Congrats Grizzly Adams

Directing

With so many great coaching peformances this season, its hard to pick just one but the Best Directing Award goes to Coach Popovich of the Spurs.



He's wonderfully orchestrated a great season for the Spurs this year. Despite having to battle through some key injuries to Duncan, Parker and Ginobli.



He did it by maximzing his bench efforts and making guys like Roger Mason Jr and Matt Bonner believe they were stars. He turned them into key contributors on a squad who many have counted out, including myself.

Pop has done a great job with the Spurs again and has slowly thrust them among the leaders of the Western Conference.

Congrats Pop!



Having said that, the Spurs still ain't winning a title this year.

I Got Your Back

Actor in a Supporting Role

Lamar Odom gets the nod for his supporting role with the Lakers this year.

We probably wouldn't have said this two months into the season when he was leading the charge off the bench with the second unit but Odom has turned things around dramatically.



His skills were never in doubt - we're talking about a 6'10 forward who can rebound and lead the fast beak all in one fluid motion. Let's not forget that when Lamar came into the league, his passing skills were compared to some dude named Magic Johsnon. The injury to Andrew Bynum certainly had a lot to do with Odom's resurgence and gritty work on the boards. His role is clearly defined and he's playing with a renewed confidence. The NBA is made up of dozens and dozens of players who answered the call when given the opportunity and Lamar is one of them.

The AUDLEYS

Many of us watched The Oscars to see who'll be walking the red carpet with who, what they're wearing and which acceptance speech would get cut off for being too blasted long.



We're just over the mid way point of the NBA season and while we won't handing out any little gold statues or treating you to renditions of your favourite flics in a musical medley, we at The NBA Breakdown wanted to hand out our own version of the Academy Awards.

Ladies and Gentlemen - It's a time where we collectively pay tribute to those that put it all out for love of the game.

The NBA Breakdown proudly presents: The AUDLEYS

Actor in a Leading Role

While many seem to feel that this years MVP award is a two horse race between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. But I'd like to inject D-Wade's name into the mix.



The tale of Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat is more than just a feel good story of the year. We're talking about a team that only won 15 games a season ago only two years removed from their championship year.

D-Wade was a shell of his All-Star self after battling a variety of injuries and the Heat was forced to re-tool by sending Shaq-Daddy to Phoenix in a mid season trade.

This year, a healthy designer Band-Aid wearing Flash leads the league in scoring and nightly highlights. Wade alongside some good young pieces in Daequan Cook and Michael Beasley have propelled Miami in the Eastern conference standings and have them poised to make it back into the playoffs.



Oh yeah - I forgot to mention that Flash helped a family displaced by fire move into a brand new home through his foundation just in time for Christmas - ahhhh geez - Thanks D-Wade.

It's Time To Win Another SLAM Prize Pack!

How's it going WORLD?

Audley and I just wanted to let you know the SLAM/NBA Breakdown Trivia Challenge has returned!

Our March trivia question and contest information is up on slamonline.com right now!

Of course, we're going to give away another great SLAM Prize Pack. Let's just say our February winner, Ariel B from Brooklyn, was happy with it. Infact, here are his thoughts, via e-mail, when he first saw the SLAM Prize Pack.

"Dave, I just got home and wanted to tell you of my reaction to the gift! TRULY AWESOME! OMG WOW!!!! AWESOME!!!! This was truly an ideal prize and im glad i got to win it. I would like to thank you and Audley and wish you guys truly nothing but the best with your radio show! Ill be tuning every sunday!!!!!! Best, Ariel B"

So, will YOU be the next SLAM Prize Pack winner? Well then, what are you waiting for? Log on to our slamonline.com contest page for the trivia question then tune into The NBA Breakdown on Sunday March 8th at 9pm EST for your chance to win!

The People Have Spoken!

Thanks to overwhelming demand, our worldwide listeners won't have to wait until this Sunday to listen to our Montell Jordan interview. You can check it out on The NBA Breakdown right now! Enjoy everybody!

Montell Jordan Visits The NBA Breakdown!

Yes, THAT Montell Jordan. Mr. "This Is How We Do It" will join Audley and I this upcoming Sunday night to talk about his music career, the NBA and his connection to ex-Sacramento King, Doug Christie. If for some reason you have forgotten the musical talent of this former Grammy Award-nominated R & B artist, consider THIS a reminder.

Anyway, check out the interview on The NBA Breakdown this Sunday night at 9pm Eastern!

Listen to the episode now!

Celebrate The All-Star Game With The NBA Breakdown!

What's up WORLD? When you're watching LeBron, Kobe, D12, Shaq and the rest of the NBA's best on Sunday night, be sure to lower down your TV volume and listen to your favorite basketball radio talk show, The NBA Breakdown, at 9pm Eastern. It'll be an action packed hour full of all-star talk. As a special treat, we'll have a visit from HANDLE Magazine Editor-In-Chief, Brad Graham who will join us "live" from the All-Star Game in Phoenix.

During our program, HANDLE writer and author of the blog, allballsdontbounce.com, Duane Watson will also be with us to discuss mid-season reports on various players and teams plus we'll get his opinion about the upcoming NBA trade deadline.

So, celebrate the All-Star Game with your friends at The NBA Breakdown! For hoops talk, the way it should be!

We're Talking All-Star Game, Not Elephant Noises!

Yeah, I know my NBA Breakdown co-host is wetting his pants in anticipation of my best impersonation of this dude during our show this Sunday night...

But, I'm hear to say, it's a sad day when a grown radio talk show co-host gets a sick satisfaction at witnessing his dashing, younger and more marketable co-hosting colleague make animal noises. What has the state of the world come to when a disgusting and immature act is aired for our worldwide listeners to hear?!

Shame on you Audley Stephenson! Shame on you!

You see, unlike Audley, I'm looking forward to this Sunday SOLELY because of the NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. Yes, there are some player injuries which will prevent us from seeing the full menu of the NBA's best talent, but it will still be an interesting game to watch. I hope Dwight Howard and Shaq will have a comedy routine on the court. That would be hilarious! Infact, I can't wait to have D12's Shaq impersonation as my ringtone.

Anyway Audley, enjoy your girly giggles this Sunday because it will NEVER happen again! I will even up our Fantasy Team Matchup season series. Oh yes, I WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Favourite All Star Memories

As a diehard hoops junkie, I look as forward to NBA All-Star weekend like a kid does at Christmas time.

The league puts its best talent on display for all to see.

It's a showcase of skills and abilities like no other.

This annual event has given me a ton of memorable moments. My personal favourites include:

Vince's performance at the 2000 Slam Dunk contest;

Stephon Marbury hitting two big 3 pointers to help give the Eastern conference the come from behind win;

Jordan's last All-Star game;

Magic Johnson returning to the game to take MVP honours;

Glenn Rice beating Wilt Chamberlain's record of 23 points in a quarter
and

Larry Bird walking away victorious with his finger in the air while the ball was still in flight in the 88 3 point shoot out.

These memories are reason enough to love All Star Weekend but thanks to my buddy Dave, I'm about to love this year's February weekend classic that much more.

You see - Dave and I squared off in our fantasy match-up once again with nothing but sheer humiliation on the line.

Dave lost as expected and now he has no choice but to continue embarrasing himself by impersonating an elephant.

It's silly, childish and immature and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Hey Dave - thanks for making this year's All Star Game UN-PHORGETTABLE

The Morning After...

The first ever Slam NBA Breakdown Trivia Challenge is over and my boy, Ariel B from Brooklyn walks away the winner of a very cool Slam prize pack.


So how did he do it?

By correctly answering the following skill testing question:

“At the 1987 All-Star game, what injured player did Seattle SuperSonics big man, Tom Chambers replace on the way to capturing the game’s MVP award?”

The correct answer is:

Ralph Sampson



If you missed out on a chance of winning, not to worry!

Keep it locked to The NBA Breakdown because next month we'll be giving another listener the chance of becoming a winner.

Congratulations once again to Ariel B!!

Check out The NBA Breakdown Sundays @ 9pm EST- For hoops talk, the way it should be!

Are You Ready To Win A SLAM Prize Pack?

What's up everybody? I'm asking all of our NBA Breakdown fans WORLDWIDE, are you READY?

You see, Sunday night at 9pm Eastern, Audley and I will be giving away a SLAM Prize Pack to the first caller with the correct answer to a trivia question that is posted on slamonline.com. So again, I ask, are you READY? Will YOU be the one to take home this great prize pack? Well, then prove it to us. Call in during our show Sunday night at (347) 237-5199 with the correct answer for your chance to win.

Besides the prize giveaway, former NBA all-star forward, Tom Chambers and SLAM Executive Editor, Lang Whitaker will be on the show. So, listen to The NBA Breakdown Sunday night at 9pm Eastern. For hoops talk, the way it should be!

It's On - Again!!

Fans will probably have to wait until the league MVP award is announced before having a true sense of who is most deserving of the title greatest in the game today.



However, there is a one-on-one battle that you won't have to wait until the end of the season to see the results.

Dave & Audley, hosts of the the best basketball internet talk show on the planet square off in another head-to-head battle for basketball bragging rights in their fantasy league this week.

At this point, the season series is tied at 1 win each.

In this latest matchup, if Audley loses he'll have to make a donkey noise and profess that Dave Mendonca, is the reason why people listen to and support The NBA Breakdown.

If Dave loses, he has no other choice but to wail like an elephant and say that his basketball knowledge is inferior to Audley.

Be sure to keep it tuned to The NBA Breakdown to hear the latest on this MASSIVE Fantasy matchup!

If you're not familiar with the history of these two trash talkers, check out where it all started.

Catch the Draftbug!

Draftbug is a new site offering daily fantasy basketball contests. Pick a team today and see how your team does tonight. Players can enter free contests, or play in real money contests with entry fees as low as $1. Deposits can be made via credit card or Paypal, and withdrawals are made via personal check. Registration is free and takes less than one minute.

Most Draftbug contests use a salary cap format, where you can pick whatever players you want to fill the required roster slots, as long as you don’t exceed the salary cap for the contest. Points are scored based on various statistics accumulated by your players during that day’s games, and the teams that score the most points win cash prizes.

A variety of strategies can be employed successfully to win at Draftbug:
-Use players who are available at bargain prices
-Use players who have favorable match-ups in today’s games
-Avoid players who may be limited by injuries (hint: mouse over hyperlinked player names in Draftbug to see injury status)
-Consider whether to go with ‘safe’ players or a more risky strategy. Your decision may depend on the size of the contest you enter

Use the promo code "breakdown" to get started!

Down With The King?

The LeBron/Kobe debate really heated up when Barack came out and annointed KB #24 as the "best player in the world".




So now that you've heard from the Prez and my little buddy Dave, it's time to flip the coin and check out the other side.

Nobody's doubting that Kobe is off the chain - he's a ridiculous scorer with a true killer instinct. Plus his will to win and desire to utterly humiliate his opponents put him on another planet.

The thing is Kobe, you're not alone.

You see, there's this 6'8 monster named LeBron who has more than enough physical gifts and greatness to snatch the crown off of you and place it on his own head.



We're so used to seeing him dominate that we often forget that he's only played five full season in the league. Whereas Jellybean Joe Bryant's favourite Laker has been around for 13 seasons.

Take a good look at the stats and you'll see that LeBron's footprint has left a bigger imprint on the game at the five year mark than Kobe did.

Points
Kobe - 6,178
Lebron - 10,689

Assists
Kobe - 1,141
Lebron - 2,572

Rebounds
Kobe - 1,353
Lebron - 2,692

Hey guys, I don't make up this stuff - the facts speak for themselves.

LeBron has been just as impactful as Kobe with the exception of the 3 rings Kobe garnered playing alongside Shaq.



LeBron has the speed of a fleeing gazelle, the intensity of a caged beast and the heart of a lion. His intangibles make him equally as dangerous as the player formerly known as #8 plus he's poised to take the game to another level.

The fact that this debate is taking place speaks to how good he really is and why he's got people throwing their hands in the air in amazement.

Kobe Is The True KING

On Monday night, Kobe Bryant proved to all of us yet again why he is the top player in the universe right now. I know, #24 delivered a Madison Square Garden-record 61 points against the Knicks' swiss cheese defense. Big deal, right? You could probably drop 30 on the Knicks in your sleep, huh? Well, if it's so easy to score 60 at MSG, why has only Kobe and Bernard King done it? Here are two guys Bryant is always compared to, but who have never filled the mesh with 60 or more points at the Mecca of basketball...

Some guy named Mike..

And the man they call King.

No offense LeBron, but Kobe is the true KING right now. He's massively talented. He's fearless on the court. He's a 3-time NBA champion. The man is an assassin. He has the killer instinct. He will attack his opponents with pure hate and ferocity. LeBron, you don't have that yet. If it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and I need someone to take the championship-winning shot, Kobe is my guy. He's hit so many big daggers in his career. He embraces the challenge every time. LeBron is beginning to do that, but Kobe is (as Shaq calls him) a BEAST. Don't get me wrong, LeBron is insanely talented, but he still needs some seasoning in the killer instinct department. I think he'll show it in the playoffs this year since I picked his Cavs to face the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Until then, as long as Kobe can stay healthy, he's the best of the best.

Hmm, since I'm a Knicks fan, I'm just going to take a timeout and dream about something that probably isn't realistic any time soon, but it sure would be nice to have.....


Yeah, I know. Keep on wishing man.

Hey Mo Taylor, Pass The Spaghetti Please!

We at The NBA Breakdown want to congratulate our guest tonight, ex-NBA forward, Maurice Taylor on signing a 3-year deal with Olimpia Milano in Italy's top professional basketball league. Good stuff Mo. You'll like Italy. It's a beautiful country with great food and incredible history. As well, you'll be playing in the homeland of the ancestors for the following famous people....

the Italian all-star team of Tony Danza, Sylvester Stallone and Liza Minelli...

Your favorite cast member from the TV shows, Happy Days and Charles In Charge, Mr. Scott Baio...
And, of course, who could forget, the legendary, Chef Boyardee!! Anyway Mo, congratulations again. Be sure to send us a postcard and FedEx us some pasta as soon as you can. In the meantime, VIVA ITALIA!!

Click here to listen to the episode!