Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell are used in a YouTube parody of the Call of Duty: Black Ops video game trailer. (YouTube)

There’s no question that Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is the most dominant big man in the NBA today. There’s also no doubt that Call of Duty: Black Ops is the hottest video game on the market right now.

So what happens when you combine the two?

YouTube user iBlacck gives us an idea with this mashup trailer that combines Dwight Howard highlights with audio from the Call of Duty: Black Ops trailer. It’s not the smoothest piece of YouTube wizardry I’ve ever seen, but I’ll give the YouTuber credit for incorporating Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell as the narrator.

Continue reading Dwight Howard gets Call of Duty Black Ops treatment »

ATLANTA — You hear a lot about Gilbert Arenas in the aftermath of the locker room dispute between him and Javaris Crittenton, but very little about Crittenton, a third-year player out of Georgia Tech.

Crittenton was a high school teammate of Dwight Howard’s. He graduated from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy in 2006, two years after Howard did. According to media reports, a dispute over a gambling debt between the two led to guns being displayed inside the Wizards’ locker room. On Monday Crittenton was excused from team activities until the  investigation is complete.

While working on another story at SACA, I spoke to some at the school about Crittenton and what they made of the situation.

“The one thing I’ve learned is when you get too much too quickly, and you have not had exposure to it before, it can be damaging to you,” said Geraldine Thompson, the school’s headmistress. “And I think that’s the case.”

Continue reading Javaris Crittenton: The other half of the Washington Wizards’ locker room dispute »

The approaching trade deadline means the mind games have begun by anonymous “league sources”. And Jazz GM Kevin O’Connor is none too pleased about that.

Kevin Durant continued his scoring barrage against the Knicks while free agent to be David Lee seemed open to the possibility of joining him in Oklahoma next year.

And, of course, the Magic play in Sacramento tonight — a homecoming for two of the team’s key role players.

Continue reading Mid-Morning Buzz: Tuesday, January 12 »

The Celtics, Cavaliers and Lakers joined the losing party last night. The Lakers to the Portland Trail Blazers who have beat them nine straight times in Portland, the Celtics to the Atlanta Hawks, to whom they are 0-2 this year, and the Cavaliers to the short-handed Nuggets.

The Magic now face the Hawks on a high from that game last night and we’ll get you up to speed with them.

Meanwhile in D.C., the subplot other than the Magic losing an historic fourth consecutive game, was the Wizards’ first home game since Gilbert Arenas’ suspension. It made for an emotional night for the Wizards. And they played like it.

Continue reading Mid-Morning Buzz: Saturday, January 9 »

When the Orlando Magic enter the Verizon Center tomorrow night for their game against the Gilbert Arena-less Washington Wizards, they won’t be greeted by the multi-story banner of Agent Zero.

Below is video of that banner being pulled down from the Wizards’ arena on Thursday afternoon.

Dan Steinberg wrote on the D.C. Sports Blog:

Ok, it’s not exactly kids toppling over a statue of Saddam or weary souls tearing down the Berlin Wall, but watching this video of the giant Gilbert banner being removed from the 6th street side of the Verizon Center feels like watching an icon crumble before our eyes.

Roll the film. Holster your weapons.