More photos » Jim Prisching - AP

With the game on the line, there is no one else in sports we'd rather have on our team than Kobe.

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Another night, another game winner from Kobe. It's getting to become so routine that even his fading away, towards the baseline rainbow from the corner with less than 2 seconds to play doesn't seem like much of a big deal. Yes, we know he missed a game winner at the buzzer just two days ago when the Lakers lost in Orlando - but that came after he hit two clutch jumpers on the previous two possessions (including a foot on the line shot that would have tied the game had it been 2 inches further back). And that really only adds to the allure, proving that he has ice in his veins and can brick a buzzer beater one night, then come back and stick one the next.

Derek Jeter & Big Papi have had some big hits in their careers, Peyton Manning & Tom Bradyy each have a ton of late game TD drives, and LeBron and DWade have their fair share of game winners - but there is no one in sports right now who can even compare with Kobe's clutchness... well as long as a certain Tiger is still in hiding.

Today appears to have unceremoniously been Allen Iverson's last day as a 76er which should be noted as a sad day for hoops fans everywhere - not just in Philly. Although technically his last night on the court appears to have been a 30 point loss in Chicago a couple of weeks ago where he went for 13pts and 3 assts, today AI was released from the Sixers so he could spend more time with his ailing 4 year old daughter. Barring a major injury to another aging two-guard scorer on a playoff team in the next couple of weeks, its unlikely Iverson will be re-signed and its quite possible that he has played his last game in the NBA.

AI may have changed the game more than any player since Jordan - as his unique "urban" (aka - thug) style opened the door for players like Lebron and Kobe to be international superstars covered in tatts or carrying wrap sheets. He was the first guy to wear cornrows and seriously sag his shorts. He wore a crooked pro-hat with a fur lined hoodie to most press conferences, flexed a goatee and genuinely didn't care what the suits thought about it. Most guys his size couldn't dream of getting to the NBA, let alone doing it while giving the proverbial bird to the rest of the league. But that's what fans had to love about AI - he played harder than anyone, took more abuse than anyone, and still scored at will and dominated for most of his initial 10+ years in Philly.

The pinnacle of his career came in 2001 when he took an otherwise useless Sixers squad to the NBA Finals and actually pulled off a win in LA in Game 1 - before the mighty Lakers dominated the rest of the series. In that game, he made an obscene step-back, reversed cross-over fade away from the corner that actually caused Tyrone Lue to drop to the ground... where AI graciously stepped over him on his way back up court.

The Answer always played Reebok, which was a bit of a dissapointment for Nike brand sneakerheads like myself (although his 2nd and 3rd Answer lines were pretty fresh), but that was AI - always doing stuff a little different.

He was a true NBA superstar and although he will definitely never play in another practice, he will be sorely missed for his enthusiasm and heart by hoops fans everywhere - and if he cant make it in the NBA anymore, there is always a spot for him on our team.

Ed. Note: Our Weekly Picks to kick off March have a single tie that binds, which is the corporate rental apartment building in LA that we call homebase for Project Franchise.

Dancing With The Stars: Along with Team Manny, our building also regularly plays host to the cast of ABC's DWTS. Not everyone lives here - usually its just the pro dancers and the celebs who aren't rich enough to already have an LA mansion (meaning we're gonna get Shannon Doherty, not Pamela Anderson) - but we always get a few good sightings during the season, as they tend to spend a lot of time in the gym or hanging poolside. Of course having a slew of hot dancer chicks in the building (they tend to be here year round) is obviously a good thing, but the new crop of dancers have us more excited than ever. See by the time Jerry Rice and Emmit Smith did the show, they were too famous and had made too much money to bother living in a free corporate rental - but we're not convinced Ocho Cinco is above the handout. In fact, we're quite certain he will be all for being our new BFF. In addition to Ocho, we're also looking forward to Erin Andrews taking up residence down the hall - but we will be putting tape over our peep hole, just in case there is a case of mistaken identity. And while we wouldn't normally be too excited about a male figure skater being out new neighbor, this Evan Lysacek is fresh off the gold and the past Olympians who have lived nearby (Shawn Johnson & Kristi Yamaguchi) both did pretty well on the show, so we've got to expect him to be an early favorite.

The show is definitely targeted to 55+ woman and not really in our wheelhouse, but it has become a runaway success and they have consistently gotten better and better celebrities, which is a great thing for the fans - and with Chad in the show this season (and hopefully hanging out on our couch), we may have to start watching.

With all this Ocho Cinco hype, we've designed a new t-shirt for our soon to launch line of "Fan Fits" - you can check them out at our just released online store @ http://projectfranchise.spreadshirt.com/

More photos » George Ruhe - AP

Big East fans are getting their money worth... well except for maybe at Notre Dame (that place is expensive!)

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Big East Hoops - Another Monday and another good day of basketball in the northeast. Tonight UConn may have just saved their season by holding home court and upsetting #7 West Virginia and likely earning themselves a spot in the NCAA Tourney. The 2009-2010 Big East isn't quite as dominant top to bottom as it has been in recent years, but its still a heck of a lot of fun to watch as quality teams seem to face off everyday. While the fan's in Morgantown may have a weird way of showing it, the parity in the conference this year has provided a ton of great match-ups and has us very much looking forward to what should be a heck of a Big East Conference Tourney, which starts March 9th and gets to be played in MSG - which is really a fitting home to what has become the best conference tournament in college sports by a mile year in and year out.

It took just a few seconds after seeing Cain Velasquez knockout MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera this weekend to realize what UFC had on their hands. I quickly posted it up on my personal Twitter account (@Doron_B), that UFC was going to make a boatload of money from this fight someday soon.

We all know the story on Brock Lesnar - the former pro wrestler who has turned into the UFC's top superstar and Heavyweight Champion, who plays the villain role better than anyone in sports. Lesnar has managed to make pretty much everyone hate him, from MMA purists, to pro wrestling fans that followed him over, to Canadians who's healthcare system he despises, to casual UFC fans outraged by his crude and outlandish statements. Unfortunately for them, but fortunate for the UFC brass, Lesnar has dominated the competition and vaulted to the top of the rankings, grabbing the Heavyweight title in the process. 

Cain Velasquez - he's pretty dominant too. Now undefeated, with 8 wins, Cain took himself from prospect status to true stardom with his win over Noguiera on Saturday. It was a pretty dominant win, he simply outslugged the MMA icon for much of the first round before knocking him out. After the fight, Velasquez, as is common, spoke to Joe Rogan, and came off like a complete opposite of Brock. He was soft-spoken, humble and complimentary. He was the perfect guy for UFC to build a campaign around. He's the anti-Brock Lesnar, the guy UFC can portray as the an MMA-prodigy, with the typical skills MMA fans respect, that can come in and have a great shot at knocking Brock Lesnar out.

Unfortunately, Velasquez is not next in line for a title shot. That's been offered up to the winner of a March fight between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. Carwin, while another dominant fighter, doesn't quite have the personality to make for a hugely compelling fight against Lesnar. Should Mir win the fight, he'd battle Lesnar in a rubber match. They've fought twice before, with each winning once. Mir's win however, was against an inexperienced Lesnar is his first UFC fight. Lesnar's, on the other hand, was a pretty dominant victory at UFC 100. A third fight certainly has potential to draw big, based mostly off the personalities of the two, but it would be tough to get a huge draw out of a third fight.

While you'd never wish injury on anyone, it may be convenient for UFC if the Mir/Carwin winner is just a bit banged and bruised, giving UFC a chance to give Velasquez to slide right into the Lesnar title shot in the summer. UFC's got a chance for a massive buyrate when the two meetup, but as we've learned in MMA, you have to take the bird in the hand when you have a chance.

David Liam Kyle - NBAE/Getty Images

Lebron looks set to collect his 2nd consecutive NBA MVP Award. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

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With the conclusion of the All-Star break last night it's time to take a look at how the race for the NBA's regular season awards is shaping up.  

MVP:

Winner - Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

If your answer is not Lebron then you are in denial.  This guy is beasting it this year, leading the league in scoring to the tune of 29.7 points a night and he is shooting 50.7% from the field.  He also has a 62.1 true shooting percentage which accounts for the added value of three point shots and free throws.  More impressive though is that Lebron is 6th in the league in assists averaging 8.3 per game.  His versatility is off the charts with his ability to play anything from power forward to point guard, which he has done for the past 11 games, because of Mo Williams' injury.  The Cavs' record without Williams? 11-0.  

Runner-Up - Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

While Durant may not be the creator that James is, he can flat out score from anywhere on the court.  He's not just putting up big numbers, he's also doing it efficiently.  He's shooting 48.5% from the field and his true shooting percentage is right behind Lebron at 60.6%.  He's upped his rebounding from 6.5 boards a game last season to a team leading 7.4 this year.  Durant's focus on the defensive end has also been noteworthy.  While he's still not an elite defensive player, he's no longer a liability and he is turning into a much better team defender as he has learning to force players into areas where he can get defensive help.  By the way, he's only 21.  Scary.

Honorable Mention - Kobe Bryant (LAL, a close 3rd),  Dwyane Wade (MIA), Dwight Howard (ORL)

Arbitrary Corresponding Hip-Hop Quote - Jermain Dupri 

"I'm the MBP most ballinest playa, make my own moves, call me the mayor" - Welcome to Atlanta Remix

Sixth Man of the Year:

Winner - Jamal Crawford, Atlanta Hawks

Instant offense? Check.  Game-winning shots? Check. Illest crossover in the NBA? Check.  Crawford has proven the stupidity of the loser label he was tagged with.   After stints on terrible teams in Chicago, New York and Golden State he has been one of the main reasons behind Atlanta's move up to the NBA elite.  He's shooting a career high 46.4% from the field and a habit of stepping up big late in games.  Crawford has added an explosive element to Atlanta's bench and if the game is close at the end can single handedly carry the Hawks across the finish line. He's one of the main reasons why the NBA's big boys don't want to see Atlanta in the playoffs.

Runner-Up - Carl Landry, Houston Rockets

Anytime you're listed as a 6-9 playing center for a team that lost its two leading scorers from the year before you have your work cut out for you.  Landry has helped fill the void playing out of position and undersized with his ability to effectively score in the post over and bigger players.  Landry has also been an effective rebounder and shows good effort and instincts on defense.  The Rockets have been treading water in the West with role players having to step up and deliver night in and night out and few have done it as well as Landry has this year.

Honorable Mention - Lamar Odom (LAL), Jason Terry (DAL), J.R. Smith (DEN), Anderson Varejao (CLE)

Arbitrary Corresponding Hip-Hop Quote - Kanye West

"My favorite girl wanna leave me just because I got a girlfriend, my freak girl told me now she's a Christian, my white girl wanna move back to Michigan, I'm pullin girls off the bench like a sixth man"  - This Way (Dialated Peoples ft. Kanye)

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New Orleans Saints - While a lot has been made of the Saints, their improbable Super Bowl run and the joy that it has brought a city that has been to hell and back in the past decade, it honestly can't be repeated enough. As a group of passionate sports fans, dedicated to the idea that a team should belong to its fans, we are literally thrilled that the local fans in New Orleans have been able to celebrate this win with a team that has such a mutual respect and adoration for its fans.

A couple of weeks ago, as SB fervor was getting all lathered up, the NFL corporate suits tried to stop unlicensed vendors from selling shirts emblazoned with "Who Dat" - but the local New Orleans government, and supposedly team ownership, came in and helped to ensure that the rallying cry for the City's team stayed in the City's domain.

Few fanbases have put up with more terrible seasons and general futility than the residents of the Big Easy - so now that their time has arrived we sure hope they enjoy "Lombardi Gras"... and having spent a night or two in the Quarter, we're pretty sure they will.

And in honor of the Saints win and the dangerous quantity of Hurricanes being taken down at Patty O's, we've released our first championship piece of Project Franchise Fan Fits - a local special for Saints fans looking to get their party on.

More photos » Alex Gallardo - AP

Try to be like Mike...

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Kobe Bryant - In all honesty I moved to Los Angeles almost 7 years ago as a total Kobe hater. I grew up a Warrior fan and always resented the Lakers for being so dominant, while my team was so pitiful. I was also a big JKidd fan, so I'd spent the previous couple of years rooting on his Nets squad and rooting against the Lakers in the finals - only to watch Shaq & Kobe hoist the trophy again and again. The following couple seasons I sat back and watched the Lakers dynasty self-destruct around Kobe and the rape allegations, selfish play and general inability to keep it together. They bottomed out when Phil left to become a biographer, but somehow they got it back and so did Kobe. And through it, he won me over as a fan.

The guy is just unreal, he hits big shot after big shot, and although he doesnt make them all, he looks more cold blooded than just about anyone has ever looked in the final seconds of a game. If I needed someone to do brain surgery on me, I think I'd pick Kobe, because I dont believe his hands shake and I almost dont think he gets nervous. He hit another ridiculous game winner, which was defended as well as humanly possible (or even "godly possible", since it was Jesus Shuttlesworth all up in his grill) over the weekend in Boston and then went out tonight and put up 44 in Memphis to pass Jerry West as the highest scoring Laker of all time - where he hit another big 3 in the final minute, but then dished to Artest for the wide open game winning attempt, which missed long.

I was having a chat with a buddy of mine recently, who is a real Lakers fan, and we were talking about Kobe's place in history and he said, "well he's getting close to Jordan". I laughed out loud when he said that, but the more we talked about it, the less humorous it seemed. Kobe has 4 rings to MJ's 6, but has already played in 5 finals. Of course he won the first three with Shaq, but if the Lakers go on to win again this season (with a team around him very similar to the caliber of teams Jordan had for most of his career) and he claims another MVP trophy, all of which is highly likely, then he's inching a bit closer. If they can keep the team around him and he can continue to stay healthy for another 2-3 seasons and possibly win one more ring and another MVP, plus a few more buzzer beating highlights and the comparisons will have to be drawn. Heck, even Jordan never scored 81. While it sounds sacrilegious to me to even consider Kobe anywhere near MJ, he could easily play 7-8 more years, padding those career stats and making it a debate that most of us will have a hard time not entertaining.

Oh course there are a lot of things that need to happen before he gets there - but either way, Kobe has done one heck of a job winning me over as a fan, and he can have a spot on our roster anytime.