‘Soul Train’ Flash Mob Hits Times Square to Honor Don Cornelius [Billboard]

Terrell Owens Gets Massive Break in Child Support Cases [TMZ]

Lil’ Kim Owes Uncle Sam Over $1 Million In Back Taxes [Broken Cool] Read the rest of this entry »

¡Ay, caramba! While a few faithful fans still have their fingers crossed for an Allen Iverson comeback, things aren’t looking too good in the former NBA scoring champ’s bank account thanks to his affection for things that go shimmy shimmy ya in the light. Read the rest of this entry »

If Allen Iverson were cast as a Shakespearean hero, he would die at the end of the Elizabethan writer’s tragedies. As one of a handful of players tasked with carrying the NBA in the murky post-Jordan/pre-LeBron years, the talent he possessed will get him enshrined in the Hall of Fame. And yet, something differentiated him from his contemporaries. Read the rest of this entry »

– The NBA Finals: Where Dallas looks like a team of destiny and where LeBron makes headlines for all the wrong reasons.

– Tracy Morgan upset the gay and lesbian community. And then apologized.

– Lupe isn’t too fond of President Obama. We’ll just leave it at that. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: My ETSF Brothers

Looking back, Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals was just that, one game. A chink in the Los Angeles Lakers armor that was the 2001 postseason in which they won a ridiculous 15 out of 16 games en route to their second consecutive championship. Shaq was in his prime while then-22-year-old Kobe Bryant made the jump from prodigy to superstar (his points per game average skyrocketed from 22.5 to 28.5). Read the rest of this entry »

The crossover dribble is a thing of beauty. Like lightning, it appears out of nowhere, an instant of speed, of skill, of athleticism. A good one will give a player an open lane to the rim, send a defender sprawling and cause a crowd to explode. A great one will become indelibly etched in time, reminisced about until it becomes the stuff of legend. Read the rest of this entry »

So far, the 2011 NBA Playoffs have been a gargantuan sized melting pot of WTF. First, the Grizzlies fooled everyone into thinking they were an eight seed and then knocked off the top ranked San Antonio (Geritol) Spurs. Secondly, Chris Paul had New Orleans momentarily ready to shock the world. He was later seen courtside at a Heat game sporting a Yankees fitted causing Knicks fans nationwide to gush with premature joy. Read the rest of this entry »

Michelle Wright

Police Stop Allen Iverson & Take Away His Lambo [The Urban Daily]

140 Characters Of Ego: March Edition [Uproxx]

Scene Breakdown: Cobra [Film Drunk]

Third Grader Who Was Arrested By Police Suing NYPD [Gothamist] Read the rest of this entry »

For the last five years or so, I’ve been living the life of a vagabond, going from city to city in search of a big break or with halfway going to school. At every stop it seems like I land smack-dab in the middle of a crazy sporting event my new city rallies behind for good or bad. As the NBA playoffs are about to begin, I’m reminded of these insane moments that I was able to at least partially be a part of and witness. Read the rest of this entry »

– Remember when rap music dominated movie soundtracks?

– Rest easy XXL Freshman 2011, “Class Dismissed” and there will be no more grades and report cards. Read the rest of this entry »

Basketball is the one sport where the story of an individual often times rivals that of a franchise. It is not always for the betterment of the team or sport either, but it is what it is. Around this time last year, the very public downfall of Allen Iverson played out like movie. He had gone from the unequivocal “bad boy” in the NBA to one of those former superstars and pop culture figures that are only spoken of in the “you remember when?” sense. Allen’s foray into playing ball overseas was always taken with a hint of doubt, at least by me. But in a weird sense, my current connection to the guy is stronger now than it ever was when he played in the NBA.

Sports stories have always captivated me, even the train wrecks. Scratch that, especially the train wrecks. They’re real life tales of figures many viewed as larger than life and, foolishly at times, untouchable. Yeah, I’m a basketball nerd. Shoot me. There are not many careers more intriguing and tumultuous as A.I.’s. Think back to a decade ago when he was arguably the league’s best player and without question the most courageous.

Bubba Chuck was Chocolate City royalty during the NBA’s 2001 All-Star Weekend taking home MVP honors. Yet, the urban legends of those 72 hours helped create the mystique which is Allen Iverson’s chinked armor. He avoided sleep. He partied every moment he could. And he recuperated by dropping 25 points, five assists and five steals in Sunday’s nightcap. That’s not just me making stuff up either. Andrew Sharp of SB Nation recounts the same tale.

Supposed highs like this for “The Answer” make the realities of his lows uniquely difficult to take in. It happens to thousands of other ex-players obviously, but that is beyond the point. Sunday, the former most valuable player of the NBA’s midseason classic allegedly watched the very same game in Atlanta’s “Wet Willies.” Alone. In sweat pants. To residents of the A, this probably isn’t news, so feel free to stop reading here. Where I’m from, however, if a person is staring off into space in the club while wearing sweats, he’s going through some things even he cannot truly figure out.

Stephen A. Smith said last year A.I. needed more than a prayer. He still does. At some point, he will realize the dream of playing basketball is just that – a dream – and life does not end with the last 20-second timeout. Once the hardest man on a basketball court is now seen as a joke by the same people who probably idolized him and such is life. At some point though, the Hall Of Fame will come calling for Iverson. He failed to win any championships and probably made just as many enemies as confidants along the way.

I guarantee one thing. His induction speech will go down as one of the most honest moments in sports history. It has to.

Previously Posted — When Answers Turn Into Questions

Jynx Maze

Allen Iverson’s eBay Sale [The Urban Daily]

Experts React To OnSmash, RapGodfathers Seizure [RapFix]

Jim Jones, Miss Info, Lil’ B & More Fire Back On Federal OnSmash Shutdown [Vibe]

The High Financial Cost of HIV/AIDS in the Black Community [Black Voices]

Jynx Maze: Barrio Booty Cutie [Spizzy] Read the rest of this entry »

AI finally arrives in Turkey to resume playing basketball and the scene was nothing short of mob-tastic. Check the associated video for the full effect. Read the rest of this entry »

Bobbi Dean

Justin Bieber Nails Police Trooper With Water Balloon [PopEater]

Eli Porter, 50 Tyson and Making Fun of the Disabled [The BVX]

Allen Iverson To China? [Slam]

Raekwon Gives Advice To Older Rappers Seeking Comebacks [AHH] Read the rest of this entry »

Eka Samone

Georgia Woman Charged Extra by Nail Salon for Being Overweight [Black Voices]

Bees, Bears, and Big-Butted Burglars: This Week in Policing [Uproxx]

When Fans Throw Things At Rappers [Complex]

Know Ebonics? The Justice Department Wants You [TIME] Read the rest of this entry »