Heard It Through the Grapevine

If you’re one of those people who have questions about Tiger and Elin or Tony and Eva, we've love to know what do you think about Yao Ming and Nia Long hooking up?

According to MediaTakeout.com, when Yao was growing up in China, he was a huge fan of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and developed a huge crush for Long. When he finally came to the states four years ago, he looked up Long and repeatedly asked her out on dates until she finally relented. The website says that they have been on a couple of dates already and “the sparks are flying.”

This is all news to Yao Ming who responded to Reuters that the entire story is false and he hardly knows who Nia Long is.

"Isn't it too ridiculous?" Ming told Reuters. "I saw the news on Internet. The writer is so good at hoaxes. What's that? She's only 5’2”. I'm 7’ 6”. Does it sound reasonable? I have never heard of the name of her movies. Were there many foreign movies in China when I was a kid?" Ming is still with his long time girlfriend, Ye Li, who is 6’2” and plays for the Chinese Women’s National basketball team. They currently live together in Houston.

Kobe repairing damaged image, jersey #1

It’s taken a couple of years, but it looks like Kobe is on his way back up. Ever since the debacle with Shaq and then the rape charges in Colorado, Kobe has been on damage control 24/7. Not only is Kobe Bean playing modest on the court and talking to the media, he’s also been doing charitable deeds around the 'hood and fulfilling wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It also helps that he got some of his endorsements back, including a gig as cover boy for Sony’s NBA ’07 video game on the Playstation 3.

With all that work put in, plus the jersey number change, Kobe’s #24 jersey is the top-selling jersey in the NBA. The jersey moved past Dwyane Wade and LeBron James last month to secure the top spot. The Allen Iverson’s new Nuggets jersey and Carmelo Anthony’s jersey now round out the top five selling jerseys in the NBA.

Marbury scores TV sports talk show

Awhile back we mentioned that Stephon Marbury was producing a television sports talk show featuring the Knicks guard interviewing professional athletes. At the time he was looking for an outlet to broadcast the show and it appears that he's got a deal.

According to the New York Post, Fox Sports Network has reached an agreement to air 13 episodes in which Marbury will host and produce a half-hour show called “Stars on Star”. The show will debut in March on Fridays with the first show featuring Kobe Bryant. In future episodes, Mark Cuban and Isiah Thomas will always be guests.

"I just felt it would allow people to see my personality beyond the perception that's written about basketball,” Marbury told the New York Post. “People say I'm selfish. The numbers don't show I'm selfish. I've never gotten a chance to defend myself as far as me as a person. I thought it would be a lot of fun. It's not a sports show as much as a lifestyle show. Hopefully I can show a different side of other people and a different side of me. It's a conversation between two people who happen to be stars, talking about our experiences growing up and as far as everyday life."

Larry Johnson puts Jay-Z in Hall of Fame

Jay-Z has accomplished quite a bit in his career -- multi-platinum albums, directing a multi-million dollar record company, running a successful clothing and shoe line, owning a piece of the New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets, not to mention having the hottest chick in the game on his arm.

Now Sean Carter will have the dubious honor of having his name -- and shoe -- in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, by way of Kansas City Chiefs’ running back, Larry Johnson. After Johnson broke the record for having the most carries in a season at 416, the Hall asked him to donate something to mark the new record. Johnson donated his signature Reebok S. Carter cleats that he wears on game day, the line of athletic shoes launched by Jay-Z. The shoes will be on display at the hall next to other artifacts like a game ball from Super Bowl II and game plans from the NFL’s most memorable games.