Hoops Addict caught up with Josh Smith this weekend to chat about everything from his role at adidas Nations to his recent re-signing with the Atlanta Hawks.

Hoops Addict caught up with Josh Smith this weekend to chat about everything from his role at adidas Nations to his recent re-signing with the Atlanta Hawks.

If all is well that ends well, then this particular Cavs camp is far from content. Enter early salvation. Just three months prior to the release of the NBA’s official 2008-09 schedule, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers fell at the hands of the eventual world champion Boston Celtics. Now news has come of redemption.

When the NBA released its official 2008-09 season schedule earlier this week, hoops aficionados flocked to their respective teams’ websites to gauge and plan when and where they need to be over the course of the six month period from November to April. For Pistons fans, this was no different.

Somewhere between 11.7 rebounds per game at Miami University and three championship rings at point guard with the Chicago Bulls, Ron Harper’s career took a dramatic twist. In an attempt to determine exactly when or where said twist occurred, one must take a good long look at perhaps the most overlooked career of perhaps the game’s best generation.

When it was announced on Monday that the Detroit Pistons had unofficially come to terms with Kwame Brown, it stumped a considerable portion of the basketball community. Even more confusing though, than general manager Joe Dumars shelling out eight million dollars for the former draft flop, is the fact that he did so despite an already sound front court and the promise of so much more. When the deal officially crosses the table, probably later this week, stop considering this an underwhelming move on the heels of a disappointing playoff exit. By acquiring Brown, Dumars not only nabs another project to work with, but opens up even more options to finally make that trade we’ve all been waiting for.

One of the most intriguing stories in basketball history belongs to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Don’t believe me? Think again. From his rail-thin physique to his 1991 conversion to Islam, in a traditional sports world, the man originally born Chris Jackson lived a spiritual life far removed from the traditional sports scene. Oh, and he did so while suffering the symptoms of Tourette’s.

With the final 34 seconds of their Olympic hopes quickly evaporating off the Athens, Greece shot clock, Jermaine Anderson took his team, his country and the fate of his facial hair upon himself.

What Anthony Mason lacked in size he made up for in pure, unadulterated grit and an off-court personality ahead of its time. Just five years into retirement and seven years removed from his first and only All-Star appearance, the man they called Mase is already being unfairly overlooked.

When all the dust settled on Joel Anthony’s chaotic rookie season, he found himself in a position that, though well-deserved, may not have been entirely expected. Now, as he aids Team Canada in its bid for an Olympic berth, Anthony feels his experience in the NBA bodes well for his game and his country.