// Right about the time “Glee” was airing on Fox, Heat haters up and down the Eastern time zone were experiencing some unbridled glee of their own. The Heat were riding a three-game losing streak, Dwyane Wade was “celebrating” his 30th birthday by wearing a suit and nursing a sprained ankle, and Miami was being manhandled at home by San Antonio, digging itself a 17-point first-half hole. “Glee” ended on Fox at 9 p.m., right around the time the glee ended for
MIAMI – Dwyane Wade, sprained ankle and all, had his fun. Now it’s time to rest. Over the weekend, Wade, the Miami Heat’s superstar guard, celebrated his 30th birthday with a party at the Setai Hotel on South Beach. Several teammates were there – LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem among them – and hip-hop artists TI, Common and Rick Ross performed. Wade, whose actual birthday is today, also received a 2012 McLaren MP4-12C automobile, which is valued at about $230,000.
Perhaps the most important trait that separates great ones from The Greatest of All Time is the relentless drive to be the very best. It is not a learned trait. It is natural. Kobe Bryant has it. Other current NBA players may have a dose of it, but it is negligible when compared to Bryant, who has spent much of his career – particular the late ’90s and early 2000’s – being compared to the fanatically driven Michael Jordan. To his credit, Bryant
// The Boston Celtics have some serious issues. Friday’s 88-79 home loss to Chicago was the third straight for the Celtics, who fell to 4-6. It is the first time in the “Big Three” era that they have been two games under .500. They are 19-18 since trading Kendrick Perkins. The Celtics simply cannot score, averaging 79.3 points during the slide. Paul Pierce is still looking for his rhythm after getting a late start to the season and is averaging 13.6 points
Technically, fan balloting for the All-Star Game ends Jan. 31, and TNT plans to announce the starters on Feb. 2. In reality, fan balloting already is over, and the starters already have been announced. While Twitter was all atwitter Thursday, with everybody and their fathers sending snippets of the first returns released by the NBA, we didn’t see anyone point out the yawning margins between the potential starters and also-rans. To unseat the current leaders at each position, it would take a “vote
// There’s been a spirited argument over the last several years over who is the best player in the NBA. There is the Kobe Bryant camp, which points to his skill, will and five championships. And there is the LeBron James camp, which points to his freakish athleticism and all-around game. For a couple of years, the argument went back and forth during the regular season, then was settled in the postseason, where Bryant was winning or advancing to championships while
ESPN has a solid opener to its doubleheader as the Boston Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks. But the nightcap should be an alley-oop fest and Wednesday’s best game as the Miami Heat, fresh off their loss to Golden State Warriors in which LeBron James disappeared in the fourth quarter (sound familiar?) visit the Los Angeles Clippers. The game features no less than six players from Team USA’s preliminary roster as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and
Players such as rookie guard Norris Cole are providing quality depth for the Heat.