The Boston Celtics overcame a 14-point third quarter deficit to take a 1-0 lead in their first round playoff series against the Miami Heat. That’s the good news for Boston. The bad news is the volatile Kevin Garnett picked up two technical fouls and was ejected from the game after elbowing Miami’s Quentin Richardson in the head. Garnett was looking over an injured Paul Pierce when Richardson approached and the two traded words. And then KG dropped some elbows. Now David Stern gets to drop the hammer.

KG spoke about the ejection following the game:

With Garnett’s elbow throwing history I don’t see how Stern won’t suspend him for at least one game.

Kevin Garnett Throws Mini-Elbow at Travis Outlaw:

Kevin Garnett Uses Elbow on LaMarcus Aldridge:

Kevin Garnett Elbows Joakim Noah in the Stomach:

The video below features Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics circa 2000 hyped up after returning from a Ruff Ryders-Cash Money concert. KG gives a rundown of the music he’s listening to (If y’all ain’t got the Drag-On Ruff Ryders CD, you gotta go cop that..), and embarrasses one of his homeboys in front of kids all across the world.

Kevin Garnett generally plays it lowkey and keeps a small tight-knit circle so it’s rare to see The Big Ticket that raw. Garnett is starting to let us into his Official Block Family through a series of NBA 2k9 commercials.

Here’s KG doing his best Kevin Harlan impression:

The U.S. Olympic basketball team is in Las Vegas getting ready for a run at the gold while the Boston Celtics are living it up. KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Sam Cassell and Rajon Rondo put their Sin City partying on pause to check out Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz. As you can hear in the video one of Pacman’s dreams was to meet Kevin Garnett, and the two share a mutual respect for one another.

There’s no telling when Youtube will pull this video down so enjoy it while you can. Slow motion and several angles of Manny Pacquiao’s 9th round knockout of David Diaz:

People were worried that Manny Pacquiao would lose some speed when he moved up to 135 lbs. I have some bad news for his competition.. He didn’t. Pacquiao looked just as fast and he says he’s even stronger. David Diaz’s face and the ring canvas agree.

Manny Pacquiao, David Diaz, knockout, Boston Celtics, 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

1. LeBron James
2. Dwayne Wade
3. Kevin Garnett
4. Shaquille O’Neal
5. Kobe Bryant
6. Yao Ming
7. Tony Parker
8. Kevin Durant
9. Yi Jianlian
10. Eduardo Najera

Steve Nash and Gilbert Arenas are the most glaring omissions, and I’ll listen to arguments for AI, Dwight Howard, and Dirk Nowitzki.. Too bad the only time that Tim Duncan talks is when he’s arguing with Joey Crawford, or else he’d be raking in the endorsement money too.

And of course.. If there’s a “Most” list, there can be a “Least” list. Here are my 5 least marketable NBA players:

5. Oleksiy Pecherov, C, Washington Wizards
4. Darius Miles, F, Portland Trailblazers
3. The Knicks, Team, New York Knicks
2. Stephen Jackson, G, Golden St. Warriors
1. Ron Artest, F, Sacramento Kings

Can LeBron surpass Michael on Madison Ave.? Courtesy of MSNBC

Tags: NBA, Most Marketable, Endorsements, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZhT4ZdfmzQ[/youtube]

The Boston Celtic’s signing of Kevin Garnett was the biggest move of the NBA offseason. The three headed, championship hungry monster of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen is a nice base, but is it enough to get out of the East? You know the big three are gonna show up every night (barring injury), but what about the rest of the cast? Eddie House, James Posey, Scot Pollard, and Brian Scalibrine are the other vets on the team, unproven Rajon Rondo’s gonna be in charge of the offense, rookies Glen Davis, Jackie Manuel, and Brandon Wallace can’t be counted on yet, and, there always Doc.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJSLPtQRTQ[/youtube]

Too bad coach doesn’t handle the games like he does his practices. Doc’s seat is gonna get hot quick if the Celts get off to a slow start… Even more so because of Larry Brown circling the arena.

Tags: Boston Celtics, NBA, You Tube, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Doc Rivers, Sports

Kobe Bryant did a 5 city “Supernatural Tour” through Asia to promote his latest brand of Nikes. Bryant hit Manila, Taipei (where he opened a new Nike store), Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing, spreading the love of basketball, holding clinics, and giving interviews:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcYut5ySPyk[/youtube]

Can anybody tell me why Kobe felt compelled to take his shirt off at the 2 minute mark? That seemed kinda strange.. Highlights of the interview:

Q: An Olympic gold medal or another NBA championship?

KB: Well fortunately I don’t have to choose one or the other.

Of course he doesn’t have to choose.. The Lakers don’t have a chance at winning the championship.

Q: When you come back to the Lakers do you expect to have new teammates?

KB: You know what, I don’t know. I just train really hard and just get ready. Whatever happens happens. I just try to stay healthy, work hard, and go from there.

Translation: I promised Mitch I wouldn’t rip him or the team anymore but you’re f****** straight I expect something to be done. KG went to Boston. Boston?!? Who the hell would choose Boston over L.A.? That’s how screwed up things are with the Lakers.

Q: With the problems haunting athletes like Michael Vick, Barry Bonds and all that..How do you keep yourself an ideal role model for people like my son who skipped school today to see you?

Kobe gave the cookie cutter answer to the question, but I found it funny that Kobe’s in Manila getting asked about Vick and Barry Bonds… And he’s one helluva role model if kids are skipping school to see him.

Ok this next video is kinda long, and the sound quality is trash, but check out Kobe’s Rockstar status entrance at the beginning.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hCp7_gv1zA[/youtube]

Mamba’s the man in Manila. You can get a full recap of his Asian tour here.

NBA star Kobe Bryant in Taiwan on five-stop Asian Tour. Courtesy of Earth Times

A day with Kobe in Manila. Courtesy of KB24.com

Tags: Kobe Bryant, Nike, You Tube, Video, Asian Tour, Supernatural

Photo Courtesy of KB24.com

The female body is a beautiful object that should be held up and glorified. It could never receive enough praise. Amanda Beard recently joined the list of athletes to pose nude for Playboy, and hopefully more follow her. Here’s the women from the sports world that the magazine should be trying to land:

Anna Kournikova: She owes us. We supported her on her looks alone, and then we continued to support her when we knew she couldn’t play. She’s essentially the Russian, tennis playing, Paris Hilton.. Trust us Anna, the magazine is the classier route.

Serena and Venus Williams: I know what you’re thinking but no… Something along the lines of them getting undressed in the locker room, and then taking to the court to pose with the rackets or in the umpire’s chair. Now back to your idea…

Erin Andrews: A sexy, former cheerleader, that had the internet and college baseball teams goin nuts is a no brainer. She has the classic bunny look and Mike Gillespie Sr. says she’s a solid 9 1/2 binoculars in his book.

Danica Patrick: She’s cute, fiesty, and fast. I can see her on the cover unzipping her fire retardant jumpsuit and inside the mag rockin nothing but her helmet. I can also see her stomping around and then shoving the photographer if she doesn’t like the pictures.

Pam Oliver: The pic doesn’t do her justice, but I didn’t want to link to the you tube clip of her in dem jeans. If she ever poses for the magazine good luck getting a copy before Joe Buck buys them all.

So there’s no confusion about the way I want these pics to turn out, here’s KG and Steph:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDrqNQwIdRc]

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According to information provided by the Oregonian’s Jason Quick and my assumptive deduction, 2 players from the Garnett, Iverson, and Kobe trio were recently offered to Portland in exchange for the #1 pick. You can listen to Jason drop the hint here or just check out this quick excerpt:

“I know that two Western Conference teams have offered their superstars in return for the number one pick… And they are Hall of Famers and the Blazers have turned them down on both.”

There you have it. So how did I end up with Kobe, KG, and AI representing the players on the block? Walk with me.

NO CONSIDERATION: Portland and Seattle obviously. New Orleans, Memphis, Utah, Golden State, and Sacramento all have zero Hall of Famers on their rosters at this moment.

NOT YET: Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and the L.A. Clippers all have players that are close or should play their way into the Hall of Fame. Dirk Nowitzki should be in one day, Tracy McGrady needs a few more solid years and he has to do some damage in the playoffs, Yao Ming could get in one day if he continues to improve, and Elton Brand has a legitimate chance if he continues on his current pace. I don’t have Steve Nash from Phoenix in the Hall of Fame yet. I know Steve has the two MVPs but his career numbers 14pts, 7.6ast, and 2.9rbds, are still lower than Stephon Marbury’s 19.9pts, 7.9ast, and 3.0rbds, even with Nash’s incredible 3 season stretch.

NOW WE’RE TALKING: San Antonio, Denver, Minnesota, and the L.A.L are the only teams in the Western Conference that have Hall of Fame locks on their rosters right now. Let’s go ahead and assume that the Spurs aren’t dealing Duncan. That’s a safe bet right? Well, that leaves Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant as the only players that could have been offered to Portland.

So who were the two players? I could see Minnesota making that offer. They would set Garnett free and start over with a major chip in their pocket. The T-Wolves would have been looking at a young nucleus of Oden/Durant, Randy Foye, and Rashad McCants (depending on what you think of McCants’ game). The Nuggets would presumably move Iverson out, bring in Durant/Oden and piece either one of them together with Melo, Camby, J.R. Smith, and hold on to Steve Blake. What about the Lakers offering Kobe? I can’t see Portland turning down a trade offer that includes Kobe Bean Bryant unless they are so turned off by his off the court problems, and so wary of his emotions that they wouldn’t want the best player in the league on their roster. Plus, the Lakers would become a non-factor for a couple of years while their young roster developed. I can’t see the La-La land management doing that.

That means (to me) that Minnesota tried to trade K.G. and the Nuggets tried to trade Allen Iverson for Portland’s number one. I guess the Blazers figured why trade for aging superstars with a ton of mileage when they have the chance to draft a player that they could have for the next 15 years. Portland was right on with this decision. They’re not an A.I. or Garnett away from the championship so there’s no need to bite at the lure of a big name.

I originally peeped this story over at Henry Abbott’s True Hoop. It’s the ninth link down. Courtesy of ESPN and True Hoop

You can read the paraphrased version of Casey Holdahl’s interview with Jason Quick here, or you can listen to the entire interview here.

This is the snippet of Jason Quick on the two Western Conference teams offering Hall of Famers for the #1 pick.

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Freddy Garcia attacks cart, then gets carted off. Courtesy of Babes Love Baseball

Jeff Van Gundy not leaving Houston? Courtesy of MSNBC (not exactly a blog but w/e)

Basketball can tear a family apart. Courtesy of Ball Hype

Did ESPN suspend Keith Olbermann? Courtesy of The Big Lead

Sopranos and Entourage vs. The Philadelphia Phillies. Courtesy of The 700 Level

Ashy Larry is having a bad couple of weeks. Courtesy of SOHH

Vernon Wells loves his detractors. Courtesy of Our Book of Scrap

Steve Nash is calling out somebody on his team. Courtesy of Larry Brown Sports

KG lets T-Mac know it wasn’t his fault. Courtesy of The Hype Guy

Floyd Mayweather Sr.= The Crypt Keeper. Courtesy of Concrete Loop

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