If you watched the NBA games being played yesterday, you've probably heard that Ricky Rubio debuted for the Minnesota Timberwolves.  If @KingJames tweet was any indication of how Rubio performed, Minnesota might be exciting to watch all year.

Rubio had a solid performance in his debut tallying 6 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in 26 minutes of action with 0 turnovers.  Not bad for a player many are predicting to be a bust.  Although it is a small sample size (one game), one can't help but wonder what we will see next from the Spanish sensation.

Check out Rubio's highlights in case you missed last night's action.

NBA opens on a Christmas!  Good news for NBA fans.

But, an even greater news for kicks fans!

Christmas is the time sneaker companies release new lines of signature shoes for the players.  From players like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul.  Kicks fans can expect a new signature shoe or a new colorway.

Check out the hottest sneakers worn by players on the hardwood.  Who do you think wore the best Christmas edition sneakers?

The NBA opened the 2011-2012 season in the mecca of basketball - Madison Square Garden, which saw the hometown New York Knicks pitted against the Boston Celtics.  

Last time the Knicks and Celtics played in Madison Square Garden, Paul Pierce gave the Celtics the win with the go-ahead jumper.  This time around, Pierce will not be playing because of injury, and the Knicks have loaded up their frontline with the addition of Tyson Chandler from free-agency.

The game started in the Knicks favor, at one time leading by 17 points, but the battled-tested Celtics came back to end the 3rd quarter leading by 8.  The Knicks came back in the 4th quarter to get away with the win.

The New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers have finalized a deal that would send Chris Paul to the Clippers.  In return, the Hornets will get Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman and a first-round draft pick.  The deal finally ends the Chris Paul saga that has hounded New Orleans.

Before being traded to the Clippers, Paul was supposed to be traded to the other LA team, the Lakers.  It had everyone buzzing.  Then, as fast as lightning, the NBA killed the deal.  This set off a chain of hatred and anger towards David Stern and the NBA.  Remember, David Stern's credibility was stained during the NBA lockout.  This issue is surely another huge blow to his already cracked credibility.  What followed was a series of back-and-forth proposal and subsequent backing off of a trade for Chris Paul by the Clippers.

In my previous post, I mentioned about the trade-that-was-killed involving the Hornets, Rockets and Lakers.  To view the post, click here.  After it was killed, Odom apparently was so mad with the Lakers that he didn't show up for the first day of training camp.  He then requested a trade after a meeting with general manager Mitch Kupchak.  Odom posted on his twitter page after the trade fell through:

As the NBA owners and players agree on a new CBA, finally ending the 140-something days of the lockout,  fans can now look forward to another season of exciting basketball.  It figures to be tough season though as it is shortened to 66 games.

I don't know the details of the new CBA but, as a fan, its good to know that they have put their issues aside to come up with an agreement.

The season will tip-off on Christmas day with a line-up of 5 games.  To view the full list of games on Christmas day, click here.  Of all the games slated, what's sure to grab the limelight will be the rematch between last season's finalist, with Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Big 3 of the Miami Heat.  But this season, the match-up of the two teams will be entirely different.  Some figures that there will be major roster changes for both teams for the upcoming season which would completely change their match-ups.