The following is a list of the NBA's top five highest salaried teams.  (And thanks to Hoopsworld.com for providing the data).

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  This list proves that the best team isn't always the one that spends the most money.

1.)  The Los Angeles Lakers - $102,256,438

Point and case.  The Lakers may have the largest payroll in the league but their current record is the worst on this list.  The organization kept busy this offseason and when they acquired both Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, it was looking like the purple and gold were the team to beat.  And indeed, they have been the team to beat.  Yes, it's still early in the season, but having won only three games with their expensive lineup is pretty embarrassing. Let's hope the recent hiring of Mike D'Antoni turns things around.

2.)  The Miami Heat - $87,595,822

It shouldn't come as much of a shock that the Heat are number 2 on this list.  They pretty much cleared out their books a few years ago to make sure there was enough cap space for Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to be on the roster.  And as it turns out, that was a good idea.  Micky Arison, Pat Riley and company made a good decision in doing so seeing that the Heat are the defending NBA Champions and are currently sitting at the top of their division.

3.)  The New York Knicks - $82,010,527

The Knicks could quite possibly be the surprise of the season so far.  J.R. Smith is posting career numbers, averaging 18.2 points per game.  Raymond Felton is averaging 14 points and 6.2 assists while Carmelo Anthony's 26.8 ppg leads the league in scoring.  As a result, they're 5-0; all the while Amare Staudemire has been on the bench with knee injury.  Who knows if they'll keep it up, but it will certainly be interesting to see how they play with Amare back in the lineup.

4.)  The Brookyln Nets - $83,511,726

The NBA's newest team are 4-2 to start the season.  They have a new stadium in the Barclays Center and with Deron Williams, Brooks Lopez, Kris Humphries and Joe Johnson on their payroll, they certainly have a few expenses.  But if they continue to win games, those expenses most likely won't be much of an issue.

5.)  The Memphis Grizzlies - $77,098,154

I was pretty surprised when Memphis came in at #5 on this list.  I would have thought Boston, or San Antonio, or even Oklahoma City would have been ahead of the Grizz.  Then again, they do have Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol on their roster.  Those three guys alone take up about $47 million of the payroll.  And for good reason; they combine for over 51 points per game.

2 Chainz's South Beach Concert Features LeBron James, Lil Wayne, and Busta Rhymes.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: The King and 2Chains have an on-stage blunder. What's wrong in this video?

Fresh off dropping his new album, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, Outkast's Big Boi made an appearance on NBA TV's The Jump to talk shop on two of his (and my) favorite subjects, basketball and music.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Big Boi is an accomplished hip hop artist and a true hoops fan.

Earlier today, Big Boi, who together with Andre 3000 makes up the rap duo, Outkast, stopped by The Jump studios in Atlanta and chatted with Brent Barry, Dennis Scott and company.  The gang asked Big Boi about everything from his hometown Falcons and Hawks, to recording his new album, the situation the Los Angeles Lakers, and just who would be in his personal Big Three.

"So who would be your big three?" Brent Barry asked the rapper.

"First I'd have to grab me Andre 3000 of course," Big Boi said.  "Really that's all I need.  I don't need anybody else.  Me, Dre and the referree that's it."

Big Boi, who spent the first half of his life in Savannah, Georgia before moving to Atlanta, is known for being a huge Atlanta sports fan.  When asked about being a Hawks season ticket holder and going to the games, Big Boi was ever prideful saying, "I support as much as I can.  Home team first.  I mean it's Bird Gang the whole way."

And this year especially, there's plenty of good reason for Big Boi to be proud of Atlanta sports.  At 12-2, the Falcons are currently tied with the Texans with the best record in the NFL and have already clinched their division.  The Hawks, led by Josh Smith, have a 15-7 overall record so far this season and are only one game behind the reigning Champion Miami Heat for first place in the southeast division.

When questioned about what's gotten into Josh Smith lately, Big Boi dropped the following wisdom:

"I guess you know when you get to mature, you come into your own style.  It's the same thing with doing music.  I guess it just takes experience.  To get growth you get real like that.  You just gotta stay on your craft."

I don't think many would argue about whether or not Big Boi knows a thing or two about experience and honing in on one's craft.  Together with Andre 3000, Outkast has gone platinum numerous times and has taken home six Grammy Awards.

One of the best parts of the interview came when Dennis Scott asked Big Boi, "What do you think is going on with the the Lakers, and Kobe and Dwight Howard, what's your take on all that?" to which the famed rapper responded, "I don't know.  Everybody wanna blame the coach.  I don't know man, 'cuz the coach ain't shootin' free throws, you know?"

Got to give it up to Big Boi for always keepin' it real.

Check out more of the rapper's appearance on NBATV.com's The Jump.

The NBA has suspended Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade one game without pay for kicking the Charlotte Bobcats' Ramon Sessions in the groin Thursday night.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  The incident was strange and very uncharacteristic of Wade.

Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki is getting fed up with his team because he's now publicly expressing his discontent with the organization.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Dirk has a point.  The Mavericks' management has failed to make any good moves in the past few years.

Greg Oden is back- again.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: Maybe this time it all works out for the former #1 pick.

DWade's mistress tells all and you won't believe some of the things she says go down.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: This story is so crazy it might just be true. Who could make this up?

Kobe frustration is palpable as he speaks out about Miami.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Kobe and the Lakers have a lot more obstacles in the Western Conference before they worry about the Heat.

Magic Johnson just made it clear (on National TV) that if he was Lakers CEO Jim Buss, he would trade Dwight Howard.
 
Hoopsvibe's quick call:  It's very obvious that Magic isn't the biggest fan of this Lakers team.  And rightfully so.

Lil Wayne ejected from the Heat vs. Lakers game. Drama ensues.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Whenever Weezy attends a game you know it's going to have celebs, drama, and security involved. 

Love him or hate him, Lebron James is putting together one of the best seasons of basketball by any player in history.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  His superstar season continued with a big win over the Thunder Thursday night.

Lil Wayne Brags about f*cking Chris Bosh's wife and says "f*ck you" to LeBron and DWade (Video).

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: I'd love to see Weezy be so tough in front of any one of the Miami Heat instead of on stage surrounded by his crew. 

LeBron and the Heat have won 17 in a row, but they've got their work cut out if they want to break this record.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: The Heat are currently tied for the 12th longest winning streak in NBA history.

The current 17 game streak is tied with the Clippers for longest winning streak this season. But, both are just slightly more than half as long as the all-time best.

33, LA Lakers 1971-'72

The Lakers didn't lose a game for over two months, going a combined 30-0 in November and December. Led by Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Pat Riley and Jim McMillian (and including former Phil Jackson assistant coach Jim Cleamons), the 1971-72 Lakers are arguably the greatest team of all time.

22, Houston Rockets 2007-'08

You may be surprised to know that the second longest winning streak is 22 held by the Houston Rockets in 2007-08. Nobody expected anything out of the Rockets that year and they somehow went off before showing "they are who we thought they were" and losing in the first round of the playoffs. Sadly for T-Mac and Yao, this was the height of their time together.

20, Washington Capitols 1947-'48 thru 1948-'49

The Capitols were part of the Basketball Association of America before being absorbed into the NBA in 1949. Not coincidentally, the team was led by NBA Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach, who led the squad from 1946-'49. The team won 20 games through two seasons.

20, Milwaukee Bucks 1970-'71

Already boasting Lew Alcindor at center, the Bucks acquired Oscar Robertson in a trade and found immediate success. The Bucks set a franchise record for wins that season (66) that still stands and won the NBA title in their third year of existence, the fastest for an expansion team in NBA history. The 20 game win streak was exceeded a year later by the same Lakers team that leads this list. Interestingly, this Bucks squad beat that Lakers team and snapped their NBA record 33 game win streak.

19, LA Lakers 1999-'00

In Phil Jackson's first year as coach, the Lakers started the season by winning 31 of their first 36 games, which included a 16 game winning streak. Later in the season, from February 4th to March 16th, LA won 19 in a row. After that loss, the Shaq and Kobe led squadron won another 11 in a row and earlier in the year also had a seven game streak.  One of the best teams in NBA history, LA won the title by beating the Pacers 4-2.

19, Boston Celtics 2008-'09

The Celtics started out 27-2, including the 19 game win streak, and also had a 10 game streak to their credit. Boston won 62 games but lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs after Kevin Garnett was injured and missed most of the second half of the season. The first round seven game series versus the Bulls is arguably the greatest playoff series in NBA history. 

Just two more wins would put the Heat into the top five. Four more wins would make their streak the second longest in NBA history. 16 more (man, that's a ton of games!) Would tie them with the Lakers for longest streak ever- think they can do it?

DWade's girlfriend, Gabrielle Union, and ex-wife exchange blows.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Gabrielle Union better be careful. You never want to kick someone while they're down and DWade's ex-wife is definitely down.

The Miami Heat have one of the greatest win streaks going in history, but Paul Pierce is one baller who could care less.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Expect a dogfight between Miami and Boston Monday night, especially if the Heat's win streak is still alive.

Lebron James punks a lot of people by dunking on them, but no one was more enjoyable to posterize than Jason Terry.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Terry is known for trash talking; now he can also be known for getting dunked on.

In the most recent data gathered, Lebron James topped the list of the NBA's most popular jerseys.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Here is the list of the top 5 most popular NBA jerseys.

Viral Video of the Day: LeBron James throws down viscous alley-oop over Beno Udih. 

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Lebron James reminds us what it must feel like to have superhuman powers. If your on D run for your life.

This may be Kobe's 17th NBA season but he still has ridiculous hops.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: At this point in his career, do we take Kobe Bryant for granted?

So why not start the week off right with WAG of the day, aka Chris Bosh's wife, Adrienne Bosh!

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  It's always good to know who the ballers' WAG's are.  That way we know who to stay away from!

The NBA's "real season" begins soon, as playoff time is finally almost upon us.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: Upsets used to be the exception, now they are the rule.

The following five match-ups all feature an eighth seed upsetting a number one seed, a feat that has only happened five times in NBA history. Of the five times, three of those upsets ocurred in the last six years.

Golden State Warriors Upset Dallas Mavericks - 2007

At the time, the Dallas Mavericks were considered one of the biggest favorite one seeds ever, coming off of a 67-15 regular season record which was the only since legitimate claim to challenge the Bulls 72-10 all-time best NBA season. The Mavericks were also coming off of losing in the Finals to the Heat the previous season, a series many people felt like they should’ve won; expectations were high and facing Golden State in the first round they had every reason to be. The Warriors were a franchise at the time, much like now, that was mired in mediocrity with no real reason to be optimistic. After squeaking into the playoffs at 42-40, they were a complete after-thought. The Warriors qualified for the playoffs that year for the first time since 1994 with the 13 year drought between appearances being the second longest in NBA history. The Warriors beat the Mavs in six games, and this Baron Davis dunk over AK-47 (even though it took place in the following playoff series) shows you the level he and the Warriors were playing at:

Denver Nuggets Upset Seattle Supersonics - 1994

The year was 1994. Charles Barkley signature “Air Max” shoes, selling for $150 a pair, were king. The world was shocked by the unexpected death of Kurt Cobain. And Seattle Supersonics fans the world over were reeling from a first round playoff loss to the eighth seed Denver Nuggets. The Sonics had blown through the regular season going 63-19 which was a franchise record for wins and were the number one seed heading into the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs to face a Denver Nuggets team that no one had expected anything from. And with good reason; to that point in NBA history no eighth seed had ever beaten a number one seed. And no one expected a 42-40 Denver team to pose a legitimate threat, especially after losing the first two games in what was at the time a best of five game first round series. Game five was an epic back and forth game where the intensity never waned and every possession felt like the most important in the game. Kendall Gill’s layup with a half second left on the clock sent the game into overtime. But the Nuggets maintained the momentum throughout the extra frame and escaped with a 98-94 victory, winning the series.

New York Knicks Upset Miami Heat - 1999

The Pat Riley led Heat were the number one seed after posting a 33-17 record during the strike shortened season and the Knicks stumbled to 27-23, barely qualifying as the eighth seed. Both teams had dominant big men from Georgetown University; Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing. Both had flashy offensive weapons that could make plays, Tim Hardaway for the Heat and a still dominant Latrell Sprewell. Down by one with 19.9 seconds left in the deciding game five, the Knicks did everything they could to screw up the possession and struggled to get a shot off. Ultimately after an inbound with 4.4 seconds, Allan Houston launched a running floater from the top of the lane that bounced off the rim and backboard before falling through the hoop securing a one point victory and the series for the Knicks.

Philadelphia 76ers Upset Chicago Bulls - 2012

Game one of the series, the Bulls are coasting right along, up by 12 with 81 seconds left. Then, this happens:

Series over, Philly wins four games to two. That's pretty much it.

Memphis Grizzlies Upset San Antonio Spurs - 2011

I remember at the time watching this series, particularly how slow and old the Spurs looked and thinking, "Man they had a great run, but they are definitely over the hill." Wrong again! The Spurs, essentially with the same core of players, will be the #2 seed in the West this year. The Spurs came into the 2011 playoffs as the #1 seed, with the second-best record in basketball and home court advantage against any Western Conference opponent and were dropped in the first round. Zach Randolph played out of his mind and Marc Gasol wore down Tim Duncan on both ends of the floor.

In this year's playoffs, if the Bucks were to beat the Heat, or the Lakers were able to vanquish the Thunder, would either be a bigger upset than any of the previous upsets on this list?

For more news, info and updates, follow us on Twitter @hoopsvibe

Image Credit: Creative Commons

A beautiful Parks and Recreation actress tells Chris Bosh, "He floats her boat" and then tries to get some alone time with the star.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: No word yet on how Chris Bosh's wife feels about all this celebrity flirting.

Joakim Noah brings out the haters, even in a state where people should love him.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: The woman in the now famous picture has quite a sordid past.

Heat star Dwyane Wade recently showed up at a high school prom.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: If you could go to prom with any celebrity, who would it be? 

Drake out partying with the Chicago Bulls.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: It didn't take long for the Chicago Bulls to get over their loss to Miami and start partying away the summer did it?

Lebron James made the game winner Wednesday night in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers, so we mind as well pay some respect by showing pics of Lebron in high school.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  A special thanks to The Roosevelt's for supplying these images of the King.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Anything LeBron James can do Blake Griffin can do better, right?

During Sunday‘s clash between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, James hurdled John Lucas III on a backdoor alley-oop that left fans in awe.

The highlights were just starting, though.

Just one day later, Griffin left Staples Center speechless with his poster-job on Oklahoma City Thunder post Kendrick Perkins.

So, which dunk is play of the year? LeBron making like Vince Carter on that French dude at the Sydney Olympics or Griffin giving Perkins the ‘Mozgov’ treatment?

Watch both videos and get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The Quick Hit: Suddenly, there’s a ‘Need for Sheed’ and a ‘Big Baby’ better become a man.

As HoopsVibe's News section reported, Kevin Garnett has been suspended for game two between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat for elbowing Quentin Richardson.

As HoopsVibe’s News section reported, The Big Ticket could soon be The Big Suspended.

With forty seconds remaining and the Boston Celtics ahead in game one of their opening round playoff series verses the Miami Heat, Kevin Garnett was ejected for hitting Quentin Richardson with an elbow during a stoppage in play.

Dirk Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks winning the 2011 NBA title dispatching the best the league has to offer is a great thing. In the same way that Tim Duncan’s Spurs and Hakeem’s Rockets won, a new team winning the title refreshes the competition instead of regulating to the same franchises consisting around the Lakers and Celtics. The matchup gets stale unless you are a Lakers or Celtic fan. The faces are different, but the same teams remain. Green is green. Yellow is yellow. It’s like watching a bad film going through several remakes. You just have to wonder why. 

Despite the daily chatter about Dwight Howard's trade demand, the Orlando Magic are seriously exploring the option now of calling his bluff, believing he can't walk away from the extra $28-$30 million in guaranteed money they can pay him — and no one else can — in his next contract.

Link

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s quite the haircut.

The Orlando Magic are tired of the rumors Dwight Howard will bolt as a free agent in July, so they’re pointing out the obvious: leaving will cost him $30 million.

The Magic can offer $30 million more in an extension than Howard’s top three choices of the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets.

Of course, money isn’t everything.

Howard may take a discounted salary with Dallas, L.A., and New Jersey -if he feels those squads improve his chances at a championship.

In L.A. and New Jersey/Brooklyn, he’d maximize sponsorships and transition into the entertainment industry, which would offset his ‘reduced’ salary.

The wildcard is Deron Williams, the soon-to-be free agent with the Nets. More and more, it appears Howard and Williams will follow other superstars' lead and partner-up.

But where?

Perhaps Howard takes less to stay with the Magic, but only if they sign Williams. This would finally give him an elite teammate to battle the rival Miami Heat.

And the rumors would have been for nothing.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Book it. It’s over. There is no need for the 2012 season even if the lockout ended right now. "Win it all," Artest said when asked what will the Lakers do in the 2011-2012 season. "Win the whole thing. That's a guarantee.” Wow. Interesting. And here we go again. Why must you do this? And why must some of Laker Nation have to front run so much? Why? Dallas Mavericks dominating the Lakers was not enough? You were not entertained?

Kobe Bryant hates losing to LeBron James. He hates it. From Cleveland to Miami, the beatings have come over and over, leaving the Los Angeles Lakers star surly, seething. Ultimately, they’re made easier for Bryant because James has repeatedly failed in the playoffs. Bryant plays for championships, but these magnificent national stages do matter to him. In his mind, embarrassment isn’t so easily dismissed. “It is hard to digest,” Bryant said.

Link

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s what makes him who he is.

Kobe Bryant’s competitiveness has made him an all-time great, so much so that he’ll be a first-ticket Hall of Famer when he retires.

With such a drive to succeed, it’s no surprise Bryant was still fuming over a loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday evening.

After all, the Heat, not the Lakers, are the NBA’s glamour team. And James, not Bryant, is becoming the NBA’s most dominant player.

Of course, James always posts massive numbers when facing, and usually beating, the  Lakers, which is like rubbing a pound of salt in Bryant’s open wound.

Bryant will respond with hard work. Like Drago in Rocky 4, he’ll train, scheme, and practice with eyes on regular season and playoff rematches.

Such an approach is what has made him great.

--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

I'm pretty sure I like LeBron James a lot less today than I did about two months ago. Back then, he was a player who everyone was sure could lead his team to a title and was probably the unquestioned best basketball player on Earth.

Today, he's an attention whore who wants us all to anxiously await the moment he "decides" what team he's going to suit up for next season.

ChrisBosh-“We’re still the best team in the league You’re going to have to go through things like this Things aren’t always going to go well.

Link

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Chris Bosh is right. Well, sort of.

His Miami Heat are the NBA’s best team, but aren’t playing like it. The Chicago Bulls, the Heat’s rivals in the competitive Eastern Conference, are.

To be fair, the Heat are 8-4 because they went through a brutal west coast swing without All-World guard and closer Dwyane Wade. A little rest, a healthy Wade, and the Heat climb the standings.

Meanwhile, the Bulls sit atop the entire league with a 12-2 record because of stellar defense and continued fine play from reigning MVP Derrick Rose.

Right now, the Bulls have the edge. Here’s the question: could the Bulls beat the Heat, provided The Big Three are healthy, in a best-of-seven playoff series?

The answer: probably not.

The Heat are virtually unbeatable -if Bosh, LeBron James, and Wade are at their best.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

‘Honestly, I’ve been paying attention to Tebow all year even while I was watching the Cowboys,’ James said Friday, referring to his favorite NFL team. ‘So I love to see what a guy can do when his back is up against the wall, when everybody counts him out.’ James says he’s in the “same boat” as Tebow, whose Broncos play at New England Saturday in an AFC divisional playoff. He’s not necessarily talking about talent, but about scrutiny. ‘I can relate to him a lot,’ said James, who like Tebow, is one of the most talked-about athletes anywhere. ‘I see how the media plays it sometimes and how the critics go at him and to see him continue to prove them wrong. If it’s a good game or a bad game on his part, he continues to stay positive and move forward. And that’s a great sign. It’s a great leader. You respect that no matter if you’re in that same sport or not.’”

Link

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: We knew LeBron James was a fan, but his connection to Tim Tebow, the controversial quarterback for the Denver Broncos, is apparently deeper than that.

James says he can relate to Tebow’s plight as the underdog, as the guy everyone counts out, as the real life Rudy, Rocky, and Cinderella Man.

This is too much.

First, James isn’t a victim. Far from it, in fact. He was blessed with amazing talents, and has benefited from his talent.

Second, James isn’t the underdog. He was the odds-on favourite, dubbed The Next One by media and fans while still in high school.

For instance, in grade nine, James - an Akron, Ohio native - amazed in work outs with the nearby Cleveland Cavaliers. And a couple of years later, ESPN televised his games as prep school senior.

The reason for the attention was simple: James was expected to succeed. Nobody doubted him or counted him out.

And he has suceeded by winning Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, leading the Cavaliers and Miami Heat to multiple 50-win seasons, and advancing to two NBA Finals. Of course, James is arguably the most dominant player in the league today.

Third, the circus surrounding James in 2011 was largely self-induced. He turned his free agency into a spectacle with The Decision, and predicted multiple championships for the Heat before they played a single game.

Tebow is in the public eye in, large part, because of an unorthodox style and willingness to credit God and discuss his religious beliefs publicly.

So Tebow’s situation is very different than James’. No matter what James says or thinks.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Pat Riley is returning to coach the Miami Heat as they attempt to regain their status as one of the Eastern Conference's elite franchises.

OK, not officially. Or even reportedly. But we all know this is coming, right? Current Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is probably packing up his office as we speak because he knows the writing is on the wall. He's seen Riley pull this stunt before and the current situation reeks of familiarity and deceit and frontrunning. And hair gel. 

This can be discussed even during a lockout. Dirk and the Mavs are still riding high from their hard earned 2011 NBA title. They swept Kobe’s Lakers, beat Durant/Westbrook Thunder, and then took out the Miami Heat. The team is battle tested especially with the grand fail against the Golden State Warriors in the 2007 playoffs. The Mavs lost a lot with a solid roster in the past. They overcame all of that in 2011.What’s next? Repeat. Duh. 

It seemed as though all season, whenever anything wasn’t going well for the Heat, Chris Bosh usually caught the most “heat” over it. Sure, many will point to LeBron as the ultimate lightning rod for criticism but some of the cheapest and most unwarranted pot shots were reserved for Bosh.

After getting blown out of the gym by the Celtics in Game 2 (and that's putting it quite mildly), the Heat kept it close and played a fairly well in Game 3. Unfortunately, they reverted back to their non-winning ways in the final seconds...

The saga continues for Dwyane Wade and estranged wife Siohvaughn Wade (née Funches). After a horribly messy divorce which involved accusations that Dwyane gave his former lady an STD and that his children no longer recognized him, it looked as if things were finally quieting down.  Not so, evidently.  After settling into a new relationship with model/actress Gabrielle Union (who took the third spot on our list of the NBA's 25 Hottest Wives and Girlfriends), things were looking up for Wade's personal life.

Why does everyone hate him so much? Is it because LeBron shoulder checked him and he did nothing, proving to some that he is in fact just a figurehead? Or is it because he is devoid of any basketball pedigree and is in fact a regular human, whereas a coach/GM/legend like Pat Riley seems like a superhero?

Do not blow up the Miami Heat. I repeat – do not blow the team up. That’s a stupid idea because they just made the NBA Finals. Yes, they actually reached the NBA Finals. It’s tough just to get there. I do not comprehend a complete blow up of the team by any stretch of the imagination. Pat Riley is not going to do that. It’s just dumb. However, they should break up the tandem of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. I am serious and will explain why. 

After Greg Oden's doodle and George Hill's wang showed up online, I thought we'd seen the last of NBA dong for a while.  Nuh-uh.  Yet again a poor decision made about a year back has resulted in someone's junk being exposed to the world.  In this case, the baller in question is Dorell Wright, small forward for the Miami Heat.  After his girlfriend and baby mother Mia Lee posted a tweet in reference to Wright, a groupie and former hook-up responded by posting the compromising images that have put the 6'9" three in an embarrassing spot.  In the photos, Wright can be seen exposing himself during an online chat session.

Derrick Rose’s Chicago Bulls have been eliminated from the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals at the hands of the Wade/LeBron-Bosh Miami Heat, 4-1. Chi-Town is fighting through some pain right now, but there shouldn’t be any. At the beginning of the season, there were not many people on the Bulls’ bandwagon. The hype grew as the wins piled up. The bandwagon grew yet many were not convinced. Rose won MVP and that’s when all hell broke loose. Tom Thibodeau received Coach of the Year. Beating Indiana and Atlanta were good. However, facing Miami caused the bandwagon to break. People keep saying that getting an upgrade at the shooting guard position over Keith Bogans is all that is needed to get the Bulls over the top to win it all.

Game 1 is in the books. The Chicago Bulls woke up a lot of critics, 103-82. Led by Derrick Rose's 28 points and 6 assists, his performance was fine considering that he out dueled Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Both men did not even dial in 20 points, but Chris Bosh poured in 30 points. Miami's supporting cast could not get anything going as usual. However, the talk of the night belongs to Taj Gibson's dunks. One was on Dwyane Wade. The other one, which was a nasty put back, probably destroyed a planet somewhere. Lawd have mercy, things got nasty. Heat fans and critics were shocked. Don't be. They have been doing the business all season.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: A well executed in-bounds play.

Click the video below and watch LeBron James find Dwyane Wade for a last-second alley-oop to give the Miami Heat the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Everything is set up perfectly for the Heatles to win it all. They made quick work of the Philadelphia Sixers. The Boston Celtics are falling down all over the place trying to guard LeBron and Wade. Their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals will probably be quick work, too. This is what LeBron, Wade, and Bosh wanted. This is reality. They are making the 2011 playoffs look like an exhibition. It’s like that?