ESPN has assigned its Spanish-speaking correspondent Alfred R. Berrios to keep up a weekly ranking of the NBA's Latinos for its ESPN Deportes property. Celebrating the game's Central and Southern American tentacles is a positive thing, and the NBA has long sought to integrate the multitudes of Spanish-speaking sports fans in the United States and abroad into its fold.
But ESPN's list is just weird in terms of inclusion and exclusion.
Worried that they can't re-sign free agent Hedo Turkoglu without being handcuffed by the luxury tax for several years, the Orlando Magic were talking trade possibilities with New Jersey about Vince Carter and with Houston about Tracy McGrady, according to NBA sources.
Although Carter and McGrady would cost considerably more next season than Turkoglu – who is looking for a five-year, $50 million contract – they both have contracts that end much sooner. Carter has two years remaining, at $16.3 and $17.3, respectively. McGrady has one year remaining at $23 million.
That's Mickael Pietrus, going with two hands in the back to Pau Gasol as he throws down a dunk near the end of the Lakers' overtime victory in Game 4. The game had already been decided by then, so there was really no reason other than frustration for the hard foul.
The play was ruled a flagrant at the time, and after review, the league has determined that no further action will be taken against Pietrus. And really, that's the correct decision.
ORLANDO -- All the Orlando Magic did on Tuesday night at Amway Arena was delay the inevitable, and they barely did that.
I mean, how do you set an NBA Finals record by shooting 63 percent from the floor (including 75 percent in the first half), dribble before a ridiculously loud home crowd and survive by just four points?
Here's how: The Magic would LIKE to win it all, but the Los Angeles Lakers HAVE to do so, and the Lakers will. In addition to the Magic owning the wrong mindset for dribbling in June, they live and die by the outside shot. Odds are, following Tuesday's shooting spree, they'll slump before long. They'll spend more time in the grave the rest of the way toward playoff extinction than out of it.
Not only that, the Lakers are just better by a Kobe Bryant, a Phil Jackson and an obsession with grabbing a 15th world championship for their franchise. It just might take longer than expected.
LOS ANGELES -- If you want to know how Magic swingman Mickael Pietrus is handling his time in the NBA Finals media spotlight, here's a little window into his past two days.
On Friday afternoon, as Pietrus was finishing up his session with the media, he was asked: "How much different is it guarding Kobe Bryant than it is guarding LeBron James?"
"Man ... I've had that question like 15 times," Pietrus sighed.
LOS ANGELES -- Mickael Pietrus is from France, and his nickname is "Air France."
So, it's no wonder he felt the need to honor the memory of Air France Flight 447, which crashed over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday en route from Rio De Janeiro to Paris, killing everyone on board.
Pietrus wore sneakers with the No. 447 on the sides in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday at Staples Center.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Kobe Bryant may be the best player in the NBA -- and some say the greatest of all time. Now that he's going for his fourth title, it's no surprise that hip-hop superstar Lil' Wayne dropped the hottest rap song of the year in honor of the Lakers star in a track titled, simply, Kobe Bryant.
What was a surprise, though, was that yours truly, FanHouse's own embedded NBA Correspondent, was sampled in the song -- including part of an interview I did with Orlando's Mickael Pietrus. Check out Kobe Bryant by Lil Wayne after the jump.
The Lakers come into the 2009 NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic as the favorites. Back in October, many believed the Lakers would be playing in June, and sure enough, here they are.
The Magic, on the other hand, weren't expected to be here. It was supposed to be the Cavaliers, and if it wasn't them, then it was supposed to be the Celtics.
But the Magic are here and fully deserving – even if we're not sure what to expect from them.
The Larry O'Brien itself is plenty of motivation for the participants in the 2009 Finals. But there will also be a few individual goals driving those involved.
Dwight Howard: Everyone marks Kobe as the NBA's preeminent love-him-or-hate-him player, but D-12 earns a fair amount of vitriol, whether for his lack of refinement in the post, his Shaq II free throw stroke, his alleged faux-choir boy persona or the sentiment that slam dunk stardom has rendered the D.P.O.Y. publicly overrated. Let's just say those Patrick Ewing comparisons (ahem) would disappear with a ring.
Hedo Turkoglu: Like kindred spirit Lamar Odom, Hedo will be a free agent signing his last long-term, high-dollar deal this summer. A marvelous turn which began in Game 7 against Boston could land Hedo near the top of the offseason ledger, above everyone but Carlos Boozer. Turk needs a good Finals series to keep that hope alive, though.
ESPN has assigned its Spanish-speaking correspondent Alfred R. Berrios to keep up a weekly ranking of the NBA's Latinos for its ESPN Deportes property. Celebrating the game's Central and Southern American tentacles is a positive thing, and the NBA has long sought to integrate the multitudes of Spanish-speaking sports fans in the United States and abroad into its fold.
(Update: Magic agree to terms on a deal for Carter.) 
ORLANDO -- All the Orlando Magic did on Tuesday night at Amway Arena was delay the inevitable, and they barely did that.
ORLANDO – We all should have seen this one coming, especially after Stuff had a better warmup than Andrew Bynum.
LOS ANGELES -- If you want to know how Magic swingman Mickael Pietrus is handling his time in the NBA Finals media spotlight, here's a little window into his past two days. 
LOS ANGELES -- Mickael Pietrus is from France, and his nickname is "Air France."
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
The Lakers come into the 2009 NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic as the favorites. Back in October, many believed the Lakers would be playing in June, and sure enough, here they are.
L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando Magic
The Larry O'Brien itself is plenty of motivation for the participants in the 2009 Finals. But there will also be a few individual goals driving those involved.
