To commemorate the opening of the new Foot Locker House of Hoops location in Dallas, TX, Nike hooked up with Los Angeles-based illustrator/graphic artist Alex Fuentes to design these pieces featuring the two biggest names in the game (LeBron and Kobe), Dallas natives Chris Bosh and Deron Williams and Mavericks forward Shawn Marion.

Wouldn’t even begin to think how much an original of one of these would set a brotha back, but would love to have one framed for the game room. Peep the rest after the jump.

via Sneaker News

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With both NBA 2k10 and NBA Live 10 set to be released Tuesday, the good people at Operation Sports posted the player faces of the starting 5′s for every team in the league for both games. I compiled a few below, and while I’d give the edge to 2K10, Live seems to be gaining ground every year.

LeBron James

NBA 2K10

NBA Live 10

Kobe Bryant

NBA 2K10

NBA Live 10

Dwight Howard

NBA 2K10

NBA Live 10

Vince Carter

NBA 2K10

NBA Live 10

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I don’t know who wrote the script and cut the segment above, but talk about burying the lead. Hakeem Olajuwon has been working with Kobe Bryant over the summer on all types of diabolical post moves, and 1:39 out of a total 2:08 in the above clip is spent talking about Olajuwon tutoring Hasheem Thabeet?!?!

Really?!?! Look, Hasheem Thabeet is Samuel Dalembert, just softer and African. In five years, he’ll be with the Bobcats or some other reckless organization stealing money and you decide to talk about him about being soft and African instead of Ko-Beans?!?!? W-T-F?!?!

While LeBron is out promoting that movie and fighting alopecia, Kobe is at a gym in Houston learning the “Dream Shake” from HAKEEM OLAJUWON!!!!!

Championship.

via Dime

Mike Harrison, a self described designer/illustrator from the UK, was commissioned by Nike to create five illustrations (Andre Iguodala not pictured above) for the new Footlocker House of Hoops location in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  To see more photos of the store, click here. Thanks J.

via Destill

Carlos Boozer wants to play in Miami … Ben Roethlisberger sued by Nevada woman … Sources: Omar Minaya’s job not safe with Mets despite contract … Steve Spagnuolo’s not playing around in St. Louis … Former UNC wide receiver Jesse Holley wins ’4th and Long’ and tryout wth the Cowboys … Friends and family gather to mourn the loss of Arturo Gatti … Great expectations accompany Omar Casspi … Jeremy Maclin remains unsigned in Philly … Nike Plus gets a makeover to keep pace … Kobe picks Manny Pacquiao over Miguel Cotto … OT: Only in Detroit can a former pimp run for city council … Milian

Ryan Miller: the dunk was “as good as it could’ve been hyped up to be” … Jason Whitlock obviously knows more about Steve McNair’s personal life than McNair’s own family … McNair had filmed suicide prevention ad weeks before his death … Even in retirement, Rodney Harrison still has an axe to grind … The Kobe and Lil’ Wayne VIBE cover shoot that undoubtedly sent the magazine under … Rockets granted injury exception for Yao … Lenny Dykstra files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after weaseling everybody he knows for cash … Go to the refrigerator, pour a glass of your favorite beverage, get comfortable wherever you are reading this, sit back and en-joy …

Yeah, so I was at Myron’s Auto Body and Rib Emporium today getting a new custom top installed on the Caddy when I overheard these two mushmouths in the waiting room talking ’bout Kobe Bryant like he was the second coming of Clyde “Cookie Bush” Franklin or something. I’m sitting there about to flip my wig when MBJ hit me on the hip to ask if he could borrow my ‘Best of the Jimmy Castor Bunch’ album. Of course, I told him no, then went on to tell him about these two bammas spoutin’ a whole lot of nothing about Kobe. He asked me how would I have fared against him in my day, and after laughing uncontrollably for about 20 minutes, I broke it down for him.

First off, Jellybean’s boy woulda never, ever, ever put the ball on the ground against me. His daddy had a hard enough time inbounding the ball when we played at the ‘Heroin Recovery Day Parade’ game back in ’74. I gave him 43, and sat out the whole second half. The hook was buttery from 18 in and the passes were life-altering as usual. I remember one time on the break, I hit em’ with the studder step, into the hook … splash. Left the hand in the air just for all the chumps spectating on the sidelines. After the game, I cut in on his old lady. Then he met Kobe’s mama.

So like I was saying, you try to put Kobe on me and I become the instant mismatch on the floor. Give me at least 40 touches with him on my hip, and that joker would foul out by halftime. I’d be on the bench sipping Crown and Coke by the middle of the third quarter.

My game is still cold as ice, so I don’t need any in my beverage.

Take it slow.

If there was any doubt over whether Kobe won, it should be completely erased after news that none other than the diabolical one himself, Ron Artest, has reportedly agreed to join Beans in Hollywood and effectively cancel Christmas for just about every other team in the Western Conference, save maybe the Spurs and Nuggets.

Trevor Ariza is going to take Artest’s spot in Houston, but good luck with that. He’s leaving a non-pressure situation where he had the fortune of being the fourth option, kinda like James Posey with the Celtics in ’08, to a situation where he’ll be expected to deliver on the offensive end on a nightly basis. Rockets fans enjoy your meager helping of 14 and 6 per next season.

Also, Marcin Gortat appears headed to the Mavs and the Celts have reportedly offered Rasheed Wallace a deal using the mid-level exception. K.G. and ‘Sheed on the same team?!?! Please, let this happen.