Shawn Kemp once blamed a sleeping dog for being late for the Cleveland Cavaliers team plane

Over the course of his 14-season NBA career, Shawn Kemp covered most every status on the basketball spectrum. As a young star with the Seattle SuperSonics, he stood out as one of the most ferocious and athletic power forwards in league history. Then, after several controversies, including his fathering of several children out of wedlock by different mothers, Kemp fell out of favor. His reputation arguably reached its nadir after the 1998-99 lockout, when he became the poster-boy for players who failed to stay in shape when the league was out of service. Like many once-beloved players of his era, Kemp left the NBA with little fanfare.

Now, a decade after he played his last game, we can look back on that unfortunate era of Kemp's career with at least a little levity. In an interview with Vince Grzegorek for Cleveland Scene, legendary sportswriter Terry Pluto, author of the greatest book you'll ever read on the ABA, remembered one particularly goofy moment from Kemp's time with the Cleveland Cavaliers (via SB Nation):

What's one G-rated or PG-rated story about an athlete that you've heard but haven't had an opportunity to share?

Shawn Kemp was late for a flight back in his Cleveland days, as he often was. He was beginning to run out of excuses. The one he gave the Cavs this time was, "My dog fell asleep in front of my car and I had to wait until he woke up."

No s---.

Poor Randy Wittman was the coach and he just took it. That's when we knew Randy was in big trouble. He was a rookie coach and Kemp worked him over. It actually said a lot about a bunch of things that were going on with the team at the time. Kemp was losing control of his life and Randy was overwhelmed. The best thing Jim Paxson did was find a way to hoist Kemp on Portland, which set it up for the Cavs to eventually get LeBron.

So Kemp's lame excuse about his dog falling asleep in front of his car in some way can be traced to the LeBron era?

Yeah.

Look, I think this is a perfectly acceptable excuse and not something Kemp concocted after encountering Clifford the Big Red Dog. He was just taking the old saying "let sleeping dogs lie" literally, like the NBA's version of Amelia Bedelia.

The weirdest part of this story is the idea that Kemp's tardiness eventually led the Cavs to be bad enough to obtain LeBron James through the draft. The timeline here is a bit vague, but the argument makes sense. Kemp last played for Cleveland in the 1999-2000 season, after which they completed three seasons of 30 wins or fewer on their way to the 2003 draft. While Kemp was not the star he once was, the Cavs also failed to replace him with a player of equal value. When the 2002-03 season came around, it was logical to lose as much as possible in the hope of winning the lottery.

The lesson here, I guess, is that any front-office executives looking for cover to unload a team's best player should carefully place a sleeping dog in front of that player's SUV. Then, in three years, that team will draft the best player of his generation. This plan may sound ridiculous, but it's just as likely to work as any logically organized rebuilding process.

2014 Pro Bowl, presented by McDonald’s, will feature a new format for the NFL All-Star Game

The 2014 Pro Bowl, presented by McDonald’s, will feature a new format for the NFL All-Star Game based on major changes proposed by NFLPA President DOMONIQUE FOXWORTH designed to make it the ultimate fan-friendly celebration of the game, the NFL and NFL Players Association announced today.

Gone is the familiar AFC vs. NFC match-up that has existed since 1971.  Instead, players will be selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players.  For example, the top six quarterbacks following voting will earn distinction as All-Stars, regardless of how many are from AFC or NFC teams.

Players will be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft, in which two leading vote getters will join two NFL.com fantasy football champions – who will attend the Pro Bowl – to draft players.  One of these champions will earn their spot as part of Lenovo’s Fantasy Coach of the Year program, which provides NFL.com fans a chance to be rewarded for their fantasy football skills.  The other champion can compete for a Pro Bowl role by playing at NFL.com/fantasy.

The fantasy football champions will have Hall of Fame help.  Pro Football Hall of Famers JERRY RICE and DEION SANDERS will serve as alumni team captains, assisting the Pro Bowl team captains and fantasy football champions in the draft process.

“As players, we wanted to keep the Pro Bowl to honor excellence in individual performance and connect with the fans in a different environment,” Foxworth said.  “To do that, I worked with a group of players to map out new ideas.”

The Pro Bowl player draft will air on Wednesday, January 22 on NFL Network.  Players will practice with their teams on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  The coaching staffs will be from the losing teams in the AFC and NFC Divisional playoffs with the best regular-season record.  The 2014 Pro Bowl takes place on Sunday, January 26 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, and will be televised by NBC.

“We were very receptive to the ideas that Domonique and the players put forth,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL.  “From there, our office worked closely with him in developing the concept.  The players made it clear that they wanted to continue the Pro Bowl and were committed to making it better than ever.  We think these changes will enhance the game for both fans and players.”

In addition to these changes, several other aspects of the Pro Bowl will be new in 2014:

• Game within the Game – A two-minute warning will be added to the first and third quarters and the ball will change hands after each quarter.  This will increase the opportunities for quarterbacks to direct “two-minute drills,” which are especially exciting for fans.

• No Kickoffs – The coin toss will determine which team is awarded possession first.  The ball will be placed on the 25-yard line at the start of each quarter and after scoring plays.

• Rosters – The rosters will continue to consist of 43 players per squad.  The kick return specialist will be replaced by an additional defensive back.

• Cover Two and Press Coverage – The defense will be permitted to play “cover two” and “press” coverage.  In previous years, only “man” coverage was permitted, except for goal line situations.

• Stopping of the Game Clock – Beginning at the two-minute mark of every quarter, if the offense does not gain at least one yard, the clock will stop as if the play were an incomplete pass.  This rule will make the team with the ball attempt to gain yardage toward the end of each quarter.

• Game Timing – The game clock will start after an incomplete pass on the signal of the referee, except inside the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half.

• Play Clock – A 35-second/25-second play clock will be adopted instead of the typical 40-second/25-second clock.

• Sacks – The game clock will not stop on quarterback sacks outside of the final two minutes of the game.  Currently, the game clock stops in these situations outside of two minutes of the second and fourth quarters.

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Tsu Surf And Murda Mook Discuss Battling

With Smack announcing that he plans to have Murda Mook on the Summer Madness 3 card, many people have been wondering who it will be against. Tsu Surf and Murda Mook recently discussed a potential battle between the two of them on twitter, which you can see below.

With Tsu Surf facing Hollow Da Don at URL’s Night Of Main Events 3 event, a battle between them could likely be dependent on how that battles goes. Most people seem to agree that if Murda Mook does another battle, it needs to be against one of the top battlers from the current era. With a big battle against Hollow Da Don leading up to Summer Madness 3, Tsu Surf would have to be considered one of the biggest names in battling.

Let us know in the comments if you’d like to see this battle, and if not, who you’d like to see them against at URL’s Summer Madness 3 event.

Adrian Peterson eyes Smith's mark

Adrian Peterson has his sights on Emmitt Smith's NFL career rushing record and said he expects to break the mark in 2017, even circling a date on the NFL calendar as to when he'll accomplish the feat.

Peterson, 28, finished just eight yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record (2,105) last season, when he rushed for 2,097 yards. Peterson has said his goal is to reach 2,500 yards in 2013. 

But he also has targeted Smith's record of 18,355 yards, and told the Star-Tribune that he expects to break the record in Week 16 of the 2017 season, even though his current pace would have him approaching the mark in Week 4 of the 2019 season.

Peterson currently has 8,849 yards. His estimate would mean it would take him 79 games to rush for the 9,507 yards needed to set the all-time rushing mark, which would require him to average 120.3 yards per game in that span.

"Whoo. That's pushing it, huh? But hey, pushing it is the only way to do it. You know it," he told the newspaper.

If Peterson does become the NFL's all-time leading rusher, he'll make history in another category as well.

Will Peterson Catch Smith?

Adrian Peterson, 28, is currently 9,506 yards away from tying Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing record. However, no player in NFL history has rushed for more than 8,195 yards after turning 28.

Most rush yards after 28th birthday

PLAYER	YARDS
Emmitt Smith	8,195
Walter Payton	7,118
John Riggins	6,900
Tony Dorsett	6,469
Thomas Jones	6,417
-- Source: Elias Sports Bureau

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Smith holds the record for most rushing yards after a player's 28th birthday with 8,195, meaning Peterson would shatter that mark if he vaults atop the all-time rushing list.

Meanwhile, Peterson is laughing off gripes by players about the rule making it mandatory to wear knee and thigh pads this season. Peterson wore the pads last season and shrugs off claims that the pads will slow players down during games.

"I'll call B.S. on that," Peterson told FoxSports.com, which reported that he gave his answer once he finished laughing at the suggestion.

"It's like, 'You're a National Football League player. If a pad that doesn't weigh but a couple of ounces slows you down, you don't need to be playing in this league.' Like, come on now. Seriously," he told the website, adding that the pads are valuable for the protection they provide.

Paul George Says He Won’t Leave Indiana for the Lakers

Indiana Pacers star forward Paul George inadvertently opened a can of worms, when he allowed that he might be tempted to bolt if the Los Angeles Lakers recruit him during free agency next summer.

The Pacers have made it clear that they will do everything they can to retain George (who will be a restricted free agent in 2014), and Paul sounds like he’s perfectly happy in Indy despite the persistent calls from back home in California.

Indiana Pacers guard Paul George is spending the week here training at USA Basketball’s minicamp. And every time he runs into a Los Angeles Lakers fan in Sin City, they’ve had the same message for him: “Paul, are you coming to L.A.? Let’s get you in L.A.’ That’s all I’ve been hearing since I’ve been out here,” George said after Monday’s practice at USA Basketball minicamp. Paul will enter the final year of his $3.2 million rookie contract with the Pacers next season. The All-Star had a breakthrough year last season averaging career-highs of 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He averaged 19.2 points in the postseason while leading Indiana within one victory of the NBA Finals.

Indiana can’t offer near the same luxuries off the court that Los Angeles does. Still, George is excited about the future of the Pacers, including the recent re-signing of forward David West. George also is happy that Bird and Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard are at USA Basketball’s minicamp to support him. The Lakers, meanwhile, are transitioning after Dwight Howard departed in free agency for the Houston Rockets. “I’m happy to be in Indiana,” George said. “I’m happy to be where I am. If I was going to leave Indiana and come to the Lakers, it just wouldn’t be a smart move for me. We got a great thing going right now.”

Even if Paul George wanted to leave, it would be nearly impossible. The Pacers can match any offer that comes his way next summer; Indiana is also a team on the rise, and poised to challenge for supremacy in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will more than likely have to shop elsewhere for young talent next year.

NY Knicks Reportedly Willing to Let Carmelo Anthony Build His Own Team in 2015

The New York Knicks are already starting to think about how to keep Carmelo Anthony once his massive contract expires. 

'Melo has a player option after the 2013-14 season comes to a close, and he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2015 even if he chooses to stay with the team for another season. If he's willing to wait that long and doesn't consider leaving in 2014 for a team like, say, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Knicks are prepared to make it worth his while. 

According to Hoopsworld's Steve Kyler, New York is set to let Anthony pull a Dwyane Wade:  

Anthony front, there is a chance he looks at greener pastures in 2014, but sources close to the process say the Knicks have already let Anthony know that their books will be basically clear in 2015 and he can pick his teammates much as Wade did in Miami.

With the New York market behind him and the almost unlimited checkbook of the Knicks, Anthony will have a lot of options in 2015 and while teams like the Chicago Bulls.

And Los Angeles Lakers might be tempting in 2014  Anthony has a lot of influence in New York and they are willing to let him build his own team in NYC in 2015.

Pablo Prigioni has a non-guaranteed contract for 2015-16, while J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton both have player options. Tim Hardaway Jr.'s contract has a club option, and no one else is signed that far into the future. There's a chance the books could be completely cleared in 2015, allowing 'Melo and the rest of the New York decision-makers to start from scratch. 

Even if all four of those players return, the Knicks will only have a little under $14 million committed, leaving them plenty of cap room to work with. 

A lot can change between now and then, but the 2015 free-agent class is set up to be a pretty strong one. Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andrew Bynum, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, Tony Parker, Zach Randolph and Rajon Rondo could all be unrestricted free agents. Even more stars will hit the market as restricted free agents. 

Things worked out fairly well for Wade when he got to pick his teammates.

Could a similar promise be enough to keep Anthony in his hometown? 

 

Victor Cruz: Hakeem Nicks is N.Y. Giants' No. 1 receiver

Hakeem Nicks' offseason has been full of question marks after he stayed away from the New York Giants' facility while hoping for a new contract. He then missed training-camp practice Sunday with tightness in his groin, further fueling the concerned questions.

However, at least one man close to the situation has no doubts about the wide receiver's importance to the Giants.

While there might not be any doubt in Cruz's mind, Nicks will have to be healthy the entire season to be paid like one."I think the No. 1 wideout is Hakeem Nicks," Victor Cruz said on NFL Network's "NFL AM" on Monday. "I mean, he's been here longer, he understands this offense. He's our big-play guy, he's on the outside. So I definitely think he's our No. 1 receiver, there's no doubt about it."

While Cruz campaigned for his teammate's contract, he said his own contract -- and those for slot receivers around the NFL -- demonstrates that receivers should get paid regardless of where they line up.

"I do think we've been undervalued; I think it definitely signifies a change in the game," Cruz said. " ... I think the numbers are the numbers, and they have to be scaled according to the tops in the league, no matter where you line up on the field."

Vernon Davis works at WR in camp

With leading receiver Michael Crabtree sidelined at least until November with a torn Achilles tendon, all signs point toward tight end Vernon Davis becoming a primary target for quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Perhaps that's why Davis has spent some of training camp lining up at wide receiver. His speed and athleticism make him a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators, and it makes sense for the 49ers to get creative in finding ways to get him the ball.

"I'm willing to step up and do whatever they ask me to do," Davis said Sunday. "They've been having me line up at wide receiver, pretty much all over the place. It's a good thing that I get the opportunity to work with those guys because it not only helps me at the wide receiver position, it also helps me at the tight end position. My feet get quicker, my route-running is better."

If playing out of position on occasion is what it takes to get the 49ers over the hump to win a Super Bowl, Davis says he's all for it. He took inspiration from Atlanta Falcons star tight end Tony Gonzalez's decision to postpone retirement and come back for another season at age 37.

"This is a guy who has nothing to prove," Davis said. "He's already [deserving] of the Hall of Fame, he's broken all the records. This tells me how important it is to him to get a ring.

"I don't play for the Pro Bowl, I don't play for statistics. Maybe in my younger days I played for statistics. It's all about that ring."

Davis said he played some receiver in high school and hoped to play there once he got to the University of Maryland, but his head coach said, "You'll be too big," Davis remembers.

"I actually did get bigger. I got up to 248 pounds, and by the time I left Maryland, I was 255."

Davis, who is 6-foot-3, says his weight has remained 245 for the past four years. He's faster than most NFL tight ends, and he doesn't think playing receiver would be a huge adjustment.

"I mean, it's just like tight end," he said. "You're just running routes."

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh did not address the prospect of Davis playing receiver, but he said he likes what he's seen from his tight end so far in camp.

"I see a lot of improvement, in his ability as a football player, his route-running," Harbaugh said. "He looks really good, in the prime of his career."

Davis' 2012 regular-season stats -- 41 catches, 548 yards, five touchdowns -- were disappointing compared to past seasons. But he performed well under the spotlight of the postseason. Davis had five catches for 106 yards and a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game win at Atlanta. He hauled in six catches for 104 yards in a losing effort against Baltimore in the Super Bowl.

The difference, he said, was the chemistry he began developing with Kaepernick, who took the quarterback job from Alex Smith with six games left in the regular season.

Davis, 29, talked openly last season about him and Kaepernick not being on the same page in games. What changed in the playoffs?

"Experience," Davis explained simply. "You saw Colin developing into a great quarterback, and you saw the rest of the guys, including myself, following him and figuring him out. Getting the timing down, just figuring him out as a person and a quarterback."

Notes

Harbaugh said that he sympathized with Tarell Brown after learning the cornerback lost out on $2 million and that he believes "there's a solution there." Harbaugh said team officials -- not just Brown's agent -- were not aware of the contract clause that obligated Brown to attend voluntary offseason workouts to receive all of his money. "Unfortunately, nobody caught it," Harbaugh said. "That's a real torpedo that nobody really wanted to see happen. Now let's get the solution and solve the problem." The coach added that he'd like to be involved in discussions to help fix the situation, but did not get into specifics.

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Metta World Peace to Knicks: New York Reportedly Signs Veteran SF

Metta World Peace may have been cut from the Los Angeles Lakers, but it didn’t take long for the mercurial forward to find a new home. The New York Knicks have reportedly come to terms with the forward on a two-year deal, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has more details on the deal between the Knicks and World Peace.

The 14-year veteran was the latest in a long list of amnesty clause casualties brought on by the new collective bargaining agreement signed in 2011.

L.A. bought out World Peace to save approximately $16 million this season after four years with the Lakers, notably helping the club win the 2010 championship against the rival Boston Celtics.

He can still contribute at a high level, as exemplified by his resurgent 2012-13 campaign.

The swingman put up 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 33.7 minutes per contest, becoming one of the most consistent players for an up-and-down Lakers squad.

While the 33-year-old’s best days are behind him—he once averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game with a very good Indiana Pacers team in 2003-04—he should still find a way to shine for the Knicks.

Doug Benc/Getty Images

Even if he comes off the bench in New York, World Peace can make an impact with his consistent three-point shooting, solid off-ball cutting and tremendous defensive capabilities.

With only one ring to his name, it’s possible that the player formerly known as Ron Artest hangs around the league a bit longer and chases a second one before hanging up his sneakers.

Now that he’s the newest member of the Knicks, World Peace has a decent chance of accomplishing that goal.

Kevin Garnett will wear the number two in Brooklyn in tribute to late teammate and friend Malik Sealy

On May 20 2000, Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Los Angeles Lakers andPortland Trail Blazers was preceded by the shocking news that Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Malik Sealy had died in a car crash just hours before the tip. The widely respected veteran had just celebrated the birthday of teammate Kevin Garnett the night before, and was driving back to his house when a previously-convicted drunk driver jumped the center line to crash head-on into Sealy’s SUV. Garnett was the last person Sealy saw before his untimely death.

Sealy was an inspiration to KG, as the young forward sported No. 21 as a member of the Timberwolves in response to Sealy wearing the same number while at St. John’s. So when the Timberwolves traded for Garnett’s idol in 1999, KG was through the roof. Sealy spent two seasons as Garnett’s teammate, and though the team failed to get out of the first round in 1999-00, perhaps their season’s top highlight came when Sealy banked in a game-winning three-pointer in a nationally televised game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Some 13 years later, Garnett is still grinding away. Now a member of the Brooklyn Nets, he’s paid tribute to his late friend and teammate by choosing to wear No. 2 for his new team. Garnett hasn’t commented on the switch, but for the man who already sports a tattoo with that number in tribute to Sealy, it is obvious what his motivations are. Garnett was precluded from wearing the number in Boston, as it is retired in honor of Red Auerbach; and the Timberwolves retired Sealy’s number in 2000-01, in an emotional, stirring game that saw KG score 40 points as the Timberwolves won their 11th straight contest.

Andrew Bynum to Cavaliers: Cleveland Reportedly Signs Star Center to 2-Year Deal

The most polarizing big man on the NBAmarket not named Dwight Howard has found a new home.

The 25-year-old center spent last season with the Philadelphia 76ers after being acquired as a major piece of the Dwight Howard deal. Philadelphia sent out a king's-ransom package of franchise-face Andre Iguodala, promising young center Nikola Vucevic and first-round pick Moe Harkless to land Bynum and Jason Richardson.

At the time, the move was a gamble nearly everyone agreed the Sixers should have made. By the end of the season, however, everyone just wanted the nightmare to end.   

When he's on the floor, Bynum is among the most dominant forces in the entire NBA. He's a two-way menace that was possibly on the precipice of becoming the league's best center. Bynum's ascent to superstardom in 2011-12 saw the seven-footer score 18.7 points, grab 11.8 rebounds and block 1.9 shots a night while flashing a varied post skill set and an underrated mean streak defensively.

The Lakers, a team that won 62.1 percent of their games en route to being the third seed in the West, were actually outscored with Bynum on the bench, per NBA.com. Bynum was seen as the type of player who could change the entire culture of a Sixers franchise that had peaked as a bottom-half playoff team.

The problem was the Sixers never got to find out. Bynum missed the entire 2012-13 regular season while dealing with knee issues, exposing the two major flaws in his superstar arsenal: immaturity and injury propensity.

Philadelphia knew about both when acquiring Bynum. The mercurial star's time in Los Angeles was mired in temper tantrums, both minor and major. Those transgressions included being suspended for a WWE-style clothesline of J.J. Barea and taking ill-advised threes in the middle of a competitive game. 

His career with the Lakers had also been injury-riddled, having played a full NBA season just once in seven pre-Philly campaigns. Knee injuries overwhelmingly have been the bane of Bynum's NBA existence. 

But the maturity and injury issues had never been at the forefront as much as they were last season. Bynum's 2012-13 campaign was halted before it began, a three-week injury morphing intoknee degeneration and culminating with season-ending surgery. Oh, and somewhere along the way there was an ill-fated trip to a bowling alley with friends.

Bynum's time with the Sixers was more notable for his hair style than on-court dominance. Philadelphia cratered offensively while waiting for Bynum to make his debut and the team finished well outside the Eastern Conference playoff chase. 

In other words, it took just 82 games for Andrew Bynum to morph from "worth the risk" to "loaded question." 

If Bynum bucks history, stays on the court and becomes the latest poster boy of the late-20s maturity influx, the Cavs could have found the biggest steal of the free-agency period. However, as the Sixers found out last season, Bynum's baggage has an ugly underbelly—a minefield Cleveland will look to navigate for the duration of this deal.

Folks will spend an awful lot of time discussing this deal in the coming days. Only this time, it's impossible to tell whether the risk is worth the reward.

Carmelo Anthony Reportedly Wanted Rajon Rondo on NY Knicks

Carmelo Anthony's honeymoon period with the New York Knicks is long gone.

Thanks to a woeful 7-14 postseason record during his three-year stay in the Big Apple, he expressed a desire for significant upgrades to New York's roster this offseason. Apparently, former No. 1 overall pick, and Toronto Raptors castoff, Andrea Bargnani wasn't the player that Anthony had in mind.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Anthony had his sights set on the defending two-time assists leader:

Anthony told friends after the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade to the Nets, he figured the Knicks would make a play for point guard Rajon Rondo. Anthony believes Rondo would be the perfect piece and would be super motivated in New York to attempt to knock off Garnett and Pierce.

New York's financial situation is a mess. The cash-strapped Knicks have already been priced out of the free-agent pursuits of reserve players like Chris Copeland and Francisco Garcia.With the Boston Celtics' rebuilding project on in full force, outsiders have viewed Rondo as the next likely domino to drop. While that could still hold true, it's unlikely that Anthony's Knicks would be the team to facilitate that move.

Per Berman and the Post, "General Manager Glen Grunwald said last week the team will try to be "creative" and "aggressive" with the roster, but the major core would return."

Those books won't be cleaned up for at least two seasons, meaning New York doesn't have the coveted expiring contracts that Boston would be searching for if it decides that Rondo needs to be moved. The 22-year-old Iman Shumpert is the closest thing the Knicks have to a young prospect, but the Celtics already have their own young, defensive-minded guard in Avery Bradley.

New York can't even sweeten the deal with draft picks, as its 2014 first-round choice is owed to the Denver Nuggets, and its top pick in 2016 belongs to the Raptors.

It's not hard to imagine the reasons behind Anthony's interest in Rondo.

Raymond Felton has never been mistaken for a pass-first point guard. Pablo, 36, was entering the twilight years of his career before he ever stepped foot inside Madison Square Garden. Jason Kidd is now coaching New York's cross-city rivals, the Brooklyn Nets.

Again, what is difficult (impossible?) to picture is New York's trade package that brings Rondo to the Knicks.

If Anthony really wants a secondary scorer to shoulder some of his offensive burden, he has two options. He can either hope thatAmar'e Stoudemire suddenly returns to his pre-injury form, or he can search for that support on the free-agent market next summer.

If Rondo goes anywhere this summer, it won't be to New York.

 

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NBA 2K14 Reaches Across Globe for Fans, Now Features 14 Euroleague Teams

The virtual basketball world just got a whole lot bigger, because 2K Sports is adding 14Euroleague teams to the upcoming NBA 2K14video game. 

Euroleague Basketball has a press release breaking down what fans of the hit video game series can expect when the latest iteration drops on October 1 with NBA superstar LeBron James adorning the cover. 

2K Sports and Euroleague Basketball announced today an exclusive multi-year global partnership that will see top teams from the Turkish Airlines Euroleague introduced into NBA 2K14...This will mark the first time Euroleague teams have appeared in the critically acclaimed NBA 2K series. Fourteen teams in total will be integrated as playable teams in NBA 2K14, allowing fans of European basketball to pit their local teams against the biggest teams from the NBA for the very first time.

As for teams, the report lists the following clubs will be playable this fall. 

 

·       Alba Berlin

·       FC Barcelona

·       Real Madrid

·       CSKA Moscow

·       EA7 Emporio Armani Milano

·       Montepaschi Siena

·       Fenerbahçe Ülker Istanbul

·       Anadolu Efes Istanbul

·       Olympiacos Piraeus

·       Panathinaikos Athens

·       Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv

·       Zalgiris Kaunas

·       Unicaja Málaga

·       Laboral Kutxa Vitoria

 

There is no word on how the video game producer and the Euroleague came to the agreement, or how they happened upon these specific teams for this particular release. 

If I had to guess, I would say both are merely dipping their toes into the market's water, gauging whether fans who grapple with buying the newest installment every year can be convinced with an influx of European talent. 

If the answer is no, there is the hope that fans from across the pond will finally jump on board the successful franchise. 

Yahoo! Sports' Dan Devine considers this a glowing sign that the 31-team league, spread across 18 countries, continues to make its mark alongside the massively popular NBA. 

Being someone who has played the series from its Dreamcast days, I can tell you it gets more difficult to find reasons to plunk down a good chunk of change for the annual release. 

Getting far more teams is an intriguing turn and one that might very well produce an uptick in sales down the road. I just hope the teams are incorporated heavily into the game more than just a passing novelty. 

Using Euroleague teams for acquisitions and scouting might be the next step in this obvious virtual evolution and one that would have an already captivated crowd that much more immersed in the series. 

 

Dez Bryant Fires Back at Media for Relating His Past to Aaron Hernandez

Dallas Cowboysreceiver DezBryant is apparently tired of having his name drug in the dirt alongside former New England Patriots tight end and accused murderer Aaron Hernandez.

In response to comments made by an ex-NFL scout regarding Bryant's pre-draft background checks, the Cowboys receiver fired back via Twitter Monday afternoon.

   Last week, former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus told 105.3FM in Dallas (via the Dallas Morning News) that background checks on Bryant leading up to the 2010 NFL draft were  "the worst I had ever seen." The comments came after a question regarding Hernandez, who was charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd and released by the Patriots last Wednesday.

Later, Broaddus talked at length about the worries associated with drafting a player like Bryant.

On Dez…that’s the thing as a personnel guy. You wake up. You don’t sleep at night. And when you wake up, you’re thinking did he go off the reservation today. That was something that we had to deal with. You deal with ok what happened, checkTMZ, nothing happened, ok, we’re good for a day. You’re constantly worrying about players because they get put in terrible situations, sometimes by their own doing.

A majority of the NFL media picked up the story, including NFL.com and CBS Sports. 

As expected, Bryant wasn't happy about his named being associated with a man charged with murder.

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Bryant has had a quiet offseason off the field.

While Bryant grew up with a mother convicted of selling cocaine (per ESPN Dallas) and an absentee father, he's mostly stayed out of serious trouble since being drafted by the Cowboys. 

Bryant has dealt with minor incidents such as wearing his pants too low at a Dallas mall (via USA Today), a lawsuit for unpaid jewelry debt (via Dallas Morning News) and an argument that turned violent with his mother (via Dallas Morning News). He was arrested for the dispute with his mother (his only NFL arrest), but all charges were later dropped.

While far from an angel, Bryant is just as far removed from a murderer. 

Even a quiet offseason hasn't kept Bryant's name out of the dirt. This May, Bryant told ESPN Dallas that he had "found himself." 

"I'm comfortable with my life," Bryant said. "I'm enjoying being in the NFL. I wish it could've been a couple years back, but I had to go through a couple of things to figure it out."

Bryant, 24, caught 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Cowboys last season. 

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