IT’S GRADUATION SEASON!

Some of your favorite folks recently gave commencement speeches that gave  encouragement and inspiration for those ready to soar.

I was down in ATL this past weekend celebrating my brother’s graduation at Morehouse College.  Actress Cicely Tyson passionately recited Langston Hughes’ famous “Mother to Son” poem as Henry Louis Gates gave an excellent commencement speech, and Hank Aaron received an Honorary Degree.

Henry Louis Gates

NBA PLAYOFFS

As we’re still betting on ‘Where amazing will happen?’ the Conference Finals include…

CAVALIERS vs MAGIC

Wednesday @ 8:30pm

LAKERS vs NUGGETS

Tuesday @ 9pm

GOSSIP GIRL FINALE TONIGHT!

@ 8pm (EST)

Will Blair and Chuck finally…?

Nike must have known that its star basketball player Lebron James was going to be named the 2008-2009 NBA MVP yesterday, Monday May 4. How else then would you explain the commemorative edition of his sneaker, the Zoom LeBron VI coming out so soon?

Hitting Nike retailers on May 30, the shoe will retail for $150. Nike’s also released a Witness tee, which will retail for $30 and is available staring today, May 5.

Flaunting team colors and trash-talking from the stands (or the living room, depending on where you’re watching the game) is probably the best part of any spectator sport. But what if you could get rewarded for it? That’s the idea behind the new adidas sweepstakes, “Rep Your Brotherhood,” where one very lucky winner will win a trip and two tickets to Game 3 of the NBA Finals and $500 worth of adidas gear. 

Running now (April 29) until May 15, 2009, the sportswear giant is looking for die-hard basketball fans to submit photos of themselves along with a 100 word piece about why they love the sport. The top 20 entries will be voted on by the online community from May 18 to May 29 and adidas will announce the winner on June 1, 2009.   

To learn more information, read the rules and to enter, click here.

Image: Sole Collector 

Even though it’s played on the blacktop, basketball is going green. For a little, while that is.  

The NBA has hooked with the National Resources Defense Council to kick off Green Week 2009. As part of the campaign, sportswear giant Adidas will hook up their players in 100% sustainable organic shooting shirt, which can purchased at the NBA’s online store here.

NBA Green Week starts today, April 2 and will continue onto April 10.

I’m sure you’re aware of Philippe as a celebrity haven restaurant in both Manhattan and Miami, but you probably didn’t know about their celebrity investors, most of them athletes.  This star friendly brand has been backed by NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning, Pittsburgh Steeler’s Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, Denver Nugget’s Chauncey Billups, New York Knicks’ Al Harrington and Detroit Pistons’ Antonio McDyess.  These athletes literally put their money where their mouth is.  Mourning noted, “I loved the food at Philippe in New York and realized that there is nothing like it in Miami.  When the opportunity arose to help bring the concept to South Florida, I had to jump on it.”

Philippe also has locations in Mexico City, Philippe Express in New York and is in the works of opening a Los Angeles outlet in West Hollywood.

Philippe in Miami

As part of March Madness, sportswear giant Adidas is kicking off a new campaign featuring some of their star NBA players. The campaign entitled “March is a Brotherhood” features players Kevin Garnett (seen above), Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, and Josh Smith giving props to their favorite NCAA teams.

Check out the videos below:

Garnett + UCLA

Howard + Kansas

McGrady + Louisville

Smith + PItt

NBA All-Star. Olympic gold medal winner. All-around nice guy. Chris Paul has it all. Check out his exclusive GIANT gallery below:

Chris Paul doesn’t know how not to go hard. “I’m a competitor,” he says. “I hate for anyone to beat me, no matter what it is.” When he loses a game of Scrabble, he rewards his college-sweetheart girlfriend with the silent treatment. Not even his younger cousins are spared when playing one-on-one with the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year. “If we play to ten, I’ll let them get to eight,” he says. “But when it’s all said and done, I’m going to win.”

Paul’s parents drove his appetite for success. Although his high school required athletes to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, Paul and his brother were kept to a household requirement of 3.0. “My family had higher standards,” he says. “We never wanted to be average. They made me feel like I always had to work hard.”

It’s no coincidence that Paul’s closest friends are also at the top of their games. While in college at Wake Forest, a liberal arts university in Paul’s home state of North Carolina, he struck up a friendship with multiplatinum rapper Lil’ Wayne. – HYUN KIM

FOR THE FULL STORY, CHECK OUT THE NEW MARCH ISSUE OF GIANT ON NEWSSTANDS NOW!

Click here to subscribe to GIANT today!

The House of Hennessy was the place to be NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix. After a star-studded Superbowl party, Hennessy did it again in Phoenix with appearances from Christina Milian, Akon and Jadakiss, among others. Check out all the party photos below:

There must be something about Madison Square Garden this week.

Days after Kobe Bryant scored 61 points against the New York Knicks at the legendary arena, LeBron James scored a 50-plus point trible-double against the Knicks. King James scored 52 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. The Cleveland Cavaliers star joins Michael Jordan as the only player to have multiple 50-plus point performances at Madison Square Garden (they also share the same number 23) and becoming the first since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 to have a triple-double in a 50 point game. At 24 years-old, LBJ is the youngest NBA player to score more than 12,000 point-plateau.

Long live the King.

SUPERBOWL XLIII (43)

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!!!!!  Still hyped from Inauguration?  (OBAMA!)  Great, well let’s head down to Tampa.  This is the moment millions have been waiting for and here it is, at last.  So, where will you be watching the game?

WHEN:  Sunday, February 1 @ 6pm (EST)

WHERE:  Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL  (Temperature is slated to be sunny and pushing 70 by Sunday)

WHO: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals

ACCESS:  Tix for the game range from $1,475 – $254,554, unless you know someone who knows someone, then you’re good!

SCENE (AND BE SEEN): This is probably the largest sporting gathering in the states and often attracts celebs, other football players, corporate sponsors and major fans of the game.  Most of which will be found at the Convention Center, setup with ESPN, a major hub for press and media!

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will headline the Halftime Show and Jennifer Hudson will sing the National Anthem.

STAY: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

I hear it’s completely sold out, yet it may just be a cool spot to pass through just to cruise the crowd.  And if you’re looking to bet on something other than the game the hotel recently installed Black Jack tables.

Other places to check out…

Marriot Hotel (Waterside Marina)

Westin Hotel (Just opened last week, really nice!)

EAT: Aquanox (Inside the Westin Hotel)  A great look if you’re trying to impress, and definitely for those who are not  feeling the recession,  it’s the most expensive restaurant in Tampa.

Other options…

Ocean Prime (Brand new, across the street from Hard Rock)

Capital Grille

LOOK: If you’re a celeb, corporate sponsor or just got invited to the luxury suites your attire will most likely be a bit different than those in the stands wearing paraphernalia.  The weather will certainly be a bit warmer coming from up north or the mid west so no need for the heavy layers.  Be comfortable and appropriate.

For Her

A simple Alexander Wang, CK or James Perse t-shirt, loose fit jeans (pegged at ankle) or straight leg jeans that stop at the ankle.  A cute loose jacket or sweater.  Diesel and Rodarte make great ones.  The look should include an awesome platform heel and a messenger or shoulder bag (No big totes!).  Simple jewelry is fine, large hoops or a chunky bracelet, but don’t embellish, remember this is a sporting event.  Your hair should be freshly styled, preferably pulled back in a ponytail, make up lightly done with a bright lipstick ie. red (it’s an excellent accent to white tees), manis and pedis, a must.

Key elements

Gucci Iman Triple Strap Platform, MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo

Givenchy  Melancholia Heart Shoulder bag

For Him

Dark denim jeans, crisp white t-shirt and a light cashmere sweater (grey, black or navy).  A pair of Red Wing brown boots or solid neutral colored hi-tops (Converse Chuck T, Vans).  If you’ve got a mohawk this is the perfect time to lose it, fresh caesar cut or line ups, please.  The important accessory here is your watch.  It just screams BOSS.  Invest in a good timepiece.  Your presence should certainly look like you cared when you got dressed, but did it with little effort.  Swag canNOT be created and many guys think they have it, so much they believe it.  Cut the nonsense and enjoy the game!  Have some chicken wings, good laughs and chill.

Key elements

J.Crew’s Red Wing boot, Breitling Bentley watch

ALSO THIS WEEK…

NBA

Tonight:  Golden State @ Dallas (9pm ESPN) – Good game to catch, yet no need to run to the stadium.  I’m sure your seats at home will be just fine.

Thur, Jan 29th:  Cleveland @ Orlando (8pm TNT) – This is a definite watch and even better if you can get there.  Both teams are going for that #1 spot.  Dwight Howard and arguably the best player in the league, Lebron James are both MVP candidates.  They also have a great supporting cast such as Jameer Nelson (one of my favs on Orlando) and Mo Williams (Cleveland).  If you do make it to this game, you should stay down there and head to Tampa for Super Bowl.

San Antonio @ Phoenix (10:30 TNT) – A good west coast battle to find yourself court-side… Shaq, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire vs. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker

Fri, Jan 30th:  Boston @ Detroit (7pm ESPN) – This is a big east rivalry, both have seen a championship in recent years.  Detroit has been going through a transition with Iverson and Rip Hamilton is just coming off the bench.  Celtics should win, but Detroit always has a good showing.

Golden State @ New Orleans (9:30 ESPN) – Chris Paul is reason alone to watch this game!  It’s great to catch one of the best point guards in the league up against Monte Ellis  who is back in the Golden State line up.

Monte Ellis

Sun, Feb 1:  Cleveland @ Detroit (2:30 ABC) – You already know this is going to be a showdown between the two east rivals!  And why you ask… Lebron, A.I., Rasheed Wallace, ’nuff said.

**Movie Releases (Friday, Jan 30th)**

The Uninvited (Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks)

Taken (Liam Nelson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen)

New In Town (Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr, Nathan Fillian)

The Class (Francois Begaudeau) limited theaters

SPOTLIGHT: (PIC OF LAST WEEK)

How could you not smile when seeing this image?  On the way to the ball, our First Lady warming up in the President’s jacket.

The new year is only a handful of days strong, yet I’m already growing quite a few new infatuations. Here are six things I’ve developed strangely obsessive, crazy love for in the past week that will probably endure throughout the next 12 months.

1. Streaming stuff

Anyone who follows tech news in the slightest knows that the shift from TV and DVD to streaming video is inevitable. (Sucks to be Blu-ray…) And many of us have certainly gotten our feet wet–even just a little–in Hulu.com‘s Web-based programing. But not until this year have I officially started to go all in for streaming anything and everything. Over the holiday I cozied up with my computer countless times to enjoy Netflix‘s selection of on-demand movies (at no additional cost to me). Feel like watching Alien at 3 in the morning? No problem. Just click and the movie begins playing. Bonus awesomeness: I got a Roku player (pictured above) in the mail yesterday. The little black box lets anyone with an unlimited Netflix subscription stream available movies directly on their TV over a WiFi or ethernet connection. Sure the selection is relatively slim (only 12,000 titles so far) compared to Netflix’s full offerings. But aside from the $100 for the box, this service is offered at no additional cost. At all! None! The picture is phenomenal, and the setup and interface are super-easy. And soon enough, one can assume, more movies and TV shows will start rolling in. My ultimate goal here–the Roku player being just the first step–is to ditch cable TV (and save like $60 a month in the process). Of course, my love of college sports and my addiction to MSNBC might get in the way of all that…

2. Ditching magazines (for the most part)

I’m sorta totally over my usual stack of magazines. My regular queue of Esquire, Rolling Stone, GQ, Wired, New York, The Fader, Fantastic Man, Purple, Spin… Those kids just aren’t doing it for me anymore. In 2009 I’m looking to cut my magazine purchases by like 90 percent, at least until these books can figure out a way to win me back that isn’t derivative content or better-left-online entertainment coverage. I will, however, be sticking with my weekly copies of New Yorker, loving the artistic beauty of Interview and every now and then perusing the awesomeness that is Decibel, one of the only music magazines still worth reading.

3. Metal

For the past few weeks, I had an itch and the only thing that can scratch it is heavy metal and its various subgenres: doom, sludge, dark, black, stoner, speed, grind, instru-, melodic, etc. For the longest time I’ve treated metal like I treat classical music, keeping it at arms length for fear of becoming too obsessed (I can’t possibly buy every benchmark recording can I?), but thanks to a healthy crop of albums from 2008 that recently dove onto my radar, that barrier’s been shattered, trampled, torched and the ashes have been pissed on. Metal helped me cure nervousness about holiday air travel and catalyzed concentration for return-to-work editing. It’s given me something to discover, something fresh and new at least to my ears. Awesomely named bands such as Krallice, Nachtmystium, Disfear (boy howdy!) and Made out of Babies dropped terrific albums this past year that I missed completely. So if you’re curious or feeling misanthropic, stay tuned to my Missing Notes blog for a rundown of my favorite new metal discoveries–with music.

4. “Man” writers

One of the perks of ditching magazines (read above) is that I have more time to read more books (one of my new year’s resolutions). At the moment, I’m sticking with writers that remind me (read: teach me) what it means to be a “man”–particularly Norman Mailer and Ernest Hemingway–though I’ve given my girlfriend strict orders to terminate this infatuation in the case that I unknowingly become a) sexist, b) racist, c) an asshole or d) impotent. All of which are realistic fears when dealing with such guy lit.

5. The Diane Rehm Show

Diane Rehm is a host on National Public Radio. According to Wikipedia, she’s 72. But she sounds at least 30 years older and, with every word uttered, on the brink of death. Needless to say, she and her show are amazing. Rehm’s Friday News Roundups are two hours of concise, thought-provoking, informative and enlightening week-in-review roundtable discussion. Hour one is domestic news, and hour two is devoted to international goings on. For anyone looking to stay in the know about current events without pouring through blogs and countless newspapers, these Friday segments are pure money. Subscribe to her show via podcast and enjoy the awesomeness every week.

6. The NBA

For a while there, I was through with the NBA. It was around the time when greatness was measured by Shaq’s unstopableness and hack-a-Shaq became a legitimate team strategy to win games. Yawn! But now that Shaq is fat and awful (and most likely injured or retired, I don’t even know) the league is reinvigorated with young talent and new teams vying for the title. Hell, I think I even saw a squad run a play. Imagine that! Boston is classic and way more intriguing now that the egos and hype have started to derail the train slightly. Los Angeles is a necessary evil and all the more frustratingly villainous as players other than Kobe start holding their own. And Lebron, well, he’s gonna get his title. Some day.

Chauncey Billups’ recent trade to the Denver Nuggets represents a homecoming for the NBA All-Star. So, it only makes sense that he pays homage to his hometown tomorrow night (November 27th) by wearing an exclusive TS Creator Thanksgiving Day shoe during the Nuggets game against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets.

As a Colorado native, Billups grew up playing the game at George Washington High School where he was a 4-time All-State first team pick and 3- time recipient of Colorado’s “Mr. Basketball” title. Billups later went on to tally numerous records and accolades at Colorado University including the prestigious jersey retirement in 2004.

In tribute to his Colorado roots, Billups will take to the court in a Colorado University-inspired adidas TS Creator Thanksgiving Day shoe. The gold and black shoes are accented with personalized details that link back to his days playing for the Buffaloes including “Go Buffs” on the medial collar, his initials on the lateral side and his long standing nickname, Mr. Big Shot, etched in white beneath.

Adidas will host an exclusive auction of the TS Creator Thanksgiving Day shoe starting on Friday (November 28th). Only 11 pairs, exact replicas of the pair worn by Billups on Thanksgiving Day, will be numbered and autographed by Billups. The auction will be hosted on the NBA’s official site. Bidding will start at $100 and will run for one week ending on Thursday, December 4th, 2008. All proceeds will go to the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy, a local Denver non-sports institute providing disadvantaged youth optimal opportunities and resources to achieve academic success. Billups has been actively involved it all elements of the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy since 2006.

The TS Creator silhouette is part of the new Team Signature series from adidas Basketball called Command + Create.

Last week, I had the pleasure of joining the good folks from Jordan Brand for lunch and to see the newest iteration of the Carmelo Anthony sneaker line. Don’t be jealous.

Aptly named the Melo M5, the 15 oz shoe features forefoot flex grooves, Zoom Air cushioning, “CA” embroidered on quarter panel and design cues from some of Anthony’s favorite Jordans (Does that patent leather remind anyone else of the 11s? It’s supposed to.).

The Jordan Melo M5 are slated to launch nationwide on Saturday, November 22nd with a suggested retail price of $125.

My loyalties have been homeless for some time—last seen ditching my dignity as I jumped off the Knicks’ Conestoga.  Tonight, though, I begin my season-long allegiance to the Detroit Pistons.  With Allen Iverson debuting in Detroit’s starting backcourt, power in the NBA may have just shifted to Motown.

A.I. has easily been the league’s most inspirational talent since Jordan dipped out of the spotlight in ‘98.  Standing less than 6 feet, the little guy has been battered and bruised over his career.  Yet, he has still managed to collect an MVP award, a Finals cameo, and multiple scoring titles despite playing against relative giants.  The only obstacle too tall to conquer was Shaq in ‘01, but Iverson may have another go at a title this year after hooking up with the 2004 champions.

Last year’s finals featured the Celtics and Lakers, a matchup that seemingly went down every year of the ‘80s.  The other big rival for the chip during that decade?  The Pistons.

This season’s three-horse race may have another entry, though.  By the end of the ‘80s, a precocious Jordan had begun threatening the triumvirate.  This time, the young gun joining the race could very well be a member of Team Jordan.  Don’t be surprised if Chris Paul is the one orchestrating a title run if neither A.I., the boys from Beantown, nor Kobe can quite pull the right strings.

- Devin Chanda

I hope you rocked the vote today! If you didn’t, you may see Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady looking for you. The two Adidas-signed athletes will wear their election-inspired kicks in the Boston versus Houston game tonight. Check them out below!

You ever wonder what NBA all-stars like Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard do all summer? I mean other than partying, designing kicks and recording albums (Thank God, Kobe and Shaq are done with all that… right?) Well, if you believe this new adidas video-used to promote their new COMMAND AND CREATE line-they  get together and do what they do best. They ball… Peep the video below:

Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics and adidas announced today the launch of a rare version of Garnett’s 2008-09 adidas Team Signature Commander shoe.  This footwear release was designed to commemorate the Celtics’ historic run at an NBA Championship.  adidas will produce only eight pairs per game of this exciting shoe to be sold at retail (potentially 56 total pair if The Finals go a full seven games).  One special pair of shoes autographed by KG will be auctioned off on NBA.com after The Finals.  All profits from the sale of these shoes will go to NBA Cares community partners in the Boston area.

The adidas Team Signature KG Commander is scheduled to launch in October 2008, but for this year’s NBA Finals, Kevin Garnett will wear a special version that will be highlighted by the inclusion of the coveted Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy on the medial side, and an embroidered callout to games 1 thru 7 on the lateral side.  The number of that night’s game will be in green while the others remain white. The numbers 1 thru 7 also get larger as each game grows in significance.

“All season long it has been about we and not me, so as we head into the NBA Finals I wanted to do something special for the Boston community. That is why we came up with this limited edition adidas Team Signature KG Commander,” stated Garnett.  “Since day one, the fans of Boston have made me feel like family, so to do this and be able to give back to them is a great honor.”

Another key attribute that has adorned KG’s shoes throughout the years are his tributes to two of his good friends and mentors: Malik Sealy (former Timberwolves teammate) and Kirby Puckett (former Minnesota Twins Superstar Centerfielder).  Malik’s tribute is located under the strap and says “2 Malik”, while Kirby’s call out, “KP 34” is located on the back of the shoe, just below the adidas logo.

“KG redefines what passion means on the basketball court but this energy also spills over to include every off-court initiative that he is involved with as well,” stated Lawrence Norman, VP Global Basketball for adidas.  “His switch never turns off – KG is 100% authentic and his drive to make a difference in the community is real and ongoing. This was the perfect concept for a guy like KG and adidas to get involved with as we both enjoy finding fun, creative ways to give back to the local community.”

“KG has shown throughout his career that he is a consummate team player, whose passion for the game, his teammates and his community is unmatched,” stated Rich Gotham, President, Boston Celtics.  “KG embodies all of the characteristics that all true Celtic greats have and this is one of many ways that Kevin gives back to the city of Boston and its fans.”

The limited-edition adidas Team Signature Commander will only be available at Celtics.com, the TD Banknorth Garden Pro Shop and NBA Store in New York City.  Each pair of adidas Team Signature KG Commanders will retail for $1017 (to commemorate the drive for championship #17).

NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony has the money, the talent and the celebrity fiancee. But can the young superstar live through the wire and take his game and his hometown to the next level?

On a 2004 street DVD called Stop Fucking Snitching, there’s a scene where the Denver Nuggets’ all-star forward Carmelo Anthony stands beside a local Baltimore rapper named Skinny Suge. Dressed head to toe in red, Anthony laughs as Suge rages about snitches and rats and threatens to lynch the USA basketball team’s then-head coach, Larry Brown, for benching Anthony during the 2004 Olympics. Earlier that year, Anthony was also pinched with weed while boarding a plane (he’s always maintained it belonged to a friend) and had a nightclub brawl with his fiancée’s ex-boyfriend, New York rapper Suga J. The idea of Carmelo Anthony as a bankable brand and community pillar seemed unfathomable.

“The powers that be in the NBA definitely saw Anthony as the personification of what was wrong with their league—another spoiled thug,” says Ben Osborne, editor-in-chief of basketball monthly SLAM.

Flash forward to 2007: Anthony, bouncing a basketball, ducks inside The Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center in Baltimore. The kids attending his summer camp mob him. “What’s up, Carmelo?” “’Melo!” “Ohhh!” They scream and yell, straining upward to touch him and shake his hand.

In December 2005, the 29,000-square-foot Boys and Girls Club lost the funding to operate the center. “The organization helped us for a month or two,” recalls Kurk Lee, the former New Jersey Net and the center’s athletic director. “After that…we volunteered for two to three months just to keep the kids off the street.”

Then Baltimore native and veteran NBA guard Sam Cassell told Anthony about the center’s plight. “Carmelo called me and asked who he could talk to about putting some money in,” Lee remembers. Anthony invested $1.5 million. Soon, not only did Nike decorate the building’s exterior and gym, but also the city of Baltimore chipped in $125,000 a year in subsidies, and the children of six nearby housing projects regained a safe haven. Anthony, just 23 years old, began looking more like the all-American hero those kids—and Madison Avenue—had hoped for.

“It’s like a legacy,” Anthony says. “You don’t really have too many people, athletes period, who can say, ‘I got a building with my name on it.’”