Can you construct a 12-man NBA roster to beat Team USA?

By Austin Burton

Joe Johnson, After last week’s 55-piece McNugget against Team Canada and last summer’s continuous destruction of the FIBA Americas field, we’ve pretty much established that Team USA can wax any team in North and South America (not counting Argentina, who didn’t bring its varsity squad to the Vegas tournament). We haven’t seen what Kobe, Dwight and the rest will do against Spain, Greece, Lithuania and the other European powers yet, but right now they rule this side of the globe.

But can you put together a team of American NBA players not on Team USA that could beat the current Olympic squad? The pool of talent is deep: Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups, Joe Johnson, Allen Iverson, Amare Stoudemire, Baron Davis, Rip Hamilton, Elton Brand, T-Mac, etc. Put together the best 12-man American roster of non-Team USA players that you think could beat the 2008 Olympians…

“Thunderbirds to Hold Open Tryouts”

Thunderbirds to Hold Open Tryouts

2008 Open Tryouts Information

Location:	West Mesa High School 6701 Fortuna Rd NW Albuquerque, NM 87121
Date:	October 18-19th
Time:	Saturday: 8am-5pm Sunday 9am-5pm
Cost:	$125.00 early registration (Payment due by 10/10/08) Day of tryout cost: 150.00
Preferred Tryout Hotel:	MCM Elegant Hotel Rate: $49.00 per night Please mention you’re with participation in the Albuquerque Thunderbirds open tryout eventMCM Elegant Contact Info: 505-884-2511 1-866-650-4900 Toll free Fax 505-881-4806 2020 Menaul NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107

 

DeMarcus Weekz Is Headed 2 Da NBDL This Fall “08″

Making it to the NBA is my main focus and my goal at this moment in my life; I just want to be able to support my family and open up other opportunity for other people. I feel trading in my 2yrs of Eligible 2 achevie my goal is good because I would actually get pay for doin some I love,but at the same time support my family, but it’s not about the money with me it all about belive in yourself and never letting people discourage you from acheive your goal, but On the other end I won’t be goin school guess that the bad part but I’ll be doing some I love doing…lol, but I will be take online class and goin to summer school. We only live once so I’m doing everything In my power to make this happen for me and my family. It’s been a tough road and a hard grindin but Im build “Ford Tough”… LOl…..

“NBDL” THE STARTED

   History The league began play as the NBDL in the 2001-2002 season; the original eight franchises were all located in the southeastern United States (specifically in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia). Some of these teams were purchased by private owners and relocated — at the same time the league’s name was changed — in the summer of 2005, in a bid to appeal to more fans nationwide. As a result, franchises were established in or moved to Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Florida and Oklahoma. In February of 2006, the D-League expanded to California for the first time with the addition of the Bakersfield Jam. Two months later, the league announced that four teams from the Continental Basketball Association were joining the league: the Dakota Wizards, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede, and a team originally slated for CBA expansion, the Colorado 14ers.^[1][2] A few days after that, the league announced that Anaheim, California, would be getting a team.^[3] One week after that, they announced that the Los Angeles Lakers have purchased a team, making them the first NBA team to own a D-League team.^[4] The westward expansion and box office struggles have led to the closing of the NBA-owned Roanoke Dazzle^[5] and Fayetteville Patriots.^[6] The Florida Flame have suspended operations due to arena scheduling difficulties.

Northeast High grad brings ABA back to KC…….Milton Thomas

Northeast High grad brings ABA back to KC

By CANDACE BUCKNER

The Kansas City Star

Kansas City is about to become a basketball town again.

This latest reincarnation of minor-league basketball comes courtesy of Milton Thomas, owner of the Kansas City Spartans, an ABA-affiliated team. In March, Thomas got the go-ahead from the league to start a new team, but please don’t call them the Kansas City Knights.

Remember those guys? ABA team … started in 2000 … allegedly ran out of money and suddenly disappeared five years later. But these Spartans, Thomas promises, will be different.

“I’m completely separate from the Knights,” Thomas said. “I’m looking to start fresh. My approach is to be involved with the community as much as possible, and as a business man, I feel like that’s where the Knights failed.”

Thomas, a Northeast High product, is a civic-minded 29-year-old, so he feels it’s important for the Spartans to start community youth programs. But before he tries to save the world, Thomas and general manager/coach Bryant Tucker have to find some players to fill the roster. So Tucker’s been scouting around town in local gyms and pick-up games in the park.

“If I’m driving down the street and I see guys playing,” Tucker said, “I’ll pull over and stop.”

Stalking aside, Tucker knows there are better ways to find players, and this Saturday the team will hold open tryouts at Hillcrest Community Center. The session goes from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and pre-registration costs $125 per player. Fifty bucks more if you show up at the door. For more information, check out http://www.kansascityspartans.com.

Short big on KC

It’s highly unlikely that actor Columbus Short or any of the Hollywood types from the celebrity basketball game benefiting the Clay Johnson Foundation will show up for the Spartan tryouts. They do have day jobs, after all, but last weekend they put on a surprisingly competitive game.

Short, whose surname is pretty accurate, is a Kansas City kid even though he left town when he was about 6 years old.

He still comes back every so often.

“It’s grown so much,” Short said of KC. “It’s like a vibrant city.”

Short is best known for his dancing in the movie “Stomp The Yard.” But now we know that the kid can play ball, too. During the game, Short scored at the rim with ease, but if for some reason you’re starting a celebrity fantasy basketball league, I’d suggest you draft R&B singer Tank and actor Jarod Einsohn. And yes, they’re all taller on television

Dee Weekz “Blessin In Disguise “

  It seem 2 me all the hardwork and decitation, Hardship that come with Basketball and life is finally paying off. I got Invited to tryout for Kansas City Spartans ABA Pro Team. I feel like this a start to persuring my dream to play in the NBA. Sometime you got to crawl before you walk; So Im taking It one day at a time.

lil_wayne_music_playlist

THE RICH AND THE POPE

By Dime Magazine

Kobe (photo. Mannion)

Talk about an East Coast bias; yesterday the New York City airwaves were devoid of the Lakers/Nuggets game until about midway through the fourth quarter, with every major network pre-empting their regular programming to show the Pope conducting a mass at Yankee Stadium. It was understandable — after all, there are more Catholics in the world than there are basketball fans — but frustrating if you were really trying to see Kobe and A.I. and everyone else do their thing … When the game came on, the Lakers were putting the finishing touches on a blowout win where Pau Gasol DESTROYED the Nuggets’ front line for 36 points, 16 boards, 8 assists and 3 blocks. TNT’s Ernie Johnson said Gasol was the first Laker to have a stat line like that since James Worthy, but we’d have to imagine Shaq had a few such monster games when he was in purple and gold … The Nuggets are looking like last year’s Golden State squad, what with the porous defense (getting gutted by Gasol) and the late-game emotional collapse (Iverson getting himself ejected in the fourth). They need to get it together because their body language yesterday was that of a team just waiting to get swept … After Kobe (32 pts) baited J.R. Smith into fouling out, Mark Jackson had this gem: “The only person on the Nuggets bench who can stay in front of Kobe is Stacey Augmon.” … Speaking of J.R., is there an inch on his body that isn’t covered by a tattoo? It’s like he’s wearing a shirt out there … The usual high-profile celebrities were at Staples (Jack, David Beckham, Tobey McGuire, etc.), but did you catch the Body By Jake guy sitting courtside? … Where does “Philly beating the Pistons at The Palace” rank on the list of upsets you thought you’d never see in this first round? Especially after the Sixers were down by 15 in the third quarter. But you know the drill by now: The Pistons got lazy and full of themselves (not to mention Flip Saunders waited a little too long to put the starters back in when Philly was making its big run) and by the time they snapped back to attention, the Sixers already had them by the throat

KC Pro_Am Hoopz

DeMarcus Weekz will be playing in _The KC Pro Am Hoop league. This summer…..This provides an excellent opportunity for players at all stages including myself to develop the experience at the high level, off-season competition. It a goal to develop Kansas City’s youth and at the same time, assist in the conditioning and training of the area’s collegiate and professional basketball p∑layers

From Dream to Reality

 

Deron Williams imagined his path to the big league

I always played basketball, and I played other sports as well, but basketball was always my true love and the one I liked the most. I got pictures of me playing basketball when I was 2 years old, on one of those little plastic hoops. And I was dunking on that, going way back. Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to go to college and then go to the NBA. That was my dream. That was my goal. My favorite team in the NBA, it was the Chicago Bulls, of course.

Everyone liked the Bulls because of Michael Jordan.

I had a great time playing basketball in high school, at The Colony in Dallas. My first year, my freshman year, I got moved up to the JV. I didn’t get moved up to the varsity, which I’m still mad at my coach, Tommy Thomas, about to this day. Because I was way better than the senior who was starting! I still remind him regularly; I bust his chops every day.

Coach Thomas was my mentor in high school. He kept me straight, kept me focused on what was important in life. He and my mom, they both helped me a lot. My mom got me involved in basketball. She played in college, and she really got me going with basketball at an early age.

In Dallas, as far as a look, well, you know, we kind of country in Dallas. People were wearing leather shorts. It’s 110 degrees outside and people were rockin’ leather shorts! I didn’t do that, though. When I was a kid, I was a sneakerhead, but I could only look at them. I couldn’t afford Nikes, but my uncle used to buy them for me. But once I got a pair of the shoes Jason Kidd wore, the Air Zoom Flights, and I was so happy that I ran down the street for like a mile! They were all black with a white strip up the middle of the shoe with a little air pocket on the back. My favorite pair of all time would have to be Air Force 1s, any and all colorways. And I like the Nike Dunks, too.

I had a moment my rookie year, standing at the free-throw line, and I was like, Damn, I’m really playing in the NBA! I dreamed of this and I’m here! These days, I probably keep the same shoes for about three to five games now. I usually give ’em away to a kid. I kept my shoes from the Rookie/Sophomore game I played in, and I kept a bunch of my Playoff shoes from last season, too.

When I was younger, I loved to watch the NBA Playoffs and NCAA March Madness. That was the most exciting thing. There’s something about March Madness. I think it’s the “one and done” thing. If you lose, you’re out. There’s no best of five, best of seven, come back from three down, anything like that. Anybody can win.

I had a blast in the Playoffs last season. It was one of the best times of my life. The year before, I was sitting at home watching Dallas beat Phoenix.

It beat that for sure. It was fun, it was exciting. I didn’t know what to expect, but I played in the Final Four and the Championship Game in college with Illinois, and it was a great experience, but I had even more fun playing in the Playoffs this season than I did then.