Allen Iverson is retiring! Really?

There’s lots to say about the little giant called Allen Iverson: four league-scoring titles, his one league-MVP honor, his trip to the NBA Finals and even his career 27.1 points per game average entering this season. He’s definitely a stud but he’s proven once again that he’s self centeredness knows no bounds.

I’ve been the biggest supporter of Iverson over the years and have scratched my head at some decisions and wondered if he really wanted to win, or if he was really a winner at heart.

Iverson’s decision to play in Denver is a very good example. After things fell apart in Philly he was a hot commodity in the League and was offered a chance to play along side Kevin Garnet in Minnesota. There he would have got a chance to play along side a player that does not demand a lot of shots but will hit many big shots for you. This was not just the best fit for Iverson, but he’s chance at a championship.

Iverson as we all know went ahead to play for Denver along side another high scorer in Carmelo Anthony.

Then just this year, passing up on a chance to reuniting with the one man that has proven he can really get the best out of him: Larry Brown in Charlotte because their price tag was $1 million short — this is a guy that just made $20.8 million last season.

Then electing to go to Memphis which as I write this article right now I still don’t understand WHY?

Today he does the ultimate:

“I would like to announce my plans to retire from the NBA,” Iverson said, via a statement Wednesday afternoon. “I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case.

“I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play, and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level. But stepping away from the game would allow me to spend quality time with my wife and kids. This is a reward that far exceeds anything that I’ve ever achieved on the basketball court.”

Iverson is not going to retire, let’s get that straight. Retirement is clearly reluctant and temporary.

After 14 seasons in the NBA, he has not yet acquired the most important asset needed as a veteran to play on a contender. That would be: Humility.

Iverson by now should have realized that for him to play on a team like the Celtic, Magic, Cavaliers, Mavericks or even the Lakers, he’s going to need to come off the bench, play just about 20 minutes and end up with more accolades than he would have gotten starting on a bad team.

Winners are willing to come off the bench. Winners guard their words and their actions simply to end up in the winner’s circle someday. And long before someone comes knocking on Iverson’s door, willing to provide one last chance at glory for the future Hall of Famer, Iverson needs to show he’s worthy of being given that chance.

For years, better players have done just that and reaped great rewards: Clyde Drexler being a very good example. After years leading the Blazers, he joins the Rockets along side Hakeem Olajuwan and today is called an NBA Champion.

Whether right or wrong, the perception that winning is secondary to other things in Iverson’s world is something many believe Iverson fostered all by himself.

The thing is, hurt shouldn’t be the feeling he’s displaying at this moment in time; Humility would be more apropos.

Iverson’s retirement is clearly reluctant. Is it temporary? (Rocky Widner / Getty Images)

Whether right or wrong, the perception that winning is secondary to other things in Iverson’s world is something many believe Iverson fostered all by himself.

That is why he can’t leave the game yet. And he knows it.

“I’ve still got a whole lot left in the tank,” Iverson said, as defiant as ever about his ability to compete at the highest level.

No one has ever questioned he’s ability to play the game and many in the NBA know he would be a good addition to their franchise.

The question now is: does Iverson wants to be a part of a Franchise or does Iverson want to be the Franchise?

We await The Answer!

Allen Iverson Retirement is a Cry for Attention is a post from: AroDrive

This is a very exciting time for the NBA, the young talents in different teams are begining to show promise and this has helped their teams climb very fast on the power rankings.

No team has showed more promise than the high flying Atlanta Hawks (Atlanta Hawks flying high and Beating down the competition) lifting them to the top of the power rankings last week.

The Hawks, Bucks, Suns, Magic and Blazers are packed with young talent and playing up tempo basketball and are all ranking very high on the power rankings.

But the king of the hill this week are the Lakers, after a slow start they have finally hit their strides again with the return of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum continues to improve, the Lakers are beginning to look like NBA champions again and for week 4 are king of the hill.

Here’s a complete list of the NBA Power rankings for week 4.

2009-10 Power Rankings: Week 5
RANK (LAST WK)		TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (5)	Lakers	10-3	Rare misread by us. Pau has been back for only two games, but the Lakers’ overall health suddenly must seem dreamy to Boston and loads of other teams. Playing 17 of your first 21 games at home can’t hurt, either.
	2 (1)	Hawks	11-3	Can’t bust on them too hard for losing to the injury-hit Hornets when the Hawks responded to the high jinx potential of their historic promotion to No. 1 by first sweeping past Portland, Miami and Houston at home.
	3 (3)	Suns	11-3	The best part about the Suns’ start is that the schedule sets them up for a big second-half surge if they can get through a few more weeks in decent shape. Fifteen of their first 22 games are roadies; only one bad loss so far.
	4 (10)	Magic	11-3	Vinsanity seals a big victory in Boston, Dwight gets Stan to ease up on his negativity and Jameer’s latest injury is softened by Rashard’s return. Conclusion? We definitely dropped Orlando way too far last Monday.
	5 (2)	Nuggets	9-4	Updating one of my favorite stats of the early season, it’s time to tally up the havoc Melo is wreaking: 476 minutes played; 396 points scored. Works out to one point every 1.2 minutes based on my amateur math.
	6 (7)	Mavericks	10-3	The schedule hasn’t been the toughest, but the Mavs have had several injuries early and are just one late free throw in New Orleans away from an 11-2 start, all with Nowitzki supplying the only consistency.
	7 (6)	Cavaliers	10-4	Good to see young (and athletic) Hickson get an extended shot and seize the opportunity. Not so good, from the Cavs’ perspective, to hear LeBron publicly lament the fact that Charlotte beat Cleveland to Stephen Jackson.
	8 (4)	Celtics	10-4	The Spurs, at least, have the handy rationalization of being wracked by injuries. The slow-moving Celts have been a lot healthier by comparison, which makes this 4-4 malaise since their smothering 6-0 start so curious.
	9 (8)	Trail Blazers	10-5	Back to the bench for Andre Miller … for a couple of reasons: 1. Roy’s game seemed squeezed even when the Blazers’ three-PG lineup went 6-0. 2. Portland’s famed depth just ain’t the same with Batum and Outlaw out.
	10 (12)	Bucks	8-3	B-Jennings is the first rookie with six 25-points-or-more games before Thanksgiving since someone named Michael Jordan in November 1984. And you wonder why Scott Skiles can’t get any pub for the job he’s doing.
	11 (11)	Rockets	8-6	The forthcoming docket for the gutty little Rockets: Dallas at home Wednesday, San Antonio at home Friday and then a trip to Oklahoma City on Sunday. A week doesn’t get more Southwestern-y than that.
	12 (20)	Jazz	7-6	D-Will is back and five straight home games loom after a 3-0 week that included a hex-snapping win in San Antonio over the short-handed Spurs. Methinks this could end up being Utah’s best stretch since early March.
	13 (9)	Heat	8-5	It used to be routine to refer to the Cavs as the LeBrons. Why, then, aren’t more folks calling this team the D-Wades? (Follow-up bonus factoid: Miami’s eight wins came against teams with a composite record of 32-57.)
	14 (13)	Thunder	7-7	Sunday’s lesson from the Lakers dropped OKC’s record to 10-43 in its past 53 games against teams that showed up with a winning record. But you have to believe that mark won’t look so one-sided by season’s end.
	15 (15)	Spurs	5-6	Even when Popovich is working so hard not to overextend his stars — Duncan is averaging just 32 minutes per game, followed by Parker at 27.3 mpg and Manu at 23.4 — San Antonio has seen injuries galore already.
	16 (14)	Bulls	6-6	The bad news: Chicago’s annual circus road trip looks as murderous as ever. The good news: Derrick Rose had the look of a full-speed Derrick Rose on Saturday night in Denver for maybe the first time this season.
	17 (16)	Raptors	6-8	The Raps are nervous enough about a porous defense that too frequently cancels out Bosh and Bargnani’s ongoing offensive prowess. Hearing Bosh complain publicly about media disrespect doesn’t bring much comfort.
	18 (26)	Hornets	6-9	Byron Scott, truth be told, began the season with little chance of survival. But his reluctance to play Collison and Thornton — rookies who, with Peja, just sparked wins over Phoenix and Atlanta — sealed B-Scott’s fate.
	19 (19)	Kings	5-7	No Kevin Martin or Tyreke Evans in Houston and still Sacramento hangs in all the way to the final minute on the back end of a back-to-back. One more example of why we refer this scrappy group of kids as Rockets Lite.
	20 (17)	Pacers	5-6	What drags a team back down to Earth after ringing up 113 points on Boston with Murphy, Dunleavy and Foster all out? The driving force in Indy’s case was blowing a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter in New York.
	21 (22)	Warriors	4-8	The Dubs can’t relax now that Jack’s gone. Not when a W over Portland was preceded by L’s at Cleveland and Boston. And not when stops in Dallas and San Antonio are next before a home date with the Lakers.
	22 (18)	Pistons	5-9	You can rationalize Detroit’s 0-4 trip out West when you factor in the quality of the opposition and the Pistons’ injury woes. Harder to explain or accept is the fact that Will Bynum has been steadier than Rodney Stuckey.
	23 (25)	Clippers	5-9	The Clips followed up their good win in OKC by dropping winnable games in New Orleans and Memphis. Let’s see if they can build on a good home W over Denver … especially with Eric Gordon coming back from injury.
	24 (24)	Wizards	3-9	Anyone else having trouble figuring out which Gilbert we should expect these days? Is he talking? Not talking? Shooting? Just passing? Yes on Hibachi? No on Hibachi? Isn’t that a lot of personas for a three-win team?
	25 (21)	Bobcats	4-9	Fearless prediction: Stephen Jackson will not be in Charlotte at season’s end. The Bobcats still won’t score enough or win enough with Jack to persuade them not to re-shop Jack before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.
	26 (27)	Grizzlies	4-9	If we did Irony Rankings, Memphis would be a top-three lock. Grizz owner Michael Heisley mandated the signing of Iverson to be the first box-office draw in franchise history … and A.I. left without playing a home game.
	27 (23)	76ers	5-8	After six losses in eight games as well as the loss of Speights to injury, Philly is forced to focus on its one ray of promise: Elton Brand averaged a long-awaited 20 points, 10 boards and 4 blocks in the past three games.
	28 (29)	Knicks	3-10	This is where they draw the line? After a decade of stupefying Knicks madness and dysfunction, Iverson is the guy they won’t sign? Would have actually made the rest of the Knicks’ season fun. Or at least watchable.
	29 (30)	Timberwolves	1-12	It must be worrisome for the Wolves, to say the least, that they’ve played almost into Thanksgiving and somehow Ricky Rubio has tasted victory in the NBA only one fewer time than fellow Wolves lottery pick Jonny Flynn.
	30 (28)	Nets	0-13	L-Frank won his first 13 games as an NBA head coach after replacing Byron Scott. And now Frank’s in the midst of an 0-13 start in what is virtually certain to be his final season in New Jersey. Did someone say full circle?

2009-10 NBA Power Rankings: Week 5 (A-List Edition) is a post from: AroDrive

There really is nothing better than when your favorite team exceeds expectations during the regular season.
Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns have absolutely shined thus far, ranking at the cream of the crop in both conferences.
But with such great success rises a crucial question, will these teams be able to extend their hot streak throughout the entire season?

Brandon Ribak breaks down the Top Three Contenders and Pretenders in the NBA and explains why three organizations will ultimately continue their scorching tear on the season and why the other three will fizzle down within the next few weeks.

Top Three Contenders

1. Atlanta Hawks (11-3, .786)- 1st in East

Atlanta is clearly the hottest team in the league right now with an 11-3 overall record on the season.
With big victories against the Celtics (in Boston), the Nuggets, and the Blazers (twice), the Hawks are obviously a legitamite team this season.

Point-guard Mike Bibby fell to an ankle injury during the teams last game, but with the offseason acquiring of Jamal Crawford, Hawks fans can rely on the sharp-shooter to contribute in loads in replace of the veteran.

The Hawks are averaging 108 PPG, ranking third in the league in scoring. If the starting core can continue to produce at the high level that they are, there is no doubt that Atlanta will rank amongst the elite in the East all season long.

2. Dallas Mavericks (10-3, .769)- T-1st in West

Similar to Atlanta, the Mavericks are off to a teriffic start in the early stages of the NBA season.
Dallas’ roster continues to fill up the stat sheet each and every night with forward Dirk Nowitzki leading the way, averaging 26.9 PPG (8th in NBA).

With Josh Howard still sidelined, the Mavericks bench has managed to step up and help contribute to the teams success.
If Dallas can keep racking up the W’s it is blatanly obvious that they will remain as one of the teams on top of the Western conference standings.

3. Denver Nuggets (9-4, .692)- 4th in West

Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets have shown early on this season that they have the mindset capable of making it far into the postseason this year.
Melo currently leads the league in scoring dropping 30.5 PPG on 47.9 percent shooting in 13 games.

Anthony is a top candidate in the early MVP talks thus far and is undoubtedly playing his best basketball since first entering the league.
With a supporting cast consisting of Billups, Lawson, Smith, Nene, Martin, and Anderson, all Melo needs to do is keep up the production and his team will receive the respect that they deserve.

The Top Three Pretenders

1. Phoenix Suns (10-3, .769)- T-1st in West

While the Suns do indeed rank on top in the West, we expect a quick drop in their overall standings within the next few weeks as they will face up against the Lakers (twice), Cavaliers (twice), Magic, Mavericks, Spurs, Blazers, Celtics, and Nuggets next month.

In addition, in 13 games played thus far the Suns have compiled 10 wins, with five of the ten coming from teams under .500.

Teams with easy schedules during the first month of the season tend to have an inflated record and with an extremely difficult schedule in the month of December, the Suns will struggle to hold their first place record.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (8-3, .727)- 4th in East

While the Bucks have been the biggest surprise team so far with rookie Brandon Jennings leading the way, Milwaukees luck will soon run out in the month of December.
Similar to Phoenix, the Bucks have seven of their eight wins to extremely unimpressive teams with winning percentages under .385.

Although they have looked great in the early start to the season it is safe to say that Milwaukee won’t be anywhere close to playoff contention near seasons end.

3. Miami Heat (7-5, .583)- 6th in East

After winning six of their first seven games many believed that the Heat were the real deal this season.
Since then the heat has already ran out, losing four of their past five games.

With a pretty stacked schedule ahead of themselves (Lakers, Nuggets, Blazers (twice), Spurs, Magic, Dallas) Miami is destined to lose even more games in the month of December unless Dwyane Wade can pull out a miracle for his team.

by Brandon Ribak

The NBA Contenders and Pretenders is a post from: AroDrive

The NBA cheerleaders are some of the hottest of all 4 major leagues and for years my buddies and I at the games spend hours before, during and after the games taking a poll on which of the cheerleaders was the hottest on the floor, so we miss a great deal of the action but, it was a whole lot of fun:-).

So the question is, who is the hottest cheerleader in the NBA?

To select just one we needed to rank them first and we needed some grand rules:

1.We decided to pick 1 cheerleader from each squad.

2. The cheerleader must be on the 2009-2010 cheerleader squad of an NBA team.

Below is a mock ranking of The A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders 2009-2010 the final result will be tallied at the end of voting so do remember to cast your vote at the bottom of the page. (remember to vote as many times as you can) Click on Cheerleader’s Thumbnail or Name to see Profile Page

Voting Closed on April 14th, 2010

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For more on the Hottest Cheerleader in the NBA Jessica Marie Sanchez click here

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#10. Christina Iannelli (New Jersey Nets) A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

The New Jersey Nets darling dancer has been mesmerizing stadiums full of basketball fans for the past three years
Anyone who’s been to a major sporting event can recall the thunderous-road of the crowd; that strange almost electric feeling that floats with a frenzy and connects every spectator to one another, only working to make our [...]

#9. Jessica Marie (San Antonio Spurs) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Name: Jessica-Marie (J~Marie)
Hometown: San Antonio Texas
Occupation: A Teacher / Dance Director at a local High School
Team Status: 2nd year
Career Goal: To obtain a Master’s degree in Administration in the next couple of years. I would also love to go into to Fashion Merchandise and own my own boutique. (When I can pull myself [...]

#8. Alicia Erin (Washington Wizards) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

From her Model mayhem page:
Female
21 years old
College Park, Maryland
I just started modeling this year. I also am a pro cheerleader for the NBA, and a dance student at UMD. I have done a few shoots and would like to build up my modeling career, and see how far it takes me.
I cannot do nude pictures [...]

#7. Nicole (Toronto Raptors) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

This is Nicole a Thomhill, Ontario native a second year dancer on the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak.
The Dance Pak team unlike alot of NBA dance squad is packed with very hot dancers and Ms. Nicole exotic looks, perfect body and a face that belongs on the cover of magazines makes her the hottest Dance Pak [...]

#6. Erica (Oklahoma Thunder) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

What’s your occupation? If you’re a student, what’s your major?
I’m an Account Executive at a software engineering company.
Hometown?
Midwest City, OK
Favorite moment as a Thunder Girl?
Experiencing Opening Night of the inaugural year! That is something I will never forget.
What’s something about the Thunder Girls that most people don’t know?
We are all very close. I consider my [...]

#5. Jarin (Indiana Pacers) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Jarin has spent three years as a Pacers Girl and heading into her fourth season, she looks great.
She has been stretching in the offseason and will be sure to kick extra high this year. The Pacers playoff hopes might not be up, but the height of Jarin’s leg kicks certainly will be.

#4. Shannon (New Orleans Hornets) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

My heart is abuzz with this girl. Shannon has the southern belle vibe and she can ring my bell anytime.
Chris Paul may lead the league in steals, but Shannon stands a chance to lead the league in stolen hearts.

To start, can you give us a mini-bio of yourself?
I’m from Chalmette, Louisiana. I’ve [...]

#3. Minnie (Memphis Grizzlies) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Well, grrrrrr! Minnie is a wild animal when it comes to cheerleading.
She will scream and kick and dance with the best of them.

Hometown: Memphis
Team status: Veteran – 2nd year
Interesting fact: I play alto saxophone (8yrs)
Favorite musical artists:Musiq, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, T-Pain
Favorite movies: Five Heart Beats and DreamGirls
Food I can’t live without: white rice w/ [...]

#2. Ashley Bond (Chicago Bulls) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Luvabulls’ Ashley named Miss Illinois USA
For the second year in a row, a member of the Luvabulls has taken the title of Miss Illinois USA. On Dec. 7, Ashley Bond was named Miss Illinois USA and she was presented the honor by last year’s titleholder and Luvabulls teammate, Shanon Lersch. Congratulations to Ashley, who represented [...]

#1. Odaymis (Miami Heat) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Odaymis is a graduate of Florida International University and she has been with the Heat for 2 years.
Heading into her junior year with Miami, she hopes to bring the heat and really turn up the temperature for the crowd in American Airlines Arena this season.

Name: Odaymis
Occupation: Student/Dancer
Quote to live by: “Failure is [...]

A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders 2009-2010 (10-1) is a post from: AroDrive

The NBA cheerleaders are some of the hottest of all 4 major leagues and for years my buddies and I at the games spend hours before, during and after the games taking a poll on which of the cheerleaders was the hottest on the floor, so we miss a great deal of the action but, it was a whole lot of fun:-).

So the question is, who is the hottest cheerleader in the NBA?

To select just one we needed to rank them first and we needed some grand rules:

1.We decided to pick 1 cheerleader from each squad.

2. The cheerleader must be on the 2009-2010 cheerleader squad of an NBA team.

Below is a mock ranking of The A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders 2009-2010 the final result will be tallied at the end of voting so do remember to cast your vote at the bottom of the page. (remember to vote as many times as you can) Click on Cheerleader’s Thumbnail or Name to see Profile Page

Voting Closed on April 14th, 2010

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For more on the Hottest Cheerleader in the NBA Jessica Marie Sanchez click here

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#20. Leslie (Atlanta Hawks) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Education: BS, Auburn University
Occupation: Executive Administrator/Corporate Events Planner
Dance Experience: A-Town Dancers 4 years, 1 year co-captain of A-Town Dancers, 15 years classical ballet
Why I would like to be a part of the A-Town Dancers: The past 4 years of being on the team has been a blast and I love performing for the [...]

Annie – (Philadelphia 76ers) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Thanks to AroDrive user Sixers Fan 7676 we found out that Melanie Fitzpatrick is no longer a member of the Sixers Dance Team. So she’s been removed from the A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders 2009-2010 as every contestant must be a member on the 2009-2010 NBA Dance team. [...]

#18. Mary Ellen (Blazer Dancers) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Mary Ellen a native of Gresham, Oregon and a veteran of the Blazers Dancers Squad is most definitely the Hottest member of the squad and here at A-List we love her too.
Height: 5’7?
Birthday: January 22
Hometown: Gresham, Oregon
Favorite Style of Dance: Lyrical Jazz
College: Oregon State University
Field of Study: Business Marketing
Occupation: Escrow Coordinator – Mortgage Company
Pets: None
Favorite [...]

#17. Ashley (LA Lakers) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

The famous title of, “Laker girl.” Well there is now a better title—Hottest Laker girl!
Ashley will be playing the role of Kobe this season and leading her squad cheering into the postseason.

#16. Kylee (Utah Jazz) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

All-American girl Kylee is going to make the Delta Center rock this season.
She brings a unique flavor to Utah and I like it!

#15. Jessie (LA Clippers) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

My name is Jessie, and this is going to be my first season dancing with the Spirit Dance Team. I am from Los Altos, CA, which is up in the Bay Area. I have been dancing since I was two years old and competing at my mom’s dance studio – Dance Academy [...]

#14. Kali Drake (Dallas Mavericks) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

The NBA and Lady Luck don’t agree with my team of choice lately, so I decided it was time to cheer myself up with my favorite section of my own blog. The whole process of looking for photos of lovely ladies is simply relaxing and somewhat zen to me.
I was trying to decide who to [...]

#13. Megan Elizabeth Agrusa (Detroit Pistons ) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Megan Elizabeth Agrusa: we would love to tell you more about this Fox but for now make due with the below info. Stay Tuned.
hails from Grosse Pointe, MI
attends MSU
she’s been a part of Automotion since 2006
Polish / Sicilian descent
Favorite color is hot pink, and as you’ll see in the gallery her hot pink bra looks [...]

#12. Amanda R (New York Knicks) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

KnicksCity Dancer Amanda R. is a KCD co-captain and two-year-veteran. She has run the New York City Marathon and is a cheerleader for the New York Liberty, she is also a Liberty Torch Patrol cheerleader and also a member of the NBA Fan Patrol.
Amanda is a New Jersey girl who says she accomplished two [...]

#11. Toni (Cleveland Cavaliers) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

-  This is Toni’s third year as a member of the Cavalier Girl squad, and her first cover appearance.  The Howland, Ohio native (yeah, I had to look up wher at was too) is a fan of sushi and was an English major.
- …and that’s about all I’ve got.  Again, the Cavaliers have been woefully [...]

A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders 2009-2010 (20-11) is a post from: AroDrive

The NBA cheerleaders are some of the hottest of all 4 major leagues and for years my buddies and I at the games spend hours before, during and after the games taking a poll on which of the cheerleaders was the hottest on the floor, so we miss a great deal of the action but, it was a whole lot of fun:-).

So the question is, who is the hottest cheerleader in the NBA?

To select just one we needed to rank them first and we needed some grand rules:

1.We decided to pick 1 cheerleader from each squad.

2. The cheerleader must be on the 2009-2010 cheerleader squad of an NBA team.

Below is a mock ranking of The A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders 2009-2010 the final result will be tallied at the end of voting so do remember to cast your vote at the bottom of the page. (remember to vote as many times as you can) Click on Cheerleader’s Thumbnail or Name to see Profile Page

Voting Closed on April 14th, 2010

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For more on the Hottest Cheerleader in the NBA Jessica Marie Sanchez click here

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#30. Emily (Houston Rockets) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Houston is hot and so is Emily!She enjoys cheering for her Rockets and watching them blast other teams. I’m not sure how often that is going to happen this year, but Emily—I’ll still watch!

#29. Ashley Salazar (Charlotte Bobcats) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

An Adrian native’s dream of being a professional dancer for an NBA?dance team became a reality on July 31.
Ashley Salazar, an Adrian High School graduate, was one of 21 dancers selected to become a member of the Charlotte Bobcats’ 2009-10 Lady Cats dance team.
Salazar, 24, who now lives in Charlotte, N.C., was one of about [...]

#28. Deanna Clover (Orlando Magic) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Current

Dance Team Director at Leesburg ThunderCats ABA
Dance Instructor/Choreographer at Performers Edge Dance Studio
Real Estate Assistant at [...]

#27. Toni (Sacramento Kings) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Gina:Dance experience: 13 years jazz, ballet, hip-hop.
One thing people do not know about you: I’m addicted to reality t.v.!
Is this your full-time job: No.
Career goal: I would love to become a psychologist.
Favorite TV show: “Intervention”
Favorite quote: “You had me at hello.” – Jerry Maguire
Hidden Talent: Arts & Crafts. Favorite season: Winter. Favorite color: Yellow. Favorite city in the [...]

#26. Ashley P (Minnesota Timberwolves) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Ashley P is able to stay warm through winter because of her remarkable ability to stay hot!
No snowstorm is going to cool this chick down! Ashley P, you need to come see me.

#25. Teresa (Phoenix Suns) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

The Suns are a classy organization. Teresa is a classy chick—just makes good sense.
She is holding it down for the Suns this season as the team’s leader in hotness.
She also has a great asset at her disposal—I’m not going to tell you what it is, but it rhymes with “class.”

#24. Caty Sue Greene (Denver Nuggets) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Over 125 dancers auditioned, and after a week’s worth of auditions, the 18 women who will make up the 2009-10 Denver Nuggets Dancers roster were named. The dancers who auditioned endured several extremely long days of learning choreography and performing in front of a panel of judges, as well as an evening of interviews.
Caty Sue [...]

#23. Caitlin (Boston Celtics) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Caitlin actually hails from the Midwest and is a tax accountant.
Ironically enough, she enjoys taking short walks in the forest and enjoys well-lit breakfasts.
Caitlin’s has been heard to say her ideal job would be an ice-cream taster. Me too, Caitlin—me too.

#22. Tiffany (Milwaukee Bucks) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

Tiffany not only is the hottest Bucks’ cheerleader, she also happens to be a team Captain.
I am really trying hard to not make any bad “buck” jokes—so I’m just going to stop mid…

#21. Tracy (Golden State Warriors) – A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders

The Warriors are arguably the most exciting team in the league—but that doesn’t really mean much in this countdown.
This will be Tracy’s second season with the Warriors and I think she will be very productive in the Bay Area.
I will believe anything she tells me.

A-List NBA Hottest Cheerleaders 2009-2010 (30-21) is a post from: AroDrive

There’s no question that the NBA Power Rankings for week 4 has presented a great deal of question as to who is the best team in Basketball.

3 teams have presented themselves as not just the best but road warriors, given how Denver has dealt with seven road games … and J.R. Smith’s seven-game suspension … and what it just did to the Lakers they made a case to be number 1.

Then the Hawks after matching Cleveland’s win in Orlando with their own breakthrough in Boston, it’s time to toss it out there: How much more must the Hawks do before we all start saying that the East elite runs four teams deep?

But we went with Phoenix because excluding its two games against the teams that appeared in June’s NBA Finals — both on the second night of a back-to-back — Phoenix is a pretty passable 9-0. And only four of those games were at home.

From every angle you look at it this Phoenix suns team is more than just a flash in the Pan and is bringing back the excitement of watching high octane offenses and we here at A-List love it.

The surprise of the season so far has been the troubles of the Lakers, but they will bounce back and take hold of the top spot in no time .

Here are the rest of the teams:

2009-10 Power Rankings: Week 3
RANK (LAST WK)		TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (4)	Suns	9-2	Excluding its two games against the teams that appeared in June’s NBA Finals — both on the second night of a back-to-back — Phoenix is a pretty passable 9-0. And only four of those games were at home.
	2 (6)	Hawks	8-2	After matching Cleveland’s win in Orlando with their own breakthrough in Boston, it’s time to toss it out there: How much more must the Hawks do before we all start saying that the East elite runs four teams deep?
	3 (5)	Nuggets	7-3	Can’t emphasize enough how torn we were on whom to award the top spot, given how Denver has dealt with seven road games … and J.R. Smith’s seven-game suspension … and what it just did to the Lakers.
	4 (1)	Celtics	8-3	Seeing Cleveland lose two of its first four home games was disorienting. But seeing 3-happy Boston get swept on a Friday/Saturday back-to-back, capped by a 113-point pummeling in Indy, was just as staggering.
	5 (2)	Lakers	7-3	The Lakers, like their old pals from Boston, are faced with their first losing streak of the season. The view, though, is clearly more troubling for L.A., now that Kobe has his own groin injury to go with Pau’s bad hammy.
	6 (9)	Cavaliers	7-3	Things change fast around here. One successful two-game swing through Florida and suddenly Cleveland — after the supposed crisis of a 0-2 start — is the only NBA heavyweight that can say last week was a good week.
	7 (7)	Mavericks	7-3	The latest indefinite loss of Josh Howard and their wasted chance to beat short-handed San Antonio were undeniable setbacks. But the Mavs will take that 7-3 mark given how up-and-down they’ve been. Gladly.
	8 (10)	Trail Blazers	8-3	Four W’s in a row on the road is four in a row on the road. Even when the opposition is a combined 9-32. But Portland also can’t deny that its trip to the ATL will give us a much better read on that new three-guard alignment.
	9 (8)	Heat	7-2	How cruel was the ending Miami inflicted Saturday night on the poor Nets? It was Jersey’s fourth loss already by three points or less … and only the ninth 3-pointer banged home by D-Wade in 36 attempts this season.
	10 (3)	Magic	7-3	Probably time for us to hush our fawning about the Magic’s depth. They get Rashard back this week and look like they need the boost … although defense has been the real disappointment. Which is Dwight’s department.
	11 (12)	Rockets	6-4	You watch the Rockets win on the Lakers’ floor and you hear that they’ve scored 100 points or more in nine straight games for the first time since 1995-96 and you understand why there’s hesitation to rush T-Mac back.
	12 (21)	Bucks	5-2	Who cares that three of the Bucks’ wins came against teams with a combined record of 5-25? Milwaukee is suddenly synonymous with NBA excitement for the first time in forever. All because of one little lefty.
	13 (14)	Thunder	5-5	OKC’s defense/length/athleticism seen in San Antonio suggest this team can handle seven roadies in nine games just fine . . . except that it bookended that win with an L in Sacramento and a home L to the Clips.
	14 (11)	Bulls	5-4	The next time the Bulls score 100 points (or even 95) will be the first time this season. But there are some gaudy numbers in Chicago if you know where to look. Joakim Noah, for example: Six straight double-doubles.
	15 (15)	Spurs	4-4	Yes: It was fair to expect a smoother start from the Deepest Team of the Duncan Era. No: Can’t believe those same slow-starting Spurs beat Dallas without two of their three best players for the second season running.
	16 (15)	Raptors	5-5	The most galling part about Sunday’s narrow loss in Phoenix — besides wasting the latest good game in Chris Bosh’s best-ever start — is that the Raps’ much-maligned D made the Suns work so hard to get to 101.
	17 (24)	Pacers	4-3	We’re with you, Pacer People. We watched your squad deliver another early season beatdown of the Celts — just like last season — and we’re hoping this doesn’t mean Indy is destined to peak in November. Again.
	18 (16)	Pistons	5-5	The good news: Gordon, Charlie V, Will Bynum and Big Ben have kept the Pistons competitive. The bad news: Trading Prince — one of the options they have to bring in some size — is a lot tougher if Tay has a bad back.
	19 (25)	Kings	5-4	Fitting that Houston was the victim when the Kings extended their miraculous, shocker-of-the-season start to 5-4. Sacramento’s scrappy play without the injured Kevin Martin strikes us as very Rockets-esque.
	20 (20)	Jazz	4-6	The Jazz have regressed to the point, especially defensively, that a comfortable win in Philly and a near-win in Cleveland — both with Deron Williams attending to a difficult family matter — add up to big progress.
	21 (18)	Bobcats	3-6	Five times in nine games, Charlotte hasn’t made it to 80 points. With MJ making a rare courtside appearance Saturday night? The Bobs scored 74. Hopefully their trade gamble on Jack gives us something else to discuss.
	22 (27)	Warriors	3-6	Isn’t the Jack trade alone worthy of this bump? Something else we firmly believe: Nellie is not going to walk away from his $6 million salary to drop to a consultant’s wage, nor will the Dubs pay him $6 mil just to consult.
	23 (17)	76ers	4-6	The spotlight on Brand’s struggles is about to get brighter with Philly losing Speights. For it means Elton should start getting fourth-quarter minutes again, which could get him going … or heap more pressure on him.
	24 (19)	Wizards	2-7	The Wiz are 1-0 in the presence of the committee (of one) and 1-7 (with six straight L’s and countless injuries) since. Scant consolation: Boykins just had a better Wiz debut than Michael Jordan: 20 points to MJ’s 19 in 2001.
	25 (22)	Clippers	4-7	Did the Clips cool any heat under Mike Dunleavy’s seat by winning Sunday at OKC? Better question: How has Dunleavy lasted into his seventh season working for Donald Sterling, who used to fire coaches for sport?
	26 (23)	Hornets	3-8	Byron Scott gets the rest of this season’s $5 million salary no matter what. Jeff Bower loses Chris Paul in his debut as an NBA head coach … and the Hornets have holes aplenty with CP3. Who would you rather be?
	27 (28)	Grizzlies	2-8	Full disclosure here: I want Iverson to come back soon purely and selfishly to see the Griz try to accommodate Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Hasheem Thabeet, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Iverson and now Jamaal Tinsley.
	28 (29)	Nets	0-10	Indy at home Tuesday night. Milwaukee on the road Wednesday night. And a big Saturday lunchtime showdown with the equally punchless Knicks. Surely winless New Jersey can win one of three games this week. Right?
	29 (30)	Knicks	1-9	In the midst of four full days off after a humbling home loss to Golden State, we can come up with only one thing going right for the Knicks: Dare we say they’re not the only team that missed on Brandon Jennings.
	30 (26)	Timberwolves	1-10	This is only the fifth time ever three teams started 1-9 (or worse) in the same season. I didn’t expect the Wolves to be in Knicks/Nets territory, but you can’t be surprised looking at their team without Love and Jefferson.

2009-10 NBA Power Rankings: Week 3 (A-List Edition) is a post from: AroDrive

Cleveland Cavaliers has the biggest challenge of this coming off season and that’s  convincing Lebron James to forget the big lights and the heavy endorsement that will come with the move to the empire state, or tell him he can win enough championships in Cleveland than going down to south beach and joining he’s pal Dwayne Wade.

Right now the biggest issue the Cavs are facing is the issue of scoring and giving Lebron a break from all the double teams he faces. Mo Williams and then Shaq were both brought in to take this role and so far that has not worked out.

While Mo Williams has done a really fine job both last year and so far this season, he can be and most often short down by a good defender and does not need double teams.

Shaq, we all can agree he’s still a big obstacle in the middle on the defensive end but, he’s offensive abilities have really depreciated and does not need double teaming any more, though some stupid coaches still find it necessary to do that any way.

Allen Iverson no question is a tough guy to insert into any offense, because while he can easy get shots for him self some how he finds it difficult to get shots for others.

That said, Iverson is still one of the best offensive players this league has ever seen and he’s career stats speaks for it’s self: 27.0 PPG, 2.2 SPG, 6.2 APG these are stats that rank up there with guys like Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas (lets not forget 4 time scoring titles and MVP of the regular season and all Star game) and he has played for almost 16 straight seasons, I don’t know how many of you out there knows what it takes to go out night after night (82 games) putting up numbers like these, this guy can ball and under a good coach (Larry Brown and George Karl) he has proven he can be a team player and win games.

If the Cavs really want to win this year and they really want to keep Lebron in Cleveland for the foreseeable future Allen Iverson is the ‘Answer’ to all their questions.

The positives

Iverson is a scoring threat even when he’s having a bad scoring night, opposing coaches have faced him for years and they know he can go 3 for 27 in 4 quarters and with less than a minute to go in the game score 8 straight points.

So with him and Lebron on the court at the same time you can be rest assured Lebron will never command a double team.

Mo Williams game will improve considerably, because now he has a hall of famer cutting into he’s playing time and we all know that leads to guys playing even harder.

By the way: Iverson must start.

And most importantly, Iverson is a very cheap hire.

A one year veteran’s minimum for the talent he brings is a big upside for the Cavalier’s balance sheet and if it doesn’t work out as planned not much would have been lost.

Iverson is a lot of things; locker room divider is not one of them.

Iverson proved in he’s short term with George Karl and the Denver Nuggets that he’s ready to make what ever sacrifice needed of him to ensure team success, and that attitude he will bring with him to Cleveland.

How do I know? Iverson like every other veteran that has been in the league for this long knows an NBA Championship is the most important thing on their resume and will do what ever it takes to get one. And, if you saw any of he’s games in Memphis (or just the one) you’ll know he still got it.

The negatives

If you don’t start him, we might have a problem.

If you think am missing any other negatives let me know.

Iverson + Lebron = Championships:-)

The Allen Iverson – Lebron James combo is a winner is a post from: AroDrive

The pattern right now is that there is no pattern.

And that’s a good thing for the Heat.

One game after Dwyane Wade scored 40 points against the Washington Wizards in a win, the Heat got a balanced offensive effort and matched the physical play of the Denver Nuggets for a 96-88 victory.

It was the Heat’s first win against Denver since Dec. 2004, breaking an eight-game losing streak, and the loss was the first of the season for the Nuggets, who came into the game leading the league in scoring at 115.4 points a contest.

“We’ve been balanced, and it has been different guys each time,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Wade managed to lead the Heat in scoring with 22, but it came on an erratic 6-of-17 shooting. That left opportunities for Mario Chalmers, Jermaine O’Neal, Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem to contribute to what is probably the Heat’s most impressive win of the young season.

The Nuggets came in with a reputation, and Spoelstra made sure his group recognized it.

A STREET FIGHT

“When we came in from shootaround, coach had on the board that it was going to be mano y mano,” said Richardson, who defended Carmelo Anthony and still had enough energy to score 13 points with nine rebounds. “It was going to be something like a street fight. This team is a physical bunch, and we were going to have to man up and play physical and not back down.”

The street fight aspect was obvious from the opening few possessions, with Anthony Carter undercutting Wade on a loose ball and sending him to the floor, and O’Neal setting a violent screen on Denver’s .

The Nuggets used the physical approach to force the Heat into six first-quarter turnovers, but Miami still managed to hold a two-point lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Heat found a way to escape the grasps of Nuggets players and started the game’s decisive and extended run.

With the game tied 33-33 midway through the second, the Heat began a 41-13 run that essentially sealed the win.

NOT ALL WADE

And it wasn’t Wade carrying the Heat through the impressive stretch.

Chalmers scored 13 of his 16 in that stretch, while O’Neal scored 10 of his 18.

“That was a good stretch right there,” Spoelstra said. “Even with a couple of guys out, they can put points on the board in a hurry.”

The Nuggets were without J.R. Smith and they lost Kenyon Martin after just 12 minutes played because of a left knee contusion.

Still, the Nuggets had Anthony, who scored 30 points but turned the ball over five times.

The Nuggets managed to piece together a run in the fourth quarter, with bench players leading the attack. But the final eight-point margin was as close as the game got.

Anthony didn’t receive nearly the quality help Wade did. His most effective sidekick was Nene, who fended off foul trouble to contribute 11 points and eight rebounds while the game was still close.

Wade has no issues with the inconsistent scoring pattern. As long as the wins, especially against quality opponents, keep coming.

“As I continue to say, it’s going to take that for us to be successful,” said Wade, who scored in double figures for the 100th consecutive game, extending a team record. “I enjoyed it. I really did.”

Heats identity crisis seem to be a winning formular (Nuggets found out the hard way) is a post from: AroDrive

Ron Artest says blame me

SAN DIEGO — Pardon Ron Artest if he’s a bit geographically challenged and had no idea that San Diego has a big league baseball team, even though he was wearing a Padres cap.

This much he’s sure of — if his Los Angeles Lakers don’t repeat as NBA champions, fans can point their fingers at him.

“They should. That’s exactly what should happen if we don’t repeat,” the star forward said during a visit to promote the Lakers’ exhibition game against the Denver Nuggets at the San Diego Sports Arena on Oct. 23.

“They won last year, and I’m the new addition. The fans expect to repeat. Everybody in L.A. expects a second ring. And if we don’t then yeah, they should point it right at me, throwing tomatoes and everything.”

Artest joined the Lakers as a free agent on July 8, signing a five-year deal worth about $33 million. He is the team’s only addition, essentially switching places with Trevor Ariza, who left the Lakers to take Artest’s spot with the Rockets.

Artest said he was proud to be making his first promotional appearance for the Lakers. He wore an all-black Kobe Bryant jersey as a tribute to his new teammate.

“It makes me more excited, gives me a better understanding of what jersey I’m actually putting on,” Artest said. “So today I decided to wear the black Kobe Bryant jersey, because he is the ‘Black Mamba,’ and I’m really happy to be a part of this team and I’m really excited just to be an addition, an asset, to the guy, to the [Derek] Fishers and the [Andrew] Bynums and all the rest of the players.”

During a wide-ranging news conference at the San Diego Chargers’ media trailer, Artest drew some laughs with a few slip-ups.

“I didn’t realize how far L.A.’s tentacles, or whatever you want to call them, extend, all the way to San Diego. I thought I was going to be getting some Golden State Warrior fans, because I didn’t know where I was at. Most of the fans are Lakers fans, so that’s great.

“And I’m also here to say that next year I’ll be trying out for the San Diego Chargers, so I look forward to that. Hopefully I can play some baseball. Is there a baseball team here?”

You’re wearing the hat, he was told.

“I know I’m wearing the hat. I just love the SD. The logo looks great. I didn’t realize there was a baseball team in San Diego.”

A tough, physical defender, Artest had some spirited moments against Bryant when the Rockets pushed the Lakers to seven games in the second round of the playoffs.

“That was friendship what you saw out there with me and Kobe,” Artest said. “That’s like hard-core friendship, you know, like back in the days — fight against your best friend when you were younger and go out and get some ice cream later? That’s what that was. It was just so competitive.

“I just knew that my team was going to win. Of course we lost Yao [Ming], which hurt the Rockets. And Kobe wanted to win, and he knew his team was going to win. It was like, ‘OK, I know you but I don’t care nothing about you, maybe I have to step on your toes and give you a couple of elbows and get you ejected twice, whatever it takes to win, that’s what I’m going to do.’”

Artest was ejected from Games 2 and 3 against the Lakers. In Game 2, he received a technical and was ejected after pointing and making a gesture near his throat after complaining that Bryant had elbowed him in the throat under the basket.

Artest was ejected from Game 3 after a flagrant foul on Pau Gasol.

It’s all good now that they’re all teammates.

“That’s what I love about Kobe. He’s so tough,” Artest said. “He was great when he was younger, but he’s much more competitive now. I didn’t envision myself playing with him. I always wanted to play against him. I always wanted to beat Kobe Bryant. But I’m more than happy to be playing with Kobe.”

A native New Yorker, Artest said he’s turning into a West Coast kind of guy.

“I’m learning a lot of different ways of California. Is this Southern California?” he said, apparently not realizing San Diego is as southern as it gets. “It never rains in Southern California, huh? I’m turning into a Southern California guy. I’m happy to be a Southern Californian, or whatever you want to call it.”

The Lakers open training camp Sept. 29 at their headquarters in El Segundo.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

My fault if Lakers titleless in ’10 is a post from: AroDrive