The Boston Celtics aligned their three stars and rode them all the way to a NBA championship in 2008.
The Houston Rockets hoped to do the same when they added unpredictable yet talented Ron Artest with their superstar duo of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming last summer. But a year later, their dream has unraveled.
McGrady and Yao are sidelined with potentially career-threatening injuries and Artest left Thursday in free agency, heading to the world champion Los Angeles Lakers to join forces with Kobe Bryant for a three-year deal.
Kobe Bryant is on top of the world, enjoying one of his best years ever as an NBA player after his impressive haul of hardware -- the NBA championship, Finals MVP, co-MVP of this year's All-Star Game. And don't forget about the Olympic gold medal from last summer.
So how does he top it all off? By starting a new charity in China. In this FanHouse exclusive we catch up with Kobe at an awards ceremony as he was being honored by the Asia Society Southern California. We also hear from T-Mac and Tim Leiweke, the CEO of AEG, who was also honored on this night.
Worried that signing free agent Hedo Turkoglu would handcuff them with the luxury tax for several years, the Orlando Magic turned instead to the New Jersey Nets and consummated a trade for Vince Carter that will be announced later Thursday.
Earlier in the week, the Magic also were talking with Houston about re-acquiring Tracy McGrady, but they opted to pursue Carter instead. Although Carter will make considerably more next season than Turkoglu -- who is looking for a five-year, $50 million contract -- he has only two guaranteed years remaining, paying him $16.3 and $17.3 million, respectively.
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.
HOUSTON -- Unexpected achievement in the face of incredible adversity isn't quite how the Houston Rockets saw their playoff run unfolding.
But that was certainly the theme that carried the Rockets, minus injured stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, to within one game of reaching the Western Conference finals this season. One amazing night by McGrady or just the presence of aging Dikembe Mutombo in the paint might have been all the Rockets needed to avoid a Game 7 Semifinals in Los Angeles and overcome the Lakers.
It wasn't meant to be, but still it was enough to re-energize a franchise that seemed in serious trouble a few weeks ago because of it's often-injured stars and nondescript supporting cast. The Rockets hadn't been out of the first round of the playoffs in 12 years prior to this season.
It's time to give Rockets coach Rick Adelman some credit before it's too late. After all, who knows what's going to happen Sunday? But it must be noted that he's doing quite the job on the bench this postseason, like he's done time and time before.
The mere fact that Adelman has been able to guide the Rockets to two victories over the L.A. Lakers since Yao Ming went down makes Houston's coach the MVP of this series right now.
It was one thing to shock the Lakers in Game 4 on Sunday, the first game without Yao. It's quite another to handle the Lakers again in Game 6 on Thursday -- by a score of 95-80 -- to force an anything-can-happen Game 7 back in L.A.
Rockets 95, Lakers 80: Recap | Box Score Series Tied 3-3 | Next Game: Sunday @ Los Angeles, 3:30 PM ET
Let's take our attention for a moment off the NBA playoffs and look ahead to the 2009-10 season. It was a tough year for several players around the league. So tough, in fact, that they'll have some bouncing back to do next year.
Here are five players – and a sixth man -- who should have the most to prove in 2009-10:
--Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets. Technically, a team with McGrady on the roster – this year's Rockets – advanced to the second round of the playoffs. That would be a first. Except we all know McGrady didn't play in the postseason and wasn't around down the stretch for Houston.
HOUSTON -- The idea the Houston Rockets might actually be good enough to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series seemed like a reach.
That was until Monday night's Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals when the Rockets clamped down on the Lakers and came away with the once unthinkable -- a 100-92 win at the Staples Center. Suddenly a team that wasn't guaranteed to make it out of the first round, considering its recent playoff history, has snatched home-court advantage from the runaway Western Conference favorites.
You can't keep a good seven-foot Chinese guy with incredible footwork, length, and a solid supporting cast built of metric-positive role players down forever.
The Houston Rockets advanced to the second round for the first time in Yao Ming's seven-year career on Thursday night with a 92-76 win at home over the Portland Trailblazers. And while Yao was his usual productive self with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, it was Ron Artest shaking off his offensive doldrums to explode for 27 points that helped Houston to overcome their demons. And possibly give Tracy McGrady a few more.
The Boston Celtics aligned their three stars and rode them all the way to a NBA championship in 2008.
Kobe Bryant
Worried that signing free agent 
(Update: 
HOUSTON -- Unexpected achievement in the face of incredible adversity isn't quite how the Houston Rockets saw their playoff run unfolding.
It's time to give Rockets coach 
Let's take our attention for a moment off the NBA playoffs and look ahead to the 2009-10 season. It was a tough year for several players around the league. So tough, in fact, that they'll have some bouncing back to do next year.
HOUSTON -- The idea the Houston Rockets might actually be good enough to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series seemed like a reach.
