I am thankful for...

In the spirit of the holiday, and what a great holiday it is, I have decided to copy Shaun Powell's article on NBA.com (listing 25 things NBA fans have to be thankful for) and make my own list of 26 (Thanksgiving falls on the 26th after all) things basketball fans have to be thankful for. Note: the order of these reasons to be thankful is debatable...

26. Basketball blogs around the nation-you can always find at least one blog out there who will agree with your point of view on a player, team, coach, game, and/or everything else in-between.

25. NBA.com sales-who doesn't love saving 15% on the jersey of their choice? For someone like me who owns way too much NBA gear, this more than comes in handy.

24. School/company ticket discounts-I have been to a handful of Bulls games for a mere $20 thanks to the NBA offering discounted tickets to UIC students. Saving money never hurts.

23. NBA TV-the more NBA action the better. I love this channel.

22. The NBA League Pass-though personally I don't have this, at least not yet, I tried it out during their free trial week and let me tell you, its quite amazing.Its literally basketball all day, every day, and to me nothing sounds better than that.

21. ESPN and TNT-they broadcast games, enough said.

20. Twitter-this social networking tool has taken fandom to a whole different level. From owners to broadcasters to teams to coaches to players, everyone has one these days.

19. Chris Webber-better known as C-Webb, this guy is hilarious and makes halftime worth sticking around for. Plus he used to be one hell of a player so he knows his stuff.

18. Neil Funk and Stacey King-these guys bicker like a married couple and I love it. They make every Bulls game, win or lose, that much more entertaining.

17. Players with names like "Luther Head"-I'm sure hes a great guy, and obviously his name has nothing to do with the game of basketball, but come on, you know you get a kick out of hearing announcers shout out names like this too.

16. The fact that the Lakers tracksuits are orange, not yellow like they are supposed to be, and don't match their jerseys-this way we all have something to criticize them for.

15. The Celtics not winning the Playoffs-I hate them, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen excluded.

14. Coaches like Phil Jackson, Mike Brown and George Karl-showing the rest of the league what leaders should be like.

13. "More Than A Game"-Lebron's documentary is a must-see.

12. Tattoos like Brad Miller's scrappy-doo-Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but scrappy-doo? Really? Tattoos like these let you see players in a whole new light. Perhaps flashing back to their younger, drunker and dumber days.

11. Dwight Howard's sense of humor-more players need to be like Dwight. Though he takes the game very seriously and is fully committed to his career as a NBA baller, he has a softer side too, and in my opinion has one of the best personalities in the league.

10. Dwyane Wade's style-have you seen this guy in street clothes? Damn is all I can say.

9. Derrick Rose's humbleness-others may treat him like a superstar but he has yet to show any signs of being anything other than a regular guy who loves to hoop. I've had it with players, no matter how talented or recognized, acting like they're above everyone else.Come on now.

8. Mo Williams' quick feet-watching him play is almost scary...hes faster than a bullet.

7. Chris Paul's motivation-the Hornets may not be all they can be lately but CP3 has yet to give up on his team and continues to grow as both a player and a person with each day that goes by.

6. Kirk Hinrich's attitude with not starting-though I will not start to hate on players like AI and Larry Hughes who both demand they start no matter what team they play for, I respect Kirk's attitude to being the Bulls' sixth man. Night after night he comes off the bench, giving the game all hes got, and for that I commend him.

5. Drafting players like Brandon Jennings-at first people were unsure of how he would do in the NBA, known for his inconsistency and his bad attitude, but he was given a chance and has more than proved himself thus far in the season.

4. David Stern-hes managed to do the league a lot of good and has been holding his ground for quite some time now.

3. The Chicago Bulls-as if you didn't know I was going to include them...I love my Bulls no matter what but they have greatly improved over the past few years and hopefully will only get better.

2. Players like Kobe and Lebron-their sheer talent is undeniable and watching them play is always a treat.

1. Carmelo Anthony-though he may be placed beneath both Kobe and Lebron in terms of skill level, this guy is brilliant AND has a personality worth taking interest in. I will never speak against the work of Kobe or Lebron, but their cocky attitudes and God-like demeanors sometimes get the best of them. Melo on the other hand is a scorer, play-maker, leader, etc but does not let any of that get to him, seemingly being a genuinely great guy.

Obviously there are a handful more things to be thankful for as a basketball fan, but listing them all would take days...in any case, Happy Thanksgiving to all and don't forget to check out the Bulls take on the Jazz tomorrow night at 9:30pm!