Basketball Notes by Alex

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Sorry For the Lack of Posting Today
2009-03-26 00:06:00
I had kind of an odd day, I'll be back tomorrow. But, be sure to hit up my Twitter tonight for updates on tonight's games and subscribe to the feed!I'll give you a cliffhanger for tomorrow: the Scoop is back!
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If This Game Were Food
2009-03-24 20:55:00
Disclaimer: Everyone loves food. All normal humans eat and I happen to be a big fan of food. Aren't you? Well, I think it would be cool to combine two things I love. Basketball and food. So, we're going to look at certain match ups and consult with our stomach about how it would characterize this game as food. Every stomach thinks differently, so you and your stomach can voice you opinions in the comments.This is a really hot game. Houston is coming into this game with a four game winning streak and the Jazz have won their last 12 at home (where they will be tonight). So, we need to find a food that's hot, none of that cold stuff.The Subject: Some twists to this Fennel-Pepper Spaghetti: you have to use some of the hotter peppers (chili, etc.) and pour a little hot sauce to give it extra sizzle.Why: Because it looks pretty good and it's hot. We know the Rockets have made another mini-run here, taking second in the West; the Jazz have turned it up at home. Their match up tonight w...
More About: Food , Game

Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-24 20:12:00
Anyone having March Maddness withdrawal? I'm not, I've got the NBA to focus on. On that note, let's link!YouTube. If you haven't seen this yet, it's a shot from DWade from about 3/4 court, didn't count though.Fanhouse. Good talk about Stephen Curry vs. Patrick Mills in the NIT. Just as Ziller said, I like both player too (I remember Mills from the Olympics).Bullets Forever. Wizards fans may or may not like Gilbert Arenas coming back, but at least things got interesting.The Two Man Game. Rick Carlisle looking, different?Pro Basketball News. The Knicks haven't been a lot better record wise under D'Antoni. Even though that's true, I like them more with Mike!NY Times. Sounds like Danilo Gallinari is done for the season (too bad).View From My Seats. Tough look at whether TMac and Yao don't work together.
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Stan Van Gundy A Hater?
2009-03-24 19:30:00
Stan Van Gundy was in the news today, saying the Knicks don't appreciate Patrick Ewing (here's what he said). It seems like he's put his head into a couple of situations I certainly wouldn't put myself in (the little war of words with Shaq). So, that got me thinking, is Stan Van Gundy a hater (or just very complacent)?Stan is kind of a hater. He's stuck himself into things he shouldn't be worrying about. Those recent comments about Ewing had absolutely nothing to do with him. What he said mostly had to do with the Knicks and, if there's any relation to the Magic, all it would involve is them losing Ewing as an assistant which could really hurt Dwight Howard's progression. If I was Otis Smith (or another high ranking Magic executive), I'd talk to Stan about keeping some things to himself.In looking at his comments closer, I see that Stan knows the way he is ("I'm a cynical person," he says). Even if he knows what he's doing, I don't like what he's done. He should keep hi...
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-23 18:45:00
Monday's, ahhh Monday. Let's get into some links!Lakers. I'm wondering just how good the LA Lakers chemistry is. "I know we can do a much better job of communicating." Lamar Odom was talking about the road trip there on right now. Sounds like the chemistry is there, but it's not Cavs chemistry.DC Pro Sports Report. Gilbert Arenas back this weekend? All I have to say is: Why?The Sporting Truth. Top Five NBA Teams In The Last 20 Years To Never Win a Title.NY Times. If you didn't see this, it's a real good read from the New York Times.Sorry, but that's it! I will have more talk tomorrow! Come back for that and more. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to the feed!
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Playoff Power Rankings!
2009-03-23 15:52:00
It was another jam packed week around the L. Time to see who's impressing me!1.Cleveland Cavaliers: I'll said it before and I'll say it again: I'm impressed. Now it looks like they should have East all locked up and now they have put some separation between themselves and the Lakers. If the season were to end today, Mike Brown would be coach of the year.2. Los Angeles Lakers: Sure they've been solid, but I'm looking for more from them. I want them to crush teams by more than they have been. They have the talent to crush the big teams and they need to show that. Detroit and Atlanta should be wins by 15+. But, we have to expect less out of the regular-season Lakers. That has to change.3. Boston Celtics: Sorry Rockets fans, I was thinking about putting you here. But then I thought about the playoffs and who will do more. Anyway, the C's started bouncing back last week. In their three wins, they won by an average of about eight points. Once they get back into full form, I expect ...
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5 Reasons I'm Starting to Hate the Mavs
2009-03-20 14:25:00
Look, I'm sorry in advance to Mavericks fans. Your team is solid, but I just can't stand it much anymore.1. This team won't win ANYTHING! Sure, the team that Mark Cuban and the rest of the organization put together was a great regular season team, but they couldn't do anything in the playoffs, especially now. I don't want anyone to expect anything better than one or two wins in the first round for this team, at least until it gets blown up.2. Dirk's talent is being wasted. Dirk is easily one of the best big men in the league right now (by that I mean he's got the skill level to match anyone). He has all kinds of skill, the jump shot, post moves, better defense than in the past; pretty much the whole package. Now, he's 31. In a couple years, people are going to be talking about a slight decline in Dirk. I want to see him win sometime, he's earned it.3. They're too old. I have nothing against vets, but this team is loaded with vets. This team doesn't have many prospects for...
More About: Hate , Reasons

Late Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-19 21:15:00
Ok, I know we're all trying to get our march madness fix right, but let's link!Hornets247. The Greatest Penetrators in the NBA. Looks like a nice long read.Actually, you know what, just read that! That's enough, we got all these games and Blazers-Cavs later tonight. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter!
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What's The Most Underrated NBA Storyline?
2009-03-19 13:52:00
Every season some things go on that the public doesn't give credit it to. There are those same stories this year.But, what I want to hear from you is which story in the NBA is something we should pay more attention to? Is it the Thunder and that fact that they're a lot better than any other 19 win team, is it the Jazz and how good they are, is it something else I haven't seen?Every year there's something. Let's hear what you think in the comments!
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-18 20:19:00
It's linking time! Oh yeah..YouTube, via GSF homepage. Pretty funny version of Drunk Dialing with Charles Barkley.Cleveland.com. Sounds like Wally's out 2-3 weeks.Fanster. Sounds like there's going to be another outdoor pre-season game.Bullets Forever. Tough season for the Wiz, you can tell when sarcasm about Oleksiy Pecherov has to be thrown around.ProBasketballNews. Are the Spurs right where they should be? This guy thinks so.NBA. Shaq with GP and CWebb. Guess how serious this video interview was.Not a lot of talk today, hopefully it picks up tomorrow!
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NBA Part Time Jobs: Vladimir Radmanovic
2009-03-18 14:12:00
This is one funny Serbian basketball player. As you can see in this picture to the left, he's got an interesting taste in clothes. He also has an attitude, he's going to get into it with someone a couple times a season. The best part about him, if you search him on Google images, you're guaranteed a couple funny pics.The job: Member of the jury in Charlotte courtsWhy: He knows this Charlotte teams isn't really going anywhere, even if they somehow get the eighth spot in the East. Also, he wants to put some people in the slammer because he doesn't like the world.The courts in Charlotte saw Vlad as a guy who could bring an international perspective. He does, but he's one of the more unprepared members. He refuses t do any work at home, and he procrastinates a bit on cases.One case that made the courts hesitant to pick Raddy was a case against a Serbian robber. They paid the price for it too, sounds like he rallied the jury against giving the guy life. He was given 10 years and so...
More About: Jobs , Time , Part , Vladimir

Late Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-17 21:03:00
Let's get right to linking!FanHouse. "Orlando's playoffs start tonight. Sure, the Magic have locked up a playoff appearance and are virtual locks for the third seed in the East. But the Magic's season at some point turned from just a rush to compete in the semifinals to "Hey, we can win this freaking thing."About.com. Nate Robinson gives advice for how to play basketball when you're short.AP. Great article on OJ Mayo, here's a quote you don't hear from most guys in the league, "It's been the most relaxed and ... comfortable I've been since maybe the fifth or sixth grade," said Mayo."Vote O.J. To follow up on the last link, I saw this cool site, it promotes Mayo for ROY this year.The Vancouver Sun. Sounds like Steve Nash is on an ownership group trying to bring MLS soccer to Vancouver.ProBasketballNews. Steve Nash interview, I really miss the optimism he had before this season.I wanted to find more, but honestly there's not a whole lot buzzing around today..
More About: Talk , Late

The Hornets Haven't Met Expectations
2009-03-17 14:25:00
I like the Hornets. They are a very good team that has a bright future. This year has been a decent year for them. But, in terms of expectations, this team has failed.Lots of people thought this team could progress to be a top Western team. They are not terrible, but they are in the middle of the pack. That can change if they play well though.Coming into this year, I thought the Hornets would be better to. I thought that a core of James Posey, Chris Paul, David West and others could be better than last years squad. I think everyone didn't take a long look at the supporting cast. They bring out decent players off the bench (Antonio Daniels, Mo Pete, and Julian Wright), but these guys just don't bring enough. I remember last year when Jannero Pargo could come off the bench and provide much needed fire power (and a rest for CP3). Daniels is no Pargo, that's for sure.Also, I felt the fire set ablaze by last years play by the Hornets is definitely out. Last year if you were going to p...
More About: Expectations

If This Game Were Food
2009-03-16 20:59:00
Disclaimer: Everyone loves food. All normal humans eat and I happen to be a big fan of food. Aren't you? Well, I think it would be cool to combine two things I love. Basketball and food. So, we're going to look at certain match ups and consult with our stomach about how it would characterize this game as food. Every stomach thinks differently, so you and your stomach can voice you opinions in the comments.So, this one was tough. I like both these teams, they are solid. They play hard and the Hornets have turned it up of late. So, I'm looking for a food that tastes good and is hard to make.The Subject: Some rules on the subject: it has to be made from scratch. The grit and toughness of these two teams isn't manufactured and if we're going to characterize this game in food, it has to come from the chef's heart.Why: If I were to take a bit a decorative cake made from scratch while watching Rockets at Hornets, what I'd be eating and watching would be strangely similar. Theses tea...
More About: Food , Game

Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-16 19:46:00
Back to the linking grind! Feels like a while since I've done it, but I'm glad to be back.Thoughts From The Jocks Rap. Headline of the day so far, "NBA 2008-2009 All-Pussy Team".Fanhouse. Smush Parker can rips Kobe. Really? Who's out of the league and who's in, that's what I'm thinking.Truth About It. Caron Butler giving Darius Songalia some high praises, you go Tough Juice!Third Quarter Collapse. Looks at Rafer's defense and compares it to Jameer Nelson's.NJ.com, via Blazer's Edge. Is Kevin Pritchard on wall street? If he is, doesn't look great.ProBasketballNews. We need to pay more attention to Ramon Sessions.Lastly, watch this cool promo for the playoffs:Can't wait for the playoffs! I'm ready for this week, are you?
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Playoff Power Rankings!
2009-03-16 01:37:00
After a bit of an absence, Playoff Power Rankings are back!1. Clevland Cavaliers: While their week wasn't filled with difficult match ups (Kings, Clippers, etc.), they are getting it done. They won each of their four games by an average 5 points. Solid performance, that's what you expect from the Cavs.2. Los Angeles Lakers: While they've been doing well, as usual, I just struggle liking LA effort for 48 minutes. It's simply not always going to be there. I guess we have to expect that. Or, the players can rise and win be defeating that trend. 3-1 for a Lakers typical week.3. Orlando Magic: I continue to be impressed by this team. They also didn't have tons of great opponents, but they blew threw the competition. 3-1 week for the Magic, who I'm warming up to.4. San Antonio Spurs: Ahhh, the always solid, underrated Spurs. They've been solid lateley, even without Manu. I haven't seen a lot of his Spur minutes, but I'm sure Drew Gooden is starting to work his way into the Spurs ...

Dwayne Wade's Pre-Game Routine
2009-03-16 01:33:00
I saw this before the incredible three overtime Heat-Jazz game, thought it was really cool:DWade is the man and he's got the rim at his command!
More About: Game , Dwayne

NBAtipoff Will Be Back Next Week
2009-03-14 19:21:00
I know, I know, it's been four days since we last posted. I apologize, but I had some important tests for school to prepare for. Next week should be a normal week and we will be back stronger than ever!But, if you haven't been keeping up with NBAtipoff, here are some good posts you've missed lately:The first post from the "If This Game Were Food" series.NBA Part Time Jobs, the first victim was Scott Brooks.My interview and event summary from Kareem's visit to USF St. Petersburg.Get caught up on what you've missed and get ready for lots more great stuff to come! There might be some light posting today! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, subscribe to the feed, and get all of your NBAtipoff fix!
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Eddy Curry Likes The Band Ok Go
2009-03-09 20:03:00
Today, Eddy Curry 's name was in some headlines saying he's open to leaving the Knicks after this year. Before we talk about the big party Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni were planning to celebrate, let me tell you how I bet Marc Berman got this story for the New York Post:So, Eddy Curry has an iPod Touch. Marc or some other Post reporter found this out because he saw him with it at practice. So, in order to get the true scoop on the soap opera that is the Knicks, they get some hacker to hack into it. They can look at all his information while his gear's in da locker. While going through his playlist titled, "these songs r da best," they found a couple of smash hits from the band Ok Go. Then, when looking at his txt's, they found one sent saying, "Here we go again, I can't do this 7 seconds or less man."Also, when asked about his conditioning, Eddy really praises people that run on treadmills. "You know guys that are able to perform on those high performance machines, especially...
More About: Band , The Band

If This Game Were Food
2009-03-06 21:58:00
Disclaimer: Everyone loves food. All normal humans eat and I happen to be a big fan of food. Aren't you? Well, I think it would be cool to combine two things I love. Basketball and food. So, we're going to look at certain match ups and consult with our stomach about how it would characterize this game as food. Every stomach thinks differently, so you and your stomach can voice you opinions in the comments.Today, basketball is a game of money. The NBA revolves around money, its employees do and many other people rely on the NBA to get their paychecks. While it's also a physical game, finasse and control are required to execute at a high level. Looking at the individual match up, Cavs-Celtics, this game is sweet. Some of the top guys on the floor, on ESPN, everyone will be watching. So, we need something that is sweet, expensive, and something that can be enjoyed slowly.Subject:Why: Godiva is the perfect combination of elegance and sweetness. The packaging and brand is fancy and th...
More About: Food , Game

Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-06 21:01:00
TGIF! Yes, it's the weekend! Before you go all out for parties and what not, read what's popping about basketball on the internet!Quite to the Contrary Blog. What the hell is going on with the Warriors?Fanster Phoenix Suns Community. Why the Suns shouldn't tank the season.Pippen Ain't Easy. Funny headline: Who is this Thabo guy?Epic Carnival. This is truly why Tony Parker married Eva Longoria!So, I had trouble finding good stuff that hasn't already been linked around the blogosphere. I know, FAIL, but I don't want to link to stuff that everybody's seen, so sorry!
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Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-05 20:56:00
It's almost Friday, the weekend is in sight! Let's link!Fredrick News-Post. "Ryan Dawson, a former Walkersville High School basketball player, might not ever play for the NBA, but he is $25,000 richer after winning the 2009 EA Sports NBA Live Challenge Championship."Desert Ball. Shaq's greatest hits, he's really funny with the media in a I-know-this-is-funny kind of way.Paneech. How going to game is different compared to 20 years ago.mlive Blog. Joe Dumars talking the future for the Pistons.JBOMB Basketball Blog. How Kobe looked before his first NBA game and during the game.Posting and Toasting. "Highest praise goes to Mr. Danilo Gallinari, who had the best night of his young career and made me change my underwear no less than thrice. Gallo hit four of his five threes, including this nice little mambo with Zaza Pachulia."TwinCities, via Canis Hoopus. Nice Kevin Love interview.Peachtree Hoops. Part of this headline doesn't sound good: "where Josh Smith turns into Eddy Curry."
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The Heat Can Score, When The Suns Defend
2009-03-05 15:46:00
Last night the Heat beat the Suns with a pretty balanced scoring attack. But, this is a case where the stats are kind of off. Even though DWade didn't have to carry the team, the Suns don't play consistent defense, so Cook got open shots, most of their shots were open and easy. Daequan Cook can hit open jump shots all day long.Even when they're not open, I'm not going to say the Heat supporting cast is terrible. For a team that won 15 games last year, they are a hell of a lot better. But, in no way can this group of guys support a competitor like Dwayne Wade. Everyone knows that he is hungry to get back on top and I don't care how good he is, this supporting cast can't help enough.If I'm Pat Riley, I would be a little scared because a title could be five years away. That's how much this supporting cast needs to improve. I could be wrong, the young guns like Chalmers and Beasley could get a lot better quick. But, if my assumptions are correct, a title is far out of reach for ...
More About: Score

Tonights Sched: Lookout For Flash!
2009-03-05 00:02:00
Tonight, we've got 10 decent games on tap. So, which two get my seal of approval?Suns at HeatTwo great individual performances could come from this one. The Heat don't have incredible depth at center; while Jermaine O'neal does a decent job on bigger guys, I'm thinking he'll get into some foul trouble. The Suns, ever since getting back to run and gun, will let pretty much anyone score on them. Dwayne Wade has been averaging an un-earthly 43.5 points over the last two games. Basically, it's up to him to score 50, or for the Suns to force it out of his hands.Most intriguing match up: DWade vs. Jason Richardson. Not because it will be a real gritty defensive match up, but they can fill it up. It wouldn't surprise me if they trade baskets for stretches in this game.The line for the game has the Heat favored by 3. Honestly, I'm having a hard time going with or against that line. On one hand, the Suns played last night and on the other, the Heat can be inconsistent at times. So, I...
More About: Flash

Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-04 21:20:00
It's time for a big slew of NBA linkage!ESPN. "The head of officials for the NBA wants to rewrite the league's traveling rule to legalize taking a "second step" and clarify what he considers a hard-to-enforce rule."Total Pro Sports. Video of LeBron James farting, WTF?Rockets Buzz. "Are the Rockets peaking too early? Will they have the same fire left for the first round where it looks like they’ll face Utah, Portland or New Orleans? How much different is it being without TMac this year than being without Yao last year? And the million dollar question: Will they get out of the first round?"20 Second Timeout. "I've consistently maintained since last season that Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are the two best players in the NBA but some people think that Wade and Chris Paul should be in that discussion. Wade and Paul are both great players but one disadvantage that they have versus Bryant and James is height: James is 6-8 and Bryant is 6-6, while Wade is 6-4 and Paul is just 6-0."Hoo...
More About: Talk

Nuggets Taking a Slide
2009-03-04 15:41:00
The Denver Nuggets seem to be taking a slide over this last stretch. The mental complexion of their team doesn't feel right to me. Also, they have had a ton of road games lately, I don't know how much of that is affecting them.The goodI like the way this team has performed since the trade for Billups. The team is more structured, they're not as crazy and wild as they've been in the past. Also, their schedule for the rest of the season is pretty good. 12 home games, 9 road games. A large number of the home games are winnable too. The Clippers, Nets, Kings and Warriors are coming to town; all must wins if they want a good playoff spot.The badI am no expert, especially in terms of the Nuggets, but I kind of feel like they're not on the same page. Melo and Billups are fine once playoff time comes around. But, I feel like JR, Birdman, Nene and crew are more into the individual game than the team game. I could be wrong, but I just want to see and feel their cohesiveness.Overall, I h...
More About: Slide , Taking

Talk Around The Hardwood
2009-03-03 21:03:00
So, sorry again for the lack of linkage yesterday. Today, I'm back and the links are flowing!Gunaxin. Top Ten Basketball Sneakers.The Bakersfield Californian. The Bakersfield Jam become the first D-League team to have its own practice facility.NBA Outsider. Doug Christie sent in a little editorial. Who else totally forgot he was still on the Earth?CBC Sports. Biggest free agent pickup? Has to be Chiek Samb, 10 day Knicks contract. He should help them get crushed a little less on defense, or take up another chair on the bench.Blog a Bull. The quote their shows John Paxson isn't exactly pleased with Vinny Del Negro.Dallas Basketball. Sounds like it's time for Mavs fans to give Nenad Kristic some props.Raptors Republic. In this economy, I'm sure you want some cheaper Raptors tickets.live about Mediocrity. An argument for LeBron to change his number. Do Kings have to submit to this kind of blasphemy?
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NBA Part Time Jobs: Scott Brooks
2009-03-03 15:41:00
Disclaimer: The NBA is in changing because of the economy. Coaches, players, trainers and ball boys are struggling to make ends meet. So, we're going to fit people around the league into jobs they would seem suited for. Also, we want to have some fun and laugh!Candidate: Scott Brooks Why he needs a part-time job: He is working on only as an interim coach (for the Thunder, if you didn't know), struggling with only a little more than a million (probably more). He also cited a need for success in his resume. Also on his resume, "My hair is suited for news."The job: News reporter, does the week-end news shift, either does weather, sports, or stories outside the studio.Work nickname (given to him by an angry veteran co-worker): Brookey the RookieOverall, he'll be regarded as an okay worker. Sure he comes in, does his work well, but he'll never do enough research to break out of that lower tear. His performance reviews will rate him a 6.5 out of 10.Ultimately, this is what will get Sco...
More About: Jobs , Time , Part

Tonights Sched: Mondays Kinda Suck..
2009-03-02 22:06:00
So, tonight there are maybe 2 good games out of the 5.Hornets at 76ersCP3 and bunch have been playing a little better recently. I don't feel they're contenders, but they can make for a good match up against the Sixers. Both teams can definitely score, also they have nice young bigs to boot.Most intriguing match up: Tyson Chandler vs. Samuel Dalembert. This certainly won't be the best offensive match up, but won't it be fun to watch these guys scrap all game? That's the way they play, should be fun to watch. Close second: Andre Miller vs. Chris Paul. Two scrappy guards, but not as down and dirty Chandler and Dalembert.So, the spread has the Sixers favored by 2.5. I'm going to go with the Hornets winning by three. Sorry, Sixers fans, your home crowd sucks at times.Also, if you want to catch Heat at Cavs, I wouldn't blame you. I'm having a Monday burnout, so no talk around the hardwood, or anything else today. Sorry, but I'm going to try to possibly hit up Twitter later!
More About: Kinda , Suck , Mondays

Exclusive: Up Close with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his event at USF St. Peter
2009-03-02 00:42:00
Today, I had the pleasure of seeing an NBA legend come to my town of St. Peter sburg, Florida. He came to the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Campus, to talk about his book, On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance, among other things. If you didn't recognize the author, I'm talking about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Event The event began with an introduction to Kareem and then Kareem came and started talking about his story. He explained many things about basketball and its history. Something he said a couple of times: the Harlem Globetrotters are not from Harlem, they were from Chicago. New York's team was the Harlem Rens. After he talked about that, he let people ask questions. Questions ranged from his regrets, his feelings on education and what he's looking forward to in life. Besides seeing Kareem, I also got a chance to see some people with stories as well. A guy named Art Bruno was there, who played against Kareem in elementary scho...
More About: Exclusive , Close , St Peter