Good Morning! The Cleveland Cavaliers’ JR Smith capped off his return to New York with a pretty awesome dunk. We liked it. LeBron liked it. You’ll like it too. Start your Monday off right and have a slam dunk of a week!

 

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

NBA

The NBA is back in business after the All-Star break and there is much to discuss. Last Thursday marked an eventful end to the trade deadline, and we saw many players move from team to team. Some of the most noteworthy moves include:

• Goran Dragic (and brother Zoran Dragic) were traded to the Miami Heat
• Reggie Jackson was traded to the Detroit Pistons
• Kevin Garnett was traded back to the Minnesota Timberwolves (where his career began)
• Michael Carter-Williams was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
• Arron Afflalo was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers

The other big story from the weekend was Chris Bosh. The Miami Heat star will miss the rest of the season after the discovery of a blood clot in his lung. The Heat are optimistic regarding his prognosis, and say that Bosh is in good spirits. Here’s to hoping he makes a full recovery!

There are also other injury updates to discuss. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant underwent a procedure to alleviate discomfort in his surgically repaired foot. He’ll be re-evaluated in a week, but is expected to be playing with OKC before the end of the regular season. Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans will miss roughly 1-2 weeks as he recovers from a shoulder injury, while teammate Ryan Anderson will miss around 2-4 weeks with a knee sprain.

College Basketball

Kentucky continues to roll and is now up to 27-0. The last undefeated team in men’s college hoops is looking unbeatable. Will Duke, UVA, Gonzaga, or Wisconsin (all of whom picked up wins this weekend) be able to beat them come tourney time? Will someone else take them down? Only time will tell. March Madness is coming!

UNC honored the late Dean Smith with a tribute to his coaching days. They broke out Coach Smith’s legendary four corners offense during their win over Georgia Tech.

In women’s hoops, NC State upset #10 Duke on the same day they honored legendary Coach Kay Yow.

This week, tune in for these games:

• Wisconsin vs. Maryland on Tuesday
• Kentucky vs. Arkansas on Saturday
• Syracuse vs. Duke on Saturday

Other

Joey Logano dominated the field and won the 2015 Daytona 500 on Sunday.

Both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota put on impressive performances at the NFL Combine. The NFL Draft is coming up, and right now we’re expecting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take Winston with their first pick.

Many of the members of the 1980 “Miracle on ice” hockey team that defeated the Soviet Union in the Winter Olympics reunited on Saturday evening to celebrate the victory that took place 35 years ago.

 

JUST FOR FUN

Coming Home
Kevin Garnett is headed back to the Minnesota Timberwolves

 

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Walking before you run
Boston Marathon survivor is recovering and ready to fight
After having her leg amputated, she’s learning to run again and waiting to testify

The Rise
Sleepless in Seattle for the hardworking Mariners
How good will the young Seattle Mariners be this coming season?

Australia’s National Basketball League
…did you know about them (and that there’s a New Zealand team involved, too)?
The New Zealand Breakers are one of the most homegrown teams in the league, but they’re winning because they’ve made something out of nothing

Trade Deadline
Things got a little crazy, and here’s how the balls landed once the juggling stopped
You’ve got your winners, your losers, and those who are still wondering how their teams are going to progress

Roommates
The Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers are considering moving in together
They’re considering a move to LA, but real estate is expensive!