Tracy McGrady Traded to Knicks

The highest paid player in the NBA, Tracy McGrady, is headed to the New York Knicks.  The Houston Rockets will get guard Kevin Martin from the Sacramento Kings and forwards Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries from the New York Knicks.  The Rockets will also have the right to swap first- round picks in 2011 with the Knicks in addition to a take on New York’s 2012 first-round pick.

The Sacramento Kings acquire forwards Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey from Houston along with guard Larry Hughes from New York.  Carl Landry will be the 6th Man of the Year in the NBA.

McGrady is coveted for his enormous expiring deal, which could help a club knock significant dollars off the payroll at the end of the season. With several major free agents like Lebron James and Dwyane Wade in the summer of 2010, teams like the Knicks are looking to shed as much salary as possible.

In his sixth season with Houston, McGrady has appeared in just six games in 2009-10 after undergoing microfracture surgery last year on his knee and has scored 19 points.

NBA All-Star Party Schedule

The NBA All-Star weekend kicks off in Dallas, TX.  The basketball and hip-hop world come together to celebrate the streetball lifestyle.  If you can’t afford a ticket to the game, no problem.  Here is the NBA All-Star game party schedule.

NBA All-Star Weekend Party Scene, No Secret Department: The Mavs’ Josh Howard, P-Diddy and Mary J. Blige are going to be everywhere.

NBA All-Star Weekend Party Scene, Top-Secret Department: I’m told LeBron James is renting out Ghost Bar atop the W hotel for a private shindig (shhhhhh) and if you want a table, all it’ll cost you is $10,000. Yes. Per table.

Thursday, Feb. 11

Josh Howard, Devin Harris and BET host Alesha Renee. A “Kickoff’’ party at “The Bank’’ on Main Street in Dallas.

Mary J. Blige puts on a concert benefitting the Mavs Foundation. It’s the All-Star Opening Night concert by Mary J. Blige, with comedian Mark Curry and host Mario Lopez, at 7 at the Majestic Theatre.

Magic Johnson and Alonzo Mourning host a billiards party. Now, that’s the afterparty. The actual event – which includes Dwyane Wade and Mark Cuban – is Centennial Hall at Fair Park.

Dwyane Wade stays busy. He will host a party at 10 at the Starlight Room on Munger Avenue.

Want Hollywood types? The All-Star Hollywood Celebrity Soiree is at downtown’s Union Station. Scheduled to include Tyler Perry and Terence Howard.

Shaquille O’Neal is hosting the All-Star Comedy Jam at 8 at the Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie. With Mo’Nique.

And here’s one … “Babes & Ballers.’’ Like a lot of the parties, it benefits charities (Laptops for the Wounded). This one is at TePheJez Nightclub (2226 Elm). General admission $50, VIP $150.

The All-Star Weekend Tip-Off Party is at 9 p.m. at the Palladium Ballroom on South Lamar. Its hosts are Ludacris and Allen Iverson.

Friday, Feb. 12

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs will host Friday at the Palladium Ballroom with co-hosts Josh Howard and Greg Buckner.

Valentine’s Day reservations are being taken at Bella. Tell ‘em DallasBasketball.com sent you!

In what I believe is for the Mavs players an “official’’ NBA party, Dirk and Jet serve as the hosts at Love Field. It’s at the “Jet Aviation’’ hangar … I’m told it will be temporarily re-christened “Hangar 41’’ (hope Jason Terry doesn’t mind) … and Mary J. Blige and Common will be a part of it. (So will I. Maybe with a DB.com video crew, if I can pull it off.)

Carmelo Anthony hosts his party at Beamers.

LeBron James hosts his party at AMPM Lounge.

A Union Station party with an NFL feel: Iverson, plus Michael Vick.

The Boardroom has a party that includes Snoop Dogg and Paul Pierce.

Saturday, Feb. 13

Diddy is back with another party, this one at Sting Ultra Lounge, complete with a quote from Diddy:

“Bad Boy’s in the Building, Dirty Money in the building, you know how I do, there’s no party like a Diddy party,’’ … said Diddy.

Dwyane Wade’s party is at F.I.G.

The “Party for Champions” begins at 9 at the Tower Club and is hosted by Gabrielle Union, Elise Neal, NFL star Dwight Freeney and Gary Payton.

Sunday, Feb. 14

Terrell Owens and J-Ho get top billing here for a black-tie “All-Star Affair’’ at the Palladium.

Union Station has an “All-Star Game watching party” hosted by Kenny Smith and Michael Vick.

Game-watching specials, great Mexican food and a see-and-be-seen scene all day at Hacienda on Henderson.

Kenyon Martin hosts a party at Go Fish. I don’t know if Mark Cuban and Kenyon’s mom are on the guest list.

Of course, all weekend long there’s NBA All-Star Jam Session.

And all of it culminates in – lest we forget – an actual game.

Source:  DallasBasketball.com

Bounce Magazine Issue 23

Legendary Rucker Coach Antonio “Mousey” Carela rocks the cover and talks about his interaction with Fat Joe, Puffy and the NBA stars he recruited to play uptown…”Street Dogma” explores the American National Dunking Ban caused by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and my pops Jim Couch, back in ‘67…our “How We Do “column features one of Philly’s finest – Mike Keyes – who demonstrates the KOBE TURNTABLE…get into it! The new comic strip – GAME FACES – tells the story of a young player on his quest to build his basketball FOCUS under pressure, a combo of metaphysical western urbanism with eastern morals and values. As the ball leaves his hands and rotates through the air the forces of the playground go into action…

Bounce Magazine issue number 23 features the legendary Streetball coach, Mousey, along with a nice segment on Streetball.com’s Founder, Ryan Mendez.

In the Bounce # 22 GAME FACES strip, the chosen one is shooting a free throw with the game on the line still with the ball in his hands. A group of men, who have ethereal and physical interest in his development, clash in the physical and mental realm, trying to influence the young player’s development in ways to benefit themselves…Issue #23 continues with Bobbito’s shoe review section – check the Super Pro-Keds (OFFICIAL), an in-depth feature on LA’s Drew League by Ali Danois, J-Love the 13 year old phenom, and the at-the-elbow game winner is some strong love from Dwyane Wade’s new shoe partner, Brand Jordan.

Source:  Bounce Magazine

Brazil Streetball

On January 9th, 2010, Nike and Brand Jordan sponsored Elementos, produced by Project 2050, in Rio De Janiero, Brazil. There was a basketball tournament, dunk contest, b-boy circle, live graffitti, fusbol action, skateboarding, and no doubt miggety me on the wheels towards the end of the day spinning some soul and rhythms for the heads.  continue reading on Bounce Magazine

Here’s a great video about Streetball in Brazil.
Brazil Streetball Team

NBA 2K9 Soundtrack

2K Sports released the details concerning the soundtrack for NBA 2K9. The soundtrack includes:

Beastie Boys – Root Down

Blackwizard – Dem Nah Ready fe We

Blockhead – Duke of Hazzard

Bloody Beetroots – Mac Mac

Dangerdoom – Sofa King

Dawn Penn – You Don’t Love Me (Extended Mix)

DJ Rasta Root – RootZilla Beez

DJ UNK – In Yo Face

Gnarls Barkley – Going On

Jamalski – That Undaground (Remix)

Mochipet – Sharpdrest

Mommy and Daddy – Pretty Loser

Money Mark – Silly Putty

N.E.R.D. – Spaz

Nickodemus – Funky In The Middle

Santogold feat. Switch & Freq Nasty – Creator

Skeewiff – Light the Fuse

Spank Rock & Benny Blanco – Loose (inst.)

The Brand New Heavies – Jump ‘N’ More

The Cool Kids – 2K Pennies

The Heavy – Coleen

The Limp Twins – Moving Closer to The Sofa

The Meters – Cissy Strut

The Pharcyde – Passing Me By

Ursula 1000 – Step Back (Deekline & Ed Solo Remix)

2K Sports has announced that you can now purchase individual songs from the soundtrack by visiting the 2K Beats channel.

“Every year our NBA 2K soundtrack features music innovators that push boundaries in the same way our franchise does,” said Tim Rosa, director of brand and lifestyle marketing at 2K Sports. “With NBA 2K9 we’re continuing the tradition with The Cool Kids representing our deepest music integration. They will appear in the game’s NBA Blacktop streetball mode, will perform on the 2K Sports Bounce Tour, and they recorded an original song which we’re giving away for free on the 2K Sports website.”

NBA 2K9 is now available in stores and retails for $59.99.[ad][ad#post]

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