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Irene Peter once said, “Just because everything is different, doesn’t mean that everything has changed.” That is kind of how I feel about my recent move to Inside Hoops. While I will miss what we had at PBN, I am absolutely thrilled to be on board here with editor Jeff Lenchiner. I would also like to take a moment to thank former PBN editor Sam Amico for all of his guidance, and for giving me a shot to write for PBN (by the way, you can still read Sam’s stuff on a regular basis here at Inside Hoops).

Over the course of the past few months, I have enjoyed getting to know many of you who read and responded to my columns consistently. I hope that you will continue to read and respond here at Inside Hoops as well. Rest assured that there will be many new readers joining us, as Inside Hoops is world famous.

On that note, I want to introduce to you my new weekly column entitled, “The NBA Through Travis Colored Glasses.” Here, you can expect all of my takes on everything NBA. I will break down the match-ups, challenge conventional mass media driven NBA thinking, and of course speak with complete candor about the Association we know and love -- all with a dash of humor from time to time. And of course, I will continue to post all of your wonderfully insightful e-mail responses.

So without further adieu, here’s my inaugural effort.

- So Latrell Sprewell still hasn’t signed with anyone yet. I would be lying if I told you that this didn’t surprise me, but I would also be lying if I didn’t admit that I find some satisfaction in it. Especially on the heels of Sprewell’s infamous “I need enough money to feed my family,” comments last year.

- The question still remains though, where will Spree end up? My money is still on the Lakers, especially since Sprewell has a home and a business in Southern California. Yeah, I know that the Lakers said they don’t think they will trade for Spree. The keyword though, is trade. I believe the Lakers are just trying to get Spree to sign for the portion of the mid-level exception that they still have available, as opposed to having to consummate a sign and trade to get him in purple and gold. And if there is one city where Spree will take less to play, I believe it is Tinsel Town.

- Speaking of the Lakers: So the Zenmaster says he can coexist with Kobe. Yeah, that’s easy to proclaim now, but we’ll see if he’s still singing the same tune after the Lakers have lost five games in a row at some point during the upcoming season. Hey, at least if the Lakers do land Spree, maybe Kobe can solicit him to choke Phil if things get to crazy between the two.

- And speaking of violent acts committed -- or aspired to be committed -- enter Kwame Brown. In case you haven’t heard, Kwame Brown said he wanted to slap the you know what out of Gilbert Arenas when they were teammates in Washington last season. Here’s for betting that Phil Jackson will want to slap the you know what out of Brown by the All Star Break for his immaturity and complete lack of production.

- Rumor out of Denver is that Carmelo Anthony has shed 20 pounds, and has been nothing short of dominant in pick up games this summer. Also, The Denver Post’s Marc J. Spears recently wrote an article that characterized Anthony as “more open to constructive criticism.” I’m sure the rest of the league is praying that this is not true as I write this very sentence.

- In other Denver news, Kenyon Martin is standing by his former college coach Bob Huggins after his dismissal from The University of Cincinnati. I admire Martin’s loyalty, especially considering Huggins’ recent troubles. Fans in Denver can only hope that Martin’s commitment to helping Denver win a championship rivals the commitment he has shown to Huggins over the years.

- The League office is pondering putting in place a league wide dress code that would require all players to dress in suits before and after games. Guess the days of inactive players wearing Sean John and Timberland boots on the sidelines are over.

- I wonder how the Raptor’s players are feeling after GM Rob Babcock said in not so many words, that the team would be among the worst in the league this year? Way to circle the wagons Bobby.

- I was saddened to learn this week that Hornets GM Alan Bristow was stepping down from the team because of health concerns. I have been familiar with Bristow since his days as an assistant coach under Doug Moe with the Denver Nuggets back in the 1980’s. I’m sure I speak for everyone here at Inside Hoops, in wishing Bristow a quick return to good health.

- After trading for point guard Dan Dickau, according to my unofficial count, the Celtics now have 19 point guards on their roster. It’s not that I didn’t believe Danny Ainge when he said that he was going to shake up the roster upon his appointment as the C’s GM. I just figured he’d consider acquiring a player or two taller than 6-foot-2.

- This week, Steve Smith retired from basketball. It’s hard to believe that Smith’s 14-year career has already come and gone. With Smith exiting the league, the list of pure shooters in the league continues to dwindle.

Thanks for reading, and remember -- Loving NBA basketball is more than a feeling; it’s a state of mind.

Have a take about what you just read. Contact Travis at travismheath@msn.com