What makes LeBron James so Great?

Sure he dunks the basketball with flair, but who doesn't? Sure his team has the best record in the league, but they had the best record last year, too. To make a long story short, LeBron James is nothing special in the NBA. He came into the league straight out of high school and won the Rookie of the Year award. But, with all of the hype surrounding him, why is he being applauded for living up to it.

Take a closer look at his rookie season. The Cleveland Cavaliers were indeed the worst team in the NBA and LeBron James did wonders for the franchise. In only one season, James led the team from a 17-65 record to a 35-47 record. The turnaround was fantastic, but the team still did not make the playoffs. Coming into the league, James was said to be the next Michael Jordan, but Jordan made the playoffs his rookie year.

LeBron James put up MVP-like numbers during his sophomore year and he led the Cavs to their first winning record in ages. Still, the team failed to make the playoffs, as their 42-40 record was not enough. It was during the 2004-2005 season that "King" James proved that he cannot handle pressure. The team sat at 30-20 before the All-Star game as they held on to the fourth playoff spot. But, he managed to lead the team to a 12-20 record for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade, drafted the same year as James, led his team to the best record in the Eastern Conference and to the Conference Finals in only his second year.

In his third season, LeBron James finally broke through and led the Cavaliers to a 50-32 record. It took him three years to make the playoffs. Initial expectations had James winning his first NBA title by 2006. While it would not be James to win a championship that year, another 2003 draftee in Dwyane Wade would do so, leading seasoned veterans to their titles. Despite all of his accomplishments, the spotlight remained on LeBron and he barely led his team out of the first round. They beat the Wizards in six games, before posting a NBA record low 61 points in their game seven loss to Detroit.

By his fourth season, the focus had shifted from LeBron James to Dwyane Wade. It was Wade with the endorsements, wins, and fans, but a serious shoulder injury cost him two seasons. Because of this James was able to lead the Cavaliers to another 50-32 season and with the Miami Heat banged up throughout the roster, his team received a free pass. They would sweep the Washington Wizards, who were without their star, Gilbert Arenas. In the second round, they faced an injured New Jersey Nets team that pushed them to six games. LeBron James was able to pull off a great comeback to defeat the Detroit Pistons, who also had an easy road to the Conference Finals.

Everyone was ready to annoint LeBron James the new Michael Jordan when he made it to the NBA Finals in his fourth year. But, James did something that Jordan never did when he left the Finals empty-handed. History tells the true basketball fans that when Michael Jordan goes to the NBA Finals, he goes home with the NBA title. History also tells true basketball fans that when LeBron James goes to the NBA Finals, James not only goes home without a ring, he also goes home without a win. That was the first time, of many, when James would crack under pressure. Throughout the season, he performed heroics in games that simply did not matter.

Despite LeBron James eliminating himself from the greatest-ever discussion, sports media still backed him and with Dwyane Wade battling injuries for a second consecutive season, big things were expected from the Cavs. With their leader, LeBron James, he managed to lead the team to a 45-37 record, five less than the previous season. In the playoffs, he led them to a six game victory over the Wizards and then a game seven loss to the Boston Celtics. That loss was said to inspire LeBron James to come into next season and win the NBA Championship. Sports media was ready for him to have it, but James did not deliver, again.

During the 2008-2009 season, LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a league-best record at 66-16. There was not a single person in the basketball world that doubted the Cavs. Even in the playoffs, James led the Cavs to sweeps over both the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks. It appeared as if LeBron had punched his ticket into the NBA Finals. They drew an Orlando Magic team that was supposed to have lost in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. But, the Magic did the impossible and stole game one and would go on to stop LeBron James in his tracks. He still managed to win the NBA Season MVP award, the one that sports media gives to their favorite.

This season, the sports media is all over LeBron James again. He is poised to win another MVP Award, but with more competition than he had in 2007, his chances of getting to the Finals are slim. His chances of getting to the NBA Finals and defeating the Jazz, Lakers, or Nuggets are even slimmer. LeBron James is a great individual talent, but he is not an effective team leader. When it comes to talent, no one can match up with him, but leadership is mixed in when dealing with a team sport. He lacks the killer instinct of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, or even Kevin Durant. Maybe one day it will come, but that day does not appear to be any time soon.

Read more...

Kobe Bryant to Finally Return

For the past few games, the Los Angeles Lakers have been without their all-time leading scorer. He went down with an ankle injury and he has missed every game since. But, his absense proved just how tough of a team that the Lakers are. With Bryant out of commission, the team continued to win and they even gained ground on the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. The deep roster of the Lakers surprised a lot of NBA analysts, but now, the captain is back.

While the team was doing pretty good without him, they will be much better off with him. Kobe Bryant is still one of the best players in the game and the team cannot go but so far without him. They have played well and with a healthy Bryant back in the lineup, they are poised to only play better. Throughout the season, the Lakers have been doubted on, but they held their own.

Kobe Bryant hopes that he can lead the Lakers to another win tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Read more...

Carlos Boozer has the Jazz rolling

Before the start of the season, Carlos Boozer wanted to be out of Utah. His desire was to play in Miami and he felt as if he could bully the Jazz into trading him. The only way that the Jazz would trade Boozer would be to receive budding star, Michael Beasley, in return. When the season started, Carlos Boozer was very unhappy with being on the team, but he had no choice but to play. At the end of the season, he will be an unrestricted free agent. It is likely that he will end up staying with the Jazz.

Because he was fed up with playing for Utah, Boozer played below his potential. As a result, the team sufferred, but when the New Year arrived, the Jazz got things in gear. They started the season with a 15-17 record, but since that time, Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams have united to form a strong inside-outside duo and both have played like MVPs. As a result, the Jazz now hold a 36-19 record and the team is staring the Denver Nuggets down for the second seed in the playoffs. The turnaround came so fast and the Jazz are now title contenders.

This change came about when Carlos Boozer decided to change his attitude and help his team compete for a title. Ever since they reached the Western Conference Finals in 2007, the Jazz have taken a step back each year until they were swept by the Lakers last year in the playoffs.

Read more...

Amare Stoudemire remains in Phoenix

Despite all of his accomplishments for the Phoenix Suns, Amare Stoudemire has been the topic of trades for quite some time. Dating back to the 2006-2007 season, he has been on the trading block. But, never before has Stoudemire been involved in rumors the way that he has been for the past few days. Most of these rumors involved him being traded to either the Miami Heat or the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. In the end, nothing happened.

Rumors first began of the Heat wanting to trade for Stoudemire because they were in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Their star player, Dwyane Wade was upset because of the losing and the front office wanted to do something to please him. Offering some of their spare parts for Amare Stoudemire would have done the trick. Not only is Stoudemire one of Wade's best friends, but in the offseason, he stays in Miami. He is still speculated to sign with the Heat following this season.

When the Heat rumors became hot and heavy, the Cleveland Cavaliers emerged as front-runners in trying to acquire Amare Stoudemire. For three days, straight, there were rumors of the Cavs being willing to offer up such players as longtime center, Zydrunas Ilgauskus and the emerging J.J. Hickson. These rumors continued until last night when the Cavs made a deal for the more-affordable Antawn Jamison with the Wizards. Of all of the rumors surrounding the Suns' star, the craziest one was the one that said that he may end up staying with the team, as opposed to being traded.

The most outrageous rumor could not be farther from the truth, as the trade deadline passed an hour ago and the Phoenix Suns remain the team that Amare Stoudemire plays for.

Read more...

Antawn Jamison traded to the Cavs

Before the trade rumors emerged surrounding Amare Stoudemire, the Cleveland Cavaliers were said to be interested in acquiring Antawn Jamison. For years, he was a thorn in the side of the Cavs, now he is just one of their many weapons. He had grown to become one of the key players on a potent Washington Wizards team. But, the Wiz have struggled for two seasons and they decided to rebuild. Josh Howard is their future, so Jamison is a part of their past.

It turns out that Clevleand was never as interested in Stoudemire as many reports tried to say that they were. From the beginning, the team's first choice was to acquire Antawn Jamison. Now, they have their man. It has been said that since this deal has gone through that the Cavaliers have no interest in Stoudemire.

Other players involved in this deal include Drew Gooden, who did not want to play for the Wizards. He was dealt to the Clippers meanwhile Sebastain Telfair was dealt to the Cavs. Washington will receive longtime Cavalier, Zydrunas Ilgauskus, Al Thornton, Brian Skinner, and a first round pick from Cleveland. This deal should provide LeBron James with the sidekick that he has so desperately wanted. If not, Danny Ferry has proved before that he is willing to dismantle the team to appease their star.

Read more...

Tracy McGrady may land in Chicago

Over ten years ago, the Chicago Bulls offered a deal to the Toronto Raptors that would have sent Scottie Pippen to their team in exchange for Tracy McGrady. That deal came very close to going through, but Michael Jordan threatened to retire if they traded his longtime sidekick. Had the trade happened, there is no telling how many more titles the Bulls would have won. Also, Tracy McGrady would have a better-respected legacy.

Everything happens for a reason and Tracy McGrady would soon bolt Toronto to become a star in Orlando. However, constant injuries led to the Magic never improving, only staying as an average team. After four years of disappointments with McGrady, the Magic traded him to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Steve Francis. The deal obviously worked out in the favor of Houston, while the Magic ridded themselves of Francis.

The same problems that plagued McGrady in Orlando ended up plaguing him in Houston. There were some people that thought that Tracy McGrady teaming up with Yao Ming would result in the Rockets becoming NBA title contenders. While the possibilities are unlimited, injuries limited McGrady. He was injured for so long that the Rockets played better without him. Houston won its first playoff series since the 1990s while Tracy McGrady was out with injuries. They even took the eventual NBA champion, Los Angeles Lakers to seven games.

Initially, Tracy McGrady said that he would sit out the 2009-2010 season, but he felt good enough to try and play this season. When he returned to the Rockets, he no longer had a spot, so McGrady tried to sit out until the executives bought his contract out. However, the Houston Rockets do not believe in buying their players out, instead, they try to trade their players to get something in exchange. Ever since December, the Rockets have been shopping McGrady around. There have been many rumors about where T-Mac will land. Now, it is looking like Tracy McGrady will land in Chicago with the Bulls.

It has been almost two years since Tracy McGrady has played basketball the way that he plays basketball. He was injured for a year and he has been on and off since the start of this season. McGrady is very eager to play basketball the way that he used to. He said that if a deal can be made with the Bulls, he could end up playing as soon as Saturday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Read more...

Stoudemire is Prepared to Move

For the past week, there have been rumors of the Phoenix Suns trading their star forward, Amare Stoudemire. He has been with the team for eight years and all they have to show for his time are disappointments. In his time with the Suns, Amare has proven to be injury-prone, but still great when he wants to be. Most Suns fans look at him as a slacker. His numbers, 21 points and 8 rebounds a game, are solid, but they feel that he could be doing much better.

Those numbers may not be the best that Stoudemire can do, but it would be enough to make the Miami Heat contenders again. They were the first team to express interest in the forward/center. When it was revealed that Pat Riley was ready to trade for Stoudemire, ESPN, along with other sports outlets ran with the story. Analysts looked at the duo that he would create with Dwyane Wade and how that Heat team would stack up against the top teams of the East.

Speaking of top teams in the East, soon after the scenarios of an Amare Stoudemire-to-Miami deal began floating around, they expressed interest in trading for him. Right off of the bat, their proposal seemed better than the Heat's. The Cavs are willing to offer J.J. Hickson and Zydrunas Ilguaskus to the Suns in exchange for Stoudemire and some other spare parts. Even the way that they are built now, the Cavs are predicted to win the NBA championship. A deal for Amare Stoudemire would either solidify their championship status or completely ruin it.

But, with his name being involved in over seven trade rumors, Amare Stoudemire has prepared for the worst and he has prepared to be traded to a new city. His choice of destination is with either LeBron James to be his sidekick, or to Miami for the weather, and to become the newest big-man sidekick for Dwyane Wade.

Read more...

NBA Scores for February 16, 2010

Here is a list of the scores of last night's NBA games.

Miami Heat @ Philadelphia 76ers
Heat 105<
76ers  78

New Jersey Nets @ Charlotte Bobcats
Nets     103<
Bobcats 94

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Detroit Pistons
Timberwolves 85
Pistons          108<

New York Knicks @ Chicago Bulls
Knicks  85
Bulls   118<

Dallas Mavericks @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Mavericks  86
Thunder     99<

Phoenix Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies
Suns      109<
Grizzlies  95

Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets
Jazz      104<
Rockets 95

Los Angeles Clippers @ Portland Trailblazers
Clippers        87
Trailblazers 109<

Boston Celtics @ Sacramento Kings
Celtics 95<
Kings  92

Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers
Warriors 94
Lakers  104<

Read more...

Drew Gooden seeks Buyout from Wizards

Drew Gooden was having fun playing for the Dallas Mavericks. He came off the bench and he was a key part of the team's second unit. But, the business of basketball means that members of the second unit will be trade bait. The Mavericks were looking to sell Josh Howard for some better parts in return. But, Gooden was placed into the deal to sweeten things up. If Gooden had to choose where he wanted to play, he would choose to stay in Dallas.

Only a few days after the trade was made, there are already talks about Drew Gooden asking for a buyouy. The Mavericks are contenders in the West, while the Wizards are obviously rebuilding. Recently, the Wiz had their first team practice since the trade. Josh Howard, the key part of the trade, obviosuly was in practice showing his stuff. Meanwhile, the other part of the trade, Gooden, did not show up for practice. It is said that he will end up refusing to play for the Wizards.

The plan is for Drew Gooden to receive his buyout and then he will return to the Dallas Mavericks, being a key factor of the second unit.

Read more...

Kobe Bryant will miss More Games

In an effort to lead his team to a strong finish to the season, Kobe Bryant decided to sit out of the 2010 All-Star Game. His decision came as no surprise, but it was a disappointment. At the time, Bryant promised that he would be ready for the game visiting the Warriors. For the past two weeks, Kobe has been hampered by a nagging ankle injury. Even without Bryant in the lineup, the rest of the team has picked things up. Right now, the Lakers have won three games in a row.

Tonight, Kobe Bryant was expected to return against the Golden State Warriors. In the past, Kobe has led the Lakers to dominating wins over this team. But, he will be missing tonight's game and possibly the next few games. He promised that he would be ready for the second half of the season. Since their opponent tonight, the Warriors, are not contenders, the Lakers can afford to sit Bryant tonight and still manage to win tonight.

Coming into the game, Kobe was listed as questionable before the game. Up until a few hours ago, many assumed that he would be good to go tonight. Going against all of the assumptions, Kobe Bryant was not good to go and the Los Angeles Lakers will have to wait a little longer to get their star back.

Read more...

Mark Cuban wants Mavs to play at Cowboys' Stadium

Mark Cuban and Jerry Jones have had a close relationship for some time now. Both men are known for being very close to their teams, which are both based in Dallas, Texas. Cuban owns the Mavericks of the NBA and Jones owns the Cowboys of the NFL. Prior to this season, Jones finished work on a state-of-the-art $1.2 billion stadium for the Cowboys to play at. Last season, Mark Cuban lobbied to the NBA to host the All-Star Game in 2010. When it was a done deal, he arranged a deal to host the main event at the brand new Cowboys' Stadium.

Ever since Cuban first took over the team, back in 2000, the Mavericks have led the league in attendance. The largest crowd in the history of the NBA showed up to watch the All-Star Game two nights ago. Sensing the marketing possibilities and more cash in his pockets, Mark Cuban hopes to have the Mavericks play a few home games at Cowboys' Stadium. The last time an NBA game was hosted at the venue, positive results followed. The team already has the best attendance and in a bigger arena, more seats will be available to basketball fans.

Mark Cuban first shared this idea with ESPN.com. He has yet to pitch his plan to Jerry Jones or David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA. While Cuban and Stern do not see eye-to-eye on many issues, this is probably something that they both could agree on. Given his relationship with Jerry Jones, plus the money that could be made off of the deal, they could possibly reach an agreement. The Dallas Mavericks could very well end up playing a number of their home games at the new Cowboys' Stadium.

Read more...

Will the Wizards build around Howard?

Only a few years ago, Josh Howard was a major factor in the Dallas Mavericks nearly winning the NBA championship. He was also instrumental in the Mavericks posting the league's best record the following season. But, when the Mavs lost in the 2007 playoffs, everything fell apart. Every year since 2008, Josh Howard has been involved in trade rumors. Most of these rumors involved him going to play in Miami, but he ended up going to the Washington Wizards.

The past few seasons, the Washington Wizards have had very bad luck. After deciding to build around Gilbert Arenas, they lose him for two seasons because of injuries. Upon his return, he could not lead the team the way that he once did. Then, on top of all of the frustrations, he threw this season away playing with guns. But, during the All-Star break, the Wizards shook things up. They traded some of their key parts in Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to the Mavericks in exchange for Josh Howard.

In Dallas, Josh Howard never could reach his full potential. The franchise was built around Dirk Nowitski when he arrived and they were when he left. Also, the chances of Howard playing second fiddle were low because that spot belonged to Jason Terry. He was pushed to the team's fourth option, but he still managed to put up All-Star caliber numbers. But, because the team already boasted the likes of Nowitski, Terry, and later the established Jason Kidd, Howard was forgotten.

It is clear that if Josh Howard is given the reigns to a team, he can put up big numbers and successfully lead a team. People often credit Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitski for the Mavericks going to the Finals a few years ago, but without Josh Howard, that team would have been beaten, badly, by the Spurs in the second round. With Gilbert Arenas throwing his career away, the Wizards have traded for Josh Howard. If he sticks around, the Wiz could have some success with him as their new star. He is definitely marketable and he is proven.

Read more...

Are the New Jersey Nets tanking?

The New Jersey Nets were contenders for many years in the NBA. In 2001, they signed Jason Kidd and they went from cellar dwellers to the NBA Finals and twice. Richard Jefferson emerged as a star and the Nets dominated a weak Eastern Conference. In 2004, their Finals streak was stopped by the Pistons, so the Nets traded for Vince Carter. With Carter, they ran into roadblocks in Miami and Cleveland.

By 2008, Jason Kidd was aging, he wanted to contend. Preferrably, he wanted to contend with the Nets. Richard Jefferson even stated that he would not mind being traded to make this happen. But, February 2008 was a lot like this February in the NBA. First, Shaq was traded to Phoenix and then the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol. To keep things fresh, the Nets traded Jason Kidd to his original team, the Dallas Mavericks. The trade for Kidd did little to help the Mavericks and Devin Harris was given the reigns to a team on the decline.

After Jason Kidd left, the Nets missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Following the 2008 season, the Nets traded Richard Jefferson to the Bucks for Yi. The next season was held together by the heroics of Vince Carter, but he was traded to the Magic at the end of the 2009 season. So far, this season has seen the Cleveland Cavaliers dominate and the Nets fall to pieces. They drafted Terrence Williams in hopes that he would become the new franchise player. So far, he has proven that he is better off as a role player. But, the college ranks are looking better and better, DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall could possibly enter the NBA Draft this year and with the Nets record, they could end up drafting one of these players.

As bad as the Nets have played, they have no chance at landing LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh. James plays for a title contending team, so he is likely to stay. Wade plays in Miami and they have promised him that they will deliver him a sidekick. Chris Bosh is finally coming into his own in Toronto and his Raptors squad could finally begin to make noise from this point forward. The chances of these players leaving are high, but leaving for New Jersey is unlikely. But, surely the Nets are better than their 4-48 record shows them to be.

Read more...

Heat not giving up on Stoudemire

Last week, rumors emerged of the Miami Heat being interested in bringing Amare Stoudemire to join Dwyane Wade. Not long after their intentions were revealed, Wade said that he would most likely re-sign with Miami this summer. Predictions were made with this new and improved roster and many predicted the Heat to move up in the standings and possibly play in the Eastern Conference Finals. But, after it was evident that Miami wanted Stoudemire, the Cleveland Cavaliers made strong moves to bring him to their team.

The past few days have seen many sports media outlets speaking on a possible Amare-to-Cleveland deal as if it has already happened. It seemed as if it were all-but-done, but now Miami has re-entered the picture. At first, it was said that the Suns would want Michael Beasley in return for Stoudemire. Heat owner, Micky Arison, then personally came out and said that Beasley is being groomed as the sidekick for Dwyane Wade for years to come. Then, the Cleveland rumors went into high gear.

After two days of hearing about LeBron James finally getting a sidekick and winning his first championship ring, the Miami Heat have emerged as players once again. Now, it is said that they are willing to part with Michael Beasley is it means getting Amare Stoudemire in a Heat uniform before the end of this week. If he is traded to Miami, the Heat would have the solid one-two punch that they possessed in 2006. With Wade handling the outside and Stoudemire on the inside, they immediately rise to become the second-best team in the East, behind Cleveland. Essentially, this would give the Heat a chance to contend for another title.

With their primary rival moving in on their man, Miami has stepped their trade offer up and they are rumored to be trying to involve a third team to sweeten the deal.

Read more...

Kevin Durant will prove Himself Tonight

With Kobe Bryant out for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the biggest star from the West will be Kevin Durant. He has already received many comparisons to LeBron James of the East. In only his third season, many pick Durant over Carmelo Anthony, another dominant forward. He possesses a unique talent for a man that stands at 6'10. There is a wide-open chance for Kevin Durant to solidify himself later on tonight.

As previously stated, Kobe Bryant is out for tonight's game. The room is expected to be filled with over 90,000 people at the largest sports arena, Cowboys' Stadium. Had Bryant been in the game, he would have been the focal point of all of the Western All-Stars. But, now that he is out, along with Brandon Roy, all of the attention when speaking of the West points towards Kevin Durant.

Durant is a very similar position to LeBron James in 2006 and if history continues to repeat itself, Kevin Durant will have a big game tonight in Dallas. Kevin Durant has a chip on his shoulder. As great as he has been, he has yet to play in one playoff game. Making the playoffs is a team effort, but making the All-Star Game is a personal effort. He has yet to play for a playoff-caliber team, but the next best thing is the All-Star Game. With all of the other stars out, Kevin Durant will be given a chance to prove himself.

All eyes will be on the matchup between Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Tonight, both players will be bringing their A-game. Kevin Durant will definitely show the East what he has got.

Read more...

Janet Jackson creates Theme Music for New Film

Janet Jackson is only one of the many R&B artists to begin working with Tyler Perry. In 2007, she starred in his hit film, Why Did I Get Married?. The film was one of the many box office hits created by Tyler Perry. Due to the popularity of the film, Perry decided to create a sequel to the original film.

Filming began for the sequel, Why Did I Get Married, Too?, last summer and Janet Jackson was involved. However, the death of her older brother, Michael Jackson, forced her to leave the filming for the movie. Because of his cultural impact, almost the entire cast left to mourn the loss of Janet Jackson's brother.

She returned to work on the film during the fall. Not only is she doing the acting for the film, but for the sequel, Janet Jackson will also be singing for the theme music.

Read more...

50 Cent is pissed at Dr. Dre and Eminem

Things have not been going great for 50 Cent over the past few years. He went from having everyone answer his every command and right then to being ignored. When he stopped moving the numbers on his albums that he used to, his people stopped answering his every wish. In the past, Dr. Dre and Eminem would stand by everything that 50 Cent said. If there was an enemy that 50 Cent had, they had an enemy, too.

But, 50 Cent's feud with Game placed a strain on his relationship with Dr. Dre. Many people do not realize that Game had been on the label longer than 50 Cent. Had 50 Cent not joined the label when he did, it would have been Game releasing his debut album in 2003. But, because 50 Cent was so popular, they had to release his album. To repay Game, he was added to the G-Unit roster.

The experiment went bad and fast. When it became clear that a choice was going to have to be made between the two rappers, Dr. Dre was forced to choose 50 Cent. For three years, Game went at it on his own. On both of his album recorded without Dr. Dre, he spoke of reuniting with Dre. He even dedicated a song to the issue of his sophomore release, Doctor's Advocate.

Over time, things change and Game is more popular than 50 Cent at the moment. This has led Dr. Dre to reunite with his former artist. Not only have they reunited, but Dr. Dre also signed Game to the Aftermath label. Because Game has returned to the label, 50 Cent has left it. There have been a lot of issues going on behind the scenes and Dre had even begun working with Ashanti, Ja Rule, and Crooked I. All of those artists record for Murder Inc. Records. From 2000 through 2005, Ja Rule was 50 Cent's biggest rival.

50 Cent is known for his feuds with Game and Ja Rule, but he also dislikes Lil Wayne. Wayne had been wanting to work with Eminem for some time. Late last year, he received his wish and Eminem was even featured on Rebirth. Because of this, 50 Cent is also upset with Eminem. While he is furious at both Eminem and Dr. Dre, 50 Cent will not publicly diss them. Even though he feels betrayed, without them first believing in him, 50 would have never become the star that he is.

Read more...

Josh Howard traded to Wizards

Ever since the 2006 NBA Finals, Josh Howard has been rumored to be on the trading block. Howard stepped up in the Finals to become a consistent star for the Mavericks. His stellar play in those Finals also gained the attention of other teams in the league. After the 2007 NBA Playoffs, rumors began circulating about the Dallas Mavericks possibly trading Josh Howard.

Throughout the course of this season, the Mavericks have played very well. Aside from their blowout loss in Denver, they have looked like contenders. Most of their strong play was attributed to Josh Howard. He and Dirk Nowitzki have formed to become a dominant one-two punch in Dallas. Despite their chemistry, the Mavs have been interested in trading Howard.

Dallas had been rumored to be attempting to trade Howard to the Rockets in exchange for Tracy McGrady. There were also rumors that tied the star player to the Knicks, Cavaliers, Heat, Wizards, and Pistons. After all of these rumors, yesterday afternoon rumors began about the Mavericks trading Howard, along with Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, and James Singleton in exchange for Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson.

The Mavericks are currently holding the third playoff spot in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards are well out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. They have one of the worst records in the East, only ahead of the lowly New Jersey Nets in the conference.

Read more...

The Celtics are falling Apart

Paul Pierce had become used to playing alone in Boston. It took him three seasons to actually make the playoffs and once he got there, he had the Celtics on the brink of the NBA Finals. From 2002 until 2005, the Boston Celtics did not miss the playoffs. In that small frame of time, some thought that Pierce had the potential to become something great.

In 2006, his Celtics disappointed and they ended up missing the playoffs. The following season, they hit a new low, posting the worst record in the league. The losing was taking a toll on Paul Pierce. He was very close to demanding a trade. At the time, Paul Pierce felt as if he were all alone. Little did he realize that Kevin Garnett had a similar story in Minnesota. Also, Ray Allen's Seattle SuperSonics were underperforming with two stars on their team.

The summer of 2007 would end up becoming a game-changer. The front office of the Boston Celtics sought to end the Celtic curse. Sports fans in Boston think that the Celtics deserve the success that the Spurs enjoyed for a decade through Tim Duncan. The Spurs were a talented team that had one horrible season, due to injury, but they were contenders. With Duncan on the team, along with the rest of their roster, they returned to the top of the standings. Meanwhile, the Celtics would have minimal success with Paul Pierce. Pierce demanded more talent around him for the 2007-2008 season.

Danny Ainge held conversations with his former teammate with the Celtics, Kevin McHale about possibly trading for Kevin Garnett. At the time, Garnett was tied to rumors about being traded to the Lakers, Magic, and Heat. While McHale was willing to trade Garnett to the Celtics, Kevin blocked the move because he wanted to see what other moves would be made. Soon, Ray Allen informed him that he had been traded to the team, once that happened, Garnett also jumped on board. In one season, the Boston Celtics went from zeroes to NBA champions.

But, the Celtics gave up their soul, so to speak, to win in the "right now." All of their "success" has come back to bite them, hard. The following season, they got off to a quick start, but an injury to Kevin Garnett ended any hopes of repeating. While the Celtics came in strong this season, age has begun to catch up to Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Injuries have hit all of the "Big Three." Now, there are rumors of the franchise being willing to trade Ray Allen. His destination of choice is either Orlando, or Miami, his destination of choice in 2007. It was not the fact that the Celtics rose fast, but how they rose fast that is costing them right now.

As fast as it all came together is how fast it is falling apart. Right now, the Celtics are on the verge of losing their grip on the third playoff spot and if they slip to fourth, they will face some stiff competition in either the rising Charlotte Bobcats, the hungry Toronto Raptors, the emerging Chicago Bulls, or the resilient Miami Heat, which feels that they should have beaten Boston all three times that they played. If something is not done, and fast, the Boston Celtics will find themselves returning to the bottom of the standings by next year.

Read more...

Ray J gets another VH1 Series

Ray J has had tremendous success with VH1 through his hit dating series, "For The Love of Ray J." His series began airing on the network a little over one year ago. In the time since it began airing on VH1, it has become a hit. Each night, the viewership seems to increase. But, after the controversy surrounding the finale of the show, Ray J is unlikely doing a third season of the show.

After Ray J picks his woman, the network brings the entire cast back together for a reunion show. In this interview show, the fans are updated about their favorite contestants. Everyone is invited to the stage to talk about what they've been up too. If a contenstant from a previous season is notable enough, they may also make an appearance. That happened to be the case with the reunion for Ray J.

His ex, Cocktail, came onto the stage to advise his winner, Mz. Berry against dating Ray. She told of how he had treated her and asked if she wanted to get into all of that. The entire time, Ray J was back stage and when he came out, he accused Cocktail of being a lesbian. In a matter of minutes, their friendship was ruined, as was his possible relationship with Mz. Berry. She decided that a life with Ray J was too much and she has since reunited with her ex. A lot of what happened with her and Ray J was because the host of the reunion show kept things going.

That experience, alone, will probably keep Ray J from doing another dating show with VH1. They claimed to have his best interest at heart, but they ended up exposing him for the ratings. While Ray J might not date with the VH1 network, he has to admit that they have a big audience. Being on VH1 means that he will have exposure. Also, the network knows that they need Ray J to keep a connection to the black audience. That paired with the desperation from Ray, and his sister, Brandy, has led to the network creating a new reality series based on the entire family.

There is no set date for this new project, but it will likely come before the end of 2010 or at the beginning of 2011.

Read more...

What About Carmelo Anthony?

When speaking about the best players in the NBA, often the discussion turns towards three players. Those three players almost often end up being LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade. The now-fourth wheel, Carmelo Anthony, is almost forgotten. Out of all of those players, Anthony is the only one to make it to the postseason for the past seven seasons.

Carmelo Anthony entered the NBA with a lot of hype surrounding him. Many critics willingly referred to him as the second-best player out of the draft, behind LeBron James. However, as their rookie seasons played out, James received the most media attention and Dwyane Wade turned heads when he led an undermanned Miami Heat squad to a six-game standoff with the Indiana Pacers.

What was overlooked was Carmelo Anthony leading his Nuggets team from 17 wins to 43 wins and to their first playoff appearance since the mid-1990s. He turned the Denver Nuggets' franchise all of the way around in only one season. Meanwhile, LeBron James failed to even make the postseason his rookie year. Even into the next season, Anthony was overlooked as Wade led his Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and James continued to set records. The 2005 season was another solid season for Anthony, as he led his team back to the playoffs.

By 2006, Kobe Bryant had revived his career and scored 81 points in a game. LeBron James not only made the playoffs, but his team won a playoff series and nearly upset the league-leading Pistons. Dwyane Wade set franchise records for the Heat as they did upset the league-leading Pistons and then they upset the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Wade became the NBA Finals MVP, Kobe Bryant regained a lot of fans, and LeBron James continued his run in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony received no credit for maintaining.

Each year since he has been in the league, he has led his team to the playoffs. Even last season, his Nuggets almost defeated the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers. This season, there is so much media attention focused on the losing record of Wade's Heat, Kobe being Kobe, and James' incredible season with the Cavaliers. But, the Denver Nuggets went into Staples Center and beat the Lakers by 13. The Nuggets are right behind the Lakers in the standings, most of this can be credited to the play of Carmelo Anthony. But, it seems like no matter what he does, he will never receive the same type of attention that LeBron James does.

In actuality, Carmelo Anthony has accomplished more than LeBron James because of the fact that he has led his team to the playoffs every year. Also, there is not much separating Anthony from the legend of Dwyane Wade. If Anthony leads the Nuggets to a championship this year, which is highly possible, his legacy is better than Wade's and not far off from the status of Kobe Bryant. The next time, the infamous discussion of Kobe/LeBron/Dwyane, comes up, someone needs to throw Carmelo Anthony's name in there.

Read more...

Cleveland Cavaliers willing to Shake Things Up

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the hottest team in the NBA coming into the All-Star break. Not only are they on a 13-game winning streak, but they hold the best record in the league. As it currently stands, there is not a single team in the NBA that can compete with them, but sources close to GM, Danny Ferry, say that he is looking to add more talent to the team.

It goes without saying, but the Cavaliers' roster already has LeBron James and Maurice Williams. They have formed an imposable duo and Shaquille O'Neal is playing third fiddle. Their lineup, along with other players, such as J.J. Hickson, create matchup nightmares for other teams. The roster that the Cavs have, already could easily defeat any team in the East.

Even as favorites to win the NBA championship, the Cleveland Cavaliers are willing to roll the dice. The team is said to be talking, heavily, with the Phoenix Suns about dealing J.J. Hickson in exchange for Amare Stoudemire. If that deal does not work out, the Cavs are willing to deal Jamario Moon to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Antawn Jamison. While those deals will definitely bolster the talent on the Cavs' roster, their chemistry could be ruined. Also, Jamison and Stoudemire have become stars in their own right. While LeBron is the man in Cleveland, they are the stars in their respective cities.

It is a wonder that Shaquille O'Neal has not clashed with LeBron James, the other teammates have allowed him to believe that he is number two in command. But, if Jamison or Stoudemire is brought in, or both, this would most certainly create friction and ruin the chemistry and the fun that the team has on the floor. With the roster that they have, Cleveland can win the title, if they do any of the mentioned moves, they are still tough, but this kills them in the long run.

Read more...

Kobe sits out All-Star Game

For the most part, Kobe Bryant was on a roll. He had recently risen the ranks to become the all-time scoring leader for the Lakers. Ever since the start of the season, Bryant had his team sitting on top of the Western Conference standings. But, with all of this success, there has been a bit of tragedy.

Every year since his 1998 breakout year, Kobe Bryant has been an All-Star. Even through his rough period of 2005 through 2007, he was still an All-Star. Bryant has won the MVP of the All-Star game countless times, including sharing co-MVP honors with Shaquille O'Neal last season. But, a nagging finger injury has kept Kobe out of the past few Laker games.

While Kobe Bryant enjoys playing in the All-Star game every year, he has decided to sit this year's out. He was the top vote-getter for the game, but his loyalty remains with his team. Because of his finger injury, Kobe Bryant has been missing key games. He will not skip out on regular season games to play in the All-Star game. Bryant has gone against the wishes of fans and decided to sit out of the All-Star game so that he can get ready for the second-half of the season. Also, Kobe does not want to risk further injury at the game.

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game will be played at Cowboys' Stadium in Dallas, that was met with a lot of press and anticipation, but without Kobe Bryant, things will not be the same.

Read more...

Rick Ross and Floyd Mayweather End Beef

Rick Ross and Floyd Mayweather must have finally grown tired with dissing one another. For almost a year, the heavyweight boxer has been riding with 50 Cent, sending disses to the heavyweight rapper. After rumors of a reconciliation and almost coming to blows at Diddy's party, the two entertainers are no longer at odds.

Read original story at Hip Hop Vibe

Read more...

Amare Stoudemire to be Traded to Miami?

A few years ago, Amare Stoudemire was one of the best big men in the league, but he has become injury-prone. Despite his full return to shape, the Phoenix Suns are no longer the contenders that they used to be. Last season, they even missed the playoffs without him. Now that he is back, they are still only an average team. The Suns have a reason to be upset with Stoudemire and he has a reason to be upset with the Suns.

One team that Amare Stoudemire has no issues with is the Miami Heat. He is a free agent at the end of this season and he may very well leave the Suns with nothing and sign with Miami. With the Heat struggling to keep Dwyane Wade happen, Pat Riley would love to land a player like Stoudemire on the team. Ever since the beginning of the week, there have been rumors of Stoudemire being traded to the Heat.

Most likely, he and Dwyane Wade would come together to form a strong dynamic duo. Right now, the Heat are holding the final playoff spot, but there is a lot of basketball left to be played and a Wade-Stoudemire duo would be very hard to stop. The reason that the Heat hold a losing record heading into the All-Star break is because they do not have a consistent big man. Jermaine O'Neal, who has a contract worth $20 million, expiring at the end of the season, was expected to be that lift for Wade, but he has been a major let down.

There has been talk of other teams wanting Stoudemire, but the ones receiving the most press are the ones involving Amare Stoudemire being traded to Miami. With Stoudemire also being a free agent after the season, this is something to look out for. As opposed to O'Neal's $20 million contract, Stoudemire's is worth $23 million. There would be more cash available for the Heat to offer more money to a player such as Chris Bosh, or even LeBron James. But, most likely, Pat Riley would execute the trade in the coming days and see how the experiment turns out.

If a move is made for Amare Stoudemire and the Heat also pull something off for Ray Allen, as rumored, the Heat could easily catch Atlanta, and maybe Boston to land the third seed in the East. If not, they would still be a tough opponent in the playoffs and headed into next season.

Read more...

Jim Jones puts Dipset back Together?

Just a short three years ago, the Dipset clan was tight. They were still celebrating their part in the demise of Roc-A-Fella Records. At the time, they were looking poised to take over the game. As their plans of taking over became prevalent, there was one thing missing, their leader. Before the end of 2007, it was revealed that Cam’ron was feuding with Jim Jones and Juelz Santana. Since that time, each member has said horrible things about each other.


When Jim Jones and Juelz Santana sided with 50 Cent in his feud with Cam’ron, Cam decided that it would be best for him to take some time off. For the remainder of 2007 and well into 2008, Cam’ron was out of the public eye. Because he had become such a dominant figure in the hip hop world, a full search was made for Cam’ron. At the time, BET was still broadcasting their hip hop series, “Rap City,” and they hosted their show in Harlem for a week in search of the leader of Dipset.

Read the rest of this story at Hip Hop Vibe!

Read more...

LeBron James has the Cavs on a Roll

There will always be a discussion, or an argument, about who is best and who is less. In an effort to pick the best player in the NBA, a fair assessment simply cannot be made. There is a legitiamte argument for Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James. But, as it stands, LeBron is the hottest.

Not only is LeBron James playing the best basketball of his career, but he also has his Cleveland Cavaliers on top of the league. They are not just beating up on the weak teams, either, the Cavaliers are knocking out contenders. Sure, it is only February, but this is the month where runs are made. A few years ago, Miami proved this when they won 15 of 16 in the month and finished the season strong and ended up winning the championship.

James decided to start his run in January, though, and with the All-Star break coming up, he may allow the Cavaliers to lose one. That way, they can begin a new, possibly longer win streak after the break. Before this winning streak, Cleveland was one of the top teams in the East, but this streak has given them the East and the league for that matter. Despite being contenders before the winning streak, people still criticized LeBron James for not being as "accomplished" as Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade. However, during this season, neither Kobe Bryant nor Dwyane Wade have accomplished 12 wins in a row.

LeBron James will never be as great as Michael Jordan, he may never even equal up to Kobe Bryant, but he has finally proved that he is an effective leader. These 12 straight wins are no fluke, this team is standing at 42-11. That is a record that even Jordan and his Bulls would have struggled to get to during the height of MJ's popularity.

Read more...

Should Rockstar consider a San Andreas sequel?

Fans and game critics, alike can agree that one of the best video games released in 2004 was Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The game featured the rise of Carl "CJ" Johnson from the streets of the fictional Los Santos, San Andreas, to the top of the world. Of all of the Grand Theft Auto games, it had the deepest storyline.

San Andreas was one of the best come up stories in video game history, but it left the people wanting more. The game was great, but there is a lot more that the fans wanted. For starters, most fans want the game to have more missions to it. It was great to see CJ take over the streets, but shooting up Los Santos is not the same without the Vagos and the Ballas terrorizing. Once the game is beaten, it becomes boring.

As boring as San Andreas may be, there are still three cities to choose from, plenty of country towns and lots of real estate. People are still willing to play the game, but as they play, they are wanting more. Why can't San Andreas border a real-life state? Why can't CJ free roam? Those questions are asked, but the people soon become aware of the realities that set in. Still, though, if it were possible to add other cities to the game, that would become a major plus.

Ever since the 2004 release of San Andreas, there has been major demand for a sequel. As action-packed as it was and still is, the people want more. Rockstar made tremendous profits off of their first Grand Theft Auto video game to feature a black protagonist. Obviously, that is where the money is, so they may end up going back to San Andreas with other, previously unmentioned, cities.

Read more...

Dwyane Wade is Tired of Losing

Last season, the Miami Heat was a promising, young, talented team. During the season, Dwyane Wade established himself as a star of the same caliber as Kobe Bryant. The young talent around him was also able to prove itself, at times. Despite being an average team, Wade’s Heat did notch wins against the Magic, Lakers, Cavaliers, and Celtics. The promise of last season was expected to be fulfilled this season, it has not been.

Ever since the 2007-2008 season, it has been no secret that the Heat were going to try to land a big-name free agent to its roster. Pat Riley, the team president, said that Dwyane Wade was on board with this plan. But, during that same season, injuries to key players saw the Heat post a league-worst 15-67 record. The next season, Wade was finally healthy, but the talent around him was not what it used to be. He had an MVP-caliber season, but the Heat’s record held him back.

At the beginning of this season, Miami came out with all cylinders firing. They won six of their first seven games, the best start in their franchise’s history. Pat Riley had devised a back-up plan to the 2010 free agent market to keep Dwyane Wade happy. His back-up plan was to work some magic during the 2009 offseason. With Carlos Boozer unhappy in Utah, Riley planned to trade some back-up players and use the cap space to sign Lamar Odom.

The overall plan was to keep Dwyane Wade happy by surrounding him with Carlos Boozer and Lamar Odom, while retaining Jermaine O’Neal and Michael Beasley. Odom had said that he was going to sign with Miami, but in the end, he returned to his defending-champion Lakers. When the deal with Odom fell through, so did the dream team that would have also included former scoring champion and MVP, Allen Iverson.

After the ‘dream team’ did not come to be, Erik Spoelstra, the head coach of the Heat developed an idea for the team to grow from within. Jermaine O’Neal had stated that he regained the explosiveness that he had during his days with the Indiana Pacers. Also, the coaching staff reported that Michael Beasley would develop into a star. Mario Chalmers, the surprise of the previous season had also been said to have become a three-point shooter.

The quick start turned some heads, but in the end, it was revealed to be nothing more than a quick start. Their “heat” has fizzled away and Miami now sits at 25-27, barely within playoff contention. For a player as great as Dwyane Wade, this has to be hard, knowing that his teammates are not doing what they can to help him out. As the losses mount up, Wade could very well be in another jersey, competing for a NBA title, with another team.

Read more...