Latest Sports Betting Picks, Tips and News

That’s a huge seven-foot problem if you’re a Cavs fan hoping to see your team in the NBA Finals and win one game for a change.

And in case you didn’t get that, Shaquille O’Neal will likely miss the remainder of the 2010 NBA basketball season following surgery on his right thumb after Glen Davis hacked on it in a game between the Cavaliers and the Celtics.

With Shaquille O’Neal out of commission, the Cleveland Cavaliers lose that presence inside. Of course, they can hope Antawn Jamison and blossoming forward J.J. Hickson can fill the void.

But let’s face it, nobody can attract that much attention inside the paint the way Shaq does and with him out, it’ll be awfully hard for LeBron James to find those easy baskets around the perimeter.

The last time the Cleveland Cavaliers were in the playoffs, they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic. The Cavs signed Shaq before the season in preparation for a possible rematch with Orlando in the postseason.

Now, they’re in trouble of getting booted out of the playoffs by the Orlando Magic again, provided Shaq doesn’t make it back in time.

Hell, they’d be lucky to even make it that deep into the playoffs without O’Neal anyway.

Cavs general manager Danny Ferry, on the other hand, can only hope his team would be able to persevere. ”Our guys have done a very good job of stepping up this season. We are confident they will do the same in this situation,” Ferry said.

”We are fortunate to have some depth in our…”

LeBron James finally got what he wanted.

Once were done with the 2010 NBA basketball season, LeBron James will be wearing no.6 for his next campaign. That’s right, he finally made the bold decision of switching his jersey number from number 23 to number 6 official.

The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar just beat the deadline and is dead serious in honoring Michael Jordan. ”I’ve done it,” LeBron James said in an interview. ”I already sent it in. I’m going to be No. 6.” James first floated the idea in November, saying he wanted to switch from 23 out of respect for Jordan.

”I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon,” LeBron James said. ”There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn’t Michael Jordan first.”

”He can’t get the logo, and if he can’t, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I’m starting a petition, and I’ve got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I’m not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.” he said.

James would wear 6, the number he wore while leading the U.S. to Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008. He has worn it in Cavs practices over the past two years. But it has other special qualities to him.

”My second-favorite player was Julius Erving, and he wore No. 6,” James said. ”I wore 32 in high school because Dr. J wore it at first. My first child was born on Oct. 6, it’s my Olympic number, my second child was born in June.”

The last big-name player to change numbers without changing teams was Kobe Bryant, who switched from 8 to 24 in 2006. Kobe’s new jersey quickly became the league’s top seller. I don’t see any reason why James’ new no.6 wouldn’t do the same.

Now, the question is, will he wear his…

The World Cup, which is played every four years, never fails to capture the imagination of the English people.

And after failing to qualify for Euro 2008, it has been a long four years for England fans to wait and remember what it feels like to get behind their team in a major international competition. Now that England is in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, English football fans couldn’t be any happier.

England head to South Africa confident, having easily secured their place for this year’s World Cup. And for the first time in quite a long time, English fans can finally look forward to the World Cup with a sense of optimism.

With players such as Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard ranking amongst the best in the world, together with the other members of the talented England squad, Fabio Cappello could well be the man to guide England to World Cup glory for the first time since 1966.

The draw for the 2010 World Cup took place in Cape Town and with the way the countries have been drawn, it looks like lady luck is really smiling on England. They got a great draw coming up against USA, Slovenia and Algeria in Group C, making the English team as the clear favorites to win the group.

Looking back at England’s history in the World Cup, England has entered all 14 post-war competitions. They qualified through play in the preliminary competition on nine occasions (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998 and 2002), as host country once (1966) and as reigning champions once (1970).

England have had only moderate success in the World Cup, and that is perhaps a fair indication of their standing in the world game. They won the tournament once, in 1966, when it was held on their own soil and they played all their matches on their home ground, Wembley Stadium, an advantage extended to no other team in World Cup history.

Their 4-2 extra-time victory against…

My my, teams are really letting some once great running backs go these last couple of days huh?

Brian Westbrook won’t be playing for them Eagles no more once the 2010 NFL football season gets here. Yes, just like LaDainian Tomlinson not playing for them Chargers anymore. You see, after two cases of concussions last season, the Eagles finally let him go, stirring up some rumors that he may just call it quits and walk away from football.

However, Brian Westbrook claims that is simply not the case. ”My plan is not to retire. My plan is to continue to play football,” he said in an interview with a local radio station in Philly. ”There’s 32 teams out there. Hopefully I’ll have an opportunity to go and play with another team.”

Yes, after two concussions that kept him out for a good portion of Philly’s last campaign in the NFL, Westbrook feels he can still play football and bang heads with guys like Jared Allen and Patrick Willis. And in case you’re wondering, no, he doesn’t have a death wish.

Westbrook, who thanked Philadelphia Eagles fans and coach Andy Reid for all their support, said his agent has already heard from three or four teams about his availability for 2010. Of course, we don’t know if those three or four teams play in the NFL. Hell, he may end up playing for some team in Canada for all we know.

Westbrook also said that he understood why the Eagles got rid of him the way they did.

”It’s hard for teams to keep veterans, especially aging veterans at a higher salary number, when they can get younger guys,” Brian Westbrook said. ”Especially when guys have battled injuries the way I have the last year and a half or so. I understand that. I completely do.”

As for the rest of the Eagles…

If they do, then you can bet your ass the Knicks will be the team to beat next season.

After getting the services of multi – time All – Star Tracy McGrady this 2010 NBA basketball season from a three team trade with the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings, the New York Knicks were able to clear enough salary-cap space for the Knicks to possibly sign two maximum-salary free agents this summer.

That’s right, the New York Knicks could recruit LeBron James by giving him the option of choosing which other free agent he wants from the likes of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire and Dirk Nowitzki.

However, getting LeBron James out of Cleveland won’t be easy since the Cavs, who own the league’s best record, bolstered their lineup with the addition of former Wizards forward Antawn Jamison. If Cleveland advances to its second NBA Finals stint in four years with LeBron, the odds of him leaving his home state figure to be diminished.

Sorry Knicks fans.

The New York Knicks aren’t the only team to clear cap space. The Chicago Bulls, a team featuring point guard Derrick Rose and a better core group of players than the Knicks, also have the cap space to sign James. The Los Angeles Clippers also created room, while Miami also has space and the chance to have James to pair with Wade as a teammate.

As far as the Knicks and their marriage with Tracy McGrady is concerned, T-Mac was eager to restart his career in New York but unfortunately for him, his time here will likely be brief. The Knicks realistically don’t have much of a chance in reaching the playoffs and you never really know what you’ll get from McGrady at this point of his…