Lakers

Apparently there are two different Supermen in the NBA, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal.

But there is room for both if Men of Steel can acknowledge each other and Howard seems okay with that. Howard and O’Neal had been battling verbally over who deserves the title more, but Howard said on Sunday before the NBA All-Star Game that the battle between both over the “Superman” tag is over.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is teaming up with Nike and soccer stars Didier Drogba, Andrei Arshavin, Clint Dempsey, Denilson, Marco Materazzi, Javier Mascherano, Fabio Cannavaro, and tennis star Maria Sharapova to help millions of people with AIDS.

Bryant and the other athletes are encouraging people and fans worldwide to participate in Nike’s “Lace Save Lives” campaign. The funds from the imitative will help to fight AIDS in Africa and help people already affected by AIDS live longer and fuller lives.

Boston Celtics will be glad once their forward Kevin Garnett returns to the court on Friday as planned. Garnett who returned to practice is optimistic about his return and his familiar voice could be heard around the practice facility Tuesday as the team scrimmage after their 99-90 home loss Monday night to the Dallas Mavericks.

“When it comes to intensity, I don’t have to try,” Garnett said. “That’s just something that’s instilled in me and that I do naturally.”

Apparently even before he plays an NBA regular season game this year, Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady is on pace to becoming an NBA All-Star next year in February when the event hits the Cowboys stadium in Arlington, TX.

McGrady so far has not played a single minute for the 12-9 Rockets which picked up Trevor Ariza during the offseason.

The New Jersey Nets after losing 117-101 Wednesday night at home to the Dallas Mavericks have set the record for the worst start to an NBA season at 0-18.

Before Wednesday night’s game, the Nets had matched the 1988-89 Miami Heat team and the Los Angeles Clippers of the 1999 season as the teams with the worst start in NBA history. Now, those two teams are no longer in the books as New Jersey holds the record with another loss to Dallas.

The New Jersey Nets have not only matched the current winless record in the NBA going 0-17, they just moved Kiki Vandeweghe to their head coach position for the rest of the regular season.

According to Yahoo! Sports who had first reported that Vandeweghe was leaning toward accepting the position, the GM’s coaching staff would include Del Harris who has held some key head coaching and assistant positions in the NBA.

According to ESPN.com, NBA guard and All-Star player Allen Iverson is planning to retire from the game of basketball since on suitor has come out to sign him when he cleared waivers.

ESPN is reporting per Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and nationally syndicated radio host Stephen A. Smith that Iverson, through his representatives have informed him [Smith] of the former Philadelphia, Denver, Detroit and Memphis guard’s intentions to retire from the NBA.

According to reports from Yahoo! Sports, Houston Rockets star guard Tracy McGrady plans to return to playing in the NBA and the Rockets lineup by November 18. Following a microfracture surgery in February that ended his NBA season, McGrady wants to be back on the court to help a surprise Houston.

McGrady, who announced to team mates and the media at the same time his plans to have his left knee surgically repaired, has rehabilitated his knee for eight months and without Yao Ming injured and out of the picture, head coach Rick Alderman does need McGrady back and soon.

With Lamar Odom was recently married to a reality TV star and the addition of alleged troublesome player Ron Artest, some pundits have mentioned it would be difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers to repeat as NBA champions.

During the Lakers media day, Artest, who was a free agent this offseason and signed with Los Angeles, had a mask with a Los Angeles Dodgers emblem over his face with a bat in the hand. The criticism by most is maybe he is not stable and they wondered what he would do with it.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has signed a multi-year deal to become the official company spokesman and global trading card ambassador for the Panini Group, the NBA’s exclusive trading card partner.

Bryant’s agreement with Panini includes autographs, memorabilia, and a joint charitable component. Both sides hope that the deal will help to re-ignite the trading card industry and collectibles market both in the United States and Internationally.