NBA Comes to Kansas City Tonight

Kansas City will be an NBA town for one night only, as the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder square off in a preseason contest. The event is sold out with the game starting at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 5:30 when players will begin warming up. Before the game, H&R Block will be hosting a block party in which fans can win last-minute tickets. The party is free.

Lebron James is always a must-see attraction, but even more so now that he stabbed Cleveland in the back and formed a superteam in Miami with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Love him or hate him, James always puts on a show, and tonight should be no different.

Not only does this game feature the NBA's new possible dynasty, but it also features a team that Kansas City almost had. When moving from Seattle, many thought the Sonics would move to Kansas City. Instead, the Sprint Center was not built fast enough, and Oklahoma City got a talented young team with future MVP Kevin Durant. Kansas City fans can watch both the most hyped team in recent history compete with a talented young team that should have been its own. At the very least, it should be a good game.

USA Basketball Has Right Attitude at World Basketball Championships

Team USA appears to be looking to send a message to the world that its poor showing in the last World Basketball Championship was a fluke. The Americans crushed Slovenia, 99-77 today to jump out to a 2-0 start. Team USA, which many have deemed the American "B" team due to its lack of high-profile stars such as Kobe Bryant or Lebron James, has looked impressive after appearing to be uninspired in its last WBC outing.

Now at 2-0 following big wins over Slovenia and Croatia, Team USA is looking to do something it hasn't achieved since 1994: win the World Championship. To do so, it will rely on young players that were absent from the United States' gold medal winning squad of 2008. After poor showings in 2002 and 2006, many pundits wrote off this team due to its lack of marquee players and the overall youth. Despite the low expectations, the Americans have looked dominant so far, with Kevin Durant appearing unstoppable at times.

What makes this year's team have a shot at the title is a new attitude. Young, hungry players are exactly what the national team needed for a rejuvenation. Many NBA stars look at the WBC as a secondary event compared to the NBA and the Olympics, and this attitude showed in 2006 when many players seemed disinterested and lethargic on the court. By fielding a team of young, hungry players eager to prove their skill to the world and other NBA players, this team will have a chance to win the WBC and earn an automatic berth into the next summer olympics.

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