When it comes down to comparing the great players in the NBA today, Kobe Bryant is someone that i've always kept as the gold standard because of his ability to compete, desire to win, and proven track record.
Boston Celtics great Larry Bird saw the Los Angeles Lakers as the enemy during his playing days, but sees Bryant as the one current player he'd like on his side if he were playing today.

Tom Thibodeau has transitioned from being an outstanding assistant coach in the NBA to the 2010-11 NBA Coach of the Year as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun Times writes of what makes Thibodeau such a special coach.
‘‘Before we made the decision to hire him, we did an incredible amount of background work on all the candidates,'' says Bulls general manager Gar Forman, who with executive vice president for basketball operations John Paxson signed Thibodeau as the 18th head coach in franchise history on June 23, 2010.

Dwight Howard's wish list is growing. The superstar center for the Orlando Magic is now open to playing for the Chicago Bulls. Previously, Howard had left the Bulls off of his wish list.

"If I could play with Derrick right now and God wanted that to happen, it will happen. It has nothing to do with me not wanting to play with Derrick Rose.

Perhaps all the Boston Celtics needed was their best player. Losers of their first three games this season, the Celtics welcomed back Paul Pierce and then welcomed themselves to the win column with a 96-85 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

In his debut, Pierce had 12 points, five assists and four rebounds.

The transformation of Ron Artest has been a lengthy one. Probably, no one would have guessed that the guy who started the biggest riot in sports with fans would have come so full circle as he has done.
Earlier in his career, while playing for the Indiana Pacers as the visitor against the Detroit Pistons, he was the first of a group of players at the end of a game to physically challenge fans and go into the stands seeking them out.

Earlier today, an NBA trade rumor had Chris Paul getting traded to the Boston Celtics. The deal would have sent Rajon Rondo to the New Orleans Hornets. However, according to sources close to Chris Paul, the Celtics can quit their daydreaming because Paul won't sign an extension with Boston.

Without an extension, the Celtics wouldn't do the deal.

With the NBA back in business, trade rumors are flowing. One of the most interesting trade rumors is between the Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Hornets. The trade rumor has Rajon Rondo being traded in a package for Chris Paul.

Chris Paul is obviously a much better player than Rajon Rondo, so why is this trade even a possibility?

Go to any article on the MLS site that has anything to do with the Seattle Sounders or the Portland Timbers and you will find back and forth snide comments from Seattle and Timbers fans. Even in the Goal of the Year and Save of the Year articles you had the constant bickering between the two fan bases.

With the NBA lockout over, it's time to get back to thinking about basketball. In these NBA power rankings, we'll list the top ten NBA teams headed into the 2011-12 season. Did your favorite NBA team make the cut? Continue reading to find out ...

1. Miami Heat
The Heat are just too talented to not be No.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

This is the sixth piece of a seven-part series highlighting the most intriguing subplots of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our other MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: [.

Barney Battles.
A name worthy of echoing down the decades. And Scottish football can boast two of them.
Both with a tale to tell.
Barney Battles Senior played for Celtic, Liverpool, Dundee, Hearts and Kilmarnock and was capped for Scotland three times.
In 1896 he went on strike at Celtic because he'd been criticised by a number of journalists.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Marcelo looking indecisive over a selection of burned meat products (0:17)? Crispy going 'gangsta' in a garden chair as Higgy looks on (0.44)? Sergio Ramos squeezing other men's knees while wearing a Boston Celtics basketball jersey (0.

Delonte West isn't shy. Earlier this summer, the guard for the Boston Celtics admitted that he was running low on funds during the NBA lockout. Instead of pouting or going into debt, Delonte West did what a lot of us have to do he went out and got a second job.

Delonte West was hired by Regency Furniture.

The fourth edition of the annual Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge turned out to be quite a success in the D.C. area on Sunday.

The charity event, which is dedicated to raising awareness about registering as a bone marrow donor, featured NBA superstar Kobe Bryant along with several U.

Lawrence Frank is the new head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Frank will get a chance to turn around a franchise that was a near dynasty not too long ago. However, in the last few years, Detroit has fallen on rough times.

Enter Lawrence Frank.

Frank is the former head coach of the New Jersey Nets.

With NBA players locked out, many have decided not to waste any time and have hopped the pond to sign in Europe. Personally, I think it's a good idea. These players can make money while also putting pressure on NBA owners to come to the table and make a deal to end the NBA lockout.

Here are the NBA players who have signed in Europe:

Deron Williams
The All-Star point guard for the New Jersey Nets was the first big name to go overseas.

From Mike Jacobs' column, Evansville Courier Press, June 19, 2011
At a time when Isiah Thomas is referenced more for his lack of coaching and management success than for his brilliance on the basketball court as a player, a story offers a lesson from Thomas into being a part of a championship team.

The Boston Celtics appeared to be on their way to a Game 5 win against the Miami Heat. Then everything changed when LeBron James played like LeBron James down the stretch. Often criticized for not playing well at the end of playoff games, LeBron scored the Heat's final ten points as Miami sprinted to a 97-87 victory.

In Game 4, the Boston Celtics seemed to suffer a devastating blow when Rajon Rondo dislocated his elbow. As you can see in the video below, Rajon Rondo's elbow bent at a disgusting angle and the Celtics point guard was in obvious pain. Thankfully, Rajon Rondo was able to return to the game a short time later.

With the second round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs about to begin, let's take a look at an updated NBA power rankings. This is the list of the best NBA teams in order 1 through 8. While any team could theoretically win the championship, expect one of the top four teams to eventually take home the Larry O'Brien trophy.

As LeBron James was taking his talents to South Beach, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said that LeBron quit against the Boston Celtics last year. Yes, seeing as LeBron was leaving his franchise, Gilbert's comments were probably a bad case of sour grapes. However, that said, LeBron has a lot of questions to answer over the next couple weeks as the Miami Heat take on the Boston Celtics.

In some circles, Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics has a reputation of being a great guy and a dedicated family man. However, there is starting to be a lot of evidence online that Ray Allen is a scumbag. A recent picture surfaced showing Ray Allen on a date with a girl who wasn't his wife. See the Ray Allen picture below.

It's the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. However, even though the playoffs are just beginning, there are some teams that appear to be the cream of the crop. While things my change between now and the NBA Finals, these teams appear to be the top five teams to beat going forward in the postseason:

1.

The Houston Rockets and Rick Adelman have decided to part ways. Sources say Adelman and the Rockets management weren't on the same page. Although the Rockets have missed the playoffs the last two years, they are still a team that will draw plenty of interest from coaches due to their nucleus of young talent.

The 2010-11 NBA regular season ends on Wednesday night. In the Eastern Conference, all the postseason matchups are set. However, in the West, there are a number of spots up for grabs. That means we'll see a couple hard-fought games on Wednesday. That said, in terms of the power rankings headed into the 2011 NBA Playoffs, we know who we like.

Even though the Chicago Bulls have been on fire for months, NBA pundits have been slow to give 'em credit. But after what we saw on Thursday night, it's now impossible to overlook the Bulls. Going up against the Boston Celtics, the Bulls dominated and won by a final score of 97-81. The victory all but wrapped up the Eastern Conference for Chicago.