Sure he’s been in a slump lately, but if you can’t see a ton of championship titles and MVP trophies in this kid’s future, you need new glasses.

[via Necole Bitchie]

Kobe Bryant (1,105 points) has just snatched up the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for the first time in his 12-year career. Chris Paul (889 points) did his thing this year, but Kobe truly deserved this one. He displayed his durability all season long. Now while I agree with the MVP choice, I respectfully disagree on a bunch of the other awards. If I had a say, here’s how my votes would play out:

Most Improved Player: Hedo Turkoglu (Magic)
Sixth Man Award: Manu Ginobili (Spurs)
Defensive Player of the Year: Shane Battier (Rockets)
Coach of the Year: Byron Scott (Hornets)
Most Valuable Player: Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
Rookie of the Year: Al Horford (Hawks)
Trade of the Year: Gasol to Lakers
You’re Cool But Your Free Throw Sucks Award: Luis Scola

The game. The calls. The fouls. The peck. The win.

Nasty.

Take that, Ivan.

Potential MVP LeBron James and supermodel Gisele Bundchen

George Clooney. Richard Gere. You can now add LeBron James to the short
list of men who have appeared on the cover of Vogue.

Sure, it hurts to lose your best player halfway through the season while fighting for a playoff spot, despite touting the league’s longest active victory stretch, in an incredibly tight conference where a 2-game skid could easily send your playoff dreams to the shredder.

But we’re fine, thank you.

Jay-Z’s long-running friendship with LeBron James is well documented. They’ve hosted several events together. The two appeared on the cover of XXL together years ago. And James even has his own Roc-A-Fella chain. Now, sports aficionados are speculating that Jay might be planting a seed, which he hopes to reap in the next couple of years.

From Yahoo!’s Sports Column:

What’s unnerving to Cleveland is that Jay-Z happens to be a part owner of the New Jersey Nets with unlimited access to James’ heart, mind and ambitions. Of course, the Nets are plotting a move to a sparkling new arena in Brooklyn, perhaps as soon as the 2011-2012 season. They’re clearing cap space and planning a pursuit of James when he can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2010.

Should the Cavs be worried about Jay-Z’s relationship with LeBron?

Dwight “Superman” Howard, who got robbed last year in my opinion, took slam-dunking to a new height tonight. His Superman “dunk” was way better in rehearsal, but his other dunks were creative as hell. Obviously Gerald Green didn’t stand a chance, because Howard had plenty of momentum on his side. To be sure, Green’s cupcake dunk was phenomenal. Overall, this has to be one of the most entertaining slam dunk contests of our generation.

With Pau Gasol in L.A. and Shaq in Phoenix, it’s not getting any easier in the west. Jason Kidd joining Dallas was just what we needed in the toughest division - Southwest.

Mark Cuban made a good move, but not for nothing:

The deal — salvaged from talks on a three-way trade with Portland that developed and fizzled quickly two weeks ago — has Dallas sending 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of center DeSagana Diop and swingman Devean George and guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen.

Sources say Dallas will also send the Nets the league-maximum $3 million, the Mavs’ first-round draft pick this June and a first-rounder in 2010. [Full Story: ESPN]

The current standings in the west don’t make any sense. You have 2 or 3 teams that will probably win 50 games and still sit out the playoffs. Meanwhile, a team with a 23-29 record in the east is already in the playoff picture.

From now till the end of regular season, every game in the west is important. Playoff started a little early this year, folks. The league might want to consider redistributing the teams to balance things out next season.

PS: I wouldn’t trade Devin Harris for anything. Especially not an aging PG, even though Kidd is a veteran and a natural leader. It appears that Cuban is only concerned about the short term benefits of this trade.

Update: Devean George –of all people — has blocked the deal, but it still might go through.

::When Scola hits the court, a scrapfest is guaranteed

7 straight wins. 11 - 1 in the last 12 games. 15 - 3 in 2008, so far. 2nd best rookie cast in the league (behind Seattle). Best Center in the league. Enough said.