But the question remains: Will the Clippers be able to take the next step? To that end, they have just completed the signing of Caron Butler from the Dallas Mavericks and are also rumored to have set their sights on a slate of other players including Chris Paul, one of the most talented players in the entire NBA. Butler is a 31-year-old veteran who began his career with the Miami Heat before playing for the Lakers and the Washington Wizards. The small forward is a two-time NBA All-Star and was appointed to the NBA All Rookie First Team in 2003. He was an NBA Champion in 2010-2011 and Big East Player of the Year in 2002 showing fans that he has plenty of pelts on the wall during his basketball career. Surgery sidelined Butler for much of his one season with the Mavericks, but he will likely be looking for fresh start with the Clippers and will be eager to lead the Clippers’ attack.

Chris Paul on the other hand is a point guard who is still currently with the New Orleans Hornets, though that may only be for the moment. The 25-year-old is a former NBA Rookie of the Year and a four-time NBA All-Star player. Paul has only just narrowly avoided being traded to the Lakers early in the preseason, setting the NBA . However, an LA move could still be in the cards for the player, albeit to the Clippers instead. One way or another, it seems Chris Paul could possibly be playing his home games at the Staples Center this season, which would obviously suit Clippers fans quite nicely.

With Butler already signed and Paul or others likely on the way, the Clippers look set to emerge as a revitalized team next season. Of course, with Paul’s potential arrival likely to be an ongoing process, there remain other questions. Will Eric Gordon depart? Is it possible he’ll be offered in partial trade for Paul? There is also still the outside chance that the Clippers will succeed in signing DeAndre Jordan, another talented player who could be a big part of the team for years to come. With many questions still out there, it won’t be long before Clippers fans start to get some answers.

Once I have a chance to put it to the test I’ll write about it here. Its nice have a change up in workouts and what I like about these types of workout videos is that you can always go back and start from whatever fitness level your body can take. Also, mixing programs is good for changing routine because we all know how the body can become comfortable and not maximize performance.

The GSP’s workout program is only priced at $29.00 for three months plus shipping.

During the past week there have been many rumors of top NBA stars such as, Dwight Howard and Deron Williams signing pro contracts overseas because of the 2011-2012 NBA Lockout if it remains inoperative. Deron Williams has already signed with Turkish Club Besiktas with clauses of the NBA Lockout. Yesterday, Dwight Howard made it known that he would like to remain active and improve his game while the NBA finds a solution. His options look to be China, Spain or other powerhouse countries in Europe.

This summer the NBA has closed down the NBA Summer League and players are anxious to find out their future for the next season. With the economic crisis, many European teams will have very very great teams and some very very bad teams due to powerhouse team budgets. Is this a safe move for NBA players who have health insurance and all sorts of benefits as an active NBA player? For Williams and Howard, it is like playing chess, however the biggest move and smartest move could be to hang in there and be patient. Superstars in Europe and overseas is great, however, the best players that go overseas are those who will work hard to get to the best league in the world and that is the NBA and WNBA!

Current list of possible NBA Players signing Overseas

• Deron Williams – Turkey
• Dwight Howard – China, Spain
• Kobe Bryant – Europe
• Amare Stoudemire – Turkey
• Sasha Vujacic – Turkey
• Kevin Durant – China, Europe
• Will Bynum – Europe
• Tony Parker – France
• Sonny Weems – Lithuania
• Dwayne Wade – Europe
• Serge Ibaka – Spain
• Rudy Fernadez – Spain Real Madrid
• Reggie Williams – Spain
• Kyle Singler – Spain
  

If you’re interested in playing overseas, you might want to pick up your game with these super stars overseas!!

scholarship

Athletic basketball scholarships are the most sought after, amongst the college students and parents today. A good number of people receiving an athletic scholarship will probably go on to turn out to be professional basketball stars some day. The options are limitless but to get and maintain an athletic scholarship an person student must function extremely hard. Also, there could be no bigger heartache than getting there after which losing everything you have worked hard to earn.

It is extremely important that a good athlete maintains a certain academic and personal level in order to maintain the gift that he or she has been given. After all, it can be hard to earn an athletic scholarship in the first place. Not only do you have to be good basketball player, but you must maintain a decent grade point average throughout your high school career in order to be considered. Regardless, you will always be offered a basketball scholarship if your GPA is not up to par. However, you will not be able to go to the better colleges unless it is elevated to the NCAA required GPA.

Although college sports stars are just that, stars in their own right, they are not exempt from the rules of the university and have a strict code of conduct to adhere to. As a player, you need to be able to maintain good grades and keep up with midterms and papers, as well as other assignments because they can actually be suspended from your games if you are not maintaining a high standard. There have been rumours in the past that the GPA of an athletics scholarship is somewhat lower than the GPAs set for other awards, but that is largely not the case at the more prestigious universities.

Basketball scholarship covers just about every expense that the individual athlete would have: housing, tuition, course materials and everything else that you could think of. It gives the athlete more concentration in basketball and education with the easiest financial ride out of every single student on every campus across the United States.

Drug abuse and addiction in the NBA some times goes without notice. Many teams in fact may not mention anything about a player to the public because it would ruin their image. In professional sports and in basketball specifically there is a lot of drug abuse just as in Hollywood. The most recent big tragic death of drug use was Michael Jackson (my favorite Musician) and earlier during the year DJ AM’s and Heath Ledger. Money can buy pretty much anything physical and that could include for basketball players, recreational drugs, enhancement drugs and other prescription drugs. While living in Europe there is always talk about doping in sports. However, there is not much mention of Doping and test in the NBA. The most recent news of an NBA player that was fined due to taking a stimulate drug was Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic.

Also, most recent player, Michael Beasley of the Miami Heat was admitted into a drug rehab program just recently. It is pretty sad but players especially after finishing their professional career, many have depression issues which lead to drug abuse and dependence on prescription drugs for control. Pill Addiction is alive in all sports, not excluding basketball worldwide. The sad fact and numbers are true on all levels.

Before I headed to play basketball overseas in 1999, I had some college teammates and friends from outside the US playing at the same school. They were always faced with the same issue as most foreigners that come to live, work or study in the states for a temporary amount of time: Green Card & Visas. Well, it is an issue that each individual depending on their country’s relation to the USA;  if they were entitled or rewarded enough time to complete their time in the university.

Even after of some talk with players who actually expressed their excitement to possibly live permanently in the states, they also found it very difficult. This was in college, so you can imagine in the professional atmosphere such as the NBA or WNBA for that matter. There are so many foreign players in the NBA and WNBA that it cannot be unnoticed.  An American Visa is not easy to  obtain and those who do have one, either:  have good country ties with the USA; very good luck in the lottery; or use a very good immigration service system..

Foreigners basketball players from all over the world such as Australia, Europe, Asia, South America all have the same problems. Professional basketball players may at times have it easy if they are well paid, known and have a company to represent their circumstances to the USA government in hope of approval. If that does not work, most people do marry to bypass the waits of proper long process.

When it comes to pursuing a remarkable coaching career there are many things that can be helpful in a coaching career.  Many coaches have participated in many activities in communities around the country and have gained exposure for the community service they provided.  Not only can potential professional basketball coaches participate in community service activities such as blood drives but many offer one day coaching clinics for underprivileged youth that are interested in sports and sponsoring camps across the country.

By participating in these activities and volunteering in communities it gains exposure for those interested in pursuing a coaching career.  By gaining exposure a coach can land his dream job that he/she enjoys.  There have been many success stories in the past on coaches that were active in communities across the nation and are among the top basketball coaches in sports history.  When a coach has his/her community involved they are not only helping the community but, also their career.  Also when participating in community activities coaches have the opportunity to network with other coaches that may be involved with a similar community service activity.  By building a network with other coaches or individuals that are in the sports field, this gives a coach the chance to exchange contact information and can be the beginning of a healthy relationship.  Many coaches have landed key jobs by building a network with individuals involved in the sports world.  The same thing applies to coaches participating at local camps.  At camps there are many coaches that are also participating and athletes from around the world that may be a recruit for you in the future.  Although majority of the coaches that volunteer for these camps and community service activities aren’t getting paid they get privilege of helping a community and building a network that can help in the future.

In the game of basketball at any level that the sport is being played the necessary equipment is needed for organized play.  The game of basketball requires all the necessary equipment, such as complete basketball goal systems, score tables, basketball, whistles and all accessories.  There is one company that specializes in the complete source of basketball products through its extensive catalog that is available online.  Basketball Products International (BPI) is the company that offers basketball products that are recommended and are the also approved by different levels of basketball play, such as the NFHS (National Federation of High Schools), NCAA, NBA, FIBA and the recreational level of basketball around the world.  Interested individuals can download BPI’s extensive catalog from their website and also request the catalog by mail.

BPI has a huge customer ratio not only because of their supply of basketball products, but BPI’s complete inventory is priced at least 10% of the MSRP that’s unbeatable.  Many of the basketball equipment outlets and sporting good stores cannot compare to BPI’s inventory or prices.  Organizations such officials of different levels of organized basketball can get low pricing on whistles.  BPI offers the top brands of basketball equipment that’s approved by different levels of basketball play.  So for the necessary equipment for the game of basketball at prices that are unbeatable anywhere and guaranteed customer satisfaction BPI is the place to go.

Brandon Jennings may be only 19 years old, but he has the mindset and playing skills of a potential Hall of Famer. Jennings a 6-2, 165 pound All American point guard that played his junior and senior years at Oak Hill Academy, located in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. Oak Hill Academy has produced many of the NBA’s greatest players such as Carmelo Anthony, Rod Strickland, Jerry Stackhouse and many more players that made a name for themselves on the pro level. Jennings a native of Los Angeles, California is one of the greatest point guards in the game since Allen Iverson made his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jennings is known for his flashy style of play that includes excellent passing skills and the ability to score on many defenses. In high school Jennings averaged 38.7 points, 11.5 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 13.0 steals per game in his senior year at Oak Hill Academy. Jennings has many awards under his belt such as the Naismith National High School Player of the Year, EA Sports Player of the Year and the Gatorade Player of the Year. Jennings had narrowed his college choices down to two schools, The University of Southern California and Arizona. However Jennings opted out of going to college he decided to become the first player out of high school to jump to play professional basketball overseas.

The 2008 #1 high school player in the United States transition from high school to professional international play

He is currently playing in Italy for Lottomatica Roma in the Italian Basketball League. Jennings decided that he will play international basketball for a year and then enter the NBA Draft the follwing year. Jennings has received endorsement deals from major companies such as Under Armour Jenning is noted to be in the top 10 players to be selected at the 2009 NBA Draft being held June 25, 2009 at New York’s world reknown area, Madison Square Garden.  So for videos and more on Brandon Jennings look below

Recently I wrote an article about how the recession and it is effecting the most prestigious universities and colleges. However, I accidentally deleted it so hopefully this will turn out OK. So last week there was an article in the USA Today how the recession and the economy is causing universities to cut budgets. Many universities are looking at athletic departments to start cutting big budgets. During the last 6 months many programs have been feeling the pressure. Facing questions like, will scholarships get cut, travel get cut and other salaries.  Many universities during the past have had the luxury of flying out across the country for a non conference game, luxury tournaments in such places as Hawaii and recruiting outside of the USA. All of this is included in the budget and each penny counts however now athletic departments will have to cut some place. Many don’t want to cut scholarships which is a big percentage of the budget. Possibly jobs will be cut and salaries lowered a bit to allow more athletes to join programs with scholar ships.

I honestly believe that travel will limited and possibly reverting back to busing to many places. Many teams will rethink which tournaments to take part in and which to host. During the next recruiting season I’m sure many universities will stress and look for more athletes who may qualify for a partial scholarship and academic aid. What does this mean for you? Well I think the recruiting will remain the same however the rewards may not be as lavishing as before. 2009-2010 you will see a change in recruiters and possible offers. I wonder if this will affect players from abroad and overseas?

Well we shall see. What do you think?