Basketball on and off the court

Eric Gordon to become one of the most fearless dunkers in November 2010

2010-11-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Erci Gordon is a frequent participant in the NBA November highlights with his dunks.
He dunked over Tim Duncan & made another jaw-dropping dunk in the game versus Spurs:

Then he dunked in the game vs Utah:

Russia to beat Greece & capture second place in the group

2010-09-04T03:49:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, Russians have beaten Greece & had some great moments during the game:

It was rumored, that the Greeks deliberately lost in the game in order not to face Spain in 1/8 Finals. I'm a bit skeptical about that because the score was close & there were moments that showed that Greece was really trying to score & win, but the irony is that Greece faces Spain anyway.

Best moments & dunks from Sprite Slamdunk Showdown

2010-08-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

Former NBA players to participate in Russian Slamdunk Contest

2010-08-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

Even former NBA slamdunk champ Gerald Green was there, as well as James White & Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Among other participants there were Russian players Igor Tkachenko and Viatcheslav Zaitsev.

All players showed some very decent dunks.

Ty Lawson Drives, Elevates, and Slams

2009-11-29T09:53:00.001-08:00

Charles Barkley vs Dwyane Wade 1 on 1

2009-08-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately not in full but anyway interesting

Eastern conference Finals: Will Cavs win?

2009-05-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

Cavaliers unexpectedly (unpredictably, rather) lost their Game 1 vs Magic. For some reason Cavaliers were rarely scoring at the end of the third quarter and let Orlando come to the one-basket distance. And the game was won by one basket: Rashard Lewis hit a three-pointer, the game-decisive trey. I think Cavs will even it tonight but the whole series will be tough for the both teams and Cavs will win it either 4-3 or 4-2.

PS If you wanna score when Lebron is near you better dunk. Dwight wasn't dunking at James' high-flying and got blocked. Cortney Lee & Pietrus dunked and that's why they didn't get blocked by Lebron

Funny: Shaq gives Nate Robinson a lift

2009-05-11T10:05:00.001-07:00

Shaquille O'neal punches a fan in the face

2009-05-09T12:56:00.001-07:00

That's what you get when you pay for expensive tickets

Jamario Moon - inhuman rebound

2009-05-08T00:14:00.001-07:00

Jamario proved with this rebound that if he's not from the Moon then he's at least not from the Earth.

NBA Twitter Report: Top NBA players using twitter

2009-05-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

We all know that twitter is the most successful Web 2.0 start-up which has surpassed in popularity other social networks.

NBA players have also paid attention to this short messaging service. One of the first NBA players I personally followed were Shaquille O'Neal and Nate Robinson. Among other NBA stars one can found on twitter such players as Jason Richardson, Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh etc. Of course, there are many chances to come across a fake account when somebody proclaims he's the real Lebron James or D-Wade. Luckily, there is a twitter account with a self-describing name NBAPlayers, whose owner double checks and asks for proof so it's easier for you to be more or less sure that a certain twitter account belong to a respective NBA player.

For that reason I'd recommend to follow NBAPlayers, meanwhile I decided to find out how often NBA players twitter and which ones are most popular.

So, let's begin.

First of all, I summarized in the chart below who is the most fruitful twitterer. Without a surprise I discovered it was Shaq.

Shaq's got more than 1,200 tweets, while Charlie Villanueva, ranked second, got less than 1,000 tweets. You can also notice in the list Eric Snow, who isn't an active player anymore and has become an NBA analyst.

Then, I tried to find out who is the most popular NBA player in the twitter community. No wonder it's Shaq again, though the top list has some significant changes form the first one:

Shaq is again totally unreachable by others with more than 800,000 (!) followers, Paul Pierce has got more than 200,000 (looks like plenty of Boston Celtics fans use twitter), Jason Richardson is ranked 10th with slightly more than 13,000 followers.

Let's now find out who's got most friends on twitter (in other words, following other people's twitter accounts):

Now Shaq has surprisingly not captured the first position giving it up to Paul Pierce while going down to the third one. Jalen Rose is second. It gives me the reasons to suspect that it's not just Paul Pierce writing to his twitter account, because I found a lot of references to his website and other promotion programs. I think people managing his website decided to seriously use twitter as a marketing tool.

As for Shaq, I think he manages his twitter account alone. He doesn't tend to spoil his tweets with ads and that's the reason, imho, why he's ranked as one of the most popular twitterers overall (not only among athletes).

This brief overiew has been prepared with the help of such great web tools as Twitter API, Yahoo Pipes and Google Spreadsheets.

Russian Massmedia: Kobe Bryant to Play in Russia for $40 million

2008-09-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Due to financial crisis it's now not a surprise that basketball players prefer to play in Europe - EUR/USD ratio difference is almost 40% and getting same money but in euros, thus by 40% more is a very attractive prospective.

We all know about Josh Childress, Garbajosa, Arroyo coming back to Europe.

But one of the most attractive destinations for NBA players could be Russia. Again, it's not a surprise, since laundrying oil money via proffesional sports is a standrd schemes.

Russian basketball league (It's called Superleague, ha-ha)has an overwhelming amount of foreign players (that's, probably, one of the reasons why Russians failed in Beijing). While European and, soon or already, American stars play games, Russian players sit on benches.

It's also no news anymore that Carlos Delphino will play in Russia (he will be a teammate of Jorge Garbajosa and Milt Palacio - also a former NBA player). Janero Pargo after a very successful season for New Orleans Hornets left NBA for Russia as well. Bostjan Nachbar will start the upcoming season for a Russian club as well (he will join Travis Hansen).

Nenad Krstic has also left New Jersey Nets for a Russina club named Triumph.

As we can see, more and more strong players left NBA to play for Russia. there are no superstars so far, but who knows, esspecially after an interview given by Kobe Bryant to Russian journalists ( after USA Team beat Russian Team in a pre-olympic game).

In reply to a question whether he might follow his NBA colleagues and come to play in Russia Kobe said "I'm ready to play in Russia for $40 million a year". And he was absolutely serious.

So now it doesn't seem so impossible...

Boris Gorentc - story coming to its end

2008-09-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

Boris Gorentc announced about finishing his career due to knee injuries. That's how high-flyers and dunkers usually end their careers.
You probably haven't even heard about him. Few people know that he was even signed by Chicago Bulls in 1997 and he had a chance to practice with Michael Jordan (Unfortunately, he was waived a month after being signed thus having not played a single official NBA game).

He was known for his solid skills and excellent leaping ability for a white basketball player. He participated in a Slovenian slamdunk contest versus Marco Milic in 1995. I suggest to watch this video:

HORFORD is HORror for tj FORD

2007-12-13T03:22:00.000-08:00

Well, it really looked like he did it unintentionally, but still it was awful to see him do like this: T. J. Ford was about to score on a fast break after he had stolen the ball but the rookie Al Horford hit him in the face from behind. TJ Ford fell down on the floor on his back. Watch:

here or here.

Andrei Kirilenko Swats Yao Ming

2007-12-11T12:34:00.001-08:00

"Not in my house!" said Kirilenko and blocked Yao Ming's shot.

Luol Deng insults Yao Ming

2007-12-11T12:23:00.001-08:00

This time it's Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng fearlessly dunking in the face of Yao Ming

2 Americans lead Russians to Gold Medals in Eurobasket 2007

2007-09-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, but it's true! Russians win the Eurobasket 2007 beating in the final game the Spanish team (who are the world champions). The Russian national basketball team has been led by J. R. Holden who is an American citizen but was offered russian citizenship and invited to the Russian team.
The head coach is Davit Blatt who is also an American citizen.
The Russian team was an underdog prior to the tournament. Moreover, Russians lost to Spanish team a few games before. But then they became unstoppable. Frenchmen with their leader and 3 time NBA champion Tony Parker were defeated. Then Lithuanian team was also defeated. Even Jasikiavichus was unable to help.

The Spanish team with their leaders Pau Gasol, Calderon, soon-to-be an NBA player Rudy Fernandez was waiting for their turn.

Nobody believed in Russians. But a unique talent of David Blatt, J. R. Holden, NBA players Andrei Kirilenko and Victor Khryapa and their and other Russian players' great desire to win helped them win by one point in the final seconds of the game. That was J. R. Holden who made the game-winning shot!

And Russian basketball team are headed now to Beijing ranking as the champions of Europe.

Watch the highlights of the final seconds of the game:

Basketball Club battling versus the whole country

2007-04-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

There is a good article which can be found on the blog of the head coach of CSKA Basketball club (CSKA) Ettore MESSINA. Last year they won the Euroleague championship title which the second strongest championship in the world (after NBA, of course).
As you know last fall CSKA beat Los Angeles Clippers and lost to Philadelphia 76ers.

Ettore MESSINA is famous for his coaching style, intelligence and brilliant quotes. So let me cite his notes on what he thinks of the latest loss to Maccabi (Tel-Aviv):

This year we enter the playoffs in a completely different situation. Last year we weren’t considered favorites due to David Andersen’s injury. When we played against Efes Pilsen, we knew we were facing an opponent we could beat, not that we had to beat. Pressure was high, but not as high as it’s now. Eventually, we managed to perform well under pressure, though the first home game was tight and the away game was extremely tight.

This year the majority of specialists around Europe predict that we defeat Maccabi and advance to Final Four. There are almost no doubts on the subject. Read players’ previews on Euroleague official site and you’ll see that everyone says CSKA will make it to Final Four.

These opinions are based on our good performance in Top 16 and regular season. However, great record does not guarantee the title. Last year Unicaja headed to Top 16 with the best record in regular season, then lost it's first home game and finally did not make it to the playoffs.

I remember that and I was worried back in Top 16 when we faced Joventut. Then the pressure went down as we played some very good games, like the one against Olympiacos in Piraeus, and qualified for the playoffs.

This year’s situation reminds me a lot the one I had in Kinder during my last season with that club. It also reminds the situation you had here in Moscow back in 2005 when you hosted Final Four.

In Kinder, we had a totally different team. We had very young players at some positions. We had young Becirovic and other players felt we were cutting down their game time to give more to him. This resulted in an imbalance. Rashard Griffith, our starting center, was recovering from an injury. We were struggling a lot that season. We lost 5 or 6 games by a wide margin.

Now, we’re in a more dangerous situation. As we went smoothly through the season and Maccabi struggled due to fact they changed some key players and the coach, general opinion is that we will win the series.

But it’s not that simple. First of all, when you face Maccabi, you face the whole country. Maccabi is by far the most popular team in Israel. They have the support and faith of their fans. Look at the results of the last three Final Fours and you’ll see this kind of support might be a source of a huge advantage.

Second, they kept some key players with strong personality like Sharp, Burstein and Vujcic who are able to lead the team in difficult moments. They are experienced players who know how to handle the pressure and how to perform in crucial episodes.

The players who replaced Solomon, Baston and Parker are not at that level yet. But they have the potential to explode in big games. Maccabi invested a lot in young players and they are already making a big contribution. For example, Jasaitis, who played for Lietuvos Rytas last season. Spahija liked him so much he took him to Maccabi.

Third, Spahija is one of the best coaches in Europe. I know him since he worked in Italy. He’s an intelligent person, he rarely overreacts and he knows exactly how to prepare the team to win.

Maccabi’s game is very similar to what they had last year. Spahija intelligently kept a great part of the system. For example, transition, pick-and-roll and Vujcic playing in the high post looking for an open man. Spahija also made little adjustments as he had some new players. For example, he has some screening offense for Jasaitis and Sharp who are his best shooters. He created some situations for Bynum, who’s very quick, to attack one-on-one. But the core of the system is there. It makes Sharp, Vujcic and Burstein feel confident in the system. It would have been much more difficult for Spahija to change the system completely.

Of course, Spahija doesn’t have the openness of character Pini Gershon has. Pini could keep the stage by himself. He’s not only the coach with strong personally, but also the person who attracts the spotlight. Everybody is fascinated by his way of dealing with press, fans and players. Pini and Neven have 15 years of difference which is also a factor.

Finally, the most important thing, Maccabi doesn’t feel any pressure. Everybody expects us to win.

I must say I’m extremely concerned about the way we performed in Rostov. I’m not the one who thinks it’s easy for a team to switch the light on and off like that, on call. I never believed to those who say it’s normal to relax a little bit and to lose before such important games, like the ones against Maccabi. I believe in the continuity and in the power of habit. Only a habit of keeping concentration could help you to perform well on a regular basis.

I’ve already said that after our losses to UNICS and Khimki, but I would like to repeat it. Every time this team lost a game, it always bounced back with a good performance. I hope it will be the case this time as well.

For three days before the game against Lokomotiv Rostov we had prepared well. We knew that Rostov is a good team who had already defeated Dynamo. In my opinion, Lokomotiv Rostov and Spartak Saint Petersburg are the most improved teams this year. We knew that this was going to be a difficult game. Probably, we didn’t have little fear of losing inside ourselves that it’s so important to have sometimes. Now, we have some fear of losing.

I expect the series to be extremely difficult. It will be a battle: two good teams playing with their hearts, two strong organizations with solid backgrounds. I do not even rely on the home court advantage as Maccabi is used to play on the road. And, no doubt, they will have fans over here.

This year we will have tough playoffs in Euroleague as well as in Russian championship. In Russian league, all teams have improved their rosters as compared to last year. They got better technically and physically. So we will need an extra portion of mental, physical and technical preparation.

We have to work harder than ever to deserve to go to Final Four this year.

Source: http://sports.ru/blog.html?blogid=377958

Dwyane the Hero: Wade refused to go under the knife

2007-03-06T00:41:00.000-08:00

Dwyane Wade has behaved like a man. He refused to undergo a season-ending surgery just in order to help his team clinch the playoff birth. Though chances for Miami Heat to with the championship are, frankly, low.

"He's a warrior. He's a soldier. And these are his guys," Pat Riley said. Though Dwyane Wade's dislocated left shoulder is so fragile there's a risk of aggravating the injury even when he sleeps.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Shaq Break Dancing

2007-03-03T02:48:00.000-08:00

You've probably heard that Shaq had shown some of his dancing skills prior to All Star Game beating easily LeBron James and Dwight Howard in this humorous contest. Let's see how it was:

SpinCam Dunks from 2007 Slam Dunk Contest

2007-02-18T02:31:00.000-08:00

Watch the official NBA video taken from Slam Dunk Contest using the new SpinCam technology:

SpinCam: Tyrus Thomas Dunk #2

Watch Tyrus Thomas' second dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend with SpinCam Technology.

SpinCam: Gerald Green Dunk #2

Watch Gerald Green's second dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend with SpinCam Technology.

SpinCam: Gerald Green Dunk #1

Watch Gerald Green's first dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend with SpinCam Technology.

SpinCam: Gerald Green Dunk #4

Watch Gerald Green's fourth dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend with SpinCam Technology.

SpinCam: Dwight Howard Dunk #2

Watch Dwight Howard's second dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend with SpinCam Technology.

SpinCam: Nate Robinson Dunk #2

Watch Nate Robinson's second dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend with SpinCam Technology.

SpinCam: Nate Robinson Dunk #1

Watch Nate Robinson's first dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend with SpinCam Technology.

Gilbert Arenas Best Plays

2007-02-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

We've been talking about Gilbert Arenas, now it's time to watch his best plays:

Well, this man can really rise and shoot.

Myree Bowden sick Dunks: Jaw-Dropping

2007-02-09T02:44:00.000-08:00

I've never seen a guy dunking in such a way - his head is at the rim level though he's just 6'1". No wonder he used to play for Harlem Globetrotters...

Gerald Green is the New Slam Dunk Champ

2007-02-08T02:35:00.000-08:00

How? Why? How come? This is what you're most likely now asking me.
Read and... agree with me, because thre would be nothing left to object.

So, lets first look at the competitors:

Nate Robinson. This 5'9" explosive little devil proved that he can dunk the ball (though sometimes it took him a dozen attempts). But... do you still believe that he can make it twice? Robinson, like Spud Webb in his era impressed the crowd with his dunks being such short in height. Now, when we all know that he can dunk we would expect something more than just dunk, we would want something like 360 windmill fro the free throw line (right, we've been spoilt with those unbelievable dunks by Carter, Jordan, Wilkins, Richardson, Mason and others, so now we want something really superior). With all due respect to Robinson, we all understand that doing something extraordinary cannot be done with his height (though... his between the legs off two feet dunk at the 2006 competition imressed me very much)
Conclusion: it's unlikely Robinson will defend his title. But my personal sympathy makes me wish him good luck.

Tyrus Thomas. While standing 6'9" he hasn't earned his name (and will he?) for his tremendeous dunks yet. Moreover, he's been already fined $10,000 for telling that he particvipates in the competition just for money (even if he doesn't win he'll get more than $16K). That means he won't be ripping his ass out to win in the contest. So my prediction is he'll make some windmills or off-the-board dunks or 360's (which are already quite standard for NBA players) and get his check. That's it. (By the way, who of you is able to recall some more or less memorable dunks done by Thomas this year?)
Conclusion: Thomas is not this year's contender, either.

We got Dwight Howard here. He's definitely a power dunker and power player (just look at him - he is a real basketball monster machine: 6'11" frame with 265 pounds of muscles). But this is not enough to win the contest. What is good in a game (power driving to the hopp and finishing strong) is not as good in the Slam Dunk competition. We expect high-flying, acrobatic, unusual dunks. I don't think Howard is as graceful as Kobe Bryany, as high flying as vince Carter and as acrobatic as Jason Richardson. Frankly, I don't think Howard will impress the crowd with his dunks (except for one thing: if he breaks the backboard. But I'm afraid it won't bring him a lot of points from judges).
Conclusion: the best achievement in the upcoming competition: runner-up.

So, after all being said above we look at the final man in our review: Gerald Green. 6'8" while just 2006 pounds, jumping high and sometimes quite creative in doing his dunks - he's the most probable winner of the competition. I don't think there are dunks he isn't able to do. All he needs at the competition is to be creative and show us something that we haven't seen (or rarely seen) at the previous contests. Moreover, I think both Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter (who are selected to be judjeg on the contest) will sympathize with Green: he's young about the same height as they are and jumps high, too. We all rememeber his dunks, especially that one where he dunked the ball after an off-the-board pass with his head at the rim level. I think, if Green tries, he can impress both the judges and crowd.
Conclusin: to disappointment of Nate robinson, Dwight Howard and Tyrus Thomas (well, i'm not sure there are) fans, Gerald Green is the new Slam Dunk champion even before the competition. Of course, it is less intriguing for the competition, but I'm sure it won't make it less interesting. We all love this contest (even though not everyone is ready to admit it)

PS Now watch some of Gerald Green's highlights:

Jews are the best basketball nation

2007-02-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

Surprised? You don't believe me? Forget your doubts. I'll explain it to you easily.

First of all, I'm not a racist nor antisemit. But hey, look at their names:

Michael Jordan.
Photo: AP

Who is the best basketball player ever? Right, the first name that comes to your mind is Michael Jordan. Jordan... Jordan? What? Isn't it a pure Jewish name? Yeah, I know, it's also the name of one of the countries in Mid-East and a river, but I strongly suspect that the name itself has Jewish roots...

Now tell me how come a black man has a Jewish name?

Let's move on...

Who is one of the most popular NBA players in our days? Right. That's Allen Iverson. Iverson... Iverson? His last name is kinda interesting, too. Very resembling and.... Yeah, I think it at least looks like a bit Jewish...

Again, tell me, how come the two best basketball players in the NBA history have Jewish names? I'm afraid, noone will answer.

And this is not the end of the list: Stephen Jackson and other Jacksons - if you look it up in those science books you'll find it out that this name also originates from a Jewish one. One can find many more Jewish names in the NBA rosters.

So you may disagree, but Jewish nation produced the best basketball players. Period.

PS I intentionally don't mention any names related to ... khm... some commissioners... But the best basketball managers will be covered in my future posts, I think.

NBA players on streets

2007-02-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

We all know that NBA stars can do spectacular things at those overcrowded stellar arenas. But how do they perform on streets playing with blacktop 'born on street' stars? Let's check it out:

Is it worth betting with Gilbert Arenas on shooting?

2007-02-05T03:46:00.000-08:00

Terms are simple: Gilbert shoots with one hand, DeShawn Stevenson with two (regular shot). The winner gets $20,000. Who would win? watch this video:

Rare Video of Kevin Johnson's Dunk

2007-02-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to all Kevin Johnson's fans. We all knew that he could dunk hard (just recall his tremendous slam over Hakeen Olajuwon). Recently I found a short video where he dunks on a fast break in a playoff-game versus Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, his dunk wasn't counted because he'd been fouled. Enjoy.

How did LeBron James perform in High School

2007-02-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

I caught myself on the thought that I remember quite few moments from LeBron's pre-NBA career. We all remember that even Michael Jordan didn't think much of LeBron James telling that he was taking a lot of advantage of his height and dimensions over other high school players. Well, looks like Michael Jordan was wrong again. Meanwhile, let's watch the real highlights from LeBron James' high school games:

5'6" guy dunking hard during warmup

2007-01-31T06:13:00.000-08:00

Another prove that short guys can dunk. Look at this shortie:

NBA Arenas on Map

2007-01-25T06:06:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to know where exactly NBA teams play? Have you ever wanted to know what NBA teams' locations look like on the US map?

I have. I guess, that's why I've created this interactive map. Now you can easily locate your favorite team arena and view it as though you were flying over it (Sorry, I couldn't make it feel as though you were sitting at the VIP seats. But I swear I tried).

Enjoy the power of Google Maps features: in the upper left corner use "+" and "-" to zoom in and zoom out, respectively. In order to switch between map view and sattelite view, use the respective buttons in the upper right corner. Panning is done by holding your mouse's left button and dragging the map. By clicking those basketballs you'll pop out a balloon with a brief information on each arena.

Hope, you'll like it.

PS I'd appreciate if let me know on mistakes you might find. Use comments to this post. Thanks.

Darrell Armstrong Dunks: Rare Video

2007-01-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

Few people know that Darrell Armstrong who made his name in the NBA for his hustle defense and hardworking was never drafted. Before having signed with the Orlando Magic he'd spent a couple of years in Europe setting some local game records. He also participated in slam dunk contests and showed some dunking skills in games.

Below you can find a selection of the most memorable moments:

Self Passing off the board and dunking with two hands

He got hops:

Taking part in a European slam dunk championship

Game Highlights

NBA videoclip: Hillary Duff Lil’ Romeo “Tell Me a Story”

2007-01-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

hillaryduff-lilromeo-tellmeastory.zip

(Archive password is nba4pda)

These guys are making fun of alley-oops.

2007-01-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

It's a pretty fun stuff: guy are making art of alley-oops. Won't be bad for a local slam-dunk competition.

Best Dunks on 7'6" Shawn Bradley

2007-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

You gotta see this. These are rare situations when height is not an advantage.

Nba Top Clutch Plays of the Year 2006

2007-01-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

Amazing clutch plays of the year: buzzer-beaters, coast-to coast fast breaks, winning shots:

NBA Top Plays 2006: Assists

2007-01-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

The year 2006 is over. Time to select the best NBA plays. Today you can view the top assists of the year 2006 (starring Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Andrei Kirilenko, Dwyane Wade and others)

Dwyane Wade comes back with 41 pts - video highlights

2006-12-17T01:49:00.000-08:00

Dwyane Wade comes back after two-games off with the season high 41 ponts.

Zo Mourning provided the strong defensive support with 5 blocks

Watch the Dwyane Wade's game highlights:

Dwyane Wade with 41 pts.

Nate Robinson on changes in NBA

2006-11-30T06:43:00.000-08:00

Nate Robinson, the 2006 NBA Slam Dunk champion, writes in his blog on recent changes in the league. We cite the full story below:

"There are two new changes in the NBA this season that are having an impact on the league. One is the new basketball which is a synthetic material, while the old one was leather.

A lot of players have complained about the new ball. But it’s fine for me regardless of which ball we use. I’m only in my second year in the league, and in college, every school had its own ball, and they were often different from what we used at Washington.

So it doesn’t really matter to me. The new ball is not that bad, it just feels different, and a lot of guys loved the old ball. I loved it as well. Everybody wanted an NBA ball growing up as a kid.

But in the long run, I don’t think it will be a big deal, and the criticisms will quiet down. It’s not like the players are going to go on strike because of the ball.

The other change this season is a crackdown on complaining to the referees. They just don’t want players carrying on and whining a lot. But it seems like they’ve really gone too far.

I’ve received three technicals this season, and each one cost me $1,000. The first T came in our first game of the season. A guy hooked me, and I told the refs “they’re hooking me.” And I got a T for that. I thought to myself “wow, they’re not playin’.”

Then, in another game, I blocked a shot and they called a foul on me. I jumped up and said “WHOA!”, and they called a technical on me. I didn’t swear, I wasn’t in the ref’s face or anything.

I saw that Carmelo Anthony got T’d up twice and kicked out of a game for throwing his headband to his bench. And Quentin Richardson got a T for throwing his headband off once.

It’s just different this year. They’re taking so much away from the game, focusing on every little thing you do. You can’t react to calls so we just have to adjust as players.

I think (and I hope) that eventually this will quiet down a little bit. I think the refs will eventually ease off a little bit. You have to let guys react with emotion as long as they’re not going crazy with it.

The players will also adjust and tone down their acts. In the meantime, they’re making a lot of money off of those technicals!"

The shortest rejecting the tallest

2006-11-24T01:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, it was cool: Nate Robinson, one of the shortest active players in the league (he's standing just 5'9" tall) rejected a shot of the tallest guy in the NBA - Yao Ming (he's 7'6") - Nate didn't hesitate to overcome almost two feet difference in height and blocked that shot. Watch and enjoy:

As a bonus: Nate Robinson puts it back with two hands:

Nate Robinson gets his own named kicks

2006-11-23T00:31:00.000-08:00

As Nate Robinson writes in his blog, Nike manufactured new basketball shoes with Robinson's name on them:

"Guess what everyone ... I've got my own shoe! As part of the 25th anniversary of the popular Air Force One, Nike decided to re-release different versions of the shoe, including one just for me.

I've always been a big fan of the Air Force One, so it's pretty cool to have my own version. I got to go to a party and see the new shoe, and pose for some photos, as you can see here...

I also met Tracy Teague, who designed the shoe. He said the new Air Force Ones have the best cushion and support of any shoe he's designed. "

Just to inform those who don't know: Nate robinson is the NBA 2006 Slam Dunk champion. Being just 5'9" he possesses a unique leaping ability, so he sometimes shows up in NBA video highlights with his alley-oops or putback slams.

Now it's proved: White Men Can Jump

2006-11-15T03:58:00.000-08:00

Recently we managed to get this video from a russian baller whoose height is not more than 6 feet. Nevertheless, he can dunk the ball into regular rim easily. He can do dunks in almost all possible ways: between the legs (! - you rememeber, this was the dunk that helped Kobe Bryant win the SlamDunk Contest in 1997), over people, 360, windmills and so on.

So let us not abuse your patience - just watch and enjoy!

Yao Ming gets dunked on again

2006-11-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

This time it's Dahntay Jones of Memphis Grizzlies in a game against Houston Rockets which took place on November 8, 2006. He threw down this powerful, jaw-dropping dunk right over 7'6" Yao Ming. Seems like it's time to compile a top 30 dunks over Yao (such a mix will be most likely coming soon...)

Euroleague: CSKA Moscow - Aris Video Highlights

2006-11-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's season home opener for CSKA Moscow didn't cause any major difficulties for the russian basketball club. They defeated Aris from Greece who didn't have some key players due to injuries. Former NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (aka Chris Jackson) scored on a couple of jumpshots but it didn't affect the game result. The final score is 93 -68 in favor of CSKA. Power forward Smodis was the most prolific that day in the Moscow team (19 points). Some of the best moments of the game can be seen in the video below

Aris wasn't a serious testament for the defending Euroleague champion CSKA (who have a couple of former NBA players in their roster)

Top 10 Dunks of Small NBA Players

2006-10-30T22:20:00.000-08:00

NBA is a league of tall athletic guys who like to compete with each other to decide which one of them is better, stronger, and shoots sharper. That’s why it’s so cool to watch short guys on court who can do sometimes jaw-dropping things such as hard slamming and dunking while driving to the hoop or on a fast break, or even over big tall centers. So at rimrattle we decided to gather all those amazing things done by short NBA players at one place. Watch and enjoy!

A remark: when we say ‘short‘ we mean players who stand around 6 feet tall, that is in the range of 5’7” to 6’1”-6’2”. That’s in normal height at ‘regular conditions’ but for NBA, where there are players standing more than 7 feet, it’s not so impressive. So let’s move on with the Top 10 NBA dunks of small players:

10. Darrell Armstrong (6’1”). He’s proven that he can dunk. He once even participated in an NBA Slam Dunk contest. In this video he runs for a fast break and slams a two-handed reverse dunk.

9. Robert Pack playing for Denver Nuggets (his height is 6’1” sometimes referred to as 6’2”) runs to the hoop and dunks it as if there were no big center standing between him and the rim.

8. Derek Fisher (6’0”-6’1”) drives to the hoop and dunks over Shawn Bradley, a 7’6” center. Pretty cool.

7. And here comes Nate “the Great” Robinson, the new NBA slamdunking champion. While standing 5’9” he’s shown everybody he can dunk it much better than 7-footers. In this video he runs fast to the basket, gets a pass and slams it home as James Posey vainly tries to contain him.

6. Let’s recall Shawn Bradley again. Now this 7’6” guy is being posterized by Robert Pack. By the way, it’s not our last time when we mention Pack’s name…

5. We know this guy! His name is Robert Pack. Now he undermines the Shawn Kemp’s (6’10”) authority, who himself liked to dunk on people. Now he knows how it feels to be dunked on…

4. Kevin Johnson (6’1”) dunks on a big guy without hesitation. Cool!

3. Kevin Johnson doesn’t want to leave our rating without slamming the door… er… the ball hard over the menacing and most intimidating center of those days – Hakeem Olajuwon (7’0”)

2. We're getting closer to the top. Competition is tougher. Finally, we decided to name the guy who might not be dunking any more in the game (or very rarely) but still remains one of the best players in the league: Allen Iverson (6’0”). In this video he fearlessly drives to the basket and slams it over Rony Seikali (a 6’11” center).

1. It was hard to decide which one of those short dunking guys is better. But watching all those cool videos again and again we come to an unanimous decision. Look at this! The ‘old man’ Spud Webb (5’7” – the shortest ever dunker in the league) reminds us why he won his NBA Slamdunk title in 1986. Now he dunks in a game, slamming over Manute Bol (this player from Africa was 7’7” tall). Spud Webb completely changed our views at small players in NBA. We got used to their quickness but no one could think they can also fly and dunk the ball before Spud Webb showed it to us. He definitely deserves the top place as the pioneer who proved that 'small guys can dunk'.

Frankly, there are a couple of more dunks left behind the scenes. We hope to tell you about them in one of our next posts.

A sad story of former and tallest NBA player Manute Bol

2006-10-29T23:39:00.000-08:00

By Michael Luo
The Associated Press

Manute Bol lopes across the lawn toward his house, covering the distance in a few, giant strides.

At 42, Bol's joints ache from rheumatism, but he still carries his 7-foot-7-inch frame erect and proud. His face is a little fuller than it was during his years in the National Basketball Association, when his celebrity and singular ability to block shots earned him millions.

The money is gone now. His house is sparsely furnished; the furniture, slightly ragged. The rent is paid by Catholic Charities, a group that helps political refugees. That's what Bol is now.

He moved to West Hartford with his wife, son and half-sister a few months ago, having finally made the painful decision to leave behind the Sudanese homeland that he loved but could not find a place in anymore. He made a daring escape, complicated by the Sept. 11 attacks.

Bol never forgot Sudan during the years of wealth and fame. He couldn't, he says.

That cost him nearly everything.

'God gave this to me'

Manute Bol was born in Turalie, a remote village in the southern part of Sudan, a nation where, over the past 18 years, civil war has left almost 2 million people dead. Most casualties have been in the south, where Christian and animist rebels battle a northern Islamic government, based in Khartoum.

Southern Sudan is the home of the Dinkas, the tallest people in the world and Bol's tribe.

With a flat-footed reach of 10 feet, 6 inches, Bol is so tall that the average man comes up to his rib cage. His inseam measures nearly 5 feet, and he wears size-16-1/2 sneakers.

He can drive a car only if its front seat is removed. The first time he tried to dunk a basketball, he smashed his face on the rim and lost two teeth. Bol was the tallest man to ever play in the NBA, until Gheorghe Muresan, a Romanian with a pituitary gland condition, beat him out by a few millimeters.

"God gave this to me," Bol says.

His grandfather, Bol Chol, reputed to be 7 feet, 10 inches, was a powerful chieftain and had 40 wives. Bol's father, Madut Bol, was only 6-foot-8, but had seven wives and a large cattle herd — a sign of great wealth. His second wife, Okwok, was 6-foot-10. After having stillborn twins twice, she gave birth to Manute, whose name means "blessing from God."

Unlike his city-dwelling cousins, Bol never went to school; instead, he herded goats and cattle. When he came of age, he went through the manhood rituals: his front bottom-row teeth were pried out, and deep incisions were made around his head with a knife.

When he was 15, at the suggestion of relatives, he gave basketball a try. Bol walked three days from his village to join his first team.

A U.S. college basketball coach, in Sudan for a summer, learned of the tall athlete and arranged for Bol and a translator friend to fly to the United States in 1982. At one point, he decided to go home, thinking other students were laughing at him in an English-language class.

"I actually packed my bags and was going to the bus," he recalls.

Persuaded to stay, Bol wound up at the University of Bridgeport. Games at the small Connecticut school's 1,800-seat gymnasium suddenly became packed, frenzied events.

Bol blocked 15 shots in one game and averaged 22.5 points. He was Division II All-America.

After one year at Bridgeport, Bol joined the Rhode Island Gulls, a pro team in the United States Basketball League. He was picked up by the Washington Bullets in the NBA draft a few months later.

Many speculated that Bol's 205-pound frame couldn't take the wear and tear of the NBA. But Bol ran away with the league title in blocked shots with 397 in 1985, the second-highest total in league history.

Over the next 10 years, Bol cycled through four teams: the Bullets, the Golden State Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat.

Bol essentially was a one-dimensional player, averaging 2.6 points and 4.2 rebounds a game, but he lived the NBA high life, making $1.6 million a year at one point and owning homes in Maryland, Khartoum and Egypt. He opened a restaurant with a $500,000 investment, only to see it go bankrupt. He drove luxury cars and had endorsement contracts with Kodak, Nike and Toyota.

His loopy sense of humor and accented trash talking, full of hilarious malapropisms, made him popular among teammates. But he remained a stranger in his adopted land.

A knee injury in 1994 relegated Bol briefly to the Continental Basketball Association and then to a league in Italy. It seemed he would just retire and enjoy his earnings.

But his heart was still in Sudan.

Accusations of betrayal

Bol visited his native country regularly — nearly every summer during his NBA career.

On one of his early trips, he met and married his first wife, Atong, then 18, a southern Sudanese refugee.

Starting in 1991, Bol began making visits to southern Sudanese refugee camps. Many of Bol's relatives were leaders in the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA), the rebel movement.

He became an important backer of the rebels, contributing an estimated $3.5 million. Bol and his cousin Ed Bona, a former college basketball player at Fordham, met with dozens of members of Congress, warning of Muslim extremists and begging for U.S. intervention. They picketed the Sudanese embassy.

Hope came in 1996, when a group of southern Sudanese split from the SPLA to sign a cease-fire with the government. A leader of the splinter group invited Bol to join a government delegation in talks with the SPLA in Kenya.

Despite accusations of betrayal, Bol flew to Nairobi.

"I thought I should go and support the peace initiative," he says.

Talks collapsed two weeks later.

Bol returned to Khartoum, where the government, promising more talks, offered him a post as minister of sport. Their offer was conditional, however. He would need to become a Muslim first. A Christian since childhood, Bol refused.

As time passed with no progress toward peace, Bol began to feel used. He told refugees that there was hope, even though he didn't think so.

"I have to say it for my safety," he says.

A lone bright spot was his second marriage, to Ajok, a tall 21-year-old. (Bol's first marriage had soured. Atong remarried and moved to New Jersey with their four children.) Bol met Ajok through her father, an SPLA leader. In the Dinka tradition, Bol paid 150 cows for her. They soon had a son, Bol Manute.

In August 1998, Bol was sitting on his roof in Khartoum to escape the heat when an explosion one-half mile away lit up the night sky, followed by 15 to 20 more.

President Clinton had ordered the cruise-missile strike on a Sudanese pharmaceutical plant suspected of aiding the manufacture of chemical weapons. It was retaliation for the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, linked by U.S. officials to Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida network.

The attack was a turning point for Bol. The government accused him of being a spy, he says.

He tried to leave in 1999, but the government stopped him. His money dwindled as he supported himself and 20 relatives.

On his second attempt in 2001, Bol marched to the immigration office and demanded an exit visa. An officer told him to come back with a bribe.

Bol peddled his furniture. In Connecticut, friends swung into action, shipping plane tickets to Bol via a travel agent in Khartoum.

In July 2001, Bol, his wife, son and half-sister, Achuil, then 9, flew to Cairo, with the idea of going on to the United States.

In Egypt, U.S. consulate officials explained he needed to apply for refugee status if he wanted to bring his entire family. Bol settled in to wait.

Then came Sept. 11. Bol thought of the warnings he had given to members of Congress on Islamic extremism. Bol's family departed for Hartford on March 7, nearly six months after his arrival.

Today, friends are shopping around a screenplay on Bol's life in two very different worlds.

He has made a few public appearances, for small fees, and plans to petition the NBA to give him an advance on his NBA pension, roughly $24,000 a year.

'Celebrity Boxing'

His height remains an access pass — and his strange celebrity was underscored in one especially strange event.

Fox TV's "Celebrity Boxing" show invited him to fight another oversized athlete from an earlier era, former NFL lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry.

Bol agreed to fight, if Fox agreed to air a toll-free number for the Ring True Foundation, a West Hartford-based charity he set up to benefit southern Sudanese children. He donated his $35,000 fee to the group.

Fight day was odd in many ways. Other "boxers," such as Joey Buttafuoco and Darva Conger, stopped by Bol's dressing room to have their picture taken.

Bol's trainer told him to keep his distance from Perry. But Bol went after him — and won the fight.

Manute Bol doesn't mind being a spectacle, he says, as long as it means helping his people.

Although relieved to be out of Sudan, he dreams of returning home. His ideal retirement would be split between the countries he's called home.

"I want my country to be like this some day," he says. "This is my dream."

Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/134516268_manute180.html

Why Kobe Bryant Changed His Jersey Number

2006-10-23T01:36:00.001-07:00

Kobe Bryant's fans might have to buy another jersey next season. That's because multiple sources have told ESPN.com that Bryant will change his number to 24 next season.

Bryant began his career at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pa., wearing No. 24. But by 1996 -- the year he led the school to the state championship -- he had switched to No. 33, the number his father Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant wore in high school.

In order for a player to change jersey numbers at will, he either has to change teams or have the team inform the league of the decision more than six months in advance. Players who stay with the same team must have worn the same number for four seasons or longer. Sources say the Lakers informed the league of Bryant's wish to change his number by this year's March 3 deadline.

Calls placed to Bryant's agent Rob Pelinka and the Lakers were not immediately returned.

Over the past few months, Kobe Bryant's popularity has been on the rise again. His jersey was the fourth-best seller this season, up one spot from last year's position, according to sales at the NBA Store in Manhattan and on NBA.com.

When Bryant came into the league, he couldn't take the No. 33 because it had been retired seven years earlier by the Lakers in honor of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Bryant arrived at the No. 8 for two reasons. It was the number he wore when he was a kid playing in Italy. It also tied into the number he wore at Adidas' ABCD Camp, 143. The numbers add up to 8.

Bryant's switch is the NBA's most significant jersey number change since the 1994-95 season, when Michael Jordan came out of retirement wearing the No. 45 for the final 22 games of the season. Jordan's No. 23 had been retired by the Bulls in his honor. For the next three seasons, Jordan went back to the No. 23.

Bryant said on TNT that he wanted #24 as a rookie, but it was unavailable, as was #33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He said the switch to 24 signified the start of the second half of his career.

Sources: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2421874
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant

NBA Forward Kirilenko Wants to Play Basketball Naked

2006-10-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

It was merely an exhibition, but the Jazz largely treated it as if it were part of the regular season.

Jazz forward Carlos Boozer lays the ball softly in the basket in Thursday night's win over Portland. Boozer led Utah with 23 points.Carlos Boozer scored a game-high 23 points, Mehmet Okur posted a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double and Deron Williams dished eight assists to go with his nine points as Utah rolled to a 104-90 win over Portland in its preseason opener Thursday night at the Delta Center.

When a comfy fourth-quarter lead was nipped from nine points to three, coach Jerry Sloan even reinserted his regulars.
The most telling sign that the Nov. 1 start of the regular season is fast approaching, however, came in the form of one Andrei Kirilenko.
Back in the lineup after missing two earlier exhibitions and several practices due to a sore lower back, Kirilenko played 27 minutes and still managed to post one of his classic midseason lines: 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, seven assists, six rebounds and an eye-popping six blocks.

But it wasn't just the numbers that made it seem like the holidays. Instead, Kirilenko took things one step further and delivered prime-for-print quotes to ready and willing reporters.
Discussing the tight body belt he is wearing under his jersey to aid his back, Kirilenko said he can't wait to shed it after another five games or so.

And then he added this:
"I hate to play with anything on me," Kirilenko said. "Bandage. Like, wrist band. Like, knee pads. It's killing me. Like, uniforms — I would rather get naked.
"Ha, ha, ha," he added with a grin. "I know tomorrow it will be in the newspaper — but that's all right."

Teammates and coach Jerry Sloan judged a fully clothed Kirilenko to be more than just all right after watching him work Thursday, a return that followed a weeklong layoff to rest the oft-troublesome back.

"Terrific," said Boozer, the beneficiary of one rather impressive fastbreak pass in which Kirilenko intentionally tapped the ball back to him. "He had six blocks, a hundred assists — you know, he was all over the court."

"He looked great," Williams added. "Offensively he gave us a spark, and you've got to love that."
If nothing else, Sloan — knowing full well that Kirilenko had only one full-fledged practice under his belt this week — was appreciative.

"Andrei was fresh, had lots of bounce in his step — looked like he was ready to go," said the Jazz coach, whose club plays the fifth of its eight preseason games tonight at Sacramento.
"He's like Hornacek in a lot of ways," Sloan said, invoking the name of Jazz retiree Jeff Hornacek, who played his last NBA game way back in 2000. "He's a lively guy, he's got quite a bit of endurance for as much as he does. And Jeff could walk out there in the gym right now and play on this team and probably get 10, 12 points — not working out."

Not that Sloan endorses such a preparation plan.
Nor, for that matter, does Kirilenko, who chalked off his four turnovers to an effort to be as active and as involved as he could.

"Game shape — I need to get it back," he said. "That's why like every second I was trying to run."

From http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650200307,00.html

Crazy coach fires Chatman

2006-10-20T05:57:00.000-07:00

Ivkovic

Mire Chatman

One of the top American guards in European basketball shockingly became available today, less than a week before the opening round of the Euroleague. After a reported falling out with the coaching staff, Mire Chatman will be replaced at Dynamo Moscow by former Indiana Pacer Eddie Gill.

Last season the 6-2 explosive lead guard scored 19 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.8 steals last year while helping Dynamo Moscow win the ULEB Cup. The year before that he made his Euroleague debut with Pau-Orthez by averaging 16 points and 6.2 assists (tops in the league).

Chatman’s head coach at Dynamo, Dusan Ivkovic is by most accounts not the warmest personality to deal with-- to say the least--and its very surprising to see that he was not able to get past his differences with arguably his most important for the sake of his very talented team, widely considered contenders to make noise this year in the Euroleague.

In response to our inquiries about Chatman's status, his agent Craig McKenzie sent us the following press release via email:

The agent for Dynamo player Mire Chatman (Higher Vision Sports AMG) plans to travel to Moscow as soon as this weekend to discuss arrangement to buy-out the contract of the Player. Mire Chatman who in 2004-05 led the Euroleague in assists and who significantly helped the Dynamo Moscow Basketball Club win the ULEB CUP last season and advance to Euroleague this current season is now being ostracized by the Dynamo Coach for a difference in opinion and philosophy.

“I have had a player with Coach Dusan Ivkovic now going on 4 years and he is a great coach.” said the Player’s agent Craig McKenzie in a written statement. “However it seems now that every year a player goes through this random personal conflict with Coach Ivkovic’s that has little to do with actually winning basketball games. This year I guess it's our player. Mire Chatman has never had a problem like this before and many Clubs know he has solid character and is an extremely fine point guard--one of the best in Europe. Today we begin the process of finding him another Club in Europe or the NBA where he can have continued success,” said McKenzie.

---

Heavy speculation around Europe has already begun around where Chatman will land. There is little doubt that the timing of this move is poor, as Chatman is a player who was reportedly making around $800,000 net this year and will have a very difficult time finding that type of money on the market at the moment.

This week two Euroleague point guard jobs, both in France, were filled, although neither were for anywhere close to the type of money Chatman will be looking for. One was in Chatman's former team, Pau-Orthez, where Aaron Miles replaced John Gilchrist (who promptly signed in Nahariya in Israel). Miles will reportedly receive around $30,000 a month for his services. The other job was in LeMans, where Tyson Wheeler will make around $15,000 a month.

Other relatively high paying jobs that are open at the moment include Red Star in Serbia, who have between $250,000-300,000 to spend. Euroleague team Zalgiris just signed Kirk Penney as a temporary replacement for Marcelinho Machado, and could show interest. They probably don't have the budget to interest Chatman, though. Rome is another team who might take a look, but after just breaking the bank on signing Ognjen Askrabic, its questionable that they have that type of money either.

As far as Chatman is concerned, there is at least one large Euroleague club who are reportedly huge fans of his already, Maccabi Tel Aviv. After being drilled by the Cleveland Cavaliers and looking terrible in their other exhibition games, it wouldn't shock anyone if Maccabi made a quick change. The problem is that they will likely be looking to replace the player that is shouldering much of the blame for their terrible start--swingman Rodney Buford-- before they cut ties with their current American point/combo guard Will Bynum, who they are reportedly very happy with.

An interesting option would be to sign Chatman and play the two together, since their designated shooting guard Yotam Halperin has not exactly looked stellar so far either.

Although this might seem a bit farfetched, it wouldn't be a shock if Chatman even got some looks from NBA teams looking to catch a steal at this late point in October. He could be a great fit with the Miami Heat for example, since he seems to be exactly the type of player they seem to be looking for.

It's worthwhile to add that Ivkovic failed to lead CSKA Moscow to the Euroleague champions for two consecutive seasons. After that he moved to Dynamo Moscow as the team's head coach.

From http://www.draftexpress.com/blogs.php?blogid=4

Michael Jordan was wrong again

2006-10-20T04:55:00.000-07:00

Seems like Michael Jordan has made wrong predictions once more. Recently he stated "It's obvious that European players master the fundamentals better", "They have taken this aspect of the game to a higher level ... In the United States, we're too focused on the highlights, dunks and passes. It's not that we don't have the players we need, but putting together a team becomes difficult under these conditions". As for breingin a European tem to the NBA, "In the long term it's a good idea. The distance and the traveling would be a problem, but it's obvious that European teams are increasingly competitive. European basketball has become very strong and their players have contributed a lot to the development of the game. The United States now has problems beating them."

Well, in terms of playing again European team and under FIBA rules, he may be right. But recent Maccabi's loss to Toronto Raptors by 34 points that strongest European teams are not 100% ready to play that physical basketball practicing in NBA. Don't forget that Maccabi won 3 Euroleague championships in a row and only CSKA from Moscow could stop tham last year in the Euroleague finals. Yeah, Maccabi is not curently as stron as they used to be. They lost Anthony Parker and Sarunas Yasikiavichus who are playing in NBA right now. But CSKA who is the strongest European team also lost to Philladelphia 76ers in the final of NBA Europe Live Tour (by 14 pints - 85:71).

And take into account that key roles are now played in CSKA by former NBA players - Trajan Langdon and David Wanterpul. This still proves that European teams are not 100% ready to sustain through a long NBA regular season. They won't be able to recover enough to play 3 to 4 games a week at high level.

Within my memory it's the second wrong prediction made by Michael Jordan. first one was selecting Kwame Brown no. 1 at the NBA draft. Now it's obvious that Kwame is not as good as Jordan said about him. He couldn't convert his skills and talents (if any) into solid adn stable performance on court.

If you have any other mistakes done by Jordan in his predictions coming up to your mind, you're welcome to share it in the comments.