Awesome Basketball

The Kobe Elite 9 has a single piece Flyknit and Flywire upper, Lunarlon midsole and a carbon fiber heel counter. The idea for the ultra high cut kicks came to Kobe while watching boxer Manny Pacquiao train. Available 2/8/14.

Crossovers, clutch shots and comical celebrations abound in the latest commercial for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of NBA 2K14, giving us the number one reason to get with the next-gen: Kent freakin’ Bazemore.

A great gift for hoops fans, the Naismith-style lace-up ball is a replica of early basketballs. It has a leather shell, a rubber bladder and a rawhide lace. It’s a bit bigger and heavier than today’s balls, but it’s perfectly functional.

Michigan State students fooled their basketball team’s opponent into committing a shot clock violation twice by incorrectly counting down the shot clock. Trolls? Sure, but it’s not like the actual clock is hidden from players.

Harlem Globetrotter rookie Corey Law proves the teams’ hoop skills are nothing to laugh at. He managed to hit the basket dead on from 109 ft., 9 in. While we’ve seen longer unofficial baskets, Corey’s was vetted by Guinness World Records.

A look at the features available in the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of NBA 2K14. Enjoy updates about actual events in the league, more in-depth Career and General Manager modes and of course the sweet new graphics.

By rigging a couple of nets with bells an all-star lineup of NBA players are able to ring in the holiday season and the announcement of Special Edition Christmas Day Uniforms becoming available at the NBA Store.

College of Central Florida’s 6’7″ Javonte Douglas jams in an insane putback dunk. His neck went above the freakin’ rim. Looks like the players below him accidentally gave him a boost, but he couldn’t have planned that.

Kyrie Irving’s alter ego tries to recruit his fellow point guard Lights, but the man’s wife won’t allow it. They need to teach the youngblood though, so they go out and ball anyway. Also starring Nate Robinson and Maya Moore.

A couple of years ago Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love and Wesley Johnson exchanged the infamous awkward handshake. It turns out the Wolves actually “looked” into it. This is some The Onion-level stuff right here.

After totally befuddling us with their commentary on baseball, the Brits from TheExplodingHeads appear to have no idea how basketball works either. Though we will forever refer to field goals as “figs” from now on.

Of course what really matters is if the gameplay is solid, but if you’re handing over the next-gen basketball crown strictly on the basis of realistic character models and physics, NBA Live 14 is gonna have a tall hill to climb against 2K14.

The king of basketball games teams up with the King of basketball. NBA 2K14 features improved passing, shooting and low post offense and defense. It also has a story mode where you help LeBron James get his coveted seven rings.

Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose is finally ready to play. The D Rose 4 will be helping him in his comeback season. It has a lightweight synthetic leather upper, padded ankle and midsole and insole cushioning.

The Hoop Tracker is a smart watch for basketball players. It tracks your shot percentage with the help of a wireless shot detector that you attach to the basketball rim. It can provide both real-time and long term feedback.

We’re not sure how anyone can toss basketballs this fast, let alone put almost every one in the hoop. It’s too bad that all he could probably afford with the tickets he won was a pack of temporary tattoos and a Beanie Baby.

New season, new team, new shoes (and hopefully a new attitude as well). The Adidas D Howard 4 will be available starting 11/01/13, although you can take your chances on eBay right now. Check it out in Rockets’ colors here.

The signature shoes of 4-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the league’s second best shot blocker Dikembe Mutombo. First released in 1993, the shoes carry his jersey number and the colors of Congo. Drops 8/24/13 for $105.

The commercial for the Jordan Super.Fly 2 sees Blake Griffin looking for an extra man for his team. Enter Dr. Drain. He can play ball like a butterfly can sing. Forget the shoe, we want that Dr. Drain tank top.

The Verge followed Indiana University alumnus Victor Oladipo as he wore a Google Glass at the 2013 NBA Draft. Check out how this important day unfolded from his point of view. Come on NBA; the WNBA has Ref Cams already!

(NSFW: Language) YouTuber itsreal85 makes its own hilarious NBA editions of bad lip reads. Though we have to admit, this montage has a lots of playoff scenes that are great on their own. The Joakim Noah clip is priceless.

Jimmy Kimmel ran a special NBA edition of his show’s mean tweets segment, where celebrities read the nasty things that people say about them on Twitter. We want more, these ones were kinda tame.

The 2-year-old sharpshooter “Trick Shot” Titus Ashby managed to beat 4-time NBA champ Shaquille O’Neal in a shootout. Can he do the same against Shaq’s former partner? Release the Black Mamba!