Basketball

It's every fan's dream: you get picked to take one shot from the middle of the court, and if you make it, you win ... something pretty great. But in this glorious age of online video, you also win eternal glory.

Another NBA coach rides off into the sunset, sort of speaking. The Phoenix Suns and head coach Alvin Gentry have parted ways.

The pressures of a half-court shot are immense enough with having to worry about sinking said shot, averting an air ball or even making sure the basketball succeeds in making the long flight to the hoop. But this guy, Kevin, appears to have encountered a whole different worry we never saw coming -- like when your ball gets stuck between the hoop and a backboard.

With Mike D'Antoni returning to the sidelines as the Lakers coach, he brings with him a long career of basketball acumen, both from his time as a coach and as a player. Kobe Bryant reportedly grew up watching D'Antoni play in Italy. But how does D'Antoni measure up against the competition? Here's a look at how current NBA coaches fared in their playing careers:

We never get tired of watching families reunite after long tours of duty in the military. Watch what happens when this Marine returns from Afghanistan and surprises his little brother with a public reunion in front of his B-ball buddies.

One would think basketball would pose particular challenges for Ryan Leonard, since he was born without any arms. It turns out — as you can see in this video — that Leonard has no problem hitting a difficult half court shot.

Doron Lamb scored 22 points, and Kentucky held off a spirited Kansas rally to beat the Jayhawks 67-59 in the NCAA title game in New Orleans on Monday night. The win gave the Wildcats (38-2) their eighth national championship in school history and first since 1998.

Traditional college basketball powers Kentucky and Kansas each won regional finals on Sunday to join Ohio State and Louisville in the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans next weekend. Here’s a recap of Sunday’s regional final games: