Brazillian Neymar releseas his own doll

Barcelona may have parted with $75 million to secure Neymar's services in May, but his fans will be able to obtain the star's likeness for significantly less following his decision to release his own doll.

The 21-year-old forward has teamed up with manufacturer Cosmokids for the release of his toy, which stands at about 16.5 inches in height and comes equipped with his trademark hairstyle, two Brazil kits and a spare pair of boots - as well as a diamond-studded earring.

Mini me | Neymar poses with the doll which also comes with a change kit and a spare pair of boots.

The doll is set to be available for 60 euros, but, like the Blaugrana, fans of the Selecao superstar will face stiff competition in their attempts to snap him up, with only 12,000 models slated to be released.

 Living doll | The real Neymar dazzles Zambia during Brazil's recent friendly in China

The great Micheal Jordan laughs off a one-on-one challenge

Michael Jordan laughed off the one-one-one challenge from fellow NBA owner Robert Pera on Wednesday.

"I think that's comical,'' Jordan told the Charlotte Observer. "It didn't make any sense. Why would I play one one-on-one? It's a no-win situation for me no matter what."
Pera, entering his second season in charge of the Memphis Grizzlies, challenged the Charlotte Bobcats owner and third-leading scorer in NBA history to a game of one-on-one earlier this week, with $1 million going to charity.

That proposal came in a Twitter exchange Monday where Pera apologized about the cancellation of a one-on-one showdown against Grizzlies guard Tony Allen, which would have resulted in a $100,000 donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Someone suggested the Grizzlies owner just change it to an owners match with Pera facing off against Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks. Pera's response was he would make quick work of Cuban, so instead he called out Jordan.

Pera, whose Twitter avatar shows him in mid-jump shot with a shooting sleeve on his left arm, has posted a video of him working out on the Grizzlies' practice court, connecting on mid-range jumpers.

Lebron James or Kobe Bryant who is better

While almost one-quarter of the 26 players who participated in an ESPN The Magazine poll think LeBron James will finish as the best NBA player ever, none of them would want him taking the last shot if Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were also on the floor.
 James received decidedly mixed reviews from the players, all of whom were granted anonymity, in the poll conducted for the magazine's NBA preview issue.

LeBron in ESPN The Mag

 

 

Check out all the numbers in the LeBron Confidential in ESPN The Magazine online now and on newsstands Friday. Story

Asked which player they wanted to take the last shot with the clock winding down and a game on the line, 88 percent of the players picked Jordan, with Bryant getting the other 12 percent.
"That's like ranking the shortest giant," an Eastern Conference guard said. "I'd want the ball in LeBron's hands at the end of the game, but I'd want him to pass to Kobe or Jordan for the last shot. And don't forget, LeBron is not a great free throw shooter, either."

According to ESPN Stats & Information, James actually is a better shooter from the field than Bryant on game-tying or go-ahead field goals in the final 24 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime of postseason games. He checks in at 41.2 percent (7-for-17), while Bryant is at 25 percent (7-for-28). Jordan rules that stat, though, at 50 percent (9-for-18).

Yet, 23 percent of players polled think James will be considered the best player in history when his career is over.

"I don't know if he'll be able to match Michael Jordan's rings, but he'll be top 10 in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals when his career is over," a former teammate said. "To do that in this era, you have to call LeBron the greatest ever."

Other numbers back that argument as well. James has led the league in player efficiency rating, a measure of a player's per-minute production, for six straight seasons. If he does it again this season, he'd tie Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain for most consecutive seasons leading the league in PER. James' 27.65 PER trails only Jordan's 27.91 all time.

To put that into perspective, the league-average PER is 15.

Kobe wants to end career like Mayweather

Kobe Bryant often is compared to some of the greatest players in NBA history.
But in what he describes as "the last chapter" of his storied career, Bryant hopes to mirror someone who has never played professional basketball -- Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The 35-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star, who is attempting to bounce back from Achilles surgery, compared himself to Mayweather in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.
"Maybe I won't have as much explosion," Bryant told the magazine. "Maybe I'll be slower, maybe I'll lose quickness. But I have other options.

"It's like Floyd Mayweather in the ring. There's a reason he's still at the top after all these years. He's the most fundamentally sound boxer of all time. He can fight myriad styles at myriad tempos. He can throw fast punches or off-speed punches, and he can throw them from odd angles."

Mayweather, 36, remained unbeaten in 45 career fights with his victory last month over Canelo Alvarez.
Bryant suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in April and also is nursing an injured right knee. The Lakers have not provided a timetable for when the former MVP will return to game action.
Bryant, who is entering the final year of his contract, acknowledged to Sports Illustrated that his career is nearing its end.

"It's the last chapter,'" Bryant told Sports Illustrated. "The book is going to close. I just haven't determined how many pages are left."

Bryant averaged 27.3 points per game last season before injuring his Achilles on April 12. The 15-time All-Star conceded to Sports Illustrated that he has "self-doubt" about his ability to return at a high level.
"I have self-doubt," he said. "I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.'
"We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it. You rise above it."

Kevin Garnet and Paul Pierce respond to Lebron James comment

NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets power forward Kevin Garnett thinks Miami Heat star LeBron James should concern himself with his own team.

 

 LeBron James thinks Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce owe Ray Allen an apology. J.A. Adande discusses loyalty. Story

"Tell LeBron to worry about Miami. It has nothing to do with Celtic business," Garnett said in response to James, who previously expressed thoughts that KG and Nets small forward Paul Pierce should apologize for criticizing Heat sharpshooter Ray Allen for leaving the Boston Celtics before they departed for Brooklyn.
Garnett and Pierce were traded to the Nets along with reserve Jason Terry during the summer.

"I left Boston?" Pierce said when asked of James' comments, clearly noting he had been dealt by the Celtics and didn't leave as a free agent.
Garnett and Pierce were both critical of Allen after he elected to sign with the Heat last offseason. KG said he lost Allen's phone number, and Pierce said he hadn't forgiven him.

LeBron James thinks Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett owe former teammate Ray Allen an apology. Do you agree? Vote!

"I think the first thing I thought was, 'Wow, Ray got killed for leaving Boston, and now these guys are leaving Boston,'" James said. "I think it's OK; I didn't mind it. But there were a couple guys who basically [expletive] on Ray for leaving, and now they're leaving.

"That's the nature of our business, man. I don't know what Boston was going through at the end of the day. I know Ray had to make the best decision for him and his family and his career. Doc [Rivers, former Celtics coach], KG and Paul did that as well. You can't criticize someone who does something that's best for their family."

James, of course, left the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Heat in 2010. His "decision" remains infamous to this day.
"I can relate to that -- you think so? I'm the No. 1 relater," James said. "I've been through it all. I know all about it."

The million dollar Bale is still out injured and will return after Madrid play Levante

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Gareth Bale was frustrated at missing the Spanish side's 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League, but noted the Welsh winger should be back to full fitness following the forthcoming international break.

Madrid overcame the Danish champions with a double apiece from from Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria, but Bale was forced to watch on from the sidelines as he recovers from a thigh injury.

Ancelotti revealed that the 100 million euro summer signing from Tottenham will miss the weekend trip to Levante, but the manager believes Bale can catch up with his teammates during the subsequent stop in domestic action for World Cup qualifiers.

"It wasn't possible for him to play," Ancelotti explained. "He had a knock and we did an X-ray, but it didn't show up anything special. We are waiting for him to recover.

"He has not been 100 percent, but after two weeks he will be in top shape. It's normal he is not happy — he wants to play. He is very excited and it's not a problem — now there is time for him to reach optimum fitness and to avoid [further] injuries."

Ancelotti, meanwhile, was happy with Madrid's reaction following Saturday's derby defeat at home to Atletico.

"It was a good game," he said. "We started well, with intensity and balance. Then, after Cristiano's [first] goal, we were slower, but we recovered our intensity and scored some more goals late on. The team's attitude was good.

"We tried to play with Cristiano and Di Maria more open, and create more chances from crosses. The first and second goals were good combinations and we made use of the wings. The three midfielders, [Asier] Illarramendi, [Sami] Khedira and [Luka] Modric, all had good games."

The fans demand that Di Maria needs to be in Madrid starting spot

Angel Di Maria is hopeful that his performance in Real Madrid's 4-0 victory over Copenhagen has convinced coach Carlo Ancelotti to keep him ahead of the likes of Gareth Bale in the first team.

The Argentine was on target twice in the routing of Stale Solbakken's men in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Cristiano Ronaldo bagging the other two in the comfortable Santiago Bernabeu win.

The 100 million-euro man was left out of the Blancos' squad for the European clash through injury, but Di Maria is hoping that his display will make Ancelotti think twice before dropping him in future team selections.

"I keep trying to convince the coach that I want to be in the starting XI," the 25-year-old told Canal Plus."I thought we played a great match. We changed the system to three up front and it worked well. The coach has told us that he is very happy."

Real Madrid extended its lead in Group B to four points, as second-placed Juventus - which Ancelotti's men will face on Oct. 23 - drew with Galatasaray in Turin.