Another letter from Dan Gilbert. Honestly, it seems as if the Cleveland Cavaliers’ owner is still reeling from LeBron James’ public exit last season and would like to force feed another franchise his thoughts on how basketball business should be handled. The only problem is that now instead of the New Orleans Hornets receiving something for Chris Paul’s departure, they would likely have to wait until he walks out on his own free will during next year’s free agency. Smart move Gilbert! Smart move. [..]

The most entertaining things about the lockout have not necessarily been the schedule release or the fact that the Christmas day games have officially be announced. Those things are great runner-ups but what has captured NBA fans’ attention the most is undoubtedly all of the hoopla surrounding some of these ridiculous trade rumors.

You know the ones that if you speak up enough, they seem more and more like the truth.

My hat goes off to the Los Angeles Lakers if they are able to land one of the most popular trade rumors to date as they are reportedly aiming to recruit both Chris Paul AND Dwight Howard from the New Orleans Hornets and the Orlando Magic. It would be a hell of a move that would balance the weight that both the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks have stacked their rosters with. [..]

There have been plenty of tweets surfacing from bored NBA stars with nothing else to do with their time. Nate Robinson has just added himself to the long list of men who should reconsider their latest ventures. Seattle Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll, is encouraging the madness that is Robinson declaring himself eligible for a NFL try out. Not only does the NBA small man want to try out, but he already has a few teams in line that he would consider.

But, when looking a little closer at the rosters, would they consider him?

Pete Carroll may have encouraged the little guy to tryout however Seattle has no place for him on their squad. Robinson may have been a two sports star at the University of Washington, but things are much different at the next level. It is not like he is asking to be the starting quarterback of any squad, but operating in a defensive backfield does not seem like it would be healthy for the Seahawks or Nate Robinson.

The basketball season will eventually start back up and when it does, no one wants a mangled Robinson limping up the court due to football sustained injuries. Seattle competes in the same division as the San Francisco 49ers, the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals. Although none of these teams are much to shrink in fear at, the Seahawks sit towards the bottom of the league in defensive statistics, including 27^th in opponents’ passing yards and 21^st in opponents’ rushing yards.

The team does not have the time to experiment with a basketball player on dwindling in value in his primary league.

Nate Robinson is also said to be considering the Philadelphia Eagles. Not only is the idea of signing Robinson in a backfield that includes Nnamdi Asomugha, ludicrous, it is mildly offensive to football fans. Robinson’s high school reels may not be much to laugh at, but his time spent in Washington was nothing to marvel at either.

What makes him believe he would survive training camp with some of the most elite defensive backfield players in the country? Asomugha was the most coveted free agent this offseason and to place him on the same roster as Robinson, who would be treated as a social experiment is not saying much about the Eagles dedication to winning.

Nate Robinson has hops, this is undeniably true. Still, his lack of size and strength does not showcase a premiere cornerback in my eyes. Battling up the field to grab a pick from a much taller and much more conditioned receiver would not be a strong suit of his. The pro league is nothing like Washington football. This is not the NCAA.

Robinson’s tryout for an NFL team should not be taken seriously. It just seems like something to do for another locked out ball player. I would love to see the guy play. I would just rather he stuck to the court.

Dwayne ‘Lil Wayne’ Carter is one of the most prolific emcees in the game right now.

No matter if you are more prone to accepting the sober or Styrofoam carrying version of the rapper, there’s no way you can deny how captivating his words can be at times. Better when freestyling than when he was inking his rhymes, Wayne has released so many songs with countless sports references that it is only right IAMNBA takes part in ranking them all.

But, we are going to do it with a little bit of a ‘Watch the Throne’ addition in the mix.

JayZ has been sort of a hot topic, so we are going to add the other famed Mr. Carter’s references to our list. We have sifted through all the ones we could get our hands on and have compiled a list of the top ten sports references from the No.2 emcee from last year’s countdown of the five greatest rappers of the 21^st century, falling behind Eminem, and one half of the compilation of WTT. [..]

Dirk Nowitzki & Co. pulled off what some people felt was unthinkable.

Not only did Dallas knock out the fiery threesome in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but they did so in South Beach. Game Six was an amazing triumph for the aging squad, one that many people were skeptical that the same men would be able to conquer more than once.

Nowitzki is allotted a grand amount of stability in his position because of how he has sculpted his game from the perimeter. This allows him the least amount of contact in a game even where the defense is the most trying.

The most an opponent can get away with is poking him in the eye or slipping a sharp pinky nail in his nose. Nowitzki is allotted that type of luxury because of all the work he has put in shaping his jumper to draw defenses and make it as lethal as it has come to be.

The other veterans in Dallas such as Jason Kidd are already stroking retirement. The lockout, if restored at least at the halfway mark, will provide a much shortened and rushed season for veterans of the league. [..]

LeBron James may be one of the most polarizing figures in the league right now, and has been for a while. When I saw this picture, I realized something.

Not everyone hates the “King”.

However, when it comes to tattooing something on your body, I would hope that a person would weigh the consequences of such a meaningless piece of permanent ink. Getting a celebrity’s face that has no clue that you exist is just one of many ways to incredibly disappoint. [..]

July 8 of last year brought forth a bevy of occasions. The most important would have to be the announcement of the 62^nd Primetime Emmy Award Nominations. Joel McHale of NBC’s “Community” and Sophia Vergara of ABC’s “Modern Family” were all ears as their names were called on all of the morning shows. You probably know them. They give off sometimes awkward comedic relief and a bit of sex appeal. At least, Modern Family does.

Several hours later LeBron James was starring in an offseason long sitcom of his own. One that people saw fit to extend through this year’s postseason. It was deemed “The Decision”

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LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were not the first trio to make a difference with a franchise.

Unbeknownst to the fans in attendance at their grand entrance before a single regular season game had been played, they are not merging pioneers. Pat Riley is a great executive for scooping together players of that skill level however he was not the original dictator of a power shift in the league.

The Boston Celtics were always as dynasty. Dating back to when Larry Bird and Kevin McHale were dominating forces to be conquered. Do not shake your head at the name. Before he was introduced as Houston Rockets’ head coach not too long a while ago, he was a three-time NBA champion and three-time All-Defensive Team member. Those rewards are not handed out lightly.

Why do you think Carmelo Anthony did not make a single All-NBA team this past season? [..]

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AP Photo/Julio Cortez

When you look at the skill set of Kyrie Irving, what jumps out at you the most?

Is it the fact that he got past virtually anyone who decided it was okay to stand in his way on his journey to the basket? Or does the fact that he was able to impress NBA general managers enough after only eleven games with the Duke Blue Devils to be named the overall number one pick in this year’s draft impress you a little bit more?

Either way you look at this kid, he has something in him that is general consensus “starpower”. All he needs is the right guy to take him to the top, no excuses, just great beginnings and spectacular endings. Byron Scott seems like the perfect man for the job. I mean, did you forget that he was standing alongside Chris Paul during his first moments in the league? [..]