Steve Nash did everything that he could to bring a ring back to the desert, but it didn’t happen and he’s off to finish his career in a city that has championship aspirations.

It’s finally clear that Steve Nash’s time in Phoenix is over.  He wants out of the desert and with good reason because the Suns are in for a lengthy rebuilding process.  I give Nash all the credit in the world for not demanding to be traded to compete for a championship before the trade deadline this year, but he should have.

During his time for the Suns, Nash won two Most Valuable Player awards and is a career eight time all-star.  He is 38 years old, but still averaged 12.5 points per game and 10.7 assists per game this season.  He has bolstered the careers of several big men including being the main reason behind Amare Stoudemire getting 100 million from the Knicks.  He has a good five years left and will jump start any offense that he plays on immediately, but can’t defend starting point guards in the NBA.

What’s next for Nash?

Is is South Beach? The Heat seem to already have an edge up on the competition because Nash said he would go there.  Insert him at the point guard spot and give him three of the biggest weapons in the NBA and it’s sure to be scary.  That would create a weird dynamic with LeBron as I believe he is the most effective when the offense runs through him.  Nash would have to adjust his game and shoot less while deferring much more and that’s something that he hasn’t had to do before.  He’s never played real perimeter weapons who need the ball in their hands like in Miami.  Despite any concerns, there is no doubt that the Heat would love to have Nash play for the mid-level exception as he would takeover Mario Chalmers point guard position from minute one.

Is is Big D? What if Nash went back to Dallas to play with Dirk again?  This would be interesting because Nash and Kidd would be the oldest point guard combination in the history of basketball.  There’s just not room for another old player in Dallas, even if Nash looks ageless.  I expect Deron Williams to be the number one target for Marc Cuban in the offense as Dallas desperately needs a young superstar that actually still in his prime.  I don’t think that Dallas is going to an option for Nash unless Williams decides to go to play in Brooklyn with the Nets.

Is is Broadway? The Knicks biggest need on the court right now is the point guard position as Baron Davis is the current starter.  The Jeremy Lin situation throws a cog into the theory of going after Nash as Lin showed he was a good starting caliber point guard.  Maybe a team offers Lin a big deal because of his marketability and the Knicks can’t match.  In that case, I would expect New York to go after Goran Dragic or Nash.  This would be a great move for the Knicks because maybe the presence of Nash turns Stoudemire into the dominant post player he was in Phoenix, the one that the Knicks thought was worth 100 million.  I could see the Knicks being a real option for Nash because they are contenders and they need help at the point guard position.

Nash has done everything there is to do besides bring home the hardwood and will spend his last years in the league chasing the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Is is Hollywood?  The Lakers could definitely use Nash as he would have Bynum and Gasol making wide-open dunks all day long.  It would take some of the pressure off an aging Kobe Bryant to be a playmaker when his game is scoring guard.  Playing in the West with Nash all of those year, you know that the Lakers would just at the chance to add Nash as he would take Ramon Sessions starting job immediately.

Is it Mouse Town? Maybe Otis Smith brings in Nash and he becomes to much needed second option that Dwight Howard has wanted for years.  Nash would take Jameer Nelson’s starting spot right away and could still be the second superstar on a contending team.  This might appeal to Nash more because maybe he doesn’t want to go to a place like Miami and New York and be the fourth option.  I think the Magic would be as scary of a team as they have been since they made their way to the finals.

Is is Chi-Town? Move Derrick Rose to the shooting guard position and put Nash as the starting point guard and the Bulls offense would see a big offensive surge.  The Bulls are already a top-3 team in the NBA without Nash, add in his type of unmatched playmaking ability and bigs Boozer and Noah would undoubtedly see a boost in their stock.

Philly and Atlanta are two places that I think he would be a great fit in as well because of their current standing and defensive ability, but he probably wont consider them.  I know the 76ers have Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday, but put Nash on a team that already plays such great defense and has offensive trouble… but are still a playoff team and it would be dangerous.  Atlanta has Josh Smith and Joe Johnson, but also a good point guard in Jeff Teague.  Despite these two playoff teams having solid young point guards, Nash would be named the started without much hesitation.

Kobe Bryant might have to drop 50 points in Sacramento to win the scoring title from Kevin Durant, but something tells me he’s going to do it.

I want Kobe Bryant to win the scoring title from Kevin Durant.

Both players are two-time NBA scoring champions.  Durant is averaging 27.97 points per game while Bryant comes in right behind him at 27.86.  Both teams have just one remaining game that will decide the 2012 scoring king.  The Thunder take on the Nuggets at home tonight while the Lakers play the Kings in Sacramento tomorrow night.

Bryant does have the advantage of seeing what kind of numbers Durant puts up tonight and will know exactly how many points he needs to slay Sacramento for tomorrow.  If Durant doesn’t play, Kobe would still need to drop 35 to pass him.  I just have a feeling that Bryant can give the Kings how ever many buckets it takes to bring home to crown, even if it has to be a 50-piece.

I want Kobe to win the scoring title because I want there to be something like this that really signifies how dominant he was as a veteran player of 33.  I feel like he should have several NBA MVP awards to his credit, but only has one.  I’m surprised he’s only won two scoring titles in his career.  The thing that makes me root for Bryant is his ultra competitive demeanor.  He’s not ready to concede that he isn’t the best basketball player on the planet and while his athletic ability has clearly decline, he continues to score a lot of points and win games.

If Kevin Durant wins the title, he will be the first player since the Michael Jordan in the 90′s to win three in a row.  I love Durant and I think he’s a brilliant scorer, but that’s a little too much so soon.  He’s a great player, but there’s just something that tells me I want to see Bryant win it and still be able to claim that he’s the best scorer in the game at his age.  Maybe part of my bias towards Kobe in this instance stems from the fact that I want and believe that Carmelo Anthony is the best scorer at the three spot in basketball, not Kevin Durant.

Either way it goes, the award doesn’t mean much more than bragging rights and stuff for the media and fans to talk about.  The real award is winning in the playoffs and both players have teams capable of doing that.   If they meet up, I like the Thunder to beat L.A., they are just too young, talented, and hungry.  So knowing that, Kobe go out and get that scoring title and put your stamp on the 2012 NBA season as the best scorer to do it, even though it might not have came in the most efficient way.

Few players ever have given this many years of effort, fought through every injury, and still was able to perform at a high level as they got older like Bryant.  I really just want to see him rewarded for all the work he’s put in over the years and how great he was and the scoring title would do just that.

UCLA's Big 3 impact freshman will take the country by storm and immediately turn the Bruins into a top-5 team. UCLA is back because Kyle Anderson, Shabazz Muhammad, and Tony Parker are all instant impact freshman.

For the first time in a long time, Coach Calipari doesn’t have to the incoming recruiting class with the most juice.  Ben Howland and UCLA’s big freshman three include Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson, and Tony Parker.  That’s not even counting top-100 guard Jordan Adams.

Anderson is the player that I love the most out of the entire class of ’12.  He’s a silky smooth heralded point guard or point forward who happens to be 6-8 in height.  He’s ranked as a top-5 consensus player in the class of ’12.  He has tremendous length and wing span for a perimeter player, but just needs to improve his play-making skills and an already adequate jumper.  Most likely a one-and-done candidate and a surefire lottery pick in next years draft.  Guys this size with Anderson’s skill level are few and far in between.

Muhammad is a small forward who showed his skill level in the 2012 McDonalds game by taking the MVP award.  He doesn’t have great length at 6-5, but his body is strong and league ready.  He is going to be as pure of a scorer as there is in college basketball right out of gate.  He can put the ball in the basket any way that you ask him to do it; from the inside, from the out, to the rack, off the dribble.  Muhammad is another one-and-done candidate and an instant impact player for the Bruins and on a national scale next season.

Parker is a 6-9 280 huge physical specimen.  That is a huge boost in size in the paint for a team to add a center like Parker, but he’s not even the biggest guy on the team.  Returner Joshua Smith checks in at 6-10 310, so put Parker and Smith down on the block and you are nearing 600 pounds of rim protection.  Parker is just a bruising forward who dominated with his size in high school and will look to do the same down on the block next season under Howland.

UCLA also returns the Wear twins who are big men along with already mentioned top-100 guard Adams and ridiculously huge Smith.  I think the Bruins are no worse than a top-5 preseason team and could find themselves in the top-3.  This is a very scary crop of incoming freshman.  That’s the beauty of being a UCLA, or a Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, UConn etc, because even when the program is struggling there are going to be big time talents who want to opportunity to bring them back to relevance.

Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire proved they could coexist and win in Atlanta today. The blueprint for Anthony as the main option and Stat as the second superstar has been laid down.

Today in Atlanta was the a formula for what Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire need to look like on the floor together and further proof that the two can coexist in the Knicks starting lineup.

Stoudemire looked like a completely different player today.  Stat was very efficient, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and getting his shots within the flow of the offense instead of forcing.  The most important part of today was his improved effort on the defensive end.  Sure the Hawks score 112 without Tyson Chandler in the lineup, but I love to see Stoudemire hustling on defense.  Amare was definitely able to shake the rust off today and played the role of the second superstar to Anthony, which is what needs to be the goal for the Knicks to play up to their potential.

Carmelo Anthony was great today and that’s no new development, but it was nice to see with Stoudemire in the lineup.  Melo went for  39 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl and was fired up the entire game.  Jeff Teague made him mad and it’s clear that his best basketball is played when somebody gets under his skin and angers him.

For the Knicks to have any kind of playoff chances, everybody has to realize that the offense needs to go through Anthony.  He’s a far superior offensive player than anyone else on the team.  Let him be the decision-maker with the ball because he has the ability to get other players involved. The Knicks best option is No. 7 followed by Stoudemire and those two should be the two main options on every possession.

The supporting cast for Stat and Melo played excellent today.  Baron Davis had 10 assists and Landry Fields had an extremely rare hot shooting day as of late, hitting 7-for-8 from the field. Offensively the role players in the Knicks offense were able to knock down open shots and that’s all that you ask for, but they need to hang their hat on defense.  It’s clear that Shumpert is going to be a huge part of what the Knicks do defensively in the playoffs as he is capable of guarding the best perimeter player from the opposing team.

The issue here, because with this team this always is an issue, is that Tyson Chandler was sitting out.  So is there still enough room in the lane for Stoudemire, Anthony, AND Chandler to operate in the lane.  Does Tyson and Amare clog up too much space in the lane and on and on and on.  The truth is that Chandler is going to come back and provide excellent defense like he has all season while not having to worry about being a threat on offense.

I’ve heard people talk about the Knicks should lose to play the Bulls as opposed to the Heat.  This is an insane notion to me because I feel like any season for any team is a bust if they don’t make the finals or win a championship so why try to dodge a team in the first round?  If you want to be the champs, which believe me a team with two superstars in New york is thinking banners or bust, then you have to go through the Miami Heat.  I think it’s going to be a 7-game series and I can’t wait to see Melo and LeBron go at for seven straight.

Amare Stoudemire's return to the Knicks lineup in Cleveland was a disaster. Stat must focus on the little things to avoid ruining the Knicks.

Amare Stoudemire’s made his return from missing 14 games because of a back injury in Cleveland last night.  It was a disaster, the previously red-hot Knicks lost to the Cavs and the ‘star’ power forward not only played bad, but made his teammates play bad.

Stat scored 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting and only grabbed three rebounds.  I understand that the Knicks have had problems showing up for lottery teams all season, but it obviously had something to do with Amare coming back.

The worst part about last night wasn’t Stoudemire’s performance, but the effect that he had on Carmelo Anthony’s game.  Anthony went to being the hottest scorer in the league to only scoring 12 points last night on only 12 shots.  Stoudemire showed no desire to defer to a real scorer and threw up brick after brick.

On top of his offensive woes, his defense was terrible.  Stat was routinely burned up by Samardo Samuels and Antawn Jamison.  Having Stat’s defense is what could hold the Knicks back from making any kind of run in the playoffs.  He just cannot guard anybody and it’s extremely frustrating to watch.  Tyson Chandler tries to cover up his flaws on that end, but they are just too obvious.  Not only can he not play defense, but he refuses to put forth the effort.

In order for the Knicks to make a playoff run, Stoudemire has to first and foremost show some hustle and some desire to win.  After that he needs to know who the best scorer on the floor is and that’s Anthony.  He must swallow his ego and learn to pass the ball to someone who can put it in the basket.

This doesn’t mean that Amare shouldn’t look for his offense, but he should look for it within the flow of the game.  He needs to post up and attack the rim.  It’s a no win for the Knicks when he tries to play one-on-one from behind the free throw line.

When Stat plays bad, it takes away from the team in a big way.  He really has to evaluate his game unless he is happy collecting his 100 million dollars and going home in the first round of the playoffs every year. I know Stat was in the building watching Anthony put on one of the most impressive stretches of basketball in his career.  40+ point games, a triple-double, game-winners, great defense, etc, etc.  Where was Stoudemire?? His goal should have been to not disrupt the great basketball that the Knicks were playing, but like a true me-first guy he tore up the chemistry and the momentum that it took a month to build in one night.

The Knicks have three games left before the playoffs and these guys have to try and find some chemistry.  Honestly, I would bring Stoudemire off the bench in a sixth man role for the rest of the season.  It doesn’t mean that he can’t play big minutes because he could, but it would avoid having to have his awful defense on the court during the crucial start of the games.  He could come in and be instant offense off the bench.  It’s not like he will get paid any less so I don’t know why it would be a big deal, but at the end of the day Stoudemire is going to try and be a star because that’s what he believes he is.  For my sake and for the sake of Knicks fans everywhere that have been through crazy ups and downs this season, lets hope Stoudemire evaluates himself and gets it together.

Dwight Howard's antics in Orlando over the last half of this season prove that he's the biggest locker room cancer in the NBA.

Dwight Howard has the worst attitude in the NBA today and ranks up high in NBA history.  ‘Superman’ has become nothing but a disruption in Orlando and I’m guessing Otis Smith wishes he dealt him for anything back before the trade deadline.

On the court, Howard is the best center in the NBA.  Off the court and in the locker room, he is an immature kid with a me-first superstar mentality that brings back memories of Stephon Marbury.  I’m not even a Magic fan and the way Howard has acted this season disgusts me.

Here the way I see the rest of Howard’s career going: He will find his way out of Orlando after they go out in the first round next season.  He will go to a team with one other decent player where he can be considered ‘the guy’ and he will kill of that persons career with his selfish attitude.  He will play for an underachieving fringe playoff team for the rest of his NBA existence and burn through three or four more coaches after he gets Van Gundy fired.  This sounds crazy, but at 26-years-old, I believe his best days in the NBA are far behind him.

I’m talking about a dominant center that averages 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds per game, an unstoppable force in the paint playing a position where his combination of size, agility, and strength are rare.  He’s a true superstar, but I don’t believe that he will ever play in the NBA finals again.  That’s what I mean when I say his best days are behind him.

Sure he will get his in the stat column, but when it comes time to win a championship, he won’t get it done. Nobody wants to play with this guy and no general manager wants the headache of dealing with him.  Howard’s stock has dropped immensely with the actions of the last couple of weeks.

Andrew Bynum is now the premier center in the NBA.  His attitude is no picnic to deal with either, but it’s not life-threatening to the team.  What happened to the 18-year-old Dwight Howard who just wanted to preach about Jesus?  Superstar dollars, superstar ego, and someone who truly believes he is Superman.  His dominance on the court is only equal value to the team cancer that he is the second he steps off the court and into the locker room.

Reed Mells (@ReedDollaz_4) got his first taste of NCAA basketball this season as a true freshman.

With his first season of college basketball under his belt, Missouri Western freshman point guard Reed Mells is making it his priority to stay in the gym and perfect his craft for the future.

“Basketball is second only to God and my family in my life,” Mells said. “It’s the only thing I am really passionate about outside of those two things. I love playing and whatever is going on in my head whenever I step on the court is gone, all I can think about is ball.”

With his father coaching the team, Mells started running the point at the age of five-years-old. He still carries the same values today that his father instilled in him back then.

“He always told me if you are going to do something then try to be great at it,” Mells said. “Just be as good as you can be, and I really just took that to heart.”

Unlike most 18-year-old freshman in college, Mells doesn’t hesitate when asked what he wants to do with his life and the direction he wants it to go. He plans to use his time at Western as a vehicle to a professional career.

“I want to play as long as I can at the highest level that I can,” Mells said. “Whether that’s professionally in the NBA or oversees or wherever, I just want to keep playing.”

Mells feels like he is right where he is supposed to be and is happy with his decision to choose to play at Western for coach Tom Smith. It wasn’t easy for Mells to get a scholarship offer to play college basketball because of his 5-10, 165 pound frame and because of his location.

Mells hails from Des Moines, Iowa.  Not known as a hot bed for major basketball talent. Harrison Barnes, who will be a top-5 pick in June’s NBA Draft, was that guy who garnered all of the attention in Iowa. Outside of Barnes, most players from the area are often overlooked by the power houses.

“I went to a really small school and there was always doubts about whether I was going to be tall enough or strong enough to play at this level or any other level,” Mells said. “It was really hard, but Coach Smith had a lot of confidence in me.”

As a senior in high school, Mells was part of a team that won 18-straight games and beat three of the top-ranked teams in the state playoffs. He averaged 20.5 points per game, 7.1 assists per game, 3.8 steals per game and 5.0 rebounds per game while leading his team to a district championship. He once lit up 45 points in a game on the road.

“Being a small guard, my game is being able to get around people and get shots for myself and my teammates so being quick and being fast is a huge part of my game,” Mells said.

Rarely do freshman step in and contribute at a four-year school right away, but Mells was given his opportunity with Western struggling to accumulate wins and having injury problems.  He showed no fear of the moment and stepped in to the starting lineup making his impact felt immediately on the offense end.  Mells started the last nine games of the season and dropped 17 points against Washburn.

Mells has his focus on doing his part to make sure Western is a winner next season.

“Coach Smith gave me a lot of confidence. He told me that he thought I was ready and that he thought I deserved some more minutes and he was going to give them to me and see how I responded,” said Mells.

Mells credits some of the success of his transition to college basketball to unselfish upperclassmen Deionta Mitchell and James Harris, who play the same point guard position.

“The older guys, just being point guards, were definitely really encouraging,” Mells said. “They would pick me up they would also instruct me on how to do it the right way. It meant a lot that guys you would consider your brothers would really have your back like that.”

Western finished the season at a disappointing 9-17 overall and 4-16 in MIAA conference play and struggled down the stretch of the season, failing to make the conference tournament.  Mells will do everything in his power to ensure that next season isn’t a repeat performance.

“This has been the worst year of my life as far as basketball has gone,” Mells said. “I can’t really blame anybody but the 14 of us in uniform. This was our season and we made it what it was and now it’s a new team, a new year, and we have to make it what we want it to be.”

Mells has learned that playing in the MIAA conference is every bit as tough as Coach Smith claimed it would be.

“I don’t know if DII basketball, especially this league, gets the respect it deserves,” Mells said. “There are a lot of great players in this league.”

It’s the off-season right now, but Mells knows what he needs to improve on and add to his game in order to turn his team into a winner next season.

“I have to work a lot on my physical strength,” Mells said. “To help me get in the lane and find open guys so I don’t get stripped so much. That’s the next step, Coach Smith and I were talking a couple times and he said I need to become more of a true point guard especially when I keep playing this game longer because you don’t see a lot of 5-10 guards averaging 20 points per game.”

This summer, Mells will be fine tuning his skills in the Capitol City League in Des Moines against Iowa State players and other college ballers that play in the Iowa area.

Mells goal is to spend four years turning Western into a winner and earn All-American status while continuing to prove that he can play the game that he loves at a high level.

“Hopefully at the end of this four years, we have some banners hanging up.” Mells said. “I want them to say, this kid from Western, he could really go.”

photography by Jason Brown

Who should win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, LeBron or Durant?

The NBA’s Most Valuable Player award is clearly down to two players, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.  Both superstars play small forward position, but are far from the same player.

Durant is the scorer and he’s a big time scorer, filling it up at a 27.9 point per game clip while shooting 50% from the field and 38% from 3-point distance.  He dropped 43 at Minnesota on Sunday and is capable of going off and filling it up at any time and most likely will.

KD averaged 30 points per game in ’09-’10 and didn’t win the MVP, but his assists have gone up by one and more importantly the Thunder are 44-17 this season.  Durant’s game hasn’t necessarily gotten much better from the great level it already was, the biggest difference in Oklahoma City is the play and development of Russell Westbrook as a legit superstar top-5 point guard. Durant is getting more physical on the boards with a career-high 7.9 rebounds per game and dishes out 3.5 assists per game.

27.1 points per game for LeBron and he rebounds at the exact same clip as Durant at 7.9 per game.  The thing that separates James from Durant is the 6.3 helpers he dishes out per game.  LeBron is the superior passer and has been the best all around player in the NBA this season.  The Heat are 43-17 and set to be the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, even though the Thunder will win the regular season Western Conference and get the 1-seed, the two teams have the same number of losses.

With the information considered, I would hand LeBron James his third MVP award.  I’ll be proven wrong if Durant’s Thunder wins the championship and the Heat go home early, but it’s a regular season award.  Although LeBron’s game against New Jersey the other day where he scored the last 17 points of the fourth quarter were impressive, it’s not responsible for him as my pick.  James has averaged 29.9 over his last ten games.  He’s much more of a defensive presence than Durant, even though KD blocks .2 more shots per game LeBron forces more steals 1.9 compared to 1.2.

James needs to be the man for the Heat to win a championship.  Some of the most exciting moments of the season have been when Dwyane Wade was out with injury and James was forced to carry the scoring load.  Any time he is deferring and not given the opportunity to display his playmaking skills, I think it takes away from his game and that’s what the Heat fell into last season in the end against Dallas.  It’s an extremely close race, but I am more comfortable with James getting his third MVP than I am with Durant getting his first.

Carmelo Anthony 35 Pts, 12 Reb, 10 Ast, 2 Stl at MSG against Boston.

Carmelo Anthony recorded his second career triple-double in an amazing performance and a win over the Celtics at Madison Square Garden.

The reason Anthony doesn’t have more triple-doubles under his belt is because in the past he was never as willing of a passer as he is now.  As it turns out, his passing and playmaking skills are top notch.  Melo is playing the best basketball of his career in what started out as the worst season in his career.  Talk about a bounce back almost over night, right when D’Antoni was gone so was the selfish side of No. 7.

Melo went for  35 Pts, 12 Reb, 10 Ast, 2 Stl and it looked like the triple-double was gone when he picked up his fifth foul midway through the fourth quarter, but he came back in with three minutes left and picked up the two assists that he needed.

If Anthony would have played like he has under Woodson all season long then he would be a legitimate MVP candidate along with Kevin Durant and LeBron James.  There hasn’t been a better player in basketball for the last month.

Anthony shot 13-for-24 including 2-for-3 from down town.  The Knicks were on fire as a whole tonight shooting at nearly 60 percent for the game and over 60 from deep.  J.R. Smith and Steve Novak went for 25 points each on a combined 15-for-20 from 3-point distance.

The 76ers lost tonight so that puts the Knicks firmly in place to get the seven seed and take on the Heat in the first round.  LeBron and Wade have their work cut out for them against the surging Knicks if they want to make a championship run.  The Knicks, while hindered by injuries, are getting Amare Stoudemire back towards the end of this week and could be a scary matchup if Anthony can keep playing this style of game even after the missing power forward comes back.

Every Tuesday anticipation is high for the Dream League in Staten Island.

Growing up every kid dreams of what it would feel like to be able to do the things that your favorite player does on the court.  For me it was Michael Jordan, I would go to the driveway for countless hours with the rim lowered, hitting fade away jumpers and throwing down dunks with my tongue out.

99.9% of the population isn’t athletic enough to experience what it feels like to drive the lane and throw down a big dunk in an actual game.  That is unless you’ve taken your talents to play in Staten Island’s Dream League.

The Dream League is ultra competitive basketball that’s played on an eight and a half foot rim with a maximum player height limit of 6-3.  The games are played 4-on-4 to create more space for the high flying acts and to protect players safety.

“Our mission and goal is to give our players the most competitive and professional feeling leagues offered by anyone,” Dream League CEO Dylan Fusco said. “Our leagues our designed for the player giving them a shot to at least have a taste of living the life long dream of every sports lover.”

The league started from Fusco’s childhood inspiration and is in its first season.  After the Dream League released their idea through social media, 12 team spots were filled in less than 24 hours.

Because of the success of this inaugural season, the league will be shifting from 12 teams to a 32-team format in June.  All current teams are from the Staten Island area, but there have been a couple teams that have reached out from New Jersey.

Official stats are kept in the league’s website for every game, which keeps the games intensely competitive, even during blowouts.  The website features write ups about the action and it’s all caught on video.  Players all sign contracts, just like in the NBA, and are subject to be traded at any time.

If you check the stats right now, you will see that Dillon Cassese for the Lakers scored 57 points in one game and grabbed 25 rebounds.  You will also see that Nicky Donato for the Bulls leads the league in triple-doubles with two and double-doubles with seven.

The league is ran by Fusco and coordinators George Quinn and Marco Boshnack with hopes of growth and expansion.

“We hope to run leagues nationally and even globally, possibly even branching to other sports,” Fusco said.

More information at SIDreamLeague.com