Detroit's very own "Jumpman"

Look familiar? You're staring at the logo of the greatest basketball player to ever step on this planet.

Believe it or not, this logo is not represented by just Mr. Jordan himself. Don't trust my words for a fact? Check out this latest Jordan Commercial, "Lead the Charge".

You've got plenty of familiar faces there from the likes of last year's MVP candidate, Chris Paul, to the silent killer in Joe Johnson.

Not all the Jordan sponsored NBA athletes are exactly the top dog on their team though. A very familiar name to the city of Detroit in Rip Hamilton, but

whenever the bright lights came on in the Palace of Auburn Hills, all eyes were on other stars that stepped on the hardwood.

The young Hamilton quickly found himself in the NBA as he took the starting guard position for the Washington Wizards in his "sophomore" campaign. The 7th overall draft pick found ways to put the ball in the basket and maintain a solid all around game, but most of the NBA didn't find his talents to be too impressive and looked down on him. The Pistons saw a bigger picture in Hamilton though, as they offered the Washington Wizards a set of role players as well as veteran star Jerry Stackhouse on top of all that. Hamilton found himself wearing a new jersey in just his fourth season in the NBA and continued to rack up the points. Regardless of his impressive numbers, he was never looked at as a star.

Around the same time that Hamilton came in via trade, a load of talent was brought in as Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, rookie Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Mehmet Okur were acquired. Other than Rasheed, the rest of the infantry was expected to fill roles as the Pistons management expected the young shooting guard to step up as a star player for the team. The results didn't exactly turn out as expected.

In just the second season where Rip Hamilton represented the royal blue and red Piston jersey, the team stunned the nation as they took themselves to the NBA finals only to lose one game to the "all mighty Lakers" in the finals before winning it all. So everything turned out as planned! The role players stepped up and Rasheed worked with Hamilton as the two studs racked up all-star like numbers. Wrong. Yes, they did win the 2003-'04 season but Hamilton wasn't the one getting all the praise and glory. When it was all over, it was the veteran point guard Chauncey Billups who stood up in the middle of the arena while

holding up the MVP trophy after his more than impressive performance in the playoffs. They were world champions and it took a team effort so who's to complain? 'Sheed might h

ave had his eye on that MVP trophy but Hamilton, a future three-time NBA All-Star reserve, had both his eyes on the more important trophy the entire way through.

Rip never really had the light shine on him as he took the floor but his unselfishness is what really led him to be so successful while still being under most peoples' radars. Without having the label of being the superstar on the team, Rip managed to maintain convincing numbers as he consistently averaged about 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists.

It was the year of the Pistons as everything went right for them. It looked to be the start of a new dynasty in Detroit.

The MVP of the '98-'99 UConn Huskies Final Four Championship team came into the NBA as a top rookie, but through hard work and a humbled heart, he never let the critics or high expectations get to him as he did what he had to in order to find success.

The franchise hasn't won the championship since that story book year of '03-'04 and since then has traded away big time players in former finals MVP Billups, 4-time "defensive player of the year" Ben Wallace, and highly developing Mehmet Okur. So Hamilton may have never been the star of the team but explain me this concept: As the Pistons seem to be paving a path down a different road while revamping their roster with different styles and younger athletes, shipping away some of their top players, how come Hamilton hasn't ever really been involved in the talk of being moved away from the team but instead had recently re-signed with a nice new 3-year $34 Million contract. Looks like ol' Rip is finally getting that top priority respect he deserves.

Taking a completely different direction, the Pistons changed their entire style of play by acquiring "10-time" veteran all-star Allen Iverson.

Of course, on the contrary to what I just said, with the recent acquisition of Allen Iverson changing the style of Detroit's play, there has been some talk about Hamilton being traded. Whatever happens, whichever team gets Hamilton to put on their jersey in the end will eventually get the last laugh.

Jason Kidd looks on as Hamilton laughs with fellow All-Star teammate Dwight Howard. Maybe the two are discussing what they would do at Disney World after winning the NBA Championship if Rip was traded to the Magic.

-Jason C

The Tale of Two that knew only how to Win

There once existed a dynamic tandem in the NBA known as the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Even though Pippen mostly lived under the shadows of the G.O.A.T. himself, together, they triumphed over the entire NBA by leading the Chicago Bulls to six world championships. ('91,'92,'93,'96,'97,'98) Now that's a lot of rings. These two were the reason some of the NBA's all time greats never got to know what if felt like to win an NBA title. (Sir Charles, The Mailman Karl Malone, John Stockton, Shawn Kemp, Patrick Ewing, and more). Arguably the best duo ever in the NBA? Some would say. I beg to differ.


The once skinny and explosive young Junior out of LSU first made his appearance in the NBA in the fall of 1992 as he was picked #1 overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. Shaquille O'Neal made an impact from the start of his career as he led the Magic to 20 more wins than the prior season and earned the accolade of "rookie of the year". He quickly became one of the most dominant big men in the league and was feared by many.

While O'Neal continued to dominate the NBA as a young star, a young boy who was named after a famous Japanese steak, was ruling the nation as the #1 high school basketball player. The skinny 6'6" guard ran up and down the court scoring left and right, blocking shots and stealing the ball from whoever faced him. Whenever the #33 was called to do work on the hardwood, the opposing high school teams would tremble in fear. There were of course a few high school hot shots that thought they could stop this basketball protege but all either fell short or left dropped their heads down, full of embarrassment. The 17 year old senior found himself in Madison Square Garden for draft day, just a few weeks after his graduation. The Hornets took him at the 13th overall pick and Kobe Bryant's journey began.

After the '95-'96 season, O'Neal joined the Los Angeles Lakers. When draft day came and Bryant was drafted, destiny came to its calling as the young rookie was quickly traded to the Lakers. As the four year center first shook hands with his fresh new teammate out of high school, they both had a look of confidence as they looked forward to being a part of the historical Lakers, who were looking for a new answer to the upcoming prospective dynasty. Little did the two young men know... THEY were the answer.

For the first three seasons, times were rough as O'Neal dealt with injuries and little Kobe lived the life of a backup for the first time. By the third campaign together, Kobe was a starter and the Lakers went on to compete in the playoffs once again. The result was the same as they were swept in the Western Conference semi-finals by the San Antonio Spurs and once again failed to make the NBA finals. The team had everything it needed to compete for a world championship; a young star on the rise in Kobe Bryant, one of the most dominant big men to ever come into the NBA, veteran forwards in Rick Fox Robert Horry and Glen Rice. It seemed as if the Lakers were just not meant to win like they used to in the glory days of Magic, Kareem, Wilt, and co. Then the basketball Gods answers. Phil Jackson, former coach of Michael Jordan AND Scottie Pippen's Chicago Bulls took over has head coach of the Lakers. "The stars in the sky aligned" as Phil Jackson moved on from the ultimate duo that he once created to possibly create another one.

As a new era was to begin for the Lakers, the "Zen Master" Phil Jackson, mentored and guided Shaq and Kobe as he formed them into a guard center combo that would be unstoppable. The triangle offense that won Coach Jackson six championships at Chicago utilized the same strategy with the Lakers. It didn't take long as the Lakers reached the finals and dropped Reggie Miller and the Pacers in six games. Shaq was awarded as finals MVP and the dynasty began. The following two years were not much different as the Lakers cruised through the regular season and advanced to the finals, defeating the 76ers and Nets respectively as O'Neal solidified two more MVP awards. The Lakers had won three in a row and all looked well as the dynasty looked like it couldn't go anywhere but up.

The fantasy ended as the Spurs slapped the Lakers back into reality by out performing them in the Western Conference semi-finals. The duo looked to make a return to the finals the following year as the Lakers picked up two future hall of famers in Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Yeah, they reached the finals. No, they didn't win.




Frustration rose in the locker room and team chemistry was falling apart like wet toilet paper. The following off season, Coach Phil Jackson's contract was not renewed and O'Neal was sent off to the Miami Heat in return for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. The "dynamic duo" was split up and the legendary coach was gone.

As hatred was built between Kobe and Shaq throughout the media, the once feared tandem was now a rivalry.

Some say that if these two were still together, they could have won three or more titles on top of the three they had already won. Of course we wouldn't be able to justify that but it is definitely a strong argument. Kobe has only gotten better since the time of their partnership and Shaq has shown that he is not going to let age slow him down. At least not yet. Shaq and Kobe, who had recently said that their was no hatred between them, that it was "all a show", came out and put on a show last night as the two suited up together once again for the Western All-Stars in Phoenix for the 2009 All-Star game. It has been a long time since the two superstars played with the same name on the front of their jerseys but nothing seemed to have changed over the treacherous time period as Kobe lit the floor with 27 points and Shaq showed signs of his old self as he dominated the paint. The two played in sync and ended up being co-MVP's for the game.

Beautiful isn't it?

Time is of the essence now and as Kobe reaches the milestone age of 30, Shaq is nearing the end of his NBA time line. Who'd like to see these two go at it in the same purple and yellow jersey under Coach Phil again? I would I would! Now I'm not saying this is going to happen and of course they won't be the same tandem as they were before. Maybe better, worse? Who knows? Whatever the case is, I can assure you that if these two joined forces for just one season, the tandem would prove to the world that they are the greatest pair to ever play in the NBA.

Let it be known. Even Phil would tell you who was the best duo he had ever coach.

-Jason C

College Hoops and All-Star Weekend

Okay, so maybe I was wrong about Duke pulling off the win against the deeply talented Tar Heels. No, it wasn't Tyler Hansbrough who took center stage as the top player on the floor that night. Ty Lawson picked made some noise as he put up 17 of his 21 total points in the second half as he rallied his Heels in a comeback win that eventually turned into a double digit victory as the crowd in Cameron Indoors became silent.

The entire week was full of surprises and breath takers, as college hoops was at its best. With less than a month of the regular season remaining, there have been five different teams that took hold of the top spot in the AP polls as the #1 ranked team in the nation. Other than UNC, non of the other top teams have managed to hold on to that #1 spot for too long. (Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Duke) Currently, UConn stands alone as the best team in the nation and faced its own challenge today as Seton Hall tried to pull an upset on the Huskies. For now, UConn will stay on top of the polls for one more week when the new updated rankings come up on Monday. 

With conference play nearing its end, teams and faithful fans are looking forward to their respective tournaments in a last ditch effort to make the big dance for some teams. Look forward to a complete analysis of the major and even some mid major conferences. ACC fans and Big East fans, prepare for a tournament to remember as there are endless possibilities of these two conference champions. Also, Big 12 fans, Big 10 fans, and SEC fans, if you're team is struggling big time, don't lose hope as these conference tournaments will be full of upsets and cinderella teams. (Recall last year's SEC champs, the Georgia Bulldogs) Though there is plenty more to be said about the current news and updates in college hoops, let's go towards the  most exciting event for this weekend, the NBA All-Star game. 

It's that time of the year when the best in the NBA meet together to have a weekend of competition and fun. So who would you want on your All Star team? Kobe or LeBron?

It all started last night as celebrities and former NBA players geared up in a friendly match before the Rookies and Sophomores took the spotlight for the main even of the night. I guess I went 0 for 2 in my last entry as I incorrectly predicted Duke to win and confidently said that the Rookies would take the first W in the last 8 meetings. As I walked in late to a sports bar to watch the final 9 minutes of the game, the Sophomores had a small lead and never let go of it for the rest of the night as they won 122-116. As I admitted to my inaccuracy, I noticed that a key player was missing. Mr. Greg Oden. He might not be the most game changing player but a 7 foot monster down low makes a huge difference on defense so that's my excuse for getting the prediction wrong. Sounding foolish about now? No excuses, the Sophomores won fair and square as Kevin Durant lit the floor on fire with 46 points, crushing the former Rookie Sophomore game record of  36 points. I'm sorry for doubting you Kevin.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2009 Rookie Sophomore game MVP.

Moving on to the rest of the events for this fun filled weekend, I will try to get at least on prediction right here. Saturday Night, the excitement starts at 8 pm when the Shooting Stars Competition, Playstation Skills challenge, Foot Locker Three Point Shootout, and Sprite Dunk Competition take place. Not to mention, for the first time since Pistol Pete was in the NBA, the All-Star game is bringing you a game of H.O.R.S.E. 

Starting with the Shooting Stars, San Antonio will return to try and defend their 2008 championship as Los Angeles, Detroit, and Phoenix will do whatever they can to be on top this year.

San Antonio will have Tim Duncan and David Robinson from the 2001 NBA world champions as well as WNBA's very own gorgeous Becky Hammon.

Detroit will be represented by Pistons guard Aaron Afflalo, former NBA bad boy Bill Laimbeer, and Shock veteran Katie Smith.

Los Angeles will be led by current Laker Derek Fisher, former NBA player and current Sparks coach Michael Cooper, and lastly future hall of famer Lisa Leslie.

The hometown squad and crowd favorite will have the Brazilian blur Leandro Barbosa, former NBA star Dan Majerle, and  Mercury center Tangela Smith.

This one can easily go to any of the four squads, but I will have to go with the home team, Phoenix. You got a premier shooter in Dan Majerle, one of the most accurate shooters currently in the NBA in Leandro Barbosa, and the 6'4" Tangela Smith is bound to knock down that half court shot. 

Next up, it's the skills challenge which will feature Devin harris, Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, and Mo Williams.

While Devin Harris has greatly improved his game over this past off season, Derrick Rose has shined as a rookie point guard with extraordinary speed and explosion. The older guys, Tony Parker and Mo Williams have worked long and hard to be known as two of the top point guards in the league. To win this competition, you must have quickness, accurate passing, and confidence. This year's skills champion...

The young man out of Simeon high school, rookie star, Derrick "Pooh" Rose

And the field of six for the Three point shootout will be defending three point champion Jason Kapono, Daequan Cook, Danny Granger, Mike Bibby, Rashard Lewis, and Roger Mason. Not much needed to observe and analyze in this competition. All are great shooters in their own style but the best fit for this competition is Kapono. He did win last year's for a reason and he will win again to claim bragging rights for a back to back as the three point shootout champion.

As for the special event of H.O.R.S.E, Kevin Durant, OJ Mayo, and Joe Johnson will face off. No dunking is allowed in this one so this one is basically a coin toss. My instincts will go with the Atlanta Hawks' very own Joe Johnson. Favoritism? Yes... Do I care? No... GO JOE

Lastly, the fan favorite event of the night, the Sprite Dunk contest. Superman, Dwight Howard will do whatever crazy dunk humanly possible in order to win another dunk contest trophy. Spaniard Rudy Fernandez, who made Dwight a dunk victim in the 2008 olympics, will try to dethrone Superman himself. Nate Robinson, who also won the dunk competition, will take another shot at it this year as the smallest participant. (Don't count on it Nate) J.R. Smith will replace Rudy Gay as the fourth member of the competition and expect him to have a grudge as he finished second in his prior appearance in the dunk contest. Creativity is key in this competition but creativity won't get you 50 inches off the ground. Ask for creativity, Dwight will give you creativity. (Recall the sticker dunk a few years back) Ask for 50 inches, Dwight will give you 60. There will be plenty of jaw dropping dunks tonight but Mr. Howard will once again put on his red cape as he soars through the air and defies gravity as this year's dunk competition champion.

What will Superman have in stored for us this year. Bring your popcorn and snacks and prepare yourself for a flight you will never forget. Bring it home Big Dwight.

The final showcase of the weekend will take place tomorrow night at 8 pm as the NBA's best active players will dominate the floor with "out of this world" dunks, crossovers, and passes.

For the first three quarters, there won't be much defense involved as most of the guys will goof around and try to do things that their coaches would normally bench them for doing in a regular season or playoff game. There are no limitations here and the opportunities are beyond the stars' reach. The East took the W in last year's All-Star game and the Eastern Conference Champion Celtics eventually ended up winning the NBA title. This year, the ______________ Conference will win and your All-Star MVP for 2009 will be...

No... I give you, your 2009 All-Star Game MVP... 

Kobe Bryant will show why he won last year's regular season MVP award and tomorrow night, he will display why he is the best current basketball player in the NBA. The West takes the W in this one and I'm not trying to send any sort of subliminal message or foreshadowing but this year's World Champions will probably be from the same conference. (Recall my post about a month back when I discussed this year's road to the NBA championship) I'm just saying.

Seeing my luck so far this week, I won't be surprised if I go 0 for 10 in my picks but either way, I am going to enjoy myself as I see all the action packed fun being held in Phoenix and I advise that you do the same. Until the next one,

-Jason C

Steelers, Pro Bowl, UNC v. Duke, and an All Star Weekend sneak peek...

It's been a while since my last article and plenty of great story lines could have been in the making had I not been lazy. I plan on making up for all that lost time within just one article, so prepare to fill your brains with plenty of knowledge around the sports nation. Let's begin.

Let's begin with this beautiful piece of a

rtwork, as Big Ben holds up his second Lombardi trophy in just four years. Congratulations Steelers, you men of terribly terrible towels have deserved this successful season.

On the other hand; Peyton, you should learn to become a better example for your little brother. You are a horrible horrible person... Just kidding, we all know you were just trying to have fun. Congratulations to you as well for an impressive season, Mr. MVP.

The Tar Heels prepare for their 8 mile drive over to Cameron Indoor to take on crosstown rivals, the Blue Devils, as they try to prove the nation why they were ranked #1 in the pre-season polls.

#5 Duke is more than ready as they look to reign on the #3 team in the nation in UNC. These boys have plenty to prove as the fire in this old school rivalry has been rekindled.

A possible preview of the concluding match for this year's ACC tournament?... Arguably two of the best teams in one of the strongest conferences this season. Maybe two of the top teams in the entire nation? Forget the ACC tournament, can you say, "possible final four matchup"?

Both of these ACC teams have a deep hatred for each other as this rivalry dates back to January 24th, 1920. The two prestigious basketball schools share 33 ACC tournament championships, 31 final four appearances, and 7 national championships between them. The Heels lead the all-time series by over 30 victories but the last 10 meetings have been split equally as each school as won 5. Both squads have coaches with mighty impressive resumes and chemistry fills the court as both rosters are full of experience and high flying talent. That's usually the case every year. Tune into ESPN tomorrow night at 9 pm as "player of the year" candidate, Tyler Hansbrough, leads his army of baby blue into Durham to go head on with fellow "player of the year" candidate, Kyle Singler and his well bred, high powered offense. This is just the first of 2 regular season meetings and while the Tar Heels look to quiet the Cameron Crazy's, expect the floor to be flooded in royal blue as student storm the court once the clock strikes 0:00. I'm going with the Coach K's Devils in round 1.

Before the intense battle lets loose at 9, warm your television up at 7 on ESPN as Big East powers, #1 UCONN hosts #22 Syracuse as the Orange try to get back on their feet, after stumbling a little bit, by handing the top team in the nation just their second loss this season. A high scoring game, advantage Syracuse. Anything else, all Huskies. Defense will be the key to the W in this game.

As the regular season of college hoops nears its conclusion, be prepared for a breakdown of each conference before the start of conference tournament play. Check to see where your favorite team is at, what their chances of a final four appearance are, and where you should most likely expect them to land in the seedings, etc. Keep reading because I'm going to be all over that. 

All-Star Weekend 2009 in Phoenix Arizona

Friday night will be the kick off as Phoenix hosts its first All-Star game since 1995 and the rookies and sophomores tip-off at 9 pm. The sophomores have proven that one year experience means a lot in the NBA as they have won the last 7 meetings. This could be the year that the group of fresh, young talent, takes down the "big brother" sophomores. OJ Mayo will have "haters" cover their face in shame as he holds up the MVP trophy for this game, and the final score has the rookies above the sophomores... There's plenty more to be said about this upcoming weekend but that will be another day. 

Your Rookie Sophomore game MVP?

Keep in mind, the arrival of the all star weekend also means it is about that time for the trade deadline to approach. Expect some big time names to suit up in fresh new jerseys.

A little inside of my own... Attended my first Hawks game this season and had my first experience in the lower level of Phillips Arena. I can sure tell you that a few rows down makes a huge difference. Not much big time action went on through the night as it was a blowout in favor of the Hawks but the hometown squad went lights-out and made it nearly impossible for the visiting Washington Wizards to make any sort of run or a comeback after an early deficit that just kept building. There weren't really any highlights to share but a shout out to one of my buddies, who ended up snagging J-Smoove's head band as the players entered the tunnel.

The surprise team in this year's NBA campaign as the Hawks have proven the doubter's wrong and sat near the top of the Eastern Conference all season. Atlanta area residents, go support your Atlanta Hawks as they try to lock that 4th seed in the conference and home court advantage in the first round. Who knows, maybe Josh will throw you his shoes. 

I would love to write plenty more but need to save it for the rest of the week. One more reminder to turn your television screen to ESPN tomorrow night. Until the next one,

-Jason C