Andrew Bynum's Playboy Mansion Fun

Los Angeles Lakers Center Andrew Bynum, who's still supposedly rehabbing from knee surgery to help his team was caught in a recent photo from a Playboy Mansion party. In the snapshot here, Bynum is seen with a Playboy bunny seated on his shoulders. The photo and sheer idea of this has outraged many LA faithful already. A blogger over at SI's fannation.com section says it seems Bynum (who was said to be several weeks away from return) is "well on the road to recovery". Bynum's been out of action since February with a tear in a ligament in his right knee.

The Playboy model he was carrying is 34 year old Nicole Narain who was Playboy Playmate of the month back in January 2002. She's been a hip hop honey video vixen for superstar videos from LL Cool J and Fabolous. According to her Wikipedia entry, she weighs just 110 pounds, which isn't a tremendous load for Bynum to shoulder. However the outrage may be more over the fact he was partying it up with alcohol and bunnies rather than resting or rehabbing the injury properly. While it's no Kobe in Colorado type scandal just yet, it definitely isn't the best publicity for the young Center who's part of the Lakers championship hopes in 2009.

Arash Markazi of CNNSI's Fannation.com wrote:

If Bynum isn't healthy enough to play, should he be able to live out his Playboy fantasy in the meantime? Maybe, but while he's rehabbing his injury and the Lakers play shorthanded without him, perhaps it'd be wise for him to keep a low profile and sit out a couple of pajama parties. The grotto and Playmates will still be there. The Lakers can only hope the same can be said for Bynum come playoff time.

On a sidenote, this isn't the first bit of controversy involving Nicole Narain either. Back in 2005, she and Colin Farrel were the stars of a sex tape which became grounds for a lawsuit to prevent anyone from selling or distributing the tape any further. Now Nicole is involved in this much more minor scandal, and it's only with Andrew Bynum. Perhaps this makes it on an episode of Girls Next Door, and if nothing else it's given the former centerfold a bit of a publicity boost right about now. Heff, take note- a Playboy models with NBA stars issue could be a hot seller.

Kemba Walker propels UCONN to Final 4

UCONN is hatching yet another new star as it gained another big victory in the 2009 NCAA tournament. NCAA basketball analyst Jay Bilas made the comment during UCONN's game against Missouri that UCONN freshman Kemba Walker came from the Bronx, New York, where some of the roughest streetball is played. That toughness and intensity enabled the young Walker to play a fearless brand of basketball, leading the Huskies to their 3rd final 4 appearance in a span of 10 years. In one play in particular, Walker drove quickly down the court charged into the midst of the Missouri players then flew underneath two defenders with a beautiful scoop shot layup. Perhaps a slight bit of Air Jordan mixed in for good measure.

The game wasn't easy for Connecticut as Missouri played ferociously all game. Bodies hit the floor, hands were contesting every shot, every dribble, every pass. It was perhaps the toughest, swarming defense that UCONN has seen all season long. However, UCONN persevered and outlasted yet another opponent. The end result was an 82-75 win behind Kemba Walker's career high 23 points. The beauty of this UCONN team is there's always a player ready to step up and take the lead, whether it's 7'3 center Hasheem Thabeet blocking shots and scoring inside, or point guard AJ Price draining 3's and driving to the hoop to dish to the open man. The West region's #1 seed UCONN now awaits the winner of Sunday's Louisville versus Michigan State matchup.

In the nightcap game, an all-time tournament classic game was had. The game went right down to the wire between two other Big East opponents UCONN is quite familiar with: #3 seed Villanova and #1 seed Pittsburgh. Pitt had been exhibiting some sloppier play in the NCAA tournament despite looking brilliant during the regular season. That sloppiness was surely exposed Saturday night as a constantly improving Villanova team took advantage and scored a basket with under a second to go, breaking a tied game. The 3/4 court drive by Nova's Reynolds was the deciding factor in a game which featured plenty of grit and an amazing stretch of 21-21 free throw shooting by Villanova. Nova now advances to the Final Four in a run reminiscent of their 1985 run, and will wait to meet the winner of Sunday's UNC vs. Oklahoma winner. This also makes at least 2 of 4 Big East teams in the Final 4, with a potential third coming if Louisville wins its game against Michigan State on Sunday.

2009 NBA Mock Draft

Last year's #1 pick was a toss up between Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, with Chicago grabbing Rose and making him their franchise player while the Miami Heat took Beasley. For 2009, it appears it may be a toss up between two monstrous players, Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and the human eraser, UCONN's Hasheem Thabeet. Both players have plenty of skills to offer teams in desperate need. Griffin may have a slight edge as he's the better offensive player, but teams can't go wrong by choosing a 7'3 guy who fills the lane, intimidates opposing players and sends shots into the stands.

Here's a look at just one NBA Mock draft for the projected draft picks #1 through 14. These team positions will most likely change, as of right now they are determined by worst to best ranking in the NBA amongst teams that may not qualify for the playoffs.

1 Sacramento Blake Griffin So.
2 Washington Hasheem Thabeet Jr.
3 LA Clippers James Harden So.
4 Memphis Jordan Hill Jr.
5 Oklahoma Cty Brandon Jennings Intl.
6 *Minnesota Gerald Henderson Jr.
7 Golden St. Earl Clark Jr.
8 Toronto Chase Budinger Jr.
9 Indiana Al-Farouq Aminu Fr.
10 Charlotte Demar DeRozan Fr.
11 New Jersey Craig Brackins So.
12 *New York Jeff Teague So.
13 Chicago DeJuan Blair So.
14 Phoenix Eric Maynor Sr

Currently opinions vary on where Connecticut Junior Hasheem Thabeet might be drafted. Mock draft sites currently speculate him anywhere from 1-5. MyNBaDraft.com has Thabeet going 5th to Oklahoma City, while draftexpress.com has Thabeet being drafted 4th by the Memphis Grizzlies. Of course, players' stock can rise and fall with the NCAA tournament as well as their performances in team workouts and pre-draft activities.

Also, for the 2009 draft, Minnesota receives the Miami Heat's first round pick, a top 10 selection due to the Ricky Davis trade several years ago.

Prepare for 2009 March Madness!

Once again that time of year has descended upon the college campuses and states all around the country, March Madness. Die hard fans are preparing all around the US for the NCAA College Basketball tournament. In the 2009 edition, there were 3 conferences with a total of 7 teams sent to the tournament this year: ACC, Big Ten and Big East; displaying the power of these particular conferences. The brackets revealed three #1 seeds this year all from the Big East: Louisville, UCONN and Pittsburgh. The fourth seed will come from the ACC, a team that bounced back and forth at the #1 spot all season long, North Carolina's Tarheels. Here's a quick look at each of the four regions and their top teams.

The Midwest's #1 seed, Louisville finished off their season in impressive style. The Cardinals won the Big East title and then the Big East Tournament as well, defeating a Syracuse team that had showed a ton of heart playing through a total of 7 OT's in 2 games, and logging almost 4 hours playing time on the court by same players through the tourney. Also joining Louisville in their bracket will be the #2 seed Michigan State team who many thought might grab a #1 seed themselves. Fellow Big East team West Virginia grabbed the 6 seed in Lville's bracket. Other top teams include last year's champs the Kansas Jayhawks with a #3 seed, #4 Wake Forest (who was #1 in the country this past season) #5 Utah, and #7 BC.

The West will see the University of Connecticut Huskies as its top seed, despite the team failing to win the Big East and losing in the conference tournament to a lower seeded Syracuse team. The Huskies will have potential spoiler teams in #10 seed Maryland, #3 Missouri, #4 Washington Huskies and at the other end of the brack, the #2 Memphis Tigers, last year's NCAA Championship runner-ups.

In the East, Pittsburgh emerged as the #1 seed. The Panthers failed to capture the Big East tournament after losing to West Virginia this past season, but saw 2 impressive victories over UCONN, the top team in the nation several times. Joining Pitt will be the recent ACC Tourney champs, the Duke Blue Devils who scored a #2 seed. Villanova takes the #3 seed, with Xavier at #4, Florida State at #5 and UCLA at #6.

#1 out in the South, The North Carolina Tarheels were considered one of the top teams at the start of the season and reclaimed that spot again at season's end. A disappointing ACC tournament saw Florida State upset them, but they were without the services of player Ty Law. Law claims he'll be ready when Tournament action starts. Also in the South will be another former #1 this past season in the 2 seed Oklahoma with star powerhouse player, Blake Griffin. The 3 seed will be those pesky Syracuse Orangemen, with Gonzaga at #4. The South may be the region to keep an eye on with all sorts of compelling possible matchups and upsets. Clemson, Michigan State, Butler, Arizona State and Illinois are also in the bracket, hungry to advance to the Final 4.

Play will begin Thursday afternoon with people all over the world betting and filling out their ESPN or office pool brackets frantically over the next several days. Let the madness begin!

View and print out complete 2009 NCAA Tournament brackets here.

Instant Classic: Syracuse Outlasts UCONN in 6th OT

Last night saw an extended Big East tournament matchup between the #4 Connecticut Huskies and #20 Syracuse Orangemen which went into the wee hours of the night. Originally the game was thought to have ended in regulation on a Eric Devendorf three pointer at the buzzer. But Devendorf's celebration was premature; upon further review the ball didn't leave Devendorf's hands in time. The game continued into overtime number 1. From there the two teams continued to battle it out, but UCONN failed to hit the buzzer beating last second shot opportunities they had in several overtimes. Player after player fouled out for both teams including Devendorf for Syracuse and big man Hasheem Thabeet for UCONN. Once OT number 6 came, the Orangemen simply had more gas in their tanks while UCONN was losing key players. A Rautins 3 sparked off a run that saw Syracuse outscore UCONN 17-7 in the final period. After six overtimes and close to four hours a classic game came to an end. Final score: Syracuse 127 UCONN 117.

The game was a true testament to just how tough and competitive collegiate athletes really can be. It saw feats of endurance and skill, including 7 foot 3 center Hasheem Thabeet diving to the floor for a loose ball for UCONN, then quickly getting a timeout out of the deal. The game also featured two hall of fame coaches and a well-known big East rivalry. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was proud of his team's win, while Jim Calhoun admitted the Huskies had chances at the free throw line and with several missed shots. After an exhausting extra 6 rounds in a heavyweight fight, both teams were seen exiting the garden around 2 AM in the morning.

The Huskies will most likely head into the 2009 NCAA Tournament as a top seed, to be determined Sunday night. As the Huskies get a much needed rest from the 6 overtime epic game, Syracuse must press on to their next contest, a 9PM meeting with West Virginia, scheduled for just 2 halves. In the words of ESPN commentators, "What could the Orange possibly have left?"

Read more about Thursday night's classic Big East basketball game at MSG.

2009 Free Agency = Possible Paycuts

(Will Bibby need a bailout in 2009-10?)


In 2010, one of the biggest NBA Free agent situations in some time, if not ever, will be the talk of the league. Eligible players like Lebron, Wade, Chris Bosh and many others will be highly sought after. The New York Knicks are amongst one of several teams interested in a franchise player as they dealt many stars away this past season to clear cap room. But prior to 2010, there's still 2009 and free agents. The NY Daily News takes a look at the 2009 Free agent class and how they may come up empty when it comes to a big payout from some team. The author reminds everyone about the tanking economy and how many NBA teams will be looking to shed salaries rather than add new pricey contracts.

"Teams are going to be looking to shed salaries, not take on contracts," said one Eastern Conference executive. "There's already a huge concern about next season in terms of ticket sales, suite sales and corporate sponsorships. Those are the three areas, primarily. With the way the economy is going, pro basketball will be no different than the rest of the business world. Teams' salary budgets and coaching budgets are going to drop. So this is not a very good summer to be a free agent."

The article mentions Mike Bibby, guard from the Atlanta Hawks, and says that his $15 million deal with the team runs out this season. Bibby's 31 and while Detroit, Oklahoma City and Memphis will all have cap room, none of them really need a point guard. That's not to say a playoff contender team won't make a move towards a player of his caliber. Still, Bibby may be forced to take a drastic paycut and stay with the Hawks, or consider the popular option players have started taking recently: bring their skills overseas to make more money- foreign money that is.

Read full article: Hard Times! With economy tanking, 2009 NBA Agents may come up empty at NY Daily News