Spokane Stars Basketball

Archive for July, 2009

Tom Billmore asked:




Baseball autographs and basketball autographs are all the rage with sports fans. This article explains the frenzy of basketball and baseball fans to get autographed memorabilia of their favorite players.

Players become stars on the field and often outside of it as the success that they have in the game very often rubs on to their endorsements, their contracts and their overall brand image. Sports stars earn their share of fans and sometimes even become inspirational and motivational role models to the younger lot. The sport that they play may be loved and liked by their fans or it may just be their style, appearance or winning charm that makes them adorable. No matter what the reason is, the game and its stars have spun an entire hobby industry around them. The collectibles built around the game, the star and their achievements and milestones have become a trading commodity and an investment opportunity. There are certification and rating agencies that rate such memorabilia and collectibles such as baseball autographs, rookie cards, collectible cards, etc.

Autographs from sports stars are prized possessions because they are normally released in very limited numbers. Sports companies and baseball and basketball clubs work out a limited edition baseball autograph or basketball autograph collectible around the player or his achievement. These collectibles are exclusive to the company or the club and sell at high prices. Later on when the player retires or bows out or becomes an even bigger baseball or basketball star, the baseball autograph or basketball autograph becomes a cash cow for the owners who bought them in the limited edition. Sometimes, this memorabilia sells only because of its investment value.

These collectible investors will not even play with these balls and hold them as treasures. The most serious, authentic and loved basket ball autograph is often customized. This is when a fan manages to get the player to oblige with a basketball autograph or a baseball autograph that they carry to the game and manage to get the player to sign in their presence. Now this may be rare and very often a non occurrence because the rating agencies and the sports company may impose restrictions on the sports stars. There however is that stray chance that it may not be your favorite star who autographs it for you, but a rookie or a regular team player, even that works well because in a game who knows who will hold the star status a few years from now.

The serious hobbyist will try and get the most authentic stuff at a reasonable price and then trade it as an investor option when the price is high. Baseball and basketball autographs by popular stars in their rookie years are almost a non event but as these rookies become eligible bets in their games the baseball autograph fetches a steep premium in the sports hobby arena. There are websites that host such collectibles and the memorabilia itself is classified around the game or the star’s game chronology or a key milestone. Sometimes the players like to autograph balls that they used in the field to win a game or two, such rare investment grade baseball autographs and basketball autographs collectibles are tough to come by and earn a mean price.

James Andy Huang asked:




If you have a sneaker obsession and high-profile personalities such as the legendary martial arts icon Bruce Lee and basketball stars inspire & thrill you, the Nike Zoom Kobe 5 Lee footwear will appeal to you. Cool, stylish & sporty with a lightweight feel, the yellow & black kicks with a red stripe design that reminds people of deadly claw marks (like those sustained by Lee in one of his famous movies, Enter the Dragon) is a definite head-turner.

Avowed fans of Bruce Lee & martial arts enthusiasts looking for comfortable & modern shoes while engaging in their favorite activities may gravitate to the Zoom Kobe 5 Lee version. Leave it to the innovative design team of the popular global footwear & apparel manufacturer to come up with something new to spark the curiosity of the sports & leisure set looking for quality kicks.

The shoes reflect the myriad personas of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who collaborated with footwear & apparel firm, Nike, to create something that pays tribute to Bruce and his own brand of martial art, notably Jeet Kune Do, deemed by experts not as a way to advocate violence but a means to stop it.

If the sleek footwear with yellow uppers that sort of reminds you of a favorite luxury sports car in that shade (which actually represents Bruce Lee’s jumpsuit in one of his action movies), it’s worth adding to your shoe collection. Those who have tried the Zoom Kobe 5 Bruce Lee cite its nice, comfortable feel and responsiveness apart from cutting-edge design.

You also need not be an NBA or Lee fan to chill out wearing such shoes. Besides its cool & sporty look, the most discerning consumers have noted the superior technology that went into the footwear innovation.

Ken Wynn asked:




Do you have a dream of becoming a basketball star? Are you striving to get that college scholarship in basketball at some university? Becoming a basketball star is easy to achieve given that you already have the skills and the heart for the game. But major skill that all players should have is being able to make their vertical jump higher. This may sound really difficult but in truth anyone can increase the height of their jumps so that they can successfully that lay-ups and dunks to make that remarkable shot and earn the points to win the game.

Being able to jump higher is the goal of every basketball player. There are actually no secrets on how to do it. All that needs to be done is to learn how to stretch the muscles in the legs so that it can open better for better circulation when jumping. Good blood circulation is one key for getting that high vertical jump. Exercises like weight lifting can also help in increasing the height of your jumps. These techniques are no secrets at all. These are only neglected by some of the athletes thinking that the exercises are too stressful and strenuous. It may be an old cliche but as many people would put it, when there is no pain, there is no gain.

There are training guides and videos which you can watch so that you can learn the techniques on how to make your vertical jump higher and reach the basketball net and dunk that ball. When you are able to do this successfully, you will surely earn more fans and people will look up to you as the best player on the hard court. That can really be life changing. You will become a basketball star or you will surely get that scholarship you are dreaming of in a particular university.

Materials such as video courses and e-books that can provide you with the safest and the most effective instructions on how to exercise your muscles to get that high jump that you are dreading to learn are available in many websites online. You can sign up for some free instructions and start exercising your body muscles so that you can dunk that ball and make your fans proud on how you play and win your basketball game. By being able to perform a vertical jump higher than you use to do will make your future in basketball better.