What a great game…Mavs 01, Suns 99 on a bloodless stepaway jumper by Nowitzki with 1.3 seconds left…however, the play of the night, maybe of the year was the ridiculous pick and roll that Nash and Stoudamire ran with around 55 seconds left in the game, where Off the Pick Nash penetrated about a foot past the foul line and then threw up an alley-oop pass to Amare who caught it 1 handed in stride and dunked it off of one foot from about 8 feet out right on Dirk’s head…a really crazy play…

Actually, the pick and roll that Nash runs with Amare is very interesting…instead of sealing off and rolling straight to the basket, Amare seals and waits for an extra second for Nash to go a little deeper with his dribble so that Nash is actually ahead of Stoudamire on the play…this forces the Amare’s defender to shade a bit to the basket and then all of a sudden Nash feeds a bounce pass or a lob that actually leads Amare as he cuts to the basket, thereby giving him more momentum towards the basket than if he had simply rolled straight there off the initial pick…it’s a great play and really difficult to defend…especially if the pick defender doesn’t shade Nash, who is such an excellent finisher…

AI went for with 44 points in his 700th career game, a 112-98 win for the Nuggets over the Sonics, which also gave Denver coach George Karl his 800th win... Iverson’s 1st 40-pt game with the Nuggets was the 77th of his career which ties him with Oscar Robertson for fourth all-time for most career 40-pt games in NBA history:

Most Career 40-Point Games
Wilt Chamberlain, 271
Michael Jordan, 173
Allen Iverson, 77
Oscar Robertson, 77

Frank Deford with some interesting insight:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/frank_deford/12/27/nba.fights/index.html

Sad but funny…and sad…http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/061228&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos2

No surprise here…Memphis Grizzlies fired coach Mike Fratello on Thursday after a league-worst 6-24 start…Tony Barone Sr., the Grizzlies' director of player personnel, was selected to be the interim coach. Grizzlies GM Jerry West (and resident NBA logo) has felt for some time that the team needed a change. Fratello did a pretty good job overall in his two-plus seasons in Memphis after taking over for the much loved Hubie Brown. However, he chafed at implementing the more uptempo style that management wanted after All-Star power forward Pau Gasol went down with a broken foot.

Stupid…now that headband-gate seems to have abated, I think Bulls coach Scott Skiles' edict against wearing headbands is ridiculous when closer inspection of the Bulls’ season-ticket brochures reveals a picture of Ben Wallace wearing, you guessed it, a headband…

1) Shira Springer of the Boston Globe with an article on the “Powe-Show”…one of my favourite NCAA players, now plying his trade with the Celtics’:


Powe is a proven rebounder - Rookie overcomes childhood adversity on his way to NBA

Just before the Celtics' team bus arrives at The Arena in Oakland for tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors, Leon Powe will look across the street at the Coliseum flea market and catch a glimpse of his past. Powe spent a considerable amount of his childhood at the flea market, helping his mother, Connie Landry, sell trinkets, toys, and used clothing from the back of a van. That was how the single mother supported six children after a fire burned down the family home and before Alameda County Child Protective Services placed Powe and his siblings in foster care. At the time the agency knocked on the door, the family lived in a crowded, one-bedroom apartment in East Oakland, struggling to pay rent with unpredictable earnings from the flea market. No money meant another move. Sometimes Powe spent nights in motels, cars, and homeless shelters. When food ran low, Powe went without dinner so everyone else could eat, grabbing breakfast at a friend's house the next morning. Powe missed large portions of elementary school when he needed to watch his younger siblings. "You just wanted to get somewhere where you could get settled and stay in one neighborhood," said Powe, 22. "But I didn't get to do that because we moved from place to place. I understand why we moved because sometimes we overstayed our welcome. Sometimes it just didn't work out between the people who collect the rent and us. It just didn't work out." But Powe always believed somehow, some way everything would work out. Homelessness, foster care, the death of his mother, a best friend in prison, two ACL tears, and a slide to the second round in the 2006 NBA draft never limited the scope of his dreams. When Powe plays in Oakland tonight for the first time since the Celtics acquired him with the 49th overall pick (via Denver), his life will have come full circle. Even as a former top-ranked high school prospect and California-Berkeley star who sits at the end of the Boston bench, Powe has succeeded. Ask anyone in Oakland who knew Powe as a tall, awkward kid shouldering adult burdens and they will tell you it was never about basketball. It was about Powe breaking the cycle and creating a better future for him and his family. But as it happened, the adversity Powe overcame translated into the toughness and tenacity that made him attractive to NBA teams. Now, he leads a life that less than a year ago seemed unimaginable and less than five years ago would have been unfathomable. "I've got my own stuff," said Powe. "I control the lights, the furniture, and everything. Pay the rent. That's the cool part about it, knowing that things can happen for anybody if you work hard. I remember when I was younger and we used to always say, 'That only happened to this fool because he knew how to shoot real, real good,' not knowing that he'd been in the gym, shooting over and over. I worked hard to get here. I didn't just sit down and pray and wish it would come." As kids, Powe and Shamare Freeman were almost inseparable, "pahtners" as Powe likes to say. Freeman would come up with a plan for some mischievous, pre-teenage fun. Powe and other friends would follow. But when Freeman one day suggested committing a robbery, Powe heard a voice telling him to go home. Powe made up an excuse, mentioning something about helping his mother cook dinner. "They tried to rob somebody and got put in jail," said Powe. "That's where they've been ever since. It could have went either way for me because [Freeman] was my best, best friend. And he was one of the baddest fools on the block." While Freeman and Powe went separate ways, Freeman's half-brother, Bernard Ward, became the most important influence in Powe's life. A former Oakland Tech high school basketball standout, Ward spent time in prison before turning his life around and taking a job as a probation counselor. He saw a chance to make a difference with Powe and make up for a missed opportunity with Freeman.
"My little brother had gotten in trouble, so I took Leon under my wing," said Ward, who is now Powe's legal guardian. "I was trying to teach him about life. I wanted to make sure he didn't make the mistakes my little brother and myself made. It was about showing a young man how to be a good citizen growing up in the community." When a 13-year-old Powe asked Ward for help with his game, Ward decided to test Powe. Ward hears a lot of people ask for help, but few demonstrate the drive necessary to change. Ward wanted to see how much work Powe was willing to do. So, he asked Powe to run 20 laps around a nearby schoolyard and then practice his shot until sunset. Ward waited 20 minutes, then hid across the street from the schoolyard and watched Powe. "The kid ran 20 laps," said Ward. "He shot till the sun came down. I was like, 'Wow, he's serious. He really wants to get his life together.' It took off from there. Once I saw that [at the schoolyard], I knew he had the discipline. He just needed guidance and to be pushed, a big-brother, father-figure thing. I just wanted to show support because you knew deep down the kid had been scarred by life." Ward first made sure Powe improved his grades, seeking out Oakland Tech teacher Jonas Zuckerman as a tutor. Powe spent long days with Zuckerman, raising the 1.5 grade-point average that made him ineligible for six weeks of his freshman season to 3.2 by graduation. Powe would need good grades and good board scores when he decided to attend Berkeley, a university that did not honor scholarships to partial academic qualifiers. As Powe worked toward better grades, Ward researched the best basketball options in Oakland. Powe would play for Oakland Tech during the school year and the Oakland Soldiers in AAU tournaments across the country. With his toughness and talent for rebounding, Powe quickly developed into one of the top prospects in his high school class, with some scouting reports ranking him just behind LeBron James. Ward was also there for Powe at his lowest point when he lost his mother, who had a fatal heart condition, four days before playing in a California state high school championship game his junior year. Ward pulled Powe out of class, gave him the news, and encouraged him to "turn a negative into a positive." Although he briefly considered not playing in the title game, Powe finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort. Just as back then, the memory of his mother remains a constant source of motivation. "He's had a lot of tough luck," said Mark Olivier, who coached Powe on the Oakland Soldiers. "But he's had some real good luck with the people who have been in his corner." The motto of the Oakland Soldiers is "Just get it done." No player in the history of the program may better embody that motto than Powe. The summer before Powe started his sophomore year at Oakland Tech, Olivier scheduled practice for 6 p.m. One of the most important team rules is that every player be on time. Powe was never late. But two weeks into workouts, Powe surprised Olivier by asking if he could arrive at 6:30 p.m. two days a week. At first, Olivier said absolutely not. Then, the coach asked why. Powe told Olivier that dinner at his foster home started at 6 p.m. House rules. By the time he returned home after practice, there was hardly any food left. Olivier immediately switched the start of practice to 7 p.m. Just getting it done, Powe pushed mounting fatigue from his mind and body as he traveled to Las Vegas, then Houston, for AAU tournaments following the state championship game. He fought through double and triple teams. He guarded the opponent's best player. Long days were filled with game after game after game. Playing alongside James and Kendrick Perkins during the Houston tournament, Powe did not feel like himself. He couldn't run as fast or jump as high as usual. Then, competing against a team led by Dwight Howard, Powe went up for a fast-break dunk and felt something pop in his left leg. He stayed in the game, ran back on defense with a slight limp, then tried and failed to grab a rebound over a much-smaller guard. Powe knew something was terribly wrong and asked to come out of the game. Upon returning to Oakland, Powe learned he had a torn ACL. "It put everything in perspective," said Powe. "I just started looking at things different. I didn't know if I was going to come out of high school [and go straight to the NBA], but I was in the top 10, top five players in the country in my class. [Tearing my ACL] just eliminated all of those ideas. I was just going to go to college, and try to get [my knee] better before I went to college." Powe rushed through his rehabilitation in five months, returning for the final portion of his senior season at Oakland Tech. He reported to Berkeley for his freshman season still wearing a brace, though confident his left knee would soon be as healthy as it was before the injury. Powe earned All-Pacific-10 and Freshman of the Year honors, and also became the first freshman in history to lead the Pac-10 in rebounding (9.5 per game) and first Golden Bear freshman named team MVP. In retrospect, those accomplishments are astonishing considering Powe tore his left ACL again at some point during his freshman season. With the second tear, Powe took his time coming back, sitting out his sophomore year at Berkeley to make sure he took all the right steps. He told himself, "If it doesn't work this time, it's never going to work." Last season, in his return from the second tear, Powe reestablished himself by leading the Pac-10 in scoring (20.5 points per game) and rebounding (10.1). "I think I'm pretty much back," said Powe. "I'm going out there and I'm playing all out, but there's still something in the back of my mind where I'm like, 'Man, I hope I don't do it again' because I can't go through another rehab like that anymore. Those two rehabs, especially the second one, that was crazy. I worked so hard. It was tough. Sometimes you can't even pick your leg up. You can't even move. Sometimes you're just in pain and you can't do anything about it." As accolades poured in after his second season at Berkeley, Powe set his sights on the NBA. After all that he had been through, falling to the second round was only a minor disappointment, another obstacle in a life filled with them. Auditioning for the Celtics during the Las Vegas summer league last July, Powe found himself awed by the NBA lifestyle. Going from homeless in Oakland to the Four Seasons in Las Vegas proved a curious adventure. "I stayed in a room with a flatscreen TV," said Powe. "I ain't seen one of those up close like that. It was in my room. Imagine me, I was staying in the room most of the time just watching TV. I called up everybody and told them where I was at and told them, 'I'm in a room with a flatscreen.' " Powe laughs at the not-so-distant memory. For his one extravagant purchase since signing a conditionally guaranteed three-year deal with the Celtics worth potentially $1.9 million, Powe bought a flatscreen TV for his suburban Boston home. He enjoys watching basketball in high-definition. While Powe also does his share of watching from the Boston bench, he possesses precisely the qualities the team needs; the same qualities that saw him through a difficult childhood. Toughness. Tenacity. Ability to deal with adversity. Red Auerbach, who always appreciated the kind of character instilled by a difficult upbringing and looked for instigators, was enamored with Powe. The 6-foot-8-inch, 245-pound forward may prove a steal in the second round. In just less than 10 minutes a game (which many observers argue is far too little time), Powe has shown the ability to rebound (2.6 rebounds per game) and score (3.3 PPG). His constant hustle makes good things happen. "Coming from a situation where he basically didn't have a childhood and he got into Berkeley, that speaks volumes about who he is," said assistant executive director of basketball operations Leo Papile, who scouted Powe extensively. "He can be a 15-year NBA player, high-rotation or starter, a guy who puts up numbers wherever he goes. He's a survivor."

2) Randy Hill of Foxsports.com asks:

Who won Shaq-Kobe split?

It should be ranked No. 2 among history's in-house feuds, eclipsed just slightly by Heather Mills vs. Paul McCartney. This celebrated crisis gripped Los Angeles for years, dividing an entire city much like the allegiances involved in USC-UCLA, Crips-Bloods, Rolls-Bentley and Tommy's-In-N-Out. When the inevitable showdown occurred, the Lakers took sides with Kobe Bryant and sent Shaquille O'Neal to south Florida. With this controversial divorce screaming toward its third anniversary, we're here to determine which team claims victory in the growing aftermath of the blockbuster Heat-Lakers trade. Well, a fine case can be made for both teams. Selling the Shaq-Heat marriage is easy; Miami seized its first NBA championship just two years into the relationship. It should be noted that O'Neal provided a sufficient sidebar domination threat to provoke Dwyane Wade's ascension into superstar status. But, thanks to kicking Shaq to the curb, the Lakers (despite the Christmas Day hiccup) are restoring their seemingly indigenous swagger. And while they don't appear to be a title threat this season, Showtime certainly may be within sniffing distance. Ridding themselves of O'Neal was the key. For starters, it enabled Kobe Bryant to step away from his interesting threat to reach free-agent accord with the L.A. Clippers. Losing Bryant to the hallway neighbors would have been quite a Q-ratings hit in Lakerland. If the Lakers had kept Shaq — and his enormous contract-extension demands — Kobe would have left without compensation. A commitment to O'Neal would have kept the Lakers miles over the luxury-tax threshold and teamed up Shaq with the likes of, oh, Payton and Kareem Rush. With their heavier-set post man continuing to pull down about $30 million per season, free-agent help would not have been on the way. Instead, the Lakers suited up Kobe with Miami-trade spoils named Lamar Odom and Caron Butler. Odom (currently riding the injured list) now has emerged as Bryant's above-average, stat-sheet-stuffin' sidekick. After one season in L.A., Butler was traded to the Washington Wizards for all-airport superstar Kwame Brown. OK, so all of the Lakers' maneuverings haven't exactly been on point. But pairing Bryant and Odom gave the Lakers a solid base while preventing them from winning enough games to avoid the draft lottery. That playoff miss allowed the Lakers to choose promising center prospect Andrew Bynum with the 10th selection in the 2005 NBA draft. Then again, keeping O'Neal may have allowed the Lakers to stockpile enough defeats to qualify for the '05 draft's first pick. That would have put Andrew Bogut in L.A. and Jack Nicholson in the line for Clippers' season tickets.
Anyway, Shaq continues bringing quite a bit to the table in Miami. Unfortunately, he leaves that table with more than he brought. He also has managed to continue encountering as much injury as Wile E. Coyote. To be fair, O'Neal's regular-season vacation may not prevent Wade and his cronies from staying alive in the league's junior varsity conference. But it should be noted that Wade, Odom and Butler may have had the capacity make a Finals run of their own. We're not sure how the Kobe-Shaq commitment — if reversed — would have impacted a crucial Lakers personnel decision. That decision was made by coach Phil Jackson, who left long enough for the Lakers to reach the lottery and returned in time to transform Kobe into commissioner of the shot-selection police. It also provided us with another fine sports book to read

3) Grant Wahl of SI.com ranks the best teams of the modern era of the NCAA tournament (1985-onward) to not win an NCAA title…I think he’s omitted the Illinois team of 1989 (Kendall Gill, Kenny Battle, Steve Bardo, Lowell Hamilton, Nick Anderson, Larry Smith and Marcus Liberty:

1. UNLV 1991. The greatest team of the modern era that didn't win the title. Undefeated until Duke took down the Rebels in the national semis. Alums: Larry Johnson, Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt, Stacey Augmon and our favorite, Moses Scurry.

2. Georgetown 1985. Patrick Ewing's star-crossed Hoyas had swept Villanova during the season before being taken down in the most memorable title game of the 64-team tourney era. Alums: Patrick Ewing, Reggie Williams, David Wingate.

3. Kansas 1997. The Jayhawks had only lost once before upstart Arizona made the the first of its three top-seeded victims on the way to the title. Alums: Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Jacque Vaughn, Scot Pollard.

4. North Carolina 1994. The defending national champs got picked off by Boston College in the second round. Alums: Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, Eric Montross, Donald Williams, Jeff McInnis.

5. Duke 1999. The Blue Devils hadn't lost since November when UConn pulled off the monumental upset in the title game. Alums: Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon, Shane Battier, Corey Maggette, William Avery.

Well…happy holidays…

Unstoppable…Tim Duncan has been absolutely dominant lately having made 52 of his last 68 shots which amounts to 76.5% over his last seven games…for the year he is averaging 21 points, 10.1 boards and 1.7 blocks in just 34 minutes a game…my friend James is now in full froth…

Funny exchange from the Pistons-Nets game: Flip Saunders had a discussion with a heckler during the second quarter. After the fan called for Carlos Delfino to be benched, Saunders replied ''You guys complain when I don't play the bench, and now you don't want me to play them. Make up your minds!'' Saunders also had some wise words during a press conference after the Pistons beat Atlanta on Saturday…when asked about recent chatter on TNT comparing Maxiell to Hall of Famer Charles Barkley: "Size, that's where (the comparison) ends," he said. "Charles was a Hall of Fame player. Charles could shoot the 3-pointer, handle the ball in the open floor, make assists and he was a play-maker. He and Maxey, they look similar size-wise, and Maxey is dynamic around the basket like Charles. But as for how they play, they are not similar. Let's squelch that rumor right now."

This is ridiculously funny: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/061226&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

Here’s a classic Isaih Thomas-started rumour: Knicks SG Steve Francis will retire due to bad knees…whatever...

Did you see Hawks coach Mike Woodson and PF Marvin Williams yelling at each other the other day? Oh Boy, you have to like Woodson taking the youngster to task, but with a very young team going nowhere, his days appear numbered…

1) Mark Kramm of the Philadelphia Daily News with a terrific article on Kobe’s former high school teammates:

10 years out of Kobe's shadow - Supporting cast of Lower Merion's state champs reflects on a great teammate and a great team

THE BIG STORY 10 years ago in Philadelphia was Kobe Bryant. He had just come out of Lower Merion High School and had signed in the early summer of 1996 with the Los Angeles Lakers. No one could agree then if it was a wise decision on his part to bypass college, but the ensuing years have proved it to be a correct one. He has become one of the top players in the NBA. But with the stature he has secured have come some unseemly episodes, including an ugly feud with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal and a sexual-assault prosecution in Colorado that was subsequently dropped. No one has been more interested in the comings and goings of Kobe than his former teammates at Lower Merion, who 10 years ago won the PIAA Class AAAA basketball championship at HersheyPark Arena. Under coach Gregg Downer, the Aces (32-3) topped Erie Cathedral Prep, 48-43, that March evening in 1996 to capture their first title in 53 years. Bryant averaged 32 points that season. But even if he had yet to announce his intentions to enter the NBA draft that spring, he appeared certain for stardom, if not immediately at the pro level then in college. As Bryant continues to prosper in his 11th NBA season - and prepares to play the Sixers this Sunday in Los Angeles - the Daily News caught up with six of his former teammates at Lower Merion. None became the pro players they once dreamed of, but they have by and large settled into successful careers outside of sports. Each remains intensely interested in basketball, and has followed the unfolding career of Bryant from afar. And they remember that championship year they had with him at Lower Merion with increasing pride.

JERMAINE GRIFFIN Senior forward - The emotion of those days came back to Jermaine Griffin as he walked into the Giant Center in Hershey last March. Lower Merion was playing Pittsburgh Schenley for the state championship and suddenly Griffin found himself overcome with jitters, just as he had been 10 years before when he and Kobe were "the one-two punch" who led Lower Merion to the same title. It was special then but somehow has become even more with each passing year, the way the accomplishments of youth occasionally do under the increasing pressure of adulthood. "Can it be 10 years? asks Griffin, 29. "Wow, time flies. Somehow it seems like it should be no more than 5 years. Being there to see them do it again reminded me that I am part of a legacy." Griffin had what he called "huge basketball aspirations" as a player at Lower Merion. They never panned out. He attended Wagner College in New York for a year but did not play. He transferred to SUNY-Farmingdale on Long Island. He played part of one season but quit in order to keep his 11 p.m.-to-7 a.m. job stacking dairy products in a grocery store. Eventually, he got a job as a salesman for Geico. He worked there for 7 years before leaving to become a mortgage broker in Mastic, N.Y. He is single with three children and says, "I feel blessed." While he has not spoken with Kobe since 2002, when Lower Merion honored Bryant by ceremonially retiring his jersey, Griffin still considers the two of them to be on solid terms. "People go their own way once high school is over," says Griffin, who says he knew even then that Kobe would go far as an NBA player. He says that Bryant had an unparalleled work ethic and that it became clear he had the tools to play at that level when he began outplaying pro and college players in informal workouts. Says Griffin: "He was an amazing player." So Griffin is not surprised how well Kobe has done, even if he is somewhat saddened by the allegations that his former teammate faced in Colorado. "He has had a wonderful career," says Griffin. "But it was unfortunate for him to have that situation, which has tarnished it somewhat. He is in a Terrell Owens-, Barry Bonds-type of spotlight because of what happened there." But the Kobe he remembers is the one he exchanged a vow with at the end of their junior season. Lower Merion had just been beaten in the second round of the state playoffs when they told each other in the locker room: "This is not going to happen again." Says Griffin: "So from that point we just had a refuse-to-lose attitude."

BRENDAN PETTIT Junior center - Brendan Pettit remembers the fun they had that season. Whenever they traveled, you could not find an empty seat in the gym. "People would be going crazy," says Pettit, 28. "But we would go in there, and we just knew we were going to win. We just had an excellent team that year. Even without Kobe. There was one game, Kobe fouled out. And we were down. But we still came back and won." Pettit pauses and adds, "I have such vivid memories of that season." While Pettit had a fine career at Lower Merion, cold reality set in when he graduated a year later: College recruiters are less than enthralled by 6-4 centers. Pettit spent a year at a prep school in Connecticut and then played three seasons at Wesleyan University. He worked as a bartender for a year and then settled down in New York, where he got a job in the bridal industry. Work as a temp later led to his current position as a sample manager for Polo-Ralph Lauren. He is single. And while he has not spoken to Bryant since that ceremony at Lower Merion, he has closely followed the trajectory of his career. "The better and better he gets, the bigger deal it becomes that we once played on a championship team together," says Pettit. "And he was very accomplished as a high school player. He wanted it more than anyone else. Even when I watch on TV I can see that. He does some things with the ball that just leave you shaking your head and just saying, 'Wow.' " Pettit remembers Bryant as a "good guy," someone whom he would like to see again if the occasion arose. But he also thinks Kobe has become someone whom fans "kind of hate," if only because he has been so extraordinarily successful at such a young age. Pettit says that the Colorado affair did not win Bryant any fans, and that it "caused people to have second thoughts about him, I guess." Says Pettit: "But he is definitely one of my favorite players." Pettit chuckles and says, "What does he have now - three NBA championship rings? Time has just flown by. It seems just like yesterday that he was bringing the ball up court and I was setting picks for him."

EMORY DABNEY Sophomore guard - Emory Dabney was a 15-year-old starting point guard that season. "There was a lot of pressure on me," says Dabney. "But it was easier because we were such a close team." And that is what Dabney remembers, even beyond whatever glory endures from winning the state championship. He would play for other teams in the years to come, but none surpassed the experience he had at Lower Merion. "What I have come to realize as I have gotten older is how special that team was," says Dabney, 26. "We were like brothers. If one of us had a problem, we helped each other out. And we never bickered. Very rarely do you ever see teammates behave toward each other the way we did." Dabney played two more seasons at Lower Merion and attended Oxnard Junior College in California, where he played with high school teammate Omar Hatcher. Dabney later played at Pittsburgh and the University of Tampa and has since settled down in Philadelphia, where he operates a mortgage company. He is single. He still plays basketball recreationally, which he says is somewhat less taxing on his body than playing in college or even high school. He came to appreciate the work ethic Bryant observed to get where he is today. Says Dabney: "He is extremely talented, but what separates him from other players is how hard he works. And he exhibited that every day in practice." Dabney remains fond of Bryant. While he has not seen or spoken to him since in 4 years, he remembers how Kobe always "made an effort to show me the ropes." Dabney came to look upon him as an older brother. He concedes Kobe has come off as "kind of confused" publicly, but says he knew Bryant would be cleared of the charges that faced him in Colorado. Says Dabney: "I knew the truth would come out eventually." Dabney has people come up to him and ask, "How was it playing with Kobe?" And he remembers the summer before Bryant played his senior year at Lower Merion, when he watched Kobe work out with the pros at a local college. "I think he was using that summer to gauge where he was as a player," Dabney says. "And he just used [then-Sixer] Jerry Stackhouse as practice dummy. I knew then he was going pro."

DAN PANGRAZIO - Sophomore guard
OMAR HATCHER - Junior guard
CARY WALKER - Sophomore forward/guard

Downer summoned a small group of players before the championship game, among them Omar Hatcher and Cary Walker. Starting guard Dan Pangrazio had sprained an ankle in the Eastern finals at the Palestra and would be replaced in the lineup by Hatcher. But Walker remembers that Downer told them, "You are going to have to step up." Lower Merion had a deep bench. Currently a fourth-grade teacher in Connecuticut, Pangrazio had been a fine shooter. And he remembers that season so vividly now, saying: "I remember every game, every practice and every drill." While he says no one would deny Bryant "took us to the championship that year," he adds that the team as a whole had a unique chemistry and that "coach Downer tied it all together." "Coach Downer was a superb teacher," says Pangrazio, who transferred from Lower Merion at the end of his sophomore year and played for the Connecticut state champion Fairfield Prep the following year. He played one season of college ball at St. Mary's College of California before his career ended because of a back injury. He graduated with honors from there with a double degree in Eng-lish and communications. While he has not been in contact with Bryant either, he continues to hold him in high regard. "Kobe was not just an exceptional individual player, but he was a leader out there on the floor," says Pangrazio, who is 27 and married. "Anyone who would place his body on the line during a rebounding drill on some random Wednesday is someone other players just naturally follow. And we did." And Walker says he is just getting better. "The development of Kobe just never stops," says Walker, 28, who is single, lives in Upper Darby and works in advertising. "He works so hard. He has always been that type of person. As a high school player, we always watched Michael Jordan. I did not realize I was playing with someone of that caliber." Hatcher says Bryant was "very polished for his age." Currently the president of a cleaning company in Philadelphia, Hatcher, 26, became a junior-college star at Oxnard and later played at St. Francis in New York. Single with a daughter, he says he is still occasionally in contact with Bryant, who he says "showed character through a tough time" in Colorado. Hatcher says that as he gets older, the championship just increases in significance. "Because I now understand how hard it is to be successful, it has become more precious to me," he says. "I value it more." What Hatcher hopes is that he and his teammates will come together at some point. He thinks that will happen. "All of us are still young," he says. "But 10 years from now, I am sure we will come together and enjoy the fruits of our labor."

2) Maura Lerner of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Randy Foye’s heart is in the right place…sort of:

His ticker's a tocker: It beats on the right, not left - Timberwolves rookie Randy Foye has a normal heart. It's just unusually placed.

Randy Foye has been a professional athlete only six months. But he's already made history. The 23-year-old basketball player is almost certainly the first sports figure who can say his heart is truly in the wrong place. Foye, a Minnesota Timberwolves rookie, was hoping nobody would notice. But he was born with a rare condition called "situs inversus" in which his heart and other internal organs are reversed -- a mirror image of the ordinary body. As an athlete, he has never been held back by the condition. But for a while this past summer, the star from Villanova University was worried it might sink his career. "I was trying not to say anything," said Foye, afraid that it might scare off teams before June's National Basketball Association draft. "I was going to let them find it. If they didn't find it for themselves, I wasn't going to say anything." His secret came out at the annual pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla., where teams check out the top talent. He aced the fitness tests, but when the medical exams began, he saw a puzzled look on the nurse's face. And he 'fessed up. "Everything's reversed," he told her. "My heart is on the other side."Wow," he remembers her saying. Before long, nurses and doctors from every team were swarming around him. "I was in there an extra hour and a half," he said. "They wanted to know everything about my condition." Situs inversus occurs in only about one of every 10,000 people, and is believed to be caused by a recessive gene. When the heart is on the flip side, it's known as dextrocardia. In this case, it's the heart and more: the liver, gallbladder, blood vessels and so on. Typically, experts say, people with the condition live a normal life. But it can cause confusing symptoms, such as appendicitis pain on the lower left, not right, or heart attack pangs on the right, not the left. Foye, who was born in Newark, N.J., didn't know about it himself until age 7, when he was hospitalized for two weeks with pneumonia. His doctors discovered it by accident, and told his grandmother, who was raising him. "They said everything is normal, there's nothing to worry about," Foye said. But he remembers that his grandmother waited until he was home from the hospital to tell him, and that she tried to soften the blow. "She said, 'Your heart is on the other side. You're not the only person in the world like this.' " If she was worried about him playing sports with his unusual condition, she tried to keep that to herself. "I just had so much love and passion for sports, she wouldn't take that from me," he said. Back at school, he tried to keep it quiet.
"I didn't want anybody to say, 'Oh, he's different,' " Foye recalled. But word started to get around. One day his second-grade teacher, Mrs. Goldstein, announced that he had something "really special" to tell the class, and so he did. "Everybody wanted to touch me," he said, and feel his heart beat on the "wrong" side. Eventually, the fascination died down. A plan that wasn't needed Meanwhile, Foye grew into a stellar basketball player and won a scholarship to Villanova, in eastern Pennsylvania. There, he told the team's physician about his condition, and nobody seemed concerned, he said. If anything, they joked that he played so well that "if his heart is on that side, keep it over there." As a senior, he was named 2006 Big East Player of the Year. Then in June, on the verge of turning pro, Foye started getting nervous. How would NBA teams react? Foye and his agent hatched a plan: If any team raised a concern, "we were going to get the best cardiologist, like, in the world, to put out a statement ... to say I'm perfectly fine," said Foye. "I've played with this forever. Why is this going to stop me now?" In fact, it shouldn't be a reason to disqualify an athlete, said Dr. Barry Maron, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute who has advised professional teams on screening athletes for heart conditions. "Having your heart on the wrong side is itself not a problem," Maron said, as long as it's a healthy heart. As it turns out, Foye's worries were unfounded. "Not a single team called me to express concern," said Steve Heumann, his agent. On June 28, Foye was the seventh player picked in the NBA draft. Chosen first by the Boston Celtics, he was traded twice that night and ended up as a member of the Timberwolves.
Jim Stack, the Wolves' general manager, said the team did its own research and "came to the realization that this was a nonissue." Foye, he said, "is one of our best guys in terms of endurance and stamina," adding, "that's one of the things that appealed to us." Since the draft, Foye's medical condition has been mentioned in Sports Illustrated magazine. And now he's a footnote in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Under "Situs inversus," it lists just one "notable person" with the condition: Randy Foye. "It's good to be a part of history, " said Foye with a smile, "and not just basketball."

3) Eric Neel of ESPNJ.com’s Page 2 reports on the continued maturation of the games best young centre:

The kid ate them up. I sat courtside for the Magic-Sonics game in Seattle a couple of weeks back and watched it happen. He took balls a clean foot above the rim. He worked quick reverse-pivot moves for little banks. He ran the break and sent guys scurrying with alley-oop dunks. He blocked four shots and changed another eight. He was a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor. He bounced like Tigger in the Hundred Acre Wood and muscled the post like Shaq did once upon a time in Orlando. It was a spyglass night. A revelation. I was looking at Dwight Howard, but I was seeing the future. "You think he knows how good he is?" I asked a friend sitting next to me. "You think he has any idea how good he can be?" He's just a baby, barely 21, so maybe he doesn't realize it. He's quiet and unassuming, so maybe it hasn't occurred to him. He has all the respect in the world for the esteemed Mr. Grant Hill, so perhaps he defers. But if it's starting to dawn on him … if, at 17.1 points and 12.7 rebounds a night, Dwight Howard is getting an inkling, the league had better look out. Because with all the ink we've been spilling on LeBron, Carmelo and Dwyane Wade, this is the guy who can truly dominate. This is the guy who can shred the scenery. This is the unstoppable force. This is the man. Remember that feeling you had watching the young David Robinson and the young Hakeem Olajuwon – that lithe sense that they were capable of anything? That's how watching Howard feels. He's active on every ball off the rim or the glass (a third of his rebounds every night are on the offensive boards), and it isn't just a spring thing. He's eyeballing it while it's still in the shooter's hands, gauging spin and angle on a possible miss. He doesn't tire or take plays off. It's the same deal on offense: quick feet to the spot, a broad-shouldered call for the entry pass, and an aggressive turn, left or right, toward the hole. He's chockablock explosive. He dunks and boards and blocks with equal pop, and can't nobody slow him down.
Along press row, he's all anyone's watching. Guys are shaking their heads, rolling their eyes and whistling as if they'd just seen a cherry Corvette roll down Main Street. There's work to do. He turns the ball over too often, struggles with the double from time to time and needs a go-to post move or three. He finds his offense in the gaps, off the glass or on a cut. The Magic aren't running the offense through him (he scores his 17 a game on just 10 or 11 shots; Robinson and Olajuwon were averaging 16 and 18 attempts per game in their third seasons in the league, though both were older and had four years of college experience each) and with steady production out of Hill, Orlando probably shouldn't be. It's too early. Howard's too raw. But even without a completely reliable move down low, he's growing. His points per 40 have climbed steadily through 2½ seasons, from 14.7 to 17.1 to 19 so far this season. Beyond the numbers, you can see the development in his look, in the quick confident smile he flashes after busting by somebody on his way to the basket, or after turning away somebody's shot like it's nothing but a thing. There's a lot of talk about Howard's being too timid, or too polite, about his maybe lacking a necessary mean streak. But don't mistake that for a lack of swagger, because the kid I saw the other night is feeling it. He may not trust it every trip yet, and he most definitely needs to test it in some playoff fire walks, but it's in there. He needs to know that. He needs to believe it. Because I want more of it. Right now, on the cusp between his truckload of talent and drive and the prospect of true greatness, he's the most captivating player in the league for me, bar none. Playmakers like James and Wade inspire me, make me want to move, remind me why I love basketball. But Howard's thing is some other thing, some tremble-before-me, shock-and-awe sort of thing. He could own this league if he keeps working it. He looks like he has no ceiling. He's going to get stronger physically, and he's going to get bolder. At some point real soon, he's going to be a straight-out unsolvable problem for every team he faces. I see a 10-year run as the East's All-Star center. I see trophies and rings. I see a plaque in the Hall. Am I getting ahead of myself? Screw it. That's how good he looks to me. He looks like I should get ahead of myself just to keep pace. I look at a player like Howard, someone with work to do but with clear, unmistakably scary potential, and I can't help but want more. I picture the jump hook he doesn't quite have yet and envision the up-and-under fake he doesn't yet use to make grown men cry. Does he see it too? Does he know it's out there for him? I don't know. But I can't take my eyes off him while waiting to find out.

4) Kelly Dwyer of SI.com reports on a reconstituted trade and other notes:

An Artest trade that needs to happen and more notes

The NBA was rocked to its core on Sunday when news of a sensible trade that would seemingly benefit both sides hit the street in the form of the Los Angeles Times' Sunday edition. The scuttle says that Ron Artest, who can't be persuaded to take the court these days in Sacramento purple, could go to the Clippers for scoring swingman Corey Maggette in a swap Los Angeles nearly consummated with Artest's former team in Indiana last winter. The deal needs to go down. It will hardly act as a panacea for either squad, but it will recharge both and serve as a bit of motivation as things start to get serious. Both the Kings (11-14 through Monday) and Clippers (11-15) are underachieving, as both of the burly players in question have fallen into distraction mode. Maggette far less than Artest, of course. Maggette has been dealing with trade rumors for a year and a half and has been pretty professional through the whole thing. His play has been quite good, but this didn't stop him from asking for a trade via his agent. Artest has been throwing lobs through the media at point guard Mike Bibby (struggling, to be sure, but also playing through injuries) and new coach Eric Musselman. He pulled out of a nationally televised loss to Washington just minutes before tip-off last Thursday, and has worn out his welcome after a 10-month test drive. The Kings should send Artest and defensive point guard Jason Hart (Sam Cassell has plantar fasciitis, an injury that just doesn't go away) to the Clippers for Maggette and Yaroslav Korolev, a former lottery pick who has shown nothing in limited minutes.
Nobody gets hurt in a deal like this. Until, of course, the Kings realize that Maggette (despite all his talent and dogged determination) isn't the answer to making them a strong playoff team, and the Clippers realize just how much Ron Ron thinks of his offensive repertoire.

Back in February 2005, the Denver Nuggets took a little heat for sending Rodney White and Nikoloz Tskitishvili to the Golden State Warriors for Eduardo Najera, Luis Flores and Dallas' 2007 first-round pick (which the Warriors owned). The Nuggets weren't lambasted for losing White and Skita, who were hardly great shakes, but for the cap implications behind the deal. Had Denver been able to dump its own first-round pick in 2005, and passed on trading for Najera, the salary-cap space afforded by White's and Tskitishvili's expiring contracts (coupled with the cap increase in the 2005 offseason) could have allowed the Nuggets to chase a free-agent shooting guard like Ray Allen, Michael Redd or Larry Hughes. Who would know, nearly two years later, that a lower-rung first-round pick would be one of the deciding factors in eventually netting the Nuggets Allen Iverson? The lesson, as Orlando's Otis Smith (in acquiring eventual cap space and Trevor Ariza from New York), Toronto's then-GM Wayne Embry (who cleared cap space by sending Jalen Rose to, you guessed it, New York) already know: You can always bank on an overmatched fellow GM -- usually working out of New York, Minnesota or Philadelphia -- to help make up for past missteps.

Undersized Kings forward Kenny Thomas (he's undersized when they put him at center, too) made his rep as a strong scorer on the interior who can rebound. And though he's doing solid work on the glass (7.8 in 26.8 minutes a game), he's killing the team on offense. What happened to his touch? It's still there -- he's shooting 49 percent -- but he can't hold on to the bloody ball. According to Knickerblogger.net, 22.2 percent of the possessions he takes part in end up with a Thomas turnover, a putrid number for someone who is supposed to be a scorer. By comparison, the oft-maligned Eddy Curry turns it over "only" 17 percent of the time.

Watching Houston's Yao Ming crumple in a heap on Saturday night was bad enough, but it was especially painful in light of his sublime play the night before. Yao, who will be out six weeks with a broken bone under his right knee, played about as complete a game as he'd ever delivered against the Spurs on Friday night: 22 points, two blocks and seven rebounds in just 26 minutes. And his long arms forced Tim Duncan into missing nine of 13 shots in the Houston win. Meanwhile, the Rockets will not only field the most offensively challenged roster in the NBA, but they'll also have coach Jeff Van Gundy to steer them through the tough times. Van Gundy could turn the 1984-85 Nuggets into an 85-point per game outfit, so it remains to be seen what he'll do with Dikembe Mutombo, Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier, Luther Head and Rafer Alston. Tracy McGrady is set to return and could go off at any time, but so could his lower back. Should McGrady take to the shelf again, there's a possibility of a 52-point evening for Houston.

Having a hard time trying to figure out just how the Cleveland Cavaliers are "underachieving." The team's hot start masked its offensive limitations, and when LeBron James' internationally drained legs start to go out on him, who is he supposed to rely on? Zydrunas Ilgauskas is starting to fade; he could use more shot attempts, but that's not the answer. Larry Hughes, who turns 28 next month, is who he is (inconsistent, and not a great shooter), and guys like Eric Snow and Daniel Gibson don't belong in a 55-win team's rotation. The Cavs are 15-11, on pace for 47 wins, and that sounds about right.

Boston rookie Rajon Rondo, as expected, is off to a poor start, averaging 3.6 points and 2.2 assists in 15.5 minutes. We'd heard about him dominating one-on-one workouts leading up to the 2006 draft, but those sorts of competitions often hide a player's weakness from the perimeter. In five-on-five matchups, teams can slack off the poor shooter, which stinks for Rondo, because he can't shoot. However, the kid's defense, as promised, is phenomenal. Boston is a much better defensive team with him on the floor.

Midway through the second quarter of Charlotte's "clash" with New York last Wednesday, a fan chosen from the crowd nailed a three-pointer during a timeout that netted him $10,000. The fan, clad in a Stephon Marbury jersey, then tried to pump up the crowd before dashing over to the Knicks' bench, flicking his jersey at the hometown cagers and exhorting them to do better (New York ended the half down 11 to the Bobcats). The exhibition was pretty silly, but quite poignant and telling. Coupled with the standing ovation the MSG crowd gave to Michael Jordan a little later, it's clearer than ever that New York fans know what good basketball is all about, and they deserve much, much better. By the way, the Knicks won. In double overtime. Against the Bobcats. Bully for the bullies.

We're not sure what to think of Washington's new alternate uniforms; we've had an uneasy feeling about alternates (of the non-throwback variety) since the Chicago Bulls debuted their black-and-pinstripe road get-ups during the 1995-96 season. Though the idea of the old-timey two-color scheme seems appealing on paper, Washington probably shouldn't have chosen black and gold. Gilbert Arenas, on the other hand, seems to be fully in favor of Washington's cash grab, er, stylistic departure. In the five games the team has played in the alternates (road contests against Philadelphia, Phoenix, Houston and the Lakers and a home game against Cleveland), Arenas has averaged an astounding 46.4 points on 61 percent shooting. Washington has won four of the five games.

5) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com with his terrific “10 things” column:

Wade dazzles while Shaq, Jackson trade barbs

Dwyane Wade provided a spectacular Christmas present for the Miami Heat and all the NBA junkies who couldn't resist watching Monday. His 40 points, 11 assists, four steals and two blocks in a 101-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers showed he has surpassed Kobe Bryant as the pre-eminent guard in the game today. But whenever the Lakers and the Heat are involved, there will always be peripheral drama, and that's the Christmas tradition — NBA style.

1. Item: Lakers coach Phil Jackson took a veiled shot at his former center Shaquille O'Neal, currently rehabilitating another injury (this one his knee) for the Heat, by saying that during the Lakers championship run (three titles and four trips to the finals in five years), it hurt them because Kobe Bryant was the only star on the team who kept himself in good physical condition. O'Neal responded by calling Jackson, "Benedict Arnold."
What this really means: Actually, they both were right. O'Neal consistently became exceedingly heavy and in their disappointing 2003 season when they were blown out by San Antonio in the conference semifinals (and could have lost in the first round to Minnesota), O'Neal waited three months to have surgery on his foot — keeping him out until December. He used getting different opinions as an excuse, but three months? Then again, it was Jackson who resigned after the 2004-05 Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons, then wrote about the tumultuous relationship between O'Neal and Bryant, plus his own problems with Bryant. Ironically, it is Bryant who has suffered the brunt of all the problems that team had, when all three had egos the size of California, including the Baja. And that's what got in the way. Bryant was just out there, and considered a petulant child, while Jackson intellectualized his way out of the blame and O'Neal played the "Big Buddy, woe-is-me" card because owner Jerry Buss would only pay him the sun and the moon and not throw in the rest of the planets. And from the NBA's perspective, from Hollywood to South Beach, this is just the kind of soap opera that removes the Dec. 16 brawl in New York between the Knicks and the Denver Nuggets from the consciousness of the fans. Ho, ho, ho.

2. Item: Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards took their show on the road this week having won eight of 10 while moving to within 1½ games of first place Orlando in the Southeast Division. What this really means: Arenas has lingered on the cusp of superstardom, but the past two weeks may have put him over the top — the crowning accomplishment being a franchise-record 60 points in the stirring 147-141 overtime win over the Lakers in Los Angeles last Sunday night, followed by 54 points to end the Phoenix Suns' 15-game winning streak Friday night. Over the past 10 games, he has averaged 37.7 points a game — moving to 30.1 for the season. Arenas' talent never has been in question. His consistency and defense always has caused people to pause. In fact, the same thing can be said about the Wizards in general. At some point, coach Eddie Jordan has to get them to make stops when it matters most — something that hasn't happened despite the Wizards making the playoffs two years in a row for the first time in almost 20 years. To reach the next level, it will be up to Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler to not only score a lot of points, but get in opponents' faces down the stretch of games. No doubt, the "new NBA that scores a lot," suits the Wizards just fine — particularly in the East. But if they can't make stops, they'll become a traditional first-round and out team — so if Arenas really wants to be held in the same esteem as the other superstar guards, he'll have to set the tone on both ends.

3. Item: The Phoenix Suns set a franchise record with their 15th consecutive win before giving up that overtime loss to the Wizards on Friday night. What this really means: It is becoming abundantly clear on a daily basis that this team is eminently capable of winning the Western Conference. Point guard Steve Nash continues to play at a magical level, keeping everyone involved with high intensity — which only adds to the confidence the team gained by reaching the conference finals two years in succession. It's particularly noticeable in youngsters Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw, while Shawn Marion and Raja Bell are veterans with a track record of success. But the big difference is center Amare Stoudemire is getting stronger every game in his recovery from surgery on both knees last year that virtually kept him out the entire season, and the return of Kurt Thomas from a foot injury that incapacitated him the final third of the season as well. In fact, they are essentially two much-needed additions at the power positions without any subtraction. It required all of two weeks for them to fit in, and now we again see what a magnificent coach and assessor of talent Mike D'Antoni is. After wondering how this would all fit early in the season, in the new NBA where offense is king, this could be the year the Suns win their first NBA title.

4. Item: With All-Star forward Richard Jefferson already contemplating surgery on his right ankle to remove bone spurs, the New Jersey Nets lost rapidly emerging 7-footer Nenad Krstic for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. What this really means: Even in the pathetic Atlantic Division where the Nets' 11-16 record has them just a half-game out of first place and last place Philadelphia (7-19) is just four games out, there are rumblings of sweeping changes with the Nets — also because All-Star Vince Carter can opt out of his contract after this season. But keep in mind that all the rumblings about how much money Orlando is under the cap to coax the Florida native has been overblown. Clearly, he'd be giving up tens of millions of dollars to leave and that's a bit hard to believe. It just depends how important this season is to president Rod Thorn and ownership. Because the division is so bad, the Nets can still win the division built around Carter and Jason Kidd — with Jefferson presumably returning healthy for the second half of the season. Already positive momentum seems to be building again for owner Bruce Ratner to get his wish for the megaplex featuring a new arena to bolster Brooklyn. And that means they just need to remain competitive now, but certainly with an eye to a move that is a good four years away. But, again, do you trade Vince Carter?

5. Item: As if the entire process wasn't stormy enough, the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers had to agree to pay for private planes to get Allen Iverson to Denver and Andre Miller to Philly despite Denver International Airport being closed due to a snowstorm. What this really means: When the Sixers dealt their superstar and (since released rookie) Ivan McFarlin to the Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two No. 1 draft picks, they were more in the market for expiring contracts than talent. But soon enough they realized Miller's floor leadership experience could be the best thing that happened to them in years. In Denver, it was an entirely different circumstance. Not only was the DIA closed because two feet of snow dumped on the city, but in the first game after Carmelo Anthony (15 games) and J.R. Smith) (10 games) were suspended for their roles in the brawl in New York on Dec. 16, center Marcus Camby broke a finger and will be out for at least another week. So the team did everything conceivable to get Iverson out on the floor, and despite the loss to Sacramento — the ball is rolling for a new future in Denver. Successful or not — before Anthony returns and when it does — this is guaranteed to be fun for coach George Karl, the Nuggets, their fans and everybody else who gets to watch them play.

6. Item: Life with the Sixers has been strange enough with their 12-game losing streak and the trading of Iverson, and now it appears Larry Brown is going to return to the payroll. What this really means: It has been no secret that Brown has been in close consultation with president Billy King and owner Ed Snider over the handling of the team and the entire Iverson trade in general. It's hard to know whether Brown left the Sixers to coach the Detroit Pistons for two years because he was tired of dealing with Iverson or the organization was just plain tired of Brown after six years. It was more likely the former than the latter, but that's not the point. Brown spent two years with the Pistons and the second one — despite winning a title in the first season and reaching the finals the second year — with rumors of him going anywhere and everywhere right into Game 7 of the finals. That led to the biggest nightmare of all, last season with the New York Knicks. As a tactician, he is without peer and unquestionably worthy of his Hall of Fame credentials, but as a 66-year-old man having coached eight NBA teams in 23 years — it is completely unfair to have him looking over the shoulder of coach Maurice Cheeks, whom he has championed in the past. The one thing we do know about Brown is if he loves you today, he'll hate you tomorrow before he loves you again the day after that. And the rebuilding Sixers, like every other NBA team, need more stability than the 42 different starting lineups Brown used last season with the Knicks.

7. Item: The Los Angeles Clippers continue to fade and now the real excitement seems to be stemming from the loud discussions of dealing discontented swingman Corey Maggette to the Sacramento Kings for the highly flammable Ron Artest. What this really means: Considering the huge extensions given to coach Mike Dunleavy and center Chris Kaman — plus the decision not to include guard Shaun Livingston in the trade discussions for Iverson — last season's trip to the second round may turn out to be a fluke after all. Floor leader Sam Cassell, now 37, will be in street clothes for an unspecified period of time with plantar fasciitis, and that will leave the bulk of the responsibility on the floor to Livingston, still only 21 and with limited experience running the team. Once again, the Clippers are at a crossroads, only this time after renowned scrooge Donald Sterling had opened up his wallet in unprecedented fashion. A lot of the problems have stemmed from selfishness and not running the offense through All-Star Elton Brand as the team did so successfully last season. And for all the obvious talent and potential of Livingston that created arguably far too much preseason hype — he has yet to prove he can successfully lead the team without Cassell to guide him. But to add the capricious Artest to the mix at this uncertain juncture is tantamount to nitroglycerin.

8. Item: As if they haven't had a difficult enough time dealing with the unknown quantity — better known as Tracy McGrady's incessant back problems — All-Star center Yao Ming broke his leg last week and will be out for up to a couple of months. What this really means: The Rockets have gone from a serious contender for that fourth seed in the Western Conference to a team that will be in danger of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. While so much has been said about the physical instability of McGrady — and rightfully so — Yao very quietly has built an impressive (unimpressive?) litany of battle scars himself along the way. The 7-foot-6 center has solidified himself as the best at his position in the NBA this season (25.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks), but missing two months this season makes it very likely he will duplicate the 25 games missed during the 2005-06 season with toe and foot injuries. None of that creates a positive situation for coach Jeff Van Gundy. It's not his fault that McGrady and Yao are hurt, but the problem has been the lack of talent around them to keep the team afloat. McGrady is supposed to return this week, and that will help, except that he clearly is a cut below the same T-Mac who was capable of dominating any game at any time. In the grand scheme of things, perhaps this period of time is an aberration with the two stars going down. Nevertheless, once players become injury prone, most have a tough time stabilizing again over the long haul. Consequently, it adds intrigue to how the careers of these two stars and the next few years of the Rockets play out.

9. Item: The Seattle SuperSonics remain riddled with pain and confusion, whether it's the unknown future of the club due to the new ownership group from Oklahoma City or the revolving door of injuries that have crippled their starting lineup. What this really means: On the day after All-Star Ray Allen returned to the practice floor after missing nine games with an ankle injury, high-scoring forward Rashard Lewis tore a tendon in his right hand and will be out approximately eight weeks. To a team that already has the second worst record in the Western Conference entering this week, the immediate future does not bode well. Seattle lost young starting center Robert Swift to major knee surgery during the preseason, and have had three different centers try to replace him — all are virtually ineffective. The only saving grace is even at six games below .500 they are only 2½ games out of the eighth spot in the West. Still, they must deal with reality. Allen going down altered their already fragile chemistry, and now Lewis — who is eligible for a two-year extension and could opt out of his contract this summer — has done likewise. Because he is such a superb shooter and scorer, there has been plenty of buzz around the league about him because the Sonics are in such a state of flux. And that leaves coach Bob Hill and general manager Rick Sund in even more unstable positions with the future so murky. And in the really big picture, the lack of success on the floor almost without fail leads to a lack of support for public funding for a new arena. Majority owner Clay Bennett has to know that as he prepares his proposal to the Washington legislature that will make or break the future of the Sonics in Seattle.

10. Item: Now that the circus has left Chicago, the Bulls are back and apologies are in order for prematurely crushing them over the handling of Ben Wallace's headband, the performance of Wallace and the future of the team with him. What this really means: To be sure, it's hard to fathom that Wallace is worth $60 million over four years with his aging body and offensive limitations, On the other hand, consider that the Bulls have won 13 of 15 and climbed back into the lame Eastern Conference race. Perhaps more importantly, Wallace quit pouting and whining to his former teammates on the Pistons and started to play like the uber-defender/rebounder that earned him all that money in the first place. During the past 10 games, Wallace has averaged 9.2 points, 13.7 rebounds 2.7 blocks and 2.2 steals — including games of 27 and 20 rebounds. The good news for the Bulls is Wallace has proven he can still dominate a game defensively and on the boards, while igniting fast breaks and offense the rest of the time. He is the decider of how far defense will carry this team. Granted, the Bulls still lack the go-to guy in the frontcourt at the end of games, and are counting too heavily on the perimeter shooting of Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and Andres Nocioni. But if Wallace really is motivated to play at this level the rest of the season and his teammates respond in kind, then they really are contenders in a weak conference. And should they get to even the Eastern finals, even money says the Bulls will reconsider their headband rule and let him wear one next season — as long as he matches team colors.

Tennessee’s Candace Parker had another dunk in the Vols 66-51 win over West Virginia last night and she even got a T for taunting after the dunk…but check the picture, it was a no doubter…

More brawl fallout…Northwest Airlines Corp. has pulled the December issue of its in-flight magazine in the wake of an NBA brawl involving the magazine's cover subject, Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony. Anthony was suspended for 15 games earlier this week for his part in Saturday's brawl between the Nuggets and the New York Knicks. "Northwest does not want to appear to condone in any way the behavior of some of the players during Saturday's game, including Mr. Anthony, by continuing to offer the current edition of WorldTraveler," the airline said in a statement. The January issue of the free magazine was being rolled out early as a replacement, the airline said. Northwest spokesman Dean Breest declined to comment beyond the statement.

Hilarious quote from Suns guard Steve Nash on that sucker punch thrown by Anthony: "Typical NBA punch. In hockey, your own team would beat you up for that."

Good and slightly funny comparison here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/12/20/carmelo.iverson.tale/index.html

Did you see Jazz center Mehmet Okur last night? Dude dropped 30 points on the Hawks, including 4-of-5 3 pointers, in a 112-106 comeback win at Atlanta…in fact, the Euro-mulleted one has been averaging 57.1 percent from three for the month of December…

Great stat from Elias…of the nearly 100 players in NBA history with at least 15,000 points, only Bob Cousy and Dolph Schayes have a lower career field goal percentage than the newest Nugget, Allen Iverson.

Player Pts FG%
Bob Cousy 16,960 .375
Dolph Schayes 19,247 .380
Allen Iverson 19,583 .421
Paul Arizin 16,266 .421
Latrell Sprewell 16,712 .425

Fascinating article from Rick Telander about the Jayson Williams shooting scandal from a few years back…Telander is a former SI writer and the author of “Heaven is a Playground”, one of the best hoops books ever written:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2703590&name=telander_rick

The Lakers have nominated coach Phil Jackson to be inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Assuming nine championships and a career 893-361 record are qualification enough, Jackson would become a member of the Class of 2007. The Hall will announce its 24 finalists Feb. 16 as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Those finalists will then be voted on by the 24-member honors committee. It takes 18 votes to be elected and the newest Hall class is announced at the Final Four. To be enshrined while he is still active, Jackson had to have coached for 25 years…

1) Kyle Whelliston of midmajority.com reports that the apple does not fall far from the tree:


Ex-NBA shooter's son is star frosh at Davidson

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Unwelcome visitors at the Roundhouse, more formally known as McKenzie Arena, have long had to deal with a small but throaty group of Chattanooga Mocs fans on the sideline directly across from the team benches. And on this Monday night, for a revenge rematch of last March's Southern Conference title game against Davidson (won by the Wildcats in an 80-55 rout), the local rowdies unleashed every possible insult they could think of. "Hey number 30!" one leather-lunged Chattanooga fan bellowed as the teams took to the floor. "This is a college game. You're not old enough to be out there!" At first glance, No. 30 in Davidson dark red, Stephen Curry (pronounced STEFF-in), certainly looks every bit a freshman -- a high school freshman, maybe. Or at the very least, his photogenic charm seems more likely suited to wooing young ladies with soulful R&B ballads instead of hooping it up with the big boys. At the time being, there's very little about his frame (a lithe 6 feet and 180 pounds, soaking wet) that announces intimidating basketball prowess. That is, until the ball goes up. Three minutes into the contest, Curry offered Chattanooga his calling card, a long-distance 3 that silently slinked through the twine. Less than a minute later, he drove the lane for a poster-perfect finger roll. When he wasn't finding teammates open for 3s of their own or directing traffic, he was putting together a few clips for his YouTube highlight reel; halfway through the first half, Curry sneaked into the paint to scoop an offensive rebound off the floor, then used expert upper body control to maneuver the ball into the cylinder around jutting and waving tree limbs. This was no fresh-faced kid -- what we had here was a baby-faced assassin. "Steph has the green light for anything," said Davidson head coach Bob McKillop. "He's earned it. And to have earned it in such a short period of time ... you can throw out the jump shot and the dribble and the ballhandling; you can start with the foundation of accountability that his parents have taught him. It's that accountability that makes him coachable and team-oriented and getting better every game." Curry does indeed have a not-so-secret genetic edge. Fill in the parts of his name edited for brevity and you get "Wardell Stephen Curry II." You probably remember Wardell Stephen Curry I simply as Dell Curry, No. 30 in Charlotte Hornets teal, one of the deadliest long-range bombers in NBA history. During a 16-year pro career, Curry the elder connected on 1,248 3-pointers, and his 40.1 percent mark from beyond the arc ranks him as one of the NBA's all-time top 10. Not even his dad's alma mater wanted to give Stephen Curry a scholarship as a freshman.But Curry the younger wasn't born with his dad's silky 3-point shot. He had to learn it the hard way. Once he'd fully committed himself to basketball in high school after a promising youth baseball career (at 10, he played with McKillop's son Brendan on a state championship team), he spent a lot of development time with his father. "It was the summer after his sophomore year," recalled Curry the elder, wearing a Davidson sweatshirt and sitting among a small group of Curry family members who all made the five-hour trip from Charlotte to alternately cheer Stephen on and tally his points on scorecards. "I had a talk with him. He was shooting from his waist. I told him that if he wanted to be a college player, he needed to bring his shot up higher." "That summer was the worst time shooting I ever had," said Stephen. "I mean, I could shoot it before, but because I was so short, I had to change my shot. He helped me with that, but the transition was real hard." Curry's reconstructed shot eventually translated into a blistering 48 percent mark from downtown during his senior year at Charlotte Christian High, and he's currently clipping at 39.8 percent on 3s as a young collegian (39-for-98). But he's no one-dimensional bombardier; intense sessions of one-on-dad have paid off on the defensive side of the ball, as well. On Monday against Chattanooga, he collected three steals, pulled down 10 defensive rebounds and also brought about caroms for his teammates by playing in-your-shorts perimeter defense on the Mocs' guards, forcing a number of bad shots and redirecting a handful of others. "Stephen has rare traits for a freshman; he isn't focused on just one end of the court," McKillop said. "Defensively, he is years ahead of what a freshman is. Most kids in freshman years come in, they've played AAU basketball for 80 games a summer where they run up and down the floor and shoot. Steph came to us with a real sense of defensive understanding and a willingness to commit to play." All of which begs the obvious question: How did a promising recruit with a budding all-around game -- and an NBA pedigree no less -- not end up attending a high-major school? Virginia Tech (alma mater of both Dell and Stephen's mother Sonya, a former Hokies volleyball star) showed interest, but there were steep conditions. "[Virginia Tech] wanted him to redshirt or walk on," Dell said. "He wanted to play right away. [Davidson] was his decision ... it has strong academics and background, and we're glad it worked out." So instead of following directly in his father's footsteps, Stephen took his résumé -- high school all-conference, all-state and team MVP -- to Belk Arena instead. "That was a tough time," Stephen said. "Virginia Tech kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. But Davidson was a much better situation. They were on me from the start ... I knew they wanted me, and I knew I could have an impact right away." Curry's college debut certainly made an impact on the stat sheet -- in a negative way as well as positive. It came in a fast and loose 81-77 Wildcats win over Eastern Michigan on Nov. 10 at the John Thompson Foundation Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich. Curry scored 15 points but coughed the ball up a staggering 13 times; so far in 2006-07, no D-I player has racked up more turnovers in a game. But Curry shook it off like a seasoned veteran the following day, torching the nets for 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a loss against host school Michigan. The freshman ended up with 63 points over the course of the three-day tourney and later was named Southern Conference Player of the Month for November. "I don't want to confuse my game too much," Stephen said of his development. "I want to keep my game where it is but keep moving forward. I do want to improve my leadership on the court and work on being a good point guard, because in my junior year, after [Jason] Richards graduates, I'll probably have to move from the two to the one." And while Curry undergoes his transformation from man-child to man, the Wildcats are quietly winning games they aren't supposed to. Davidson came into the season coping with the graduation losses of 76 percent of its scoring from a squad that followed up a SoCon championship with an eight-point loss to Ohio State in an NCAA 2-vs.-15 game. Since there were only 30 D-I starts among its 13-man 2006-07 roster, the media and coaches picked Davidson to finish a distant fourth in the league's South Division. But the Wildcats now find themselves 9-3, and their pair of consecutive 20-win seasons just might end up turning into a full-fledged streak. "Surprised is the right word for it," McKillop said of his team's fast start. "But I have a group this year that loves to play together and doesn't get bored with practice, guys like [sophomore guard] Max Paulhus Gosselin and [redshirt freshman forward] Stephen Rossiter and Stephen Curry." When the Wildcats broke open the game on Monday for that ninth victory, their superstar-in-waiting was front and center. A no-look assist to sophomore forward Andrew Lovedale in the lane opened a seven-point lead at the eight-minute mark of the second half, and then Curry's long 3 gained Davidson its first double-digit lead seconds later. When Chattanooga rallied late to pull within four, a key Curry steal with two minutes left in regulation broke the momentum for good, helping lift the Wildcats to a 90-82 win.
And once the shot clock went dark, Curry dribbled out the clock at the timeline and then left the ball on the floor near half court with three seconds left, before the buzzer broke the fallen hush of the arena. His final numbers for the night: 30 points, 11 rebounds (his first college double-double) and six assists. Nobody, not even the Roundhouse hecklers, had any sort of snappy comeback for that.

2) Robert Sanchez of the Denver Post with a hip-hop and hometown view of the trade:

Arrival of modern anti-hero - In Iverson, Nuggets get an immense talent with a star-crossed résumé

He's the original provocateur of the NBA, the man who made cornrows and tattoos almost as important as the jerseys. To some, he's the model of a professional basketball player, the greatest small man of his generation, the reason to shell out big bucks for a good seat. To others, he's a reason to stay home, the face of everything wrong with basketball today. Whatever he is, Allen Iverson has always fashioned himself the anti-hero. And now he's coming to Denver. When the Nuggets made the trade Tuesday to bring the 6-foot, 165-pound guard on board, they were getting more than an uncompromising basketball player whose nose for controversy is exceeded only by his penchant for putting points on the scoreboard. "Allen's the trend-setter, someone who changed an entire culture (of basketball) because of who he is," said Todd Boyd, a professor at the University of Southern California who authored the book, "Young Black Rich & Famous," which used basketball and hip-hop to study the impact of black, urban culture on contemporary America. "Allen's been the face of the merger between hip-hop and basketball. He's the athlete who most embodies the characteristics of his generation. "He doesn't apologize for that." The product of a teenage mother and a father who was incarcerated for most of Allen's youth, Iverson is dubbed "A.I." and "The Answer" by fans and teammates. But those who know him have referred to Iverson as "Tupac with a jump shot," an homage to the slain rapper Tupac Shakur, whose mixture of thug style, impoverished upbringing and artistic talent made him a voice for millions of inner-city youth. Like Shakur, Iverson is African-American. His inked chest and arms - with themes such as "Hold my own," and "Only the strong survive" - have been on display since he broke into the NBA in 1996, when the Georgetown University product became the league's rookie of the year. His hair is pulled into tightly wrapped, crop-circled cornrows. His shorts are baggy. He wears gold ropes and fat diamond-stud earrings. The 31-year-old also plays hurt, has undergone multiple surgeries, has averaged more than 28 points per game in his career and is a former NBA most valuable player who has played in seven all-star games. Not that Iverson cares. "Allen is the most present- tense person I've met, because people say he's a symbol for a culture, that he's a star, but Allen just sees himself as himself," said Larry Platt, author of the book, "Only the Strong Survive: The Odyssey of Allen Iverson." "He just wants to be the guy who plays ball and hangs out with his friends." But he's also had a penchant for finding trouble. As a 17-year-old high-schooler in 1993, Iverson was convicted of helping incite a brawl at a Hampton, Va., bowling alley and was sentenced to five years in prison. He served four months in jail and then was granted conditional clemency. An appeals court eventually overturned the conviction. Four years later, after being named rookie of the year in 1997, Iverson was arrested on drug-and-gun possession charges after the car in which he was riding was pulled over for speeding in Virginia. He was sentenced to probation and 100 hours of community service. And in 2002, Iverson allegedly threatened two men with a gun following a domestic dispute. All 14 counts against him later were dropped or dismissed. Add those legal run-ins to his frequent criticisms of coaches, his now-famous rant about why he didn't need to practice, and an unreleased rap album that was pulled in part because of lyrics that were considered misogynistic and homophobic, and Iverson has at times been considered a menace to his team and community. "In terms of the business of basketball, he's been an opportunity missed," said Kenneth Shropshire, director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. "People will look at him and see what could have been, but he's a large reason why that didn't happen. He didn't want (the attention), and a player has to be involved and want to carry the league forward." And now, after years of embracing Iverson and the hip-hop persona he helped usher into professional sports, NBA executives are trying to backpedal. No more do-rags or baggy T-shirts in postgame interviews; no more complaining to officials or you'll be tossed. In recent interviews, though, Iverson has assumed a more understated persona. While he criticized the league-wide changes, the husband and father of four has said he wants to be a team leader - an elder statesman of sorts - and wants to remain a family man. "If you're getting older and not getting wiser, something's wrong," Iverson said earlier this season. "If I'm there early in practice and I'm leaving late, I really want to lead by example, just use everything I have on my résumé." And his play remains intoxicating. He ranks second in the NBA in points per game - behind only his new teammate, Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony - and is a leading All-Star Game vote-getter, despite having not played for nearly two weeks after hinting that he was ready to leave the 76ers. "He is one of the greatest players of his generation, that one player at the end of the game who you want that ball in his hands because good things are going to come from it," said Alex English, a former Nuggets great who helped coach Iverson during the 2003-04 season. "He's cat-quick on the court, so quick that you feel sorry for the guy who has to guard him. He's gonna go up against anybody, and he won't back down." Said Dan Issel, the former Nuggets player and head coach who coached against Iverson several times: "He's so good simply because of his toughness. You can knock him down, but he bounces back up, and the next time, he's right back at you."

The Brawl at MSG was not too bad, although the Carmelo sucker punch was absolutely gutless and cowardly…Stern should give him 15 games and make him change the name on the back of his jersey from Anthony to “bitch”…Apparently, Isiah Thomas, who was angry that the Nuggets were still playing four starters despite being up 19 with under 2 minutes left, told Carmelo that he should stay out of the paint -- pretty much a warning that a hard foul was coming…cue the suspension…

If you know NFL football history, you have to read this article…just fascinating to read about what happened to Jake Scott, the MVP of the Superbowl during the Dolphins perfect 1972 season:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/sfl-hydeonjakescott,0,319102.column?coll=sfla-sports-business

What? The Suns are now in the mix for Iverson offering Marcus Banks, Kurt Thomas and draft picks…

Speaking of the Iverson trade saga, Paul Pierce, had the line of the week in explaining why he'd love to play with Iverson: "I think it would work out with the two of us. I played with the biggest jacker in league history in Antoine Walker, didn't I? He was just jacking up shots. At least Iverson might go hit them at a higher clip and get to the free-throw line."

Gilbert Arenas had 60 points Kobe Bryant’s 45 last night in the Washington Wizards' 147-141 overtime victory. Arenas had 16 points in the 5-minute extra period, including 14 in a row for the Wizards during one stretch. His scoring total was the most against the Lakers in 40 years since Wilt Chamberlain, who played for the Warriors in Philadelphia and San Francisco and then for the 76ers before joining the Lakers, scored 60 or more points against them multiple times, the last a 65-point outing in 1966. Arenas went 17-of-32 from the floor, including 5-of-12 from 3-point range. He made 21 of his 27 free throws and had eight assists and eight rebounds. Forty-three of his points came after halftime. Had Arenas been better than 21-of-27 at the line or 5-of-12 from the arc he could've had 70…The previous franchise high was 56 by Earl Monroe on Feb. 13, 1968 -- also against the Lakers in overtime -- when the Wizards were the Baltimore Bullets. "It was bound to happen," Arenas said. "I'm a scorer, so I was going to have one of those days where I was clicking. Most of the time when I've scored 46 in three quarters, we were blowing the other team out, so I didn't get to play in the fourth. "But tonight was that time. It was a close game and I stayed in. I found the rhythm, especially in the fourth quarter and in overtime, and I never looked back." Arenas' previous high was 47 points, against Miami last Dec. 30.

For Posterity here’s the list of all-time 60-point games in NBA history…noting that Wilt has 32 of the 54…which is bananas…

Points Player, Team Opponent Date
100 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia New York 3/2/1962
81 Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers Toronto 1/22/2006
78 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia LA Lakers 12/8/1961 (3OT)
73 David Thompson, Denver Detroit 4/9/1978
73 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco New York 11/16/1962
73 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Chicago 1/13/1962
72 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco LA Lakers 11/3/1962
71 David Robinson, San Antonio LA Clippers 4/24/1994
71 Elgin Baylor, LA Lakers New York 11/15/1960
70 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Syracuse 3/10/1963
69 Michael Jordan, Chicago Cleveland 3/28/1990 (OT)
68 Pete Maravich, New Orleans New York 2/25/1977
68 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Chicago 12/16/1967
67 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco LA Lakers 1/11/1963
67 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia New York 2/25/1962
67 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia St Louis 2/17/1962
67 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia New York 3/9/1961
66 Wilt Chamberlain, LA Lakers Phoenix 2/9/1969
65 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia LA Lakers 2/7/1966
65 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia St Louis 2/27/1962
65 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Cincinnati 2/13/1962
64 Michael Jordan, Chicago Orlando 1/16/1993 (OT)
64 Rick Barry, Golden State Portland 3/26/1974
64 Elgin Baylor, Minneapolis Boston 11/8/1959
63 George Gervin, San Antonio New Orleans 4/9/1978
63 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Philadelphia 11/26/1964
63 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco LA Lakers 12/14/1962
63 Jerry West, LA Lakers New York 1/17/1962
63 Elgin Baylor, LA Lakers Philadelphia 12/8/1961 (3OT)
63 Joe Fulks, Philadelphia Indiana 2/10/1949
62 Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers Dallas 12/20/2005
62 Tracy McGrady, Orlando Washington 3/10/2004
62 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Philadelphia 3/3/1966
62 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Cincinnati 11/15/1964
62 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco New York 1/29/1963
62 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Syracuse 1/21/1962 (OT)
62 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia St Louis 1/17/1962 (OT)
62 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Boston 1/14/1962
61 Shaquille O'Neal, LA Lakers LA Clippers 3/6/2000
61 Karl Malone, Utah Milwaukee 1/27/1990
61 Michael Jordan, Chicago Atlanta 4/16/1987
61 Michael Jordan, Chicago Detroit 3/4/1987 (OT)
61 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco St Louis 12/18/1962
61 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Syracuse 12/11/1962
61 Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Cincinnati 11/21/1962
61 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Chicago 2/28/1962
61 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia St Louis 2/22/1962
61 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Chicago 12/9/1961
61 George Mikan, Minneapolis Rochester 1/20/1952 (2OT)
60 Gilbert Arenas, Washington Los Angeles 12/17/2006 (OT)
60 Allen Iverson, Philadelphia Orlando 2/12/2005
60 Tom Chambers, Phoenix Seattle 3/24/1990
60 Larry Bird, Boston Atlanta 3/12/1985
60 Bernard King, New York New Jersey 12/25/1984
60 Wilt Chamberlain, LA Lakers Cincinnati 1/26/1969
60 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia LA Lakers 12/29/1961
60 Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia LA Lakers 12/1/1961

Too funny…PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) took credit when the NBA dropped its leather ball and last week wrote an open letter to NBA players mocking the paper cuts the new ball allegedly produced as a justification for going back to killing cows…of course, this was not from the PETA of Wanatah, Ind., which proudly states it stands for People Eating Tasty Animals…

1) Paul Forrester of SI.com wonders about Danny Ainge and other things:

Perimeter shooting - Celtics' growing pains and more leaguewide nuggets

Danny Ainge had seen it before. He'd seen his Celtics build a commanding lead only to watch it steadily evaporate until what appeared to be a certain victory quickly became a matter of avoiding a stunning loss. "We blew 20-point leads many times when I was playing in the 1980s," Ainge recalled. "We had defensive lapses and messed-up offensive execution. The difference was we had the talent to overcome that and still win the game by three or four. Talent wins." And like those old Celtics teams, the Boston team Ainge watched on Monday night at Madison Square Garden withstood a furious Knicks charge -- New York cut a 30-point lead to three in the final minute -- to win by seven. But that's where the similarities stop. An 8-13 start attests to that. Therein lies the problem Ainge and the Celtics organization face in trying to rejoin the league's elite. Boston doesn't have the luxury of, for example, a Nets team in which every winning season is a feather in an otherwise beaten-down cap. The Celtics, and more important, the city of Boston, measure progress by trophies. And in an era when no team can stockpile talent a la Red Auerbach or buy whatever talent it wants, building a championship team is more science experiment than front-office wisdom. "Our first objective in trying to build a team is to accumulate assets," Ainge said in a recent phone interview. "[We're] not necessarily [looking] to find a point guard or find a '2' guard. That's a hard process if you start drafting based on what you need rather than drafting the best players you have available. We have talent, but it is a lot of potential talent." Though Ainge has been the man acquiring the pieces for a team with an average age of 24.6, the club's failure to turn that potential into wins has been laid at the feet of coach Doc Rivers, whose frequent lineup changes and unpredictable personnel rotations have left many fans and media members scratching their heads. Add in blown leads of 25 and 15 (twice) this season and one can understand the frustration of a fan base that often has taken to calling for Rivers' firing at games. Truth be told, Rivers doesn't have many options but to live and die with the often ugly learning process most young players experience. "Our young guys have to play -- we don't have a choice," Rivers said. "It's not like we're playing the veterans and sneaking the young guys in. We're playing them to win the game. But [games like that in New York] are our games every night. We're either out of it -- the other night we were down by 15 with 2:30 left and we tied the score -- [or we blow a big lead]. We are a circus act." For now, these Celtics are anything but the smooth professionalism of a Ringling Bros, as even some of this act's most talented performers admit. "We've got to be more focused on things," second-year forward Gerald Green said. "We've got to take our time, execute the offense, execute the defense, especially at the end of the fourth quarter." Indeed, time is the key to the team's present and future, and Ainge isn't about to let a preoccupation with the former alter his options for the latter.
"When people start criticizing a substitution here, a last-second play there, a rotation element here," Ainge said, "it doesn't even matter now. ... Everybody can put a timetable on it, but ownership and management have to take each day just like the players. ... I can't wait for the time when I can say wins and losses are all I care about; we're not there yet. There are a lot more things that I'm evaluating -- individuals in the organization, our leaders, our players -- more than the results of the game." In light of Ainge's recent defense of Rivers to the media and the team's not-so-secret interest in dealing for Allen Iverson, Boston fans can only infer that the front office values Rivers as much, if not more, than it does its players. "Doc is a relentless worker and I see him as a man who has a good basketball mind and who is trying to find some answers for a team that has a lot of moving parts," Ainge said. And those parts are likely to keep moving: "We like all the individual pieces on our team but we don't like the mix or the fit," Ainge said. "So we're just going to see who we like the most as we develop the young guys. But we definitely need to do some things." Now into Year 4 of the Ainge reign, those "things" need to happen sooner than later if the Celtics hope to stem the diminishing crowds (the Celtics rank 18th in league attendance at 16,866 a game) and the increasingly caustic reaction of those who do show.

If I were ... 76ers GM Billy King…I would hit the brakes on trading Iverson. Not stop it, mind you -- Iverson's agent-filtered request set that ship sailing -- but slow down the momentum my owner set in motion by telling the nation A.I. was for sale.
What's the rush? To help foster some sense of retribution for Iverson's betrayal? That may work in the movies, but in business, especially one as cold-hearted as professional sports, discretion is the key to making a deal that allows everyone to keep their jobs next year. Further, there isn't a season to save. Iverson Chris Webber both played close to full campaigns last year and it still wasn't enough to reach the postseason. This year isn't any more promising with a 5-12 start with Iverson in the mix. So take some time, give interested teams a chance to start squirming and let them sweeten their initial offers. After all, you're selling a former MVP; those don't come on the market too often. Just as important, take a page out of the Pacers' playbook in trading Ron Artest and make it clear you're willing to let A.I. sit out the rest of the season and more if need be (he's under contract through the 2008-09 season). If A.I. doesn't want to play for the Sixers, that's his choice; if the Sixers don't want to trade him until the deal is right, until some club offers a palatable combination of young talent and a draft pick or two, that's the Sixers' choice. And if the season goes up in flames as the clock ticks, so what, there may be Greg Oden waiting come June.

The Top 10: Second (and third) bananas…Among the theories regarding Allen Iverson's struggles to make the Sixers into a consistent title contender is that he has rarely had the luxury of a Robin to his Batman, a secondary leader to ease the pressure. In fact, the Sixers were usually more productive with lesser-known supporting players than higher-profile ones riding shotgun. As the defensive rankings show, Philly didn't find success when Iverson's teammates scored, but when they stopped others from scoring.

10. 1999-2000 Supporting player(s): Tyrone Hill (seriously), Toni Kukoc Record: 49-33 (defensive rank: 4th in the NBA)
With Larry Brown making Hill the second scoring option, one has to wonder if Brown was trying to drive A.I. out of his mind, if not Philly. Brown relented a bit in dealing for Kukoc with about 30 games left. Again, though, it was the Sixers' defense that helped Iverson reach the second round of the playoffs.

9. 2000-01 Supporting player(s): Theo Ratliff, Dikembe Mutombo, Eric Snow Record: 56-26 (defensive rank: 5th)
Tellingly, Iverson reached the Finals for the first and only time in his career with perhaps his worst offensive support staff. What this team lacked in firepower, though, it had in terms of chemistry: big rebounders to retrieve many of the 26 shots a game A.I. fired, an ego-light point guard willing to feed Iverson the rock again and again, and an active, hard-nosed defense.

8. 1998-99 Supporting player(s): Matt Geiger, Theo Ratliff Record: 28-22 (defensive rank: 5th) Geiger and Ratliff combined to average about 25 points a game in the lockout-shortened season. However, they did help the Sixers hold opponents to fewer than 98 points a game. The recipe helped Iverson reach the playoffs for the first time in his career.

7. 2003-04 Supporting player: Glenn Robinson Record: 33-49 (defensive rank: 10th) The wheels came off quickly in the Randy Ayers era, as Big Dog Robinson succeeded in, well, little more than averaging 16.6 points a game when he wasn't missing almost half of the season with ankle and elbow injuries.

6. 2002-03 Supporting player: Keith Van Horn Record: 48-34 (defensive rank: 12th) Part of the trick in playing a complementary role to a great player is earning his respect. And while skills help in that cause, attitude -- and a tough one at that -- is even more important in keeping a star's ego in check. But when your skills are diminishing and you're soft, well, you're meat like Van Horn.

5. 2001-02 Supporting player(s): Matt Harpring, Derrick Coleman Record: 43-39 (defensive rank: 3rd) No team can do it on defense alone, as the Sixers learned when Iverson missed more than a quarter of the season and the team's offense ranked among the seven worst in the league. Coleman, technically, was the team's second-leading scorer with 15.1 points a game, but Harpring and his 11.8 points showed up for a team-leading 81 games.

4. 2004-05 Supporting player: Chris Webber (sort of) Record: 43-39 (defensive rank: 10th) After treading water with rookies Andre Iguodala and Kyle Korver in addition to an offensively challenged cast that included Kenny Thomas and Marc Jackson, the Sixers took a swing with Webber, who, upon arriving at the trade deadline, almost immediately started doing what he does best: complain about his role in the offense. At least his 15.6 points per game somewhat made up for the fact he can't guard anyone.

3. 1997-98 Supporting player(s): Coleman Record: 31-51 (defensive rank: 19th) The first year of the Larry Brown era in Philly saw the team ship Jerry Stackhouse to Detroit while bringing in Ratliff and Snow, presaging a shift in focus toward defense. Excuse us, did we forget D.C.'s 18 points a game? After "playing" through another injury-shortened season, so did the Sixers.

2. 2005-06 Supporting player: Webber Record: 38-44 (defensive rank: 25th) The Sixers got 75 games out of a player in Webber who hadn't played that many in seven seasons and they still stunk. Hell, Webber even chipped in 20 points and 10 rebounds a night. Of even greater impact, though, was Webber's simmering unease with having to take a backseat to Iverson in the team's offense and his inability to cover anyone faster than a sign post.

1. 1996-97 Supporting player(s): Stackhouse, Coleman Record: 22-60 (defensive rank: 25th) In many ways this was the best of offensive-help times for the then-rookie from Georgetown. Stackhouse and Coleman combined to average more than 38 points a game. D.C. even felt like rebounding this season, pulling down more than 10 a game.

Were They Worth It?

Money Well Spent - Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings…On a team that shoots a mere 44 percent from the floor, Kevin Martin is a throwback to a Kings culture that valued scoring as much as defending. And that's sort of the point of basketball, isn't it? The third-year swingman is averaging 21.6 points a game, shooting 50.7 percent from the floor (and more than 70 percent of his attempts are jump shots, according to 82games.com) and chipping in 1.35 steals a night. All that for $1 million this season. No wonder the Sixers want Martin included in any deal for Iverson.

Need A Refund - Nenê, Denver Nuggets…Coming back to full strength from ACL surgery takes time, but one would like to think that with a year of recuperation time and a new six-year, $60 million contract signed over the summer, the Brazilian big man would produce a bit more than six points and 4.1 rebounds. Maybe as he gets more time on the floor -- he returned last week after missing 12 games with a bruised knee -- he'll help ease the loss of Kenyon Martin, but maybe he'll also remind us why we were all so perplexed at Denver's largesse in the first place.

Scout's Take - Through Thursday, the Knicks' Eddy Curry had scored 20 or more points in eight straight games and was averaging career highs in points (18.3) and rebounds (7.6). Has Isiah Thomas finally tapped the potential many expected from the former No. 2 overall pick? SI.com checked with an opposing advance scout for his thoughts. "Players can have good nights, good weeks, maybe even a good month. But ultimately you're going to be judged on what you do over time. Thus far, at the very least you'd have to say the jury's out on it. To this point I think you can say he's had one really successful season, which was his contract year in Chicago. You can look at it any way you want; that's the reality. Outside of that I think you would say his seasons have been filled with inconsistency. The whole key is his conditioning and motivation level. I wouldn't want to be the team that he's getting a new, long-term contract with. If he's in the last year of his contract, I probably like him a little better because I probably know what his motivation is going to be. "When he is motivated and driven, he is a difficult guy to contend with for an opposing team. Let's face it, low-post scorers in the NBA are at a premium and there's a very small minority of them. And he's one of those guys. He's pretty mobile and nimble for a big guy and is a definite presence in the low post. When you prepare for the Knicks you have to consider, 'What are we going to do with Curry in the low post?' There are a lot of big men out there you don't have to ask that question about. "He's never going to be a great shot-blocker; he doesn't have that length and that nimbleness. [With better] commitment he probably could rebound better defensively, block out and go get the ball -- there are not a lot of guys who are going to go and steal it away from him. On the offensive glass, although he has shown some ability, I wouldn't exactly call him a quick leaper. I don't think [he'll ever be] a dominant rebounder. However, I would be disappointed if he doesn't score."