Stoudemire & Felton Destroy Nash's Suns

  Amar'e Stoudemire returned to Phoenix to show the Suns organization what they missed out on by not outbidding New York for his skills. He led the Knicks to their biggest blowout win of the season 121-96.

 Amar'e is an MVP candidate in New York and he's changed the Knicks from bottom dwellers to playoff contenders. Meanwhile, Suns point guard Steve Nash is going down with the Suns' ship. Phoenix is having their worst season since Nash's arrival. They've gutted their roster and every recently departed player has a better record with his new team than the Suns have.

 Nash, arguably the most overrated MVP in NBA history (twice), is now the subject of trade rumors. Some reports claim that the Knicks are interested in Nash.

 There was a time where it would've seemed that Knick coach Mike D'Antoni would love to have his old Phoenix point guard Nash running his fast paced offense in New York. But after what the Knicks did to the Suns on Friday night, D'Antoni must be feeling good about his departure from Phoenix as well as the players he has now compared to the somewhat limited talents of Nash.

 Knick poing guard Felton Spencer put any 'Nash to New York' rumors to rest by getting his first career triple double against the Suns. He finished with 23 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. His Phoenix counterpart had 14 points, 9 assists and only 2 rebounds. The Knick guard outplayed Nash up and down the court, silencing the Phoenix crowd.

 Nash played his usual soft matador defense and Felton took advantage and abused him all night. Slow and reluctant to play physical basketball, Nash was helpless in doing anything to stop Felton.

 When Nash's lack of defense failed, he resorted to his favorite soccer technique of flopping to get calls. That didn't work either. Fifteen years in the NBA and he still hasn't learned how to play defense. What kind of MVP is that?

 Nash and the Suns were outhustled and outworked by New York. The Knicks were up by eight points after the first quarter and 22 after the third. Suns owner Robert Sarver sulked in his courtside seats as reality set in that re-signing Amar'e should've been at the top of his 'to do' list last summer.

 The Knicks keep rolling towards the playoffs while Phoenix flounders into irrelevance. Friday night showed us more of the greatness of Amar'e and the emerging talents of Raymond Felton. It was also another example of how Nash has never been good at slowing down top point guards in the NBA.

Amar'e Stoudemire, the Suns' Real Star Returns to Phoenix

 Amar'e Stoudemire leads his New York Knicks into Phoenix to face Steve Nash and the rest of his old Suns teammates. The Knicks are 20-14 and Amar'e is a leading candidate in the MVP chase this season. Phoenix is 14-19 behind their ex-MVP Steve Nash.

 When Amar'e left Phoenix, there was rampant speculation that he would miss playing with Nash. Amar'e has proved that wrong in all ways. He's averaging career bests with 26.4 ppg and 2.5 apg. He's turned one of the league's worst teams around and made them relevant for the first time in a decade.

 Meanwhile Nash, the only MVP in NBA history never to play in the Finals, has struggled without Amar'e. The Suns are having their worst season since Nash's arrival in 2004. Granted they haven't found a suitable replacement for Amar'e in Phoenix. Yet Stoudemire has helped Raymond Felton become a top point guard in New York while Nash hasn't found a way to elevate anyone on the Suns in similar fashion.

 Dirk Nowitzki also saw a boost in numbers when Nash left the Mavericks in 2004. That season, he had his highest scoring average to that point and continued to elevate his game until he eventually became a more worthy MVP winner than Nash in 2007.

 Offensive minded basketball fans praise Nash as being one of the best point guards ever despite his horrendous defense. Nash is good at creating shots and passing. He's a great free throw shooter and excellent from downtown. Yet dominant big men like Stoudemire and Nowitzki seem to improve with less heralded point guards.

 Here's to Amar'e returning to Phoenix and giving Phoenix 50 reasons to miss him. Here's to Raymond Felton outclassing & outdishing Nash. Here's to the Knicks pushing Phoenix deeper into the abyss of rebuilding.

Sexy Knick Fan Tehmeena Afzal - video

 The New York Knicks are having their best season since 2000-01 when they finished with 48 wins. Part of their turnaround has to do with the outstanding play of new Knick Amar'e Stoudemire. The acquisition of point guard Raymond Felton has also boosted the Knicks' on-court production.

 Maybe there's a little double exxtra motivation from the online presence of Knick fans like Tehmeena Afzal. The Celtics have sexy fans like Eliza Dushku and Maria Menounos. The Lakers have a legion of hotties who love their champions. But do any of them show their love like Tehmeena does in her latest video?

 Tehmeena is 5'3" and 111 lbs of Knick fan fire from Pakistan. She grew up playing softball and now shows her love of sports by appearing in videos while wearing the gear of her favorite sports teams. This NFL season, she made a video in support of the New York Giants, but let's not hold that against her.

 Tehmeena is a welcome asset to the culture of New York Knick basketball. Spike Lee may be the #1 Knick fan and Woody Allen is solid fan as well. But Tehmeena brings sexy back to the Knicks. Here's to a deep Knicks playoff run and a special new postseason video from Tehmeena.

Amar'e Dunks On Celtics Erden, Electrifies MSG - video

 Amar'e Stoudemire rocked the rim at Madison Square Garden with a devastating dunk on Celtic center Semih Erden. The jam came off a smooth pick and roll with Knick point guard Raymond Felton. The play's execution may have made coach Mike D'Antoni forget about Steve Nash for good.
 Erden did his best Chris Bosh imitation and tried to escape the poster, but to no avail. Better to put a hand up and get dunked on than recoil and run away. Erden, fail.
 Stoudemire scored 39 points and extended his franchise record of consecutive of 30+ games to nine. The Knicks lost when Amar'e sank a three point shot 0.1 of a second too late. The loss snaps the Knicks winning streak at eight, their longest such streak since 1994.

 Moral victories don't mean much, but this game is a sign that basketball is back in a big way in New York City. Amar'e is playing better than any Knick since young Patrick Ewing and maybe even since Bernard King in the '80s. He's tied for the league lead in dunks with 53. He's third in the league in scoring (26.2 ppg), eighth in blocks (1.96 bpg) and tenth in double-doubles (12).
 The Miami Heat are up next. The Garden will be rocking in anticipation. Hopefully Amar'e will wreak thunder on Chris Bosh and the Knicks will stop the Heat's winning streak at ten.

Andrew Bogut Gets Revenge On Amar'e Stoudemire

 Andrew Bogut suffered one of the most horrific injuries in NBA history last year when he dislocated his right elbow, broke his right hand and sprained his right wrist after crashing to the floor on a dunk. Amar'e Stoudemire, then with the Phoenix Suns, nudged Bogut while he was in the air, leading to the disastrous fall of the Milwaukee Bucks' center.

 "He completely dismantled his elbow and wrist," said NBA announcer Mike Breen. "He will not get full range of motion back. It'll never go back to 100%."

 Bogut's injury is arguably the hardest video to watch in sports. Right up there with Joe Theismann's leg and LeBron James' "The Decision". Yet the Australian center has no problem watching his own agonizing fall. According to Breen, Bogut's approach is, "I don't care. I want to see what happened."

 Tuesday night, Bogut faced Stoudemire for the first time since suffering his injury. The two players met at midcourt for the pre-game Captain's meeting. Stoudemire asked Bogut if he was doing OK as they shook hands. Bogut briefly responded in the affirmative and the two returned to their warmup rituals. 

 

 The Bucks jumped out to a big early lead and outplayed the Knicks throughout the game. After being elbowed by Bogut while fighting for a rebound during the third quarter, Stoudemire lashed out at him and the Bucks' bench, drawing a technical foul. 

 "It was intentional," Stoudemire said of Bogut's flying elbows. "I think they might have amped him up to play very physical out there. That might have been the way he reacted on the court."

 Either that or Bogut remembers being pushed by the same Amar'e Stoudemire, leaving his arm in multiple fragments of agony.

 Bogut capped off a late third quarter, ten point Bucks run by blocking Stoudemire's and running the floor for an Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oye Oye Oye, outback mega dunk.

 A shattered elbow paid back with a tech inducing elbow. A broken hand repaid with a block and a monster slam. Missed playoffs avenged by serving Stoudemire his most lopsided defeat with the Knicks, 107-80. Bogut shot 5-5. The avenging dunk was his final bucket of the night. 

    

Derrick Rose Posterizes NY Knicks - Video

 Derrick Rose punished the NY Knicks for playing matador defense with a dramatic, emphatic jam. I bet even Michael Jordan's statue outside the United Center came alive off this one. Arguably the most devastating Chicago Bulls dunk since 1998 when M.J. left the building.
 Rose eviscerated Toney Douglas before posterizing Danilo Gallinari.
 Somewhere Slim Chin is lubed up and shrieking, "Daaayum that's freaky nice. Fast don't lie."
      

Gus Johnson Parts With The Knicks

Gus Johnson is out as the radio and part time TV voice of the NY Knicks. Johnson wanted more money and the Knicks balked. After estabslishing a tradition of overpaying Allan Houston, Eddy Curry and yes even Isiah Thomas, now the Knicks want to tighten up by not paying the best voice in basketball?
 A smarter move would've been to let the relatively bland Mike Breen go. Breen became the full time TV voice of the Knicks after chairman Jim Dolan became displeased with the calls of the legend Marv Albert. A thirty-seven year vet of calling classic Knick games, Albert was released because he criticized the lackluster play of the Knicks in 2004. That was also the first year of the Isiah Thomas era. Albert was released for telling the truth.
 Gus Johnson is the most exciting broadcaster in sports. As great as Marv Albert still is, Gus has taken the art of basketball calls to a higher level. He's also among the elite when announcing football and mixed martial arts. He's even the voice of choice on Madden 11.
 It was fun while it lasted in NY. Gus will continue on to bigger and better things. Hopefully he'll bump Jim Nantz as the lead voice during March Madness.
 For Knicks fans who can't get enough Gus, click here for Gus sound bites.
 Enjoy a taste of Gus calling the most exciting play during his Knicks tenure.
 
    

Isiah Thomas Will Never Die

 Isiah Thomas will never die. 

 Isiah Lord Thomas III. 

 I.T. will never die.

 

 Thomas won his first major basketball championship under ogre coach Bobby Knight at Indiana University. As he accepted an award for his excellent play under Knight, Thomas publicly thanked his coach for teaching him the effectiveness of expressions like "fuck you" and "asshole." Knight laughed. Isiah survived.

 Isiah joined the Pistons in the NBA and became one of the best and most popular point guards of his era. He was the smiling pretty boy on a team of brutes & thugs like Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Rick Mahorn. He was the leader of a thuggish rebel coup who masked the insanity of the Bad Boys with laughter.

 He used to smooch Magic Johnson at midcourt before their head to head battles. The two point guard studs hung out together, partied together and loved on each other even more than LeBron James & Chris Paul do.

 At some point, Magic turned against Isiah, but didn't let the Bad Boys' leader know. The usually friendly and charismatic Johnson eventually aired the dirt on his disdain for Thomas in a book. Magic's usually a classy guy. Somehow Isiah brought out the darkness in him. Maybe it started with this exchange of hard fouls.

 Isiah and the Bad Boys were known for rough, physical & aggressive play. Magic retaliated with his book. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen got revenge by denying Isiah a spot on the original Dream Team. 

 Karl Malone's revenge may have been the sweetest when he delivered this vicious elbow leading to 40 stitches and plastic surgery for Thomas.

 Isiah's rep as a dirty player didn't hurt him as he moved into the front office phase of career. He became a part-owner and GM of the expansionToronto Raptors. While he was successful in drafting Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire and future all-stars Marcus Camby and Tracy McGrady, he left the struggling Raptors after a failed bid for increased ownership and a dispute over the team's direction.

 Unable to buy an NBA team, Thomas went for a whole league when he purchased the CBA in 1999 for $10 million. The league had been in operation since 1946 and had been acting as a successful, unofficial farm-like system for the NBA since the early '80s.

 Within 2 years of Isiah's leadership, the league was dead and bankrupt thanks to his mismanagement.

 Isiah escaped unscathed and was hired by Donnie Walsh to coach the Indiana Pacers. He coached Reggie Miller and company into the playoffs in all three of his seasons. His former on-court nemesis Larry Bird took over as president of the Pacers in 2003 and his first move was to fire Isiah. Somewhere, Magic and Michael were laughing. 

 Six months later, Isiah was named President of the Knicks. Personal turmoil with players crept up again when Stephon Marbury threatened revenge on Isiah for benching him. On the team plane, an angry Marbury told his teammates, "Isiah has to start me. I've got so much shit on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can fuck me. But I'll fuck him first. You have no idea what I know."

 Marbury didn't end up snitching on Isiah, who'd already cost the Knicks $11 million in a sexual harrassment case with team executive Anucha Brown Sanders. Thomas was eventually relinquished of coaching and front office duties after leading the Knicks to their worst season ever. He avoided full dismissal when Knicks' owner Jim Dolan kept him on the payroll as a scout.

 In July of 2010 after a year of coaching collage ball, Isiah returned to New York to try to help the Knicks woo LeBron. They failed with LeBron's people saying that the Knicks' presentation was poorly prepared and disorganized.

 Dolan rewarded Isiah by hiring him as a consultant in recruiting next year's top free agents like Carmelo Anthony. Knicks fans are left wondering why.

 On the mean streets of Chicago and under the fiery tutelage of Bobby Knight, Isiah survived. Despite feeling the wrath of NBA greats Michael, Magic & Larry, Isiah thrived. Franchises crumbled and leagues died while Isiah stays alive. 

 Isiah Thomas will never die.

    

Knicks Back In The Star Business

 In December of 2000, I was a NY Knicks fan living in Manhattan. I rooted for the Knicks because the team had been fun to watch for years and the city got even livelier when they were successful. From the Oakley/Mason/Starks years to the Sprewell/Camby/LJ years, Patrick Ewing led a squad that played hard physical ball & threatened to beat anyone on any given night. 

 In 2000, general manager Scott Layden was in his 2nd season with the Knicks. His only noteworthy transaction at that point was one that would curse the Knick franchise for years. In September 2000, Layden traded legendary center and lifetime Knick Patrick Ewing for a tired Glen Rice, an old Luc Longley and trade filler like Travis Knight. 

 While the Knicks were looking for a new direction with only the injury prone Longley and offensively challenged Marcus Camby manning the paint, Sacramento Kings superstar power forward Chris Webber was in the last year of a deal with the Kings. He'd made it known that he planned to test free agency at the end of the season. He'd also flirted with the idea of reuniting with Sprewell in NY since they'd enjoyed playing together with the Warriors in the '90s. 

 On December 27, 2000, I went to see the Knicks play in D.C. against the Wizards. The game was sparsely attended as the Wizards were having a bad season. I sat about 20 rows up from the sidelines near mid court. 

 Early in the game, I noticed general manager Scott Layden sitting a couple rows in front of me to my left. I considered the fans in NY who were desperate for another championship run and knew deep down that the Longley/Camby combo wouldn't do it down low. On behalf of my NY brothers & sisters, I seized a chance to try to sway Layden into making a move for Webber.

 In the middle of the first quarter, sitting in my seat with Layden a few rows ahead in his, I began my gentle approach. 

 "Chris Webber."

 I said his name out loud in the middle of a game he had no part of. Nobody except my girlfriend noticed. 

 A few minutes later, I said it again. "Chris Webber."

 In the 2nd quarter, I said it louder. "Chris Webber." Still nobody really paid attention. 

 The game was methodical with the Knicks handling the Wizards relatively easily. All that was unusual was the lone fool saying "Chris Webber" intermittently and slightly louder each time.

In the fourth quarter with the Knicks clearly in command of the game, I increased the volume and frequency.

 "Chris Webber. Chris Webber."

 A few people turned around and looked, wondering if I'd joined Marion Barry on crack. Layden continued watching the game in a general management haze. I had to make it plain.

 "Hey Scott Layden," I yelled out in the waning minutes.

 He turned around and looked up through his glasses & right at me in my Sprewell jersey. 

 "Sign Chris Webber!" I exclaimed. 

 The surrounding Wizards fans, also desperate for their own basketball savior, laughed in appreciation. 

 The Knick g.m. smirked and turned back around to watch the game.

 Layden didn't listen. After a 1st round playoff exit that season, the Knicks re-signed aging SG Allan Houston to a 6 year $100 million contract despite the fact that no other teams were interested in paying him anywhere near that much. Webber re-signed with the Kings and averaged 24 pts &10 boards the next season. He barely missed the finals, losing to the Lakers in 7.

 Subsequent moves in Layden's tenure included trading future defensive player of the year Camby for an injured & unwanted Antonio McDyess, trading tenacious Sprewell for softy Keith Van Horn, and trading 6'8" Glen Rice for the salary cap disaster guards Howard Eisley & Shandon Anderson. 

 Layden's inability to land top players in a star driven town like NY as well as his fascination with bad trades & salary cap woes put the Knicks on the road to ruin. Isiah Thomas took the baton from Layden in 2003 and finished the destruction by acquiring nightmares like Eddy Curry & Stephon Marbury.

 Enter current Knick general manager Donnie Walsh. This North Carolina & Dean Smith product has dedicated his life to the game and business of basketball. He'd been a very successful general manager for the Pacers getting them to 16 out of 17 playoffs during his tenure. He came to New York ready to unload bad contracts, end the era of bad deals, and bring star players back to Madison Square Garden.

 Last weekend, he made the first bold free agency move for the Knicks in decades. The arrival of Amar'e Stoudemire marks the first time that the Knicks have walked away with a top coveted free agent since Bernard King hit NY in a sign & trade with the Warriors in 1982. 

 The Knicks still need to make more moves, but this first one is a great start. Donnie Walsh is on his game & the Knicks should be on their way to selling tickets again.

 If Walsh sleeps at any point, I'll find him in the stands and put names in his brain.

 "Carmelo.

 "Carmelo.

 "Carmelo."

    

NY Say Buh Bye To Bron Bron

 Mike D'Antoni said that he joined Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh and owner James Dolan in trying to put LeBron "in a New York state of mind" at their meeting on Thursday. Is he the last "New Yorker" that doesn't know it's now the Empire State of Mind? D'Antoni left the meeting adding, "I'm glad we're not considered a lead horse, nothing personal." How's that for confidence?

 NY has minimal chance of landing LeBron. New Yorkers tell themselves over and over that it's the greatest city in the world and the center of the universe. They say it's the best place to be a champion. Besides the Yankees and that lucky drive by the Giants, what does NY know about champions in LeBron's lifetime? 

 NY is only LeBron's best chance for overblown expectations and media headaches. Ask Brett Favre. The Knicks will show no loyalty when LeBron fails to bring a championship. Ask Patrick Ewing. And no matter how many commercials and Saturday Night Live appearances he does, LeBron's ringlessness will leave him dethroned as king of New York. Ask Derek Jeter. 

 I'm just wondering how many season ticket packages will be sold on the strength of David Lee and Raymond Felton as the Knicks' prize signings of 2010. 

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Cap City

From Mark Cuban to Pat Riley, Jay-Z to Donnie Walsh, NBA front office hustlers are ready to make deals with players who are looking to get made and paid. Armed with salary cap room and hype machines, teams are hours from unleashing furious sales pitches to sign a variety of all-stars. Championships won't be guaranteed, but ticket sales will.

Here's how the big front office players are stacked up on Free Agency Eve.

Once Dwyane Wade opts out of his contract, the Heat will have an astonishingly low payroll of less than $6 million for only 2 players, Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers. They have the most cap room, Pat Riley's influence, the lure of Wade already being a winner there, and the weather and vibe of Miami. They are possibly in the best position to capitalize on this summer of the stars. 

 

Jay Z and his Russian financier have gotten the Nets' payroll down to only $19.8 million. Rising stud Brook Lopez will only make $5 million over the next 2 years. Cap space is a plus but spending 2 years in Newark may be a challenge. 

The Knicks have also slashed their payroll with only the last year of Eddy Curry's hefty deal weighing them down. Yet owner Jimmy Dolan has created an atmosphere of losing that may destroy the lure of playing in the so-called Mecca of basketball Madison Sq. Garden.

The Chicago Bulls are stuck with 4 more years of Luol Deng for $50 million, but they have Derrick Rose cheap for the next 2 years and one more season with Noah making $3.1 million. They have cap space and a storied tradition behind them, but loyalty concerns surround the franchise.

The Clippers have cleared decent cap space but they're stuck paying Baron Davis $40 million over the next 3 years. Chris Kaman is a decent big man, but also expensive at $23 million over the next 2 years. Factor in their history of disasters and who wants to play on a jinxed team with the underachieving and overpaid?

And then there's the sadness of the Mavs and Cavs. Dirk Nowitzki is opting out of Dallas and even without his huge contract, they're still maxed out with Dampier, Terry, Butler, Kidd and making $47 million between them. Cuban doesn't mind the luxury tax, but his team won't be much better with or without Dirk next season.

The Cavs are similarly strapped with LeBron opting out, leaving Cleveland with Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams and Varejao for multiple years of $35+ million combined. If they re-sign James, how will they improve? If they lose him, the franchise and city are heading further into an abyss.

Even more teams will undoubtedly play a big part in the coming roster shuffles. Speculation will happen, signing will happen and again, amazing will happen. This time next year, who will be the studs and who will be the duds? We're 82 games from finding out.

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LeBron's Message To New York

LeBron James sent a message to New York Knick fans at the press conference for his 2nd MVP award. He received the award in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, 45 minutes from where the Cavs play. Here are some quotes:

"Since I was a kid, I always said I'd find a way to put Akron on the map. It will always be my home and it will always be my life."

"Akron, Ohio is my home. Akron, Ohio will always be remembered. Akron, Ohio is my life and I love this city."

"This is home for me. I love this place to death. Every day I wake up, I understand that I'm not just carrying myself but I'm also carrying this city to bigger and better heights. No matter where life may head me, I'm never gone from here."

Still not getting it Knick fans? Here's a translation:

LeBron was lucky to be drafted by Cleveland. He continued on with life as he had known it and has become an international star while remaining a hometown hero. His mother stayed with the life she had known as did LeBron's girlfriend who he's been with since high school.

New Yorkers like to tell themselves that there's nothing like winning in New York. As with many things in NYC, that notion is overblown and exaggerated. It's been 37 years since the Knicks won the title. Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, San Antonio, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle have all won titles since. Those championships meant as much to those players and fans as the two titles NY won in the 70s. Would Tim Duncan be a greater champion had he won in New York? Would Bill Laimbeer be less hated had he been a Knick champ? 

Winning a championship anywhere is massive. Just because NY is the biggest city in America doesn't mean that winning a championship there means more. Just because Madison Square Garden is considered the Mecca of basketball doesn't mean that a victory wearing blue and orange there counts for more.

LeBron also said, "The only reason I do what I do on the court is to compete for an NBA championship. I understand that until I won that I won't go down as one of the greatest players ever. That's my only goal right now. This is the closest I've been to it."

Why would a guy who is that dedicated to winning a championship leave a team that appears to be destined for its 2nd finals appearance to go play for a terrible team? The Knicks haven't had a winning record since 2001. They've had less than 30 wins 3 of the last 5 years. They have no star players, one overrated role player in David Lee and a coach who failed to get to the finals with another MVP, Steve Nash. What would compel LeBron to leave his hometown area and home state that he loves to go play for a team as bad as the Knicks? 

If Knicks owner James Dolan wants to cut James in on a large chunk of ownership, the Knicks have a shot. Otherwise, Knick fans should get over it. Regardless of whether he wins a title this year or not, LeBron will do no more than tease the Knicks to increase his value before re-signing with Cleveland. 

Knick Fans, Wade Is Now Available

Most Knick fans are excited about the possibility of signing LeBron James during the coming off-season. Message to New Yorkers- even if Beyonce left Jay Z for him, even if Mayor Bloomberg renamed it the Empire of LeBron Building, James is not leaving the Cleveland. He'll toy with any team that wants to boost his value and ego, but he'll ultimately stay at home. He idolizes Michael Jordan and calls financial genius Warren Buffet for advice. Jordan is now working back home in Carolina and Buffet never left Nebraska. James knows the value of home and family and he will stay loyal to the Cavs who have done everything they can to make him happy in Ohio.

Dwyane Wade is a more realistic, and possibly better option for New York anyway.

He's a finals MVP champion who continues to make the playoffs with little help and disappointing results. He's craving a new environment more than LeBron because he knows what winning feels like and he knows how far the Heat are from a title.

Wade will rock the Garden with the best dunks by a Knick since Sprewell's open court 2 handed mega dunks. He's athletic and will do well in D'Antoni's system. He'll be the best defensive player D'Antoni's ever coached. His presence will make NY more enticing for Chris Bosh or Amar'e Stoudemire. If David Lee stays with the Knicks, he will be an even better player alongside Wade.

Miami fans got to see Wade at his best in his last home game. 46 points & 5 assists in an all out effort to avoid playoff elimination at home. He left it all on the court to the delight of the party crowd.

Now it's time to move on to bigger and better. 

Miami's got beaches, parties & fun. Coney Island ain't much, but the parties and fun are even bigger in NY. Champions in New York are celebrated royally with media blasting the news louder than anywhere else. 

Besides, New Yorkers hate Boston and the Celtics just knocked Wade out of the playoffs. What could be a better fit?