ReCreation Magazine ™ - NBA BACK!!

ReCreationDecember 2011

Play Time Is Over

GAME TIME

HOME FORTHEHOLIDAYS

NBA LOCKOUT

National Basketball Association

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eCreationMagazine™

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02 - 03 History04 - 12 NBA Lockout13 - The Comeback

14 - Music & Entertainment15 - Player Spotlight

16 - 2011/2012 December 25thSeason Schedule17 - Holiday Spirit18 - Shot Clock19 - Holy Bible

20 - Books & Reading21 - Fast Facts22 - Video Games

23 - NBA Team Logos24 - BabylonONE LOVE

NationalBasketballAssociation

History

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the pre-eminentmen's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirtyfranchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the UnitedStates and one in Canada. It is an active member of USA Basketball(USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation asthe National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. TheNBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues.

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as theBasketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the nameNational Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival NationalBasketball League (NBL). The league's several international as well asindividual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in theOlympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainmentand NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, NewJersey.

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 byowners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and MidwesternUnited States and Canada. On August 3, 1949, the BAA agreed to mergewith the NBL, creating the new National Basketball Association. The newleague had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities,as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories.

The NBA traces its roots back to1946 and the Basketball Associationof America. But the first documentedprofessional basketball game in the

US took place in 1896, just five yearsafter James Naismith wrote the rules.

The first pro league -- the NationalBasket Ball League -- began

operations in 1898. It was a wild time,with barnstorming teams, leaguesthat came and went, and men whocould play for three teams in three

leagues at the same time.

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Although Japanese-American Wataru Misaka technically broke the NBA colorbarrier in the 1947–48 season when he played for the New York Knicks, 1950 isrecognized as the year the NBA integrated. This year witnessed the addition of AfricanAmerican players by several teams, including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics,Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the WashingtonCapitols. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, wonfive NBA Championships and established themselves as the league's first dynasty.

In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who alreadyfeatured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the clubto eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the leaguewith the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s, settingnew single game records in scoring (100) and rebounding (55). Russell's rivalry withChamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of Americanteam sports.

The 1960s were dominated by the Boston Celtics. Led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousyand coach Red Auerbach, the Celtics won eight consecutive championships in the NBAfrom the 1958–1959 season to the 1965–1966 season. The streak is the longest inNBA history. They did not win the title in 1966–1967, but regained it in the 1967–1968season and repeated in 1968–1969. The domination totaled nine of the 10championship banners of the 1960s.[7]

Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of theMinneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, theSyracuse Nationals to Philadelphia to become the 76ers, and the St. Louis Hawksmoving to Atlanta, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. The ChicagoPackers (now Washington Wizards) became the ninth NBA team in 1961. From 1966 to1968, the league expanded from nine teams to fourteen, introducing the Chicago Bulls,Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), San Diego Rockets (who relocatedto Houston four years later), Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns.

The league added the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979to open up the game. That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined theBoston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, initiating a period of significantgrowth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. In 1984 theyplayed against each other for the first time in the NBA Finals. Johnson went on to leadthe Lakers to five titles, and Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three. Also in the early'80s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks, bringing thetotal to 23 teams. Later on, Larry Bird won the first three three-point shooting contests.Current league commissioner David Stern took office on April 1, 1984, and oversaw theexpansion and growth of the NBA to a global commodity.

History National Basketball Association

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NBA Lockout

The ugly battleover moneybetween the

players and theirowners.

The 2011 NBA lockout was the fourth lockout in the history of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). The owners began the workstoppage at 12:01 am EDT (4:01 am UTC) on July 1, 2011, uponexpiration of the 2005 collective bargaining agreement. The mainissues dividing the owners and the players were the division ofrevenue and the structure of the salary cap and luxury tax.

During the lockout, teams could not trade, sign or contact players,and players could not access NBA team facilities, trainers or staffs. Allpre-season games and the first six weeks of the 2011–12 season,through December 15, were canceled. Some players signed contractsto play in other countries, mostly in Europe and Asia, with most ofthose players having the option to return to the NBA upon the lockout'sconclusion.

On November 26, the players and owners reached a tentativedeal, including a 66-game regular season, with games commencing onDecember 25. Owners allowed players to have voluntary workouts atteam sites starting December 1. The lockout officially ended onDecember 8 when the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)and the team owners approved the new collective bargainingagreement, allowing training camps, trades and free agency to beginthe next day.

The Beginning, The Middle, The End.

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NBA Lockout

July 1, 2011: The lockout begins.September 23, 2011: The NBA canceled training

camp, which was to begin October 3, and the first week ofpreseason games, which were to run October 9 through15.

October 4, 2011: The NBA canceled the remainder ofthe preseason.

October 10, 2011: The first two weeks of the regularseason canceled.

October 28, 2011: All games through November 30canceled.

November 14, 2011: The NBPA dissolves labor unioninto a trade association.

November 15, 2011: The NBA canceled all gamesthrough December 15. Players filed antitrust lawsuitsagainst the NBA in California and Minnesota federalcourts.

November 26, 2011: The NBA owners and playersreached a tentative agreement to end the lockout.

December 1, 2011: The NBPA re-formed as a union.December 8, 2011: The new collective

bargaining agreement is ratified, officially ending the lockout.

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After the previous lockout, which shortened the 1998–99 season from 82 to 50games, a six-year deal between the owners and players was reached. As the CollectiveBargaining Agreement (CBA) was set to expire on June 30, 2005, the two sides beganto negotiate in early 2005. There were several issues obstructing the new agreement,which included adding an age limit for rookies, toughening the existing drug-testingprogram and limiting the length of long-term contracts. However, negotiations wentsmoothly and the two sides were able to reach a deal in June 2005, avoiding thelockout. That deal guaranteed players 57 percent of basketball-related income (BRI)and lasted for six years, until June 30, 2011. A year after signing the deal, eight ownerssigned a petition requesting NBA commissioner David Stern address the disparitybetween small-market and large-market teams. They wrote that "the hard truth is thatour current economic system works only for larger-market teams and a few teams thathave extraordinary success ...The rest of us are looking at significant and unacceptableannual financial losses."

Negotiations on a new CBA began in early 2011. The league claimed that it waslosing $300 million a year (22 out of 30 teams were losing money last season) andproposed to reduce 40% of players' salary (about $800 million) and institute a hardsalary cap (at $45 million per team) as opposed to a soft cap (at $58 million) currentlyin use. The union disputed those figures and steadfastly opposed those changes.Players union director Billy Hunter said that he was advising players to prepare for alockout. In May 2011, the NBPA filed a complaint with the National Labor RelationsBoard (NLRB), accusing the league of negotiating in bad faith by failing to providecritical financial data to the union and repeatedly threatening to lock out players. TheNBA quickly rejected the complaint, saying that the league complies fully with federallabor laws. The union also considered the option of decertification, which allows playersto file an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA.

With time winding down, negotiations continued in May and June. On the salarycap, the owners, in their newest proposal, call for a system called the "flex cap" thatlimits payroll at $62 million but penalizes teams if average payroll of all teams exceedsthat amount. The union argued that it is still a hard cap because the ceiling would kickin eventually. On salary reduction, players offered to cut $500 million over the next fiveyears (their share of BRI would be reduced from 57 to 54.3 percent). The ownersinstead proposed to cut $2 billion over the next 10 years.

As a last-ditch effort to avert a lockout, owners and players met again on June30, 2011, to negotiate, but both sides failed to reach a resolution on key issues likesalary cap and BRI splits. Both Stern and Hunter said that the two sides remained farapart. The owners demanded a larger share, claiming that they were losing money. Theplayers, on the other hand, were willing to make concessions, but they refused tocompletely cave in to owners' demands. Negotiations broke off, and the CBA expired atmidnight.

BackgroundNBA Lockout

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NBA LockoutThe lockout was officially started by the owners on July 1, 2011, and negotiations

resumed at an August 1 bargaining session, but it fell apart after three hours. OnAugust 2, 2011, the NBA filed two unfair labor practice claims against the NBPA, one atthe NLRB and another at a federal district court in New York. The league accused theplayers of being uncooperative in negotiations by making threats to dissolve their unionand file antitrust lawsuits. Hunter, in a statement released by the union, called thelawsuit "without merit" and that the union will seek to dismiss it in court. On August 4,Hunter said that he thought the entire 2011–12 season would likely be canceled.

The NBPA and the owners returned to negotiate for the second time on August31 with a sense of urgency. No specifics were disclosed although both sides hoped tomeet again soon. "Everyone loses if we don't reach an agreement, that's somethingthat I think has always been understood," said union president and Los Angeles Lakersguard Derek Fisher. "I will say we are not apart in terms of an agreed urgency ongetting a deal done," said NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.The union and owners met again on September 13 but the negotiation soon collapsed.

The salary cap structure remained the main source of disagreement. Ownerswanted to create a hard cap for team payroll. The union wanted to keep the currentstructure intact, referring to it as a "blood issue". Players were willing to cut salary onlyif owners agree to compromise on the salary cap. But owners were unwilling toconcede, saying that there must be a system in place that allows all teams to compete.Five of the sports agents—Arn Tellem, Bill Duffy, Mark Bartelstein, Jeff Schwartz andDan Fegan—who represent one-third of NBA players spoke with each other aboutdecertifying the union. They believed owners have most of the leverage in negotiationand viewed decertification as a way for players to take control. Hunter said howeverthat players have not considered decertification at this point.

On September 15, Fisher sent an email outto 400-plus players asking for unity. In theemail, he said that the recent meetingswere "effective". He suggested that thefailure of having a deal was not due todisagreement between players and owners,but due to disagreement among owners.Fisher also used the opportunity to counteragents' suggestion of disbanding the union,saying that they were not making "a drasticmove that leaves players without a union".According to sources, there was indeeddisagreement among the owners. Somethought players' proposal of taking 52% of

BRI was fair, and were willing tocompromise on things like tying players'future earnings to NBA's future revenuegrowth and maintaining current salary level.Cavaliers' Dan Gilbert and Suns' RobertSarver were among the hardliners whooppose the deal while Knicks' James Dolanand the Lakers' Jerry Buss were among thegroup in favor of it.[26] Stern denied thatthere was a rift among owners the followingday, saying, "I don't know what the basis ofDerek's belief is."

Initial Months

NBA

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NBA LockoutOn September 23, 2011, the NBA canceled training camp, which was to begin

October 3, and the first week of preseason games, which were to run October 9through 15. The incident marks only the second time in league history that games havebeen lost to a labor stoppage. Both the owners and the union had planned to meet onSeptember 30 in New York and pledged to continue through the weekends if progresswas being made. A source close to the situation leaked to ESPN that Stern plans tothreaten the cancellation of the entire season if no deal is made, but that the union seesthis as a scare tactic and not a serious threat. Commentators speculated that Sternwants to put pressure on the players and prevent negotiation from dragging through thefall. The meeting on September 30 was tense as Dwyane Wade reportedly yelled atStern after he pointed his finger at Wade. The players nearly stormed out, but theyremained in the meeting only after Hunter asked them to. Stern also backed down fromhis earlier threat that he would cancel the season if there is no deal.

On October 4, theNBA canceled the remainderof the preseason. Stern saidthe league would lose $200million from canceling thepreseason, and warned thatthe first two weeks of theregular season would alsobe canceled if a deal was notreached by October 10. Theplayers proposed that theyreceive 53 percent of BRI,while the owners counteredwith 47 percent. The twosides then discussed a 50–50 split of BRI, with theowners offering the players49 percent of BRI withincentives that would raisethe value to 51 percent. Theplayers countered by askingfor 51 percent, which wouldincrease to 53 percent usingthose same incentives. Itwas rejected by the owners.Attempts for the sides tomeet on October 7 failed.The union said the NBAdemanded a 50–50 revenuesplit prior to the meeting,

while the league refutedmaking any such demands.After talks on October 9 and10, the two sides wereunable to reach a deal andStern subsequently canceledthe first two weeks ofregular-season games. BRIremained the main issue, butother differences betweenthe two sides included topicssuch as luxury tax, playercontract length, and the mid-level exception. The ownersproposed a $2 tax for every$1 that a team spends abovethe tax threshold for playersalaries. The tax would riseto as high as $4 for every $1above the limit for teams thatare repeat offenders. Theprevious CBA in comparisoncalled for a $1 tax for every$1 over the limit. The playersrefused to accept a hardsalary cap, which they feltthe more punitive luxurytaxes would effectivelycreate. Stern said theowners felt a harsher luxury

tax would make the leaguemore competitive. Wadecountered that a small-market team like the SanAntonio Spurs had wonmultiple championships.Andrew Zimbalist, aneconomist at Smith College,said that "the statisticalcorrelation between payrolland win percentage ispractically nonexistent" in theNBA. ESPN.com wrote thatan NBA team's draftefficiency accounted for 34percent of its winningpercentage in the pastdecade, while payrollshowed only a 7 percentcorrelation. The New YorkTimes noted that a fairersystem was needed for thesmall-market teams, but theleague's popularityhistorically relied onpredictably successful teamswith multiple superstars.

Cancelations

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NBPA leaders met with around 30 players on October 14 and stressed unity.Washington Wizards player JaVale McGee left the meeting early and told reportersthere were some players in the meeting "saying that they're ready to fold", but themajority was united. McGee later denied mentioning that players were ready to fold, buthis comment was recorded by reporters. Fisher said McGee had "no ability to makethat statement" based on the limited time he spent at the meeting.

Owners and players met again on October 18–20 for 30 hours of talks over threedays.[39] They met before a federal mediator, George Cohen—the director of theFederal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Cohen earlier in the year triedunsuccessfully to resolve the 2011 NFL lockout. At the conclusion of the meetings, thesides remained split on the revenue split and the structure of the salary cap. Theleague proposed a 50–50 split of BRI, and the players proposed a range that wouldallow them as low as 50 percent of BRI to a maximum of 53%, depending on theleague's revenues. Gilbert told the players to trust that the salary cap issues could beresolved if they accepted the 50–50 proposal. Hunter responded, "I can't trust your gut.I got to trust my own gut." Silver and San Antonio Spurs owner Peter Holt told reportersthat the players refused to negotiate after the 50–50 proposal. Fisher told the press"that you guys were lied to" by the owners. Hunter said the owners told them, "Take itor leave it." Cohen decided that there was "no useful purpose" to continue mediationwith the two sides.Tentative agreements were reached on smaller issues, allowing aone-time exemption for teams to waive players without counting against the salary cap,granting teams an annual exemption to waive players and prorate the impact to thesalary cap over multiple years, and a mid-level exception of $5 million.

Hunter characterized the small-market owners as being inflexible to negotiating adeal. However, The New York Times wrote that the views of individual owners "cannotbe easily categorized by market size, revenue, personal wealth or championshipaspirations." Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, whose team is in the fifth-largestmarket and has one of the highest payrolls, is as interested as small-market owners inchanging the economy of the NBA. Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen, the 23rd-wealthiest person in America, also supports cutting player salaries in an effort toincrease competition. While owners of profitable teams like Buss and Dolan are willingto accept modest changes to the CBA, they remain united with the small-market teamsbased on concerns for the league's long-term health.

Despite the earlier cancellation announcement, the players and the league hopedthat a full 82-game schedule could be salvaged if a deal was reached in time. OnOctober 28, Stern announced the cancellation of all games through November 30 afternegotiations regarding division of revenue ended without an agreement. He said thatHunter was unwilling "to go a penny below 52 [percent]" on BRI, while Hunter said, "Wemade a lot of concessions, but unfortunately at this time it's not enough." Sternindicated that an 82-game season was no longer possible. He added that there was atentative agreement reached for maximum contract lengths of five years for playersstaying with their teams or four years when signing with another team.

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NBA LockoutCancelations Continued...

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NBA LockoutReports of division among players andowners surfaced. Jason Whitlock ofFoxsports.com wrote that Fisher wasprivately working with Stern on the 50–50split and that Hunter confronted Fisherabout the issue. Fisher and Stern denied aprivate meeting took place.[46] In a letterto the players, Fisher called the reportsquestioning his loyalty "absurd" anddemanded "a retraction for the libelousand defamatory stories" through hisattorneys. Hunter said his "relationshipwith Derek is very good. There was noconfrontation." Fisher, as union president,is not empowered to make unilateraldecisions for the union. While Fisherbelieved a 50–50 deal could beconsidered, Hunter maintained that theowners should never "make the same ormore than the players."[49] Miami Heatowner Micky Arison, one of the ownerswilling to settle with players, responded toa fan complaining about greedy ownersand players on Twitter. Arison replied tothe fan, "You are barking at the wrongowner." He was fined $500,000 by Stern,five times larger than any previous amountagainst an owner for publicly commentingon the lockout.[50] A group of 10 to 14hardline owners want to cap the players'share of BRI at 50 percent and as low as47. The group is led by Charlotte Bobcatsowner Michael Jordan. During the labordispute in 1998, then-player Jordan toldWashington Wizards then-owner AbePollin, "If you canʼt make a profit, youshould sell your team." Whitlock calledJordan a "sellout" wanting "current playersto pay for his incompetence." He citedJordan's executive decisions to draftdisappointing players Kwame Brown andAdam Morrison.In early November, about 50 players

renewed talks of union decertification if theunion went lower than 52.5 percent of BRIor agreed to additional restrictions oncontracts, salary-cap exceptions, or freeagency. Decertifying would require that 30percent of the union—about 130 players—sign a petition, allowing an election underthe auspices of the NLRB by all NBPAmembers to decertify with a simplemajority. The NLRB traditionally does notconsider a decertification petition while acharge is pending, such as the NBPA'sunfair labor practice charges filed inAugust.The owners and players union met onNovember 6, and they were joined againby federal mediator Cohen. The playersproposed that they receive 51 percent ofBRI, with a one percent portion taken outfor retired players. The owners offered a"band" that would pay the players 49 to 51percent, depending on revenue growth.Jeff Kessler, the unionʼs attorney, said theleague's proposal was really 50.2 percentand called the possibility of reaching 51percent a "fraud" and an "illusion." Theleague also proposed restrictions forteams that pay the luxury tax, banningthem from sign and trade deals andlimiting their use of the mid-levelexception. They also proposed a "repeatertax" for teams that exceed the taxthreshold thrice in a five-year span. Sternissued an ultimatum, giving the playersuntil November 9 to accept the deal beforeit is lowered to 47 percent BRI and a flexsalary cap.On November 15, the NBA canceled allgames through December 15.

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The union rejected the offer on November 9 and asked for another bargainingsession. The two sides met again as the deadline passed. After two days ofnegotiation, the owners put forth a revised final offer and said that they were donebargaining. If accepted by the players, Stern hoped to start a 72-game season in midDecember. On November 14, the union rejected the last offer and dissolved theunion.The NBPA was converted into a trade association, enabling the players asindividual employees to be represented by lawyers in a class action antitrust lawsuitagainst the league, calling the lockout an illegal group boycott. Attorney David Boies,who represented the NFL owners in their 2011 lockout, agreed to represent the playersand join sides with Keesler, who also represented the players in the NFL lockout.[60]On November 15, one group of NBA players (including Carmelo Anthony, ChaunceyBillups, Kawhi Leonard, and Leon Powe) filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA in aCalifornia federal court, while another (including Anthony Tolliver, Ben Gordon, CaronButler and Derrick Williams) filed their own suit against the NBA in a Minnesota federalcourt. November 15 was also the day players were to receive their first paychecks if theseason was played.

On November 21, the California lawsuit was dropped in order to merge with theMinnesota lawsuit. Boies hoped that the move would speed up the process since thecourts will likely merge the suits as they are similar complaints seeking the sameoutcome. The league has until December 5 to respond in court.

NBA Lockout Here Comes The Union

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On November 23, the league and the players agreed to resume negotiating onNovember 25. On November 26, after 15 hours of talks, a tentative deal was reached.The NBPA re-formed as a union on December 1, receiving support from over 300players, exceeding the requirement for at least 260 signatures. Signature cards weresent to the roughly 440 players on rosters at the end of the previous season, as well asto the 60 rookies drafted in 2011 and to players who signed at least two 10-daycontracts. The re-formation enabled further negotiations with the league on secondaryissues such as the age limit for the NBA draft and rules on players being sent to andrecalled from the NBA D-League.[66] The players and owners concluded their voting onthe deal by December 8.The deal was ratified by both sides on December 8. Theowners approved the deal by a 25–5 vote, while 86 percent of the more than 200players who voted approved the deal.

The players will receive 51.2 percent of BRI in 2011–12, with a 49-to-51 band insubsequent years. Teams are allowed a one-time amnesty exemption to waive one player andremove him from the team's salary cap. The player could be claimed off waivers by the highestbidder; the waiving team would be responsible for the remaining salary without it countingagainst their cap. In a rule dubbed the "Derrick Rose Rule" after the 2011 NBA Most ValuablePlayer Award winner, a player finishing his rookie contract could be re-signed at up to 30percent of his team's salary cap—an increase from the previous CBA's 25 percent—if he wasa either a two-time All-Star starter, twice voted All-NBA (first, second, or third team), or won anMVP award. The maximum salary for a player otherwise remained unchanged at 25, 30, or 35percent of the salary cap, depending on the player's years of service.[

NBA Lockout

The cancellation of each month of the season cost the players around $350million in lost pay. According to CNBC, the average player lost $220,000 after the firstmissed paycheck on November 15. However, each player did receive $100,000 fromthe NBA to compensate for salaries falling below the 57 percent BRI level in 2010–11.

As of October 25, an estimated 400 NBA jobs were lost due to layoffs andattrition since the lockout—around 200 in the league office and another 200 among the30 teams. As the lockout dragged on toward the holiday season, many NBA arenasworkers felt the impact. Many of them work part-time in order to supplement theirincome or to simply pay bills and they cannot get back the money they could haveearned from the cancelled games.

Settlement

Owner MichaelJordan, a formerplayer, wasamong thehardline ownersduringnegotiations. Impact

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The Comeback

NBA BACK!!

NBA Lockout Ends As Players, Owners RatifyThe NBA Board of Governors on Thursday ratified a new 10-year collectivebargaining agreement, clearing the way for the official end of the 2011 lockout.Commissioner David Stern told reporters that the owners voted 25-5 to approvethe deal.

Earlier on Thursday, players had ratified the deal by a wide margin, though fewerthan half of the union membership elected to vote.

The ratification clears the way for free agency to officially begin at 2 p.m. ET onFriday. Chortles are encouraged, given that half the league has been reported tohave handshake deals with specific dollar amounts attached with free agentsalready, and trades -- including one for a certain Chris Paul -- have already beenagreed to.

Training camps will also open on Friday. Preseason games begin in a little over aweek. Basketball is back, everybody. Embrace a fan near you and enjoy. (Enjoyit a little more if you're a fan of the L.A. Lakers.)

Tom Ziller

Dec.8.2011

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Music & Entertainment

500 GRAMS is set to brighten up your day in a blazing way. Rich Hill's lyricsmanages to be a bit refreshing, due to the fact that he restrains from the use of violenceand heavy crime and triumphantly intakes a tough amount of drugs. Hill is hardcore."Get a half a p, every week" (Half A P). He got syrup in his beverage(Varieties), "pillsand weed in the dashboard", "syrup in his soda, he's popping viking and smokingcherry pie, "got her very high" (Cherry Pie). Rich Hill is certainly not your average rolemodel, matter of fact he is not the guy to imitate but you can respect his authenticartistry. He's a poet in his mind, that's what his mama say (Dippin). The only thing RichHill has cocked, is his middle finger towards the devil in hell's kitchen. He proclaims aheart of God (500 GRAMS). Vibe to his zoned out harmonies on What's Poppin. He getdeeps, talks about visions, he narrates stories and shares, openly how he started fromnothing, now screwed up he's sippin' on tussin. It's Nothing (Mix It Up). It Aint Time ToGo, is a well done remake of the Ghetto Boys, Mind Playing Tricks On Me. Do me afavor and repeat Show Money, "mix it with the Bob Marley" he's moving slow pace, butit's a motivating tune, makes you want to make moves. Psychedelic and trippy, Slippininto Darkness is a trance to connect with. Unlike the NBA Lockout, 500 GRAMS is theupside of darkness.

500 GRAMS features Ro Ransom on Varieties, Smoke DZA on Cherry Pie, BooBonic on the uptempo joint Just Like That and Dippin .

The King of Drugs & B!tch3$RICH HILL

M i x t a p e : 5 0 0 G R A M SA r t i s t s : R i c h H i l l X L e x L u g e r

G e n r e : T r i p p y R a pF a v o r i t e T r a c k : B o u t I t B o u t I t

Jahmerikah Marley, ReCreation Magazine ™ Creator

"You can takedrugs if youwanna/ a varietyof pills/ and a bagof marijuana"

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Player Spotlight: Chris Paul

The Los Angeles Clippers have acquired guard Chris Paul in a trade withthe league-owned New Orleans Hornets.

The Clippers will send guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, forwardAl-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round pick to theHornets for Paul. The Clippers will also receive two future second-round picks.On Thursday, Paul tweeted a goodbye to New Orleans.

"THANK YOU NEW ORLEANS for 6 of the BEST years of my life," anentry on his Twitter account read. "To the organization, my teammates,coaches, and the fans you will always be my family and have a special placein my heart!!!"

The deal required the approval of NBA commissioner David Stern.

The move puts an end to a tortured week in which the Hornets' seasonsat in limbo while the NBA took a public relations beating over everythingfrom potential conflicts of interest, to stunting the Hornets' pursuit of freeagents, to disrespecting the New Orleans fan base.

"I knew we were doing the best thing for New Orleans and that was myjob," Stern said. "You have to stick with what you think was right. I mustconfess it wasn't a lot of fun, but I don't get paid to have fun."

Stern said he never allowed other owners' opinions or considerations oflarge and small markets to determine where Paul, one of the NBA's biggeststars, would end up. He said his only focus was on getting the best deal forthe Hornets.

H o t P l a y e r T r a d e :

S w e e tD e a l

ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein 15

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"I feel like a Rookie!"

After months and months of waiting, NBA fans will finally get to watch some NBAbasketball. On Sunday, December 25, the 2011-2012 NBA season will begin. TheChristmas Day schedule includes five special gifts for NBA fans and will kick off thelockout-shortened season.

The NBA will open the season with plenty of star power. The top seven vote-getters forthe 2011 Most Valuable Player Award (Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, LeBron James,Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade) will be in action for theChristmas Day festivities.

Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, 12:00 p.m. ET on TNT

The Christmas Day NBA schedule will begin with the New York Knicks hosting theBoston Celtics. The refurbished Madison Square Garden will be unveiled to the NBAand its fans for the first time in this rematch of a 2011 Eastern Conference first-roundplayoff matchup. The Knicks will also debut their new center and prized free agentTyson Chandler.

Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC

The defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks will begin their title defense with arematch against the Miami Heat. Prior to the game, James, Wade and the rest of theHeat will watch Nowitzki and the Mavericks raise their championship banner.

Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers, 5:00 p.m. ET on ABC

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers will host 2011 MVP Derrick Rose and theChicago Bulls to start the Mike Brown era in Los Angeles. Brown, who led LeBronJames and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA's best record in both 2009 and 2010,will begin his Lakers coaching career against the team that led the league in wins lastseason.

Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner Dwight Howard has requestedthat the Orlando Magic trade him. But it looks like Howard will be in a Magic uniform onChristmas Day when Orlando's defense is tested by the Oklahoma City Thunder andtwo-time scoring champion Kevin Durant.

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Newly acquired point guard Chris Paul will lead the Los Angeles Clippers against theGolden State Warriors and their new head coach Mark Jackson to close out the holidayfestivities. Paul will dish out alley-oop gifts to reigning Rookie of the Year Blake Griffinin the NBA's final Christmas present of the day.

2011 - 2012 NBA Season

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Holiday Spirit

Fair Isles Glove $65

Anybody can appreciate this specialty pair ofFair isle Gloves, NBA fan or not. They have theleague written all over and around these bad boys. Okmaybe, just the New York Knicks but the team colorsare powerful. Call it a Spike Lee Joint if you'd like.

Available for purchase @ bonobos.com

X-MasGift Ideas

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The shot clock was first introduced by the NBA in 1954, to increase thespeed of play. Teams were then required to attempt a shot within 24 seconds ofgaining possession, and the shot clock would be reset when the ball touched thebasket's rim or the backboard, or the opponents gained possession. FIBAadopted a 30-second shot clock two years later, resetting the clock when a shotwas attempted. Women's basketball adopted a 30-second clock in 1971. TheNCAA adopted a 45-second shot clock for men while continuing with the 30-second clock for women in 1985. The men's shot clock was then reduced to 35seconds in 1993. FIBA reduced the shot clock to 24 seconds in 2000, andchanged the clock's resetting to when the ball touched the rim of the basket.Originally, a missed shot where the shot clock expired while the ball is in the airconstituted a violation. In 2003 the rule was changed so that the ball remains livein this situation, as long as it touched the rim. If the ball touches the rim andslightly bounces over the basketball hoop it will be called as a loose ball.

NBA: Shot Clock

Shot Clock

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Holy Bible

The love of money is the root of all evilMeaning

Literal meaning.

Origin

Often misquoted as 'money is the root of all evil'.Originates in the Bible, Timothy 6:10

(King James Version):

For the love of money is the root of all evil: whichwhile some coveted after, they have erred from thefaith, and pierced themselves through with many

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Sports Illustrated: TheBasketball BookBooks & Reading

Highlighted by dozens of photographs, a celebrationof America's college and professional basketball fromsome of Sports Illustrated's finest writers captures thegreat teams, players, games, memorabilia, artifacts,and important moments throughout the more than onehundred years of basketball history. Available @

amazon.com

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• The very first hoops Naismith used were peach baskets withno bottoms. The 10 foot height that is still considered regulation wasjust happenstance: the ceiling at the YMCA gym that Naismith usedfor the game was too low to use any taller height.• The very first basketball was actually a soccer ball. It wasn'tuntil 1929 that the basketball used today was introduced.• As basketball became more and more popular, backboardsbecame important and were made from wire. Backboards were usedso that the spectators behind the basket would not play around withthe ball.• Before backboards, players used the wall as support forclimbing or bounding and scored baskets this way. Around 1920, thebaskets were extended out two feet and had backboards added tothem.• By 1948, two basketball groups existed: the NationalBasketball League and the Basketball Associate of America. TheNBL and BAA combined in 1949 into the NBA (National BasketballAssociation.)• The now defunct American Basketball Association createdthe flash that is seen in games. The alley-oop came from the ABAand that basketball association introduced dunk contests into games.Also, the three-point line emerged from the ABA. The NBA startedthe three-point line for their league in 1979.• When the ABA was dissolved, the Indiana Pacers, New YorkKnicks, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs transferred leaguesand became permanent in the NBA.• In 1936's summer games, basketball was inducted as anofficial Olympic sport and was played outdoors for many years.• Slam dunks were deemed illegal in 1967. That lasted nineyears and came back for the 1976-1977 season.

• The Chicago Bulls is the only team that has won the NBAchampionships (for a total of six) each time they appeared.

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Video Games

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With over 5 million copies sold worldwide and over 20 Sports Game of Yearawards, last year NBA 2K11 allowed you to BECOME THE GREATEST with MJ & theJordan Challenge mode. This year the NBA 2K franchise is back and bigger thanever, providing fans with the opportunity they've always dreamed of - to finally ENDTHE DEBATE as to who are the best teams and players of all time with the ALL-NEWNBA's Greatest mode. Featuring 15 legendary players such as Michael Jordan, MagicJohnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Dr. J, NBA's Greatest let you relivesome of NBA's most celebrated careers and rivalries, painstakingly recreated inhistorical detail. In addition, several innovative gameplay features have been addedputting fans center court of an unprecedented basketball experience.

• NBA's Greatest - Experience 15 of the NBA's most celebrated careersand rivalries, painstakingly recreated in historic detail. Featuring such legends asMichael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.

• Most Accurate NBA 2K Game Ever - Building off NBA Today's real-timestats, rosters, schedules and ratings, NBA 2K12 now delivers the most visuallyaccurate NBA game as well. From shoes to player models and even court floors -every graphic detail of the game can now be dynamically updated. Broadcast stylegets a boost as well with player interstitials promoting their upcoming games anddynamic pre-game highlight reels set to 2K Beats music.

• Enhanced Gameplay - NBA 2K12 adds +1,000 new animations this yearand delivers all-new control mechanics for post play and ball control to make thegame more intuitive to play than ever before.

Nintendo Wii,Xbox 360,

Sony PSP,Playstation 3

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NBA LOGO

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Documents

ReCreation Magazine ™ - NBA BACK!!