Rasheed Wallace works out for Miami

Rasheed Wallace was once rumored to be joining the Los Angeles Lakers, but that didn't exactly happen. Now there is a report circulating saying that Wallace has worked out for the Miami Heat.


A source close to the situation confirmed Rasheed Wallace has worked out with Heat, but source said he hasn't decided if he'll play again. Source on whether Rasheed Wallace would be interested if Heat wanted to sign him: "It’s something he may consider.’'
    
Source said Rasheed Wallace staying quiet on if he might play again because "doesn't want to cause a lot of hoopla'' if decides against it.

Ever since the rumor of a comeback has came out, not much has materialized since then. It's no secret that Wallace would rather play for a contender than anywhere else. With the Heat lacking quality big men behind Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem, they're always looking to add another big. Hence the interest in Joel Przybilla.

In the event that Wallace did sign with the Heat he would be the most colorful character in the locker room. I personally think Miami could be a good fit or Oklahoma City, who still need a little more outside of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.  

Lay off of LeBron

In the past I've been critical of Miami Heat forward LeBron James. Mostly because of the clouded judgement which many sports fans have viewed him with since he signed with the Heat. I didn't have a dislike of James because he signed with Miami, it's just the way he did it.

Since then his game has been scrutnized. Since James has become part of the 'big 3' in Miami, everyone has talked about how he disappears in the fourth quarter or how he defers to Dwayne Wade or passes to a lesser player for a key shot. You know what I think? I think everyone needs to lay off of James and just let him play his game.

I've never seen a player having an MVP type season get picked on so much for what he doesn't do. Everyone wants James to take over in key moments. He has to a certain extent in his career. But James has always looked to make his teammates better. That's just how he is. He was like that in his first NBA game and he is now. He is clearly the most talented player on the court so there are many who view James as a disappointment sometimes.

I don't view him as a disappointment. I view him as a player that wants his teammates to shine just as much as he does. When he came into the league, I saw that in his game. He played a little like Magic Johnson, always looking for his teammates. I also saw that he didn't have a killer instinct. It just wasn't in his makeup. But he is so supremely talented that it doesn't matter.

I get tired of hearing about how he passes to his teammates at key junctures of the game. Like against the Atlanta Hawks Friday night he passed off to Udonis Haslem for the game winner. Haslem missed the shot and James was criticized yet again. Think about it, maybe Haslem had an easier shot than the one he might've taken. Haslem was the open man, but if James takes the shot and misses then you'd hear how he fails in the clutch. No one was criticizing Michael Jordan for passing to John Paxson in the Finals. Paxson nailed the shot,  but everyone would've said it was Paxson's fault for not making the shot rather than Jordan passed up a game winner.

Look at James for what he is. A one of a kind basketball player. A player that is so much better than everyone but looks to get everyone involved. A team player. He'll never be the cold blooded assassin type player. He leaves that role to Wade. Just let James play his game and watch how good he truly is instead of dissecting his every move and picking him apart.

Wade Says Beasley Needs To Dedicate Himself To The Game

Michael Beasley came into the NBA with a ton of hype and ability. The only concern any scouts had about Beasley were between the ears. I guess he may have been a little space headed. He still has ability to be a top shelf player in the NBA, that's not going anywhere. The question is whether or not Beasley can properly dedicate himself to the game.

Former Miami Heat teammate Dwayne Wade says that if Beasley is ever going to live up to his billing that he must have the focus and dedication to get there. A winning environment might also help.

“Michael is an unbelievable talent,” Wade said. “And he can erupt any game, any moment. The ability that he has to use both hands around the basket, finishing. His jumpshot. He has all the tools. With Michael, it’s just going to take him to continue to grow at the game, and get to a winning environment, and start understanding what his team needs from him. I mean, he’s a good player. He’s one of the best young talents that we have in the game. But he has the potential to be a great player. If he wants it. And that’s what we always told him in Miami. So we’ll see.”

To anyone that didn't know why Beasley was dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a bag of hockey pucks, you know now. One day Beasley's mind might catch up with his body.


 

Miami Heat! Sports presenter Jill Martin can hardly contain herself in tiny string bikini

She used to work for the NBA’s Miami Heat so Jill Martin must have felt back at home this afternoon as she hit Florida’s South Beach.
The TV personality – who has interviewed stars including Sarah Jessica Parker and Jessica Simpson – headed to the golden sands for a New Year vacation.
Wearing the same multi-coloured Hermes scarf she was seen in last week, the 35-year-old looked stylish as she teamed the fashion piece with a white kaftan top and gold jewellery to match the frame of her aviator glasses.

Bring It On star Gabrielle Union proves she still has a cheerleader figure at 39

She may be approaching 40, but Gabrielle Union proved she still has figure worthy of a cheerleader as she frolicked on Miami Beach today.
The Bring It On star, who played a opposite Kirsten Dunst in the hit film at the age of 28, showed off her amazing figure as she splashed around in an orange bikini.
From the looks of it, she could still pull off a few 'x jumps' without breaking a sweat.
Gabrielle, 39, kept her face protected from the sun with a straw hat as she spent the day on the shore.

The actress, who also starred in Bad Boys II with Will Smith, spent the day playing in the ocean with her boyfriend's two small sons.
She has been going out with Miami Heat NBA basketball player Dwayne Wade since 2010.
Gabrielle who likes to keep a low profile, recently talked to Hip Hollywood about their relationship: 'We’re just happy, so whatever comes down the road is down the road.'

Could Nene Go To The Heat When The Lockout Ends?

No knows if there is going to be an end to the NBA lockout. It seems as if no one really cares if it does end. Everyday there are players jumping ship to some random foreign league so they can keep their skills sharp or keep the money rolling in.

The lockout still hasn't put an end to rumors or speculation regarding trades and free agency. News out of Miami is that the Heat could pursue Denver Nuggets  free agent big man Nene.

Many call this possibility a longshot. Maybe not. Nene says that he wants to win a title. Miami is loaded for a title run. He also says it's not about the money. Now usually when someone says that, it's about the money when it comes time to sign a contract. Nene says that's not the case.

Nene told The Denver Post: “If people think it’s about money, they’re wrong. I’ve saved my money. I could retire today.”

There would be a $6 million dollar mid-level exception available and Nene would be leaving plenty of money on the table.


If Nene did sign with Miami, that could be the move to put Miami over the top. Nene could start at center, Chris Bosh permanently at the 4 spot and Udonis Haslem coming off the bench to strengthen that area. This could possibly make Heat haters' head's explode.

Heat Might Take A Flier On Grant Hill If, When The Lockout Ends

I do believe there will be an NBA season, just like I used to believe in Santa. It might be a shortened season once again but I don't think the players or owners are that stupid to let a season go to waste.

If and when the lockout ends, the Miami Heat will be looking to improve on their current roster. Here's one possibility that would actually make the Heat a more likable team. The addition of Grant Hill. The Heat are looking for a perimeter defender and either Shane Battier or Hill would fit the bill according to a report in the Miami Herald.

If the Heat cannot sign preferred choices Shane Battier, Grant Hill or Tayshaun Prince postlockout, Miami will consider Michael Redd and Tracy McGrady, among others.


If I had to pick out of those four I would take the first three listed above than the last two. For this reason only. Prince, Hill, or Battier don't need the ball in their hands and don't require many shots. McGrady and Redd probably still think of themselves as starter material. I believe both of them could help a team, but not one with Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, or LeBron James on it already.     


 

Dwight Howard Will Never Play For The Heat

Everyone knows Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is a big kid and everyone knows it. Howard recently attended the Comic Con in San Diego and let out some of his inner child. There is one thing Howard doesn't kid about and that's his NBA future.

Howard wants to win a ring in the worse way, even though from the outside looking in some may not know it. He'll be a free agent after the 2012 season and he really doesn't care to discuss it. There is one team that won't be on his destination list though. The Miami Heat.

When the Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James formed the "Big Three" in South Beach, Howard knew that basketball supremacy in the state of Florida left the Magic Kingdom. Howard has gone on to mock James' hairline, the chalk toss, and "The Decision" just to name a few examples.

When asked about who he's thinking of playing for it was no laughing matter regarding the Heat.

What about the Lakers? "That's everybody's question," he told the "Kick" audience. "I am wearing purple … but that's Rock's outfit."



The Heat? "Never."

Now the Heat would be the quickest way of getting to his goal of being an NBA champion, but he wants to blaze his own trail and be a leader of a team and not a follower.

Kerr: "LeBron Is More Pippen Than Jordan"

When the Miami Heat vanquished the Chcago Bulls to get to the NBA Finals, Scottie Pippen came out and said that LeBron James would be a greater player than Michael Jordan. It was blasphemous to say the least.

Now that Miami has been whacked by the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals, LeBron's shortcomings as a player have been exposed, magnified, and picked apart. Former Suns GM and current TNT analyst Steve Kerr did that and then some. In the process he told Pippen that his assessment was dead wrong.

"The irony to me is that LeBron is not Michael. LeBron is actually Scottie," former Bull and current television analyst Steve Kerr said Monday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "He's so similar to Scottie in that defensively he was just a monster, could guard anybody, really more of a point forward than scoring guard. Scottie always loved to distribute the ball. That's really where LeBron's preference is.



"Phil Jackson used to call Scottie a 'sometimes shooter.' Sometimes they would go in, sometimes they wouldn't. That's how it is with LeBron. He's a great talent and a great player but you can see his flaws as a basketball player. He doesn't have an offensive game that he can rely on: no low-post game, no mid-range jump shot so when the game really gets tough he has a hard time finding easy baskets and getting himself going. That's what Michael did in his sleep so that's why the comparison is wrong."

I would say just wait and see until his career plays out. I hate it when we start saying that a player is this and that. How about he reminds me of him. That would be a lot better.

I do agree with Kerr's point that James does need to work a little more on his game. Most notably his jump shot.

"Michael had three years at North Carolina with Dean Smith. That makes a big difference," Kerr said. "I think he was brought up at a time when there was probably better development at a young age in terms of coaching. I think LeBron is a product of the AAU system where you rely on your athleticism, you go and play 100 games a year but maybe you don't focus on your weaknesses and what you need to lock in on.



"As a result, fundamentally and technically LeBron has some flaws. He has to address those. If I were him I would spend all summer down on the low block shooting jump hooks and turnaround jump shots -- the entire summer."

College doesn't neccessarily benefit everyone, but it could've made James more media savvy than what he is.



 


 

Carlos Boozer Throws The First Stone

Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer should pay attention to that old adage.

Boozer, who has been called out for his subpar playoff performance has started the war of words between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. In a tweet to Shandel Richardson from the Sun Sentinel , Boozer said the Heat had two great players. Boozer doesn't see Miami's big three as a big three. He clearly sees it as a big two and a third wheel.

Now Bosh wasn't having the greatest playoff against Boston, but stepped it up when he had to. Bosh will have to continue his high level of play if Miami is to beat Chicago. On the other hand Boozer will have to be big in this series, especially since he let off the first verbal shot in the series.   

Pat Riley Thinking Hard About Signing Eddy Curry

A Yahoo Sports story is saying that the Miami Heat are seriously considering signing big man Eddy Curry. The same Eddy Curry that hasn't played for nearly two years.

Pat Riley went to see Curry in a workout in Chicago recently and plans to bring him to Miami for another workout. The Heat are hoping he can be somewhat of a low post presence for the playoff run. I say fat chance, and I mean that in a literal sense. Curry still weighs in at a robust 350 pounds and I don't see him whipping himself imto shape to be any kind of help to the Heat.

The Heat seem desperate since they don't have much depth. They're thin on the front line and playing Chris Boshn at center and LeBron James at power forward isn't gonna get it done in the playoffs against the East's elite. They recently signed defensive liability Mike Bibby for backcourt help and now this.

A league source said this signing is a "better than a 50-50 chance" probability. Good luck with that one. If this were about three years ago I might say it's a good deal, I just don't see Curry offering much help.    

Austin Carr Calls Chris Bosh A "RuPaul" Look-A-Like

Cleveland Cavs announcer Austin Carr went a little overboard when assessing Chris Bosh's appearance. During tonight's game against the Miami Heat Carr called Bosh a RuPaul lookalike.

Yes RuPaul the well known drag queen. He must think like a few of my friends at work who think Bosh may be 'suspect'.

Phil Jackson Not A Fan Of The Way The Heat Plays

Count on Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson to stoke the fire before a game. The Lakers play the Miami Heat tonight and Jackson told reporters that he's not a fan of their style of play. This isn't the first time Jackson has taken shots at the Heat. Jackson questioned Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's job security earlier this season.

Jackson said the Heat rely on 1-on-1 basketball and likened it to an X-Box video game. I partially agree with that because the offense really revolves around Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. My problem with Jackson is why can't he concentrate on his own team.

“I’m not a big fan of the style that Miami plays,” Jackson said. “I like to see everybody involved in the game.”


It's easier to get everyone involved when you've coached cold blooded assassin's (Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan) and a one man gang (Shaquille O'Neal). Everyone just has to fit into their role and embrace it. The Heat haven't figured out who will play what role. It would also help to have a decent point guard and center.

“I think that’s really important to basketball,” Jackson said. “That’s what I’m trying to preach as a basketball coach, even though we have a guy that dominates the ball in Kobe (Bryant). Their basketball is very much standing with Xbox games or whatever those games are. Basketball’s not a 1-on-1 game. It’s a team game.”


When you have Kobe, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom it can make being a coach a lot easier.

The Heat don't play team ball and never will. Jackson has earned the right to criticize any team in the NBA and anyone with a brain realizes that. Even if the Heat played team ball they don't have what it takes to win an NBA Championship. They don't have a center or point guard not to mention a bench.


The reality of the situation is that LeBron quit on the Cavs in the Celtics series and that is his nature and it won't change. Wade and LeBron don't fit without a point guard that is a great ball handler, passer and defensive skills that demand their respect. That point guard is in Boston. Even with this being said there simply isn't enough basketball's on the court at one time and thats why Bosh is crying. Miami would have been better off with just the acquisition of Bosh. Sometimes less is better. Bosh would have complimented Wades's game. LeBron takes away from his game. Maybe Derrick Rose knew something we didn't, even though he says he never said he didn't want to play with LeBron.


 

The King May Be Going To Court

Miami Heat star LeBron James will have more than this current losing streak and crying teammates to worry about.

An Atlanta nightclub, The Opera, is suing James for failing to show up on an agreed upon appearance. The Opera nightclub’s complaint filed Monday in Fulton County Superior Court says James canceled a March 17 appearance for which he was supposed to be paid $25,000. The suit also names the owners of the rival Gold Room nightclub. Court papers say a representative for James accepted $15,500 in advance payments from Opera, then notified the club that James would appear at the Gold Room.

Damn, it's just a one hour appearance. Just show up, pop a bottle and leave. And to the owners of The Opera. I know you guys want to draw a crowd, but when dealing with entertainers make sure they're gonna be there. I know you gotta pay up front, but get an agreement in writing if you have to.

Lebron, stop flaking out on club appearances. This looks like a doing of Maverick Carter.







  

Dwayne Wade Wants To Hear Your Boos

When the Miami Heat signed Chris Bosh and LeBron James over the summer to form the Superfriends, every basketball fan from coast to coast had some animosity. More so in the cities of Cleveland and Toronto, where Bosh and James escaped from to go to Miami. So when the Heat go to Cleveland and Toronto, Bosh and James get the business and Dwayne Wade gets cheers. Wade recently joked that he would like to get booed as much as James and Bosh.

"Yeah, that's like a slap in the face," Wade said, smiling in an interview with the Palm Beach Post. "You know, we go back to Cleveland, I got cheered. We come here, I get cheered. That's a slap in the face to these guys. No, those cheers are boos to me as well."

Even in jest Wade would never be vilified, except in his hometown of Chicago since he never really entertained the thought of signing with the Bulls. Also, he didn't bail out on his current team for another and leave a franchise in shambles. I'll say this, Wade was smart to recruit Bosh and James to Miami. Toronto wasn't going anywhere and we see what Cleveland is without LeBron. If anything Wade is guilty by association, and I say that jokingly. Wade will never be lustily booed unless he's in Boston, L.A.(against the Lakers), or Chicago.

Personally I think fans need to get over this I hate the Miami Heat thing. Since when do you see players giving up money to win. They still get paid an obscene amount and they also know they need other pieces around them to win. I'm sure it adds more fuel for them to win.

House Lighter In The Wallet

Eddie House of the Miami Heat is a little lighter in the wallet after what the NBA called an "obscene" gesture. House made the 'big balls' gesture after nailing a key three pointer in the Heat's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.



While I do think the fine is excessive, I don't remember House doing things like this while he was at Arizona State.

Durant Has Some Harsh Words For Bosh

You don't hear too much about Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant trash talking anyone. He just goes out and plays. Until Miami's Chris Bosh decided he wanted to get in his business then it was on. He called Bosh one of the "fake tough guys" in the NBA. And he added more than that. Durant got a rare technical foul for jawing with Bosh.

“I was talking to my teammate and he decided he wanted to put his 2 cents into it. I’m a quiet guy, a laid-back guy, but I’m not going to let nobody talk trash to me. He’s on a good team now, so he thinks he can talk a little bit,” Durant said. There’s a lot of fake tough guys in this league and he’s one of them.”

Bosh had interrupted a conversation between him and teammate James Harden.

“I think he was telling Harden to dunk on me, or dunk the next one,” Bosh said before giving a cleaned-up version of the exchange. “I expressed that, `No, he’s not going to dunk that.’ And he expressed, `Yes, he is.’ It just kind of went back and forth.”


Bosh has never been a tough guy and needs to just go out and continue being the third wheel. I like Bosh but he's trying to pull some of that Kevin Garnett stuff and that isn't him. Durant had more for Bosh.

“I’m no punk. I wasn’t even talking to him, first off. He decided to butt in and I’m not going to just let that slide, especially in our house,” Durant said. “Like I said, he’s not one of those guys that I look at and say, `Oh, he has a rep for talking back to guys or always getting into it.’


“No, he’s a nice guy. He’s not one of those guys, so I’m not going to let that type of person say something to me like that.”

Me and some friends at work had this conversation before and concluded that there are very few tough guys in the league. When you see an NBA fight they miss punches at point blank range. I don't advocate violence but damn, I think I'd be willing to take one of them on as long as it wasn't Kenyon Martin or Nate Robinson.

Bosh needs to quit the tough guy act because he's far from an enforcer.    

LeBron Spanks Himself

After draining a key three pointer LeBron James decided to spank himself or tell someone to kiss it. It has to be one of the two.

 

Don't Be Alarmed

The Miami Heat and their supertrio probably played the worst game they'll probably play this year. The Heat dropped an 88-80 decision to the Boston Celtics last night. Save for LeBron James, the Heat didn't play that well. They showed flashes and LeBron showed that he might be the go to guy out of the three. Due to a hamstring injury and his divorce/custody case Dwayne Wade looked a little rusty to me. Chris Bosh looked like Chris Bosh having a lousy night in Toronto. Also as usual Boton played their trademark tough defense. They won't look this way every game. Nor will they look like the 72 win Bulls team every game. But there's no way they put together another nine point quarter this year.

LeBron Will Never Be Viewed As The King

With LeBron James officially a member of the Miami Heat, its safe to say that many will say that no matter how many titles he wins there, he will never be known as the King. James is without a doubt one of the top players in the NBA today and perhaps will go down as one of the greatest of all time. But with him signing with Miami just says that he wasn't able to close the deal in Cleveland. I will agree with many that a championship in Cleveland would've meant a whole lot more to his legacy than teaming up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to win one and possibly more. I'm not here to bash James for his decision. In the spirit of competition,the man wants to win.I can't blame him for that. Same goes for Wade and Bosh. Both of them will be look at the same. Players that couldn't win without another superstar. Wade does have a ring and it was his team, but he still had Shaq with two good knees and something to prove. It also helps to have the officials in your back pocket and another star (Dirk Nowitzki) shrinkig up in the spotlight.  All three are grea players, but the spotlight wll be squarely on James. This is Wade's team and his town. I've always said that James lacked a killer instinct, and him going to Miami confirmed my suspicion. True, he's a great player, but in the past and this year's playoffs included, he has shrunk in big moments. It kind of reminds me of Ric Flair hiding behind the Four Horsemen. There's a tier of great players like Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. Its true they had stellar help around them, but the team was built around them. Like the Cavaliers were built around James. Instead he will go down with the likes of James Worthy, Billy Cunningham, Robert Parish, and countless good players who were a cog in the machine.