Steve Nash keeps making headlines for the right reasons. In June, he joined a group of businessmen trying to bring an MLS expansion team to Vancouver, Canada. In typical Nash fashion, the plan is to eventually make the MLS squad a charitable organization with a share of profits supporting youth soccer.  

Not surprisingly, this isn’t Kid Canada’s only off-court assist. The Globe and Mail’s David Hutton reports that Nash is urging the Ontario government to continue funding drug treatment for high school pal Simon Ibell, who suffers from Hunter syndrome, an enzyme disorder that affects a small number of Canadians each year. Ibell’s disorder can be treated through the drug Elaprase, which is covered by provincial health programs in Alberta and British Columbia. However, Ontario does not cover the drug, even though it’s recognized by Health Canada.

"To date, four people have been funded to receive the treatment in Canada. Although Elaprase is not a cure for Hunter syndrome, a progressive disease, it has been shown to improve some outcomes in patients, such as lengthening walking distance.

At a cost of about $400,000 a year, the intravenous medicine is unaffordable for most patients without government funding. Mr. Ibell, who lives in Toronto, receives the drug on a trial basis, but he says that will run out soon.

"This is how universal health care is supposed to work," Mr. Ibell said in an interview. "Once the trial is up, the plug gets pulled unless the government steps up." (The Globe and Mail, David Hutton)

Ibell and I attended the University of Victoria at the same time. I didn’t know him personally (the college days are, well, foggy), but do remember his energy managing the school’s always-competitive basketball team.

Ibell seemed like a good guy then. And clearly remains a giving person, working as a fundraiser for the Right To Play organization. His situation shows universal health care is unfortunately subjective –even when the patient needs, and deserves, coverage.

Click here to sign the Steve Nash led petition for Ibell to receive continued funding and click here to learn about Hunter syndrome. Photo courtesy of skewb.

• ESPN’s truehoop praises Philly for hosting a bloggers-only conference call. 76ers’ GM Ed Stefanski said my invite got lost in snail mail. No hard feelings Ed; must have been the international mail thing to ’Van City’. 

• Get a sneak peak at the Celtics versus Lakers on EA’s NBA 2K9 courtesy of The Score’s Branded. Gamers will be in love. 

• The most underrated on-line basketball magazine, Hoops Addict, lists the most underrated NBA players. 

• An oldie, but a goodie. And I’m not describing classic Chaka Khan tunes. The Globe and Mail’s Michael Grange writes on Team Canada veteran and European star Rowan Barrett. 

• Former NBA coach Eric Musselman recaps USA-Australia. Yes, the one-time Golden State and Sacramento sideline boss blogs. And he has skills. 

• The boys at Celticsblog.com have the Darius Miles signing on lock. 

• SacTown Royalty has video of Bobby Jackson discussing the prodigal son’s return to the Kings. Could we be seeing another Coach Jackson in the NBA? 

• Detroit Bad Boys wonders if Theo Ratliff really had other offers. 

• Brew Hoop has the latest on Andrew Bogut’s injury.  

• After a busy summer, the Clippers have finally arrived. And Clippers blog breaks down rotation options.
  

• HoopsVibe’s international man CYE has fresh sneaker stuff despite being on a trip through the outback of Greece (he was probably putting in work on the sister of Ronny Seikly’s wife). Anyway, check out the Nike Foamposite One in Varsity Purple. And keep an eye out for his outstanding features all over the site.
  

• Keeping it in the ’fam’, big John Nguyen sparked some great discussion with Death To Combo Guards. I agree with his take and not because he’s a co-worker. All things being equal, a true table-setter usually trumps a ’tweener’.
  

I was born, raised, and still live near Seattle in Vancouver, Canada. So I have a bias for nearly everything Pacific Northwest.

For example, I believe former Seahawk Brian Bosworth did solid work in Stone Cold. I love Sir Mix-A-Lot and not just during throwback hour on the FM dial or at weddings. And I’ll have words for anyone who thinks Gary Payton isn’t an all-time top-ten point guard.

I recognize this mindset can be presumptuous. Take last week’s post when I argued that former Sonic Shawn Kemp is the greatest big man dunker ever. Of course, readers could kybosh the ‘Reign Man’ by voting for Dwight Howard or Darryl Dawkins.

Other dunkers, from the modern era, may have been overlooked. What about Atlanta’s Josh Smith? Or Phoenix Sun Amare Stoudemire? One e-mailer thought Kenyon Martin, despite the injuries, still warranted consideration.

These players are amazing. I’m not sure if they’re at Kemp, Howard, or Dawkins’ level, though. Still, emails and comments forced me to push aside my love for Italy’s greatest import and open things up to you, the reader.

Below is a case and youtube clip for each player. Read each case, watch each clip, and get at us with votes on whether Martin, Smith, or Stoudemire can be considered in the conversation of greatest big man dunker ever.

Candidate #1: Kenyon Martin.

Nickname: K-Mart.

Best asset: Martin has power and aggression. He is known for attacking the rim, often catching seemingly impossible lob-passes.

Candidate #2: Josh Smith.

Nickname: J-Smoove or The Guilty Pleasure.

Best asset: High-flying athleticism. Smith, whatever his nickname is, soars through the air and defines playing above the rim.

Candidate #3: Amare Stoudemire.

Nickname: STAT.

Best asset: Athleticism, grace, and power. The Suns’ superstar has every characteristic of a great dunker.

My Call: Stoudemire is the best of the modern era. He deserves mention with all-time greats like Kemp, Howard, and Dawkins. 

Who is the best dunker: Martin, Smith, or Stoudemire? Are any as good as Kemp, Howard or Dawkins? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts and return to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of Keith Allison.

I call them Dream Team killers. After all, Argentina is the only country to have beaten Team USA more than once since NBA players received permission to suit up in international competition.

They’ve done it twice. Argentina beat a dysfunctional American side at the 2002 World Championship in Indiana and, two years later, at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Will there be a third time? On Friday, Argentina and Team USA will meet in the semi-finals of the medal round. The winner advances to the gold medal game. The loser plays for bronze.

To quote De La Soul ’Stakes Is High’ for both sides. Argentina wants to re-establish her spot on the basketball stage after some poor finishes in international play. And Team USA wants redemption. Below is your semi-finals preview:

Keys to Argentina winning: 

• Pray. And pray hard. Perhaps, my man and the greatest soccer player since Pele, Diego Maradona can send his country on group mass.  Not trying to demean the former world champs, but this American side is virtually unbeatable when making shots. Argentina must play immaculate basketball, while Team USA must have an off-day.

• Manu Ginobili must be perfect. Yes, perfect. The swing has to hit everything, get lockdown specialist Kobe Bryant in foul trouble, and irritate the Americans. 

• Avoid foul trouble. The Argentines only go six deep because they are without valuable rotations players like Walter Hermann and Pepe Sanchez. 

• Luis Scola must deliver. The MVP of the 2007 Tournament of Americas’ has to post even better numbers than his impressive Olympic averages of 18 points and seven rebounds.

Keys to Team USA winning: 

• Team USA can’t lose their cool against agitators like Ginobili or Andres Nocioni. Argentina’s feistiness distracts opponents and they’ll feed off a flustered American side. 

• Embrace the momentum. The Americans beat Argentina at the Tournament of the Americas and at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. So Team USA should use whatever psychological advantage they can muster from past victories. 

• Continue making shots against Argentina’s man-to-man defence. Team USA has faced a steady diet of zones; they need to punish the South Americans for daring to play a straight man-to-man defence.  

• Attack, attack, attack. America must go to the basket and draw fouls. Argentina is small and, again, has a depleted rotation of six players. Take advantage and make them play reserves. 

Friday’s game is bright and early at 10:15 eastern, 7:15 pacific. Chances are, third time won’t be a charm for the undermanned Argentines. Those Dream Team Killer days are likely over.

Argentina or Team USA? Who wins Friday’s semi-finals? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts and return to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of Mr. Wright.

Today’s NBA news mixed with some quick analysis ...

News: “Seeking help at center, the Heat scheduled a Wednesday visit with Jamaal Magloire, 30, his agent said. Magloire, who is 6-11, has averaged 8.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his career but played in just 31 games last season, joining Dallas after New Jersey cut him in February.” (Miami Herald)

Quick Analysis: Miami, with 64 million dollars in committed salary for 2008-09, can’t afford a real center. Enter Magloire. The former defensive stud and All-Star has fallen on hard times of late, so he’d come cheap. If he sticks in South Beach, expect a center-by-committee approach with Magloire, Joel Anthony, Mark Blount, and Udonis Haslem. This platoon won’t turn the Heat into 2008-09 contenders, but it will keep them competitive while the club sees how Michael Beasley and Shawn Marion fit next to Dwyane Wade.

News: “In what should be the final move of a hectic summer, the Sixers are expected to add veteran center Theo Ratliff. According to a source familiar with the situation, the 6-foot-10 Ratliff has accepted a one-year contract for the veterans’ minimum of $1.4 million. Ratliff, 35, had offers for more money but would prefer playing for the Sixers, the source said.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Quick Analysis: Nothing like the return of the old school, especially when it makes sense on a couple of levels. First, by bringing back Ratliff, the 76ers are getting an experienced ‘vet’ to provide bench relief after Jason Smith’s injury. Second, he’ll mentor young stopper Sam Dalembert, who has a similar frame to Ratliff. Currently, no word on Ty Hill, Matt Geiger, or George Lynch making a comeback with Philly, though!

News: "This is like my dream come true," said the 22 year old Slovenian point guard, who is daydreaming a night after a 14 hour trip to Phoenix. "I can’t believe I’m on the same team with him," Dragic said. "I’m really blessed. This is my next step. I must practice hard in hopes I can replace Steve Nash in the future." (The Arizona Republic)

Quick Analysis: The student is an obvious fan of his master. And, if all goes according to plan in Phoenix, the student will eventually replace his master. Dragic and Steve Nash are the Suns’ understudy and veteran duo at point guard.

Dragic has all the tools: size, intelligence, skill, and a pass-first mentality.The club will benefit long-term by grooming Nash’s successor. In the short-term, Grant Hill, Leandro Barbosa, and Boris Diaw can split back-up table-setter minutes if Dragic isn’t ready to step-in.

(Dragic in Europe. Is he Phoenix’s next great point guard or an overhyped Euro?) 

What are your thoughts on Magloire, Ratliff, and Dragic? Get at us in the comment box below and come back to HoopsVibe The Blog for another round of News and Analysis and more NBA tidbits. Errors, either grammitacl or factual, are due to the time and the author’s need for a second cup of coffee. Photo courtesy of blink4ever:

Forget August 5^th. Forget the exhibition game, where Australia challenged America by controlling tempo through zone defences and methodical half-court sets.

Two weeks later. Same teams. Different result. On Wednesday morning, Team USA advanced to the semi-finals of the medal round, using momentum from a late second quarter run to beat a feisty Australian side 116-85.

Here are my quick notes from the game:

• The Boomers confused Stars & Stripes in the first half by implementing various zone defences. Once again, by slowing tempo, the ‘Aussies’ kept close before a Deron Williams three-pointer closed the first half and pushed America’s lead to twelve going into the break. 

• Team USA then outscored Australia 34-18 in the third frame. The ‘Redeemers’ opened things up by hitting outside shots and going inside with NBA post Andrew Bogut injured. 

• Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James kept Team USA’s stat guy busy. Bryant made 4-of-7 three-pointers and 9-of-15 overall for a game high 23 points, while Anthony and James combined for 31 points and 16 rebounds. 

• Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade made major contributions off-the-bench. Both were productive in 16 minutes of playing time. Bosh scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds, and set the tone on defence, while Wade scored eight and collected eight rebounds. 

• Team USA continued to platoon all three point-guards. However, Williams was easily the best. Of course, he sank that clutch three-pointer near the end of the second quarter, but also scored 10 points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished out three assists in just over a half of playing time. 

• America is unbeatable when making shots. They connected on 43-of-76 attempts overall, which included an impressive 12-of-29 three-pointers. Their free throw shooting (58% on 18-of-31 attempts) was less impressive. 

• Despite the loss, the future is bright for Australia. Patrick Mills led the way against Team USA with 20 points on a collection of drives and jump shots. Best of all, he wasn’t intimidated by the American stars. The Mills, Bogut, and Brad Newley trio will hit their prime just in time for the 2012 London Olympics.
  

Chris Bosh recently discussed his improved Team USA defence with the Toronto Star: 

"That I can play defence," he said after the United States trounced Greece 92-69 last night. "I know I’m digging a hole for myself with the Raptors and everything because the expectations are going to be there.

"I can play defence and I can play a different role. I think that’s hard for guys to accept sometimes, but I just want to win." ...

"In ’06 I was still trying to find out what that role was, I was still trying to find myself and everything," he said. "It was frustrating because I wasn’t playing well and if I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing, I couldn’t play. (From the Toronto Star and featured in HoopsVibe’s News Section)

The basketball world is wondering how Toronto’s post made such strides in such a short time. Well, he apparently overhauled his training to include endless chin-ups, one-armed bench presses, pulling a Cadillac Escalade with his pearly whites, and pushing children off the track. Check it out …

What do you think of Bosh’s new workout program? Will it help against Australia. Get at us in the comment box below and return to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of Russ Bengtson. 

Last December, an Australian point guard helped Saint Mary’s University upset highly ranked Oregon in NCAA action. Two weeks ago, representing the Boomers national side, that same table-setter gave Team USA trouble in an exhibition friendly. 

Of course, we’re referring to Patrick Mills. Pro scouts had overlooked the Canberra native because last year’s freshman class was full of high profile players. No more. Wednesday all eyes will rest squarely on the lightning-quick Mills when Australia faces Redeem Team in the Olympic quarterfinals.

Get acquainted with Mills by watching the clips. You’ll see him tomorrow and in the future.

(His freshman run with St. Mary’s –including the classic upset against Oregon.)

(August 5^th against Team USA.)

Tomorrow, the real redeeming begins. Last week, ‘Redeem Team USA’ made up for lost time by embarrassing the world’s best squads in round robin play of the Beijing Olympics.

The Greeks, Spaniards, and Germans were all routed, allowing the Americans to capture first place in pool B. Their reward: facing an upstart Australian Boomers on Wednesday in quarterfinal action.

That’s right. The round Robin is done. Time for single game elimination.

‘Stars and Stripes’ will surely prevail, however, an undermanned ‘Aussie’ side kept a pre-Olympic exhibition game competitive. Here’s what to watch for in the Team USA-Australia match-up:

• Their awful shooting kept things close. In their early August tune-up, Kobe and the boys bricked everything, going 3-for-15 from downtown and making a porous 20-of-33 free throws. Team USA must have better success converting field goal attempts. 

• Team USA has to stay focused. During their friendly, the Boomers rattled off a 13-2 run to open the second half. This won’t happen twice. Expect a focused American side. 

• Airtight American defence from start to finish. They’ll continue their mission of getting stops against Australia; after all, Germany was limited to 57 points on Monday. 

• Andrew Bogut and Pattie Mills will receive special attention. Bogut, an up-and-coming post with Milwaukee, tallied 22 and 23 points against Russia and Lithuania earlier this week. The young Mills averaged an impressive 13 points in round robin play and gave Team USA trouble on August 5^th with his quickness. 

The pressure of single game elimination begins Wednesday. Look for the Americans to meet the challenge by advancing to Friday’s semi-finals and beyond.

What are your expectations for Team USA against Australia? Let us know in the comment box below and return to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of Stefan Kahlert.

On Saturday, I had a late nineties flashback when reading my man Shawn Kemp is back in basketball. Well, sort off. Turns out, Seattle’s ‘Reign Man’ inked a deal with an Italian club for 2008-09.

The Italian team Premiata Montegranaro announced on Sunday that 38-year-old Shawn Kemp has agreed to play for the team starting in November.

"I am happy that a player that has made basketball history would come to Montegranaro," coach Alessandro Finelli said.

Finelli believed that the six-time NBA All-Star, who last played in the NBA in 2002-03, could still contribute.

"He is very motivated," Finelli said. "And he has been staying in shape to show up at our camp in good shape." (ESPN)

The news got me reminiscing. Not too long ago Kemp was a superstar –in fact, he was the second best player in the 1996 Seattle-Chicago Final, where the Sonics took Michael Jordan’s Bulls to six games.

His personal issues soon set in. There were drugs and enough baby-mama-drama to keep Jerry Springer and Dr. Phil busy for an entire season. Unfortunately, these off-court issues overshadowed his explosive play, which reminds many of Orlando’s Dwight Howard.

The Howard comparison is interesting because Kemp has recently claimed he’s the best big man dunker ever. Watching the highlights he could be right. Notice I said could be.

Of course, Howard warrants consideration after winning the Slam Dunk Title last February. Year ago, Darryl Dawkins –another post who went from high school straight to the pros- tore up the NBA by breaking backboards and poster-jobbing opponents.

With Kemp back in basketball, we decided to re-ignite this classic debate. Who is the best big man dunker of all-time: Kemp, Howard or Dawkins?

Option 1: Shawn Kemp, the newest Italian.

Option 2: Dwight Howard throwing down in games.

Option 3: Darryl Dawkins also known as ’Chocolate Thunder’.

Kemp, Howard, or Dawkins? Who is the best big man dunker ever? Get at us in the comment box below and come back to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of majiscup. Part of this post has appeared before in HoopsVibe.