Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were co-MVPs of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. (GETTY IMAGES)

No matter how much they try to detach from each other, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant will forever be linked in Lakers lore.

The duo brought home three consecutive championships to the franchise and reached the NBA Finals four times in five seasons. The Shaq-and-Kobe era gave Laker fans a multitude of unforgettable moments, including the spectacular alley-oop play to clinch the Western Conference championship in 2000, the dominant 15-1 playoff run in 2001, and the sweep three-peat in 2002. Oh, they also had legendary battles off the court, which oftentimes overshadowed their accomplishments on the court. But that’s to be expected given the enormous egos both players possess.

At the end of the day, Shaq and Kobe are a part of a very important chapter in Lakers history.

Another page was added to that chapter in Philadelphia on Monday, Feb. 6, after Bryant passed O’Neal on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, moving into fifth place with just Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ahead of him. The 33-year-old Bryant, the NBA’s leading scorer with 29.4 points, has 28,601 career points – all wearing the purple and gold jersey.

Bryant said it was an honor to pass O’Neal because of their history together.

“All the battles we’ve been in, the playoff battles, the duo that we’ve been able to form,” Bryant said after his historic night in his hometown, where he has been booed loudly on each visit. “When you (consider) the championships, it makes it a little more significant.”

Bryant’s record-setting night wasn’t lost on O’Neal. The Big Fella sent a congratulatory note to Bryant via Twitter and thanked Kobe for helping form one of the greatest 1-2 punches in NBA history. Shaq’s tweet:

O’Neal retired after the 2011 season. He no longer is interested in petty battles with his old foe Kobe, and if you notice he’s going out of his way to praise his former teammate every chance he gets. Shaq is smart enough to realize that he looks like a bitter old guy if he continued his pot shots at Kobe. Bryant will go down as the greatest Laker of all time and Shaq won’t be too far behind. They may not be great friends off the court, but they’re both realizing what they brought to the game when they set aside their differences, which they did for the most part.

Shaq’s message to Kobe appears to be genuine, and he has said on several occasions that Kobe is the best player he’s ever seen. Remember, it was Shaq who put his arms around a then 18-year-old Bryant when he air-balled those two shots in the 1997 playoff game against Utah. And it was Shaq who called Kobe “the best player on the planet” during the Lakers’ playoff series against San Antonio in 2001.

The Colorado sexual assault case in 2004 drove a huge stake into their relationship, which neither man has never gotten over. Kobe was mad at Shaq for “not calling him” after he was charged with rape while Shaq was upset with Kobe for “throwing him under the bus” with the statements he made to Colorado authorities about paying women to keep quiet, and Kobe dug himself an ever deeper whole when he unleashed on Shaq in his interview with Jim Gray.

Time heals all wounds, and that appears to be the case with both MEN. Yes, they are now men not boys. Over time, they have to realize that they have to let go of the past and move on. When it is all said and done and both are long gone from the game, Kobe will realize how important Shaq was to his legacy and Shaq will realize how important Kobe was to his legacy.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

All-Stars Amare Stoudemire (left) and Carmelo Anthony are struggling to find a common ground in coach Mike D'Antoni's offense.

In Gotham City, Batman always rules while Robin plays second fiddle. Batman owns Wayne Enterprise and Wayne Manor, has the coolest Mancave, and drives the Batmobile. Do you ever see Robin driving the Batmobile? I don’t think so. The unwritten rule of Gotham implies that Batman never has to take a backseat to anyone.

When it comes to the New York Knicks, the same fictitious law applies. Since the arrival of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have become HIS team. Melo takes the majority of the shots, he’s the No. 1 option on offense, and he’s the main attraction at Madison Square Garden. So, where does Amare Stoudemire fit in the Knicks’ playbill? Because ‘Melo is such a strong figure on and off the court, Amare has been snubbed like a Hollywood supporting actor. When you watch the Knicks, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who is Batman and who is Robin. But this wasn’t the case last season when the offense went through Amare.

As The Man, he averaged 25 points per game, taking almost 20 shots per game and shooting 50% from the field. He also gave more of an effort on the defensive end, as he blocked 1.9 shots. Stoudemire was such a force his name was brought up in the MVP race.

How things have changed in just a few short months.

Stoudemire has lost his starring role on the team and now relegated to the supporting cast. All those plays called for Stoudemire have been redirected to Anthony. All those isolation sets that were drawn up for Stoudemire are now being called for Anthony. Through the first quarter of the 2011-12 season, Stoudemire’s shot attempts are down (from 19 to 15) and his scoring average has taken a huge hit (down from 25 to 18). Meanwhile, Anthony leads the team with 20 shots attempts per game and averaging nearly 24 points, which easily tops the team.

When the Knicks acquired Anthony from Denver, coach Mike D’Antoni thought he could work in both ‘Melo and Amare in his player-friendly offense. Instead, Anthony and Stoudemire are competing for shots in D’Antoni’s system. Anthony is gobbling up all the best shots, leaving Stoudemire with the crummy ones. So far, New York is not big enough to house two superstars with giant egos.

Last season when Stoudemire was heavily featured and he had a decent point guard in Raymond Felton to feed him the ball off screen-and-rolls, the Knicks offense was clicking on all cylinders. This season, the Knicks’ screen-and-roll game has been dicey at best because the guard play has been very shoddy. The run-and-gun, 100-point games have been replaced by a very dull, uninspired basketball that usually ends with Anthony jacking up a shot after dribbling the entire 24-second shot clock. So much for D’Antoni’s seven-seconds-or-less mantra.

The dream season that started so promising has turned into a nightmare. D’Antoni’s job is on a week-to-week basis, while Stoudemire is turning into Charles Smith. It got so bad for Amare that ‘Melo even felt sorry for him at one point. He went out of his way to try to incorporate Amare into the offense that he took just seven shots, scoring one point, in the Jan. 24 game against the Charlotte Bobcats. That generosity lasted just one game as ‘Melo went back to Sir Shoot-a-Lot the next game.

What the Knicks need is a veteran point guard (a Commissioner Gordon) to keep Amare and ‘Melo in check, someone who also knows D’Antoni’s system and would love to have one more shot at winning a championship. Hmmm. Who could that be? Iman Shumpert and Toney Douglas are good backup guards, but neither one can run a team. And please don’t say “Baron Davis.” He’s more of a Band Aid at this point of his career. Here’s a hint. His first name starts with “s”, his last name rhymes with ash, and he plays in Phoenix.

Unless the Knicks can find that true point guard Stoudemire and Anthony will continue to struggle to find a common ground when they’re both in the game because they don’t have a guard who can direct traffic and make sure they don’t run into each other. In hindsight, the Knicks’ brass should have moved up to draft Ricky Rubio two seasons ago when they had the chance.

And if the Knicks don’t find that coveted point guard, then maybe they need to move one of their two stars to make it work.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin excited Staples Center - and the World Wide Web - with his dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Before we go completely gaga over Blake Griffin’s thunderous dunk (or throwdown) over Kendrick Perkins, let’s take a step back and avoid being a prisoner of the moment.

Griffin’s aerial assault on Jan. 30 against the Oklahoma City Thunder was spectacular and deserved all the attention it received the past couple of days. But to proclaim it as the best dunk in NBA history, like many were calling it on Twitter, is a complete knee-jerk reaction and a little farfetched. There was a whole lot of hyperbole going around the Web when Griffin posterized Perkins. Even LeBron James, who has seen or done better dunks in the past, got caught up in the moment.

In case you haven’t seen Blake’s dunk, click here.

Was it the best dunk ever? Before you answer that question, slow your roll and check out these 10 dunks. They all may be equal to or better than Griffin’s slam.

10) BARON DAVIS LOWERS THE BOOM ON ANDREI KIRILENKO AND THE JAZZ

9) SHAQUILLE O’NEAL BRINGS DOWN THE HOUSE (AND THE BACKBOARD) IN NEW JERSEY

8) DWYANE WADE PUNKS KENDRICK PERKINS AND DOES THE CABBAGE PATCH

7) KEVIN JOHNSON POSTERIZES HAKEEM OLAJUWON IN A 1994 PLAYOFF GAME

6) LEBRON JAMES “WITH NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE!” AGAINST THE CELTICS

5) SHAWN KEMP TOMAHAWKS THE WARRIORS IN THE 1992 PLAYOFFS

4) JULIUS “DR. J” ERVING ROCKS THE CRADLE ON MICHAEL COOPER

3) MICHAEL JORDAN SPINS BASELINE AND THROWS IT DOWN ON PATRICK EWING AT THE GARDEN

2) DOMINIQUE WILKINS: THE ORIGINAL HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL

1) VINCE CARTER LEAPS OVER 7-FOOT FREDERIC WEIS IN THE OLYMPICS

LeBron James reacts to a call during the Heat-Bulls game on Jan. 29. (GETTY IMAGES)

Sometimes riding bicycles is the best motive of transportation. You get a good workout in before your shift and you don’t have to deal with all the stress of traffic.

That’s exactly what LeBron James was thinking when he decided to use his custom “King James” cycle to get to American Airlines Arena before Sunday’s afternoon game against the Chicago Bulls. ABC sideline reporter Lisa Salters broke the news about James’ new ride during the Heat-Bulls game, and the unique exercise – as well as the red, black and silver bicycle – got plenty of air time on national TV.

When Salters asked James if the bike ride had anything to do with his strong first half, he said: “My legs feel really good. It felt good to get open field and get a bike ride in and be prepared for today’s game.”

James finished with a game-high 35 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and one block on 12-for-23 shooting in 41 minutes to help Miami defeat Chicago, 97-93. He also had a spectacular alley-oop dunk in which he jumped over John Lucas. A nice day’s work for one of the most physically fit athletes in the NBA.

Since the league is promoting NBA Fit this week, LeBron figured what better way to get fit than to ride a bike hours before tipoff. Maybe he should consider riding a stationary bike before the fourth quarter of each game? Might calm his nerves.

Dirk Nowitzki gets a little too excited after an alley-oop dunk by one of his teammates.

It appears that Dirk Nowitzki has not been able to shake off the hangover from the Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 championship party because the way he reacted after an alley-oop dunk by teammate Brandan Wright against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 25, Dirk sounded like a college student partying at Oktoberfest.

On a night when the Mavericks got their 2011 championship rings, Nowitzki was helping with TV commentary when Jason Terry picked up a loose ball and dished it off to Wright for a spectacular slam. That play not only got Dirk off his seat, but he started screaming “Shut it down! … Let’s go home!” His teammates were probably listening because the Mavericks did shut it down, and the Timberwolves went on to spoil the Dallas party with a 105-90 victory. Watch and listen:

Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. (GETTY IMAGES)

USA Basketball recently announced the 20 finalists who will compete for the 12 spots on the senior men’s national team that will represent the U.S. in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Among the finalists are holdovers from the 2008 gold-medal winning team in Beijing: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Carmelo Anthony. Assuming all eight accept invitations to London, there are 12 players fighting for four spots which leaves USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski the dirty task of having to cut star players without embarrassing them in public.

RELATED: USA Basketball selects the 20 finalists for the 2012 London Olympics (July-August)

Injuries will certainly play a big part of the selection process, especially with Bryant (wrist) and Wade (foot). Both have hinted they would love to play in London, but it’ll depend on how their teams finish and if their injuries will get worse should they play through the summer. Not having Kobe or Wade in the Olympics will be a huge blow to Coach K but those two were the go-to guys in Beijing. When Team USA needed a basket in the fourth quarter, Coach K called on Kobe’s number first and then Wade was a very close second. That was evident in the gold-medal game against Spain when Wade was the catalyst in the first half and Kobe closed the deal.

With or without Bryant and Wade Team USA should field a dynamite team in London and be heavy favorites to win gold again. But just like the 2008 team Colangelo and Krzyzewski can’t pick a team based on star power or All-Star game appearances. Talent alone won’t get it done in London, just ask the 2006 U.S. squad that lost to Greece in the FIBA World Championships. The 2012 Olympic squad needs to be balanced and flexible enough to adapt to any situation. The guards must be physical enough to play through a lot of contact because the international referees oftentimes will allow physical play, the forwards have to knock down 3-pointers, and the big men must be quick enough to defend the perimeter.

Here are the 12 players who should make the 2012 U.S. Olympic team:

CENTER: Dwight Howard

Comment: Because the majority of the big men in the Olympics are perimeter oriented, you really don’t need more than one true center. Dwight Howard wasn’t a huge factor four years ago in Beijing and, at times, struggled to guard the 3-point shooters. Hopefully four years of experience will help Dwight adapt to the international game.

FORWARDS: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Iguodala

Comment: Two years ago in Turkey, Kevin Durant showed the world what he can do in the FIBA World Championships. Now, it’s time for USA Basketball to recognize Durant as the centerpiece of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. Durant has the perfect game to play against international competition. We know about his consistent outside shot (something LeBron and ‘Melo struggle with at times), but what the 6-foot-10 Durant presents is a mismatch at the forward position. He’s too big for small forwards and too quick for power forwards. Iguodala played well in the 2010 world championships, especially on defense. Iguodala can match up against guards or forwards, and his length and athleticism really bothered the great scorers from Europe. Love and Aldridge are better fits because they can knock down shots, which is extremely important in opening up the court for dribble penetration. Love and Aldridge can also play some center if needed, and in some instances Love or Aldridge are probably better options at center than Howard. This means the committee will have the tough choice to exclude Chris Bosh and Blake Griffin from the team. There will be a ton of pressure to add Griffin on the squad because of the excitement and hype he’ll bring to London, but it’ll depend on how many guards Coach K will carry on the roster.

GUARDS: Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Deron Williams

Comment: It will be hard to knock off any of these guards off the team, but if Kobe or Wade decide to pass on the Olympics, then Eric Gordon should be the next man up. Gordon played well in Turkey in 2010 and he has the game and built to play against the rugged competition. One key factor to watch is how Paul and Rose will keep defenses from zoning on them. Teams will gladly give up 3-point shots to CP3 and D-Rose to take away their dribble penetration. Rose was up-and-down at the 2010 worlds because he wasn’t too confident with his jump shot, something he has aggressively worked on the past four years. Coack K also has the option of playing Williams at shooting guard with Paul or Rose at the point, and won’t rule out moving Iguodala at guard to make room for another forward if Bryant and Wade are not available.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Doug Collins (second from right) has the Sixers off to their best start in 10 years. (US PRESSWIRE)

Philadelphia has been a tortured city when it comes to its sports teams. The Flyers lost in the Stanley Cup final in 2010 and have not won since 1975; a loaded Phillies squad was a heavy favorite to win the 2011 World Series but got eliminated in the first round; and the “Dream Team” Eagles and all its expensive free-agent acquisitions finished a disappointing 8-8 in the NFL.

But have no fear Philly fans because the 76ers are about to embark on a very special season. The Sixers are off to their best start in 10 years, which was also the last time the team went to the NBA Finals. Winning a championship may be a bit far-fetched at this point, but the 2011-12 Sixers are at least showing signs that they are on the rise and ready to fill the huge void after Allen Iverson left town.

There are several reasons for the Sixers’ fast start, but the No. 1 reason has been their defense.

The team has bought into Doug Collins’ defense-first philosophy. Philadelphia is currently holding its opponents to under 86 points per game and 39% from the field. Defense has created more opportunities on offense as the Sixers are averaging 101 points per game and six players are averaging double figures in scoring. And the team’s leading scorer, Lou Williams, doesn’t even start.

Before Collins took over two seasons ago, the Sixers were an underachieving team that didn’t have an identity. They relied on a lot of isolations and forced shots on offense and gave up too many easy shots on defense. But 60-year-old Collins, who was the Sixers’ first overall selection in the 1973 draft, has managed to bridge the generation gap between his old-school ways and his new-school players that the foundation of a championship run starts with a solid defense and balance on offense.

“To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s Andre [Iguodala], Thad [Young] or Spencer [Hawes] stepping up, we’re a team,” said veteran forward Elton Brand, who is only averaging nine points a game but has bought into Collins’ balanced approach. Brand has benefited from the recent play of center Spencer Hawes, who could challenge for Most Improved Player of the Year in 2012. Hawes, who allows Brand a respite on defense, leads the team in rebounds (9.1) and blocks (1.8).

Another player who has bought into Collins’ concept is Andre Iguodala, arguably the Sixers’ best all-around player. Iguodala has accepted the role of defensive stopper, a position he embraced while on the 2010 U.S. national team that won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

With Iguodala, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, the Sixers have three players who are averaging close to two steals per game, and creating turnovers plays a big role in triggering fast-break opportunities especially for a team loaded with greyhounds who thrive in the open court.

Young is part of a very active Sixers bench, which also includes leading scorer Williams, sharp-shooter Jodie Meeks and last year’s first-round pick Evan Turner, that have given teams fits because there is not a lot of dropoff between the starters and the bench, and the reserves often are the ones building the leads.

“Their bench is their strength and gave them a huge lift,” said Sacramento Kings coach Keith Smart, whose team lost 112-85 to the Sixers on Jan. 10. Kings guard Tyreke Evans concurred: “They have a great bench. They just put a whipping on us.”

Miami remains the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but Philadelphia is a team that could make waves in the Atlanta Division and become a huge threat in the playoffs.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Rookie point guard Ricky Rubio has is becoming a cult hero in Minnesota. (GETTY IMAGES)

Prince is without a doubt Minnesota’s favorite son. But Ricky Rubio is fast becoming Minnesota’s favorite adopted son.

Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love – now in his fourth year in the NBA – says there is an electric atmosphere around the Target Center this season. Minnesota, which had been in the dark ages the past four years after Kevin Garnett left for Beantown, now has something to get excited about with the arrival of Ricky Rubio. Wolves fans are going absolutely crazy for the Spanish sensation, much like the way the world was going gaga over Prince when he unleashed “Purple Rain.”

The Timberwolves selected Rubio with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft, and basketball pundits thought general manager David Kahn and the Wolves front office were crazy for drafting a guy who wanted to play two more years in Europe. Well, two years later, it was definitely worth the wait. Who’s going crazy now?

The 21-year-old Rubio has injected a ton of energy into the listless franchise with his brilliant play-making ability, even though the T-Wolves have managed just one win in their first four games. But all three losses were by four points or less and they could easily be 4-0.

In his NBA debut, Rubio had six points, five rebounds and six assists in 26 minutes off the bench. The stats were pedestrian but it was the way he delivered the passes that drew “ooohs!” and “aaahs!” from the Target Center crowd. And it wasn’t just T-Wolves fans who were brought out of their seats by Rubio’s no-look bounce passes. Miami Heat star LeBron James posted on Twitter: “Rubio can pass that rock!”

LeBron and Co. got a firsthand look at Rubio’s passing skills on Dec. 30 when the Heat visited the Target Center. Rubio was on target that night, finishing with 12 assists and 12 points. Miami is a proud defensive team, and Rubio was able to dissect Erik Spoelstra’s well-constructed scheme like a seasoned pro. After the game Heat star Dwyane Wade said the future looks bright for Minnesota with Rubio and Love at the helm, and the Heat were lucky to come out with a 103-101 win.

Whenever Rubio enters the game, he sparks his team and ignites the crowd. That was evident on New Year’s Day against defending champion Dallas when Rubio helped engineer a Tebow-esque second-half surge that led to Minnesota’s first win of the 66-game season.

“I’ve played a lot of games at Target Center, but this is the most electric it has been. We have a pretty electric group that’s playing together, whether it’s Ricky [Rubio] or Derrick [Williams] or the new guys,” said Love, who was equally spectacular against the Mavericks with 25 points, 17 rebounds and 5-of-6 from behind the 3-point line.

As good as Love was the Wolves couldn’t have pulled out the win over Dallas if not for the steady hand of Rubio, who scored 12 of Minnesota’s 15 points during a critical five-minute stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters. The scouting report on Rubio is that he can’t shoot a lick, but he dismissed that by draining two 3-pointers. He also scored on a pair of dribble drives, the last one giving the T-Wolves an 82-72 lead at the nine-minute mark that essential put the game away.

“He has meant a lot,” Love said about Rubio. “Obviously he comes here with a lot of notoriety coming from Spain. He brings a big following. He’s fun to watch, fun to play with and a pleasure to be around because he enjoys the game so much. Even in practice he brings it.”

Even though Rubio is classified as an NBA rookie he’s technically a seven-year veteran, having signed his first pro basketball contract in Europe when he was 14 years old. He has played in the Olympics, European finals and FIBA world championships so he’s not afraid of the big stage. Minnesota coach Rick Adelman has been using Rubio off the bench, but if the Timberwolves are going to move forward Adelman needs to scrap the Luke Ridnour timeshare, start The Kid and let him go crazy.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook form a lethal combo for the Oklahoma City Thunder. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are arguably the best 1-2 combination in the NBA. But whenever you have two headstrong 23-year-old superstars on the same team playing for the same goals chances are they’ll have some disagreements.

That ugly scenario played out in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, Dec. 28, as Durant and Westbrook were seen having a heated discussion on the bench during a timeout. It was the second public dispute between the two young stars, the first occurred during last season’s playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. The latest argument became a media sensation, especially on Twitter, and some tweets went as far as suggesting the Thunder should trade Westbrook.

Both players brushed off the incident and Durant told reporters on Thursday that the whole thing was blown out of proportion. “It happens every single day. Teams go through emotions, things happen,” Durant said. “It’s a competitive sport. Everybody’s not going to always come in and be happy every single day.”

Those who were calling for Westbrook’s dismissal should take a minute and think about the repercussions of such a move. Westbrook is a gifted athlete blessed with unbelievable quickness. The only other guard with the same athletic ability is probably Derrick Rose, the league’s reigning MVP. Rose and Westbrook are unique talents who don’t come around often. They don’t grow on trees and you certainly can’t buy them at some Canadian pharmacy.

Of all the basketball pundits who chimed in on the Westbrook-Durant situation it was the recently retired Shaquille O’Neal who had the most interesting take. “Sometimes rifts can be a good thing,” O’Neal said on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” prior to Oklahoma City’s home game against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. It was an interesting comment coming from a guy who endured a very contentious relationship with Kobe Bryant when they were teammates in Los Angeles. The arguments between Westbrook and Durant are minor aftershocks compared to the Shaq-and-Kobe feud.

O’Neal said former Lakers coach Phil Jackson afforded his players a two-minute “rift session” to air things out. Once that’s over and done with, Jackson then reels in the combatants and asks them to return to the circle and move on from the argument. It worked. Despite their disdain for one another, O’Neal and Bryant teamed up for three straight NBA championships and reached the NBA Finals four times in five seasons.

Before their messy divorce in 2004 when O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Kobe was blamed for Shaq’s departure, O’Neal and Bryant made the Lakers the most lethal team in the NBA. O’Neal dominated the interior while Bryant lit guys up from the perimeter. So, for those who say two players who dislike can’t coexist, Shaq and Kobe dismissed that theory. They may not have jived off the court, but on the court they made a lot of noise.

Durant has said on many occasions that he supports Westbrook 100 percent and the feeling is mutual with Westbrook. Thunder coach Scott Brooks is also saying all the right things, suggesting that Westbrook is “special” and the team and the coaching staff are not ready to give up on the former UCLA star.

The Thunder could learn something from the Shaq-Kobe episode. Management would be foolish to give up on a tandem that averaged nearly 50 points per game last season. Brooks and general manager Sam Presti need to be patient with the highly emotional Westbrook and allow him to figure things out on his own. Durant and Westbrook get along just fine off the court. They just need to find that harmony on the court. Oklahoma City is ready to play for a championship, and Durant needs Westbrook to make it happen.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade scores just 10 points against the Charlotte Bobcats on Dec. 28, but hits the game-winner. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Miami Heat basketball team is comparable to a Jay-Z and Kanye West world tour. Whenever Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Co. are in town, expect a packed house each time.

A record-setting 19,614 fans packed Time Warner Arena in Charlotte Wednesday night to watch the Heat and Bobcats, and one of celebrities in attendance was Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Newton’s presence wasn’t missed by Wade and James, and when Wade banked home the game-winning shot with 2.9 seconds left the Heat star turned to Newton who was seated courtside and pretended to rip his shirt much like the way Newton does his “Superman” celebration when he scores a touchdown.

Wade was asked about it after the Heat’s 96-95 victory and he told reporters, “It’s a great homage to [Cam]. He was laughing. He was cracking up. But it was great respect to him. I wasn’t trying to show nobody up. It’s about how much respect we have for the athletes.”

When Wade paid homage to Newton, his buddy LeBron also appears to be performing the same “Superman” routine, but since he didn’t hit the winning shot all the attention went to Wade. Watch the video (courtesy of theseeker77):