Chris Broussard asks this question in an ESPN the Magazine profile of Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers All-Star forward.

Father and son cracked up at the memory. But Granger’s humor and modesty cloak something more cold. You can hear it in the preface to his steakhouse self-eval: Right now. Junior is as confident in his skills as Senior is. He believes he can attain not only the second tier of stardom but also the rare air of Kobe & Co. “I can definitely be the No. 1 guy on a really good team,” he says without a hint of doubt. “People can say I’m not good enough, and I’ll just keep proving them wrong—and smiling inside.”

With its provocative tagline comparing Granger’s stats to Kobe’s, this article deserves a read if you’re at all interested in the NBA or the politics of fame.

Bill Simmons identifies just some of the many things wrong with that franchise. After reading his in-person analysis, which goes where most journalists wouldn’t dare to go because it might be insensitive, it’s incontrovertible that MIke Dunleavy, Sr. needs to be fired. How can a man have both the general manager and coaching jobs for a team that is this bad? The reason can’t be to save money because Dunleavy has such an exorbitant salary.

How did I miss this story in August when it first developed? Jason Williams, aka “White Chocolate,” aka the Jason Williams who didn’t murder someone or get into a motorcycle crash, aka a player made good only by his presence on the Kings in their short glory days, RETIRED after signing a contract with the Clippers because suddenly he realized he didn’t want to play for them and that retirement from the NBA was better than exile in Clippertown.

Now he wants back, so he can pull a Marbury (Stephon is definitely his blueprint here) and sign on with the Cavs or something for a free ring. Luckily NBA owners nipped his greed in the bud.

People don’t realize this. The NBA is in serious financial trouble. Every so often a sportswriter will talk about it in passing, but Simmons, not exactly a real sportswriter, hits upon the all-important negative vibe in NBA circles. He’s willing to pass along the vibe and the whispers, rather than the facts from unnamed sources.

Maybe, selfishly, this will increase the chances for Seattle to get a new NBA team. It raises questions, at least, about drastic changes in the major sports landscape. We’ve already seen Arena Football cancel a season and the WNBA shutter a team (even while MLS expands at a rapid rate).

At the same time, this column from Sports Illustrated captures some of the beauty of basketball, and of sportswriting in general. Can’t help but end with some hope.

These shots are always so cool.

A short, ungrammatical rumination on what it’s like for an old man to turn 21: here. Reminds us that Greg Oden and his sense of humor belong in the NBA for years to come, and reminds me that somehow this man is older than me.

Also worth checking out Oden’s blog post for the comments from fans – does a blog comment break down some barriers between athletes and fans? I think so.