NBA

by Toney Blare
Pregame
– Tonight is “Nola Night.” Lang favorite Trombone Shorty is on the stage outside the main gate. Speaking of Nola, I dj’d a street festival on Saturday. One of the acts covered “Family Affair.” And y’know the part where Sly sings, “One child grows up to be someone that just loves to learn/Another child grows up to be someone we just love to burn?” Yeah, well, that became “One child grows up to be…Trombone Shorty/Another child grows up to be…Ray Nagin.” Word.

Photo by Atiba Jefferson
Originally published in SLAM 84

by Ryne Nelson
Strictly looking at individual bodies of work this season, Will Bynum has been the Pistons’ second-best guard. It took a Rip Hamilton ejection and an injury to Allen Iverson, but when Bynum got on the court against the Bobcats, he showed just how valuable he’s been.

Then again, everyone looks good when you score 81 points by halftime. From the Morning News blog: “He’s playing with a lot of emotion. A little too much emotion after what he thought should have been an and one, getting T’d up for showing up the ref. But you can’t complain about Josh Howard’s game today.

by Ryne Nelson
There’s a blueprint for getting busted for drunk driving, and Zach Randolph followed it to the tee this morning. As TMZ reports, Randolph was…

by Ryne Nelson
Is it the NBA’s goal to play in 100 percent organic cotton jerseys, have players lace up in sneakers made from trash, and shoot recycled Spaldings? Would players be willing to trade their gas-guzzling H2 hummers for Acuras? Not yet and probably not ever, but teams and players are at least sending the right message about the environment this week.

It’s hard to image the selection committee arguing over the five to be inducted this year: “[Michael] Jordan was elected to the class of 2009 Monday with David Robinson, John Stockton, Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer. The announcement was made in Detroit, site of the men’s Final Four. Induction is Sept.

By Sam Rubenstein
In High School teaching, which as we’ve established, is like coaching, it’s supposed to be all about the players. My job is to put them in a position where they can succeed. With the NCAA tourney coming to a close Monday night, on the same day that my 9th graders will perform scenes from The Odyssey for a big final project, I am sweating a whole war machine’s worth of bullets.