Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, the last two Seattle SuperSonics players are playing in the NBA Finals; An NBA game coming to Seattle!

• As predicted, Julio Jones has not shown up to Atlanta Falcon’s voluntary OTAs. However, he’s still around football. While Atlanta mulls over an “update” to his contract, Jones was hanging with Cam Newton at his charity kickball event.

• Ousted Milwaukee Bucks coach, Jason Kidd, went after the Detroit Pistons coaching vacancy; and reports state that former head coach of the Toronto Raptors, Dwane Casey, also interviewed with the Pistons for the position.

• Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, the last two Seattle SuperSonics players are playing in the NBA Finals. And, according to the Seattle Times, the Warriors will play a preseason game in Seattle in the fall, and so NBA fans in the Seattle area will get to see Durant in person again.

• An NBCSports program in Boston had a segment talking about the “most useless Cavaliers”

Quick Question: Who do you think is the most useless member of the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Will Sixers release Bryan Colangelo; Lakers Possible Off-Season Moves; JJ Watt our Athlete of the week; Tristan Thompson among most useless Cavaliers, and more

In this episode of What's The 411Sports, hosts Keisha Wilson and Mike McDonald, are talking about the NBA FINALS featuring the three-time NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers; Bryan Colangelo's current employment woes with the Philadelphia 76ers; how the eyes of NBA world are on the Los Angeles Lakers’ upcoming offseason moves; JJ Watt, our Athlete of the Week; Brooklyn Nets player, Jeremy Lin, initiates a clap-back at ESPN’s Jalen Rose; the Most Useless Cavaliers, is Tristan Thompson on the list? and more. 

What's The 411Sports, hosts Keisha Wilson and Mike McDonald are also talking about NY baseball, NY Knicks, Nets, the Athlete of the Week, and more!

Listen to the Podcast for this episode and others by clicking the menu button

Watch the video for this episode

POPPIN PART 1

NBA Playoffs

The NBA PLAYOFFS are finally here, and the excitement is building.

Q. Was the run-up to the playoffs anything that you could have predicted?

UFC fighter Conor McGregor will always remember Brooklyn. McGregor was arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief charges and misdemeanor assault, menacing and reckless endangerment after McGregor and his entourage stormed the Barclays Center and threw a hand truck at a bus full of fighters after a news conference for UFC 223.

Q. Is Dana White and the UFC done with Conor McGregor or, will he return?

The Baltimore Ravens signed Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick fans are livid.

Q. Are Kaepernick fans justified in their outrage over the RG III signing?

QUICK BITES

• Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was involved in an accident when his Ferrari F12 was rear-ended by a dump truck. According to TMZ, Newton was not injured.

• Former Patriots tight end Jermaine Wiggins told TMZ that he believes that Rob Gronkowski is frustrated with Patriots because he’s not being paid what he’s worth.

• University of Alabama guard Collin Sexton announced that he was “officially declaring” for the 2018 NBA Draft! Sexton is the first player to attend Alabama for one season before leaving for the NBA since the league added the “one and done” rule before the 2006 draft.
• Red Sox minor league prospect Michael Chavis just lost 80 games’ worth of his player development (and salary) thanks to testing positive for DHCMT a banned substance.
• Congrats to Villanova Wildcats on winning the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament.

Quick Question: Augusta National Golf Club officials don’t like the phrase, “Dilly Dilly” and threatened to throw out anyone who uttered the words, Dilly Dilly in an effort to crack down on unruly fans.

Q. Is this silly, silly?

Poppin Part 2

Welcome back to What’s The 411Sports. Professional golfer Tiger Woods made a comeback appearance at the Masters in Augusta this past Weekend.

Q. What’s the verdict?

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard, Russell Westbrook, praised Houston Rockets guard James Harden’s accomplishments for this NBA season but stopped short of an MVP endorsement.

Q. Was this a back-handed compliment or, is Westbrook not counting himself out?

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Our Photo of the Week is a photo of Brooklyn Nets rookie center Jarrett Allen blocking a shot at the rim by Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker. The Nets defeated the Bucks 119-111.

NEW YORK SPORTS REPORT

Welcome back to What’s The 411Sports. It’s time for our NY Sports Report.

Let’s have a little fun with baseball.

Q. Right now, looking at both New York baseball teams, who has a better chance of playing in the World Series?

LeBron James to the Knicks for the 2018-2019 NBA Season?

A billboard went up near Madison Square Garden attempting to recruit LeBron James to the Knicks. Dwyane Wade says good luck with that one.

Q. Do you think LeBron James would ever consider the NY Knicks?

End of the NBA Regular Season and Nets with no playoff opportunity still playing hard

The Brooklyn Nets threw a wrinkle in the Milwaukee Bucks game plan. The Bucks were looking for a win over the struggling Nets to move up in the NBA Eastern Conference playoff standings, but the Nets beat the Bucks 119-111.

Q. In light of the Nets win over the Bucks, there’s a question floating, why do teams who are out of the playoff picture have to play so hard?

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

Our Athlete of the Week spotlight goes to Elgin Baylor. The legendary Los Angeles Lakers’ player recently received a great honor. The Lakers unveiled a statue of Elgin Baylor outside the Staples Center becoming the 10th person to be honored with a statue.

Cal Marshall, son of newly elected Rep. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, dabs at his father's ceremonial swearing-in

Can you imagine, it’s your big day, you won your election, and now, it’s time for the ceremonial photo-opp. The photographers are there, the video is rolling, and Paul Ryan, the U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, also with hand on Bible is ready for the close-up. The only this is, while everyone is looking at the camera, your 17-year-old son, standing between you and the Speaker, decides to dab.

The funny thing, or perhaps, not so funny thing was, Speaker Ryan thought Representative Dr. Roger Marshall's son, Cal, needed to sneeze when he was dabbing during the photo-opp.

"Do you want to put your hand down?" Ryan said. "You gonna sneeze? That it?"

Later, Representative Marshall tweeted to Speaker Ryan that he grounded his son, Cal.

See VIDEO

This cheeky 'dabber' really confused Speaker Paul Ryan at Rep. Roger Marshall's ceremonial swearing in today https://t.co/sYm9k7isKy pic.twitter.com/maCecmZBW8

— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) January 3, 2017

Did New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony diss Jeremy Lin, the starting guard for the Brooklyn Nets?; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton still in concussion protocol

In Episode 79 of What's The 411Sports, the panel of Keisha Wilson, Mike McDonald, and Sydney Wayman, are talking about:

Quick Bites:

Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker took the ball to the hole a little too forcefully, so the rim hit back
Carolina quarterback Cam Newton is still in concussion protocol
Legendary golfer Tiger Woods pulls out of the Safeway Open
Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy is hanging up his football cleats for Mixed Martial Arts

What's Poppin'!

The return of Tom Brady after serving an NFL four-game suspension for deflated footballs
MLB Playoffs - in particular, the Chicago Cubs; can the Chicago Cubs take it all?
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick will come under center in NFL Week 6;
Not everyone can successfully make the transition from college football coaching to coaching in the NFL. So we ask the question, is the NFL a right fit for San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly?
The NFL is cracking down on all end zone dances. Has the NFL become the No Fun League?
Professional tennis player Maria Sharapova's suspension from tennis is reduced to 15 months from 24 months. Did Sharapova special treatment?
Michigan blows out the Rutgers football team 78-0, should Rutgers be in Division 1A?

What's The 411Sports New York Sports Report:

• Did New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony diss Jeremy Lin, the Brooklyn Nets starting guard? You be the judge.
• NY Jets Week 5 results
• NY Giants Week 5 results
• Ode to the New York Mets

IN THE DOG HOUSE:

New York knicks guard Derrick Rose for the information coming out at his sexual abuse civil trial.

Palmer and Arizona Cardinals Numbers Make a Compelling Case for NFL MVP

In most people’s eyes, it is a two-man race to the honor of MVP. New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton are the talk of the town and the winner between the two fluctuates based on weekly performances. However, there is one name that is seemingly left out of the conversation, Carson Palmer, quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals.

Carson Palmer is quietly leading the Arizona Cardinals on a path to a possible Super Bowl run. He is leading the league in QBR with an average of 83.1. According to NFL.com, he has a higher average yardage per pass than both Brady and Newton and also boasts a higher rating than both. His team is currently on a nine-game winning streak and their dominating win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in week 16 left them number one on the power rankings.

In addition to the number one power ranking, the Arizona Cardinals are complete on both sides of the ball. The first in the league in total offense, third in yards per passing, and sixth in rushing yards per game. One the defensive side, the numbers are just as impressive. They are fifth in the league in total defense which measures yards per game allowed by opponents. In terms of rushing yards allowed per game, they rank fifth and are tied for seventh place in passing yards allowed. All of these statistics are as of week 16. If offense wins games and defense win championships, then the Cardinals have what it takes to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.

Out in the desert, Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals are making a sandstorm in the NFL rankings.

Carolina's Quest For Undefeated Season Thwarted By Loss

The Carolina Panthers’ road to a perfect season was dealt a blow by division rivals the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons defeated the Panthers in Atlanta by the score of 20-13.

There was a lot of “dabbin’” by the Falcons players and owner Arthur Blank was not left out of the celebration.

The win was vindication for the Falcons who dominated by the Panthers in their previous meeting 38-0. The Falcons also felt that the Panthers were disrespectful when they were posing for pictures on the sidelines during the game which was why the Falcons had no problem “dabbin’” as much as possible.

*Dabbin’ is a touchdown celebration used by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.