Josh Howard doesn’t celebrate the National Anthem? He probably meant he doesn’t honor or observe the anthem, but his point was clear. I have to wonder why Josh, knowing what kind of trouble his comments can cause, didn’t think of something else to say for the camera.

Former NBA player Vincent Askew is locked up as the result of a May sexual encounter with a 16-year-old girl. The menace to virginity claimed to be a high school recruiter to lure the young lady to his hotel.

CBS4.com has the details of Askew’s arrest:

He is now sitting in the county jail charged with three counts of sexual battery on a 16-year-old. The consensual sex allegedly took place in May at a Ramada hotel down the street from Dadeland Mall.

He allegedly told the victim that he was recruiting for Gulliver Prep girls’ basketball team. She did not attend the school.

CBS4’s David Sutta spoke with Gulliver staff, and they told him he supervised the pool at the middle school for a month. They were considering hiring him as a coach.

The fact that it was consensual sex doesn’t and shouldn’t matter. Askew’s 42 years old. Vince wasn’t much of a player, but he should be able to pull legal aged women that he doesn’t have to entice with hopes of a spot on the high school basketball team. I guess it’s not all Askew’s fault. There’s obviously something in the Florida water that makes athletes chase under aged girls.

Vincent Askew, NBA, arrest

Kenyon Martin of the Denver Nuggets and rapper Trina were involved in a car accident Friday in Belize. The 6′9″ forward and his girlfriend traveled to Belize for a peace rally and basketball tournament. The accident occurred while they were being led by police escort from the airport to another destination.

From the sounds of it, the police motorcade leading Kenyon Martin caused the accident.

Police are investigating the accident. We should note that numerous witnesses saw and we noted that oncoming traffic had to swerve off the road because the motorcade – led by a police mobile with flashing lights- was overtaking traffic on the fairly narrow stretch of the Northern Highway. We couldn’t verify if the escort was officially sanctioned. Again no one was seriously hurt.

For all of you thinking, wait a minute, isn’t Kenyon Martin married, what’s he doing with Trina? The answer is yes. Here’s a picture of Kenyon and his wife Heather:

Before you start jumping to conclusions about what Kenyon is or isn’t doing behind his wife’s back let’s remember that Heather Martin allegedly gave Kenyon a cellphone for his groupies. Plus, Trina’s been runnin around claiming Kenyon Martin as her boyfriend, and she helped throw his 30th birthday party. Heather probably knows what’s up.. And if she didn’t, she does now.

Kenyon Martin, Trina, car accident, Belize, photos

Ron Artest is on an emailing rampage since installing himself as his own agent. First, Ron sent messages back and forth with Marc Stein of Espn over the weekend. Artest said there’s no love between him and the team, the Maloofs say it’s all good.

If the Kings are looking to move Artest they can scratch the Denver Nuggets from the list of trade partners. Even though Ron was rumored to be headed to the Rocky Mountains at February’s trade deadline he has no interest in playing for the Nuggets now.

Artest exchanged a series of emails with the Rocky Mountain News explaining his stance.

“I cannot play in Denver because they question my drive to finish my career off strong and not embarrass my family,”

“That’s not even an option to be a Nugget,” he wrote. “They let me know how they felt about me already.”

Ron is trying to say or do whatever he can that gets him closer to the Los Angeles Lakers. He would’ve had leverage if he had opted out of his deal. As it is now, Ron Artest is gonna end up on the team that offers the Sacramento Kings the most in return.

Ron Artest, Sacramento Kings, trade talk, Denver Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony is disappointed in himself and his team but unfortunately “we quit” doesn’t mean the Denver Nuggets are conceding the series to the Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe the league will step in and stop the fight since the Nuggets are being outclassed and are unable to defend themselves. If Denver was gonna roll over, why not roll over in the regular season and let the Golden St. Warriors make the playoffs? The Warriors weren’t gonna beat the Lakers, but the scores would’ve been closer before G. State melted down and cost themselves the game.

So now that the Nuggets have trash-talked Kobe Bryant into embarrassing them in Los Angeles and Denver, and the Lakers winning the series is a formality, where do the Denver Nuggets go from here? They need a new philosophy more than new players. The Nuggs will continue to be first round whipping boys until they make a committment to defense, and learn to keep their composure no matter what the refs are doing.

Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets, youtube, video, utube, we quit

Kenyon Martin of the Denver Nuggets has no love for Kobe Bryant and he’s lettin’ the world know.. And letting Kobe know ‘it’s better to be pissed off than pissed on’.. I gotta agree with K-Mart on that point…

But I gotta disagree with Kenyon’s gamesmanship tactics. Why poke at the Mamba? He dropped 49 and 10 on Denver in the last game for talking shit, but it’s like they didn’t notice because they’re right back at it. You would never know it by the trash that they talk, but the Denver Nuggets organization hasn’t won a playoff series since Mutombo was on the ground squeezing the basketball.. Losing the first two games of the series, giving up an average of 125 points per game, and calling out the world’s best player won’t isn’t the way to right the ship.

Kenyon Martin, Kobe Bryant, video, youtube, utube

Now that one game has been played in each series of the NBA playoffs it’s time for people to overreact to the outcomes. We’re constantly reminded that 79% of game one winners go on to win the series, and if that number holds true six of the eight match-ups have already been decided. That’s bad news for me. Three of the teams (Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit) I picked to advance to the next round lost their first game.

I’m not worried about two of the teams.. Sometimes things happen. The third team has me in a one game panic. Here are a few things I noticed after two days of action:

1. Phoenix is OK: Shaquille O’Neal and Amare Stoudemire played a combined 76 out of a possible 116 minutes. Yes Phoenix had control of the game and let it slip away, but if Shaq-n-Stat stay on the court and out of foul trouble, San Antonio won’t be able to handle the Suns.

2. Detroit forgot to flip the switch: The Detroit Pistons will still win their series but they’re proving why they won’t go to the NBA Finals. I won’t even start on Sheed’s antics with the game in the balance. A team with true championship aspirations doesn’t assume victories. Since winning the championship in 2004 the Pistons have walked around like they’re the 90s Bulls. This loss probably woke them up, but if Detroit thinks getting to the Eastern Conference finals is gonna be easy from here on in, they’re dreaming.

3. The Boston Celtics are The Great Debaters:

I wonder what topics are up for debate on the Celtics bench during a playoff game. Health care? Immigration? ‘Yes or No?’ with the Boston Celtic cheerleaders? Garnett says everything isn’t “peaches and cream” in Boston.. He obviously doesn’t keep up with the New York Knicks situation.

Speaking of the Celtics. The fellas over at Kicks On Fire are giving away a pair of Reebok Pump D-Time Dee Browns.

This is Dee Brown’s signature shoe, given to him after he pumped up his Reebok Omni Lite in the 1991 NBA slam dunk contest. Kicks On Fire gives away a pair of shoes a week, this giveaway ends Thursday, and it’s always free to enter.

4. Dwight Howard might really be Superman: Dwight Howard dominated both ends of the floor by dunking and blocking shots. 25 points, 22 rebounds, and 5 blocks barely explains how Howard controlled the game. The win was Orlando’s first playoff victory since 2003. It looks like this is the year the curse of Shaq is broken. No organization that has gotten rid of Shaquille O’Neal has won a playoff series since he left… And now it will happen twice in the same season.

5. The Denver Nuggets are who Denny Green thought they were: The Nuggets shot more free throws(37 to 32), out rebounded the Lakers by two, saw Kobe Bryant only play 37 minutes, and still managed to get blown out. Los Angeles doesn’t need free throws or rebounds if they’re laying the ball up every time down court.

6. The Wizards and Cavs don’t need to talk anymore: We get it. The Wizards and Cavaliers don’t like each other. The beef between LeBron James, Gilbert Arenas, and DeShawn Stevenson has gone too far if Soulja Boy is being mentioned during an NBA telecast. Soulja Boy will be dropping his Pro-Wizards/Anti-LeBron rap in 3.. 2.. 1..

7. There’s always next year for Houston: The Rockets trailed after every quarter against the Jazz and never played like the team that won 22 games in a row. I know Houston likes to shoot the three but if the refs are sending you to the free throw line 29 times it seems like some of those 16 missed three point attempts could’ve been drives in the paint. I don’t wanna be one of those guys that flip flops after every game so I’ll say it now. This series is over.. Even if Houston wins game two.

8. Maybe Chris Paul is the MVP after all: Psych.. Kobe’s the MVP but Chris Paul is a close second. The playoffs have nothing to do with MVP balloting but CP3’s first game in the playoffs showed why people think he’s the best young PG in the game. Paul had 35 points, 10 assist, three boards, four steals, and only one turnover. All on Jason Kidd’s watch. I picked the Mavs to win this series so they better figure out a way to corral Chris Paul if I’m gonna be right.

Tags: NBA Playoffs, video, youtube, basketball

Now that one of the greatest regular seasons in NBA history is finished it’s time for the 2007-08 playoffs to take us to the next level. Other than Celtics/Hawks, the match-ups should give us entertaining basketball. All of the series won’t go seven games, but the level of competition will be at an all-time high.

I’m only gonna post my first round predictions right now, but my entire NBA Playoffs bracket will be over at Ball Hype. They’re having an NBA Playoffs Pick ‘Em Contest that’s free to enter, and the top prize is an iPod touch. I have the Eastern Conference sticking to the script for the most part, but deciding the Western Conference was painful..

Here are my first round picks:

Eastern Conference:

(1)Boston 4 (8)Atlanta 0: The Hawks can hang their hat on the fact that they made the playoffs. After getting swept out, they should fire Mike Woodson and start getting ready for next season. The Cs will wanna handle their biz and rest for..

(4)Cleveland 4 (5)Washington 3: The best series in the EC’s first round and you know how it goes.. Same two teams, same result. Gilbert trash talking King James isn’t helping the Wizards’ chances. I was probably leaning towards Washington until Gilbert went off.. But if anybody was gonna back it up, it’s Agent Zero.
(2)Detroit 4 (7)Philadelphia 1: I’m a diehard Sixers fan and I’m pulling for the upset but I gotta be real. This squad is too young to do anything but steal a game from the Pistons.. I might pop bottles if they take two games.

Looking to the future, what’s the front office gonna do about beefing up the lineup? They need to add more firepower and size to build on the gains made this season. Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Samuel Dalembert, and Thaddeus Young make a good nucleus. Willie Green, Louis Williams, and Reggie Evans should contribute to a nice bench. Even though the Eastern Conference is regarded as weak, things are getting a lot tougher and the Sixers need to plan accordingly.

LeBron’s always in contention, the Bulls will eventually figure it out, the Celtics and Pistons have cores they can count on for a few more years, Washington’s group looks like they’ll be staying together, Miami has D-Wade and Marion as a foundation, Dwight Howard is a force to be reckoned with, the Raptors have better young talent, Indiana should be better next year, and the Hawks look like they’re headed in the right direction. Unless the franchise is content with squeaking in the playoffs and making a first round exit, they need to get aggressive in the offseason.. Elton Brand aggressive.

(3)Orlando 4 (6)Toronto 2: Who is this? Oh yeah, the Orlando Magic.. They haven’t been talked about since Dwight Howard did the Superman dunk, but they quietly won 52 games. Howard, Hedo Turkoglu (should be the Most Improved Player), and Rashard Lewis give the Magic one of the best frontcourts in basketball. They should cruise past the Raptors.

Western Conference:

(1)Los Angeles 4 (8)Denver 3 : Can the Nuggets do what the Warriors did last year and eliminate the number one seed? It would be called an upset, but shouldn’t we expect a team that has two number one overall picks, a second overall pick, and a third (shoulda been second) overall pick in the starting lineup to go deep into the playoffs? I see some 130-121 games and Denver’s inability to get key stops hurting them more than the Lakers inability to get key stops.

(4)Utah 4 (5)Houston 3: Man… If there’s ever a pick I wanted to be wrong about. I think the Jazz are the better team, but for T-Mac’s sanity I wouldn’t mind if the Rockets won the series. Last year, I tried to use The Secret to help Houston and it obviously didn’t work. This year, the Rockets should get Benedict XVI to swing through H-Town and hit ‘em with some Pope Juice.

(6)Phoenix 4 (3)San Antonio 3: Either Shaq or Tim Duncan have appeared in every NBA finals since the Bulls sixth championship in 1998, and 10 of the last 14. They’ve both picked up four rings along the way, but with all of that said, Amare Stoudemire will dominate this series. He’s always a beast against the Spurs in the playoffs and with Shaq giving him more freedom on offense I see Phoenix riding Stat to the second round.

(7)Dallas 4 (2)New Orleans 2: The Mavericks get a chance to play the underdog upset role this postseason. It’s not gonna erase what happened last year, and with the competitiveness of the Western Conference this year, it shouldn’t be surprise if the team with the reigning MVP and Jason Kidd beats a team with no playoff experience.

Follow The NBA Playoffs On The Sphere:
NBA
True Hoop
Watch NBA Playoff Games Online For Free
NBA Highlights From Odenized

Tags: NBA, Playoffs, Watch Free Online, Sports

Athletes need to have a plan for life after sports. The millions of dollars earned during their careers seem to evaporate quickly during retirement. It could be bad investments or lavish living but one thing’s for sure, the athletes aren’t keeping their loot. Denver Nuggets guard Chucky Atkins is working now to ensure that his future is protected.

Chucky Atkins and former Memphis Grizzlies assistant trainer Yusuf Boyd started a car customization business last fall. Immortal Kustomz is located 20 minutes south of Memphis, Tennessee and they will pimp anything from classic cars to the latest luxury rides. From the Immortal Kustomz website:

“Immortal Kustomz tailors vehicles to those individuals who will not submit to a life of uniformity and only accept perfektion.” No doubt. So far the company boasts a client list of guys Chucky played with in Memphis, but hopefully business will pick up. I don’t wanna see Atkins end up like Sprewell or Vin Baker.

Nuggets guard Atkins deals with wheels. Courtesy of The Rocky Mountain News

Tags: Chucky Atkins, Denver Nuggets, NBA, Immortal Kustomz

Kenyon Martin of the Denver Nuggets combined his 30th birthday party with a New Year’s eve party in South Beach. It was pretty much like my 30th birthday party minus the Maybachs, ice sculptures, hot women all around, girls dancing on stages, celebrities, a swimming pool, cameras, and the triple level car cake. I guess the only thing we actually had in common was turning 30.. K-Mart has a couple of social networking pages set up; one for the b-day/new year’s party and one for personal use if you’re trying to keep up with the bad ass yellow boy.

More Denver Nuggets Partying:
AI and Melo, Out and About

Tags: Kenyon Martin, NBA, Denver Nuggets, youtube, party