magic Page 22 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

TV Guide Writers Captivated By Any Ex-Dukie Matchup (Update)
What was the most compelling storyline of this weekend's Orlando-Boston showdown? The heated rivalry between J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams that dates to the time Williams stole Redick's juice box on the team bus to Wake Forest. [Thanks, Todd]...

J.J. Redick's Got A Rap Album
Of course he does. The Magic guard will be heading a "supergroup," which is a generous term when Jonathan Clay Redick is the most famous member....

Magic And Isiah's Friendship Is Not So Friendly Anymore
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird have "co-written" a new book about their lives in the NBA that, among other things, paints a not very flattering portrait of their sometime rival Isiah Thomas. With friends like these, who needs Bill Simmons?...

The NBA Has Its Own Adorable Steroid Problem
Orlando's Rashard Lewis has been suspended for the first 10 games of next season after testing positive for steroids. He blames it on over the counter "supplements." It's so cute! Almost like a real sports league! [Orlando Sentinel]...

Somehow, Michael Jackson Was Partly Responsible For Magic Johnson's Greatness
I applaud Magic Johnson's ability to personalize it: "the way he controlled the band...the stage." But I'm sure he'd use the same approach if he were eulogizing a painter or a vacuum cleaner repairman. [Gawker]...

Artie Lange's Post-Buck Interview Round-Up
Plus, Stern's odd little shout-out to Tommy Craggs ("I think he's from Miami") at the 9:20 mark here. 11 years later, Lange's firebombing is still not as awkwardHoward's on the ill-fated "Magic Hour."[Bob's Blitz]...

Watch Your Step, Boobsy
Got an image you'd like to see in here first thing in the morning? Send it to [email protected]. Subject: Morning crap...

Stan Van Gundy A "Working-Class Hero," Says Newspaper For Rich People (UPDATE)
There is no worse fate for an NBA final than to be turned into a roundtable discussion on the brilliance of the coach. Someone please tell the Wall Street Journal: Stan Van Gundy is not the reason people are watching....

Reebok Gives Shoe Contracts First, Asks Questions Later
Reebok belatedly discovers that they gave a shoe contract to a white guy with an "Air Jordan" tattoo on his leg. To be fair, it was Marcin Gortat, and no one wanted to look that closely. [Skeets]...

What's The Deal With The Confetti?
Orlando prematurely celebrated their four-point win (after setting a record for field goal percentage) that still leaves them down a game in the NBA Finals. Way to pick your spots, guys. [Los Angeles Times]...

Oh, Courtney
Beautiful play, but flawed execution. Courtney Lee probably needed .2 of a second more to make that layup instead of bonking it off the backboard. Instead, Lakers win in OT, go up 2-0. [ESPN]...

The Playoff Stress Has Really Taken A Toll On Stan Van Gundy
Got an image you'd like to see in here first thing in the morning? Send it to [email protected]. Subject: Morning crap...

Orlando Basketball For Dummies
The Orlando Sentinel is well aware that 80% of their city's population is amped about the Magic—but could not have given a crap about the NBA until six days ago. Hence their bandwagon-friendly primer for the very uninitiated....

Redick And Morrison, Reunited And It Feels So Good
"Remember when they cried in college? Remember when they played Halo against each other? They were like Magic and Bird in college, except that they weren't in any way." Redick scored seven points in the conference finals. Morrison hasn't played since April 14. Guess that settles SI's cover question!...

I Wonder What Kind Of Clever Anti-Kobe Shirts Orlando Has In Store?
Probably nothing as incendiary as the "Our Turn To Rape Kobe" t-shirt worn by this female Nuggets fan, but I hope for the best. Although it's probably highly unlikely if any Magic fans share the diminutive right brain size of Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi....

Uh Oh, Cleveland
No one is saying the city of Cleveland should be panicking right now, but it does seem like hoarding canned goods and putting your life savings into mason jars would not be the worst idea in the world. All is ... not well....

"Wouldn't It Be Amazing If LeBron Saved Our Season?"
Got an image you'd like to see in here first thing in the morning? Send it to [email protected]. Subject: Morning crap...

That Wasn't Supposed To Happen Was It?
The Cavaliers had been sitting for eight days after sweeping the first two rounds, but that didn't seem to matter when they rolled out to a 15-point lead in the first half. Then the second half happened, and somehow when the final buzzer sounded LeBron and company were not ahead on the scoreboard. W...

Crafty Magic Marketing Team Successfully Added Insult
Enter a New England zip code dressed in opposing team colors and you risk dismemberment. Enter Boston sticker-sniping and you risk death. This group survived and came home with a win. [SpartyAndFriends]...