There is no doubt that Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki are the two best players in Europe. But who is better? After leading Spain to a gold medal in the 2009 European Championships, you can make a strong case for Gasol as the best non-American player in the world. Led by Gasol, named the “best … [Read more…]
After posting a perfect record during pool competition, the French national team were far from perfect in its 86-66 loss to Spain in the quarterfinals of the 2009 European Championships. The devastating one-sided defeat is just the latest in a long line of disappointments for France on the international stage since 2000 when it captured … [Read more…]
The Portland Trail Blazers had one of the youngest teams in the NBA last year, so general manager Kevin Pritchard has been tirelessly working hard to infuse some veterans into his roster this offseason. After striking out on free-agent studs Hedo Turkoglu and Paul Millsap, Pritchard is now down to Plan C, D and E. … [Read more…]
When Pat Riley took over the reigns of the Miami Heat franchise in 1996, he got the ball rolling with two important building blocks: center Alonzo Mourning and point guard Tim Hardaway. Thirteen years later, the Heat will honor Hardaway for helping Riley “get the ball rolling” in Miami as his No. 10 jersey will … [Read more…]
It’s great to be a Los Angeles Laker these days, especially when your name is Lamar Odom. You’re team is the defending world champions and it seems like everywhere you go, you are the toast of the town. Odom is certainly soaking in all the attention being thrown his way, and he now has someone … [Read more…]
Five minutes into Michael Jordan’s Hall-of-Fame induction speech in Springfield, Mass., he said “I shocked the shit out of him” in reference to David Thompson’s reaction when the former North Carolina State star was asked to be his sponsor. What? Did Jordan just say “shit” on national television? Wow. What a way to bust through … [Read more…]
What would the world look like without Michael Jordan? For one, there would be no Kobe Bryant. Two, there would be no Dwyane Wade. And three, there would be no LeBron James. Greatness can’t be measured by statistics. True greatness is defined by a player’s legacy. Michael Jordan’s impact in the sport can be seen … [Read more…]
Bruce Bowen recently announced his retirement from the NBA. It is almost a certainly that 99% of the players in the Association just breathed a sigh of relief now that Bowen has hung up his sneakers for good. Throughout his 12-year career, eight of them spent with the San Antonio Spurs, Bowen was known as … [Read more…]
There is no doubt that John Stockton is a Hall-of-Fame player. But was he the best point guard ever? That is debatable. If you based everything on regular statistics, then Stockton has to be at the top of list because he retired with the most assists (15,806) and steals (3,265) in NBA history. However, playoff … [Read more…]
David Robinson will go down in basketball lore as one of the greatest to ever play the game. As validation, he will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., later this month as part of one of the best Hall of Fame classes in recent memory, a class that includes … [Read more…]