Little Boy Gets F**ked Over By Largest Kid In Pee Wee Football!
Lmaoo..this was boarder line fuck up
Tourney to feature UNC, Louisville
North Carolina and Louisville have agreed to play in the 2013 Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament.
The tournament is put on by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and has been played for the past two seasons at the Mohegan Sun arena in Connecticut, where it has failed to generate large crowds.
The Hall of Fame said Monday that next year's field also will include two teams from Connecticut -- Fairfield University and the University of Hartford -- which could help ticket sales.
The tournament also will include Richmond, Holy Cross, Hofstra, and Belmont.
No. 3 Ohio State beat Washington Sunday in the championship game of the season's tournament. The 2011 tournament was won by eventual national-champion Kentucky.
Plaxico Burres Visit Steelers
Burress played last season with the New York Jets after spending nearly two years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.
Despite missing the 2009 and 2010 seasons, Burress was productive with the Jets, hauling in 45 receptions and eight touchdowns. But the 35-year-old has remained unsigned throughout this season despite reportedly drawing interest from multiple teams.
The 6-foot-5 Burress would significantly bolster an injury-plagued receiving corps in Pittsburgh (6-4, second in the AFC North). Starting wideout Antonio Brown has missed the past two games due to a sprained ankle, and Jerricho Cotchery also was injured late in Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The eighth overall selection in the 2000 NFL draft, Burress spent his first five seasons with the Steelers before signing as a free agent with the New York Giants in 2005.
Lloyd Banks Cold Corner 3 Coming Soon
Lloyd Banks is currently on tour, but he's also been working on his new mixtape in his Cold Corner series.
Aside from dropping the V6 mixtape, the artist has been keeping a relatively low profile this year, but he hinted that he's been in the studio via Twitter last night, with producer Cardiak later confirming as well.
Although there is no news yet on when it'll drop, you can expect it'll be sometime this winter
getting COLD! out..know what that means??
— Lloydbanks (@Lloydbanks) November 16, 2012
J.R. Smith Taking It Easy On The Party Life
Smith is off to one of the best starts of his nine-year NBA career and on Thursday he cited a cutback in nightlife as one of the key reasons for his success.
"I'm not going to lie. The New York City nightlife pretty much got to me. I was going out pretty much every other night and not focused on the task at hand," a candid Smith told reporters in San Antonio after the Knicks' morning shootaround.
Smith said that a new, disciplined approach to practice has helped his performance for the 5-0 Knicks.
Smith is averaging 18 points per game to go with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Smith's hit an eye-popping 72 percent of his three-pointers (13 of 18) and is averaging just one turnover in 33 minutes per night.
It's a small sample size, to be sure, but it's hard not to notice how drastically Smith's improved from this season to last.
In 2011-12, Smith's first year in New York, he scored 12.5 points on 40 percent shooting in 35 games.
""He's so locked in and focused this year," Tyson Chandler said recently. "He's a different player. He's really matured and he's really buying into what coach is preaching, and it's been a big help."
Widely known as a talented, but maddeningly inconsistent player, Smith has said several times this season that he'd taken a more serious approach to his job over the summer. He worked hard to earn a starting spot with the Knicks and was disappointed when coach Mike Woodson declared he'd be the team's sixth man.
But after talking with some of the veteran Knicks, Smith accepted his role -- and has thrived in it.
He's been the best player not named Carmelo Anthony for the undefeated Knicks, who face the Spurs on Thursday night.
Coach Mike Woodson told reporters in San Antonio that Smith has been more professional this year.
Said Smith: "Every day I'm getting into the gym, getting in as much work as I can. A lot of times previously in my career, I had negative energy coming into the gym, not wanting to be there, joking around, goofing off. This year, it's been more serious. I understand every road trip we take is a work trip, not just a play trip. You come and work hard. If I work hard, maybe the next guy will see me work hard."
Smith acknowledged that in the past he's relied solely on his vast talent to succeed.
But he credited the Knicks' coaching staff for helping him take a different approach to his job this season.
"Being around the coaching staff, they're very professional. They've been on me for being professional. They've been on me about being professional since day one I got here," he told reporters in San Antonio.
Cassidy - Diary Of A Hustler
After Meek Mill was talking all crazy on twitter Cass came firing back with a diss track
Elmo Puppeteer Is A Sex Offender ?
Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind the iconic Sesame Street character, was caught sending a racy email to his lover in which he apologized for constantly “talking about sex,” TMZ reports.
Clash, 52, is currently taking a leave of absence from the show amid accusations he engaged in a relationship with an underage teen, and the Sesame Workshop acknowledged on Monday that an investigation into his conduct revealed he had “violated company policy regarding internet usage” and was disciplined.
The Muppeteer ran into trouble for an email he sent his accuser well after the man turned 18, according to TMZ, in which he said, “I’m sorry that I keep talking about sex with you, it’s driving me insane.”
“I want you to know that I love you and I will never hurt you,” Clash reportedly wrote in the email. “I’m here to protect you and make sure your dreams come true.”
VOICE OF ELMO ACCUSED OF SEX WITH TEEN BOY
He also added, “I’ll have my assistant book a ticket for you to come to NY and we can talk about this in person
iPad Mini Coming to Sprint
Though Apple has yet to release an official release date for the 4G LTE iPad Mini, we now know that it will be coming to AT&T, Sprint and Verizon at some point in the middle of November.
The company announced today that the iPad Mini 4G LTE would begin shipping a couple of weeks after the Wi-Fi only iPad Mini models begin to ship. The Wi-Fi only iPad Mini models will begin shipping on November 2nd which means that we should see a release date for the 4G LTE edition of the iPad Mini at some point in mid-November. A specific date however remains a mystery at this point.
Apple’s iPad Mini will be coming for the same pricing across the board which means that the AT&T, Sprint and Verizon iPad Mini models will all feature a starting price of $459. That price will net consumers an iPad Mini that features 16GB of storage space but also, 4G LTE data speeds. Apple and the carriers will also offer the 4G LTE iPad Mini in 32GB and 64GB form and they will be coming with $559 and $659 price tags
Young Jeezy Announces Upcoming Mixtape
With three simple words at the end of a video, Young Jeezy has his fans excited. His last studio release Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition is still moving units, and now the CTE mogul is planning on releasing a mixtape soon. The Snowman released a behind the scenes video for shooting of his single “Get Right”, and near the end of the clip it cuts short and flashes the message “Mixtape Coming Soon”.
His last mixtape was the very dope The Real Is Back 2 which dropped in 2011, but no word on if this will be another in that series, but expect the typical Jeezy street anthems.
Swizz Beatz Owes NY $98k In Unpaid Taxes, Plus $2.6 Million In Federal Taxes
Swizz Beatz has neglected to pay his taxes, including federal, resulting in quite the tax lien being filed against him.Swizz Beatz is usually one to be ahead of the curve, but apparently that's not the case when it comes to his taxes.The state of New York recently filed a tax lien against Swizz, for unpaid taxes from the year 2010 amounting to $98,246.18, TMZ reports.This isn't the first time reports of unpaid taxes from the producer/rapper have surfaced, we can tack that $98k on to his federal tax lien of $2.6 million, and Swizz owes quite the large sum.Let's hope Swizz does his part and pays his taxes in the near future.
Lakers Land With D'Antoni Over Jackson
D'Antoni's has a four-year contract, his agent, Warren LeGarie, confirmed late Sunday night, several hours after the Lakers beat Sacramento 103-90 for their second straight win under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff.
A league source said D'Antoni has a three-year deal worth $12 million and that the fourth year is a club option.
The deal was signed around 11:30 p.m. PT Sunday night, a source close to the situation told ESPN. Sources confirmed a Los Angeles Times report that D'Antoni quickly agreed to coach the Lakers after L.A.'s weekend of negotiations to bring back Phil Jackson broke down.
The Lakers said they plan to hold a news conference most likely on Tuesday or Wednesday. In a statement released by the team, Lakers spokesperson John Black said team owner Jerry Buss, executive vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak were "unanimous that D'Antoni was the best coach for the team at this time."
"I love PJ but I'm very excited about D'Antoni," Kobe Bryant told ESPN early Monday.
Sources told ESPN that Jackson's triangle offense was seen as a benefit to Bryant and Pau Gasol, but not as conducive to the rest of the players on the roster -- namely point guard Steve Nash and center Dwight Howard. Another strike against the triangle was the fact that this Lakers team struggled mightily to pick up the similarly complicated Princeton-style offense being instituted by Brown.
A league source indicated late Sunday night that Jackson was "stunned" when the Lakers called to inform him they had chosen D'Antoni. He had been prepared to accept the job Monday if negotiations between his agent and the Lakers went well. Jackson's agent Todd Musberger had been scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on Monday
Jackson and the Lakers had never spoken about a salary, the source said, "but he knew coaches don't make what he used to make anymore." Jackson, the source said, also never intended to miss any more road games than he had in his previous years with the Lakers.
"Phil would come back only to win and skipping games doesn't lead to winning," the source said.
D'Antoni, who had knee surgery at the beginning of November, hasn't yet been cleared to travel, according to sources, and "it'll be a couple of days before he comes in, but he's further along than people believe." There is a possibility that Bickerstaff will remain interim head coach even after D'Antoni's introductory news conference, according to a source, if D'Antoni isn't feeling physically able to coach games just yet.
Part of the current crop of leftovers from Brown's staff are expected to be retained by D'Antoni, along with "one or two" new coaches that he will bring in with him, according to a source. Two candidates to join D'Antoni are his older brother and longtime assistant, Dan D'Antoni, as well Phil Weber, another longtime aide.
D'Antoni spent five seasons coaching Nash in Phoenix. Nash won two MVP awards while running D'Antoni's signature up-tempo offense, and they won at least 54 games in each of D'Antoni's last four seasons.
D'Antoni then coached New York for the past four seasons, resigning last March after a largely unsuccessful tenure featuring just one playoff appearance and no postseason victories.
Nash and Bryant expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of playing for D'Antoni, although Bryant eagerly campaigned for a third stint for Jackson on the Lakers' bench. Bryant idolized D'Antoni while growing up in Italy, where D'Antoni was a star player in the Italian league.
"Obviously I think everyone knows how much I love Mike," Nash said Sunday night prior to the hiring. "If (D'Antoni) were to coach, it would be seamless and terrific for me, and I think the team as well."
The Lakers have improved to 3-4 after following up their winless preseason with four losses in their first five regular-season games, the club's worst start since 1993.
Brown was fired after the Lakers stumbled badly out of the gate, struggling to learn his Princeton-inflected offense and playing mediocre defense.
D'Antoni has a reputation as an offensive-minded coach, although his NBA teams typically have played fairly solid defense, statistically speaking.
The Lakers' next game is Tuesday night against San Antonio. Phoenix visits Staples Center on Friday
What Does Your Birth Date Mean?
Born on the 1stYou are a very friendly person. You love the good things in life. You are very ambitious. You seek stable, long-term relationships. You have good leadership skills - if you channel your efforts in the right direction, you can go very far in life. |
Born on the 2ndYou are a very helpful person. You make friends easily. You tend to be very loving and caring in your relationships. You are very optimistic and confident about the things you do. This is a quality which will help you to get ahead of others in life. |
Born on the 3rdYou have a creative mind. You love to explore new places and learn about new things. You are easy-going in life. Your loved ones are very happy in your company. You have big dreams in life. Try your best and you shall achieve them soon. |
Born on the 4thYou are someone who loves life. Your smiles are infectious. Your motivational spirit is undeniable. You are romantic at heart and will have a very good love life. Most of the times, you are an understanding individual but can be difficult to deal sometimes. You are totally loyal and trustworthy. Your friends love you. |
Born on the 5thYou have a magnetic and pleasing personality. You have a good sense of humor. People like you to be around them. You tend to fall in love very fast. You are emotional and may suffer in case of a break-up. You love to wear fashionable and stylish clothes. |
Born on the 6thYou are cheerful at heart. You are enthusiastic about trying new things. You have an adventurous streak. At the same time, you are a sensitive individual. You can maintain friendships very well. You are compassionate and caring for the people you love. You will accomplish a lot in life. |
Born on the 7thYou have a shy but likable personality. You are a dependable person. You like stability and peace in your life. You are sincere in your work. When in love, you become very romantic and mushy. You like to lead a luxurious life. You are faithful towards your family and friends. |
Born on the 8thYou have a calm and humble personality. You are a chilled attitude towards life. You are usually quite jolly and love to crack jokes. You are a profound thinker. You believe in God and are spiritual in your way of living. You are a magnanimous person when required. |
Born on the 9thYou have a smart and stylish personality. The opposite sex gets easily attracted towards you. You love the finer things of life. You believe in living in the present. You take very good care of your family and friends. In a relationship, your partner is the apple of your eye. |
Born on the 10thYou are a very charismatic person. People love to be in touch with you. You are self sacrificing in your relationships. You are like a coconut - tough outside but sensitive at heart. At times, you love to indulge in artistic and creative ventures. Take care that people don't take advantage of your helpful nature. |
Born on the 11thYou have a warm and inviting personality. You are amiable and love to make new friends. You are quick to return favors from friends. You love to crack jokes and spend long hours with friends. In relationships, you seek to dominate your partner but in a non-threatening way. At the same time, you are very passionate in your relationships. |
Born on the 12thYou are a wise person known for your humility. You are dedicated and sincere in your studies/work. You are an emotional lover. You tend to get possessive in your relationships. Otherwise, you are an easy-going and friendly person. You love to dress well. You are realistic in the game of life. |
Born on the 13thYou are wise beyond your years. Your friends turn to you whenever they need any advice. You care for the people close to your heart. You are a very good motivator. You work very well in teams and are a team-player. You don't hold back your feelings and are very expressive in love and romance. |
Born on the 14thYou are born to be a leader. You are cool in difficult situations and inspire others in times of crisis. You love traveling. You like to dress in sync with the latest fashion trends. You love to be pampered by your loved one. You prefer to be in a serious relationship. You are faithful to your family. |
Born on the 15thYou have a very magnetic personality. You always stand out in a crowd. You are usually smiling and spreading cheer around. You are serious about life. You have certain goals in life which you want to reach and you strive hard to achieve them. You pour your everything in a relationship. Sentiments are very important for you. |
Born on the 16thYou have a patient and introspective personality. You do things after thinking about the pros and cons. You are kind and altruistic by nature. You like to help others. Your enthusiasm is infectious. You express your love to your beloved every now and then. You take great care of your sweetheart and shower all your attention on him/her. |
Born on the 17thYou are not a very loud person. But at times you lose your temper very easily. You have a creative bent in you. You like to indulge in artistic ventures. You are mature beyond your years. You try to be friends with everyone. You are born to flirt with the opposite sex. You prefer independence and seek space in your love relationships. |
Born on the 18thYou are an outdoors person. You like spending time in peaceful, natural surroundings. You are a dynamic person. You cannot sit at one place for a long time. You like dressing up for occasions. You prefer to express your views openly. You are an exciting person to fall in love with but you prefer to be in a strong, long-term relationship only. |
Born on the 19thYou are attractive with an impeccable sense of dressing. You have more friends of the opposite sex than of your own. You are a jolly person with a great sense of humor. This is why people want to spend time with you. Someone will fall in love with you because of your enthusiastic, understanding and free-spirited nature. |
Born on the 20thYou are a person who is liked by one and all. Few people will hate you. You are innocent and very friendly. Try not to be very gullible. You have a sensitive side which very few people close to you know about. Members of your own sex are jealous with you because of how easily you mix with the opposite sex. |
Born on the 21thYou live life to the fullest and don't worry about tomorrow. You like to be as independent as possible. You confront obstacles in life by giving your best. You are a beautiful person. You are fun to be with. Someone will fall in love with you for the intimacy and affection you tend to show. |
Born on the 22ndEven though, you are not very extrovert, you mix very well with people once you know them a bit. You are a God-fearing person. You are someone known for your intelligence. At times, you crave for attention. You love the company of your friends and cherish the time you spend with them. You will find bliss with the person you love most in your life. |
Born on the 23rdYou are a happy-go-lucky person. You take life as it comes. Family and friends are very important to you. You are known for your wit. You possess talent to master one of the arts. Try to find your artistic ability if you haven't yet. You are very thoughtful and care for your sweetheart when in a relationship. |
Born on the 24thYou are a stable and a responsible person. People know that they can depend on you. When in love, you are very charming and affectionate towards your sweetie pie. You try to remain active as much as possible. You are sincere in your work/studies but if you try a little harder, you can be very successful. |
Born on the 25thYou are a friendly and lovable person. You try not to antagonize others by being diplomatic. You are very generous towards the under-privileged. You are ambitious and wish to achieve lots of things in life. Be open-minded and try to do your best, you will reach your goals soon. When in love, you become very romantic, mushy and caring. |
Born on the 26thYou are a frank and expressive person. You do what your heart tells you to. You do not care much about what others say. You maintain a calm exterior. You don't lose your temper easily. You love to explore new places and learn about new things. You like to flirt and your flirting will get you the love of your life. |
Born on the 27thYou have an attractive and vibrant personality. You are a social animal and like to party. You make new friends very easily. You are known for your good sense of humor. At times, you are very obstinate. You can forgive but you not forget easily. In your love life, you tend to be choosy in your search for the perfect partner. |
Born on the 28thYou are a star. Your joyful attitude towards life is unmatched. You are very talkative but at the same time, quite attentive. You love luxury. You are in sync with the latest fashion trends and groom yourself well. At times, you get too emotional. Most likely, you will be in a long term relationship. You cherish loyalty. |
Born on the 29thYou are an optimistic person and like to motivate others. You do not take many risks and adopt a cautious approach before trying anything new. In your free time, you are lively and relaxed. You like to chill out with friends whenever you get the chance. You are very passionate in love and make your partner feel on top of the world. |
Born on the 30thYou have a sexy and mysterious personality. Because of this, the opposite sex love to be around you. You are very sociable and amiable. You show good leadership skills and this will help you in your workplace. You weigh pros and cons before taking any decision. You want your partner to be good looking, dynamic and humorous. |
Born on the 31stYou are a simple and honest person. You don't like too many frills. You have a creative mind. If you channel your talents in the right direction, you can go places. You have a warm and compassionate personality which others like very much. You are easily approachable. You need a lot of time to commit in a relationship. You do not get too possessive. |
Knicks "Winter League" Jerseys
1. They are orange.
2. One thing you might say about them is that they are orange.
3. If the Knicks play home games in these, they're gonna be camouflaged in the paint. This could be advantageous and also a pain in the ass to watch on TV.
4. If the Knicks play any games outside at night, even in snowy weather, I'm confident cars will be able to spot and avoid them.
5. Orange
6. The Knicks should avoid crosswalks and construction sites while wearing these jerseys because people are going to assume they work there.
7. I like Iman Shumpert's sneakers in this photo. They are mostly not orange.
8. "Winter League" is not a thing, just so we're clear. These jerseys are just gonna be worn in some regular games. If it was a thing, it should be number 4.
9. At least they're not green.
What do y'all think?
Fabolous - For The Love
Fabolous is celebrating Barack Obama's victory with this new song. He's prepping his mixtape "The Soul Tape 2" dropping nov 22
Emotion Win For New York Over The Heat
Carmelo Anthony gave New Yorkers a salute, then a show.
He went to center court before the game to thank fans for coming to Madison Square Garden, when even the Knicks themselves didn't know if people were ready for sports yet.
Then he and his teammates provided a win for their city they know has lost so much.
Anthony had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and the Knicks gave suffering New Yorkers something to cheer with a 104-84 victory over the Miami Heat in their storm-delayed season opener Friday night.
"Over the last couple of days, we didn't even know if this game was going to be played. Then before the game we look up and they say they canceled the (New York City) Marathon, so it was like, we have to go out there and play," Anthony said. "So today was something to give New York a couple hours of some peace. Come to the game, support us. We gave them a good show out there tonight, that's the least that we can do."
In the first sporting event in New York since Hurricane Sandy, the Knicks dominated a game the Heat players weren't sure should even be played with the region still so devastated. But the Knicks hoped they could provide a distraction for a few hours, and fans who were able to watch surely loved what they saw from a team that could barely compete with Miami last season.
Anthony noticed plenty of empty seats when he first came out to warm up, then saw they had almost all been taken by the time players returned for the opening tip.
"I think this win meant a lot for us, for the city, fans, you know, just everybody in New York," guard Raymond Felton said. "This was a big win, so I'm happy we got it."
Steve Novak, a non-factor against the Heat in last season's playoffs, added 17 points off the bench and Felton had 14 points and nine assists to begin his second stint with the Knicks.
LeBron James scored 23 points for the Heat, so impressive in a season-opening victory over Boston on Tuesday but never really in this one. Dwyane Wade, who thought the game should be postponed, finished with 15 points and Chris Bosh had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Heat beat the Knicks in five games in last season's first round, and at least for one night New York appears to have closed the gap on the champs.
But the focus surrounding this one had little to do with basketball.
Knicks players said Thursday they weren't sure what kind of crowd to expect with many New Yorkers in such bad shape and perhaps unable to travel to the game with the city's transit system crippled. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg even decided late Friday afternoon to cancel Sunday's marathon.
But Madison Square Garden was packed with a sold-out crowd of 19,033 and lively from well before the tip right through their loud cheers when Rasheed Wallace, retired the last two seasons, entered with about 3 minutes left.
"Right from the get-go you could tell there was a difference in energy, disposition, quickness to the ball (on) both ends of the court," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They played a very good basketball game. Got us on our heels pretty much the whole game and we weren't able to recover from there. We have to move on. We're clearly much better than this."
Anthony took the microphone before the game and told fans that this was the "most important time for the city of New York to come together as one and build the city back up." Then there was a moment of silence for the victims of the disaster.
It wasn't long before it was loud again.
Anthony hit two 3-pointers in a 10-0 run that gave New York a quick 11-point lead, and he followed six consecutive points by JR Smith by pulling up for a long 3-pointer and a 30-12 lead with 1:14 left in the first quarter. Anthony was even further away when he tossed in another 3 at the buzzer, capping his 16-point period and giving the Knicks a 33-17 advantage.
The Heat couldn't get the deficit into single digits in the second, but were within 55-44 at halftime following 13 points from Wade after his scoreless first period. Anthony was 1 of 9 in the second after hitting six of 10 shots in the first.
But he had consecutive baskets in the Knicks' run of seven straight points early in the third, and the lead grew to 75-52 on Novak's 3-pointer with 3:12 remaining in the period. New York was ahead 81-63 heading into the fourth.
The Knicks' scheduled opener at Brooklyn on Thursday night was postponed, and Heat players thought this game would be, too. Wade was so sure the Heat weren't coming to New York that he didn't even bother to pack until after practice Thursday.
Miami flew afterward and finally arrived in New York after a three-hour bus ride from nearby Newark, N.J. Seeing all the traffic as New Yorkers tried to recover, Wade wrote on his Twitter account that the game shouldn't be played, a feeling he reiterated Friday morning after the Heat's shootaround.
"If we're in a car and we're in traffic for three hours, what are other people who are really affected by this, what are they doing? How are they getting around, how are they moving, et cetera?" Wade said. "So it was just like, come on man, we shouldn't be here to play a basketball game. If anything, we should be here to do something to help the city."
He decided Friday to donate his game check, around $210,000 before taxes, to relief efforts.
The Knicks finished 19 of 36 from 3-point range. Wallace made one with 41 seconds left.
Game notes
The Madison Square Garden company is donating $500,000 for storm relief and is hosting a telethon on MSG network during the Knicks' game against Dallas on Nov. 9. MSG chairman James Dolan said he was glad Friday's game was taking place, believing it was good for the city and that many people had told him they were either coming or planned to watch on TV. ... The Heat announced Friday they will unveil a banner to commemorate James' gold medal with the U.S. basketball team Saturday before they play the Denver Nuggets. It will be displayed alongside three others for players who won Olympic gold as members of the Heat -- Wade, Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway. ... Marcus Camby sat out after missing most of the preseason with a sore left calf. He recently returned to practice, but Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Camby hadn't gone through enough contact workouts
He went to center court before the game to thank fans for coming to Madison Square Garden, when even the Knicks themselves didn't know if people were ready for sports yet.
Then he and his teammates provided a win for their city they know has lost so much.
Anthony had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and the Knicks gave suffering New Yorkers something to cheer with a 104-84 victory over the Miami Heat in their storm-delayed season opener Friday night.
"Over the last couple of days, we didn't even know if this game was going to be played. Then before the game we look up and they say they canceled the (New York City) Marathon, so it was like, we have to go out there and play," Anthony said. "So today was something to give New York a couple hours of some peace. Come to the game, support us. We gave them a good show out there tonight, that's the least that we can do."
In the first sporting event in New York since Hurricane Sandy, the Knicks dominated a game the Heat players weren't sure should even be played with the region still so devastated. But the Knicks hoped they could provide a distraction for a few hours, and fans who were able to watch surely loved what they saw from a team that could barely compete with Miami last season.
Anthony noticed plenty of empty seats when he first came out to warm up, then saw they had almost all been taken by the time players returned for the opening tip.
"I think this win meant a lot for us, for the city, fans, you know, just everybody in New York," guard Raymond Felton said. "This was a big win, so I'm happy we got it."
Steve Novak, a non-factor against the Heat in last season's playoffs, added 17 points off the bench and Felton had 14 points and nine assists to begin his second stint with the Knicks.
LeBron James scored 23 points for the Heat, so impressive in a season-opening victory over Boston on Tuesday but never really in this one. Dwyane Wade, who thought the game should be postponed, finished with 15 points and Chris Bosh had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Heat beat the Knicks in five games in last season's first round, and at least for one night New York appears to have closed the gap on the champs.
But the focus surrounding this one had little to do with basketball.
Knicks players said Thursday they weren't sure what kind of crowd to expect with many New Yorkers in such bad shape and perhaps unable to travel to the game with the city's transit system crippled. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg even decided late Friday afternoon to cancel Sunday's marathon.
But Madison Square Garden was packed with a sold-out crowd of 19,033 and lively from well before the tip right through their loud cheers when Rasheed Wallace, retired the last two seasons, entered with about 3 minutes left.
"Right from the get-go you could tell there was a difference in energy, disposition, quickness to the ball (on) both ends of the court," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They played a very good basketball game. Got us on our heels pretty much the whole game and we weren't able to recover from there. We have to move on. We're clearly much better than this."
Anthony took the microphone before the game and told fans that this was the "most important time for the city of New York to come together as one and build the city back up." Then there was a moment of silence for the victims of the disaster.
It wasn't long before it was loud again.
Anthony hit two 3-pointers in a 10-0 run that gave New York a quick 11-point lead, and he followed six consecutive points by JR Smith by pulling up for a long 3-pointer and a 30-12 lead with 1:14 left in the first quarter. Anthony was even further away when he tossed in another 3 at the buzzer, capping his 16-point period and giving the Knicks a 33-17 advantage.
The Heat couldn't get the deficit into single digits in the second, but were within 55-44 at halftime following 13 points from Wade after his scoreless first period. Anthony was 1 of 9 in the second after hitting six of 10 shots in the first.
But he had consecutive baskets in the Knicks' run of seven straight points early in the third, and the lead grew to 75-52 on Novak's 3-pointer with 3:12 remaining in the period. New York was ahead 81-63 heading into the fourth.
The Knicks' scheduled opener at Brooklyn on Thursday night was postponed, and Heat players thought this game would be, too. Wade was so sure the Heat weren't coming to New York that he didn't even bother to pack until after practice Thursday.
Miami flew afterward and finally arrived in New York after a three-hour bus ride from nearby Newark, N.J. Seeing all the traffic as New Yorkers tried to recover, Wade wrote on his Twitter account that the game shouldn't be played, a feeling he reiterated Friday morning after the Heat's shootaround.
"If we're in a car and we're in traffic for three hours, what are other people who are really affected by this, what are they doing? How are they getting around, how are they moving, et cetera?" Wade said. "So it was just like, come on man, we shouldn't be here to play a basketball game. If anything, we should be here to do something to help the city."
He decided Friday to donate his game check, around $210,000 before taxes, to relief efforts.
The Knicks finished 19 of 36 from 3-point range. Wallace made one with 41 seconds left.
Game notes
The Madison Square Garden company is donating $500,000 for storm relief and is hosting a telethon on MSG network during the Knicks' game against Dallas on Nov. 9. MSG chairman James Dolan said he was glad Friday's game was taking place, believing it was good for the city and that many people had told him they were either coming or planned to watch on TV. ... The Heat announced Friday they will unveil a banner to commemorate James' gold medal with the U.S. basketball team Saturday before they play the Denver Nuggets. It will be displayed alongside three others for players who won Olympic gold as members of the Heat -- Wade, Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway. ... Marcus Camby sat out after missing most of the preseason with a sore left calf. He recently returned to practice, but Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Camby hadn't gone through enough contact workouts
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Zab And 50 Talk Business
Judah told ESPN.com on Tuesday that he had meetings in New York with 50 Cent -- Curtis Jackson is the real name of the rap star -- on Monday and Tuesday as they continued to negotiate a deal.
"I just left 50," Judah said. "He's a very interesting person. I've spent a lot of time with him when he was in (Las) Vegas (where Judah lives). We've been friends. I've been knowing 50 for a long time. His brain for business is phenomenal. We met Monday and (Tuesday). When you're doing big things it takes time. Anything that comes fast is not worth it. We're planning on doing it big.
"I like what 50 brings to the table. It's a great game plan. I think it will be a very good situation that will play out in boxing. It'll be something new and fresh."
50 Cent recently received a promoters license in New York for TMT Promotions -- "The Money Team," named after what his partner and pal Floyd Mayweather Jr. calls his crew -- and is in the application process in Nevada.
Judah said his contract with Main Events had run out and that he was a free agent. So will he be joining 50 Cent?
"Why not? I'm a free agent and I'm hearing my options, but TMT is the ideal place," Judah said. "I know it's a good place."
TMT Promotions is either in discussions with or has already signed fighters such as former featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa following his contract settlement with Top Rank, super middleweight contender Andre Dirrell and featherweight titleholder Billy Dib of Australia.
And there is, of course, Mayweather, who is scheduled to be released from jail on Friday following a domestic abuse conviction. Whether Mayweather will have TMT, which he is part owner of, promote his fights or he will continue to work with Golden Boy Promotions remains to be seen. Golden Boy has promoted all of Mayweather's fights since 2007 even though there was never a long-term contract between them.
"The team is phenomenal," Judah said. "It's gonna be a dream team to have Zab Judah, Floyd Mayweather, Dirrell, Gamboa, Dib all in one circle."
Judah declined to go into any specifics related to 50 Cent's plans.
"I don't know if can tell that. I can't let it out of the bag," Judah said. "But 50 is a boxing promoter. It's 100 percent real and he's got big plans."
Of his own impending deal with the company, Judah said, "It'll be done. In the coming days. We're just waiting on 'Money May' to come home (from jail)."
Judah (42-7, 29 KOs), 34, said there were no hard feelings between him and Kathy Duva's Main Events. Main Events was his original promoter and then, after years apart, they reunited in 2010. Duva was instrumental in helping guide Judah to his third junior welterweight title in 2011. After losing it to Amir Khan in a unification bout last July, Duva secured Judah -- also the former undisputed welterweight champion -- a title eliminator against Vernon Paris. Judah knocked out Paris in the ninth round on March 24 to become titleholder Lamont Peterson's mandatory challenger.
Peterson's hold on the title is tenuous as he awaits a licensing hearing in Nevada following his positive drug test. If Peterson is licensed, Judah is supposed to be his next opponent. If Peterson is not licensed and stripped of the title, Judah would be ordered to face the IBF's next leading available contender, Mike Alvarado.
"My contract with Main Events was up," Judah said. "Kathy is a great promoter and she did a phenomenal job with my career and bringing me back but we came to the height of our situation. It was great for both of us and I give her and everyone at Main Events 100 percent respect. This is just business. I lived out the contract that we did and now I have this chance with 50."
It's Looking Slow For The Money Team
The breakup, rumored for weeks, was announced by 50 Cent on Twitter on Thursday. It means featherweight titlist Billy Dib, one of the fighters who 50 Cent signed, will make his next defense on the undercard of Miguel Cotto's fight against junior middleweight titleholder Austin Trout on Dec. 1 (Showtime) at Madison Square Garden in New York.
50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, announced during Mayweather's two-month summer incarceration for domestic abuse that he had formed TMT Promotions, which is short for "The Money Team" and is what Mayweather calls his entourage. 50 Cent and Mayweather were going to promote fights together, and 50 Cent also strongly hinted that the company would promote Mayweather's fights instead of Golden Boy Promotions, which has been promoting Mayweather's events since 2007.
TMT Promotions was licensed by the New York State Athletic Commission in July, and 50 Cent signed multiple fighters, including undefeated former unified featherweight titleholder Yuriorkis Gamboa, Australia's Dib and super middleweight contender Andre Dirrell.
But 50 Cent said that he and Mayweather are no longer working together, tweeting, "TMT IS OVER. The Money team is no longer a team. So it's SMS Promotions. That's it. That's all."
SMS Audio is the name of 50 Cent's headphone product line.
50 Cent also tweeted, "I'm no longer a part or down with TMT Promotions. If anyone wants a Money Team jacket I'm selling mine for a dollar. The (snap) back hat comes with it. That's a (fair) price.
"Get your TMT sweat suit NOW!! For just $7.99 online No shipping and handling. I move the fighters to SMS Promotions 'cause the other half of the money team didn't put up (their) MONEY$."
Leonard Ellerbe, one of Mayweather's advisers, could not be reached for comment.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission is expected to approve 50 Cent's application for a promotional license at its monthly meeting in mid-November -- the date is not set yet -- according to commission executive director Keith Kizer.
The application process began in June with 50 Cent and Mayweather named as the two principals in the company. However, Kizer said on Sept. 19 that he received an email from 50 Cent's representative saying that Mayweather would no longer be part of the venture. On Tuesday, Kizer said he received a letter from 50 Cent's attorney saying the company would now be called SMS Promotions instead of TMT Promotions.
50 Cent also tweeted that Dib (35-1, 21 KOs) would make the third defense of his 126-pound belt against Cotto-promoted Puerto Rican prospect Jayson Velez (19-0, 14 KOs) on the Trout-Cotto undercard.
"We negotiated and agreed to terms for the fight for our fighter, Jayson Velez, to challenge Billy Dib," Gaby Penagaricano, Cotto's adviser, told ESPN.com. "It is not signed yet, but we have agreed on the terms. It shouldn't be any problem. We are just putting it all down on a contract. We've been discussing and negotiating it over the past several days."
Penagaricano said the fight would be part of Showtime's telecast.
"It is definitely one of the fights on the telecast on regular Showtime," he said. "We are working on a third fight, but it has not been decided yet. We are working with (Showtime Sports general manager) Stephen Espinoza on that, but (Dib-Velez) will be on Showtime."
50 Cent also tweeted what promoter Top Rank said earlier this week -- that Gamboa (21-0, 16 KOs) would face Miguel Beltran Jr. (27-2, 17 KOs) on the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez IV undercard on Dec. 8 (HBO PPV). Gamboa-Beltran will be for a vacant interim junior lightweight title.
Top Rank was Gamboa's promoter until earlier this year. Gamboa, who is friendly with Mayweather, was unhappy with Top Rank, which led to 50 Cent buying out his promotional contract for seven figures. Now, Gamboa is reunited with Top Rank after it made a deal with 50 Cent to put him on the card.
Top Rank is also working with 50 Cent to put Dirrell on the undercard of the Nonito Donaire-Jorge Arce junior featherweight title fight it is in the process of finalizing for Dec. 15 in Houston. Dirrell (20-1, 14 KOs), who was part of the Super Six World Boxing Classic before dropping out because of an injury he suffered in a disqualification victory against Arthur Abraham in March 2010, has only fought once since
Knicks Nets Game Reschedule
The game will be televised nationally on TNT.
The league originally wanted to go on with the game as scheduled, but New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg recommended that it be postponed.
"Mayor Bloomberg informed us this afternoon that after further analysis of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy that he felt it was in the best interests of the city of New York, the teams and our fans that we postpone the Knicks-Nets game scheduled for Thursday night," NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement Wednesday. "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this devastating storm."
The rescheduled date is far from optimal. It will be both teams' fifth game in seven nights.
The Knicks begin their season Friday night against the Miami Heat, not sure what to expect when they take the floor but hoping it helps their devastated city in some way.
The Knicks know that with the difficulties fans are facing, it may not be the usual packed house that would be expected for a marquee matchup against the team that knocked them out of last season's playoffs. But they're ready to play.
Forward Steve Novak says: "Either way, it will be great to be in the building."
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