The NBA – Where 365 Days Of Entertainment Happens

As the 2009 NBA playoffs wrapped up, fans began pondering about life without basketball – if only for a few months. Luckily with emergence of social media and the overwhelming NBA presence on these platforms there has been no “off-season”. Fans went straight from playoffs to mock drafts, to free agent frenzy to what I call “Marketing Season”. I’m not sure its been all positive, but you can’t deny that it’s kept the game relevant even though the shot clock is off.

Here are some of the highlights along with some link love…

D Wade is the “Worst Rapper”?

Looks like Baron Davis has recruited Wade to start up a contest on I Beat You (a business venture of Baron’s) Previously we have seen the likes of Steve Nash and Chris Bosh take part in contests but this one has the potential of being great if they can get Shaq and Ron Ron to enter.
Check out the Flash show of his skills on the mic – Rap 1 Rap 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shaq steps into the ring

Sir Charles in Charge: Shaquille O’Neal On Raw (…)
Talk Hoops: Shaq Fu Part 2
Waiting For Next Year: While We’re Waiting… Shaquille O’Neal on Raw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shaq gets “blocked”

D.C. Sports Bog: Shaq Denied Entrance to White House
True Hoop: Shaquille O’Neal vs. the Secret Service
Binary Basketball: Shaq’s White House Marketing 101
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shaq steps into reality

BDL: Shaq to face Phelps, Pujols and De La Hoya in new reality show
Awful Announcing: Shaq To Take On Various Athletes In New Reality Show
King James Gospel: The Big Diesel vs. Big Ben?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dwight Howard – Hey Wooorrrrld!

Right now Dwight Howard has pretty much set himself up to take over the most loveable big man title. He is everywhere – Twitter, Facebook, uSTREAM. His blog is updated on the regular giving his fans access like never before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stephon Marbury has escaped from the BOX

For your enjoyment – Here you can find an MP3 of one of the famous quotes from #marburython and RedsArmy has a t-shirt ready to go

J.A Adande (ESPN): Streaming Steph is a sad, sad show
NBA Musings: When eccentric stops being fun
Empty the Bench: What’s Your Favorite Quote from Steph’s Live Stream?
Hoops Manifesto: He Blew His Mind Out
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Race to 50K – CB4 v/s CV31

I wrote on the subject earlier in the month on HoH

Bleacher Report: An interview with Charlie Villanueva
Raptors Republic: The #50k Fail
Red’s Army: Villanueva, Bosh race to 50K on Twitter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron Artest pays tribute to Michael Jackson

World Star Hip Hop: click here for the full version (H/T RoShine)
NBA Fanhouse: Ron Artest’s Tribute to Michael Jackson
Lake Show Life:Ron Artest’s Michael Jackson Rap Crap
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron Artest – Live in Concert

Sharapova’s Thigh: Ron Artest Rapping in China
The Faster Times: Ron Artest Brings the Hood to China
That NBA Lottery Pick: Ron Artest Rap Tour hits China
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE: Ron Artest Reflects – THE BRAWL

Had to throw this in. Ron Artest who has been touring China hopped onto twitter and posted the video along with the tweet: @96TruwarierQB Shin Shin wanted to know so I told her
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If I’m missing any stories… put in ’em in the comments

Repeat Offender – “Shut your trap”

What’s with NBA players and their mouth guards? This season more than ever I have noticed those mouth guards spending more time everywhere but in the mouth -that is straight NASTY! Above are some of the repeat offenders and on any given night you will find them chewing on the the mouth guard, tucking them in their socks, behind their ears, into their headbands, and even just holding them in the palm of their hand. The minute the whistle blows, out pops the saliva filled rubber/plastic piece… is there no mouth guard etiquette in effect? Players hold them in their hands, then high-five other players with no concern of all the germs and nastiness they pass on. Gerald Wallace might not have so many concussions if his mouth guard was actually in his mouth, most times I see it half hanging out as he is driving to the bucket. Shaq treats his like a piece of candy and he goes with the popular red and white guard that looks like he chewing on gummy worms through the night. Earlier this year Steve Nash found Chris Bosh’s mouth guard on the court and during a play picked it up and handed it back to him without flinching only to check his hands a minute later… those same hands that he has licked over 20 times in the game already and slicked his hair with!

Number Crunchin’ – O Brother, Where Art Thou?

This gallery contains 2 photos.

The back story of the Lakers v/s Grizzlies game will always be the more compelling one. Last night the Gasol brothers, who were traded for each other, met in a match up at Staples that was one we would rather … Continue reading →

The “IF” Factor – #2

“He’s a good player, but everything he’s done I’ve invented, so I’m not impressed,” O’Neal said. “For me to get my eyes wide open about another big man, he’ll have to do something that I haven’t seen before or something that I haven’t invented. Everything that he’s done, I’ve invented it.”

Superman 1.0

“IF” Shaquille O’Neal throws on his cop uniform and lays down the law on the Orlando rim
“IF” JRich can use Dwight as a prop for an in game dunk to practice for next year
“IF” Matt Barnes has a repeat performance – fool me once shame on you… fool me twice shame on me!

… The Phoenix Suns will win this game

Superman 2.0

“IF” Dwight grows a pair and lays it out on the court instead of whining to the press
“IF” the magic can make more 3’s than the suns (both teams in top 10)
“IF” Rafer Alston can pull a Nash and actually pass the ball

… The Orlando Magic will win this game