I was checking out NBA TV when they rolled out the first in a new series, The All (fill in the conference) team. The teams are made up of current NBA Players and the Big East was the inaugural conference. The squad will be posted at NBA.com a little later, but who wants to wait?

The teams are based on how the player is playing now.

ALL BIG EAST NBA 1ST TEAM
PG Allen Iverson, Georgetown
SG Dwyane Wade, Marquette
C Emeka Okafor, UConn
SF Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
PF Ron Artest, St. John’s

ALL BIG EAST NBA 2ND TEAM
Ray Allen, UConn
Caron Butler, UConn
Samuel Dalembert, Seton Hall
Rudy Gay, UConn
Ben Gordon, UConn
Jeff Green, Georgetown
Richard Hamilton, UConn

ALL BIG EAST RESERVE TEAM
Troy Murphy, Notre Dame
Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown
Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown

ALL BIG EAST DEVELOPMENTAL SQUAD
Matt Carroll, Notre Dame
Francisco Garcia, Louisville
Ryan Gomes, Providence
Kyle Lowry, Villanova
Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati
Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati
Hakim Warrick, Syracuse
Marcus Williams, UConn
Tim Thomas, Villanova

Quick note: The developmental team doesn’t mean that the guy sucks.. Andre Aldrigde of NBA TV explained it this way:

“We had to have a developmental squad for our team because we’re making this a franchise. This isn’t just about all-stars, this is a franchise.”

With that said… Where the hell is Charlie Villanueva? If Tim Thomas’ sometimey ass can make this squad, then I know Chuck V could make the team… And Rip Hamilton, ouch.. It’s hard to find a spot for a guy that runs non-stop, can stick the midrange jumper consistently, and that has big game experience… Can’t really argue with AI and Wade tho.

Tags: NBA, All Big East NBA Team, Basketball, Big East Basketball, NBA TV

There’s been all kinds of stories about athletes making it big time and then squandering their opportunity. Whether it’s been drugs, bad investments, or pure stupidity, athletes that are supposedly living the life have ended up in turmoil. The story of Luther Wright is one of the worst that I’ve heard.

After being drafted by the Utah Jazz in 1993 it was all downhill for Luther Wright. His first season was bad, I mean really bad.. He averaged 1.3 points and .7 rebounds, and in January 1994 Luther experienced his first manic episode. He entered a mental institution after the season and never suited up for the Jazz again. Wright moved back to his home state of New Jersey where he got caught up in drugs and alcohol. The absolute low point came after Luther had two toes amputated at the hospital while high and crack, and instead of staying off of his feet, he hobbled back to a crackhouse on crutches.

Wright, a man that admits his size had more to do with him playing basketball than his desire, has started to pull himself together. He’s not working but he is engaged and recently learned that 2 of the children he was paying child support for aren’t his.

It was his size, 6’8″ in the 8th grade, that got him into Seton Hall and eventually into the NBA. All too often we deem athletes larger than life, immune to weaknesses, and time after time we are proven wrong. I’m hoping Luther Wright is big and strong enough to pull through this.

At rock bottom, Luther Wright finds salvation. Courtesy of The Desert News via The Newark Star Ledger

Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Brown of the Newark Star Ledger

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