Magic Johnson

Conspiracy Theorists Are Dead Wrong About the NBA

I don't get it. I read about conspiracy theories all the time. From 9/11 was an inside job to aliens to "false flags," I try to reasonably digest the possibilites, but I just can't wrap my head around them. This isn't to say I don't think cover-ups or conspiracies don't exist. In fact, history tells ... More >>

NBA Retro Zapruder Of The 1985 NBA Draft Lottery

In the 80's hit movie Stand By Me, there's a scene where the four main characters, teenage boys (including a young Corey Feldman!), are sitting around a campfire and one of them (Gordie) tells a story about a fat kid named Lard Ass participating in a blueberry pie eating contest at the county fair. ... More >>

Classic Downtown Macy's Shutting Its Doors

According to a report from the Houston Chronicle, the store those of us who grew up in Houston knew as Foley's downtown since it opened in 1947 will be shutting its doors as part of a move by Macy's to close underperforming stores. It will begin a clearance sale on January 7 that will run for about ... More >>

MTV's Best Year: The Top 5 Videos of 1992

In 1992, the recording industry was riding high. The compact disc had become a major success, with music lovers purchasing new albums and old releases in astonishing numbers despite the format's comparatively steep price tags. And the music-video juggernaut known as MTV was helping major labels to b ... More >>

Bad Teacher

Sexts Got Teacher Fired.

Magic Johnson Riding To The Rescue Of Houston Pavilions

The company partly owned by LA Laker and Rocket-killer Magic Johnson has purchased the semi-troubled downtown Houston Pavilions, according to an announcement today. Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds will take over the project, which covers three city blocks and includes the House of Blues, Forever XXI, Mc ... More >>

In Which John Royal Predicts the Winner of the 2012 World Series

The major league baseball season officially started last week when the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners played two games in Tokyo. Most of the other teams open on Thursday, and the Astros get started on Friday when they host the Colorado Rockies. Thus, here are my predictions for this season. NATI ... More >>

Counting Greg Oden's Blessings

Greg Oden, in between microsurgeries.​"I'm sure he's saying, 'Why Me?' Sometimes in life, things like that happen, and you wonder why it's happening to you. Some of these injuries have occurred, not only on the floor but off the floor. There's really not an explanation for why, or sometimes ho ... More >>

Houston Rockets 1993 vs. Houston Rockets 2012, the Hard Truth

It's been a tough start for the hapless Rockets. With early injury problems, a trade that didn't happen in the lockout-shortened offseason and a new, unproven coach, it's no wonder the first few weeks of the season have been somewhere between "OH GOD NO!" and "Just shoot me." This, of course, makes ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Ménage à Foie

Photo courtesy of FacebookSomething much cooler is coming to the old Zula's space downtown...​Two big blows of bad news shook the food community this week: Yelapa Playa Mexicana announced its closure, and Moon Tower Inn decided to take a three-month break to remodel. The writing had been on t ... More >>

Last Night: Hip-Hop Fest 2 At Midtown Lounge

Photos by Shea SerranoTawn P (left) and Dante Higgins​Hip-Hop Fest 2 feat. Tawn P, Undergravity, Dante Higgins Midtown Lounge June 9, 2011 11:09 p.m.: Son. Of. A. Bitch. We've been trying to see Tawn P live for, like, two months and have missed her every single time. She apparently just finis ... More >>

Magic Johnson Takes Over Hotel Icon

This investment is a slam d-- sorry, we just can't say it​The so-hip-it-hurts Hotel Icon's foreclosure auction has a winner: Magic Johnson, the man who toyed with the Houston Rockets and every NBA team except the Boston Celtics back in the days of tight shorts. Johnson's investment company, C ... More >>

Year in Review Appendix -- Five More Stories For The Road

One more for 2010...​I love the last week of December. Between Gary Kubiak and the option to just pick out some category from the past year and recap it, it's ready-made content. Just add snark! So in the spirit of lazy "Year in Review" style posts (one of which I've already submitted today! ... More >>

Time Waster Tuesday -- NBA Superstars Videos (via YouTube)

"'Remember when' is the lowest form of conversation." -- Tony Soprano Tony was right, you never want to be "remember when" guy, and I try my best not to be. But the fact of the matter is, for many of us, what happened between the ages of 16 and 28 constitute the "good times." High school, maybe ... More >>

College Football and NFL: This Weekend's Best Bets (And a Promise From Me)

You can't lose, except when you lose​I'm coming up on almost one year now writing a daily post on Hair Balls for HoustonPress.com. In that time, I've written tens of thousands of words about topics like the Summer of LeBron, the Brian Cushing saga, the Houston Texans, and the death of Jose Lima. ... More >>

LeBron James -- Society Hates You, I Love Society

LeBron: The power is waning​Mankind, I have to say that I was just about to give up on you. I'm a very patient person, but with every kid running around in a Ben Roethlisberger jersey or every nimrod that decides to turn right on Hamilton at the Texas Street intersection next to Minute Maid Park ... More >>

Happy Hour Scene: Darkhorse Tavern

​ It was sometime during our field sobriety test that we remembered how much we absolutely love Washington Avenue. We were thinking a lot of things when the officer asked us to step out of our vehicle, but chief among them was all the fun that we'd have at jail and who would be calling Tyler F ... More >>

Kick 'em While They're Down: The Worst Songs Ever Recorded For Charity

Please take this thing away from me. Please.​ When Rocks Off received an email touting Sting's new MySpace charity video for the Prince of Wales' Rainforest Project, we almost chipped a fingernail hurriedly clicking on the link, which promised oodles of celebrities such as Olivia Newton-John, Rich ... More >>

Where Does Sunday's Rockets Victory Rank? It'll Have To Top These To Make The Top Five

Where does yesterday's deceptively close 99-87 shellacking of the Lakers rank in the annals of great Rockets victories? It's too soon to tell. If they build on that win by taking this series and then slip into their fifth NBA finals, minus not just Yao but also his geriatric Congolese understudy, no ... More >>

A Dream Team for Barack Obama

The Art Guys, "Cloud Cuckoo Land"

The Art Guys share 25 years of "drawings, proposals, failed schemes and pipe dreams"

Backing It In, Backing It In

Dear Diary

The Essence of Soul

Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige and more hit H-town

A Cut Above

The future of the best beef in America may depend on a herd in East Texas

Super Bummer

Vendors says they were never paid for a Bowl party

Med Check

Texas can't decide whether to pay for drug-resistance tests that could prolong the lives of those with HIV. For John Termine, it's already too late.

Clang!

Rookie director fires up a ton of bricks in Love & Basketball

Night & Day

April 15-21, 1999

Storming the Ramparts

TSU struggles on as insiders battle detractors both within and outside the school's front gates

Magic Sidekick Mystery Tour

Descent into Madness: The Dale Robertson Story

Letters

The Insider

Clutch City Consumption

Bootleg, legit, who cares? We gotta have it.

Press Picks

The Man Behind Mad Max

Vernon Maxwell has made a reputation by going crazy. Now he says he wants to go straight. Really?

Rabbit Was a Boxer

The education & travels of the natural-born fighter, fierce homeless poet, charming talker, convicted felon, begetter of children & receiver of messages from Heaven