Old school wrestling fans have been waiting for John Cena to drop the Hogan 2.0 act and finally show some edge to his character. For one of the few times since '06, we saw it on Raw Monday night...

Now that the filler known as Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is in the rear view mirror, we’re officially on the road to WrestleMania. ‘Mania season is most anticipated time of the WWE’s calender, which means the next 40 days of build up will be off the charts. Or, you could say it will be off of Eve’s ass, whichever you prefer. For the first time in years, there is genuine excitement and legitimate hope that the WWE can deliver a WrestleMania worthy of the over the top hype.

When was the last time you can remember a ‘Mania being loaded with three main event quality storylines/matches like this year? CM Punk will defend his WWE title against the Chris Jericho in a matchup of two top level performers who are both brilliant on the mic. The lead in should be outstanding. Then you’ve got The Undertaker going for 20-0 against Triple H in a hell in the cell rematch of last year’s classic. And finally… it’s the match eight years in the making, John Cena vs The Rock.

The nearly year long build up is unprecedented because the WWE wants you to have short term memories. But we’re starting to see Cena get in ‘Mania mode. The downfall to announcing the main event a year early, is knowing any Cena feud was going to be a short lived experience that was sure to be uneventful and Hogan 2.0 predictable. Only in the lead in to last year’s Money in the Bank event in Chicago was Cena at all vulnerable. He not only acknowledged CM Punk’s time, he proved he wasn’t a one man wrecking crew that had to be thee man solely because he was Vince McMahon’s puppet and company face guy.

The amount of merchandise Cena sells and his role as alpha dog spokesman for the WWE is why Vince hasn’t yet turned him heel. As cool as a Hollywood Hogan like heel turn would be, it’s not happening in Vince’s PG world of “sports entertainment.”

I don’t have a problem with that, but the inevitability of Cena’s character has grown tedious, repetitive & is as borderline unwatchable as any of Cena’s movies. Then came Monday night on Raw…

For one of the rare times since 2006, Cena showed that his character isn’t a PG infused robot. It turned heads in the Twitterverse, and brought back “Attitude Era” fans like myself to a glorious time in professional wrestling. He called out The Rock for being what he is, a true Hollywood superstar. What made Cena’s promo entertaining was he reinforced the fact that he hasn’t forgotten his roots, and can still morph into O.G. Cena mode when the time is right. That as much as his insults towards Dwayne made this his best mic work in years.

Many fans won’t ever fully embrace Cena again because the past 5 years of Hogan like dominance has tainted our perception of him. And when you throw in how Randy Orton was basically coming up at the same time, it further pisses you off because Orton is far more talented in virtually every aspect of the sport besides kissing Vince’s ass.

But Cena deserves props for his performance Monday. Next week’s Raw in Portland should add even more intrigue to the most hyped WrestleMania since ‘Mania 22 in Chi City. And as long as Cena is ditching the popcorn routine for the next 40 days, WrestleMania XXVIII will make Cena’s insufferable last 5 years worth the pain.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Jealous of the attention that Linsanity's been receiving, LeBron James teased a return to Cleveland just to, again, have his name in the headlines.

Only in the deranged/twisted/image conscious mind of LeBron James would having one of the best individual regular seasons not be satisfying enough. You would think a year removed from feeling the vitriol and hate from every fan base in the association would ease the mind of the best player in the game, but it’s never a dull moment for the leader of the NBA’s divalicious crew.

James is asserting his dominance on the best team in the league to the tune of 28 ppg, 6.7 dimes per game, 8.1 rpg & a 32.68 PER. I’m not a huge proponent of PER, but know that the next highest is Chris Paul 26.85. That’s quite a gap from 1 to 2, no? Those are magic numbers for the stat nerds. For fans like myself who only need to see how a player affects winning, James is by far the league’s MVP this year. And to further illustrate James’ Jordan-like season, MJ’s highest PER for a single season came in ’87-’88 when he had a 31.89 PER when he averaged 35 points, 5.9 dimes and 5.5 rebounds.

But having his best statistical season on a team favored to win the title isn’t enough for King Diva. No, he had to make his return to Cleveland the headline attraction late last week. Unless you’re extremely stoned or went on a weekend bender, you’ve heard about or read  the Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski piece on LeBron angling for a return to Cleveland in 2014 when he can opt of his Heat contract. He’s letting it be known through intermediaries about his desired return. He won’t say it, but Dan Gilbert would take him back yesterday if the opportunity presented itself.

How egotistical is this guy? It is disgusting how badly he needs to be recruited, wanted & loved. Mastering the game of basketball isn’t enough for James. He needs the Hollywood aspect of his career to make himself feel whole. If there was ever a movie star in the NBA, it’s LeBron. This is what happens when you’ve been surrounded by yes-men since high school. Nobody in his inner circle has ever had the balls to call him out, or give him proper advice. And, you’d think it would be easy considering how laughable James goes about comporting his image.

Learning that he started regretting his “decision” to join the Heat almost instantly isn’t surprising. He doesn’t know what he wants, because he doesn’t know who he is. He is a highly functioning robot devoid of most emotions. There is no personality with him- only the desire to have all bow down to the king.

All James is consumed with these days is getting his hometown to embrace and love him again. He sees how Chicago treats D Rose and how New York is treating Linsanity, and is insanely jealous. He knows he’ll never have that in Miami, where a “fan” base is more consumed with who they’re scoring their blow from instead of rooting and caring if the Heat won that particular night. He once had the love of a devoted fan base, but he wasn’t strong enough to make the decision to stay in Cleveland. He instead let his people talk him into playing with one of his biggest rivals, and abandoning 7 years of goodwill he built there.

We hate LeBron James because everything but basketball is what drives him. His focus should be on, finally, winning the championship that has eluded him, instead of free agency that’s two years away. Everyone you talk to about this subject will undoubtedly shake their head in bewilderment, or reinforce how much they loathe him. You cannot blame any of them.

We see through his bullshit because if returning home was so important to him, he’d keep it quiet instead of making headlines. But the robot isn’t wired that way. Lighting up the association isn’t of any consequence to “the king.” He is a glory hound that needs the spotlight on him at all times. Does James care that he is infuriating Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade? Of course not. They’re lucky to be in his presence… Just ask him.

There’s a reason LeBron James will never win in the court of public opinion, and this is just another example of his stupidity. When James said “not 5, not 6, not 7…” he wasn’t talking about titles. He was instead talking about how many different ways he could get fans to despise him. He just didn’t know it.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

It seems like yesterday that a 29 year old Michael Jordan was celebrating his 2nd NBA title. Happy birthday, MJ.

You’ll have to excuse me if I takes a few minutes of your time away from Linsanity to honor the G.O.A.T. on his birthday. Michael Jordan turns 49 today and besides feeling really old myself, it’s kind of crazy to think MJ’s a year away from the big 5-0. Shut up, you’re getting old too. There isn’t much to say about Jordan that hasn’t already been said thousands of times, but I feel it’s imperative to share the importance that MJ had on my life growing up.

If I didn’t grow up in the 80′s & 90′s with MJ ruling the basketball world, I wouldn’t have developed the deep love I have for the game of basketball. He’s the reason that I put up with the silliness of today’s stars like a certain Miami Heat player who is teasing the city of Cleveland about a potential return instead of working on his post up game. LeBron’s stupidity and immaturity only enhances Jordan’s legacy.

Why is that you ask? Because we should be witnessing the modern era MJ instead of a glory hound “global icon.” NBA fans are being cheated out f seeing the biggest physical freak in the history of the league, because he’s too concerned with off the court endeavors. Honestly, Jordan had more desire to win in his pinkie than James has in his entire 6’8 265 pound body. How sad is that? When the young star’s of today’s NBA (we’re taking Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant out of this semi repulsive group) show how indifferent they are to improving their games compared to building their brand, it reinforces the fact just how spoiled we were with Jordan.

Unlike LeBron and the divalicious crew, Jordan allowed his game to help him become the biggest star on the planet. He didn’t need to consume himself with his “brand” because he was too driven to become the best player on the planet. Winning is what consumed Jordan, not celebrity. It wasn’t what could the game do for me, it was, what could I do for the game? What Jordan knew was all of the off the court stuff would be there as long as he won. It’s no coincidence that Jordan reached the peak of his celebrity once he started rattling off titles.

Today’s stars owe a great deal of gratitude to Jordan for allowing them to be the household names they are. Jordan changed everything, including how we view NBA stars. But he did it in a way where it was genuine, and not scripted like virtually everything Kobe Bryant does or says. We aren’t stupid, we can tell realness from imitation from a mile away. These guys may flop all over the court, but they aren’t De Niro quality actors. That’s why so many have the disdain for Kobe like they do. There isn’t that human element that was there with Jordan.

As for LeBron, we still don’t know what kind of person he is. He is robotic and extremely guarded. There’s nothing wrong with that, except we know James is image conscious because of “the decision” and the vitriol that was spewed his way. People don’t relate to him because he has never shown any personality. He changes his demeanor & how he talks based on the situation. No wonder people don’t like him. Why else do you think he has been trying to humanize himself in his commercials since his embarrassing finals performance last June?

The beauty of Jordan was fans could relate to him. Was he perfect? Far from it. But fans related to him because of the womanizing & the gambling because it showed he wasn’t perfect. It was like, “Hmm, MJ is human.” For me personally, I appreciated that side of Jordan because it proved he wasn’t a robot, or wasn’t forcing an image down our throats from ’92 on.

How about that story about MJ from an all-star weekend several years ago that Bill Simmons wrote about… MJ, Charles Oakley & some friends were drinking, eating & hanging with some women having a great time at some restaurant like any red blooded American man would given the opportunity. And wouldn’t you know it, when Juanita walked in, MJ’s mood changed quicker than his 1st step. How many married/or seriously committed men have dealt with that before? He was human, and people noticed his reaction. We like to relate to celebrities in any way possible. In the same situation, Kobe probably would have been petrified to show any emotion.

Look at this shit, I’m almost 800 words in and I didn’t even plan on writing today. I raised my game today because MJ deserves the praise. I don’t care how atrocious his personnel evaluating might be, he provided me with memories growing up that will last a lifetime. Happy 49th, Mike. I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that today’s stars are doing nothing but enhancing your legacy because of their immaturity & “brand building.” Salute.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

It must be nice to play professional baseball.

#Smokeshow.

There’s a reason that Evan Longoria is the cornerstone of my fantasy baseball team. No, it’s because you can pencil him in for 30+ homers, 115+ RBI, a .515 slugging percentage & 100 runs scored every year. Even numbers like those can’t overcome my abysmal drafting and routine 8th (or worse) place finishes every season. Longoria is the face of Sweet Lou’s Dynasty (never won the league but still a solid name regardless) because much like the team owner, he loves hot women. Enter Jaime Edmondson. She is reportedly Longo’s new slam piece. Not bad, huh? It isn’t confirmed, but you know he’s hittin’ this. If it’s not serious, he’s at least been there, done that. Golf claps all around for the best 3rd baseman in the league… Thank you. I would absolutely make this broad breakfast. Not much else needs to be said other than do what you do, Longo.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Kobe Bryant & Allen Iverson were the future of the association in '97. But while Kobe soared to top 8 player ever status, Iverson's fast life has left him broke.

I remember watching him for the first time as a young/tattoo-less blur at Georgetown. He was slicing through defenders, racing upcourt like a human rocket launcher, had the best handles and crossover I’ve ever seen, could stroke J’s from distance & drove to the lane with the ferocity and fearlessness of someone 6’8. Allen Iverson quickly became one of my favorite basketball players ever while attending G-Town for two memorable seasons.

Who doesn’t remember him catching alley-oops in the Air Jordan XI’s and extra baggy shorts? He brought me back to the “Fab 5″ days with his brash and cocky style & “I am who I am” fashion sense. When the Sixers made him the #1 pick in one of the best 3 draft in league history (’96), Iverson quickly became one of the main attractions in a league that was loaded with stars. I’ll never forget A.I. crossing over MJ in a game in Philly his rookie season that scared every Bulls fan who saw it. It was the first time that you realized that Jordan was getting older, and a new breed was taking over the league.

Iverson’s speed and ability to play the passing lanes was unmatched. Only Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook & LeBron possess similar speed and quickness that defined the Answer’s game. You had to witness it live to appreciate just how much quicker he was than every other player on the court. The fact that he willed a team consisting of Aaron McKie, Tyrone Hill, George Lynch, Theo Ratliff, Eric Snow and 34-year-old (probably older) Dikembe Mutombo to an NBA finals berth is still one of the most impressive accomplishments in recent NBA history. And no, I didn’t forget about the immortal Matt Geiger either.

But Iverson not only played hard, he lived hard. Unlike Kobe, Iverson never treated his training or conditioning with the same fervor like Bryant did. Iverson relied on his ungodly talents, and was indifferent to keeping his body fresh and a step ahead. People warned Iverson that failing to condition his body properly would shorten his career, but the Answer always felt like he had all of the answers.

Iverson’s mentality was that he worked harder than anyone in games, so he didn’t have to train as hard as less talented players. Who can forget the legendary “man, we talkin about practice” rant. Iverson was drunk on his beliefs that his talent and ridiculous 1st step would never leave him, and that’s partially why he’s not still playing.

His partying ways didn’t help either, but his spending habits were Tyson-like. His hair stylist traveled with him so he could have his corn rows done two to three times a week. The Tyson comparison fits with his love for jewelry as well. According to a story on Philly.com, A.I. would often go see the “Ice Man” who made him a platinum pendant in the shape of a 3 with 63 diamonds embedded on it. As for his partying, there’s a story (not sure if it’s true, but you be the judge) of him having booze, women, weed & thousands upon thousands in cash in a Chicago hotel room after they played the Bulls. He was and lived like a rockstar.

When you have a $860,000 jewelry bill that you can’t pay, there’s something wrong. And when you take into account that Iverson made over $150 million in salary, him going broke is not at all surprising. Iverson never did anything half ass, or at half speed. He lived a superstar’s life in seemingly the time frame of an NFL running back’s career. It’s no surprise that he’s broke, it’s just shocking that it didn’t happen sooner.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Despite being the Knicks best player, Carmelo Anthony is now being viewed as their wild card.

More than any other sports city in the country, the concrete jungle has a unique way of defining an athlete’s career. No other city is quite like New York in the way they rapidly build up a star and, without warning, tear them down and throw them to the way side. One of the biggest examples is Jets QB Mark Sanchez.  How fragile must his psyche  be these days? He goes from GQ cover boy, to “hey, can the Jets trade or sign Peyton Manning?” When he was drafted, “the Sanchize” was the next Namath. Now? He is viewed as a guy who will never make the clutch/tight window throws that his New York counterpart made en route to his 2nd Super Bowl a couple of weeks ago.

In the midst of “Linsanity,” and the Knicks’ 7 game winning streak, a question towards the Knicks best player has been the elephant in the room. How will Carmelo Anthony mesh with Jeremy Lin?

Did you ever think you’d hear that sentence said or written? Much like Lin’s out of nowhere play, all of the pressure is suddenly on one of the best pure scorers in basketball. Like Jay and Ye say… That shit cray.

It’s the most common question asked in New York these days besides “is Sanchez really dating Kate Upton?” Melo, of course, says that the two will fit just perfectly with the association’s newest sensation, and I believe him. As much of a ball stopper as Melo can be, he played perhaps the best basketball of his life with the Redeem Team in the ’08 Olympics when he wasn’t asked to run the show and distribute. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Jason Kidd & LeBron got him the ball in spots to be effective, and he shined. Melo was forced to play the point forward role early in the season because of the Knicks abysmal point guard play. Yes, I’m looking at you Mike Bibby.

In those Olympics, Melo was the team’s designated assassin, and best scorer. Kobe forced his will on the team down the stretch of the gold medal game, but that was simply to reinforce whose team it was. Anybody who watched those games knew there wasn’t a better player suited for the FIBA rules than Melo.

So, yes, he will fit in fine with Lin once he returns from injury because D’Antoni’s system (that was used in those Olympics) functions best with stellar point guard play. That is, of course, as long as he’s healthy. The biggest obstacle facing Melo and the Knicks going forward is–will Melo be able to handle the pressure of, potentially, being the guy who rocks the boat if the Knicks lose a few games upon his re-arrival. The me-first Knicks from the early part of the season has been replaced by total team ball led by Linsanity, Iman Shumpert & the rest of this transformed squad.

You know what’s coming, don’t you? If the Knicks drop, let’s say… 3 of 5 once Melo’s back, you’ll hear the basketball imbeciles saying that “Melo isn’t a team guy” and “why don’t the Knicks trade Melo so the Lin/Amare pick and roll combo can flourish like the Nash/Amare duo did in Phoenix? You know it’s coming, brace yourselves.

And that’s when Melo will face the most pressure he’s ever dealt with. He is no longer the hot new face in New York. The New York sports fan is always looking for the next big thing, and Lin has taken Melo and Amare’s place on the marquee. And if Melo starts playing “me ball,” the shit will really hit the fan. If jealousy & ego creep in, and Melo feels the need to go Kobe and show everyone that the Garden is his house, venom be spewed his way.

It’s an odd position to be in for Melo, considering he longed for the pressure that comes with being the lead dog on the Knicks. But as loyal as those fans are, they can also be extremely fickle. Jeremy Lin is the new hot shot “king of New York,” and can, seemingly, do no wrong. If the Knicks struggle once Melo returns, he’ll see a side of the big apple that he undoubtedly thought was only reserved for the Mark Sanchez’s of the world.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

I'd bet anything that MJ won't spoil Yvette Prieto on Valentine's Day. Here's what you should and shouldn't do, fellas...

It’s a question any guy in a semi serious to full blown lock down mode relationship dreads this time of year. “What do I get the girl/wife for Valentine’s Day?” As if we don’t have enough anxiety in our everyday lives, we are forced to put on a charade and pretend to give a fuck about this Hallmark holiday. Seriously, how many straight guys are out there thinking to themselves, “I cannot wait for Valentine’s Day this year! I am so going to spoil my girl rotten.” If you are thinking of reinforcing just how lucky your girl is to have you, chances are you are a pussy.

I’m all for appreciating your significant other, but doing it one day out of the year more than the other 364 only makes you look like you truly don’t give a rat’s ass about this “holiday.”

What this is intended for is guys who are just getting into a relationship, or are trying to get in a girl’s pants. Be honest fellas, you are buying your girls flowers (they die eventually just like your pride), chocolate (overrated and not very good) lingerie (it’s going to come off anyway), a couple’s massage (solid because you benefit as well), Tiffany’s jewelry (waste of money) or anything else because you have not yet fucked the girl you’re chasing. I get it. Until you seal the deal, you feel compelled to show this girl just how great of a guy you are.

If you are following that sappy script, you will only end up fucking yourself in the end. Your true colors will come out eventually, and do you really want to hear, “ya know, you were so much sweeter in the beginning. Why can’t you be like that still?” We’ve all been there, and it’s totally nauseating.

If anything, buy her something that you will reap the benefits of. Get her tickets to an upcoming concert that you will enjoy, but can pass off as a gift to her. Use your imagination, why should it be all about her? Why shouldn’t you be rewarded for putting up with all of her yapping constantly? Trust me, you’ve earned it. And if your girl is really cool, she’ll be fine with hanging out low key style, making or ordering food & having some beers. Those are the keepers. They’re also virtually impossible to find.

So even if you haven’t tapped the ass of the girl you’re fawning after, don’t splurge on this day. Treat it like for what it is, Tuesday. You should have long planned for this day by telling the girl you can’t go out on VDay because of work or some other excuse. A savvy veteran will plan a dinner for the weekend followed by drinks. That way, you show you care (even though you don’t) and you throw some drinks down her throat in the process. And next thing you know, you are happily banging her for the first time.

And if your girl has subtly thrown out verbal diarrhea about not giving you head if you ignore this “holiday” or not having sex unless you make it “special,” take it in stride. One, she is fucking lying right through her teeth. Two, girls love and want sex as much, if not more than we do. Again, pretend you care, make a plan for the weekend & you’ll be wanting to shake my hand after a night full of sex.

So there you go, fellas. And for those guys who are married…Do whatever you feel you have to on VDay just to keep your wife from nagging you and bitching you out. But for the guys who have yet to walk down the aisle to hell, do not spoil your girl like some love struck chump. Because all it will do will prove to your woman that you are capable of this act, and that she can expect lavish gifts when you inevitably fuck up.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Here is the 2012 Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover. This just in...Kate Upton is really hot.

For what it's worth, I prefer this picture of Kate Upton.

First the Super Bowl commercials were being leaked, now the 2012 Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover. Barstool Sports had it early, and then the shit went viral with the quickness. I like the cover, but hasn’t the whole SI swimsuit issue become irrelevant? Seriously, you can’t go to any magazine stand these days without seeing half naked broads who are air brushed to the max. Don’t think I’m complaining here, but the platter of magazines you see out kind of dulls down the SI issue, no? But that doesn’t mean I won’t mention the cover here, especially when you consider hot hot Kate Upton is.

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Whitney Houston had no equal and was at her apex in 1988.

However, Whitney's life and career started to spiral downward in the late 90's because of drug & alcohol addiction, and a disastrous marriage to Bobby Brown.

There’s usually a shock factor that comes over us when we learn of a celebrity’s death. Thanks to Twitter, you have to be extra careful before believing a story because there are always RIP ‘enter star’s name here’ tweets that are trending worldwide. When we learned of Whitney Houston’s passing over the weekend, the hope was that is was more comedians in training trying to gain more followers by starting a RIP Whitney Houston trend.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case, and yet another star of the 80′s was gone in a flash. It was only shocking because when a star of your childhood dies, the initial shock temporarily overtakes the even sadder realization that this was, of course, how Whitney Houston would go… In a bathtub on a drug overdose.

Once reality set in, all you could say was, “did you expect anything different?” We are talking about one of the most notorious abusers of our era, so it was really just a matter of time. When you mix cocktails of drugs with booze, what other result can be expected?

The real tragedy, however, isn’t that Houston died, it’s that so many are again treating a celebrity’s death as if it were someone in their immediate family. It’s actually depressing to think that a drug addicted singer gets more air time on the night of her death (CNN’s coverage was an abomination by the way) than soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. I don’t feel deprived because Whitney snorted, smoked & drank away her once in a generation talent, I instead feel terrible for her daughter Bobbi Kristina and family who must carry on without the greatest of all time.

It’s also hard to feel that she wasted her career because of her obvious addictions. I understand that addiction is a disease, but marrying Bobby Brown was downright idiotic. I get that “On Our Own” was quite the hit in ’89, but getting involved with a guy who drops a vial during a VMA performance should have been a sign. And if it’s true that Whitney had that dark side to her, then maybe this was how she was destined to leave this earth all along.

But make no mistake, Whitney Houston was that damn good. Her voice was flawless and identifiable to anyone with the ability to hear. When you are called “The Voice,” that’s all you really need to know. Clive Davis saw a star in 1983, and it resulted in a career that resulted in over $170 million in sales. Whitney’s run of seven straight #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 was a dynastic achievement, and one that seems unimaginable today, considering all of the garbage that “singers” are spewing out on the regular. Whitney was unmatched at the undisputed champ before she started to decay in front of us.

The shock of her death came and went quicker than it took me to watch some of her videos over the weekend, but her legacy is, unfortunately, tied to performers who weren’t on her level. “The Voice” should be remembered for what made her a legend and a music icon, instead of an addiction and death that everyone saw coming.

My sister would be furious if I didn’t include some of Whitney’s best work, so here you go…

You’re welcome, sis

@Louie_Ruffolo8

Luol Deng's 1st all-star selection shows that coaches appreciate all around players & helps build his trade value for a possible Dwight Howard trade.

Like most Bulls fans, I was ecstatic for Luol Deng when he was named to his 1st all-star game on Thursday night. It was a short-lived excitement, however, because it was right around the time that Shaquille O’Neal claimed Rajon Rondo was the best point guard in the NBA. Before throwing my remote at the television, Charles Barkley, thankfully, asked, “is Derrick Rose dead?” Only in Shaq’s world, Chuck.

Deng being named to the eastern conference all-star reserves is a well deserved honor for a player who was beaten up mentally by former coach Scott Skiles, injured during the Bulls 1st season back in the playoffs in ’04-’05, had his breakout 18.8 ppg season in ’07 quickly overshadowed by Kobe Bryant trade rumors, was the subject of Pau Gasol trade rumors, turned down a $57.5 million offer from the Bulls, got hurt, signed a $71 million deal in ’08, was over-valued by the franchise because of it, suffered a stress fracture in the ’09 season that kept him out of the classic series vs the Celtics & rebounded nicely in the ’10 season under Vinny Del Idiot.

Once he was healthy, Deng saw his game take off last season under Tom Thibodeau. Thibs was long a fan of Deng, and unlike Vinny, knew how to use Deng’s unique length and cutting ability. Deng never shot a great 3-point percentage under Vinny because he was often sitting in the corner watching Derrick Rose go one on one. You might also know this as Vinny’s lone offensive set.

Deng has slowly improved his game the past two seasons to become one of the best all around players in basketball. He is a lock down and willing defender, a really good passer and able to handle high minute loads. He’s extremely coachable, can get to the hoop off of curl with one dribble (sometimes none) & trails the break beautifully to either finish at the rim, or hit a mid range jumper.

But, most importantly, Deng’s all-star selection does two things.

One, it proves that coaches value all around players, and not just the ones who make the nightly highlight reels. Deng is a cerebral player, not a flashy one. You won’t see him in any top 10 lists on “Sportscenter.” And you know what? That’s beyond cool because there are too few players who aren’t above doing the little things to help their team win games. How many all-star players do you know who would be fine without having many plays drawn up for them while having to guard the other team’s best perimeter player every night? I’ll sit here and watch a Brian Scalabrine YouTube clip while you try and frantically come up with an answer.

The second thing Deng’s trip to Orlando does for the Bulls, is raise his trade value. It’s no secret that the Bulls are trying to swing a deal for Dwight Howard. Reports say that Howard doesn’t want to go to the Lakers and the Magic want no part of Brook Lopez’s gimpy ass. That would indicate that two of Howard’s preferred destinations are not viable trade options right now.

Do you honestly think the Magic and 85 year old owner Richard DeVos will allow D-12 to walk for nothing in July? DeVos has stated he doesn’t want to rebuild, and letting the best big man on the planet dip the scene without getting a package of players and draft picks in return simply doesn’t make sense.

If the Magic do deal him, the Bulls have long made the most sense for Howard and the team. And isn’t it easier for the Magic to sell fans on getting a double double center in Joakim Noah, an all-star in Luol Deng, a solid defender in Taj Gibson or Omer Asik & the draft rights to Nikola Mirotic or the Bobcats future 1st round pick, than letting him leave for nothing? And sorry, but Lopez and bullshit picks from the Nets don’t top that package. I hate to break it to you, Hova and the rest of Brooklyn.

It’s great news that Deng’s hard work, selfless play and dedication will finally be recognized later this month in Orlando. But the fact that he is now an all-star player will only help increase the chances of Superman making Chi-town his new home when he is inevitably traded. Is it March 15th yet?

@Louie_Ruffolo8