NBA Basketball News

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is the favorite athlete of Americans age 12 and older according to an ESPN poll conducted last month. About 1,500 Americans over the age of 11 were interviewed, and a whopping 3% (or roughly 45 of them) said Tim Tebow was, like, the best athlete around today. ESPN has been taking this poll for 18 years, and only 10 other athletes have reached this acme of adoration.

The 10 other America’s favorites in history have been: Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, John Elway, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Mark McGwire, Brett Favre, Tiger Woods and LeBron James. Of the five previous NFL players to achieve such adoration, all quarterbacked their team to at least one Super Bowl.  Tebow hasn’t even been a starting NFL quarterback for a full season.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez went to Germany for an experimental treatment on his right knee based on the advice of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, multiple sources tell the New York Post. A-Rod had the treatment within the last month, and had the go-ahead from the Yankees organization and the commissioner’s office.

Kobe first had the German treatment on his knee after the Lakers were bounced from the playoffs last summer, and then went for a treatment on his ankle shortly before the current NBA season began. Tiger Woods and tennis star Rafael Nadal have also gotten the German treatment.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan was to have served as an assistant captain for the US Team at the Presidents Cup later this month in Australia, but he’s begged off because he owns the Charlotte Bobcats and says the NBA lockout needs his attention. The former Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards star previously served as assistant captain during the 2009 Presidents Cup.

Jordan did not enter into backing out lightly. “After careful consideration, it is with regret that I have decided to cancel my trip to Australia later this month for The Presidents Cup,” said the world’s first great Nike salesman in a statement. “With the NBA labor situation unsettled, as the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, I feel it is necessary that I remain in the country. It was an honor to have been chosen by [US Team captain] Fred Couples to serve as a captain’s assistant. I wish Fred and the United States team the best of luck.”

If the NBA lockout lingers too long, LeBron James may forgo playing overseas to become a football commentator at home. Whether he was auditioning for a gig or just has too much time on his hands, the championship-less superstar twice took to Twitter to defend second-year Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow against negative comments made by ESPN analyst Merrill Hoge on TV and Twitter.

Here’s the Heated exchange:

Hoge on air: “He is awful as far as accuracy goes and what’s kind of even more disturbing, he’s probably worse moving and running around with the football and throwing than he is from the pocket.”Hoge on iiwtter: “Sitting watching tape off bronco offense from last year! Orton or Tebow? It’s embarrassing to think the broncos could win with tebow!!”