The Weekly Best for 12/16

Welcome to the Weekly Best, giving you the cream of the crop in sports, pop culture and beyond.

The Book Of Basketball's lost pages

In the December 28, 2009 issue of ESPN The Magazine, Bill Simmons reveals 15 nuggets that didn't make it into his best-selling "The Book Of Basketball."

...in the second half during their game in the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball tournament in Lahaina, Hawaii on Monday, Nov. 23, 2009. Gonzaga defeated Colorado 76-72

Sonny Vaccaro: Brandon Jennings broke the mold, part three

By Henry Abbott Last week, basketball insider Sonny Vaccaro explained why he feels defensive about Brandon Jennings, and told the story of how he c...

RISE Above Flashback: DeMar DeRozan

RISE Above Flashback: DeMar DeRozan

Preseason Hoops: Five Burning Questions

Preseason Hoops: Five Burning Questions

The greatest competition ever

A few weeks after the Steelers and Vikings played in Super Bowl IX, they competed in an even more memorable event.

Warriors 110, Lakers 91

Warriors 110, Lakers 91

Are the Lakers focused on repeating?

From Lamar Odom's quickie marriage, to Ron Artest being Ron Artest, are the Lakers distracted on the eve of camp?

Who walked those halls?

What does Don Mattingly have to do with high school soccer? Nothing. But he's a famous alumni of one of this week's FAB 50 Top 10 teams.

Thursday Bullets

...we know we were touring the city for two hours. Or another time in training camp in Hawaii, everyone thought we were going to practice and instead, Phil took us to a military field and...

Chad Ford's Letter to Dikembe Mutombo

When he heard that Dikembe Mutombo's playing days were over, ESPN's Chad Ford cried, and wrote the big man an e-mail. It turns out that Ford&#...

A concept worth borrowing from the NBA

...about the Pro Bowl. The first gave us player opinion on moving the Pro Bowl out of Hawaii. The second, about a new addition to the NBA's All-Star Weekend -- a H-O...

Jim Valvano Story

...Basketball.org: A number of years ago, there used to be a All-Star type tournament in Hawaii after the college season had ended. It involved players who were probably going to be in the...

Remembering Pete Newell

As I'm sure you know, Pete Newell died yesterday. He was 93, and even though he hadn't been a head coach anywhere since 1960, he was one of the bigges...