Saturday Slam: Will the NBA be able to pull of its restarted season?

With the NBA restarted season fast approaching and their schedule already set (click here to check that out), the big question that I think is on everyone's mind is will they be able to actually pull this off? The plan is for NBA teams to descend on the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida and hunker down for a wild season in which players will be required to not leave the bubble created for them and be subjected to intense testing and screening.

Any player who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to be in a period of self-isolation until they are cleared to return by medical professionals. As the league prepares for teams to fly to Orlando after the 4th of July and restart the season at the end of the month, I have a lot of questions about whether or not they will be able to actually pull this off. 

For starters, I wonder if the NBA will not run out of able bodies. If they're really going to strictly enforce these rules of self-isolation, it's entirely possible that the entire league at some point will need to self-isolate. At which point you are either forced to cancel the season or call upon G-League players and former And-1 Mixtape players to finish the season. Don't get me wrong, it would be entertaining as hell to see Grayson Boucher (a.k.a. The Professor) finally get his shot in the league, but it would also be really weird if we saw an NBA consist of non-NBA players. It just wouldn't work.

Going off that, if the NBA is going to pull off this season, they'll probably need to not freak the hell out over every single positive test and be a bit more lax about it. That isn't to say that they don't take the proper precautions, but they have to come to terms with the fact that guys will get the virus. Hell, they already have as 16+ players have tested positive within the past few days. Also, you all remember Rudy Gobert touching all those microphones, right? 

Another issue I have is whether or not the players will fully get on board. It's possible that the closer we get to the restart of the season, the more players we have bail for one reason or another. We've already seen a thinning of the herd a bit with guys choosing not to play to nurse an injury or just not deal with the risk of getting the virus. It's sorta like a Space Jam thing where the players didn't want to play after seeing Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley, Charles Barkley, and Larry Johnson lose their ability to play at an even functional level. If enough guys get cold feet, the league may abort their restart plan.

Finally, there's public pressure. The NBA is very socially conscious and wants to appear like they are on the right side of important social issues like public health and social justice. I don't think this is strictly a PR thing. I think commissioner Adam Silver sincerely wants to do the right thing and have his league be a force for good. If there's enough pressure to fold the season from people like Anthony Fauci, Silver won't fight it. He'll only give the season the green light so long as the optics remain good.

Ultimately, I remain skeptical that the NBA will be able to pull this off. I definitely think it can be done, but there's still a lot of hurdles that need to be cleared. It will be interesting to see how the league navigates these next few weeks as they attempt to conclude the most bizarre season in league history.

Note: I started a conversation about the NBA's restart efforts on Cake.co. Click here to check it out.

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Saturday Slam: Now is the time for Adam Silver to push for his wacky tournament idea

                                                (Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images)

With the future of the 2019-20 NBA season up-in-the-air due to coronavirus/COVID-19, now is the time for NBA commissioner Adam Silver to push for his wacky tournament idea. Maybe not right now since player safety and all that jazz should be priority number one, but right after that, Silver has to be licking his chops to make his idea for an NBA tournament a reality.

The reason why now is the time is because the whole season is in peril and it's unclear how it can be saved without ending the season in say August or September. The NBA shouldn't want to get too out of synch with their yearly calendar, making a tournament an exciting and efficient way to expedite the season, save it, and get things back to normal as soon as possible.

As it stands, NBA teams have played around 65 games at this point of the year. E.g. Milwaukee Bucks (53-12). The NBA could still aim to finish the full 82 games, but instead of having a best of seven series for each round of the playoffs, they could do something crazy like invite all 30 teams to a round robin tournament that culminates in a knockout stage that is single elimination until the NBA Finals. It would be a fun substitute for March Madness in a year that has deprived us of the most exciting tournament in sports.

Like, really think about that for a second. A single elimination NBA tournament! Think of how intense each game would be! Especially if you opened the doors for say the Cleveland Cavaliers to get a shot at the title.

Such an idea seems crazy, but given the current climate we are in, now is the time to try something of this nature and see how things go. I'm not saying the NBA should permanently switch to a tournament model in future seasons. But, what I am saying is that if Adam Silver is serious about that kind of format becoming a reality, what better season to try such an experiment than this year? The fans would love it, the players would love it, and it would make the 2019-20 season fun and memorable in a good way. Even if it's just a one-time thing that gets scrapped and never used again.

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Saturday Slam: Adam Silver's mid-season tournament idea makes no sense to me

                                         (Credit: USA TODAY Sports)


One of the more interesting stories floating around the NBA right now is commissioner Adam Silver's goofy idea of a mid-season tournament involving all 30 teams in some sort of round robin format that turns into a knockout tournament. The prize? $1M for each player on the winning team.

On the surface, it seems like a cool idea. I mean, who doesn't love tournaments, right? The problem with this tournament idea though, is it just doesn't make sense. How would it fit into the regular season standings as a whole? Would winning it guarantee a playoff spot? If not, why care? The NBA is all about June and winning the NBA Finals, something that this tournament doesn't seem to really fit into.

Adam Silver seems to think that having a tournament for the sake of a tournament is a good idea and I'm here to tell you that it isn't. Tournaments need to have meaning. Especially at the pro level. A cash prize isn't enough to give a tournament meaning.

Instead of adding a mid-season tournament, the NBA needs to look at tweaking the league format that they already have. For starters, eliminate conferences and give every team in the NBA a more balanced travel schedule. The Timberwolves, Thunder, Pelicans, and Grizzlies all have brutal travel schedules as the eastern most teams in the Western Conference. If you eliminate conferences, you could give those teams a travel schedule that is more fair and less imbalanced. I mean, the Timberwolves make three or four trips to Los Angeles every year and just one trip to Milwaukee. That's stupid.

As an extension of that, by eliminating conferences, that means the NBA could adopt a top-16 playoff format, making it so that the best teams in the NBA regardless of conference make the playoffs. A lot of fans have been pushing for this for a while and would totally embrace this change. It would create more playoff matchup possibilities and reward the better teams, creating a better playoff experience.

Another idea for the NBA is to do a tournament before the season starts and include teams from all across the globe. Add teams from Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the world into one big maddening pre-season World Series of basketball kind of thing. Something like that might get eyeballs. If you're going to go creative, go creative to the max and really have some fun.

Lastly, the NBA can make the season more exciting by reducing the number of regular season games and the number of playoff games. Going back to best-of-five in the first round would be a great place to start. If each game had more meaning, that alone would make the season better.

Unless Adam Silver goes wild and adopts something like my World Series of basketball idea, he would be wise to look at more minor modifications to the season like eliminating conferences and going back to best-of-five in the first round of the playoffs. Sometimes less is more and simpler ideas are better.

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Saturday Slam: The NBA should not weigh in on Hong Kong

                                          (Credit: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) 

The big news of the week in the NBA was Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey weighing in on the Hong Kong protests, making a statement in support of their right to freedom. While Morey was well intentioned in his statement/tweet, it set off a firestorm that the NBA wants no part of. To his credit, NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement saying he will support the right of all NBA employees to exercise their freedom of speech and that the league will live with those consequences. He didn't totally cave to China and say that Morey was wrong.

While I think Silver handled this as well as he could have, I think that overall, the NBA shouldn't weigh in on this particular issue. I've been studying Mandarin Chinese for the last couple of years and have grown to love Chinese culture. As part of my Chinese studies, I've spent some time learning about current events in China and the political layout of the entire region. I don't have time to get into all the layers of the Chinese geopolitical landscape, but let me just say in short that it's complicated.

Taiwan for example sees themselves as the ones holding down the fort for democracy in China as the Republic of China while Mainland China (known as the People's Republic of China) sees themselves as the one true China. In their eyes, the Republic of China in Taiwan is a rebellious government that must one day be reunited with them.

Taiwan has broken off from Mainland China and started their own thing, which in a lot of ways makes things simpler. They have their own democratic government that doesn't have to answer to the PRC. While there is the potential threat of the PRC coming in and taking over their land, such a move by the PRC would result in too much backlash from the rest of the world. While there is tension there, Taiwan can be comforted by the fact that the rest of the world has their back and will stand with them if something goes wrong.

I have arrived safely in Japan. I had a layover in Taipei (臺北) and saw James Harden rocking some #beats. #NBA #Rockets pic.twitter.com/1lIYKI4CGW

— NBA Lord (@nba_lord) August 8, 2019

As for Hong Kong, they're in some weird in-between limbo kind of state. They were under British rule as a colony until 1997 in which they were handed back to the PRC under a certain set of conditions that promised them total freedom for 50 years (until 2047). What's happening now is the PRC is starting to infringe on Hong Kong's freedoms prematurely, trying to expedite the transition. The reason why the PRC is doing this is because there's now a lot more cities that are on par with Hong Kong's economic power such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. In 1997, Hong Kong was by far the most economically powerful city in China, making it a valuable resource that made sense not to touch.

With that no longer the case, the PRC is asking themselves why not just bring Hong Kong back into the fold and get this all over with? Why delay the inevitable? From their perspective it's a totally fair question to ask.

As a result of this weird limbo state and seeing what's on the horizon, Hong Kongers are going through an identity crisis. For so long, they've seen themselves as Hong Kongers first and separate from the rest of Mainland China. They have their own unique culture and their first language isn't even Mandarin. It's Cantonese. Now, they see that in the near future, they're going to become grafted back into Mainland China and thus risk losing their Hong Kong identity. Their language risks getting replaced by Mandarin and their culture risks getting replaced by Mainland Chinese culture. It's a scary thing for them.

With all of this going on and so many layers to unpack, the NBA couldn't possibly address this issue in an adequate or fair way. Especially in a tweet. Instead of muddying the waters, the NBA should let Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan sort this all out by themselves. The best way they can help is to stay quiet about politics and bring harmony to the region through the game of basketball.

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Saturday Slam: Donald Trump would not be allowed to own an NBA franchise, yet he can still run for president

                                          (Credit: Gage Skidmore. Click here for source) 

           Earlier this month, we saw the Republican Party nominate Donald Trump as their candidate for president of the Untied States.  For some Americans, watching Donald Trump accept the nomination was a great moment and one that they hope will lead to a brighter tomorrow. For other Americans, including myself, it was a moment of sheer horror and one that they hope is just a bad dream.

The reason Donald Trump supporters support him is because they feel he is speaking the truth on issues that many politicians are too afraid to address. He is taking on mainstream politicians and standing up against their lack of ability to get things done in Washington.

 As an extension of this, Donald Trump refuses to be politically correct. He isn’t afraid to make hateful remarks about women, muslims, hispanics, or illegal immigrants. He also isn’t afraid to make outlandish accusations that don’t fit within the construct of reality itself. If you tell Donald Trump you are offended by his remarks, he doesn’t care and neither do his followers.

Saying you are for equitable treatment for all people regardless of their race, gender, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation, is viewed by Donald Trump and his supporters as being “politically correct” and weak. Donald Trump and his supporters pride themselves on being tough and strong, even if it means putting other people down and discriminating against them.

Donald Trump’s arrogant and mean-spirited comments offend many Americans because they go against what being an American is all about. Being an American is about getting along with people regardless of their differences. New York City, a city that Donald Trump is proud to represent, is filled with people of all walks of life and various backgrounds. Amazingly, Donald Trump only cares for the citizens of New York City that are white, affluent, heterosexual, and attractive looking (to him). That’s a very small percentage of the city’s population. By extension, Donald Trump only cares for Americans that fit this same tiny demographic.

Now, what you are probably wondering about now is “Why am I reading about Donald Trump on an NBA blog?” That’s an excellent question. The connection between Donald Trump and the NBA lies in his connection to a man who was banned from the NBA for making racist remarks that quite honestly were much more mild than what he has said. The man I am talking about is Donald Sterling, the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.

                             (Credit: Danny Moloshok AP) 

When Donald Sterling was caught on tape saying racist remarks about African-Americans, NBA commissioner Adam Silver saw to it that Sterling be stripped of his ownership of the Clippers and be forced to sell the team. Why? Because Adam Silver understands that an NBA owner is the main representative of an NBA franchise and by extension a main representative of the NBA at large. He understands that NBA fans come from all walks of life and have very diverse backgrounds. The NBA wants to be a league that values the diversity of its fans and makes sure every fan feels welcome in an NBA arena regardless of who they are.

In order to own an NBA franchise, Adam Silver has made it a requirement to have an open mind and an accepting attitude towards all of your fans since they are the ones who at the end of the day keep the league afloat. It is the fans that buy the jerseys, the tickets, and tune in to watch on television. It is the fans whose love and enthusiasm for the NBA have resulted in a huge bump in the NBA salary cap and revenue. They have made this happen and thus deserve to be valued and respected, regardless of who they are.

The hateful and divisive remarks that Donald Trump has made over this past year would make him ineligible to own an NBA team. Donald Trump has even gone so far as to mock a disabled reporter, an offense which in and of itself would put an NBA owner in jeopardy of losing the ownership of his team. Imagine if an NBA owner mocked a disabled reporter after a game. Do you think the NBA would just turn the other way on that? No chance in hell. They would make him or her pay a heavy fine and they themselves would issue a statement apologizing to the reporter on behalf of the owner’s remarks.

Contrast the NBA’s attitude towards such remarks with that of the Republican Party. The Republican Party, an organization that Donald Trump is now the face of, has not issued one statement apologizing for the way that their candidate has behaved. Donald Trump has said we should build a wall to keep illegal immigrants out, called those immigrants rapists, flirted with white supremacists, and made several disrespectful remarks about women all while getting the approval of their speaker of the house Paul Ryan, a cowardly man who is afraid of his own shadow. 

It’s truly mind-boggling and crazy that Donald Trump is one election day away from entering the White House while also not meeting the qualifications to own a professional basketball team in the United States. If he owned an NBA franchise, very few African-Americans would want to play for his team, coach his team, or have anything else to do with his team. The same would go for the vast majority of remaining NBA players, many of which come from countries outside of the United States.

            As a matter of fact, if elected president, I’m not sure Donald Trump would even be welcomed in an NBA arena. After all, the NBA did relocate the 2017 All-Star Game due to Charlotte not budging on their discriminatory bathroom laws against transgender people and they did ban Donald Sterling from ever setting foot in an NBA arena in addition to stripping him of his ownership of the Clippers. Donald Trump, very similarly, would not be welcomed in an NBA arena due to the way he views the vast majority of the NBA’s fan base. Even if he was allowed in an NBA arena, the league would at best given him a cold and icy greeting.

So, what I want you to reflect on is what does it say about our culture that the NBA is more progressive than one of our two major political parties? What does it say that the NBA’s commissioner is more concerned about the welfare of NBA fans than the Republican Party’s nominee is about the welfare of American citizens? After all, the NBA at the end of the day is just a form of entertainment while the Republican Party makes decisions that affect the livelihood and well being of American citizens. 

Shouldn’t Donald Trump and the Republican Party be more concerned about how they treat their citizens than the NBA? One would certainly think that they should, but sadly, they are not. Instead, they are doing everything they can to promote hate, violence, and injustice. All I can say is that it’s a pretty sad world we live in where a professional sports organization is more in touch with its  fans than a major political party is with its citizens. Especially when it is happening in the United States.

Saturday Slam: 10 cities most likely to get an NBA expansion franchise

     While in Las Vegas, NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the current state of the NBA and addressed some possible changes to the league. One of the things he talked about was the possibility of the NBA expanding to other cities in the future. He said that at the moment, the league isn't looking to expand, but rather is focused on maintaining a healthy 30 team league.

     While I do take Adam Silver at his word,  I do believe that the NBA will someday expand to 32 teams. I don't know when, but I do believe that it will eventually happen. What I have done is list the ten most likely cities to get an NBA expansion franchise. The list is in order of probability.


#1. Seattle, Washington

                                         (Credit: Andrew E. Larsen. Click here for source) 

     If the NBA decides to expand, Seattle will be sure to get a team. The Sonics were stolen from Seattle and the NBA would love nothing more than to bring a team back to the Pacific Northwest. It's a great market and the wheels are already in motion to build a new arena in the downtown.


#2. Montreal, Quebec 

                                         (Credit: Artur Staszewski. Click here for source) 
     
     Montreal is not a city that most people would consider as a possible location for an NBA expansion franchise, but in truth, it's a great location. If the NBA expands to 32 teams as I predict and gives the 31st team to Seattle, odds are good they'll award an Eastern Conference city with the 32nd franchise. Montreal is located in Eastern Conference boundaries, so that ups its odds of getting a team significantly.

     Secondly, the NBA is trying to appeal to fans all across the globe and establish a bigger presence internationally. What makes Montreal attractive is that it has all the benefits of an international city without the concerns of travel. French is the primary language spoken in the city and its culture definitely has more of a French/European feel than an American feel. More so than Toronto, Montreal has the "international" vibe that the NBA craves.

    Lastly, an arena is in place and the league has already had discussions with a group interested in bringing a team to Montreal. Those discussions wouldn't have taken place if the league didn't see value in having a presence in the city.


#3. Louisville, Kentucky

                                          (Credit: The Pug Father. Click here for source) 

     Louisville has two things going for it to help it land an NBA franchise. The first thing is an arena and the second thing is history. The KFC Yum! Center, home of the Louisville Cardinals, can certainly house an NBA franchise, which means that there won't be any issues in regards to building an arena.

     Secondly, Kentucky had an ABA team known as the Kentucky Colonels that was very popular. It's a mystery of as to why the Colonels didn't join the NBA given their popularity. If the NBA expands to 32 teams, the league will get a chance to right the wrong and bring pro basketball back to the state of Kentucky.


#4. San Jose, California

                                         (Credit: Travis Wise. Click here for source)

     I may be a bit biased as a native of the South Bay, but in my opinion, San Jose, California would be a great location for an NBA franchise. An arena is already in place at HP Pavilion (San Jose Sharks) and Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle, has expressed interest in bringing an NBA franchise to San Jose. Even if Ellison can't bring a team to the South Bay, there are plenty of other super rich techies in Silicon Valley who would love to own an NBA franchise.

     The biggest hurdle to getting an NBA franchise in San Jose is the presence of the Golden State Warriors, who represent the entire Bay Area. The team has grown in popularity in light of their NBA championship and it might be hard to convince the NBA that the Bay Area needs a second NBA franchise. That being said, Major League Baseball and the National Football League have had a presence in Oakland and San Francisco for years, proving that the Bay Area is big enough to have two teams in the same major pro sports league. Having a "Battle of the Bay" in the NBA would be pretty cool.


 #5. Kansas City, Missouri 

                                          (Credit: Photoguyinmo Swatzell. Click here for source) 

While it is true that Kansas City didn't hang on to the Kings, it's possible that this lovely Midwestern city gets another shot at having an NBA team. A huge plus this city has going for it (you should be sensing a trend here) is that it has an arena in place just waiting to house an NBA or NHL franchise. In addition, Kansas City has been very supportive of the Chiefs (NFL) and Royals (MLB).

#6. St. Louis, Missouri

                                         (Credit: Karen Roussel. Click here for source) 
     If Kansas City doesn't get a team, St. Louis is an in-state possibility. St. Louis has an NHL, NFL, and MLB franchise. It just needs an NBA franchise to complete the cycle. Also, there is history of pro basketball in St. Louis: The Spirits of St. Louis played in the ABA and the Hawks were located in St. Louis from 1955 to 1968 before coming to Atlanta.


#7. London, United Kingdom

                                         (Credit: Tim Morris. Click here for source) 
     If the NBA were to establish a franchise in Europe, London would be the city that they would target. The O2 Arena is capable of housing an NBA team and the time zone difference from New York City to London is only 5 hours. Issues with travel would make things difficult, but not impossible. London is a huge city with tremendous potential for ratings and revenue. If there was significant interest to get a team to London, it would be pretty hard for the NBA to pass it up.                  


#8. Buffalo, New York 

                                         (Credit: Doug Kerr. Click here for source)

     Buffalo is a bit off the grid, but still is a possible destination for an NBA franchise. In their previous life, before being reincarnated into the San Diego Clippers, the Los Angeles Clippers were the Buffalo Braves. The fact that the NBA has had a presence in Buffalo makes a return to the city possible. Especially since upstate New York is a viable market with an arena in place (First Niagara Center, home of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres).  

#9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

                                         (Credit: Joey Gannon. Click here for source) 

     Pro basketball never really took off in Pittsburgh. For whatever reason, the Pittsburgh Pipers of the ABA, later known as the Pittsburgh Condors, went extinct after just five years of existence. But with the popularity of the Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers, I think Pittsburgh has to be in the mix to get an NBA franchise.


#10. Las Vegas, Nevada 

                                         (Credit: Moyan Brenn. Click here for source)

     Lots of people have Las Vegas as #1 or #2 on their lists, but I have Las Vegas the lowest on my list because of gambling. The NBA is flirting with Las Vegas by having summer meetings and summer league games located there, but I don't think this necessarily indicates the city will eventually get an NBA team. The unfortunate reality is that the NBA took a huge PR hit with the whole Tim Donaghy scandal. Going to Las Vegas would be inviting another gambling controversy to take place. That being said, Las Vegas is a growing city and the league clearly isn't adverse to having at least some form of a presence there. Vegas doesn't appear likely to get an NBA franchise, but it's certainly not impossible that they get one.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord and like my Facebook page NBA Lord Nation for NBA news 

Daily Dunks: February 9, 2015-February 15, 2015

                                                  (Credit: Andy Melton. Click here for source)

Here is the Daily Dunks page for February 9, 2015 through the 15th. Throughout the week this page will be updated with the latest NBA news and scores so keep checking this page until a new Daily Dunks page is created for the following week.

Monday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Knicks forward Andrea Bargnani was active on Monday (Click here for details).

#2. Grizzlies shooting guard Vince Carter (foot) will be reevaluated after the All-Star Break (Click here for details).

#3. Timberwolves shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad (oblique) returned on Monday and scored 18 points (Click here for details).

#4. The Kings are closing in on a four-year, $16M-$20M deal with George Karl to be their head coach (Click here for details).

#5. The Nets could buyout Kevin Garnett's contract. The Clippers may then sign him (Click here for details).

#6. Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis (shoulder) did not play Monday against the Jazz and is iffy for the All-Star game (Click here for details).

#7. Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (knee) is close to shutting it down for the season and is questionable for the All-Star game (Click here for details).

#8. Clippers power forward Blake Griffin underwent successful elbow surgery and will be reevaluated in three weeks (Click here for details).

#9. Knicks owner James Dolan won't be punished for a nasty e-mail he sent to an angry fan (Click here for details).

#10. Thunder center Steven Adams is out at least three weeks after undergoing surgery for a fractured right hand (Click here for details).

Monday's NBA Final Scores: 

Warriors 89 76ers 84. Jazz 100 Pelicans 96. Hawks 117 Timberwolves 105. Spurs 95 Pacers 93. Wizards 96 Magic 80. Heat 109 Knicks 95. Bucks 103 Nets 97. Clippers 115 Mavericks 98. Thunder 124 Nuggets 114.

Tuesday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Kings hired George Karl as their head coach. He will take over after the All-Star break (Click here for details).

#2. The 76ers unveiled their new mascot Franklin (Click here for details).

#3. Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (hamstring) is out for the All-Star game. Hawks small forward Kyle Korver is his replacement (Click here for details).

#4. The Timberwolves traded guard Mo Williams and guard Troy Daniels to the Hornets for guard Gary Neal and a second round pick (Click here for details).

#5. The Hawks traded power forward Adrien Payne to the Timberwolves for a future first round pick that is Top 14 protected between 2017 and 2020 (Click here for details).

#6. The Mavericks signed center Bernard James to a 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#7. Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick (back) says he is good to go for the three-point shoot out (Click here for details).

#8. The Nuggets have discussed trading shooting guard Arron Afflalo with the Bulls, Trail Blazers, and Clippers (Click here for details).

#9. Rockets point guard Patrick Beverly will replace Wizards point guard John Wall in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge (Click here for details).

#10. The Hornets released guard Elliot Williams (Click here for details).

Tuesday's NBA Final Scores: 

Grizzlies 95 Nets 86. Pistons 106 Hornets 78. Bulls 104 Kings 86. Rockets 127 Suns 118. Nuggets 106 Lakers 96.

Wednesday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Prayers up for Anthony Mason. He just had a heart attack and is fighting for his life (Click here for details).

#2. Gary Neal wants the Timberwolves to buyout his contract (Click here for details).

#3. The Nuggets have signed forward Joffrey Lauvergne from France (Click here for details).

#4. The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Jazz center Enes Kanter wants to be traded by the trade deadline (Click here for details).

#5. Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal has a stress reaction in his lower right leg. He'll be reevaluated after the All-Star break (Click here for details).

#6. The Suns reportedly are the front runners to land Amar'e Stoudemire if the Knicks buyout his contract (Click here for details).

#7. The Bucks will retire Bob Dandridge's #10 on March 7 (Click here for details).

#8. Legendary basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian passed away (Click here for details).

#9. Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis (shoulder) will miss the All-Star game. Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki will replace him (Click here for details).

#10. Clippers center DeAndre Jordan had 24 points and 20 rebounds.

Wednesday's NBA Final Scores: 

Warriors 94 Timberwolves 91. Thunder 105 Grizzlies 89. Mavericks 87 Jazz 82. Magic 89 Knicks 83. Celtics 89 Hawks 88. Spurs 104 Pistons 87. Raptors 95 Wizards 93. Pacers 106 Pelicans 93. Cavaliers 113 Heat 93. Bucks 111 Kings 103. Trail Blazers 102 Lakers 86. Clippers 110 Rockets 95.

Thursday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. George Karl's contract with the Kings is 4 years, and approximately $15M (Click here for details).

#2. Tyrone Corbin has been relieved of his coaching duties with the Kings, but he'll remain with the organization in an advisory role (Click here for details).

#3. The Kings are shopping shooting guard Nik Stauskas. The Bucks may be interested (Click here for details).

#4. The Cavaliers have assigned guard Joe Harris to the D-League (Click here for details).

#5. The Pistons have signed guard John Lucas III to a 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#6. Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson has inked a shoe deal with Anta (Click here for details).

#7. The Suns want a first round pick for point guard Goran Dragic (Click here for details).

#8. Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony likely shuts it down for the season after playing in the All-Star game (Click here for details).

#9. The Nuggets are thinking about trading point guard Jameer Nelson (Click here for details).

#10. The Magic are shopping power forward Andrew Nicholson (Click here for details).

Thursday's NBA Final Scores: 

Bulls 113 Cavaliers 98. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose had 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Cavaliers small forward LeBron James had 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Friday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Pacers small forward Paul George (leg) is targeting a March 1 return to practice and a mid-March return (Click here for details).

#2. Cavaliers small forward LeBron James has been elected the vice president of the NBA Player's Union (Click here for details).

#3. The Heat are interested in Suns point guard Goran Dragic and Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson (Click here for details).

#4. The Lakers want Goran Dragic, too. They reportedly are willing to offer him a max contract (Click here for details).

#5. The Pelicans have agreed to sign guard Toney Douglas to a second 10-day contract after the All-Star break (Click here for details).

#6. The Rockets and Lakers are trying to trade for Goran Dragic (Click here for details).

#7. Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler is optimistic he'll be able to go in the All-Star game (Click here for details).

#8. The Kings are interested in Arron Afflalo, Reggie Jackson, and Jonas Jerebko (Click here for details).

#9. Kevin Hart won the MVP of the Celebrity All-Star game (Click here for details).

#10. Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins took home the MVP award for the Rising Stars Challenge game (Click here for details).

Friday's NBA Final Scores: 

World defeated USA 121-112 in the Rising Stars Challenge. The West defeated the East 57-51 in the Celebrity All-Star game.

Saturday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Timberwolves point guard Zach LaVine dominated the dunk contest (Click here to watch his dunks).

#2. Warriors point guard Stephen Curry defeated hist teammate Klay  Thompson and Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers to win the three-point contest (Click here to watch the final round).

#3. Rockets point guard Patrick Beverly won the Skills Challenge (Click here to watch his performance).

#4. Team Bosh won the Degree Shooting Stars (Click here to watch their performance)

#5. Andray Blatche is strongly considering re-signing in China (Click here for details).

#6. Report: The Suns would prefer to trade Isaiah Thomas instead of Goran Dragic (Click here for details).

#7. Former Suns guard Kevin Johnson has been nominated to be in the basketball hall of fame (Click here for the full list of nominees).

#8. Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge will start the for the West in the All-Star game to replace Anthony Davis (Click here for details).

#9. Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle says Monta Ellis should have been an all-star ahead of Dirk Nowitzki (Click here for details).

#10. Adam Silver is thinking about changing the playoff system (Click here for details).

Sunday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Knicks and power forward Amar'e Stoudemire have agreed on a contract buyout. He has been waived and should clear waivers on Wednesday (Click here for details).

#2. Kevin Durant has some words for the media (Click here for details).

#3. The Mavericks, Clippers, Spurs, and Suns are interested in Amar'e Stoudemire (Click here for details).

#4. Bobby Brown's season in China is over. The point guard is in discussion with several NBA teams (Click here for details).

#5. The 76ers have not re-signed shooting guard Tim Frazier to a second 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#6. Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith was flirting with a model during the NBA's fashion show (Click here for details).

#7. The East defeated the West 129-94 in the D-League All-Star game.

#8. Andre Emmett from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants won the D-League All-Star game MVP award with 28 points.

#9. The West defeated the East 163-158 in the NBA All-Star game.

#10. Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook won the NBA All-Star game MVP award with 41 points on 16/28 shooting.


---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news