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.

Apparently, the Patriots underrated the Giants so much that they assumed they had won the game before it kicked off. Not only did the Pats file to copyright 19-0, they went as far as securing a deal to publish a book on their would-be legacy. Ehnnn…didn’t happen. Their shirts and other merchandise bearing 19-0 will now clothe poor kids in third world countries.

Many of the shirts say “19-0″ — a reference to the Pats’ quest for a perfect record. Instead, the Giants’ victory ended the AFC champions’ season at 18-1. The losers’ gear will be packed and sent to third-world countries by World Vision, which works to improve the lives of poor children in more than 100 countries. [Full Story]

Their loss illustrates that you can’t count anyone out in life (or in sports, for that matter). I’m looking at you, Miami Heat. There’s still hope for you to — nah, not this year.

The NBA All-Star starters were announced last night. The only thing worth noting on the lineup is that the West will demolish the East again this year. It’s not even a question, especially with A.I. now on this side of the coast. Then again, the East now has a monster in K.G.

Take a look at this year’s starting lineups and pick your poison.

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No, he’s not the most dependable Rocket, but T-Mac sure as hell knows how to finish games. Ever since he returned from that never-ending knee injury, the Mac Man has made it a bit easier for us to close out games in the 4th. Houston will go all the way to the playoffs and win the west this season.

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