Shannon Brown’s calves will win tonight’s “Sprite Slamdunk Showdown.” (5:30 PT on TNT). This won’t surprise any Laker fans or NBA junkies. Personally, I haven’t been this excited for a dunk contest since a sinewy, showboating shooting guard from the Lakers participated in the Showdown back in 1997. Everybody make sure to support the Cannon!
Now, take a stroll down memory lane, to a time when Kobe Bryant was one of the most ferocious dunkers in the league. Links after the video jump off!
- Shannon Brown is the odds on favorite to win the Sprite Slamdunk Showdown. [Sportsbook.com]
- Shannon Brown: “We’ve got a couple of dunks that are gonna open a lot of eyes.” [SportsRadioInterviews.com]
- Shannon Brown will competing in the dunk contest tonight–but he was dunking (and costing his parents a lot of money in repair bills) long before he became a YouTube sensation. [OC Register]
- Arash Markazi of ESPN-LA writes an “All-Star Trivia” article about the Lakers and some semi-pro team that also resides in Los Angeles. [ESPN-LA]
- Kobe Bryant says his ankle is “okay” but admits that it’s “still sore.” [@LakersReporter]
- Basketball Prospectus has invented a crazy mathematical/statistical system that says Kobe Bryant is the second best defender in the league. Ron Artest is eleventh. Lamar Odom (surprise!) comes in at fifteenth. [Basketball Prospectus]
- Jerry Buss, Tex Winter, Jamaal Wilkes, the 1960 Olympic Team (Jerry West), and the 1992 Olympic Team (“Dream Team” – Magic Johnson) have been nominated for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. [Lakers NBA.Com Blog]
- Kevin Jones, the fashion historian and museum collector curator at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, critiques the All-Star jerseys and more specifically, how Kobe Bryant looks in it. [LA Times]
- Sports Illustrated brings us an interesting picture of Magic Johnson & Isiah Thomas—in happier times. [SI]
- James Worthy & Bill Walton appeared Thursday’s edition of a Price is Right. [LA Times]
…………
Meanwhile, in Mordor…
- Joe Johnson will start for the Eastern All-Stars in place of Allen Iverson, who has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons. [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
- After the line, “Rick Fox dishes it off to Pitbull” [@jeskeets] was the highlight of the NBA’s All-Star Celebrity game, rapper Wale raises a valid point: Isn’t it time for MTV to bring back “Rock N Jock”? [@Wale]
- Rumors are swirling around Dallas that the Cavaliers are close to acquiring Troy Murphy. This is not the case, tweets Cavs beat writer, Brian Windhorst. [@PDcavsinsider]
- Dwight Howard says that the feud between him and Shaq is overblown and that he doesn’t have a problem with Shaq. (Perhaps Shaq could take a page out the young fellah’s book on maturity?) [Dwight Howard's Blog]
- Trade talks between the Mavericks and the Wizards took a “serious turn” on Friday. Talks are centering on a deal that would send Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson to Dallas in return for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, and some small cap friendly contracts to Washington. [Mavs' Moneyball]
- Although, Boston outlets are reporting that a “Caron Butler/Antwan Jamison for Ray Allen+Expiring contracts” deal still “has legs.” [Celtics Town] Danny Ainge seems content with the “deny ’til you die” strategy. [CelticsBlog]
- Paul Pierce was seen being wheeled around in a wheelchair in Dallas’ airport. Was he injured? Of course not. (There isn’t one single Laker fan out there who is surprised by this story). [Boston Herald]
- Rajon Rondo, who was probably added to the H-O-R-S-E competition for comic relief, says that he is ready and not afraid of free throws. When a H-O-R-S-E contestant has to say that he isn’t afraid of free throws, that is usually a bad omen. [NBA Fanhouse]
- Listening to Blazer’s GM Kevin Pritchard, the Blazers do not appear willing to make any big time moves this year. [Blazer's Edge]
- A new way to look at a scorer’s consistency – “Shake Charts” – featuring Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade. [@BothTeamsPlayed]
- The NBA owners have taken the proposed CBA off the table. [@tribjazz] The players union will bring forth their own CBA proposal, although the time frame on that is unclear. [@tribjazz]
- Written by dj byrnes [@fictionalDJ]
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