Joumana My Ass

New Jersey point guard Jason Kidd had this routine whenever he'd shoot free throws. Before taking a shot, he'd kiss his shooting hand and "blow" his wife Joumana a kiss.

Fast forward to today; Kidd has filed for divorce, and he and Joumana have been slugging it out in the media. Naturally, the free throw routine has changed.

Video via TrueHoop.

They Deliver In Denver

Too early to tell if the Melo-Iverson experiment is going to work. As this clip shows, they're fun to watch, and Iverson looks like he's having a good time passing the ball. I hope they keep this up, for both their sakes. Clip courtesy of sauhadjj3.

The NBA Trophy Is Going To Texas

Never mind which team in the NBA's Eastern Conference is going to the Finals. Is there anyone there that has a chance against the West's best teams? Hell, you put the Nuggets, Timberwolves, or Rockets there and they'd be friggin' powerhouses.

The fact of the matter is that one of these three teams is going to win it all: Dallas, San Antonio, or Phoenix. But if I were a betting man, I'd put my money on a team from Texas.

The Mavericks and the Spurs have it all: talent, great coaching, depth, experience. They play great defense. The have the intangibles–– great work ethic, pride, the ability to play under pressure. It's a shame they're in the same conference (as well as the same state), because those two teams truly deserve to be in the Finals.

Hibachi!

Gilbert Arenas. Sixty points. Staples Center.

HIbachi!

Enough said.

21 for 21

Sports Illustrated just came out with its list of 50 highest-paid active players in the NBA.

Topping the list is Minesotta's Kevin Garnett, who is being paid $21 million this year. As the Timberwolves' fans know, he's worth every penny. He plays hard every night, doesn't complain, and is a consistent double-double guy.

A winner who, unfortunately, hasn't really won anything, Garnett is nonetheless the stuff David Stern's dreams are made of-- a great player, decent human being, and a source of great PR.

I really hope TWolves GM Kevin Mchale gets his act together. Go get Iverson. Go get anyone who'll help KG win a championship. He already has the cash. Just get him the bling.

1,000

Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan got his 1,000th win yesterday at the expense of one of the best (if not the best) games in the L-- the Dallas Mavericks. A great way to get it-- against a great team in your home court.

Sloan is the longest-tenured coach in the NBA, with good reason. I think he's only missed the playoffs once or twice as head coach of the Jazz, but both times I believe they had a .500 record. Despite this, and bringing the Jazz to the NBA Finals two straight years, he's never won the Coach of the Year (COY) Award. A real crime.

Today the Jazz are one of the L's hottest teams, playing with a consistency that other teams are desperately searching for. If they win 55 plus games this year, count on Sloan bein named COY.

It Takes Five

It's rare for sports advertising campaigns to really harp on the good values of the game. Most of the time, sneaker companies are bent on selling their star players, and, as a consequence, their shoes. You watch Lebron James' Nike commercials, and you see they're all about him-- not the next, as the ad says, the first.

Adidas has gone the completely opposite direction with its "It Takes Five" campaign. They still have the requisite stars selling sneakers-- Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, and Chauncey Billups. But the thrust of the campaign isn't the stars themselves, but a concept these stars are selling-- that it is team ball, not individual greatness, that matters.

Hats off to Adidas and TBWA\Chiat\Day San Francisco for such a cool, relevant ad campaign.