Get To Know the 2009 Championship Ring

Since every Lakers player contributed in some way towards earning the franchise’s 15th championship to conclude the 2008-09 season, it was fitting that much of the organization’s brain trust had a say in the design of the championship ring to be given out prior to Tuesday’s game against the Clippers.

Several members of the Buss family - including Dr. Jerry Buss, Jeanie Buss, Joey Buss and Jesse Buss - joined Senior VP of Business Operations and CMO Tim Harris, GM Mitch Kupchak and team captains Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant to weigh in and produce a gem (so to speak).

Here are some of the ring’s details:

ARROWThe gold is of limited edition 15 karat variety to represent the 15th championship earned by the organization.

ARROWPer the request of Dr. Buss, there are 14 diamonds surrounding the top of the ring symbolizing the previous 14 franchise championships, with the Larry O’Brien trophy in the middle to represent the 2008-09 title.

ARROWAs requested by Fisher and Bryant, there is a player image on the side of player rings, and within that image rests an etching of their respective jersey numbers. For example, Kobe Bryant's image contains the No. 24 in the upper right hand corner of that side panel.

ARROWThe Los Angeles skyline is an element unique to non-player rings in place of the player’s image.

ARROWThe ring is two toned, with white gold representing the Lakers Sunday whites uniforms that honor legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn.

ARROWEach ring is authenticated by a serial number, and to further protect the authenticity, there are hidden etchings of the Lakers logo.

ARROWKupchak contributed the idea to include the varying records of every individual playoff series on the side of the ring, which was done in addition to having the season record to capture the journey of the entire season.

Marcus Camby, Baron Davis, Blake Griffin and Al Thornton Highlight the 2010 NBA All-Star Ballot Presented by T-Mobile

-- First Time in Balloting History Fans Can Text Their All-Star Votes --

-- Fans Can Vote on NBA.com, via Wireless Ballots, and in NBA Arenas --

DALLAS, Nov. 10, 2009 – The 2010 NBA All-Star Ballot was unveiled today during a special tip-off event in Dallas, the Official Host City of NBA All-Star 2010. NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile will begin this afternoon at 12:30 p.m. ET. The 2010 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 – the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game, on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010.

2010 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile, with associate partner 2K Sports, allows fans around the world to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. For the first time in balloting history, fans can vote for All-Stars any time by texting a player’s last name from their mobile phones. Fans can cast one SMS vote per day, per phone number.

There are several ways fans can cast their votes, including: at each NBA arena; in 20 languages on NBA.com; and through mobile phones by texting the player’s last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (“MYNBA”), via Web2Go® on T-Mobile phones or wap.nba.com for any wireless carrier. A T-Mobile-branded All-Star Balloting widget will also be available on NBA.com so that fans can “grab” the widget and place it on their blogs, social network pages, or personal Web sites allowing others to vote directly from the widget. Paper balloting will continue through Jan. 10, while wireless balloting and voting on NBA.com will conclude Jan. 18. Starters will be announced live on TNT on Thursday, Janaury 21, 2010.

The NBA All-Star ballot lists 120 players – 60 each from the Eastern and Western conferences – with 24 guards, 24 forwards, and 12 centers from each conference comprising the list. Voters select two guards, two forwards and one center from each conference. The 120 players on the ballot were selected by a panel of media who regularly cover the NBA: Mike Breen (ABC/ESPN), Eddie Sefko (Dallas Morning News), Doug Smith (The Toronto Star and President, Pro Basketball Writers Association) Marc Spears (Yahoo! Sports), Marc Stein (ESPN.com) and Ian Thomsen (Sports Illustrated).

NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. The week leading up to the 59th NBA All-Star Game will feature a full slate of community-enhancing activities and fan festivals, including NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. This will be the second NBA All-Star in Dallas. The city also hosted the event in 1986.

In conjunction with All-Star Balloting, 2K Sports will give fans the opportunity to experience Dallas and the best of basketball by entering the NBA® 2K10 Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to NBA All-Star 2010 and have their likeness as a digitized player incorporated in next year’s game, NBA® 2K11.

The following is a complete listing of the players as they appear on the ballot: 2010 NBA ALL-STAR EASTERN CONFERENCE BALLOT
EAST GUARDS (24) Allen, Ray, Boston
Arenas, Gilbert, Washington
Bibby, Mike, Atlanta
Calderon, Jose, Toronto
Carter, Vince, Orlando
Crawford, Jamal, Atlanta
Duhon, Chris, New York
Felton, Raymond, Charlotte
Ford, T.J., Indiana
Gordon, Ben, Detroit
Hamilton, Richard, Detroit
Harris, Devin, New Jersey
Hinrich, Kirk, Chicago
Johnson, Joe, Atlanta
Lee, Courtney, New Jersey
Nelson, Jameer, Orlando
Redd, Michael, Milwaukee
Robinson, Nate, New York
Rondo, Rajon, Boston
Rose, Derrick, Chicago
Salmons, John, Chicago
Stuckey, Rodney, Detroit
Wade, Dwyane, Miami
Williams, Mo, Cleveland EAST FORWARDS (24)
Beasley, Michael, Miami
Bosh, Chris, Toronto
Brand, Elton, Philadelphia
Butler, Caron, Washington
Deng, Luol, Chicago
Diaw, Boris, Charlotte
Garnett, Kevin, Boston
Granger, Danny, Indiana
Harrington, Al, New York
Haslem, Udonis, Miami
Iguodala, Andre, Philadelphia
James, LeBron, Cleveland
Jamison, Antawn, Washington
Lee, David, New York
Lewis, Rashard, Orlando
Murphy, Troy, Indiana
Pierce, Paul, Boston
Prince, Tayshaun, Detroit
Smith, Josh, Atlanta
Turkoglu, Hedo, Toronto
Varejao, Anderson, Cleveland
Villanuava, Charlie, Detroit
Wallace, Gerald, Charlotte
Warrick, Hakim, Milwaukee EAST CENTERS (12)
Bargnani, Andrea, Toronto
Bogut, Andrew, Milwaukee
Chandler, Tyson, Charlotte
Dalembert, Samuel, Philadelphia
Horford, Al, Atlanta
Howard, Dwight, Orlando
Lopez, Brook, New Jersey
Miller, Brad, Chicago
O'Neal, Jermaine, Miami
O'Neal, Shaquille, Cleveland
Perkins, Kendrick, Boston
Wallace, Rasheed, Boston
2010 NBA ALL-STAR WESTERN CONFERENCE BALLOT
WEST GUARDS (24)
Barbosa, Leandro, Phoenix
Billups, Chauncey, Denver
Brooks, Aaron, Houston
Bryant, Kobe, L.A. Lakers
Davis, Baron, L.A. Clippers
Ellis, Monta, Golden State
Ginobili, Manu, San Antonio
Howard, Josh, Dallas
Iverson, Allen, Memphis
Jackson, Stephen, Golden State
Kidd, Jason, Dallas
Martin, Kevin, Sacramento
Mayo, O.J., Memphis
McGrady, Tracy, Houston
Miller, Andre, Portland
Nash, Steve, Phoenix
Parker, Tony, San Antonio
Paul, Chris, New Orleans
Richardson, Jason, Phoenix
Roy, Brandon, Portland
Sessions, Ramon, Minnesota
Terry, Jason, Dallas
Westbrook, Russell, Oklahoma City
Williams, Deron, Utah WEST FORWARDS (24)
Aldridge, LaMarcus, Portland
Anthony, Carmelo, Denver
Ariza, Trevor, Houston
Artest, Ron, L.A. Lakers
Boozer, Carlos, Utah
Duncan, Tim, San Antonio
Durant, Kevin, Oklahoma City
Gasol, Pau, L.A. Lakers
Gay, Rudy, Memphis
Green, Jeff, Oklahoma City
Griffin, Blake, L.A. Clippers
Hill, Grant, Phoenix
Jefferson, Richard, San Antonio
Love, Kevin, Minnesota
Marion, Shawn, Dallas
Martin, Kenyon, Denver
Millsap, Paul, Utah
Nowitzki, Dirk, Dallas
Odom, Lamar, L.A. Lakers
Randolph, Anthony, Golden State
Scola, Luis, Houston
Thompson, Jason, Sacramento
Thornton, Al, L.A. Clippers
West, David, New Orleans WEST CENTERS (12)
Biedrins, Andris, Golden State
Bynum, Andrew, L.A. Lakers
Camby, Marcus, L.A. Clippers
Gasol, Marc, Memphis
Hawes, Spencer, Sacramento
Jefferson, Al, Minnesota
McDyess, Antonio, San Antonio
Nene, Denver
Oden, Greg, Portland
Okafor, Emeka, New Orleans
Okur, Mehmet, Utah
Stoudemire, Amar’e, Phoenix

Streetball - Let There Be Light

Streetball - Let There Be Light on Streetball.

Streetball - Let There Be Light on Streetball.

In the beginning, God created Streetball. And Streetball was without form and void. And darkness was upon the face of the game. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the game and God said, Let There Be Light. And there was Light. And God saw the Light, and it was Good. And God divided the Light from the darkness.

Worst record Nets

Created a new history in the NBA stage. New Jersey Nets beginning carving worst record this season. Nets suffered 18 defeats in a row.
In the game at Izod Center, Tuesday (2 / 12) night local time, the Nets must recognize the benefits of the guest team the Dallas Mavericks with a score of 117-101. Results were not yet able to make the Nets victory in the 18 action has played.
Nets bad records and bad over the previous record made the Miami Heat in season 1988/89 and the Los Angeles Clippers in 1999. Both teams successive defeat in 17 matches.
Mavericks did appear before extraordinary pendukun Nets. In the first quarter Mavericks able to record 81 percent of the shots that produce points. Incision was almost close to the best percentage for the first dikuarter is still held by the Denver Nuggets with 82 percent while meeting the LA Clippers on April 4, 2006.
The highest contributor to the Mavericks points from Dirk Nowitzki with 24 points followed by 18 points each from Jason Terry and Erick Dampier. While Chris Douglas-Robert became the printer for the highest number Nets with 24 points plus 17 points from Devin Harris.
Troops landing interim coach Tom Barrise will make this a bad record for the fight-bengkit next fight. "On one side of the sequence of this defeat will be very good for us. It's not a good start, but we'll try to get up to get out of this bad situation," said Robert in AP.
Nets a chance to decide their bad performance. On Friday (4 / 12), the Nets will meet one of the weaker teams in the East, the Charlotte Bobcats.
Will the bad record or halt ongoing? Wait.
***
Match Results
Toronto 115
Atlanta 146

Milwaukee 102
Washington 104

New York 104
Orlando 118

Phoenix 90
Cleveland 107

Dallas 117
New Jersey 101

Memphis 97
Minnesota 95

Philadelphia 106
Oklahoma City 117

Detroit 85
Chicago 92

Indiana 105
Sacramento 110

Houston 102
LA Clippers 85

Landry On The Rise

Rockets' forward emerged as the go-to guy in third season


Carl Landry has taken the game to new heights this season.
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Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer
Houston - "Carl!"
Rockets coach Rick Adelman and Assistant Chief Jack Sikma is from the bench again, yelling at their third-year power forward with a look of irritation on their faces. Many times during the two-plus seasons, this scenario has played itself out during the game, as the Houston coaching staff efforts to reduce and improve the stupidity that is usually associated with youth.
For those who do not know, such as constant criticism and supervision may look as if Carl Landry was in vain, ultimately destined for nothing more than fodder NBA, which is a symbol of hope and unrealized potential.
Reality, of course, is that Landry is anything but.
A little more than two and a half years removed from college career at Purdue, Landry has developed into the early candidates Sixth Man of the Year, combines athleticism with rocking melt efficient offensive game to give the Rockets a deadly 1-2 punch at the power forward spot starter with Luis Scola . His per 40 minute average of nearly jumped from the page (24.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game), as well as career .581 field goal percentage of his. From the players point of view of efficiency, Landry ranked among the ten best forwards in the NBA.
But they only sparkling numbers tell part of the story. Yes, Landry has taken a big step since exploded in the middle to the scene through a rookie year. But still there is room for significant improvement. So understand that when the Rockets' coach was showered with love Landry strong, it was only because they see a player who still has much more to offer.
"He must realize that we need him to be great every game for us," said Adelman. "When we try to post him and tried to leave him, he must demand the ball and understands that he has the ability to score against anyone in this league, I do not care who it is. This is just one more step he must take, that he was wrong one of our go-to-person. "
Only a few can understand that Landry would never get that "go-to" label on him entering the league as a second-round vote in the 2007 NBA draft. That he did so is evidence of natural ability, but also for the hard work he put in the second on his own and with the Rockets' player development staff. During the second season, he added thing is certain-midrange jumper to the barn and this year the absence of Yao Ming in the middle has allowed him to exhibit a very smooth low post game, too.
Maybe more than a few raised eyebrows when Adelman called Landry the best post player (non-Yao division) before the season starts, but it becomes difficult to argue with the assessment that after watching the various ways Landry has successfully completed the down low. He does so with balance and footwork is incredible, enabling him to summon the spirit Barishnikov while spinning and leaping over defenders on his way to the basket. Combine those moves with dead-eye shot from the charity line (89.6%) and that's a little surprising that Landry is making the transition from the energy crisis when a man for murder.
"Carl has shown the skills necessary to become a good low-post player," Sikma confirmed. "He's got good footwork and he has a good trunk strength to hold the position. The first step is strong."
But, as with all things Landry, satisfaction with the status quo is not part of the Rockets' guidelines. Like clockwork, Sikma deftly switch gear and switch to the theme of constant improvement sermon.
"The way that used to get together, expect it and are still the key balancing things to do," he began. "I think, has a good mix, but if you talk about improvement, he recognized the need to focus on what works and what does not. Sometimes I think he took a picture tougher than she needs or may choose to shoot takea tougher than he needs .
"And then turnovers, in the sense that they would only know to swipe and enter that into the formula and say," Hey, they really come, this step will not be available or will be at risk because they 're really there to dig . "So I think it was more just to understand the situation, gain experience and even become moreefficient."
To credit, self-analysis Landry often mirrors that of coach. Talk to him about a rapid improvement in the offensive end and he tends to switch the subject and quickly shows flaws in the defensive end. For good reason, too, because there was no doubt aspects of the game most in need of work.
"Defense won the game and I always said I had to work on defense," admitted Landry. "Sometimes I get in foul trouble and I thought I was stupid offense. And sometimes I'm out of position when I felt like I could have half a second before. It's just my basketball IQ and defense are areas I need to work on . It's just something that needs to get used to. At university, I really did not play much defense. "
Hal-of-fact acceptance led to howls of Landry, type of infection that made laugh out loud like a 6-9 forward and fan favorite teammates together. It's that personality that allows him to handle constructive criticism he received in peace, in the same way he took a bounce pass in the lane before turning on the way to the edge for two-handed slam malignant. He knew his name would be shouted at the crowd frenzy more time to come. He also understands why it's important he listened. Because of that, and only then, can he hope to consistently hear "Carl!" In a different sense - as did the players who have fully realized the potential and took his place among the best two-way forwards in the game.
And-1s: Landry is scheduled to start in place of the injured Luis Scola to the game Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Scola was forced to leave Sunday night's contest in Oklahoma City during the opening quarter with a cut on his right eyelid. He needed seven stitches and did not return. Monday morning, he was undergoing extensive eye exam showed no structural damage to the eye itself. Scola will be held on Wednesday out of the game because of swelling around the eyes and will be listed as day-to-day after that ... After practice on Monday, Rick Adelman was asked about the progress made by Tracy McGrady, who tried to return to action after undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee in February. Adelman argued that there is no timetable set in place to guard again. "It's just a process," Adelman said. "I can not tell you what the schedule, but he practiced, he was working. That's what we're going. We will find that (schedule) out when we got there. He looked OK. It seemed fine. He just must continue to push myself and try to take every step. "

Allen Iverson Funk or Die

Allen Iverson "Funk or Die" on Streetball.

Allen Iverson "Funk or Die" on Streetball.

Allen Iverson is The Answer. Come back and play. Rumor has it that the Sixers are in talks with A.I.

Chris Brown Streetball

Find more videos like this on Streetball - Basketball and Hip-Hop


Jude "Hollywood" Thomas aka Hollywizzle aka The Painted Face and Chris Brown play some streetball.

Dwyane Wade Dunks on Varejao

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Dwyane Wade with a monster dunk right on the Cleveland Cavaliers Anderson Varejao.

102 Philadelphia Sixers vs Dallas Mavericks 104

Bobcats notch first road win of 2009-10 in Washington

Behind Gerald Wallace’s sixth straight double-double and ninth of the season, the Charlotte Bobcats picked up their first road win since last March with a 92-76 victory over the Washington Wizards. Defense, rebounding and great passing fueled the rout, capping a perfect 4-0 week for the Bobcats heading into Tuesday’s showdown with the Boston Celtics.


Outrebounding the Wizards 40-39 and outshooting them .461 to .385, the Bobcats raced to a first quarter lead they would never relinquish. Raymond Felton’s steady play at the point guard position continued with 12 points and five assists, giving him 22 assists and just 1 turnover during this four-game winning streak.

Celtics 92, Heat 85

Key Moment

Kevin Garnett was the player of the game for the Boston Celtics, and he was the key cog in what wound up being the most important run that his team made in the entire game.

With the Celtics ahead by only one point with 2:12 remaining in the game, KG stepped into his comfort zone and drilled an 18-footer from just beyond the left elbow to pad that lead to three. On the ensuing Heat possession, James Jones clanked on a 3-pointer and Garnett skied high for the big rebound, tossed an outlet pass to Rajon Rondo who then found Ray Allen wide open for a transition 3-pointer. With Allen's three, the Celtics went ahead 89-83 with 1:38 left on the clock. That was the run that put Boston ahead for good, and it might not have happened with out the Big Ticket on the court.

Key Box Score Line

Kevin Garnett had his most impressive game of the season, making 11 of his 12 field goal attempts and scoring a game-high 24 points. He often looked like his old self in dominating at both ends of the court, and the Celtics couldn't be more excited to see that prior to the calendar turns over to December.

Kevin Garnett - November 29, 2009

Mins	FGM/A	3FM/A	FTM/A	ORB	DRB	T-RB	AST	STL	TO	BS	PTS
34:40	11-12	0-0	2-2	2	6	8	1	1	0	0	24

Full Box Score

Box Score Nuggets

• Rajon Rondo (13 points, 11 assists) and Kendrick Perkins (14 points, 13 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles for the Celtics.
• Eddie House, Marquis Daniels and Brian Scalabrine all made one 3-pointer and finished with three points each off the bench.
• Boston dominated the paint for the second straight game, scoring 48 points in the lane.
• Miami scored 31 points in the first quarter, but only 34 points in the second and third periods combined.
• The Heat committed only 12 turnovers, but were limited to only 12 assists, just one more than Rajon Rondo alone.
• Only 28 points were scored by bench players in the game.
• Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 27 points, but the Heat were outscored by 14 points when he was on the floor, which was the worst +/- rating of any Miami player.

Quote of the Night

Paul Pierce on the importance of winning the first game of the Celtics' road trip: "The first one [on the road] is the big one. This was a big win for us. Miami is playing well at home. We started to rush things in the third quarter. We let them back in the game early in the fourth. Our bench was tremendous. It is a good win on the road against a quality ball club.