The NBA season kicked off last night, which three years ago would mean practically nothing to me. Back then I’d watch the occasional Knick game, go to Madison Square garden when I got free tickets, and check back in around playoff time. Since discovering fantasy basketball though the NBA season has become the best time of the year.

There’s something about watching players hit threes, tack on that 10th assist or grab another rebound on the way to a 20 and 10 that makes the game more alive, especially when they’re on your “team.” Fantasy basketball makes you a damn stat fiend and in tune with what’s going on across the NBA.. not just the hometown team. You have a fantasy league going? It’s funny how many people do.

My league met up at this fancy hotel in Times Square, all rosters are on the table, beers and what not.. I mean lager :/ .. and this guy in a $1000 suit looks over. “Ah. Picking your fantasy teams. Haha. We did that already.” Yeah, but did you get Lebron James?

The Miami Heat and the Ben Wallace Bulls had the honor of tipping the first ball of the season.

Before the game business had to be taken care of, the Miami Heat have been waiting all summer to get their championship rings. Last night everyone from the bench players to the assistant to the assistant coach got a little icy. As you can see in the picture, Mourning and the Glove finally got what they’ve been playing for the past thirteen - fifteen years.

Not much was said, a lot of smiling and feeling good. At least until the game began. The Bulls ran all over the Heat to the point that the fans started booing on ring night. 108 - 66, a 42 point smashing. I think the Heat were so wrapped up in their championship glory that they forgot they had to actually play a game. They’ll coast through the season and try to pull off another shocker.

Wade became a superstar in the playoffs, Sir Charles will tell you that’s where stars are made. Somehow Wade also became a sex symbol. I’m questioning that as I write this.. but I’m picture surfing and a comment about Wade’s cover says.. “there is the very hot shirtless cover of Dwayne Wade. Then, the coup de gras: In a six-page editorial.”

Cool if it was bunch of females, but that was from a gay friendly messageboard. The ‘boys’ love him. That ‘sweetness’ is what Shaq joked about when John Thompson asked him about Wade’s GQ cover.

JT: “Shaq I was just wondering, what your feelings were when you saw this. You praise the young fella all the time, but when I saw this I said, “Now I wonder what’s going on in Shaq’s mind. Here’s this humble young man..”

Shaq: “You know when I’m in CVS or like those stores, you know how you walk by the magazine section? Uh.. I don’t look at the magazines with half-naked men on the covers.”