Top 3 New Year’s Resolutions For NBA Basketball Fans

New Year’s Eve. Three words that mean something different to each person. For some it means a quiet evening at home with the family. For others it’s a bright green light to drink until you’re sure to flunk a breathalyzer with flying colors. Whatever you end up doing tonight, be safe. (If it happens to be standing in Times Square in New York to watch the ball drop, I’d love to hear the fascination in that). Also, with a New Year brings resolutions that barely hold up beyond mid-January.

But as we throw up the deuces on 2010 and open the door for 2011, resolutions apply as well for basketball fans. Here are my 3 New Year’s resolutions for basketball fans:

The “When Rondo develops a jumpshot…” theories must stop

A few years ago I was one of the biggest Rajon Rondo haters. I came around last year and I am now able to see his worth. Especially since the Celtic offense has been stagnant since he’s been out. He has emerged as one of the best PGs in the game. He isn’t the best, nor will he ever be, but he’s in the conversation. The argument from people who think that he will one day be the best PG is that when he develops a consistent jumpshot he’ll be unstoppable. Can we please come to the realization that that day will never come. He’s not a shooter. Simple as that. He is what he is: A very good floor general with excellent court vision.

Rondo is nearly 25 years old and this is his 5^thyear in the league. I didn’t grow up with him but I’d venture to guess that he’s been playing basketball his whole life. So, if he hasn’t developed one by now, it’s never going to happen.

It’s officially time to stop hating on LeBron and the Heat

Ok, enough already. We get it. You don’t like LeBron anymore. But it’s January. Time to move on (this isn’t just directed to Cleveland, by the way). That ship has sailed. The boat has left the dock. Insert any other cliché you’d like here.

The Heat got off to a terrible start and the “I told you it wouldn’t work” theories began. Well it is working. They’re 25 – 9,  winners of 16 of their last 17, and have the stingiest D in the league. At this juncture of the season, the hate has gotten old. It’s so…2010.

Believe ‘Melo will be traded only when you see him in a new uniform

Here at The Hoop Doctors, we report Carmelo trade rumors when they surface because that’s our job. We don’t conjure up the rumors, we simply tell you about them. But it seems like every third Tuesday afternoon, he’s reportedly about to be a Net. And every over Wednesday evening, he’ll soon be a Knick. I can’t remember so many trade rumors about a guy in such a short period of time in recent memory. It has gotten out of control.

I don’t think he’ll be a Nugget at the start of the 2011 – 2012 season, but at this point, I don’t know where he’ll end up. So, we’ll continue to report the rumors, but don’t shoot the messenger.

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook

THD’s Top 10 Plays of the Week

Check out what we believe are the top plays from the week ending December 30th, 2010 in the NBA. Of course Blake Griffin is still being Blake Griffin…

Which is the Best Jordan Sneaker Ever?

They say nothing is bigger than the game itself. Sometimes I don’t know if I always agree with that. If there’s one thing that has become synonymous with the game of basketball, that would be the Jordan Brand, but more specifically the sneakers. The brand has become larger than life and the symbol is more well known than the one that belongs to the artist formerly known as. In fact, the Jumpman logo is probably more widely recognized globally than the NBA logo itself. With so many to choose from, which is the best Jordan sneaker of all-time?

In 1985, the Jordan 1s were originally released. They were different than what most were used to with their flashy red, black and white colors. In fact, they were so uncommon that David Stern deemed that they violated the league’s uniform rules and Mike was not to wear them. But he did anyway and every time he chose to wear his new shoe, he was fined $5,000. The 1s came equipped with the Nike swoosh and the Jordan Wings insignia.

The following year brought the Jordan 2s to the world which were toned down considerably from the 1s. However, the biggest difference was that the 2s did not have the swoosh.

That led to the 3s which was the first time that the aforementioned Jumpman logo appeared on Jordans. From that point on, the rest as they say, has been history. Jordans never looked back and continued to grow in popularity both locally and domestically, eventually becoming it’s own brand and outfitter of basketball programs at schools like Cal, Cincinnati, St. John’s and of course, North Carolina. It even got to the point where non basketball players endorsed the brand, such as Derek Jeter and Roy Jones, Jr.

When Mike retired after the Bulls’ first 3-peat some thought that would be the end of the line. Not so fast, though. The line continued to roll on even though he wasn’t even in the league anymore. It was  around that time when Nike and Jordan decided to cash in by re-releasing Jordans that were no longer available in what has widely been known as Retros. At first, the younger generation thought the re-released Retros were new additions to the catalogue of Jordans rather than a revisit.

When I think of the best Jordans, one definitely comes to mind for me. Many were leather and eventually suede. Some had Velcro and others had straps. But when the patent leather 11s were introduced, it changed the game forever. In my book, the white and black patent leather 11s are the the best Jordans and basketball sneaker ever simply because of the sheer innovative nature of them. I mean, they actually had patent leather wrapped around the shoe.

I remember the first time we saw the 11s. It’s as clear in my mind as if it happened yesterday. The Bulls were taking on Orlando in the playoffs and before the game began, Ahmad Rashad had the new white and black 11s in his hand and introduced it to us at home, and Mike wore them that game. Rumor has it that Mike wasn’t supposed to wear the shoes yet because they weren’t even in production. But after Rashad held them up to the camera and Mike wore them, they had no choice but to pump them out.

In ranking Js, as they are affectionately called, I only consider original models and original colors. Jordan brand Jordans that were not original Jordans (hopefully you followed all of that), as well as colors that were reserved for Retros are disqualified from the conversation because they were not part of the initial release. I just made those rules up.

If you haven’t seen History of Flight yet, do yourself a favor and check it out! Then come back here and give us your feedback as to which Jordans do you think are the best ever?

The Hoop Doctors Podcast: Episode 39

This week on THD Podcast Kevin Burke discusses the latest happenings around the league…

If you often find yourself too busy to watch The Hoop Doctors Podcasts, get them on the go for your iPhone or iPod! Subscribe to our Podcasts in the iTunes Directory, free of charge. Also, if you have any questions you’d like answered by Kevin or any other member of The Hoop Doctors team, feel free to email them to admin@thehoopdoctors.com and we will be sure to select the best of the best to have answered by Kevin On-Air next week or in a future episode.

Adidas’ “Fast Don’t Lie” Remix w/Howard, Rose, and Slim Chin

Surely by now most of you have seen the annoyingly funny Adidas commercials featuring either Derrick Rose or Dwight Howard and some obscenely rich oriental man named Slim Chin. You know, the one’s with Howard singing and playing piano or Rose being compared to a cheetah, while Slim Chin raps and flaunts his wealth? The two commercials have been part of Adidas’ viral marketing campaign for Howard and Rose’s newest signature basketball shoes.

While Dwight Howard is funny as an acapella singing, piano playing self proclaimed “Beast from the Near East” Rose doesn’t say or do much of anything besides continually dunking over the diminutive Chinese millionaire.

The true star of the videos is Slim Chin, who’s real name is Ken Jeong.  Jeong is actually a 41 year old doctor turned comedic actor who has made a name for himself in movies like The Hangover and Knocked Up, as well as having re-re-occurring roles on shows like Mad TV and NBC’s The Community.

Addidas’ newest commercial, or as they are calling it…a remix, features both Howard and Rose together, along with Slim Chin, set to a catchy new hook, appropriately called “Fast Don’t Lie.” In the remix Howard displays a bit more of his vocal stylings while Chin is again steals the show with his urban slang references, cheetah impersonations, and constant stunts like being the top of his so called “lady pyramid.” While the commercial reminds me of an old 1980‘s MTV music video, it very entertaining, and will probably have you singing the annoying hook all day long.

Check out Adidas’ new “Fast Don’t Lie” Remix:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

Charles Barkley To Join 2011 NCAA Tourney Coverage Team

March Madness is about to get a bit more maddening with news that former 11 time All Star and NBA  Hall of Famer turned broadcaster Charles Barkley will be part of TNT’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament next March. Barkley as well as the rest of the TNT broadcasting crew, along with Marv Albert are set to call some early round games now that CBS and Turner Broadcasting signed a 14 year-$10.8 billion blockbuster deal for television coverage rights to the Tourney this past April.

Surely Barkley and Kenny Smith will provide some insightful thoughts as well as some comic relief from the studio to help liven up the sometimes stiff on-air commentary of what is widely considered the greatest post-season playoff system in all of sports.

Right after news of the new broadcasting rights deal was reached, we also brought you news of the tourney expanding to 68 teams over 4 networks (CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV) in 2011, necessitating the need for additional commentators and play-by-play announcers like Bill Raftery, Gus Johnson, and now apparrently Barkley.

Barkley has been known for his sometimes outlandish and reckless behavior while on the air. He once flipped off his fellow commentators, called a producer a female private part, and even made light of women giving birth while live on the air. One thing’s for sure, Charles will give you honesty, since he always says what’s on his mind.

Here’s some classic Chuck in calling Dwyane Wade Micheal Jackson and the rest of the team a bunch of Tito Jacksons prior to the Big 3 arriving in Miami:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

Clyde Frazier’s Book “Rockin’ Steady” Re-released

What is an orgy belt?

In “Rockin’ Steady: A Guide to Basketball & Cool,” Walt Frazier lists his “Wardrobe Stats”: 49 suits (“vines” in Clyde-speak), 18 “lids” and two orgy belts among other duds. It was a compelling glimpse into a style all-star’s closet, but the classic 1974 tome – which was recently re-released – left me a little confused.

Is an orgy belt a sort of gang-bang utility strap? The legendary Knicks point guard did carry himself as a pimp. Through some super-sleuthing I found the answer – there on page 23 was a photo of Clyde balling, with youngsters no less, donning a white leather belt emblazoned with silhouettes of couples in various positions, a wearable Kama Sutra of sorts. That must be an orgy belt. What a cool guy.

As a teen growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I stumbled upon Clyde’s guide in my high school library. It was out of place for its hipness yet perfectly at home because it was old and yellowed. The words of Clyde – with assistance from Ira Berkow and photos by legendary Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr. – gave me insight into the life of a suave urbanite and professional athlete. Although I was a country boy, more apt to hoop it up with a Nerf in my bedroom than a Spalding on the cement, I wanted in. It was a thrill to see “Rockin’” reissued by Triumph Books, complete with an afterward from Frazier. I had no clue as to its enduring popularity – in a new introduction, Berkow writes President Obama bought the book as a 12-year-old – and I had little trouble finding a copy years ago on eBay. Coincidentally, it’s a discarded library book, well-worn like the copy of my youth.

Perfect for the ADD generation, “Rockin’ Steady” bounces from Clyde’s biography to basketball tips to statistics to a lifestyle manual that most famously includes an illustrated guide to catching flies barehanded. Frazier lets the reader in on all areas of his life from the mundane – his daily commute – to the extravagant – he admits to dropping nearly half of his salary, $10,000, on clothes during his rookie season. Among other revelations: Clyde has wall-to-wall shag carpeting in his bedroom along with a giant mirror above his 9-foot in diameter “super-bed,” he’s cut back on sweets because “no way you can be cool and be fat” and he follows a regimented lovin’ schedule – “If you start out like romancing once a week, and now do it twice a week, it’s going to affect you.”

Frazier – now a Knicks broadcaster – doesn’t disappoint in the afterward. He’s still a free-spirit, fond of wearing pink-and-green plaid sport coats and living the good life at his St. Croix summer home. It’s there in the Caribbean where he expects to retire from broadcasting to tend to his garden and fruit trees. “My only fans will be my ceiling fans,” he writes.

What a cool guy.

Bill Zimmerman wrote this while wearing his orgy belt and a pair of suede Puma “Clydes.” He can be contacted at billyz_36@yahoo.com.

Bill Zimmerman is a writer and editor at The Indiana Gazette in western Pennsylvania as well as a freelance writer whose work has appeared in magazines and Web sites such as Sole Collector, Marine Corps Times, Elite Fighter and AllHipHop.com. Bill also won a Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Keystone Press Award in the sports category in 2008. You can view more of his work at BillZim.com.

Bloggin’ the Purple and Gold: 12/30/2010

In this edition of the purple and gold blog, we will look at the highs and lows from the Lakers’ 103-88 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night. In addition, we will discuss the Lakers’ recent struggles, and how the win against the Hornets can get the team back on track.

The Highs

Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum: Odom scored 24 points on 10/15 shooting from the field. It was Odom’s first game coming off the bench this season, as Andrew Bynum made his first start. It was the most points a Lakers’ reserve has scored since the 2004-05 season. In addition, it was Odom’s career high coming off the bench.

Bynum scored 18 points in 30 minutes making his first appearance in the starting lineup.  Bynum getting the nod to start the game was a surprise. Coach Jackson has stressed recently that Bynum was not ready to play big minutes. However, in his first stint with extended minutes, Bynum played a big role in the team’s victory.

Rebounding: The Lakers outrebounded the Hornets 44-24. It was good to see the team come out and clean the glass and set the tone early.  On the other hand, the Lakers shot 60 % from the field. Therefore, there were not many rebounds for the Hornets to claim.

Kobe’s Shooting:. A night after taking 27 shots against the Spurs, Kobe took a much more efficient 14 shots against New Orleans. The results were evident, as the team’s overall offense was much more efficient against New Orleans.

The Lows

Turnovers: The Lakers had 20 turnovers Wednesday night. 12 of the 20 turnovers came in the first half. The Lakers were lucky tonight, as the turnovers did not play a factor. However, most night 20 turnovers would come back to bite them on the butt.

Pau Gasol: I suppose I am getting a little picky here, considering Gasol finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. However, something still seems to be missing with Pau. He still seems to lack the energy and domination we saw in the first 15 games of the season.

Looking back and ahead

The win against the Hornets was much needed for the Lakers. In case you have been away lately, the Lakers have not been playing  well. They have had three consecutive losses (two on their home floor) of 15 points or more. Last Tuesday’s loss against Milwaukee was more frustrating than worrisome. However, being dominated by the Heat and Spurs (two contenders for the title) had fans more confused than disgusted. It was quite possibly the worst three game stretch in Phil Jackson’s tenure as coach.

Let’s hope the win against the Hornets will get the team back in the right direction, seeing as they are 5.5 games back of San Antonio for top seed in the Western Conference. Looking on the bright side,  the Spurs have a slew of road game on the horizon, while the Lakers have a home friendly schedule. The Lakers will hope to piece together a winning streak as they host the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night.

Joshua Sexton is a lifelong basketball fanatic, who watches as many games as possible. In addition, He has played and coached the game at the high school level. He has recently started writing about the game of basketball.

Shaq’s Hilarious Reaction to Getting $35K Fine by NBA (Video)

A couple days ago we told you about the NBA fining the Celtics’ Shaquille O’Neal $35K for his comments about the officiating following the C’s loss to the Orlando Magic on Christmas Day. Well I guess Shaq hadn’t gotten the memo about the fine before Comcast Sportsnet had a chance to get his reaction to the fine.

Shaq’s reaction to the reporter’s question may surprise you a bit. Then again, if you’re familiar with the comedic stylings of O’Neal you may not be surprised at all:

Carmelo Anthony to Return Thursday

Carmelo Anthony has missed four games since his sister died last week due to a pre-existing medical condition, as he has been spending time with family to grieve. Although the Nuggets rallied to a win last night behind superb play from point guard Chauncey Billups, overall they have been reeling with the absence of ‘Melo. But Nuggets fans can breathe a bit easier after the team announced they expect Anthony to return to the team tomorrow, and will be in uniform for their New Years day game against the Sacramento Kings.

In a statement released through the team, Anthony said he appreciated “the outpouring of love and support” from his Denver family during this time. Anthony’s sister Michelle Anthony died last week of a pre-existing medical condition in Baltimore. Her funeral was Monday.

Anthony didn’t play Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. He is averaging 24 points and 8.3 rebounds, both team-highs.

Also, Nuggets forward Al Harrington is expected to sit out two games with a dislocated right thumb. He was injured in Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia.

Read more details via AP on Yahoo.com

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