By that I mean, not some cutesy nickname for the Grizzlies. I mean: People who are pessimistic about the economy. As we tiptoe into free agency, I'm feeling there are plenty of signs that big-dollar NBA co
A lot of rookies arrive in the NBA to quotes like "he'll need to add some muscle." Holy cow. I dare anyone to say that to new Bobcat Derrick Brown. John Krolik of Cavs the Blog on the newly ava
Free agency starts at midnight tonight, and the class president is Hedo Turkoglu. The last time we saw the Orlando forward Turkoglu play, he did not have his best game. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals he dawdled on
Is having Michael Jordan as owner-operator in Charlotte more than just a conflict of interest? Speaking of Carolina guards -- does the acquisition of Ty Lawson mean the end of Anthony Carter's days in Denve
Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle: "Chris Bosh is 25 years old. He's 6-10. He's 23 points and 10 rebounds a night. He's a great kid. He's a Texan, too. (Actually, he's from Dal
The Evans' family approach to basketball development, from around the time he decided to go to Memphis: First spotted on Sactown Royalty.
The NBA just released a list showing which D-League teams will be affiliated with which NBA teams for the upcoming season. There are still 16 teams, but the two in Maine and Massachusetts are new, and the D-Lea
One year to win it all. That's the kind of pressure informing the decision-making of the Cavaliers. And it's not entirely distinct from what Jason Kidd might be thinking. He has more than one year, ce
Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "To address the little birdie and Charley Walters' 'report' that Ricky Rubio was in town -- or due in town -- yesterday to meet with David Kahn. Hone
We have been teased. As NBA fans, we were told we would get to see Ricky Rubio, one of the most exciting players on the planet, evolve into greatness before our eyes. Now plenty of people are suggesting -- insi
D-League player and TrueHoop contributor Coleman Collins, who has written about such things as Paris, Monaco, Germany, and Iran, reports now from Chinatown. My two favorite sports are basketball and soccer, fo
An anonymous TrueHoop reader, and former die-hard Sonic fan writes about his complicated relationship with NBA basketball as of last night: How is it even possible for an Arizona State fan to not enjoy NBA Draf
Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "David Kahn either has ESP or ADD. Someday we will view his selection of point guards on consecutive picks in his first draft as the Wolves' basketball bos
Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "David Kahn either has ESP or ADD. Someday we will view his selection of point guards on consecutive picks in his first draft as the Wolves' basketball bos
The day before the NBA draft, Ricky Rubio played word association. I said "Sacramento," and he said "Nice weather." I said "Oklahoma City," and he said "My best friend lives n
TrueHoop at the 2009 NBA Draft • Ricky Rubio's game • Brandon Jennings' teammate on Jennings • Sophisticated breakdown of Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin and Hasheem Thabeet • Ri
Frank Layden had a feeling, in a Chicago elevator, that John Stockton was special. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images) The 16th pick. Right now it's projected to be James Johnson, or maybe Omri
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz Before writing about basketball, I worked in opinion journalism. The interview subjects you encounter in that world generally make their livings expressing their ideas in words. In many
There has been talk about Minnesota trading up for the second pick to get Ricky Rubio, which of course may or may not happen. Minnesota certainly has plenty of trade assets, with the fifth, sixth, 18th and 28th
TrueHoop reader Neal asks a fair question: There are all kinds of reports that the Lakers will trade or sell their first-round pick and yet just the other day I wrote that "NBA rules prohibit trading your
At some point in the third or fourth hour of tonight's draft, you'll hear the name "Chase Budinger" announced -- quite possibly by Adam Silver, who usually presides over the second round. As r
Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer: "The Cavs are not done. They still are going to be looking for a wing defender (or two) and I think also a stretch power forward, aka a player who can go out to the 3
Ricky Rubio's Spanish team, DKV Joventut, has a powerful bargaining chip. The buyout Rubio would need to join the NBA -- being negotiated down as we speak -- could be worth a similar amount as his rookie NB
We're at ESPN Zone in New York City, where several NBA draft prospects will be stopping by. Kevin Arnovitz and I will be asking them all kinds of questions, including yours. The chat, including the place wh
In a hotel ballroom in New York, all kinds of NBA draft prospects just met with the teeming media. Some of what they said: Blake Griffin said that if he had the second pick in the draft, he'd use it on Ha
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz Reporter Nate Beutel composed an outstanding three-part series on Flynn for the Niagara Gazette in December 2006, just before the start of Flynn's senior season of high school ball.
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz You've reviewed the prospects' measurements. You've seen their projections as pro players. You've watched the buttoned-up interviews. But have you seen Stephen Curry
Does anybody think the Wizards are done trading? I don't think the Wizards are done trading. Hawks brass cautions that free agency may be a bigger concern than the draft. Hoopinion's Bret LaGree: &qu
Jeff McDonald and Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "In a move meant to jimmy open Tim Duncan's championship window just a few more inches, the Spurs obtained swingman Richard Jefferson from
It's nearly a footnote in a very thorough article about the Wizards and Timberwolves trade reported Tuesday. ESPN's Ric Bucher, Andy Katz and the Associated Press all contributed. And included was this:
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz It seems like we're privy to more information on draft prospects than ever this year. Want to see how a player shoots the ball? That's simple -- just press play on any number of
Just a really solid re-mix of various famous sports press conferences, with a funky beat.
Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell watches the Spurs like hawks watch field mice (as in, not casually, and with very good eyes). He weighs in on the news the Spurs have agreed in principle to acquire Richard
The Cheesecake Factory, doing really well in a bad economy. NPR's All Things Considered investigates the NBA's favorite restaurant. Although there is still some tough talk in the European press, Chad
With better performance from two players who were seldom available or useful last season, the Knicks could improve notably. For various reasons, Danilo Gallinari and Eddy Curry gave little last year. But a foot
Chris Beaven of the Canton Repository: "Consider the Cavaliers open to anything as summer gets ready to heat up. That could mean a big trade or signing a key free agent. It could mean making a move on dr
Missing from the 2009 draft process: Laser tag. Phil Jackson on returning to the bench, as interviewed on ESPN Radio Chicago: "I have some medical issues that I have to resolve and I have to take c
The TrueHoop Network is growing quickly today. We are very proud to announce the addition of some big names from the basketball blogosphere, as well as some tremendous new sites. Jim Del Favero founded Warrio
Watch Earl Clark play basketball, and it's clear he could have the most potential of any player in the 2009 draft. He's 6-10, can do just about everything, and starred on the best team in one of the tou
A lot of basketball fans are probably excited and curious to see the gamesmanship of draft day unfold. Where will big names like Ricky Rubio, Hasheem Thabeet and Stephen Curry will end up? Will Brandon Jennings
Howard Beck of The New York Times: "For the self-made draft experts, twisted emotions are implicit this time of year. The draft is Thursday. Fans are devouring mock drafts and player biographies and lear
One of the defining aspects of this draft is that there are a ton of point guards -- heading into a league that is hungry for good point guards. The Wolves held one of the most important group workouts of draft
While the cellar-dwellers prepare their draft board, the NBA's elite have some tough calls to make. Will the Lakers pony up for Lamar Odom? Is Hedo Turkoglu worth exceeding the cap for? And the Cavs confron
Amare Stoudmire tweets that his eye is going "great." Meeting with season ticket holders, Minnesota GM David Kahn reportedly shoots down two rumors: That Al Jefferson will be traded and Mark Jackso
With the Cavaliers' new Chinese minority ownership group, I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone suggested that Yao Ming would be coming to Cleveland. The Associated Press reports Yao's r
Don Seeholzer of the Pioneer Press: "A little Twitter post turned Kevin Love into a 24-hour media sensation Wednesday, but the Timberwolves' young forward said he has no regrets about inadvertently b
How do we know Kevin McHale was not a good coach? Britt Robson of Secrets of the City says McHale was the second-best coach in 'Wolves history, but still had to be fired: "The toxic public relations
I don't really know much about cycling, but I read every article I can get my hands on about the Tour de France. The timing has always been right. My whole life I have been scouring the sports section for N
Now that the Finals are over, it's time for employee reviews: Kevin McHale, Eddie House, the Kings' front line, Marvin Williams ... and, as always, Kobe Bryant: Rob Mahoney of Hardwood Paroxysm: "A
Easily my favorite thing that was on TrueHoop yesterday was a link the Go Go's singing "We Got the Beat." If you are a fan of UConn center Hasheem Thabeet, who is likely to be very high draft pick
Tom Powers of The Pioneer Press: "Big Al Jefferson said he was sad to see Kevin McHale go. Apparently, virtually all of the players had voiced support for McHale. Jefferson said he was 'shocked, disa
People in politics are so distressingly transparent. Can the best and the brightest really be so expedient? I know the answer to this is: Yes. And I know the answer to the follow-up "Why?" is: B
It's in progress right now. Nearly 100,000 people have reportedly assembled to greet the NBA Champions at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. You can listen live to the radio broadcast, and watch live online
NBA.om had Luke and Bill Walton write open letters to each other, in honor of Luke's first title. It's 99% pure father-son championship-inspired love-fest. It's well worth the read, for various nugg
It's all on video, courtesy of the Sacramento Bee's Sam Amick. Some highlights include comments on his confidence: I come here to play and to play the minutes. I didn't come here to play in the NBA
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: "Mitch Kupchak is responsible for building the 2009 champions except for Kobe Bryant. 'Yes, but it's not one person doing this, it's an organization wo
But are they? A very interesting radio show addressing that very question. A little more than 20 minutes in, basketball makes an appearance, as the hot hand is discussed.
When word emerged that the City of Los Angeles couldn't afford a Laker victory parade, it seemed like something of a tactic to get private donors to fill the gap. Reportedly, they did.
I was out of my office for 12 days of the NBA Finals. Before I left, I had planned to water the hell out the three plants that have been to my left, clinging to life, for four years. Opening the office door,
While the nation has been breathlessly hanging on every last moment of the NBA Finals, ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz has been patrolling the web for the best bloggers to round out the TrueHoop Network roster.
Trevor Ariza killed the Magic. And the Magic once had Trevor Ariza, therefore he could have killed the Lakers instead. Not so fast. See, the Trevor Ariza the Magic gave up was not the same Trevor Ariza that bea
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: "The Magic's first order of business during this all-important offseason must be to do whatever is necessary to get rid of point guard Rafer Alston. You heard me
While most of the basketball world was consumed by the NBA Finals, professional baller and TrueHoop contributor Coleman Collins was thinking about the events surrounding Iran's election. He writes: This is
--Chiclayo, Peru --Inglewood, California Over the past ten days, we've received photos from dozens of countries across six continents. Thanks for letting us into your homes, bars, frat
Thoughts, euphoria, grudging respect, and sober analysis of the Lakers' 15th NBA Championship from around the TrueHoop Network: Rob Mahoney of Hardwood Paroxysm: "Focusing on individual storylines and
The Lakers won Game 5 and the title. There was a trophy presentation on the floor, and then both teams retreated to their locker rooms -- the Lakers to spray champagne and get to know the trophy better, and the
Jeff Miller of The Orange County Register: "In the end, it really was all about the Lakers, just like these guys have been saying all season. It didn't matter what Orlando did in this series or this gam
Champion of the 2009 TrueHoop Stat Geek Smackdown. Berri, the lead author of the Wages of Wins, beat ESPN's John Hollinger by seven points. Hollinger picked every series of the playoffs right, except for th
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz The Orlando Magic have endured their share of shaky runs this postseason. They coughed up an 18-point lead with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter to lose their playoff o
I've talked to a dozen experts in the last hour and there is nothing remotely close to a consensus about what's going to happen. On the one hand is the argument that Kobe Bryant's veteran poise will
Regular people all over the world mostly want the same things: Some dignity, a roof over their heads, hope for their children, good drinking water, and a reasonable shot at success. That's why you'll ne
--Nicosia, Cyprus --Lima, Peru Please email us your photos from watching the Finals at TrueHoopPhotos@gmail.com. The guidelines: Tell us where you are! Include the city and count
The playoffs are like the regular season, but with shorter rotations, more intense strategy and, typically, more physicality. Teams get sick of each other, and they get cranky. Try it in your pickup game -- kee
We are quite possibly watching the most efficient playoff campaign of Kobe Bryant's career. (More along those lines.) Mark Madsen does not buy for one second that Phil Jackson doesn't have a lot of
If the Lakers win the NBA Championship on Sunday, some city officials are speculating about a parade on Figueroa Street on Tuesday. However, the police and cleanup crews for such an event cost something around
Phil Jackson does a fairly convincing job not focusing on winning ten rings. But when he returned to the Lakers in 2004, his friend and colleague Tex Winter told Roland Lazenby, in "The Show," that Ja
Eric Neel's tremendous profile of Phil Jackson includes a pertinent question: He looks down at the floor as he talks, and I step closer, and I'm listening to him, and I can hear the echoes of "Sac
--Brooklyn, New York --Amsterdam, The Netherlands Please email us your photos from watching the Finals at TrueHoopPhotos@gmail.com. The guidelines: Tell us where you are! Include
Everyone here in Orlando is all bent out of shape about the free throws, but what the hell are you supposed to do about missed free throws? I mean, once the ball's in play, you can't exactly practice th
A soul-crushing defeat for the Magic is a faith-inspiring event for Lakers fans. When it's all over, is it possible Kobe Bryant might have played his finest postseason ever? And will these playoffs mark the
Bill Plaschke of Los Angeles Times: "Typical Fish. At the end of the most indelible game of his enduring Lakers career, Derek Fisher disappeared. He was swallowed by the long limbs of Lamar Odom, the lon
Probably the biggest sub-plot of these Finals, in the final analysis, is that it's Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant's best chance ever to prove that they can win a title without an unfair advantage (See: Jo
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz The Orlando Magic don't have an unstoppable one-on-one player who can manufacture points out of thin air. When they want something, they have to execute. And for the better part of
Look out Twitter. Game 3 was so active we got in trouble. And we're going to do it again! We're back for more, live from Orlando, where either the Stan Van Gundy mustache is catching on, or people actua
--Tomsk, Siberian Federal District, Russia --Spring Lake, New Jersey Please email us your photos from watching the Finals tonight at TrueHoopPhotos@gmail.com. The guidelines: Tell
Brian Kamenetzky of the L.A. Times has published a converation with Laker assistant coach Brian Shaw. Kobe Bryant's former teammate goes into candid detail about what it's like to play with this partic
In talking to Magic big man Adonal Foyle, I have learned way more than we can fit into his video playoff journal. For instance, yesterday when he told me that Dwight Howard has an above average post-game, I tal
Kobe Bryant with the quote of the year: "As far as me hitting the wall, so what if I did? I didn't, but so what if I did? What does it mean if you did? It means nothing. Because? Because I'll run
Jeff Miller of The Orange County Register: "There's only one way to get Pau Gasol to stop talking about it, and that's for us to stop asking about it. So, entering tonight and Game 4, here's
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz There have been calls throughout the postseason for Pau Gasol to see more opportunities to score down on the low block. Gasol himself hadn't been one of those critics. The Lakers
On Tuesday evening, I settled into my media row seat next to David Thorpe for Game 3 of the NBA Finals. I always like to pick Thorpe's brain, so I asked him a question along the lines of "if you start
--Beirut, Lebanon --Auckland, New Zealand Please email us your photos from watching the Finals at TrueHoopPhotos@gmail.com. The guidelines: Tell us where you are! Include the city
There is a vibrant movement afoot to get rid of the American penny. Its value is almost small enough to make it almost not worth the hassle. LeBron James is playing the game at another level entirely, however,
Dwight Howard has spent a lot of his career overflowing with youthful enthusiasm. But he's sounding more and more like an adult these days. Consider these comments from today's meet-the-media session: I
The Magic beat the Lakers to hold serve ... so why then are Lakers partisans okay today, while Orlando fans are feeling cagey? Are the Lakers leaving money on the table at the point? And Toronto says goodbye to
Michael White of the Orlando Sentinel: "Fine. The Orlando Magic won a game. In the Finals. I am proud. Trust me, that win, even if the vast majority of the folks celebrating on Orange Ave. do not realize
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz In a postseason that lasts more than eight weeks, it's hard to appreciate the full scope of what a team has experienced. While most of us were falling in love with the Boston-Chica
Kobe Bryant paced. He walked in circles, he swayed from side to side, and he rocked onto his heels. With 8:46 left in an NBA Finals game, his team was down six on the road. Show time. Only the show was on hold.
Game 2 did the job of making a convincing case that these two teams can play close, competitive games. Here in Orlando, fans would like to to expect lots of good basketball to come -- at least four games. Tonig
-- Žilina, Slovakia --San Antonio, Texas (newsroom) Please email us your photos from watching the Finals tonight at TrueHoopPhotos@gmail.com. The guidelines: Tell us where you a
Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal with word of the second pick being shopped, which makes sense -- it's a draft with the perception of two special players, then a dozen or so who are similar. If you
There's a guilty pleasure in an artistic review that is wholly unrestrained in its negativity. Unfortunately for the New Jersey Nets, their latest Brooklyn arena design is feeling that very sting. Remember
One of my favorite moments of "Kobe Doin' Work" is when the camera catches Manu Ginobili sitting on the San Antonio bench, injured, and Bryant says: "That's a bad boy, right there."
An early theme of these Finals has been bad Magic guard play. The needs are many -- Rafer Alston's shooting, J.J. Redick's finishing, Jameer Nelson's timing and Courtney Lee's aggression -- coul
Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: "If Jerry Buss isn't here -- and daughter Jeanie, an increasingly prominent face for the organization, isn't scheduled to come either -- who accepts the
--Athens, Greece --Paris, France Please email us your photos from watching the Finals tonight at TrueHoopPhotos@gmail.com. The guidelines: Please email your photos to TrueHoo
Are the Lakers wholly dominant, or did Orlando just have a bad night on Thursday? Tonight we get to find out. We'll be liveblogging from Staples Center in Los Angeles once again. Game time is 8pm ET. UPDATE
An NBA press release: WHAT: Major NBA Announcement WHO: David Stern, NBA Commissioner Timothy J. Leiweke, President & CEO AEG Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles Jan Perry, Councilwom
David Thorpe is expecting things to be pretty different in Game 2. The Orlando Magic couldn't figure things out at the offensive end of the floor. But if they had been scoring at all like they did in the
The Orlando Magic vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, live from Staples Center. Tonight's liveblogging has a special new twist: It's on Twitter and right here, both at the same time -- through the magic of the
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz There's a lengthy interview with Lamar Odom posted in the video gallery at his official website: Most of the interview is boilerplate stuff, but the opening snippet about candyleri
You notice there are a lot of 2004 draftees around in these playoffs? Dwight Howard was the first pick. Ben Gordon was third. Andre Iguodala was ninth, Josh Smith 17th, J.R. Smith 18th, and Jameer Nelson was th
Deep Thought #1 As of 2001, the NBA has a rule that bans a defensive player from standing in the lane for more than three seconds without guarding somebody. The whole idea is to make the game fun to watch. It s
The Magic bask in the warm glow of their ECF upset, while Cleveland is forced to do some serious soul-searching. The Sixers opt for a tried-and-true choice to propel them forward. And what should the Knicks do
Please register.
To track players you must be logged in first. Sign up right above this notification box, then add as many players as you wish or even import your roster. :)
iPhone Application