Even baseball betting players had to stop what they were doing to say goodbye to Shaquille O’Neal, who retired after 19 years of being, arguably, the most famous basketball player on the planet. While Shaq is known for making noise off the court, today’s focus will be on his on-court accomplishments.

Orlando Drafts Shaq In 1992

After starring at LSU, Orlando took O’Neal with the No.1 pick, and he won the Rookie of the Year award. O’Neal also led the Magic to the Finals in 1995, where they were swept by Houston.

The Year 2000

2000 was a remarkable year for O’Neal, who is one of three players (with Michael Jordan and Willis Reed) to win the NBA MVP, All-Star MVP and Finals MVP in the same season. He also led the NBA in scoring that season.

The Three-Peat

2000 was also the first season of three straight titles for the Lakers, and O’Neal was the most dominant player in the league during that time. Of course, it all came crashing down when O’Neal and Kobe Bryant could no longer co-exist, and you have to wonder how many titles they would have won.

Dunking On Portland

That 2000 season also yielded the biggest play of Shaq’s career, when he took an alley-oop from Bryant against Portland in the Western finals. The Staples Center exploded, Shaq pointed to the rafters, and it was the highlight of the year.

Final Year In Phoenix

Many figured Shaq was done when he went to the desert, but he earned the final All-Star berth of his career (his 15^th) with his excellent play. Had Shaq been able to stay healthy in Boston as he did in Phoenix, the Celtics’ odds would have been much better in your betting book.

Even 2011 Belmont betting players had to lift their heads up from their racebook and check out the furor that NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen caused when he said LeBron James could be better than his former teammate, Michael Jordan, who is considered to be the best of all time by many. Pippen has caught flack from all sides for his comments, and for good reason, but that’s no knock on James.

Jordan was the most cut-throat player we’ve ever seen, and it’s easy to see that James isn’t cut from that cloth, but it’s their skill set that makes them completely different players. James is more like Pippen than he is like Jordan in that James looks to set people up more than Jordan ever did, and that’s not a bad thing. James is content to let Dwyane Wade take over on the offensive end of the floor late in games, while he focuses on being a defensive stopper, which Pippen was for the Bulls (although Jordan was also one of the best defensive players ever).

James is still 26 years old, so he has time to catch up to some of Jordan’s records, but the fact remains the same: LeBron James isn’t the same type of player as Michael Jordan, he never has been and he never will be. If you have to compare anyone to Jordan, it would be Los Angeles’ Kobe Bryant, from the laser-like intensity and the ability to not care how his teammates or anyone else feels. This is no betonline scam, LeBron James is going to be the best player in the NBA for a long time, which means Miami will likely stay atop the NBA betting odds in your sports betting book.

Better question: Are we really having this conversation again?

Even before LeBron James took the NBA by storm in 2003, people were already asking whether this 18-year-old man-child could surpass the greatness of the recently-retired Michael Jordan, the biggest star the sport had ever seen.

Physically, the tools were clearly there. He had the size of a power forward, and the speed, vision and passing skills of a star point guard. He promptly carried the Cavaliers from the cellar to the top of the NBA standings while assembling a highlight reel that only further encouraged the Jordan comparisons.

The most recent fuel for the LeBron/MJ conversation was comments from Jordan’s long-time sidekick Scottie Pippen on an ESPN radio show. Pippen went so far as to suggest that LeBron “may” be the best player to ever play the game, while Jordan was merely the best scorer. He pointed to LeBron’s superior ability to keep his teammates involved, and while that might sound like sour grapes from a guy who spent a decade overshadowed by his Hall of Fame teammate, there is certainly merit to it.

James is a much more willing distributor than Jordan was, taking a smaller percentage of his team’s shots while picking up more assists. But given the way he scores at will, many have argued he’d be better off taking over the offence more often. Jordan had a nearly-psychotic determination to singlehandedly destroy his opponents; James often seems somewhat passive and content to keep his teammates happy, possibly at the expense of success.

Jordan also worked far harder to expand and improve his game. He worked at becoming a better post player, a better three-point shooter, a better defender. James has the tools to be one of the most unstoppable post scorers in basketball, but seemingly hasn’t improved at all down low. His defence has certainly come a long way from his rookie season, but with his size and athleticism that’s to be expected. He’s seemingly more content to remain the dominant player he is, instead of working to become the best-ever player he could be.

It’s crazy to think LeBron James is still only 26, and might be on the verge of capturing his first title two years before Jordan did. He still has time to diversify his game and add to his trophy case, but unless he starts singlehandedly destroying top-level competition it’s hard to imagine he’ll be remember as the best player ever.

Most talented player ever? He might already have that title.

Biggest superstar ever? It’s possible.

Best player ever? Still a long ways to go.

The gradual loss of parity in the NBA gave us a number of mediocre first-round series, along with a couple changing-of-the-guard upsets in the Grizzlies’ elimination of the Spurs and Atlanta’s win over Dwight Howard and his merry band of washed-up guys who can’t shoot anymore.

But the second round is usually when the fireworks start. And as strange as it is to see MEM on playoff scoreboards, there isn’t a single dud series on the schedule.

Let’s take a quick look at how the NBA’s elite eight stack up as the second round kicks off.

8. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks deserve credit for coming together after a rather uninspired regular season, playing solid all-around basketball and overcoming an unbelievable series from Dwight Howard.

The fact is, though, they’re the only remaining team without a bona-fide star or a real identity. Joe Johnson is the team’s franchise player in dollars only, and Al Horford is a very good, but certainly not great player. Making matters worse is the loss of Kirk Hinrich at the end of the Orlando Series. He’s the best defensive guard on the team, and the only guy with a hope of slowing down Derrick Rose.

Bottom line is that this is a team built to make it to the second round, and no further. Congratulations on meeting expectations, Atlanta. Good luck making this one last six games.

7. Memphis Grizzlies

By effectively hammering the final nail in the coffin of the Spurs’ dynasty, the Grizz announced their stunning arrival as one of the NBA’s most exciting young teams. They’ve been nasty inside with Zach Randolph morphing from WWE-level nutjob into arguably the best interior scorer in basketball, and Marc Gasol developing into a big, bruising ballhog.

Sam Young and Mike Conley isn’t the most inspiring backcourt, and will have their hands full with the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, but the team is playing really well together and just seems to have an atypically good vibe around them.

Despite the absence of injured star Rudy Gay, they have a realistic shot at another big upset. (And oh look, a quick peek at the NBA scores and they’re already up 1 – 0).

6. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs were written off by so many prognosticators heading into the first round that you wouldn’t have known they were favourites. Brandon Roy gave them a scare with his epic turning-back-the-clock performance in Game 4, and the negativity increased.

But to the surprise of seemingly everybody outside of their own locker room, they rallied and finished off the plucky Blazers in six. They have to be encouraged by a productive series by Jason Terry, because Dirk won’t be able to carry the load by himself against the two-time defending champs.

If nothing else, it should be fun to watch him trade fourth-quarter jumpers with Kobe for five or six games.

5. Boston Celtics

The Celtics seemed to ditch the woe-is-me attitude they adopted after the Kendrick Perkins trade, and got on track with an impressive sweep of the Knicks. They now face another shallow, star-heavy team in the Heatles, but with the Wade-LeBron two-man offense clicking as well as it is right now, they’ll need big contributions from the entire roster to get past. This could be a classic.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder apparently didn’t get the memo that their first-round series against athletic Nuggets was supposed to be a six- or seven-game fireworks display. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook took turns carrying the offense, while the tandem of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins flexed their athleticism and toughness, respectively.

They’ll need a big series from both of those guys, because Zach Randolph looks unstoppable right now.

3. Miami Heat

The Heat continue to silence the critics. Wade and LeBron seem to be gradually assuming the Jordan-Pippen roles everyone hoped they would, Bosh is playing atypically good playoff basketball, and James Jones just might be the outside shooter they’ve desperately needed. They looked great in Game 1 against the Celtics, not only running them off the floor but getting under their skin, as demonstrated by Paul Pierce’s ejection. (Jones has to get some credit for selling The Truth’s harmless headbutt, though.)

2. Chicago Bulls

After their first couple of playoff games, all anyone could talk about was how the Bulls were a one-man team, and how Derrick Rose couldn’t possibly do it all by himself. They were half-right. Despite limited offensive contributions from his supporting cast, Rose decimated the Pacers with drive after drive into the paint. It was like he somehow had a sixth gear after an entire season played in fifth. The Bulls drew the best second-round match-up in the uninspiring Hawks, so hopefully they can get guys like Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer rolling in time for the Conference Finals.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The defending champs get this spot until proven otherwise. Chris Paul and his horribly overmatched supporting cast gave them a bit of a test, but dominant wins in Game 5 and Game 6 reassured the legions of obnoxious Laker fans that they can still play championship basketball when needed.
They’re still in the driver’s seat.

Usually hoop teams that find themselves at the bottom of the NBA standings can at least take solace during the playoffs knowing the future of the franchise might be only weeks away at the draft.

Not this year.

The talent pool for the 2011 NBA Draft is extremely weak, arguably even worse than it was in 2006 when the league’s new eligibility rules barred high school players from entering the draft. (That lottery produced only two All-Stars, Brandon Roy and Rajon Rondo, and Roy’s career might be over because of his bad knees). It only got worse when North Carolina’s star freshman swingman Harrison Barnes decided to return to school.

There are no likely franchise players available, and few potential All-Stars. Still, there are players who could fill certain roles and help contribute to a team’s rebuilding efforts.

Without any overwhelming talents available, GMs will likely be best served to draft players based on positions they need to fill, so here’s a quick look at the best prospects at each of the five positions on court.

Point Guard: Kyrie Irving, Duke

Irving is the top prospect on just about everyone’s draft board. He has a great feel for the game, sees the floor well and can get to the rim. There aren’t a lot of holes in his game, and he plays a crucial position very well.

The thing is, the league has seen a sudden influx of top-tier point guards of late. Superstars at the position have become a dime a dozen, from John Calipari’s trio of Derrick Rose, John Wall and Tyreke Evans to Deron Williams and Chris Paul, the stars of the 2005 draft. In 2004, Irving would have been a rare find. But coming into a league suddenly loaded with distributors, he’s much less of an exciting prospect.

He’s not Wall or Rose, but he could be a borderline All-Star.

Shooting Guard: Alec Burks, Colorado

The two-guard spot is the weakest link in a weak draft. There are only maybe two or three first-round-level prospects. ( Some might consider UConn’s Kemba Walker an undersized two-guard, but he’s more likely to project as a scoring point in the pros.)

Burks is probably the best of the bunch, but a two-guard who shot 29 per cent from outside the arc in his last season doesn’t exactly get scouts drooling. He’s a slashing, athletic wing who should be able to get NBA scores, but his jumper is definitely still a work in progress.

Small Forward: Derrick Williams, Arizona

Williams isn’t a true 3, but at 6-8 he’s too small to take on NBA-level power forwards. Regardless of position, though, he’s one of the best prospects in the draft. A versatile, aggressive scorer, he dominated both Duke and UConn during March Madness and established himself as one of the few prospects with some star potential.

He might have trouble finding a position in the pros, but his combination of explosiveness, energy, and scoring ability make him an alternative to Irving as the number one pick.

Power Forward: Bismack Biyombo, Spain

With Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje out of the NBA, there’s a clear dearth of hilariously-named, African-born big men in the league.

Bismack Biyombo is here to fill that hole. A phenomenal athlete still developing his game, he’s been contributing consistently in the Spanish ACB, the second-best basketball league on the planet.

If he can translate his energy and athleticism to the NBA, he could be a defensive nightmare. If not, at least fans will get to listen to Marv Albert mangle his name when he’s throwing down alley-oops in the waning minutes of blowouts.

Centre: Enes Kanter, Kentucky (but not really, was ruled ineligible and didn’t play)

If shooting guard is the worst position in the draft, centre isn’t far behind. Kanter is known for being a highly-skilled and physical player inside, but he lacks great athleticism and scouts haven’t seen as much of him as they’d have liked because he never ended up taking the floor at Kentucky.

International, white big men with limited athleticism aren’t exactly the sexiest picks, but Kanter has been drawing comparisons to Andrew Bogut, who has developed into one of the league’s better young centres.

Betting on MLB baseball is hot right now as the season is really starting to get underway, but you can’t forget about the NBA playoffs, which kicks off on Saturday with four games, and here is who we think will end up clashing in the Finals.

Eastern Conference

Chicago keeps proving us wrong, and if you would have said that they would end up with 62 wins before the regular season, you have gotten some weird looks. It’s either going to be the Bulls or Miami, as Boston is looking old and while they won’t go without a fight, the Celtics won’t make it back to the Finals. Orlando has Dwight Howard, but if he goes out with foul trouble, the Magic are going to have problems. The x-factor is New York, but they’re too bad defensively. We’re sticking with Chicago.

Western Conference

Oklahoma City is our pick to emerge out of the wild West, because we’re not completely sure how healthy Andrew Bynum’s knee is, and he makes the Lakers a completely different team. No one trusts Dallas or Denver, and even though they had a great regular season, we think San Antonio will run out of gas. They leaves the Thunder, who have a great one-two punch in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and Kendrick Perkins gives them toughness.

Finals

We’re going with the Bulls to complete their dream-like season with a title in what should be an exciting series. It’s just so tough to bet against Derrick Rose after everything he has done, and the Bulls are a better defensive team than the Thunder, who will eke out a couple wins. Still, we have to lay a sports bet on Chicago for the Finals.

March Madness betting players are coming to the end of one of the craziest Tournaments in the history of the NCAA, as no No.1 seed reached the Final Four for the first time, and one matchup features the highest combination of seeds ever. Here are our Final Four picks for the weekend.

VCU Butler Betting – Saturday, 6:05 PM ET

The Bulldogs are 2.5-point favorites in their first meeting with the Rams, and with Butler as a No.8 seed and VCU as a No.11, this is the highest combination of seeds to meet in the Final Four. The Rams have been rolling through the Tournament to the surprise of, well, everyone, while Butler, who was a finalist last year, have gotten here by the skin of their teeth. VCU’s three-point shooting has been the difference in their run, but we think the Bulldogs are going to make it tough for them to get going from the outside, which is why we’re taking Butler.

UConn Kentucky Betting – Saturday, 8:45 PM ET

The Wildcats are 2.5-point favorites against the Huskies, who beat Kentucky in the 2006 Tournament, and then they romped over the Wildcats in the final of the Maui tournament earlier this year. We expect Kentucky to remember that beating and take it to the Huskies, especially Brandon Knight, who was dominated by UConn’s Kemba Walker. The Huskies are 12-0 in tournament games this season, but the run will be ended by an athletic Kentucky team anchored by a surprising big man in Josh Harrelson. Go with Kentucky in your online sports betting picks.

March Madness betting players are starting their research for the Big Dance ahead of the conference tournaments, and there are a lot of teams who have a legitimate chance of winning it all. But we’re taking the deepest team in the country, and only a lack of discipline will hurt them.

Try and name something that Kansas doesn’t have. Looking for depth? The Jayhawks have 10 players averaging at least 12 points, and the productivity doesn’t drop off much when the second unit comes in. The team is so deep that they didn’t even miss starting point guard Tyshawn Taylor, who was suspended for two games, because they have at least three players who could take his place. How about scoring? The Jayhawks are fourth in the country in points scored, first in field-goal percentage and they lead the country in assists. They’re 17th in the country from the three-point line, and in the Morris brothers, Markieff and Marcus, Kansas has two players who can score in the post.

The only things that can stop Kansas is discipline, as shown by the suspension of Taylor. As we said, the Jayhawks have depth, but indiscipline also ruins a team’s routine. Also, the Jayhawks are terrible at the foul line, coming in 215th in the country, and if you look at a quick way to end your NCAA Tournament run, missing your free throws is one of the top ways to do so. But coach Bill Self seems to have these guys ready and playing for one cause, and the Jayhawks are going to be a force at your online sportsbook in late March.

Even those who bet on college basketball will check out Friday’s NBA matchups before a busy Saturday in college hoops, and here are a trio of games to check out as you head to your sportsbook.

Hornets Magic Betting (Friday, 7:00 PM ET)

The Magic will likely be the home favorites in this contest, but the Hornets may make it interesting as they’re 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five in Orlando. The Hornets are a respectable 13-12-2 ATS on the road this season, while the Magic have an almost identical 12-13-1 ATS at home.

Lakers Knicks Betting (Friday, 8:00 PM ET)

The Lakers should be the favorites on the road in the marquee matchup on Friday night, and they’re 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five visits to Madison Square Garden. The Lakers are 13-12 ATS away from the Staples Center, while the Knicks are 13-11-1 ATS at home, but they may have a bit of an edge as the Lakers will be in Boston on Thursday night. It won’t be a big edge, though; the Lakers are 8-1 SU in the second half of back-to-back games this season.

Suns Jazz Betting (Friday, 10:30 PM ET)

The Jazz should be favored at home in the Friday nightcap, but after the news that Jerry Sloan has resigned on Thursday may throw this line into disarray. The Jazz are 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS in their last five at home against the Suns, while posting a 12-16 ATS mark at EnergySolutions Arena. The Suns are 11-14 ATS away from home, but they have a great chance to pull off a sports betting win in Utah.

Super Bowl betting players are preparing for their version of the Final Four, but we all know the real Final Four comes from college hoops, and here are our picks to make it to Houston.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes have the best big man in the country in freshman Jared Sullinger, and he’s surrounded by experienced shooters in Jon Diebler and David Lighty, along with William Buford. The Buckeyes should also be able to snag a No.1 seed as the class of the Big Ten.

Kansas

The Jayhawks have experienced players like Markieff and Marcus Morris, along with Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar. The X-factor is freshman Josh Selby, who is probably the most talented player on the team, but he still makes some poor decisions. Still, Kansas is the deepest team in the nation and can overcome that.

Syracuse

It’s really tough to figure out who will come out of the Big East, and it’s between UConn and Syracuse. We’re giving the edge to the Orangemen because of their 2-3 zone that forces teams to shoot from the outside, which boosts their chances. Syracuse also has one of the top forward duos in the country in Kris Joseph and Rick Jackson.

Texas

The Longhorns are a much better team than last year, as in, they play much better as a team. They can score from the perimeter, but the emergence of Tristan Thompson in the post makes Texas a real threat, so don’t wait until March to jump on their sports betting odds.