yet made an offer for Anthony but that the two clubs have merely had discussions.
Los Angeles has long viewed Bynum as a building block and potential star, but a series of knee injuries throughout his six-year career has frustrated the Lakers to the point that one source said the club would consider moving him. Bynum missed the first 24 games of this season while recovering from offseason knee surgery and also missed a game last week with a bruised knee.
Pau Gasol starts at center in Bynum's absence, with Lamar Odom moving to power forward, and the Lakers' record of 18-7 without Bynum this season is better than their record with him (18-9).
The Lakers' front office is not in full agreement on dealing Bynum, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. Jim Buss, son of owner Jerry, was in charge of the franchise when Bynum was drafted with the 10th pick in 2005 and has consistently resisted any attempts to move him, including a deal for free agent-to-be Chris Bosh last season.
Of course, Anthony, who can opt out of his contract after this season, would likely have to agree to sign a three-year, $65 million extension with the Lakers for them to part with Bynum. But Los Angeles is believed to be a city Anthony would be amenable to playing in, as he and his wife, La La Vasquez, bought a home there last summer. Two people close to Anthony said the Nuggets superstar would sign off on a deal that would make him a Laker.

DRIZZY DRAKE'S JORDAN collection !

A look at October’s Very Own‘s blog and the photos they post of “life as we know it” prove Drake’s creative team is enjoying the finer things in life. But even all the riches in the world can’t always get you the rarest treasures. Drake’s got it all including sneakers, his collection offering up a pair of Air Jordan XI ‘Concords’, which isn’t too shocking considering he gets all the best Jays before they hit retail. But this one seems even more special upon a closer look at the neoprene heel tab, whereupon you’ll notice these joints feature the ’45′ we’ve seen on a few samples over the years. Is this a sign of things to come for the upcoming Holiday 2011 retro release, a rare piece of heat only someone with Drizzy’s connects could hope to get, or a sign that Mike is coming back along with Isiah Thomas and Patrick Ewing to form a ‘big three’ for the Golden Age Warriors? The last one might be unlikely but be sure to stick with Sneaker News for updates on the 2011 Air Jordan XI Retros.

Hot or Not ??? Lebron 8 V2 "Entourage" colorway

Peace to www.sneakerfiles.com for the info on this sneaker ! I dont really see where the "Entourage" theme comes from but what do yall think ? HOT OR NOT ???

Last week Nike introduced yet another LeBron 8 model, the Nike LeBron 8 P.S but today we have detailed images of the second model, the Nike LeBron 8 V/2. Inspired by the HBO series Entourage, this Nike LeBron 8 is dressed in an all blue upper, with black appearing on the laces, midsole as a yellow is used as accents throughout the shoe. As of yet, no release date has been set.

Lil Wayne makes a song for Green Bay & Steelers-nation responds !!

Here's Lil Wayne's song


Here's Wiz's original steelers anthem


and heres some response from the Steeler Nation !!!


Who are you rooting for this SUPERBOWL XLV !!!