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: [.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Now that we are finished with the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, it's time to get back to business. Who are the best teams in the NBA? That's the question we will answer below. There are currently six teams with a legit chance to win the 2011 NBA championship. Here is our current power rankings in reverse order:

6.

Back when the Boston Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder, we said it was a horrible trade. So far, it looks like we were right. Bill Simmons, in a recent podcast for ESPN, seems to have come to the same conclusion. He blames the Celtics recent struggles on the trade. Losing Kendrick Perkins, he says, has ruined team chemistry and has made the Celtics a lot softer.

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.

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.

Against the Boston Celtics, Derrick Rose was the best player on the court. And that's quite a feat considering the Celtics have at least four Hall of Fame players on their roster. But on Saturday, the game belonged to Rose, who finished with 36 points. When all was said and done, the Bulls had a 90-79 victory over the Celtics.

Tom Thibodeau, the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, is known for being a master of teaching defense. On Thursday, those defensive teachings were on full display against the Dallas Mavericks. In a tough, defensive struggle, the Bulls defeated the Mavs by a final score of 82-77 in front of their home fans in Chicago.

The 2010-11 NBA All-Star Game takes place in February. Let's take an early look at the Eastern Conference All-Star roster and the Western Conference All-Star roster. Who should make the big game? Here is the official EveryJoe projection of the NBA All-Star rosters:

Western Conference All-Star Roster

STARTERS
C Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
F Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
G Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
G Chris Paul, Los Angeles Lakers

RESERVES
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

Eastern Conference All-Star Roster

STARTERS
C Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
F Amare Stoudemire, New York Knicks
F LeBron James, Miami Heat
G Dwyane Wade, Miam Heat
G Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

RESERVES
Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Raymond Felton, New York Knicks

Post from: EveryJoe

Each year, Forbes comes out with a report that lists the most valuable teams in the NBA. The 2011 version of the list has one big change. Despite winning back-to-back championships, the Los Angeles Lakers are no longer the NBA's most valuable team. Instead, that honor belongs to the New York Knicks, who saw their franchise's value jump a whopping 12% in the last year.

The 2011 NBA All-Star Game is beginning to take shape. On Thursday, the NBA announced the starting lineups. Though there is no huge snub in either conference, it is notable that neither conference's best team (the Boston Celtics in the East and the San Antonio Spurs in the West) has a representative in the All-Star game starting lineup.

The Boston Celtics lost Game 7 last year in Los Angeles as the Lakers won their second straight NBA championship. On Sunday, the Celtics got their revenge. After outscoring the Lakers 59-42 in the second half, the Celtics posted a 109-96 victory despite Kobe Bryant pouring in 41 points in 38 minutes.

The reserves were named for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game. The starters for both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference were named last Thursday. There is one spot still open in the Western Conference, however. Since Yao Ming is injured yet was still voted in as a starter, NBA commissioner David Stern will have to name a replacement player for the West.

In the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic. On Sunday prior to the Super Bowl, the Celtics proved that they are still the better team. As a matter of fact, the Celtics have the best record in the East while the Magic are struggling to find their footing after retooling their team.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a way of making the Boston Celtics feeling empty as of late. Last year in the NBA Finals, the Lakers beat the Celtics to win another NBA championship. On Thursday, the Lakers ruined Ray Allen's night by beating Boston by a final score of 92-86.

Early in the game, Ray Allen passed Reggie Miller (video) to become the all-time leader in made three-pointers in the history of the NBA.

There is a new all-time leader in three-pointers made in NBA history. Ray Allen passed Reggie Miller on Thursday night. Fittingly, Reggie Miller was calling the game for TNT so Ray Allen was able to give him a hug as Reggie Miller passed the torch. Ray Allen now has 2,562 three-pointers in his NBA career.

In the finals of the 2011 NBA Three-Point Shootout, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce faced off. These two sharpshooters on the Boston Celtics are two of the best three-point shooters in NBA history. Oh yeah ... and James Jones of the Miami Heat was also in the finals. Surprising everyone, James Jones actually ended up winning.

In a surprise move, the New York Knicks and recently acquired swingman Corey Brewer have completed a buyout that will allow Brewer to become a free agent and sign with any team he wishes. Where will Corey Brewer end up? My money would be on the Boston Celtics. Other teams reportedly interested include the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

We can smell the 2011 NBA Playoffs in the air. Only about five weeks from the postseason, NBA teams are fighting for position. Which NBA teams are a cut above the rest? Here's our look at the current 2011 NBA power rankings where we list the ten best teams in basketball starting with number ten.

Leon Powe and Tony Allen helped the Boston Celtics win the 2008 NBA championship. However, the Celtics dropped both players since then and they've both ended up with the Memphis Grizzlies. On Wednesday, Leon Powe and Tony Allen got their revenge by winning in Boston by a final score of 90-87.

Tony Allen, who has emerged as a starter for the Grizzlies, had eight points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes.

Shaquille O'Neal has been out injured since February 1st with multiple right foot ailments. Whenever he's able to get healthy and return, expect him to start at center for the Boston Celtics. The question is when will Shaquille O'Neal be ready to go. The good news for Shaq and the Celtics is it sounds like the Big Bostonian should be back within a couple weeks.

For most of the season, the San Antonio Spurs had perfect health. Now it appears that all the injuries are striking at once for San Antonio. In their Monday night game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Spurs were without four starters: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Antonio McDyess.

The Chicago Bulls hadn't lost at home since Jan. 18 against the Charlotte Bobcats. On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers ended that streak by handing the Bulls a 97-85 defeat. The Sixers built a big first half lead and then held on late to improve to 38-36 on the season. The loss dropped the Bulls to 53-20.

The Boston Celtics are having a difficult time finding the win column. They've lost three out of their last four games and seven of their last twelve. On Monday night, the Celtics traveled to Indiana and left with another loss. The Pacers won by a final score of 107-100 after outscoring the Celtics in the fourth quarter, 26-15.

Thomas DiBenedetto nasceu em Boston, mas o sobrenome escancara as origens italianas. Da região de Salerno, especificamente. O empresário de 61 anos está muito próximo de se tornar o acionista majoritário da Roma, e tudo indica que o clube giallorosso não será um mero passatempo. DiBenedetto se apresenta como um apaixonado por Roma – onde a universidade em que se formou e hoje integra o conselho, Trinity College, tem um campus há 25 anos – e pela Roma.

Derrick Rose is very likely to win the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player award. His chances to win MVP just got better after he got a key endorsement ... from LeBron James. LeBron, who is also in the MVP race, had this to say when asked who the MVP should be for the 2011 season: "I think Derrick Rose".

Just a week ago, it appeared that the San Antonio Spurs were destined to finish with the best record in the NBA. But on Thursday night against the Boston Celtics, the Spurs lost their fifth straight game. With Rajon Rondo leading the way, the Celtics took home one of their best wins of the season in a game that featured two struggling title contenders.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.