SPORTSHYPE: Big Men Go West

If you follow the NBA, you know the West is where it's at. The biggest, baddest, best basketball teams in the World come from the Western territories of the United States. In dusty towns with names like San Antonio and Phoenix, giants roam the land, dunking at will, smothering the pathetic drives of Eastern Conference foes, forever frustrating the King-In-Waiting...

Three of the East's biggest headed West this week --

Shaq was traded from a disintegrating Miami Heat team for fed-up-with-Phoenix Shawn Marion (The Matrix). He is certainly still a veritable mountain under the rim, but is age catching up to the Big Aristotle and will the heat of the Suns force him out of the kitchen he has dominated for years?















Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns

In the trade expected to have the biggest impact, Memphis Grizzly Pau Gasol was picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers for a bus transfer and a pocketful of lint (actually Kwame Brown and some draft picks, or ball-racks or something). He will join Lamar Odom and recovering-from-injury Andrew Bynum to make a formidable front line for DFish and Ebok (you must say his name backwards) to operate behind. Lakers: Title contenders?



















Pau Gasol to the LA Lakers

He may not be considered on the same level as Gasol (age'll do that to you) or Shaq (still one of the top pitchmen in the ad industry), but his story might be even more fascinating. Chris Webber, in his 14th (?) year in the league, returns to play with the same coach, on the same team, where in his sophomore year he rebelled against said coach, demanded a trade, and some say, destroyed the team for years... The Prodigal Son? A Quest For Redemption? Or just more crazy entertainment from the City on the Other Side of the Bay?






















Chris Webber to the Golden State Warriors



Phoenix Suns Introduce Shaquille O'Neal

Getting to be NBA Hype Time, baby!