This is a good move. What has Dallas won anyway?

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul before the game.

Paul on being introduced in his first All-Star Game: “I told Coach (Byron Scott) all along that I might get introduced and throw up, I’m so nervous right now.”

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Dwight Howard ushered in a new era of “magistration” lol DD

Magic Johnson on his impressions of NBA All-Star in New Orleans: “First of all, the gumbo has been so good. The food, the people and the hospitality have been amazing. If you haven’t been to New Orleans, (the city) is back and ready to host people. You can have a good time and the NBA All-Star Weekend is happy to be here.”

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T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam

MVP Gibson hit 11 of 20 threes for 33

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith

Barkley on who is he looking forward to watching play from the sophomore team: “One of the best players, he’s obviously an All-Star, is (Trail Blazers guard) Brandon Roy. I wish a lot of these other kids would realize how important it is to stay in school for a while and learn how to play. And if you asked me to pick one player who I thought could become a star, I would say (Grizzlies guard) Rudy Gay. Rudy Gay (has) got so much talent, he’s done a good job this year, and he’s gotten a lot better. It’s going to be fun to watch him grow and mature.”

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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com (broadcast live from Johnny White’s Pub and Grill in New Orleans)

Smith on all the NBA legends who return for the NBA All-Star weekend: “It’s like walking around and all your trading cards are walking around the building.”

TNT’s Craig Sager spoke with Mavericks guard Devean George who has blocked a trade involving New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd.

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Run by Diallo’s spot for some old school giddy up

(Wall Street Journal)

Of all the major sport commissioners, Stern is clearly the best businessman

The NBA plans to have 5 European teams competing for the NBA championship by the end of the decade. David Stern will introduce these plans this weekend in New Orleans. Is this a good idea?

The First Family?

Barack Obama is on a serious winning streak. Could he really win the Democratic Nomination? What about the super delegates? Honestly, I’m shocked that Barack is still in it. Is it a testament of Obama’s resourcefulness or Clinton’s ineptitude to really connect to the people?

(Getty Images Photo / Chip Somodevilla)

The sudden revival of basketball in the city of Boston has taken many of it’s fans back to the glory days -when their beloved Celtics were the class of the NBA. Personally, it takes me back to a time where I hated to see the Sixers’ arch rivals from the north coming, whether it was in mid-season or the playoffs. As my knowledge of sports has grown, so has my respect for the adversaries of my youth; Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish.  Respect for the Dallas Cowboys? That day is still afar off.

Celtics coach K.C. Jones was the driving force behind the Celtics last two title teams. In researching Jones’ career, I discovered that he was a groundbreaking player in college, and played an intergral role on eight Celtics’ title teams before winning two more as a coach. To my embarrassment I also discovered that I should have been more focused on the color and not the colors.

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Devean George exercised his Bird rights and shot down the proposed trade sending him, De Sagana Diop, Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse and other considerations to New Jersey for Jason Kidd.

I’m hearing that Stack will stay in Dallas get bought out and re-sign with the team.

Mark Cuban has to be going crazy right now. I’m sure this will get crazier heading up until the trade deadline.

I have a little Rudy Gay q+a up on SLAM and a full length B. J. Armstrong interview will posted here later on today.

You got ya wish bruh…Hold ya head VC

Looks like JKidd is going back to the team where he shared rookie of the year with Grant Hill.

Hmmmm…..I wonder what Monster Mash and Jimmy Jax think about this.

Most of these cats are throw ins to line up the salaries. Did the Mavs purge their roster with a high cost?

This move possibly will counteract the effectiveness of smaller point guards Kidd would oppose, give Dallas help on the boards and more importantly gives Dirk a Hall of Fame point guard that plays defense.

With 9 teams playing .600 ball the West is looking absolutely sick!

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Yesterday, I participated in TNT’s 2008 NBA All Star Game teleconference. Beat writers and columnists from across the nation questioned the participants below on NBA All Star Weekend as well as current happenings in the NBA. I became associated with TNT after being asked to moderate their panel on New Media in July during the annual NABJ conference in Vegas.

In this teleconference, I get great responses from some of the questions I asked the fellas.

Enjoy.

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Check out a piece I did for SLAM on Dwyane Wade and also 5 questions with Josh Howard.

Lotta Michigan fans around here so I thought I’d give you little treat and post a short q+a I did last night with Juwan Howard. I only had a few minutes, but I could talk to Juwan for hours. Funny, when I hear Juwan speak, all I see and hear is Chris Webber’s pop. Any of you who have ever spoken with or seen Chris’ father will agree he and Juwan share a striking resemblance.

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Second in an ongoing series

This post is for anyone who didn’t receive the email. Send your responses to Mike@MichaelTillery.com. Great answers to 5 Questions To Take Advantage of a Black Sense of Urgency, so this most likely will be a monthly thing. If you do respond please provide a link to your work.

This will be posted next Tuesday the 19th, so please get your answers in by Monday night. Responses are pouring in, but please don’t rush because that compromises the integrity of your answers.

Now to the questions.

1. There’s a negative email going around falsely discrediting Barack Obama that has made it’s way into the mainstream. Does the media have a responsibility to report facts in such an important time in our history to ensure the best candidate wins?

I must be clear this is not questioning who you are voting for.

2. Anna Nicole Smith died one year ago Feb. 8. Why is Britney Spears being ravaged by society? Do we as people blindly attack celebrities as a means of masking our own insecurities? What about Britney’s kids? Do they matter? Britney sure as hell is catching wreck like your friendly neighborhood Black athlete these days isn’t she?

3. Besides Martin Luther King Jr., could you name someone else of influence during Black History Month and why they’ve affected you personally?

4. What type of music do you listen to when you are going through different emotions? From dance floor happiness to melancholy loneliness and everything in between, what music puts you in a place of comfort? What music heals your soul? What is the greatest song and cd/album of all time?

5. Why are we so critical of other cultures but then in turn are so apologetic of our own? Does the world have a point about our perceived arrogance as a nation?

Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, and Charles Barkley

Smith on the trade that sent Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal to the Phoenix Suns: “I think this is not bad for Phoenix, the only thing it does is it shortens their window of opportunity (to win a championship). It makes it a two or three year window, instead of a five year window, which they probably would have had with Shawn Marion or bringing in younger players.”

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Lookin’ like Mr Russell is reading them a Boston tale of glory past

The NBA is heating up entering the break. Whatcha think?

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Picture a player in the presence of The Doctor(Julius Erving), a Leader(Moses Malone), the Secretary of Defense(Bobby Jones), and the floor General(Maurice Cheeks).

But among these legends is one who doesn’t have the notoriety, the big school background or the big-time salary. He does however possess big game ability and the heart of a killer. He is The Boston Strangler… he is Andrew Toney.

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Check out a Gilbert Arenas feature I have on SLAM. I ask NBA ballers random questions. I call it the 5 Spot. A Heat player will be the next entry.

New Orleans Hornets 132, Phoenix Suns 130

(Matt York/AP)

Peja hits game winner with Shaq in attendance

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(Arizona Republic)

Signature trade of Steve Kerr’s career

I’m not one of these folks who thinks this isn’t a good trade. Let me ask the critics two questions:

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Sheed: “Whatcha got left big fella, whatcha got?”

The Miami Heat have told Shaquille O’Neal that the distinct possibility of a trade exists. Ron Glover (TBR) called to inform me of this while I was in press row covering the Sixers/Wizards. There was definitely a buzz among the local media. Most, including some of the Sixers brass present expressed shock this could actually go down. Dwil posted the trade proposal on his site last night. Dallas is also a possible trade destination.

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If the Eagles trade Donovan, the franchise will be set back half a decade

Look for a big off season in the NFL. While the pundits say there’s no clearcut franchise player in the upcoming draft (Dorsey, McFadden?), there are three big name All-Pro caliber veterans supposedly on the market to be had if ya pockets are deep.

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Say what you will about Knight, but he graduated 98% of his kids

Wow I guess Bobby Knight and John Chaney are goin’ fishin’ sooner than we all thought. I’ve had mad issues with Knight that have nothing with his abrasive style. We need more men coaching our kids who demand respect but whipping brothas and choking cats just ain’t cool. Plus he had Michigan’s number no matter who was on the roster (I think he beat the Fab Five four times by one point). In all the years I’ve been following college basketball, I think we blew them out one time–back when Louis Bullock was our mad bomber.

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