Waving Off Melo

Team USA took on Brazil yesterday in our first real test during the FIBA competition this summer. America won by two points. Phew. 3-0, baby! What do I take away from the game? Something I have felt and believed for a few years now that, "Mr. Big-Shot" Chauncey Billups needs to have his name revised to, "Mr. Ball-Hog" ASAP.

Forever engraved in my mind is an image of Billups from this past NBA season which defines my assertion that his nickname needs a makeover. The Nuggets were playing the Cavs and the game was tight the entire way. Melo was on fire, and dominant for Denver. With the seconds ticking away at the end of regulation Billups was bringing the ball up with the score tied. Melo, open in the front court, called for the rock. Billups, with a looked that screamed, "I'm Mr. Big Shot, I got this," waved Anthony off, dribbled the clock out and jacked up a brick as time expired. Classic. In OT, Melo drained a 17 footer in the face of King James at the buzzer to win what was maybe the best game of season. Ruthless.

I flipped when I witnessed Billups wave off Melo that night. Similarly, I flipped yesterday when I witnessed Billups call his own number over and over again down the stretch in a close game, miss bad shots, and refuse to pass to better scorers in Durant and Rose. Painful. If Carmelo leaves Denver this season Chauncey's career is finished. He had some great years with Detroit in which he hit a few clutch shots but every hog has his day.

Who do you think you are, Mr. Ball-Hog?

Top 5 Player Tweets of the Week - In Pictures!

From Skillanueva's half-time tweets to Gil's fateful outburst, we're keeping tabs on this whole Twitter thing. Each week we wade through the rants, shout outs and sheer insanity to bring you the best micro-blogging the NBA has to offer.

5. "Just got back from date nite. Took my lovely wife @Candace_Parker out to a nice spot in santa monica."

- Shelden Williams

4. "@DeMar_DeRozan WTF u know abt some lobster pizza??"

- Patrick O'Bryant

Happy Birthday, James Harden

Don't get any cake stuck in that beautiful beard.

Musical Chairs: Rondo Withdraws from World Championships

Who would have thought our WBF video of Rajon Rondo finding himself without a seat would have been so prophetic. Yesterday Rondo announced that he will be withdrawing from competition in the FIBA World Championships, an obvious face-saving move for the man who was a starter just a week ago. A man who as a starter, was doing this:

No Regard Required Viewing: Jordan Rides the Bus

Speaking of Jordan, this is your official reminder that Jordan Rides the Bus, Ron Shelton's look at MJ's year playing baseball with the Birmingam Barons, airs at 8 pm tonight as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series.

These films have been pretty consistently stellar, and I'm especially excited for this one, not least to see exactly how the Simmons Conspiracy is tackled.

Watch the trailer over at the 30 for 30 site.

Kwame Mans Up

Holy shit! Kwame Brown just signed a 1 year deal for next to nothing with the Charlotte Bobcats. Why the, "holy shit!" you ask? Frankly, I just can not believe he has the balls to do such a thing. Do what, you ask? Come within earshot of Michael Jordan, that is what. What is wrong with MJ you are wondering? Well, that is a loaded question, inquisitive reader, but my shock behind this comes from remembering the rumors that Jordan nicknamed Brown, "the flaming faggot" and made him cry during practices after Michael drafted Brown first overall out of high school for the Washington Wizards in 2001.

Kudos to you Kwame, much respect for you and this decision. God knows if the best basketball player ever was sending homophobic slurs my way on a regular basis I would absolutely bawl like Brown did. I would also never even consider getting near Jordan ever again after taking this sort of abuse.

Seriously, "the flaming faggot?" Christ, that is offensive and hurtful.

In Flight Change

Here at No Regard, we have a strange relationship with the movie Just Wright. It's a basketball movie starring Common, Queen Latifah, some other people, and Dwight Howard. Our relationship is strange in that we love it, and yet none of us have seen it. All of that changed yesterday. On a plane bound for Texas, Endless Pat was presented with the unavoidable opportunity to witness this small miracle: Just Wright in flight. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Well, he did.

LIVE BLOGGING IN-FLIGHT FILM REVIEW: JUST WRIGHT

- First things first. Who doesn’t love a good punny title? I mean honestly, raise your hand if you think you’re above a good old-fashioned character-name-including movie title? Now you, with your hand raised? Go watch Octopussy. Right now. I’ll wait.

- Common’s character name is Scott McKnight (I’ll be calling him Common). He’s a point guard for the Nets (who in this universe, win games and don’t have Brook Lopez) and is inexplicably good. No particular part of his game is emphasized, we’re just made aware that he can dribble while looking up-court and when he shoots, the ball has a habit of going in (we know this because we get a cut to close up of the hoop).

Team Dreamin' 2011: PACERS

The Pacers are going to be a very fun team to watch this season, no doubt about it. They drafted Paul George and Lance Stephenson, they picked up Darren Collison, and they got rid of Troy Murphy, who, let's face it, doesn't scream fun. Okay, sometimes he does scream "Fun!" when he is playing checkers with his sister, but we will unfortunately not be able to watch those games on national television.

The point is, Indiana has done exciting things. But no one is foolish enough to think they will be an elite, Finals-caliber team, even if Granger takes it to another level this season. The East is just too strong. They're too young. No way. Never happen.

UNLESS:

They build a new stadium in the next two months.