The tug of war between Seattle and Sacramento over the Kings finally has a winner.

After NBA owners voted to block the Sacramento Kings’ relocation to Seattle on Thursday, team owners – the Maloof family – reached an agreement to sell the franchise to a Sacramento-based group led by software billionaire Vivek Ranadive on Friday.

According to ESPN.com, the sale was valued at an NBA record $535 million. Ranadive put up $348 million on his own for a 65 percent majority ownership stake.

The Maloofs had originally aimed to sell the franchise to a group of Seattle businessmen led by investor Chris Hansen, but after the league supported Ranadive, the Maloof’s had a choice to make; either keep the team or sell to the Sacramento group that planned to keep the team in California. They went with the latter just a day after NBA owners halted a potential move to the Emerald City.

When a potential move was first announced, there was an instant outcry from Kings fans who wanted the team to stay. Sacramento mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson also became very vocal against the move and very active in finding a Sacramento-based ownership group to outbid Hansen.

NBA commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver have maintained that NBA basketball will return to Seattle one day, but it appears it still may be a few years until that could be possible.

Who needs offense? The Memphis Grizzlies certainly didn’t in their 88-84 game five win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, a win that instantly became the most monumental milestone in the franchise’s relatively young history.

In typical Grizzlies fashion, defense won the day, as Memphis advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in the franchise’s 18-year history. They managed to hold the high-scoring Thunder to under 37 percent from the field and fended off a late rally to secure the historic win. However, Memphis isn’t content with where they are right now. They want to go all the way.

“This is the first time, so it definitely means a lot. I’m happy, but we’ve still got work to do,” said Zach Randolph, who led his team with 28 points and 14 rebounds, according to ESPN.com. “I want to win a ring.”

Of course, the road will only get tougher for the Grizzlies, who now await the winner of the Spurs and Warriors. But after their postseason success so far, the Grizzlies are confident they keep their impressive run going.

“We’re trying to do something really special. We want to go as far as we can go,” coach Lionel Hollins said. “To get there, we had to get through Oklahoma City. And now, we have to get through either Golden State or San Antonio to get further.”

For OKC – a team that made the NBA Finals last season – the loss was extremely disappointing. After losing All-Star guard Russell Westbrook to injury, the offense failed to produce against the defensive-minded Grizzlies, which led to an earlier exit than expected.

“I believe in our guys. I’m disappointed we didn’t win this series. I felt that we were good enough to win this series,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said.

With the Thunder going home, the Grizzlies now turn their attention to the West Finals. They’ll certainly be watching the Spurs-Warriors game six battle tonight, as the Spurs look to close out Golden State, while the Warriors hope to extend the series to a seventh game.

Basketball players, like many athletes, are always striving to increase their performance. And over the past decade, diet has become a major player in getting the best out of your body.

While a healthy diet is one of the keys to maintain high performance, supplements such as HMB have been found to actively help to improve your body’s ability to get to the next level.

HMB (Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) which contain beta-alanine, is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine, which is naturally in the body and makes him boost muscle protein retention. However, the natural amount in the body is way too low for top athletes and the HMB micronutrient is often taken on top of a healthy diet.

Research about the supplement have shown that it works to delay the breakdown of your muscle protein and keep on stimulating growth of tissue. There are also other beneficial health effects like helping to lower your cholesterol.

It is a good help taken in the same time as protein rich diet of fish and chicken and it doesn’t affect how and when you eat.

In fact, supplements like HMB requires regular small intake rather than large one-time doses, and athletes usually take no more than three grams of the substance per day. Over a three-week period studies have shown HMB can improve strength of core muscles and it also help to burn the fat in muscle cells.

The benefit of HMB means that not only bodybuilders can use it to improve their physique but marathon runners and extreme sports enthusiasts can also take it to boost their levels of fitness in an healthy way.

The supplement has been proven to decrease your muscle fatigue and soreness over long periods of physical activity, so that pro football, ice hockey and basketball stars – who play at the elite level at a fast pace – will take HMB to help maintain or improve their strength for speed, boosting recovery time and aiding upper body movement.

Brittney Griner, the WNBA’s first overall pick of 2013, already has plenty of game, but she added another weapon to her ever-expanding offensive arsenal by working with the NBA’s all-time scoring leader this week.

During a one-on-one training session on Wednesday, the Phoenix Mercury rookie watched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar showcase his signature shot – the skyhook – and then took some shots of her own, attempting to master the move that helped Abdul-Jabbar rack up more than 38,000 points in his NBA career.

“I went to legend school today and it was awesome,” Griner said at the Phoenix Mercury’s practice court inside the US Airways Center, according to ESPN.com.

It took a while for Griner to adjust, but as the 20-minute session wore on, she started to get a feel for the shot, which is nearly impossible for a same-sized or smaller defender to block.

“She did start to get it, how I used it,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “Not everybody uses the same tool in the same way, so you’ve got to make adjustments to that. But I think with her potential and willingness to learn, she’ll do well.”

With her size and athletic ability, adding a shot like the skyhook to her game could make her an offensive juggernaut in the WNBA. Although she hasn’t perfected it yet, she plans to begin to use the skyhook this season.

“You’ll see some hooks, but to do a true skyhook, that’s going to take a while to get it down perfect,” she said. “But you’ll definitely see once I get a feel. I definitely want to get that in there.”

We certainly can’t wait to see Griner on the court this season and get a glimpse of her new bag of tricks, one of which is courtesy of a true NBA legend.

Sacramento Kings fans didn’t have a lot to cheer about this season, but they got to celebrate a major victory on Wednesday.

All 30 NBA team owners gathered on Wednesday for a four hour meeting to vote on the Kings’ proposed move to Seattle. Even though the team owners, the Maloof family, had approved the sale to a Seattle investment group, the majority of team owners voted against the move by a count of 22-8, effectively keeping the team in Sacramento.

NBA commissioner David Stern said now that relocation has been denied, the Maloofs still have the option to retain ownership of the team, though they are still expected to sell to a new Sacramento-based ownership group headed by billionaire Vivek Ranadive.

“It is my expectation that we’ll be able to make a deal with the Maloofs and the Ranadive group to transfer title of the team in Sacramento,” Stern said during a press conference, according to ESPN.com. “It’s not a certainty, but we’re going to work [toward] that result.”

Although the vote effectively canceled the proposed sale to the Seattle group, George Maloof insisted that the family still prefers that its leader, investor Chris Hansen, be involved at least as a minority owner.

“If it had to turn out this way, it’s fine with us,” Maloof said of Sacramento keeping the Kings. “But my loyalty’s to Chris, because he stepped up.”

Hansen was obviously disappointed with the vote, while Sacramento mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson was thrilled with the result.

“Let me just say we are really excited to be from Sacramento today,” Johnson said.

Hansen and Seattle mayor Mike McGinn said they will not give up on bringing NBA basketball back to Seattle and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said the league will also continue to effort to make it happen.

“We’ve never wavered in our desire to return to the Seattle market at some point … and we fully expect we’ll return there one day.”

Considering Silver is taking over for Stern next February, Seattle fans should remain hopeful that they will have a basketball team in the future, though it’s not clear exactly when that will be.

Andrew Wiggins of Toronto will be taking his talents to Lawrence, Kansas this season.

Kentucky, Florida State, and North Carolina were all vying for his services in hope of landing the player regarded as the best high school basketball prospect since LeBron James in 2003.

However, all three schools will have to settle with being runner-ups in the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes because the forward announced Tuesday morning that he will be attending the University of Kansas. Some experts projected that Florida State, the alma mater of Wiggins’ parents, was the favorite to   land the forward from Toronto unanimously ranked as the top player in this year’s recruiting class.

Wiggins is lauded not only for his explosive athleticism, but also for the diverse offensive repertoire, maturity, and superstar potential he possesses at his age. The addition of Wiggins gives Bill Self and the Jawhawks the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation to retool a team that lost all five starters including standout guard Ben McLemore.

Despite being undermanned, the Chicago Bulls have remained physical with the Miami Heat in their second-round playoff series, but it was the defending champs who really flexed their muscles in game four.

Led by newly-crowned MVP LeBron James, the Heat ran away with the win in a rout 88-65, holding the Bulls to their lowest offensive output in franchise history in the postseason. The active Miami defense forced 17 turnovers and held the Bulls to a dismal 25.7 field goal percentage, the lowest for any team in a playoff game since the Hornets shot 24.4 percent in 2004.

The Heat’s dominant performance was once again sparked by James, who hit right around his season averages with 27 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Chris Bosh continued his strong play in the series as well, adding 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while blocking four shots on the defensive end. Though, it looked pretty easy, Bosh said it was anything but.

“We worked for it,” said Bosh, according to ESPN.com. “I never like to say that things are easy.”

On the other side, the Bulls were playing without Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng, and their other scorers couldn’t step in and fill their shoes. Nate Robinson – who has been nothing short of phenomenal this postseason – was completely shutout in game four. He missed all twelve of his field goal attempts and failed to score a point in 32 minutes of play, while also turning the ball over four times, two of which led to easy Miami fastbreak buckets.

After three straight wins, Miami has now run out to a 3-1 series lead and will look to close out the depleted Bulls in game five, when the series moves back to South Beach on Wednesday night. James and Co. understand how tough it’s been for the Bulls, but they also don’t have much sympathy for them as the Heat go for the kill.

“They’re in a tough situation,” James said. “They’ve had some injuries and illnesses and whatever’s going on. They don’t have their full roster, but that’s not for us to worry about. They beat a very good Brooklyn team (in the first round) without their full roster.”

Considering how volatile and hostile the playoff series between the Heat and Bulls has been, it’s understandable that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau would lose his cool, but it’s only going to cost him.

Thibodeau’s frustration after the Bulls’ game three loss boiled over on Saturday as he criticized the officiating and suggested referees might be favoring the defending champs. The NBA announced Thidobeau will be fined $35,000 for his comments. Here’s what Thidobeau said following game three, according to ESPN.com:

“I see how things are going, I watch very closely. We’re not going to get calls, that’s reality.”

Thibodeau was particularly upset with the ejection of Nazr Mohammed for shoving LeBron James to the floor. He agrees Mohammed should have been punished for the act, but thought an ejection was far too severe.

“From my angle, I saw a guy basically flop,” Thibodeau said of James. “I don’t think it warranted an ejection. I understand a flagrant foul, I understand that, but ejection, no, nope.”

The Bulls and Heat engaged in some notably physical battles during the regular season and that intensity has certainly carried over to their second-round playoff series, which has been filled with flagrant fouls, technical fouls and ejections. Thibodeau expects both teams to continue to come at each other with the same level of aggressiveness, but he has learned his lesson about speaking out against the league. When asked about the fine, Thibodeau wisely said he had no comment.

After several comeback attempts in the past year, Brandon Roy made it clear that he was not giving up on his NBA career, but after being waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves this week, it’s likely he’s played his last NBA basketball.

The team made the decision to let Roy go on Friday, according to ESPN.com.

“We wish Brandon and his family all the best in the future,” new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said in a statement.

Although the Timberwolves surely appreciated Roy’s determination and heart, at the end of the day, the decision to cut him loose was an easy one. The move will open up roughly $5.3 million in cap space and a roster spot, which will enable the Wolves to go after a solid shooting guard this offseason.

There was also no sign that Roy would ever be fully healthy again. Roy – who has undergone numerous knee surgeries and even retired briefly because of them –   felt the chronic knee pain return this past preseason. He battled through it, but only appeared in five regular season games before undergoing another arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. He planned another comeback toward the end of the season, but recovery setbacks and more pain kept him off the court.

With his ailments failing to improve, it’s extremely unlikely for another team to take a chance on Roy. At his peak, he was a three-time All-Star while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, but he endured knee problems his entire career and it appears those problems have cut his promising career short.

Although the Denver Nuggets got ousted in the first round of the playoffs again, their banner year hasn’t gone unrecognized.

On Wednesday, the NBA announced that George Karl has earned Coach of the Year honors for the 2012-2013 season. His most notable accomplishment was guiding the Nuggets to a franchise-record 57 wins without a true star player. It’s the first time Karl has won the award in 25 seasons in the NBA, despite leading his teams to 21 consecutive winning seasons – a record he now shares with Phil Jackson.

“I am honored and energized to represent coaching and be their ambassador as coach of the year and continue to symbolize the great coaching there is in the NBA,” Karl said in a statement, according to ESPN.com. “There are probably seven or eight guys who are deserving of it and another 10 or 15 other coaches who have done a great job and aren’t getting any recognition.”

Karl received 62 votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, while Miami’s Erik Spoelstra received 24 for second place.

Though Karl is finally receiving some recognition – that many feel is deserved – he continues to be criticized for his lack of playoff success. Of the 22 years his teams have made the playoffs, they’ve only advanced past the first round eight times.

[Since the publication of this initial report, Jackson has informed the team he is not interested in the coaching position, according to league sources]

Despite guiding the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs this season, interim coach P.J. Carlesimo was fired and the Nets are now looking again toward Phil Jackson to fill their current coaching vacancy.

After firing coach Avery Johnson earlier this season, the Nets went after Jackson, but after he said he wasn’t interested, they promoted Carlesimo from within, but admitted that he wasn’t the ideal longterm solution for the franchise. Apparently, the Nets aren’t giving up on the prospect of landing Jackson though, as ESPN.com is reporting that the franchise reached out to him this week regarding the coaching position.

However, once again, Jackson has denied interest in the job and Nets GM Billy King realizes that Jackson’s stance on the head coaching gig is unlikely to change, but he said he would be open to hiring Jackson for a front office position as well, according to NBA sources.

And as we’ve heard all year, that is the type of job Jackson is really looking for. He recently agreed to advise the Detroit Pistons in their search for a new coach, appearing like he simply wanted to be involved in the league in some way. However, the Pistons said Jackson is not a formal member of their front office staff and did not indicate that he was in the running for their coaching opening.

That’s good news for the Nets, but King is right in that Jackson isn’t likely to bite on the coaching job. Though he seems a little more eager to get back into the game at the moment than he did earlier in the season, he’ll probably hold out for the job the really wants – team president.

Since Jackson has recently declined the Brooklyn’s initial offer, the Nets are expected to contact Larry Brown and Brian Shaw, who round out the top three of their coaching wishlist.

The best player in the game entered an even higher class on Sunday.

The NBA named LeBron James the league’s MVP for the fourth time in his career. He is now just the fifth player with at least four MVP awards, joining a club that includes Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

James also tied Shaquille O’Neal’s record (1999-2000 season) for most first-place votes with 120 of 121, coming up just one vote shy of being the first player ever to receive a unanimous selection.

James ended the 2012-2013 regular season with averages of 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists. He also shot a career-high 56 percent from the field.

Of course, along with the incredible individual numbers, the Heat’s team achievements played a major part in the decision. Led by James, Miami won a league-high 66 games this season, including 27 in a row, which ranks as the second longest winning streak in NBA history.

James has long said he wants to be known as the greatest player in NBA history and to reach such a level, he’ll have to rack up more championships. His team certainly has a good chance to win another this season as the East’s No. 1 seed and they’ll continue their quest for a repeat title on Monday when they take on the Chicago Bulls in game one of the Eastern semifinals.

The Wildcats’ early entry candidates drew mixed reviews for their draft decisions.

Every April, young NBA prospects are faced with the decision to see if the reality of being an NBA player is as sweet as the dream. Let’s discuss who made the best decisions and who made potentially costly ones.

Wise to enter

Cody Zeller, Indiana, So.

The “Big Handsome” didn’t take the big step forward this past season that many analysts expected, but his ability to score efficiently with both hands in the post as well as his basketball IQ are undeniable. Next year’s draft will feature Mitch McGary from Michigan and Willie Cauley-Stein from Kentucky, so Zeller stands to be drafted higher this year with only Alex Len, Gorgei Dieng, Kelly Olynyk as the other center prospects.

Gorgui Dieng, Louisville, Jr.

Coming off a national championship, Dieng’s stock is at a high, and like Cody Zeller, he will benefit from McGary and Cauley-Stein returning. A native of Senegal, Dieng’s age may also come into question as it does with many prospects from Africa. His stock has little to gain if he’d decided to return to Louisville.

Shane Larkin, Miami, So.

Miami had a phenomenal season with Larkin running the show and his stock also has little to gain from returning. In few drafts does a player of Larkin’s physical profile stand a chance of becoming a first round pick but in this weak draft class overall, it is certainly possible.

Questionable decision to leave

Adonis Thomas, Memphis, So.

When Thomas first arrived at Memphis, he was a specimen oozing with potential to become a prototype NBA small forward. However, two years later, he has yet to realize his upside. His ball-handling and perimeter shooting have been rather sub-par thus far. Any success he has had in college thus far has been a product of strictly his athleticism and motor. Memphis fans just would’ve hoped he’d return and round out his game a little more before leaving. He’s likely a mid to late second rounder this year, but if he’d returned he could’ve eventually been a first round pick.

BJ Young, Arkansas, So.

Young has shown that he can be an explosive scorer in the SEC, but he is the typical 6’3″ guard surrounded with question marks regarding his ability to play the point guard position. He’s likely a mid second rounder this year, but like Thomas, could’ve eventually been a first rounder if he improved his playmaking ability.

Steven Adams, Pittsburgh, Fr.

Adams reminds some people of Byron Mullens – a highly regarded high school center prospect expected to eventually become a top overall pick in the draft. Like Mullens, Adams struggled in his freshman season, but showed all the physical tools to become a solid NBA big man. And like Mullens, who left Ohio State after one year and has since bounced around and landed on a horrible Bobcats team, Adams will enter the draft, citing the need to “provide for his family”. If that’s the case, then he must do what he feels necessary, but from a business standpoint, Adams stands to lose a lot of money long-term, like Mullens perhaps, by leaving Pitt.

Archie Goodwin, Kentucky, Fr. 

Goodwin was a highly touted recruit coming into Kentucky, but despite his obvious world-class athleticism, his lack of an outside shot and limited playmaking ability take away a little bit of the luster. He may be a late first round pick this year based on potential alone, but he could have catapulted himself into late lottery discussion for next year if he would have returned and improved his point guard skills.

Wise to return

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky, Fr. 

Cauley-Stein, despite playing in the shadow of Nerlens Noel, has arguably just as much potential. He moves as fluidly as you could possibly expect a seven-footer to move, and from a basketball IQ and offensive fundamentals standpoint, he is certainly ahead of Noel. This year, he would have likely been a late lottery to mid-first round pick, but he has the chance to catapult himself into a top-five pick next year if he can help return Kentucky to dominant form.

Glenn Robinson III, Michigan, Fr.

Robinson flashed immense NBA potential, reminding analysts of Andre Iguodala. With Trey Burke entering the draft, Robinson will have the chance to emerge as a leader for the Wolverines. He could’ve been a lottery pick this year, but Robinson’s return was not about the money or elevating his stock as much as it was about rounding out his game and preparing himself to be an immediate NBA contributor whenever he decides to enter.

Isaiah Austin, Baylor, Fr. 

The prospect that reminds many of Jonathan Bender from some years back, Austin hopes to not make the mistake as Bender. If you remember, Bender was a rail-thin seven footer out of high school was tremendous athleticism and an intriguing skill set for a man of his size. However, the NBA proved to be too physical for Bender to handle, and unfortunately his body broke down. Not to say that the same fate awaits Austin, but he could stand to get stronger and develop his post game.

Questionable decision to return

Russ Smith, Louisville, Jr. 

Like Larkin, Smith had a phenomenal year. Smith was the best player on the best team in America and he has a national championship to his name. However, by returning, I doubt that he can raise his stock any higher than it is now, even if Louisville were to repeat. There are still going to be the same questions about Smith’s game – he’s still a shooting guard trapped in an undersized point guard’s body – so the risk of injury outweighs the chance to improve upon his, at best, second round grade.

Doug McDermott, Creighton, Jr. 

McDermott is the type of player that makes college basketball exciting to watch. A classic four-year, mid-major player looking to finish what he started. You have to respect that. But as a three-point shooting specialist with very limited upside, McDermott’s best chance to be a first round draft pick is this year. Next year’s draft class is loaded with quality wing players, so the tweener from Creighton may see himself slip into the mid-second round next year.

Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, Fr. 

Again you must respect the pride that Smart has in his game to turn down big money and return for his sophomore season. But at the same time, Smart could very well have been a top-three pick in this year’s draft depending on how the ping pong balls fall. Spencer Dinwiddie from Colorado and Andrew Harrison from Kentucky will offer much more stiff competition to Smart as the top point guard than Trey Burke or Michael Carter-Williams would have this year.

After enduring a rough year on the court that ended with a major injury, Kobe Bryant is still not getting any real rest.

ESPN.com is reporting that Bryant and his own mother, Pamela, are currently engaged in a legal battle over some valuable mementos from his high school and pro career that he left at home.

A New Jersey auction house has filed a lawsuit to acquire the right to sell the memorabilia – a collection of over 100 items, including  jerseys, championship rings and trophies – after Bryant’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter instructing the firm to cancel the upcoming June auction.

However, after forwarding an upfront payment of $450,000 to Mrs. Bryant, the auction firm said it could not cancel the auction, especially since it has already invested in advertising for the event.

Bryant also attempted offering his mother $250,000 for the items for her to buy the house she wanted in Las Vegas, but she refused, wanting the $450,000 instead to purchase a bigger home. That’s when she struck a deal with the firm for the advancement behind Bryant’s back.

Court filings reveal that Bryant’s mother claims he left the items to her, which she kept in a New Jersey storage unit for five years.

“Kobe Bryant indicated to Pamela Bryant that the items belonged to her and that he had no interest in them,” the auction house’s attorneys wrote. So she put them in a $1,500-per-month New Jersey storage unit.

However, Bryant’s representatives are arguing that, lawfully, the items still belong to him.

“Mr. Bryant’s personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it,” said Bryant’s lawyer Mark Campbell. “We look forward to resolving this legal matter through the legal system.”

The case of ownership is certainly a tricky one here, but anytime a family starts squabbling over money, things tend to get ugly, no matter who wins in the end.

Who do you think is the rightful owner of Bryant’s mementos? After all, he is the one who played and earned them, but he also had plenty of time to claim them and did not.

Legendary coach Phil Jackson seems like he’s itching to return to basketball in some capacity. He’s been interested in becoming the president of an NBA team for a while now and he even almost returned to coaching earlier this season. Though he still hasn’t joined a team in either role, he may have made a major step in that direction this week.

NBA.com is reporting that Jackson has agreed to advise the Detroit Pistons in their search for a new head coach. Although he won’t be an official or formal member of the organization’s front office, he will provide the team with his insight and wisdom as they look to replace recently fired Lawrence Frank.

“Phil Jackson is a friend and one of the best minds in the business,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said. “We are thrilled to have him as an adviser as we make some very important decisions for this franchise. (Team president) Joe (Dumars) and I discussed this and he and I are in full agreement that this is a great opportunity.”

It will be interesting to see if this position leads to something full-time for Jackson – if not with Detroit, then maybe somewhere else. The Toronto Raptors have already said they are interested in hiring Jackson for a front office position, if he is willing to listen to their pitch. Of course, if he does decide to come out of retirement, he’ll likely have several other offers to consider.