President Obama takes on former NBA player and CBS Sports college basketball commentator Clark Kellogg in a game of POTUS at the White House. He also talked about how much he loves the game. Take a look:
Kobe Bryant Signs Three Year Extension With Lakers
Kobe Bryant will continue to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has signed a three year extension on his contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Kobe's stats have been slipping the last couple seasons but he is still one of the league's top players. Take a look:
Marion Jones, 34, has joined the WNBA's Tulsa Shock. Jones was released from prison after serving a six-month sentence last September. The deal gives Marion a chance to redeem herself following her Olympic doping scandal. Take a look:
North Carolina, the ninth rank team in the nation, lost in upset to the College of Charleston. North Carolina had an 11-point lead but ended up losing 82-79 in overtime. Charleston's Andrew Goudelock led the Cougars with 24 points. Take a look:
You can also see the College of Charleston's article on the stunning win here.
Magic Johnson and Kobe Brant Give Michael Jackson Tributes
NBA players Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant gave a tribute to Michael Jackson at the Michael Jackson Memorial Service. Magic Johnson says he and Michael Jackson became friends years ago. You can also see clips of performances by Mariah Carey, Usher and Jermaine Jackson. Michael Jackson's daughter Paris also gave an emotional farewell
Derek Fisher Makes Up For Kobe Bryant's Awful Shooting
Derek Fisher hit a pair of clutch three-point shots - one in regulation and another in overtime - to help the L.A. Lakers beat the Orlando Magic in Game 4 for the series. It put L.A. up 3-1 in the series. Fischer's threes made up for Kobe Bryant's miserable shooting performance to win the game. Kobe was awful - he missed 21 of 31 shots. Take a look:
Former Oklahoma, NBA Star Wayman Tisdale Dies at Age 44
Former Oklahoma star and NBA player Wayman Tisdale has died at age 44 after a two-year fight with cancer. Wayman Tisdale also became an accomplished jazz musician after his NBA career. Wayman Tisdale's NBA stats can be found here. Obits can be found here, here, here and here.
13th-seeded Cleveland State beat No. 4 seed Wake Forest, 84-69, in a Midwest Regional game Friday night. Wake Forest was held over ten points below its scoring average of 81 points per game by Cleveland State's defense. Most of the cinderalla teams don't make it past the next round after a major upset so we shall see what becomes of Cleveland State. It was the biggest upset of the tournament so far. All of the #1 teams have advanced so far.
Harlem Globetrotters to Wear Special Jerseys on January 20th
The Harlem Globetrotters have announced that each of their players will wear special No. 44 jerseys during their games on Tuesday, Jan. 20, to honor the incoming President-elect (and noted basketball fan) Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, on his inauguration day in Washington, D.C. The Globetrotters have also made special jerseys and inaugural balls, which are pictured above. Every Globetrotter player will wear the team’s iconic red, white and blue jerseys, all bearing the number 44, during the team's tour stops in Reno, Nev., and Terre Haute, Ind., to honor the historic occasion of the first African-American presidency in the nation's history.
"This inauguration marks a landmark moment in our nation's cultural history, and we felt compelled to honor the historic occasion in our own small way," said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. "As global ambassadors of goodwill for more than eight decades, the Globetrotters have been first-hand witnesses to the power that basketball possesses in its ability to bridge cultures and break down barriers, and the President-elect seems to understand this as much as any Chief Executive this nation has ever had."
Will Lebron James join the New York Knicks? The Post's Marc Berman says the Knicks are going to have to win in order to be able to sign James in 2010. A couple articles on the idea here and here. Cleveland is also going to be tempting Lebron James to by surrounding him with talent.
In this video clip Ariel Investments CEO and Chairman John Rogers takes on basketball legend Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one. It's too bad we don't get to watch Jordan on the NBA court anymore.
MarketWatch's Jon Friedman talks basketball with Charles Barkley. Some of the current players Barkley likes include Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. Barkley also says Kevin McHale is the best player he's ever played against. You can see McHale's stats here. The teams Barkley likes for the championship this year are the Boston Celtics and the L.A. Lakers. He says San Antonio is too old.
Cowboys Endzone and Harlem Globetrotters in Neiman Marcus Christmas Book
Neiman Marcus is offering to put an entire Dallas Cowboys endzone in your yard for $500,000 in its annual Christmas Book.
You can put 530 square yards of sporting history into your own backyard: An entire Cowboys Texas Stadium end zone. Our exclusive package also includes the VIP treatment for the last regular season Cowboys game in Texas Stadium. Your crew gets pre-game photos in your zone with Jerry Jones, a luxury suite for the game, a once-in-a-lifetime post-game tailgate party (with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders) on your soon-to-be new backyard, autographed memorabilia from Cowboys legends, and a VIP package to attend the opening of the new stadium in 2009. The Jerry Jones family and Cowboys organization will generously donate the entire purchase price to The Salvation Army. A limited edition of 380 framed 26" x 36" collages with a touchable section of end zone is also available.
They are also offering a chance to play with the Harlem Globetrotters joining stars like Scooter Christensen and Special K Daley on court. The exclusive gift package includes a personalized official uniform, guaranteed playing time in a U.S. 2008-09 season game, introduction as a special guest, and insider access to the team. That package retails for $110,000.
You can read more about the luxurious goodies in this year's Christmas Book here on ShoppingBlog.com.
The U.S. crushed China 101-70 in the highly anticipated basketball matchup. The game was close for the first half. LeBron James led the U.S. in scoring with 18. China's Yao scored 13 points.
However, with LeBron James scoring 18 points and Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard both contributing 13, the Americans eased clear of a tiring Chinese team.
More than a billion people were estimated to have seen the game on television.
US coach Mike Krzyzewski said: "More people were supposed to be watching this game than any other in basketball history, and we treated that as a great honour. Both teams responded to the magnitude of the event."
Yao, who scored 13 points, said: "It was a great game played in a fantastic atmosphere, with all the flags and cheering. Everyone was very proud."
Kobe Bryant jumps over a pool of snakes in this stunt that looks odd toward the end. Is it real? We feel sorry for the snakes forced to sit in this pool of water as people jumped on or over them.
The AP's Brian Mahoney reports the New York Knicks have fired head coach Isiah Thomas. Mahoney says Isiah will remain a part of the Knicks organization but he will not be the head coach. That's a tough thing to happen to a great player like Isiah but the Knicks record just hasn't been there. Hoops World says the Knicks are interested in Mark Jackson.
Just when you thought the Duke loss was going to be the biggest upset of the tournament Davidson comes back from a 17-point halftime deficit to upset Georgetown. MSNBC reports that Davidson had not won a NCAA tournament game in 39 years before Friday's win against Gonzaga. Now they have won two straight.
Curry scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half and little Davidson rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to stun No. 2 seed Georgetown 74-70 on Sunday, sending the Wildcats to an improbable spot in the round of 16.
Davidson (28-6), which hadn't won an NCAA tournament game in 39 years before Friday, will face No. 3 seed Wisconsin in the Midwest Regional in Detroit.
"I'm numb right now," coach Bob McKillop said.
So is Georgetown (28-6), which was shooting 71 percent from the field early in the second half, had forced Curry to miss 10 of his first 12 shots and was in total command in its quest to make the Final Four for the second straight year.
But despite 14 points from Jessie Sapp, 12 from Jonathan Wallace and 63 percent shooting, Georgetown was undone by 20 turnovers - and Curry's brilliance.
Stephen Curry has been the player to watch in this year's Tournament. He scored 40 points against Gonzaga and 30 points against Georgetown. Patrick Ewing was probably wishing he could run of the stands and block Curry who has been on fire. Will Wisconsin be able to stop Curry? What is clear is that no one is going to care what the score is at the half because Davidson has come back from behind in both games. Here's some links about the game.
NBC Sports reports that No. 1 seeded UCLA just barely escaped from being upset by Texas A&M. The Bruins won 53-49.
There's no quit in the UCLA Bruins. Good thing, since they keep finding trouble and inventing ways to escape.
Darren Collison scored the go-ahead basket on a one-handed layin with 9½ seconds remaining, Josh Shipp blocked Donald Sloan's final drive and the West Region's No. 1 seed held on for a 53-49 victory over Texas A&M in the second round of the NCAA tournament Saturday night.
"Once the time clock goes zero, zero, we'll stop playing," Collison said. "We've been through that all season. We knew what we had to do; we knew who was going to win, and all the coaches said we just had to do the right things to win the game."
The Bruins (33-3) won their 12th in a row and will face Western Kentucky or San Diego next week in Phoenix. Their 33rd win is a record at the tradition-laden school that has 11 national championship banners, and their 96th NCAA tourney victory trails only Kentucky's 100.
Washington State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Stanford, UCLA, Xavier and West Virginia have all advanced to the Sweet 16 so far. Xavier made it after a stunning victory over Duke. Up-to-date brackets can be found here on Yahoo Sports. MSNBC also has an useful interactive Final Four chart that lets you zoom in and out on each of the brackets.
You can watch the CBS College Sports crew's Final Four picks in the clip below. Their Final Four site can be found here. All four thought UCLA will make it except one vote for Duke. Memphis and Kansas each had two votes. If you are filling out brackets this year Fox Sports offers ten tips.
7-foot-6 Chinese basketball star Yao Ming is out for the season with a foot injury. Sadly, the injury may also dash Yao's Olympic hopes. Newsweekreports that 1 million Chinese fans are weeping alongside Houston Rockets fans.
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard won the All-Star Sprite Slam Dunk Contest while wearing a Superman cape. He scored 50 on each of his dunks. Here's one of his dunks which technically looks like a Superman throw down of sorts. It's still cool whatever it is.
Is Jason Kidd headed to Dallas? It sure appears that way if the Associated Press has the facts correct. They say that as of this evening the New Jersey nets and Dallas Mavericks have worked out a tentative deal that will send Kidd to Dallas. We are confident that Mark Cuban is excited to have Kidd on the team. You can see Jason Kidd's stats here. He averages about 14 points per game but his key area is helping people score - he also averages over 9 assists per game. Kidd does have some personal troubles that he probably wishes he could leave in New Jersey.
Update: A possible wrench in the trade plans - Mavs forward Devean George may block the deal using a little known rule.
Are Young Players Better Suited to Play in the NBA?
The AP's Jim O'Connell argues in this video clip that some star basketball players who jump to the NBA after high school, or just one or two years of college, have more all around skills than ever. Several players quickly come to mind when you think of O'Connell's argument. The most notable is probably LeBron James.
Jim O'Connell might be right. It might be true that younger players are better suited but it could also be that the recruiters are just getting better at finding the players that are most likely to have the types of skills that will help them succeed in the NBA.
Harlem Globetrotters to Retire Curly Neal's Jersey
Basketball legend Curly Neal is going to have his number 22 retired by the Harlem Globetrotters at the Madison Square Garden. This event will take place as part of the Globetrotters' current "Magic As Ever" World Tour, during the team's performance in New York on Feb. 15 at 7:00 p.m. Curly will be the fifth Globetrotter to have his jersey number retired, joining Wilt Chamberlain (13), Meadowlark Lemon (36), Marques Haynes (20) and Goose Tatum (50).
One of the truly magical dribblers and shooters ever to pick up a ball, Curly captured the imagination of fans worldwide, playing in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries with the Globetrotters. Number 22 played for 22 seasons in the red, white and blue, from 1963 to 1985. Curly Neal is still sporting his trademark shaved head, wide smile and infectious laugh.
Curly was part of one of the most extraordinary eras in the team's history, appearing on several popular television programs and specials, including ABC's Wide World of Sports, The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island. He was also immortalized in animation on The Harlem Globetrotters cartoon series and on episodes of Scooby Doo.
"Curly Neal represents the purity of sport and everything that is great about the Globetrotters and the game of basketball," said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. "He helped build this organization into a worldwide phenomenon, and we are proud to bestow this honor upon him. He truly personifies wholesome family entertainment and elicits fond memories for millions of fans around the world."
Xavier sinks 16 three pointers in a win over Virginia. This was a school record for Xavier. That's a lot of threes but a single player once made more in a single game.
Team Flight Brothers gives you a sample of T-Dub's dunks. T-Dub is only five foot nine but he can do a 540 w/ 2hands, 360 between the legs and a number of other impressive dunks. Here's the video.
Kobe Bryant hasn't been leading the L.A. Lakers to victory lately but he has been stirring up lots of drama. There were reports that Kobe had cleaned out his locker but apparently he hadn't. Newsdayreports that Bryant returned to practice following a mysterious three day absence.
"One thing I said in training camp was I didn't want this to be a distraction," Bryant said. "That's why it was all our understanding to kind of not bring up the situation and not talk about it."
Bryant resumed practicing with the Lakers Wednesday, but slipped away from reporters. A day after admitting he didn't know if Bryant would even travel with the team for Thursday night's preseason game against Seattle in Bakersfield, Calif., coach Phil Jackson said Kobe probably would play.
This after Jackson wouldn't even hazard a guess Tuesday as to whether Bryant had played his last game as a Laker.
"There's certain things that need to be discussed and will be, and we'll move forward from there," said Jackson, who admitted feeling "no emotion" and "a matter-of-factness" about the latest staredown between Bryant and Buss.
Kobe Bryant's official website points to a local CBS news story covering his press conference where Kobe said, "I Haven't Cleared Out My Locker." The L.A. Times says the situation has gone from drama to farce. Talking Points writes, "Kobe Bryant will be traded by the February deadline, and probably a lot sooner than that." If Kobe's antics are showing anything it is that he isn't happy there. Meanwhile, Sean Deveney at the Sporting Newssays "don't hold your breath" while waiting for a possible Kobe trade. ESPN shares a few videos in their Kobe update.
The U.S. 
Just when you thought the Duke loss was going to be the biggest upset of the tournament Davidson comes back from a 17-point halftime deficit to upset Georgetown. MSNBC 
NBC Sports 
Basketball legend Curly Neal is going to have his number 22 retired by the 
Kobe Bryant hasn't been leading the L.A. Lakers to victory lately but he has been stirring up lots of drama. There were reports that Kobe had cleaned out his locker but apparently he hadn't. Newsday 