That's right the big Shaq-Diesel was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion, as well as Marcus Banks this past Tuesday. Some Phoenix fans are scratching their heads as to whether or not this is was a good idea, especially since Phoenix has been known as a quick, fast-paced team. Now with shaq on the court, things will obviously slow down and their style of play will have to be altered. Other Suns fans feel it to be a great trade. I mean, who can stop Shaq when he is throwing elbows down in the paint? He will cause a double team to be drawn and give sharp-shooter Steve Nash an even better opportunity at nailing the 'trey'. Suns players are happy with the trade as well as Shaq,  looking to win his 5th NBA championship.

On February 1st, the Lakers negotiated with Memphis owner Chris Wallace and ended up trading his superstar Gasol for the Lakers Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, draft rights to Pau's brother, Marc, and 1 first round picks in 2008 and 2010. Was it worth it? LA fans seems to think so as they are lacking a good postman, while A. Bynum sits on the sidelines with his injury. When he comes back the Lakers will be able to run two seven-footers and 6'10" Lamar Odom as small forward. Whose gonna be able to contend against that? Did I mention superstar Kobe Bryant as the shooting guard along with sharp-shooter Derek Fisher running the point?

Tuesday was Kobe's 2 year anniversary where he scored a career and franchise history game high of 81 points. Only 1 other player has scored more points in a single game, and that was Wilt Chamberlain, who holds the NBA's record of 100 points. It is unlikely that anyone will ever break that record or even come close, but for those of you who saw Kobe achieve this phenomenal record, it was quite a spectacle to see.

        EAST                          WEST                      

1. Boston (30-5)             1. Dallas (26-11)
2. Detroit (28-10)           2. Phoenix (26-11)
3. Orlando (23-16)          3. LA Lakers (25-11)
4. Toronto (20-17)          4. New Orleans (25-12)
5. Washington (19-16)    5. San Antonio (24-11)

For those of you who like to bet on NBA teams, there are a few teams out there that are sure winners. First off, you can't ever really go wrong betting on the Boston Celtics who are dominating the league this year, winning over 90% of their games. A few other teams that are doing well, especially at home, are the Portland Trailblazers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the SA Spurs, all with a home record of 16-3 or better. The best road team to put money on are the Orlando Magic, the only team with 15 road wins. For some reason they seem to play a whole lot better away than they do at home. Another team who has turned up the heat is the Detroit Pistons, winning 9 of their last 10 games. They are the only team thus far that has beaten the unstoppable Celtics at home, and continue to pose a threat to the rest of the league. They have recently won several NBA championships and they know what it takes to be the best.

The Portland Trailblazers are on fire topping off the weekend with 8 strait wins, notably taking down the the Utah Jazz twice, as well as the Denver Nuggets. The two-time player of the week Brandon Roy has been a key factor in leading this team to many of their victories and has been averaging 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. Even though the Blazers will be without their Ohio superstar Greg Oden (knee surgery), their future still looks bright as many of their players have stepped up their level of intensity.

Vick Sentenced to 23 Months in Prison

On Monday, December 10, Michael Vick was sentenced to federal prison on charges of dog fighting, as well as illicit gambling, which could end up terminating his football career. Vick admitted to assisting in the killings of 8 dogs that didn't do well in test fights, as well as funding most of the 'Bad Newz Kennels' operation. He also tested positive for marijuana during his trail day, not a good thing, especially when hoping for a better parole. It's sad to see such talent go to waste... who knows if we wil ever see this quaterback in action again.