Jay-Z and Beyonce stole the show when they walked in heavily followed by bodyguard Julius and several others. I was lucky enough to shake his hand before they ushered him into the back VIP section where Lala and Carmelo Anthony were sitting. Jay was extremely polite, probably the nicest celeb I have ever met! He was very approachable and stopped for almost every fan he could, acknowledging the people that have a hand in his career. No pictures were allowed (I managed to snap some!) and every time a flash went off Beyonce ducked like she had been trained to avoid exposure. None-the-less she is just as beautiful as I imagined. Her baby bump was very much present and perfectly shaped underneath a draped shirt. They only stayed for a while. The last I saw of the two was Bey bopping her head to her man’s song as the elevator doors shut…what a night!

Lala Talks About Stripping Down On TV [VIDEO]

Lala & Tika Sumpter Channel “Thelma & Louise” For Vibe

It is not looking good for the NBA. The entire preseason has been cancelled and Commissioner David Stern has threatened the loss of regular season games if a deal is not reached by Monday (Oct. 10th). A few of the league’s high profile players have already sensed the season was in jeopardy and signed on to play overseas. Turns out Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson had a crystal ball. Sure no NBA team wanted to touch them with a ten-foot pole the last two years, but joke’s on you David Stern. The two malcontents have been cashing those overseas checks early, in China and Turkey respectively, possibly inspiring the current crop of defectors. While it is highly unlikely after the banner year the league just had that the entire NBA season will be lost, there is a possibility the regular season will be shortened. Never fear, people. Check out the top 5 ways to pass the time while you wait for the players and owners to kiss and make up.

5) Video Game Therapy

Fire up your favorite gaming system and get in a little NBA2K action. Sure the rookies aren’t in the game, but don’t let that stop you. What better way to make sure your favorite team wins the NBA title than by taking things into your own hands? Go ahead and channel your inner LeBron, give Kobe 50 shots in a game and break Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 100 points. Still don’t feel better?

4) Get to know the international teams

Never heard of Virtus Bologna, you say? ASVEL? Better get on Google and do some research. Yeah the Olympics are a year away, but expect to see Kobe Bryant making the trek to Italy to ball if the lockout is not over soon. Deron Williams was the first to make the leap to Turkey followed by Tony Parker (pictured right) signing with his native French team ASVEL for about $2000 a month. Talk about a recession.

3) Reminisce

No basketball? No problem. Some of the NBA stars past and present have ventured into the world of Hip Hop with, ahem, mixed results. Pass the time by dusting off that old Shaquille O’Neal single “What’s Up, Doc?” featuring The Fu-Schnickens or fire up Youtube and check out Shaq flowing with the Wu-Tang on “No Hook”. Maybe the aforementioned Allen Iverson has time to put out that oft-delayed, highly anticipated album he crafted while back with the Philadelphia 76ers under his alter ego Jewelz.  Wait, he did release it? Well, why not take a listen to “Non Fiction” and see what A.I.’s got? “40 Bars”, anyone? It can’t be any worse than Kobe rapping in Italian with Tyra Banks screeching on the hook.

2) Hoop Dreams

You got handle like CP3, you can put up points like Kevin Durant at The Rucker, and you got a one-leg fadeaway shot better than Dirk Nowitzki? If the real players won’t take the court maybe the owners will take a look at you, right? This ain’t baseball folks, no replacement players will be called in. Best to showcase your stuff at the aforementioned Rucker Park and hope Durant doesn’t catch you on camera with a pull up three.

1) Watch other sports

Welp, the good news is the NFL decided to have a season so there’s still football, but if the entire NBA season is lost what is there to watch? Fear not NBA aficionados. Figure the NFL will be over in first week of February, around the same time NASCAR has its own super bowl of racing in its very first race of the year! Who can’t get hyped for the pageantry, the prestige of the Daytona 500? Then in the middle of February baseball pitchers and catchers report to training camps for Spring Training. If that doesn’t get your juices flowing, get ready to scour the transaction wire for the wheeling and dealing that went down for the winter meetings so you can get your fantasy baseball team right. How about some bowling? That’s a favorite past time of NBA players. Take a trip down to Lucky Strike in Times Square and you may run into Carmelo Anthony or Baron Davis. At least there’s college basketball, right? Track and field?

Yeah, this lockout needs to end quickly.

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Go to Mediatakeout.com to see the photos…

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Lebron and Savannah also celebrated over the weekend in Akron, Ohio with an Arabian theme birthday bash. NBA player Chris Paul and his fiancee Jada Crawley made a surprise appearance. Lebron and Savannah danced the night away.

Check out the photo below!

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Several of Lala and Carmelo’s close friends and family were in attendance. Celebrity guests included the likes of Serena Williams, Gabrielle Union, Hill Harper, Tyrese, Snoop Dogg and his wife Shante, Letoya Luckett, Melody Thornton, Reagan Gomez, Pooch Hall, Terrence J and more.

Check out the photo gallery below.

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The gallery below showcases Will & Jada Smith, Barack & Michelle Obama, and other black celebrity couples who have managed to make it last.

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Spotted @TheSocietyOnline.biz

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After 82 hard fought games it is time for the NBA’s ”second season.”  This is what fans have been waiting for ever since LeBron James stunned the basketball world by announcing he would be taking his talents to South Beach. While the team he left behind (Cleveland Cavaliers) went on to win 42 fewer games without him (19-63 down from 61-21 with James a year ago), James only went on to finish second in the league in scoring and led the Heat to 58 wins, putting him in the discussion for his third straight MVP award. Ask James and he’ll tell you that means nothing. After being accused of quitting on the Cavs last season against Boston and going out in unsportsmanlike fashion to Orlando in 2009, King James wants everyone to witness him carry the Heat to the promised land and put all the doubters to rest. To do that he will have to do what he couldn’t do at the end of last season and 3 out of 4 times this season with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in tow: beat the Boston Celtics. Will he succeed? Check out my predictions on this and the rest of what promises to be one of the best NBA Playoffs ever.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

FIRST ROUND
1 Chicago Bulls vs 8 Indiana Pacers

When the Indiana Pacers fought to make the playoffs they were probably expecting to face the Miami Heat, who they beat earlier in the year. Instead they got a Bulls team clicking on all cylinders led by MVP front runner Derrick Rose. The Bulls won 62 games this season and locked up home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. The Bulls only won 60 games five other times in franchise history (hint: all in the 1990′s) and each time they went on to win the NBA title. Read on to see if I think they will make it six, but they will get off to a good start.

Prediction:  The Bulls finally get out of the first round (not being a #8 seed helps that way) in a sweep 4-0.

4 Orlando Magic vs 5 Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks won the season series 3 games to 1, however I am not sold on an Atlanta team that lost by more than 30 points on their home floor three different times. Al Horford has made strides this ear but he is not a true center and will be overmatched by Orlando center Dwight Howard. Atlanta is a mystery to me. They play well enough to be a mid-level playoff team (more a testament to the weak Eastern Conference) but you never expect them to progress to title contender. They are getting no respect and it feels like they don’t really care. I can’t take a team seriously if the road team’s fans are louder than the home fans in your own gym. Joe Johnson is a quiet superstar and may need to change that perception (especially since he signed a huge contract to stay for five years when he could have went elsewhere) if the Hawks are going to go anywhere in the future. I just want to see him get mad and carry the Hawks for once. It won’t happen this year, however. Not even this round.

Prediction: Orlando shows regular season matchup is a fluke taking out the Hawks 4-2.

3 Boston Celtics vs 6 New York Knicks

This will be the most interesting series in the first round of the East playoffs. These two teams haven’t met in the playoffs since 1990 where the Knicks upset the favored Celtics in a best of 5 series by winning the final three games. This current crop of Knickerbockers have the tools to repeat history. The loss of Kendrick Perkins will be glaring for Boston if Shaquille O’Neal is not productive coming off a calf injury. The Knicks have the best closer in the game in Carmelo Anthony and a confident Amare Stoudamire. Chauncey Billups’ championship experience will help the Knicks, but will they play any semblance of consistent defense? Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have been down this road before but never without Perkins. Rajon Rondo the best player on the team a year ago is reportedly playing hurt and is still sulking over Perkins’ departure. This will be the longest series of the first round only because the Knicks potent offense will win a few games by default, especially over a Celtics team that has the lowest scoring average in the entire league (90.2 ppg) since early March. Boston has been doubted before and they took all that talk of their demise all the way to the NBA Finals last year. They still play something called good defense and will win the series in seven only if Shaq is a factor and Rondo returns to form, otherwise the Knicks pull the upset.

Prediction: Boston has yet to lose to the Knicks this season and have come too far to go home early. They will move on 4 games to 3.

2 Miami Heat vs 7 Philadelphia 76ers

With all the hype, drama and media coverage that bordered on overkill (there are at least two national media outlets that have season-long sections dedicated to the daily exploits of The Miami Heat — ESPN’s “Heat Index” and USA Today’s “Heat Check”) The Maimi Heat’s season starts now. All eyes will be on the new Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to see if LeBron can back up the tough talk from the narcissistic pre-season coronation/pep rally in July that introduced the trio to the Miami faithful. They get off to a great start against Philly who are a nice story, but will not be able to match up to the firepower of the Heat.

Prediction: Heat burn the Sixers 4 to 1.

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

1 Chicago Bulls vs 4 Orlando Magic

This series is a tough one to call. The Magic are playoff tested. The return of Hedo Turkoglu along with the experience of Jason Richardson (a Western Conference finalist last season in Phoenix), Gilbert Arenas, and Jameer Nelson will be a factor in this series. Chicago may be the #1 seed, but losing to Orlando would not be considered an upset in my opinion. Orlando will win this series, however I give Chicago an outside chance only if Derrick Rose gets Dwight Howard in foul trouble with his signature acrobatic drives to the cup thus leaving the middle open for Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer to go to work. Orlando has their own point to prove with Miami getting all the press and prestige in the “sunshine state” and their veteran leadership will trump youth this year, not for lack of effort from Mr. Rose.

Prediction: Orlando stops the Bulls 4-2

2 Miami Heat vs 3 Boston Celtics

When the NBA season tipped off in October with the first installment of Heat-Celtics everyone watching figured this would be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately the Chicago Bulls had something to say about where these two teams would end up so the showdown comes one round early. I hate to beat a dead horse, but the absence of Kendrick Perkins effectively brought Boston back to the pack in the East. Miami reportedly loved the deal as shown in the last regular season meeting where Miami did as they pleased in the paint en route to a 100-77 win. The series won’t be as lopsided as the depth of the Celtics bench will keep the games competitive. Again, the effectiveness of Shaq (or any big other than Kevin Garnett) will swing the series. Former Heat Jermaine O’Neal will have something to prove in this series against the team that let him walk and will have a decent series.

Prediction: In another seven game marathon, the Miami Heat will upset the Celtics 4-3 and send Doc Rivers into retirement. Let the finger pointing (and rebuilding) begin in Beantown.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

2 Miami Heat vs 4 Orlando Magic

Ironically this will the toughest test for the Heat. Dwight Howard will be the only thing standing in the way of a trip to the NBA Finals for LeBron James and the Heat. For the Heat to win this series they have to get contributions from a bench that has been invisible all season. The Heat should have Udonis Haslem back by this point giving them a much needed body to bang with Howard, but the three-headed monster of Erick Dampier, Joel Anthony, and Zydrunis Ilgauskas have to use their fouls to frustrate Howard. Technical fouls accumulated in the regular season are wiped clean in the post season so unless Howard has a major meltdown that gives him 7 techs, he isn’t missing any time.

Unlike the Bulls series, getting Howard in foul trouble will not matter as the Magic have proven they can beat the Heat without Howard touching the ball on offense (as witnessed in the classic comeback from a 24-point deficit back in March). LeBron may have flashbacks to the 2009 Conference Finals with Turkoglu alongside Richardson, Arenas, and (wait for it) Ryan Anderson taking the place of Rashard Lewis behind the 3-point arc. The Magic live and die by the 3 pointer and if they are on it could extinguish the Heat. LeBron has personal incentive (proving Orlando general manager Otis Smith wrong) to make the Magic disappear, but his exploits along with Wade and Bosh may not be enough without consistent play from the Ringo Starr’s on the bench.

Prediction: Orlando upsets ”The Heatles” denying LeBron a trip to the NBA Finals 4-2 in year one of “The Process”.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

FIRST ROUND
1 San Antonio Spurs vs 8 Memphis Grizzlies

This is the matchup the Grizzlies wanted for reasons only known by the team itself. It has been reported that Memphis tanked the last few games to assure themselves of the 8th seed and avoid facing the Lakers. Spurs forward Tim Duncan responded simply ”we see what’s happening”. Uh oh, bulletin board material. This series won’t go more than five. The Grizz are still without their star Rudy Gay, lost for the year with a shoulder injury, and while super sub Tony Allen has been playing out of his mind the last few weeks and Memphis boasts the fourth best record in the Western Conference since the All-Star break, the Spurs have their own Big 3 in the aforementioned Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. Even though Ginobli hyperextended his elbow in the regular season finale, they won’t need him in this round.

Prediction: Spurs move on 4-1

4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs 5 Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets traded away the face of their franchise and didn’t miss a beat en route to a 50-win season. If that doesn’t put coach George Karl in the discussion for Coach of the Year I don’t know what does. The Nuggets have no standout superstar yet share the ball effectively in a way not seen since the Detroit Pistons of the 2000′s. The Thunder have two superstars in the NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. OKC also has Kendrick Perkins. It is hard to believe one man can swing the balance of power from one conference to the next, but it goes to show how important a serviceable big man is to a championship contender. Perkins brings the toughness that can offset Nene and any antics by Kenyon Martin.  The players that came over in the trade from the Knicks will be fun to watch, but the Thunder’s defense will prove to be too daunting.

Prediction: Thunder bury the Nuggets 4-2

3 Dallas Mavericks vs 6 Portland Trailblazers

This will be as exciting as the Knicks-Celtics series. The Dallas Mavericks have been a Jekyll and Hyde team known to excel in the regular season only to flame out in the playoffs. Their inability to get out of the first round the last few years is the reason why former Mavs coach Avery Johnson is currently wasting away in New Jersey. Since blowing a chance to go up 3-0 on the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, the Mavericks have not gotten past the second round, losing in the first round twice. Not having Caron Butler hurts but Shawn Marion and Jason Terry lead a formidable bench which will be needed to help Dirk Nowitzki. Portland has a snubbed all-star in LaMarcus Aldridge an emerging star in Wesley Matthews, the high energy of Gerald Wallace, and their star player Brandon Roy currently coming off the bench (?!). They have not moved past the first round since 2000, but they will give Dallas all they can handle.

Prediction: Dallas hears the whispers of another collapse and because of it they will respond to the perceived disrespect by advancing in a tough series 4-3.

2 Los Angeles Lakers vs 7 New Orleans Hornets

Andrew Bynum only has a bone bruise in his hyperextended right knee. That means he will not miss significant time, if any at all in the playoffs. That is bad news for the rest of the Western Conference. The Lakers may not even need Bynum in this series as the Hornets will be without star forward David West. That leaves Emeka Okafor on an island against the size of the Lakers. Chris Paul will do his best but the Hornets are undersized and overmatched against the two-time defending champs.

Prediction: Lakers win 4-1.

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

1 San Antonio Spurs vs 4 Oklahoma City Thunder

The experience of the Spurs and the multiple big men (Antonio McDyess, Dejuan Blair, Duncan) they can throw at Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka combined with the neutrilization of Kevin Durant’s offense by Manu Ginobli will make the difference here. This series may go the distance as Durant and Westbrook try to set up a rematch with the Lakers in the Conference Finals, but the Spurs will prevail.

Prediction: Spurs win 4-3

2 Los Angeles Lakers vs 3 Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks got the first round monkey off their back, but reality will set in. The Mavericks will not have an answer for Pau Gasol, LaMar Odom and Bynum and there is a guy by the name of Kobe Bryant who will command a double team at some point. While Dallas has come a long way defensively they rely on their offense to dictate the pace of the game.

Prediction: Lakers advance 4-2

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
1 San Antonio Spurs vs 2 Los Angeles Lakers

Unlike the Eastern Conference, the West holds to form with the two best teams meeting for the chance to play in the Finals. San Antonio, like Boston, defied age and logic during the regular season being the last team to lose 10 games in a year where they were supposed to be in the middle of the pack. These teams are evenly matched, their regular season was a wash. Both teams have game changing superstars and a deep bench. It comes down to Kobe and Phil. Kobe has the nastiest killer instinct since Jordan and I can’t see him losing this series. Losing the #1 seed to the Spurs is just another challenge for the Black Mamba which is a bad omen for San Antonio.

Prediction: Lakers go back to the NBA Finals after a hard fought 7 game slug fest 4-3.

NBA FINALS

Orlando Magic vs Los Angeles Lakers

Probably not the team from Florida Commissioner David Stern had in mind to face the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but in a rematch of the 2009 Finals the experience of the Lakers produces the same result. It was Kobe Bryant’s mission statement to send coach Phil Jackson off with his fourth three-peat while simultaneously earning his sixth ring tying him with Michael Jordan. Again, the challenge is what drives Bryant and his will to win elevates the rest of the team to victory.

Prediction: Lakers complete the three-peat 4-2, possibly pushing Dwight Howard closer to Tinseltown after next season.

**Bonus**

AWARDS SEASON:

MVP: Derrick Rose (Runner-up: LeBron James)

Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau, Chicago (Runner-up: Gregg Poppovich, Spurs)

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin (Runner-up: John Wall)

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (Runner-up: no one worth mentioning)

Sixth Man of the Year: LaMar Odom (Runner-up: Jamal Crawford)

5 Reasons The Miami Heat Will NOT Win The NBA Title This Season

Thursday March 31st signaled the start of the 2011 baseball season. That means the NHL and NBA seasons are in the final stretch and it will be time to dust off the glove and get that money together for the $5.00 hot dog and $8.00 beer. Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones scored the first run of the new season and the New York Yankees played their first ever regular season home game in March defeating the Detroit Tigers at the stadium 6-3.

There are plenty of story lines (Will St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols [pictured] leave after the season? How will Derek Jeter respond to his controversial contract negotiation this past summer? Can new skipper Don Mattingly get the Los Angeles Dodgers to the postseason?) and milestones (see below) to be reached. With Barry Bonds perjury trial in relation to his alleged use of steroids and Roger Clemens impending trial hovering in the background, will this be the year of the hitter or will pitchers dominate once again? That is why they play the games.

200

hits needed by Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro in order to set major league record of 11 seasons with 200 or more passing all-time hits leader Pete Rose.
It is amazing how consistent Ichiro is. He has only been in the major leagues for 10 seasons. Do the math. If he leads the league in hitting this year it would be the 7th time he would have accomplished that feat breaking a tie with Rose and legend Ty Cobb.

74

hits needed by Yankee captain Derek Jeter to reach 3000 for his career.
Jeter is already a lock for the Hall of Fame, but 3000 hits usually makes the selection a no-brainer.

41

saves Yankees closer Mariano Rivera needs to reach 600 in his career.
The best closer in history should add another record to his legend this season: All-Time saves leader. He needs 43 to pass Trevor Hoffman for the honor.

39

points Carmelo Anthony scored in back-to-back games against the Orlando Magic and the New Jersey Nets.
Melo matched his highest output as a Knick in consecutive games, but more importantly New York won both times.

26

total amount when the seeds of the NCAA Men’s Final Four teams are added up, the highest total since seeding began in 1979.
In other words the “big name” schools had their worst showing in NCAA tourney history.

11

homeruns needed for Minnesota Twins DH Jim Thome to reach 600 for his career.
Thome has never been mentioned in any steroids scandal. 500 homeruns is usually the benchmark for Hall Of Fame induction, but 600 may push the underrated slugger over the hump.

4

starting pitchers on the Philadelphia Phillies roster that have been the ace (number 1 starter) of a pitching staff in their career (from l-r in pic: Roy Halladay – Toronto Bluejays, Roy Oswalt – Houston Astros, Cliff Lee – Texas Rangers, Cole Hamels – Philadelphia Phillies).
Unprecedented and Unfair.

1

prediction by Yankees ace CC Sabathia that the New York Yankees will win the 2011 World Series.
Has CC seen the Phillies pitching staff?

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With Ohio State losing to Kentucky 62-60 on Friday night it is safe to say that everyone’s bracket outside of Lexington is officially busted. However there are still some great stories in the NCAA Tournament. In the pro game the Chicago Bulls keep winning and the New York Knicks keep losing. Is it time to panic in MSG?

93

most points given up by the Duke Blue Devils in a 93-77 loss to Arizona on Thursday (Mar 24th).
The most points Duke has given up in a game since 1997. Am I the only one who thinks Duke is a bit overrated?

73

margin of victory in back to back wins by the Chicago Bulls who beat the Sacramento Kings by 40 (132-92) and Atlanta Hawks by 33 (114-81) on back-to-back nights.
The Miami Heat may have straightened out their issues, but Derrick Rose should win the league MVP going away, especially if the Bulls wrap up the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

16

the margin of defeat by Duke against Arizona which is the second largest loss by a number one seed in the NCAA tournament.
Who knew Arizona would be this good this fast after long time coach Lute Olsen retired? I didn’t.

8

as in Elite Eight where the embattled VCU men’s basketball team is headed after defeating Florida Sate 72-71 in overtime on Friday (Mar 25th).
VCU is on a mission. All the College Gameday “experts” were killing the selection committee for giving them a bid over Colorado and Virginia Tech. Well, it is safe to say those schools would have lost by now.

7 and 11

The record of the New York Knicks since trading for Carmelo Anthony including five straight losses and seven losses to teams with losing records including Cleveland, Indiana and Milwaukee twice.
The Knicks are playing hard but are fading in the fourth quarter. If they were beating the teams they were supposed to (read: Cleveland, Indiana, Milwaukee, Detroit) they could easily be fighting for the fifth seed in the East. Also, should head coach Mike D’Antoni start sweating his job yet?

4

field goals made by University of Connecticut star Kemba Walker in the last 9:18 of the game against San Diego State University. SDSU as a team made only 4 field goals in this same span as Walker outscored the team 16-14.
I keep expecting this guy to get tired after winning five Big East games in five days and running through the NCAA tournament, but it is not happening. The Cavaliers may have their replacement for LeBron (ok,ok  I won’t get too crazy).

3

times this season the Atlanta Hawks have been beaten by over 30 points on their home floor, most recently by the Chicago Bulls.
This team continues to be embarrassed on national television. I have heard the “home” crowd cheering for the opposing team on numerous occasions. That has got to be disheartening.

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“That story is laughable,” she said. “If I knew about a baby what kind of woman would I be to say ‘hide your kid’? And if it was true I don’t think I’d be sitting here smiling.”

But one thing Lala doesn’t deny is keeping things interesting in her marriage. When Angela Yee asked if she ever sent Carmelo sexy cellphone pics she bluntly replied, “Any woman that wants to keep her marriage spicy should send naked pics to her husband or significant other…I just try to cut my head off in them more.”

Go Lala!  But Melo, you better not lose that BlackBerry!

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72

points given up by the New York Knicks to the Dallas Mavericks by HALFTIME of a 127-109 loss on Thursday night (Mar 10th).
The Knicks are an enigma on defense. They can shut down the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz, but give up at least 115 points twice to Cleveland and this matador effort to the Mavs. Head coach Mike D’Antoni has to prove his style of play can win a title.

52

consecutive double-doubles recorded by Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Love on Wednesday (Mar 9th) breaking the overall consecutive record set by Moses Malone over two seasons.
Congratulations to Kevin Love. When you consider post ABA/NBA merger Hall Of Fame big men like Karl Malone, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar have not come close to that number, Love’s feat is more impressive.

24

points Chris Bosh scored against the Lakers one day after stating publicly that he needed the ball in certain areas of the court (read: low post) to be effective.
Bosh bounced back nicely after the stinker in Portland (3-11 FG, 7 points). Glad he backed up his talk because he might not have gotten the ball again from LeBron if he didn’t produce.

15

baskets made by Carmelo Anthony (including the above game winner against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 9th) in the final 30 seconds to either tie the game or give his team the lead in the past 8 seasons.
The Knicks have their own closer. Only Kobe Bryant, also with 15, has as many since 2003.

8

game winning streak after the NBA All-Star break for the Los Angeles Lakers before falling to Miami 94-88 on Thursday (Mar 10th). That is good for a tie for third on the all-time list of Lakers winning streaks post All-Star Break (the other three Lakers teams went on to the NBA Finals).
The Lakers have flipped the proverbial switch and are locked in for the run to the playoffs. Kobe wanted that win against Miami on Thursday night which is probably why…

2

hours Kobe spent shooting jumpers in America Airlines Arena after the game against the Heat was over.
I am not aware of something like this happening while a player was on the road. Kobe is focused, man.

1

vote of confidence given to Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra by GM Pat Riley. In response to if he was getting rid of Spoelstra this year because of the losing streak Riley said “it ain’t gonna happen.”
Riley is no fool. He knows this team is not built to win this season. Once they get size down low, a point the team will most likely address in the offseason, Spoelstra (a.k.a. Julius Caesar) better watch his back for a slick-haired Brutus.

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85

number Baron Davis will wear for Cleveland Cavaliers in honor of his grandmother and the street she raised him on in Oakland, California.  Things are looking up in Cleveland for Byron Scott. According to Davis’ twitter account he is actually very excited to play for the Cavs. Who knew?

42

wins for the Chicago Bulls after beating the Orlando Magic 89-81 on Friday night (Mar. 4th) one more than their win total for each of the last two seasons. The Bulls are even in the loss column with Miami going into their showdown with the Heat on Sunday (Mar 6th). Derrick Rose has become the frontrunner for MVP of the league in my book since LeBron James can’t hit a big shot at the end of games right now.

24

lead Miami blew in 2nd half to Orlando Magic in a 99-96 loss on Thursday night (Mar 3rd).
This was a BAD loss. They followed this up by getting thrashed by SanAntonio the following night 125-95. 0-3 on current 10 game stretch against teams with winning records. They may fall to the 4th seed if this keeps up.

20

number of 3-pointers hit by Notre Dame in a 93-72 blowout of Villanova on March 1st breaking the previous team record of 19.
Ben Hansborough (above, who hit 7 of the threes) is following in the footsteps of his big brother Tyler (currently of the Indiana Pacers who starred at North Carolina).

18

straight points scored by the Magic to erase the 24 point deficit to the Heat. Orlando was hitting threes like layups. It was looking like ’09 Eastern Conference Finals versus Cleveland. Something about LeBron.

16

technical fouls for Dwight Howard which, if not rescinded, will earn him a one game supension and a $5000 fine. I find it ironic that a guy that is always smiling, joking, and acts like a big kid off of the court could lead the NBA in techs on the court. that being said, the Magic can’t afford to lose him to one game suspensions down the stretch.

11

total combined points scored in 2nd half against the Magic by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade after combining for 47 in the first half, two more than the entire Orlando team had at intermission.
The basketball seems to find LeBron with the game on the line like a fielder in baseball that has made three errors in a game. Wade needs to take charge quickly.

3

losses the New York Knicks have suffered at the hands of the 12-49 Cleveland Cavaliers in 3 meeting s this season. Stunned at the fact that Baron Davis decided to suit up for Cleveland, I have no words for blowing a 12 point lead in the 4th quarter on your homecourt to the worst team in basketball.

1

player (Brandon Davies) kicked off #3 ranked BYU basketball team for violating the school’s “Honor Code”. This is unfortunate, but the “Honor Code” has been a part of BYU for years and students who choose to go there know what to expect.

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points scored by Providence’s Marshon Brooks in a 94-93 loss to Notre Dame Wednesday night (Feb 23rd) setting a Big East record.

45

total points scored by Miami’s Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the first half of their 117-97 win against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night (Feb 22). Sacramento as a team scored only 44 first half points.

27

points Carmelo Anthony scored in his New York Knicks debut on Wednesday (Feb 23rd).

25

ranking of St. John’s mens basketball team as of Feb 21st. The first time the team has been ranked in the top 25 since 2000.

3

wins by the Miami Heat in 11 games this season that are decided by five points or less.

1

field goal made in 18 attempts for Chris Bosh, a 5.6 FG%, in 93-89 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night (Feb 24).

1

win by the Miami Heat in 8 games versus the other top 5 teams in the NBA: San Antonio (0-0), Dallas (0-2), Boston (0-3), Chicago (0-2), Los Angeles (1-0)

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La La and Carmelo Anthony had a hit with their VH1 reality show “La La’s Full Court Wedding” and now it’s time for their new show tentatively titled “La La’s Full Court Life.” The filming began last month which is perfect timing since Carmelo Anthony currently has New York City in a frenzy with the recent trade to the New York Knicks for 65 million.

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The viewers will get to see La La and Carmelo’s move to New York City and how they maintain their family life and careers. Now of course you know their celebrity friends like Kim Kardashian, Kelly Rowland, Serena Williams, Trina, 50 Cent and Ciara will make appearances. The show is scheduled to air this summer in August.

Jeff Olde from VH1 programing and production states:

“Viewers connect with La La because despite the fairy tale wedding and NBA star husband, she is a real, down to Earth, hardworking woman who stays true to herself. The best thing about the new series is that while pursuing and realizing her dreams, La La gets to take us back to her home in New York, where her story began.”

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25.2

Average points per game Carmelo Anthony brings to the New York Knicks this season

22

number of assists (including a sick bounce pass alley-oop to Blake Griffin) John Wall tallied in the Rookie-Sophomore game on All Star Friday night (Feb 18).

7

consecutive seasons averaging 20 points a game for Carmelo Anthony, tying him for third (with LeBron James) on the active list behind Kobe Bryant (11) and Dirk Nowitzki (10).

96

The number of 3-Point buckets James Jones–winner of the Footlocker 3-Point Contest– has made this season

4

NBA All Star Game MVP trophies for Kobe Bryant (which is one more than Shaquille O’Neal has) tying him with St. Louis Hawks big man Bob Petit for most all-time.

3

basketballs dunked by JaVale McGee AT ONE TIME during NBA Slam Dunk Contest on All Star Saturday night (Feb 19).

5

the number of judges Pam McGee kissed before her son dunked.

2

career Nascar starts it took for rookie Trevor Bayne to win his first race…the Daytona 500!

2

players in NBA All Star Game history to notch a triple-double: LeBron James (above) and Michael Jordan.

1

the number of cars Blake Griffin jumped over to win the 2011 Slam Dunk contest.

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The Nuggets get Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Wilson Chandler, New York’s 2014 first-round draft pick, Golden State’s 2012 second-round pick and 2013 second-round pick along with $3 million in cash.

The Minnesota Timberwolves also got in on the action, with Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry going from New York to Minnesota and the Wolves’ Corey Brewer headed to New York. The Knicks are also sending $3 million in cash to Minnesota.

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42

Points Derrick Rose scored against the NBA best San Antonio Spurs in a 109-99 win last night (Feb. 18) setting a new career high.

19

Age of rising golf star Zakiyah Randall. She’s legal, yay!

10

Years since Dale Earnhardt, Sr. died in the final lap of the Daytona 500.

10

Amount of years 31 year-old St.Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols is seeking in a contract extension. Pujols, in the final year of his current deal, has said he will not negotiate during the season which will make him a free agent at the end of the year.

4

Number of draft picks the New Jersey Nets are set to give up to Denver in a tentative agreement to acquire Carmelo Anthony according to an ESPN report today (Feb 19th).

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The NBA All-Star Game reserves were unveiled last Thursday (Feb. 3rd) on TNT. With all the talent in the NBA and only seven reserve spots to fill by head coaches of the Eastern and Western conference there will be some players that are deserving that will be left off the team. However this year there were some glaring omissions which makes you wonder if all the head coaches even voted. Below are some of the players that should have been All-Stars this season.

Beginning with the Eastern Conference you can’t go wrong with the starters the fans voted in: LeBron James, D-Wade, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudamire are all deserving. The reserves that were chosen were only from three teams. Eastern Conference coaches cannot vote for their own players so the results were a little surprising. The entire Boston Celtics starting lineup minus Shaq (Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett) was selected, Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, Atlanta Hawks Al Horford and Joe Johnson round out the East reserves.

The argument can be made that Bosh shouldn’t be on the team and somebody has to be better than Ray Allen and Al Horford, right? Looking at the teams in the East, Carlos Boozer of the Chicago Bulls had so many mysterious injuries that kept him out of action that he can’t complain, a case could be made for Raymond Felton of the New York Knicks, but his production started to decline in January, Andrew Bogut in Milwaukee? The team has been disappointing and Bogut isn’t putting up the numbers he did in his breakout year last season. Who else in the East is in the top ten to fifteen in scoring? Danny Granger in Indiana? Stephen Jackson in Charlotte? Both of those teams are inconsistent. So while it may look like the Boston Celtics versus the West All-Stars late in the first quarter on Sunday February 20th, in a testament to how weak the Eastern Conference is after the top four teams, I think the coaches got it right.

Looking at the Western Conference, here is where it gets ridiculous. Again, the fans got four out of five right in the starters: Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant deserve to go, but Yao Ming has been out of action since November. There was no other center in the Western Conference that could have been voted in? Congrats to Blake Griffin on making the team as a rookie.

Kevin Love

The fact that Kevin Love was not voted in as a starter or selected as a reserve initially is a travesty. I, like Charles Barkley, do not believe a team’s record should go against a player. Love is leading the NBA in rebounding with over 15 a game. That is Dennis Rodman numbers. The last time he did not have a double-double (double figure points and rebounds) was November 19th! Sure Minnesota only won 11 games to this point, Love has three games with 30 points and 20 rebounds this year! He shoots threes like a shooting guard. Thankfully Commissioner David Stern did the right thing and in about 24 hours, too. Which means he was probably equally shocked. Still I wonder how Love feels to be added as a replacement. Hey, Ray Allen made the All-Star team twice that way and he’s not complaining. Okay, lets move on to the true snubs:

Lamar Odom

If the coaches are going to vote another Laker on the team it should be Lamar Odom, not Pau Gasol. Odom has been consistently good, foul on “Big Baby” Glen Davis at halfcourt at the end of the first half last Sunday (Jan. 30) against the Celtics aside. In that same game Kevin Garnett was constantly beating Gasol and Andrew Bynum down the floor for easy baskets. Those guys stopped playing.

LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge has carried the Portland Trailblazers this season without leading scorer Brandon Roy. The fact that Portland has a winning record without their superstar should have stamped a ticket for Aldridge and keep coach Nate McMillan open for Coach of the Year consideration. Tim Duncan, who made the team, is not even the second best player on the squad (Tony Parker holds that honor) and his scoring numbers are way below his career average.

Monta Ellis

Because the West is still heavy on guards, Monta Ellis, Steve Nash and the aforementioned Parker were left off. Ellis is automatically the more egregious of the two snubs. He has single-handedly been responsible for over half of Golden State’s 19 wins to this point including their most recent triumph over Milwaukee (Feb 3rd). In spite of that, who i he going to replace? Hard to argue with Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams here.

Unless the rosters are expanded to 15 players instead of 12, the Western Conference will have this problem every year. It is rare that all the players chosen for baseball’s All-Star team get to play. With the amount of TV timeouts I am sure the coaches can get 15 players some burn in the All-Star game.

Let’s see if David Stern makes this happen.

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Nevertheless, the drama surrounding it all is taking it’s toll on the Nuggets forward, who recently lost his sister Michelle.

“It’s kind of hard for me to even watch sports right now,” Anthony said. “That’s all they’re talking about right now. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since Thanksgiving.”

Watch the full interview below:

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Michelle Anthony died of a pre-existing medical condition Tuesday in Baltimore. She had four children.

“Our entire organization supports Carmelo during this difficult time for him and his family,” Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said in a statement released by the team. “It is heartbreaking news, particularly during the holiday season.”

SOURCE

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Needless to say, there is definitely a reason why these guys are playing ball and not rapping for a living.

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When the Nuggets played the Knicks last week the Big Apple fans were very vocal in their desire for Melo to come to NY and play.

“Everybody’s yelling out the windows: ‘Melo we need you in New York.’ Of course that feels good when you know someone out there wants you to come and represent their team and represent their city. That’s what I took from that,” Anthony said.

Carmelo has good reason to be in an Empire State of mind.  The Knicks acquired Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton in the off-season and are off to one of their best starts in years. Winning 13 of their last 14 games, the Knicks have won eight straight for the first time since Dec. 27, 1994-Jan. 13, 1995. At 16-9, they are off to their best start after 25 games since they were 18-7 in 1996-97.

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The latest trade had Melo as part of a four team deal that would have landed him in New Jersey, but that has fallen through for the moment. New Jersey has since pulled out of the Carmelo sweepstakes for now, but with number 15 still wearing the powder blue uniform anything can happen before the trade deadline in February. If Carmelo leaves Denver expect him to be wearing the blue and orange of the New York Knicks. Here are five reasons why:

5. He won his only championship in New York.

Sure it was an NCAA title in his only season at Syracuse, but how many current NBA players who did not go to Duke or North Carolina can make that claim? Hopefully getting back to the place where it all went right for him on the court will rub off in the pros.

4. Amare Stoudamire

The newly signed Amare Stoudamire is openly telling anyone who will listen that, like the Miami Heat,  the Knicks will have their own dream team triumvirate of himself, Melo, and another free-agent-to be San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker in the near future. Stoudamire recently confessed that he was in Melo’s ear about coming to New York at Anthony’s wedding(!!) That, folks,  is what you call persistence.

3. La La Vazquez

As most married men will attest (or not if they are stubborn), whatever wifey says ultimately goes. His new wife was a former MTV VJ in New York City and I am sure that she would rather spend her winter nights in NYC rather than the frigid mountain air of Colorado.

2. He wants to play in New York

He said all the right things at the Denver Nuggets media day claiming he never said he wanted to be traded. Anthony is right, he never said that… in public. The silence must be deafening because the ubiquitous “sources close to Anthony” have all said that he has confided that the Knicks and the Bulls are his preferred destinations. Although he was raised in Baltimore Carmelo was born in New York. With New Jersey pulling out of the proposed four-team trade that would have brought Melo to the Nets, it is obvious that Anthony was hesitant to head to the swamp even with the Nets moving to Brooklyn in two years. Another rumor has it that Melo is holding out hope that the Knicks will make a last ditch attempt to put a package together to get him to the Big Apple before the season starts.

1. The Decision

Carmelo saw LeBron take his talents to South Beach to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Heat. That is three of the top five picks (James #1, Bosh #4, Wade #5) in the same 2003 NBA Draft that he was in (Anthony was the #3 pick). Melo doesn’t feel his supporting cast in Denver matches up in star power and he wants to get in on a friendly rivalry of “Big Three” teams which makes New York or Chicago very attractive destinations. No word if he is going to join Darko Milicic (the no.2 pick in the 2003 draft and colossal NBA bust to this point) any time soon.

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Her latest shots come from her RollingOut.com spread where she looks amazing and extra curvaceous if I might add.

Click here for another La La gallery from HelloBeautiful.com

La La went from this:

To this:

What a transformation! So here you go– give La La’s new image a rating from 1-10…

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As much as I hate to talk about Kat Stacks, she is keeping her self relevant with her latest ploy for fame. After her recent Soulja Boy scandal the Internet community reacted with threats, subliminal tweets and trending topics about slapping Kat Stacks. Kat must see reporting these threats to the FBI as a way to keep her 35 minutes of fame going, because she’s been slapped around before(it’s nothing new). Carmelo Anthony was one of the many celebrities to react and here’s where it got him:

Spotted @Mediatakeout.com

Here’s what he tweeted:

Where the h*ll is Blankman when you need him?

Hopefully the FBI will laugh at her like we do!

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Other celebs like Jay-Z and Jadakiss were also there. Take a look:

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