The Michael Jordan Collection, Part 2

I posted "The MJ Collection, Part 1" the other day, and here is the rest of my collectibles/memorabilia, all of my favorite items! (Before I get too far into Part 2, just wanted to say a special thanks to my mom and dad for helping me collect all of these items!)
Enjoy!

And now the truly collectible items:



Limited edition Upper Deck photo commemorating Bulls 70 Win season -





Set of 6 Upper Deck MJ cans (unopened) containing UD cards -




Photo commemorating "The First Shot" -

 

Limited edition MJ lunchbox (still sealed in plastic) -

 

Gold coin commemorating Bulls 5th championship, and 3 gold player coins (Jordan, Pippen and Rodman) -

 

Limited edition mini-basketball celebrating the Bulls 70 win season -

 

Limited edition MJ watch (still has the plastic over the face) -

 

Plaque commemorating MJ's career, containing limited edition gold MJ stamp -

 

Close-up of that stamp -

 

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Limited edition, hand-painted plates:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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And finally, the items that make my collection unique, the MJ basketball cards:

The first Jordan card I ever owned:

 

on plaques:

 

Lots of random Jordan cards collected from card shows/shops:

 

Random over-sized MJ cards:

 

Baseball rookie and basketball comeback:

 

23k gold card commemorating 70-win season:

 

My personal favorite random MJ cards -

 

 

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Set of 5 all metal basketball cards, with metal case:

 

Baseball version:

 

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"Michael's Marquee Matchups" & "Michael's Viewpoints" (both still sealed) -

 

Filmstrip-style set commemorating MJ's career -




Favorites from that set -




"Rare Air" (90 card set) -




Some of my favorites from that set -





"Jordan Tribute" (30 card set from Upper Deck) -





Personal favorites from that set -




Over-sized 10-card "Greater Heights" set -





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2 sets of Upper Deck "Michael Jordan Career Set" and "23 Nights: The Jordan Experience" (all 3 boxes still sealed) -





3 wax-sealed box sets of North Carolina cards (at least 2 MJ cards in each box, still sealed) -



Autographed card -





2 Rookie cards -





MJ's Final Floor: Limited edition 23k gold card that has a piece of the court from Utah (1998 NBA Finals Game 6 - MJ's last game)embedded in the card -

Kevin Jones out for season with an ankle

Bears' Jones out for season

Looks like Forte's reps will be up again this year:

Jones injured his ankle as he jumped out of bounds during Thursday night's game against the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field. He left the game, and while X-rays on the ankle were negative, an MRI done Friday morning revealed a torn ligament, according to the Post.

Jones was penciled in as the backup to second year starter/dreamboat Matt Forte. But in an attempt to avoid injury by jumping out of the way of a hit on Thursday night, he ironically hurt his ankle and prematurely ended his season.

I don't think this will have a major effect on the Bears' offense this year. Forte is a workhorse and has Wolfe and the OAP ("Other Adrian Peterson") behind him. Both capable backups.

This also opens up an intriguing dilemna for the Bears with final cuts looming. Before the injury, the Bears were planning on keeping 4 RBs and 1 FB and 5 WRs. Brandon Rideau, a player getting alot of attention in camp, was thought to be the 6th WR and odd man out. The Bears were more than likely not going to cut their two newly drafted WRs because draft status is highly touted in Halas Hall. So that means, between Juaquin Iglesias and Johnny Knox, at least one of them would take a roster spot with the other heading to the practice squad. Jones' injury opens up a slot...so the decision needs to be made whether the Bears want to:

1) keep a 2nd FB...which, unless they want to keep the combo TE/FB Michael Gaines, doesn't make a whole ton of sense
2) keep the 5th best RB in camp who will likely get no significant PT and won't help
3) keep Rideau, who is the Bears' biggest WR, as a 6th WR

If you can't tell, I'm leaning towards option 3. The RB position is settled....Forte is the starter. The backups would end up just splitting the touches that were leftover. However, we really don't know what we are getting out of our WRs. Hester is our no. 1 and he's barely a professional receiver yet. Bennett is a solid no. 2 and Cutler is comfortable with him already.

After that, does anyone really know what production the Bears are going to get from Aromashodu, Rashied Davis (being a special teams stud helps him keep a spot) and which of the two rookies isn't on the practice squad (probably Knox for his special teams upside)? Cutler likes Aromashodu now...but if one of them isn't working out, why wouldn't you want to put a guy like Rideau on the squad in case there's a shakeup at the WR position?


I don't think Rideau is practice squad eligible because he's entering his 4th season:

According to league policy, only certain types of players are allowed to sign to the practice squad. Players cannot have played more than nine regular season games or been on the active roster for an entire year, nor can players be allowed to spend more than two seasons on the same team's squad unless that team's active roster never dips below 53 players.

EDIT: Rideau was literally cut hours after making this post. So you just wasted your time reading this.

BullBearSock... IRISH!

While the title of this blog remains Bull Bear Sock, we continue to write about all things sports. At least until our other blog FireHawkSky takes off. Last night the college football season kicked off, and while most people in major metropolitan areas yawn over this, it's a HUGE deal to most areas that don't have an NFL team (see: Detroit).

For those of you who don't care about college football because you don't have a legitimate team to cheer for, let me make my bandwagon case for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

I've spent my whole life with an unhealthy obsession for Notre Dame Football. I grew up cheering for the Irish because my Grandfather actually graduated from Notre Dame in '49 and had a brief stint playing for the Blue and Gold.

-This of course left me gloriously disheartened and extremely spiteful when they jumped the admissions standards 10-fold, and left me and 98% of the other high school applicants on the southside of Chicago at the doorstep, Rocket Ismail jerseys in hand. But seven years later (not still bitter or anything) I'm completely over it, and I've realized since than that you don't need to go to Notre Dame to be a fan of their football team.

A couple buddies of mine, Eric and Sprout, are hosts of The Subway Alumni Show. Subway Alumni was a term that was coined to describe a fan of a college team who didn't attend or graduate from that institution. It was first used to describe the many New York City fans who followed Notre Dame football.

Eric and Sprout are now in their second season and are pretty much overnight celebrities (much like the writers of BullBearSock) on Notre Dame's campus. None of this has anything to do with why you should be a Notre Dame football fan, but if you are...or inquiring to be, check out their show. It's an entertaining look at ND football and offers drunken analysis... which is exactly what you get here.

Anyways, back to why you should cheer for the Irish every September. It's the most storied college football team in the sport. Seven Heisman winners, 11 National Championships, Touchdown Jesus, Knute Rockne, the Golden Dome. Notre Dame is college football, and it's only an hour outside of Chicago. If you haven't been to an ND game for a tailgate, I implore you to go. A Saturday morning in South Bend on game day is a religious experience.

Sure, recently the only college football relevancy the Irish have had has been as a punchline, but this year should be a good year for them. I'll be there this weekend to watch them take on Nevada. Hopefully I'll remember to bring my camera and post some pictures. Official Bull Bear Sock (Irish) prediction 10-2.

GO IRISH! BEAT WOLFPACK!

23 Michael Jordan HOF Links

-1-
Bulls.com MJ HOF Index ...

-2- Contains this new info -

Bulls legend Michael Jordan, basketball’s greatest player ever, is among a class of five named for enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Class of 2009 will be inducted during festivities in Springfield, MA September 10-12, 2009. Coverage

Chicago, IL (August 31, 2009) – Comcast SportsNet, the television home of the Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs and White Sox, will provide viewers with a two-day celebration of Michael Jordan’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with complete game telecasts of five of his greatest games in a Bulls uniform, along with a pair of original, half-hour Comcast SportsNet specials chronicling his unsurpassed basketball career. This comprehensive, two-day programming event entitled 23 Hours of MJ: A Hall of Fame Celebration begins Thursday, September 10 at 5:30 PM with a Jordan-focused edition of Chicago Tribune Live hosted by David Kaplan and concludes on Friday, September 11, also with Chicago Tribune Live at 5:30 PM, featuring SportsNite’s Mark Schanowski reporting live from the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Springfield, MA.

Set your DVRs!




Also liked these links from bulls.com ...

-3- Paxson on MJ -

Paxson also pointed out that Jordan has never been given enough credit for how intelligent of a basketball player he was, constantly aware of game and clock situations. His leadership was highly evident even when play was stopped, as he was always the most vocal player during timeouts. In addition, the communication that existed between Jordan and Pippen on the floor allowed them to talk through a lot of game situations.

Not only was it Jordan’s ability and talent that made him the best of the best, it was his desire to put it all on the line when it mattered most.

“He always wanted to take the big shot and he was never afraid of failing,” said Paxson. “If you could get into the minds of a lot of players in this league, whether they are playing now or used to play, to take on the pressure of making the big plays that count with that amount of consistency just didn’t happen very often. He just accepted it.”

-4- Phil on MJ -

Jackson, for the most part, stays away from the Kobe versus Michael debate. But the coach with an NBA-record ten championships was clear about his opinion on Jordan’s contributions.

“I don’t think anybody will ever really touch what Michael has done for the game,” he said when asked if Kobe or LeBron James could ever vie for Jordan’s “best-ever” title. “They may be able to break a record he had or maybe win more championships. Michael was 28 when he won his first championship, and LeBron could win one before he reaches that age and have a chance at winning more than six. But Michael’s image as a player will always stand and his greatness will never be superseded.”

For Jackson, Jordan’s defining moment came during the team’s first championship run in 1991. After losing the series opener in Chicago, the Bulls won four straight games to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1, in the Finals. During the fifth and deciding game, the Bulls faced a resilient Lakers team on their homecourt.

“We got stalled,” he recalled. “The Lakers were damn sure that Michael wasn’t going to beat them and stacked their defense against him. When I called a timeout, we talked a little bit about it on the bench. I asked him to tell me who was open because of how they were crowding him. He said Paxson. He knew it. I said, ‘OK,’ and that’s all I had to say.”

Jordan promptly fed Paxson for several jump shots, who connected on four-of-five down the stretch and finished with 20 points in 33 minutes.

-5-
Reisndorf on MJ -

It was his will to win that Reinsdorf saw in Jordan, a trait that Reinsdorf believes drove Jordan to be the best of the best.

“There probably have been players with similar skills to his, although I doubt there has ever been a player as good offensively and defensively as Michael,” Reinsdorf said from his U.S. Cellular Field office. “The thing that separated him from all the other athletes I’ve ever seen was his desire to win.”

-6-
ESPN HOF Index ...
Includes a -7- ZOOM photo gallery.

Already bought -8- this magazine, and it's worth the $10 -

When is the last time you bought a Beckett magazine? As a matter of fact, do you even know what Beckett is? If you collected sports cards growing up and wanted to stay up to date with the value of your cards, Beckett was the go-to book.

A number of magazines are paying homage to Michael Jordan’s induction into the Hall of Fame by placing MJ on the cover of their September ‘09 issue. The image above gives you a peak at the Air Jordan section that was done by SoleCollector. SC put together a feature which they priced out every colorway of each original Air Jordan, based on market value, rarity, nostalgia and completed auction prices.

-9-
MJ HOF Gatorade bottle -

As we all know, Michael Jordan will officially be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame on September 11th, 2009. Recently, we have seen everything from magazine covers, sneaker packs, look books and other things that are associated with the induction. In the same manner, we have now spotted a one-of-a-kind collectible Michael Jordan Hall of Fame Gatorade bottle on eBay.

Similar to the Michael Jordan Gatorade Cooler Set that surfaced in July, this bottle features MJ’s signature along with a photo of him. This time, the photo is of Jordan shooting the ‘Last Shot’ against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals (Byron Russell is nowhere to be found in the picture). There is still two days left on this collectible, so head on over to eBay to bid now

-10- Top 10 MJ dunks - (click to watch video).

Should MJ be inducted ALONE?! -
-11- Scoop Jackson says YES -

"Why me?"

That has to be what all of them are thinking. David Robinson. John Stockton. Cynthia Cooper. Don Nelson. The Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2009 will be announced Monday, and all the other candidates must be thinking: "Why do I have to share what should be the greatest day in my career with him?" None of them will ever say it out loud, but they'd be something other than human if they weren't feeling that way.

MJ certainly isn't your ordinary Hall of Famer.

That "him" is special, though. In fact, he's more than special; he's beyond that. What that "him" has done is something no one else has done, before or since. He eclipsed damn near everything that everyone else has accomplished in the game. That old saying, "No one remembers who comes in second"? Well, no one remembers anything anyone else did if he or she played or coached during the Era of Jordan.

And that's just a fact we all have to live with. A fact the other players and coaches who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Michael Jordan in September have to live with. The same fact they've had to live with for most of their careers.

At this point, hasn't it become a little unfair? Unfair to them? Unfair to the game?

It's like, "Damn, can we please catch a break?"

Which is why the Hall of Fame -- if it really cares about players and being true to transcendence of the game -- should induct Jordan alone.

Solo. By himself. With no one else.

-12- MJ Moments from ESPN -




Last week I posted -13- "The Michael Jordan Collection, Part 1" ... The 'limited-edition-collectibles and cards' side of my collection will be dropping next Tuesday in "Part 2".



-14- An oral history of MJ -

The first time I saw him, the summer before his freshman year, we were playing pickup games on campus. We all knew about him, but I'm from New York, and he looked like a scrawny country bumpkin from North Carolina.
-- Sam Perkins, Jordan's UNC teammate

When people ask me if I knew Michael would become a Hall of Fame player when I recruited him to play at North Carolina, I laugh and say, "Who did?" He was an exceptionally quick athlete who improved every year ... Of course, he made the game-winner against Georgetown as a freshman to help us win the national championship, but he didn't become a confident shooter until years later after he worked so hard on that part of his game. To be sure, one of the things that made him such a great player is his competitive fire.
-- Dean Smith, UNC coach

-15- SI Bulls/MJ covers.


Also already ordered -16- this collector's edition SLAM -

Yesterday we reported on the Beckett Michael Jordan Hall of Fame tribute issue, and today we shed light on the SLAM magazine issue. SLAM presents Jordan (A Hall of Fame Tribute) hits newsstands next week, but is now available online. The issue is 100% Mike with exclusive interviews, rare photos, greatest dunks, the UNC years, taking over Chicago, Air Jordans 1-XX3, and more. You’ll definitely want to add this issue to your magazine collection.

Read more about the issue ...

-17- Jesus of Madison Street -

In two weeks Michael Jeffrey Jordan will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as the G.O.A.T. It’s a fitting acknowledgment and the crowning achievement in the career of the best basketball player to ever play this game of ours.

SLAM has always acknowledged his dopeness, so as the NKOTB whMichael Jordano also happened to grow up in Chicago during the Jordan Era, I figured it would be cool to share a few fond memories I have of the man during his ascent to the title as one of the best to ever do it.

There are two types of Jordan fans; those who are from Chicago, and those who aren’t. Being a member of the former, it’s impossible to explain in words what it meant to grow up in this city during Jordan’s reign. His influence and his presence were everywhere. For me, it was more akin to a religious experience than anything having to do with basketball. The best way to describe it, or better yet, the closest thing to it would have to be when Jesus walked the Earth. After Jesus of Nazareth and before Jesus of Coney Island, there was Jesus of Madison Street.

-18- ESPN pays homage -

ESPN Pays Homage to Michael Jordan

Whether you're a native of Chicago, or simply one of the millions of basketball fans worldwide who got swept up in the mania that was Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, ESPN has a special edition magazine on newsstands now that you'll want to check out. In what is called a "Hall Of Fame Collector's Issue," ESPN has put together an entire book together to celebrate the life and career of the man they call "The Best Ever."

-19- MJ reflects on his career - (click to watch the video).


-20- Air Jordan masks -

He has meticulously re-stitched the shoes into 23 (like the basketball legend’s number) ceremonial masks. Even Michael Jordan owns one of the masks.

(The above link only has that picture, couldn't find the full set - but there's a few more MJ masks -21- here.)


-22- Street art tribute to MJ -

The best link of all ...
Phenomenal Air Jordan shoe tribute from Nike -
-23- History of Flight.

Links (Bulls and Bears)

ESPN Summer forecast has the Bulls 6th in the East -

Our voters have the Bulls winning as few as 30 games and as many as 55, and perhaps it comes down to what they think of reigning rookie of the year Derrick Rose, whose scintillating playoff performance was followed by a tumultuous summer. In any case, most of our panel is bullish on Chicago overall.

30 - 52? These voters must be crazy!! How do you think the Bulls will do?


Arroyo not coming to the Bulls -

A Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia reported Saturday that former Magic and Pistons point guard Carlos Arroyo is close to signing a one-year, $1 million deal to join the Bulls.

The report isn't accurate, though, as it appears Arroyo's agent is trying to drum up interest for his client. The Bulls are set at point guard with Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and even Lindsey Hunter and Jannero Pargo in spot minutes.

Cutler OK with WRs -

Turns out GM Jay is just going to be quarterback Cutler. You can forget the idea of a meeting with the player, the coaching staff, the personnel department and the rest of the brain trust regarding the Bears' receiving corps.

''We haven't had any formal talks yet; I don't think we will,'' Cutler said Tuesday without the hint of a smile. ''I think they know how I feel about it, who I trust and who I feel comfortable with. I think they're on the same page. But that being said, there's still money, and there's still other issues that aren't just how you play on the field. We have to take those into consideration as well.''

You have to love Cutler all but demanding awhile back that he have a say on roster spots for the guys who can help him most. You have to love Cutler now conceding there's a bigger picture to consider. You have to love Cutler standing before the media Tuesday and saying he doesn't believe there are going to be any outside names added at receiver. Most of all, you have to love Cutler saying the guys the Bears already have are good enough.

''No matter how it gets shaken down, we're going to be good,'' Cutler said.

He's so convincing, you almost believe him. Sadly, the only certainty with the receiving corps is that it will be blamed first if the offense doesn't click.

NBA's top 25. My 2 complaints are:
-1- No D-Rose (and somehow Jamison made the list?!)
-2- Durant should be # 2 or 3



2009-10 NBA Fantasy Preview: Top 15 Shooting Guards -

11. John Salmons

Owners got excellent value when they drafted Salmons 2008-09 as he became one of the most underrated fantasy players by quietly putting together a top breakout season.

Salmons is a savvy scorer who much like Josh Howard may seem quiet but always ends the night filling the box-score in some way. Salmons also proved he was more than just a scorer as he had good rebounding numbers in addition to solid assist totals.

With Ben Gordon leaving town look for Salmons to improve all over the board as he becomes the primary benefactor of Derrick Rose’s passes and a top scoring option in Chicago.

TrueHoop Wednesday Bullets -

Can you imagine Derrick Rose with a wholly reliable jumper? Very tough to stop. Matt McHale of Bulls by the Horns writes: "His Effective Field Goal Percentage near the hoop was .577 but only .419 when shooting from distance. Clearly, his outside marksmanship wasn't what it could be, especially from three-point range, where he converted only 16 of 72 attempts (22 percent). However, his stroke -- not to mention his confidence in it -- improved over the course of his rookie year. In fact, according to the NBA.com Hotspots page, Rose went 43-for-81 (53 percent) from midrange over the last 10 games of the regular season. And he's been working hard on his shot, taking 500 (or more) jumpers a day, six days a week."

Last Sox post of the season?

As the Sox seemingly wave the white flag of surrender for the 2009 season, this may be my final Sox post until the offseason. No need to cover a dying team when Bears football is about to begin and the Derrick Rose led Bulls are looking to improve upon their improbable near-upset of the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

White Sox deal Thome, Contreras - ESPNChicago.com

Jim Thome was one of the classiest athletes to come through Chicago in a long time. He will be missed by the fans and surely his teammates. He came to Chicago to win a ring with the Sox after 2005, unfortunately for him the team never quite got everything put together for a serious run during his tenure on the South Side. I hope he is able to help the Dodgers succeed and, assuming they make the playoffs, I will be 100% behind LA to win it all for two reasons:

1. They have Big Jim
2. I still appreciate how they thoroughly humiliated the Cubs and brought their fanbase crashing back down to earth last year. Thing of beauty.

I am glad to see Thome land on a real contender. Although I will admit that a National League team picking him up is a bit puzzling. Do the Dodgers really intend on using him in the field? Is he only going to be a situational pinch hitter? Are they banking on making the series and using him as the DH? Time will tell. With Thome moving out, Tyler Flowers is being called up from the minors. Flowers is the heir apparent at catcher for the White Sox and largely considered to be one of top prospects in the Sox system, and all of baseball for that matter. He will likely get a chance to start some games at catcher and fill in the vacated DH role.

Contreras' departure is more of a relief than anything else. It's clear his best days are far, far behind him. But before Sox fans rejoice too much remember that it was Contreras who was nearly unhittable down the stretch in 2005 and is a big reason they won the World Series. He gave us some good years (albeit inconsistent years). Good luck to him in Colorado...but I don't see his control issues coupled with the thin mountain air being a good combination. But, you never know, it's the NL so he might just go over and dominate the AAAA competition.

Only good thing about last night's Sox game? Only 2 more games EVER in that sh*thole of a dome

Good riddance Twinkie dome...you won't be missed. In fact, Guillen is going to help say goodbye to the dome in their nightly countdown ceremony.

Bulls Links

Bulls to sign Carlos Arroyo. Makes sense if Kirk will be logging minutes backing up Salmons at the 2 spot, but where does that leave tick for Pargo? Should be interesting to see what Vinny does with the rotation ...

Looks like back court will be:
PG - DRose, Kirk/Arroyo (and don;t we still have Lindsey Hunter?)
SG - Salmons, Kirk/Pargo

Up front:
SF - Luol, Salmons/Johnson
PF - TT, JOhnson, Gibson
C - Noah, Miller

I like that we have some depth (sort of), but I have no idea what Vinny will do with getting players consistent minutes.

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Top 10 Bulls plays (click to watch the video) -

#10 John Salmons' drive against Boston to put the game out of reach March 17 in a shootout with Paul Pierce as Salmons had 38 and Pierce 37. It was a terrific shootout and a harbinger, though not realized at the time, of things to come on St. Patrick's Day with the Bulls wearing green uniforms and making their first stand against the defending champions to show they could play them shot for shot.
#9 Tyrus Thomas' block on Rodney Stuckey Feb. 10 on Johnny "Red" Kerr Night to preserve the victory over Detroit. It was the most emotional night of the season as the Bulls honored their longtime broadcaster and sports icon in the city of Chicago. Kerr was near the end in a battle with cancer and it was only appropriate after a touching, emotional halftime ceremony in which Kerr cheered the crowd with an unexpected speech, Thomas' play clinched the game against the rival Pistons.

Eastern conference preview/bust predictions -

The Chicago Bulls season would be a bust if… This young team doesn't get out of the first round of the playoffs. Chicago, with a rookie head coach (Vinny Del Negro) and a rookie point guard (Derrick Rose), pushed the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics to game seven in the team's first round series with the Celtics last season. Although Boston was without Kevin Garnett, the memorable series served as a coming out party for a Bulls team that few expected to challenge the Celtics, even without KG in the lineup. With another year of seasoning for Del Negro and Rose and the continued maturation of the Bulls other young players like Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, anything less than a first round victory for the Bulls will be a huge disappointment in Chicago.

Derek Rose Dominates the Combine -

This past Wednesday, 2K Sports released the NBA 2K10: Draft Combine for both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network (at 400 Microsoft Points and $4.99, respectively). This downloadable supplement to NBA 2K10 allows you to create a player from the ground up and send him through the Draft Combine, a comprehensive program that preps aspiring pros for the NBA. This involves running drills and playing in scrimmages, learning the value of teamwork and making smart decisions. Later, you can upload this player into NBA 2K10 and take him through a professional career.

Virtual Derek Rose prepares to break Rajon Rondo's ankles. Click to see more images from the game...

That said, it makes perfect sense that 2K Sports chose Derek Rose to be the spokesperson for its Draft Combine. Rose knows what it takes to not only survive the Combine, but also lead an NBA team. The Chicago Bulls' explosive point guard was selected first in last year's NBA Draft and made a huge impact, grabbing Rookie of the Year honors and leading the Bulls to the playoffs (they lost to the Boston Celtics in a gripping seven game series).

Even better, we had the chance to speak to him about not only the video game, but what it takes to transition to the NBA.

Click the link to read the full article, but also click the picture and check out the 2nd pic on the list ... the United Center.



Possible Boozer trades -

Chicago trades Tyrus Thomas (final year of rookie deal) & Jerome James ($6.6 million expiring contract) to Utah for Carlos Boozer

In terms of value this particular trade scenario is right there with the one that Miami could offer. Thomas has improved on a steady arc his first three years in the league and seems poised to make 2009-2010 his breakout year. He'd be a great young piece for them and would perform beautifully running alongside Deron Williams (not that he shouldn't perform beautifully running alongside Derrick Rose in the meantime).

Granted, Thoma's camp will be pushing hard for an extension next summer, meaning that most of the money saved in that expiring contract will probably go towards retaining Thomas long-term, but if what we hear is true, the Jazz really like Tyrus and wouldn't mind investing in the player he's looking to become.

From the Bulls side, they get their marquee power forward and very suddenly look like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. This is a franchise that is still very much committed to Tyrus Thomas, however, which is exactly why this trade didn't happen a month ago. They still be beleive Thomas can be a star, and really don't want to see him become one for somebody else.

I agree, I don;t want to see TT traded anywhere.



TrueHoop's Friday Bullets -

Eric Snow, Kirk Hinrich, and Tim Duncan are some of the names on Kelly Dwyer's list of the top 10 defenders of the decade. Dwyer on Duncan: "He covered huge bits of floor while his guards recovered after the "screen" part of the screen-and-roll, blocked shots on the ball (he's been especially adept at giving a small guard a small step to drive with his strong hand, then recovering quickly enough to swat the shot with his left hand), and secured rebound after rebound. And he never fouled. Never sent teams to the line for cheap points. That's so huge."

Dennis Rodman the most under-rated of all-time -

You know the name. It's him. That crazy guy with the wild hair that dressed up like a girl. He played with Jordan right?

Yes.

When you hear his name these are the things that immediately pop into the casual NBA fan's mind. But do you know how great this man was? Do you remember what an excellent rebounder he was, or how tenacious and unrelenting he was on the defensive end?

His career highlights are overshadowed by the controversy he stirred up on and off the court, but I'm here to tell you that Dennis Rodman is without a doubt the MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER in the history of the NBA.

* 5x NBA Champion
* 2x NBA Defensive Player of The Year
* 7x NBA All-Defensive First Team
* 7x Rebounding Champion