I had an ulterior motive going into this series. I wasn’t rooting for the Lakers to win, because I dislike Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, and the general stench of reality-warped Laker fans. I wasn’t supporting the Thunder, for more than obvious reasons. What I did envision was...

“It bears mentioning that Kobe jogged back on D on *the first play of the game*” That little gem is what John Hollinger, ESPN stat guru, the inventor of the heralded PER advanced statistic, tweeted last night, around 10:00 PM PST. And it pretty much can sum up the collective...

“He doesn’t start. I only fist-bump the starting five. I don’t fist-bump subs.” – Metta World Peace. Shots fired. Let it be Derek Fisher returning to the team in Los Angeles that scorned him, trading him to the Houston Rockets at the trade deadline, where he was released and...

In one of the most boring and laid back playoff closeout games in recent memory, the Miami Heat made sure Game 4 was just a footnote in their run back to the Finals. The trend of blowout wins and too many question marks from the New York Knicks to name, continued in a Game 5 win for Miami,...

In one weekend of NBA Playoff basketball we seen both how bad Miami could be and how good New York could be in Games 3 & 4. After losing Amare Stoudemire, Jeremy Lin, Iman Shumpert, and Baron Davis (who suffered a dislocated right kneecap in the third quarter of Game 4, reminiscent of...

When I watch the Memphis Grizzlies play basketball it always makes me reminisce of the ’90s. You know, Starters jackets, FILAs, good music, simplistic plots to action movies, and Hulk Hogan. Last night at FedEx Forum the Memphis Grizzlies wanted to excite the home crowd by bringing out...

Miami‘s got your number Miami ain’t your friend Look who took you under They put seven inches in Blood is on the dance floor Blood is on the knife Miami’s got your number Miami says its right – Michael Jackson, “Blood On The Dance Floor” Amare...

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony first met back in the high school when Carmelo Anthony’s Oak Hill (Va.) Academy bested James’ St. Vincent-St. Mary (Ohio) 72-66 in 2002. Drafted in the 2003 draft with the 1st (LeBron) and 3rd (Melo) picks, Lebron and Carmelo have been assured that...

Like any other human being, I was born with the desire to prove myself right. I am inclined to deny every learned characteristic  admit when I am wrong. Yet over the past years, I’ve learned to humble myself and take my medicine, or so to speak. Well, on Tuesday evening when the...

  This is Derrick Brown and Derrick Brown is the best player on the Charlotte Bobcats. Yes, better than highly regarded draft pick, Kemba Walker, better than starting point guard, D.J. Augustin, and better than leading scorer, Corey Maggette. What? How? In a year where head coach Paul...

With so many things happening around the NBA lately I thought it would make sense to throw together a post with all the news, opinion, and insight that you could possibly handle in a day. Will it cover everything? Sort of, I plan on listing everything meaningful in the league at this very...

“Monta Ellis is overrated.” You’ll hear me say it over and over again. Personal opinion? Yes? Is it true? depends on who you ask. Yet, for those that swear that the Milwaukee Bucks won Tuesday’s trade (sending Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, Kwame Brown to the Bucks for Andrew...

The period between first half and second half. The intermission that lies between the second and third quarters. Madonna….We’ve reached the halfway point of the shortened 2011-2012 NBA season and the HoopSmack staff will be checking in on how teams are performing up to this point. Next...

The period between first half and second half. The intermission that lies between the second and third quarters. Madonna….We’ve reached the halfway point of the shortened 2011-2012 NBA season and the HoopSmack staff will be checking in on how teams are performing up to this point. Next...

The period between first half and second half. The intermission that lies between the second and third quarters. Madonna….We’ve reached the halfway point of the shortened 2011-2012 NBA season and the HoopSmack staff will be checking in on how teams are performing up to this point. Next...