Jay-Z team goes to bat for A-Rod

While Alex Rodriguez prepares to face the music in the looming Major League Baseball PED investigation, the beleaguered Yankees player has one famous friend singing the third baseman's praises — and it sounds like A-Rod is still OK with Jay-Z.

While A-Rod's suspension looks imminent, last week, according to The New York Post,  Jordan Siev, a lawyer for the rapper-turned-entertainment mogul-turned-sports agent's pop star wife, Beyoncé, represented A-Rod in a telephone conference with Yankee executives.

On the call, Bomber General Manager Brian Cashman, President Randy Levine and Tampa-based trainer Tim Lentych discussed with Siev the time frame for A-Rod’s return to the team.  

Oddly, there was no union official or lawyer on the call, which took place the day after Rodriguez dispatched a tainted New Jersey doctor on a media tour to say he was healthy and ready to return to the field.

 Rodriguez told WFAN he brought Siev on to “make sure everything is documented.”

 “No more mix-ups.”

 Rodriguez is also using publicist Ron Berkowitz — whose Berk Communications represents Jay Z’s new Roc Nation Sports enterprise — as a spokesman.

Before anyone jumps to the conclusion that Jay-Z's sports agency Roc Nation — which was recently approved by MLB and the NBA — was looking to sign A-Rod, sources quickly squashed that notion.

The sources said that it’s not likely that Roc Nation is eager to sign Rodriguez at the moment, noting that his alleged doping issues will make it hard for him to attract sponsorships and he already has a longtime agent Dan Lozano

“Alex has been friends with Jay and Ron for years. It’s not unusual that they’d want to help or give advice where they can. But I don’t believe they are talking about signing him,” one source said.

“He already has a great agent.”

A-Rod and Jay Z have been kicking it together for a long time. They’ve teamed up for celebrity poker games and charity events and have sat courtside at Knick games. The rapper rode on the championship float with Rodriguez at the Yanks’ 2009 parade, and A-Rod  rang in the new year with Jay Z and Beyoncé in 2011.

Yesterday, another A-Rod rep, attorney David Cornwell, told ESPN that Rodriguez’s camp is “focused’’ on appealing any suspension that Major League Baseball might hand down.

While Rodriguez waits for the MLB ball to drop, Jay-Z just wants to have his buddy's back. He knows A-Rod is going to need all the high-profile support he can muster.

Robinson Cano, Yankees far apart on contract extension: Report

For all of those New York Yankees fans who thought signing Robinson Cano to a contract extension was a slam-dunk after the All-Star hired Yankees-loving Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports for representation, think again.

CBS Sports is reporting  that second baseman Robinson Cano and the Yankees are far apart on terms of a contract extension, making it increasingly likely that Cano will head into free agency after the season.

Jon Heyman writes:

They may well talk, but it remains uncertain whether they have anything to talk about — making free agency a very likely outcome for the Yankees’ star second baseman at this point.

That doesn’t mean he won’t end up with the Yankees — word from other players is that the Yankees remain by far and away Cano’s preference, no surprise — it just means there’s a very good chance he won’t have a new deal with anyone until at least November or perhaps later.

While Cano isn't speaking abut contract talks publicly, he is said to have told friends that he'd like somewhere in the neighborhood of $275 million — the very same as the regrettable Alex Rodriguez Yankees contract. The Yankees aren't believed to be interested in going anywhere near those numbers and, in fact, at one point suggested something a lot closer to the contract of crosstown All-Star third baseman, David Wright — who signed his $138 million, eight-year Mets contract last winter with a year to go before free agency.

Cano is earning $15 million this year, the second of two option years that were part of the four-year $30 million contract he signed in February 2008 to avoid arbitration. Most estimates have him earning in the neighborhood of $200 million. He will turn 31 in October, meaning his contract will take him through most of his late-30′s.

Jay-Z officially certified as an NBA player agent

Jay-Z's new agency, Roc Nation Sports, has been the most talked about development in the world of representation since the rap star announced his group was partnering with CAA Sports and signed New York Yankees superstar Robinson Cano on April 1.

Now Jay-Z, himself, is now a player agent after the entertainment mogul was certified by the NBA player's association, spokesmen for the union and Roc Nation Sports said Thursday.

However, it's unclear exactly what he can do. Jay-Z would have to sell his minor share of the Brooklyn Nets before he can represent players, according to NBA rules, and a Roc Nation spokesman wouldn't comment on whether that has been done.

In less than three months, Roc nation Sports has changed the face of sports representation in the eyes of other agencies.  Jay-Z's high profile and personal relationships with many big name athletes make him a force to be reckoned with.  Many rival agencies consider the marketing mastermind "a magnet" for star athletes and fear the entrepreneur could lure away existing clients with his name alone.

Besides Cano, Roc Nation’s website listed two other star athletes last week as clients: WNBA Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins and New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith. CAA Sports co-represents Diggins and Cano for marketing and contract work, but does not co-represent Smith.

Since signing Cano, a spokesperson for Roc Nation Sports has said that the plan was to build “a full-service agency” by hiring agents certified to represent athletes in contract work in multiple sports, as well as certifying Roc Nation executives.

It sounds like Jay-Z's first order of business as an NBA agent is signing the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant.  Not a bad first gig on the new job.

NFLPA to investigate Roc Nation's recruitment of Geno Smith

The NFL Players Association is taking a look into Jay-Z’s role in Geno Smith’s decision to choose Kim Miale and the rap star's ever expanding Roc Nation as his agency, according to NFL.com.

Jay-Z's possible involvement in Smith’s decision could be a violation of the “runner rule” that doesn’t allow non-agents to help recruit athletes for agencies. Smith spent time with Jay-Z, as evidenced at least by an Instagram picture the Jets quarterback posted of him with the musician.

It sounds like 99 Problems should be the rookie quarterback's theme song.  Nothing Smith has said or done, since being the Jets' second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, hasn't seemed like anything but trouble for the 22-year-old.

The NFLPA plans to send a letter of inquiry to Miale to determine Jay-Z’s role during the process, according to the report. Smith fired his former agents after he dropped to the 39th overall pick in the draft.

Phone records, emails, and other documents could be sought to confirm the things that potential witnesses may say, given the strong incentive to conceal any evidence of recruiting by Jay-Z. Interviews could be conducted of Smith, Miale, Thornton, Jay-Z, and others with knowledge of the situation.

The biggest problem for the NFLPA could come from its lack of jurisdiction over Jay-Z.  While the union can take action against Miale, the NFLPA can do nothing to Jay-Z or anyone else who doesn’t fall under the union’s regulatory umbrella.  Indeed, the NFLPA lacks the power to compel Jay-Z or anyone else not certified by the NFLPA to cooperate.

Smith’s former adviser, John Thornton, was quoted by CBS recently saying, "I was in those meetings, and Jay-Z connected with him on many levels." Thornton later said he was misquoted.

Smith announced on Wednesday that he decided to choose Roc Nation. 

Jay-Z just weeks away from being a certified agent

Rap impresario and all around business mogul Jay-Z is only weeks away from becoming a certified MLB agent, according to The New York Post.

The singer, promoter and part owner of the Brooklyn Nets announced the launching of his agency Roc Nation Sports last month and has already lured Robinson Cano — next season's biggest free agent catch — into trusting him with his expertise.

On Thursday morning The Post wrote:

Music mogul Jay-Z is closing in on being a certified agent by the players association, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Jay-Z, who formed Roc Nation Sports and lured Robinson Cano away from Scott Boras early last month, is expected to be certified by the union within weeks.

Roc Nation Sports has partnered with Creative Artists Agency and Brodie Van Wagenen in representing Cano for CAA.

Next up for the overachieving celebrity agent is selling his stake in the Nets and becoming an NBA rep, getting certified with the NFLPA and fronting Geno Smith then conquering China.

That's just his three-month plan.

Robinson Cano shows off his stickball skills up in Harlem

Yes, that was Robinson Cano jacking a Spaldeen into the girders underneath the 125th Street Viaduct Thursday afternoon. And no, the New York Yankees second baseman isn't moonlighting for a stickball team.

Cano was spotted whacking the rubber balls into the steel under Riverside Drive for a magazine photo shoot on the outskirts of Harlem during the team's day off. It looked like the slugger's Home Run Derby appearance all over again.  The only thing missing was his dad lobbing in the pitches.

Cano later wrote on Twitter: "Stick ball anyone?" and posted some photos on Instagram.

Stick ball anyone? instagram.com/p/Y0YVgvnDEi/
— Robinson Cano (@RobinsonCano) May 2, 2013

The popular Cano started his busy day off playing dominoes and getting a new haircut in front of adoring fans before swinging the broom handle.

It seems like Cano's new agency, Jay-Z's RocNation Sports, is keeping the Yankees' free agent-to-be a little busy on the side — just in case the Bronx Bombers play hardball.

Victor Cruz a no show at Giants 'voluntary' offseason workout program

The New York Giants started their first day of voluntary offseason workouts in East Rutherford, N.J. and there was one noticeable absence in the mix — Victor Cruz.

There was no sign of the free-agent wide receiver near, in or around the facility, said a source.

The unnamed person requested anonymity because the team does not announce attendance for the voluntary workout program. Players were due in the building by 11:30 a.m. today for the program's start.

Before Big Blue fans start breaking their salsa CDs and suspect that Jay-Z's newest client is sending the team a Giant message, remember — it's not a holdout if it's voluntary.

There is no penalty for not showing up, but Cruz's absence likely reflects on his current unsettled contract situation. Cruz has not yet signed his $2.879 million first-round tender, nor have he and the Giants been able to reach agreement on a long-term deal.

Opposing teams have until April 19 -- this Friday -- to sign Cruz to a competing offer sheet. It's possible he could be waiting for this window to close before reporting or signing his tender, or he could have another plan in mind. Players are permitted to participate in the offseason workout program without signing their restricted free-agent tenders.

No sign of Victor Cruz at Day 1 of Giants' "voluntary" offseason workout program, source confirms. It's not a holdout if it's not mandatory.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) April 15, 2013

The fan favorite Cruz has gotten nearly unanimous support from his Giants teammates — including team leaders Eli Manning and Justin Tuck — so it seems like only a matter of time before he's back in blue.

Victor Cruz hooking up with Jay-Z's Roc Nation

Victor Cruz is reportedly partnering up with Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports — the rapper's latest sports representation venture, according to ESPN.com.

Roc Nation is an affiliate of Creative Artists Agency, and Cruz recently switched to CAA's Tom Condon to represent him.

Condon is expected to represent Cruz in his contract negotiations with the New York Giants while Roc Nation will most likely help the Giants receiver with his off-the-field interests.

Darren Rovell, ESPN's sports business reporter, tweeted that Jay-Z has a preliminary agent certification for Major League Baseball but currently does not have a certification for the NFL.

That makes the second popular New York athlete to join music impresario Jay-Z in his new venture.  New York Yankees Robinson Cano fired his agent Scott Boras on Tuesday and jumped over to Roc Nation. You can probably expect a lot of popular young athletes to follow suit in the coming months. Roc Nation will act as a marketing arm for both athletes.

Cruz flashes the Roc hand sign after scoring

Cruz was apparently teasing fans about his relationship with Jay-Z during the season after he was caught flashing the Roc hand sign (using both hands to form a diamond) after doing his trademark salsa dances, according to ESPN.  He was coy about the symbolism and politely said he couldn't talk about it when asked.

The 26-year-old Cruz is a restricted free agent at the moment and teams have until April 19 to make an offer.  Highly unlikely considering that any team who wants the receiver will have to cough up a first-round draft pick.

Condon, meanwhile, already has a good relationship with the Giants organization and represents Eli Manning and Mathias Kiwanuka — so the expectations that local-boy Cruz will stay with Big Blue are pretty high.

But there's a better chance that Brooklyn native Jay-Z 's high profile name and brand will keep Cruz and Cano in New York. But if he doesn't, expect a lot of fans to tell the rapper he'll have more than 99 Problems to deal with.

Robinson Cano dumps Scott Boras, becomes first client of Jay-Z's Roc Nation

Robinson Cano announced today that he has fired super-agent Scott Boras and will be joining Jay-Z's newly launched sports agency Roc Nation.  The New York Yankees All-Star will be Roc Nation's first client.

Roc Nation Sports will be led by the rapper with Juan Perez serving as president. They have partnered with CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency to co-represent the second baseman.

“Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years,” Jay-Z said.

Cano is a member of the Yankees' 2009 World Series championship team, a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and two-time Gold Glove Award winner on the verge of a huge payday.

“At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field,” said Cano. “I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates."

Cano would become the third Yankee to cut ties with Boras but, unlike Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira before him, he is leaving before signing a big contract that Boras brokered.

For some reason, Cano's hookup with unabashed Yankees fan Jay-Z sounds like good news for the Bronx Bombers.

NBA tells 'Knicklyn' Web site to cease and desist

Professional sports first bought the words No Fun League into fan's lexicon after the NFL banned such light-hearted perks such as end zone celebrations, different colored socks and now Harbowl trademarks.

Now, the NBA has joined in the fray by introducing their own brand of tyranny — the No Business (but our own) Association.

Mike Sorisi, a diehard New York Knicks fan from Brooklyn (there's more than just Spike Lee) has been threatened by the NBA with a cease and desist order for simply fusing the Knicks name and Nets location into a Web site called "Knicklyn."

The hybrid name was coined by the 26-year-old after he created the online fan base to represent confused New Yorkers who have the conundrum of rooting for the Knicks but live in Brooklyn.

Sorisi designed a logo to go with the name and started selling hats and stickers — that was until the No Business League found out.

Days later, the NBA ordered Sorisi to cease and desist, claiming trademark infringement, he said.

"I kind of felt like I'm being bullied," said Sorisi.  "I'm one person operating this thing, and I need to sell goods to cover my costs."

At the core of the NBA's ire is Sorisi's use of the word "Knick" with a logo which features a basketball that is similar to the Nets' design.

"I was shocked at how fast I was contacted,' said the young entrepreneur about his inbox filled with missives from the NBA offices.

"Your unauthorized use of NBA Intellectual Property is an attempt to capitalize on the fame and goodwill of NBA Intellectual Property, — including the 'Knicks' name and the Nets' logo," the league said.

Sorisi says the league "doesn't own a trademark on circles" and that there is a Knickerbocker Avenue that runs through Brooklyn.

"They don't own that word," he said. "Brooklyn is my home.  New York is my team."

An NBA rep said in a statement, "We have been in direct communication with the owner of the site to singularly address the sale of unlicensed merchandise using NBA trademarks.  There has been no demand for compensation or for the shutdown of his Web site."

Maybe Sorisi should just give old Spike a call and get some celebrity muscle behind him.

Or maybe start "Nethattan" for those lost souls who love Jay-Z's team but live closer to the Garden.

Jay-Z and Beyonce drop $1 million on Blue Ivy's nursery at Barclays Center

Nothing is too expensive for little Blue Ivy Carter — the daughter of Jay-Z and Beyonce — especially when her father has to watch his Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.

Us Weekly reports the music power couple rents a "luxurious basement suite for $1 million a year" as the little tyke's nursery.  You might literally call it the most lavish crib in the city.

The nursery has "an area for Blue filled with toys" but her famous dad, and Nets minority owner, hasn't forgotten playtime for the grownups either.

The most expensive VIP area in the arena also features a champagne bar and TV screen for the adults.

"Jay lets his friends use his digs when he's not there," a source told the magazine.

The couple spends a lot of time in the arena even when the Nets aren't playing.  Jay-Z just rang in the New Year with a concert, featuring his good friend Chris Martin and his band Cold Play, and he opened the joint with eight shows back in October.

If you can't sit courtside, the fancy playpen — which costs more than Nets guard C.J. Watson — sounds like the place to be.

Jay-Z's Brooklyn Nets No. 4 'Carter' jersey up for auction

Rapper, producer and Brooklyn Nets minority owner Jay-Z opened the new Barclays Center with eight sold out shows a few weeks ago and, if you were lucky enough to get through the new arena's TSA style security gates, you saw the performer wearing the Brooklyn Nets' new game jerseys.

The singer, whose real name is Shawn Carter, wore a black No. 4 Nets jersey with his surname "Carter" on the back to help promote the team's relocation to Brooklyn from New Jersey.

While the jersey will never see a single NBA foul shot, the Brooklyn native is auctioning off five home and five road limited edition autographed versions of the "Carter 4."

Ten authenticated Carter jerseys with Jay-Z's signature on them will be put up for auction on Wednesday at auctions.NBA.com.  The bidding will end on Oct. 31.  Each jersey will come with the handwritten message "Peace Jay-Z" on the size tag.

Be prepared to shell out rapper sized cash if you plan on imagining yourself playing Beyonce's husband in the mirror. The opening bid on each jersey was $500 and the bidding on one road jersey has already grown to over $1,000.  The smallest bid on any other jersey was $670.

All the proceeds will benefit the Shawn Carter Foundation — which has given more than $1.4 million in scholarships to financially strapped students since 2003.

Nets get acquainted with Barclays Center court

Jay-Z might have christened the Barclays Center with eight sold out concerts over the past two weeks but, on Sunday,  it was the arena's main tenants the Brooklyn Nets who got a chance to break in their new home.

It must have seemed appropriate to the Nets players that Beyonce helped her husband close his final show Saturday night because their new venue is definitely an upgrade.

The Nets practiced at the Barclays Center for the first time yesterday and had nothing but raves for the new state-of-the-art home building.  Some players even threw in a couple of back-handed parting shots at their last home court in Newark.

"I've never seen anything like it," said forward Kris Humphries.  "Everything is so much bigger and nicer than what we're used to."

That had to hurt the feelings of the Prudential Center — often blamed for the Nets miserable home court record over the past few seasons — which was dumped for the more luxurious 19,000-seat Barclays Center.  Players blamed their home losses on everything from the puny locker room to the temperature of the arena to the scant fans who showed up and rooted for the away teams.

There are no excuses anymore.

The upgrades include a spacious, modern locker room, a players lounge and an arena specifically built for the NBA players.

"It's not built for hockey, it's not built for soccer," said guard Deron Williams about the $1 billion structure.  "It's built for basketball.

"It's very comfortable. It's not a makeshift locker room like we had in Jersey."

It didn't matter to the players that they didn't even get to dribble the ball on the Nets new distinct herringbone pattern floor they will use during NBA games.  Instead they utilized the secondary floor that will be the playing surface for anyone but the primary tenants — the Nets.

"It's very important for us to get used to our home," said head coach Avery Johnson.  "We want to feel comfortable playing here on opening night."

Johnson's dry run for the team was a good opportunity for the players to check out the locker room and lounge, get used to the court's shooting sight lines and get familiar with commuting to the downtown Brooklyn arena — no easy feat by Escalade.  Even Jay-Z took the R-train to his final show.

Everything seemed perfect except one thing.  Johnson pointed out one small issue with the sunlight shining onto the court through an open entrance — a problem with afternoon games.  Even the black curtains draped over the opening didn't help.

"Once they figure out how to not let any light get in here, especially on afternoon games, that's one of the things we're going to have to make sure we take care of," said Johnson.  "But other than that, I think everything is pretty good."

It sure beats a shoebox-sized locker room in a home built for hockey out in Jersey.

Jay-Z opens Barclays Center wearing Brooklyn Nets jersey

Brooklyn's own Jay-Z opened up the new downtown Barclays Center with a bang.  The first event ever held in the new arena was a hometown showcase for the singer who promoted its newest tenants — the Brooklyn Nets — by sporting a No. 4 team jersey.

Jay-Z made his dramatic Barclays Center debut — the first of eight concerts — wearing a Nets cap and the the old school-style black uniform jersey that the team had been keeping under wraps until recently.  Yup, there it was underneath all the gold chains for everyone to see.

The 19,000 fans at the venue's housewarming party included an roster of celebrities and sports stars.  The Nets star point guard, Deron Williams,  even made the trip from Manhattan to see his boss perform.  Also spotted in the crowd were New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz, NBA legend Magic Johnson and even NBC weatherman Al Roker.

While the borough's most famous rapper wore his Brooklyn on his sleeve — well his arm at least — Jay-Z paid homage to the genre's Brooklyn pioneers.  He insisted on a moment of silence for Notorious BIG and later had Big Daddy Kane come out for an high energy encore.

"Tonight is a celebration of the borough where I'm from," Jay-Z told the crowd.  "Welcome to my house."

Jay-Z's fingerprints are all over the place. From the 40/40 Club to the unis to the music, it is his house.

"I've been on many stages , been all around the world, but nothing feels like like tonight," he exclaimed to his fans about the thrill of performing in the state-of-the-art arena in front of his hometown fans.

The minority owner of the Nets is proud of his Brooklyn roots and satisfaction that he helped bring the borough its first major professional sports team in 50 years.

If last night's opening was any indication, the Brooklyn Nets are going to give the Knicks a run for their  money or, at least with Jay-Z as the front man, they might be the biggest attraction in New York this winter.

Are these the new Jay-Z inspired Nets uniforms?

The Brooklyn Nets aren't going to have the official unveiling of their new uniforms until next Friday but, if you believe a story circulating on NBC Sports.com, photos of the new Jay-Z inspired unis have already been leaked.

A photo of the stark black V-necked top with white trim is definitely simple and clean.  The classic plain top has "BROOKLYN" across the front with the player's number underneath.

Its old school look is sure to become popular with fans tired of the blue and orange of that other New York team.

The NBC report doesn't say if the photo of the uniform with Deron Williams' number is official or not but claims Nets Daily website found the photo and posted it.

Look closely and you can see an Adidas logo on the right side, so maybe it was an inside job.

I can't wait to see what the caps look like.

Nets players get plastered all over Brooklyn

Starting Monday, expect to see few Brooklyn Nets player's faces plastered all over their new home borough.

An ad campaign— aimed at familiarizing Brooklynites with their new NBA neighbors—will paste ads introducing Nets players Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace at strategic spots in Brooklyn to drum up interest in the team.

The Brooklyn Nets will make their New York City debut at the new Barclays Center next fall.

"We want to get them excited," said Nets chief marketing Officer Fred Mangione. "We want them to know we are here in Brooklyn and they have a great team to support."

Some fans might want to know why Kris Humphries' mug isn't on one of these posters— or maybe not.

The other four projected starters will get the Kim Kardashian star treatment in the carefully planned media blitz— the second leg of the Nets' Hello Brooklyn campaign.

The million-dollar multi-media promotion will place each player in their own ad with the headline Hello Brooklyn with a photo and a little personal info to reveal the person behind the player.

Johnson says he is a lifelong Razorback, Lopez is a "20-point scorer" and Batman's biggest fan, Williams has a couple of kids and Wallace is an off-season fisherman.  Don't you feel like you know them already.

Humphries could always mention he had a 72-day marriage to a reality show star and Jason Kidd might say he likes off-road racing— oh wait he's on the Knicks.

The black and white billboards— matching the Nets new color scheme— will start appearing Monday at the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, near the Manhattan Bridge and major streets in Spike Lee's favorite borough.

Starting in August, the team will start putting up teaser billboards leading up to the reveal of their new top-secret logos designed by Mr. Net himself— part owner Jay-Z.

Since April, the Nets ads have concentrated on getting Brooklyn ready for the team's big move from New Jersey with tag lines like "Brooklyn Will Become a Chant" and "First Home Game Since 1957."

Here's another, "What Happened to Dwight Howard?"

DJs tormenting Kris Humphries with Kanye West song

He may be 10th in the league in double-doubles, but the only number that only seems to follow Kris Humphries around is 72— the number of days his marriage to Kim Kardashian lasted.

Now— while going through a nasty divorce— DJs in every nightclub where Humphries shows up taunt the New Jersey Nets forward by playing Kanye West's song "Way Too Cold" which describes the  rapper's love for Kim K and declares, "Lucky I ain't have Jay[-Z] drop him [Humphries] from the team."

West released the song a couple of weeks ago under the name "Theraflu" after he started dating Humphries ex-wife.  The line refers to Nets minority owner Jay-Z if you didn't know.

The hardworking and under-rated Humphries puts up with a lot of hostile crowds— who boo him at every game and even on his own home court— but, after spending which must have seemed like an interminable amount of days as Mr. K with the mind-numbing Kardashian clan, the jeers probably sound a lot better than their air-headed chatter or  Kanye's song.

Humphries was spotted with friends at a booth next to Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday— after the Knicks beat the Nets— at a Manhattan club when some DJ named "Theory" played West's track.  Humphries ignored it and stayed late anyway.

LeBron gives gear to Beyonce's nephew after dumping 37 on Nets

After hearing New Jersey Nets fans serenade him with chants of 'Let's Go Heat' and 'MVP'— while he single-handedly scored the final 17 points giving the Miami Heat a 101-98 victory— LeBron James took off his shoes, autographed them and handed them to 7-year old standing courtside after Monday night's game.

It wasn't bad enough that the chants for James were on the Nets' home court at the Prudential Center but that lucky kid was singer Beyonce's nephew.  The entertainer is also the wife of rapper and Nets minority owner Jay-Z.

It starting to look like Jay-Z and the Nets can't wait to cross the Brooklyn Bridge soon enough and James' gifts are a nice parting gift.




Little Daniel Julez Smith was the lucky recipient of James' shoes along with a head band, shooting sleeve and wrist band.

James scored 37 points last night giving the Heat a sweep of the lame duck Nets this season.  That makes 10 straight losses to the Heat for the Nets.

The next time the Heat come up here to play, it will be against a team called the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center across the Hudson and East Rivers.

LeBron scores Miami's final 17 points for win as Nets fans chant 'Let's Go Heat'

LeBron James scored the Miami Heat's final 17 points giving his team a 101-98 victory over the New Jersey Nets as the entire arena serenaded the forward with chats of 'Let's Go Heat' and 'MVP.'

Only problem was . . . the game was being played on the Nets home court.

While James had his way with the Nets down the stretch, the home town crowd at Prudential Center cheered for an opposing player— even thought the Nets had led almost the entire game Monday night.

"It was amazing, honestly. I give a lot of thanks to all the Heat fans that we have, and all the Nets fans that rooted as well," said James.  "Like I said at one point last year, I never thought I would hear 'Let's Go Heat' on someone else's floor.  So I am happy to be a part of it."

If it was going to happen LeBron, you had to know it would be in Jersey.



Nets forward Kris Humphries (29 pts.) wasn't as enamored about the love shown to an arch-villain on his home court.

"Yeah, I'm surprised.  Where were those fans earlier?" said Humphries.  "If you're a Heat fan, you should have been screaming the whole game even when we got them down."

James finished the game with 37 points while his teammate Dwayne Wade sat on the bench with an injury.

To add insult to embarassment— after the game James took off his shoes, autographed them and handed them to 7-year old Daniel Julez Smith— the nephew of singer Beyonce Knowles and her husband Nets minority owner Jay-Z.

Nets star Deron Williams— who can only dream of hearing  'MVP' chants at the Pru— could only watch and listen from the pine as he nursed a sore calf.

The Nets— who have lost their last 10 games to the Heat— actually led up until the very end— even with a starting lineup which included two rookies and two players acquired on 10-day contracts.

James shouldn't expect the adulation in Newark to continue— literally and figuratively.  The next time these two teams meet up here, it will against the Brooklyn Nets in the Barclays Center.

Kanye West confesses love for Kim K, bashes Kris Humphries in new song "Theraflu"

It sounds like Kanye West has a lot of things to get off his chest and he doesn't hold back his latest single "Theraflu."

Tomorrow marks the return of G.O.O.D. Fridays— his weekly tradition of premiering songs by himself and his friends and the singer lets it all hang out.

"Theraflu" reads like a gossip column and has a second verse that touches upon his love for Kim Kardashian while trashing her ex, New Jersey Nets forward Kris Humphries.

Kanye claims he could have had Humphries dropped from the team.

The track— released Wednesday night— also touches on his ex, model Amber Rose and her current flame, rapper Wiz Khalifa.

"And the whole industry want to f--- your old chick


Only n----- I got respect for is Wiz


And I admit I fell in love with Kim


Around the same time she fell in love with him


Well that's cool baby girl, do your thing


Lucky I ain't had Jay drop him from the team"


The "Jay" in question is Jay-Z, who is part owner of the Nets.